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Craig Kieswetter, the Somerset wicketkeeper-batsman, has reiterated his commitment to play for England after Graeme Smith said he wanted to bring him back to his native South Africa.”It is very flattering to hear someone of Graeme Smith’s stature speak so highly of me, but I remain committed to playing international cricket for England and that remains my ambition,” Kieswetter said.Brian Rose, Somerset’s director of cricket, added: “He’s a very exciting prospect and everyone at Somerset, from the players to the members and the supporters, will be delighted he remains committed to helping Somerset achieve further success and hopefully go on to play for England.”Kieswetter, the son of an Afrikaner father and Scottish mother, was recently fast-tracked into the England performance squad. He was chosen as a Grade B player and identified as between one and three years away from the top level. His form for Somerset in the English season has prompted comparisons with Kevin Pietersen but Kieswetter has said he would have a better idea of where he stood in the England pecking order once he qualified in February.”Yes, I would like to have him back. It’s up to him but he is certainly someone we’d like back,” said Smith. “In the domestic game we have started to get a lot of players back and it’s only strengthening our system. We want it to be the ultimate to play for South Africa.”It is up to him [Kieswetter]. The challenge is to get him back into our franchise system first, but he is certainly someone we have seen and would like to get back into the system.”The issue of South Africans playing in England as Kolpaks has long been a thorny issue and the returning home of several South Africans, having honed their game in county cricket, has only added to the debate. “It’s surprising at times, I have to admit, when players who’ve played in England for a long time come back to play for South Africa,” said Paul Collingwood, England’s one-day captain.Two such players are Ryan McLaren and Charl Langeveldt, who renounced their Kolpak status to play for South Africa. Smith has welcomed their decision, one that Geoff Miller, the England national selector, believed to be due to South Africa’s success as a team and the advent of lucrative Twenty20 leagues. “For Ryan and the others to play in England and face different challenges . . . it is almost like an academy,” he said. “Players who go there grow and come back into our system as hopefully better players. It is only strengthening our system.”

Sachin Tendulkar has pulled out of the forthcoming NKP Salve Challenger Trophy seeking rest, the BCCI has said. He will join Yuvraj Singh and Irfan Pathan as the first-choice players who won’t be featuring in the tournament; the latter two have been forced out because of injuries.Tendulkar missed India’s last Group A match in the Champions Trophy in South Africa because of food poisoning. His replacement in the India Blue side is Tamil Nadu’s Abhinav Mukund, who followed an impressive Ranji season with a century in the Irani Cup last week.Among the other changes, S Badrinath, originally picked for India Green, will now captain India Red in Yuvraj’s absence. Yuvraj’s direct replacement in the side is Maharashtra’s Ameya Shrikhande. Irfan’s replacement in the India Green side is Vikramjeet Malik from Himachal Pradesh. Manoj Tiwary, who was originally picked in the India Red side, has been called up to represent Delhi Daredevils in the Champions League Twenty20, with Saurabh Tiwary taking his place.The Challenger Trophy will be played from October 8 to 11 in Nagpur, and will serve as India’s last preparations before Australia arrive for a seven-match ODI series later this month.

