Sri Lanka were cost the wicket of Udara Jayasundera after third umpire Richard Kettleborough wrongfully adjudged him out due to an optical illusion in the DRS replays he saw

Andrew Fidel Fernando in Hamilton20-Dec-2015Sri Lanka bowling coach Champaka Ramanayake said the DRS system had “a lot of errors”, in the wake of what seemed to be an incorrect DRS call which cost Sri Lanka a wicket.Third umpire Richard Kettleborough had overturned Paul Reiffel’s not-out decision on a caught-behind call on batsman Udara Jayasundera in the 23rd over of Sri Lanka’s second innings. There appeared to be no conclusive evidence that the batsman had gloved the ball on snicko or hotspot, but Kettleborough may have instead relied on a seeming deviation from the glove. This deviation, seen from a rear camera angle, was later shown to be an optical illusion.”What I saw on the TV – it looked like not out,” Ramanayake said. “I can’t talk about the umpiring. We haven’t spoken to anyone. Whatever the decision is made we have to take it. We have to have a real serious think about this DRS system. There are a lot of errors.”The short ball from Doug Bracewell did not leave a distinctive hotspot mark. Snicko showed no conclusive spike either.The rear angle initially showed a significant deviation, but importantly, the glove did not appear to move when the ball seemed to brush it. Kettleborough had not seen a split-screen before making his decision. The broadcaster later put up a side-angle view of the dismissal, simultaneous with that rear angle, which seemed to show that the deviation seen on the rear angle came well before the ball had reached the glove.
In any case, both umpire Reiffel and batsman Jayasundera appeared unhappy with the eventual outcome.New Zealand bowler Neil Wagner, who had only seen the original review on the big screen at the ground, acknowledged that there was little evidence on hotspot or snicko. However, he thought the correct decision had been arrived at, due to the seeming deviation seen in that rear-angle shot.

Five years after completing a very successful career as an international cricketer for South Africa, he has a chance to nurture young talent and bring them to the big stage having signed on as Zimbabwe’s bowling coach

Firdose Moonda24-Jan-2016Five years after completing a very successful career as an international cricketer for South Africa, Makhaya Ntini has a chance to nurture young talent and bring them to the big stage, having signed on as Zimbabwe’s bowling coach. His two-year run will begin with an important first step – the World T20 in India in March.Since his retirement in 2011, Ntini has been active on the South African cricket scene as a commentator. He has long wanted to open a cricket academy in the Eastern Cape, a hotbed of black African talent, but has struggled for funding. While he continues efforts towards that, Ntini hopes he can also put his expertise – the benefit of 101 Tests, 173 ODIs and 10 T20Is – to good use for Zimbabwe.”I’m looking forward to working with my neighbouring country. I think there is a lot of talent there that we need to find and nurture. This is also about following my dreams of coaching and bringing guys through,” he told ESPNcricinfo.The top eight teams have direct entry into the main draw of the World T20, but Zimbabwe, who are ranked 14th, will have to go through a qualifying round. They have been grouped with Scotland, Afghanistan and Hong Kong and will play one match with each team. Only if they finish on top will they move on to the main tournament.”The most important thing is that the team qualifies for the main draw,” Ntini said.Since the end of the last World T20, Zimbabwe have played 17 matches and won only four of them. They go into this year’s edition having leveled a four-match series with Bangladesh, but will be wary of Afghanistan, to whom they have lost back-to-back series.

