New Zealand 131 for 3 (Devine 75*) beat Sri Lanka 127 for 7 (Atapattu 41, Jensen 3-16) by seven wickets

Sophie Devine wants to lead by example as New Zealand captain it was no surprise that she was unbeaten to marshal her team to a victory that stretched them for stages. In the end, though, the margin was comfortable with 14 balls to spare as Sri Lanka's lack of power with the bat beyond Chamari Atapattu again hurt them.

However, it was Sri Lanka who made the early running and they were 51 without loss after the powerplay with New Zealand a little untidy and getting a touch nervous that the target could be troublesome. Amelia Kerr made the first breakthrough then it was Hayley Jensen who played the key role by equaling her career-best, the pair taking 5 for 37 in eight overs as Sri Lanka's second 10 overs brought just 52 runs.

Devine, who is in the form of her life, was dropped on 18 but while she anchored the innings - shelving the full-on aggression seen recently - it was Maddy Green who seized the moment to put New Zealand ahead of the rate with perfectly paced middle-order innings.

Atapattu applies pressure

New Zealand nearly broke through in the opening over but Green could not quite cling on to a chance at point to remove Hasini Perera that would have been an early contender for catch of the tournament. Overall, though, in the early exchanges Lea Tahuhu bowled a touch too short on a surface offering enticing carry. Atapattu, who enjoys batting in Australia after two hundreds on the tour late last year, collected a couple of early boundaries, Jess Kerr's first over cost 13 with the aid of five wides and four byes - Rachel Priest was untidy behind the stumps - and Atapattu signed off the powerplay with a magnificent lofted cover drive for six. New Zealand knew they were in a contest.

Power fades away

The theme of Sri Lanka's batting is what is there beyond Atapattu, especially when it comes to scoring at the rate required in T20Is. It wasn't quite a lone hand here - Perera played nicely in the opening stand of 60, showing inventiveness to scoop over fine leg, although the strike-rate was 71 and Harshitha Madavi scored at a run-a-ball - but there remained a stark contrast. Once Atapattu fell, jabbing a full delivery off the toe of the bat back to Tahahu, New Zealand claimed full control on the innings. Outside of Atapattu's five fours and two sixes there were only three further fours and late six for Madavi. In fact, from when the opening stand was broken the remaining 12.2 overs brought 67 for 7. Jensen was key to this with a fine spell of wicket-to-wicket medium pace and clever use of cross-seamers including two wickets in two balls in the 15th over.

Contrasting powerplays

There wasn't a blazing start from New Zealand against some accurate Sri Lanka bowling. The first three overs brought just 10 before Devine slotted away a couple of boundaries against Achini Kulasuriya, but in the fifth over Priest was found short, beaten by Madavi's direct hit, from a poor piece of running which continued her below par evening. After six overs, New Zealand were 25 for 1, half of what Sri Lanka had, and they had to make sure they did not leave themselves too much to do.

Fielding hurts Sri Lanka

If Sri Lanka wanted to secure a first-ever victory over New Zealand they had to hold their chances, but both Devine and Suzie Bates were dropped. Bates' came before she had scored and got a thick edge to slip where Madavi spilled in. Devine's key reprieve came two overs later when she tried to break the shackles down the ground, Ana Kanchana unable to steady herself under the catch at long-on. Still, at the halfway mark New Zealand had not quite broken the back of the chase and then Bates drove a catch to cover against young spinner Kavisha Dilhari. However, Dilhari's second over is where the game took its major shift as 14 came off it including a free hit - after a front-foot no-ball called under the new system by the TV umpire - was flicked over midwicket by Green, who batted superbly to take the pressure off Devine. With the target close, Devine was dropped again at deep midwicket which highlight one of the major differences of the night.

AC Milan chief executive Ivan Gazidis has said that the Serie A club must follow the example set by Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool if the they are to return to the top of world football.

Milan are in ninth place in the league and have not won a major trophy since lifting the Serie A title in 2011.

