Massiah steps down as USA captain

Steve Massiah has stepped down as USA captain on Thursday after seven years in the role for his adopted country. Massiah, 34, made his debut for USA in 2000 after moving from his native Guyana and led USA since the start of the 2006 ICC Americas Division One tournament in Canada following the departure of Richard Staple when USA finished 10th at the 2005 ICC Trophy in Ireland.

"In recent months, I have found myself thinking that it was time for a change at the top, for a new voice to lead our team," Massiah said in a USACA press release. "I have been honoured and humbled to serve as national captain. At this time I extend my most sincere gratitude and thanks to the selection committee, coaches, administration and team-mates for their continued support and trust through the years. I feel that now is the time for someone else to take up the reins and for me to focus on doing the very best that I can to perform in [the World Twenty20 Qualifier]."

Massiah compiled a 33-17 record with four no results while leading USA in 50-over matches and had an 8-6 record as USA's Twenty20 captain from 2010-2011. His tenure was marked by a series of peaks and valleys with USA posting impressive victories against higher-class opposition, including wins over Scotland at the 2010 World Twenty20 Qualifier and Canada in the final of the 2010 ICC Americas Division One Twenty20 championship, balanced out by costly stumbles at crucial moments in World Cup qualification tournaments.

His highest score as a USA player came in his first match as captain, scoring 136 not out in a 106-run win over Cayman Islands in 2006. Despite scoring several centuries in pre-tournament warm-up matches for USA, the ton against Cayman Islands would be his only one as captain in an official match. He produced steady contributions, with 1575 runs at an average of 40.38 as captain in 50-over cricket for USA, a shade higher than his career 50-over average for USA of 38.34.

Massiah's best tournament as captain came in 2010 at ICC World Cricket League Division Five in Nepal where he scored four half-centuries in six matches and was the tournament's leading scorer as USA gained promotion into Division Four, which they won in Italy later that year. His other successes include an undefeated championship run in Florida at the 2008 ICC Americas Division One tournament and leading USA to the inaugural ICC Americas Division One Twenty20 championship in Bermuda in 2010 where they defeated Canada in the final by five wickets.

However, there were also some demoralizing losses in his tenure. As part of USA's suspension by the ICC in 2007, they were dropped from Division Three to Division Five of the World Cricket League. When the suspension was lifted, USA entered Division Five in 2008 as one of the favourites and cruised through the group stage undefeated only to suffer a shock upset by 84 runs in the semi-final at the hands of Jersey. Afghanistan defeated Nepal in the other semi-final and beat Jersey in the final to begin their meteoric rise through Associate and Affiliate cricket.

By 2011, USA had progressed back to Division Three and romped past host side and eventual tournament champion Hong Kong on day one of the tournament. On day two though, a stunning collapse against Denmark snowballed into defeats to Papua New Guinea and Italy resulting in relegation to Division Four.

Massiah's last tournament in charge of USA was at ICC World Cricket League Division Three in May. USA won their first three matches and only needed victory in either of their final two round-robin games to clinch a spot in the 2014 World Cup Qualifier. However, a loss to Uganda was followed by a dramatic defeat against Bermuda, a regional rival they had not lost to in a tournament since 2005. Nepal's win over Italy on the same day allowed them to leapfrog USA on net run rate and join Uganda as the two teams progressing to the qualifier next year in New Zealand.

Massiah's own form had been poor recently with an average of just 22.36 in his last 12 games across Division Four in Malaysia and Division Three in Bermuda. With a spot in the World Cup Qualifier at stake, Massiah was dismissed without scoring against Bermuda. He averages 11.00 in 14 Twenty20 matches for USA and now that he is no longer captain there is no guarantee that he will be picked in USA's squad for the World Twenty20 Qualifier in the UAE which runs from November 15-30.

USACA are yet to announce Massiah's replacement as captain, but the favourite for the role is Orlando Baker, who captained USA when they compiled an 8-0 streak in the 2013 ICC Americas Division One Twenty20 tournament in Florida in March. Baker, 34, has played for USA since 2008 and is one of the few veterans left in a squad that has experienced significant turnover in the last two years. Neil McGarrell, 41, may also have an outside chance if USACA takes the view to have him as a stop-gap appointment to allow time for a younger player to be groomed to take over the role in 2015, which is when USA are next scheduled to participate in an ICC tournament.

