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<!–#cricinfo_inserttype: videoobject_id: 945201caption: 'Gutted I'm not going' – Plunkettsize: 3geoalt_video_object_id: 945201geoalt_video_caption: 'Gutted I'm not going' – PlunkettJason Gillespie, the Yorkshire head coach, has been left bemused by Liam Plunkett's omission from England's Test squad to tour South Africa.Despite being in the squad for the recent series against Pakistan, Plunkett has been leapfrogged by Chris Woakes, Chris Jordan and Mark Footitt for the South Africa trip, even though England will be without Steven Finn and Mark Wood due to injury.Plunkett was close to playing the final Test against Pakistan in Sharjah after Wood was ruled out due to his chronic ankle problem before the selectors opted to recall Samit Patel as a third spin-bowling allrounder. He was then added to the ODI and T20 squads when Wood was sent home for further assessment, but is still waiting for his first appearance of the UAE tour."I have only exchanged a couple of messages with Liam, I know he is bitterly disappointed,'' Gillespie said. "I will be catching up with him soon for a chat. My only hope is that he has been given a specific reason by the selectors as to why. We were left scratching our heads a little bit at Yorkshire."He has gone from almost playing to then not in the squad, in conditions that you would think suit him. Fast, bouncy wickets, he is one of the fastest bowlers in the country, so that is an interesting one."I'm sure the selectors have their reasons, as long as that has been communicated with clarity to Liam – that is my hope."Plunkett played the last of his 13 Tests against India, at Lord's, in 2014 having been recalled at the beginning of the summer following a gap in international cricket of four years – and an absence from the Test side of seven years."We've got two or three guys that have come back from injury that, at this stage, we think are in front of Liam," Trevor Bayliss, the England coach, said, "and obviously Footitt coming in gives us something different, being left arm and able to swing the ball. It is tough on someone like Liam who has been in and around the squads for the last year or so but unfortunately that's just the way the game is at the top level."He's a guy that people love having around in the team and he gives you 100% every single time he's on the training paddock and every time we pick him. He'll be disappointed I'm sure but I know he'll be doing everything he can to get back in the squad."Plunkett made his Test debut a decade ago against Pakistan, in Lahore, on the 2005-06 tour. He went onto play nine Tests by mid-2007 before being dropped as inconsistency plagued his game. It was not until a move to Yorkshire in late 2012 that his career was revived. He returned to the Test side against Sri Lanka, at Lord's, in 2014 before claiming a career-best 5 for 64 in the next match at his adopted home ground of Headingley where he took nine scalps overall.

Derbyshire have announced that the Chesterfield festival, which was due to take place this week but had to be cancelled because of continuing poor weather, has been rescheduled for early September.The re-arranged festival will begin with a Pro40 match against Durham on Tuesday, September 4 and will continue with the County Championship match against Nottinghamshire from September 6 to 9.”We are delighted that we have been able to reschedule the Chesterfield festival so quickly to give everyone the chance to make arrangements for later in the season,” Tom Sears, the county’s chief executive, said. “I would like to thank Chesterfield Borough Council, Chesterfield Cricket Club, Durham, Nottinghamshire and the ECB for their understanding and cooperation and we now look forward to a very successful festival week, albeit slightly later that planned.”

Scotland have followed Ireland’s lead by naming their World Cup squad seven months before the start of the tournament.Officials explained that the early announcement was made to allow the largely amateur squad to negotiate time off work for not only the tournament but the plethora of fixtures in the lead-in to the event.It is a largely experienced squad, although Warwickshire’s Navdeep Poonia has been picked with just one appearance for the national side under his belt. He has impressed selectors with his efforts for the county, however, and his opportunities for Scotland have been limited by those commitments. Majid Haq, the spinner, wins a recall after not playing since 2005.”The nucleus of this squad has performed consistently for Scotland over the last couple of seasons,” Peter Drinnen, the national coach, explained. “They fully deserve the opportunity to represent their country on the biggest stage in the world.”Of the Scotland squad which competed in 1999 only John Blain and Gavin Hamilton remain, although Dougie Brown returns after nine one day internationals for England.Scotland squad , Craig Wright (capt), John Blain, Dougie Brown, Gavin Hamilton, Majid Haq, Paul Hoffmann, Omer Hussain, Douglas Lockhart, Ross Lyons, Navdeep Poonia, Neil McCallum, Dewald Nel, Colin Smith, Ryan Watson, Fraser Watts.Reserves Asim Butt, Kyle Coetzer, Gordon Goudie, Gregor Maiden, Neil McRae, Qasim Sheikh, Simon Smith, Ian Stanger.

