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Mick Newell, the Nottinghamshire director of cricket, has emerged as a contender to be Bangladesh’s next coach.ESPNcricinfo understands that 47-year-old Newell, who has twice led Nottinghamshire to the County Championship title, is a frontrunner for the role alongside former Warwickshire captain Dermot Reeve, while there is also interest from Bangladesh in talking to Allan Donald, currently the South Africa bowling coach.While Newell insisted there had been no contact with officials from the Bangladesh cricket board, he did admit that he would be interested should such an opportunity arise.”I have had no contact from Bangladesh, not even via my agent, and I didn’t apply for the job, so I have no idea where the story has come from,” Newell said.”But I want to be an international coach. I haven’t even thought about how that might work, domestically, if you like, but I do want to coach at the highest level, so if the opportunities are out there I would be interested.”I don’t intend to put a CV together and apply for jobs but if somebody does contact me I will just have to see what happens. I do want to coach at that level, so I will see what comes about.”Newell enjoyed a long career as a batsman with Nottinghamshire, helping the club win the County Championship in 1987. He then moved into coaching at Trent Bridge – first as Clive Rice’s assistant – and oversaw the side’s County Championship success in 2005 – the county’s first championship title since 1987 – and again in 2010. He has won praise from former New Zealand captain Stephen Fleming, among others, for his fine man management and his ability to coax the best out of his players.Stuart Law steps down as Bangladesh coach at the end of June to take up a role at Australia’s Centre of Excellence. Dean Jones, who suggested he was considering an offer from the Bangladesh cricket board, is thought to be unlikely to be offered the position.

ScorecardLions captain James Taylor gave the England selectors a nudge with an impressive century•Getty Images

The news coming from Chelmsford of concerns surrounding Ravi Bopara’s fitness added extra interest to events on the second day in Northampton, where James Taylor, the England Lions captain, went about reaffirming his international credentials with a superb century while Jonny Bairstow produce another eye-catching innings. The West Indians were left facing a tough challenge to avoid defeat ahead of the Test series as they closed in trouble on 28 for 3, still 166 behind.Bopara is widely expected to be given the No. 6 spot for the start of the international season, having carried the drinks during the two winter Test series against Pakistan and Sri Lanka. This latest injury worry appears to be at the minor end of the scale but even if it precluded him from bowling for a period that should not dent his Test chances, unlike they did in Sri Lanka when a side strain cost him a likely opportunity. On that occasion England felt they needed a reasonable fifth bowler, whereas in England during May the four frontliners will be more than enough.However, if batting cover (or ultimately a replacement) was required it would come from this Lions side so it was a timely moment to impress, although it is Bairstow who is probably ahead of Taylor at the current time, despite the latter’s hundred. Taylor has slipped down the pecking order over the last six months, to the extent that he was not included in the 26-man England Performance Squad for the season ahead, which is a rough guide of the way the selectors are thinking. He had a disappointing winter with the Lions during the one-day tours of Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, so this was an important innings to put him back on the agenda.Last season he impressed in Lions colours with 76 against the Sri Lankans at Derby, where he opened the batting, followed by 76 and 98 against Sri Lanka A back in the middle order. Before this match Taylor said he saw himself as a middle-order player – although, as players do, he added he would bat anywhere – and it does appear his natural home. Here he was at No. 5, the same position he currently occupies for Nottinghamshire, with Samit Patel, who did not do himself any favours with a lazy chip back to the bowler, above him; although anyone with aspirations to bat top six for England should ideally bat top four for their county.This innings was exemplary and the only life he got was on 104 when he was caught at slip off a no-ball from Fidel Edwards. He had initially played second fiddle to Bairstow, but caught up as he moved to fifty off 91 balls and became increasingly dominant as he started to lose partners. The pull shot was working well and the West Indian bowlers did not always adjust their length and he was lightning between the wickets which helped with the outfield remaining sluggish.When Jack Brooks was ninth out Taylor was on 86 but Jade Dernbach, who took a painful blow on the arm from Edwards which prevented him from taking the field, hung around to see his partner towards three figures, which arrived with a thumping cover drive. The confrontation between Dernbach and Edwards was feisty and included a few words from the fielders which led to the umpires stepping in to calm the situation. The final-wicket stand was extended to a 64 in 10 overs as Dernbach and Taylor opened their shoulders and the final three wickets added 130 to take the Lions lead from useful to intimidating.During the morning session a lead of such a size was a long way off as the Lions slipped to 98 for 5, which brought Bairstow to the crease to join his captain. Entering the game in good form, having made two Championship centuries for Yorkshire this season, he stood tall and played impressively through the off side off front and back foot. His fifty came from 89 balls before, against the run of the play, he lofted Shane Shillingford to mid-off just as the tourists were starting to flag.The only member of this Lions team certain to be in the first Test squad is Ian Bell, who asked to play in this match after Ben Stokes withdrew with injury and he played confidently for his 29. At one stage when facing Shillingford he had to pull out of his stance as Andy Flower, the England team director, who is at the ground with the other selectors to discuss the squad for the first Test walked behind the bowler’s arm. Flower immediately raised his arms in apology and Bell had a smirk on his face but that turned to a grimace when Ravi Rampaul, the pick of the West Indian quicks, nipped one between bat and pad.The tourists will need to decide which of this four-man attack makes way for Darren Sammy at Lord’s. Edwards had moments when he cranked up the pace but continued to have no-ball problems and spells of lethargy, while Kemar Roach left the field after claiming his third wicket, although if all the quicks are fit it could be Shillingford who misses out. They may not get the chance of another run-out before the Test as the top order stumbled again before the close, as Brooks and Matt Coles shared three wickets, and the visitors will have to make huge improvements to be competitive next week.