A round-up of the Momentum One Day Cup games played on January 29, 2015

ESPNcricinfo staff30-Jan-2016Half-centuries from Andrew Puttick, JP Duminy and Jason Smith gave Cape Cobras the platform for a 68-run win over Dolphins in Cape Town. Cobras, who chose to bat, got off to a good start courtesy Puttick and Stiaan van Zyl (35), who added 116 for the first wicket. Ayavuya Myoli picked up three quick wickets thereafter, and Cobras were 125 for 6 when Puttick was dismissed for a 95-ball 79 (10×4, 1×6). Duminy then resurrected the innings with a 62-ball 68 (4×4, 2×6), putting on 45 with Justin Ontong (20) for the fourth wicket and then 91 with Smith for the sixth. Smith finished unbeaten on a run-a-ball 50 (3×4, 1×6), as Cobras closed on 265 for 7.Dolphins slipped to 31 for 3 in 11 overs, and their chase never really recovered. There were no substantial contributions barring David Miller’s 42 and Ryan McLaren’s 52, as they were bowled out for 197 inside the 45th over. To go with his performance with the bat, Duminy also picked up two wickets with his offspin.A splendid all-round effort from Chris Morris helped Titans complete a comfortable 55-run win against Knights in Benoni. He first blitzed a 16-ball 45, an innings that featured two fours and five sixes, to lift Titans past the 300 mark and then returned figures of 3 for 30 to help bowl Knights out for 246.After being inserted to bat, Quinton de Kock (22) and Henry Davids (65) added an opening stand of 45. However, it was Faf du Plessis’ 72 that anchored the middle overs, steadily building the score in the process. Albie Morkel provided the impetus towards the end with a brisk 40, before Morris struck four consecutive sixes in the final over to lift Titans to 301. Malusi Siboto and Shadley van Schalkwyk picked up two wickets apiece.In the chase, Knights were reduced to 36 for 3 before Rilee Rossouw (62) and Pete van Biljon (32) forged a 87-run stand to keep them in the hunt. However, another clump of wickets fell, which effectively killed the game. Knights were ultimately bowled out in the 47th over, with Morkel and Tabraiz Shamsi contributing with two scalps each.Stephen Cook struck his second century of the tournament to lift Lions to a thrilling four-run win against Warriors in Johannesburg. Chasing 257, Warriors were cruising and required 12 to win off the last two overs before the set-man Christiaan Jonker was dismissed. The penultimate over, bowled by Carmi le Roux, went for just two. Colin Ingram and Jonker compiled fifties to keep Warriors on course in the chase, but Lions regularly chipped away at the wickets.Earlier, it was Cook’s ton that anchored the Lions innings. He formed stands of 69 and 74 with Alviro Petersen (37) and Nicky can den Bergh (45), but momentum was lost with a host of wickets towards the end. Sisanda Magala picked up his third List A five-for to help derail the Lions charge.

Steven Smith went on to score his 14th Test ton, despite receiving a blow on his helmet prior to tea, a break that helped “let the shock settle”

