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The Pakistan selectors have retained offspinner Bilal Asif for the ODI series against Zimbabwe, in a bid to assess his credentials ahead of the England Test series. The idea is to have someone to fill the bowling hole left by Mohammad Hafeez, who has been banned for one year for an illegal bowling action.Asif was originally only part of the T20 squad visiting Zimbabwe, but did not make it to the playing XI. He was also selected for Sri Lanka ODI series but returned without making a debut. Almost 30, he has 32 wickets in 11 first-class games at 28.90 apiece.”The request to retain Bilal Asif had been made by the team management, as conveyed by the manager Mr Intikhab Alam,” chief selector Haroon Rashid said in a statement. “In a separate discussion with Misbah-ul-Haq, it was put forth by the Pakistan Test captain that since the England team contains five left-handed batsmen and because of Hafeez’s inability to bowl at international level, we were left with no offspin bowling options in the Test squad.”Pakistan have picked two other spinners for England series – legspinner Yasir Shah and left-arm spinner Zulfiqar Babar. The selectors named Hafeez as a specialist batsman in the squad, along with two more openers – Ahmed Shehzad and Shan Masood, with Azhar Ali the No. 3 batsman.”Misbah suggested that since Bilal Asif is presently the standout available option in the domestic circuit, so if we can try him in the ODI matches against Zimbabwe for assessing his offspin bowling credentials, it may help us in case we intended to add him as the 16th member in the Test squad against England,” Rashid said.”We have already picked two left-arm spin bowlers in the Pak ‘A’ team to the UAE for this purpose but if Bilal Asif is found up to the mark in Zimbabwe, then we can have him in the Test squad as an offspinner along with leggie Yasir Shah and left-arm spin of Zulfiqar Babar. The suggestion was discussed by the selectors, as well as with head coach Waqar Younis, and there was unanimity of view on the issue.”Pakistan play three ODIs in Zimbabwe, starting on October 1.

The Indian squad’s two-day conditioning camp in Kolkata from November 2 in preparation for the home series against Pakistan, has been shifted to the Eden Gardens from the Calcutta Cricket and Football Club (CCFC). The Indian board has agreed to postpone the Ranji Trophy Super League match between Bengal and Hyderabad to November 4 to accommodate the camp.”Eden [Gardens] has superb world-class facilities including floodlights and indoor practice arrangements which were not there at the CCFC. We were earlier forced to opt for the CCFC as Eden was not available,” Prasun Mukherjee, the president of the Cricket Association of Bengal, told PTI. “But I managed to convince the BCCI that the camp should be held at the Eden [Gardens] so as to give the Indian players the very best of infrastructural support before such an important series.”Another reason given by Mukherjee for shifting the camp was that the Eden Gardens had floodlights, which would help the Indian team as three of the five ODIs against Pakistan were day-night matches.Mukherjee said the BCCI had decided to shift the camp to the Eden Gardens after speaking to officials from the Hyderabad Cricket Association. Meanwhile, the Hyderabad squad are likely to have their nets at Sourav Ganguly’s academy in Salt Lake.

