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When we speak of cricketers putting out fires, it’s usually in the context of a batsman playing a rearguard innings. Not so in the case of the New Zealand fast bowler Seth Rance, who is a literal firefighter.On Monday, Rance, who is a station officer with the Greytown Fire Brigade, helped extinguish a blaze that threatened to engulf the White Swan Hotel, a pub in the rural town of Greytown in the Wairarapa region of New Zealand. Crews from across Wairarapa, with Rance among them, arrived on the scene after the pub’s roof caught fire.”The origin of the fire was in the southern end of the building,” Rance told reporters. “There’s a little bit of structural and water damage but it appears to have been caught in time. It’s fortunate we got the call nice and early.”Rance, who has played two ODIs and four T20Is since his international debut last year, isn’t the first New Zealand quick with a day job in the uniformed services – Shane Bond also had a parallel career as a policeman.

Everton defender Jarrad Branthwaite will get a 'chance' under Sean Dyche this term and is unlikely to be sold amid rumours linking him with a move away from Goodison Park, according to journalist Paul Brown.

Will Jarrad Branthwaite leave Everton this summer?

According to The Daily Mail, Manchester United are keen to bring in left-sided Everton defender Branthwaite following his impressive spell on loan at PSV Eindhoven last term.

Scouts from the Red Devils are said to have been impressed by £15k-a-week earner Branthwaite's qualities and he is being targeted alongside Nice defender Jean-Clair Todibo at Old Trafford.

On loan at Dutch giants PSV Eindhoven, Branthwaite made 37 appearances in all competitions last season, registering four goals and two assists, as per Transfermarkt.

FootballTransfers have revealed that Manchester United do have Branthwaite on a shortlist of potential defensive additions at Old Trafford; however, Everton will look to refuse any offers for the England Under-21 international.

Liverpool have also looked at Branthwaite in the past, though it isn't likely that Everton would entertain any proposals from an arch rival for one of their brightest homegrown talents.

His stature, rare status as a left-footed centre back and suitability to help fill quotas for European competition as an English player will undoubtedly appeal to elite-level clubs.

Speaking to Football FanCast, journalist Brown indicated that he doesn't expect Everton to sell Branthwaite and instead reckons that he will get an opportunity to stake his claim for senior involvement at the Toffees moving forward.

Brown stated: "I don't see Branthwaite going to United. No, their defence, it's true, could be in flux this summer, there's a lot of talk of a couple of defenders being wanted by other people, but while I think they have an interesting brand point, I don't think he's high on their lists and I think he knows that he will get a chance at Everton this season."

What next for Everton?

Everton boss Dyche will be keen to add some additional bodies to his squad alongside Arnaut Danjuma and Ashley Young before his side take to the field to host Fulham next Saturday in their Premier League opener, as per ESPN.

According to iNews, Sporting Clube de Portugal striker Youssef Chermiti is in 'advanced' talks over a move to Goodison Park for a fee of £12.8 million that will include a considerable sell-on percentage for his current employers.

Football Insider report that Everton are also keen on Southampton striker Che Adams this summer amid stiff competition from Bournemouth and Wolverhampton Wanderers to sign the Scotland international.

His teammate Kamaldeen Sulemana is also being explored as a potential option to add depth in the wide areas by the Toffees after they grew frustrated in their pursuit of Leeds United attacker Wilfried Gnonto, according to The Daily Mail.

In a separate article from Football Insider, it is believed that West Ham United veteran forward Michail Antonio is being tracked as another potential solution to help bolster Everton's options in the final third following news that his proposed move to Saudi Pro League side Al Ettifaq has fallen by the wayside.

Tottenham Hotspur have pulled the plug on signing Galatasary defender Victor Nelsson with Ange Postecoglou's side "no longer in talks" this summer.

Who will Tottenham sign?

Spurs are attempting to back Postecoglou with more fresh faces, but with just two more games of their pre-season remaining and the start of 2023/2024 just next month, they will want to make more headway soon.

