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West Indies coach Stuart Law was left ruing missed opportunities as West Indies slipped to a 3-0 series defeat against England.But while West Indies lost the final game by a crushing 186-run margin, Law felt his side could take inspiration from the way in which their opponents have improved their limited-overs cricket over the last couple of years.In particular, the new West Indies coach felt his side should look at England’s poor performance at the 2015 World Cup – a tournament in which they were knocked out in the group stages – and be encouraged by how quickly they had progressed.”Two years ago at the World Cup, England were in a pretty big hole,” Law said after Thursday’s game. “But they’ve gone back, changed the way they play, the way they’ve approached every game and it has started to work for them.”It’s an amazing transformation in two years. I’m hoping in two years’ time we can sit down and say something’s happening to revive West Indies cricket, something to get us competitive against these bigger teams.”If West Indies are to improve their results, they will have start taking their catches. Just as they gave Eoin Morgan a reprieve before he made a century in Antigua, they allowed Joe Root two lives on his way to a century in Barbados. Dropped on one and 12, Root went on to provide a match-defining 192-run partnership with Alex Hales.”The good thing about our bowling performance is we are creating opportunities,” Law said. “But we’re just not accepting them. In the first game, we put down a player of Eoin Morgan’s class and he punished us with a hundred. We’ve done the same today with Joe Root.”So those are valuable lessons we must take on board and learn to accept it’s an area we need to improve. There’s no substitute for hard work. We’ve got to make sure that when those opportunities come again we do grab them.”Still, Law was encouraged by the talent in his squad.”The first glimpse of what I’ve got to work with and there are some very encouraging signs,” he said. “I thought we bowled particularly well throughout the series. Today probably wasn’t our best, but the first two were good.”With the batting, we had guys getting starts but no one going on to get big scores. That’s the area we need to improve. I’m not pleased with the result but very, very happy to see some guys who have actually got something to give out there and want to be there to do it.”

The Caribbean Premier League is in the process of making plans to play another round of matches at the Central Broward Regional Park in Lauderhill, Florida for the 2017 season. A Broward County Parks official has told ESPNcricinfo that CPL officials have requested two sets of week-long time frames to be blocked off for possible use by the CPL in the month of August.The CPL made its Florida debut in 2016, playing six matches to end the league phase from July 28 to 31. The games were the first revenue-generating cricket to come to the Lauderhill ground in four years, sparking renewed interest in utilising the venue as India and West Indies played a pair of T20Is there just one month later. Though the hurricane season in Florida runs from July through November, not a single over was lost across the four days of play, with the only interruption being a 50-minute lightning delay that pushed back the start of the final match of the weekend, between St Lucia Zouks and Jamaica Tallawahs.Tropical weather did make an appearance four weeks later though in August when India played West Indies at the same venue. The first match between the two sides finished without any problems but the second ended with no result after a brief thunderstorm exposed poor drainage at the facility.CPL organizers have been bullish about bringing more games to the USA, with talks of holding games at other venues outside of Florida. However, the Central Broward Regional Park remains the only ICC-certified ODI- and T20I-approved facility in the country.

Scorecard and ball-by-ball details1:38

McGlashan: NZ batting beginning to look a little flaky

AB de Villiers had called on his batsmen to take responsibility for an innings and he showed the way in Wellington as South Africa surged to a crushing 159-run victory. De Villiers’ controlled 85, during which he became the fastest player to 9000 ODI runs, turned the tables after a middle-order slide, then the pace bowlers combined with unnerving accuracy to dismantle New Zealand for 112 in the 33rd over.

Another Latham duck

6 Number of lower scores at home for New Zealand than the 112 they made against South Africa. This was also New Zealand’s lowest score against South Africa in ODIs. The previous lowest was 134 at Newlands in 1994.
3 Ducks scored by Tom Latham in his last four innings. Latham has scored 13 runs in this period.
5 Consecutive fifties for Quinton de Kock in ODIs. He equaled the record for most consecutive fifties for South Africa joining Jonty Rhodes. The overall record for most consecutive fifties is held by Javed Miandad who made nine such scores in 1987.