“You had to be awake to play Shane Warne”, Sachin Tendulkar said today, a smile on his face, as he looked back on the rivalry between two of the longest-serving players in Test cricket. Tendulkar and Warne enjoyed some memorable contests, with Warne onceadmitting that Tendulkar’s batting – especially in the series in India in 1998 – gave him nightmares, and at his press conference today singled out Tendulkar and Brian Lara as the two toughest batsmen of his era.Asked what made Warne so special, Tendulkar pointed to his legendary accuracy and a spirit that remained unbowed no matter how tough the situation. “You had to be awake. There was no breathing space at all”, he told the media as the Indian team limbered up for the second Test at Kingsmead. “Warne being such a fierce competitor, you knew that at no stage could you bat him out of the game. He was always coming back at you. That kept me on my toes.””He’s been a great ambassador for cricket, and Australia. He’s a good friend of mine and it’s unfortunate that he’s retiring. We’ll all miss his quality bowling. It’s been a treatto watch.”According to Tendulkar, Warne would always command a special place in thegame’s annals. “He’s surely one of the greatest players to have playedthis game,” he said. “Above all, I think he’s a wonderful person. He’s agood friend and what he’s been able to achieve for Australia is somethingspecial. There are not many guys who can stand next to him and say thatthey have done similar things. You don’t get to see such cricketers everyday.”While most rate Warne as the greatest slow bowler of his or any other era,Tendulkar preferred to think of him as one part of a triumvirate thatrejuvenated spin bowling after some lean years in the 1980s. “He’scertainly been one of the top spinners,” said Tendulkar. “Another greatspinner is playing in my team, Anil Kumble, and then there’s Muralitharan.These three spinners are the best, and anyone would want to have them inthe side.”For years, his tussles with Warne were among the game’s marquee contests,and Tendulkar said that there would be several great memories. “We’vealways had good competition, and shared some nice humour. I remember thefirst time I scored a hundred against him in one-day cricket, in SriLanka. I hit him for a six, and he said something. I didn’t really followwhat he said because I started walking towards the square-leg umpire. Icaught up with him after the game and told him: ‘Now you can tell me whatyou wanted to say on the field’. We shared a joke, and since then we’vebeen good friends.”India are scheduled to tour Australia in a year’s time, and Tendulkar wasasked if the game would be poorer for the personal rivalry having come toan end. “I’ve always said that it’s not about Shane Warne and Sachin,” hesaid. “It’s Australia and India. People like to build up these things. Intime to come, there will be someone else.”I’ve already sent a message to him,” he said. “I want to wish him all thevery best. And above all, good health.”

Boeta Dippenaar underwent a successful two-and-a-half hour operation on his right wrist in Cape Town last night. “It lasted a little longer than we expected due to a complex nature of the ganglion,” said the South African’s physiotherapist, Shane Jabaar.Dippenaar was diagnosed with a dorsal ganglion ahead of the second ODI against New Zealand at Cape Town.”He stayed overnight for observation and he is in high spirits,” Jabaar said. “He will return to Cape Town after ten days for a follow-up consultation with the surgeon, thereafter, a decision will be made on the type of rehabilitation he will undergo. This rehabilitation process will determine for how long it will take him before he can return to competitive cricket.”

Pakistan’s selectors have left out Moin Khan and Rashid Latif from the 25-man preliminary squad for the forthcoming tour of Australia. The news seems to signal the end of both men’s international careers.Neither player, both of whom have previously captained the side, was included in the group that will meet in Lahore for fitness trials before the final squad is announced. Only one specialist keeper, Kamran Akmal, was included in the list, although a board spokesman said that others could be drafted in if the need arose. Akmal replaced Moin for the second Test against Sri Lanka last month.”Akmal will be the only wicketkeeper on the Australian tour because Inzamam-ul-Haq is satisfied with his performance,” Wasim Bari, the chief selector, told reporters. “Since we are looking to the future we must try him on this tough tour.”Three uncapped players – batsman Aamir Bashir, opener Ashar Zaidi and left-arm fast bowler Mohammad Khalil – were included.And Bari added that six promising fast bowlers – Wasim Khan, Mohammad Irshad, Iftikhar Anjum, Mohammad Asif, Yasir Ali and Abdul Rauf – would join the squad to give them more experience.Pakistan squad: Salman Butt, Taufiq Umar, Imran Farhat, Shoaib Malik, Yousuf Youhana, Inzamam-ul-Haq (capt), Abdul Razzaq, Kamran Akmal (wk), Danish Kaneria, Shabbir Ahmed, Shoaib Akhtar, Mohammad Sami, Rana Naved, Shahid Afridi, Asim Kamal, Aamer Bashir, Riaz Afridi, Bazid Khan, Misbah-ul-Haq, Faisal Iqbal, Ashar Zaidi, Yasir Hameed, Younis Khan, Faisal Athar, Mohammad Khalil.

