Swann told England - don't allow ranking go to heads

England spinner Graeme Swann says his teammates must not allow their imminent ascension to the top spot in the world rankings to go to their head as they seek to complete a 4-0 Test loss of India at The Oval this week.

England will be established as the best Test side in the world after the series but Swann believes the team must make sure they complete the job and see off the demoralized tourists.

He said: "It's a nice feeling (to take over the top ranking) - but it's not what we are focusing on.

"We said before the series it didn't matter if we got to number one in the world."

"It's about final the series well and that is what we are aim to do at The Oval."

"We want to do ourselves justice in the last game - we did that very well in the Ashes. Having retained them we gave our best presentation of the series in Sydney in the last game and we are looking to imitate that here."

"It's the last Test match for a while and it's a good possibility for us to sign off on a winning note."

"We have played some outstanding cricket in the last 18-24 months and it would be a shame if we ruined it all by cruise through this game so let's make it a really good five days and see what happens."

"It wouldn't be much of a team if we just fell to pieces and threw it all away."
Swann said England must not undervalue India in the final Test and stick to the game plan which has seen them land the series.

"The best thing we have done all series is keep India below 300 each time we have bowled and we need to try and keep that up.

"The Oval is a good batting pitch but if we can maintain the standards we have so far achieve then optimistically we can do that again."

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Taylor lead Lions to series win

Captain James Taylor pushed his claim for a place in the senior England side with a second century in three games as the Lions clinch a series win over Sri Lanka A with a 135-run win.

Taylor made a superb 111 off 132 balls as the Lions improved from 38 for three to post 282 for nine with Durham's Ben Stokes doing his chances of a call-up to the one-day squad no harm by crashing 73 off 65 delivery and Tharanga Laksitha taking three for 49.

The Sri Lankans never healthier from a dreadful start as they misshapen to 147 all out with wicketkeeper Jonny Bairstow taking four catches and two stumpings.

Sri Lanka A won the toss but chose to make the England Lions bat first and Laksitha sent Chris Nash's off stump plummeting in the third over.

Laksitha then accounted for Alex Hales by crashing his searing delivery into the stumps and he had his third victim when Joe Root (12) edged at the back to wicketkeeper Kushal Perera.

Durham's Stokes then hammered a half-century off just 45 balls before he ultimately holed out by smash Seekkuge Prasanna to Lahiru Thirimanne at long off.

Bairstow went cheaply by initiation Sajeewa Weerakoon to Bhanuka Rajapaksa at long on.

Chris Woakes fell on 13 when he missed his attempt reverse sweep and was bowled by Weerakoon before Taylor reached 50 off 91 balls.

James Harris made 29 before being run out by bowler Weerakoon before Stuart Meaker shattered the same man to Thirimanne at long on.

Taylor then finished his fifth one-day ton off 128 balls before finally departure in the final over by hitting Kosala Kulasekara to Kanishka Alvitigala at deep mid-wicket.

Chasing 283, the Sri Lankans lost Malinda Warnapura with just the fourth ball when he was trapped behind by Bairstow off Harris.

Thirimanne also went for a duck when Woakes forced him to edge to Bairstow, who also snared Rajapaksa off Harris to decrease the tourists to seven for three inside three overs.

Sachithra Serasinghe tried to get better the situation in plundering 35 but he was fixed and bowled by Boyd Rankin.

Perera then last for only two balls before binding Rankin to Bairstow before Kulasekara threw his wicket away by hoisting Meaker to Taylor at mid-on.

Bairstow then stumped Sri Lanka captain Dimuth Karunaratne for 30 and Weerakoon, both off Lancashire slow left-armer Simon Kerrigan.

Alvitigala blasted 34 off 27 balls before introduction Kerrigan to Stokes at long on and it was all over when Chris Nash took Prasanna (20) at extra cover off Woakes.

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Dhoni, Sachin did not encourage youngsters: Kapil

Former captain Kapil Dev on Tuesday lashed out at the Indian players for missing team spirit in the ongoing Test series next to England and also criticized senior cricketers, including Captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Sachin Tendulkar, for not inspiring the youngsters in the team.

The former all-rounder, who led India to its maiden World Cup title in 1983, slam Dhoni's men for "going throughout the motions" during the ongoing four-match series which England have already pocketed 3-0.

"Indian players did not play as a team. I am not annoying to responsibility anybody but I think they played too much cricket. Within four days of charming the World Cup you play IPL. They then travel to West Indies for a tour and then from there to England. I think our players were going throughout the motions", Kapil told PTI in an interview.

Asked whether there was any other reason for the embarrassing defeat against England which has dislodge India from the number one position, Kapil said the seniors have not played a role in guiding the youngsters during the tour.

"No cricketer walked up to the young bowlers to advise them on what line to bowl. Dhoni could go up to Ishant and tell this. Media term him as 'Captain Cool'. He says everybody should know their job.