Gloucestershire have appointed Hamish Marshall to captain their Friends Life t20 side, in place of Alex Gidman – their captain in all formats since 2009.Marshall, the former New Zealand batsman, has scored 1,669 T20 runs in 72 innings and he also played three T20s for New Zealand before sacrificing his international career in 2007.John Bracewell, Gloucestershire director of cricket, said: “Having Hamish at the helm will allow Alex Gidman an opportunity, in what has been an exceptionally busy start to the season, to freshen up and for the team to hear a new voice during this time.”Gidman has been Gloucestershire captain since taking over from Jon Lewis. He is closing in on 1,000 T20 runs but his side have failed to make any impression on the competition since reaching Finals Day for the second time in 2007 when they lost to Kent in the final at Edgbaston.Gloucestershire’s other appearance at Finals Day came at Trent Bridge in the inaugural year of T20 in 2003 where they lost to eventual winners Surrey in the semi-final: Gidman’s 61 could not get his side home as they fell five runs short.They also lost to Surrey in 2006 – the only other occasion where they have progressed out of the group stage – in a quarter-final at Bristol. They open their 2012 campaign against Somerset at Bristol on Thursday.Their overseas player is former Sri Lanka spinner Muttiah Muralitharan but Kevin O’Brien, Gloucestershire’s second overseas player from last season, has signed for Somerset.O’Brien scored a 44-ball hundred in Gloucestershire’s world-record domestic T20 score against Middlesex at last season, an innings where Marshall also scored a century from 53-balls. It was the first T20 innings in which two players have scored a century.

Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
A five-wicket haul by fast bowler Ryan McLaren helped South Africa A take a 1-0 lead in the two-match series with an innings win over Sri Lanka A on the third day in Durban. McLaren removed three top-order batsmen in his first five overs to squash any chances of a second-innings revival by the visiting batsmen.South Africa A declared their first innings on their overnight score of 425, leading by 255 runs, and gave Sri Lanka A a stiff task to avoid an innings defeat. They fell short by eight runs.McLaren, who opened the bowling instead of Wayne Parnell, struck twice off consecutive balls in the fourth over of the day to remove Dimuth Karunaratne and Chamara Silva. In his fifth over, Kaushal Silva nicked a full delivery to the wicketkeeper to leave Sri Lanka A in further trouble. An 83-run stand between Dilruwan Perera and Roshen Silva for the fourth wicket resisted the South African charge for 22 overs. The fall of Perera, however, signalled the end of Sri Lanka A’s challenge. South Africa A picked up regular wickets thereafter to win the match early in the third session with a day to spare.The victory was set up by big hundreds from Dean Elgar and Faf du Plessis, who set up the match-winning total with a 292-run stand on the second day. The second unofficial Test will be played in Durban from July 6.