The north Londoners have seen goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario, midfielder James Maddison and winger Manor Solomon join the club this window – following on from permanent deals for Pedro Porro and Dejan Kulusevski.

Next on chairman Daniel Levy's transfer agenda is the signing of a two star centre-backs, and there have been a succession of defenders linked.

Postecoglou has admitted that is something the club are currently looking at, coming after Spurs conceded a pretty woeful 63 league goals last campaign.

"That's definitely our intention, absolutely," said Postecoglou when asked about signing new defenders.

"We've been working on it for a while and we'll definitely try to get it done as quickly as possible.

"I don't think it's any secret about some of the areas we needed to strengthen. Some of it I identified early on. The goalkeeper was one and central defence is another.

"In terms of the other boys, we've got a big squad but my view is I wanted to bring them along and just work with them, get some clarity in my head and give clarity to them."

Tottenham have been seriously interested and in talks for Micky van de Ven of Wolfsburg, but reports from The Athletic this morning suggest a deal could now be off.

However, rhe long list of alternative centre-backs linked with a move to N17 includes Edmond Tapsoba of Bayer Leverkusen, Fulham's Tosin Adarabioyo, Barcelona'a Clement Lenglet, Juventus defender Gleison Bremer and Nelsson.

On the latter defender, there were reports of Spurs nearing a deal to sign the 24-year-old, but journalist Charlie Gordon of The Daily Express has a contrary update.

Taking to Twitter, Gordon says Tottenham are "no longer in talks" to sign Nelsson – with Postecoglou's side seemingly giving up on a deal.

"Update on Victor Nelsson," wrote the reporter.

"Told that Tottenham are no longer in talks for the Galatasaray CB, dismissing recent reports of an agreement between the clubs."

There is little background as to why Spurs have backed away, which we find bizarre considering his contract possesses an affordable £21 million release clause.

How good is Victor Nelsson?

The Denmark international, who featured at last year's 2022 World Cup in Qatar, has been a star player for Galatasary at club level.

Boasting some impressive stats from last season's Turkish Super Lig campaign, Nelsson made more blocks per 90 and won more battles in the air than any other Galatasary player (WhoScored).

An undroppable under manager Okan Buruk, Nelsson featured over more league minutes than any of his outfield teammates last campaign – surely highlighting his importance to Galatasary and quality as a player.

The former FC Copenhagen ace has been called one the "star player" of Galatasary by sections of the Turkish press, making Spurs' decision to back off a rather curious one.

Perhaps, and this is just speculation, they edging towards an agreement for other targets like Lenglet or Tapsoba.

Aston Villa striker Ollie Watkins is expected to receive an offer to extend his contract at the club, according to manager Unai Emery.

When did Ollie Watkins join Aston Villa?

England’s seven-cap international first arrived in the Midlands from Premier League rivals Brentford back in 2020, and during his three years at the club so far, he’s clocked up a total of 116 appearances to date whilst becoming one of the most integral members of the manager’s squad.

The Villans centre-forward still has another two years to run on his deal, but having emerged as his side’s both offensive and overall best-performing player last season with a WhoScored match rating of 6.96, he’s bound to attract some kind of interest during the ongoing window.

Back in April, the Daily Mail reported that the 27-year-old had entered talks regarding putting pen to paper on an extension, but obviously, nothing has since come to fruition and it’s important that it does should NSWE and Monchi not want to lose their prized asset.

Is Ollie Watkins signing a new contract at Aston Villa?

As per Birmingham's Live John Townley, Emery was asked where Aston Villa were at with regards to fresh terms for Watkins, to which the manager gave a hugely promising response.

He said: "The idea is of course to extend his contract because we are very happy with him and he is our striker, not only him because we also have Jhon Duran and Cameron Archer. We have to use every player and we need other players as well to help and support us. Ollie Watkins’ experiences, his capacity and his commitment to Aston Villa is very important and it’s very important to try and get him for a long time."