Brydon Coverdale21-Feb-2016The bouncer was a key part of Neil Wagner’s weaponry on day two at Hagley Oval, and a weapon that eventually brought him the wickets of Joe Burns and Steven Smith, but it also led to a moment of serious concern. On 78, Smith ducked into a short ball from Wagner and was struck flush on the helmet, falling face-down on the ground and requiring attention from team doctor Peter Brukner before being cleared to resume his innings.After pausing for a few minutes to recover, Smith pulled his next delivery gamely for a single, and Burns faced out the remaining two deliveries of Wagner’s over. It was the last over before tea and the break came at the perfect time for Smith, who in the words of Burns was able to “let the shock settle” for 20 minutes before resuming in the final session, and going on to post his 14th Test hundred.”Not nice is it, it’s a bit of a shaky feeling,” Wagner said after play. “It’s never anyone’s intention to try and hit someone in the head and see them go down like that so I think a hell of a lot of credit to him to take a blow like that and stand up and bat the way he did shows the character of the bloke that he is. Credit to him he did pretty well from that. Hell of a knock.”I ran up straight to him and he sort of flashed his eyes a little bit and I was a bit worried at the start, and then he said he’s fine and he took a bit of time, which we all said make sure you take enough time and get yourself ready, we’ll give whatever you need. So he did and he looked fine after that.”The New Zealand players all moved to check on Smith after the blow, as did his batting partner Burns, who was quickly joined by team physio David Beakley as well as Brukner, who assessed Smith on the field. Burns said Smith got a new helmet and used the tea break to “reset himself” after the incident.”Certainly it’s always a concern when you see someone get hit in the head,” Burns said. “It got him quite flush as well, which was a concerning part. But fortunately the medical staff were out there very quickly and they gave him the all clear.”Luckily the tea break was just around the corner, so it gave him a chance to sit down for 20 minutes and I guess just let the shock settle. And then yeah, he came out after tea and was 100%, so all good.”Smith went on to score 138 before he eventually fell to another bouncer from Wagner, which was pulled straight to Martin Guptill at square leg. Burns had fallen for 170 in almost identical fashion in Wagner’s previous over, but not before his partnership of 289 – an all-time record for Australia in New Zealand – put Australia within touching distance of a first-innings lead.”When you have a long partnership with anyone it’s very satisfying,” Burns said. “The fact that we just applied really basic game-plans for long periods of time is the most satisfying thing. But getting towards stumps we were talking about how we really wanted to be two down at stumps. I guess that’s the disappointing thing, that we’re four down, and it just changes the game a little bit.”However, New Zealand still have a considerable amount of work to do in order to restrict Australia’s lead, with six wickets still in hand, only seven runs in arrears, and the prolific Adam Voges at the crease. Wagner said it had been hard work for New Zealand’s all-pace attack on day two with the Hagley Oval pitch having lost some of its pace.”It definitely slowed down quite a bit and the wicket definitely flattened out a touch,” Wagner said. “But credit to Joe Burns and Steve Smith, they batted exceptionally well and never gave us a chance. I think we bowled well in patches and periods of time where we asked good questions. They just batted really well.”

Concerns over the slow recovery of Lasith Malinga’s knee injury have grown stronger ahead of the World T20 – the paceman now in doubt for Sri Lanka’s first match on March 17

Andrew Fidel Fernando07-Mar-20161:11

Fernando: Malinga’s full availability not guaranteed

Lasith Malinga has offered to step down as Sri Lanka’s T20 captain, after concerns over the slow recovery of a knee injury have grown. The board is yet to make a final call on whether a change of leadership is needed, but Malinga has handed the board a letter voicing reservations about keeping the job when he cannot guarantee his availability for Sri Lanka’s full campaign.An MRI scan on Monday confirmed substantial damage to Malinga’s knee, but also suggested that he could manage the injury with painkillers over the next few weeks. The team is scheduled to leave for India on Tuesday, but Malinga is considering staying in Sri Lanka to receive further treatment. He may not depart to India until the days before Sri Lanka’s first match, on March 17.This overuse injury to the left knee – on which he lands during the delivery stride – has troubled him since West Indies’ series in Sri Lanka in November last year. He missed Sri Lanka’s tour of New Zealand in December and January, and was later ruled out of the T20s in India, in February. Then, Malinga played only one match of four during the Asia Cup, taking four wickets in Sri Lanka’s solitary victory against UAE, before sitting out games against Bangladesh, India and Pakistan. It is understood he has not bowled in the nets since the UAE game, though, he is not a player who generally requires extensive net bowling before matches.The recovery date for this injury has always been vague, but has been much slower than initially expected, prompting particular worry. It was hoped Malinga could be fit for the T20s in New Zealand, and he was picked for the Asia Cup on the understanding he could play a substantial role in that tournament.This is also the third serious injury to hit Malinga’s career. He had previously been plagued by a similar overuse injury in his right knee, which he said forced him to retire from Tests in 2010. Then in 2014, a long-term ankle injury was operated on in the months leading up to last year’s World Cup. It now appears possible that this current injury could end his international career. In the approach to the Asia Cup, Malinga had hinted the World T20 might be his final foray for Sri Lanka.Angelo Mathews appears the likeliest captaincy candidate if Malinga does step down, though Dinesh Chandimal is also an option. Malinga’s potential absence as a bowler is perhaps the bigger blow to Sri Lanka’s campaign. He has been instrumental to Sri Lanka’s march to three World T20 finals over the last four tournaments, and is also the World T20’s most successful bowler. He has been a diminished threat since his ankle surgery in 2014, but remains – at least in spirit – Sri Lanka’s limited-overs spearhead.