Mike Hesson has been confirmed as the new head coach of New Zealand and has been handed a contract until the end of the 2015 World Cup. Hesson, 37, previously spent six years in charge of Otago and took over as Kenya’s head coach after last year’s World Cup, but quit after 10 months in the role due to concerns over the safety of his family and their quality of life in Kenya.He beat the Glamorgan mentor and former New South Wales coach Matthew Mott for the role, while the New Zealand and Delhi Daredevils assistant Trent Woodhill also missed out. John Wright will remain in charge until the end of the ongoing tour of the West Indies and Hesson’s first tour with the squad will be the upcoming trip to India, which begins with a Test in Hyderabad on August 23.He will become New Zealand’s fifth coach in less than four years. John Bracewell stood down in December 2008 and his successor Andy Moles lasted barely a year. Mark Greatbatch then took over in January 2010 before being replaced by Wright, who spent 16 months in the job before deciding not to renew his contract beyond this year’s Caribbean tour.Wright cited differences with John Buchanan, New Zealand Cricket’s director of cricket, as one of the reasons he had decided not to continue in the role. Buchanan said Hesson would bring a fresh approach and new energy to the New Zealand side.”We were impressed with the way Mike presented himself and he was the stand-out applicant from a strong field of candidates,” Buchanan said. “Mike has been a successful first-class coach with the Otago team in recent years and has also had valuable experience working with New Zealand A sides. He also spent some time assisting the Black Caps coaching staff during the 2010 Chappell-Hadlee Series and we’re fortunate to have secured his services for the national team.”Mike’s impressive career path also includes the SportNZ Elite Coach Accelerator Programme where he not only had the honour of being selected for the programme, but finished as one of the highly commended participants. He will bring a freshness and new energy to the side and we know he is more than capable of developing and growing the team as we work towards the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015.”

Mike Hesson’s career at a glance

• Started his coaching career at the age of 22

• Served as director for Otago Cricket between 1998 and 2004

• Appointed as the national coach for Argentina

• Became head coach for Otago between 2005-06 and 2010-11 during which they won a one-day and a T20 title

• Served as Kenya national coach for 10 months from 2011 to 2012 during which the team managed only one win in nine matches

• Contracted as New Zealand’s head coach till the end of 2015 World Cup

As a player, Hesson represented Otago’s second XI but did not reach first-class level, and focused on coaching from a young age. In 1998 he became the youngest person to attain NZC’s level three coaching qualification and from 1998 to 2004 he was the coaching director for Otago Cricket, before he took over as the national coach of Argentina.From 2005-06 until 2010-11 he was the head coach of Otago and delivered them a one-day title and a Twenty20 title, and during that time he also served as the head coach of New Zealand A. David White, the chief executive of NZC, said Hesson had all the right coaching credentials to be successful in the job.”He was earmarked early in his career as one of the most talented coaches in New Zealand and it’s pleasing to be providing an opportunity to someone who is so deserving,” White said. “Mike is highly regarded by his peers, the players he has worked with and the wider family of cricket and I believe he is exactly what the Black Caps need as we look to move our team forward.”Hesson will be taking over a side that sits seventh on the ICC Test rankings, as they stand before the West Indies series, and eighth in the ODI rankings. One of his early challenges will be to guide the side through the ICC World Twenty20; New Zealand are sixth on the ICC T20 rankings but failed to move beyond the group stages in the past two World T20 events.”Having the opportunity to coach the Black Caps is very special for me,” Hesson said. “I am passionate about cricket in New Zealand and doing the best job I can for the players and the fans of cricket in this country. My coaching philosophy is essentially built around setting world-class standards to produce excellence and that’s what I intend to do with the Black Caps. It’s a big challenge but one I’m ready for and excited about.”

