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Hampshire II’s continued their fine run of form as they beat Worcestershire at the Rose Bowl, making it six wins out of six in the Second Eleven Trophy.Chasing 213 for victory, it was some good batting from Jimmy Adams (72) and Lawrence Prittipaul (62no) that paved the way to the finish line, despite another middle order wobble from the young Hawks.Looking to be cruising home, with the score at 180/2, Hampshire proceeded to lose 6 wickets for 21 runs, to give the away team a chance of an unlikely win, but Prittipaul guided his side to a two-wicket win.Worcestershire will be sick of the sight of Adams, who smashed 127no against them last week at Kidderminster, and he continued where he left off on home turf. The left-hander played off the new ball well, before accelerating as the change bowlers came on, with one huge pulled six into the golf course sticking in the memory.However, his demise as he got a thin edge through to the `keeper, sparked off the tumble of wickets for Hampshire.Prittipaul played with supreme confidence again, with several cheeky sweep shots finding the boundary, and he kept his head well to finish off the win.Chris Tremlett (1/27) and James Hamblin (2/27) were the pick of the bowlers earlier in the day, as both bowled their allotted ten overs economically, and picked up vital wickets.Hamblin clean bowled ex-England wicket-keeper Steve Rhodes for 41, as he looked dangerous, and 17 year-old Steve Davies batted well for his 60no, but it was in vain as Hampshire clinched victory with seven overs to spare.

As balls hit hands, helmets and the tiers of grandstands all around him, Sean Clingeleffer hit all the right notes to lead Tasmania out of trouble on the second day of its Pura Cup match against South Australia here in Hobart today.Though the visitors encountered only fleeting alarms on the way to a mark of 1/108 by stumps in a generally confident reply, Clingeleffer offered Tasmania a significant safety valve as it reached a mark of 7/382 before a mid-afternoon declaration.The 21-year old wicketkeeper-batsman had walked to the crease shortly before tea yesterday with his team struggling to come to grips with a pitch offering the bowlers plenty of encouragement in the way of variable bounce and consistent seam movement.But, by the time he left it upon captain Jamie Cox’s decision to close the innings nearly a day later, he had struck a sparkling unbeaten 141 to lift his rapidly swelling first-class average to a shade under 30. He hit the ball beautifully to all parts of the wicket and even showed he might be willing to assist in stage two of the Bellerive Oval redevelopment when he slammed one delivery viciously into the roof of a stand at mid wicket.”It’s a good feeling, that’s for sure,” said Clingeleffer of the attainment of his first century at this level.”It would have been nice for us to get a couple of wickets there at the end but, overall, it wasn’t a bad day.””Last year, I was a bit loose at times and I wanted to be a bit more patient early in my innings this year. I’ve worked pretty hard (in the off-season) with a few of the coaches, particularly off the front foot and in trying to be a little more solid.”For as well as he played, though, the passage to his total wasn’t always smooth. He should have been caught at 94, when he lifted a flighted Brad Young (1/97) delivery to Greg Blewett at around waist level at mid wicket. The same fieldsman also grassed a chance after standing and waiting underneath a shot which had lobbed the ball high in the air toward mid on.And there was a missed stumping opportunity off the desperately unlucky Young when the former Australian under-19 gloveman advanced and played around a flighted delivery with his score at 136.On 80, Clingeleffer had also benefited from an obscure clause in the rule book. More specifically, the provisions of Law 32 meant silly mid off fieldsman David Fitzgerald’s juggled interception of a drive at Darren Lehmann (0/24) didn’t count as a catch because the ball had struck his helmet before reaching his hands.As the response began, Jeff Vaughan (0*) then met the pitch at its most capricious, ending a distant second best in a battle with a vicious rising delivery from David Saker (1/27) that smashed its way off a length and into the visor on his helmet. Vaughan was felled, had to be assisted from the field, and was still drifting in and out of bouts of sleep by stumps. Team manager Andrew Sincock said he would only bat again tomorrow if he experienced a comfortable night.Blewett (45*) and Fitzgerald (31) opted upon steady accumulation as the best method of counter-attacking before the latter fell to what looked a tough lbw decision as a tailing Saker inswinger struck him low on his front pad.Blewett was more fortunate, surviving imploring lbw appeals against the bowling of Shane Watson (0/46) and Shane Jurgensen (0/18) when on 31 and 44 respectively. Around several trademark cover drives and square cuts, he also miscued more than once and didn’t always look at ease in still-tricky batting conditions.After receiving another near-unplayable Saker bouncer as his first delivery, Lehmann (28*) typically injected fresh life into the cause in the lead-up to stumps. He showed emerging star Watson the ropes in more ways than one, dealing with loose deliveries so harshly that he even sent the ball rocketing to the boundary four times in the space of three minutes late in the afternoon.

