Taylor, Rainsford efforts in vain

Mid West Rhinos 151(Waller 78, Mushangwe 4-11) and 247(Taylor 133, Tiripano 4-76) lost to Mountaineers 299(Pettini 100, H Masakadza 78, Rainsford 8-42) and 100 for 2 (H Masakadza 47*, Rainsford 2-21) by eight wickets
Scorecard

Brendan Taylor scored an aggressive ton in Mid West Rhinos' second innings and Ed Rainsford picked up 10 wickets in the match, but a lack of support from the other batsmen meant the contributions went in vain as Mountaineers completed a comfortable eight-wicket win at Mutare Sports Club. Rhinos, who were 148 runs behind Mountaineers after the first innings, were put into early trouble in the second innings as Calum Price struck in his first, third and fourth overs to remove Rhinos' top three batsmen with 48 runs on the board. Another two wickets went down soon to put the Rhinos in danger of losing the match by an innings, but Taylor combined with Simon Mugava, who scored 28, in a 99-run sixth-wicket stand to briefly resurrect hopes of a turnaround. However, wickets started tumbling soon after Donald Tiripano broke the stand and Rhinos finished on 247, setting up an easy target of 100 for Mountaineers.

Hamilton Masakadza and Mark Pettini then took Mountaineers home with an unbeaten half-century partnership after Ed Rainsford had removed both the openers early.

In the end, it was Rhinos' first innings below-par total that was the difference between the two teams. Rhinos had chosen to bat first but lost six wickets for less than 50. Only Malcolm Waller, who scored 78, and Neville Madziva, who scored 39, were able to get into double-digit scores and it was their 98-run stand that gave some respectability to Rhinos' total. Natsai Mushangwe was the most successful bowler with 4 for 11. In response, Pettini scored a century and shared a 122-run stand with Masakadza, who scored 78, to set-up Mountaineers' total of 299 despite Ed Rainsford's eight-wicket haul, his best figures in first-class cricket.

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Hampshire turn to George Bailey

George Bailey, Australia's Twenty20 captain, will play for Hampshire as their overseas player in 2013. The club have also agreed a new one-year deal with former South Africa batsman Neil McKenzie, who will be available as a Kolpak player in all competitions from June.

Hampshire, the reigning Friends Life t20 and Clydesdale Bank 40 champions, recently lost out on the services of Simon Katich, who has agreed to join Lancashire for next season. Bailey, the first Australian since the very first Test match in 1877 to make his debut as captain, averages nearly 40 in first-class cricket and will help fill the hole left by Katich.

Being based in England may also aid his international chances, with the Champions Trophy being held in the country, followed by the Ashes. Although Bailey has yet to feature in Test cricket, Australia's tour includes five ODIs and two T20 internationals, the first of which will take place at Hampshire's West End ground.

"I've heard a lot of good reports about Hampshire as a county and am really looking forward to playing there next year," Bailey said. "It's my first time playing for a county and the talks with Giles White have been very positive. I can see the guys did very well last year, and knowing that I'm joining a side that has tasted a lot of success in recent times but wants to get even better is a real attraction."

Bailey has previous experience of playing in England, having featured on Australia A's tour of England in 2012. He has also played for Scotland as their overseas player in domestic limited-overs competition, averaging 36.63 with one century, as well as an innings of 90 against Hampshire in 2010.

Hampshire manager, Giles White, said: "We are excited by the arrival of George, who fits the age profile of the squad well and adds further leadership and batting quality to the group. We hope that this is the start of an ongoing relationship and that he plays a part in shaping the future fortunes of the club."

McKenzie will also be part of Hampshire's squad, for the fourth year running. The 36-year-old was part of the team that won both domestic limited-overs competitions in 2012 and also played a crucial role in Hampshire's 2010 T20 success.

"I'm very happy to be returning to Hampshire next year," he said. "I always enjoy my time playing county cricket and the family has found a home from home in Southampton. We did pretty well this year but promotion to County Championship Division One is a priority and I'm sure we can do it."