Division OneYorkshire: 166-6 Nottinghamshire: 167-9 Notts won by 1 wicketKent: 215-3 Surrey: 170 Kent won by 40 runsBerkshire: 63 Sussex: 69-4 Sussex win by 6 wickets

Sussex have won three matches from three, beating Berkshire convincingly by 6 wickets at Fitzwilliam College today. England and Sussex Captain, Clare Connor, took 3 wickets for just one run, including fellow England international, Claire Taylor for 3. Caroline Atkins, who has been put on stand-by for the forthcoming international matches, took 4-19 to blight the Berkshire middle order.Atkins finished not out on 12, with England U19 player Alexia Walker hitting a six for the winning runs, also unbeaten on 22.Berkshire, who came second in last year’s competition, are now involved in a relegation battle with Surrey, whom they face at C.U Press tomorrow, whilst Nottinghamshire face Sussex in a title decider at Pembroke College.In a thrilling match, Nottinghamshire beat Yorkshire by one run, from the last ball, to retain their unbeaten record. Yorkshire had recovered from 15-3 to finish on 166-8 against the title chasers at C U Press. Having lost their Captain, Melissa Reynard, for 9 and Kathryn Leng for 3, it took the experienced pair of Sue Metcalfe and England’s most capped player, Clare Taylor, to restore some backbone to the Yorkshire batting. Miserly bowling from Nicky Myers (Notts) restricted the current Frizzell County Champions, returning exceptional figures of 2-2 from eight overs and frustrating the Leng in particular.Metcalfe played a hard-hitting innings reaching 65 from 80 balls before being caught by Jenny Gunn from the bowling of young MCC player, Nicky Shaw.Taylor hit an impressive 30 from 38 balls to ensure Nottinghamshire did not have an easy chase.But, with the last ball of the match, Nottinghamshire did reach the target with Nicky Shaw finishing unbeaten on 46 despite Clare Taylor’s three wickets.Another positive for England was Jane Smit’s smart keeping for Nottinghamshire, having been recalled to the England squad after a year’s absence.The stylish batters of Kent and England, Charlotte Edwards and Lydia Greenway, put on 46 for the second wicket against Surrey. Edwards finished on 83, including nine fours and Greenway on 48*. The pair put Kent in a strong position, and whilst Australian Melanie Jones was at the crease for Surrey, there was always a chance until she was stumped on 60. Laura Joyce, the England U19 wicket-keeper made 30, but Surrey finished forty runs short.

Division TwoHertfordshire: 57 Somerset: 58-1 Somerset won by 9 wicketsHampshire: 155-9 Staffordshire: 156-1 Staffs won by 9 wicketsLancashire: 138-9 Middlesex: 123 Lancashire won by 15 runs

Lancashire sustained their promotion challenge, beating Middlesex today by 15 runs at Emmanuel. They are now the only unbeaten team in Division Two. Laura Newton top-scored with 44, assisted by Arran Thompson who made 23. Lancashire could not consolidate their good start, tumbling from 81-4 to 121 all out, but the chase was too big for Middlesex. Lancashire’s Captain, Arran Thompson took 3-18 and Susanne White 4-18 to ensure the victory.Somerset Captain and England player, Hannah Lloyd, had few problems chasing Hertfordshire’s score of just 57 at Queen’s College, reaching the target in the seventeenth over. Lloyd remained unbeaten on 37, and also took 2-5 in a three over bowling spell. For Somerset, Jackie Hawker took 3-7 and Kathryn Wilkins 3-10 to demolish Hertfordshire.Helen Pugh took a Championship best 4-21 for Staffordshire against Hampshire, restricting Hampshire to 135-9. Kirsty White provided some solidity to the Hampshire batting and remained unbeaten on 36, but wickets fell regularly as Pugh and fellow Cricket Development Officer, Kelly Evenson, took seven wickets.In reply, Tracy Crump scored 81, including fifteen fours, in a first wicket stand of 134 with Sue Redfearn (38*) to secure the comprehensive victory with fifteen overs to spare.