ScorecardIt must have been with mixed feelings that Worcestershire supporters watched Steve Davies compile a polished half-century at New Road. While they would be delighted at the strong position his innings has earned Worcestershire, it will have done nothing to ease the pain at the prospect of his imminent departure to Surrey. The club are losing a gem and they know it.Davies, coming to the crease with the game in the balance, produced the best innings of the match to give his side an excellent chance of a first Championship victory this season. Though he was out to the last delivery of the day, popping up a catch to square leg as he attempted to turn one off his hips, he has helped his side earn a lead of 291 going into the last day. On a pitch that remains helpful to bowlers, Worcestershire should not need too many more.Very well he played, too. Finding the gaps unerringly in a field packed with men to thwart his cut shot, Davies continued to score freely and underlined the impression that Surrey have snatched one of the brightest young talents on the county scene.Worcestershire supporters can, at least, console themselves with the thought that Moeen Ali remains at New Road. Ali, a 22-year-old who is yet to deliver on his considerable potential, started scratchily but then unveiled some delightful shots in recording his first 50 in 13 Championship innings. With Davies, he posted a stand of 142 in 31 overs for the fifth wicket. It’s the only century partnership of the match to date and may well prove decisive.Nottinghamshire will reflect that they have made life far too easy for the hosts, however. Having had them tottering at 34 for four, Nottinghamshire dropped Moeen twice in the slips – Ealham was the guilty man on each occasion and Adams the unfortunate bowler – in addition to spurning chances off Mitchell and Smith.It continued an untidy performance from Nottinghamshire. After squandering ideal bowling conditions on day one, they surrendered their wickets far too easily to concede a first innings deficit of 115. It’s only the second time this season Worcestershire have secured a first innings lead.Afterwards Mick Newell, Nottinghamshire’s director of coaching, described the final day as “make or break” for both teams’ hopes this season. “If we don’t win here, we probably have to accept our chances [of winning the Championship title] have gone,” he said. “And Worcestershire need to win if they are going to avoid relegation. It’s a big day.”Newell was understandably underwhelmed by his side’s batting. Although Mark Wagh, Samit Patel and Ali Brown all made 40s, nearly all of Nottinghamshire’s batsmen played a part in their own downfall. Wagh undermined his admirably watchful 49 by edging a cut off a near wide, while Patel, who briefly made batting look easy, picked out the man on the square-leg boundary with a thoughtless flick. Suffice it to say, he’s losing his fight to lose weight, too. The shadow he cast on the outfield here was only matched by that of the adjacent cathedral.Only Shafayat could claim innocence for his dismissal. Forced to play one on off-stump, he could only edge to slip after it left him perfectly off the pitch. It was a memorable maiden wicket for debutant left-arm seamer Jack Shantry, who may have an awkward action but, like his brother, is a swing bowler of some skill.Ealham, celebrating his 40th birthday, also perished on the square-leg fence, while Read was punished for an indeterminate prod and Adams’ appalling slog resulted in a simple catch to point.”The pitch isn’t the easiest,” Newell concluded, “but our dismissals weren’t very clever.”Imran Arif also deserves credit. The Worcestershire fast bowler has endured a chastening first full season as a professional, but was rewarded for a sustained display of pace bowling here with the second five-wicket haul of his career.The visitors hit back when Worcestershire began their second innings. Stephen Moore’s luck showed no sign of improvement when he was caught down the legside, before Daryl Mitchell edged a good one that lifted on him and Vikram Solanki played slightly across a straight one. When Ben Smith lost his middle stump to a fine delivery that nipped back, the visitors were back in the game. Had they held Moeen on either 10 or 17, they might well have resumed on the final day in a winning position.Nottinghamshire have disappointed in this game. With Stuart Broad, Graeme Swann and Ryan Sidebottom on England duty, Darren Pattinson dropped and Luke Fletcher injured, their attack looks surprisingly thin. Their batting too, now without Will Jefferson (who will not play for the club again) and Matt Wood (dropped), is more fragile than it should be while their fielding, hindered by some of the more corpulent figures in the county game, is perhaps the poorest in the division.