There is no place for Bilal Shafayat in Hampshire's plans for next seasons, however. Having joined on a one-year contract after impressing on trial, Shafayat made 289 runs at 28.90 in eight Championship appearances and has not been retained.

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Coyle to quit as Tasmania's coach

Tasmania's coach, Tim Coyle, will step down at the end of this season, ending a highly-successful seven-year tenure. Coyle took charge of the Tigers in 2005 after the departure of the previous coach Brian McFadyen and in 2006-07 delivered the state's first Pura Cup/Sheffield Shield title when they beat New South Wales in the final in Hobart.

Another Sheffield Shield title followed in 2010-11, and Coyle was also at the helm when Tasmania won the one-day competition in 2007-08 and 2009-10. Coyle, 52, said he felt that with his contract expiring at the end of this summer it was a good time for Tasmania to move on under a new mentor.

"I feel that the time is right for the Tigers to have a new voice and for me to finish up as head coach," Coyle said. "It's been a fantastic ride, and once the season finishes it is time for me to have some time away from the game and spend some more time with my family and friends."

Tony Harrison, the chairman of Cricket Tasmania, said Coyle's outstanding record spoke for itself and he had been a fine servant of Tasmanian cricket.

"Tim is passionate about what he believes in and much of that passion is for Cricket Tasmania, his teams and cricket in Tasmania, however we understand the time is now right for him to spend more time with his family and have a break," Harrison said. "Tim has nurtured many talented Tasmanian and interstate player from the junior ranks through to national representation and can be justifiably proud of these achievements along with the sustained success of the Tasmanian Tigers.

"Without doubt, Tim Coyle is the most successful current coach in Australian cricket and his contribution to our Association, State and players cannot be over-estimated. The current strength of Tasmanian cricket owes much to Tim Coyle and the culture he has developed and fostered, and we will do all we can to ensure that he remains part of our structure in the future."

Cricket Tasmania will spend the next few months searching for Coyle's replacement.

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Morkel takes five as Australia make 550

Lunch South Africa 0 for 3 (Petersen 3*, Smith 0*) trail Australia 550 (Clarke 230, Warner 119, Hussey 103, Morkel 5-146) by 547 runs
Live scorecard and ball-by-ball details

Morne Morkel's first five-wicket haul against Australia ensured South Africa didn't endure another long day in the field as the hosts were dismissed for 550 shortly before lunch on the second day in Adelaide. South Africa's openers had to face four overs before the break and they got through unscathed, heading to lunch on 0 for 3 with Graeme Smith yet to score and Alviro Petersen on 3.

A mountain of work was ahead for South Africa, especially given that their most prolific batsman, Jacques Kallis, could not come in above No.7 in the order having left the field with a hamstring injury on the first morning. However, the South Africans could at least take heart from the fact that twice in the past decade, a team has lost having posted a 550-plus total batting first at Adelaide Oval - something that outside Adelaide has only happened once in Test history.

The Australians added 68 to their overnight score for the loss of their last five wickets and the majority of their runs came from the No.9 James Pattinson, who played some impressive strokes in reaching his best first-class score of 42. He crunched Dale Steyn for a pair of boundaries through the off side and cleared the rope twice off Imran Tahir before he was the last man out, edging Steyn to Graeme Smith at slip.

The day had started on a positive note for South Africa when Morkel bowled Clarke, who added only six to his overnight score and was dismissed for 230. The rewards kept coming for the hard-working Morkel when he had Matthew Wade caught behind for 6, trying to drive a delivery that angled across him, and his five-wicket haul arrived when Ben Hilfenhaus hooked a short ball and was caught at fine leg for a duck.

Morkel's previous best in an innings against Australia was three wickets, and he finished up with 5 for 146 from 30 overs, his workload having increased significantly due to Kallis being unavailable. There was also a moment of relief and joy for Rory Kleinveldt, who claimed his first Test wicket when he had Peter Siddle caught at slip for 6. The umpire called for a replay to check that Kleinveldt, a serial no-baller, had not over-stepped, and by a matter of millimetres his wicket stood.

