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Lancashire and Surrey have retained their female players on their Academy schemes. Kathryn Cross, of Lancashire, and the two Surrey players Ebony Rainford-Brent and Anna Stevenson, will embark upon their second year as academy players.Competition for places is fierce, with Lancashire offering 11 spots in all, while Surrey have cut their places from 14 to ten for this year.Meanwhile, the MCC has come on board to sponsor ‘ Young Sportswoman of the Year award. The three-year deal also includes an arrangement for Lord’s to host the annual event.Keith Bradshaw, MCC’s secretary and chief executive, said: “Women’s sport continues to grow in stature, popularity and excellence.  These awards are the ultimate recognition of excellence. We are extremely proud that Lord’s will play host to this prestigious event.”This year’s Sportswomen of the Year awards take place at Lord’s on November 20.

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As many as 22 wickets tumbled on a sensational opening day of the four-day Quadrangular Stage Patron’s Trophy Cicket Championship match, between Habib Bank Limited (HBL) and Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA), in Karachi.Shabbir Ahmed, the fast bowler, captured 5 for 32 runs in 12.1 overs and fellow medium pacer Kashif Raza managed 3 for 52 as HBL, inserted to bat first, were bowled out for 125 on a seaming and bouncy track in Karachi. The WAPDA batsmen fared worse, being shot out for a 72 in reply. When play ended for the day, HBL were 80 for 2 in the second innings with an overall lead of 133.Shahid Afridi, leading HBL, was the star of the day. Fahad Masood caused the early damage in the WAPDA’s innings while Afridi polished off the tail with three wickets. Afridi then slammed 51 off 55 balls, including four fours and two sixes. Aftab Khan (24) and Azhar Mahmood (14*) were the other batsmen to reach double figures.At one stage HBL were reeling at 33 for 5 but Afridi and Aftab added 55 for the sixth wicket. Afridi also held two catches in the WAPDA first innings.
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Only 65 overs of play were possible on the opening day owing to fading light but Khan Research Laboratories (KRL) ran up an impressive score of 220 for 2 in the Quadrangular Stage Patron’s Trophy Cricket Championship match in Karachi.After they were put in to bat first by Zarai Taraqiati Bank Limited (ZTBL), KRL lost two wickets for 48. Then, wicketkeeper Zulfiqar Jan and left-hander Saeed Anwar jnr joined hands in a magnificent 172-run unbroken stand for the third wicket.The 28-year-old Saeed from Burewala is nearing his first-class career’s ninth hundred, as he ended the day at 92 not out. His runs have come off 169 balls with the help of 15 fours and a six. Zulfiqar, who has two previous first-class tons to his credit, was unbeaten on 75.

Peter Chingoka, the chairman of Zimbabwe Cricket, and Ozias Bvute, the managing director, were arrested late on Monday after surrendering themselves at Harare Central police station. The pair are understood to have arrived accompanied by their lawyer, Wilton Manashe.The news was confirmed by Chief Superintendent Oliver Mandipaka who said: “They have been charged with contravening sections of the Exchange Control Act, and they will appear in court soon.” He added that more arrests could follow in the coming days.A source close to Zimbabwe Cricket said that the charges relate to the ongoing investigation being carried out by the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe. It is thought that the pair were charged with several offences.The ZC board is now expected to meet as a matter of urgency and it is widely rumoured that Chingoka and Bvute will be removed from office. An insider said that the first move would then be to gain entrance to their heavily-locked offices, and hand over all the books and accounts to a forensic auditor.It is known that ZC is in deep financial trouble. Harare Sports Club has not been paid rent for office space by ZC for two months, and many players have not had their match fees from the New Zealand and India series almost three months ago. The full scale of the financial predicament is not yet known.The forensic audit will include investigation into alleged importation of many top of the range vehicles for resale in Harare and unexplained cash withdrawals.If Chingoka and Bvute are ousted then it will pave the way for the striking players to return. Tatenda Taibu, who quit as Zimbabwe’s captain last week, is likely to resume and other players who retired because of the Chingoka-led ZC’s conduct might also be persuaded to reconsider.Lovemore Banda, the ZC media manager, repeatedly denied he knew anything about the arrests but failed to respond when asked several times to clarify the situation.In a letter to the ICC last week, the seven provincial chairmen asked for a freeze on all foreign income pending investigation of transactions through an account in London, income and expenditure accounts for TV companies and “other allegations of several instances of impropriety in ZC”.

