Chand and Dhawan score centuries

Delhi 287 for 1 (Chand 134*, Dhawan 104) v Tamil Nadu
Scorecard

Unmukt Chand is one of many prodigies almost mysteriously produced by Delhi cricket. Now only 19, he has already played 16 first-class games since his debut in 2010. That his second century came in his 17th match brought relief to the young man.

In this Ranji season Chand must, at double speed, graduate from being India's under-19 captain to one of Delhi's more reliable openers. He will bat in worse conditions and face tougher bowling attacks in the future. But his 134 not out against Tamil Nadu on day one at Feroz Shah Kotla was a personal triumph over the more youthful side of his batting and mistakes of his past.

On a slow day, in which only 80 overs were bowled, Delhi ended on 287 for 1 after they were sent in to bat. The lone wicket was that of the captain Shikhar Dhawan but not before he completed his first Ranji Trophy century in a prolific domestic season. Dhawan had already scored more than 600 runs in the Duleep Trophy and the Challenger Trophy.

Dhawan's 104 was a dominant and confident innings but Chand's sparkler of a 134 was as significant. It was an innings that began with Chand being considered the weaker link among the openers but the day ended with an acknowledgement that he was actually growing up.

The first session made the toughest demands on Chand, the ball swinging as it is expected to. Chand was judicious in picking what to leave and also checked himself from launching into a few of his eye-catching strokes. The off side was packed, there were two wide gullies, and it took him 12 balls to get off the mark.

The first hour brought a total of 28 runs to Delhi and Chand had a streaky half-chance off J Kaushik go past a diving third slip. Shouts came from the boundary asking him to be patient. Patience took its time arriving, and Chand slashed Kaushik again to the point boundary.

As the ball lost its shine and zip heading into lunch, and the sun began to climb, the Delhi batsmen opened their shoulders. Chand hit three boundaries in an over from L Balaji, through mid-on and cover and a screaming cut through point.

Dhawan seized control of the innings after the first hour, and at the first sight of spin, the batsmen lit up. Offspinner M Rangarajan was hit out of the attack after five overs that cost 27 runs. Chand turned the strike over to the more experienced Dhawan and then, by hitting the hard working left-arm spinner Aushik Srinivas for six over long off, spread the field.

It took Chand 102 balls and nine boundaries to get to his 50. The next 50 took 64 balls, but offered fewer chances with six fours and a six. "We were able to stick to the messages we got from the dressing room," Chaid said. No losing early wickets, and capitalising in the post-lunch session. As his 100 neared and Delhi lost Dhawan, Chand went from 95 to 100 in singles. "I had got tempted to score quickly in the past when on 93 and 86 and the thought came in my mind that I should not repeat the same mistake."

Delhi had lost the toss but they made only gains after that. The pitch was different from the previous drawn game against Baroda, but had they won the toss, Dhawan said with a grin that Delhi would have loved to bat.


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Best jumps hurdles to hurt Bangladesh

West Indies fast bowler Tino Best is having a fruitful Test series in Bangladesh. On the fourth day in Khulna, he once again blew away the hosts' top order, but not through raw pace alone, like he had in Mirpur.

Best bowled only ten overs in the first innings, after aggravating a hamstring injury that has been troubling him since his county stint with Yorkshire in 2010. Having undergone a scan on the first day, Best decided two days later that he could bowl in the second innings.

Moments after lunch on Saturday, Best walked out with West Indies coach Ottis Gibson to bowl on the adjacent wicket, mostly off a short run-up. It indicated that he could bowl, but not at his fastest. He would utilise swing and the effect he created with his wrist position triggered the collapse. Best's three wickets reduced Bangladesh to 62 for 4

"I wasn't bowling at full tilt at all. I was concentrating more on keeping my wrist behind the ball," Best said after the day's play. "I was trying to get some shape, an area that I have been working really hard for the last couple of months with Gibson. When I'm playing in the subcontinent, [I'm not just] trying to bowl at 90miles per hour, but getting some shape on the ball. Getting some inswing and outswing at my pace is going to help me on slow pitches."

"I have had this [hamstring] injury since 2010 when I played county cricket. It came back on me from the Dhaka Test where I really pushed my body. It was painful but I came back and bowled well."