Ben Stokes has spoken about the “complete devastation” he felt after the last over of the World T20 final

ESPNcricinfo staff08-Apr-2016Allrounder Ben Stokes has spoken about the “complete devastation” he felt after the last over of the World T20 final when Carlos Brathwaite had taken him for four consecutive sixes to snatch the title away from England.In the immediate aftermath of the conclusion to the final, Stokes admitted trying to block out the emotions and he said it is only since returning home that he has really reflected on what took place.The final over began with West Indies needing 19 to win and England favourites despite having struggled to 155 for 9 with the bat. But then Brathwaite swung Stokes’ first delivery over deep square leg, then connected sweetly against two full deliveries to suddenly level the scores and leave a distraught Stokes with his head in his hands.”I thought, ‘I’ve just lost the World Cup’. I couldn’t believe it,” he told the . “I didn’t know what to do. It took me so long to get back on my feet. I didn’t want to get back up. It was like the whole world had come down on me. There weren’t any good things going through my mind. It was just complete devastation.””It is probably only now really that all the emotions have started to come out about it. I couldn’t reflect on it at the time. There was just shock.”Stokes had developed his reputation as a death bowler during the tournament with important spells against Sri Lanka and New Zealand. He said he did not panic after the first ball of the last over had cleared the boundary and was still backing himself to defend 7 off 4 before being crushed by the third six.”It was not until they needed one off three that I knew the game was gone. When they needed seven I was still backing myself to get us over the line but I just couldn’t. It was amazing hitting. I just did not execute what I wanted to do.”A host of current and former players – not just from England – have come out in support of Stokes, praising his desire to be the man under pressure at the end, and he said he would not have a second thought about putting himself back in that position.”A hundred per cent. Definitely. It is something I work at a lot. Some days they go well. Some days they don’t. That was a bad day but I won’t be shying away from it. You almost want it to happen because if you nail it everyone forgets.”Stokes was at the centre of another spat with Marlon Samuels during the final – Samuels was fined 30% of his match fee for foul language – and Samuels was far from glowing about Stokes during his post-match press conference. Stokes has no issue with how events transpired and acknowledged Samuels played “a brilliant” innings.He also revealed that Brathwaite, who was fulsome in his praise of Stokes, had asked for a signed shirt.”We did not have a beer with them afterwards but Brathwaite came up to me and asked for a shirt. He is a brilliant lad. I wanted to make sure I spoke to them and say well done because I did not want people to think I was bitter. I wished them all the best. It is about respect to the opposition.”Stokes will return to action for Durham on April 24 in their County Championship match against Middlesex.

A round-up of the sixth day’s action at ICC World Cricket League Division Five in Jersey