How many goals has Ollie Watkins scored?

In the Premier League last season, Watkins racked up 21 goal contributions (15 goals and six assists) over the course of the campaign so played a major role in the club’s success having secured qualification for the Europa Conference League, and being offered a new contract would be nothing less than the striker deserves.

The Under Armour client, who earns £75k-per-week, also recorded a total of 84 shots which was the highest number out of the whole of the squad, via FBRef, and even proved to be an extremely useful target man, averaging 1.9 aerial wins per top-flight game, displaying the excellent physical presence that he has up top.

The Torquay-born talent, who has the versatility to operate in six different positions across the attack, has additionally been dubbed the “perfect” player for his impressive performances by journalist Josh Bunting and it is hard to imagine what the boss would have done without him at his disposal during the previous term.

Aston Villa will obviously want to continue spending their summer bringing in even more fresh faces having already secured the signings of Youri Tielemans, Pau Torres and Moussa Diaby, but it's equally as important that Emery is able to retain the services of Watkins because there's no doubt that he will carry on being a key player for his side moving forward.

Sri Lanka’s limited-overs captain has decided to take time off Tests to focus on the white-ball formats, and has been left out of the provisional squad for the upcoming series against Pakistan

Andrew Fidel Fernando04-Sep-2017Sri Lanka’s limited-overs captain Upul Tharanga has opted out of Test cricket for six months in order to focus on the white-ball formats. The outgoing selectors, headed by Sanath Jayasuriya, did not name Tharanga among the 25 in the provisional Test squad for the forthcoming games against Pakistan in the UAE.Tharanga has been modest in Tests this year with 430 runs from eight matches, but has been successful in ODIs with an average of 47.21 – even as he has presided over two 0-5 whitewashes at the hands of India and South Africa.The squad is expected to be trimmed to 15 by the next set of selectors, who are yet to be named.Notably, fast bowler Dhammika Prasad, who expected to be fit following a hiatus of almost two years due to a major shoulder complaint that required surgery, is in the squad. Also included are Kaushal Silva, who was dropped after the South Africa tour, and Sadeera Samarawickrama – the top-scorer from this years’ first-class season.The provisional squad also features spin bowlers Akila Dananjaya and Jeffrey Vandersay, in addition to Rangana Herath, Dilruwan Perera and Lakshan Sandakan. Allrounder Asela Gunaratne and batsman Kusal Perera remain injured.Provisional squad: Dinesh Chandimal (capt), Dimuth Karunaratne, Kaushal Silva, Kusal Mendis, Angelo Mathews, Lahiru Thirimanne, Niroshan Dickwella, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Rangana Herath, Suranga Lakmal, Nuwan Pradeep, Lakshan Sandakan, Vishwa Fernando, Lahiru Kumara, Jeffrey Vandersay, Milinda Siriwardana, Dhananjaya de Silva, Dushmantha Chameera, Dilruwan Perera, Malinda Pushpakumara, Roshen Silva, Akila Dananjaya, Charith Asalanka, Shaminda Eranga, Dhammika Prasad

Shahid Afridi’s four wickets gave Hampshire promise of victory but they dried up with the bat as Kent kept their last-eight hopes alive

ECB Reporters Network01-Aug-2017Shahid Afridi’s four wickets were to no avail•Getty Images

