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A four-wicket haul from Andrew Ellis and a 43-ball 76 from Peter Fulton were the headlining performances in Canterbury’s six-wicket victory with 21 balls to spare against Auckland in Christchurch.Auckland had made a steady, if not rapid, start after choosing to bat. Riding on Brad Cachopa’s 49, they had progressed to 115 for 2 in 15.4 overs, with plenty of wickets in hand for the final surge. Then they collapsed to a spate of run-outs and Ellis, who finished with 4 for 17 in four overs. Auckland lost seven wickets for 18 runs and ended with 133 for 9.Fulton ensured that Canterbury did not struggle for momentum in the chase. Coming in at 18 for 2 in 2.1 overs, Fulton hit seven sixes in his innings, making more than half the runs in the chase of 134. He was unbeaten when the winning runs were scored in the 17th over. Auckland fast bowler Mitchell McClenaghan took three out of the four wickets that Canterbury lost.Northern Districts chased down a target of 171 with two wickets and four balls to spare, handing Central Districts their fourth loss in their six completed games in the Georgie Pie Super Smash. Northern Districts were steered by 70 off 47 balls from opener Anton Devcich, before No. 7 Nick Kelly exploded with 36 off 16 to power the team home.Devcich had strung together handy partnerships with his top-order partners, putting Northern Districts on course at 126 for 3 in the 14th over. But three quick strikes – including that of Devcich – reduced them to 135 for 6 by the end of the 16th, and it was nervous times in their change room. Kelly hit away those nerves, though, slamming four sixes even as he lost two lower-order partners for ducks to get the side across the line.Central Districts’ innings was built around an anchoring 76 off 52 by their overseas opener, Mahela Jayawardene, after they had lost George Worker off the first ball of the match. Worker was taken out by Scott Kuggeleijn, who, with 3 for 24, ended with the best figures on either side.

Bengal batsman Writam Porel was hospitalised on Friday after being hit behind his left ear while fielding at a close-in position in a club match between East Bengal and Bhowanipore.Porel, 26, was fielding at forward short leg in the final of the AN Ghosh Trophy, a three-day league tournament organised by the Cricket Association of Bengal, when he turned to protect himself against a pull shot played by Bhowanipore batsman Prinan Datta. Porel said he was hit under the left ear despite wearing a helmet.The incident brought back memories of the death of former Bengal Under-19 captain Ankit Keshri, who coincidentally suffered the fatal accident while playing for East Bengal against the same opponents, Bhowanipore, in April. Keshri collided with a team-mate while fielding as a substitute and later suffered a cardiac arrest and died in hospital a few days later. Porel, incidentally, was fielding at point when Keshri collided with the bowler, Sourav Mondal.”It was paining but I was conscious,” Porel told ESPNcricinfo. “Fortunately we were playing at the Eden Gardens so there was an ambulance.” Porel was taken to the nearby Nightingale Hospital where Keshri had passed away. According to Porel, there is swelling and stiffness behind his left ear and the doctors have told him the results of the MRI scan would be revealed by Saturday afternoon.Porel, who has played 10 first-class matches for Bengal between 2010 and 2012, admitted the Keshri incident immediately crossed his mind after he was hit on Friday. “I was scared because Ankit was my team-mate, but it is all right. I’m fine. The doctors have told me there might be a partial tear but nothing about any injury to my brain,” he said.