Division ThreeCheshire: 180 Essex: 180 Match is a tieNorthamptonshire: 93 Derbyshire: 94-3 Derbys won by 7 wicketsDurham: 150-2 Warks: 148-5 Durham won by 8 wickets

Lynn Spooner took 3-14 as Derbyshire beat Northamptonshire by seven wickets at Churchill Ground. A fourth wicket unbeaten partnership between Sue Whittam (19*) and Nina Marshall (29*) secured the Derbyshire victory in the thirty-fourth over.Warwickshire scored 148-5 at St John’s with T Keir scoring 83, but Durham chased successfully finishing on 150-2 thanks to a first wicket stand of 112 between Hazell (43) and Anderson (54).Peformances of the day:

Caroline Atkins (Sussex) 4-19 Division OneClare Connor (Sussex) 3-1 Division OneHelen Pugh (Staffordshire) 4-21 Division TwoJackie Hawker (Somerset) 3-7 Division TwoLynn Spooner (Derbyshire) 3-14 Division ThreeCharlotte Edwards (Kent) 83 Division OneSue Metcalfe (Yorks) 65 Division OneTracy Crump (Staffs) 81 Division TwoT Keir (Warks) 83 Division Three

Teams compete in three divisions of six playing five 50 over matches between Saturday 26th and Wednesday 31st July, on a round robin basis.

Hamilton’s long-awaited lights at WestpacTrust Park are about to become a reality.The first of the new lights which will allow day/night international cricket to be played in Hamilton was expected to be in place late this afternoon.Town planning consent for the move finally allowed the installation of the lights at a cost in excess of $1 million.Four light standards 50m in height are being placed at the ground. Two of the lights will produce 68 lumieres while the other two will produce 79 and 81 respectively.The lights will be first used on November 8 when trans-Tasman touch rugby internationals will be played at the ground.Permission has been granted for the lights to be used on 29 days each year.Hamilton is to stage a day/night game between Northern Districts and England at the start of the England tour while one of its State Shield domestic one-day matches will also be under lights.Northern Districts chief executive John Turkington said today that WestpacTrust Park had recovered well from its use as Waikato’s main rugby venue this year while renovations were done to the traditional rugby ground in the city at Rugby Park.”The pitch has been renovated and we have levelled the outfield,” he said.He saw no problems for the ground being ready for New Zealand’s first home Test against Bangladesh in Hamilton, starting on December 18.

ScorecardJoe Clarke stood out with his maiden Championship hundred – a shining light on a bleak day for Worcestershire•Getty Images

Worcestershire are 13 points adrift from safety with two games remaining after suffering a thumping defeat, by an innings and 63 runs, against Sussex at New Road. To make matters worse, the two counties above them, Somerset and Hampshire, have a match in hand. The upshot is that they will need to win their last two matches to have a chance of staying up – a depressing state of affairs for their director of cricket, Steve Rhodes, as he marks 10 years in charge.They are the bald facts. But even on this forlorn day, as they lost with 26 overs remaining, there was rich consolation. Joe Clarke’s maiden Championship hundred, from 174 balls with 14 fours, filled the afternoon with optimism, his achievement coming amid considerable tension with Worcestershire’s last pair at the crease.A delightful cover drive when Chris Jordan overpitched, with the last man Saeed Ajmal looking on from the other end, brought a rare purr on a day when Worcestershire returned to the bottom of the table for the first time since mid-June. Sussex, by virtue of their first Championship win in nine matches, advanced to fourth from bottom.It was a close run thing for Clarke, if not for Worcestershire. When a succession of deliveries thudding into Jack Shantry’s pads finally brought an lbw decision for Luke Wells – the fifth of the innings – Clarke was 97, the tea interval was pushed back and, with the new ball only two balls away, Ajmal walked out for his last contribution of the season for Worcestershire – perhaps his last ever – before he departs for the Hajj festival. That exit came with spread-eagled stumps against Steve Magoffin, armed with the new ball.

The relegation battle

Sussex 14 matches – 146 points
Somerset 13-133
Hampshire 13-128
Worcestershire 14-120