On a slower-than-normal pitch that offered assistance for seamers, especially in the evening, South Africa’s 271 for 8 – bolstered by a seventh-wicket stand of 84 in 10.4 overs between de Villiers and Wayne Parnell – had the makings of a demanding chase and it soon proved that way.Kagiso Rabada, back in the side after missing Christchurch, set the tone with an exemplary new-ball spell. He was followed by Andile Phehlukwayo and Dwaine Pretorius who removed the cream of New Zealand’s batting by nabbing Kane Williamson and Ross Taylor in the space of five deliveries. The pair bowled nine overs between them in their first spells, returning figures of 4 for 16, in the sort of seam-friendly conditions that could be on show in the Champions Trophy. Pretorius finished with 3 for 5 from 5.2 overs.New Zealand had entered this match buoyed by their batting performance at Hagley Oval, but this display will raise a few concerns as they fell in a heap in a manner not often seen. Tom Latham collected his third duck in four ODI innings and there was another failure for Neil Broom.They had made one change, replacing legspinner Ish Sodhi with the pace of Lockie Ferguson and may ponder if that was correct after he went for 71 in his 10 overs – the most expensive bowling performance of the day.Quinton de Kock, with his fifth 50-plus ODI score in a row, and Faf du Plessis led South Africa to 114 for 1 in the 23rd over but then followed a collapse of 5 for 66. Colin de Grandhomme gave New Zealand the control they strived for, claiming two wickets in four deliveries and bowling his 10 overs straight through, while Mitchell Santner produced another impressive performance of left-arm spin.De Grandhomme removed du Plessis who riffled a drive low to mid-off, then in what is becoming a habit on this tour, de Kock picked out the leg-side field having set himself for a century. He hung his head and could barely drag himself off.De Villiers was greeted by a hostile delivery from Ferguson which rammed into his gloves but quickly ticked off the five runs he needed to jump past Sourav Ganguly to top the 9000 list. However, senior batsmen came and went. JP Duminy, who had struggled for fluency, was run out by a direct hit from Tim Southee at backward point and David Miller chipped a low catch to midwicket which was upheld by the third umpire.AB de Villiers scored his 51st ODI half-century•AFP

In each of the three matches in this series, someone from the lower order has stepped forward for South Africa. It wasn’t Pretorius this time – he was bowled by Ferguson – but Parnell helped de Villiers stop New Zealand in their tracks.De Villiers had been above a run-a-ball early in his innings, but bided his time as he lost partners for the closing overs. Back-to-back boundaries off Ferguson, rasping shots through midwicket and cover, hustled him through the 40s and the half-century came from 59 deliveries. He went from 39 off 51 balls to 85 off 80; it was not one of de Villiers’ more explosive innings, but it was a masterclass in repairing damage, judging conditions and not overreaching.And his efforts were soon put into context. Latham middled a square drive but picked out point. Dean Brownlie then feathered to the keeper off Rabada who found considered seam movement and proceeded to work over Williamson.Williamson was dropped at slip on 4 by Hashim Amla off Parnell and alongside Taylor weathered the new balls for a period although scoring was always hard work and the pressure did not relent.Phehlukwayo had conceded just four runs into his third over when Williamson, trying to dab the ball to third man, played into his stumps and in the next over, Taylor fell across a full, straight delivery from Pretorius. He was not far off walking for the lbw decision. The stuffing had been knocked out of New Zealand’s innings and there was precious little else on offer. Broom’s poke outside off against Phehlukwayo was a poor shot and Pretorius’ miserly spell, as he nipped the ball around off the seam under the lights, also accounted for Mitchell Santner.New Zealand’s total was their lowest completed innings at home since being bowled out for 73 by Sri Lanka, in Auckland in 2007, and the result their heaviest runs defeat to South Africa.

