Westley shows talent remains at Essex

Essex 177 for 3 (Westley 82*, Bopara 64) trail Gloucestershire 409 for 5 dec (Housego 150, Marshall 149) by 232 runs
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A recurring theme has developed at Essex with several young, talented players only flourishing after they've moved on from Chelmsford.

Varun Chopra and Chris Wright left for Warwickshire and have become two of the leading young players in county cricket - Wright with the support of bowling coach Graeme Welch, also formerly of Essex - Tony Palladino has grown having joined Derbyshire and over the winter Adam Wheater became the latest to depart, before scoring an unbeaten half-century on his Hampshire debut.

But dig below the surface and what appears a concerning trend is perhaps only a matter of unfortunate circumstance and one that doesn't concern head coach Paul Grayson.

"It's not a problem," Grayson told ESPNcricinfo. "Varun was offered a new contract at the club, we didn't want him to leave but he chose to go elsewhere, that's up to him. Chris has flourished at Warwickshire and with hindsight we shouldn't have let him go but that's the game. Tony left because he needed to after the betting scandal and Adam left because he wanted to keep wicket and Hampshire offered him that chance.

"It's only ever cricket reasons that these guys move on and if they want to be somewhere else, that's not a problem at all."

Having a few talented players leave the club may actually be a very positive sign. That Essex get players to a level where they can forge successful first-class careers is a fillip for their academy. Their side against Gloucestershire contains eight home-grown players. That Wheater left confirms the embarrassment of their riches, with the barriers to his opportunities being the best gloveman in the country, James Foster, and England Under-19 wicketkeeper, Ben Foakes.

"We produce as many home grown players as any other county in the country," Grayson said. "This side at the moment has a lot of Essex lads and that's something we should be incredibly proud of."

An academy product who is beginning to thrive at the county is Tom Westley. He led Essex's response from 23 for 2 to blunt any hope Gloucestershire had of winning this game. He really went for his strokes, a number of times driving length balls off the front foot with great confidence and scored a number of his runs with pleasant strokes between mid-on and cover. The most delicious of his drives was his tenth four, straight past the bowler, that brought up a half-century from 81 balls.

Westley made his Essex second-XI debut aged just 15 in 2004 and was offered the chance to open the batting when they were struggling to find a successful partnership in 2011. Last season Essex used six opening batsman but Westley emerged as the most successful and the spot became his for the latter half of the season as he went on to finish as Essex's top run-scorer in the Championship.

"Tom is developing all the time," Grayson said. "Some people are very impatient to see the finished article but Tom has improved every year. He had a good season last year and looks a better player again this summer. He spent the winter away, he worked very hard and we've got high hopes for him."

Westley had another strokemaker - and academy graduate - for company in the afternoon; play having not begun until 3pm. He and Ravi Bopara shared an entertaining stand of 116 in 35 overs. Bopara drove past a medium-pace wobbler from Benny Howell to end his brisk innings but it was Gloucestershire's only success as batting looked as straightforward as on day one.

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Chopra back in the old routine

Warwickshire 90 for 0 (Chopra 48*, Weswtood 31*) trail Derbyshire 226 (Palladino 68, Patel 3-37, Wright 3-48) by 136 runs
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Everywhere you look at Edgbaston, there seems to be a picture of Chris Wright and Keith Barker, grinning broadly, one hand each on the LV= Championship trophy. And with good reason. With 118 wickets between them, their strike bowling partnership was the key to many a Warwickshire victory.

Yet there was another key alliance at the heart of Warwickshire's success and the scoreboard at the close of day three in this rain-ruined beginning to their title defence might indicate that it remains in fine working order. The Varun Chopra-Ian Westwood partnership at the top of the order developed into one of the most reliable in the competition. Both batsmen ended the season averaging in the forties and five times they gave the Warwickshire innings the perfect platform by scoring more than 100 runs without being parted.

It was a contribution not to be underestimated. If the ability to take 20 wickets is key to winning Championship matches, then amassing totals that can be defended comes a solid second. The left-handed Westwood has endured some tough times in the last few years, fulfilling a career ambition by landing the captaincy but giving it up at the end of the 2010 season when he struggled for form. Subsequently, his place in the side was often little more than a stop gap when Ian Bell was on England duty.

He started last year slowly but his form picked up in the second half, when the partnership with Chopra was at its most formidable. In one six-innings sequence the pair compiled stands of 100, 175 and 136. Westwood made two centuries in August, 19 days apart.

Westwood's recovery has been to Chopra's benefit, too. The more at ease Chopra has become in the partnership, the more consistent has his form been. The only other England qualified batsman to pass 1,000 first-class runs in Division One last season was Nick Compton, who earned his elevation to the Test side as a result.

Chopra, a 25-year old right-hander, has prospered, like his team-mate, Wright, since moving to Edgbaston from Essex. He made 1,000 runs in 2011 as well. His reward -- alongside Wright -- was a place in the 17-man England Performance Programme squad in India and a Lions tour to Australia, where he scored centuries in two 50-over matches, the second in the first meeting with Australia A in Hobart. Like Wright, he has been named also in in the provisional squad for the ICC Champions Trophy.

Those spectators with the patience to wait for some action at a dank and gloomy Edgbaston yesterday saw Chopra and Westwood finish 10 short of another three-figure partnership, which will offer Warwickshire encouragement from a match destined to end in a draw. After the fragmented action that followed a 3.30 start, about 90 minutes of play was possible, and the conditions, in terms of pitch and atmospheric conditions, and the need to focus and refocus as stoppage followed stoppage, were hardly ideal for batting. Yet Chopra and Westwood set about their business with a familiar efficiency.

Derbyshire might consider themselves a little unlucky. Tim Groenewald saw Chopra dropped on 10, albeit off a very hard chance high in the air to Ross Whiteley at point, and edge just short of first slip on 19. But Chopra picked off nine boundaries to illustrate to the newcomers how narrow are the margins for bowling error in First Division cricket as Warwickshire finished the day with a platform for a decent yield of batting points on the last day, if nothing else.

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Glamorgan slump after Middlebrook knock

Glamorgan 134 and 96 for 4 (Hall 2-16) trail Northamptonshire 292 (Peters 67, Middlebrook 70) by 62 runs
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James Middlebrook struck 70 as Northamptonshire moved themselves into a winning position on the third day of their Division Two match against Glamorgan. Middlebrook top-scored with Northamptonshire making 292 all out in their first innings - opening up an overall lead of 158.

In their second innings, Glamorgan were reduced to 71 for 4 before finally ending the day still 62 behind.

Northamptonshire had resumed their first innings on 145 for 5, a lead of 11 after only 17.1 overs were possible on the second day. Andrew Hall and Middlebrook batted for the first 90 minutes of the third morning taking the visitors past 200 to register a batting point. But the sixth-wicket pair, who added 60, were separated when Hall drove Mike Reed straight to Ben Wright at point.

Northamptonshire had reached 218 for 6 by lunch - a lead of 84 - boosted by a pull for six over backward square by Middlebrook off Graham Wagg. Middlebrook cleared the rope again after lunch striking slow left armer Dean Cosker for his second six as he moved into the 40s.

Glamorgan took the second new ball and Michael Hogan broke through almost immediately to have David Murphy caught at slip. After a rain break Wagg claimed the last three wickets in the space of 13 balls as Northamptonshire were dismissed for 292. First he bowled David Willey before trapping Stephen Crook lbw for eight and then having Middlebrook at slip by Allenby.

Glamorgan openers Ben Wright and Will Bragg survived until tea. Bragg batted with Cosker as a runner after not fielding for most of the day. The openers batted well until both perished in the space of only five balls.

Bragg was trapped leg-before to Willey before Wright edged a rising Hall delivery to Trent Copeland at first slip. And former Australian international Marcus North failed for a second time, edging a good Crook delivery behind as Glamorgan slumped to 69 for 3.

Stewart Walters then fell to a sharp catch by wicket-keeper Murphy standing up to Hall, meaning four wickets had fallen for the addition of only nine runs. Jim Allenby and Murray Goodwin, who scored 3 from 41 balls, took Glamorgan to the close without any further scares.

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Yorkshire batsmen learn hard lessons

Yorkshire 96 and 228 for 8 (Jaques 57, Magoffin 4-50) trail Sussex 356 (Brown 93, Joyce 92, Nash 80) by 32 runs
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Division One cricket is a hard school and that is precisely as it should be. Such a state of affairs is something which Yorkshiremen of the Close and Trueman generation would applaud. Jason Gillespie and Andrew Gale have also been full of praise for the top tier of English cricket and virtually every Yorkshire player has been keen to say how much they were looking forward to testing themselves against the best in the land once again.

All of which will make their signal failure to live with a dynamic Sussex team over much of the first three days of this match all the more galling. Yorkshire's batting on the first day was mediocre, their bowling on the second mostly anaemic and their batting on Friday, with the honourable exception of Phil Jaques, error-strewn until Gary Ballance and Ryan Sidebottom added 80 runs for the eighth wicket in 29 overs. When the umpires took the players off nine overs before the scheduled close the home side were 228 for 8 and will almost certainly suffer their first four-day defeat in 19 games at some stage on Saturday morning.

Sussex's cricket, by contrast, has been dynamic, purposeful and skilled. Jaques, whose 57 was largely responsible for his team's showing, before Sidebottom and Ballance came together, admitted that Ed Joyce's men had "come at Yorkshire hard" and that his team had been second-best for much of the contest.