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Gazidis, who arrived from Arsenal in 2018, said that Italian club can follow the blueprint set by Klopp, who led Liverpool to their first Champions League title in 14 years,while they also hold a 22-point gap at the top of the Premier League.

"Liverpool spent nine years in a situation similar to ours," Gazidis told Gazzetta dello Sport. "When Klopp arrived, he said he would make the sceptics believe; no one believed it at the beginning, not even the fans.

"Today, we can see what Liverpool are. Soon, you will see what Milan are."

Klopp arrived at Anfield in 2015 and will look to end the club's 30-year league title drought this season.

Bore joining Milan, Gazidis spent 10 years as Arsenal chief executive, where he oversaw the departure of longtime manager Arsene Wenger.

Milan will face Fiorentina in the Serie A on Saturday, where victory could see them climb into sixth place.

Peshawar Zalmi 153 for 4 (Kamran Akmal 101, Fawad 2-40) beat Quetta Gladiators 148 for 5 (Roy 73, Wahab 2-21) by six wickets

How the game played out

A vintage Kamran Akmal century made light work of a modest target set by Quetta Gladiators, chasing down 149 with nine balls to spare. Jason Roy paced the Gladiators' innings with a 40-ball half-century, but struggled to get into third gear in the waning overs in the face of some excellent death bowling led by Wahab Riaz.

Roy's half-century looked pedestrian by the time Kamran got going in the Zalmi Powerplay. Whereas Roy finally reached his fifty in the 15th over with a two off Darren Sammy, Kamran needed just 20 balls, reaching the milestone two deliveries into the fifth over of the Powerplay when he drove Mohammad Hasnain through mid-on for his eighth four. That matched the number of dot balls he had faced while he'd also driven two sixes over wide long-off and swept another over square leg.

By the end of the Powerplay, the required rate was already under a run a ball. Kamran adjusted in kind, waltzing his way to three figures off a subsequent 34 deliveries as he brought up the landmark top-edging a sweep to deep fine leg. He fell next ball middling another sweep to Roy at deep midwicket in the 17th over to gift Fawad Ahmed his second wicket in the space of three balls, but by that stage the target was down to single digits. The scorecard might show that Zalmi only reached the target halfway through the 19th over, but that flattered Gladiators' limp effort in the field in what was a very one-sided contest.

Turning point

Jonty Rhodes remarked on TV commentary that Tom Banton played the best shot of the opening over of the chase, taking a single first ball to get off strike so that Kamran could run wild on Mohammad Nawaz. Kamran charged the left-arm spinner immediately to clear him over mid-off for six, then followed with a sweep over the main at deep square leg. After a dot, he drove him again over mid-off for a one-bounce four before ending the first over pulling a half-tracker over midwicket. Zalmi were left shellshocked and never recovered.

Star of the day

It was Kamran's day virtually from the moment he walked out. He slowed down after crossing fifty mainly because he could afford to. His confidence and aggression sucked the life out of the Gladiators, who were always going to struggle to defend when taking into consideration that a target of 203 on the same ground a day earlier went down to the penultimate ball. He ended with 13 fours and four sixes, having done the bulk of the dirty work in the first six overs.

The big miss

Nawaz had a chance to exact revenge on Kamran after being victimised in that 21-run first over. After Kamran had pulled Sohail Khan over square leg midway through the second over for another four, the batsman punched Sohail to extra cover off his next ball, where Nawaz made a brilliant diving stop as Kamran took off impetuously for a single. Banton stayed at the non-striker's end with Kamran stuck halfway down the pitch on 24.

But Nawaz rushed a through from his knees rather than take an extra moment to gather himself. The throw to the striker's end bounced over the stumps with Kamran six yards short. Nawaz also had another chance to make amends in the 14th when Kamran cut Sohail to him at backward point on 94, but he spilled a knee-height chance.

Where the teams stand

Gladiators stay on two points after having won their opener while Zalmi bounced back after being on the wrong end of their first match of the season. Both teams are behind Multan Sultans and Karachi Kings on net run rate despite equal points.