John Wright will be the coach of the Rest of the World in the forthcoming Super Series in Australia, it has been realiably learnt. The series, to be held in October, will include one six-day Test and three one-day internationals between Australia and the Rest of the World. A formal announcement on the appointment is expected on Monday.Wright was coach of the Indian team from 2000-01 to 2004-05, and helped them achieve some famous victories, including series wins against Australia and Pakistan, and a drawn Test series in Australia. Wright’s tenure ended in disappointing fashion, though, with a drawn Test series and defeat in the one-dayers at home against Pakistan, after which Greg Chappell took over as coach of the side.Meanwhile, reported that the players participating in the series would each get US$100,000, a figure which includes appearance money.

Simon Jones has been dealt a double snub by club and country. After being overlooked for the second Test against West Indies at Edgbaston, Jones has been deemed surplus to requirements for Glamorgan’s Championship match against Hampshire at Cardiff.”We had a message from Duncan Fletcher last night,” explained John Derrick, Glamorgan’s coach, “saying that Simon was available to us. But the situation at the club is that there was no room for him in the side.”Jones was omitted from the Test side in favour of James Anderson, and now Glamorgan’s seam combination of Michael Kasprowicz, Alex Wharf and David Harrison have left him kicking his heels for the week.”We are playing on a used pitch which meant we played two spinners andthree seamers,” added Derrick. “Kasprowicz has come back after taking seven wickets in a Test for Australia, David Harrison is our leading wicket-taker and Alex Wharf has put in some good allround performances.”So there was no room for Simon. You can only pick 11 players.” Derrick added that there had been no pressure from above for Jones’s inclusion. “David Graveney said it was our call. He told me: ‘We need him to play but it’s your club – I can’t come down and demand he plays’.””Simon Jones is fit for selection for Glamorgan,” confirmed Graveney, England’s chairman of selectors. “It was up to them whether they picked him or not. We don’t put pressure on counties about who to play. We are not in the business of arm-twisting.”Nevertheless, if Jones is to figure in England’s plans for the third Test at Old Trafford, he will almost certainly have to play in Glamorgan’s next match against Somerset. “The only way Simon is going to get back in the Test team isby playing,” admitted Derrick. “We will have to monitor the situation after this match and talk about it.”

The Somerset pace attack gave just a hint of what lies in store for their supporters when they reduced Loughborough UCCE to 90 for 6 at the County Ground before the students recovered to 132 for 7 to hang on for a draw in their three day match that ended today.Resuming on their overnight total of 160 without loss, Peter Bowler and Rob Turner moved comfortably onto 191 before Bowler was dismissed for 84.Skipper Mike Burns joined Turner and took the score onto 307 before the wicket-keeper retired hurt on 139, which brought Ian Blackwell to the crease.The second wicket pair of Burns and Blackwell added 120 in just 13 overs before Somerset declared on 427 for 1 at 2.25 pm. By the time the innings closed Burns had reached 118, whilst Blackwell had blasted his way to an unbeaten 75, from 46 balls which included 3 x 6’s and 10 x 4’s.Facing a daunting 496 for victory Nixon McLean quickly made inroads into the Loughborough students second innings when he removed Rob White in his second over as the Northants youngster gave a catch to Richard Johnson at mid off, to give the West Indian his first wicket for his new county.The students moved onto 35 before McLean struck again a few overs later, when he tempted Jimmy Adams into edging a catch to Rob Turner.Simon Francis was looking equally as dangerous, but bowling without much luck, until the seventeenth over when with the score on 60 he claimed his first scalp when he held on to a caught and bowled chance from his brother John who had made 20.The game appeared to be slipping towards an inevitable draw when Francis suddenly brought it back to life when he struck again in the twentieth over taking a hat trick toreduce Loughborough from 90 for 3 to 90 for 6 in the space of just three balls.McLean claimed another wicket with the score on 107, when he had David Wigley caught by Rob Turner, but the Loughborough eighth wicket pair held on bravely to reach 132 for 7 at the close, by which time Vikram Atri had reached an unbeaten 57.The Somerset pace duo claimed all of the wickets to fall, with Francis ending with 4 for 47, whilst McLean took 3 for 49.At the end of the day Somerset captain Mike Burns said: "This has been a very useful run out for us against one of the strongest university sides. Simon Francis bowled well, and has probably bowled his way into the team for Friday, whilst Nixon McLean had a good spell and took wickets."West Indian Test star McLean said: "I just wanted to get some more overs under my belt and I was pleased with the way that it went for me today. Towards the end there was a bit more in the wicket for me, but it was just nice to register my first wickets for my new county."Meanwhile due to a cancellation the Centre of Excellence at the County Ground is able to offer individual coaching at at special discount price over the next three days.Somerset Cricket Development Oficer Andrew Moulding told me: “In view of the last minute cancellation we can now offer individual coaching at the bargain price of £20 for one hour , which discounts further to £18 for Somerset members.”These sessions are only available during the daytime this week and anyone interested in taking advantage of the offer should contact the Centre of Excellence on 01823 352266.