Not so super, Fred
Those coming to see Andrew Flintoff in his final Test – pretty much everyone, really – got the experience for only 22 minutes towards the end of the day. Walking out to bat with the trumpeter playing the Flintstones’ theme song, Flintoff spoke briefly to Jonathan Trott on the way to taking guard and was in a hurry to entertain. He square drove a boundary through gully off Mitchell Johnson before ducking into a short delivery next ball that rammed his shoulder. In Johnson’s following over Flintoff slashed outside off stump and nicked to Brad Haddin, turning the volume down in the stands.Testing times
The first run in a pressure innings feels the hardest and it was almost impossible for the debutant Trott. He spent a dozen balls waiting to get off the mark, with the short leg Simon Katich creating a major obstacle. Two fielders were placed in the deep for short balls and Trott received a couple from Peter Siddle that were squeezed in Katich’s direction. The first went behind Katich, who slid and threw so quickly that Trott might have been run-out if the ball had hit. Katich then intercepted another before Trott finally found a two with a back-foot push to midwicket off Marcus North’s offspin. He finished with a hard-earned 41, an innings ended by Katich, who stopped a forced clip at short leg and fired back a throw that didn’t miss.C’mon Lily, give us a wave. Please!
HELLO! might have you believe Australia’s first couple, Shane and Simone, are headed down the reconciliation path, but his Warne-ness proved he still has an eye for the ladies. Warne was sitting up straight when Sky’s cameras twice panned to Lily Allen in The Oval stands, calling on the songstress to give him a wave. But according to her Twitter account, Allen was tuned into TMS, not Sky, leaving Warne’s advances to waft unnoticed through the airwaves. So what did Allen think of the day’s play? “Collingwood is dull. He’ll probably still be batting when I’m back here at The Oval on Saturday, having scored no runs.” Perhaps in the second innings.Head to head
Johnson had picked up Ian Bell in each of his three previous bats in the series and when he entered before lunch it looked like it wouldn’t be long before the streak continued. Bell somehow survived a flurry of short balls, including one which seemed to brush the strap of his glove, with fends, head turns and leaves. It was a gripping start and as Bell steadied, Johnson returned occasionally to old ways, delivering two untouchable offside wides in the second session and another after tea.Double dose of pain
There were more fears for Bell when he drove Ben Hilfenhaus for four and, after jogging up and down the pitch, sat down to grab at his leg. Andrew Strauss was urgent in his waves to the dressing room and the physio trotted out to provide the necessary attention. The visit worked, Bell got to his feet and stood up to Australia with a solid 72. Just as people were asking if this was the new, improved and tough Bell, he inside-edged his first ball after tea and lost his off stump.Dust to dust
The Australians left The Oval after Wednesday’s training session discussing the anticipated firmness of the wicket. That opinion rapidly changed over the course of the first session, however, with dust clouds forming on the surface and balls barely carrying to Haddin. The decision to omit Nathan Hauritz looked all the more curious when Marcus North, a part-timer, turned the ball sharply mid-way through the second session, but Australia’s apparent mis-reading of the surface went largely unpunished as England’s top-order gifted too many of their wickets with loose strokes outside off stump.Captain shows the wrong edge
Strauss displayed the required toughness in the first session with a committed half-century but a softer approach resulted in his downfall in the third over after lunch. With a gentle waft to Ben Hilfenhaus’ full ball outside off stump, his innings was over. The edge travelled to Haddin and England had lost their pillar. Replays showing a huge no-ball that was not called by Billy Bowden also gave the local fans justification to complain.Not very appealing
Hilfenhaus is a quiet, straight-down-the-line kind of bloke, but he must have been told to appeal a bit more whenever spotting half a chance. He was bowling to Collingwood when the batsman played and missed, initially forcing a that-was-close look from the bowler before he heard Haddin was going up for a caught behind. Hilfenhaus’ sigh turned into a loud yell at Bowden, who was not interested and walked down the pitch while calling over.

