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Counties producing two ‘below average’ pitches in a 12-month period could be penalised under new regulations brought in by the ECB for the 2017 County Championship season.In a further attempt to encourage counties to produce better quality pitches, the ECB have widened the criteria under which they can take action. Whereas, in the past, pitches had to be rated ‘poor’ or even ‘unfit’ to incur a penalty, the new regulations state that “Two or more Below Average pitches in a 12-month period, rated so because of sub-standard performance relating to spin, seam or unevenness, if allied to intent would liable to penalty.”Ahead of the 2016 season, the ECB announced several other measures designed to encourage better pitches. In particular, they announced that visiting captains would be able to choose to bowl first in the Championship without the need to utilise a toss of the coin and they declared that away sides would be awarded 16 or 20 points (depending on the number of bonus points already won) if the home side prepared an “unfit” pitch. The home side would get no points from the match irrespective of any bonus points already won. Those regulations remain in place for the 2017 season.The final rating of pitches will be made by one of the Cricket Liaison Officers. With the ECB having increased the number of CLOs to 10, there should be one at every day of Championship cricket. They will consult with the umpires, players and ground staff before coming to a conclusion. The addition of the clause “if allied to intent” would suggest they are not seeking to take a punitive view to counties hit by poor weather or excessive use of their squares, but rather encourage a better balance between bat and ball..Other changes to the playing conditions allow for time lost during a Championship match to be made up (to a maximum of 30 minutes) over the first three days – rather than just on the day concerned – while the ECB have confirmed that the hours of the day-night games will be 2pm until 10pm. The intervals will still be referred to as ‘lunch’ and ‘tea’ despite being scheduled for 4pm and 6.40pm. Play cannot extend beyond 10pm to make up for lost time.Meanwhile, in limited-overs cricket, the ECB have banned the use of the heavy roller after the start of games in the Royal London Cup, meaning only a light roller can be used between innings. There was a concern that, with the tournament scheduled for April and May, bowling first might provide too much of an advantage. The heavy roller can also not be used in the NatWest Blast.The new Laws relating to the size of cricket bats, outlined previously by MCC, are due to come into effect on October 1 and are not being adopted for the English domestic season. But other Law changes will be adopted: a batsman can now be caught off a fielder’s helmet and a batsman will not be run out if their bat bounces up having previously been grounded once he has completed his run. In the unlikely event that a bowler’s cap falls off and breaks the wicket during his delivery, the umpire will call no-ball.Other regulations used in 2016 – notably the change to the toss regulations- will remain in place for the 2017 season.

For Rashid Khan, few days could be as good as February 20. He had become the highest paid cricketer from an Associate nation in IPL history and only the second from Afghanistan to ever be part of the tournament. But Friday came pretty damn close: in the afternoon, he took five wickets in nine balls to demolish Ireland and in the evening, he was bought by Guyana Amazon Warriors for USD 60,000 in the Caribbean Premier League draft.”It was a special day for me taking the best figures for my country, special for the cricket of Afghanistan,” Rashid told ESPNcricinfo and then went on to talk about how his team fought hard to protect their record-breaking 10-match winning streak in T20Is.”It was a very crucial time because it was raining and we thought the match was going to go to Ireland because they were on top of us on D/L Method so coming back from that stage and winning the match, it was sort of surprising but really happy with a great performance by all the boys.”

Afghanistan not satisfied with record streak

Having won 10 T20Is in a row – more than any other international team has ever managed – Afghanistan are keen to push for even greater heights.
Rashid Khan, whose 5 for 3 were the best figures for his country in the shortest format, said, “we talked about that before the match as well, the skipper said, ‘Let’s do it and let’s increase the winning of matches so Afghanistan makes a world record’. So far we are doing our best, winning ten in a row. It’s wonderful for cricket in Afghanistan to be in that stage. we are doing our best to keep it up and win more.”

