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Mark Chilton has stepped down as Lancashire’s captain after three years in the role.”I have thoroughly enjoyed the past three seasons and it has been an honour to have captained my home county,” Chilton said. “This has been a very difficult decision for me, but I realise my form hasn’t been what it should, and feel that in the best interests of the club and myself, I should step down.”Chilton scored 616 Championship runs at 28.00 in 2007 as Lancashire came within 24 runs of securing their first title since 1934. But in the Friends Provident Trophy and Twenty20 Cup his form was poor, totalling 92 runs in nine completed innings.”I’ve enjoyed working closely with Chilly over the past three years” Mike Watkinson, Lancashire’s manager, said. “He’s been a dedicated and passionate captain and I fully respect his decision to stand down to devote more time to his own cricket.””I don’t think many people realise just how much work is involved off the field being a club captain, and Mark Chilton has done a fantastic job for Lancashire,” added Jack Simmons, Lancashire’s chairman. ” I would like to thank Mark for everything he has done as captain and we look forward to seeing him back to his best on the field for many years to come.”No replacement has been named but the issue is sure to be at the top of the agenda when the county’s cricket committee meets at the end of the month. However, there is no clear favourite to take over. Stuart Law will be in the running but his body is unlikely to allow him to play a whole season while wicketkeeper Luke Sutton is also a possibility, although last season he didn’t take part in Twenty20.

Twenty20 cricket continues in its groundbreaking way – and the latest development could be good news for the women’s game.In January, two of the Australian state sides will face each other, in both men’s and women’s matches. And the games will be held back-to-back, which will help in the promotion of the women’s game.It’s an idea that’s been in circulation in England for several years, but Australia are paving the way with the matches between South Australia and Queensland which will be played at the Adelaide Oval on January 10.Australia’s captain Karen Rolton hopes that if the experiment is successful it may be replicated on the women’s stage. Rolton, the ICC’s women’s player of the year, will play for South Australia and she says: “All the men’s Twenty20s are sell-outs at the moment and the crowds have to arrive early I think it’s a great way to promote women’s cricket.”

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has formed a three-member committee to review the effectiveness of last season’s players’ contract, and submit a report to the board for the 2005-06 season. The previous season’s contract has expired and the new international season kicks off with the home series against Sri Lanka on October 25.The committee comprising of Jyoti Bajpai, the board’s treasurer, Gautam Dasgupta, the joint secretary and Ratnakar Shetty, executive secretary-in-charge, would submit a report to SK Nair, the board secretary. The Kolkata-based daily quoted BCCI sources as saying, “No time frame has been fixed for the matter. The committee has to compile a report on how the contracts have worked and whether there was any need to change any existing clauses and send it to the board secretary. If there’s a camp before the Sri Lanka series it would help the committee members to have a discussion with the senior players before preparing the report”.The paper reported that the committee’s findings would be discussed by another committee convened by SK Nair that would comprise Ranbir Singh Mahendra, BCCI president, Greg Chappell, the Indian coach and Kiran More, chairman of the selection committee. Last season, 17 players were given contracts by the BCCI after dividing the players into three groups, with the annual retainership per player pegged at Rs 50 lakh, Rs 35 lakh and Rs 20 lakh respectively.

Graeme Smith, the South African captain, will be given until the last possible moment to prove his fitness after suffering an injury scare on the eve of the second Test at Kolkata when a car ran over his left foot outside the team hotel in Kolkata.Smith, 24, had just got down from his car and was still standing close to the vehicle when the driver took off, running over Smith’s foot in the process. The South African team revealed that scans showed only soft tissue damage and no breaks, and they have refused to rule out Smith for the Test starting tomorrow. A decision will be made just before the toss.However, sources indicated that Smith was unlikely to take the field on the first day, and if South Africa bat, he would come in lower down the order.Smith’s absence through injury would weaken the South African batting line-up and balance considerably, although it would open a window of opportunity to Hashim Amla or Justin Ontong, who are on the fringes of selection. And, should Smith be ruled out of action, the vice-captain Boeta Dippenaar would take over the reins as captain.