Rhodes’ work ethic and determination has helped to keep Worcestershire honest since his rapid elevation to the top role upon Tom Moody’s departure to coach Sri Lanka in 2005. He takes fierce pride in Worcestershire’s self-sufficiency, committing himself ceaselessly to the development of young players, of which Clarke, a 19-year-old from Shrewsbury, is set to be a fine representative. Sussex’s change bowling was limited, and the pitch remained quite sound, but he repelled two fine bowlers in Magoffin and Jordan as he played Worcestershire’s one innings of true quality in the match.Michael Vaughan watched him make 88 at Scarborough, his previous career best, and immediately tipped him as a future England batsman. England’s selectors are already excited by his potential, regarding him as one of the best young batsmen in the country. Having signed a new contract, he may need to further his education in Division Two.Worcestershire deserve that faith. This season, their overseas bowler Ajmal apart, they have at times fielded a side that has only ever played county cricket for the club. “Quite a feat I reckon,” Dave Bradley, of BBC Hereford and Worcester, has observed, and so it is.With three wickets already down overnight, and still 241 needed to make Sussex bat again, Worcestershire’s fate looked as good as sealed at the start of the final day.Three more fell by lunchtime despite showers robbing 12 overs from the morning. Slight unease began to gather for Sussex when the seventh-wicket pair resisted until mid-afternoon, but OIlie Robinson switched to offspin guise, which he first unveiled in county cricket against Warwickshire earlier this season, to bowl Ben Cox on the slog-sweep with a lavishly-flighted delivery. Seam is still very much his lead suit, but the affable manner of his offspin captures his laid-back personality. After that, it was a matter of awaiting Sussex’s victory and hoping for Clarke’s hundred. Both duly came.As debates take place about the structure of county cricket, it is not a good time for Worcestershire to be a yo-yo club. If the decision is taken to reshape the Championship into two divisions of eight and 10 in 2017 then the likelihood is that there would be only one promotion place on offer next season. A lot of ifs perhaps, but not the sort of outcome that would suit a county that has had five promotions and five relegations in the past 12 years. For Rhodes, it has literally been a decade of ups and downs.No side is too good to go down, as is habitually observed, but Sussex come closer to that assessment than most. They have been stricken by bowling injuries for much of the season, and like many counties their spin options are limited, but they have been vastly superior in this game. It helps, of course, when Jordan is fit again and giving every indication of a vigorous end to the season.But Sussex, despite this win, cannot entirely relax. They have moved up to fourth bottom, 13 points clear of Somerset, 18 ahead of Hampshire, but both these counties have a game in hand and meet next week at Taunton in another significant relegation encounter.At least one of these counties will be close enough to disturb Sussex with two matches remaining, making their final home match of the season, against Somerset the following week, another game that will have a major bearing on the relegation places.

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

India had the best of Pakistan in a lacklustre contest on a slightly demanding pitch, restricting them to 239 and then knocking off the runs through a string of contributions from the top order. It was not the most spectacular cricket, but it was sensible from India and perhaps a touch too circumspect from Pakistan, whose batsmen did not do enough, and whose bowlers were committed and disciplined but rarely penetrative.When Shoaib Malik won the toss and chose to bat it appeared to be a sound decision, given that the pitch was dry, on the slower side, and threatened to break up in the second half. And when Salman Butt and Kamran Akmal got off to a breezy start, it appeared that India would have their work cut out. Akmal square drove crisply for boundaries when he was offered width and Butt used his wrists to guide the ball into gaps with excellent timing.The fall of Akmal’s wicket, however, when he was declared lbw to an Irfan Pathan ball that pitched outside leg, changed the complexion of the innings. Younis Khan was uncomfortable batting on this pitch – with the ball not coming on truly – and grew increasingly disturbed as India’s spinners checked the flow of runs.Soon after reaching a well-paced half-century, Butt did himself no favours when he charged down the pitch after the ball speared off the leading edge towards cover, only to be sent back by his partner and run out. At least while Butt was at the crease runs came from one end, but with Mohammad Yousuf joining Younis the runs just dried up.The singles came easily enough, with Yousuf knocking the ball away into the leg side with soft hands, but Younis’ frustration reached such proportions, especially after sweeps and reverse-sweeps failed, that he holed out to long-on for a 58-ball 25. For a painful 21.2 overs Pakistan could not manufacture a single boundary, and this might have prompted Malik to promote Shahid Afridi up the order.Even Afridi could not plunder as he would’ve liked and though he managed a front-foot pull over long-on, his 31 off 32 balls before being smartly stumped as he charged down the pitch to Sachin Tendulkar was a bit short of what Pakistan needed. Malik then added to the pressure, heaving a leg-stump full-toss straight down midwicket’s throat.