On the third day, that flinty approach was personified by Steve Magoffin, who removed Jaques with a fine delivery and then induced Azeem Rafiq to play on next ball. When the Australian bowled Liam Plunkett after tea - the entire morning session had been lost to rain - a three-day finish beckoned and, indeed, this would have been a two-day affair but for earlier interruptions.

Other Sussex bowlers also enjoyed success; Joyce's attack hunted as a ravenous pack. However, they found some Yorkshire batsmen only too ready to cooperate in their own demise. Adam Lyth was the first to go, essaying an airy waft down the leg side off James Anyon. The same bowler then dismissed the Gale three balls later, the captain's tentative push being the limpest of efforts in a tough situation for his team.

Jonny Bairstow added 39 with Jaques but a straight, good-length ball from Jordan defeated his expansive drive. This pitch may not have been the easiest to bat on over the course of the match and Jaques' astute point that bowling a side out for 96 inevitably gives the opposition's batsmen a measure of freedom is very valid, but it still remains true that the Yorkshire top order will need to sell their wickets far more dearly over the next five months if they are to cope with the best county attacks in the land.

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NBP seal third straight win

Mohammad Nawaz's all-round performance helped National Bank of Pakistan beat Khan Research Laboratories by 12 runs at the Lahore City Cricket Association Ground. This was KRL's third straight defeat, and NBP's third consecutive win. NBP, after being asked to bat, started poorly, with Nasir Jamshed (4) and Sami Aslam (1) back in the hut in quick time. Kamran Akmal (40) and captain Fawad Alam (57) had to do the repair work. NBP, though, then slipped to 95 for 5. Alam hit his 18th List A fifty before being dismissed by Mohammad Irfan. Alam helped add 54 with Nawaz to take his team towards 206.

In reply, KRL openers Mohammad Yasin (34) and Tayab Riaz (47) laid a solid foundation with an 82-run stand but three wickets in quick succession put KRL on the back foot. Saeed Anwar Junior was the only batsman who offered some resistance. His 55 was in vain, as Raza Hasan (4-36), Nawaz (2-36) and Imran Khan (31-2) ripped though the line-up to bowl out KRL for 194 in 49.1 overs.

Hussain Talat's hundred and Harris Sohail's brisk was too much for Port Qasim Authority, as Zarai Taraqiati Bank Limited won by 8 wickets at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore. Asked to bat, PQA were off to a good start, with opener Khurram Manzoor scoring his second hundred of the tournament. Shahzaib Hasan (37), Umar Amin (42), and Tanvir Ahmed (36) chipped in with cameos to power PQA to 297 for 6 in 50 overs.

The ZTBL reply was strong, with the openers adding 169. ZTBL lost Sharjeel Khan (81) and Babar Azam (10) in relatively quick time, but Talat (141*) and Sohail (56*) remained unbeaten to take their side home. ZTBL chased down 298 in just 42.2 overs.

Water and Power Development Authority, spearheaded by Rafatullah Mohmand's hundred, defeated Habib Bank Limited by five wickets at the National Stadium Karachi. WAPDA chased down a commanding total of 287 with Rafatullah (102), Saad Nasim (84) and Sohaib Maqsood (66) helping complete the chase with 15 balls to spare.

WAPDA had put HBL in to bat. Imran Farhat (11) and Younis Khan (25) fell without making a significant contribution. Two young batsmen, Ahmed Shahzad (112) and Asad Shafiq (79), boosted HBL to a good total. Shahid Afridi scored just 5 while Junaid Khan was the key wicket-taker for WAPDA, taking 4 for 42.

Abid Ali's 91 and Kashif Bhatti's 4 for 38 helped United Bank Limited beat Pakistan International Airlines by nine runs at Shaheed Mohtarama Benazir Bhutto International Cricket Stadium, Ghari Khuda Bakhsh. Put in to bat, PIA reduced UBL to 53 for 4 at one stage. But the middle and lower orders chipped in. Itmad-ul-Haq (28), Shabbir Ahmed (22), Kasif Bhatti (20) and Mohammad Irshad (23*) guided their team to 222 for 8.

PIA, in their reply, began poorly. Agha Sabir (40) and Sheharyar Ghani (52) then tried to resist but Bhatti, along with Mohammad Zubair, shared seven wickets to bowl out PIA in 48.3 overs.

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Rushworth stars as the ball rules

Durham 250 and 92 for 8 (Thomas 3-19, Trego 3-23) lead Somerset 134 (Rushworth 6-58, Onions 4-41) by 210 runs
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This was the kind of day that gives county cricket a good name. Strokeplay might have been in short supply, but almost every one of the 18 wickets to fall was the result of excellent seam bowling and fielding; only one player could be said to have given his wicket away and the battle between ball and bat was engrossing. Durham's collapse to 92 for 8 - still a lead of 210 - in the latter half of day loosened their grip on proceedings but Somerset had already been undermined by then.

Somerset finished their first innings 118 runs behind but Durham's second knock was similarly afflicted, as controlled, lively seam bowling accounted for the top four batsmen for 20 runs by the 12th over. The role Graham Onions had played in the morning was replicated in the afternoon by Peter Trego. The allrounder bowled Keaton Jennings and Will Smith, and had Mark Stoneman caught behind before Alfonso Thomas wheedled out three of Durham's middle order, including the dangerous Ben Stokes and Paul Collingwood on either side of tea.

That Durham are still just about in control of the match is down to their first innings, which gained lustre overnight. They were all out off the last ball of the first day and might now reflect that 250 was not too bad a first-innings score on the opening day of the season.

The inroads into the Somerset order on Thursday morning were made by Graham Onions, the leading wicket-taker in first-class cricket last summer. He last played in a Test match in June - and suffered on England's tour of New Zealand - so will have been pleased to take the first three wickets of Durham's season with selector James Whittaker looking on. He bowled with pace, accuracy and some hostility, and his wickets included the crucial one of Marcus Trescothick, in his third over. The majority of his peers consider Trescothick to be the best player in county cricket, and there was much jubilation when he was out.

Onions' new-ball partner was Chris Rushworth, who was wicketless in his first spell but returned before lunch and soon had Craig Kieswetter caught at first slip. He went on to take five further wickets in the afternoon session including top-scorer Jos Buttler, who, one ball after smacking a six over midwicket, played all around a straight one. Rushworth finished with career-best figures of 6 for 58 to leave Somerset 132 all out. The accuracy with which Onions and Rushworth exploited helpful conditions was indicated by six slip catches, an lbw, and a bowled.

Rushworth's career has been a curious one, the sporting equivalent of snakes and ladders. A modest ascent occurred early on when, after impressing in minor counties cricket for Northumberland, he was given a one-day debut by Durham at the age of 19. He spent the next five years back playing league cricket for his home town club in Sunderland, and in Australia during the winter. Durham kept an eye on him, though, and by 2010 had seen enough to offer him an extended opportunity at first-class level. His most significant climb came in the 2012 season, by the end of which he had taken 38 wickets and established himself as first choice to partner Onions at the start of the innings. He climbed another ladder here.

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Sussex dreamers cut a dash

Yorkshire 96 and 27 for 1 trail Sussex 356 (Brown 93, Joyce 92, Nash 80) by 233 runs
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This was a day when Sussex viewed the loss of wickets as necessary tariffs to be paid on the pathway to greater prosperity. Like TE Lawrence's dreamers of the day, they sought to make their wishes reality by bold strategem and admirable risk-taking. It worked, too.

Beginning the morning on 104 for 3, a lead of eight, Joyce's men added 252 runs in 51.5 overs to be bowled out for 356. They then removed Alex Lees, caught at slip by Chris Jordan off Steve Magoffin for 4, before bad light and rain ended play 34 overs early. Already, just two days into the County Championship season, Yorkshire's batsmen are 233 runs in arrears and face an interesting test of their technique and resolve in the top tier of English cricket. The forecast for tomorrow may predict dull weather but the sport on view at Headingley should be gripping.

There was scarcely a moment in Thursday's play when Sussex did not try to seize the game by its very throat. Rory Hamilton-Brown set the tone in the first hour by spanking five boundaries in a breezy 26 and Joe Gatting made 20 off 23 balls before he skied Azeem Rafiq's first ball to wide mid-off where Jack Brooks ran round to take a good catch.

Sussex's tactics were plain. With bad weather predicted - it didn't arrive until 3.45pm - the batsmen were intent on taking every chance to force the pace and establish a large lead. This approach was best expressed by the batting of Ed Joyce and Ben Brown, who added 120 in 23 overs either side of lunch as the Yorkshire attack was eviscerated. Joyce, who insofar as the innings needed an anchor had done the job, made 92 off 140 balls before he edged Brooks to slip. He deserved a century but not as much as Brown, whose batting was something of a revelation.

The Sussex wicketkeeper hit 14 fours, some of them sublime, on his way to 93 and three figures seemed his for the taking when a full delivery from Brooks rattled the ash. Yorkshire were encouraged by these successes and Brooks celebrated by having Jordan lbw next ball. But by then the lead was over 200; Sussex were over the hills and far away as far as the match was concerned. The loss of the last five wickets for 38 runs still left Joyce's bold adventurers with a first-innings lead of 260.

