Derbs, Northants plan Barbados pre-season

Derbyshire will head back to the Caribbean to prepare for their first season in Division One of the County Championship since 2000 and have vowed to maintain their youthful selection policy.

Last season's pre-season trip proved successful as Karl Krikken's young side, featuring several homegrown players, went on to win promotion for the first time. They will fly out to Barbados for the fourth consecutive year on March 11, 2013 for 12 days, playing practice matches against local opposition and other counties, including Northamptonshire. Two two-day fixtures, a 40-over match and a Twenty20 tournament at the Kensington Oval are scheduled.

"Barbados is a tried and tested pre-season venue and it provides ideal preparation ahead of a challenging domestic campaign," Kirkken, Derbyshire's head coach, said. "To be guaranteed good weather and consequently time on the field is extremely important for our players at this critical time of year. We've certainly felt the benefit from previous visits.

"It's an intense itinerary and one that gives us the best possible chance of hitting the ground running for first division cricket in 2013."

Despite the step up in the Championship, Derbyshire will trust their young squad and resist temptation to greatly increase the playing budget. During his time as academy coach, Kirkken nurtured many of the players recently given a chance in the first team - such as Dan Redfern, Ross Whiteley and Tom Poynton - and who have now signed extended contracts.

"Hopefully there are more contracts in the pipeline," Krikken said. "We would like a top-three batter - we're talking to Usman Khawaja about coming back, and we have a back-up shortlist, but not many are making moves right now.

"But again, we're not panicking because I've already got 16 players I believe to be wholly reliable, who complement each other's abilities, and who instinctively put the team's interests before their own - something that hasn't always been the case at Derbyshire."

Captain Wayne Madsen also signed a new three-year deal as Derbyshire look to continue the careful management that has seen consecutive years of profit under the chairmanship of Chris Grant, and gradual improvement on the field, culminating in last season's Division Two title.

They reeled off four wins in the opening seven matches of their successful campaign and put the bright start down to their pre-season tour. Derbyshire were not the only county to reap the benefits of a West Indies warm-up: Hampshire, the CB40 and FLt20 champions, Warwickshire, who won the County Championship title and promotion-winning Yorkshire all prepared for the 2012 season in Barbados.

Joining Derbyshire next year are Northants, who will be hoping for a similar early season boost to the one they enjoyed after touring South Africa in 2011. Despite not winning a match on the trip, they blazed a trail in both the County Championship and CB40, going unbeaten in 12 matches before the FLt20 badly derailed their season. A similar trip was cancelled at the start of this year, with Northamptonshire ultimately finishing second-bottom in Division Two.

Newly appointed captain Steven Peters told BBC Sport it will give them a "noticeable advantage" for next season. "We're at a disadvantage if we start the season and we haven't been away," he said. "It's more valuable than seven or eight sessions back home."

Northamptonshire's trip is being partly funded by the players, as well as donations from the Northants Supporters Club. The squad will fly out on March 11 and return on March 23.

Head coach, David Ripley, added: "Once again there will be an early start to the season, which means it is crucially important that the lads can get as much cricket as possible beforehand. With uncertain weather conditions in March, sometimes outdoor practice can be limited in England. We all saw how the team hit the ground running following the last pre-season tour to South Africa in 2011."

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India begin preparatory camp ahead of England Tests

While the visiting Englishmen played their third warm-up game of the India tour in Ahmedabad, India's Test side eased into its three-day preparatory camp for the upcoming series with a short practice session at the Cricket Club of India (CCI) in south Mumbai. All members of the squad, barring Harbhajan Singh, whose flight was delayed, arrived at the CCI in the afternoon, along with coach Duncan Fletcher, and batted and bowled for a little more than an hour after a short game of football. With the World Twenty20 and Champions League T20 having consumed most of September and October, this was the first outing for India's Test side in nine weeks, the first after the New Zealand series at home.

The fitness of Zaheer Khan, who had lasted all of 13.3 overs on India's tour of England last year, was again in focus. Zaheer had pulled up sore, pointing towards his groin, on the third day of Mumbai's Ranji Trophy opener against Railways last week, and had walked off the field. He didn't bowl or field on the fourth and final day, but Mumbai captain Ajit Agarkar had said Zaheer's problem was just cramp. Today, while the other quick bowlers in the India squad, Umesh Yadav and Ishant Sharma, bowled through the mini-session, Zaheer spent the majority of his time on the massage table. He eventually did bowl for a while but was clearly not extending himself. On the other hand, Ishant and Umesh, especially, bowled with pace and rhythm.

The batsmen took to the nets as per the batting order in batches of four, with Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Cheteshwar Pujara and Sachin Tendulkar starting off. Pujara looked in fine touch, defending and attacking confidently, though the bowling was below par at times. With various age-group matches going on in Mumbai at the moment, it was difficult to assemble decent young net bowlers. Two of those bowlers, though, managed to hit Tendulkar's stumps once each with the batsman appearing a touch tentative. Tendulkar did loft R Ashwin crisply a few times and soon left the nets to receive a few throwdowns.

Next in were Virat Kohli, Yuvraj Singh, Ajinkya Rahane and MS Dhoni. Gambhir and M Vijay, the reserve opener, continued to bat into the fading light after the rest were done. After Gambhir walked off eventually, Vijay hit a few more for a while against the local spinners and was the last player to leave the nets. The squad will have a full training session tomorrow.

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Tamim rues long gap between Tests

Tamim Iqbal, the Bangladesh opener, has said the huge gap between the team's Test matches is hurting their chances in the format. When they host West Indies for two Tests starting next week, Bangladesh will play five-day cricket after a gap of 11 months.

"Our situation isn't good, we play Tests after long gaps," Tamim told ESPNcricinfo. "We should have this mentality of adapting ourselves from one format to the other. If we had played regular Test cricket, this question about adjusting wouldn't have come up."

Bangladesh played five Tests last year, drawing one and losing the other four, a marginal improvement from 2010, when they lost all seven Tests they played. However, Tamim had a stellar 2010, when he made three Test centuries, and a leaner 2011, when he struggled because of the team's 14-month break from Test cricket. Most Bangladesh players struggled to make that transition from limited-overs to Tests.

"Good form doesn't last for long, so one has to make the best of it. When I was doing really well in 2010, how many Tests did I end up playing? If someone else was in my place, he would have played more and made more runs."

Tamim said he planned to bring more discipline to his game this season in order to make up for the break, but added that it was the player's mentality that mattered.

"It depends on individuals. If one's thinking pattern goes like, 'I am playing a Test match after a year and a half', his performance will be what he makes of it. If you think differently and decide that I should be ready mentally, I think this gives a player more chances to perform.

"If you make a professional cricketer play a T20 after two years of Tests, he won't just start leaving balls outside off stump. He's not an idiot. He has the sense to hit out. The same thing happens when you bring him back to Tests from Twenty20s."

Bangladesh will mark 12 years in Test cricket with the second lowest number of Tests in a year - just the two against West Indies (the lowest being the single Test against India in 2000). They have a longer 2012-13 season, however, with Tests scheduled against Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe early next year, but only positive results will give the country's cricket authorities a little more room to manoeuvre their cricket schedule and attract top countries to play against Bangladesh.

Tamim said the players had to look at their situation positively. "What opportunities we get, we should make full use of it. This will give us more chances to play."

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Lions make it three wins out of three

Lions 248 for 9 (Bodi 45, Kemp 2-23) beat Cape Cobras 229 (O'Reilly 3-61) by 19 runs
Scorecard

Lions increased the gap between them and the rest with a third consecutive win in the Momentum One Day Cup, beating Cape Cobras by 19 runs at Newlands. It was their hardest-fought win yet.

After choosing to bat on a slightly difficult pitch, Lions made a positive start, reaching 65 for 0 and then 101 for 2 in the 23rd over. It was then that Gulam Bodi, whose 45 was eventually the innings' top score, was run out by Justin Ontong. Lions lost two more wickets for 22 runs and their momentum was shot. Temba Bavuma and Zander de Bruyn made 30s but were dismissed before converting their starts into substantial scores. Johann Louw and Justin Kemp took two wickets each for Cobras as Lions were restricted to 248 for 9.