Match facts

Shahid Afridi needs three more wickets to reach 350 in ODIs, and he is the leading wicket taker among current one-day international players•AFP

August 28-29, 2012
Start time 1800 (1400 GMT)

Big Picture

Australia’s one-off entrée against Afghanistan now complete, it’s time for the main course in the UAE: a three-match ODI series followed by three Twenty20s against Pakistan. That the series is even going ahead is a credit to both countries, for finding a venue and a suitable time proved harder than anyone could have imagined. Initially, Sri Lanka was to host the matches but the scheduling of the SLPL at the same time scuppered that plan. Malaysia was considered, with the heat in the UAE at this time of year making it unsuitable for day-time play, but in the end the boards agreed to play in the UAE with a 6pm start for the ODIs, to avoid the hottest part of the afternoon.The conditions and the likelihood of turning pitches will give Pakistan a good chance of breaking their ten-year drought without a one-day series win against Australia. Not that Pakistan have been in particularly good one-day form: they lost a series to Sri Lanka in June and to England in the UAE in February. Australia are similarly struggling in the 50-over format; having been soundly beaten by England they slipped to fourth on the ICC one-day rankings, and could fall further if they lose to Pakistan, who are sixth.Both sides are without some senior players: Pakistan have dropped Umar Gul and Younis Khan, and Australia are missing Clint McKay due to injury and Shane Watson, who is being rested to allow him more time for strength and conditioning work ahead of a busy schedule. Pakistan are expected to use a spin-heavy attack in this first match, while Australia have decided to rely on pace, having seen the ball swing in their win against Afghanistan.

Form guide (Complete matches, most recent first)

Pakistan LLLWW
Australia WLLLL

Watch out for

It’s nearly 18 months since Kamran Akmal last played for his country in any format, in the World Cup semi-final loss to India. Since then, Pakistan have rotated through four different wicketkeepers in ODIs, including Kamran’s brothers Adnan Akmal and Umar Akmal. Now it is his turn again. Kamran’s batting is always a threat, although in 15 ODIs he has only once scored more than 50 against Australia, but it’s his glovework that often lets the team down. As part of the squad for this tour and the ICC World Twenty20, he needs to find his best form with both bat and gloves over the next month.By promoting himself to No.3, Michael Clarke has said that he is the man to fix Australia’s batting black hole. In the past year, Australia have used Clarke, Ricky Ponting, Peter Forrest, Shane Watson, Matthew Wade and George Bailey at first drop, for a combined average of 23.37. Against Afghanistan Clarke made 75 and it was a positive sign, and he will be aiming to keep that form going against Pakistan. Batting high up also gives Clarke a chance to bat for a long period against what is likely to be a spin-heavy attack, and he is the best equipped of Australia’s batsmen to handle such bowling.

Team news

Pakistan have taken a 16-man squad for the ODIs but there was no room for Umar Gul or Younis Khan, while Kamran Akmal was brought back into the side. The exact make-up of the attack remains uncertain, but the coach Dav Whatmore indicated they would rely largely on the slow bowlers. “We are going to bowl more spin than the quicks,” Whatmore said, “and it’s important that we do that well.”Pakistan (squad) Misbah-ul-Haq (capt), Nasir Jamshed, Mohammad Hafeez, Azhar Ali, Asad Shafiq, Umar Akmal, Kamran Akmal (wk), Shahid Afridi, Sohail Tanvir, Aizaz Cheema, Saeed Ajmal, Imran Farhat, Shoaib Malik, Abdur Rehman, Junaid Khan, Anwar AliAustralia have made one change from the side that beat Afghanistan, leaving out their frontline spinner Xavier Doherty. The allrounder Daniel Christian will take his place, meaning plenty of seam-bowling options for Michael Clarke, while the spin duties will be shared by Glenn Maxwell, David Hussey and Clarke himself. It remains to be seen whether Matthew Wade will open or be moved down the order to give him some respite from the heat.Australia 1 Matthew Wade (wk), 2 David Warner, 3 Michael Clarke (capt), 4 Michael Hussey, 5 David Hussey, 6 George Bailey, 7 Glenn Maxwell, 8 Daniel Christian, 9 Mitchell Johnson, 10 Mitchell Starc, 11 James Pattinson