With his England career now firmly behind him, Kevin Pietersen will return to his roots in Kwa-Zulu Natal this winter having signed to play for the Durban-based Sunfoil Dolphins in their Ram Slam T20 campaign.Pietersen, who was educated at Maritzburg College and emigrated from South Africa in 2001, played two first-class matches for the Dolphins in October 2010 in the build-up to England’s successful Ashes campaign but has never yet played in the country’s T20 competition.”I’m very excited to return to Durban in a few weeks’ time and contribute towards the Sunfoil Dolphins’ cause,” Pietersen said. “Having grown up in KZN it is obviously a place that means something quite special to me and to have the opportunity to play there again is something I’m really looking forward to.”Pietersen, who scored a national-record 13,779 runs across all formats for England in the course of a nine-year career, has not played for England since being sacked in the aftermath of 5-0 Ashes whitewash in 2013-14.Clamours for a recall intensified earlier this season following England’s ignominious group-stage exit at the World Cup, with Pietersen warming to the theme with a career-best 355 not out for Surrey against Leicestershire at The Oval.However, Andrew Strauss, the incoming director of England cricket, closed the door on that prospect in a face-to-face meeting in May, before confirming this week that England had “moved on” from Pietersen in the wake of their 3-2 victory in the recent Ashes.South Africa’s Ram Slam will be the fifth domestic T20 competition that Pietersen has featured in, following stints with Deccan Chargers, Delhi Daredevils, Royal Challengers Bangalore and Sunrisers Hyderabad in the Indian Premier League, St Lucia Zouks in the Caribbean Premier League, Melbourne Stars in the Big Bash League and Surrey in the NatWest T20 Blast.”The Ram Slam T20 looks to be an exciting tournament and I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to be a part of the action for the first time this summer,” Pietersen said. “The Dolphins have some talented individuals and hopefully I can contribute towards the team’s success during my time with them.”Lance Klusener, the Dolphins head coach, believes that Pietersen can help his team win back the title they last held in 2013-14. Pietersen will be available for five Ram Slam matches in a two-week spell from late October until mid-November.”It’s very exciting to have a player of Kevin’s ability join us for a portion of the Ram Slam T20 tournament,” Klusener said. “We’ve won the tournament before and hopefully his presence will aid in us challenging for the title once more.”

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Tamil Nadu faced a strong challenge from Karnataka in Chennai as Ganesh Satish and KB Pawan led them to a strong 239 for 3•K Sivaraman