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Best injury set us back - Gibson

West Indies' bowling attack lacked fire after lunch in Khulna, when the fast bowler Tino Best left the field due to a hamstring injury. It was testified by the late surge by Bangladesh's ninth-wicket stand. West Indies coach Ottis Gibson believes Best's injury, which prevented him from bowling more than ten overs in the day, would stretch the rest of the attack.

"The team was missing Tino Best after lunch, it was a big blow for us," Gibson said. "The impact that Tino had on the last Test match, and then to come and miss him after lunch, was a bit of a blow for the guys. Everybody else had to dig a little bit deeper."

Fidel Edwards was one of the bowlers who dug deep. He claimed his twelfth five-wicket haul, and second against Bangladesh in consecutive Tests. His pace was enough to push Nazimuddin deep into the crease, in the third over of the morning, and allowed a catch to be fended to short leg. He was lucky to have Naeem Islam drag a wide delivery on to the stumps but his pace and movement accounted for Shakib Al Hasan, Mushfiqur Rahim and Sohag Gazi.

After the Dhaka Test last year, and before this spell, Edwards took only nine wickets in 11 innings. As a result, he wasn't picked for the Tests at home against New Zealand in August and also wasn't part of the first choice in the first Test of this series. But Gibson praised his effort, particularly the manner of his comeback. "He is a quality performer. He was waiting in the side to come back. He proved the sort of bowler that he is," Gibson said.

Edwards said the wicket of Mushfiqur Rahim gave him a lot of satisfaction. "The captain [Mushfiqur Rahim] was starting to get set. He is the guy who can anchor the innings. Once we got him, we could push for more wickets. The wicket is really flat where the batsmen can get off to a flyer, so you have to bowl in good areas," he said.

The setback due to Best's injury was exacerbated by Sunil Narine's lacklustre display. He went wicketless for 19 overs on the day, after an ordinary showing in the first Test in which he picked up three late wickets in the first innings.

"He's a quality bowler, mostly in the one-day format. In Test matches he got 10-12 wickets in first two Test matches against New Zealand but he has found bowling here a bit difficult," Gibson said.

"He has played a lot of cricket in a short space of time in his career. We will help him to understand Test cricket. When he gets it right, he's a quality performer. He's having a bad time of it but all a coach can ask for is for a bowler to continue working hard in the nets and that's exactly what he's doing."

Bangladesh lost three wickets each in the first two sessions, and for a while after the tea break, they were down to the No. 10. Like everyone else, Gibson too was looking forward to a quick finish and then a short batting period before stumps.

"The guys should be a little disappointed with what has happened. We should have made more inroads. 190 for 8 represents a good day, and then the last session you have to give them credit.

"Young [Abul] Hasan obviously batted very well. He rode a little bit of luck up front. This is what happens in Test cricket, this is day one of five. It was a tough day for us."

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Rain washes out Lions-Dolphins tie

Dolphins v Lions - Match abandoned
Scorecard

The game between Dolphins and Lions in Durban was abandoned without a ball being bowled.

The rain at Kingsmead started soon after the toss, which was won by Dolphins. The match was called off after three hours by the umpires.

The teams were awarded two points each. Lions moved to 21 points, holding their No. 1 position in the table, and Dolphins were third. Lions play Titans, and Dolphins play Cape Cobras in their next match, on Friday.

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BCCI ends legal tussle with Kings XI Punjab

On the day they announced a new title sponsor for the IPL, the BCCI has also brought an end to its litigation with Kings XI Punjab, which had gone on for almost two years.

The BCCI top brass and KXIP officials, who met in Mumbai on the sidelines of the BCCI working committee and marketing committee meetings, managed to sort out all the impending issues. "It was decided that the franchise will be fined Rs 1 crore (approx USD 181,270) for their breaches so far, and there will be no further legal proceedings between the parties," an insider revealed to ESPNcricinfo. This effectively means that the arbitration proceedings that hadn't started since the court appointed an arbitrator in April earlier this year, will not take off at all.