Pitch and conditions

The humid conditions allowed Australia’s fast bowlers to extract plenty of swing at the same venue against Afghanistan, but Pakistan’s spinners should also find the conditions to their liking. The temperature, even late at night, is not expected to fall below 33C.

Stats and trivia

• Shahid Afridi needs three more wickets to reach 350 in one-day internationals; now that Brett Lee has retired, Afridi is the leading wicket taker among current ODI cricketers
• The last one-day international Australia played against Pakistan in the UAE was just over three years ago, yet only one member of that Australia side – Michael Clarke – will take the field in this game
• Should Australia lose the series 2-1 they won’t move on the ICC one-day rankings, but if they lose 3-0 they will drop from fourth to sixth, swapping places with Pakistan
  

  Quotes

  “Australia have had a retirement or two and an injury so I suppose we can have an edge to start with.”
  “Both teams are keen to get some consistency, I guess, back into the one-day game. I think Pakistan are a lot like Australia in the fact that they have a lot of talent – it’s just about performing consistently.”

Graeme Swann, England’s premier spinner, has flown home ahead of the final tour match against Haryana to spend time with his daughter who is unwell. He is expected to return before the first Test on November 15 in Ahmedabad.”This is a personal matter and we would ask for everyone to give Graeme and his family privacy. We will not be making any further comment at this time,” the ECB said in a statement.The development means England will be without three of their first choice four-man attack in the final warm-up match ahead of the first Test against India with Stuart Broad and Steven Finn both suffering from injury.Neither Broad or Finn are expected to play in the match against Haryana that starts on Thursday, meaning that, even if they recover in time for the Test that starts on November 15, they will have had very little preparation. Finn, who has a thigh strain, managed just four overs in the first warm-up match before he was forced from the pitch, while Broad, who has a bruised heel, missed the first game and bowled only 10 overs in the second. Finn’s injury is thought to be the more serious and he must be considered most unlikely to play in the first Test.England may also decide to rest James Anderson for the final warm-up match. Anderson, Broad and Finn were expected to play as part of a three-man seam attack in the Test series. With Anderson, who has played in both of the first two matches, the last man standing, his importance to the team has grown even further. England have called-up Surrey fast bowler Stuart Meaker as back-up and it is likely that he will come into the team to play Haryana. Graham Onions and Tim Bresnan are the other seamers with the squad.”It’s unlikely that Broad or Finn will be considered for this game,” Graham Gooch, England’s batting coach said. “They’ve both got injuries, and I don’t think they’re going to be ready for this game.”With a bruised heel, it is something that can be very annoying and can take time to clear up. You’ve got to see how it goes each day, whether it gets better with the rest – keep checking it and see how it comes on. There’s no other way of going about it really.”There was better news for England in the form of Kevin Pietersen. England were given a day-off on Wednesday, but Pietersen was among three players – Meaker and Samit Patel were the others – to take advantage of some extra batting practise. Certainly Gooch has been impressed by Pietersen’s