Michael Clarke says he has cleared the air with Anil Kumble over two of the controversies that flared in the second innings of the Sydney Test. Clarke stood his ground after edging Kumble to first slip and then, as India were fighting to save the game, he claimed a catch off Sourav Ganguly while fielding in the slip cordon, although there were doubts over whether the take was clean.”I wanted to speak to Anil before I spoke to the media on both cases – the catch and my dismissal,” Clarke said. “I still, to this day, feel 100% positive that I caught the catch fairly. I told him that and said with my dismissal that it was more out of shock and disappointment more than anything else.”Anil was very supportive and said ‘mate I understand’. We’ve played a fair bit of cricket against each other and he knows I’m not the kind of person to try and harm the game; the last thing I’d want is to put the game in jeopardy.”Kumble had criticised Clarke for not walking after edging to slip and called it “unsportsmanlike” behaviour. “Huss [Michael Hussey] and Haydos [Matthew Hayden] batted fantastic in the second innings, so I sat and waited for a couple of hours dying to get out and have a bat,” Clarke said.”I was really excited to get out there and do well, with family and friends all at the game, after failing in the first innings. When I went to cut the ball and it come off my glove and went to slip it was more just the shock and disappointment of failing and getting my first first-baller in Test cricket.”In hindsight and if I had my time again, I wish I had just walked straight off the field. I hope it doesn’t happen too many times, I hope I don’t get too many ducks in Test cricket, but if it happens again, I’m certain I will react differently.”Clarke would not be drawn on the Harbhajan-Symonds controversy but said there was no room for racism in the game. “That’s why the ICC and the Indian board dealt with the stuff with spectators in India [during the ODI series in October].”He said he was not sure how Australia would have reacted if “we were in their shoes” but hoped that India would not boycott the series. “Fingers crossed I’m hoping they definitely stay for the rest of the Test series and the one-dayers because you look forward to every chance you get to play India. It’s up to BCCI and Anil and whoever is in charge.”Clarke said he was positive the Perth Test, which starts on Wednesday, would be played in the right spirit after the problems in Sydney. Australia will be pushing for their 17th consecutive Test victory, a triumph that would break the world record set by Steve Waugh’s Australians between 1999 and 2001.”The Australians are keen as mustard to get out here and win this 17th Test match in a row,” he said. “It’s a reminder about why we are the best cricket team in the world, what we do to achieve such highs in all forms of the game except Twenty20 at the moment. I think he [Ricky Ponting] will want to remind us about that and make sure that we keep playing it like that for a long time.”It might one day be Clarke who sets outs to guide an Australian side past the record again, as there has been much speculation that he is being groomed to eventually succeed Ponting as the Test captain. But Clarke said he was unsure how he would have handled the events of the past week had he been in Ponting’s shoes.”Full credit to the way he has stood tall,” Clarke said. “It’s been a hell of a ride in the last week. I don’t think many players have experienced what we’ve experienced. I think it’s opened everybody’s eyes as to how big this game of cricket is. You don’t know until you are sitting in the chair, I don’t know if I’d have handled it like Ricky; I am not sure how I would have approached it.”

Glamorgan have pulled off a major coup after the ECB awarded Cardiff the opening Ashes Test for next summer.The announcement was made public on Friday, and the first Test is set to get underway at the newly refurbished Sophia Gardens in Cardiff on July 8, which is a Wednesday instead of the traditional Thursday.The ground has been undergoing a £9.4million refurbishment since it was announced in 2006 that it had won the right to host its maiden Test match. The capacity will have been raised from 5,500 to 15,643 in just under two years. The first Test of the famous 2005 series took place at Lord’s, but Australia will not have fond memories of Cardiff, after their shock defeat against Bangladesh in that summer’s NatWest Series.David Collier, the ECB’s chief executive, said: “Already there is great expectation surrounding the Ashes Test Series which will follow the 2009 Twenty20 World Championships in an exciting summer of cricket for cricket followers.’We have been in full consultation with the England management about the structure of the series and our summer programme in 2009 and this was ECB’s preferred programme . I think everyone is now looking forward to the summer with relish.”Cricket Australia’s CEO, James Sutherland, said: “While it’s still more than a year away, the 2009 Ashes Series is already generating significant interest both here and in the UK. The 2005 series was a remarkable contest and the catalyst for huge growth in our game Australia and the UK. I’m sure that the 2009 Ashes will be another eagerly anticipated series.”Commenting on the announcement, Kevin Pietersen said: “As a member of the victorious England team in 2005, I’m looking forward to facing the Australian team again on home soil. The 2009 series promises some great cricket, at some great venues and no doubt some tough challenges along the way.”I’m pleased that interest in cricket continues to grow and the spectators can look forward to another thrilling Ashes duel,” said Pietersen, “arguably the biggest cricket contest of them all.”In addition to Cardiff and Lord’s, next summer’s other venues will be Edgbaston, Headingley and The Oval.The Ashes itineraryWed 8 – Sun 12 July, 1st Test, Cardiff
Thu 16 – Mon 20 July, 2nd Test, Lord’s
Thu 30 July – Mon 3 Aug, 3rd Test, Edgbaston
Fri 7 – Tue 11 Aug, 4th Test, Headingley
Thu 20 – Mon 24 Aug, 5th Test, The Oval