Odisha made Delhi work hard for their wickets, but the hosts put in the hard work to end the day hopeful of an outright win. Their quicks persevered even as Odisha resisted, and by stumps Odisha were only 41 ahead with four wickets in hand.Govind Podder was the main irritant for Delhi, scoring 85 runs and denying the hosts for close to three-and-a-half hours. He added 84 for the third wicket with Biplab Samantray. Sumit Narwal, though, found a way to hit Podder’s stumps. Narwal had also scored crucial 66 runs to help Delhi build up the lead.That wasn’t the end of the resistance as Samantray and Natraj Behera added 59 to make sure Delhi will have to bat again. Pawan Suyal now found Samantray’s wicket, and two more fell quickly to send Odisha from 202 for 3 to 225 for 6. Behera, their last hope, was still at the wicket, unbeaten on 35.
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In a match that is bad news for spin enthusiasts in India, only seven wickets have fallen in three days on a square turner. Spin was introduced as early as the sixth over of the match. Keeping in with the Tamil Nadu trend, all six of whose batsmen scored at least fifty, no Karnataka batsman, with the exception of Manish Pandey, fell before reaching the half-century.They ended the day at 239 for 3, needing another 300 to take the first-innings lead. If neither Karnataka are bowled out nor 539 is reached, both teams will have to do with one point each.The scores, though, are misleading. They suggest an airport road, but it simply wasn’t the case. The ball jumped, kicked, turned a long way throughout the three days, but the wickets just didn’t arrive.Robin Uthappa was the first to reach fifty on the third day, but fell playing across the line soon after. KB Pawan, who looked good for much more, scooped a full toss from part-timer Abhinav Mukund to mid-on. Pandey edged M Rangarajan behind, raising Tamil Nadu’s hopes at 184 for 3, but Ganesh Satish and Amit Verma batted out the 25.4 overs to stumps.
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Yusuf Pathan smashed 78 off 36 balls to lend energy to a meandering match, giving Baroda enough time to push for an outright win over Vidarbha. Before Yusuf’s intervention, Baroda had claimed the three first-innings points through a century from Abhimanyu Chauhan, but the rest didn’t show much intent to set up a declaration.Rakesh Solanki, too, got a hundred, but at a strike-rate of 40. However, Yusuf walked in at 364 for 4 in 139.2 overs and left at 473 in 147.5. The game’s complexion had changed through his six fours and five sixes, and Baroda could now ask Vidarbha to bat before stumps. And in those four overs Firdaush Bhaja bowled Aniruddha Chore to leave Vidarbha needing 247 to make Baroda bat again.
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Another pitch has produced just seven wickets over three days, but this one is a bona fide airport runway. Which is perhaps why Maharashtra didn’t look too keen to declare despite crossing 700 on the second evening. They even added 26 on the third morning before finally asking Uttar Pradesh to bat.The worst fears about the pitch came true when UP cruised to 287 for 1 by stumps. Mukul Dagar joined Jiwanjot Singh and Paras Dogra as centurions in both the matches of Ranji Trophy so far. This was his second century in a three-match career. Tanmay Srivastava scored his seventh first-class century. The only wicket went to part-timer Kedar Jadhav, who scored a triple-century on day two.If Maharashtra can’t do better with the ball on the final day, a first-innings result will not be achieved. Both the teams will get a point each, and the local association might have to face questions regarding the quality of the pitch.For more on the third day’s play from Pune, click here.

Cricket Australia is considering an out-of-competition drug code for all first-class players, and the new system could be in place before the 2007-08 season begins. That would bring CA in line with other leading Australian sporting bodies including the Australian Football League (AFL) and the National Rugby League (NRL).The proposal would mean CA could have cricketers tested on non-match days, while the current World Anti-Doping Agency-testing of players on match days would remain. Paul Marsh, the CEO of the Australian Cricketers’ Association, said players would be asked for their input on the idea.”Cricket is not immune from illicit drugs and we believe there is a duty of responsibility to explore avenues of developing a uniform code,” Marsh told the . “But it’s about dialogue with our members and that’s why we’ve enlisted an outside company to put together a formal survey that will be comprehensive. It’s up to our members to let us know what concerns they have and we’ll then formulate a plan going forward.”It is unclear whether CA, which was scheduled to discuss the issue at a board meeting today, would favour a zero-tolerance policy or consider copying the approach used by the AFL, where a player is not identified until their third offence. “We are conscious cricket is Australia’s favourite sport and our players are viewed as role models, so it’s our responsibility we look at creating an appropriate culture,” a CA spokesman said.

England have named an unchanged 12-man squad for the final Test against Pakistan, at The Oval, starting on Thursday. Jon Lewis has been retained although it is unlikely that there will be any changes from the team that sealed the series with a 167-run at Headingley.There had been a suggestion that with the series secured the selectors might take the chance to draft in Stuart Broad, the Leicestershire seamer, who has impressed throughout the season. However, that temptation has been resisted with the upcoming one-day series the more likely place to watch a few new faces.David Graveney, the chairman of selectors, said: “The team has played really well in the last two Test matches and the challenge now is to maintain those standards and keep playing cricket of that quality in the final Test of the series.”The one possible opening for Lewis to win a second Test cap would be if Matthew Hoggard continues to struggle with his knee after jarring himself at Headingley. He will be assessed when the squad meets up on Monday, but the early indication is that the problem will not be serious enough to rule him out.Graveney also praised the role of Andrew Strauss, leading the team in the absence of the injured Michael Vaughan and Andrew Flintoff. Earlier this season Strauss was in charge while England went down 5-0 in a one-day series against Sri Lanka. “Winning the series was an outstanding team effort with everyone playing a part and I am particularly pleased for Andrew Strauss, who took on the Test captaincy in difficult circumstances after our defeat by Sri Lanka in the NatWest Series.””He deserves full credit for his leadership of the team and I am sure he and the rest of the players will be doing their utmost next week to ensure that we can finish the series with a win.”Squad Marcus Trescothick, Andrew Strauss (capt), Alastair Cook, Kevin Pietersen, Paul Collingwood, Ian Bell, Chris Read (wk), Sajid Mahmood, Matthew Hoggard, Steve Harmison, Monty Panesar, Jon Lewis

