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v Somerset 18-21 April (Bristol)
v Northants 23-26 April (Northants)
v Durham 30 Apr to 3 May (Durham)

Spearman HardingesWeston RussellHancock FisherRhodes BallWindows SillenceTaylor SmithAlleyne Lewis

Director of Cricket, John Bracewell advises, “the rationale behind selecting a squad for 3 games is for both those selected and those no picked to have clearly defined goals for the period and to establish themselves or to make readjustments to in order to be considered for selection. Further, breaking the season into bite sized chunks helps us to stay focused, to apply more of an `event’ philosophy rather than just react to a long list of fixtures. We have a really competitive squad and we want to keep it that way.”Team v Somerset

Spearman WestonHancock RhodesWindows AlleyneRussell FisherSillence LewisSmith

Somerset Sabres came back to earth with a jolt when they were soundly beaten by Warwickshire Bears on their return to action in the white ball game at The County Ground today.Saturday’s “Man of the Match” winner Keith Parsons said after the game “We were very disappointed at the result today. We needed to win to be certain of staying up in the top flight. Now we have put more pressure on ourselves for the lst game against Northants here on September 16th.”The local hero went on,”It was hard work batting out there this morning, and we thought that 190 was enough, but as it turned out it was an awful lot short.”Somerset skipper Jamie Cox said,” I thought that 190 was a good score on the wicket this morning, but as the day went on it obviously was’nt.” He went on,”to be honest we haven’t played consistently well enough this season to guarantee that we stay up.”

Shane Watson, the Queensland allrounder, has been confirmed as Hampshire’s overseas player for the Twenty20 Cup. It will be Watson’s second spell with the club and during his previous stint he helped them win the 2005 Friends Provident Trophy.Watson is one of the players up for the second Indian Premier League auction on Tuesday, but that won’t impact on his Hampshire stay which will commence after the tournament in India has finished in early June.”[Shane] was an instant hit with members and fans of Hampshire when he was here in 2004 and I, for one, am very excited at the prospect of seeing him here again this summer,” Rod Bransgrove, the Hampshire chairman, said. “It is fair to say that we have under-performed in the Twenty20 Cup so far, and we have been saying for a while that 2008 will see us focusing more and more on this exciting competition.”Our signing of such a fantastic talent as Watson shows our clear intent to compete hard to be in the finals day that we are so proudly hosting in July.”Watson has been through another injury-hit domestic season in Australia as he continued to struggle with hamstring problems and he hasn’t played international cricket since the ICC World Twenty20. In seven Pura Cup matches he finished with 439 runs at 33.76 and a top score of 190, although he managed just nine wickets.He is currently one of three overseas players on Hampshire’s books although Shane Warne, their captain, won’t be available until the latter part of the season due to his IPL and poker commitments.Shane Bond was signed for the first two months of the season but his participation is now in major doubt after he joined the Indian Cricket League. He is unlikely to gain the required No Obligation Certificate which will allow him to play.

As the curtain came down on a seven-week adventure that has put Irish cricket firmly on the world map, their outgoing coach, Adrian Birrell, warned that Ireland’s cricket administrators will need to take radical steps to ensure that their top players, many of whom are now contracted to first-class counties, are available for future international engagements. Birrell, who hands over this month to Phil Simmons after five years at the helm, believes that the only solution may lie in playing the bulk of Ireland’s fixtures outside the county season.Ireland’s ninth appearance of the World Cup ended in disappointment as Muttiah Muralitharan and Farvez Maharoof led a demolition job that was all over by the lunch interval, but the achievements of this squad has ensured that the coming season is set to be their busiest yet. In addition to their nine matches against county opposition in the Friends Provident Trophy, Ireland are set to take on Canada in the final of the Intercontinental Cup in May, a triangular one-day series with Holland and West Indies in mid-summer, and two further one-off games against India and South Africa at the end of June.But Birrell said that Ireland would struggle to match their recent achievements, let alone improve on them, without the services of key performers such as Niall O’Brien, who is contracted to Northamptonshire, Eion Morgan (Middlesex) and Boyd Rankin (Derbyshire). Another of their key players, the opener Will Porterfield, is in talks with Gloucestershire, while the captain, Trent Johnston, 32, who works in the textile industry, dropped a broad hint that he would soon be announcing his retirement. Given the unparalleled experience that this squad has enjoyed in recent weeks, he is unlikely to be the only one.”There’s got to be a strategic decision by Irish cricket to hold onto their players, and how they are going to do that I don’t know,” said Birrell. “I don’t see a solution other than playing out-of-season, where there’s no clash [with county cricket]. We are at a disadvantage playing in our season because we will never be at full strength – three or four of best players are playing for counties. Obviously players who are ambitious want to play cricket at the highest level, as in Test cricket. And it’ll be hard to stop them.”It’s a tricky one,” he added. “On the one hand you want to piggy-back onto the counties with their professional game, but on the other you want to have all your players available for every match. Going semi- or fully-professional is the route, but this is all new to us. We’ve only recently got into the Super Eights, and now the world rankings. All of these problems are good problems to have, but I’m sure the ICU will be attending to that very seriously.”In the interim, the solution being advocated by Birrell and Johnston was to postpone the Irish international season until the end of the English county season, with a view to playing fixtures in countries such as UAE, Bangladesh and Zimbabwe. If it sounded like an ad-hoc solution to an unexpected conundrum, that’s largely because it was – after all, it’s hardly a move that would establish the sport in the affections of the newly cricket-crazy Irish public. But the confusion reflects the maelstrom into which Irish cricket has been pitched. The road ahead is unlikely to be as full of fairytales as the past few weeks have been.