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Amit Mishra, the legspinner, claimed a five-wicket haul and helped Haryana ease to a comfortable nine-wicket win over Rajasthan at Udaipur. Having bundled Rajasthan out for 202, Haryana hunted down the 92 in just 21.3 overs and ensured their spot in the semi-finals. Chetan Sharma and Sunny Singh shared a 67-run stand and set up the emphatic win.
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The two points that Services snapped up from the drawn encounter was enough to take them to the last-four stage. Services didn’t attempt to push for a result at any stage and even their tailenders, Arun Sharma and Fazil Mohammad, cashed in with 51 apiece. Vidarbha got a chance to bat for only 12.2 overs in their second innings as the game meandered towards a dull draw.
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Jharkhand fell 22 run-short in a nail-biting chase against Himachal Pradesh at the Keena Stadium in Jamshedpur. Chasing 155 for victory, Jharkhand resumed the final day on 110 for 6 but only Santosh Lal managed to cross 20 and they were tottering at 120 for 9. A 35-run stand for the last wicket, between Mihir Diwakar and Shankar Rao, gave them hope but Ashok Thakur, the left-arm medium pacer, sealed HP’s triumph in the 21st over of the day. Despite this loss, Jharkhand got through to the last-four stage due to their superior net-run-quotient compared to Orissa.
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Keraa completed a consolation victory in their last league game against Jammu & Kashmir at Palaghat. Both teams had no chance of qualifying for the semis and J&K’s brave bid to reach 461 was thwarted by Ananthapadmanabhan, the legpinner, and he finished with 5 for 51. Most of the J&K batsmen managed starts but none could stay there too long to force a draw.
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The dead rubber between Goa and Tripura, where both teams had no chance of qualifying for the semis petered out to a tepid draw. Even three innings weren’t completed and Goa ended their second innings on 190 for 8. Tushar Saha, the left-arm medium pacer, finished with 5 for 65 but by then the game was over as a contest.

Geoffrey Boycott has launched a scathing and wide-ranging attack on the state of English cricket, in an interview on Radio Five Live. He called England’s performance against South Africa “pathetic'”. He also strongly criticised the selectors for looking to the future instead of the present, and called Nasser Hussain “stupid'” for the resigning from the captaincy when he did. The strongest criticism however, was reserved for Duncan Fletcher.Boycott has been forced to watch most of England’s recent matches on television, as he has fought throat cancer from which he is now in remission. In this interview, however, he showed that he has not become any softer.”I don’t take much notice of their wins against Zimbabwe,” he began. “Quite frankly they [Zimbabwe] weren’t up for it. A club side could have beaten Zimbabwe, so saying England have had a good summer so far is nonsense. We’ve not been tested until South Africa came here, and we’ve not only been found wanting – we’ve been pathetic.”Boycott believes that the selectors should not pick young cricketers simply because they’re looking to build a team for the future. He insists that Nasser Hussain and Alec Stewart still have roles to play. “Every time we have a bad match, the selectors come up with the old chestnut of `sack the older players, bring on youth, build for the future’.””Well to hell with the future – what about now? What the public could do with is a tonic now – they could could do with England whacking South Africa at Trent Bridge. So I wouldn’t sack Alec and I wouldn’t sack Hussain – I think they’ve got it right.”Fletcher, who prefers to work quietly from the sidelines, is not spared either: “Whenever there’s any publicity, it’s shove the captain forward. When the team plays well, he [the coach] takes a lot of the plaudits. I think you’ve got to take some of the pressure off Michael (Vaughan) and stand up a bit.”Boycott suggested that England needed someone who properly recognised the importance of County cricket: “He [Fletcher] hasn’t played county cricket and he doesn’t understand the passion we have for it, and resting all the players all the time is killing county cricket. I just feel that it would be better if we had an Englishman who understands that we have a professional county game to support, as well as Test matches to win. You have to marry the two.”Hussain might have got the Boycott vote as player, but the timing of his resignation comes under fire: “Stupid – not good for English cricket. I accept that maybe he was mentally shot – but he should have known that before he went on the field. He did a lot of talking before that first Test match and I thought ‘this guy’s talking himself out of a job’.”