The Cobras chase got off to a swift start, with Richard Levi leading the way. Andrew Puttick's struggle - 13 off 32 balls - ended in the 10th over, and then Levi was dismissed in the next, leaving Cobras on 55 for 2. From 99 for 2 they slipped further to 158 for 6 in the 36th over, with none of the top and middle-order batsmen making significant contributions. However, the equation boiled down to 47 runs to get off 40 balls with four wickets in hand, and Cobras were in the game. Ethan O'Reilly then struck the telling blow, Kemp caught behind for 24, and Cobras were eventually dismissed for 229. O'Reilly finished with 3 for 61, but the Lions spinner Aaron Phangsio proved most economical, taking 1 for 31 in ten overs.

Despite maintaining their 100% win record, Lions captain Stephen Cook asked for improvement from his side. "We probably didn't play as well as we have the last few games," he said. "Perhaps we were a tad lucky to get over the line at the end, but that keeps everyone honest and working hard at their game."

The Cobras captain Ontong was disappointed with his team's batting. "I thought we didn't get a partnership going and, although a couple of the guys got starts, we just couldn't really kick on," he said. "We've got to do some hard work now and get some wins under our belts."

Cobras are third in the points table with one win in three games.

Match abandoned Dolphins 67 for 2 v Warriors
Scorecard

Only 17 overs were possible at Kingsmead before rain washed out the game between Dolphins and Warriors. After getting sent in to bat, Dolphins had reached 67 for 2, with Makhaya Ntini and Wayne Parnell striking for Warriors.

Neither team has won a match in the tournament so far and they are at the bottom of the points table.

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Chinthaka Jayasinghe quits cricket in Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka Twenty20 cricketer Chinthaka Jayasinghe has retired from first-class cricket in Sri Lanka, citing frustration with continued non-selection for the national team as a major reason. Jayasinghe, 34, played in five T20 matches from December 2009 to May 2010, making a high score of 38 from three innings in the lower-middle order. He played as a fast-bowling allrounder for his domestic sides, and has 104 wickets at 24.48, but did not bowl in internationals.

Jayasinghe said he has a contract to play domestic cricket in Australia during the southern summer, and another six-month contract to play in England next year. He was not among the 60 players offered an SLC contract in 2012 and he said this was central to his decision to move on.

"I have played 14 years of first-class cricket in Sri Lanka and it's saddening to see the SLC selectors favouring certain players who are proven failures," Jayasinghe said. "The way things are going, I feel like Sri Lanka cricket is not moving forward, especially after the seniors in the national team retire."

Jayasinghe played for the Uva Next franchise in the Sri Lanka Premier League, and last played first class-cricket for Bloomfield Cricket and Athletic club, having previously represented Burgher Recreation Club and Nondescripts Cricket Club.

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Watling repaying New Zealand's faith

In early 2011, BJ Watling's international record read like the careers of so many failed New Zealand openers before him. In the years after Nathan Astle, Mark Richardson and Stephen Fleming left the game, New Zealand seemed to trial a fresh opening prospect every six months. Michael Papps, Craig Cumming, Jamie How, Aaron Redmond and Tim McIntosh all arrived and wilted at the top level.

Some showed initial promise before quickly waning, but Watling barely made an impact. When he was jettisoned at the end of 2010, he had made only two fifties in 18 international innings, with a top score of 60 not out. His talent was undeniable in domestic cricket, but like Papps, How and Redmond, Watling seemed unable to adjust mentally. He was renowned at home for valuing his wicket and his sound defensive technique, but in internationals, his failures were populated by loose strokes and soft dismissals.

But unlike so many others, he wasn't forgotten altogether. Then New Zealand coach John Wright saw the raw materials of a good player in Watling, and paved his way back into internationals late last year. Soon, before he had even proven himself, Watling was being groomed for a specific long-term role. Brendon McCullum abandoned the gloves in Tests due to back problems, and after short-lived dalliance with Reece Young, Watling, Wright said, would be the man behind the stumps who could also strengthen New Zealand's batting.

He began to repay Wright's faith, hitting a century against Zimbabwe in his first Test as keeper, but sustained a hip injury before the real test came against touring South Africa. Kruger van Wyk took his place in the XI, and has not relinquished it since, having hammered out a reputation as a battler - exactly the quality a New Zealand top order veering towards spineless was short of.

Yet, although his international career had seemingly run aground again, against West Indies in July, Watling suddenly found the steel that had been lacking from his game, making consecutive fifties in the first two ODIs - the first time he had done so in his career. He was injured again after making 40 in the third match, but he had shown enough pluck for New Zealand's management to keep him in their plans. Against Sri Lanka in Pallekele, Watling finally demonstrated what team management had seen in him for the past two years.

Watling may not have even played in the second ODI had Brendon McCullum not withdrawn with a stiff lower back, but as has been his recent habit, he did not squander the opportunity. New Zealand have adopted a conservative top order strategy in recent months, and Watling's steady 55 saw the venom leave the pitch and provided the platform for Ross Taylor to flourish after him.

In the next match, Watling had ground his way to 29 from 54, but soon after, both Taylor and James Franklin had fallen, and he took it upon himself to provide the finishing impetus, as he showcased a more belligerent facet of his game. The Watling that blasted 67 from 34 deliveries to close out the innings at 96 not out, suddenly seemed eons away from the player that had scratched his way through his first two years of international cricket. The offside gaps were pinpointed with purring strokes and the vacant areas in the legside targeted aerially. Lasith Malinga had tormented New Zealand in the previous match, but Watling dispatched him for three consecutive boundaries in the penultimate over of the innings.

"He took risks and he hit the ball in the air, it wasn't all along the ground," New Zealand captain Ross Taylor said of Watling's innings. "He showed the power game that he does have. He's getting a lot of belief in himself, I'm sure, from the way he's batted in the last two games, and half the battle at this level is self-belief."

Watling had taken 23 innings to compile three scores over 50, but he now has four half-centuries in five ODIs, with an average of 107.66. Some players ease their way into top-level cricket, and others burn hot from start to finish. Watling's abrupt torrent of runs suggests a dam has burst somewhere, and if he can sustain the deluge, he will remedy his record after two lean years.

"The way BJ is batting is outstanding and he just keeps growing and growing as a player It's terrific, not just for him but also the team," Taylor said. "He's not an automatic selection, but I'm sure the way he's played in the last little while, he's pushing for that."

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Chinouya ten-for gives Rhinos big win

Mid West Rhinos 398 (Taylor 132, Mickleburgh 112) beat Southern Rocks 149 (Chinouya 5-30) & 157 (Chinouya 5-46) by an innings and 92 runs
Scorecard

A ten-for from fast bowler Michael Chinouya helped Mid West Rhinos to an innings and 92-run win in their first Logan Cup of the season, against Southern Rocks at the Masvingo Sports Club. Chinouya took five wickets in each innings to finish with a career-best match haul of 10 for 76, and was ably backed up by batsmen Brendan Taylor and Jaik Mickleburgh in the thumping victory.

Rhinos chose to bowl and did not let any of the Rocks batsmen build big innings. None of the batsmen even got to a half-century, wicketkeeper Richmond Mutumbami's 45 being the top score as they were bowled out in 50 overs for 149. Rhinos began their innings strongly, with two half-century stands, but the bedrock of their total of 398 was the third-wicket stand of 187 between Taylor and Mickleburgh. That helped them to a lead of 249, which was comfortably beyond the Rocks line-up that failed a second time. Again it was only keeper Mutumbami who touched 40, and again they were bowled out in 50 overs, this time for 157.

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Petersen, Amla set strong foundation

Lunch South Africa 1 for 90 (Petersen 45*, Amla 29*) v Australia
Live scorecard and ball-by-ball details

South Africa reached a contented 1 for 90 at lunch after Australia's bowlers fluffed their lines somewhat on the opening morning of the first Test at the Gabba.

On a tacky pitch that offered some initial movement but will get get quicker as it dries a little more, Alviro Petersen and Hashim Amla established a firm foundation for the visitors despite the loss of the captain Graeme Smith to James Pattinson.

Apart from a brief spell either side of Smith's wicket in which Pattinson and Peter Siddle found the ideal length and line to cause discomfort, neither batsman was particularly troubled, Ben Hilfenhaus lacking the incisiveness he showed last summer, despite tidy figures.