Nick Kruger, the left-hand batsman, has been given a further boost in his successful rehabilitation from two serious shoulder operations by winning back a full Queensland contract after a stunning grade season. Kruger, a 23-year-old Valley opener, overtook Matthew Hayden’s club record last summer with 903 runs at an average of 82, including a highest score of 206 and a pair of 190s.Kruger first appeared for Queensland in 2002-03, but he struggled with his shoulder and lost his state deal during his recovery. He joins the fast bowlers Nathan Rimmington and Grant Sullivan on the full-contract list after the pair was promoted from the rookie level. Ben Cutting, the Australia Under-19 fast bowler, has been handed a rookie contract while Ryan Broad and Daniel Doran, who made their first-class debuts in 2005-06, accepted total offers.Nathan Hauritz, who has left for New South Wales, Joe Dawes and Aaron Nye were dropped from the list and so was Steve Paulsen, who was too old for a rookie posting. Nathan Reardon and Ryan Le Loux, who both earned full contracts during 2005-06, were dropped back a rung for next summer. Murray Bragg will be the understudy to Chris Hartley after he was awarded a rookie deal.Squad Andy Bichel, Ryan Broad, Daniel Doran, Chris Hartley, James Hopes, Shane Jurgensen, Nick Kruger, Martin Love, Jimmy Maher, Brendan Nash, Ashley Noffke, Clinton Perren, Craig Philipson, Nathan Rimmington, Chris Simpson, Lachlan Stevens, Grant Sullivan.Rookies Murray Bragg, Ben Cutting, Ryan Le Loux, Nathan Reardon.Cricket Australia contracts Matthew Hayden, Mitchell Johnson, Michael Kasprowicz, Andrew Symonds, Shane Watson.

The Zimbabwe Cricket Union has changed its PR tack in the face of adverse publicity which dogged some of its senior officials during the aborted ICC hearing in Harare. Whereas before it relied on bluster and the pro-government Daily Herald to get its message across, now it appears to be undertaking what almost amounts to a charm offensive.The ZCU has been without a website for more than a year, and local journalists have hardly been wooed in the way that most other national boards try to get them “on message”. But in the last few days the ZCU has announced that it will have a weekly column in a local paper and the Independent has carried an interview with Ozias Bvute in which he looked to get across the point that he was not the pariah many have made him out to be.Until now the board has continued to maintain that there is a conspiracy against Zimbabwe cricket and has cut off any media source it sees as being against it or its senior officials. That’s the way things are done in Zimbabwe, and the BBC has been banned in its entirety for daring to criticise the Mugabe government.Wisden Cricinfo, which used to run the official ZCU website, has received the ZCU cold shoulder, and Peter Chingoka has told reporters that the ZCU will not longer have any contact with us. So questions go unanswered, and even offers to allow Chingoka to have his unedited say are ignored.The Independent at the weekend cited examples of how it had recently posed questions to Chingoka about an incident of alleged intimidation only for him to go straight to the Herald – where a unchallenging reception was guaranteed – with his side of the story. But no longer.The interview with Bvute was revealing for what he didn’t say more than what he did. He was at pains to explain his side of recent events and the circumstances surrounding the breakdown of the relationship between the rebels and the board.But in a separate article explaining how the board sought to get across itsw side of the dispute with the rebels, the Independent’s Itai Dzamara couldn’t help but suspect that all was not as it seemed. “We were frank on this one,” he wrote. “It didn’t sound right. Period! Both parties must have had skeletons in their cupboards. I mean the ZCU board and the white players. But certainly, in the chronology of events as related by the union, we smelt a rat!”There were enough questions raised during last week’s truncated hearing in Harare for even the board to realise that loudly and repeatedly maintaining that all was well in the face of mounting evidence to the contrary would no longer suffice. However, it has not yet grasped that merely smiling and giving newspapers your side of the story is not enough. But it’s a start.