The rites of spring: pitchers and catchers, Jose Altuve's tattoo and, of course, non-roster invitees. This is one of my favorite articles to write every season, going through all the non-roster players and pulling out an interesting name for each franchise. Sometimes it's a top prospect who we might see later in the season, sometimes it's a veteran who is a good bet to be added to the 40-man roster and make the Opening Day roster, and sometimes it's a simple, "Wow, he's still hanging around!" dude.

Let's go division by division ...

NL East | NL Central | NL West | AL East | AL Central | AL West

American League East

Baltimore Orioles: Wade LeBlanc. The Orioles have LeBlanc, Ty Blach and Tommy Milone in camp, so if you like soft-tossing lefties, head down to Sarasota. LeBlanc had a solid 2018 with the Mariners but was crushed by the juiced ball of 2019, serving up 28 home runs in 121⅓ innings. Given some of the other options for the Orioles' rotation, he still has a good chance of making the team.

Boston Red Sox: Jeter Downs. Considering what the Red Sox gave up to get him, all eyes will be on Downs early in camp. He should get some reps in major league games before getting reassigned to minor league camp. The biggest question about his long-term future is whether he'll be able to remain at shortstop, but the Red Sox need a double-play partner for Xander Bogaerts, so second base looks like a perfect fit.

New York Yankees: Clarke Schmidt. The Yankees have several veteran pitchers in camp -- Luis Avilan, Chad Bettis, David Hale, Tyler Lyons, Dan Otero -- and it's possible one of them could crack the Opening Day bullpen, but Schmidt is the guy with upside who could impact the team later in the season. A first-round pick in 2017 out of South Carolina even though the Yankees knew he would need Tommy John surgery, Schmidt returned in 2019 and reached Double-A. He's a polished righty with a plus changeup and curveball. With James Paxton already sidelined, Luis Severino hurting and Domingo German suspended, another injury to the rotation could open up a hole.

Tampa Bay Rays: Joe Ryan. The Rays have so much 40-man roster depth, backed up by even more depth in the minors, that they don't need to fool around with any veterans -- there's no way anyone is bumping one of the younger players off the roster. Ryan is one of my favorite sleeper prospects, as dominant as any pitcher in the minors in 2019, fanning 183 in 127⅔ innings while allowing just 77 hits. A promotion to Double-A at the end of the season didn't faze him as he struck out 24 in 13⅓ innings. The fascinating aspect is he basically did it with one pitch, a 92-96 mph elevated fastball that he reportedly threw about 75% of the time. The secondary stuff may have to improve, but he's somebody to watch, maybe for 2021 more than 2020.

Toronto Blue Jays: Joe Panik. Panik hit .305 as a rookie for the Giants in 2014 and .312 as an All-Star in 2015, but he has hit just .257 the past four seasons and his lack of power stands out in today's game. He's still just 29, but his inability to play shortstop makes him an awkward fit as a utility guy and Cavan Biggio should have second base locked down (although Biggio can move to the outfield or first base if needed). Even if he doesn't make the Blue Jays, a strong spring could lead to a job somewhere.

AL Central

Chicago White Sox: Nick Madrigal. With Luis Robert signed to a long-term deal and promoted to the 40-man roster, Madrigal becomes the player to watch. The White Sox non-tendered Gold Glove second baseman Yolmer Sanchez to clear room for Madrigal, who carries one of the most unique profiles we've seen in a long time. In 532 plate appearances in the minors last season he struck out just 16 times, making him a modern-day Joe Sewell of sorts. He also hit .311, although he lacks power (four home runs) and his contact skills are so good he doesn't walk much (.377 OBP). He has only 29 games played at Triple-A, but it won't be long before he's up and it will be fascinating to see how his approach works in the majors.

Cleveland Indians: Dominic Leone. The Indians have a nondescript list of invitees as even their top prospects are all too far away to earn an invite to big league camp. Mike Clevinger 's knee surgery puts a wrench into the Opening Day rotation, but none of the non-roster guys appear to be possible options there. Leone had good seasons in relief for Seattle in 2014 and Toronto in 2017, but has battled injuries in other years. He had a 5.53 ERA in 40 appearances for St. Louis in 2019.

