• Protesting Sri Lankans delay resumption of play
• West Indies awarded five runs
• Tourists deny any wrongdoing

Sri Lanka’s captain Dinesh Chandimal throws the ball. Photo: Reuters

COLOMBO: Sri Lanka captain Dinesh Chandimal has been charged with altering the condition of the ball in the second test against West Indies, the International Cricket Council (ICC) said on Sunday.

Angry Sri Lankan players refused to take the field on the third day of the match in St Lucia on Saturday, delaying the resumption of play for almost two hours, after the ICC said umpires Aleem Dar and Ian Gould had changed the ball and awarded West Indies five penalty runs.

“Sri Lanka captain Dinesh Chandimal has been charged for breaching Level 2.2.9 of the ICC Code of Conduct,” the ICC tweeted.

The breach relates to changing the condition of the ball. The same charge was levelled against Australia batsman Cameron Bancroft who was caught on camera rubbing a piece of sandpaper on the ball against South Africa in March.

Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) said the team had denied any wrongdoing.

“SLC advised the team to take the field to ensure the continuity of the match and wish to commend the decision taken by the team to continue with the game ‘under protest’ to ensure the upholding of the spirit of the game,” the cricket board said in a statement.

“The team management has informed us that Sri Lankan players have not engaged in any wrongdoing.

“SLC shall take all necessary steps to defend any player, in the event any unwarranted allegation is brought against a member of the team.”

Sri Lanka were 34 for one in their second innings at the end of the third day, trailing West Indies by 13 runs after the hosts were dismissed for 300.

West Indies won the first test of the three-match series by 226 runs.

England’s Jason Roy in action. Photo: Reuters

LONDON: Explosive batting from Jason Roy and Jos Buttler helped England record their highest ever ODI score against Australia and fire them to a second successive win by 38 runs at Cardiff.

Roy’s fifth ODI century and Buttler’s unbeaten 91 propelled England to 342 for eight and although Shaun Marsh replied by also reaching three figures for the first time in an ODI for five years, the visitors were all out for 304 in the 48th over.

Another victory at Nottingham on Tuesday would clinch the five-match series for England and erase the embarrassment of their recent loss to Scotland in their opening white-ball game of the summer.

With captain Eoin Morgan ruled out before the start of play with a back spasm, England needed Roy to come out firing and the opener responded with a century from 97 balls.

His departure, to a sharp catch from Tim Paine moments after the keeper had been cut on the face by a ball that reared up, did not check England’s momentum and Buttler took up the charge, finishing the innings with a boundary.

Australia were left to chase what would have been their highest ever ODI winning total. Although debutant D’Arcy Short briefly prospered with 21, it was not until Marsh was joined by Ashton Agar (46) that he received proper support.

But after the pair put on 96 runs from 70 balls, Agar was smartly stumped off a Adil Rashid googly. Liam Plunkett then put an end to Marsh’s superb innings on 131 from 116 deliveries to snuff out any lingering Australian hopes.

Plunkett ended with four wickets.

File: Serbia’s Branislav Ivanovic in action with Bolivia’s Leonel Justiniano and Jose Segredo during an international friendly. REUTERS/Heinz-Peter Bader

SAMARA: Branislav Ivanovic will become Serbia’s most capped player after he was named in the side for their World Cup Group E opener against Costa Rica at the Samara Arena on Sunday.

The former Chelsea defender will make his 104th international appearance, surpassing the previous record of 103 which he held jointly with former midfielder Dejan Stankovic.

Serbia coach Mladen Krstajic, taking charge of his first competitive game, picked in-form striker Aleksandar Mitrovic to spearhead the attack.

Costa Rica have stuck with the spine of the team who reached the quarter-finals four years ago, with Real Madrid’s Keylor Navas in goal, Deportivo La Coruna’s Celso Borges in midfield and captain Bryan Ruiz as their main creative influence.