It was an interesting day for Rafiq, who conceded 70 runs in his 15 overs, and even more so for Yorkshire's Championship debutant Brooks. The ex-Northamptonshire seamer's first 9.4 overs in the innings cost 60 runs; he then took four wickets in 15 balls at a cost of 15 runs and finished with 4 for 76 off 13 overs. At least he stuck at it but it was interesting to compare his figures to those of the admirable Ryan Sidebottom, who took 4 for 72 in 21.5 overs.

At the end of the day Brooks was talking with conviction about Yorkshire chances of winning the game if they "bat long". "Really?" the sceptical Leeds crowd might reply in unison. Most White Rose diehards would be very happy with a draw on Saturday evening. Unless a lot of weather intervenes, even that would be a significant achievement. But this is Headingley after all and perhaps Brooks will be celebrating his four wickets with a bottle of the '81 this evening.

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Robson leads the way for cosmopolitan Middlesex

Middlesex 297 for 6 (Simpson 77*, Robson 76, Rogers 50) lead Nottinghamshire 278 by 19 runs
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It is probably only natural that a club based in the middle of one of the most ethnically diverse cities in Europe will reflect the community it serves. But, even by the standards of London, this Middlesex side is a cosmopolitan bunch.

It contains two men born in Australia, three men born or brought up in South Africa, one born in German, another in Wales and one each from Lancashire and Kent. Even the two London-born players, Tim Murtagh and Toby Roland-Jones, have previously passed through the Surrey system. You could make a strong case to argue that not one of this team have developed through the Middlesex development programme.

Middlesex, noting their reliance upon imports, have invested heavily in their facilities in recent times and it is hoped, in time, they will be more self reliant.

But they were grateful for a couple of their imports on the second day of this game. First Sam Robson established a platform before John Simpson built on it to earn Middlesex a position from which they could earn a match-defining advantage on day three.

Robson looks a fine player. There is more than a passing resemblance to Mike Atherton in his determination and the way he looks at the crease, with the fluency through wide mid on and the similarities of the cut stroke most uncanny.

But quite who benefits from his development remains to be seen. Robson, who claims he is uncertain over his qualification status, was born in Australia, played for the U19 side and returned to participate in Grade cricket this winter. He has a British mother, however, and is ensuring he spends enough time in the UK to qualify for England at the start of the 2014 season. In this weather, that probably shows some level of commitment.

Bearing in mind Australia's current dearth of batting talent, however, he could well be one of three men in this match (Chris Rogers and Ed Cowan are the others) considered for national selection some time before then. His options remain open and Australia could do a great deal worse.

Certainly he was reluctant to categorically confirm his commitment to England when asked about it at the close of play. "Everyone wants to play international cricket," he told ESPNcricinfo. "I'm loving playing in England and my home is in London. I'm not looking at anything more than that."

Whether that is a satisfactory situation in a county game that must is duty bound to support the development of the England team is debatable. While it might be argued that players like Robson help raise the standard, it might equally be argued that they impede the progress of young men who would be less equivocal in their national commitments. Robson, understandably focused on making his way in the game, is hardly to blame for the unsatisfactory regulations.

Robson, keeping with the theme of this match, battled hard only to then play a large part in his own downfall. Throwing his hands at a wide ball, he edged to the keeper in a spell of play that brought Nottinghamshire back into the game; a shot he later described as "criminal". Middlesex, having posted 106 for the first wicket, then lost five wickets for 69 runs. Still trailing by 103 with their top-order gone, the match was in the balance.

That Nottinghamshire side were unable to capitalise upon that position was largely their own fault. On a pitch offering variable bounce and in conditions offering just enough seam and swing, they delivered far too many release balls to build the requisite pressure. Middlesex accumulated 160 runs in boundaries and another 38 in extras - including 11 from wides and eight from no-balls - as Nottinghamshire's bowlers squandered the conditions and sprayed the ball around.

"We're slightly disappointed," Luke Fletcher, the pick of the bowlers, admitted afterwards. "We didn't put the ball in the right areas enough. It is still moving around and swinging."

Gareth Berg - South African born, but an Italian international cricketer - and Simpson also deserve some credit. The pair added 116 for the sixth wicket with Simpson registering his first half-century in the Championship since September 2011. He drove and cut nicely, but could count himself fortunate that Nottinghamshire's bowlers remained so inconsistent. He had earned his side a lead of 19 by the time bad light ended play 9.2 overs early. Possibly, had Ollie Rayner been dismissed, play could have continued: if is often said you can see clearly once Rayner has gone.

Perhaps the cold contributed to Nottinghamshire's problems. In conditions so cold that even Captain Oates would think twice before venturing out for a walk, the floodlights remained on for the entire day and fielding was an uncomfortable business.

When Nottinghamshire did stick to a decent line and length, they won due reward. Chris Rogers, who may have nudged the Australian selectors once more by passing 19,000 first-class runs on his way to another half-century, perished when he left a straight one that swung back at him before Joe Denly, Dawid Malan and Neil Dexter were all forced onto the back foot by sustained and impressive spells of short bowling and then dismissed when they failed to get fully forward to fuller balls.

While Fletcher may still more resemble the chef at Hooters he used to be than an elite athlete, he bowled with skill and discipline. Ajmal Shahzad, among some pretty horrid stuff, also bowled some excellent deliveries, but Andy Carter, feeding the cut shot, endured a disappointing day and Andre Adams, by his lofty standards, was surprisingly inconsistent.

Middlesex's hopes of pressing for victory could be harmed by an injury to James Harris, though. The club fear he has a hamstring strain, but hope he has been suffering from cramp after his exertions on the first day. It remains to be seen if he will bowl again in the game.

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Moeen defies workmanlike Lancs

Worcestershire 227 for 6 (Moeen 78) v Lancashire
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Any illusions that Lancashire would find Championship promotion easy were dispelled on an attritional opening day at Old Trafford. Lancashire puffed without ever threatening to blow the house down; Worcestershire seemed more concerned with self-preservation than domination on their own return to Division Two.

When these sides met at Old Trafford in Division One last season, Moeen Ali claimed 12 for 96 in the match with his offbreaks. He continued his fine record at the ground, albeit in a different discipline, with a mature 78 as Worcestershire held their own.

Despite his considerable talent, Moeen's batting average was only 25 last year: an important reason why Worcestershire only won one Championship game. Light on his feet and a crisp timer, Moeen's cutting, and a straight six off Simon Kerrigan, showed why he has a reputation as a stylist. Yet it was his discipline - he lasted 188 balls - that was even more impressive, although he was dropped in the gully after a loose cut on 41. It was a shame when, attempting to replicate his earlier six against Kerrigan, Moeen was caught at long-on. Still, his cousin Kabir Ali would have looked on enviously: a new signing for Lancashire but not playing here, he has a problem with his knee that the county will monitor over the next month, though he looked sprightly warming up.

Without Kabir, Lancashire's attack was unable to rise above the workmanlike. Both Glen Chapple, into his 40th year, and Kyle Hogg (with an opening spell of 8-3-11-0) were typically parsimonious but Lancashire would have hoped for more when they inserted Worcestershire. The suspicion remains that an injury to Chapple could make regularly taking 20 wickets, even in Division Two, a struggle.

So Wayne White's Lancashire Championship debut was encouraging. His first ball could scarcely have been worse - the longest of long hops - but at the end of his over he claimed the opening wicket, a leading edge from Matthew Pardoe that was athletically taken by Chapple at mid-on. Although he bowled too wide for periods, White consistently looked the most likely wicket-taker, generating more pace and bounce than the other seamers, and later had Alexei Kervezee sharply taken by Steven Croft at second slip. Having averaged 30 with bat and ball in his last two seasons at Leicestershire, White may prove one of 2013's most prudent signings.

In a largely turgid day, the highlight was a duel between Kerrigan and Thilan Samaweerawa, making his county debut aged 36. The Sri Lankan is an excellent player of spin, able to hit the ball powerfully in front of the wicket or with finesse behind it. So it was to Kerrigan's huge credit that, the ball after Samaraweera had glided a delivery for four to third man, he claimed him caught behind with a slightly quicker delivery.

Despite Samaraweera's anger at his dismissal, Worcestershire could be very satisfied with their day. It did not start well. Richard Jones was injured in the warm-up and was replaced by David Lucas before Daryl Mitchell lost the toss. Mitchell himself then suffered what Worcestershire described as a "24-hour bug", and didn't bat until No. 7. He didn't look like a man who needed the exercise of running quick singles, but, along with the almost strokeless Neil Pinner, withstood Chapple's probing second new ball spell. Luke Procter's nagging seam claimed Pinner lbw for 29 as Worcestershire closed on 227 for 6.

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Crook four puts Northants on top

Northamptonshire 108 for 3 (Peters 60*) trail Glamorgan 134 (Crook 4-30) by 26 runs
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Steven Crook claimed four wickets and captain Stephen Peters cracked a half-century to put Northamptonshire in a strong position at the end of the first day in Cardiff.

After being put into bat Glamorgan were bowled out for 134 in 50 overs with the last nine wickets accruing only 76. Crook took four for 30 in 12 overs. Northamptonshire responded with 108 for 3, a deficit of 26, with 20.3 overs of the day remaining when rain brought a premature close with Peters on 60 not out.

Glamorgan, who gave debuts to Murray Goodwin, the former Sussex batsman, and Australian Michael Hogan, struggled to 74 for 4 at lunch. Ben Wright was caught behind by wicketkeeper David Murphy off David Willey in the third over before opener Will Bragg and Stewart Walters looked as if they had weathered the threat of the new ball putting on 51 in 20 overs before Northamptonshire struck to take three wickets in the space of 17 balls.