Glen Chapple hit a brilliant career-best 155 to rescue Lancashire in theirtop three Cricinfo Championship clash against Somerset at Old Trafford.Lancashire were in deep trouble at 82 for six after choosing to bat firstwhen Chapple joined Chris Schofield.But thanks to Chapple’s century – his second in first-class cricketalthough the first came against Glamorgan joke bowlers in 1993 – theyreached 324 all out, with Somerset scoring 77 for the loss of PiranHolloway in reply.Chapple was supported superbly by Gary Keedy in a last-wicket stand of 129in 28 overs which secured three batting points for Lancashire.The 27-year-old’s 155 came from 164 balls with 15 fours and six sixes – twohooked off Steffan Jones, and four off the Somerset spinners.Yet the first session had belonged conclusively to Somerset.Richard Johnson trapped Mark Chilton lbw and had Jamie Haynes caughtbehind. Then Matthew Bulbeck, making his return from a series of back problems, had John Crawley lbw playing no shot, and Andy Flintoff snapped up by Rob Turner in consecutive overs.Somerset skipper Jamie Cox then turned to Michael Burns with immediatedividends as Warren Hegg was deceived by his first ball and lost his middlestump.And when Burns took a brilliant catch to dismiss Neil Fairbrother and giveJones the first of his three wickets, Lancashire were in danger of anembarrassing collapse.But Schofield and Chapple steadied the ship, with Schofield seizing onlyhis second Championship appearance of the season to score an impressive58-ball half-century with 10 fours.The former England leg-spinner was furious himself when he was bowled for58 as he was confused by a Keith Dutch full toss, and Jones then fired outPeter Martin and John Wood in consecutive overs to leave Lancashire on 195for nine.But Keedy, who had shared a last-wicket stand of 98 with Neil Fairbrotherwhen these counties met at Taunton in April, frustrated Somerset again toundermine all their earlier good work – although Cox and Burns ended the dayin more positive fashion with an unbroken second-wicket stand of 65.Lancashire’s joy was tempered with Crawley leaving the ground immediatelyafter his dismissal because of a family bereavement, with Hegg taking overthe captaincy.

With a complete lack of brotherly kindness the Auckland Aces rained on the Northern Knights’ parade when the men from the big city stole a Max cricket win from under the Northern noses at Kaipara Flats this afternoon, winning with three wickets and nine balls to spare.Everything pointed to a Northland and Northern Districts triumph. ND started the move to have Max games played at the smaller centres, and the small Northland centre of Kaipara Flats turned on a lovely ground and eager crowd rather bigger, it appears, than the village population of 400.Then two Northland heroes, the brothers Michael and Neal Parlane did all the hard work as the Knights bolted to 118 in their first ten-over innings, and then less effectively to 90 in their second. Michael Parlane scored 56 and 34, Neal 22 and 45. They scored 74 together in the first innings, 78 in the second.At the same time the Aucklanders seemed to have the bit parts in the local sporting drama.Richard Morgan had the splendid bowling figures of four for 26 from four overs in the Northern first innings, and the Aucklanders gathered their first inning runs industriously, and not with the blazing big-hitting of the Parlanes – Kyle Mills’ first over cost 34.So when Auckland threw away their first three wickets while pursuing 97 for a win in their second innings, the match seemed in tune with the winning Northern Districts’ script.In 12 balls Aaron Barnes, Llorne Howell and Lou Vincent sent up lollipop catches which the gleeful Northerners gathered in easily. Auckland gained only nine runs in those two disastrous overs, and the ND men must have thought they had the game in the bag.Then up stepped two brave hitters, Andre Adams and Tama Canning, virtually the last strong batsmen in the Auckland line.They took 17 from the third over, 24 from Simon Doull in the next. At halfway they were 54 for three wickets.As a last gamble Northern bowled Grant Bradburn and his off-spinners.His one over cost 15, Northern did not have any more shots in their armoury and Adams (19 balls for his 50) and Canning (38 from 21 balls) cruised to the win, their unbeaten stand worth 90.

