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Salman Butt, the former Pakistan captain, will not appear at the Southwark Crown Court in London on Friday as the hearing into corruption charges against three Pakistani players and the player agent Mazhar Majeed gets underway. On Thursday, after some uncertainty and delay over his UK visa, Mohammad Amir, flew to the UK; Mohammad Asif, the third player, is already in the UK.”Salman will not be in attendance on Friday as he has been excused by the court,” Yasin Patel, Butt’s UK-based lawyer, told ESPNcricinfo. Patel will appear at what is expected to be an administrative hearing in which the actual date of when the trial starts proper will be set. If the players’ lawyers have reached an understanding with the prosecution beforehand, then there should be no issue with the players not appearing for this hearing. Until Wednesday, there was a distinct probability of Amir not attending the hearing, but he changed his mind and flew out on Thursday morning.Asif, who has consistently acted out of step with the other two players through the course of the fall-out from the spot-fixing scandal, left for the UK on Tuesday. “I am going to London with a clear mind and that is to keep on fighting this case till my innocence is proven,” he told reporters as he left.Along with Majeed, the trio are facing charges of conspiracy to cheat and conspiracy to obtain and accept corrupt payments, following the Lord’s Test last August in which they allegedly conspired to bowl pre-determined no-balls. The four appeared at a hearing – at the City of Westminster Magistrates’ Court – on March 17, which set the date and jurisdiction for this hearing and were granted unconditional bail at the time; Majeed was told to surrender his passport.Accepting corrupt payments is an offence under the Prevention of Corruption Act 1906 and carries a maximum sentence of seven years’ imprisonment and an unlimited fine. Cheating is an offence under Section 42 of the Gambling Act 2005, carrying a maximum sentence of two years’ imprisonment and an unlimited fine.They players and their agent were charged after being questioned by Scotland Yard detectives over the alleged scandal in the Test at Lord’s last August, following accusations by the tabloid newspaper.The three players have already been banned by the ICC, which held a separate inquiry, for periods ranging from five to ten years. All three have, however, already filed appeals against their bans at the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Switzerland.

Jerome Taylor, the West Indies fast bowler who returned to competitive cricket in the IPL after another break due to injury, has said the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) did not contact him about the injury until he arrived in India to play for the Pune Warriors.Taylor, who last played for West Indies in June 2010, wasn’t picked for the home ODI series against Pakistan. It led Michael Holding to question, during series commentary, as to why Taylor had then been cleared by the WICB to play in the IPL. Taylor said he was told his back injury sustained during the domestic first-class competition in the Caribbean earlier this year “was nothing to keep me out for too long.” This assessment, Taylor said, came from Dr. Akshai Mansingh, part of the WICB medical panel, whom he was sent to meet during the tournament.Taylor missed the previous two IPL seasons due to other injuries but this year has bowled with good pace and rhythm. Explaining his decision to play in the IPL, Taylor told ESPNcricinfo: “I had asked the WICB for an NOC due to the fact that I wasn’t a contracted player with the WICB. I was in a preparation camp for the Four Day tournament and didn’t get selected in the 30-man preliminary squad for the World Cup, which none of the selectors said anything to me about even though I was fit enough to be preparing for the first-class competition.”I wasn’t sure I was going to be selected, so I had to keep my options open. It was a case where I didn’t want to be at home waiting to be selected, not get picked and let this opportunity pass me for a third year in a row.”The only communication he had with the board before arriving in India, Taylor said, was a chat with selector Robert Haynes during the Four Day tournament and an exchange of e-mails about his no-objection certificate for playing in the IPL with the board CEO Ernest Hilaire. “But no one contacted me about my injury before I came here,” Taylor said. It was only after he reached India, he added, that he’d been contacted by the board about his fitness.”On April 7, 2011, after I had arrived in India, I received an e-mail from Dr. Hilaire – and the Pune Warriors management and medical staff also let me know – that he needed a report on my medical status for his purposes of informing the IPL (about my fitness). “Taylor’s career in international cricket has been beset by a back injury among others, limiting his availability to 29 Tests after he’d been identified as among the most promising fast-bowling prospects for West Indies when he made his debut in 2003. He reiterated he was “still aspiring to lead the West Indies attack” and that the IPL was a platform to “give a good account of myself.”In a broader interview, Taylor also said he didn’t think leaving out senior players from the ODI side was helpful since West Indies will be playing “against tough teams” this year and therefore needed the right combination of youth and experience if they were going to be successful.”We’re not here to just play cricket and represent West Indies; we need people who can actually compete. We’re winning games but we need to start winning series and tournaments. We need to make sure that we’re seriously challenging teams and pushing them close.”In his five IPL matches, Taylor has taken six wickets at 26.16 and admitted that while injuries had forced him to cut down on pace, he is focused on delivering on the field. “I’m not sure what they [selectors] are thinking right now but what can I do more than go out there and perform? That’s my focus right now. I have to make sure I’m performing and I’m fit, and the rest is left in their hands.”At this moment my body is feeling good and I’m up for it and I have to make sure that I put the best of Jerome Taylor out on the park.”