Fortunately for Pakistan, while wickets fell at one end, Yousuf had crept to his half-century and with about five overs to go took it upon himself to increase the tempo. He paddle swept Pathan fine and then drove RP Singh inside-out over cover. The late charge took Yousuf to an unbeaten 83, off an acceptable 88 balls, and Pakistan to 239 for 7 from 50 overs.With probing bowling and tight fielding Pakistan might well have given India a serious run for their money chasing 240, but instead they bowled without much purpose and out-did India in the poor fielding standings to let the game slip out of their hands. At no point in the course of the chase were India under serious pressure, and Pakistan were waiting for an India collapse that never came.Shoaib Akhtar gave Pakistan some hope early on when he trapped Tendulkar in front with a slower ball, with only 14 on the board. But Sourav Ganguly and Gautam Gambhir then added 82 for the third wicket to take India towards safety. Neither Ganguly nor Gambhir was in total control at the crease, with some streaky strokes eluding the fielders, but when the opportunity was there to score both batsmen backed their instincts and it paid off.Ganguly was quick to go after anything that was a bit wide, slanting and angling his bat to get the ball through cover point and third man. Gambhir opened the face of his bat so much that he edged between keeper and slip twice consecutively, but was undeterred. Once the ball lost its hardness and Shoaib gave way to less pacy bowlers, Gambhir knuckled down and cover drove with confidence. His timing and placement were excellent, and the ball went along the ground more often than not.It was against the run of play that India lost their next two wickets. Ganguly played one down to fine leg and headed for a single that Gambhir did not want, and could not turn around and regain his crease in time. Ganguly had made 39 but looked good for more. Gambhir too should have got more than the 44 he managed, but failed to pick an offbreak from Shahid Afridi and was bowled round his legs.Then came another partnership, of 105, between India’s captain and vice-captain and this all but sealed the deal. Mahendra Singh Dhoni had come out in the mood to give the ball a thrash, sluggish pitch notwithstanding, and he succeeded. There were some streaky boundaries, but for the best part the ball boomed off the middle of the bat and there was not much Pakistan’s bowlers could do. He found an excellent ally in Yuvraj Singh, who hit the ball as hard as anyone, and looked to be positive against the spinners and the quick men.Both Yuvraj and Dhoni reached the half-century mark, and with only 22 needed for victory Pakistan broke the partnership. Yuvraj (58) slog-swept Abdur Rahman, the left-arm spinner, but did not quite get hold of the ball and failed to clear Afridi in the deep. Soon after, Dhoni (63) flashed at Shoaib, who returned to the attack in the 45th over, and India wobbled at the doorstep of victory. Only 15 were needed for victory at that stage, and you wondered why Malik had not re-introduced Shoaib earlier. Robin Uthappa and Pathan knocked off the remaining runs and the five-wicket win gave India a 1-0 lead in this five-match series.

Kevin Pietersen will not bat at No.4 in the first Test despite the absence of Marcus Trescothick at the top of the order. Andrew Flintoff said Pietersen would fill the No.5 position even though he has a better record further up the batting list.”Kevin has proven that he can bat at Test cricket,” Flintoff told . “He’s got a fantastic record. We think for the strength of this side we’re better suited with Kevin batting at five. It’s just the dynamics of the team. We’re happy with Kevin at five.”Pietersen averages 46.85 from 15 innings batting at No.5 compared to 53.88 from 17 innings at No.4. Flintoff’s words indicate Paul Collingwood could get the job at No.4, a move that would be a backward step for England, according to Darren Lehmann, who captained South Australia in a tour match against the visitors on the weekend.”He’s the key,” Lehmann said. “He’ll take Australia on. And he should bat at No.4 because of Trescothick going home. The big thing for him will be that the grounds are a lot bigger. In England the grounds are so small that Pietersen and some of the other batsmen hit Warne and Lee for a lot of sixes. The Australians will bounce him a lot.” reported Pietersen acknowledged he would be the target for short-pitched bowling. “There’s been a lot made of it and it’s going to happen whether you bat at one or 11,” Pietersen said. “Nowadays it doesn’t matter. You’re going to get it.” After his century in last week’s tour match against New South Wales, Pietersen admitted a skied hook shot off Brett Lee early in his innings had almost brought him undone. “I know it was a bit of a naughty shot,” he said. “It’s the way I have been training, the way I have been playing.”