The legal tussle between the BCCI and the franchise owners had gone on from December 15, 2010 when the Bombay High Court had stayed the termination of Kings XI Punjab and Rajasthan Royals, the franchises who were terminated by the BCCI over alleged breach of franchisee agreements. While the litigation had not affected the Chandigarh-based team's participation in the fourth and fifth edition of the IPL, the team's future in the tournament was far from secure.

In October 2010, the BCCI had terminated the franchise agreement with KPH Dream Cricket Pvt Ltd, the promoters of KXIP, on two counts, according to the termination notice sent to the franchise. Firstly, for having "stepped into the shoes of the original bidder on the date of award of the Franchisee without being a "group company or entity controlled by the bidder". This transgression would shake very foundation of the tender process otherwise meant to eliminate any possibility of successful bids being converted into marketing opportunities even prior to the award of the Franchisee rights." Secondly, "Clear violation of the franchise agreement, more particularly clause 10.1, 10.2(a) and 10.3. These violations have taken place more than once."

However, the team owners moved the court after that and the termination was stayed by the Bombay High Court. The court then appointed an arbitrator to resolve the impending issues. As a result, there was a lot of confusion over the number of teams to have featured in the 2011 edition of the Twenty20 league. Eventually, the drama over KXIP's participation was over days before the player auction that was held in Bangalore in January 2011.

With this agreement, the BCCI has, within the space of a month, made several announcements that have bolstered the IPL's image both in public and in the market. In October, the Sun Group, a south Indian media conglomerate was announced as the new owners of the beleaguered Hyderabad franchise last month and on Wednesday, a new title sponsorship was awarded to PepsiCo.

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Kallis injured after rattling top order

Lunch Australia 3 for 102 (Warner 67*, Clarke 18*, Kallis 2-19) v South Africa
Live scorecard and ball-by-ball details

Jacques Kallis picked up wickets with two outstanding yorkers before limping off injured during an eventful opening session at Adelaide Oval. Morne Morkel also claimed one victim but while all the carnage was unfolding at one end, David Warner at the other end lived up to his promise to go after the South African bowlers and kept the runs flowing with a brisk half-century that helped Australia reach 3 for 102 at lunch.

By the time the break arrived, Warner and Michael Clarke had steadied somewhat, following a hectic period in which they lost 3 for 12 in less than three overs. Warner was on 67 from 79 balls, the majority of his runs having come from boundaries, and Clarke had survived some short-pitched hostility from Dale Steyn and Co - including one that crashed into his helmet - to reach 18, a couple of punchy boundaries through the leg side and a confident pull through midwicket his early highlights.

But it was South Africa who clearly had the better of the session after Clarke won the toss, their major concern being the injury to Kallis, who had 2 for 19 from 3.3 overs when he stopped during his run-up and immediately left the field. Kallis appeared to have hurt either his right hamstring or glute, and given that runners are no longer allowed in international cricket, the extent of his injury could have ramifications for South Africa's batting.

It also left them a bowler short, compounding their misfortune after Vernon Philander woke up with a sore back and was a late withdrawal from the side, replaced by Rory Kleinveldt. Kallis had been very impressive with the ball during his short spell, removing Ed Cowan and Ricky Ponting by attacking the base of the stumps.

On 10, Cowan was beaten by a Kallis yorker that struck him on the toe and at first appeared to have been given out lbw by Billy Bowden, but it later became apparent that he was caught and bowled. After the ball hit Cowan's foot, it ballooned off the bat straight back to Kallis, and under the laws of the game, a catch takes precedence over lbw in deciding how a batsman has been dismissed.

Kallis also accounted for Ponting with an outstanding delivery that was full and accurate, and swung away from the bat just enough to beat Ponting, who suffered the indignity not only of being bowled but of falling onto the pitch on his hands and knees after trying to keep the ball out. Ponting avoided another duck but only just - his only scoring shot was a clip for four off his pads.