ScorecardJames Harris emerged as Glamorgan’s star on the opening day of their County Championship match against Essex at Chelmsford. First the 20-year-old put together a well-constructed 53 in the lower order to usher the visitors to a respectable 282 total after they had been put in to bat.Then Harris shone with the ball as he claimed the prized wicket of Alastair Cook, the England opener falling lbw for 5 as Essex closed on 13 for 1 in reply. Harris’ performance was a boost for the Welsh county although they were no doubt disappointed to not post a bigger total given the fact several of their batsmen failed to make substantial scores when looking well set.Although William Bragg made 55, three of his colleagues were dismissed in the 30s, making Harris’ late rally all the more vital. Glamorgan’s hopes of making a good start to their innings were dented by David Masters, who removed openers Gareth Rees and Alviro Petersen during his first five overs.Rees (8) fell lbw while Petersen (21) was left hearing the rattle of timber as he played down the wrong line with the total on 33. The dismissal of the skipper heralded the arrival of Michael Powell to do battle on a ground where he scored a double century five years ago.He was just beginning to impose himself again when, having reached 36, he was undone by the extra lift of Lonwabo Tsotsobe and was caught behind by James Foster, one of four catches taken by the Essex captain.Powell’s removal ended a third-wicket stand of 61, the best of the innings, while Bragg, whose effort contained eight boundaries, was finally dismissed by Maurice Chambers with the help of Foster.That was also the combination that ended Harris’ fine effort, one containing seven fours. It was only his third half-century in the championship, his last an unbeaten 76 on the same ground in 2009. Chambers emerged at Essex’s most successful bowler with three for 63 from 17 overs, while Masters, Tsotsobe and Ravi Bopara picked up two each.When Essex replied, Cook despatched the first ball he received from Adam Shantry to the boundary with a flashing square cut. But then Harris struck to leave Cook reflecting on a poor start to the season. Although he scored 155 in the last game against Northamptonshire, he has failed to reach 40 in six other trips to the middle – not the sort of form befitting a batsman who amassed 766 in last winter’s Ashes series in Australia.

Match Facts

March 25, Dhaka
Start time 1430 hours (0830 GMT)Imran Tahir has been a revelation for South Africa in this tournament•AFP

The Big Picture

Like the ghost of World Cups past, New Zealand have visited South Africa’s campaigns in every tournament since 1992. Each time they have been clear underdogs against a team with a fabled dedication to clinical professionalism, but more often than not they reminded the South African scrooges of the frailty of a rigid formula. The timbre of those reminders has rung with increasing insistence, and when their paths crossed in 2003 and 2007, New Zealand were clear winners.The lesson has been learned, and this time South Africa’s progress has been notable for its break from the formulaic approaches of the past. In Imran Tahir they’ve found the final component in a team of near-perfect balance, and have shown a refreshing willingness to adapt as opposition or conditions demand. They have two of the best fast bowlers in the world, but both Robin Peterson and Johan Botha have opened the bowling at different stages.But while South Africa’s approach may have changed, there is a familiar look to their results from the group stages. West Indies, Netherlands and Bangladesh were dispatched with consummate ease. The loss to England may have raised old fears about the ‘C’ word, but that defeat never threatened South Africa’s march to the second round and they immediately shrugged off the ‘chokers’ tag (a phrase that seems to be focussed on more obsessively in the media than it is by anyone in South Africa’s camp) with a thrilling, last-over win against India.How could New Zealand, who floundered against Australia and Sri Lanka and made the quarter-finals thanks mainly to a meltdown that only Pakistan could have delivered, possibly hope to derail the mighty South Africans? Outgunned with both bat and ball, and struggling with injuries, they will have to resort to the sort of scrapping, street-wise cricket for which their previous World Cup campaigns have been renowned. A transformed South Africa are determined to correct the mistakes of the past, but the return of Daniel Vettori will inspire New Zealand and this match could well be won by whichever team is better able to maintain temperament and composure.