Best began his spell by surprising opener Tamim Iqbal. The first ball wasn't short, but the length pushed the batsman on to the back foot, and Tamim was undone by the inswing and bowled. Naeem Islam, the man picked to solidify Bangladesh's batting line-up, left the fourth ball of the over and had his off bail fly. It was Best's favourite wicket among his three, mainly because he had been working hard to dismiss Islam. "I think I bowled really well at him in the last three innings. I knew I was going to beat him for pace, but the ball just swung back fantastically. I just got him on a little tired legs, got him bowled."

Best, however, didn't forget how useful the bouncer had been in the Mirpur Test, where he pitched the ball short of a good length to take three of his five wickets in the second innings. To get rid of the flamboyant Shahriar Nafees, Best used both lengths, but ultimately it was the one at the throat that had the left-hand batsman fending awkwardly and being caught in the slips. Nafees' reluctance to duck under the ball also played a part in the dismissal.

Like some fast bowlers before him who were successful in the subcontinent, Best attributed his success to his ability to be indifferent to the pitch. "When I was making my debut years ago for Barbados, my head coach Henderson Springer used to say, 'Try to make sure you are quick on sand as a fast bowler.'

"When you go to the subcontinent it is easy to say, "I am not going to give it my all because this pitch is so flat.' It is important to bowl quick, but also not to hurt yourself. These pitches [aren't helpful for] fast bowlers, but it is best to take it out of your mind and focus on using your strengths."


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Muzumdar, Sumanth shine for Andhra again

Andhra 118 for 4 (Muzumdar 60*, Sumanth 41) trail Jammu and Kashmir 153 (Sahabuddin 5-53) by 35 runs
Scorecard

A five-wicket haul by Andhra fast bowler Syed Sahabuddin helped his team take a stranglehold against Jammu and Kashmir in Jammu. After Andhra bowled the hosts out for 153, middle-order batsmen Amol Muzumdar and B Sumanth put on another century partnership, their third in a row, to rescue Andhra when they had been reduced to 8 for 3. They held the upper hand at 118 for 4 on the first day.

Sahabuddin destroyed the J&K top order with the help of another seamer, Paidikalva Vijaikumar, who had taken 6 for 80 last week, and finished with figures of 5 for 53. When Andhra batted, Dayal and Sahil Sharma removed the first three batsmen cheaply, before the repair job. Muzumdar, who had scored two centuries in the previous two innings, remained unbeaten on 60.

Goa 281 for 4 (Kamat 107, Bisla 74) v Kerala
Scorecard

In Malappuram, Goa ended the first day in a strong position against Kerala after a century from opener Sagun Kamat, his second in 41 matches, and a half-century from wicketkeeper Manvinder Bisla. After choosing to bat, Goa had lost two wickets for 55 runs, but Kamat and Bisla added 146 runs at 4.33 per over to lay the foundation for a strong innings. After losing two more wickets before stumps, Goa were 281 for 4. Bisla's innings of 74 was his third half-century in four innings.

Jharkhand 176 for 5 (Tiwary 65*, Gupta 58*, Dhawan 3-32) v Himachal Pradesh
Scorecard

Though Himachal Pradesh were effective as a bowling unit in the early half of the day, Jharkhand's No. 3 Saurabh Tiwary and middle-order batsman Sunny Gupta put up a slow resistance to take their team to 176 for 5 at stumps.

The pair added 120 runs for the sixth wicket at a run rate of 1.94 after seamers Rishi Dhawan and Vikramjeet Malik had reduced Jharkhand to 56 for 5 in the 29th over. Tiwary batted 247 deliveries to score an unbeaten 65, and Gupta took 201 deliveries to score an unbeaten 58.

Services 11 for 0 trail Assam 182 (Yadav 4-58) by 171 runs
Scorecard

Services were in control of the contest against Assam on the first day as seamer Suraj Yadav's four wickets helped them bowl Assam out for 182. A seventh-wicket partnership of 37 was the highest Assam could muster.

After Yadav dismissed the top order cheaply, the lower-order batsmen put up some resistance when Assam were in trouble at 93 for 6. Though Services batted five overs without losing a wicket, opener Pratik Desai retired hurt in the first over.


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Hussey pushes Australia's lead past 350

Lunch Australia 550 and 7 for 206 (Hussey 54, Wade 13*, Pattinson 0*) lead South Africa 388 by 368 runs
Live scorecard and ball-by-ball details

A half-century from Michael Hussey stretched Australia's lead to 368 on the fourth day in Adelaide, where South Africa will need to complete a record chase to claim victory. The Australians added 95 to their overnight total before lunch for the loss of two wickets, and at the break they were on 7 for 206 with Matthew Wade on 13 and James Pattinson yet to face a ball.