"In Indian sports, we have not reached that level where all the players know what they should do. We still look up to the captain and senior players. We need somebody with violence.

All the senior players have become so senior that they do not want to be violent", he said.

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Tharanga and Malinga keep sequence alive

Sri Lanka 286 for 9 (Tharanga 111, Dilshan 55, Bollinger 4-42) hit Australia 208 (M Hussey 63, Malinga 5-28) by 78 runs

Lasith Malinga's five wickets and Upul Tharanga's century haul Sri Lanka back into the one-day international series next to Australia with a 78-run victory at Hambantota.

Knowing an Australia win would see the tourists take an unquestionable 3-0 lead in the five-match series, Sri Lanka recorded an ultimately at ease triumph to leave all to play for heading into the final two clashes.

After Sri Lanka had been put into bat, Tharanga hit 111 from 139 balls, his 11th ODI century, as the home side post 286 for nine before Malinga take five for 28 off 8.2 over as Australia were bowled out for 208 in reply.

After being dismiss inexpensively in their opening two defeats, Tharanga, who return from a three-month preparation ban before the series, and skipper Tillakaratne Dilshan (55) covered the way for a aggressive total as they put on 139 for the first wicket.

Experienced duo Kumar Sangakkara (49) and Mahela Jayawardene (36) also contribute rapid knock, but those four players were the only ones to reach double figures for Sri Lanka as Australia left-armer Doug Bollinger claim four for 42 to limit them to a score of fewer than 300 after they had been 220 for one in the 39th over.

Bollinger strike three vital blows in succeeding overs in the batting powerplay, during which Sri Lanka only manage 12 runs for the loss of three wickets, as they flounder towards the end.

Australia were not capable to build on that impetus, though, as they lost both openers early on in their reply.

The big-hitting Shane Watson had made only five when he became the first of Malinga's victims, while Brad Haddin fell for the same score after being bowled by Shaminda Eranga.

That left Australia on 18 for two and they lost their third wicket with the score on 52 when Eranga (two for 38) claim the scalp of Ricky Ponting, the former captain caught and bowled for 22.

Current skipper Michael Clarke (46) then connected forces with Michael Hussey (63) in a 71-run stand for the fourth wicket to help Australia start their fightback.

Hussey also communal in a 45-run sixth-wicket stand with Steven Smith, but Australia's hopes of victory took a enormous blow when the pair were dismissed in successive balls, Smith run out for 18 and Hussey then snare with the first release of Malinga's seventh over.

That left the tourists on 183 for seven and the end was not long in coming, Malinga bowling both Xavier Doherty and Bollinger as Australia, having misplaced their final five wickets for 25 runs, was dismiss with more than five over remaining.

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Zimbabwe won to seal series

Zimbabwe 250 for 7 (Taibu 83, Shakib 2-41) strike Bangladesh 245 (Mushfiqur 101, Utseya 3-47) by five runs

A century from wicketkeeper Mushfiqur Rahim was not sufficient to stop Bangladesh losing the one-day series alongside Zimbabwe as they slipping to a five-run loss in Harare.

The hosts' own keeper, Tatenda Taibu (83), top-scored as Zimbabwe scored 250 for seven in their 50 overs.

Mushfiqur (101) then put his side in a great location to keep themselves in the series, but they misshapen to another beat as their last five wickets fell for 16 runs, allow Zimbabwe to take a 3-0 series direct with two to play.

The tourists got an early get through when Brendan Taylor edges an inoffensive delivery from Shafiul Islam directly to slip for four.

Taylor's beneficiary opener, Vusi Sibanda (27), looked sharp but was wedged out by a short ball from Rubel Hossain, pull to Imrul Kayes.

Hamilton Masakadza (74) and Taibu then built a well-built partnership, adding 142 for the third wicket, before the former was cleaned bowled by Rubel, who was also involved in Taibu's notice as he held onto a catch off the bowling of Nazmul Hossain.Of the tail, only Elton Chigumbura (31) additional any runs of note to the Zimbabwe total.

Bangladesh made a lethargic start to their run chase as Prosper Utseya removed Kayes and Junaid Siddique inexpensively before Tamim Iqbal (44) was run out while trying to push for a second.

Mushfiqur then took centre phase, smashing eight fours and a six on his way to maiden ODI century. But he was behind partners at a constant rate with only Shuvagoto Hom (32) offering any sort of hold up before he went the same way as Tamim.

The quick scoring of Mushfiqur destined the visitors had the chance to win the match and keep the series alive as they enter the final over requiring eight runs to win with only one wicket residual.

But the centurion try one big shot too many and played a short ball from Chris Mpofu straight into the hands of Sibanda at long-off from the second ball as Zimbabwe secured an unforgettable win.

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