Peter Della Penna in Jersey 28-May-2016Aamir Kaleem’s stellar tournament with bat and ball continued as he claimed his second straight Man of the Match award in Oman’s two-wicket win over Guernsey at St Clement. Kaleem put his stamp on the match today in all three disciplines: running out opener Tom Kimber with a direct hit from point, taking 2 for 12 in ten overs including the prized wicket of Matthew Stokes, and top-scoring with 35 to lift up Oman after entering at 13 for 4 in the fifth over.With net run rate tiebreaker at play in the WCL, Oman crucially won the toss and inserted Guernsey. It meant Guernsey entered the day needing to not only win but do so by at least 100 runs in order to pass Oman on net run rate, having entered the day +1.188 behind them.They would also have to do it without captain Jamie Nussbaumer, who missed the game with a leg injury. It caused a reshuffle to the batting order with Stokes dropping down to take Nussbaumer’s spot at No. 4 while Kimber, who replaced Nussbaumer in the XI, opened instead of the team’s leading scorer Stokes.Despite the urgency of the day with promotion up to Division Four at stake, Guernsey employed a cautious approach from ball one and eventually finished on 141 for 8. They only scored from 11 deliveries in the first 60 balls bowled by Oman over the course of the opening Powerplay to reach 23 for 1. GH Smit was the batsman to fall in that stretch, spooning Rajeshkumar Ranpura to mid-on for 13.Even after the new-ball spells of Ranpura and Munis Ansari were negotiated, Guernsey’s top order could not get out of a rut against the first-change tandem of seamer Sufyan Mehmood and the left-arm spin of Kaleem. From the 14th through the 16th overs, Kimber and Oliver Newey played out 17 straight dots. Newey’s own streak of 14 straight dots was broken with a bit of luck, as an edge off Mehmood split the keeper and slip to go for four.However, Newey’s vigil ended two overs later as this time another edge off Mehmood was safely pouched by Swapnil Khadye behind the stumps for 11. Three balls later, Kimber ran himself out pushing for a risky single as Kaleem swooped in and fired a direct hit that connected with Kimber well short at the non-striker’s end. Kaleem then struck again in back-to-back overs to nab Stokes first and then David Hooper both defending down the wrong line to arm balls for a pair of lbw decisions to make it 48 for 5 in 24 overs.With the exception of the 37th over, Oman kept all eleven fielders inside the ring from overs 25 through 42 to pile the pressure on stand-in captain Ben Ferbrache and Oliver Nightingale. Ferbrache eventually fell driving to mid-on for 10. After 41 overs, Guernsey’s run rate was still crawling at two per over with the score on 82 for 6 before Jason Martin produced a late surge with 33 off 32 balls.A straight six by Martin off Zeeshan Maqsood in the 42nd followed by a scoop off captain Ajay Lalcheta over fine leg finally forced Lalcheta to push the field back. Guernsey eventually scored 51 off the final eight overs – the 45th and 46th were the only two of the entire innings in which 10+ runs were scored – to provide faint hope of an improbable result, with the final equation being that they needed to bowl Oman out for 39 in order to pass them on net run rate.Newey made it look briefly possible with his new-ball burst. He began by forcing a false drive from the tournament’s leading scorer, Maqsood, to Ferbrache at mid-off and struck Vaibhav Watagaonkar on the toe with a yorker next ball to make it 10 for 2. Ferbrache dismissed Jatinder Singh edging behind while Khawar Ali was also given out caught at the wicket as Guernsey erupted in the field.Kaleem’s cool head steadied Oman’s nerves though and by the time Noorul Riaz was caught at cover for Newey’s fourth wicket, the score was 39 for 5, meaning Oman needed a single to guarantee promotion regardless of the match result. On the same ground where Kaleem and Lalcheta produced a vital 101-run stand against Nigeria, the pair added another 53 against Guernsey with Kaleem unfurling a series of cuts and pulls among his five boundaries.Left-arm spinner Max Ellis wound up removing both men, but Khadye finished off the job for Oman. Khadye shepherded the tail superbly to finish 33 not out with the winning run taken off a bye.Oman will face Jersey in the final after the hosts put in a clinical display to defeat Nigeria by ten wickets at St Martin. Jersey inserted Nigeria at the toss and bowled them out for 93 in 26.4 overs. Ben Kynman took 6 for 18, a new best for a Jersey bowler in WCL tournaments eclipsing Andy Dewhurst’s 6 for 20 against Bahamas at WCL Division Five in 2008.The game was on pace to end well before Oman’s chase against Guernsey began and with Jersey starting the day behind Guernsey and Oman on net run rate, they set a brisk pace chasing down the target as insurance to go ahead of Guernsey on net run rate in case Guernsey defeated Oman. Nat Watkins made an unbeaten 50 off 41 balls with nine boundaries while captain Peter Gough finished 41 not out off 44 balls with victory achieved in just 14.1 overs to mark Nigeria’s second ten-wicket loss of the tournament, a result that guaranteed relegation to ICC Africa regional qualifying.Tanzania will join them despite beating Vanuatu by seven wickets at St Saviour. Vanuatu was the only team to choose to bat first on winning the toss on Friday, a decision they regretted after losing two wickets without any runs on the board, including star allrounder Nalin Nipiko. It brought captain Andrew Mansale to the crease and he remained for the rest of the innings, making 60 not out off 124 balls in his side’s total of 149 in 48.5 overs.Mansale’s innings was crucial in the context of the tournament as a low total followed by a rapid Tanzania chase would have clinched relegation for Vanuatu and allowed Tanzania a crack at staying in Division Five. Instead, Tanzania’s equation required them to get to the target in 18.1 overs, but never made a serious challenge. Their only double-digit over in that span was a ten-run eighth and by the deadline they had settled for 63 for 1. Kassim Nassoro made 50 not out off 73 balls as a consolation victory was eventually achived in 42.1 overs.Saturday’s final between Oman and Jersey will be played at St Saviour while the third place game for the chance to stay in Division Five will be played between Guernsey and Vanuatu at St Martin. The fifth place game will be played between Nigeria and Tanzania at St Clement.