Form guide

(completed matches, most recent first)
New Zealand LWWWL
South Africa WWWLW

Watch out for…

Imran Tahir may not be South Africa’s leading wicket-taker in the tournament so far – that title belongs, surprisingly, to Robin Peterson – but his inclusion is symbolic of South Africa’s new approach to limited-overs cricket. He’s also their first attacking wrist spinner in a cricketing generation, and should find conditions in Mirpur to his liking. If New Zealand’s top order can survive the early onslaught from Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel, Graeme Smith will turn to Tahir, confident in his ability to pick up cheap wickets with a variety of legspinners, sliders and wrong ‘uns.
New Zealand have a couple of limited-overs stars in their ranks, such as Brendon McCullum and Jesse Ryder, but their strength as a team is their potential to gel and become more than the sum of their parts. Their captain, Daniel Vettori, is the vital ingredient in that formula. Whether with bat, ball or in the field, Vettori seems to inspire by his very presence and as a seasoned cricketer he won’t be intimidated by South Africa. There have been hints that Vettori could give up ODIs after this tournament, giving him an added incentive to go out on a high.

Team news

South Africa gave away nothing in terms of likely selections or injury troubles in the lead-up to the game, and there’s been no word on whether or not AB de Villiers has recovered from injury. Given the importance of the match, it’s likely he will play even if not fully fit, and perhaps not be asked to keep wicket. That means wicketkeeper Morne van Wyk will keep his place in the XI, possibly at Faf du Plessis’s expense. With Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel slotting back in in place of Lonwabo Tsotsobe and Wayne Parnell, South Africa will probably fill the remaining slots with their three spinners.South Africa (probable): 1 Graeme Smith (capt), 2 Hashim Amla, 3 Jacques Kallis, 4 AB de Villiers, 5 JP Duminy, 6 Morne van Wyk (wk), 7 Johan Botha, 8 Robin Peterson, 9 Dale Steyn, 10 Morne Morkel, 11 Imran TahirBrendon McCullum has apparently recovered from a painful knee, and Vettori is also set to return. New Zealand have been affected by several injuries in this tournament, with Kyle Mills suffering a quad strain and Hamish Bennett’s tournament ended by an injury to his ankle and Achilles tendon. Daryl Tuffey has been called up as cover, but if Mills is fit he’ll be the first choice to partner Tim Southee with the new ball.New Zealand (probable): 1 Brendon McCullum (wk), 2 Martin Guptill, 3 Jesse Ryder, 4 Ross Taylor, 5 Kane Williamson, 6 Scott Styris, 7 Jacob Oram, 8 Nathan McCullum, 9 Daniel Vettori (capt), 10 Tim Southee, 11 Kyle Mills..

Both teams will know just what to expect from the Mirpur wicket, and although Graeme Smith said that he was surprised by the amount of grass on the track, it should still play on the slow, low side and aid spinners. Hot and humid weather is expected, and so dew could come into play if evening is cloudless, although its impact should be minimal.

Stats and trivia

• South Africa and New Zealand have met 51 times in ODIs, with South Africa winning 30 to New Zealand’s 17. Four of their matches have ended with no result. In World Cups, however, New Zealand have won three of the five matches the teams have played, and prevailed in both 2003 and 2007.
• Jacques Kallis has more runs against New Zealand in ODIs than any other South African, having scored 1385 at 41.96, including three hundreds and nine fifties in 42 matches.
• Tim Southee is New Zealand’s leading wicket-taker in the tournament, with 14 scalps at 15.07. Ross Taylor leads their run-scoring table, with 245 at an average of 81.66 and a strike rate of exactly a-run-a-ball.