Mitchell Claydon defended 16 in the final over to back up Daniel Bell-Drummond’s ninth career T20 fifty as Kent edged a last over thriller to beat Hampshire by five runs in the Natwest T20 Blast.England Lions star Bell-Drummond carefully hit 62 to help the visitors reach 159 for six on a slow track.Hampshire faltered in the second half of the innings to fall short. They needed 37 from 28 balls when Australian George Bailey was the third wicket to fall. Liam Dawson managed 5 from 9 balls and No. 3 Tom Alsop was left high and dry with 43 from 41 balls with only two boundaries.Hampshire’s captain James Vince expressed his disappointment at a victory that eluded his side: “For three quarters of the game we did better than them but we struggled to find the boundary in the second half of our innings,” he said. “We needed 72 from 10 overs with eight wickets in hand – it was a bit of a mess up but we have to move on for Friday.”He defended the decision not to push Shahid Afridi up the order to No 6, saying: “Afridi hasn’t really hit it miles yet this season and McManus has been in really good touch. We didn’t lose a wicket for a while so no one went in and we left too much to do in the back end. In hindsight we would have liked to win that with an over to spare.”Vince and Rilee Rossouw had got Hampshire off to a quick start in their quest to reach 160. Skipper Vince in particular took a fancy to Mitchell Clayton, who he dispatched for the match’s first six over cover in the fourth over.But the fast bowler hit back three balls later as Rossouw picked out Alex Blake at mid-on to break the 43-run opening partnership. Vince departed to the final ball of the powerplay as he was yorked by former teammate Matt Coles – as Hampshire sped to 60 in the opening six overs.Spin pair Imran Qayyum and James Tredwell put the brakes on Hampshire’s charge with tight middle overs. And from then on the hosts struggled, Bailey and Alsop neatly added 40 to take their side to 28 runs from victory before the Australian chipped a paddle sweep to short fine leg for a season best 41.Liam Dawson then picked out Blake on the long on boundary to leave his side needing 16 from the final over. But Claydon brilliantly defended the last six balls, as he only went for 10, to lift Kent’s hopes of reaching the quarter-finals.Earlier, Kent captain Sam Northeast won the toss and decided to bat on a grubby track under thin grey clouds.Joe Denly and Bell-Drummond set off at an understated rate, which set the tone for the innings. Denly cracked back-to-back fours off Chris Wood in the second over, two of just 12 boundaries in the Kent total, as they reached 47 by the end of the Powerplay. Mason Crane broke the 65-run opening stand when he bowled Denly with a googly.Skipper Northeast was bowled for a quick 10 and Sam Billings picked out Crane on the long on boundary as Afridi showed his class by going on to take four wickets.England Lions star Bell-Drummond continued to tick the score along effortlessly and reached a 33-ball fifty. Afridi was keeping things tight at the other end but waited until his final over to blow the visitors away by snatching two wickets in two balls.James Neesham top edged a sweep to short third man and Bell-Drummond was brilliant caught by a sliding Dawson on the cover boundary – leaving Afridi with his third best Hampshire T20 figures of 4 for 26.Alex Blake and Darren Stevens struck a quick 39 to lift Kent to 159 although the latter was caught at mid-off at the final ball as Kyle Abbott deceived him with a slower ball – but the score was enough.

ScorecardHaseeb Hameed made an unbeaten half-century but Lancashire’s total was comfortably chased down•Getty Images