The highest successful chase to win an Adelaide Test was 315 scored by Australia against England in 1902, and South Africa will face the challenge of a wearing pitch as they aim for whatever hefty target is set. Already Australia's lead meant that South Africa would need the second-highest chase in Tests in Australia, the biggest being their 414 at the WACA four years ago.

The South Africans really needed to pick up where they left off on the third afternoon, when their fast men troubled Australia's top order. But the runs flowed a little too easily for Hussey and Michael Clarke during the morning, especially off the legspin of Imran Tahir, who continued to leak nearly a run a ball.

Dale Steyn broke the 70-run partnership when he had Clarke lbw for 38, a hopeful review from Australia's captain not saving him. But the runs kept coming from Hussey, who was not only lightning fast between the wickets but was finding the gaps in the field with impressive regularity, and brought up his half-century from his 81st ball with a punch through cover-point for four.

Hussey fell in the last over before lunch when he tried to pull Morne Morkel and succeeded only in top-edging a catch to Steyn at midwicket. But Hussey had done his job, and some tail-wagging from Wade and the bowlers could yet push South Africa's task even further into unlikely territory.


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Van der Wath, McLaren crush Warriors in low-scorer

Knights 105 (Second 38, Gqamane 3-16, Ntini 3-20, Birch 3-31) beat Warriors 46 (van der Wath 4-26, McLaren 3-11) by 59 runs
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details

Warriors needed just 106 to beat Knights in the Momentum Cup fixture in Port Elizabeth, but a dramatic collapse meant they fell embarrassingly short, being bundled out for 46. Knights' unbelievable win was crafted by seamers Johan van der Wath and Ryan McLaren, who combined to claim seven wickets and secure the 59-run victory on a surface that assisted the quicks. While it was Knights' second consecutive batting failure (they were bowled out for 94 in their previous game), Warriors' 46 was the second-lowest total in the history of the one-day competition.

Makhaya Ntini and Andrew Birch led the Warriors pace attack and didn't allow Knights to settle after they batted first. Half the side was dismissed by these quicks, with Knights struggling at 59 for 5 in the 19th over. The remaining wickets did not take much longer to fall, with another seamer, Ayabulela Gqamane, joining in to claim three.

But Warriors began their chase equally poorly, losing opener Ashwell Prince in the opening over. At 26 for 1, they looked to have settled down, but the game turned completely: they lost five wickets for a run, courtesy van der Wath and McLaren, to be left reeling at 27 for 6. Spinner Nicky Boje and seamer Maliusi Siboto then took care of the tail, as Warriors' slide culminated in a whopping defeat in the 21st over.

Van der Wath claimed figures of 4 for 26, and and McLaren 3 for 11 - those three scalps were enough to propel McLaren to within touching distance of the top of the tournament's wickets chart after six games.


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P Sara bounce could boost New Zealand

Match facts

November 25-29, 2012
Start time 1000 local (0430 GMT)

Big Picture

The second Test at the P Sara Oval finds the two teams heading in seemingly opposite directions. Sri Lanka had not won a Test series in three years until they defeated Pakistan at home in July, and if a manful recovery with the bat and ruthlessness with the ball in the Galle Test are any indication, they are a side who have reclaimed the fight they had misplaced following the 2011 World Cup and have begun to make winning a habit again. 



Sri Lanka's pace bowlers were effective on a dry surface, landing heavy blows on New Zealand's top order before Rangana Herath arrived to deliver the coup de grace. Herath himself continues to progress, having become the top wicket-taker in 2012 with his 11 wickets in Galle. Sri Lanka may also have uncovered a fast bowler with enough command of pace, seam and reverse swing to become a potential long-term spearhead in Shaminda Eranga. Their batting also seems less prone to the sporadic collapses that plagued them in the 12 months before the Pakistan series. 



New Zealand meanwhile, have slid to their worst losing streak since 1955. Their batsmen have been working on their technique against spin in the nets since their three-day loss, but even the two extra days may not be enough to rebound from a performance as woeful as their 118 all out in their second innings in Galle. Though they are short on time to vastly improve their techniques, they must acquire the psychological steel to survive at the crease for long periods against fine bowling. Their plight may not be as hopeless as it seems, as the bouncier P Sara pitch will assist their seam bowlers in the same way it assisted England's in March, when they squared their two-match series with Sri Lanka, after also losing the first match in Galle.