The Konica Queensland Fire will embark on their quest to win theState’s first national women’s championship this weekend when theycommence their Women’s National Cricket League season with two matchesagainst Victoria at Allan Border Field.The Fire reached the Final of the WNCL last season for the first timeonly to lose to five-time champions NSW, but will begin the 2001-2002season full of confidence.The team for the opening round includes Australian players Julia Priceand Sally Cooper, members of the undefeated Southern Stars team thatwon the Ashes in England in July, national squad members Melissa Bulowand Tricia Brown and former Australian allrounder Megan White.White has returned to Brisbane after a season playing with Victoriaand is joined in the team by pace bowler Renee Lee, who missed lastseason to concentrate on indoor cricket.The Fire team also contains three members of the Konica QueenslandUnder-19 team in Gold Coast off-spinner Belinda Matheson, SunshineCoast pace bowler Kirsten Pike and Toowoomba bat Jodie Purves.Victoria will include Australian pace-bowling spearhead CathrynFitzpatrick, the fastest bowler in world women’s cricket, and SouthernStars captain Belinda Clark, who has relocated from Sydney toMelbourne to assist with the integration of Women’s Cricket Australiawith the ACB.The teams will play limited over matches on Saturday and Sunday. Entryis free, with play commencing at 10am.KONICA QUEENSLAND FIRE v Victorian Spirit, Allan Border Field,Saturday and Sunday: Julia Price (Captain), Bronwyn Buckley(vice-captain), Melissa Bulow, Belinda Matheson, Sally Cooper, TriciaBrown, Megan White, Jodie Purves, Leonie Shields, Cindy Kross, ReneeLee, Kirsten Pike.

The Delhi Police special cell has moved Delhi High Court to appeal against a trial court’s order that let off all those accused by Delhi Police in the spot-fixing case of 2013. On July 25, the trial court had acquitted all 42 chargesheeted, including the three Rajasthan Royals cricketers Sreesanth, Ajit Chandila and Ankeet Chavan, on the basis of lack of evidence.On Wednesday evening, Delhi Police challenged the trial court order on grounds that it had “failed” to properly appreciate the evidence before it, the reported. The cell in its appeal has also said the trial court should not have discharged all accused at the stage of framing of charges, and should have considered all evidence after a proper trial.The court had dismissed the case saying there was no prime facie case under Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA), the law under which Delhi Police sought sentences against those accused. Betting is not legal in India, which meant there was no prima facie victim even if the spot-fixing charges were proved, which basically means there is no provision in the Indian legal system to deal with fixing.Delhi Police tried to get around it by filing the case under MCOCA, but the court said there was not enough evidence for charges to be framed under that act, a special law passed by the Maharashtra state government to tackle organised crime syndicates and terrorism which contains far stricter provisions relating to bail and admissibility of confessions compared to the Indian Penal Code.The court’s order had no bearing on the BCCI’s sanctions on the three players. Sreesanth and Chavan remained banned for life. “Any disciplinary proceeding or decision taken by the BCCI is independent to any criminal proceeding and has no bearing,” the BCCI had said in response to the trial court’s order. “The decisions of the BCCI, based on its independent disciplinary action, shall remain unaltered.”