Quotes

“There are so many South Africans all around the world that if we stress about that we won’t sleep at night. Things have changed a lot since Allan Donald was in the side.”

“I don’t have any form because I haven’t played.”

The reality of being a South African cricketer is that, for the foreseeable future, all of them will be asked about choking. On the eve of a major tournament, they can expect to be asked about it every day, which is exactly what’s happened during their time in India so far.For every match they lose in the competition, even if it not in the throes of a pressure situation, they’ll be asked. For every match they win, even if victory is achieved by romping through their opposition, they’ll be asked. Even if they go on to win the whole tournament, they’ll still be asked. It’s their own enthusiastic puppy dog that’s going to follow them around and yap at their heels no matter what they do to throw it off.It was Johan Botha’s turn to try today. “People say that previous World Cup sides choked and maybe they did but sometimes you are going to lose the big matches,” he said, mildly shooing the puppy away with a flick of his boot. It didn’t stop, it started yelping, bouncing excitedly, begging him for a little more attention. He relented. “The Aussies dominated for a long time, so the chokers thing isn’t really fair. The same can be said for a lot of other teams. Australia have won it [the World Cup] for the last three times, which means that – like us – no other team won the tournament.”Of course the other teams are not like South Africa, because none of them have crashed out after two consecutive World Cup ties that forced them out of the competition, first when disastrous run out in 1999 happened and then by failing to read a Duckworth-Lewis sheet correctly like in 2003, or because they allowed the England bowlers to keep them to 301 for 9 in chase of 323 after their captain took them to the brink like in the Champions Trophy in 2009. Those may have been the only instances of real choking, but every other tournament failure – and there have been many – get lumped under the same headline.That’s not going to change and the players seem to be learning that. They’ve realised that they may as well take the puppy in, raise him and turn him into a pet. At least then they’ll have control over it. One example of them doing that is by talking about decreased expectation and, as though reading from a carefully planned press release, Botha just did that. “We realise that the expectation levels back home aren’t maybe as high as they have been and for once we are not considered as one of the favourites, but that suits us. We only want to go about our business and reach the knock-out phase.”The other way of training the puppy is to talk about how different the team has become. A team where the word spin caused most of them to go into one, is now a team that embraces the concept in a bear hug. The spinners themselves finally feel as though they are being treated like part of the team. “In South Africa the spinners perform more of a holding role, to try and restrict the batsmen, but hopefully we can really come into our own over here,” Botha said.He even went as far as to suggest that all the frontline spinners that have come on tour may play in the same match. “It’s something new and exciting to see so many spinners in the team. The three of us [Botha, Robin Peterson and Imran Tahir) have worked very hard to be in this position and there’s always a chance that all of us could play together.” It will be a breakthrough moment in South African cricket should that happen and Botha said given the right “conditions, the wicket and the opposition,” all five spinners South Africa have brought tour may end up playing in the same match.Even after first sweet-talking the puppy, then getting a little more firm with it and eventually trying to steer in a different direction, Botha was still being followed it by it. He was asked how South Africa can compare this tournament to the one in 1996 when they won all their group stage matches and then lost to the West Indies in the quarter-finals. Understandably, he had run out of things to say. “Hopefully things will turn around for us this time. You have to do well in the group matches and then win three knock-out games if you want to be the champion.” At least his maths is up to scratch.