determination to prove his worth upon his return to the team.With fences mended and differences made up, Pietersen’s determination is renewed and his motivation high. “I know Kevin is focused,” Gooch said. “I’ve seen the way he’s been practising. A fit and strong Kevin Pietersen is a player to be reckoned with.”He’s looking forward. What’s in the past is in the past. The only thing that counts is what’s in the future – what he’s going to do, how he’s going to interact with the team, what sort of performances he’s looking to give.”I don’t think it’s an issue with Kevin. All the things have been done and dusted. From my conversations with him and from the way he is working, he’s looking forward to this tour.”While it is anticipated that England’s batsmen will face a trial by spin in India, Gooch is taking nothing for granted against India’s seam attack. But as well as preparing batsmen for the cricketing challenges, the England management also prepared them for the noise and hostility they anticipate by playing crowd noise from loudspeakers and the team psychologist, Mark Bawden, occupying the net next to the batsmen and testing their ability to ignore distractions by clapping, appealing and shouting.”We’re not majoring on spin,” Gooch said. “That’s not the only type of bowling we’re going to face. They’ve got two very good opening bowlers, two out of three from Umesh Yadav, Zaheer Khan or Ishant Sharma, and two spinners.”Our build-up has gone to plan. People have got runs; there’s been some wickets. Some of our players have learned a little bit in the couple of weeks we’ve been here.”Nowadays, when you are trying to stimulate players with training, you come up with different ideas. There’s a bit of noise there, a little idea to make it slightly different. You’re looking to motivate, to push the players to get the very best out of them. You come up with different ideas. It’s not a major thing, just something that’s a little bit different.”I think coming to India is one of the greatest challenges. It’s a wonderful place to play cricket. The enthusiasm for the game – with the advent of the IPL – has created even more excitement. We know India are a top side in their own country. Not long ago they were rated number one, and you don’t do that without putting on consistent performances. But we’ve come here to win the series; we’ve not come here to make up the numbers.”While only one new face – probably Nick Compton – is anticipated in the team for the first Test, there is likely to be an opportunity for another specialist batsmen in the second Test with Ian Bell expected to return to England to be present at the birth of his first child.”It’s going to be quite a difficult selection,” Gooch said. “Our guys are pretty much all experienced Test players: Alastair Cook; Jonathan Trott; Kevin Pietersen; Ian Bell and Matt Prior. There will be maybe one new face.”Nick Compton and Joe Root are two very good players, obviously at different levels of their career. One has been in the first-class game for quite a while. Compton has gained experience and found his mark. He has found the way he can score runs and been very successful over the last couple of years for Somerset.”The other lad is obviously a young, exciting player. He has a good technique from what I’ve seen – this is the first time I’ve seen him close up – and he bowls a bit. So it’s going to be quite a difficult selection.”Then you’ve got Eoin Morgan, Jonny Bairstow, Samit Patel all bidding for places. But I like competition for places. You want that. You want people to be putting their hand up and saying ‘I want that place in the side’.”

