Not a great result for Ireland unfortunately! Let's see if they're able to bounce back for the next one on Monday.

Dimuth Karunaratne and Nishan Madushka put on an opening partnership of 228 as Sri Lanka were dominant on day three of the second Test against Ireland.

 

The hosts were on 357-1 when rain stopped play after 77 overs and trail by 135 runs after the visitors had posted their highest Test score of 492.

 

Captain Karunaratne fell to Curtis Campher for 115 but Madushka was left on 149 not out and Kusal Mendis on 83.

 

Sri Lanka won the first Test by an innings and 280 runs.

South Africa batter Zubayr Hamza is poised to make his international return in June after a nine-month drug ban.

 

The 27-year-old, who has played six Tests, has been selected in the South Africa A squad to tour Sri Lanka.

 

Hamza was banned from all cricket-related activities by the International Cricket Council (ICC) last May.

 

He told the ICC he intended to take his own anti-allergy medication but instead ingested his father's heart medicine, containing banned substance Furosemide.

Ireland face a final-day battle to save the second Test against Sri Lanka in Galle after the hosts declared on a mammoth 704-3 in their first innings.

 

That left them with a 212-run lead and the tourists then lost two wickets to stand at 54-2 - still 158 runs adrift.

 

Kusal Mendis (245) and Nishan Madushka (205) both fired double centuries with captain Dimuth Karunaratne hitting 115 and Angelo Mathews making 100 not out.

 

Irish openers James McCollum and Peter Moor then both departed cheaply.

Andrew Strauss will stand down as a strategic adviser to the England and Wales Cricket Board and as chair of the performance cricket committee in May.

 

Strauss led a performance review after England's 4-0 Ashes defeat in 2021.

 

But plans for fewer County Championship matches and dedicated windows for white-ball tournaments failed to pass.

 

"Having recently taken on additional external responsibilities, Andrew has decided it is time to step away from his ECB role," the ECB said.

 

ECB chief executive Richard Gould said in early April that the proposals put forward by the review to alter the structure of domestic cricket "are dead in the water".

 

Strauss said: "I've really enjoyed my time at the ECB and am proud of having contributed to a successful period for our England teams.

 

England players signing full-time contracts with teams owned by Indian Premier League (IPL) franchises is "coming", says former England and IPL player Ravi Bopara.

 

A report in The Times this week said six English players had been approached about year-long deals, worth up to £5m.

 

IPL franchises own teams in India, the West Indies, South Africa, United Arab Emirates and a USA-based league.

 

"It doesn't surprise me," Bopara told the BBC Test Match Special podcast.

 

"It is a real thing to start thinking about for the players.

 

"If they are offering long-term contracts, I'm talking three, four or five years, then it is a serious subject to start thinking about as a player."

Lucknow Super Giants made the second-highest total in Indian Premier League history as they thrashed Punjab Kings by 56 runs in Mohali.

 

They posted 257-5 with Australia's Marcus Stoinis making 72 off 40 balls and West Indies' Kyle Mayers 54 off 24.

 

It left them six short of the 263-5 made by Royal Challengers Bangalore against Pune Warriors in 2013.

 

 

Tim Murtagh dismissed England opener Zak Crawley for a golden duck and was on a hat-trick on a day of clattering wickets in the County Championship match between Middlesex and Kent at Lord's.

 

Murtagh, who turns 42 in August, making him the third oldest seamer in county cricket behind Gareth Berg and Michael Hogan, denied Crawley valuable batting time ahead of the first Ashes Test, causing him to fend a shortish ball into the hands of Stephen Eskinazi at slip.

All over for Kent who have been skittled by Middlesex after lunch for 128.

I'm watching the match on youtube. 10 wickets in the match for Tim Murtagh at the age of 41 is a great effort.

Middlesex 229 & 29-1 v Kent 186 & 128 (Middlesex require 57 runs)

 

Now there is some joy!

 

Mark Stoneman is caught by Ben Compton at extra cover off Matthew Quinn's bowling and Kent have the first Middlesex batter down.

Warwickshire 150 & 107-8, Surrey 281

 

Hasan Ali‘s defiant 51-minute show of resitance ends as he is bowled by Kemar Roach, who competes a fine five-fer.

 

Chris Rushworth comes in with 24 still needed to make Surrey bat again.

Sussex 455-5d v Gloucestershire 104-2

 

Gloucestershire pass up and over 100 runs in their first innings but they have lost both openers.

 

Chris Dent went earlier on for 32 and Marcus Harris (37) has just joined him in the pavilion after being run out.

0A run -out mix-up to end the Warwickshire innings for 141

 

Incredible.

 

Surrey need just 11 to win.

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Veteran seamer Tim Murtagh recorded a 10-wicket match haul to reach his 1,000th in all formats for Middlesex and set up a second successive County Championship victory, as they triumphed against Kent.

 

Player-coach Murtagh, 41, who is now in his 17th season with the county, scythed through the visitors' line-up with 6-42 - and match figures of 10-82 - as they crumbled to 128 all out at Lord's.

 

Ben Compton and Jack Leaning had dragged Kent back into contention with their solid 87-run partnership before seven wickets tumbled for only 22, leaving Middlesex to chase a modest target of 86.

Leicestershire 407 & 162-1 v Glamorgan 465 (Leicestershire lead by 104 runs)

 

He's batted very impressively and the 17th four of Rishi Patel's innings brings up his century from 137 balls.

Sri Lanka became the eighth team to secure a century of Test wins when they defeated Ireland in the second Test

Leicestershire 407 & 252-3 v Glamorgan 465

 

The players shake hands and that's all the play we will see from Leicester today.

 

The day belongs to Rishi Patel who earned his best ever first-class score with an unbeaten 134 and he was given great support by captain Lewis Hill (82).

 

It was their partnership that ensured the match would end in a draw as Glamorgan toiled with the ball.

The Indian Premier League (IPL) has fined two players, including star batsman Virat Kohli, and a team mentor for an altercation caught on camera.

 

Kohli and Lucknow Super Giants' mentor Gautam Gambhir were fined 100% of their fee for an IPL match played on Monday.

 

Afghan bowler Naveen-ul-Haq, who plays for the Giants, was also fined 50% of his fee.

 

Both Kohli and Gambhir are former Indian captains. Gambhir retired from all forms of cricket in 2018.

 

The altercation took place after a match in which Kohli's Royal Challengers Bangalore defeated the Giants.