Glamorgan have added to their seam bowling attack for the start of 2016 season by confirming a loan agreement with the Middlesex pace bowler Harry Podmore.Podmore, a graduate from the Middlesex Academy and former MCC Young Cricketer, is yet to appear in first-class cricket, but has featured for Middlesex in limited-overs cricket over the past two seasons.Glamorgan now offer him the chance to break into Championship cricket in the first six matches of the season, beginning with the visit of Leicestershire to Cardiff on April 17, as well as a fixture against Cardiff MCCU fixture the previous week.Podmore, born in Hammersmith, has impressed with his bowling at the death and picked up regular wickets with a controlled yorker becoming something of a trademark weapon.Glamorgan chief executive and director of cricket Hugh Morris said, “We have been aware of the progress Harry has made in recent seasons with Middlesex and his development work with the England fast bowling programme.”He’s a bright, young fast bowling talent who will add depth to our seam bowling department, which is an area we identified needing strengthening. Harry will spend the first 2 months of the season with us before Ruaidhri Smith and Jack Murphy return to the club at the end of May following their University commitments.”With an international calibre bowling attack at Middlesex, there’s an opportunity for him to play some first-class cricket for Glamorgan and we are thankful to Angus Fraser and Middlesex CCC for allowing us to have Harry on loan.Glamorgan also recently signed all-rounder Craig Meschede after he was allowed to leave Somerset.Podmore admitted: “The current strength of the Middlesex seam attack has made it difficult for me to break into the County Championship side, and with limited opportunities available to play red ball cricket here, this is an ideal way for me to not only gain invaluable experience in this format of the game, but also to hopefully help Glamorgan get off to a good start in their own Championship campaign.”He will rejoining Middlesex in readiness for the club’s white ball campaigns.Middlesex’s managing director of cricket, Angus Fraser, said: “Harry continues to develop nicely as a cricketer. He is ready to get his teeth into first-class cricket and, with the fast bowling resources we currently have, we do not see him starting in the 1st XI.”When not playing for Glamorgan 1st XI Harry can return to London to practice his white ball skills, as we do see him featuring in our T20 and 50 over cricket. The loan to Glamorgan to play first-class cricket in April and May will hopefully provide all three parties with what they are looking for.”

Michael Vaughan is preparing to head out to New Zealand to lead England’s Test team with a huge drive to ensure he is around to captain the side in next year’s Ashes and also has ambitions to play until the 2010-11 series in Australia.After England’s 1-0 defeat against Sri Lanka, their second consecutive series loss following the 1-0 reversal against India, there have been a few murmurings that Vaughan’s captaincy spell may come under pressure, especially with the one-day side under Paul Collingwood showing promising improvement.With the bat, though, Vaughan has proved his worth since returning to the Test side last summer against West Indies. He scored two centuries last year – a memorable ton on his comeback at Headingley and a stylish 124 against India at Trent Bridge – and feels he could have had plenty more runs to his name.”I know I am good enough to be there,” Vaughan told the at an Urban Cricket event in Sheffield. “That’s never ever been in question.”In the nine games since I have come back and played, I have probably found a rhythm to bat in that I have not had for a few years, which is a really great sign. I could have even averaged 75-80 with the way I played. I had two or three opportunities to go on and get 150s, 200s, massive scores and I didn’t take them.””If I can continue to play in that rhythm and form, I believe there will be a purple patch around the corner where I get big scores on the trot,” he said. “Whether I am there in 2009 – it is still a long way off – I still have ambition to go on beyond it.”I don’t just think 2009 will be it for me, I look maybe at the Australians in Australia the time after that. I would like to still be playing in that.”However, if he is around for the next trip down under he doesn’t think it will be as captain. He first took up the role in 2003 and would like to end his career purely as a batsman.”I don’t think I will do it [captaincy] for that stretch,” said Vaughan. “I really would love to play as a non-captain towards the latter stages of my career. I love the captaincy but I also wouldn’t mind having a ‘do’ eventually at just playing.”That’s why I have enjoyed this little six-week period out of the game when I can just focus on me, if you like: get my body and form to the standard I want it to be at, arrive in New Zealand fitter, and I probably will do, than I have been for years and years.”When I get there, I have to look after all the team so, in these little periods I have, I have to make sure I look after myself and arrive in decent form.”