Detroit Tigers: Tarik Skubal. You know about Casey Mize (the first overall pick in 2018) and Matt Manning (a first-round pick in 2016), but don't be shocked if Skubal ends up better than either one. A ninth-round pick in 2019 out of non-baseball factory Seattle University, where he had Tommy John surgery as a sophomore, he outpitched Mize and Manning during his nine-game stint at Double-A Erie, where he fanned 82 in 42⅓ innings. The lefty sits in the mid-90s with his fastball and could easily join Mize and Manning in the Detroit rotation by season's end.

Kansas City Royals: Greg Holland. This is your classic non-roster invitee: former elite closer on the back end of his career looking for another moment of glory after a tough season. Holland began last season as the Diamondbacks' closer, but eventually pitched his way out of the role and was released in August with a 4.54 ERA. He should make the team, although Ian Kennedy likely remains the club's first option in the ninth inning. The Royals hope Holland finds some control and becomes trade bait in July.

Minnesota Twins: Royce Lewis. The Twins are not only coming off a 101-win season, but have a farm system Baseball America just ranked as eighth best in the game. Lewis, the first overall pick in 2017, had a rocky 2019, hitting .236/.290/.371 between A-ball and Double-A, but remains the top talent in the system. That showed up in the Arizona Fall League, where he won MVP honors after hitting .353/.411/.565. Watch him in spring training to see if the hit tool can become a consistent weapon.

AL West

Houston Astros: Forrest Whitley. We've been hearing about Whitley for a long time, but this is a good reminder that he's still young enough that he didn't have to go on the 40-man roster. Whitley struggled with his command in 2019, was then shut down with shoulder fatigue, and then pitched exclusively from the stretch when he returned. He fared much better in the Arizona Fall League, providing renewed faith that he's still one of the best pitching prospects in the game. A strong spring will put him on the brink of the majors.

Los Angeles Angels: Luiz Gohara. After reaching the majors with the Braves in 2017, Gohara ranked as high as the No. 23 overall prospect on Baseball America's list. He missed all of 2019 with personal issues and then arthroscopic surgery on his shoulder. The Brazilian has had trouble keeping his weight under control, but he's still just 23 and maybe the Angels can find that upside potential.

Oakland Athletics: Miguel Romero. The A's don't have much on the veteran side of things, so let's go with Romero, a hard-throwing reliever who has a chance to crack the Opening Day roster. Signed out of Cuba in 2017, Romero has big league stuff, including a fastball that tops out at 98 mph, although throwing it over the plate is sometimes an issue. Still, he had a 3.96 ERA at Las Vegas in 2019, no easy feat considering the leaguewide ERA in the Pacific Coast League was 5.48.

Seattle Mariners: Jarred Kelenic. Carlos Gonzalez is here and there's at least a temporary opening in the outfield with Mitch Haniger out for the start of the season, but Gonzalez also hit .200/.289/.283 in 166 PAs last year, so he may be done. Kelenic jumped from low to Double-A in 2019 and became one of the top outfield prospects in the game. The Mariners will be tempted to rush him to the bigs and the ultra-confident Kelenic will tell you he's ready now, but it's certainly possible he could play his way into the lineup at some point during the season even though he doesn't turn 21 until July.

Texas Rangers: Greg Bird. Rangers first basemen hit just .228/.302/.402 in 2019, so Bird is here to give Ronald Guzman some competition. Bird broke onto the scene with an impressive 46-game showing with the Yankees in 2015, but has battled injuries ever since. Last year was another lost season as he played just 10 games before a season-ending plantar fascia tear -- after previous foot injuries in 2017 and 2018. Is there anything left here? He has had so many injuries and missed so much time through the years that it's hard to envision a comeback, but a good dice roll for the Rangers.

National League East

Atlanta Braves: Felix Hernandez. Here's a question? Who's the best player ever to accept a non-roster invitation to spring training? Jim Palmer once attempted a comeback after he had already been elected to the Hall of Fame, so it's hard to beat that (it didn't go well). Felix's ERA has risen for five straight seasons, including to 6.40 in 2019. Do the Braves really want to find out what happens in Year 6?