Rory Kleinveldt made his Test debut with two of his best friends at his side: Vernon Philander, with whom he has spent seasons bowling with at the Cobras, and JP Duminy, who had been a team-mate since childhood where they both played at Victoria Cricket Club. But, nothing else about the match was too memorable for him. He went wicketless in 21 overs and conceded 97 runs. Disappointingly, he overstepped 12 times to make him the worst no-ball offender of the match. At the end of the Test, Kleinveldt, and almost everyone else, thought it unlikely he would play again on the tour. He may even have considered what he would need to do at the first-class level to be selected again in the future.Kleinveldt accepted his fate with maturity. His lack of exaggeration suggested he would cherish a second chance but understood if he didn’t get one immediately.On the morning of the Adelaide Test – a match he was told he would be sitting out for – Kleinveldt found out Philander would not be able to play. Instead of soaking up his own good fortune, he immediately thought of his friend. “It just wasn’t nice to replace him,” he said. Half an hour later, he had to take the field and did not have any more time to think. It showed. Kleinveldt was more controlled from the get-go, even though Australia were on the attack. “I was very nervous before my debut but I was a lore more relaxed this time. I had nothing to lose.”In fact, there was much to gain. It was only in the 99th over of the match, by which time Australia had already scored 500 runs, that Kleinveldt took his first Test wicket. Peter Siddle edged one to slip and there was a lengthy check for the no-ball before the dismissal was confirmed. For someone who had problems with his front foot throughout, there was reason to be anxious again. “I was very relieved after I saw my foot landed just behind the line. To get the first one under the belt was pretty good,” he said.It’s his performance in the second innings that Kleinveldt will be banking to put him in contention for Perth. He dismissed the Australian top three in a spell during which his ability to use seam movement was on display. “There was a bit more pace in this wicket than in the Brisbane, and more carry. I enjoyed bowling on it,” he said.With talk growing that both sides will think of all-pace attacks for the third Test, Kleinveldt has reason to be hopeful that he will get the nod again, even though Philander is expected to recover in time. If he does, he will fulfill a boyhood goal. “It’s always been a dream of mine because what I’ve heard from past players is that the pitch is a quick one. It would be nice for me get on there and have a go.”Already Kleinveldt has turned some hopes into realities. His father and uncle were both cricketers and the latter an exceptional bowler who was denied any chance of playing for South Africa because of Apartheid. For both those men, Kleinveldt is doing what they were never allowed to and he is aware of the magnitude of his success. “They didn’t have these opportunities,” he said. “They’re very proud of my achievements and support me all the way. It’s nice for me just to go out there and represent them.” To see him play a part in a decider would be another massive moment for them.Kleinveldt thinks South Africa will go in with the upper hand after their resilience with the bat in Adelaide, both from a mental and physical point of view. While Australia will be beaten down by their inability to take 20 wickets, their attack is also physically drained, evident in Peter Siddle’s obvious exhaustion. “If it was our dressing room we’d be disappointed not to have won the Test,” Kleinveldt said, before adding some special words for his first Test victim. “It will be nice for Graeme Smith to win the toss and bat first. I’m not sure Peter Siddle will enjoy that too much.”

ScorecardA calm fifth-wicket partnership between Brian Chari and Sean Williams guided Matabeleland Tuskers to a comfortable five-wicket victory against bottom-placed Southern Rocks in Bulawayo. In a match reduced to 37 overs per side, they came together with the chase of 132 stuttering on 44 for 4 but added 79 to ensure victory with nearly 10 overs to spare.The win was set up in the field after they had put Rocks into bat. Glen Querl struck in his first over and Keegan Meth claimed two lbws to leave the innings in trouble on 25 for 3 in the 11th. Matthew Pardoe, the Worcestershire batsman, tried to anchor a recovery with 42 but when he was fifth out, bowled by Sean Ervine, the innings fell away. Ervine finished with 3 for 29.
ScorecardThe match between the top two teams, Mid West Rhinos and Mashonaland Eagles, was abandoned after less than 10 overs due to rain. Rhinos, having been put into bat, were 30 for 1. They remain top of the table by two points.

English cricket must endure a multi-million pound drop in funding from Sport England as Olympic sports, benefiting from the fervour of the London Olympics, have been the big winners in the award of grants for the next four years.ECB officials expressed “delight” at an outcome which still leaves cricket as the fifth largest recipient of funding, behind cycling, football, netball and athletics.But for all the relief in high places at Lord’s cricket has suffered from a sizeable shift in grant aid to Olympic sports as the feel-good factor of London 2012 brings a major change in the funding landscape.Cricket has been awarded £20m over four years – a drop of £15.2m – although the pill is sugared to a considerable degree by a further guaranteed £7.5m over three years made directly to the much-praised Chance to Shine programme, run by the Cricket Foundation, which seeks to regenerate cricket in state schools by fostering links with local clubs.

Sport England’s priorities

• Support the nationwide network of 5,500 clubs to keep more club cricketers in the game for longer.

• To establish more flexible formats of the game. Short formats of the game such as Last Man Stands will achieve national coverage and will encourage those with busy lifestyles and former cricketers unable to give up valuable leisure time to return to the wicket.

• Develop networks and partnerships to take cricket to new audiences including the desire to harness the inherent appeal of the game within South Asian Communities

• Encourage more disabled people to take up the game through a targeted programme called Hit the Top.