Ayush Mhatre will lead India in the 2026 Under-19 World Cup beginning in January in Zimbabwe and Namibia. The 15-member squad also includes Vaibhav Suryavanshi, who has been named captain for the bilateral series against South Africa Under-19 before the World Cup.Mhatre, along with vice-captain Vihaan Malhotra, are currently injured and will not be part of the bilateral series against South Africa. They will report to the BCCI Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru to manage their wrist injuries and join the team for the Under-19 World Cup.The three youth ODIs against South Africa Under-19 will take place in Benoni on January 3, 5, and 7. The World Cup commences on January 15.Mhatre had led India to the final of the Under-19 Asia Cup in Dubai this December. Suryavanshi, with 261 runs in five games, was India’s second highest run-getter in the tournament. Abhigyan Kundu, the highest scorer with 271 runs, features in both squads.Related

• Farhan Yousaf to lead Pakistan at Under-19 World Cup

• Tom Jones to lead an experienced New Zealand squad

• Thomas Rew to lead England at U-19 World Cup

Suryavanshi is currently part of the Vijay Hazare Trophy, India’s domestic List A competition, where he made 190 for Bihar against Arunachal Pradesh.India are in Group B at the Under-19 World Cup along with New Zealand, USA and Bangladesh. They begin their campaign on January 15 against USA in Bulawayo, followed by matches against Bangladesh on January 17 and New Zealand on January 24.The tournament comprises 16 teams divided into four groups of four each in the first round. Twelve teams – three from each group – will progress to the next round, where the teams will be divided into two groups of six. The top two from each group of six will contest the semi-finals. The tournament begins concludes with the final on February 6 in Harare.

India Under-19 squad for SA tour

Vaibhav Suryavanshi (capt), Aaron George (vc), Vedant Trivedi, Abhigyan Kundu (wk), Harvansh Singh (wk), RS Ambrish, Kanishk Chouhan, Khilan A Patel, Mohamed Enaan, Henil Patel, D Deepesh, Kishan Kumar Singh, Udhav Mohan, Yuvraj Gohil, Rahul KumarIndia squad for 2026 Under-19 World Cup: Ayush Mhatre (capt), Vihaan Malhotra (vc), Vaibhav Suryavanshi, Aaron George, Vedant Trivedi, Abhigyan Kundu (wk), Harvansh Singh (wk), RS Ambrish, Kanishk Chouhan, Khilan A Patel, Mohamed Enaan, Henil Patel, D Deepesh, Kishan Kumar Singh, Udhav Mohan

Australia 250 for 2 (Blackwell 91, Nitschke 82, Sthalekar 62*) beat New Zealand 249 for 7 (McGlashan 50, Browne 50, Devine 40) by eight wickets

Shelley Nitschke picked the right time to hit her highest ODI score to help Australia come back from a 2-1 deficit and win the Rose Bowl in the final match in Lincoln. Nitschke’s 82 was part of a 144-run opening stand with Alex Blackwell, who made 91, and laid the platform for back-to-back wins to ensure Australia remained unbeaten in any series this decade.Saturday’s fourth match was not without its alarms as they edged a tight success, but Sunday’s contest was a dominant eight-wicket thumping set up by the batsmen. They were left to chase 250 following fifties from New Zealand’s Sara McGlashan and Nicola Browne – Sophie Devine also thrashed 40 off 27 balls – and did it with 3.1 overs to spare.Nitschke and Blackwell remained undaunted during their record opening stand for Australia in New Zealand. It was Blackwell’s second fifty in two days, but the first of the series for Nitschke, which came off the back of two half-centuries against England.After Nitschke fell to Lucy Doolan, having just passed her previous high of 81, Lisa Sthalekar (61 not out) combined with Blackwell to add 80 for the second wicket. Blackwell fell just short of her second ODI hundred before Sthalekar, who reached her second half-century of the weekend, and Karen Rolton added the final six runs.Though Australia have taken every Rose Bowl since 1998-99, New Zealand have given them tight contests in the past three series, while England also tested them with a 2-2 draw in February. England then went on to beat New Zealand.Australia showed their fighting spirit with a courageous comeback but they are now world leaders by a nose only. This has been a packed calendar for three of the top four sides and the aim of the games was to see where the teams were at and gain some decent experience for next year’s World Cup and proposed Twenty20 World Cup.On the evidence of the three recent series, the verdict is an open one. There is more cricket to play before 2009 but next year is an increasingly mouth-watering prospect.