Miami Marlins: Matt Kemp. Hey, he was an All-Star two seasons ago (although he slowed down after a big first half). Kemp went from the Dodgers to the Reds last offseason in an ill-advised prospect giveaway (the Dodgers stole Downs and Josiah Gray) and promptly went 12-for-60 with one walk and 19 strikeouts, drawing his release. His defense has been subpar for years. It's a long shot for Kemp to make the team, especially since the Braves also signed veterans Corey Dickerson and Matt Joyce for outfield help.

New York Mets: Don't say it ... don't say it ... do not ... Tim Tebow. OK, OK, apologies. How about Matt Adams? Pete Alonso and Dom Smith have him blocked at first base, but the addition of the 26th roster spot gives Adams a chance to make the team as a pinch-hitting specialist. He still has pop with 20 home runs in a part-time role with the Nationals in 2019, although his OBP dipped to .276.

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Philadelphia Phillies: Francisco Liriano. Now headed for his 15th season in the majors, Liriano was a full-time reliever for the first time in 2019 with the Pirates, appearing in 69 games with a 3.47 ERA. He still walks too many guys, but that slider makes him pretty effective against lefties (.194/.326/.333). After all the injuries in the bullpen last year, the Phillies have several of these guys in camp -- see Bud Norris, Blake Parker, Anthony Swarzak and Drew Storen -- but Liriano is the best bet to make the club.

Washington Nationals: Welington Castillo. The Nationals have a bunch of non-roster vets in camp, but Castillo has the most extensive résumé, with 10 years in the majors. The Nationals brought back both Yan Gomes and Kurt Suzuki at catcher, so Castillo is probably headed for Triple-A or a late-spring trade.

NL Central

Chicago Cubs: Brandon Morrow. He hasn't pitched since July 2018 after missing all of 2019 with elbow problems. His initial two-year, $21 million contract with the Cubs expired, but he's back as a non-roster invitee. Morrow has had one completely healthy season since 2011, so if the Cubs can get 40 good innings out of him, consider that a victory.

Cincinnati Reds: Jesse Biddle. The most interesting part of the Reds' spring training will be the fight for playing time in the outfield, but Biddle has a chance to crack the bullpen as a lefty reliever. Biddle was once a top-100 prospect as a starter, got injured, made the majors as a reliever and had a solid rookie season with the Braves in 2018. After a slow start in 2019, he went from the Braves to the Mariners to the Rangers, getting just 16 big league innings.

Milwaukee Brewers: Shelby Miller. As a wise person once said, half of pitching is staying healthy. Miller was one of the top young starters in the game from 2013 to 2015, but he has made just 36 starts over the past four seasons and had an 8.59 ERA in 44 innings last year with the Rangers. As you might expect, the odds are against him, and he was never a big strikeout pitcher even when healthy.

Pittsburgh Pirates: Derek Holland. The veteran lefty had a good season in the Giants' rotation in 2018 (2.1 WAR), but his five-year WAR total is just 0.5, meaning he has been below replacement level over the other four seasons. He allowed 31 home runs in 135 innings in 2017 and 20 in 84⅓ innings last year. In other words, he has a shot at making the back end of the Pittsburgh rotation.

St. Louis Cardinals: Angel Rondon. Rondon won the Texas League ERA title in 2019 with a 3.21 mark, and between Class A and Double-A fanned 159 in 160 innings while allowing 125 hits. He should begin the season in Triple-A as a starter, but his fastball/slider combo could lead to a more rapid ascent to the majors as a reliever. He has a chance to impress the big league staff and become one of the first call-ups to the staff when needed.

NL West

Arizona Diamondbacks: Edwin Jackson. He's 36 years old and he's still hanging around, so good for him. Jackson is aiming for his 18th season in the big leagues (although he pitched for the Diamondbacks before, so his tally of teams played for will remain at 14 if he makes the team). It looked like last year would be it for Jackson after he got torched for 105 hits and 23 home runs in 67⅔ innings, but the man is a survivor. One more year, Edwin!