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Ballance shows up Bairstow shortcomings

Yorkshire 434 (Ballance 148, Jaques 88, Ansari 4-70) and 265 for 6 (Ballance 108*, Williamson 60) drew with Surrey 634 for 5 (Sibley 242, Amla 151, Burns 82, Solanki 51)
Scorecard

If this match is seen as a shootout for the England No. 6 slot in Brisbane, Gary Ballance can begin whitening his pads for the Gabba after becoming the 13th Yorkshire player to score two centuries in a match.

It was his second composed innings of the game, taking him past 1200 Championship runs for the season, and saved his side from defeat on the final afternoon at The Oval. His unbeaten 108 rescued Yorkshire from a slippery situation and extended their unbeaten away record in the Championship to 21 matches.

Ballance could not have delivered a better four days following his England call-up and there could not have been a greater juxtaposition between him and Jonny Bairstow, an incumbent at No. 6 during the Ashes. There was an air of sureness about Ballance's batting that his colleagues lacked in falling into the end-of-season, mind-wandering trap. Without Ballance, Yorkshire would have suffered a defeat that would have soured an excellent campaign that defied many expectations.

His hundred in 158 balls was chanceless and he dealt with the increasing spin threat of Zafar Ansari and especially Gareth Batty with positivity: defending out in front of the footholes outside his off stump and attacking with quick sorties down the pitch or a scythe of the blade square of the wicket.

Far from bowing under the weight of expectation at being a Test batsman in waiting, Ballance thrived on being that bit closer to the international stage.

"I'm not really sure about Brisbane," Ballance said. "I haven't really thought about it. I just went to try and build an innings and luckily it came off twice. It's a great feeling and it was nice to finish the season well. One thousand runs was a personal target for me so to have achieved that for the first time is very satisfying.

"It was nice to get the call and it's been a nice week. I'm glad this game has gone well for me. I was pretty confident and it was a good wicket to bat on, there was a bit of turn but we got through."

The calm poise Ballance showed was in contrast to an all-too-familiar skittish innings from his team-mate Bairstow, which had another very disappointing ending to a straight delivery.

Bairstow clearly has a lack of confidence in his defensive technique. While handsome clips off his pads and photogenic cover drives raced away off the middle of the bat, there remained a sense that he was never in full control. After two years of international cricket he is yet to shrug off the whippersnapper tag.

He struck Tom Jewell for four fours in succession but six overs later failed to deal with an ordinary delivery from Tim Linley, slightly angled in. Bairstow got too far towards the off side and fell lbw for a second disappointing return in the match. Despite assurances to the contrary, he still appeared to be shaking off the blow he suffered in slipping on the third evening.

A return of 955 first-class runs at 38.20 would not have been the year Bairstow was hoping for. His performances in the Test matches this summer, coupled with Ballance's superb tally of 1363 runs at 64.90, may well sway the England selectors. Since his career has come into sharper focus, Bairstow has mixed attractive strokes with loose dismissals. Here he might have sensed the pressure of Ballance's innings and the situation of the game, which gave few excuses for a poor return.

Even after four days, batsmen could trust the surface and strokemaking was straightforward. But Yorkshire coughed up enough wickets to take the game into the last hour. Adam Lyth and Alex Lees both edged balls sent across them by Linley and Phil Jaques dragged on trying to drive a ball from a poor position.

Kane Williamson is a man for a crisis and nudged and tucked his way to a much-needed fifty. But when he was caught off bat and pad, Gareth Batty's demeanour hardened and he began to find turn and bounce to justify three men around the bat. With some more luck, Batty could well have bowled Surrey to victory.

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Carrots and sticks keep Srinivasan confident

The Supreme Court's strictures on N Srinivasan and the BCCI elections don't seem to have affected preparations within the board for Sunday's annual general meeting, of which the elections are a part. Srinivasan's own confident statement that he would attend the meeting and stand for re-election is mirrored in the business-as-usual attitude of his colleagues on the board, making any discussion on whether he should or should not contest irrelevant.

Right now, there is serious business to be concluded: The distribution of the various board posts and similar rewards. The deadline to file nominations for all the nine posts - president, secretary, treasurer, joint secretary and five vice-presidents - ends at 4pm on Saturday, enabling all sorts of possible compromises for all the top posts. The corollary - the prospect of losing out on staging matches or landing plum tour assignments - is what is keeping the opposition in check.

