Sri Lanka Cricket will have a full time paid selector serving in the national selection panel after the 2007 World Cup.The term of the current selection committee ends on April 30, two days after the World Cup final, and depending on the availability of the members, either the same committee or a changed committee may be appointed for the next 12 months from May 1.The present selection committee comprises Ashantha de Mel (chairman), Don Anurasiri, Amal Silva and Shabbir Asgerally. “We have decided that from next month we will have a paid selector serving in the panel so that he can devote full time to the job at hand,” said Sri Lanka Cricket secretary K Mathivanan.”We need at least one selector who can spend his time watching matches and attending training sessions. This way at least there is some justification for the players also,” Mathivanan said. “Selectors should not always depend on newspaper reports and scores to pick players. They should have first hand knowledge of the players.”Sri Lanka Cricket is already making a monthly payment of Rs. 25,000 per selector (US$ 240 approx) as remuneration and providing them with mobile phones. It is a system that has been in existence for the past two years. However they feel that with their individual jobs sometimes taking precedence over cricket none of the selectors have the time to devote fully to watching the players. In the past four years Sri Lanka Cricket has sent at least one selector on tour with national teams.”We have not decided on what sort of fee and other benefits we should be paying the selector. It is a matter for the interim committee to decide,” said Mathivanan.Don Anurasiri, the former Sri Lanka left-arm spinner appears to be the most likely choice. Anurasiri, who appeared for his country in 18 Tests and 45 ODIs between 1986 and 1998, has been a member of the selection committee for the past three years and also accompanied teams as manager and tour selector.Pakistan recently appointed its first paid selection committee when it named former Test cricketer Salahuddin Ahmed as the head replacing Wasim Bari. Former Test cricketers Shafqat Rana and Saleem Jaffar are the other members of the new committee appointed following Pakistan’s early exit from the 2007 World Cup.

Nottinghamshire have signed former England A seamer Simon Francis to bolster a bowling attack which has lost Ryan Sidebottom to England and Andy Harris to injury.Francis, 28, goes straight into Nottinghamshire’s squad for the Friends Provident match against Derbyshire on Monday after impressing during a pre-season trial period with the club.”We only had six seamers on the staff at the start of the season and with Ryan Sidebottom playing for England and AJ Harris injured,” said director of cricket Mick Newell.”We couldn’t operate with just four quick bowlers. Simon is an experienced bowler who has bowled well for us in the second XI this year and will give us cover in an area where we are thin. He can slot straight into the team if necessary and there’s every chance he will play on Monday.”Francis started his career with Hampshire before moving to Somerset in 2002. He toured Malaysia and India with England A in 2003-04 but limited Championship opportunities in 2006 led to his release.”After being released by Somerset I had to make plans for life away from cricket and it made me appreciate how lucky professional cricketers are,” said Francis, who has since worked in sales and marketing. “I didn’t want to get to the age of 33 and wish I had given county cricket one more go and my love for cricket has been reinvigorated in the last four months.”I’m determined to make the most of this opportunity but I’ve got no expectations beyond mucking in with the squad and doing my very best for Nottinghamshire over the rest of the season.”