Despite the bright ending to Rashid’s day, at one point, things had looked rather bleak, literally. When dark clouds and heavy rain converged on Greater Noida, halting Ireland’s chase of 185 in the seventh over, they were ahead of the D/L par score by 12 runs.Rashid admitted that Afghanistan thought their streak was over, but the moment the umpires informed them that a restart was possible, the mood in the camp changed. They were still up against it though. Ireland had eight wickets in hand to hunt down the 46 runs they needed to win off the remaining 29 balls.”The skipper [Asghar Stanikzai] told me you have to bowl the two overs in a very crucial time,” Rashid recalled. “He said just go and do your best and when I came and took two wickets in the first over, I was full of confidence and did the rest of the job.”The reason Rashid felt so good was because he had taken out two of Ireland’s most experienced batsmen in the blink of an eye. He said the team had seen Kevin O’Brien and Gary Wilson as “key wickets” and only after they were gone did “we believe we could win the match.” That belief translated to performance on the field as Afghanistan dragged Ireland from 65 for 2 to 93 for 9 and a win by 17 runs.Rashid was yet to take a five-wicket haul in domestic T20s, but overnight, his 5 for 3 in two overs put him alongside the best in international cricket. In fact, his figures were exactly the same as Rangana Herath’s against New Zealand in a virtual quarter-final at the World T20 in 2014.”That’s my best and this was the first time I took a five-wicket haul and on a great occasion, when the team needed me, I feel great,” Rashid said. “It feels great to be in that stage, with all those bowlers in the Test nations. It’s a wonderful moment for me and for my country as an Associate team player coming and getting into the top five for best bowling figures.”So what helped him do so well when the game was on the line? “I always love to play in pressure [situations],” Rashid said. “When the team is under pressure, then I love to play in that condition and love to perform. I have done it in the past and I keep enjoying it. Bowling is my strength and I always believe I can do it. Since being taken in the IPL [for USD 595,000 approx], that has given me more energy and more confidence. I’m just doing my hard work and the rest is happening.”All that was left now was to tune in to the CPL draft. “When we were leaving the ground after the match, we were saying the draft is about to start so we were watching,” Rashid said.Mohammad Nabi became the first player from Afghanistan to be picked in the draft, with St Kitts and Nevis Patriots taking him on for USD 90,000. Rashid couldn’t have been more thrilled. “He’s a wonderful allrounder and is a wonderful fielder as well. We’re really happy for him because the way he has played over the years is really amazing.”More good news came Rashid’s way for not only was he picked up in the draft, he found out he would be playing under Sohail Tanvir, who had been his Comilla Victorians team-mate in the Bangladesh Premier League. “I know Sohail Tanvir, I played with him in BPL,” he said. “So when I was taken in the draft, Sohail Tanvir texted me to say what’s up and congratulated me. Hopefully we’ll do well this year with Guyana.”Rashid was only an 11-year-old when Afghanistan made their first trip to the West Indies, for the World T20 in 2010. Now 18, he is looking forward to playing in the various islands and bowling on what he expects to be favourable conditions for legspin.”I haven’t been to the Caribbean,” Rashid said. “Hopefully we’ll enjoy it. As far as it’s concerned, wickets in the Caribbean are suitable for spinners. We’ve been discussing it with coach Phil Simmons too since he’s from the Caribbean. It’ll be a great experience for us to play in the Caribbean. We have a series there before CPL as well. We’re supposed to play West Indies for five ODIs and three T20Is so we’ll get used to the conditions before CPL.”

ScorecardTom Westley stemmed a Lions collapse•Getty Images

Tom Westley and Liam Livingstone hit unbeaten half centuries to steer England Lions out of a sticky situation in the opening game of their tour of Sri Lanka.After dismissing the Board President’s XI for 153 on the first day of their only warm-up fixture before the two four-day games against Sri Lanka A, the Lions slipped to 69 for four in reply, with their England openers Keaton Jennings and Haseeb Hameed, who both made Test debuts on the sub-continent this winter, going cheaply.But Westley and Livingstone responded with an unbroken fifth-wicket stand of 99 in 24 overs, meaning the Lions will resume on the second day of the three-day match 15 runs ahead.Westley, who made an important 84 for the Lions in the first-class match against Afghanistan in Abu Dhabi before Christmas, reached an unbeaten 65 from 108 balls with 12 boundaries.Livingstone, who signed an extended contract with Lancashire just before the Lions left for Sri Lanka, will resume on 61 from 75 balls after reaching his half century with a six in addition to hitting seven fours.Tom Helm had claimed the best figures after the home team chose to bat first, although the wickets were shared around as all seven of the specialist bowlers in the Lions squad had a decent spell in a game that does not have first-class status because of the squad system being utilised.Tom Curran shared the new ball with Toby Roland-Jones and took a wicket in each of his first two overs to reduce the Board XI to 9-2.Helm, who was fast-tracked into the Lions squad from the Pace Programme in December after impressing in the training camp in Dubai, ended with three for 18 from 7.3 overs, and there were three catches for Joe Clarke as he kept wicket in place of Ben Foakes, who has a back problem.Sam Curran and the spinners Ollie Rayner and Jack Leach claimed one wicket apiece, and there were two for Leach’s Somerset team-mate Craig Overton.

AB de Villiers and Morne Morkel will be available for their franchise, Titans, in a bid to prove their fitness for the home series against Sri Lanka later this month. Both de Villiers and Morkel have been out of action since the CPL with an elbow and back injury respectively, but are expected to be available for selection for the Test squad.De Villiers is in the final stages of recovery from elbow surgery which saw him miss the New Zealand Tests in August, the home ODIs and the three Tests against Australia. The Titans confirmed to ESPNcricinfo he will be available for the final two matches of their campaign, which will take place next week.Whether de Villiers gets game time could be crucial to his participation in the home summer, especially since South Africa’s selection convener Linda Zondi stressed he will need to be match fit before he can resume his national duties. De Villiers is expected to return as captain even though Faf du Plessis made a strong case to keep the role permanently following ODI and Test series wins over Australia.Morkel, who travelled with the Test squad to Australia but did not play a game because of concerns over match readiness, is available for T20s but has not been picked for Friday night’s fixture against Warriors. With Titans at the top of the table and hopeful of securing their spot in the final, the management has chosen not to alter the team. A source also confirmed that Morkel has not been cleared to bowl longer spells, which could put his participation in the Tests in doubt.Meanwhile, Hashim Amla sustained a neck injury while fielding at slip during the final Test in Adelaide and will sit out the remainder of the T20 competition. JP Duminy, though, is available to play for the Cobras.