All the five incumbent vice-presidents, one from each zone, are set to be replaced, the final decisions regarding their replacements to be taken in the zonal unit meetings on Saturday morning. At the same time, once the likes of Jagmohan Dalmiya, Arun Jaitley, Rajiv Shukla and Anurag Thakur - key figures in the BCCI - check in to their hotel, the candidates for other key positions, including that of the IPL governing council chairman, will be zeroed in on.

Despite the board seemingly divided in the aftermath of the IPL corruption scandal, it is unlikely that there will be an election for any of the top posts. Traditionally, once a president is elected unopposed in the BCCI, even the other office-bearers emerge as consensus candidates from his group of supporters. It would be interesting to see whether Sanjay Patel and Ravi Savant, who were appointed secretary and treasurer in June following the resignations of Sanjay Jagdale and Ajay Shirke, end up retaining their positions.

With Srinivasan's re-election in little doubt, the sole question concerns who will preside over the AGM. Similar to most of the AGMs, where the members usually request the senior-most member attending the meeting to preside, it is likely that Dalmiya, who has been running the board's day-to-day affairs during Srinivasan's "exile", may chair the AGM.

In a way, BCCI officials appear relieved that Srinivasan's decision to step aside, in the wake of the IPL spot-fixing scandal that saw his son-in-law Gurunath Meiyappan arrested, has been vindicated. While questions were raised over whether the BCCI constitution allowed for the president to "step aside", the Supreme Court's directive will most probably mean the arrangement will prevail till the BCCI's legal tussle with Cricket Association of Bihar ends.

In any case, officials believe it will only be a matter of days before the case is resolved. The Supreme Court's next hearing is on Monday, the day after the meeting.

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Brisbane Heat still seeking first points

Match facts

September 28, 2013
Start time 2000 local (1430 GMT)

Big Picture

Chennai Super Kings' power-packed batting line-up made a mockery of a 185-run target in their first game before blitzing a 200-plus total in the next to set them up for a semi-final spot, should they win their next encounter. Their opponents, Brisbane Heat, are languishing at the opposite end of the table, still winless in the tournament primarily because of inadequacies in the batting department.

The situation, however, is similar to how Heat began their BBL campaign last year - three losses in four matches. Their bowling, which was largely responsible for the turnaround that fetched them the Big Bash crown, continued to impress, limiting Titans and Trinidad & Tobago to modest targets. But unlike in the Big Bash, their batsmen have failed to step up. Case in point was their last match, when Heat could not chase down 124.

The onus falls on captain James Hopes, Peter Forrest and Daniel Christian, all with international experience, to remedy the situation. Forrest is under particular scrutiny, manning the No. 3 position. Though his style of play involves spending a little time in the middle before using his stocky frame to muscle the ball down the ground, he is yet to taste success in this competition.

Heat would be hopeful that the change of venue proves a useful ally. In addition to escaping Jaipur's bowler-friendly conditions, Heat's batsmen would benefit from the dew on the JSCA ground in Ranchi. The moisture on the field was so pronounced that seamer Ben Cutting was prompted into calling the toss in tomorrow's game a "big one".

Another potential advantage lies in Super Kings' relatively weak bowling line-up. Every bowler has an economy rate north of eight after two matches, with Ravindra Jadeja's 17.75 being the worst of the lot . But Super Kings more than make up for It in their batting, with three key players - Michael Hussey, Suresh Raina and MS Dhoni - in such prime form they have almost benefited from the loss of M Vijay's wicket, who has been woeful. Another concern for Super Kings could be lower-order rust, with Jadeja and Morkel having faced only two balls each in the tournament so far.

Players to watch

Dwayne Bravo has steadily grown in value in the Super Kings camp, eventually taking over from Morkel as their first-choice allrounder and more recently has picked up the mantle of their premier death bowler.

Joe Burns has been Heat's most successful batsman in this tournament so far, but has been guilty of losing his wicket at crucial moments. Heat will look to him to resolve that issue and in effect help their batting develop a stronger skeleton.