Daniel Vettori has said he’s aware it is not only Sri Lanka’s spinners that his side will have to be wary of, but also the quick bowlers who were instrumental in the Test series victory over Pakistan.”Spin is going to play an important part but I think from watching the Pakistan series, the seam bowlers have played an important role,” Vettori told reporters after arriving in Sri Lanka for a six-week tour. “Our ability to counter the Sri Lankan spin bowlers is going to be a huge part of the game. However it will be ignorant for us not to acknowledge how well the Sri Lankan team has bowled.”Ajantha Mendis may have slipped down the pecking order after a poor series against Pakistan, but he still perceived as a threat for New Zealand. “We’ve only come across him in the ICC World Twenty20,” Vettori said. “Brendon McCullum played with him in Calcutta (during the IPL). I suppose he brings in a little bit of knowledge in that department but it will be a learning curve for a number of our players as it will be against Murali as well. This is quite an inexperienced team and to some of the guys this is the first time they will be seeing Murali and Mendis.”Vettori admitted his team’s strength and experience was in their bowling but hoped the batsmen would adjust to the conditions and come good.”We have experience in our bowling – me, Chris Martin and Jacob Oram, that helps us a lot. We do have a very experienced top order but you have to say our strength is in our bowling,” said Vettori, who is the most experienced player in the touring side with 92 Test appearances and 239 ODIs under his belt. “It’s always different when you come up against foreign conditions. We are hoping that our bowling keeps up and our batting will not come under so much pressure.”New Zealand are a lowly seventh in the Test rankings, but Vettori said his team would fare better if they played more Tests. “Most of the guys in the side haven’t played for a while, that’s because we haven’t played a lot of Test cricket,” he said. “It is one of the reasons why we haven’t performed so well in the Tests.”Sri Lanka are a formidable opposition, high on confidence from their Test and ODI series wins over Pakistan, but Kumar Sangakkara said his team still needed to work hard to rectify some of its lapses during the tour. “Once this is done Sri Lanka can obtain big scores and hold the upperhand over the opponents,” he said at a press conference. Pakistan had squandered dominant positions to lose the Test series and the 2-0 margin was a little misleading as the difference between the teams was not great.Sangakkara also described Muttiah Muraliatharan’s decision to retire from Tests next year as sensible. “Murali has been an integral part of Sri Lanka cricket and he has another seven Tests to play and could achieve more laurels,” he said. “He has made a thoughtful decision that is best for him.”New Zealand, touring Sri Lanka after a period of almost six years, will play a short series of two Tests and two Twenty20 Internationals in Colombo before taking part in a one-day tri-series which also involves India.They begin their tour with a three-day practice match against the Sri Lanka Development Squad led by Jeewan Mendis on Friday at the Colts grounds in Colombo.Sri Lanka Cricket Development XI squad: Jeewan Mendis (capt), Dinesh Chandimal, Mahela Udawatte, Tharanga Paranavitana, Nadeera Nawela, Ashan Priyanjan, Ishara Amerasinghe, Nuwan Pradeep, Tharanga Lakshitha, Sachithra Senanayake, Shalika Karunanayake, Sachith Pathirana, Farveez Maharoof, Ranesh Perera and Prasanna Jayawardene (wk).

Division Two

Kadeer Ali took a nasty blow from Johan van der Wath•Getty Images

Valuable contributions from the Northamptonshire middle order enabled them to build a lead over Gloucestershire as 16 wickets fell on the opening day at Cheltenham after David Lucas took 5 for 49 to help remove the home side for 147. After being put in, Gloucestershire were soon on the back foot on a surface offering extra pace as Lucas swung through the top order and Kadeer Ali was forced to retire hurt after a blow on the helmet from Johan van der Wath. When Stephen Snell was out for a second-ball duck they were 68 for 5, but were lifted by Chris Taylor’s 51.Ali returned after his blow but fell to Lucas for a duck to become his sixth wicket. However, the home attack fought back as the pace bowlers reduced Northamptonshire to 39 for 4 although the pitch inspector said swing was the main cause of the clatter of wickets. Nicky Boje survived some moments of fortune, though, including being caught off a no-ball on 42, as he steadied the innings while Andrew Hall contributed 41 off 52 balls before being caught at deep square-leg.

Match facts

Friday, July 3, 2009
Start time 09.30 (13.30 GMT)

The Big Picture

India will have to look beyond Yuvraj Singh to counter the West Indies pace attack•Associated Press

It’s been a year of contrasting fortunes for the two teams in the ODI format, and they have much to make up for in tomorrow’s contest in St Lucia. India have had a successful 2009 in the 50-over game, with series wins in New Zealand and Sri Lanka. An unassailable lead with a win in St Lucia will boost their chances of wrapping another series away from home, making amends for their debacle in the World Twenty20 and ending their hectic few weeks ahead of a two-month break on a high. West Indies have been disappointing this year, winning four ODIs and losing eight, but have the momentum going into a crunch game with a comprehensive win in Kingston to level the series. However, they are under as much pressure to perform at home. A 2-1 lead, and more so a series win, will do a lot towards easing that burden and leaving them a confident outfit as they take on Bangladesh in their next series.The home team’s performance in the second ODI marked a major improvement, particularly in its bowling. West Indies found a gem in Ravi Rampaul, who swung the ball both ways, inducing the batsmen to make mistakes, while Jerome Taylor was the pick of the West Indies bowlers. He claimed the wickets of Dinesh Karthik, Yuvraj Singh and MS Dhoni, each of whom had a role to play in smashing 339 in the series opener. Though they didn’t have a big score to chase, the West Indies batsmen ensured their team outclassed India in every field, with Chris Gayle and Runako Morton deciding the game even before a wicket fell with a century opening stand.India’s bowlers were indisciplined in the first game, bowling 19 wides and two front-foot no-balls, and the trait seemed to have rubbed off on their batsmen. Gautam Gambhir, Rohit Sharma and Yuvraj, each got out chasing wide deliveries, while the tail, with the exception of RP Singh, who added 101 with Dhoni to save India’s blushes, was hapless. Dhoni, at the end of the game, pointed out that over-reliance on Yuvraj, who has scores of 131 and 35 in the series, was not going to win India the series. And with an important game coming up, India’s top order will have to step up, with greater preparedness to counter the short ball.