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

It was as if the series result was decided even before Bangladesh agreed to tour the country. Pakistan took their second consecutive 5-0 series sweep at home – their first was against Zimbabwe – with a comprehensive 150-run victory in the fifth and final one-dayer at the National Stadium and extended their winning streak to a record 11. The win was set up by a career-best 136 off 124 balls by Salman Butt, and his stand of 179 for the second wicket with Younis Khan propelled Pakistan to a massive 329 which proved way beyond reach for Bangladesh who effectively lost the game after Mohammad Asif inflicted a top-order wobble.Shoaib Malik had no hesitation in batting first after winning the toss, a move prompted by the fact that there was little chance of dew troubling the bowlers later in the evening. It was a good toss to win, as the batsmen were rarely challenged under the blazing afternoon sun.The pitch had a sprinkling of grass, though it only helped to bind the cracks together. The opening bowlers, Mashrafe Mortaza and Shahadat Hossain, bent their backs early, hoping to get some pace and nip, but the pitch wasn’t very cooperative. That was to be the trend through Pakistan’s innings after Kamran Akmal’s early departure, when Butt and Younis took control and milked the bowling authoritatively.The feature of Butt’s innings was the ease with which he lofted the ball into the gaps while staying rooted to the crease. The surface wasn’t by any means quick, and Butt merely stayed back, waited for the ball to come to him before powering it past the infield. The outfield was lightning quick and all Butt had to do was to place it just wide of the fielders to get a boundary. All this meant that the margin for error was minimal for the bowlers and once again it was Butt who made them pay. Bangladesh could have had him on 57 had Mortaza hung on to a difficult diving catch to his right at mid-off after the batsman had given Shakib Al Hasan the charge.Younis was his usual busy self at the crease, pushing the singles, and the pair brought up the 50 stand in 49 balls. The introduction of the spinners did little to stem the run rate. Shakib and Abdur Razzak, the left-arm spinners, varied their lengths, pushing it in quicker, sometimes giving it more flight, but the lack of turn allowed the pair to get the singles. Younis brought up his half-century with a reverse-sweep and by then the pair had gone past Pakistan’s highest second-wicket stand against Bangladesh, beating the 123 between Rameez Raja and Saeed Anwar in 1997.Mohammad Ashraful decided to bring on his seamers in the middle overs and the move paid off when Younis fell to a miscued pull off Shahadat. Mohammad Yousuf joined Butt and the pair clattered 17 off one Shahadat over, before Butt finally fell to a well-judged catch at long-on by Shakib. With two centuries and as many 70-plus scores, Butt entered the record books by going past Javed Miandad for the most runs scored by a Pakistan batsman – 451- in any tournament or series.Malik and Misbah-ul-Haq later added a breakneck 52 off just 5.4 overs to take Pakistan past 300. In the middle of the carnage, Mortaza managed 4 for 65, the only bright spot for the visitors.Batting, however, didn’t appear as easy under lights when Bangladesh took guard. Tamim Iqbal and Junaid Siddique faced some quality seam bowling from Asif and Umar Gul and the pair lacked the technical nous to see off the new ball and then attack. Shakib was squared up by a brute of a delivery which beat him for pace and shaved the top of the off stump. With that wicket, Bangladesh lost their in-form player and it was only a matter of time before the rest tumbled.There were only two periods of resistance in the chase, though very contrasting in nature. Ashraful went on the attack in characteristic manner, peppering the on side with pulls and hoicks. Though not all came off the middle of the bat, it was entertaining all the same. The cameo knock of 30, off 26 balls, ended thanks to Misbah’s quick reflexes at slip. A slow seventh-wicket stand of 57 between Mahmudullah and Dhiman Ghosh was never threatening, as it was only to prevent them from being rolled over quickly. Razzak then delayed the inevitable with some lusty blows before the chase ended in the 41st over. The Twenty20 international on Sunday gives Bangladesh the only chance to save face on this tour.

The UAE wound up a woeful trip to the Greater Toronto Area with a six-wicket win against Ontario on Wednesday. Ontario made 228 for 7 from their 50 overs, with UAE reaching the target with nine overs to spare.Saqib Ali starred for the UAE with 64, including seven fours and three sixes, while Nayeem Aslam sealed victory with a drive for six. Khuram Khan took 3 for 27.Earlier, Saad bin Zafar made 64 for Ontario and the captain Zahir Haniff hit a breezy 51 not out from 42 balls.This was a consolation win for the UAE after losing the Intercontinental Cup match to Canada by an innings. Canada top the standings in this competition where the top two of the eight competing countries will play off for the title.