Inzamam-ul-Haq, the Pakistan captain, has asked the ECB to review their decision not to play a Test in Karachi during their tour later this year. England are due to arrive in Pakistan on October 26 for three Tests and five one-day internationals. But, they will play only one game, a one-dayer, in Karachi on December 15 for security reasons.The other matches are in Lahore, Rawalpindi, Multan and Faisalabad, which has disappointed the passionate supporters and the cricket association of Karachi. Inzamam told . “When India played last year in Karachi no untoward incident took place and everything went well. I think Karachi being a major centre deserves to host a test.”Inzamam feels that the England board and players need to realise that possible threats from terrorists could happen anywhere in the world today. He said: “The London bombings are an example. If England do revise their decision of not playing a test in Karachi it would earn them a lot of goodwill in Pakistan and elsewhere.”Inzamam is the latest person to say that England should reconsider their decision. The former Pakistan captains Javed Miandad and Wasim Akram have also criticised England’s stance.

The England & Wales Cricket Board’s XI beat Ireland 2-1 in a bowl-out after the first match of the ECC Championship following heavy rain which left the Kampong ground in Utrecht unplayable.The result of the match was decided by 10 players from each side – the wicketkeepers wisely chose to stand down – taking it in turns to bowl at a single stump after the ECB XI refused to play on the soaked artificial surface.Both teams agreed to the method, and the ECB XI took the lead when Chris Mole, from Devon, hit the stump. Naseer Shaukat levelled the scores for Ireland, but Lincolnshire’s Emmett Wilson eventually sealed a win for the ECB XI.Adrian Burrell, the Irish coach, was obviously not happy with the result, saying: "We’re obviously disappointed at the way things panned out. The umpires needed the consent of both sides to be able to play. We were quite keen to get a game going, but it didn’t work out like that."The ECB XI take on Denmark today (July 19), and Holland face Scotland, with both matches being played at Deventer, where fair weather is expected. The results of the ECC Championship will be used to rank teams for the ICC Trophy in Ireland next year.

Friday the 13th, unlucky some may say, but that was certainly not the case at The Rose Bowl, where superstition was put aside as a sell out crowd came to the cricket and the pop concert.The sun shone brightly, it was a very warm summer evening, and everything was right for an exciting cricket match, and that was certainly what they got, as the Hawks got their campaign off the mark (see separate match report).A lot of preparation had gone into this major Rose Bowl event; it was a window to the world of cricket. The sceptics said it would not work; I have to admit that perhaps I was one, although I did believe it deserved a chance if just for its innovation.There was a carnival atmosphere long before the cricket, bouncy castle, fun fair, NatWest fast bowling competition, Saints football shoot out and much much more.The food outlets were doing a roaring trade, where the dear old traditional Rose Bowl Café (Sunshine Café) suddenly found itself surrounded by Baguettes, Fish and Chips, Sweets, Ice Cream and an abundance of other delicacies.Many of the staff that did the whole show proudly had arrived at 8 am and many were still there gone 11pm, a devotion to a concept that had started as a pipe dream in the minds of the old Hampshire County Cricket Club, to the magnificent facilities we have today.I was over by the entrance to the Western Berm when a family of five came in "Good grief" said the wife to her husband, "this is magnificent". Obviously a first timer and we hope a regular from now on. Later when coming into the Atrium bar, I overhead another lady exclaim "This is super, I had no idea, and I only live just down the road in Hedge End".Seeing the crowd converge onto the outfield to watch Mis-Teeq and the other pop acts after the match, may have given head groundsman Nigel Gray a few palpitations, but it was a superb sight.Rod Bransgrove, Nick Pike and all the staff of Rose Bowl plc and Hampshire Cricket can lift their heads up high today, and say we did it. There will be other days like this, the One Day International amongst some, but this day will go down in history in the young days of the ground, alongside that amazing win over Australia in 2000 …Watch this space …