Nathan Lyon found bounce and spin but was not allowed to settle by Amla, leaving the prospect of a long day ahead for Michael Clarke's team unless some wickets can be found on resumption.

Hoping to find some early movement after Smith chose to bat first, Australia's bowlers made an indifferent start. Hilfenhaus and Pattinson were too short and too straight in the early overs, allowing Smith and Petersen the chance to tuck several deliveries away to the legside.

The home side's nerves were conveyed by a frivolous decision referral when a Hilfenhaus delivery brushed Smith's pad on the way through to Matthew Wade down the legside, leaving them with only one more for the remainder of the innings.

As he also did at times last summer, Siddle showed the way by bowling a little fuller and extracting some more deviation from the surface. With the last ball of the innings' 10th over he fizzed one past Petersen's bat on the ideal length, and Pattinson paid attention.

Swung around to the end from which he nipped out five New Zealand batsmen in the second innings of the corresponding Test last year, Pattinson's first ball of a new spell straightened on off stump to Smith, who looked palpably lbw. The umpire Billy Bowden was unconvinced, but an incandescent Pattinson encouraged a referral that had Bowden's finger belatedly raised.

Amla was greeted initially by a round the wicket line of attack, but was desperately close to another lbw when Pattinson returned to more conventional tactics. Petersen was meanwhile playing unobtrusively and well, making use of the pull shot whenever the bowlers dropped short and rotating strike intelligently.

Lyon's introduction revealed plenty of bounce and some turn on the first morning, but Petersen and Amla showed plenty of attacking intent to keep the spinner from settling. Amla advanced to crash a straight six, and by the interval was looking ominous in the way familiar to England.

The tourists had gone against expectations by leaving out the legspinner Imran Tahir, instead handing a debut to the seamer Rory Kleinveldt. Smith explained that the allrounder Jacques Kallis was carrying a niggle and may not be able to bowl his usual quota.

Australia chose to go in with three quicks and the spin of Lyon, the left-armer Mitchell Starc missing out. They too have a debutant, the No. 3 batsman Rob Quiney, who was presented with his baggy green cap by the former Australia captain Allan Border.

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Three first-choice bowlers to miss final warm up

Graeme Swann, England's premier spinner, has flown home ahead of the final tour match against Haryana to spend time with his daughter who is unwell. He is expected to return before the first Test on November 15 in Ahmedabad.

"This is a personal matter and we would ask for everyone to give Graeme and his family privacy. We will not be making any further comment at this time," the ECB said in a statement.

The development means England will be without three of their first choice four-man attack in the final warm-up match ahead of the first Test against India with Stuart Broad and Steven Finn both suffering from injury.

Neither Broad or Finn are expected to play in the match against Haryana that starts on Thursday, meaning that, even if they recover in time for the Test that starts on November 15, they will have had very little preparation. Finn, who has a thigh strain, managed just four overs in the first warm-up match before he was forced from the pitch, while Broad, who has a bruised heel, missed the first game and bowled only 10 overs in the second. Finn's injury is thought to be the more serious and he must be considered most unlikely to play in the first Test.

England may also decide to rest James Anderson for the final warm-up match. Anderson, Broad and Finn were expected to play as part of a three-man seam attack in the Test series. With Anderson, who has played in both of the first two matches, the last man standing, his importance to the team has grown even further. England have called-up Surrey fast bowler Stuart Meaker as back-up and it is likely that he will come into the team to play Haryana. Graham Onions and Tim Bresnan are the other seamers with the squad.

"It's unlikely that Broad or Finn will be considered for this game," Graham Gooch, England's batting coach said. "They've both got injuries, and I don't think they're going to be ready for this game.

"With a bruised heel, it is something that can be very annoying and can take time to clear up. You've got to see how it goes each day, whether it gets better with the rest - keep checking it and see how it comes on. There's no other way of going about it really."

There was better news for England in the form of Kevin Pietersen. England were given a day-off on Wednesday, but Pietersen was among three players - Meaker and Samit Patel were the others - to take advantage of some extra batting practise. Certainly Gooch has been impressed by Pietersen's determination to prove his worth upon his return to the team.

With fences mended and differences made up, Pietersen's determination is renewed and his motivation high. "I know Kevin is focused," Gooch said. "I've seen the way he's been practising. A fit and strong Kevin Pietersen is a player to be reckoned with.

"He's looking forward. What's in the past is in the past. The only thing that counts is what's in the future - what he's going to do, how he's going to interact with the team, what sort of performances he's looking to give.

"I don't think it's an issue with Kevin. All the things have been done and dusted. From my conversations with him and from the way he is working, he's looking forward to this tour."

While it is anticipated that England's batsmen will face a trial by spin in India, Gooch is taking nothing for granted against India's seam attack. But as well as preparing batsmen for the cricketing challenges, the England management also prepared them for the noise and hostility they anticipate by playing crowd noise from loudspeakers and the team psychologist, Mark Bawden, occupying the net next to the batsmen and testing their ability to ignore distractions by clapping, appealing and shouting.

"We're not majoring on spin," Gooch said. "That's not the only type of bowling we're going to face. They've got two very good opening bowlers, two out of three from Umesh Yadav, Zaheer Khan or Ishant Sharma, and two spinners.

"Our build-up has gone to plan. People have got runs; there's been some wickets. Some of our players have learned a little bit in the couple of weeks we've been here.

"Nowadays, when you are trying to stimulate players with training, you come up with different ideas. There's a bit of noise there, a little idea to make it slightly different. You're looking to motivate, to push the players to get the very best out of them. You come up with different ideas. It's not a major thing, just something that's a little bit different.

"I think coming to India is one of the greatest challenges. It's a wonderful place to play cricket. The enthusiasm for the game - with the advent of the IPL - has created even more excitement. We know India are a top side in their own country. Not long ago they were rated number one, and you don't do that without putting on consistent performances. But we've come here to win the series; we've not come here to make up the numbers."

While only one new face - probably Nick Compton - is anticipated in the team for the first Test, there is likely to be an opportunity for another specialist batsmen in the second Test with Ian Bell expected to return to England to be present at the birth of his first child.

"It's going to be quite a difficult selection," Gooch said. "Our guys are pretty much all experienced Test players: Alastair Cook; Jonathan Trott; Kevin Pietersen; Ian Bell and Matt Prior. There will be maybe one new face.

"Nick Compton and Joe Root are two very good players, obviously at different levels of their career. One has been in the first-class game for quite a while. Compton has gained experience and found his mark. He has found the way he can score runs and been very successful over the last couple of years for Somerset.

"The other lad is obviously a young, exciting player. He has a good technique from what I've seen - this is the first time I've seen him close up - and he bowls a bit. So it's going to be quite a difficult selection.

"Then you've got Eoin Morgan, Jonny Bairstow, Samit Patel all bidding for places. But I like competition for places. You want that. You want people to be putting their hand up and saying 'I want that place in the side'."

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Little mystery, much anticipation

Match facts

November 9-13, the Gabba
Start time 1000 (0000 GMT)

Big Picture

So Australia has a dossier on the South Africa team. So what? One of the trends of 21st century international cricket is that battles between nations now contain so few elements of the unknown. It should not be forgotten that these two sides played each other over a pair of uproarious Test matches only a year ago in Cape Town and Johannesburg, the series shared 1-1. Between then and now Austrlaian and South African players have shared dressing rooms at the IPL and the Champions League, opposed each other again at the World Twenty20 and tried to prepare as best they can for a Test series with only one warm-up fixture in most cases.

But the lack of secrets to be divulged ahead of the first Test does not detract from the prospect of another meeting between two teams to have produced some of the most memorable Test encounters of recent times. South Africa's first visit to the Gabba in 49 years offers the prospect of plenty that is hair-raising, mainly for batsmen up against six of the world's best fast bowlers, but spectators too. Graeme Smith's side is settled and well grooved, their XI set in near enough to stone from the moment their plane touched down in Sydney last week. Smith himself is fired by the desire to ensure South Africa's hold on the ICC's top spot is not as fleeting this time around as it had been in 2009.