Group A

Imran Farhat blasted 150, his highest List A score•AFP

Karachi Dolphins‘ lower order held their nerve in a thrilling one-wicket win over Rawalpindi Rams at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium as Naved Malik’s unbeaten century was in vain. When Karachi slid to 208 for 8 chasing Rawalpindi’s 260, it seemed all over for the visitors. But No 9 Misbah Khan had no intentions of giving up, and his unbeaten 37 took Karachi home with seven deliveries remaining. He was well supported by Rumman Raees, and the duo had taken their side to 245 when Raees was dismissed for 19. But last man Tabish Khan survived four deliveries, and together with Misbah, saw Karachi through. Naved’s maiden List A century had earlier rescued Rawalpindi from 132 for 5 along with wicketkeeper Jamal Anwar, who made an unbeaten 65 off 45 balls. Karachi were tottering at 134 for 6 in reply despite opener Adnan Baig’s half-century, but the lower order rose to the occasion.Imran Farhat slammed 150, his highest List A score, as Habib Bank surged to a 130-run victory against Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited in Islamabad. Farhat and Taufeeq Umar put on 74 runs for the opening stand, and the middle order built on the solid platform. Shan Masood added 147 for the third wicket with Imran who fell with Habib Bank eight short of 300. Humayun Farhat, Imran’s brother, ensured Habib Bank finished on a high, cracking seven boundaries in his unbeaten 36 off 13. The target of 339 was always going to prove tough, but when medium-pacer Fahad Masood reduced SNGPL to 70 for 5, they surrendered any remaining chance they had. Saleem Mughal (70) was the only batsman to cross 30, as SNGPL caved in for 208.Sheharyar Ghani led Pakistan International Airlines to an eight-wicket win over Islamabad Leopards at the Diamond Club Ground as PIA chased down 250 comfortably. Ghani came in after the opening partnership had yielded 48, and remained unbeaten on 105, his maiden List A century. Faisal Iqbal cantered to an unbeaten half-century as well, as PIA eased to victory with 40 deliveries to spare. PIA’s bowlers led by Anwar Ali (3 for 51) had earlier dismissed Islamabad for 250 despite Zeeshan Mushtaq’s 75. Mazhar Abbasi (39) and Imad Wasim (45) could not carry on after getting starts and Islamabad fell short of a competitive total.

Group B

Multan Tigers notched up their second win, thumping Zarai Taraqiati Bank Limited by 166 runs at the Lahore City Cricket Association Ground. It was a one-sided affair from the start: Multan were put in to bat and their openers put together an opening stand of 118; contributions from the middle-order and some late hitting took them to 325; and ZTBL’s chase never got going as they were bowled out for 159 in 34.1 overs. Zain Abbas played the anchor role for Multan, scoring 96, while Imranullah Aslam and Kashif Naved hit quick half-centuries. Imran Nazir and Shahid Yousuf scored half-centuries for ZTBL, but only one other batsman got into double figures as they were bowled out well inside the 50 overs.It was another one-sided affair at the Iqbal Stadium in Faisalabad, where Faisalabad Wolves chased down Sialkot Stallions’ 207 for the loss of just two wickets, with 39 balls to spare. Sialkot chose to bat but were greeted by a devastating spell from Naseer Akram, playing in only his second List A match. Naseer took four wickets and Sialkot were soon 61 for 5. Mohammad Ayub and Shehzad Malik staged a recovery with a 104-run partnership, but legspinner Zaheer Maqsood wiped out Sialkot’s tail and they couldn’t last the 50 overs. Faisalabad were always comfortable in their chase. The openers put together 75, and then Shahid Siddiq and Hasan Mahmood scored half-centuries to take Faisalabad home.National Bank of Pakistan also completed their chase with time to spare, beating Water and Power Development Authority by six wickets at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore. NBP bowled WAPDA out for 213 and then got to the total in 40.3 overs thanks to Fawad Alam’s 78 off 60 balls and Hammad Azam’s 58 off 61. NBP had lost two early wickets in their chase, but once Alam and Azam got going, they were in control of the match. WAPDA had needed a recovery from the lower order to get past 200. Their top order had been toppled by seamers Mohammad Talha and Uzair-ul-Haq, and they slumped to 80 for 6. Wicketkeeper Ahmed Said and Nawaz Sardar put together 101 for the seventh wicket to add some respectability to WAPDA’s score. Talha finished with figures of 6 for 38, while Uzair took 4 for 52.