Quotes

"One point is really clear, we need to learn to bowl in the dew-factor."
Chennai Super Kings batsman Suresh Raina predicts a secondary challenge during their match against Brisbane Heat

"I certainly won't be bowling any wide yorkers to him because they tend to disappear over the boundary."
Brisbane Heat seamer Ben Cutting hints at his strategy to keep MS Dhoni quiet

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Amin named Pakistan A captain

Batsman Umar Amin was named captain of the Pakistan A side for the three-day match against South Africans in Sharjah on October 8. The announcement of the national Test squad has been deferred until next week though a 28-man squad for a conditional camp has been named. The Pakistan Cricket Board, however, confirmed that Misbah-ul-Haq would remain Test captain despite their first loss to Zimbabwe in 15 years.

Misbah's captaincy came under severe criticism for Pakistan falling short in the first ODI before their loss in the second Test. In addition, Pakistan have won only one of five Tests this year - against the No. 9 ranked Zimbabwe - and are looking to remedy a 0-3 defeat in South Africa earlier this year.

Amin has not played a Test in three years after he was axed during the 2010 tour of England that was marred by a spot-fixing scandal but is widely regarded as a future captain. He was the leading run-scorer, with 767 in nine matches at 45.11 in the President's Trophy last season. He was subsequently called up to the limited over squad and has been in national contention for last eight months.

The 15-man squad comprises mainly of young batsmen - Shan Masood, Ahmed Shehzad while last season's top run-getter in the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy, Akber-ur-Rehman, also found a place in the squad. With 986 runs in ten games, Rehman hit three centuries and three half-centuries, including highest score of 225. Asad Shafiq and Azhar Ali who have been in the national side since 2010 have also been included in the squad, along with middle-order batsman Faisal Iqbal.

Shafiq is battling a dip in form over the last year, scoring 242 runs at 24.20. Although his promotion into the Test squad looks imminent, the selectors have picked him in the A side to find some touch along with Azhar, who apart from one innings in the first Test against Zimbabwe has been found wanting with the bat.

Iqbal, 31, has played 26 Test matches since making his debut in 12 years ago and was the captain of the previous A team that toured West Indies in 2010. They drew both unofficial Test, lost T20 series and managed to secure unofficial three-match ODI series by 2-0. Though Iqbal's last appearance for Pakistan was in 2010, he has been part of the Test squad for past one year.

Umar Gul, Mohammad Irfan and Taufeeq Umar are the major absentees from the probables for the preparatory camp. Gul, who suffered a knee injury earlier this year is not fit for the longer format and Irfan, also fielding questions regarding his fitness in Test match cricket, is seen as a limited-overs specialist.

Pakistan A squad: Shan Masood, Ahmed Shehzad , Azhar Ali, Umar Amin (capt), Faisal Iqbal, Asad Shafiq, Ehsan Adil, Ahmed Jamal, Akber-ur-Rehman, Usman Qadir, Yasir Shah, Sohaib Maqsood, Aizaz Cheema, Imran Khan, Muoammad Rizwan (wk).

Probables for camp: Younis Khan, Misbah-ul-Haq, Adnan Akmal (wk), Abdur Rehman, Shan Masood, Khurram Manzoor, Ahmed Shehzad , Azhar Ali, Umar Amin (capt), Faisal Iqbal, Asad Shafiq, Ehsan Adil, Ahmed Jamal, Akber-ur-Rehman, Usman Qadir, Yasir Shah, Sohaib Maqsood, Aizaz Cheema, Imran Khan, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Junaid Khan, Rahat Ali, Wahab Riaz, Mohammad Hafeez, Umar Akmal, Sarfaraz Ahmed (wk), Zulfiqar Babar, Yasir Shah.

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Record-breaking Sibley shows Surrey the light

Surrey 572 for 4 (Sibley 220*, Amla 151, Burns 82, Solanki 51) lead Yorkshire 434 by 138 runs
Scorecard

Dominic Sibley provided a pleasant footnote to Surrey's torturous season by becoming the youngest player to score a double century in the County Championship. It was an extraordinary achievement for an 18-year-old who has to go back to school on Monday.

He batted for nine-and-a-half hours and faced 484 balls for his double hundred - concentration not often associated with the current generation of young players weaned on one-day cricket. Of Englishmen, only WG Grace has achieved the feat at a younger age in first-class cricket.