• Continue talent development in disability cricket. As a result of the priority, investment and energy ECB has given to the disability game in recent years England have become world leaders in disability cricket, both on and off the field.

• Focus the women’s game on the supply of players with high potential into the elite academies and development programmes.

The scheme previously existed on an annual grant that would match its own fund raising pound for pound – equivalent to roughly £1.5m a year – but with charitable donations down 20% this year and one in six charities threatened by closure the grant offers much-needed stability.Sport England has awarded a total of £493m from 2013-17, a rise of 12.5 which bucks the trend of Government austerity measures intended to reduce the national debt, a largesse which will not find favour with non-sport lovers and which goes a long way to explaining the ECB’s relief.Phil Smith, Sport England’s director of sport, said: “Cricket has made good progress in the past 18 months and we are confident that it can build further momentum over the next four years. We are particularly interested in the progress made in women’s cricket and the initiatives which focus on disabled participation. The sport has acknowledged the need to do more to help the South Asian communities who have strong cultural links to cricket get involved and we look forward to seeing growth in this area.”The ECB, fearful of an even tighter settlement, has agreed to fund its own development of women’s and disability cricket, which has received praise from Sport England – but no funding.Jennie Price, chief executive of Sport England said: “It looks like quite a big drop, but the ECB have decided to invest their own money into their women’s and disability programmes and that is a good thing for a responsible governing body to do.”Nevertheless, the emphasis switches to those sports where Olympic medals. Sport England’s media release boasted that its investment would “keep the inspiration of London 2012 alive and help fulfil Lord Coe’s pledge that the Games would get more people – young and old, women and men – playing sport, a feat that no other host nation has ever managed to achieve.”The Minister for Sport, Hugh Robertson, proclaimed that the shift in funding would ensure “a lasting legacy” from the Olympics.The major winners in Sport England’s settlement are cycling, triathlon, netball and boxing, all of which gained rises of more than 25%, while rugby union, rugby league and tennis – which have been even more savagely hit – join cricket as other team sports which must plan on a tighter budget.The ECB can congratulate itself that its commitment to increasing grassroots involvement has prevented it from suffering the treatment meted out to tennis, which will lose millions in funding unless participation levels increase.Chance to Shine’s emphasis – as far as Sport England’s funding is concerned – will shift away from primary schools, where pupils have been most receptive, to secondary schools in a nationwide campaign to counter the drop-off in participation in sport particularly apparent among 14 to 16-yearolds.At least 60 per cent of the investment announced today will support young people aged between 14 and 25.The Cricket Foundation will deliver a cricket programme to more than 1,000 state schools through ECB’s network of 38 county cricket boards. Creating strong links between community sports clubs and schools is the central focus and the charity plans a three-pronged approach: establishing satellite clubs in schools, embedding competition within them and providing training opportunities for young people.Local cricket clubs will be invited to work closely with coaches, young people and teachers to set up a satellite cricket club on school sites. Pupils will be at the heart of decision making and shape how the school club is run. Activity at the club may range from extra-curricular coaching and forums to discuss club activity, to organising social events and ambassador visits.As well as helping more young players move into their local cricket club, the satellite clubs aim to teach life skills such as leadership, teamwork and co-operation.Competition is a key motivation for young people in secondary schools and the Cricket Foundation plans to expand its ‘Chance to Compete’ format; fast-moving eight-a-side matches played in less than an hour.During the winter, schools will be supported to hold indoor soft-ball competitions in school sports halls and community centres, with the hardball equivalent played outside during the spring and summer terms. The new offer to secondary schools will increase competitive cricket opportunities by encouraging each to play a minimum of five competitive matches annually.Wasim Khan, chief executive of Cricket Foundation said, “Sport England has been a key strategic partner for Chance to Shine over the past seven years. We are delighted that it will continue its investment in Chance to Shine and in the young people we reach for the next three years at least.”Since 2005, Chance to Shine claims to have brought cricket and its educational benefits to 6,591 state schools and 1.8m children at a cost of £15 per child.