Right-arm medium pacer Rituraj Singh bagged 6 for 60 as Chhattisgarh squandered a strong start to be bowled out for 198 against Goa. But their bowlers fought back to reduce Goa to 127 for 6 at the Barabati Stadium in Cuttack. Chhattisgarh had put up 103 for 2 on a curtailed first day when only 38.2 overs were bowled. Amandeep Khare, resuming on 58, was dismissed nine balls into the day, after adding just two more runs. Only Ashutosh Singh made a mark among the batsmen that followed, striking an unbeaten 55.Goa were reeling at 70 for 6, before Samar Dubhashi and Shadab Jakati got together for an unbroken seventh-wicket stand of 57. Dubhashi was not out on 38 and Jakati was batting on 29 when stumps were drawn. Kant Singh, the right-arm medium pacer, led Chhattisgarh’s charge, picking up three wickets.Over at the JSCA International Stadium Complex in Ranchi, Himachal Pradesh took a 208-run first-innings lead over Jammu & Kashmir, courtesy half-centuries from Ankit Kalsi, Paras Dogra and captain Rishi Dhawan. J&K had been bowled out for 162 on the opening day after they opted to make first use of the surface. Himachal ended the day on 58 for the loss of their openers. Kalsi, who resumed on 25, and Dogra, who resumed on 3, shared 88 runs for the third wicket. Kalsi was dismissed for 54, while Dogra carried on and top scored with 89. Himachal were also boosted by some solid contributions from the middle and lower-middle order. Dhawan stayed not out on 79. Aamir Aziz, the left-arm spinner, took 4 for 56, and J&K captain Parvez Rasool returned 3 for 69. J&K responded with 39 for no loss in their second innings, with both their openers, Shubham Khajuria and Umar Nazir unbeaten on identical scores of 17. J&K are behind by 169 runs.At the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur, Haryana’s lower order produced a late surge to lift the team to 303 in their first innings against Kerala. Kerala responded strongly, however, ending the day on 170 for 1. Haryana had been reduced to 188 for 8 on the opening day, before Rohit Sharma and Sanjay Pahal shared an unbroken ninth-wicket stand of 39. That partnership extended to 109 runs, with No. 10 Pahal hitting his maiden half-century in his sixth match. Pahal was dismissed for 54, before Rohit was caught and bowled by right-arm medium pacer Sandeep Warrier eight short of a century. Warrier took 5 for 79.Vishnu Vinod dominated in Kerala’s reply, striking 58 in an opening stand of 72 with Bhavin Thakkar. After Vishnu’s dismissal, Kerala captain Rohan Prem joined Thakkar for a second-wicket stand that has realised 98 so far. Prem was unbeaten on 51, and Thakkar was on 56, having faced 176 balls.Shamsher Yadav struck his second first-class century, while Rahul Singh was closing in on his second ton as Services piled on 400 for 8 against Andhra at the Holkar Cricket Stadium in Indore. Services had crawled to 170 for 3 in 90 overs on the opening day, with Shamsher unbeaten on 60. Rahul joined Shamsher with Services on 250 for 5 and added 107 for the sixth wicket. Shamsher finished with a career-best 136 in his seventh first-class match, while Rahul, playing his fifth game, ended the day not out on 95.The Hyderabad v Tripura match in Delhi was called off without a ball bowled due to smog.

ScorecardTravis Head scored his fourth first-class century (file photo)•Getty Images

Travis Head scored the fourth century of his first-class career, while Tom Cooper and Jake Weatherald also piled on the runs as South Australia dominated the first day against Victoria at the MCG. At stumps, the Redbacks had motored along to 5 for 360, with Cooper on 93 and in-form wicketkeeper-batsman Alex Carey on 17.However, Callum Ferguson’s lean patch continued when he was caught behind off Scott Boland for 5. It means that Ferguson has failed to reach double figures in any of his past six first-class innings, with a run of scores reading 0, 3, 1, 4, 4 and 5. Two of those innings – the 3 and the 1 – came in his appearance for Australia in the Hobart Test.Weatherald struck a brisk 88 before he was also caught behind off Boland, and Jake Lehmann was lbw to Jon Holland for 2, which left South Australia at 4 for 133. But Head and Cooper then combined for a 188-run stand that pushed the Redbacks up over 300, and brought Head his first hundred of the season.Always a promising batsman, Head took until the 64th innings of his first-class career – in November last year – to finally score a century. He now has four in the space of just over 12 months, and moved on to 130 before he was bowled, the third wicket for Boland.Cooper, celebrating his 30th birthday, also continued his productive start to the summer. He began the Shield campaign with 138 against Western Australia in Perth and has the perfect opportunity to bring up a ninth first-class hundred on day two.