Andrew Hall, South Africa allrounder who recently retired from international cricket, has signed for Northamptonshire on a three-year deal.Hall, 32, was omitted from South Africa’s World Twenty20 squad this month, a decision which ultimately prompted him to retire from internationals.”A number of counties have been after Andrew’s signature,” Mark Tagg, the Northants chief executive said, “and we are very pleased that he has seen the potential in our club over the next few years and has decided that he would like to be a part of our plans.”Hall had a stint at a brief stint at Worcestershire before joining Kent in 2005 where he enjoyed far greater success. In 61 matches he took 122 wickets, also notching three hundreds and 11 fifties.”I feel confident that the addition of Andrew’s vast experience combined with his proven qualities of being a combative, competitive team man in all departments of the game will have a significant impact in all competitions,” the Northamptonshire coach, David Capel, said.”His pedigree and enthusiastic approach to the game is likely to lead to him having a positive impact at the club in all aspects during the next three years. His bowling ability in all forms of the game is the primary reason for his addition to the squad but it is also recognised that he is a player that has great versatility with his batting roles, making him a him an even more valuable asset to the club.””The opportunity to join Northants and play my role both on and off the field in achieving success and being part of the development plans over the next three years is an exciting one for me,” Hall said. “Before making my decision I have spoken in depth with David Capel, Nicky Boje and Lance Klusener who have given me a useful insight and convinced me about the style, potential and ambition that the club have in progressing and working towards achieving lasting success.”They have assured me regarding the clubs will to compete and enthused about some young talent coming through the ranks and I hope to support their development and help create a strong all round competitive team for many years to come.”

As a Cricket Umpire of Karnataka State Cricket Association Bangalore in India, I state that Muralitharan is out “RUN OUT” as the ball is not dead. So the umpire’s decision is absolutely correct. Murthy
The run-out of Murali, exhibits much of what makes cricket so much less today. If winningis so important that the “spirit” of sport is violated, then watch the diminishing live crowds and TV audiences and wonder no more. Shame on the Kiwi’s. SHAME, I switched channels. Patrick Welcome
Murali was clearly out. NZ did the right thing, this is not a charity match. Let alone how many matches he has played, the moment you represent the country you become a pro. He should have known that the ball was not dead. Sledging is not fair, but this is absolutely fair, within the rules of the game. Karthick KrishnanI’ve just read of Murali’s unfortunate runout while congratulating his partner on his 100. How cruel is that? Couldn’t the umpires have exercised some discretion and leniency as they did when Tony Greig ran out Kallicharran on his way to the pavilion at the end of the day’s play? Vidhyasagar
The run out of Murali was an absolute shocker.. I didn’t expect that from Fleming who in my view is the best captain in the world. Murali grounded his bat and went to congratulate Sangakarra. Even the umpire was walking towards the other end.. It was obnoxious on NZ’s part. Vivek Chhajer
Any Kiwi who ever whinges about the Chappell brothers and the one-day “underarm” incident, should be forced to watch the disgusting actions of Brendan Mccullum in “running out” Murali in the second innings of this test. Doing no more than congratulating his batting partner, and this keeper chooses the most unsportsmanlike action to end the innings. It’s not the first time he has brought the game into disrepute with this underhand method of stealing a wicket. Fleming should have shown appropriate leadership and decry the actions of his team-mate and called the batsman back. But not from this Kiwi team. Disgusting is the only thing I can say. Wayne
It is perfectly correct the way New Zealanders ran out Murali. There is nothing wrong in their part. There is no question of spirit of cricket coming into play here. Murali, who had played more than 100 Test matches, should be knowledgeable enough to know that he can’t walkout of the crease before the ball is dead. Bob Jacobs
It is not fair to get somebody out just for leaving the crease to congratulate the colleague who made a ton under difficult circumstances. New Zealanders, this is not cricket. Rajeendra
Murali gets out again in a bizarre fashion. He surely must be holding the record for most “weird” dismissals. I remember this one particular instance when he was running, and he kept his bat on the ground to grease it. The thing is he had kept his bat on the ground a meter away from the crease. And was running with the bat rubbing against the ground…and just before reaching the crease line. his bat got stuck unto something in the ground and fell. the wicket keeper pulled the bails off and he was given out. He was also give out for jumping in the air when the ball hit the wicket. Basically he’s one of the most exciting batsman in world cricket today 🙂 cos something or the other happens with him around.Murugan
I felt that NZ should have been sportive and let Murali play. It was not a great way to get him OUT. S.Fleming should have displayed sportmanship spirit! N Viswanath
Murali should not have left the crease but anyone could have seen clearly that he went to congratulate his mate. It is very unsportsmanlike like for a team that has been very sporty for a long time to run out Moral at the end. Anyway it shows that how people act under pressure. Good luck kiwis to win at any cost Dim
Murali should have known better. Laws are laws. NZ did absolutely nothing wrong. Sri Lanka would have done the same if they were in NZ position, i.e., tailender holding up an end.Carl Mason
I think it is Murali’s mistake to turn to greet his partner even before the ball is dead.Bala
Murali should know better. It’s a gentlemen’s game but teams also play to win.Rahul
I think that it is justified, if they did not wait for the dead ball to be called, should we let them off. Expensive lesson, but hopefully they learn it well.David
In my mind, Murali should have known better. The keeper is watching the ball come in, so if he notices the batsman leaving his crease while the ball is live, then his next instinct is to take the bails off when he receives the ball. He doesn’t know whether Murali is going for a run or not. At this level, it surely can’t be hard to put your bat in the crease until the keeper has received the ball.Jeff Moen
Clearly Murali thought it was ok to walk to Sangakkara since umpire Jerling himself started walking down the pitch. The umpire was in no position (walking down the pitch) to rule Murali out or even tell him get back. Nuwan
It may be the rule, but it’s definitely not the true spirit of the game. There are many instances where a player can be sent to the dressing room without a regular dismissal, but good players don’t do that. For example, if a batsman picks up the ball and hand it over to a fielder, we don’t see appeals. But I am truly disappointed with New Zeeland on this incident. Win or Lose but you need to keep the spirit of the game! Roshan Rupasinghe
Murali’s run out: He should have known better, but it is clearly bad sportsmanship. Everyone knew he wasn’t trying for another run. NZ have been the better team – this may well spoil a well earned victory. Steve Miller
No question, Murali was out. Even at club level, you always make sure the ball is dead before you leave your crease. He switched off and Sri Lanka paid the price. Jez
Shameful. Murali was clearly on his way to congratulate his partner, after grounding his bat. In the laws of the game, but certainly not something that adds to its decency. Chris
Talk of Mural’s dismissal being against the spirit of the game is a joke…how many times do we see batsman refuse to walk in situations they must know they have edged a catch? There are numerous examples of (particularly Australians!) grounding catches! and personal insults in the form of sledging … I mean the spirit of the game is nonsense at international level there’s no room for sentimentality and none given which is why no one should bemoan a fair and legitimate wicket which could mean the difference between victory and defeat for New Zealand. Jeff
I am an SL supporter. But based on what I saw on cricinfo, Murali should have known better- and he should not have left the crease. But having said that cricketing authorities have not been consistent. Under a very similarly situation (ball being not dead ) Kallicharan was run out Tony Greig. But authorities reversed the decision to avoid possible riots and harm to Tony. Pooji