For Sri Lanka, this Test shapes as a doubly crucial fixture, as it may be their only real test before their first Test against Australia in Hobart. The considerable talent in New Zealand's fast bowling unit was evident in Galle, and with the Canberra pitch on which Sri Lanka are scheduled to play their only warm-up match having a reputation for being on the slow side, the bouncy Colombo venue might serve as an opportunity for the team to pre-tune their techniques before they land in Australia. It may also give the hosts the opportunity to settle on a first-choice seam-bowling unit for the Tests to come, or at least, a chance to gauge how effective Nuwan Kulasekara's new ball partnership with Eranga might be Down Under.

Form guide

Sri Lanka: WDDWL (Most recent first)
New Zealand: LLLLL

Player to watch

Doug Bracewell has been one of New Zealand's most consistent performers since making his debut just over a year ago, but he was unable to find the right length in Galle and went wicketless while his teammates prospered. But unlike Galle, the P Sara pitch often rewards hit-the-deck bowling and Bracewell's back-of-a-length seamers may be more effective this time round.



Suraj Randiv was put under some pressure by chief selector Ashantha de Mel, who said his place in the XI might be under threat if he does not have a good first Test. He too was less successful than his teammates in the first Test, despite bowling some tight spells, but the selectors seem to have backed him in the end, naming him in the squad to Australia as the second spinner. Sri Lanka are unlikely to leave him out in Colombo unless the pitch is uncharacteristically green, and a bagful of wickets there will do his confidence some good. 




Teams news

There has been no word yet from Sri Lanka whether Tillakaratne Dilshan has recovered from a back injury. Given his importance to their campaign in Australia, they are unlikely to risk him if he is not totally fit. It would also give the hosts another chance to look at Dimuth Karunaratne, who had a promising debut in Galle despite his first innings duck, and has earned a spot in the squad to Australia. If Karunaratne plays and performs well, Tharanga Paranavitana will have some real competition for the second openers' slot, which is the only position in the Sri Lanka batting order that isn't nailed down at present. 



Kulasekara and Eranga are the likely new-ball pair, and Chanaka Welegedara will only play if a third seamer is deemed necessary. 



Sri Lanka (probable): 1. Tillakaratne Dilshan/Dimuth Karunaratne, 2. Tharanga Paranavitana, 3. Kumar Sangakkara, 4. Mahela Jayawardene (c), 5. Thilan Samaraweera, 6. Angelo Mathews, 7. Prasanna Jayawardene (wk), 8. Nuwan Kulasekara, 9. Suraj Randiv, 10. Rangana Herath, 11. Shaminda Eranga.



Tim Southee, whose terrific second-day spell breathed life into the first Test, is also doubtful for the second. New Zealand have two more seam bowlers in their ranks, and the experience of Chris Martin will likely be preferred over the aggression of Neil Wagner, if Southee doesn't pass the fitness test. 



James Franklin had a woeful first Test with the bat, as epitomised by his 44-ball 3 in the first innings, and New Zealand may replace him with Rob Nicol. Nicol is an opener, but he may have to move into the middle order to prevent a major reshuffle.

New Zealand (probable): 1. Martin Guptill, 2. Brendon McCullum, 3. Kane Williamson, 4. Ross Taylor, 5. Daniel Flynn, 6. James Franklin/Rob Nicol, 7. Kruger van Wyk, 8. Doug Bracewell, 9. Tim Southee/Chris Martin, 10. Jeetan Patel, 11. Trent Boult



Pitch and conditions

The Colombo weather has largely held over the past week or so, and the only showers have been in the evening. A little more rain is forecast for the coming week, but if it follows the recent pattern, it may not have a major effect on the cricket. However, being November, there is always the chance of a front moving in and bedding down.

Stats and trivia

  • The victory in Galle was Sri Lanka's fourth Test win since Muttiah Muralitharan retired in July 2010
  • Before the Mumbai Test between England and India began, Rangana Herath was leading Graeme Swann by one wicket in 2012, with 46 victims. Herath had played four fewer Tests
  • Tim Southee's has an average of 26.23 for 2012, while his career average is 37.85. He has more wickets (17) and a better economy rate (3.16) this year than in any preceding calendar year
  • The P Sara Oval has had only one draw since 1993, but New Zealand were involved in that occasion in 2003, when Stephen Fleming hit an unbeaten 274.