Supporters at The Oval have been demoralised this season by an unsuccessful side, the makeup of which has not reflected well on such a famous and wealthy county, but here they could rejoice in a fine young player who has been developed by the club's academy.

Sibley is the latest in a string of home-grown players to appear for Surrey. Their challenge is to ensure they are selected regularly and can develop into established first XI players at the club. Addressing the leakage of talent from The Oval should be high on the agenda of the new head coach.

Whoever is appointed will have a very talented young batsman to work with in Sibley, who will surely sign professional terms soon, having only been on a summer contract this season. When he was 15, he made a double-century for his club, Ashtead, and appeared for Surrey 2nd XI, pushed forward by Surrey academy director Gareth Townsend. Last winter he played for England Under-19s in South Africa and scored a century in the second Youth Test.

Sibley should have returned to Whitgift School to begin his final year studying Geography, English and PE but was given time off to play the final three fixtures of the season. How he would have cursed missing an innings on a wicket this flat.

A-levels will be no trouble for Sibley if he can knuckle down for his exams as he did batting in the morning session. During the first hour he patted back six maidens and found the "Yorkshire Wall" of six men catching in front of the bat impossible to impregnate - inspiration or desperation, it was certainly innovative from Andrew Gale.

After 70 minutes Sibley was finally able to play a shot in anger as Ryan Sidebottom took the second new ball and Sibley punched him off the back foot for three through cover. Fifteen minutes later his second aggressive stroke came with a cover drive off Jack Brooks. In total he needed 98 deliveries to take his overnight 81 to three figures, which arrived via a swept four off Adil Rashid.

"It was more relief this morning to get to a hundred," Sibley said. "I didn't get much of a chance to score, they bowled well at me and when I did get there I was quite emotional.

"I try to keep a familiarity with the way I bat; I always take my guard before each delivery. I keep everything the same and that keeps my tempo going.

"I felt good at Somerset and I was disappointed that I didn't get a big score but I'm pleased that I've got a big one before the end of the season. Doing it here at The Oval is great. I had my parents here and my dad came back from Singapore last night."

He loosened up in the afternoon and enjoyed his time with Hashim Amla, having told his mum he wanted to bat with Amla before he returned to South Africa. The pair added the highest third-wicket partnership for Surrey against Yorkshire which helped Surrey make their highest total against Yorkshire in a first-class match.

It was too easy for Amla. It was too easy for Vikram Solanki who made 51 in 54 balls. And it may never be easier for Sibley. However, his epic nearly didn't happen. He was dropped on just 8 on the second day and should have been held on 159 by Jonny Bairstow: a very simple chance from a thin edge. It was a bad lapse in concentration by the reserve wicketkeeper in England's Ashes squad.

Bairstow did not have a great birthday as he also suffered a nervous moment when he slipped near the pavilion boundary having chased a lost cause to fine leg. He fell awkwardly and Jason Gillespie came tearing down from the dressing room with a worried brow but after a few overs of gingerly movement, Bairstow could go back to worrying about his wicketkeeping.

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Westfield breaks spot-fixing silence

Mervyn Westfield, the former Essex cricketer, has spoken publically for the first time about the chain of events which led to him receive a prison sentence for spot-fixing as part of an anti-corruption campaign headed by the Professional Cricketers' Association.

Westfield describes in the PCA video how he was lured into spot-fixing by the former Pakistan legspinner Danish Kaneria. Kaneria was banned for life for his part in the affair in June 2012 and lost his appeal against the ban in an ECB hearing in July this year.

Kaneria's lawyers have since filed an appeal in the UK in the Commercial Court, with Kaneria stating that he wants his story to be heard by all. The Commercial Court deals with complex cases arising out of business disputes, both national and international.

Westfield tells in the PCA video how his four-month sentence in Belmarsh prison coincided with the discovery that his father had cancer and how he was shaken by the knowledge that he had let down his parents and that he was no longer a good role model for his two younger brothers.

"I first met Danish at the age of 18 in the second year of my professional contract," Westfield tells. "He was a very bubbly person. Everyone liked him in the dressing room. He was a role model for most of the people in our team.

"Basically I was at his house and he asked if he could speak to me outside… that's when he started first talking about it. He said it's hard for a young person to get money nowadays in cricket and that's how the conversation started.