Australia’s selectors must decide whether to backflip to a traditional line-up or plough ahead in search of another allrounder following the shoulder injury that ended Shane Watson’s Test summer. Trevor Hohns has enjoyed the balance of the side with Watson covering duel roles, but he told the problem with similar replacements was “there weren’t too many of them around”.The disruption has forced the selectors to delay naming the squad for the second Test against West Indies at Hobart, which begins on November 17, and reports have also suggested Justin Langer’s fractured rib was not healing as well as planned. If Langer is unfit Mike Hussey will stay in the side after making his debut in Brisbane while Brad Hodge and Andrew Symonds are in contention to replace Watson.Hohns told Watson’s injury had upset his plans. “We were certainly making progress in that direction,” he said. “We may have to change the balance of the side again.” The selectors also have the problem of an underperforming middle order with Michael Clarke and Simon Katich failing to register decent scores in Brisbane.Watson suffered a partial dislocation while fielding on Sunday and has had trouble keeping the “terrible noise” on impact out of his mind. “I was actually thinking ‘that can’t be my body,” he told the paper, “it must be the ground or something’.”The surgeon Greg Hoy was due to operate on Watson’s left shoulder today but he felt the injury was less serious than the back stress fractures that ruled him out of the 2003 World Cup. “The good thing is it wasn’t technique or anything to do with my bowling action so I don’t really have to remodel anything,” he said. “It’s just a freak thing.”Watson was playing his third Test at the Gabba and had just taken his second career wicket when he had Chris Gayle caught by Shane Warne at first slip. “It’s hard to set a goal at the moment,” he said in . “Hopefully it will just be a couple of months and I’ll be able to get back without risking it.”