Australia, meanwhile, seek further proof of their rejuvenation. The Test team has not played together since April, and they may be forgiven for blinking just as much as the rest of the world at the fact they have the chance to unseat South Africa from their perch atop the rankings. The fact they have a chance of doing so is the best indicator of how far the team has developed under Michael Clarke's captaincy since the 2011 tour of Sri Lanka, as over that period the team has won three series, drawn two and shown the importance of incisive bowling to cover for a top six that on paper cannot match South Africa's. Line these two sides up and the visitors look to have a clear advantage. But contests between these teams have never been decided that way.

Form guide

(Most recent first)
Australia WDWWW
South Africa WDWDW

In the spotlight

Called on to take the gloves in unfortunate circumstances in England, AB de Villiers' back grew stiffer with each match, and his batting contributions were handy rather than dominant. He has had more time to rest and prepare for taking the gloves in this series, and will be eager to prove that as wicketkeeper he can still make the kinds of scores that marked him as one of the world's best and most dangerous batsmen.

David Warner has escaped much of the scrutiny attached to his opening partner Ed Cowan, but with only one half century in his past eight innings needs to prove his hyper aggressive methods can work consistently at Test level. West Indies and England both did well against Warner earlier this year by pursuing a rigid line and length angled across him towards the slips, while the opener's tendency to get involved in verbal confrontations will also have been noted by South Africa. Shane Watson's injury leaves Warner the most senior batsman in the Australian top three.

Team news

Ben Hilfenhaus, Mitchell Starc and Nathan Lyon are duelling for two spots. Hilfenhaus led the attack with Peter Siddle last year but has only played one first-class match since April. Starc has been a dominant Twenty20 bowler but is still coming to grips with the red ball. Lyon has few wickets behind him entering the Test and forecast Gabba rain may keep the pitch fresh and the pace bowlers dangerous throughout. Ricky Ponting has shrugged off a hamstring niggle.

Australia (possible): 1 Ed Cowan, 2 David Warner, 3 Rob Quiney, 4 Ricky Ponting, 5 Michael Clarke (capt), 6 Michael Hussey, 7 Matthew Wade (wk), 8 Peter Siddle, 9 James Pattinson, 10 Ben Hilfenhaus/Mitchell Starc, 11 Nathan Lyon.

South Africa's team is settled, and likely to be unchanged from the XI that defeated England at Lord's to take the series and top spot on the ICC's rankings.

South Africa (possible): 1 Graeme Smith (capt), 2 Alviro Petersen, 3 Hashim Amla, 4 Jacques Kallis, 5 AB de Villiers (wk), 6 Jacques Rudolph, 7 JP Duminy, 8 Vernon Philander, 9 Morne Morkel, 10 Dale Steyn, 11 Imran Tahir.

Pitch and conditions

The Gabba curator Kevin Mitchell jnr. has predicted a slightly drier surface than that prepared for last year's Test against New Zealand, increasing the likelihood of a fifth day finish and the involvement of the spinners. However some cloud and rain is predicted over the next five days, and Clarke admitted on match eve he was now considering four quicks more seriously.

Stats and trivia

• South Africa will retain top spot on the ICC Test rankings with a drawn series. Australia will claim top spot from them with a series win
• This is South Africa's first Test match at the Gabba since 1963
• Michael Clarke needs 55 runs to go past Neil Harvey, another fleet-footed batsman, on Australia's all-time list of Test run scorers

Quotes

"We know how good South Africa is and respect them for it but we also know we can beat them. We are confident in our ability to beat anyone, anywhere, any time if we play at our best."
Michael Clarke strikes a confident note

"We have looked at areas that we can exploit within the Australian team as they would do with us. We feel that if we can put pressure on them in certain areas then we can make some plays in those big moments, that is ultimately what the Test series is going to boil down to."
Gary Kirsten on South Africa's planning.

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Clarke considers all-pace attack

Mitchell Starc and Ben Hilfenhaus may both be included in a four-man pace attack at the Gabba after Australia's captain Michael Clarke was greeted with a pitch maintaining its green tinge on Thursday. In the lead-up to the match, the Australians had indicated that the offspinner Nathan Lyon was likely to play in the first Test against South Africa, starting on Friday, but he is now no certainty.

"I was expecting to have a decision for you today but the wicket has changed a little bit since yesterday," Clarke said. "I need to wait and see if it changes any more come tomorrow morning. The weather plays a big part as well, if it's overcast compared to sun shining.

"The forecast is okay for the week but I really want to wait until tomorrow morning to give ourselves a really good look at it. At this stage we're still deciding do we play four fast bowlers or do we play three fast bowlers and Nathan."

Peter Siddle and James Pattinson appeared to be the two certainties in Australia's pace line-up as both men have enjoyed plenty of Sheffield Shield bowling over the past six weeks. Starc and Hilfenhaus were both at the Champions League Twenty20 in South Africa and have had limited red-ball preparation, and while Clarke said the selectors had discussed which fast man to leave out, he was not willing to reveal the decision while the possibility of including them all remained.

"We've certainly spoken about it, that's for sure," Clarke said. "But until I've thought about what the best attack is or if we're going to go three quicks or four quicks, I don't think it would be fair to the players if I told you that. I think it's important that we wait and see what conditions we're faced with tomorrow morning, give ourselves the best chance to have a look at conditions, and then we'll work out what the best XI is."

Hilfenhaus is Australia's highest-ranked bowler in the ICC Test rankings at No.6 in the world and has been one of the team's most consistent performers since returning to the side against India last summer with a reworked action. Earlier this week, he said he was not viewing Australia's net sessions as a bowl-off with the other members of the attack, and he was simply enjoying being able to work with the red ball again after a period of short-form cricket.

"I don't see it as fighting for a place," Hilfenhaus told ESPNcricinfo. "The conditions are what they are and the selectors have to make a decision on what they want for the conditions, what make-up they believe will win a game of cricket. You're never comfortable being left out. All I can control is my preparation and doing all I can to make sure I'm as ready as I can be.

"It's actually nice to be able to run in and try to bowl the same ball twice, rather than worry about bowling six different deliveries. It was nice to get back in the groove [during the Sheffield Shield match] last week."

If Australia take an all-pace attack in on Friday it will be their first Gabba Test without a specialist spinner since November 2008, when they beat New Zealand with Brett Lee, Stuart Clark, Mitchell Johnson and Shane Watson sharing the workload. On that occasion, Clarke and Andrew Symonds were only required for a few overs of part-time spin.

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Cowan vows to bat with freedom

While trying his best to ignore the chorus predicting him to be the first batsman to find his way out of the Australian Test team this summer, Ed Cowan is out to change a few perceptions.

Chief among these is the view that he is a defensive batsman, a "one-pace plodder" good only for holding up one end while David Warner and others prosper.

Cowan admits that at times over his first seven Tests he was unable to find the balance between attack and defence that allowed him to produce the compelling sequence of scores - 91, 4, 134*, 145, 10, 65, 145* and 109 - that vaulted him into the national team.

This time around he wants to play his shots a little more freely, batting with the kind of instinct he showed in a recent domestic limited overs game for Tasmania against Victoria at the MCG.

"That's really important for me," Cowan told ESPNcricinfo. "I'm at my best when I'm defending well but I'm still an attacking batsman, rather than a defensive batsman who's defending well and trying to fashion runs any way they can. When I'm playing well I'm putting away the bad ball but leaving and defending the good ball.

"It sounds simple but it's sometimes easier said than done. Sometimes in Sheffield Shield cricket, on a few of the wickets we do play on, you can sometimes get a bit defensive. But to trust your instincts on good Test match wickets was a big lesson I took out of the West Indies, particularly that last innings [55 in Dominica], just backing myself to score around the ground as I know I can."

That performance at Windsor Park, in which he outpaced Ricky Ponting on a sharply turning surface, demonstrated the sort of quality Cowan's team-mates and the national selectors value. Yet his inability thus far to go on to a major score is the prime reason for doubt about his place and criticism of his method. Cowan is entering the South Africa series without the runs he made a year ago, but with greater familiarity for international cricket's demands, both from the other end and the other side of the fence.

"One thing was coming in with runs last year and probably being a little disappointed to not score more," Cowan said. "This year I feel like I've been playing well but not got the big runs, but as frustrating as that is, I've known the judgement will come from here on. I feel like I'm in a good place technically and mentally to make runs, having seen what is required.