"He suggested to me that a few people in the game were doing it as well. I felt confused because I didn't really understand where he was coming from or what he was talking about. Him and his friends kept on asking and asking and I felt pressured into it and I sort of had to do it. I just felt so confused what was going."

Westfield was asked to concede a pre-planned number of runs in a televised 40-over tie against Durham in Chester-le-Street in September 2009. He inadvertently failed to concede the number of runs agreed but after Essex returned home in the early hours of the morning he was paid anyway. He reveals for the first time that he resisted suggestions that he should repeat the sting against Somerset five days later.

"When I bowled my first over, I didn't even check the scoreboard to see if I went for 12 or more," he said. "All the emotions going through my head, I was just confused about what was going on.

"Because Danish lived next to me he always gave me a lift home. It was late, it was three o'clock in the morning or something like that. He had two friends in the car as well and they had a black bag and they gave it to me with money.

"The next couple of days we went up to Somerset and they tried to get me to do that game as well but I said no definitely not this time. I was worried obviously if someone finds out a what's going to happen to me and I love cricket and... I didn't want to lose my career and obviously that Durham game has cost me my career."

He also relates how he was summoned back to Essex's HQ at Chelmsford after a training session by the coach, Paul Grayson. Essex - in a meeting with Grayson, the chief executive David East and captain James Foster - initially told him that they intended to deal with the affair in house. The affair only became public knowledge six months later.

Westfield was banned from professional cricket for five years, and club cricket for three years. In recognition of his willingness to help the PCA with its anti-corruption education programme, an ECB appeal panel in June reduced his ban from club cricket by a year, meaning he will be able to play again next season.

He will also appear at the PCA's rookie camp, for new professionals, in February and at PCA pre-season meetings with each of the 18 first-class counties next March.

"I'm not trying to tell people to feel sorry for me… because what I've done is bad but not being able to play or coach any cricket is a massive shock for me," he said. "I just want to rebuild my life.. and try and get back on track. If I can give back to anyone - kids, older people it doesn't matter to me - as long as I can give something back."

Jason Ratcliffe, PCA assistant chief executive, said: "Mervyn recognizes that he did wrong and that the time is right to make amends within the cricket community to ensure nobody makes the same mistakes. His moving interview is the first step of the education process and should serve as a timely reminder to all, that cricket and other sports will not let up in the fight against corrupters."

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New Ryobi sets scene for World Cup

Having set his sights on turning out for Australia at the next World Cup, Brad Haddin believes the shift of the domestic limited-overs competition to a tight tournament format will enhance the national team's chances of contending when the 50-over game's major trophy is contested in 2015.

Haddin will lead New South Wales against Tasmania in the opening match at Bankstown Oval on Sunday, heralding an event played entirely in Sydney across four venues inside the space of a month. In this it reflects the intensity and rhythm of a World Cup or Champions Trophy, a marked change from the spreading of fixtures across the entire summer.

"I reckon the way they've set it out this year is outstanding," Haddin said. "It mirrors what you do with the Australian team and it gets guys used to being in a tournament and building towards a final.

"Tournament play is about getting better as you go along and I reckon this is a great way for state cricket to start in a tournament like this. I like that it's all compressed into a tournament so from that point of view it's good and we obviously should have a home advantage if it's played in Sydney."

New South Wales have been rejuvenated by a series of off-field changes since the start of 2013, starting with the elevation of the new chairman John Warn and then a fresh chief executive in Andrew Jones. Trevor Bayliss has returned as the coach, while Haddin has happily accepted captaincy duties whenever Australia commitments allow him.

"Leaving for the Ashes it wasn't a great place to be around," Haddin said. "But coming back with the work Andrew Jones and John Warn have done with NSW Cricket it's just been a fresh start. So it was refreshing to walk back in after the Ashes campaign and see the headspace everyone was at. The office is now buzzing, we've got everything sorted, so it's up to us to continue the momentum they've started upstairs and play some good cricket."

They will be helped in this pursuit by the limited-overs tournament being staged exclusively in Sydney, granting a major advantage to Australia's most populous cricket state. Haddin admitted his competitors had a right to raise eyebrows at the loss of home ground comforts for the duration of the event.

"I would ask some questions definitely [if from another state]," he said. "The one thing about playing for your state is you like to have the home ground advantage and make teams coming to your area as uncomfortable as you possible can. So a bit of luck the Sydney crowds will get out and make every team as uncomfortable as possible."