In between the dismissals of Cowan and Ponting, the No.3 Rob Quiney fell for an eight-ball duck when Morne Morkel came around the wicket and forced Quiney to play a ball on off stump. Quiney's edge was well snapped up by Graeme Smith at slip and after his 9 in his only innings at the Gabba, Quiney was left hoping desperately that he would get another chance in this, his second Test.

While all of that was unfolding, Warner just kept scoring. He had got away with a pair of boundaries through and over the off side from Morkel, trusting his method of flashing hard. Not all of Warner's strokes were controlled but he ensured that Australia's innings did not stagnate, and his half-century came up from 47 balls with a clip for two through midwicket.

Warner's only six was a top edge from an attempted hook off Morkel that landed in the construction site and required a worker to scramble through the debris to fetch the ball. He also struck 10 fours and despite the early wickets, South Africa wouldn't feel entirely comfortable at lunch, knowing that he would remain a threat after the break.

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'Reduce government interference in cricket' - Lorgat review

Haroon Lorgat, the former ICC Chief Executive, has recommended less government interference in team selection, in addition to 23 other recommendations to Sri Lanka Cricket, in his review of the sport in the country. Lorgat was appointed short-term special advisor to the SLC in July, and was tasked with performing a wide-ranging review of governance, cricket structure, administration and finances, of which his ten-page report is the result. 



Among the issues Lorgat raises in his report is the poor reputation of the SLC, its weak financial position, lack of professional administration, non-existent organisational culture and a lack of transparency. He also recommends a restructuring of domestic cricket, and recruiting the help of former greats in the development of cricketers.

After Lorgat had presented his report, SLC Secretary Nishantha Ranatunga said it was now the job of the stakeholders - a wide ranging group including clubs, media, players and the SLC themselves - to implement Lorgat's recommendations.

"From my personal point of view, I feel all these recommendations need to be addressed by the stakeholders," Ranatunga said. "The improvements need to sit along with the stakeholders, and they need to come up with strategies to overcome it.

"The other option is to get an independent committee to come and look at this and come up with a solution."

The report's recommendations on reducing government interference focus on a law that requires international team selections to be approved by the Sports Minister, who also appoints a nominee to the selection panel. On the basis of responses from interviewees, the report inferred that the Minister appoints the entire selection panel. The report recommends SLC work towards an amendment to the law that might see a selection process free of government interference. It also suggests the SLC ensure independence for the selection committee, and consider having full time selectors.

Ranatunga said the board had already approached the Sports Minister about amending the Sports Law. "We have discussed this with the honourable Minister, and he was very positive about changing certain clauses in the Sports Law to accommodate this report. He was positive about the changes that are needed for the development of the game."



Lorgat's report also said external or State support are essential to overcoming SLC's debt, and recommended borrowing through 'soft' loans. It also said operational plans, including player payments, needed careful review to ensure they are justifiable expenditures.

The report further states that the administration lacks clear vision, is poorly managed and notes a lack of adequate communication between various arms of SLC. It recommends a reduction in the number of Executive Committee members, which presently stands at 22, and suggests appointment of a CEO who is "properly empowered to lead a professional administration that is held accountable by the board" and is the face of the organisation.

Lorgat has also advised a major restructuring of domestic cricket aimed at decentralising first-class and List A cricket in Sri Lanka from Colombo, and believes dialogue with the existing clubs are vital to that end. The report also suggests former players whose relationship with SLC has soured should be utilised in the development of cricketing talent, after tensions between the parties have been cleared. Lorgat makes mention of former captain Arjuna Ranatunga in his report, who has been an ardent critic of SLC in the past two years, and states he was unable to contact Ranatunga during his research. 



"Unfortunately Mr. Ranatunga was busy, he was traveling and was in the UK on occasions. I am still trying even today to get in touch with him."



Lorgat interviewed 42 stakeholders during his review, including current and former players, SLC staff, board members, club representatives and media.

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Flower admits selection errors

Andy Flower has admitted that England made a mistake in not selecting Monty Panesar for the first Test of the series against India at Ahmedabad. England lost the Test by nine wickets after conceding a first innings deficit of 330 with Flower, the England team director, also conceding that he misread the pitch.