A century from Samit Patel helped propel Nottinghamshire into the knockout positions in the north group of the Royal London Cup.Patel scored an unbeaten 103, getting his runs from 104 balls, with 11 fours and two sixes, as Notts defeated Lancashire by seven wickets at Trent Bridge.The 32-year old was joined in an unbroken fourth- wicket stand of 183 by Steven Mullaney which spanned 28.3 overs.Mullaney finished on 77 not out, with four fours and four sixes as Notts chased down a victory target of 261 to win with 24 balls to spare.Earlier, Lancashire scored 260 for 6 after winning the toss and opting to bat first. They lost their way somewhat after a fine opening stand of 98 and were indebted to Haseeb Hameed’s unbeaten 75 to hold the innings together. Mullaney, with 2 for 31, was the pick of the home attack, although Australian international James Pattinson’s 2 for 38 altered the course of the contest with his initial, fiery burst.Notts had lost their three previous one-day matches at Trent Bridge but overcame the early loss of Alex Hales to successfully chase down a sub-par target.Hales followed up Thursday evening’s century against Durham with a quick exit as he tamely helped James Anderson into the hands of Stephen Parry at mid-on.Danny Lamb, a 21-year old medium pacer on debut, experienced a harsh introduction to first-team action as Michael Lumb despatched his second delivery into the stands.The young seamer from Preston bounced back in style, bowling Riki Wessels for 25 before having Lumb, who made 47, caught at mid-on.Mullany and Patel both gave difficult caught and bowled opportunities as they looked to rebuild the innings, with Parry spilling Mullaney on 11 and then the ball just wouldn’t stick in Anderson’s out-stretched right hand as Patel drilled the ball back towards him.Patel reached his 50 from 60 balls and his partner got there from one fewer, reaching the landmark with an enormous six off Stephen Croft.As the finishing line came into sight both batsmen began to find the ropes with increased regularity and Mullaney’s fourth six, off Parry, settled the contest.At the start of the day Lancashire’s openers made the most of friendly batting conditions to put on 98 in 17 overs before both fell in quick succession.Karl Brown had just brought up his third 50 of this season’s competition, getting there from 54 balls, when he pushed hard at Stuart Broad and picked out the safe hands of Patel at extra cover.Alex Davies made 45 before being knocked off his feet by an explosive yorker from Pattinson which thudded into his boot and gained a positive leg before verdict from umpire Baldwin.Pattinson’s pace also accounted for Liam Livingstone, who had a brief and frenetic stay at the crease before nicking behind. The catch was Chris Read’s 258th one-day catch for Notts, a county record, taking him past Bruce French’s tally.Mullaney, playing against his first county, bowled a miserly spell from the Radcliffe Road End that tempted Dane Vilas to hit straight to mid-off and then he knocked back Steven Croft’s middle stump.Ryan McLaren made 42, during which he struck Patel away for the only six of the Lancashire innings but was bowled to become Harry Gurney’s 100th one-day victim.Hameed improvised to good effect towards the back end of the innings, hitting five fours in his 79-ball undefeated knock.Lancashire’s acceleration possibly came a few overs too late and in the end they were well short as Notts clinched victory with four overs to spare.Notts travel to Northants on Tuesday, knowing that victory will guarantee their spot in the qualifying phase.Lancashire finish their programme away at Durham on the same evening and must win and hope other results go their way.

Cody Gakpo was injured during Liverpool's 2-1 defeat to Tottenham, scoring the Reds' only goal but then being substituted at half-time.

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Gakpo set for spell on sidelinesDutchman scored Liverpool's goalLeft north London with leg in a braceWHAT HAPPENED?

Gakpo scored Liverpool's only goal in their controversial defeat to Spurs, spinning and finishing brilliantly. However, he appeared to injure his knee in a challenge with Destiny Udogie beforehand and seemed to aggravate the injury with his finish.

He was seen leaving Spurs' stadium with his leg in a brace, and journalist Rik Elfrink, of Eindhovens Dagblad and AD Sportwereld, now reports that the Dutch forward faces 'a few weeks' out if his recovery goes well.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Gakpo has scored twice in the league this season and his absence will rub salt into the wounds of a Liverpool side already smarting from their controversial defeat. During the fiercely contested game in north London, Luis Diaz saw a goal wrongly disallowed for offside, both Curtis Jones and Diogo Jota were sent off, and Joel Matip conceded a 96th-minute own goal to give Tottenham all three points.

Such is their disappointment at Diaz's disallowed goal, Liverpool have hit out at the PGMOL's explanation that a 'significant human error' took place in the VAR booth.

DID YOU KNOW?

Gakpo has made six appearances up front this season but has also deputised in midfield, playing in the centre of the pitch twice under Jurgen Klopp this term. His ability to play in both roles has made him a key figure, but any injury ruling him out will be a major blow to the Reds coach.

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GettyWHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

Liverpool face Union SG in the Europa League on Thursday and then face Brighton in their return to Premier League action next weekend, but may have to make do without Gakpo in both fixtures.