"I don't think anyone that has criticised me on how I'm playing this season has seen me bat, so I'm not particularly worried about that. I feel like my game is suited to Test cricket, particularly Test cricket in Australia and hard, fast pitches. Everyone's entitled to their opinion and the only way to really prove your point is to score, and make runs the currency that really counts."

To give himself the best chance of making those runs, Cowan has worked on conserving mental energy. He admitted to wasting some of his sharpness on over-training last summer, and also while bouncing around the Australian team room in his efforts to "fit in". Tasmania have seen a subtly more reserved Cowan this season, as he kept half an eye on the battle ahead.

"In a new group that's always a risk of trying to, not impose yourself on a group, but fit in," Cowan said. "You go to every length to make sure that you're doing absolutely everything at full tilt, which is important in terms of preparation but I was probably at some stages maybe going over the top with that. Not necessarily in preparation but on game days sometimes, like doing lots of fielding before a fielding day.

"The trick is knowing when you can conserve a little bit of energy, and that's not in the lead-up days, but around the Test match there are probably places. The preparation over the last six weeks has been about knowing it is going to take a lot of mental energy to perform over the coming weeks, so while I've been pouring every effort into helping Tasmania win, just knowing there's a big series around the corner."

Even if he has been described as being in a battle with the debutant Rob Quiney for retention beyond the Gabba, Cowan is happy to have been joined by another left-hander who has had to push his way into the Test team through weight of runs over the past two summers. Cowan reckoned his new team-mate had benefited from being given a consistent opening role with Victoria, much as he had grown from doing the same with Tasmania.

"It's another win for people who can add to the culture of teams and not detract from it," Cowan said. "Talking to any domestic player you'd know how talented Rob is, and it was just a question of him finding consistency. It probably came about through getting a job, which in his case was opening the batting for an extended period of time.

"He was one of those guys who batted at six or five, opened for a game and was then back to six, and I saw it myself moving to Tassie, how much that can improve your game just knowing that you're playing and you've got a job to do. I don't think anyone was surprised by his last 12 months or so. He's been a good player for a very long time."

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Robin Jackman diagnosed with cancer

Robin Jackman, the former England bowler and cricket commentator, has been diagnosed with cancer and faces seven weeks of radiotherapy. Jackman has already had two operations to remove malignant tumours from his vocal cords, South African broadcaster Supersport reported.

"It's not the prettiest, but I got it early and I'm confident I'll be fine," Jackman, 67, is reported to as saying. "I won't be in Australia, but I sure will be rooting for the Proteas." He has been advised four weeks' rest after the treatment and hopes to return to commentary early next year.

Jackman played four Tests and 15 ODIs for England, and was involved with Surrey for 16 seasons starting from 1966. Over the course of his lengthy domestic career, Jackman took more than 1400 first-class wickets and scored 5681 runs. He was born in India, grew up in England, but maintained close ties with South Africa, coaching and representing Rhodesia and Western Province over 11 seasons.

Perhaps the most famous incident of his international career was the cancelling of the Guyana Test in 1980-81, after the Guyana government denied him a visa citing his involvement with the then apartheid South Africa, and the English management chose to not yield to political pressure.

After retirement, Jackman took up media work, and has been a regular television commentator for international matches. His diagnosis comes less than a month after another former England cricketer and commentator, Tony Greig, revealed he was being treated for cancer. Last month, former New Zealand captain Martin Crowe was also diagnosed with lymphoma, a type of cancer.

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Tendulkar receives Order of Australia honour

Sachin Tendulkar has said his first tour of Australia in 1991-92, when he was still a teenager, toughened him up as a cricketer, and helped prepare him to face world-class attacks. He was speaking at a ceremony in Mumbai where he became the first Indian sportsman to be honoured with membership of the Order of Australia.

"It (the 1991-92 tour of Australia) completely changed me as a cricketer. It was a critical moment of my career. Three and half months changed me completely," Tendulkar said. "I thought I was ready to play against any attack in the world and I can say that Australia has had some contribution in that to transform me into a tougher cricketer."

India lost the Test series 4-0, but Tendulkar was India's highest run-getter with 368 runs, including one of his most celebrated centuries, in Perth. "We all know Australians are fierce competitors but when you do well against them, they shower on you all the compliments. And that is what happened to me. I scored reasonably well and scored a couple of hundreds there (in the Test series)."

Tendulkar said he had dreamt of playing in Australia even before entering his teens. "The association with Australia started long time ago and not in 1991," he said. "To me it started way back in 1985 when I was 12 years old watching those fantastic day-night matches on television. I started dreaming that one day I want to go there and play cricket. It turned into a reality in 1991-92."

The other non-Australian cricketers to have received the Order of Australia honour are West Indian greats Garry Sobers, Clive Lloyd and Brian Lara. Tendulkar was recognised "for his service to Australia-India relations by promoting goodwill, friendship and sportsmanship through the sport of cricket."

Australia's arts minister Simon Crean conferred the award to the cricketer. "Mr Tendulkar, as a member and former Captain of the Indian Cricket Team, has made an outstanding contribution to international cricket for more than 20 years," a statement from the Australian consulate-general read.

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Saeed Ajmal to deliver for Adelaide Strikers

Pakistan's No. 1 spinner Saeed Ajmal has signed with the Adelaide Strikers for the Twenty20 Big Bash League. He will be available for the Strikers' first match, against the Perth Scorchers, and may then return for the latter stages of the tournament.

Ajmal's signature represents a significant addition to the Strikers and the BBL, his spinning variations having teased and confused batsmen the world over in recent times, not least those of Australia.

"I am really excited about playing for the Adelaide Strikers and really happy that I will get the chance to show my talent in the BBL," Ajmal said.

"I am very keen to meet up with the rest of the boys soon and play my best in the games that I am available, with the hope that Adelaide make the final stages and I can return to help win the competition."

The Strikers coach Darren Berry said he was delighted to have signed Ajmal, the latest example of his policy of using spin as an attacking weapon on dry surfaces at Adelaide Oval.

"We know what this guy is capable of, having seen him run through both the Australian and English batsmen a couple of months ago, so to have him on board is a great result for the Strikers," Berry said.

Adelaide have also signed the South Australia wicketkeeper Tim Ludeman and the Queensland legspinner Cameron Boyce.

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Stevens quits as coach of Warriors, Scorchers

Western Australia and the Perth Scorchers have lost both their captain and coach in little more than a week after Lachlan Stevens elected to follow Marcus North in quitting his role at the WACA.

Stevens' exit continues a period of significant instability in WA, following the widely publicised disciplinary problems that afflicted the Scorchers' Twenty20 Champions League campaign in South Africa and almost a decade without winning a domestic trophy.

Adam Voges is captaining WA in an interim capacity following North's exit and is expected to be appointed full-time, while the Australia assistant coach Justin Langer has been widely spoken of as a potential replacement for Stevens.

Having taken over the role last summer when his predecessor Mickey Arthur was chosen as Australia's head coach, Stevens took the Scorchers to the Big Bash League final and won a contract for the 2012-13 season.

However the Scorchers' African misadventures have been book-ended by a dire start to the Sheffield Shield by WA, and they registered a third consecutive outright defeat in the match against Victoria on Saturday.

After Stevens decided not to seek an extension to his contract beyond this season it was agreed that he would leave the WACA and return home to Queensland at the conclusion of Wednesday's domestic limited overs match against the Bushrangers.

"Whilst the start of this season has been extremely challenging for all involved with the Warriors and Scorchers, I believe the past couple of seasons have been very rewarding and feel confident that we have laid foundations for a bright future," Stevens said. "A fresh coaching structure and new programs will ensure a greater depth of State squad going forward.

"The timing of this announcement is not ideal during a season, but it was only fair for the WACA to begin the search for a permanent replacement since my future intentions have become clear."

Christina Matthews, the WACA cheif executive, said the search for a new coach would begin "as a matter of urgency".

"The WACA appreciates the manner in which Lachlan has conducted himself in regards to his intentions for beyond this season and we wish him all the best for the future," Matthews said. "We will begin the task of assessing options for the position of Head Coach with both the Warriors and Scorchers as a matter of urgency."