Colorado Rockies: Ubaldo Jimenez. Back in 2010, Jimenez had a marvelous season for the Rockies, winning 19 games with a 2.88 ERA and finishing third in the Cy Young voting. That was a decade ago. Jimenez last pitched in the majors in 2017 and he last had an ERA under 5.00 in 2015.

Los Angeles Dodgers: Josiah Gray. Similar to the Rays, the Dodgers are so deep that they don't have to fool around with the retread non-roster types. I mentioned Gray in the Reds comment. He had a monster breakout season in the minors after the Reds had drafted him in the second round in 2018, jumping from the Midwest League to Double-A, posting a 2.28 ERA while allowing just three home runs in 130 innings. Considering how little pitching he had done at LeMoyne College (he had been a shortstop until his junior season), it's an impressive rise. The Dodgers may have a future rotation anchor on their hands.

San Diego Padres: MacKenzie Gore. The consensus No. 1 pitching prospect in the game, Gore has just 183 professional innings, but frankly, there isn't much more for him to prove or learn in the minors after holding batters to a .164 average last year. Is he one of the Padres' best 13 pitchers right now? Yes. Will he break camp with the team? Probably not, as he had just five starts at Double-A -- although Chris Paddack had just seven in 2018 and made the Opening Day roster in 2019. The Padres have more options this year with the likes of Dinelson Lamet, Garrett Richards and Zach Davies, but if Gore has a big spring, you never know.

San Francisco Giants: Pablo Sandoval. The Giants have perhaps the deepest list of non-roster names that are familiar with the likes of Sandoval, Billy Hamilton, Gold Glove winner Yolmer Sanchez, Joey Rickard and a slew of pitchers. That's not always a good thing, because it implies there are roster spots to be won. Sandoval hit .268/.313/.507 for the Giants in 2019. He should once again be the backup to Evan Longoria and Brandon Belt.

Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu's adviser Jaume Masferrer has been suspended following the social media scandal which has rocked the club, sources have told ESPN.

Masferrer was suspended from all duties with Barca at a tense board meeting on Friday after being held responsible for the club's relationship with I3 Ventures, the company revealed to be behind social media accounts that had discredited, among others, the first team players Lionel Messi and Gerard Pique.

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Vice presidents Emili Rousaud and Jordi Cardoner both wanted Masferrer to be sacked. Bartomeu did not agree with taking such strong action but eventually consented to the suspension.

Bartomeu has confirmed Barca were working with I3 but denied any involvement in the social media posts, which also smeared club legends and presidential candidates. The president said the company was contracted to monitor social media activity involving the club.

Barca's board of directors has now ordered an external investigation from PricewaterhouseCoopers into the link with I3. They want to get to the bottom of who knew what and if the price paid to the company -- nearly €1 million since 2017 -- adjusts to the market price for monitoring services.

Other members of the board, including Maria Teixidor, Xavier Vilajoana and Oriol Tomas, wanted more drastic measures to be taken but the board of directors will wait for the results of the investigation before meeting again to decide on the next steps.

Sources close to the club have suggested it is not out of the question that a presidential election is subsequently called this summer. Bartomeu has a mandate to preside over the club until 2021 but, as he is in his second term as the club's president, he would not be able to stand. The board of directors would have to offer an alternative candidate.

The chaos began on Monday when SER Catalunya alleged that I3 had been contracted by the club with the initial idea of helping to clean up president Bartomeu's image.

Evidence was revealed that showed that, as well as defending Bartomeu, I3 was behind a number of Facebook accounts that had attacked people related to the club, including Messi, Pique, Xavi Hernandez, Pep Guardiola, Victor Font and Agusti Benedito.

Sources told ESPN that Bartomeu met with the first team manager Quique Setien and the club's four captains -- Messi, Pique, Sergio Busquets and Sergi Roberto -- on Tuesday to offer an explanation and deny any knowledge of the posts.

Defender Pique, meanwhile, called a journalist who posted a message defending Bartomeu on Twitter a "puppet."