ODI form guide

(last five matches, most recent first)
India – LWLWW
West Indies – WLLLN

Watch out for …

Gautam Gambhir and Rohit Sharma: With an average of 25.33 in 39 ODIs, there is plenty of room for improvement for Rohit in the ODI format. Another failure at No.3 tomorrow is something he can ill afford after scores of 4 and 0 in the series so far. Gambhir has had a satisfactory year, averaging 38.80, but his weakness against the short ball was exposed in the ICC World Twenty20, and in the first game by Jerome Taylor. The pair will do well to deliver when it matters tomorrow to boost India’s chances of a series win.West Indies’ pace attack: Each of West Indies’ pace bowlers bagged wickets in the eight-wicket rout in Kingston, using swing and variations to unsettle the Indian batsmen. Taylor was the best among them, Rampaul was the surprise package and Bravo bowled a scorcher to get rid of Yusuf Pathan. They made the best use of favourable conditions while India were batting, and if they are offered anything similar at the Beausejour Cricket Ground, India’s batsmen are up for another serious challenge.

Team news

Ravindra Jadeja had an impressive ODI debut, making an unbeaten 60 against Sri Lanka but has failed in this series, getting dismissed in an identical manner on both occasions. He was out first ball in the first game, playing away from his body and edging to the keeper, and managed just 7 in the second with his team in trouble. He could be left out of the next game for allrounder Abhishek Nayar to make his international debut.India (probable): 1 Gautam Gambhir, 2 Dinesh Karthik, 3 Rohit Sharma, 4 Yuvraj Singh, 5 MS Dhoni (capt & wk), 6 Yusuf Pathan, 7 Ravindra Jadeja/ Abhishek Nayar, 8 Harbhajan Singh, 9 Ishant Sharma, 10 RP Singh, 11 Ashish Nehra.West Indies retained their squad for the final two one-dayers and are likely to go ahead with a winning combination.West Indies (probable): 1 Chris Gayle (capt), 2 Runako Morton, 3 Ramnaresh Sarwan, 4 Shivnarine Chanderpaul, 5 Dwayne Bravo, 6 Darren Bravo, 7 Denesh Ramdin (wk), 8 Jerome Taylor, 9 David Bernard, 10 Suleiman Benn, 11 Ravi Rampaul.

Pitch and conditions

Gayle expects the pitch to be full of runs as the venue has traditionally helped the batsmen.

Stats and trivia

• West Indies have played nine games at the Beausejour Cricket Ground, winning five and losing four. India are yet to play a game at this venue.
• West Indies’ eight-wicket victory in Kingston was their biggest against India in terms of balls remaining after winning. They won with 95 balls to spare, bettering their effort in Port of Spain 20 years earlier, where they had won with 68 balls left.
• MS Dhoni and RP Singh’s stand of 101 is the fourth-highest for the ninth wicket in ODIs, and the third-highest for India.
• The average score while batting first in St Lucia is 243. The side batting first has won on seven occasions and lost nine. The highest score at the venue is 363, by New Zealand against Canada in the 2007 World Cup. The lowest is 146, by West Indies against England earlier this year.

Quotes

“It is a case of two good teams playing against each other, and we expect two very competitive matches.”
“Yuvraj, on any given day, can destroy any bowling attack. When he is in that sort of mood (as he was in the first ODI) he is very difficult to bowl to. We have to try and contain him as much as possible but at the same time he’s experienced and has a lot of power and he is definitely the main batter in this Indian team.”
“We have good communication out there which is very good and we can assess the conditions as quickly as possible and make the necessary adjustments. I want him to play his game and I will support him at the other end.”