Arthur and Stevens joined the Warriors as a head coach/assistant duo in 2010, Stevens having previously worked as the Queensland assistant coach. Both he and Arthur were highly critical of the team they inherited.

"We've done our best over the three years (since) I've been here, with Mickey as well, to start to turn around what had become a very, very insipid group and insipid squad,'' Stevens told ABC Radio last month after the Scorchers returned from South Africa.

"Things that we inherited that were very, very difficult, and I think the results in some ways have been very effective around our list management and improvement. Whether the WACA decides to move forward with me, or whether I decide to move forward with the group ... it's literally not about the coach, it's about the internal group.''

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CAS to hear Asif and Butt appeal next February

The Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS) will hear, next February, the appeals of banned Pakistan cricketers Salman Butt and Mohammad Asif against the ICC's bans for spot-fixing. Asif's case will be heard between February 5-7, and Butt's on the 8th, it was confirmed on Monday.

The CAS, headquartered in Lausanne, Switzerland, is recognised as the world's highest judicial body for sportsmen and cases involving sport.

Asif, along with Butt, was found guilty at Southwark Crown Court in November 2011, on charges of conspiracy to cheat and conspiracy to accept corrupt payments over deliberate no-balls bowled during the Lord's Test between Pakistan and England in August 2010. Mohammad Amir, the third player accused by the Crown Prosecution Service, had pleaded guilty to the charges. Butt served seven months of a 30-month jail sentence, Asif six months of a year-long term, while Amir spent three months in a young offenders' institute.

However, the three players had already been found guilty by an ICC tribunal on February 5, 2011, and were banned for various durations. Butt's ban was for 10 years and Asif's for seven. That punishment was announced a day after the CPS levied its charges against the players.

Butt had also wanted to lodge an appeal with the International Criminal Court, but decided against it due to the expense involved and the lengthy duration of the proceedings.

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Sehwag ton cannot avoid Delhi defeat

Uttar Pradesh 403 (Dagar 116, Kaif 91, Raina 55, Praveen 51*, Narwal 4-71) and 158 for 4 (Dagar 37, Raina 37) beat Delhi 235 (Bisht 52, Imtiaz 5-59) and 322 (Sehwag 107, Manhas 65, Bhuvneshwar 4-94, Imtiaz 4-112) by six wickets
Scorecard

Uttar Pradesh wrestled an outright win in a tight tussle with Delhi's ability to kill time, the fading light and a target that oscillated between reach and just out of grasp.

An aggressive but controlled century from Virender Sehwag, batting with an injured finger, gave Delhi a decent chance of grabbing some points from their Ranji Trophy season opener.

Sehwag's calculated belligerence this morning ended up being the only passage of play in which Delhi looked in charge in the four-day match. He added 85 with Pradeep Sangwan for the seventh wicket over the session at a crowd-pleasing clip, and took Delhi to 322 to set UP a target of 155.

It was a gettable total, but it would be a test of the composure of the UP batsmen, their response to the threat of the experienced Delhi bowlers, and the ability of the light to hold out till the target was reached. Again, UP came through as they had in every phase of the match.

The openers set up the start, scoring 54 in 15 overs, and Raina came in at No.3 (instead of at No. 5 as in the first innings) to take UP to 117.

Mohammed Kaif had been injured in the first innings, hit on the middle finger of his right hand, and had to sit out during Delhi's second innings. It was said later that Kaif would have come out to bat had the situation got dire. At one stage it did, with Parvinder Singh and Arish Alam getting tied down by Ashish Nehra and Ishant Sharma.

Delhi took their chances in the field to slow the game down. They had shin pads and helmets brought on, and the quick bowlers took slow trundles back from their extended followthroughs to the top of their run.

Parvinder struck clean boundaries off Ishant and Nehra, and the new man Ali Murtaza, who took over almost seamlessly, followed him. Ten runs off Ishant's last over of the match then melted UP's anxiety away and two overs later, when Murtaza creamed a sizzling square drive off Sumit Narwal, the scores were even. Alam hit a late cut off Vikas Mishra to clinch victory.

UP were feted and rewarded by the Ghaziabad organisers in a lengthy prize distribution ceremony, and Delhi's star players melted into the background. Delhi coach Vijay Dahiya said his team had been completely outplayed by UP in every department "and in patience and consistency." The sudden rush of heavyweight names did bring, he said, "to the back of your mind the thought that these guys will come and deliver. But it's not about them and what they are expected to do. Eventually, it's about the guy in the middle taking responsibility."

That guy in the middle today turned out to be Sehwag, who paced his innings as if his runs were in perfect sync with the clock. He may have hit 16 fours in the morning, but did not look like playing to either turn up in the highlights or offer the bowlers a chance. All but 31 of his runs came in boundaries; he was particularly severe on Imtiaz Ahmed.

If Sehwag had given Delhi a narrow opening to grab some points and wrest out a draw, his innings should also have given the Indian selectors and the core of the team management some breathing space going into the Ahmedabad Test against England. It was Sehwag's first Ranji century for Delhi in almost six years, out of a total of eight, the last coming against Haryana in January 2007. It was also his first three-figure score in any match since December 2011 after his double-hundred against West Indies in Indore.

It has been a while, and Sehwag knows it, but he was neither hurried nor hasty and for the better, like he has always been, a man in control of his destiny. When he reached his century with a brisk two to cover, the noisiest stands to the east, packed in on a Monday, made themselves heard to "Veeru."

Before he pointed his bat at the dressing room, Sehwag turned and acknowledged this audience. To crowded, chaotic Ghaziabad, Sehwag's innings was what they had been waiting for from the day the glamour boys came to town - a generous sprinkle of stardust.

It looked like a perfect Ranji game played in a small venue on a fair, result-oriented wicket. Six points to the home team and a century from Veeru. It was as if Diwali had turned up early.

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Worcestershire stalwart George Chesterton dies

George Chesterton, a right-arm seam bowler who played 47 times for Worcestershire between 1950 and 1957, has died at the age of 90.

Chesterton represented Oxford University in 1948 and 1949, winning his Blue in the second year, and then switched to Worcestershire where as an amateur he played when time permitted. His first-class career extended until 1966 with appearances for MCC.

His best bowling came in his final full season when he took 7 for 14 for MCC in Ireland, and in the Championship he best came at New Road that same year when he took 6 for 56 against Middlesex. In 72 first-class matches he captured 263 wickets at 22.78 and scored 598 runs at 8.79.

He remained closely involved with the county and was the president between 1990 and 1993. A keen backer of youth cricket, in 1991 he founded the Chesterton Cup which involved schools across the Midlands.

Chesterton worked at Malvern College, where he had also been a pupil, becoming deputy head and he also wrote a history of the school.

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Umar Akmal joins Sydney Sixers

Sydney Sixers, the reigning Champions League and Big Bash League trophy holders, have bolstered their squad for this summer by signing the Pakistani batsman Umar Akmal.

Like his national team-mate Shahid Afridi at Sydney Thunder, Akmal will be available for the Sixers' first three BBL matches, offering the kind of aggressive batting he has exhibited for Pakistan since his debut as a 19-year-old in 2009.

"I jumped at the opportunity to be a part of the Big Bash League when the Sixers approached me," Akmal said.

"I'm looking forward to spending December in Australia and will be aiming to assist them to go back to back and win the tournament again."

The Sixers have also signed the New South Wales rookie-contracted batsman Daniel Hughes, an opening batsman for the North Sydney grade club.

Hughes can be expected to slot into the Sixers' top order once David Warner departs for his expected national duty.

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Tanvir Ahmed's 12 wickets in vain as NBP clinch close game

A crucial half-century by No. 8 Qaiser Abbas took National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) to a two-wicket win against Port Qasim Authority (PQA) at the Gaddafi Stadium.

Chasing 211, NBP were in trouble at 122 for 6 when seamer Tanvir Ahmed, who took 12 wickets in the match, ran through the top order. But a defiant seventh wicket partnership of 84, led by Abbas, revived the chase and helped them secure victory.

Neither team dominated the low-scoring game but NBP were at a slight disadvantage after the first innings, when a seven-wicket haul by Ahmed bowled them out for 117, leaving them 33 behind. The last six wickets fell for 16 runs.