Quotes

"We're not thinking we can't compete with them. We think we can win this Test match and that's what we're going out to do. Everyone needs to step up, learn from what happened in Galle and move forward."


Tim Southee on what New Zealand aim to achieve in Colombo

" We will definitely look to keeping the Kiwis under pressure as they have the firepower with both bat and ball so there's no room for any complacency."


Mahela Jayawardene isn't letting his team take it easy


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Siddle sparks trouble for South Africa

Lunch South Africa 7 for 273 (Smith 122, du Plessis 26*, Kallis 11*) trail Australia 550 by 277 runs
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details

Peter Siddle led a strong Australian bowling effort on the third day at Adelaide Oval, where South Africa lost five wickets in the first session for the addition of only 56 runs. By lunch, South Africa were 7 for 273, with Faf du Plessis on 26 and the injured Jacques Kallis on 11, and although they needed a further 74 to avoid the follow-on, that seemed academic as Michael Clarke was one bowler down and therefore likely to bat again.

The loss of James Pattinson was the major concern for Australia during the session. Pattinson suffered pain in his side after bowling the first delivery of his tenth over and immediately left the field for assessment. He was expected to go to hospital for scans during the afternoon, leaving the fast-bowling workload to Siddle and Ben Hilfenhaus.

They did the job admirably up until lunch. Siddle provided the spark Australia needed by getting rid of Graeme Smith, who added only 11 to his overnight score and was caught behind for 122. Smith was given out by the umpire Billy Bowden and immediately asked for a review; Hot Spot showed a faint mark that supported Bowden's decision but Smith was clearly unhappy with the outcome.

Siddle also removed AB de Villiers, who on 1 was struck dead in line and saw Bowden's finger being raised almost before the Australians appealed. Out of hope more than anything, de Villiers also asked for a review but there was no reprieve. Kallis did not walk to the wicket at No.7 as expected, and instead the South Africans sent Dale Steyn and Rory Kleinveldt in ahead of him.

Neither man had any lasting impact, though, Steyn caught at slip for 1 when Hilfenhaus curved a ball away and Kleinveldt comprehensively losing his off stump, out for a duck when he tried to thump Hilfenhaus through the leg side. It completed a very successful period for Australia in which they had collected 5 for 17, beginning with the dismissal of Jacques Rudolph, who added only four to his score.

On 29, Rudolph was enticed by an excellent delivery from Nathan Lyon, whose flight and drop meant Rudolph's drive flew straight to Rob Quiney at cover. It was the perfect start for Australia, whose bowlers had struggled on the second day.

By lunch, du Plessis had played some impressive strokes and looked unfazed by making his Test debut, but his partner Kallis was clearly hampered by his hamstring injury and was unable to offer much speed between the wickets.


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Pattinson sidelined by side pain

James Pattinson, the Australia fast bowler, may have broken down again with serious injury after he complained of side pain when taking the second new ball on the third morning of the second Test against South Africa in Adelaide.

Having bowled the first ball of the 84th over, Pattinson, 22, spoke to his captain Michael Clarke and walked off the ground. After speaking with the team physio Alex Kountouris it emerged that he was troubled by pain in his left side. The chances of Pattinson appearing again in this match now appear minimal, and he will be taken for scans to assess the problem this afternoon.

The most hostile and aggressive of Australia's crop of young fast bowlers, Pattinson has battled a succession of injuries since he first toured for the national side in India in 2010. A brilliant start to his Test career last summer was curtailed by a foot injury during the Sydney Test against India in January.

It was later revealed that Australia's selectors chose to play Pattinson in the SCG Test despite medical evidence that he was at high risk of suffering an injury due to his bowling workload up to that point. They preferred to keep him in the team due to his strong bowling form, and he duly suffered from a stress injury in Sydney.

Pattinson then returned to action during the West Indies tour, but while playing in the Trinidad Test suffered a back injury while throwing off balance from the outfield and was sent home. His lead-in to this summer's home Tests was carefully managed, affording him a quartet of Sheffield Shield matches and no Twenty20 cricket.

Before the Adelaide Test, Pattinson said he did not want to be rested, as his body felt free of niggles. "At the moment I've got no soreness in my body, so I want to keep playing, I don't want to get rested," he said. "But I suppose there'll come a time when I'll have a high workload and it'll look like I'm going to get rested as we've spoken about.

"I'm happy for that, I put the faith in the medical staff's hands and if they think it's a good idea for me to get rested one Test then so be it. We've got to want what's best for the team and if that's best for the team then so be it."


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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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