The pressure is growing on Norman Arendse, the Cricket South Africa (CSA) president, as leading figures in the game prepare for a set of hastily-arranged meetings in Johannesburg to discuss selection and quota issues.Logan Naidoo, the manager of the squad in Bangladesh and vice-president of CSA, has flown back to South Africa amid rumours that Arendse will face a vote of no confidence from senior figures next week.The current controversy stems from the squad selected to tour Bangladesh. Initially the 14-man party was rejected by Arendse for not conforming to CSA quota requirements which state the need for seven players of colour. The squad only included four – later five when Robin Peterson replaced Paul Harris – and it required the intervention of Gerald Majola, the CSA chief executive, to release the team.Majola and Arendse issued a joint statement apologising for the public nature of the disagreements but tensions below the surface are still running high.Adding to the debate are comments from Butana Komphela, chairman for the parliamentary portfolio committee on sport, who has said that the CSA president should have the right to veto a South African team that doesn’t meet the transformation policy. reported that Komphela said that while parliament will never select sporting teams, they will continue to insist they are representative of the country.

A wicket from the last ball of the day for Matthew Nicholson has given Western Australia the edge at stumps on day two of their Pura Cup clash against South Australia at the Adelaide Oval.The Warrior paceman ripped out Jeff Vaughan’s off stump with a delivery that stayed down after the batsman had let it go. That wicket, the third that South Australia surrendered in the space of just over three overs at the end of the day, left the hosts reeling at 5/133.After captain Darren Lehmann’s unfortunate run out, the Redbacks lost a further two wickets for the addition of just five runs. Nicholson was the main destroyer, snaring the last two wickets in the final over of the day.The lanky right arm bowler was close to the best of the Western Australian attack today, with 2/42 off his 14.5 overs. Conceding 40 runs off his 17 overs for one wicket, chinaman bowler Brad Hogg was also in top form. And Jo Angel, who conceded just 14 runs from his seven overs, was typically economical.The Warriors will be looking for early wickets tomorrow to finish off the South Australian lower order and possibly enforce the follow on. South Australia’s hopes, meanwhile, will rest principally with 27-year-old batsman Ben Johnson, who is averaging 34 in domestic first class cricket. The hosts trail by 347 runs with only five wickets in hand.Earlier in the day, the Redbacks had been provided with a solid start by opener Shane Deitz. The 25-year-old played a typically patient and watchful innings today, bringing up his third half century in what is only his fifth first class match. Deitz’s fifty, which came from 128 balls, included four boundaries.Darren Lehmann, at the other end, scored at a quicker rate, posting 38 off 52 deliveries. Together with Deitz, he recorded a 50-run partnership, the highest of the Redback innings, from 101 balls.But just when those two looked settled, Deitz set off for a suicidal single off Warrior captain Tom Moody’s first ball. The throw from Ryan Campbell at mid wicket was an accurate one and, by the time that Lehmann reached his crease, wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist had already dislodged the bails. The Redback captain’s innings contained four boundaires.Next in, Jason Gillespie quickly signalled his intentions with a boundary to get off the mark. But the Redbacks ran into even more trouble soon after, when Deitz was trapped lbw by Nicholson for 60.Earlier in the final session, Australian Test hopeful Greg Blewett had failed to catch the selectors’ eyes, scoring just two runs off 21 deliveries. Blewett, who lingered before walking to the pavilion, was clearly unhappy about the caught and bowled decision that brought about his demise. Left armer Hogg, however, was delighted at having held the low catch off the Redback’s bat.Blewett’s counterpart and occasional Australian teammate Damien Martyn (122) enjoyed a better day. A philosophical Martyn, who averaged 60 in Australia’s last Test series against New Zealand, says he knows Ricky Ponting’s recovery from injury will leave him out of the national team for the start of this summer’s Test series against the West Indies.”I haven’t been really worrying about that. I’ve just started my season and am going about my job,” he said. “I’d like to play Test cricket again. I got to play Test cricket in New Zealand and it was a lucky break and if I just keep making runs, you never know, anything could happen. If I’m not there in the first Test, I won’t be too unhappy about it.”Martyn’s ton was good, but Gilchrist’s early in the day was just superb. The Australian vice-captain, who had come to the crease when Martyn was at 58, even found his way to his century before his partner. Along the way, he belted 12 fours and two sixes to finish with 102 off 99 deliveries.He punished all the Redback bowlers, striking boundaries off even the accurate and economical Gillespie. He eventually fell to Peter McIntyre, missing a drive and watching the ball dislodge his off-stump instead. Martyn later described Gilchrist’s sparkling innings as a real bonus for his team.