That’s all you can ask for – a lot of fight, even if it might eventually prove to be all in vain.Many fans wouldn’t have bothered to be up early yesterday just to see the West Indies fold meekly on the way to yet another massive defeat. You can’t blame them. Even some English journalists and broadcasters covering the match had checked out early from their hotels on the fourth morning, fully expecting the tourists to live up to their recent reputation as a side prone to gutless capitulations.Just the thought of these goodly gentlemen, and even the odd lady, hastily re-booking into hotels and cancelling plans for golf or other diversions today is satisfaction in itself. But there was more than enough out in the middle at Old Trafford to again keep that limp flame flickering just a little bit more in the expectation that some of these same players may actually have what it takes to help develop a new culture of discipline, dedication and commitment in West Indies cricket.After playing most of his international career in the considerable shadow of Brian Lara, most of us almost take Shivnarine Chanderpaul for granted. He is always there thereabouts, nothing spectacular, nothing flamboyant (except for the out-of-the blue explosion, like that 69-ball hundred against the Aussies at Bourda in 2003), grinding out runs almost anonymously while the starboy strokeplayers have everyone gasping at their pyrotechnic displays at the other end.But the incomparable Trinidadian batting maestro is no longer part of the landscape, bringing sharply into focus just how significant the other long-serving left-hander is in the West Indian middle-order. His knock of 74 was the topscore in a commendable overall effort of 437 in the first innings of the drawn first Test at Lord’s. Ruled out of the second Test debacle at Headingley with an inflamed knee, the former captain returned for this encounter and again led the way with an even 50 first up, although he could not halt the distressingly swift decline of the first innings late on the second day.Yesterday, though, he was in his element, soldiering on for four-and-a-half hours while accumulating runs as quietly and efficiently as ever. Ever mindful that, with two days to go, occupation of the crease was more of a priority than racing after an improbable target of 455, Chanderpaul batted as he usually does, as if nothing else matters but the next delivery. He resumes this morning 19 runs short of another Test hundred, but it would be surprising if he is not thinking well beyond that milestone to the 154 runs required to make history, especially if his team-mates can continue to give such impressively solid support.And that is something, probably even more than the trademark Chanderpaul vigil, which defined yesterday’s play in Manchester. In the same way that bowlers need the support of fielders to hold the catches, even the greatest batsman in the world can’t make much of an impact if wickets are tumbling at the other end.Such a clatter would have been expected when Chris Gayle fell early. However since then, every partnership has contributed more than 50 runs with successive pairings urging each other along to maintain the fight against an English side that looked genuinely surprised at having to cope with such prolonged resistance. They have come to expect an attractive cameo here and there from their talented yet indisciplined opponents. But 42 from Devon Smith (adding 53 with Runako Morton), a battling 54 by Morton (putting on 73 with Chanderpaul), Dwayne Bravo mixing caution with unbridled aggression in reaching 49, (dominating an 88-run stand with the senior man), and last, but certainly not least, Denesh Ramdin (26 not out) keeping the fires of resistance burning right to the close in putting on 52 with Chanderpaul.Few could have expected such a consistent effort, and while there is no guarantee that the trend can continue on the final day, those who are yet to come (surely Darren Sammy needs no further motivation after his remarkable bowling success on Saturday) must be inspired to carry the fight if or when their turn at the crease arrives.

On a pitch offering considerable assistance for specialist spinner Monty Panesar and still firm enough to keep the seamers interested, the West Indian batting performance yesterday becomes all the more praiseworthy and cannot be idly dismissed as the result of English complacency.In the context of a side set a near-impossible task and battling through an entire day under considerable pressure, this was the best the West Indies have done since the final day of the New Year’s Test at Cape Town in 2004, when a blistering debut hundred by Dwayne Smith pulled the visitors to within 100 runs of a monumental target of 441, before skipper Lara decided that the eighth-wicket pair should shut up shop to ensure a draw instead of risking defeat by continuing the chase.This time however, there will be no stalemate, unless inclement weather intervenes. Maybe all of the optimism will come to nothing in less than an hour this morning. Nevertheless, the fact that the West Indies are still in with a chance at the start of the last day, when most were expecting England to have clinched the series already, again gives us reason to believe that somewhere among this much-maligned group are a few of the building blocks required for the reconstruction of West Indies cricket.

The battle between the Kenyan Cricket Association and the country’s stakeholders took another twist this weekend with the revelation that the government is forming a new organisation to run the game.It had been hoped that last week’s court hearing in Nairobi would bring an end to years of bitter infighting inside Kenya, but legal delays, which seemed to be almost entirely at the whim of a High Court judge, meant that the hearing will now not be heard until March. It seems that was the final straw for Ochillo Ayacko, the minister for sports, and The Nation, which has followed a pro-KCA line throughout much of this dispute, is reporting that the government, which suspended the KCA last month, has decided to bypass the old regime altogether.Officially, the ICC has stayed on the sidelines throughout this whole affair, but there is plenty of evidence to suggest that it has been involved behind the scenes and, as previously reported here, has held meetings with Ayacko about how best to proceed. Many inside Kenya actually believe that his decision to move against the KCA was accelerated by ICC support. It also seems unlikely that Ayacko would undertake such a bold move without consulting the ICC as to its position – ICC rules state that it will only deal with the body recognised by the relevant government as being in charge of the game inside a country.The Nation reported that a meeting, chaired by Ayacko, was held at Kasarani on Sunday and that an application will be made this week for the new body to be registered. “We are not interfering with KCA,” Sammy Obingo, the former KCA general manager, told the newspaper. “They can continue with their affairs.”Such a move would render the old Sharad Ghai-led KCA an irrelevance. It has no sponsors and is, to all intents and purposes, insolvent. The ICC, which is its main source of funding, is understood to have suspended payments pending the resolution of the dispute, and senior figures inside Kenya have confirmed that there is no money to meet even the most urgent of liabilities.It seems inconceivable that Ghai will not challenge the minister’s move, but it would be hard to see how a court could rule against a body backed by the government and almost all the country’s stakeholders in favour of an organisation which is broke and has such a dismal record of failure and mismanagement.This is certainly not be the final chapter of this whole sorry tale, but it could be a decisive turning point.

Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were out

If Lord’s can somehow escape further rain there will be a positive outcome to this intensely fought match. England hold the upper hand after a dazzling century from Kevin Pietersen set India 380 despite RP Singh’s career-best five-wicket haul. Dinesh Karthik glued India’s chase together with a gutsy half century, but England have already removed Rahul Dravid and Sachin Tendulkar, trapped lbw by Monty Panesar who nearly finished his celebrations in another postcode.The contest didn’t take a significant swing to either side until Pietersen exploded in the hour after lunch, taking 29 balls to move from 62 to his century, adding 119 with Matt Prior. He is never one to hold back, but there was raw emotion on display as he enjoyed his hundred, suggesting that he’d answered a few questions following recent reaction to his comments about fatigue. He also gave England a healthy advantage – only three times has more than 380 been chased down in a Test.India began more positively than in the first innings with Karthik dealing in boundaries for his first 20 runs and both he and Wasim Jaffer eager for the quick singles. Michael Vaughan, who has been at his most thoughtful and inventive as captain throughout the match, tinkered with the field and Jaffer obliged by clipping James Anderson to Pietersen at midwicket. Karthik might have gone in the same fashion next over, but Vaughan had pushed the man deeper and Karthik eventually reached his fifty, off 101 balls. He and Sourav Ganguly survived a few scares, particularly from Panesar, but posted a vital fifty stand.Dravid completed a low-key match with the bat, although was unfortunate with Simon Taufel’s decision after he was struck outside off stump by Chris Tremlett. The ground then stood, not for the outgoing Dravid but for the incoming Tendulkar. It was probably his final Test innings at Lord’s and a delicate early drive off Panesar and a more powerful repeat off Anderson suggested he wanted to finally leave a mark on the ground.But Panesar was already into a good rhythm, looping the ball nicely from the Nursery End and finding turn not only from the foot marks. However, it was a smart piece of deception that did for Tendulkar as, almost in a repeat of Panesar’s first Test wicket at Nagpur, he sent down an arm ball. Tendulkar initially shaped to leave and was struck in line with off stump. Steve Bucknor did the rest and Panesar was half way to the boundary before his team-mates caught up with him. After earlier witnessing an almost angry celebration from Pietersen, Panesar’s was sheer joy.Pietersen’s innings is worthy of match-winning status, coming as it did after England had wobbled against a sharp spell from Singh. Vaughan was swung out before both Paul Collingwood and Ian Bell fell to the short ball as three wickets went for 30 in six overs. Pietersen began the day on 15 and had to be watchful throughout the first session but two boundaries off Singh’s first over of the afternoon session showed his intent and he raced through the nineties by taking Anil Kumble to the cleaners. He cut a short ball to the cover fence, lofted a handsome six towards the media centre and reached three figures with a wristy flick through midwicket. The one-legged flick through midwicket also made an appearance and Pietersen’s few days of R&R appear to have worked wonders. Of the 205 runs England added, 119 came from Pietersen’s bat.

Prior played an important hand, remaining in Pietersen’s shadow except for the occasional reminder that he, too, can take an attack apart. The seventh-wicket stand, scored at nearly five an over, was exactly what England hoped Prior would bring to the side in such a position with a match in the balance. It took a cracking delivery from Zaheer Khan to end the stand, the ball moving late to take the outside edge, and Zaheer was on a hat-trick as Tremlett unluckily dragged on to complete a debut pair. However, India’s body language showed they knew the situation had run away from them.It was very different during the morning as, for the second time in the match, Singh’s switch to round-the-wicket caused Vaughan’s downfall. After edging a drive wide of second slip Vaughan got an inside edge as he drove again – this time the ball swinging in – and lost his off stump. Collingwood, after avoiding a pair, found himself in a tangle against Singh’s well-directed bouncer. The short ball has been used sparingly in this Test and Collingwood was slow to react, gloving to VVS Laxman at second slip as he tried to duck.Singh’s short spell with Leicestershire earlier this season didn’t set pulses racing with eight wickets at 31 in two matches. The past few days, though, he has caught England’s batsmen by surprise with his pace and has shown the ability to move the ball both ways. He dismissed Bell through a dragged-on pull, from a ball which didn’t bounce as much as the batsman expected, and returned to close the innings with the scalps of Pietersen and Panesar.However, India were still left with a daunting target. The loss of two key players made the task even tougher but they battled hard during the final session. All results are still possible and a dry final day is what this absorbing match deserves.