Sri Lanka 246 for 7 (Arnold 51*) beat Zimbabwe 221 for 9 (Taylor 74, Muralitharan 5-23) by 25 runs, and won series 5-0
Scorecard

Sri Lanka, despite some periods of uninspired cricket, completed a predictable clean sweep of the one-day series when they beat a gallant young Zimbabwe team by 25 runs at Harare Sports Club. An unexpected and invaluable opening stand of 79 between Stuart Matsikenyeri and Brendan Taylor put Zimbabwe in with a chance of overhauling Sri Lanka’s modest 246 for 7, but the inexperience of the middle order in the face of Muttiah Muralitharan and an ever-increasing run rate proved too much for them.Both Zimbabwe’s openers were hesitant at first, but they gained in confidence,helped by the absence of Chaminda Vaas and by Muralitharan’s late appearance in the bowling ranks (apart from a single over to enable the new-ball bowlers to change ends). Matsikenyeri dominated the stand with 37, before being smartly stumped by the stand-in wicketkeeper Tillakaratne Dilshan, while Taylor was generally quieter, apart from a remarkable six over extra cover off Rangana Herath.Then Murali did come on, and immediately put a brake on the scoring – his first six overs cost just three runs. Taylor and Tatenda Taibu (26) tried their best,only to find themselves falling further behind the clock, and when both wereout in quick succession, Taylor perishing on the midwicket boundary for 79, hopes of an upset faded.Muralitharan, with 5 for 23 in his ten overs, turned the match, and waswell supported by the slow left-armer Herath, who took 2 for 36 and two catches as well. Again the raw Zimbabwean line-up was able to prove competitive, although Sri Lanka were inconsistent and seemed unable to lift themselves against such weakened opposition.Earlier in the day Sri Lanka survived another careless slump by their middle order to reach 246 for 7. They were struggling at 162 for 6 in the 42nd over before Russel Arnold and Farveez Maharoof tore the bowling to shreds in a dynamic partnership which swung the balance back strongly in Sri Lanka’s favour at the halfway stage.The weather remained fine, but the crowd at the start did not even numberthree figures. Sri Lanka this time played a stronger – but not their strongest – team, with Murali returning along with the captain Marvan Atapattu and Nuwan Zoysa.Douglas Hondo began with an impressive maiden over to Saman Jayantha, whileTinashe Panyangara again supported him well from the other end. With 21 onthe board, Jayantha (8) lost patience and lashed out at Hondo, only forTawanda Mupariwa to pull off a good flying catch at extra cover.After that, Atapattu and Jayawardene adopted a policy of steady accumulation, cutting out the big shots – except for one occasion when Jayawardene came down the pitch and lofted Panyangara high over mid-on for four – and working the ball successfully for ones and twos at almost five an over. They added 72 together before, in the 19th over, Atapattu cut Mupariwa uppishly and was caught at backward point for 38 (93 for 2).Dilshan, who later kept wicket in place of Kumar Sangakkara, came in next, and he and Atapattu continued to concentrate on the singles. Mupariwa again impressed with the ball, and produced a superb slower delivery, a yorker, that deceived and bowled Jayawardene for 47 as he attempted to hit it over mid-on for four and reach his fifty (128 for 3). Then Sri Lanka began to wobble, as Dilshan foolishly attempted a quick single straight to Dion Ebrahim, a fine fielder, and was easily run out for 21 by a direct hit (137 for 4).More trouble was to come, as Taibu took off his pads to bowl, as he had in the first match, and bowled Thilina Kandamby with a swinging ball for 7 (146 for 5). Upul Chandana had pulled Sri Lanka out of the mire on Tuesday, but Thursday was a different matter. He made only 3 before clipping Taibu straight to midwicket (162 for 6).This time Arnold and Maharoof came to the rescue in spectacular style. Taibu and Matsikenyeri, a part-time offspinner, had been keeping the runs down nicely, but Taibu fatally decided to return to his pacemen for the final overs, and they were smashed to the tune of 71 from just 41 balls before Maharoof holed out at long-on for 38 (233 for 7), including two fours and two gigantic sixes. Arnold reached a 51-ball fifty off the final ball of the innings.It proved enough, along with Murali’s tight spell, for Sri Lanka to win the match and sweep the series. Zimbabwe did better, and their improved showing might just persuade the Zimbabwean board that they can do without the 15 dissenting players in the forthcoming two-Test series which starts at Harare next Thursday (May 6).