Bragg was caught at square leg by Kyle Coetzer off Crook before Walters was trapped lbw by Andrew Hall, who pulled off a sharp catch at first slip to remove Marcus North to give Crook his second victim.

It did not get much better after lunch as they slumped further to 117 for 7. Much had been expected of Goodwin but he went for just eight in the sixth over after the break, caught behind off Willey. Jim Allenby lasted only another six balls before he was trapped leg before by Trent Copeland.

Some positive batting from Mark Wallace gave Glamorgan brief respite before the captain was bowled not offering a shot to Crook. Dean Cosker hung around for 18 balls without scoring, acting as a foil to the hard-hitting Wagg, before he was bowled by Hall. Wagg was Glamorgan's last hope of posting a half-respectable score but after reaching 26 from 36 balls he edged to Copeland at third slip to give Crook his fourth victim and Hogan was last man out.

In reply, Northamptonshire had reached 17 when they lost their first wicket when Kyle Coetzer was bowled by Hogan and after tea Reed claimed two wickets in two balls. David Sales was caught in the gully before Alex Wakely was trapped lbw.

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Bailey shows immediate value

Hampshire 286 for 4 (Bailey 93, Vince 77*, Ervine 57*) v Leicestershire
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Australian newcomer George Bailey marked his debut by making 93 as Hampshire recovered to 286 for 4 after losing both opening batsmen without a run on the board.

Leicestershire captain Ramnaresh Sarwan decided to field first under overcast skies and was rewarded with the wickets of Jimmy Adams and Michael Carberry in the first five overs. Adams was bowled fifth ball by Alex Wyatt and Carberry edged defensively to new wicketkeeper Niall O'Brien to give veteran former England bowler Matthew Hoggard an early breakthrough.

But then Bailey, the Australian T20 captain, joined Liam Dawson in partnership of 141 for the third wicket in only 32 overs as Leicestershire struggled to make the best of their promising start. Sarwan used seven bowlers before lunch as Tasmanian Bailey dominated the stand, rapidly outscoring Dawson to help Hampshire seize the initiative.

Dawson, the more circumspect of the two, reached 46 from 83 balls before he chased a wide delivery from medium-pacer Ollie Freckingham and gave Jigar Naik a catch in the gully. Dawson's wicket was Freckingham's first in first-class cricket and he followed it with another four runs later when Bailey was dismissed in sight of his century.

Hampshire had reached 150 for 3 when Bailey, who led Tasmania to Sheffield Shield glory last month, was stumped as he attacked Freckingham. Bailey, fluent from the start despite only joining the squad recently, made light of the dank conditions by striking 14 fours in his 133-ball innings.

His exit failed to give the frail Leicestershire attack any respite and James Vince and Sean Ervine - the hosts' fifth-wicket pair - soon got on top every bit as commandingly as Bailey had done before them.

Bad light and rain eventually intruded after 71.2 overs, by which time Vince and Ervine had added a further 136 runs without being troubled or in danger of being parted. At the premature close, Hampshire's recovery was complete with Vince unbeaten with 77 and Ervine, who has just signed a new contract with the county, 57 not out.

After their early successes, Leicestershire's bowling fell away even though conditions were always helpful. Freckingham finished the day with figures of 2 for 71 from 14 overs but, like his team-mates, struggled to contain the free-scoring Bailey.

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Mahmood left out but Essex bowlers still toil

Gloucestershire 300 for 3 (Marshall 124*, Housego 120*) v Essex
Scorecard

Sajid Mahmood's career remains on hold after he was left out of the first Essex squad of the new season. But his reputation may have been polished in his absence as Essex's attack were rendered impotent by an unbroken, double-century partnership for Gloucestershire's fourth wicket between Dan Housego and Hamish Marshall.

Having played eight Tests and 26 ODIs only to fall away - his last England appearance was in 2009 - Mahmood spiralled further into the abyss after being released by Lancashire at the end of last season and failing to find a new deal at a Division One county.

Essex offered him a chance to rebuild but James Foster, the captain, said Mahmood was out-bowled in pre-season and didn't warrant inclusion against Gloucestershire. Instead, Mahmood was at Derby playing for Essex second XI. He took 1 for 40 and was overshadowed by Rees Topley - a young bowler of great promise - who returned 4 for 20.

"Saj had a good pre-season but it was one of those things where he's bowled well but the other guys have bowled better," Foster told ESPNcricinfo. "It's only the start of the season but Saj is a quality performer and he'll be featuring heavily this season.

"I'm really impressed with the bowling unit. I believe it's the best attack I've seen since I've been at the club, with six big seamers."

It would appear some luxury for Essex to have resources to leave a big-name signing out of their side. Perhaps Mahmood has now been relegated from big-name status. But only his best would have improved Essex's fortunes on the opening day of the season as Marshall and Housego compiled a chanceless 229-run stand at almost three-and-a-half an over - a fourth-wicket record against Essex.

The partnership began after lunch and saw them through to the close. It was a rare day of batting dominance from Gloucestershire and looked unlikely from 34 for 2 with both openers dismissed by David Masters. But in Marshall, Gloucestershire have a player who could easily be playing Test cricket and Housego, a determined player with a solid technique. The pair gave Gloucestershire a dream opening to 2013.

Housego arrived in Bristol on the back of a superb second-XI season for Middlesex in 2011 but he failed to transfer that to regular first-team cricket last season. He gets a long stride in when playing forward but his best stroke came from a slightly shorter stride to flick Graham Napier's first ball after tea through midwicket. The timing was immense.

Usurped by Marshall for the first ton of the year, he nervously played off the back foot into the covers on 99 and could have been run out. The throw missed and Housego had his first first-class century for Gloucestershire.

It was steady work on a slightly slow wicket that was green-tinged. That and the history of Gloucestershire's batting - most pertinently they were shot out for 180 and 146 here last season - was all the encouragement Foster needed to insert them having won the toss.

But his bowlers didn't probe away consistently enough, especially Maurice Chambers, who at one stage of the afternoon had conceded over four-an-over. Masters was Masters - nipped a couple out with the new ball and kept it tight - and Napier found a little seam movement from the Hayes Close End after lunch. Aside from that, including the second new ball, there was only the hard work of the visiting batsman for a healthy day one crowd to get excited about.

Despite the close score, Foster was satisfied with his bowler's efforts. "I guess it's one of those where you hope it's going to do more for a longer period of time than it did," he said. "It would have been nice to have another wicket by lunch but after that, credit to the batsman. We did not bowl poorly."

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Ervine refuses winter contract, opts for club cricket in UK

Craig Ervine, Zimbabwe's leading run-scorer across all three formats on their recent tour of West Indies, has refused a winter contract and will not be part of the series against Bangladesh. Ervine has instead opted to play club cricket in the UK. Meanwhile, the threatened player boycott has been averted after eight players signed winter contracts.

He is one of three players who decided not to take up Zimbabwe Cricket's offer. The other two, Sean Williams and uncapped Pakistan-born Sikandar Raza, are still in discussions with the board.

All-rounder Keegan Meth and bowlers Shingi Masakadza and Tendai Chatara, who were a part of the squad that toured Caribbean, are among the players who have signed the winter contracts. The team has resumed training, after only the centrally contracted players took to the field while negotiations were on-going.

Ervine, who has played four Tests since Zimbabwe made their Test comeback in 2011, has not made the reason for his decision public, but a source close to the players told ESPNcricinfo that the money offered by ZC amounted to only US$100 a week. He is likely to earn at least double that overseas. His brother, Sean, walked away from Zimbabwe Cricket, seeking stability in the UK, and there are fears more players could do the same in the future.

Though Zimbabwe's preparations for the Bangladesh series, which begins in nine days, are back on track, the financial situation in ZC is still unresolved. An insider revealed that although the centrally contracted players "don't have many complaints" over what they earn, the situation among franchise players is dire.

Franchise cricketers are contracted for seven months of the year on low salaries, which according to one player only "pays for the rent". They are left to fend for themselves for the other five months and most of them try to play overseas in that time. However, since ZC tries to schedule international fixtures during the winter, they often have to choose between higher income from club cricket and playing for their country, where they only earn match fees.

A player, who did not want to named, said monies are often paid late or not at all. "Every single cricketer in Zimbabwe is owed money of some sort," he said. "We are due to be paid from our franchise contracts on the last day of the month. Sometimes by the 10th of the next month, we still don't have our money. Some people may say we are greedy, but we have bills to pay. It's sad that it pays more to play club cricket abroad than it does for the country, but that's the way it is."

With that in mind, those who have accepted winter contracts will be aware that they have signed up for some uncertainty. Their contracts will cover four tours, including the Bangladesh series, the three ODIs against India and series against Sri Lanka and Pakistan. Franchise cricketers will be given fresh contracts from September 1, while new central contracts will be announced in August.

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Nasir Hossain plays down expectations

Bangladesh batsman Nasir Hossain has said the team will have to handle the weight of expectations on them in Zimbabwe, their closest rivals in Test cricket, and played down the lack of training at home ahead of the tour. Bangladesh leave for Zimbabwe on Wednesday, about a week after returning from Sri Lanka on April 2.

"When we play a team like Zimbabwe, we always have that pressure of trying not to lose," Nasir said. "If we can overcome that pressure than we will be able to play normal cricket. When we play against a big team there is nothing to lose for us and we can play 100% without any pressure."