Eoin Morgan, England’s one-day captain, says that his family were “very offended” by the criticism that he received after withdrawing from the tour of Bangladesh on security grounds last year, but has expressed his excitement at returning to national colours with a heavy diet of white-ball cricket in the build-up to the Champions Trophy in June.Morgan, 30, has not played for England since the visit of Pakistan in September last year, after he and Alex Hales chose not to travel to Bangladesh for a three-match ODI series in October, following terror attacks in the country earlier in the year.Although Andrew Strauss, the managing director of England cricket, had assured the players that there would be “no consequences” for missing the tour, there was a considerable backlash in the English media over Morgan’s failure to lead his side from the front, especially in light of the unprecedented levels of security granted to the team.Morgan, however, maintained that he didn’t regret the decision, insisting that he had been unaffected by the furore even if his family were less comfortable with the backlash.”My way of dealing with it was to get away from things, which I did,” he told BBC Radio. “My family saw a lot of it and were very offended, but that is part and parcel of being in the limelight.”As a decision, I am very comfortable with [it] and it’s a decision I considered all consequences when I did, and sitting here or sitting at home, wherever I would have been sitting, I’d have been very comfortable with it.”Eoin Morgan found his form for Sydney Thunder in the BBL last week•Cricket Australia/Getty Images

In Morgan’s absence, Jos Buttler led England to a hard-fought 2-1 series win, and the regular skipper was full of praise for the manner in which his stand-in had stepped into the breach.”I think he [Buttler] really enjoyed the leadership role within the group,” Morgan said during his earlier press conference. “The proof was in the performances. I thought he was outstanding [in] the way senior players reacted, Ben Stokes in particular. In the first game when Ben played a screamer on a wicket that wasn’t that easy for us to come on and start the series. The younger guys reacted well and the senior guys led the way.”While Morgan believes, with some justification, that his success in leading England’s revival in white-ball cricket has earned him some leeway with the selectors, his absence in Bangladesh not only came at the end of a year in which he averaged less than 30 in 25 matches across all formats, it offered an opportunity for other candidates to stake a claim to a middle-order berth.In particular, Jonny Bairstow and Sam Billings can expect a fair hearing ahead of the Champions Trophy, while Ben Duckett, who scored two fifties in Bangladesh, was deemed by coach Trevor Bayliss to have been “desperately unlucky” to miss out on the limited-overs tour to India.”We’ve a couple of series in the next five-six months which is going to be a big part in our lead up towards the [Champions Trophy],” he said. “It is exciting that we’ve only white-ball cricket between now and then. The major part of that is getting some cricket under my belt in the run into the series, which I’ve managed to do. I am really excited, and everybody within the group is as excited as I am.”If there were any doubts about Morgan’s current form and focus, then his sign-off performance for Sydney Thunder in the Big Bash League last week was a good indicator. His final innings before departing for India was an unbeaten 50-ball 71 that culminated in a match-winning last-ball six. Despite that, however, he knows not to take his England place for granted.”Nothing is a certainty. Absolutely nothing,” he said. “I’d like to think that things have gone pretty well for us, and over a small period of time we have had a little bit of success, like I have added. But, again we have a fantastic group of players – very talented, very driven and they want to do well.Right up there in the “little bit of success” were England’s series wins against Pakistan and Bangladesh. After England had made 444 against Pakistan in Trent Bridge, Hales said he had to pinch himself in disbelief. Morgan believed England’s mindset had remained positive in the past as well, but their recent consistency had caught even him by surprise.”I think before we played a game together as a group, which was just under two years ago now, there’s always that nerves and anticipation about what’s to come,” he said. “I think the general mindset and attitude in which we went about our business was the right way, but the skill level doesn’t always deliver behind that. I’ve been surprised that the level of skill and consistency we’ve shown between now and then… I think it is impressive.”Everybody within the group, and how well we’ve grown and learnt in that time, has been accelerated by the bit of success. Obviously, playing abroad is different challenge, a challenge which everybody is looking forward to. India is a great place to come and win the series. It means that much more because they are very, very good at home.”The scars of the drubbing in the Test series, he felt, wouldn’t have a bearing on this team. “I think they are very motivated individually. Regardless of which format has been played first, the side has generally improved as the tour has gone on. Since the side has been together, there has been no backlash or repercussions from any performance earlier in the tour. I don’t expect it to have any effect.”