The Glamorgan team for the National League match against Surrey at Whitgift School on Sunday, 17th August will be drawn from the following squad:

JP MaherRDB Croft *MJ PowellMP MaynardDL HempA DaleMA Wallace +MS KasprowiczAG WharfAP DaviesDS HarrisonDA Cosker

This was not a day for the thrill seeking cricket supporter, but for the die hard Sri Lanka fan, as their spinners and fielders painstakingly winkled out the Indian top order to leave them on the verge of an innings victory and their first series win for 16-months at the end of day four.India’s batsmen, facing an enormous 377-run deficit when the they strapped on their pads on Friday evening, fought back bravely in the morning and afternoon, as Muralitharan bowled over after over to frequent shrieks of “howzat” and collective sighs of “aiyyo” from a vocal small crowd.The pitch was so placid, however, that even Muralitharan’s potency was diminished and a previously implausible draw actually looked increasingly possible, before two senseless run outs left India on 217 for six at the close, still 159 runs in arrears, with only one frontline batsman remaining.Muralitharan had eventually dismissed both openers after a 107 opening stand, but star batsmen Rahul Dravid (36) and Sourav Ganguly (30) looked comfortable with the score on 186 for two when disaster struck. Dravid shuffled down the pitch and drove straight to a deep mid-on. He immediately set off for a single, but Marvan Atapattu quickly swooped on the ball and in one motion threw down the stumps. Television umpire Tyronne Wijewardene was referred to, and he found that a disconsolate Dravid was millimeters short.Mohammad Kaif (5) was run out 30 minutes later. Ganguly worked a delivery from off spinner Thilan Samaraweera off his pads and set off for a quick single. Wicketkeeper Kumar Sangakkara, though, flashed out from behind the stumps to collect the ball and Ganguly sensed the danger too late. Kaif was left stranded halfway down the wicket without sufficient time to regain his ground.India has slipped to 196 for four and Sri Lanka’s fielders perked up, aware that the time had come for the kill.Six overs later Ganguly edged an off break to slip to give an elated Samaraweera his first Test wicket and Sairaj Bahutule lasted just two balls before he was bowled off his arm, as he tried to pad away a delivery from Sanath Jayasuriya. India had lost four wickets for 25 runs and their fate looked sealed.Hemang Badani (8*) and Sameer Dighe (4*) survived the remaining 27 minutes to the close but, barring the unexpected arrival of the north east monsoon this evening, India will be defeated and lose their first Test series against Sri Lanka for 16 years.Earlier in the day India had resumed on 28-0. Openers Shiv Sunder Das (68) and Sadagoppan Ramesh (55) had batted solidly, quickly seeing off an opening burst from the pace bowlers. Muralitharan was pulled into the attack in the ninth over of the day, but Das responded with a flurry of boundaries.The pint-sized opener cracked two straight boundaries in his first over and then cut him for another four in his next over. Fortunate to have survived when he swept onto his pads and was caught at midwicket, as umpire Asoka de Silva refused to refer the decision to the television umpire, Das went on to score his second fifty of the game and the seventh in his 11-Test career. He, though, was snapped up at silly point moments before the luncheon interval in Muralitharan’s second spell of the morning.The off spinner continued after lunch, as he bowled a marathon 29 over spell. Ramesh and Dravid batted cautiously and the run scoring slowed, but the Madras opener eventually reached his eighth Test fifty after nearly four hours of painstaking concentration.In the over before the afternoon drinks interval, however, Muralitharan picked up the wicket of Ramesh with a freakish off break that pitched outside leg, before spinning back sharply to clip the top of off stump. It was his tenth wicket in the game, a feat he has now achieved six times in his 65-Test career.