"I think Zimbabwe is a very difficult opponent in their own backyard. They are well prepared to give us a hard time, but we are confident we can beat them."

Nasir recently scored his maiden Test hundred and had a fruitful tour of Sri Lanka, which included a match-winning innings in the third ODI and a half-century in the first game of the series. Like many in the team, he has been playing constantly since the start of the domestic season in October. As a result, he doesn't think a few days of practice ahead of the departure for Zimbabwe would have made any difference.

"We just had a tour of one month so we are not [out] of practice. In Zimbabwe we will get a few days before the start of the series and that would help us to recover.

"It is due to the prevailing condition in the country as we opted for safety first. Even if we had done it [trained], it would not have been anything more than two days and I don't feel that we could have made a huge difference in this short span of time."

Nasir was in the Test squad when Bangladesh last played against Zimbabwe, but he didn't get a game. He made his international debut in the one-day series there, and has established his position as a middle-order batsman. He will again be expected to play a key role in the Test series, as he had done in Sri Lanka when the team was without some big names.

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Rafatullah powers WAPDA to victory over UBL

A Rafatullah Mohmand century helped WAPDA pull off a 76-run victory over United Bank Limited at National Stadium in Karachi. Asked to bat first, WAPDA got off to a flying start, with opener Mohmand (107) and Saad Nasim (75) laying a solid 140-run stand. A brisk 31-ball 62 by Aamer Sajjad, along with Mohammad Ayub (33) powered WAPDA to an imposing 352 for 5. Shabbir Ahmed was the pick of the bowlers, taking two wickets.

UBL got off to a decent start, despite losing opener Khaqan Arsal with the score on 19. Saad Sukhail (84) and Imran Ali (70) shared a 147-run stand for the third wicket, but it wasn't enough to lower the asking rate, with UBL losing wickets on a regular basis. Kashif Bhatti scored a quick fire 37, which included two fours and three sixes, before being dismissed by Kashif Naved, who took best figures of 3 for 19 in five overs. UBL ultimately reached 276 for 8, falling short by 76 runs.

Zarai Taraqiati Bank Limited wrapped a comfortable eight-wicket victory over Khan Research Laboratories at Lahore City Cricket Association Ground. KRL put on 200 for 9 after being asked to bat first, with the main contributions coming from Saeed Anwar jnr (51 off 101 balls) and Shoaib Ahmed (46). Iftikhar Anjum had best figures of 3 for 39, and he was ably supported by Zohaib Khan with 2 for 34.

While chasing, ZTBL never faced a serious threat as Sharjeel Khan (90) and Babar Azam (72 not out) chased KRL's total with more than 13 overs to spare. KRL were laden with international bowlers like Mohammad Irfan, Yasir Arafat and Rahat Ali, but the target was not defendable. Irfan was the only bowler to have any success, picking up 2 for 38.

Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited beat Port Qasim Authority by four wickets at the Gaddafi Stadium Lahore. After choosing to bowl, PQA removed Mohammad Hafeez in the first over. Azhar Ali battled hard for his 95, with No.7 batsman Mohamamd Rizwan contributing 83 to help the side put on a respectable 238.

PQA's chase centered around opener Khurram Manzoor, who hit a match-winning century to help lead the side home with 40 balls to spare. There was a mini jolt for PQA, as they lost two quick wickets on 203, but Umar Amin (32) and Kamran Younis (20*) held their nerve to chase down the target for the loss of only six wickets. Manzoor hit three sixes and 13 fours in his innings of 115.

Habib Bank Limited beat State Bank of Pakistan by three wickets and eight balls to spare. SBP chose to bat, with Kashif Siddiq (69) and Usman Saeed (49) top scoring as they posted 231 for 8. Abdur Rehman, Ehsan Adil and Mohamad Aslam all picked up two wickets apiece.

HBL got off to solid start with Ahmed Shahzad (61) and Imran Farhat (49) putting on a 97-run opening stand. They lost a few in the middle overs, leaving the score at 122 for 4. A 54-run partnership between Asad Shafiq and Aftab Alam helped restore balance to the innings. Shafiq (57*) and Fahad Masood (20*) ultimately took the team home despite two slip-ups, as they finished with three wickets and eight balls to spare.

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Yorkshire forced to deny Rashid rift

Yorkshire have been forced to deny a rift with their legspinner Adil Rashid, with the start of the Championship season only a few hours away.

Rashid was quoted in the Independent on Tuesday as saying that if his season did not go well he would insist on going to another county on loan - the same route followed by Ajmal Shahzad, whose disenchantment with Yorkshire led him to play out last season with Lancashire before joining Nottinghamshire on a three-year deal.

A statement from Yorkshire said that the interview had taken place on January 24 and that Rashid had apologised to the captain, Andrew Gale, for the embarrassment caused.

Rashid only took 16 wickets at 41 runs each in 10 Championship matches last season and his batting fared equally badly - 129 runs at 16.12. His reputation as an exciting England legspinner in the making has collapsed, as he has even fallen out of recent Lions squads.

"Now is the time to draw the line, and if it happens again I'll say: 'OK, I'll go out on loan somewhere else to play'," he said in the original interview. "I hope it doesn't come down to that. I've been playing here seven years and I want to stay. But I have a career and I can't waste another year.

"It's hard to come straight on and hit your length and line with every delivery if you're hardly bowling and the coaches and people around you don't give you the backing."

Rashid said that he accepted some of the blame, but it had to be shared with the captains and the coaches. "If a player's not performing, don't just all of a sudden disrespect him, or think: 'Oh, he's nothing now' then as soon as he starts playing well: 'OK, I'll respect him again now'.

"The captain knows what I can do because I've got 200-plus first-class wickets. He should have thought: 'OK, he's done this in the past, I need to back him.' If I don't get that from the captain obviously my confidence is going to go down."

In response, Martyn Moxon, Yorkshire's director of cricket, said: "It is disappointing and frustrating that this article has been used on the eve of the season. Although an interview was conducted in January, the way Adil has worked and behaved throughout the winter would not suggest to me that we have a problem.

"Adil has worked extremely hard and has been a vibrant member of the squad. He is someone who is valued at the club and all the staff here are committed to helping him become a consistent performer and fulfil his obvious potential."

There was also the sound of backtracking from Rashid. "It was an error of judgement to make those comments to the media back in January," he said. "Yorkshire is a great club and there is a very positive atmosphere within the squad. I just want to concentrate on my game and work hard to be part of Yorkshire's aim for success in 2013."

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Kaushal Silva hands SSC Premier League title

Sinhalese Sports Club 324 (Silva 171, Dilhara 4-77) and 262 for 4 (Silva 88) beat Moors Sports Club 262 (Jayasuriya 68, Gunathilaka 4-54) and 323 (de Saram 101, Madushanka 4-87)
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details

Sinhalese Sports Club has triumphed in the Premier League Tournament final, defeating Moors Sports Club by six wickets in the four-day match at SSC. League top-scorer Kaushal Silva starred again, hitting 171 in the first innings to help SSC to a 62-run lead, before making a rapid 88 from 105 in the second innings, as SSC chased down the 262 runs they required, with only 4.3 overs still remaining in the game.

The hosts arrived on the final day still needing three wickets to end Moors' impressive third innings, and already 248 to get on the final day, in order to secure the trophy. Moors' resistance lasted only four overs on the fourth morning however - just long enough for Indika de Saram to complete his 28th first-class hundred, having ended the previous day at 89 not out. He made 12 of Moors' 13 runs to finish with 101, as the SSC fast bowlers made short work of the tailenders around him.

SSC then had 83 overs in which to secure victory, and they began with a positive half-century to Dimuth Karunaratne, who made 73 from 98. His opening partner Tharanga Paranavitana had taken 101 balls to make 32, but Silva's swift progress ensured the hosts did not fall behind the virtual asking rate. Perera hit nine fours and a six in his 88, but perished to the left-arm spin of Malinda Pushpakumara, five overs before the winning runs were hit by captain Thilina Kandamby, who had made 340 not out in the previous match to secure SSC's place in the final.

Moors had opted to bat on the first morning, but despite an opening partnership worth 108, could not bat themselves into a strong position, succumbing instead for 262 in the evening. Shehan Jayasuriya's 68 from 66, during which he hit 10 fours and a six, provided a good foundation, but Moor's middle order fell in a heap, and could not capitalise. From 108 for none, Moors stumbled to 147 for 4, largely thanks to left-arm seam bowler Charith Jayampathi, who dismissed both openers and effected a run out. Moors then launched recoveries through Janaka Gunaratne, then Chaturanga de Silva, who made 51, but both batsmen continued to lose partners at the other end and could not make a substantial-enough score themselves. Gunathilaka's offspin brought him 4 for 54, for SSC.

SSC began their reply poorly, and having reduced them to 59 for 4, Moors might were headed for a substantial first-innings lead despite their own sub-par score. But a stellar hand from Silva in a season full of them, not only rescued his side, but put them into a commanding position. He first featured in a 73-run partnership with Kandamby, before Moors struck four times quickly to have SSC eight down for 168. Silva's 102-run ninth-wicket partnership with Dhammika Prasad, however, took his side beyond their opponents' score, before his 54-run partnership with last-man Kasun Madushanka, took SSC well beyond 300. Madushanka made five of those runs.

