South Africa made inevitable progress towards the victory in Cape Town that would bring them a Test series win against a Sri Lanka side whose batting naivety has become more apparent as the series progresses

Sri Lanka disintegrated to 110 all out on the second day in Cape Town as Kagiso Rabada and Vernon Philander collected eight wickets between them

The serious demeanour of Dean Elgar, a batsman not given to fripperies, dominated the opening day of the second Test at Newlands as Sri Lanka failed to gain lasting benefit from a good bowling day

Yorkshire and their rugby league counterparts, Leeds Rhinos, have appealed to Leeds City Council to give the go-ahead to their Headingley development next month

Ed Joyce has embarked upon a novel job-sharing deal by continuing his county career at Sussex while teaming up with Cricket Ireland in their inaugural first-class season

Yorkshire have gambled on the anticipated dwindling of Gary Ballance's Test career, at least in the short term, by appointing him captain in all three formats

Vernon Philander has made Sussex his fifth county on a short-term deal in 2017

From Trott and Fowler opening up on their mental-health issues, to Gideon Haigh's exposition of a Trumper stroke: a look at the best cricket books of the year

Andrew Gale, Yorkshire's captain for their back-to-back Championship victories in 2014 and 2015, is the county's new Ist XI coach - but director of cricket Martyn Moxon says it is not a return to the insular days of old

English cricket's ceaseless search for a solution to stress fractures for fast bowlers has a new ally because of the ECB's partnership with a global leader in athlete analytics

A play about the life and untimely death of Colin Milburn conveys the highs and the lows of a unique cricketer

The value of cultural exchange through sport is huge, but we live in difficult, inflexible times

Keaton Jennings must decide whether to remain with Durham after their demotion to Division Two as he pursues an England career in his adopted homeland

Chris Rushworth, county cricket's player of the year in 2015, is among at least four English county professionals refused entry to Australia because of visa problems

Ian Botham has been unveiled as the new chairman of Durham, a beleaguered county that can only benefit from his roistering attitude to public life

Tim Bresnan, whose valiant batting narrowly failed to bring Yorkshire a third Championship title, has undergone a third elbow operation to try to restore some of the nip that made him an England allrounder

Almost a month has passed since his 142 in the Championship final against Middlesex, but there was enough in that contribution to sustain a Yorkshire fan through the winter

Financially-stricken Durham have secured a financial rescue package from Durham County Council which will further help to secure their future

Derbyshire have appointed John Wright as a specialist T20 head coach - the first English county to do so

Hold the pose and watch the ball disappear down the ground high into the crowd. Such was the perfect manner in which Chris Woakes settled a wonderful one-day series