Counties delaying the ECB’s plans for a new domestic T20 competition could be penalised according to a new document circulated by the ECB

George Dobell10-Mar-2017

Counties delaying the ECB’s plans for a new domestic T20 competition could be penalised according to a new document circulated by the ECB.While the ECB has previously guaranteed counties a minimum payment of £1.3m a year, they have now warned that only those counties which have signed their media rights over to the ECB will be eligible for such a fee. “Each First-class county which has signed the media deed would receive a guaranteed minimum annual sum,” the document states.They have not provided a deadline for the agreement but it could be interpreted as an attempt to ramp up the pressure on counties with reservations over the ECB’s plans ahead of what might well prove to be a pivotal vote.County chief executives and chairmen meet on March 27 when they will discuss a proposed change to the constitution of the ECB. The current constitution states that: “The board shall not have the power to deprive a first-class county club of the right to participate in all first-class county competitions authorised by the ECB.”If the new competition is to be authorised, two-thirds of those first-class counties will have to agree that such wording is changed to allow competitions that do not involve all 18 counties. It is anticipated that the vote will take place in April.It also transpires that county players appearing in the new competition will have to repay some of their salary to their counties. And, while it has previously become apparent that England’s Test players will not be available to appear in the competition, they will be used in the marketing and promotion of the competition.The key points are these:Test matches will be played during the window for the new competition. The document says this means: “Test Players are not anticipated to play in the new competition if selected in the relevant Test squads.”The intended start date of the new competition is July 24, 2020, with the final scheduled for August 30. The Blast is likely to begin at the end of May.The competition will consist of 36 games played in a 38-day window. Every game will be televised and each team will host four games.The domestic 50-over competition will continue at the same time despite the absence of the best 96 limited-overs cricketers; an average of five per county. That means, according to the ECB document, that “there is likely to be a requirement to play at out-grounds for counties whose venues are used by new teams.”County coaches are to be made available to coach the new teams if their county employers are willing to release them.Each of the eight new teams will have a 15-man squad for the new competition. There will be three overseas players per squad.Each team is to have a set player budget to be spent in the draft and, at the draft, 13 players will be selected per team. Two players per squad will be deemed “wildcards” and will be selected after the group stages of the T20 Blast (the existing T20 competition contested by all 18 counties). The intention, the ECB states, is “to reward in-form players not originally picked up in the draft and to link the narrative between the Blast and the new competition.”There will be six salary bands (A-F, with A the most expensive) with two players selected per team from each band, apart from the lowest band (F) from which three will be selected. Teams will draw lots before each round of the draft to determine who gets first pick. There will be a 24-hour trade period following the draft so teams can swap one or two players from within the same group. Overseas players will be able to pick a salary level at A, B and D grades only.It is proposed that teams could retain a maximum of eight players and a minimum of four players into the second year of the competition.It is the “the strong recommendation” of the marketing companies involved in the launch of the competition that it features “new team (i.e. non-county based) brands, to drive reappraisal and differentiation from existing cricket.”All commercial and ticketing matters will be centrally organised. Revenues will be taken centrally. Venues will be paid a staging fee and be allowed to keep hospitality and catering revenue.Venues will be chosen according to their capacity, transport links, catchment area, facilities and relationship with their local authority.A new sub-committee of the ECB Board, comprising a chairperson and independent directors bringing specialist skills would oversee the tournament design and implementation. A new central division within the ECB would be formed to run the tournament.

Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsA double-century from Azhar Ali. Pakistan batting until after lunch on day three. No fewer than 141 overs lost to rain. Fifteen wickets in four days on a surface more concrete than pitch. Australia won the Boxing Day Test. Yep, really.

Pakistan fined for slow over rate

Pakistan have been fined for a slow over rate during the second Test against Australia at the MCG. Match referee Ranjan Madugalle imposed the fine after Pakistan were ruled to be two overs short of their target when time allowances were taken into consideration.
Players are fined 10% of their match fees for every over their side fails to bowl in the allotted time, with the captain fined 20%, in accordance with Article 2.5.1 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel. Misbah-ul-Haq was hence fined 40% of his match fee; he pleaded guilty to the offence and accepted the proposed sanction.