Dale Steyn wants South Africa to "adapt quicker" to keep pace with the T20 game and joked that they "can't get any worse" after their defeat to Australia in Johannesburg on Friday night.

South Africa were bowled out for their lowest T20 total and lost by their biggest margin in the format during the opening game of the three-match series, appearing to have undone much of the gains they made against England. Steyn, however, is not too worried about his team's performances yet.

"You are allowed to have a blow-out," Steyn said. "We played some good cricket against England. It was one of the better series that I've played against England, even though we lost. We batted superbly and we bowled in patches really well. We don't have to be too hard on ourselves.

"This team is going to be learning. I hope our growth will be upwards. Even though we are losing, the process that Mark (Boucher) and Quinny [Quinton de Kock] have put in place is the right one."

South Africa are yet to win a series this summer under new coach Mark Boucher, and though Quinton de Kock's white-ball captaincy started well with victories in the opening ODI and T20I against England, the team still lacks consistency. At the Wanderers, Steyn saw South Africa make many of the same mistakes they made against England, which he hopes they can rectify by the time they get to Port Elizabeth for Sunday's second fixture.

"We've got to start learning a little more from the mistakes we made against England. We carried it into Australia," he said. "In the first six overs, we were a little bit too wide. We've got to adapt a little bit faster."

Steyn, along with Lungi Ngidi and Kagiso Rabada, was responsible in the start Australia got off to, with 70 runs coming in the Powerplay and a slew of short, wide balls despite Boucher emphasising the need to pitch the ball up. Rabada, in particular, came under scrutiny for his off-colour return from a period of extended rest.

Rabada was suspended for the final Test against England in late January and was given time off the white-ball leg of the series, during which he travelled to Chicago for the NBA All Star game, but came back lacking rhythm and presence. Steyn, though, expects him to improve.

"It's lovely to have KG back with the ball. I know he went for a couple of runs but he hasn't been around so he is probably feeling ring rust," Steyn said. "And the younger bowlers like Lungi (Ngidi) and And (Phehlukwayo) look up to someone like him. Big time."

The same could be said of Steyn, who is the most experienced bowler in the side by some distance and has showed his own ability to innovate with clever use of slower balls. Steyn, who retired from Tests last year, admitted that being out of the international scene showed him how tough it is at the top level and, like his team-mates, he wants to get better.

"Although I have played my entire career at the highest level, if you haven't played for a while, you quickly come back and realise that it moves a lot faster than any other level. Playing in the MSL was great, I went to the Big Bash which was fantastic but this was two levels harder. I can hopefully rewind the clock a little bit and bring some of those golden years back."

England Lions 3 for 274 (Lawrence 125*, Sibley 108*) v Australia A

Dom Sibley and Dan Lawrence made it back-to-back centuries as England Lions ended the opening day of the marquee match of their tour, against Australia A at the MCG, in a strong position on 3 for 274.

Sibley, an incumbent England opener who will soon be heading off on the tour of Sri Lanka, and Essex batsman Lawrence added an unbroken 219 for the fourth wicket after the Lions had slipped to 3 for 55 after being put into bat in the day-night fixture.

Jackson Bird and Jack Wildermuth, the latter a late addition to the squad after Marcus Stoinis' injury, did the early damage. Zak Crawley, also part of England's current Test set-up edged behind, and Keaton Jennings - another bound for Sri Lanka - gave a return catch to Wildermuth as did Sam Northeast a few moments later.

That was the last of the success for Australia A, though, as Sibley and Lawrence picked up their form from the CA XI match in Hobart although this was against a much sterner attack that included recent Test-squad members Michael Neser and Mitchell Swepson.

The pair reached their centuries under the floodlights late in the day do the tunes of a nearby Elton John concert.

"I'm really pleased to be able to carry on my good form and to help put the team in a strong position in the match," Sibley said. "The conditions are tough and playing against a quality attack with a pink ball under floodlights is a new experience for us as a team. It has been a great learning experience so far and I'm delighted to have been able to make the most of it and put on a really good partnership with Dan."