But Flower declined to confirm that England would alter the balance of their attack for the second Test, which begins in Mumbai on Friday. While he conceded that England's seamers had been out-performed by their Indian counterparts in Ahmedabad, he said the England team management will inspect the pitch before any selection decision is made. As things stand, Flower expects Mumbai to offer more assistance to the seamers and would only confirm that England would bring in a batsman to replace Ian Bell, who is absent on paternity leave.

"With hindsight yes, it was a mistake not to play Panesar in Ahmedabad," Flower said. "I didn't expect that pitch to turn as early as it did. In fact, once we saw it turning early in the game I thought it might deteriorate more and I was surprised on day four and five how well it played. I certainly misjudged that pitch.

"There might be a little more bounce in Mumbai which will help our seamers. Of course we have to bring in a batsman, but on any other changes I'd like to see the pitch first. Then I'll try to make a better judgment than the last one. If it looks as though it will turn a lot, we will contemplate two spinners.

"I don't think our seamers bowled as well as they could have and the skill with reverse swing and finding the right length to hit the pads is a particular skill. I think India did that better than we did. Their seamers out-bowled our seamers, but I also think we gave them a couple of soft dismissals."

England's attempts to square the series in Mumbai have been dealt a severe blow with the news that Steven Finn will not be fit to play in the second Test. Indeed, Finn undergoes a scan on Tuesday that will define whether he had any further part to play on the tour. Stuart Meaker, who was called into the squad when Finn was injured in the first warm-up game, will remain with them rather than joining the England Performance Programme squad.

	"This will not go down as one of his memorable Tests but he's got three more to contribute to winning games for England." Andy Flower sanguine about Kevin Pietersen's form

"Finn unfortunately hurt that same area of his thigh and he's having a scan," Flower said. "We don't think there's any structural damage, we need to check. If there is not he will go and join our performance programme. He'll rehab with them and they've got a three-day game starting on the 27th which is the last day of this Test. Hopefully we can get him in that and test him out and if he comes through well he'll be available for the third Test."

Flower conceded there was an air of predictability about England's troubles in India but, despite the side now having lost five out of six Tests in Asian conditions this year, said "he would like to think" there was nothing fundamentally wrong with the team or the team set-up. Instead he felt that the batsmen, in particular, were guilty of simple errors. He did not condemn India's decision to deny them quality spin bowling in the warm-up matches, though he did jokingly suggest that England would be unlikely to respond by providing only spin bowlers for India in their warm-up games on their next tour of England.

"We have to overturn what seems predictable the moment," he said. "There are some very basic things that we haven't done well enough and I hope I'm not making personal excuses here. I don't think it's anything to do with the environment, or team dynamics, or the way we train. I think that we have failed in a number of first innings and if you do that in the subcontinent you pay the price. That's the area where we have failed and I don't think we should over-complicate it. I hope there is no real reason why it should keep happening in the first innings.

"If we'd batted in the first innings like we batted in the second it might have been a different story. Those three wickets hurt us at the end of day two, obviously, and the ball turned quite sharply and quite quickly in that first innings. And there were a few soft dismissals which cost us."

Flower was keen to defend Kevin Pietersen, who, in his first Test since his recall, scored 19 runs in two innings and was twice dismissed by the left-arm spin of Pragyan Ojha, but Flower stressed the excellence of his long-term record.

"Look, Kevin's a very fine cricketer and he has 21 Test centuries," Flower said. "This will not go down as one of his memorable Tests, of course, but he's got three more Tests to contribute to winning games for England.

"In this last Test the left-arm spinner got him out twice and he obviously struggled against him. But, only a few Tests ago against Sri Lanka, he scored a magnificent 150 and they had a reasonable left-arm spinner playing in subcontinent conditions. The method he used there was a very successful one. I'm not just talking about his very attacking method but his defensive one too. He's a very experienced cricketer and I trust he'll bring that experience to bear in the next Test match."

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