As PQA looked to consolidate on the lead and set their opponents a stiff target, fast bowler Umaid Asif took 5 for 55 to peg them back in their second innings. Umar Amin and No. 7 Daniyal Ahsan scored 42 and 45 respectively to help them reach 177 before being bowled out. Yet, a target of 211 meant NBP has to score the highest total in the match to win it.

After the early loss of opener Nasir Jamshed, NBP were given a platform by Sami Aslam and Umair Khan, and later Wahab Riaz. But three wickets for two runs changed the complexion of the game, with 129 runs still needed. Abbas sealed the chase with his 52 off 66 deliveries.

Despite the game being dominated by bowlers, fast bowler Riaz went wicketless in the game, and Mohammad Sami, who had taken seven wickets against Pakistan International Airlines a fortnight ago, took two wickets. Opener Jamshed managed only 11 runs across both innings.

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Cobras, Knights fashion contrasting wins

Cobras 225 for 8 (Puttick 48, van Zyl 24*) beat Dolphins 253 for 6 (Miller 68*, Smit 64, Hendricks 3-50) by 2 wickets by D/L method
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details

An unbeaten 51-run stand for the eighth wicket helped defending champions Cobras sneak a two-wicket win against Dolphins in a rain-affected match in Pietermaritzburg. Dane Piedt and Charl Langeveldt came together in the middle with 47 runs required off 38 balls, but with only two wickets remaining, Dolphins were the clear favourites. Dolphins' bowlers, however, bowled two lose overs which turned the equation in cobras favour from 42 off 30 to 14 off 18. Langeveldt finished the match with two consecutive boundaries in the penultimate over giving Cobras their first points.

Cobras made a solid start in chase of 254 as they got to 76 for 2 after 18 overs. But the rains came to hold up play for 40 minutes at the stage and the target was readjusted as per D/L method to 222 off 40 overs. Batsmen Andrew Puttick and Stiaan van Zyl responded to the sudden jump in the required rate with aggressive shots but didn't last long enough and were both out to seamer Prenelan Subrayen. The incoming batsmen crumbled under pressure as four more wickets fell for 30 runs before the eight-wicket pair's late burst.

Dolphins chose to bat under blue skies but lost their openers within first six overs. Captain Daryn Smit and Vaughn van Jaarsveld then took a cautious approach to knit together a 121-run stand, both batsmen completing slow half-centuries in the process. Dolphins needed a late surge and the cameo came through David Miller's bat. Miller scored 68 off 45 balls and hit nine boundaries and a six to bring some urgency and take the total past 250.

Knights 325 for 9 (Elgar 76, Rossouw 56) beat Warriors 234 (Ingram 70, McLaren 5-38) by 91 runs
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details

Knights joined Lions at the top of the table with a bonus point win over Warriors in their first domestic one-day cup match in Kimberley. Allrounder Ryan McLaren was the chief architect of the win with a five-wicket haul in addition to the 47 he scored while batting.

Put in to bat, Knights were setback in the first over when Ryan Bailey was caught behind off Andrew Birch without scoring. However, Reeza Hendricks and Rilee Rossouw set about building their 66-run partnership with a flurry of boundaries. Hendricks was out soon after getting to his half-century but Rossouw continued to build a strong platform in the company of captain Dean Elgar. Rossouw scored the second half-century of the innings but it was Elgar who increased the pace with his innings and brought up his half-century too.

After a 95-run stand between the two, wickets fell at regular intervals. However, the batsmen who followed didn't let the scoring rate to fall and 84 runs came off the last 10 overs.

Chasing a big total, a lot depended on the opening pair of brother JJ and Kelly Smuts but both were out within the first four overs putting early pressure on the middle order. Colin Ingram and Davy Jacobs responded with half-centuries but the two lacked support from the rest. As the required rate started shooting up, the batsmen started faltering and McLaren ran through the tail to complete a big win.

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New Zealand blueprint cheated by rain

New Zealand have been frustrated by the rain since they arrived in Sri Lanka, but having lost the second ODI to Sri Lanka by 14 runs via Duckworth-Lewis, they will now feel somewhat cheated by it.

Sri Lanka were not struggling by any means - in fact for most of their innings, they were cruising - but the pitch had begun to slow down markedly, and New Zealand were two wickets away from exposing a middle order that has at times proven brittle.

They will feel particularly aggrieved by the weather because they had batted so well, and in doing so, had charted out a blueprint for success, not only to break out of their present rut, but also for an ODI future which allows only four men in the deep at any point.

The visitors' batting has become almost synonymous with collapse in recent times, but their approach in Pallekele was untouched by the impetuosity that has often been their downfall.

Rob Nicol began with uncharacteristic caution, resisting the urge to counter-attack during a fearsome Lasith Malinga opening spell, and opting instead to weather it out behind a series of defensive prods - most of which were unsuccessful in their ambitions of making contact with the ball. Still, despite edging past slip on four and almost being run out soon after, Nicol parried panic with patience, and was content to concede the early exchanges to the fast men.

BJ Watling batted at No. 3 as a stop-gap for Brendon McCullum, who sat out with back stiffness, and proceeded with as much caution as Nicol, unflustered by a run rate that was well below three at his arrival. Sri Lanka's bowlers were not darting the ball about as viciously as they had done in the Twenty20 on Tuesday, but New Zealand were not tempted to take them on. In the first 15 overs of their partnership, Nicol and Watling hit only five fours between them, defended well and often, and made most of their runs in risk-free singles. Their 83-run stand for the second wicket provided the middle order with the kind of platform they have not often been afforded.

When Ross Taylor arrived at the crease, the top order had blunted the worst of the movement, and he was clear to capitalise on their defence with a belligerent innings that exploited the stricter rules on field placings. Mahela Jayawardene used his extra man in the circle as a catcher for much of the innings, and was rewarded with the wicket of Watling who was caught at short midwicket, but he rarely placed more than one deep fielder square on either side, opting instead to give his bowlers cover at third man and down the ground. This meant Taylor could target the square boundaries with little fear. Sixty of his 72 runs came square of the wicket, including all but one of seven fours, and both sixes.

With the two new balls ensuring swing bowlers remain a threat for longer in the innings, and fewer fielders outside the circle during the middle overs, New Zealand have seemingly deduced that the new laws have tilted the game towards top order conservatism, particularly on a seaming pitch. If strokemakers can remain at the crease until the new balls have lost their venom, slow starts can quickly become rapid progress towards large totals.

"250 was above par," New Zealand coach Mike Hesson said afterwards. "It is the highest score New Zealand have got against Sri Lanka in Sri Lanka, and I think a par score would have been 230 or 240. BJ Watling and Rob Nicol played really nicely for us after losing a wicket early, and with the ball swinging for about 20 to 23 overs, they hung in there really well and set the game up for us."

Sri Lanka's innings was more evenly paced, as they stayed around 5 runs an over throughout, perhaps faced with less testing new-ball bowling - though they did also lose more wickets. With Jayawardene batting beautifully at 42 from 46 balls, the hosts deserved a victory more than New Zealand did when the rains came, but it was far from a certain win if the match had been allowed to continue.

"Sri Lanka are pretty top heavy. We got rid of two out of three of their big guns in the first 20 overs so we were pretty confident we were going to have a good crack at it," Hesson said.

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Hazlewood replaces Cummins in squad

Pat Cummins' loss is Josh Hazlewood's gain. The back stress fracture that will keep Cummins out of the home summer has in turn elevated Hazlewood to Australia's mandatory five-man pace battery ahead of the Gabba Test against South Africa, and may yet see him make his debut in Perth.

Already in Brisbane for New South Wales' Sheffield Shield match against Queensland, Hazlewood was told to remain in town instead of flying home with the rest of the Blues' non-Test players on Sunday evening.

Australia's hierarchy have been keen to have five fast bowlers on hand at each Test match this summer, not only in case of injury but also to allow the youngest paceman the chance to learn from the others.

Though his week with the squad in Brisbane is likely to be largely developmental in purpose, Hazlewood is likely to play for NSW in their Shield encounter with Victoria in Sydney from November 13 to 16, and may then be a chance to debut for Australia in the third Test against South Africa in Perth.

This possibility will be enhanced further should the selectors elect to choose a four-man pace attack for the Gabba, a tactic that has become more likely now that Shane Watson is in severe doubt for the match, and almost certainly unable to bowl in it.