Jayasuriya launched a quick start for Moors again, but could only make 35 from 31 this time, and his demise, with Moors still behind, brought two more quick scalps for the opposition. De Saram held firm on one end, but regular wickets fell at the other, and Moors were quickly in a desperate position, at 142 for 6. Captain Dilhara Lokuhettige, batting at No. 8, finally provided de Saram the support that he needed however, and Lokuhettige contributed 78 to the 167-run partnership that hauled Moors out of a mire. But his departure near the close of day three, exposed the tail, and his side would eventually finish runners-up after the drama of the final day.

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'I decided I'd finish the match' - Vihari

The plan Sunrisers Hyderabad team-mates Hanuma Vihari and Ashish Reddy discussed before Vinay Kumar started the final over of their match against Royal Challengers Bangalore was to play every ball and not panic. Sunrisers needed seven to register their second win in as many matches. "If we did not waste a single ball then seven runs were possible in the final over. But Ashish got out on the first ball," Vihari said a day after Sunrisers won a thriller in the Super Over.

When Dale Steyn walked in, the message was clear. "We discussed hitting bat on ball and running hard between the wickets and looking to take the match to the last ball," Vihari said. He watched Steyn take two runs from the second delivery of the over and then play and miss the third. "I decided I'd finish the match if and when I get the strike," Vihari said. He finally took strike with the Sunrisers needing four runs off the final two balls, which was reduced to two off the final delivery after he dug out a "good yorker" to get a double.

For the final ball, Vihari stood deep in the crease. As soon as Vinay delivered the ball, Steyn charged blindly forward. But Vinay second-guessed his opponent with a smart slower delivery. "I expected a yorker, but he bowled a slower ball. I tried to hit it hard for two runs but could not connect." Vihari ran a bye and could not believe it was a tie.

It was a bittersweet moment for Vihari and Sunrisers. Having restricted Royal Challengers to a modest 130, the hosts faltered frequently in the chase. And when the Lankan pair of Kumar Sangakkara and Thisara Perera departed in quick succession, the onus was on Vihari. Despite his age - 19 - Vihari decided to play the guiding hand to his partner Reddy, an aggressive player. Their 23-run partnership for the seventh wicket snatched the momentum in Sunrisers' favour. "A player like Ashish can strike at any given point. So I was telling him to pick the right ball and if it was not in his range to focus on taking singles and keep the dot balls count low," Vihari says.

It's this sensible streak that prompted the team management to promote Vihari to No. 3. Sangakkara, Sunrisers' captain, had decided to drop himself to No. 5 to counter the middle overs from the Muralis - Muttiah Muralitharan and Murali Kartik. "When early wickets fell, Tom [Moody] told me I would bat at No. 4. My plan was to take it as close as possible to the target," Vihari said.

Despite his batting prowess, Vihari's most telling impact had come with the ball - in fact his very first ball of the match. Sangakkara had already told him that he would be bowling with the new ball against Chris Gayle since the Jamaican had got out a few times in the past to off spinners. Being the only off-break bowler in the team on Sunday, Vihari executed the plan nicely: pitching on the off he got a little bounce that surprised Gayle, who went for the cut and was caught behind.  "I have kept the picture of the Gayle wicket," Vihari says of his best souvenir.

A wristy player, Vihari is a good striker of the ball and plays shots on both sides of the wicket. His best innings to date has been against Mumbai in the Ranji Trophy this season when he scored a career-best 191 runs in a drawn match.

John Manoj, Vihari's coach at St. John's Cricket Academy in Hyderabad, noticed that the youngster could hit the ball "very hard" when he picked him as a nine-year-old. Manoj's best student has been VVS Laxman, who is the mentor at Sunrisers now. Manoj had helped Vihari join the St. Andrew School in Bowenpally in Secunderabad and observed a keen student in Vihari. "I observed him playing confidently against the ball on the rise against fast bowlers from a tender age," Manoj said. Last year Laxman was impressed by Vihari's strokeplay on wet practice pitches and enquired more about the youngster.

At the beginning of the IPL, Laxman told Vihari to "express himself and play his natural game" without getting distracted at all about playing such a big tournament. The significance of those words has not been lost on Vihari.

Vihari dedicated his Man-of-the-Match award to his mother, who was at the ground with his sister, and his late father, who'd died in 2005. At the time, the 11-year-old Vihari was playing in a school tournament. His mother asked him to play cricket since his father always wanted him to play cricket. "It was two days after his death but my mother asked me to go ahead and I decided to respect her word," Vihari says.

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Petersen to miss Somerset opener

Somerset are likely to be without Alviro Petersen for the first game of the Championship season.

Petersen, who has signed as club's overseas player for the first part of the season, has been detained in South Africa to complete fitness tests for the national board. He will fly on Tuesday night and arrive in London on Wednesday morning, leaving little time to complete the necessary formalities and travel to Chester-le-Street for the match against Durham.

"He will arrive in London on Wednesday morning," Dave Nosworthy, Somerset's new director of cricket told ESPNcricinfo, "so it's unlikely we can get him through customs and up to Durham in time."

Petersen's absence is a blow to Somerset. They are already without Nick Compton, who is being rested on the order of England following his impressive efforts for England over the winter, and hoped that Petersen could help plug the gap.

They do welcome back the seamer Alfonso Thomas, however, who had an agreement with the club to prioritise the Championship over any potential IPL contract. Somerset were second in the Championship in 2012, equalling their best-ever finish.

Warwickshire, last season's champions, are also set to be missing a key player, with Chris Woakes rested on the orders of the ECB. The allrounder is suffering from fatigue, so will not be available again Derbyshire. Keith Barker and Boyd Rankin are also out, with Dougie Brown, Warwickshire's new coach, confirming that Oliver Hannon-Dalby and 20-year-old Tom Milns will form the bowling attack alongside Chris Wright.

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Saqlain back as Bangladesh spin consultant

Saqlain Mushtaq will rejoin Bangladesh as their spin bowling consultant for the side's tour of Zimbabwe. He will join the squad in Dubai on Wednesday from where the team will travel to Harare.

The Bangladesh Cricket Board has a deal with the former Pakistan offspinner for 100 days of work this year, after his previous contract ended last December. This will be Saqlain's first assignment with Bangladesh in 2013. He wasn't with the team on their tour of Sri Lanka.

"We will only call Saqlain when the need arises," BCB's cricket operations chairman Enayet Hossain Siraj said. "We will not ask him to stay with us for a prolonged period. He will work for 100 days in a year, and this will start with the series against Zimbabwe."

Saqlain was appointed in July last year when Richard Pybus was head coach. He was with the team during the World Twenty20 in Sri Lanka and the subsequent home series against West Indies.

Meanwhile, Bangladesh have had to cancel their official training session scheduled for Tuesday due to the countrywide general strike. The team will get five days of training in Harare ahead of the first Test that begins on April 17.

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Lions end trophy drought

Highveld Lions 155 for 5 (de Kock 44, Davids 1-12) beat Titans 125 (Gibbs 22, Morris 2-18) by 30 runs
Scorecard

Lions ended a five-season trophy drought with a tense victory over their northern neighbours to cap off an outstanding season under new coach, Geoff Toyana.

They finished second in the first-class competition, were joint winners of the one-day cup and have finally added a second piece silverware to their cabinet since the start of the franchise system nine years ago.

For Titans, it was a less-than-ideal farewell to coach Matthew Maynard, who has chosen not to renew his contract with them. Despite having a full galaxy of international stars available to them, Titans were unable to chase down a moderate target as the Lions' bowlers defended with the tenacity and determination of the animals they are named after.

After their batsmen were repeatedly stalled in compiling a total, Lions appeared to have conceded the advantage early on. When Henry Davids and Heino Kuhn began the Titans' chase with 40 runs in the first four overs, it seemed Lions would once again succumb to their local rivals.

But a moment of inspiration in the field changed that. Davids got a thick edge to third man off Hardus Viljoen where Imran Tahir was stationed. Although not known for his fielding, Tahir took a difficult catch and steadied himself as he almost fell over the boundary to take the first wicket.

The Lions' spinners struck three times in the next four overs to claw their way back. Aaron Phangiso had Kuhn and AB de Villiers out lbw while Tahir dealt Farhaan Behardien the same fate.

But it was only when Herschelle Gibbs and Roelof van der Merwe were dismissed within three balls of each other, that Lions had a real chance. At 87 for 6, Titans needed to score at 9.8 runs an over for the next seven overs.

They still had the one person who could do that, Albie Morkel, up their sleeve. Having left the field after bowling 2.3 overs after turning on his ankle, it was unsure whether Morkel would be able to bat. He appeared uneasy on his ankle and hobbled through his first run but soon found his top gear.

He slog swept Tahir for six to announce his intent and formed a dangerous partnership with another big hitter, David Wiese. The latter showed his muscle with a six over mid-wicket but then offered a chance when he skied one to square leg but Sohail Tanvir dropped the chance.

Wiese and Morkel posted 35 runs, the second highest-stand of the Titans' innings, before Wiese was fell on his sword, caught at long-off. With him gone, most of the Titans' hopes went with him. The last four wickets fell in the space of 11 balls with all of the Lions' bowlers claiming two apiece. Morkel was the last man out, caught at mid-off against his IPL team-mate Chris Morris' bowling.

It spoke volumes of the improvement Lions have made in their strike bowling department, which for seasons lacked bite but outshone their batting today. Although Titans were without death-bowling specialist Alfonso Thomas, they managed to restrict Lions, especially in the latter parts of the innings. After the hosts scored 67 runs in the first eight overs, they managed just 88 from the last 12.