Imran Tahir is being saved as a secret weapon by South Africa for use in next month’s World Cup, but the opposition are not the only people he will catch by surprise. Wicketkeeper AB de Villiers has yet to stand behind the stumps to the Pakistan-born legspinner in a match situation.Adjusting to a wrist spinner, may prove a “challenge,” according to Daryn Smit, who is the wicketkeeper at the Dolphins franchise that Tahir plays for in domestic cricket. Tahir only moved to the Dolphins this season and Smit said he learnt to keep to the legspinner by playing against him previously. “I was lucky because I was able to pick him when I was facing him and that helped me when it came to keeping to him.”Tahir’s biggest variation from the legbreak is his googly, which is also his wicket-taking ball. “The only way to pick it is to watch how it comes out of the hand,” Smit said, indicating that it is not easily read off the pitch. “That’s the real difficulty, because you can’t be going one way for the legbreak and then he’s actually bowling a googly.”Even though Smit adjusted quickly to keeping to Tahir in the first-class competition, he still found it testing to do the job in the MTN40 limited overs tournament because of the number of day/night games. “Imran is harder to pick up at night, especially when he makes subtle changes with his hand,” Smit said. “Against a black sight-screen and under artificial lights, it takes some getting used to.” Three of South Africa’s six group stage matches are day-night affairs, including the opening match against West Indies. Both their warm-up games will be played under lights, so de Villiers should have at least one opportunity to get used to Tahir in the dark.It appears that de Villiers has a tricky job ahead of him, but Smit is confident in his ability to adjust to Tahir, having known de Villiers since his youth. “A lot of people say AB is a part-time keeper, but I know that he isn’t. At Under-19 level, I was the first-choice ‘keeper and he was the back-up and he was a good keeper,” Smit said.de Villiers is not the only one who will have to adjust to having Tahir in the side. South Africa have not had an aggressive spinner since Paul Adams and Graeme Smith will have to learn how to manage Tahir. “He is an attacking spinner and that means he is going to go for runs. It may mean setting slightly more defensive fields,” Smit said. He advised that a little bit of risk, in allowing Tahir to concede a few runs, will go a long way because “every time he bowls I feel he’s got a chance to take a wicket.”While Smit is looking forward to seeing how Tahir fits into the South Africa side, the bulk of his anticipation is reserved simply for watching his team-mate make his debut. He said that everyone in the Dolphins squad is eager to see Tahir bowl on the international stage. “In this one-day series [against India], we waited for the starting line up every game to see if he was there. We all know what a matchwinner he can be and we know he will do well.”Although Tahir has no international experience, Smit thinks he is more than ready to step up to the big stage. “He has over 500 wickets at first-class level and even though it is very different to international cricket, the years of experience will have set him up well. The conditions in the subcontinent should suit his bowling style.”If he offers the national team half of what he’s offered the Dolphins, they’ll do well.”