Australia’s wicketkeeper Matthew Wade is expected to take no further part in the third day’s play against Pakistan in Sydney after returning to the team hotel due to illness.Rain delayed the start of play until 2.35pm and Wade took the field with the team when play finally began, but he was able to keep wicket for only two overs before he left the SCG.”Matthew felt ill this morning and has had nausea and diarrhoea,” Australia’s team doctor Peter Brukner said. “He’s received medication for his symptoms but is still feeling unwell. After taking the field he realised he was not well enough to continue, hence his decision to come off. He’s returning to the hotel to rest and will hopefully recover by tomorrow morning. We will monitor his condition.”Wade was replaced behind the stumps by Peter Handscomb, who has kept wickets in nearly 50 matches across first-class, List A and Twenty20 matches. Although he rarely keeps in Sheffield Shield matches these days, Handscomb performed the role in four Matador Cup games this summer and is expecting to do so in the BBL this month as well.”The gloves stay in the bag and the pads only come out for a bit of bat-pad work,” Handscomb said when asked about his wicketkeeping in the lead-up to this Test. “When I’m not keeping it’s pretty much full-time batting and fielding, because I need to be able to catch like a fielder.”Then as soon as I go back to Big Bash and put the gloves on I’ll do some work there and make sure that my skills are up to date … I think I’d be able to do it as a last call if no one else was around. I can chuck the gloves on, that would be fine.”

When South Africa returned from a 0-3 drubbing in India in 2015, they went on to lose the subsequent home series against England. When Australia returned from a 0-3 drubbing by low-ranked Sri Lanka this year, they went to lose the subsequent (and ongoing) series against South Africa.New Zealand hope to break the trend; they hope their 0-3 in India will not have a similar effect on their home summer. Misbah-ul-Haq, though, has glimpsed a few weaknesses. He believed his varied attack can bring an ailing New Zealand top order down.”If you see, after the Indian tour, most of the Kiwi batsmen have been struggling and short of confidence,” Misbah said. “I know this is their own territory and they’ll be confident playing here, but as a batsman, and a cricketer, confidence can play a big role. Being short of confidence – we’ll look forward to exploiting that.”While New Zealand’s batsmen seek a return to collective form, Pakistan’s own top order must resist the likes of Trent Boult and Tim Southee on Hagley Oval’s green top. Pakistan did win two Tests in England this year, but both those matches were played in London, where pitches were less seam-friendly than elsewhere. It had, in fact, been the legspin of Yasir Shah that defined the Lord’s Test, as well as playing a crucial role in the second innings at The Oval. Tracks in New Zealand have not been so spin friendly recently.”If you look at the UAE conditions and New Zealand conditions, these are totally different,” Misbah said. “That’s the biggest challenge for us, especially for our batting. Most of our players have been to New Zealand before, and they know how these conditions can be different from what we are used to. We need to make sure that we bat with discipline and put good scores on the board. Our bowling is very much capable of performing well in any sort of conditions.”There may be rain in the air in Christchurch, but Pakistan had also had their three-day practice match in Nelson completely washed out, meaning their preparation in New Zealand has been less than ideal. Misbah said his team would fall back on their recent experience in England, and hoped the lessons learned on that tour would hold true here.”The England series was a tough series for us. That experience will really help us here, because of the confidence we gained from that. The players are up for this challenge, and we can prove ourselves here also. We need to learn some things from that tour – those conditions, and how we go about business. How we’ve batted, how our disciplines are, and how we’ve bowled.”It’s going to be a key for us because we missed the practice game here. A couple of practice sessions are the only experience we’ve got before the Test match. As professionals, we need to use that information and be ready enough for the Test.If India lose the series against England, Pakistan have an opportunity to reclaim the no. 1 Test ranking they had briefly held following Australia’s loss in Sri Lanka. Misbah said the prospect continued to spur his team.”Always the no. 1 ranking is a big motivation. If you play any sport, you want to be the best. That’s what we are looking forward to. That said, we need to improve ourselves every game. Every series and game becomes important for us. Looking forward to playing well in this series and in Australia.”

ScorecardScott Boland picked up 3 for 66•Getty Images

Tasmania put up some fight on the final day at the MCG but could not prevent a 113-run Victoria win as Scott Boland and Chris Tremain picked up three wickets each. Chasing 365 for an unlikely win, the Tigers began the day on 3 for 19 and were eventually dismissed in the final session for 251, Peter Siddle and Jon Holland finishing with two wickets each.George Bailey (47) and nightwatchman Andrew Fekete (30) proved to be the initial obstacles for Victoria, before James Faulkner led a fighting lower-order effort with 78. Faulkner and Simon Milenko (43) put on 64 for the eighth wicket but could not avoid the inevitable, Faulkner the last man out to the bowling of Tremain.