Hazlewood's probable schedule was that originally intended for Cummins, mapped out some weeks ago before the glut of Twenty20 matches for country and club that ended with the 19-year-old nursing a major injury in November for the second time in as many summers.

First glimpsed in Australian colours in 2010 when he played a single ODI against England at Southampton as a teenager, Hazlewood has wrestled with a series of injuries since, but at 21 appears to be maturing into the sort of dependable seam and bounce merchant who could balance the speed of James Pattinson and the swing of Mitchell Starc in a future bowling attack.

He was consistently the most impressive Sydney Sixers bowler during the Champions League, plucking seven wickets at 16.17 while conceding a miserly 4.70 run an over.

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Radio Sport pulls out of SL Tests over high costs

New Zealand's Radio Sport will not be broadcasting live commentary from the ground for New Zealand's two Tests in Sri Lanka after the radio station failed to come to an agreement over the cost of broadcasting rights with Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC). Terming the deal as "expensive," Dallas Gurney, the radio's general manager of talk, said the price SLC asked wasn't cost-effective for the network.

NZC chief executive David White said the money being asked was "way above anything they'd [Radio Sport] done before."

"My understanding is what they were being requested to pay was significantly more than they've ever had to pay before. It was very challenging for them commercially," White was quoted as saying in Fairfax NZ News. "Our tour just recently to India was reasonable and not an issue, and it was covered. I don't know why in this instance it's so expensive and, hopefully, it's just a one-off."

The episode, which has parallels to the recent standoff between the BCCI and the BBC over the cost of radio broadcast rights, will not affect the stations' plans to broadcast live from New Zealand's tour of South Africa that starts in December and the tour of England next year.

"We've still got South Africa to come [in December-January] and Bryan Waddle [the radio's commentator] will be going to South Africa. We've pretty much got the rights sorted for that. And England after that, we'll have ball-by-ball coverage of that tour as well."

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Batting spot 'totally open' - Cook

Alastair Cook has welcomed the competition for places in the England team ahead of selection for the first Test against India on November 15. England have question marks in several areas, the most pressing of those being who will open the batting with Cook in Ahmedabad.

By being picked for the opening tour match, it was felt Nick Compton was the preferred choice but his two single figure scores have eroded his advantage. Joe Root, although making only 28 in the first innings of the second tour match, at least spent time at the crease and demonstrated patience and solidity.

Cook said there is no possibility of Jonathan Trott moving up to open the batting, therefore the three tour matches have become a shoot-out between Compton and Root.

"It's a cut-throat business and they both have an opportunity to score runs and push their claim," Cook said. "They're at different stages of their career. One's far more experienced and has got more runs behind him. The other one's a lot younger and has impressed everyone at every stage of his career. We're still waiting to see so these are important days.

"It was totally open when we picked the squad. Andy Flower and I haven't seen a huge amount of either. I've played against Nick a couple of times, and I played in Joe Root's first ever game in 2009. It was important we came here with a clear mind and I think we've done that."

Cook's debut came as a 21-year-old on England's 2006 tour of India; he therefore knows the value of giving youth an opportunity. "Joe wouldn't be in the squad if we didn't think he was ready to play," Cook said. "My own situation was helped by the fact I'd been in Pakistan the tour before with the team as cover for somebody and got to know the England system better. Without that I'd have felt very uncomfortable turning up in Nagpur where I made my debut. But Joe's been here since the start of the tour and has got to know the lads."

With England choosing to add a debutant opener, they will retain their experienced middle order for the first Test of Jonathan Trott, Ian Bell and Kevin Pietersen, whose reintegration into the England squad was described by Graeme Swann as a "seamless progress".

"It needed to happen," Swann said. "Everyone was wondering how it would go and whether it would be as easy as it has been, but a lot of credit has to be given to Kevin for the way he has come in. It's just business as usual and the dressing room is a very happy place this week."

Pietersen was rested for the second tour match after making 23 against India A before falling to the left-arm spin of Yuvraj Singh. But his place in the Test side is assured and Swann said Pietersen's place among the team jokes has also returned. "In the changing room, no one is safe," Swann said. "KP's the butt of as many jokes as anyone else. He takes it fine, so it's great."

Pietersen's return leaves one batting spot available at No. 6 if England maintain their favoured four-man bowling attack. Samit Patel's form with the bat, a century against India A and an unbeaten 59 on day one at the Dr DY Patil Sports Academy, has all but cemented that spot.

Day two against Mumbai A will see the battle for a place in the bowling attack for the first Test take centre stage. An opening could be created if Steven Finn does not recover. Graeme Onions will look to stake his claim and Monty Panesar will hope to convince the selectors to revert to two specialist spinners, a policy England last employed in the UAE against Pakistan in January.

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Lee offers to help injured Cummins

Brett Lee has volunteered to help the teenage fast bowler Pat Cummins rework his action after he was ruled out for the season with a stress fracture of the back. Cummins, 19, missed most of last summer with a foot injury and suffered a side strain during this year's tour of England, and his latest injury is not the first back problem he has encountered during his short career.

After scans revealed the extent of his injury, Cummins wondered whether he had fallen into bad habits with his action while playing so much short-form cricket, instead of bowling in the same manner he would when trying to swing a red ball. Lee had a number of injury troubles early in his career and he said he would be happy to pass on some advice to Cummins regarding the best way to bowl at express pace without damaging the back.

"I'm not saying in any way, shape or form that Pat needs to change his action," Lee told the Sun-Herald. "But there are some things I reckon I could help him with [such as how] to clean his action up to make it a little bit easier on his back.

"The one thing you don't want as a fast bowler is hyper-extension and counter-rotation [like] he has [and] as I did when I was at the same age ... I had that same set-up where there was a lot of twisting and turning in my action, which is where you get your pace from, but it does come at a cost."

Lee shrugged off injuries throughout his career to finish with 310 Test wickets and 380 one-day international victims, but unlike Cummins he did not make his Test debut until he was 23. Cummins was 18 when he wore the baggy green for the first - and so far, only - time against South Africa at the Wanderers last November, where he was Man of the Match for his seven wickets in Australia's win.

Cummins was especially impressive in the way he worked over the veteran Jacques Kallis, who struggled with a few short deliveries before edging to slip. The back injury means Australian fans will be denied the chance to see Cummins take on Kallis and the rest of the South Africans again this summer, and Lee said it was disappointing given what Cummins could have achieved on the Australian pitches.

"This is a real blow. He's a great fellow and I just want to see him out on the field and playing," Lee said. "I'm shattered for Pat because someone like him bowling 155kph to 160kph at the Gabba would be exciting to see. It would be great to see him match what the South Africans have. It's disappointing and frustrating to think we haven't got that now, though it's not the poor bugger's fault. I'm 100% confident he'll be back, but I would've loved to have seen him bowl to Jacques Kallis who, in my opinion, is the world's best cricketer."

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Khawaja fifty sets up Bulls win

Queensland 256 and 4 for 106 (Khawaja 54) beat New South Wales 184 and 175 (Warner 39, Gannon 4-61, Feldman 3-58) by 6 wickets
Scorecard

Usman Khawaja's second half-century of the match helped steer Queensland to a comfortable six-wicket victory over New South Wales at Allan Border Field. The New South Wales line-up was heavy on Test players but in their second innings it was the unheralded Queensland fast-bowling pair of Cameron Gannon and Luke Feldman who restricted them to 175.

The Blues resumed on 5 for 121, which was effectively 6 for 121 given that Shane Watson would not bat due to his calf problem, and they added 54 to their overnight total. Mitchell Starc made a brisk 25 from 17 balls before he was bowled by Feldman, who finished with seven wickets for the match, and Peter Nevill (28) was the other major contributor on Sunday before he was caught behind off Gannon, who took 4 for 61.

That left the Bulls chasing 104 and although Doug Bollinger removed the opener Wade Townsend for a duck, Khawaja and Peter Forrest ensured there would be no disaster for Queensland. Khawaja made 54, the same score he had made in the first innings, before he became one of two wickets for Trent Copeland, who also had Joe Burns caught behind for a duck. Forrest and Nathan Reardon knocked off the remaining runs as the Bulls cruised to 4 for 106.

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