Ali Azmat’s half-century combined with some strong lower-order batting helped Water and Power Development Authority post a challenging first-innings score of 369 for 9 declared against Zarai Taraqiati Bank Limited at the Iqbal Stadium in Faisalabad. Azmat led all batsmen with 79, laced with 12 boundaries, as the last five wickets added 222. He was ably supported by Sarfraz Ahmed, who made 33, and Umaid Asif, who made 47, whil Kashif Raza chipped in with an unbeaten 31. Left-arm spinner Zohaib Khan was the best of the bowlers, taking 3 for 45.Both teams are still in the hunt for a spot in the finals, but probably need an outright win to get there, so ZTBL opener Yasir Hameed came out swinging the bat with intent. He had reached 18 from 21 balls, with three fours, before seamer Umaid Asif had him caught behind. At stumps, ZTBL were 34 for 1.Rain continued to play spoilsport on the second day of the game between Sialkot and Rawalpindi, with only 29 overs being bowled, but that was enough for the Rawalpindi bowlers to reduce Sialkot to 16 for 4, before the hosts staged a semi-recovery to end the day on 89 for 5 at the Jinnah Stadium in Sialkot. Rizwan Akbar produced a devastating opening spell to remove three of the top four batsmen, claiming two wickets with two balls, while Sadaf Hussain prised out Sialkot captain Mansoor Ajmad. Majid Jehangir and Shehzad Malik then added 49 to stem the rot somewhat before Jehangir was caught behind off the bowling seamer Nasir Malik for 34. Shehzad and Nabeel Malik then managed to avoid further damage, with the former on 22 and the latter on 14. Rawalpindi are currently tied second in the points table with Water and Power Development Authority, and potentially need a big win to qualify for the finals.A half-century by Mohammad Kashif got Islamabad back into their game against Multan on a curtailed day at the Multan Cricket Stadium. Islamabad were in trouble after they lost two quick wickets on the second morning to leave them at 48 for 4 in response to Multan’s 244. But, Kashif’s 61 and contributions from Imad Wasim and Kamran Hussain helped them recover to 189 for 6 by the end of the 46 overs that were played on the day. Multan seamer Tahir Maqsood dismissed overnight batsman Zeeshan Mushtaq and then got Faizan Riaz for a duck next ball. Kashif and Farrukh Hayat shared a 54-run partnership before Hayat was run out. Kashif got his runs quickly, hitting 10 boundaries in his innings. For Multan, who have lost all of their ten games so far this season, the match is a last hope to gain some pride, while Islamabad can finish no higher than eighth even if they win.Karachi Blues managed to take a 72-run first-innings lead against Faisalabad by the end of the second day at the National Stadium in Karachi. It didn’t look like that would happen after the first few overs of Karachi’s innings. Faisalabad fast bowler Ahmed Hayat ripped out three early wickets to leave them 3 for 3, and facing a top-order collapse. Unfortunately for Faisalabad, Hayat could only bowl five overs in the day, and Rameez Raja (2) counterattacked, racing to 67 off 55 balls. Most of Karachi’s middle-order batsmen got starts but left-arm spinner Hasan Mahmood kept chipping away at the wickets, picking up five in the end, as Karachi were all out for 264. The lead was pushed past the 50-run mark thanks to a 57-run tenth-wicket stand between Babar Rehman and Malik Aftab.Habib Bank Limited continued to be frustrated by the conditions as only nine overs were bowled on the second day of their match against Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore. HBL reached 19 for 0, but with no play on the first day as well, the win they need to make absolutely certain of their spot in the finals is unlikely. The good news for HBL is that Rawalpindi and Pakistan International Airlines’ matches have also been affected by rain. PIA, Rawalpindi, Water and Power Development Authority and Zarai Taraqiati Bank Limited are the four teams who have a chance to catch up with HBL. WAPDA and ZTBL are playing each other, which also helps HBL’s cause.There was no play in the game between National Bank and Pakistan International Airlines for the second straight day.

ScorecardAiden Blizzard’s switch to South Australia has worked wonders•Getty Images

Tasmania will look to their captain George Bailey to deliver victory on the final day in Hobart, after South Australia made a stunning fightback by repairing the seemingly irreversible damage caused by their first-innings collapse for 55. Aiden Blizzard counterattacked with his second century of the season and Daniel Christian’s blazing 93 helped the Redbacks set the Tigers a target of 221The fast bowler Rob Cassell then destroyed the local top order to leave Tasmania at 4 for 15 in their chase, before Bailey and James Faulkner (44) resurrected the innings in a match that has had more twists and turns than the ongoing Gabba Test. By stumps, Bailey was on 77, with Luke Butterworth on 12, and at 5 for 144 the Tigers needed a further 77 for victory.It was a remarkable day’s play at Bellerive Oval, where South Australia began with a 105-run deficit and only seven wickets in hand, and defeat seemed inevitable after the early loss of Callum Ferguson, who was lbw to Faulkner for 36. But Blizzard and Graham Manou (77) did everything in their power to restore balance during a 152-run stand that delivered the lead to South Australia.Manou was caught off the bowling of Jason Krejza before Blizzard finally departed for 115, caught at slip off Butterworth. Blizzard is in his first season with South Australia after an off-season switch from Victoria, where he managed only two first-class games and wasn’t offered a contract for this summer, and the move has worked wonders – he is now on top of the Sheffield Shield run tally.Christian picked up the scoring rate in his 69-ball innings, which featured five sixes, and soon the hosts were staring at the prospect of a very challenging chase. Faulkner helped finish the tail, to end up with 3 for 92 to add to his incredible first-innings figures of 5 for 5, but Tasmania’s prospects in the match will rely heavily on Bailey and Butterworth, the last two recognised batsmen.