After leading Guyana to three consecutive victories on theirway to the Red Stripe Bowl semifinal last week, Carl Hooperwas moved to bemoan the general standard of the cricket.Nothing he saw in the two semifinals at Kaiser Sports Clubin Jamaica on Thursday and Friday would have relieved hisworries as he considers the players likely to form the WestIndies team for the World Cup in South Africa that is only ayear-and-a-half away. As derided as it is by thetraditionalists, the One-Day game demands as much cricketingintelligence and astuteness as the more protracted version.Because, and not in spite, of all its limitations, itssituations change fast and frequently, testing the wits ofcaptains and players. There is no second innings so there isno coming back.One poor shot, one wide ball, one fumble, one missed chance,one poorly set fielder could mean the match. Test cricket isnot nearly as unforgiving of mistakes.And mistakes there were on Thursday and Friday by thedozens.What would have concerned Hooper especially was that amongthe most culpable were those he is likely to lead onto thefield at the Newlands ground in Cape Town for the World Cupopener against South Africa in February, 2003. Here are buta few examples.In the first semifinal, on a pitch so damp that MichaelHolding’s fingernail made a sizeable scratch on the surface,a couple of deliveries leapt at Leon Garrick in the firstover to strike glove and body.This was a time for care and concentration. Instead, ChrisGayle, the West Indies’ finest young batsman and, on allevidence, one whose appetite for big scores in insatiable,tried to hoist Reon King out of the ground with the fifthball he received. The resulting skied catch to point waspredictable and damning.Gayle’s previous two innings in the tournament had broughthim hundreds and the two before that in domestic countycricket in Jamaica two more. Perhaps he was undone byoverconfidence.It was a crucial mistake.Another 27 overs on, with Jamaica battling to rebuild afaltering innings, Marlon Samuels, another rising youngbatsman, bowed to the pressure of eeking out 15 runs from 57balls. Pulling wildly across the modest leg-spin onSewnarine Chattergoon, he was bowled, leaving captain RobertSamuels and the tail to salvage what they could from theshambles for 75 for five.Shabby Guyanese bowling and fielding and purposeful battingby the experienced Samuels and the fluent Gareth Breeseyielded 107 from the last 15 overs and raised Jamaica’stotal to 191 for nine, still only modest but far more thanhad seemed possible.At 134 for five after 40 overs in reply, Guyana had thematch in hand before Mahendra Nagamootoo, a usually sensiblecricketer with both Tests and One-Day Internationals on hisrecord, chose the game’s most contorted stroke as his bestoption. He was inevitably bowled when he missed his reversesweep.At the other end, his brother, Vishal, backed up so far hewas run out without receiving a ball, another victim ofcricketing lunacy.Onto the second semifinal the next day and there was moremadness, this time on the Trinidad and Tobago side. Theirmajor batsmen simply failed to acknowledge an earlier lessonin proper tactical batting by Floyd Reifer and Ryan Hinds,who breathed life back into a Barbados innings that was allbut lifeless.By sensible, orthodox methods, Reifer and Hinds graduallylifted Barbados’ spirits and punched increasingly largeholes in the Trinidadian balloon.There was no panic, no cross-batted swings, no desperatemethods, just methodical progress to a point from which thetempo could be increased and a challenging target set.A pitch of uneven bounce and variable pace meant drivingthrough the line was a hazard to be avoided. The 220required would have to be reached by careful, orthodoxbatting. So what happened?Andy Action Jackson, so named after his earlier hundred off47 balls against the North Windwards, Brian Lara and DarenGanga all drove expansively and into the hands of off-sidefielders. Lincoln Roberts, pinned down for 32 balls for six,swiped a high catch to long-on.It was the kind of cricket that had plenty of heads aroundKaiser shaking in despair. Hooper’s and the other headsplanning the West Indies World Cup campaign are likely toturn grey if it continues much longer.