Sri Lanka Cricket has appointed Kent coach Simon Willis to the post of high performance manager

Andrew Fidel Fernando23-May-2016Sri Lanka Cricket has appointed Kent coach Simon Willis to the post of high performance manager. Willis – who has been involved at Kent for 23 years, becoming the county’s high performance director in 2009 – will oversee SLC’s cricket academy based in Khettarama and play a key role in identifying talent and developing cricketers within the Sri Lankan system. He takes up his new position on June 1, having been specifically sought out for this job by the board.”I am very grateful to Sri Lanka Cricket for offering me this exciting new opportunity,” Willis said. “I see it as an exciting time to get involved with Sri Lanka Cricket and I am looking forward to seeing what we can achieve together.”Kent won the T20 cup in 2007 and were finalists in two one-day tournaments in 2008, during which time Willis worked under Graham Ford, Sri Lanka’s current coach. When Willis moved on to the post of high performance director, Paul Farbrace, the former Sri Lanka coach, became Kent’s head coach. Farbrace and Willis are understood to have worked closely together for two years. Willis also played a leading role in launching the county’s cricket academy in 2003.Willis holds a number of coaching qualifications, including the ECB’s Level 4 certificate, a Level 4 specialist wicketkeeping qualification, and a Level 3 certificate for coach education. His work as a coach educator is understood to have impressed Sri Lanka’s board, who had sought someone capable of developing coaches as well as players. He will report to the SLC CEO, and work in coordination with current head of coachng Jerome Jayaratne.Willis played 16 first-class matches for Kent as a wicketkeeper-batsman.

Jeet Raval, the lone new face in New Zealand’s 16-man squad for the tour of Africa, hopes to treat the opportunity as a learning ground to pitch for higher honours

ESPNcricinfo staff14-Jul-2016Batsman Jeet Raval, the lone new face in New Zealand’s 16-man squad for the tour of Africa, hopes to treat the opportunity as a learning ground to pitch for higher honours.Raval, a 27-year old left-hander, was picked ahead of Hamish Rutherford as the back-up opener for Tom Latham and Martin Guptill, after scoring 780 runs at 55.71 in the 2015-16 Plunket Shield, New Zealand’s first-class competition. He made 202 not out, 139, 90 and 147 in his last five matches.”For me it’s about learning as much as I can and just be myself,” he said after New Zealand’s first training session in Pretoria, where the team will be based for a week before flying to Zimbabwe for the first Test starting on July 28. “The coaches have told me that I’m here only because I love the game and that there’s no need to change anything. So when I get the opportunity, I’ll be ready to go.”Raval, who admitted to being surprised at the call-up, said his induction into the national team had been enjoyable so far. He said it was very different to the culture shock he had to overcome when he migrated from India to New Zealand with his family as a 16-year old in 2004.”It’s a nice and relaxed environment. All the boys have been welcoming, so I’m really enjoying my time so far,” he said. “We moved to New Zealand with the family when I was 16 with mum and dad deciding we wanted a lifestyle change. At the start I completely hated it. It was a massive cultural change.”I couldn’t understand a word of what the teacher said on my first day of school at Avondale College because I couldn’t speak English. I went home and started crying to my mum and said, ‘Mum let’s got back to India because I don’t know what’s going on here.'”But now, I’ve found a new home here in Auckland for the last few years. I’ve scored a few runs, and got a call from Gavin Larsen when I was playing club cricket in UK. I told my wife first, and then called my dad back home in New Zealand. He was over the moon. So I want to just enjoy this opportunity and be myself.”New Zealand start their tour of Zimbabwe with a three-day warm-up fixture in Harare from July 22, before they move to Bulawayo for two Tests. They will then return to South Africa for two Tests.