In a conjuring act to rival those of Sydney 2010 and Adelaide 2006, Steven Smith’s men produced a Test and series victory from seemingly nowhere. Nowhere that is, apart from Pakistan’s unrivalled propensity for either triumph or disaster, with little in between.This, we had been told, was a sturdier Pakistan, capable of fighting a match out in the manner they did at the Gabba after a horrid start. This was also the Pakistan side that had ascended to No. 1 in the world earlier in the year. But their descent from the summit has been just as rapid as Australia’s: both sides know what it is like to lose five consecutive Tests from the moment they reached the top of the ICC’s rankings.From the opening moments of the day, Pakistan had looked a team worried about defeat, Australia a team alert to the prospect of victory. After Smith and Mitchell Starc supercharged their scoring rate so effectively as to post the highest ever Test total in Melbourne, a pair of early wickets either side of lunch gave the hosts a glimmer.It was exploited brilliantly by Nathan Lyon, who in the space of a single spell unseated Younis Khan, Misbah-ul-Haq and Asad Shafiq. Under extreme pressure to hold his spot entering the final day, Lyon’s response was emphatic, but not enough to cause Smith to keep him on after the tea break: he is not the first Australian spin bowler to struggle to retain the full confidence of his captain.That being the case, the final blows were struck by the seamers. Josh Hazlewood, Jackson Bird and Starc all found deliveries incisive enough to cut through the tail, much to the delight of a final day crowd that swelled the total attendance to 142,188, a figure as admirable in the rain-affected circumstances as Australia’s charge to victory.Much of Pakistan’s early bowling and fielding had been lacklustre when placed under pressure by Smith and Starc, personified by Sohail Khan’s wretched drop of Starc at long-off. Sohail finished with three wickets but was one of four expensive bowlers, none able to contain even with the help of Misbah’s often defensive fields.So quickly did Smith and Starc score that the home captain had the luxury of declaring before the interval, meaning the visiting openers were compelled to survive two bursts of the new ball either side of lunch.Mitchell Starc ripped out Sarfraz Ahmed with reverse-swing•Getty Images

In four overs before the interval, Pakistan lost the wicket of Sami Aslam, dragging a ball from Hazlewood onto the stumps via his body. The first over of the afternoon brought another, when Babar Azam was struck on the pad by a Starc inswinger that the umpire Ian Gould judged to be hitting leg stump – a decision the batsman’s referral showed to be marginal.Younis scored freely enough until Lyon’s introduction, when a fraction of extra bounce saw him turn an offbreak in the air towards short leg. Peter Handscomb moved forward to claim the chance a matter of millimetres above the turf. Misbah, out of sorts with the bat all series so far, tried a sweep first ball and then repeated it to his second, the top edge well caught around the corner by Nic Maddinson.This double left the door ajar for Australia, and it opened further when Shafiq advanced and pushed Lyon directly to Handscomb, who this time hung on after a juggle. Lyon, for so long this summer a harried figure, was now dictating terms, and his team could sense a remarkable result.It was a surprise when Smith did not keep Lyon on when play resumed, preferring Starc from the Great Southern Stand End. Hazlewood had found a modicum of reverse-swing and his tight lines were rewarded with Azhar’s wicket, the opener’s guard finally let down after 476 deliveries across two innings. Again, Gould ruled marginally in Australia’s favour on an lbw.That opened up an end, and after Bird surprised Mohammad Amir with a quicker delivery that was dragged onto the stumps, an exultant Starc blasted out Sarfraz Ahmed, Wahab Riaz and Yasir Shah in a fashion that would have impressed Wasim Akram.Australian celebrations were unrestrained and it was not hard to work out why. For most of the past five days it appeared that time was getting away from both sides; in the end Australia toasted victory with the last hour to spare.