Quinton de Kock's outstanding form in the competition continued. He finished the competition with 524 runs, the highest-ever scored in this tournament. He opened the batting with his usual carefree aggression.

Rassie van der Dussen was happy to play second fiddle while de Kock took on the bowling and eventually got a leading edge back to Roelof van der Merwe to give Titans their first wicket. Lions tinkered with their batting line-up and moved Neil McKenzie up to No. 3.

The combination of youth and experience brought just 21 runs before de Kock hit Henry Davids' first ball of his second over, a full toss, straight down deep midwicket's throat. The Titans' captain stalled the Lions' momentum and it was up to his opposite number, Alviro Petersen, to get it back.

Petersen hit Davids into the stands and drove Marchant de Lange through the covers before he tried to do the same to Albie Morkel. Petersen swung, missed and his leg stump was out of the ground.

Sohail Tanvir was promoted in an effort to lift the run rate but he could not get going quickly enough. With McKenzie and Jean Symes, he added 41 runs in the last five overs with de Lange proving tough to get away at the end but it proved to be enough.

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Younis hits century in HBL win

Habib Bank Limited won a high-scoring match against Pakistan International Airlines by 27 runs in Karachi. HBL were put in to bat and started inauspiciously as Imran Farhat was dismissed first ball of the innings. Ahmed Shehzad and Younis Khan then put on a 142-run partnership for the second wicket before Shehzad fell to Shoaib Malik leg before. Younish and Asad Shafiq then combined for 118 runs for the third wicket. Younis, recently omitted from the 30-man pool for the Champions Trophy, finally fell for 101, with Shafiq scoring a quick fire 92 off 74 balls. Shahid Afridi played a cameo, scoring 39 off 15 balls, striking three sixes and three fours. Habib finished on 331 for 3 at the end of their allotted overs.

PIA lost Agha Sabir for 4, before Kamran Sajid and Shoaib Khan snr put on 92 for the second wicket to help steady the innings. Sajid was dismissed on 48, with Shoaib bringing up 52 before being bowled by Abdur Rehman. Malik scored an aggressive 108 off 76 balls to keep PIA in the chase, but was restricted by the fall of wickets tumbling at the other end. In the end, PIA fell by 27 runs as they were dismissed for 304 in the 49th over.

Sui Gas Northern Pipelines Limited pulled off a close two-run win over Zarai Taraqiati Bank Limited in their second match of the tournament. Batting first, SGNPL put on a strong batting display as their top three batsmen chipped in with key contributions. Azhar Ali struck his second consecutive half-century for SGNPL, top-scoring with 89 off 102. His innings built on an 83-run opening partnership between Mohammad Hafeez and Taufeeq Umar and a late flourish from Khurram Shehzad took SGNPL to a strong 314 for 5.

ZTBL began their chase confidently as Sharjeel Khan and Hussain Talat shared an opening stand of 96. The middle-order built on their start, as Babar Azam and Haris Sohail struck half-centuries. Sohail missed out on his first List-A century, falling to Asad Ali for 99. His innings, which came off 89 balls, included five fours and two sixes. ZTBL struggled once their top four were dismissed and their innings eventually finished at 312 for 6. Mohammad Hafeez was the most economical bowler for SGNPL, conceding 33 runs in his 10 overs of offspin. Bilawal Bhatti took three wickets for an expensive 77 runs.

State Bank of Pakistan won a thriller against Water and Power Development Authority by three runs in Ghari Khuda Baksh. SBP were put in to bat, and had contributions from their top- and middle-order, through Kashif Siddiq (11), Gulraiz Sadaf (29), Rameez Raja (23) and Usman Arshad (26). Adnan Raees and Usman Saeed combined for 107 runs for the fifth wicket, with both being dismissed finally for 54. WAPDA's bowlers took wickets regularly throughout the innings to prevent any substantial partnerships, as SBP finished on 244 all out.

WAPDA's innings started abjectly as they lost both openers with the score on 12. After losing Aamer Sajjad caught behind for 27, Sohaib Maqsood and Mohammad Ayub combined for a fourth wicket partnership of 144. Maqsood finished on 119, as he was dismissed with 37 runs required. Ayub and Naved-ul-Hasan then brought the game very close, falling an agonising three runs short of the target at the end of their innings. Ayub would finish unbeaten on 64.

The biggest win of the day came at Gaddafi Stadium, where National Bank of Pakistan hammered Port Qasim Authority by nine wickets. After being sent in, PQA managed to put up 248, thanks chiefly to Khurram Manzoor's 94. Medium-pacer Imran Khan, who hadn't taken a wicket in his past four games, took four wickets to be the most successful of the NBP bowlers.

If PQA thought they had put up a competitive total, they were made to change their minds by NBP's openers, Kamran Akmal and Sami Aslam, who put together a 201-run stand that effectively ended the contest. Akmal hit 22 fours as he remained unbeaten on 132, while Aslam fell for 82. NBP finished off the game in the 39th over, with nine wickets still in hand.

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Sunrisers clinch Super Over victory

Royal Challengers Bangalore 130 for 8 (Kohli 46, Ishant 3-27) tied with Sunrisers Hyderabad 130 for 7 (Vihari 44*, Henriques 2-14)
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
Sunrisers Hyderabad won the Super Over

Sunrisers Hyderabad rode on the power of Dale Steyn's experience to pick up their second consecutive win, this one over Royal Challengers Bangalore, after the game had gone into Twenty20 cricket's sudden death - the Super Over. Steyn had to defend 20 runs, thanks to Cameron White's two blazing hits off Vinay Kumar, and came out on top as Royal Challengers fell five runs short.

The teams had fought tooth and nail throughout the forty overs in front of a noisy crowd in Hyderabad. Defending seven, Vinay bowled an impressive 20th over for the second game in a row - conceding only six - but could not repeat the performance in the tiebreaker. He was Virat Kohli's go-to man after he had defended 10 runs off the last over against Mumbai Indians.

The seesaw battle began with Sunrisers staying on top as they restricted the strong Royal Challengers' batting line-up to 130 for 8 in 20 overs. What would have happened to the Royal Challengers' innings without Kohli and Moises Henriques was hard to say. The pair contributed 90 to the total.

After Chris Gayle fell dramatically to part-timer Hanuma Vihari's first ball in IPL cricket, and Tillakaratne Dilshan was bowled by Ishant Sharma, Kohli had to resurrect the innings. Karun Nair helped him a little by adding 20 for the third wicket, before Kohli and Henriques put on 43 for the fourth. Kohli then fell to a return catch by Ashish Reddy in the 14th over; he had struck the only six of the innings in his 44-ball 46.

Henriques' 44 came off 40 balls with five boundaries, and his innings held it together for Royal Challengers towards the finish. He was the seventh batsman out, at the start of the final over bowled by Ishant, who finished with 3 for 27. It was a performance in contrast to the night Dale Steyn had, having finished with 1 for 37 in four overs.

The Sunrisers' chase was held together by newcomer Vihari's unbeaten 44 off 46 balls but he never took the game away from Royal Challengers. He would have expected someone like his captain Kumar Sangakkara to take the lead but the Sri Lankan batsman made just 16. The game boiled down to such a finish because of a 23-run stand for the seventh wicket between Vihari and Ashish Reddy.

When Reddy joined Vihari in the 17th over, Sunrisers needed 30 off 23 balls. Vinay, who had just heroically run out Amit Mishra, was smashed for 14 in the 18th over, with Reddy slamming a straight six and a slog-swept four. Murali Kartik had to keep Royal Challengers in the game and he gave away seven runs in the penultimate over before Vinay forced the tie.

White and Thisara Perera were Sunrisers' choice for the Super Over, and they outdid Royal Challengers' Gayle and Kohli.

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Hartley, Coulter-Nile win state awards

The wicketkeeper Chris Hartley has been named Queensland's player of the year for 2012-13 while the fast bowler Nathan Coulter-Nile won Western Australia's equivalent award after a strong summer. The state awards period was wrapped up at the weekend with the Queensland titles handed out and Hartley almost swept all categories.

He won the Ian Healy Trophy as the state's player of the year and also picked up the one-day player of the year prize and the players' player award after a season in which he completed the double of 500 Sheffield Shield runs and 50 dismissals. However, the Shield award was the only honour Hartley did not collect as that went to the captain James Hopes for a season that brought him 473 runs at 31.53 and 32 wickets at 22.75.

Hartley was Queensland's second-leading run scorer in the Shield behind Joe Burns, with 510 runs at 28.33 and he also picked up 51 catches and a stumping. The likelihood is that Matthew Wade and Brad Haddin will be Australia's two glovemen on the tour of England later this year but all the same, Hartley's efforts are a reminder to the national selectors in an Ashes year of his consistent output - it was the fourth time he had completed the double of 500 runs and 50 dismissals.

In Western Australia, Coulter-Nile had another encouraging summer and will be in contention for the Ashes squad, although fast bowling is not an area in which Australia lack depth. He collected 26 Shield wickets at 27.92 and was the second leading wicket taker in the Ryobi Cup with 16 victims at 23.18.