Gloucestershire have signed Chris Liddle on a two-year deal.Liddle, the tall left-arm seamer, was released by Sussex in September after nine seasons with the club.While he was, for a while, a key figure in their white ball sides, he played only 10 Championship games in the period as it was felt his failure to hit the seam regularly could compromise the effectiveness of other bowlers. He spent a couple of years with Leicestershire before moving to Sussex and was in the Dhaka Gladiators team that won the Bangladesh Premier League in 2013.While Gloucestershire head coach, Richard Dawson, suggested Liddle had been signed with a view to white ball cricket, he made it clear that there would be opportunities for the bowler in the Championship game as well.”He’s got a lot of experience in one day and T20 cricket, having performed strongly for Sussex and he will add excellent competition to our bowling unit,” Dawson said. “It’s a great opportunity for him to come here and compete in all formats of the game as he has a lot of potential in Championship cricket.”Gloucestershire won the Royal London One-Day Cup last season but were sixth in Division Two of the County Championship.Liddle was recommended to the club by former captain Jon Lewis, who is currently on the coaching staff at Sussex.

Five months on from the most traumatic period in their history, Pakistan have reached the ICC World Twenty20 final and are fully worth their place in the Johannesburg showpiece. They have bowled with variation, batted with verve and, most surprisingly, fielded well at crucial moments. The usually mercurial team has been the epitome of consistency; now they need to hold it together for one more match.However, it won’t be any ordinary match; Pakistan against India rarely is. Their previous meeting during the tournament ended in a thrilling tie before India won the bowl-out 3-0. Although the locals will disagree, this is the final that the inaugural edition needed. It guarantees a passionate crowd and electric atmosphere.Victory at the Wanderers would give Pakistan their first title in a global event since Imran Khan’s “cornered tigers” triumphed against England at Melbourne in 1992. As we have been reminded throughout the tournament, this isn’t a World Cup, but after all that has gone on in Pakistan cricket over the last few months, success here would be a significant mark in their history.Shoaib Malik has been reluctant to talk about the Caribbean – “that’s history, we are just looking forward” – but this new-look side is beginning to gel impressively under the guidance of Geoff Lawson. During the two weeks in South Africa, Pakistan have played and trained with a smile on their face, which has translated into positive results. “He [Lawson] has only been here a short time, but we all enjoy working with him, and he’s a good man,” Malik said.New and recalled faces have impressed, especially Sohail Tanvir, whose wrong-footed action has flummoxed some of the best players in the world, and Misbah-ul-Haq, after his original selection ahead of Mohammad Yousuf sparked heated debate. But the absence of Yousuf, and Shoaib Akhtar, might actually have been a blessing in disguise for Malik. It has allowed him to mould a team under his command, a leadership the side responds well to. The captain leads by example, with 187 runs at 46.75.Although the efforts of Malik and Misbah have been vital, the key to Pakistan’s run to the final (unbeaten in match results, if not bowl-outs) has been their bowling attack. Most sides have had a weak link as the fifth bowler, Australia being a prime example with Andrew Symonds and Michael Clarke, while fellow finalists India have also struggled despite Joginder Sharma becoming a hero against Australia. But Pakistan have been able to maintain the pressure throughout the 20 overs.

Tanvir and Mohammad Asif have shared the new ball, followed by a combination of spin from Malik, Mohammad Hafeez, Fawad Alam, and Shahid Afridi, who leads the player-of-the-tournament race heading into the final with 12 wickets. Afridi has been an attacking threat, spinning his legbreaks hard and fizzing through the rapid top-spinners. But the difference between Pakistan and other teams has come with Umar Gul, who has bowled his four overs in the latter half of the innings.”We worked hard leading into the Twenty20 with training camps,” Gul said. “It allowed me to work on my bowling, especially bouncers, yorkers and slower balls and I discussed with Geoff [Lawson] about how to bowl. I have taken the new ball throughout my career, but this was a decision for the team and I was happy to do it.”The main injury concern is over Imran Nazir, who needed a runner during his 59 against New Zealand after picking up a groin strain, although he didn’t appear in too much pain. If Pakistan want to look for good omens, they can focus on their previous visits to the Wanderers. They comprehensively beat both Sri Lanka and Australia, and have chased and defended on the ground. Also in their favour is that India’s only visit to Johannesburg ended in a 10-run defeat to New Zealand. However, that will count for little on Monday and it will all be about who can handle the pressure in the Bullring.Pakistan (probable) Imran Nazir, Mohammad Hafeez, Younis Khan, Shoaib Malik (capt), Misbah-ul-Haq, Shahid Afridi, Fawad Alam, Kamran Akmal (wk), Umar Gul, Mohammad Asif, Sohail TanvirRoute to the final
Group Stage: Scotland – won by 51 runs
Group Stage: India – lost 3-0 on a bowl-out
Super Eights: Sri Lanka – won by 33 runs
Super Eights: Australia – won by six wickets
Super Eights: Bangladesh – won by four wickets
Semi-final: New Zealand – won by six wickets