Among the anointed venues is the picturesque but small North Sydney Oval, a former favourite with limited-overs schedulers but now notable for how its small boundaries can be exploited by the spring-loaded bats of 2013. Last summer Victoria were set a distant 351 to win by the Blues, but David Hussey and Aaron Finch ran them down with 20 balls to spare.

"We're still looking for some balls Aaron Finch hit out there last year," Haddin quipped. "It's good for the crowd. North Sydney Oval traditionally was always a great place to start the tournament, we always used to play the first one day game of the year there, so it was a great event.

"It's a great ground to play at, as is out here [the SCG], but it is an interesting ground to play at now especially with the size of the bats. We won't hide from the fact we'd like to play at the SCG, but I like the way the tournament's set up, and these are the grounds we've chosen."

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Key keeps Kent in touch

Lancashire 284 (Prince 134) and 75 for 0 lead Kent 260 (Key 134, Harmison 59, Parry 3-51) by 99 runs
Scorecard

Division Two champions Lancashire look set to finish the County Championship season unbeaten after strengthening their grip on their final match against Kent at Canterbury. Lancashire reached the mid-point of the clash on 75 without loss in their second innings - an overall lead of 99.

Having dismissed Kent for 260 to claim a narrow first-innings advantage of 24, Red Rose openers Paul Horton and Luis Reece survived 21 overs through to stumps to dent Kent's hopes of notching a first home Championship win of the season.

Having started the day brightly by taking Lancashire's final two wickets for the addition of just 15 runs - Ashwell Prince failing to add to his overnight 134 - Kent's first-innings batting was again found wanting until their former captain Rob Key dug in for his fifth Championship century of the campaign.

Responding to Lancashire's 284, Kent suffered a miserable start and at 7 for 3 the follow-on looked a real possibility until Key saved face with a 118-ball century.

The hosts lost opener Sam Northeast for a duck after only 13 deliveries when the right-hander clipped firmly into the hands of midwicket against Kyle Jarvis. Eight balls later and with only a single to his name, Daniel Bell-Drummond then allowed one from Oliver Newby to squeeze through bat and pad and pluck out off stump.

Brendan Nash lasted three deliveries before he sparred outside off against Newby to be caught at the second attempt by Tom Smith at third slip as the procession back to the changing rooms continued.

However, Key then found a willing ally in fourth-wicket partner Ben Harmison as the pair batted on either side of lunch to add 158 in 35.1 overs - the highest partnership of the game by far. Harmison posted his fifth half-century of an improving campaign from 103 balls while Key looked comfortable throughout as he eased 10 fours and a six during his three-hour ton.

Harmison celebrated his fifty with a six off Newby but the bowler enjoyed revenge soon after by trapping the left-hander leg before for 59. The slide continued when Darren Stevens went in similar fashion to the lively Jarvis as Kent's last five wickets mustered only 41 runs.

Sam Billings was superbly caught one-handed at second slip by Andrea Agathangelou, Adam Ball also went leg-before and James Tredwell shouldered arms against Tom Smith to lose his off stump. Key then went for 134, snared by spinner Stephen Parry, who also bowled Kent's last man Matt Hunn to give Lancashire a narrow lead.

At the start of the day Kent required barely half-an-hour to polish off the Lancashire first innings. Debutant Hunn had Prince pocketed at second slip to give the rookie from Suffolk figures of 2 for 51, then Stevens bagged his 200th first-class wicket by having Parry caught in the cordon to deny Lancashire their third batting bonus point.

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Promotion seals golden year for Northants

Worcestershire 163 and 155 for 3 lead Northamptonshire 202 (Keogh 57, Richardson 5-70) by 116 runs
Scorecard

There may be a day or two left of the campaign, but Northamptonshire are already celebrating what may just be the finest season in the club's history.

Essex's failure to secure the bonus points they required to stand any chance of overhauling them means that Northants are assured of promotion to Division One of the County Championship whatever happens in the rest of their match with Worcestershire.

With the FLt20 already secured - only the fourth trophy in the history of a club that played its inaugural first-class game in 1905 - and the club assured of playing in the top division for the first time since 2004, it is easy to understand why the chief executive, David Smith, declared it "the best year we've ever had". They only missed out on a YB40 semi-final due to run rate, too.