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Pollard trumps Dhoni in close clash

Mumbai Indians 148 for 6 (Pollard 57*) beat Chennai Super Kings 139 for 9 (Dhoni 51) by nine runs
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details

Not many sides win a Twenty20 game from 83 for 6 in the first innings. Not many sides have Kieron Pollard, who once again showed how much damage he can cause if he gets some time in the middle. On a pitch where both line-ups crumbled, barring both No. 6 batsmen, Pollard was the difference, although MS Dhoni almost stole the match from Mumbai Indians' grasp with an ever more outrageous counter-attack. Fittingly, with Chennai Super Kings needing 12 off six, Pollard intercepted what looked set to be another Dhoni six on the deep midwicket boundary, sealing the game for his side with an acrobatic catch.

Pollard had breathed life into a stalled Mumbai Indians innings, which had gone nowhere after Sachin Tendulkar had fallen leg-before to Dirk Nannes in the opening over for a golden duck. Ricky Ponting and Rohit Sharma soon followed Tendulkar. Although Dinesh Karthik looked in fine touch, when he departed for 37, Mumbai Indians were 59 for 4 in the ninth over and the Super Kings seamers were on top.

Pollard batted quite sensibly, willing to go without scoring for several deliveries, knowing that when he wanted, he could always collect six with his power and reach. Half of the 38 deliveries he faced were dots, but he also biffed five sixes. Even when he went for the big strikes, he wasn't taking risk. He would just lean forward to length or full deliveries and lift them over long-on.

From 83 for 6, to add 65 in eight overs, with Harbhajan Singh for company, was quite an achievement. Harbhajan's contribution, a run a ball 21, was crucial. Carefree swiping was put away and the strike was turned over. When it wasn't, to Pollard's disappointment in the final over, Harbhajan himself found the boundary. Pollard cracked Dwayne Bravo's final ball of the innings over long-on to ensure there would at least be a contest in the game.

There almost wasn't one, though, as the Super Kings batsmen played a series of poor shots to leave their side gasping at 66 for 5. M Vijay walked too far across to be bowled, Michael Hussey missed a slog to be bowled, Bravo drove loosely, and S Badrinath went too far back when he should have been forward.

Dhoni walked in, and the match started to turn. An upper cut appeared, a whiplash drive, a calm pull. Soon the long-on and deep midwicket boundary was being peppered with monster sixes, even as batsmen kept arriving and departing at the other end. Pollard took the most punishment, five of Dhoni's eight boundaries coming off him.

Forty needed off 18. Dhoni lashed 17 off a Pollard over. 23 needed off 12. Dhoni found the stands at deep midwicket again, this time off Mitchell Johnson, to zoom to 50 off 24. Both Pollard and Johnson sprayed a couple of wides each, such was the effect Dhoni's assault had.

First ball of Munaf Patel's final over, Dhoni went for six more, targetting deep midwicket again, but this time, the towering figure of Pollard stood in the way, and made one final, decisive impact.

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Maynard quits as Titans' coach

Matthew Maynard will take charge of the Titans for the last time in the domestic Twenty20 final at the Wanderers on Sunday. He has decided not to renew his contract with the franchise and will return to the UK at the end of the season to take some time off and concentrate on running the Tom Maynard Trust, a foundation set up for his late son. The Titans are hopeful he will return to them in the future.

Maynard was involved with the franchise for two seasons but his tenure was underlined by tragedy. After his first summer, in which the Titans won the first-class competition and the T20 title, his son Tom died after running onto the tracks in a tube station. From that moment, it was uncertain whether Maynard would return.

He did, but it was with a heavy heart. The Titans, who lost their CEO Elise Lombard to a heart attack as well, slumped to last in defence of the first-class trophy, without registering a win in the competition. They fared better in the fifty-overs format, where they lost the playoff of the one-day cup. Their best performance has come in T20s, where they have qualified for a second, successive Champions League, and will contest the final against Lions. A source close to Maynard said he only felt he was coaching properly in the last three weeks.

Despite that, he has been credited with having a major impact on many of the players. Faf du Plessis said Maynard had helped him develop his temperament in the longer format, Farhaan Behardien and Henry Davids earned national call-ups, with the latter also succeeding in a leadership role.

Davids took over captaincy of the Titans in Maynard's second year and said the coach was "right up there with the best I have ever worked with." He thanked Maynard at the Titans' awards dinner on Friday night and added the coach would be "welcomed back any time." Davids hopes that after some time away from the game, Maynard will go back to SuperSport Park.

Vincent Sinovich, the chairman of the Titans, echoed that sentiment. "It is a big loss for the franchise. Matthew has provided great leadership to all the players within our structure. I truly appreciate the loyalty and dedication he has demonstrated throughout his time with the franchise. There has been uncertainty for a while if Matthew would continue, but we had always hoped that we could convince him to stay," he said.

Maynard gave no indication of whether he is considering a future in cricket. "I leave for personal reasons. I want to thank everyone involved for giving me the opportunity to be a part of this wonderful team and family," Maynard said. "I will always be part of the Northerns' family."

He told Davids he believes the batsman is "the right man" to lead the franchise and the rest of the team that they are a "very special squad". He handed out the award at the dinner, which included giving Roelof van der Merwe both the player of the year and the players' player of the year awards. Davids was awarded one-day cricketer of the year.

The Titans have not set a time-frame for naming Maynard's replacement but will now have to look for a third coach in four seasons.

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BCB optimistic about World Twenty20 preparation

The 2014 World Twenty20 Cup will begin on March 16, but the organisers are confident that the prevailing political tension in Bangladesh will not hamper its preparations. The final has been slated for April 6 next year, and a press conference was held in Dhaka on Saturday to mark the one-year run-up to the tournament.

But the press conference was held during a general strike while the logo-launching ceremony to be held in the evening will begin at the end of the strike.

"The political situation during an election year in Bangladesh is usually unstable so I hope the situation will change during the World Twenty20s," ICC vice-president AHM Mustafa Kamal said. "Government and opposition leaders had come to watch the Asia Cup last year, so we believe that the political parties will not create any obstacles."

Apart from this, the BCB will have to deal with the issue of infrastructure as construction is yet to begin on the proposed stadium in Cox's Bazar, while the one in Sylhet is still incomplete. BCB president Nazmul Hassan remained upbeat about both venues completion.

"As far as I know, the Cox's Stadium will be handed over to the BCB. We can start work next week if we receive a letter in this regard on Sunday. We will begin work on the wicket and ground as soon as possible.

"There is not much left to do in the Sylhet venue. The floodlights and the dressing-room are there to be completed. It is stalled due to bureaucracy, so if it is delayed we will build it using BCB's finances," said Hassan.

Bangladesh have already co-hosted the 2011 World Cup, including the opening ceremony, but the BCB were not clear about there being a similar programme ahead of the 2014 event.

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Cooper last-over seals victory for Royals

Rajasthan Royals 165 for 7 (Dravid 65, Binny 40, Yadav 4-24) beat Delhi Daredevils 160 for 6 (Warner 77, Cooper 3-30) by 5 runs
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details

An electric late rally in the field, completed by a stoic over of pinpoint yorkers from Kevon Cooper, saw Rajasthan Royals begin their IPL campaign with a thrilling five-run win over Delhi Daredevils at the Feroz Shah Kotla. Daredevils were hurtling towards their target after 17 overs, with only 22 runs to get, and a flourishing David Warner at the crease. But Cooper ignited his side with a five-run over in the 18th that ended with a wicket, before a direct hit from acting captain Brad Hodge at cover dismissed Warner in the penultimate over, to give his side hope of a still-unlikely victory.

Nine runs were required off Cooper's final over, but the bowler delivered six yorkers, two of which dismissed panicking Daredevils batsmen, and provided the IPL's first week with its second nail-biting result. Johan Botha was out lbw, attempting a reverse paddle with seven required from four, before Andre Russell also fell trying to hit the ball fine with six needed from two, only this time Cooper cleaned him up. New man Naman Ojha had to hit a six off the last ball for Daredevils to salvage victory, but could not connect with a wide yorker, sparking ecstatic celebrations from Royals.

Daredevils' death-over meltdown almost mirrored Royals' returns from the same period of their innings, after the visitors had managed just six runs from their last two overs, and lost four wickets. Royals had arrived in the 18th over at 159 for 3, and were eyeing a 180-plus total that seemed par on a good batting surface. They however lost four batsmen in six balls, including Rahul Dravid, whose immaculately paced 65 off 51 held the team's innings together.

Dravid had arrived at Kusal Perera's demise in the third over, and aside from a controlled edge to the third man fence first ball, was largely content to collect singles to begin with, despite the fielding restrictions. When the bowlers erred, as Andre Russell did when he served up a wide delivery in the sixth over, Dravid's placement and timing ensured the desired boundary was achieved.

He was dropped twice in the 12th over, when he began to introduce more aggression to his innings, but he was undeterred, and having made only 22 from his first 26 deliveries, he quickly achieved a more laudable strike rate through the middle overs.

For Daredevils, Warner was also relatively reticent to begin with, allowing opening partner Unmukt Chand to provide the early innings impetus, and striking at no better than a run a ball until the tenth over of the innings. When he eventually exploded in earnest, with two fours off Rahul Shukla in the 13th over, Daredevils appeared to be executing a measured chase.

Warner was dropped early in his innings, and had one more reprieve just after hitting fifty, as he continued to maul some indifferent Royals bowling through the middle overs. Just before Daredevils hit their wall, Warner launched Siddharth Trivedi in the 17th over for 13. After Warner's demise however, none of the Daredevils batsmen seemed capable of finding the boundary, and Royals achieved revenge for the mighty close defeat they had suffered last year, in the same fixture.

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