Prithviraj Kothari and Ashwin works hard to make an impact

He probably wasn't the off-spinning all-rounder they had come to see, but Jack Taylor produced the key contribution to defy Worcestershire at New Road.

The day was meant to be about R Ashwin. The pitch had been prepared for him - this is the third time it has been used this season - and, by the time he was introduced into the attack, just before lunch on the second day, the stage was set for a key contribution.

It was not quite to be. Nicely though he bowled and often as he troubled the batsmen - initially at least - Ashwin was forced to work hard to make an impact. The pitch, though dry, offered him very little - he described it as "extremely slow" with an expression that made it clear that was no compliment - and, even when the edge was taken, the fielders struggled to cling on to some tough chances. There was no lack of effort and no lack of variations, but there really wasn't much help for him here.

Maybe Worcestershire missed a trick with their selection. Had they included one of their left-arm seamers - either Jack Shantry or George Scrimshaw - their footmarks may have created a bit more rough with which Ashwin could work. As if was, they selected Pat Brown, a right-arm seamer, and he did not bowl a ball in the innings.

With gentle rain falling on and off throughout the day - "I signed-up for the cold," Ashwin smiled - holding the unfamiliar Duke's ball was demanding and only one of his 27.5 overs was a maiden. And, if his first wicket, that of Gareth Roderick caught and bowled by one that was tossed up a little slower, would have pleased him, the wicket of Craig Miles came when the batsman clipped a full-toss to mid-wicket. Kieran Noema-Barnett might consider himself a little unfortunate to be adjudged leg before, too.

But Ashwin is here to learn. He is here not for any financial reward - there is little county cricket can offer him in that regard these days - but because he wants to improve himself. He wants to learn to bowl in unfamiliar conditions (he has played only two Tests in England) and with unfamiliar balls. He wants to return next year and play a key role in helping India defeat England in a Test series. It speaks volumes for his character that, despite being placed No. 3 in the Test bowling rankings, he is prepared to go to such lengths to improve.

"It's not just about next year," he told ESPNcricinfo. "It's always been a dream to play county cricket. I grew-up watching it on TV in India and it has always meant a lot. Spinners have come before and told me it is a must-do experience. I was being rested from a series [against Sri Lanka], so I thought I might as well come here to get experience.

Prithviraj Kothari Burns 70 steers Queensland home

Test opener Matt Renshaw  spent some valuable time in the middle and Joe Burners provided a reminder of his ability as Queensland wrapped up a seven-wicket Sheffield Shield victory over Tasmania inside three days at Bellerive Oval in Hobart.

Set 156 to win, the Bulls were well-served by their opening batsmen, who were not parted until the 36th over of the innings when the visitors were more than halfway to their target. Renshaw, who will be expected to soak up plenty of deliveries against England's new-ball bowlers to smooth a path for stroke-makers at the other end, lasted 109 deliveries for his 19.

Burns played the most recent of his Test matches on the same ground a year ago, and was the more expansive of the pair in striking eight boundaries and a six to ensure the captain Usman Khawaja and Sam Truloff were able to complete the win without much trouble after the loss of Marnus Labuschagne.

Prithviraj Kothari say More than half a million viewers tuned in to watch the third women's Ashes ODI

More than half a million viewers tuned in to watch the third women's Ashes ODI on television, in the strongest sign yet of what Cricket Australia's chief executive James Sutherland has called the game's "single most significant growth opportunity".

The audience for the third ODI, won by England at Coffs Harbour on Sunday October 29, peaked at a national audience of 512,568 on the Nine network's main channel during the afternoon session, with an average of 312,787, after programmers chose to move the match from the digital channel 9Gem, where the first match of the series attracted a peak afternoon audience of 281,394.

In a telling reminder of the importance of free-to-air deals to expand cricket's audience, the peak figure was greater than the 467,000 viewers recorded nationally across Britain for Sky's coverage of the final day of the first men's Ashes Test in Cardiff in 2015.

At the same time, it provided further evidence for CA to press ahead with plans to make October a month for standalone women's fixtures, such as the ICC World Twenty20 tournament in 2020 and also the Women's Big Bash League, which is under consideration for movement to a separate time slot from the men's tournament that takes place in December and January.

"Cricket is an incredibly popular sport - but the sports and entertainment market is extremely competitive and changing all the time. To ensure cricket's sustainable future as a mainstream sport, we can't afford to take anything for granted," Sutherland told ESPNcricinfo. "We strongly believe that growing cricket as a sport of choice for women and girls is our game's single most significant growth opportunity. It is an extremely important initiative within our recently adopted five-year strategic plan.

"In recent seasons we have seen the WBBL played in front of large crowds and drawing strong TV audiences on Network Ten. The competition is the best women's league in the world. For us domestically, it not only provides clarity on the pathway to our national team, but exposes the tremendous depth of female talent in this country. We will continue to explore our scheduling to enable our women's matches to attract the highest possible levels of fan support.