Perhaps 1976 was better. That year Northants won the Gillette Cup and were second in the County Championship - long before the days of two divisions or a financial divide between the top and bottom sides - but, whichever way you look at it, 2013 will be remembered as a golden year in the history of a club that has generally been content to live in the shadows.

It is the contrast with last year that is so remarkable. Not only did Northants finish second from bottom of Division Two in 2012, they hardly won a match in limited-overs cricket. Across the three competitions, no side won fewer games. Spectators stayed away in their droves.

As a result, they changed their captain and their coach. David Ripley, the wicketkeeper when Northants last won a trophy in 1992, actually replaced David Capel midway through the 2012 campaign but it was only this year that he had the opportunity to instil his own values upon the side. Stephen Peters replaced Andrew Hall as captain of the first-class side and Alex Wakely became captain in the limited-overs formats, deputising in the Championship side when Peters was injured.

Hall, relieved of the burden of leadership, rediscovered his form as a player and emerged as their "standout four-day performer", in the words of Ripley. No one in the side has scored more runs than Hall's 909, while he has also taken 35 Championship wickets.

The club also recruited wisely. Steven Crook, arguably the signing of the season, was brought in from Middlesex to add pace with the ball and ballast with the bat, while Azharullah was signed from league cricket and Trent Copeland as overseas player. They have so far claimed 113 Championship wickets between them; only Lancashire have taken more bowling points than Northants in the division.

The batting was even stronger. No side in either division can match their 54 batting bonus points and, with 15 men having contributed half-centuries, there were times when a batsman as competent as Copeland, who has scored a first-class century and gone in as high as No. 7 in Australia, went in at No. 11.

But there is more to this improvement than strong batting and bowling. Northants have also instilled in their side a unity and spirit that has seen them overcome two defeats against Lancashire - the only side that beat them and the only side they admit were better than them - and the inevitable stresses and strains of a long county season. The split captaincy idea has resulted in all formats benefiting from increased energy and time for planning, and the momentum of success in all forms of the game has proved self-perpetuating.

Perhaps most pleasing is the emergence of some young players at the club - the likes of Olly Stone, Rob Newton, Rob Keogh, Ben Duckett, David Murphy and even Wakely - who could go on to form the basis of a strong team for a decade to come.

If you really want to pinpoint the change in fortunes of this club, you probably have to go back to January 2012. That was when a new chief executive, David Smith, was appointed and when the ambitions of a club that had seemed content with a supporting role were overhauled. It was Smith who sacked Capel and appointed Ripley and who had the energy and vision to see how the club could regain the relevance it once had in its local community. His job is not complete, but he has made a fine start.

Not only have Northants' on-field performances improved in the last 20 months, the club have bought the ground on which they play, improved their facilities and begun an economic development that will, in time, see their income grow by 30% or more. Only last Sunday, 13,000 people attended a Madness concert at the club, which will have earned Northants around £75,000.

Northants have come close to promotion before. In 2009 and 2011 they missed out by a single point and there were times over the first couple of days of this game when they feared history would repeat itself. Alan Richardson, hailed by Ripley as "still the best bowler in this division" produced a characteristically excellent spell of seam bowling in the morning to reduce Northants to 157 for 8 before Keogh and Murphy helped them secure a bonus point. Richardson, whose 14-over spell was a terrific effort for a 38-year-old, fully deserved his fifth five-wicket haul of the season and 23rd of his career.

In the end, though, Essex's shortcomings rendered the outcome of this game irrelevant to the promotion issue. Quite why Essex would invest in high-profile signings like Monty Panesar and Gautam Gambhir in the finals weeks of a season and then not select senior players such as David Masters, Reece Topley, Owais Shah and, though fitness was a factor, even Ravi Bopara for a game that could have earned them promotion, is anyone's guess. But the achievement means plenty to Northants.

"We're not Manchester United," Ripley said, "but to the 100 people who clapped us off the pitch and all the others following this game at home, this results mean a lot. I had plenty of doubts that we would get here so it's just a relief that we have.

"We know that it will be tough next year. But we've taken heart from the fact that Yorkshire have gone from runners-up in Division Two to runners-up in Division One in a season and the fact that we've been good in all formats and near the top of the Championship table since the first game shows we've deserved this."

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