Tom Fell’s first century since his recovery from cancer kept alive Worcestershire’s chances of a quarter-final place in the Royal London Cup with a four-wicket victory over Lancashire

ECB Reporters Network31-Jul-2016
ScorecardTom Fell hit his maiden List A hundred (file photo)•Getty Images

Tom Fell’s first century since his recovery from cancer kept alive Worcestershire’s chances of a quarter-final place in the Royal London Cup with a four-wicket victory over Lancashire at New Road. Fell made 116 not out, his highest List A score, as Worcestershire successfully chased 268 with 14 balls to spare and in the process killed off their opponents’ hopes of going through to the knockout stage.Worcestershire now have to win their final group game against Nottinghamshire at Trent Bridge on Monday and look for favourable results elsewhere.For Fell, it was an emotional milestone in his eighth innings since returning to the side a month ago. Having completed two fifties in that time, he moved up a gear to score his maiden List A hundred in an innings of high quality on a pitch where Lancashire found it difficult to dictate to spinners or the slower-paced seam bowlers.Going in as early as the fourth over, when Daryl Mitchell was caught behind off Saqib Mahmood, Fell was into his stride in a partnership of 58 with Tom Kohler-Cadmore, who got to 30 before he was caught at cover off Tom Smith.Worcestershire had a wobble in six balls from Stephen Parry. Joe Clarke was caught low down at short extra cover for 25 and Brett D’Oliveira was stumped after charging the left-arm spinner. Ross Whiteley then restored stability with 38 out of 83, and although he was bowled by a quicker ball by Steven Croft, the crowd was ready and waiting for a standing ovation when Fell reached three figures in 104 balls by cutting Parry for his 14th four.The 22-year-old collected one more boundary and could afford to take a back seat as Ben Cox powered Worcestershire towards their target with 31 from 25 balls.In making 267 for 7, Lancashire owed much to their captain, as Croft featured in two significant partnerships during the “pace off” period. Legspinner D’Oliveira bowled 10 overs for 27 runs and at the same time medium-pacer Mitchell delivered his first full ration in white-ball competitions this season.The home skipper finished with 1 for 41, his wicket an important one when the dangerous Karl Brown was out for 43, giving wicketkeeper Cox his third catch of the innings.At that stage Lancashire were beginning to repair early damage caused by Kyle Abbott’s most effective contribution in Worcestershire’s overseas position. The powerfully built South African emerged from a sharp opening spell with 2 for 24 from six overs. Smith was first to go, mishitting to mid-off, and Alviro Petersen went for 32, a first victim for Cox.Offspinner George Rhodes accounted for Liam Livingstone with assistance from Cox. This brought in Croft to make 33 out of 64 with Brown before adding 99 in 14 overs with Luke Procter.Croft made 78 from 105 balls, hitting a six and six fours before falling to Ed Barnard. He was brilliantly caught by Whiteley, running in from deep midwicket, but Joe Leach, at short fine leg, hardly had to move to hold Procter’s mistimed ramp shot on the return of Abbott. The left hander made 47 at almost a run-a-ball.