England’s women have named two development squads of 13 to provide warm-upmatches for both England and South Africa this summer.The England development squad will play a two-day game against the fullEngland side on August 7-8, which will be captained by Somerset’s Gill Richards,with the allrounder Rosalie Birch as her deputy.Surrey’s Ebony Rainford-Brent is also given another chance to impress theselectors, along with the Emeralds’ captain Alexia Walker who has been going from strength to strength with the bat.A Twenty20 development squad has also been named, to take on South Africa ina warm-up game ahead of the tri-series, with Yorkshire’s Laura Spraggreplacing Somerset’s Anya Shrubsole for the shortened format of the game.Development squad Gill Richards (Somerset), Rosalie Birch (Sussex), Kelly Evenson (Staffordshire), Jennifer Halstead (Cheshire), Laura Joyce (Surrey), Sophie Le Marchand (Worcestershire), Nicky Myers (Nottinghamshire), Kate Oakenfold (Sussex), Ebony Rainford-Brent (Surrey), Charlotte Russell (Sussex), Jasmine Titmuss (Northamptonshire), Alexia Walker (Sussex), Anya Shrubsole (Som) / Laura Spragg (Yorks)

Kevin Pietersen has said that England’s encouraging performance so far in the one-day series is a sign of better things to come for England as a one-day team. England are leading the seven-match series 2-1 after their comprehensive 42-run victory in the third ODI at Edgbaston, which also marked the first time England have scored in excess of 280 in three successive games.”In the nearly three years I’ve played for England there have not been many mornings when you wake up thinking ‘we could win a one-day series’ – and a big series at that,” Pietersen said at the launch of an Urban Cricket arena in Birmingham. “In three games we have scored around 900 runs and I haven’t played in an England team that could say that.”England have had mixed fortunes as a one-day side in the last year. They had a slow start to the CB Series in Australia earlier this year before edging out New Zealand and beating Australia 2-0 in the finals. However, they failed to maintain their momentum in the World Cup, despite making the Super Eights. Against India, they’ve been particularly impressive in the field and the top order has shown consistency.Pietersen singled out the performances of Alastair Cook, Chris Tremlett and Ian Bell. Cook scored his maiden ODI century in the first match at the Rose Bowl and has been getting the side off to good starts. Bell followed his ton in the first match with two half-centuries while Tremlett has chipped in with vital wickets at Edgbaston after being taken to the cleaners in the second ODI at Bristol.”In the last three games we’ve got guys like Alastair Cook, who we know can play, scoring a hundred, and guys like Ian Bell starting to fulfil his potential,” said Pietersen. “He [Tremlett] had taken some stick and not started too well but he’s a wicket-taker. I know from facing him in the nets at Hampshire it’s not fun facing somebody who bowls from seven-and-a-half feet.”Pietersen shrugged off concerns over his own form with the bat after failing to convert his starts. After his breezy unbeaten cameo 33 at the Rose Bowl, he scored 25 and 9 in the next two matches, though he pointed out that it didn’t matter as long as the team was winning.”I’ve always said no matter how many runs I score if England are winning that’s when I’m happiest. Right now I’m happy. The hundreds I’ve scored are in losing causes…they’re good for stats. But everyone wants to be in a winning dressing room.”Pietersen gave due credit to Piyush Chawla, the legspinner who dismissed him on both occasions. He referred to an instance in a 2005 Challenger Trophy match in India where Chawla shot to prominence after getting Sachin Tendulkar stumped with a big legbreak.”You can play in the nets against spinners from the subcontinent who can make you look like a bit of a clown because they’ve got variation,” he said. “Fair play to the bloke. One of the reasons he’s here is because he knocked [Sachin] Tendulkar over in a trial game a couple of years ago. He’s a good little bowler.”

Ravi Bopara has been ruled out of the final two one-day internationals against India and the ICC World Twenty20 after dislocating and fracturing his right thumb during the fifth ODI, at Headingley, on Sunday.He picked up the injury trying to take a return catch off Gautam Gambhir and immediately left the field one ball into his second over. He batted with the aid of a painkilling injection, but with a rapid turnover between the one-day series and the Twenty20 there was little chance of him recovering.England will be able to name a replacement with Dimitri Mascarenhas probably topping the list as a like-for-like swap for Bopara. His availability for the five-match one-day series in Sri Lanka, starting on October 1, is still uncertain.”Four to six weeks is the medical prediction – which falls around about the one-day tournament,” said England chairman of selectors David Graveney. “It’s an injury to his bowling hand, bottom hand batting-wise. But let’s not be pessimistic; let’s hope it recovers quickly.”It’s desperately disappointing for him to miss out on a trip to South Africa. He’s definitely out of Twenty20 – but there are possibilities he will be available for the one-dayers in Sri Lanka.”There are also continued concerns over Andrew Flintoff, who missed the Headingley match after experiencing soreness in his left ankle. He is a doubt for Wednesday’s clash at The Oval, and therefore his place at the Twenty20 must also be in jeopardy.

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.”

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.