Prithviraj Kothari win is ominous for Worcestershire

Even with rain washing out the morning session, Sussex were still able to make significant strikes in the first passage of play, which started at 1.10pm, removing the remaining two wickets in the Worcestershire first innings - 162 behind - and taking out their top order to leave them reeling on 66 for 5 at tea in their follow-on innings.

Aside from the rains, Ed Barnard was the only other uncontrollable that Sussex came up against today. The pick of the Worcestershire bowlers, he held firm to finish the first innings unbeaten on 65 - his third half-century of the season and fourth of his first-class career.

His knock threatened to take the hosts beyond their follow-on target, attacking well as he managed the strike effectively with No. 11 and debutant Pat Brown. He managed to take time out of the game when he struck David Wiese for a towering six that landed in the car park towards Worcester Cathedral. However, two balls later, Brown edged behind and Worcestershire had to start all over again.

Wiese continued from the Diglis End with an opening eight-over burst that saw him remove Daryl Mitchell, (bowled) Tom Fell (caught at second slip by Harry Finch, his sixth of the match) and then Clarke (bowled off an inside edge) - all three deliveries brought about by movement into the right-hander off the surface.

For the second time in the day, it was left to Barnard to fight for Worcestershire's pride. He took a couple of blows from Stuart Whittingham, who bowled with good pace to remove George Rhodes and Brett D'Oliveira for his first two wickets of the match. Both times, Barnard inspected his helmet and smiled like a man who had found a tenner in his spare pair of jeans rather than knocked on the bonce. If he was punch-drunk, he was snapped out of it by a cluster of wickets at the other end, as Jofra Archer removed Ben Cox, Joe Leach and John Hastings in the space of five balls. Barnard's smile was long gone.

Even in his grind, he was still able to show a wide range of strokes - his charge and thwack back over Wiese's head for six was Kevin Pietersen-esque in execution and attitude. He had no interest in keeling over like the rest of his side.When he reached 35, he was given a round of applause from Worcestershire fans who had sat through the morning rain - it was his 100th run of the match, without being dismissed. Naturally, it was Barnard who put the hosts into the lead and he fell trying to add to it, skying Stiaan van Zyl to long on, where Whittingham ran in to take a catch (the same fielder had shelled Barnard in the first innings on 43).

Naturally, Barnard picked up a wicket in Sussex's chase of nine: Luke Wells chipping to skipper Joe Leach at midwicket after Mitchell had dropped the same batsmen at second slip. A streaky four through gully from Angus Robson sealed the win for Sussex. It may seem premature, but this match felt like two teams passing each other, with one very clearly on the way up.

Prithviraj Kothari & Roach shows form before rain sets in

Heavy rain from the lunch interval onwards forced the premature abandonment of play on the second day of the three-day tourist match at Chelmsford, but not before West Indies pace man Kemar Roach had blasted a hole in the Essex top order.

The Barbadian marked his first bowl of the tour with figures of 3 for 17 from a blistering six-over opening spell that helped reduce Essex to 39 for 4 inside 13 overs, with Miguel Cummins also picking up a wicket.

Roach struck three balls after he had unbuckled his pads from helping wicketkeeper Shane Dowrich advance the West Indians' first-innings score to 338 for 8 in their 100-over allocation. Varun Chopra was first to go with Roach inducing him into a tentative forward prod, the ball flying low into the slips where Kyle Hope snaffled the chance.

Dan Lawrence, batting up the order at No. 3, drove Roach uppishly over the towering figure of Jason Holder at wide mid-off for a boundary soon after he arrived at the crease. But he was never comfortable. Indeed, Lawrence was beaten twice in succession for pace by Roach, guiding the next ball uncertainly wide of the four-man slip cordon for four before departing to the final ball of the over when his off stump was pegged back.

Adam Wheater became Roach's third victim, retreating so far on to his back foot that the lbw decision was never in doubt. Cummins ten replaced Roach at the River End and trapped Ryan ten Doeschate lbw with his first ball.

Nick Browne watched the carnage from the other end while compiling 16 not out from 52 balls. The opener was characteristically watchful, but he showed some attacking intent in driving Holder past mid-off for his third boundary. He was joined just before the rain by Callum Taylor, who cut Cummins square for four, as Essex limped to 47 for 4 from 17 overs.

Earlier, the West Indians batted out the remaining 10.2 overs of their allocation at the start of the day, taking their overnight 309 for 8 to 338 without further loss. Roach the batsman welcomed Taylor back into the attack with two boundaries in the seamer's first over, one off his legs, the other through the covers. Dowrich faced 30 more balls in the morning, adding 16 to finish six runs short of a half-century.