Warren Hegg and Glen Chapple helped Lancashire squeeze home in a tight gamewith Western Province to make today’s Triangular Tournament Final where theywill play Essex.The pair came in at a time when Lancashire needed the final few runs to beatWestern Province’s score of 188 for 9 inside 39 overs if they were toqualify for the final on run-rate. They reached the target just off thethird ball of the 38th over, Lancashire finishing on 189 for 5. Themainstays of the Lancashire innings were Mark Chilton, who made 49, AlecSwann who was run out on 47 and Mal Loye. Loye came in towards the end ofthe innings when quick runs were needed, hit three 6’s and his score helpedset up the win inside the required overs.Earlier the Lancashire bowlers enjoyed the best of the exchanges whenWestern Province batted. Peter Martin took two wickets with the first 3balls of the match, finishing with 2 for 27 off 9 overs. John Wood turnedin an excellent spell of 2 for 23 again off 9 overs while there were wicketsfor Steven Crook (2 for 48 off 8 overs), Gary Yates (1 for 35 off 9 overs)and Glen Chapple (1 for 40 off 8 overs). Western Province ended on 188 for9 off 45 overs.Today’s final is a day/night match starting at 2.30pm – Local time.

Leicestershire lost their unbeaten record in the Norwich Union League when they fell one run short of Somerset’s 263-7 at Taunton.Peter Bowler had been the mainstay of Somerset’s total with 104, butLeicestershire looked on course for victory after another explosive innings from Shahid Afridi.The Pakistan batsman, who cracked 95 against Lancashire in the C&G Trophy semi-final on Monday, struck 68 from 30 deliveries, with 12 fours and three sixes.He was dropped on 22 and 55, but his luck ran out when Mike Burns held a deep midwicket catch off Jason Kerr at the second attempt.Leicestershire then slumped to 145-6 before Aftab Habib and Neil Burns rebuilt their innings. Habib was caught in the deep for 44, but Burns nearly engineered an amazing win.Sixteen were needed off the last over, bowled by Kerr, and Burns struck a four and a six off the fourth and fifth deliveries.But he could only take two to midwicket from the last ball as their hopes of a 14th successive one-day win were dashed.Earlier, after home skipper Jamie Cox had won the toss, Bowler and IanBlackwell put on 163 in 26 overs for the opening wicket with some superb strokeplay.Both players finished with 12 fours and a six and, while Blackwell fell for 86, Bowler advanced to the sixth limited overs century of his career and his second against Leicestershire this season, following his 138 not out in the CricInfo Championship match at Grace Road.Blackwell, promoted to open, looked set for his maiden one-day hundred until he was caught behind off James Ormond.But there was no denying Bowler, who reached his hundred with a four to fine leg off Darren Maddy.If the C&G final between the counties is anything like this, it should be quite a contest.

ScorecardFile photo – Dinesh Karthik’s unbeaten 76 helped Tamil Nadu ride a middle-order collapse against Mumbai•Sivaraman Kitta

Left-arm spinner Vishal Dabholkar’s four-wicket haul helped Mumbai take the honours on the opening day of their Group B Ranji Trophy fixture against Tamil Nadu in Mumbai. Dabholkar took 4 for 67 as Tamil Nadu, who were sent in to bat, ended the day at 249 for 6, with Dinesh Karthik unbeaten on 76.With regular captain Abhinav Mukund ruled out before the start due to a stomach bug, Tamil Nadu were driven early on by Baba Aparajith who made 62. Aparajith added 84 for the second wicket with Kaushik Gandhi (31) to steady the innings after M Vijay’s return to first-class cricket, following his recovery from a hamstring injury, yielded all of 8 runs.Dabholkar, who was left out of the game against Punjab, then triggered a middle-order meltdown. He dismissed Gandhi, Aparajith and stand-in captain Baba Indrajith (0) in the space of three runs – the last two batsmen falling off consecutive deliveries – as Tamil Nadu slipped to 107 for 4 in the post-lunch session.Karthik held his own to bring up his first half-century of the season. He found an able ally in J Kousik (39) as the duo stitched together a 59-run stand for the sixth wicket. Their partnership was broken by Dabholkar a few overs before the second new ball was due.Karthik, who hit eight fours and a six in his knock, and Malolan Rangarajan then batted out 13.2 overs without further damage.