Edgar Schiferli leaps for joy as he seals Netherlands’ dramatic last-ball win•Getty Images

Well, what an opening match we’ve had, ladies and gents. It’s all coming down to the last over. Seven to win for Netherlands! Who’d have predicted this? Not I, sir. Collingwood’s chatting to Broad and Anderson, and it’ll be Broad going around the wicket19.1Broad to ten Doeschate, 1 run, cracked out to the off side, Broad fields and should run him out – but misses! That’s the fourth run-out opportunity they’ve missed tonight alone19.2Broad to Schiferli, 1 run, tries to smack it out to cover but can’t time it. Broad fields and does a Jonty Rhodes, diving onto the stumps. But as his right hand (holding the ball) hits the turf, he releases the ball – it’s his hand which smashes the bails! Not out19.3Broad to ten Doeschate, 1 run, Broad’s dropped a wellied smash to a full toss! High above his head and it took a while to reach him19.4Broad to Schiferli, 1 bye, he plays and misses, the ball flies through to keeper who is standing back – and they run a bye!19.5Broad to ten Doeschate, 1 run, another smash, but he picks out mid-on! Only a single. Good grief, this is so tense19.6Broad to Schiferli, 2 runs, goes for a club, Broad again fields – they run, and Broad has all three stumps as he collects it in his follow through. But he misses, and they run an overthrow. They’re through and Netherlands have scored a brilliant, outstanding upset here for the first match at Lord’s!

Zimbabwe’s wicketkeeper and former captain, Tatenda Taibu, believes that Andy Flower’s natural leadership qualities will come to the fore now that he has been confirmed as England’s full-time coach.Taibu was one of the first players to have experienced Flower’s coaching techniques, having been mentored by him while still a pupil at Churchill Boys High School in Harare, and he has retained a debt of gratitude for that guidance all throughout his career.”Andy is someone who, if he is interested in something, he gives it his all,” Taibu told Cricinfo. “When I made the national team, Andy taught me to practice properly,taught me how to look after my finances and how to approach games.”On the field he was without doubt the first to read the situation for the rest to follow suit. When he opened up his mouth to speak, all would listen anticipating that the pathfinder would unfold the plan to victory.”Though he has since lost the role after falling out with the board, Taibu followed in Flower’s footsteps when he was named Zimbabwe’s captain, at the tender age of 20, in April 2004.”I believe that only leaders are able to spot future leaders,” said Taibu. “I became the youngest Test captain in the history of the game and I owe part of that to him.”When we talked about captaincy, he kept saying: ‘When you become captain you must be able to do this, this and the other. I’ve made these mistakes in the past so when attacked with such a situation, so you ought to face it head on in this manner.'”

Anil Kumble, the Royal Challengers Bangalore captain, has blamed the loss of early wickets as the reason for his team’s 16-run defeat to Mumbai Indians in Port Elizabeth. Bangalore were in trouble at 58 for 4 chasing 158 and the loss of wickets increased the pressure and the asking rate.Kumble said Rahul Dravid’s run-out for 10 was the turning point in the chase. Dravid turned around for a second run but he failed to make his ground before Lasith Malinga’s throw from long-off reached the bowler.”We lost too many wickets at the start [of the run chase] and probably that was the main reason [for the loss]. That’s what we need to look at seriously,” Kumble said. “I think Rahul’s run-out was crucial. If he was there till the end it was still a good wicket to bat and we could have chased it down.”Kumble felt the loss of wickets only piled the pressure on Boucher who made an unbeaten 48 off 33 balls.”Boucher is someone who played till the end to try and finish the game for us, but unfortunately it was too many runs at the end for him,” Kumble said.The winning captain Sachin Tendulkar praised the contributions of JP Duminy and Ajinkya Rahane, who scored half-centuries and lifted Mumbai to a match-winning total. Mumbai were desperate for a win after three successive defeats and the victory helped them move to No. 6, just ahead of Bangalore.”We needed this victory and all thanks to JP and Ajinkya,” Tendulkar said. “I thought they really batted well till the end. Sanath [Jayasuriya] too did a good job. Our bowlers also bowled well. It was a good all-round performance by the team. It was an all-round performance, batting, bowling and fielding everything was good.”