Zaheer Khan, Anil Kumble and Wasim Jaffer have been included in India’s one-day side for the tour of South Africa, the five-match series starting on November 19. As expected, the national selection committee did not plump for new blood but reposed faith in the tried and tested while picking the 16-man squad.The five-man committee, headed by Dilip Vengsarkar, the former Indian captain, chose seven specialist batsmen, five fast bowlers and two spinners. The injured duo, Yuvraj Singh and Ajit Agarkar, were also part of the squad but a couple of players were put on standby to take their place if necessary.Agarkar, who had injured his left thumb, is scheduled to undergo a fitness test on November 10 while the report regarding Yuvraj’s cruciate ligament will be out this evening. VRV Singh, the fast bowler from Punjab, and Dinesh Karthik, the Tamil Nadu wicketkeeper who’s played three ODIs, were the two stand-bys.Jaffer, who is yet to make his one-day debut, made the cut ahead of the likes of Gautam Gambhir and Robin Uthappa but Vengsarkar suggested that the nature of the surfaces in South Africa prompted the move. “We’re expecting to get grassy, bouncy wickets there and Wasim has the technique to bat on those wickets. He’s a proven player and has had success in Tests. I think any good Test player can do well in one-dayers.”Suresh Raina retained his spot in the middle order, though it may be his fielding ability rather than his batting that edged him ahead. “VVS Laxman is a class player but he has a fitness problem,” said Vengsarkar when asked about his case, “and we thought his fitness wasn’t good enough for one-day cricket. Raina has the potential but he needs to perform now. I think we need to groom him.”

RP Singh and Ramesh Powar missed out to their more illustrious rivals. Zaheer Khan made a return after nearly eight months while Kumble, who last played one-dayers more than a year ago, also earned a recall. Kumble hasn’t been a force in one-dayers for a while – he’s been picked for just 23 matches since the 2003 World Cup – but his experience and quality, in a side where the bowlers need a senior guiding hand, was no doubt a factor that went in his favour.Zaheer was one of those who barged through the door on sheer performance. His 78 wickets in 16 games inspired Worcestershire to the first division and he too would be handy in lending his experience to the younger fast bowlers. “Zaheer has improved a lot,” asserted Vengsarkar, “and he’s hungry for success.”He added that India’s Champions Trophy performance, where they failed to make it to the semi-final, was a point of discussion between the selectors and team management. “Both the coach and captain are not happy with the performance,” he continued, “but I think the team is pretty balanced. The players haven’t been in good form and that’s been the main problem. Our top five batsmen failed to stay till the end while our bowlers couldn’t get us early breakthroughs. But we can’t make wholesale changes.”The most worrying aspect was Vengsarkar’s comment on the bench-strength, when he said there was “not much talent” around at the domestic level. “There are many who are good at the first-class level,” he said,” but I cannot say I have seen any exceptional talent.”One-day squad
Virender Sehwag, Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid (capt), Wasim Jaffer, Mohammad Kaif, Suresh Raina, Dinesh Mongia, Mahendra Singh Dhoni (wk), Irfan Pathan, Yuvraj Singh (Dinesh Karthik on stand by), Zaheer Khan, Anil Kumble, S Sreesanth, Harbhajan Singh, Munaf Patel, Ajit Agarkar (VRV Singh on stand by).

Bermuda’s government have said that it will invest $11 million into the national game over the next five years.”You cannot buy inspiration,” said Alex Scott, the country’s president, who donned a Bermuda cricket baseball cap to make the announcement. “But you can support those who provide inspiration. It is a new era for cricket in Bermuda and the Government will do all it can to ensure that we are on the world cricketing stage for many, many years.”The money is on top of $1 million already earmarked to help Bermuda prepare for the 2007 World Cup.