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ScorecardJames Hildreth made his fourth first-class hundred of the season•Getty Images

James Hildreth helped himself to a fourth first-class century of the season as Somerset batted themselves into a strong position against Worcestershire on the first day of their LV= County Championship game at Taunton.The 30-year-old batsman began the season in fine form with centuries in April against the MCC and Middlesex, but this was his first since scoring a fine 115 against the touring New Zealanders on May 11 and it helped Somerset to 349 for 5 at stumps.Having chosen to bowl first, Worcestershire briefly thought that day one would belong to them when Jack Shantry trapped Johann Myburgh lbw for nought, at 8 for 1.However, on a wicket that gave the Worcestershire seamers plenty of early encouragement, Marcus Trescothick and Tom Cooper added 108 for the second wicket before the latter edged Joe Leach to Alex Gidman at 116 for 2.Cooper might have been short of first-class runs this season, but he struck the ball positively and was understandably miffed when he picked out the former Gloucestershire captain Gidman at first slip, three balls after lunch.Trescothick continued to bat with due care and attention and having passed 23,000 first-class runs during the morning session and 50 from 94 balls, shortly before lunch, he was eventually bowled by Brett D’Oliveira for 85, at 209 for 3.It was not only an innings of significance in terms of the game, but one that rolled back the years. The 39-year-old county captain took precious few chances throughout his 175-ball stay at the crease, but punished anything that was either too full or short and wide.Hildreth picked up where Trescothick left off and passed 13,000 first-class runs in between lunch and tea. His half-century came off 63 balls with ninefours and with Jim Allenby providing solid support at the opposite end, Somerset edged ever closer to maximum batting points.The fourth-wicket pair took 18 overs to post their 50 partnership, with Hildreth reaching three figures off the fifth ball of the 80th over. He faced 143 deliveries and hit 17 fours.To their credit, Worcestershire continued to bowl with purpose, but with Hildreth looking better and better by the over, Somerset continued to make hay. Hildreth and Allenby registered the highest partnership of the day, with the latter becoming the fourth batsman to pass 50, with eight overs remaining.Shantry eventually found the outside edge of Allenby’s bat at 331 for 4, but that disappointment apart, it was a decent day for Somerset.

New Zealand’s coach Mike Hesson has expressed his disappointment that the Basin Reserve pitch offered little seam movement for the fast men after the first session of the match. In the lead-up to the Test it was at times hard to determine which strip on the pitch square was to be used, such was the consistent grass cover, but Hesson said he would have liked it “much greener than it was” on match morning.The toss proved significant as Steven Smith called correctly, sent New Zealand in and Australia rolled them for 183 before tea. Although New Zealand picked up a couple of early wickets in Australia’s first innings the pitch flattened out much quicker than many of the players expected, and the Australians were able to go on and post 562 in their only innings.”I would’ve liked this to be much greener than it was,” Hesson said on Tuesday. “It certainly only seamed for two hours and I think that meant that both sides weren’t able to be exposed in those conditions. It’s a bit different when it seams for two hours, it makes the toss a little bit more important.””Ideally you want both sides to have a bit of a crack at it if it does seam. You look at the wickets we lost in the first session they were all from good length deliveries and they were able to get the ball to move off the straight and expose some of our techniques. That’s something we’d like to think if we were in a similar situation we’d be able to do something similar.”We had four guys out defending in the first hour. I don’t think that’s mental error; there are times that you have to accept that they put the ball in good areas, the ball seams you’re going to nick it. When the ball seams you do end up playing a little bit wider than you’d like to. We certainly did that in the first hour or so.”However, Hesson acknowledged that it was up to the batsmen to work out a way of coping in the seaming conditions, given the likelihood of a similar pitch in Christchurch on Saturday for the second Test. Although the New Zealand top order performed better in the second innings in Wellington, including with an 81-run opening stand, by then Australia were too far ahead in the match.”We faced different conditions throughout the match,” Hesson said. “We were challenged in the first session and if we were able to get through three down instead of five, possibly things could have been a little bit different. That’s something we’re going to have to get right in the next Test because likely we’ll face conditions that will seam as well.”The other notable factor in the second innings was the reverse swing that Australia’s fast bowlers managed to master early in the innings. The uncertainty that it created in the minds of the New Zealand batsmen contributed to the downfall of Kane Williamson, who was so productive in the recent Test series in Australia but made only 16 and 22 in the Wellington Test.”When you’re getting it to swing both ways that’s a challenge,” Hesson said. “Batsmen were talking about it a lot yesterday afternoon in terms of different ways to combat it. Kane’s better than most in terms of being able to adjust his game but when the ball reverses both ways it’s challenging and you need to think about what is the most challenging delivery – the ball that’s attacking your stumps or the one going away.”Every player has a slightly different technique on that. To be fair in New Zealand you don’t get a lot of reverse swing 18 overs into a game on day three. It’s something we face a heck of a lot more on the subcontinent than something we do here.”

Following Pakistan’s narrow five-run defeat to India in the ICC World Twenty20 final at the Wanderers, former Pakistan captains criticised the team for not overcoming its jinx against India in major tournaments and blamed the batting for the loss. Wasim Akram and Intikhab Alam praised both teams for making the final a memorable one while Javed Miandad lashed out at the lack of planning when Pakistan were set to chase 158.This was Pakistan’s second consecutive defeat to India in the tournament after the first was settled in a bowl-out after the scores were tied. Pakistan lost to India in all their World Cup encounters and their solitary win in a major tournament came during the Champions Trophy in England in 2004.”It’s a repeat and it will hurt the fans and players alike for some time. But apart from that jinx both teams played superbly and cricket was the winner,” Wasim Akram told . “It was a close game and the better team won. No regrets. It was only a game and people have to take it as a game and must appreciate the quality of cricket.”Akram however wasn’t pleased with the shot selection of a few senior batsmen. Both Younis Khan and Shahid Afridi fell to lofted strokes while Misbah-ul-Haq, who nearly took Pakistan home in the final over, perished trying to scoop Joginder Sharma to fine leg, a risky stroke given the circumstances.”I would blame Pakistani batsmen Younis Khan and Shahid Afridi for their reckless strokes,” he said. “In the end Misbah-ul-Haq should have played a straight bat shot.”Commenting on the positives to emerge from Pakistan’s campaign, Akram singled out Shoaib Malik for his leadership and added that Pakistan had the potential to lift the next World Cup.”Shoaib Malik has emerged as a great captain and the way he led the team from the front, I see Pakistan winning the World Cup in 2011.”Miandad came down hard on the decision to promote Kamran Akmal at No. 3, ahead of Malik who was in good form. RP Singh dismissed Akmal for a third-ball duck, bowled after swinging across the line.”We have maintained our losing streak to India in World Cup matches and I would blame poor planning for that,” Miandad said. “Why did Malik not come in at No. 3 instead of Kamran Akmal?”Alam acknowledged Pakistan’s efforts in reaching the final after a difficult few months following their shocking exit from the World Cup in the West Indies earlier this year.”The World Cup jinx continues and India seems to have an edge over us in all World Cup matches,” Alam said. “But I am grateful to the Pakistan team for making the final a fitting one.”

The 2007 English county season will begin on April 13 at Lord’s with Sussex, the county champions, taking on MCC in the traditional opening fixture. Sussex, who yesterday found out they will still have the services of Chris Adams, then open their defence of the title with a home meeting with Kent on April 18.The fixture list, released today by the ECB, has pitted the Championship runners-up Lancashire in an away tie against Warwickshire at Edgbaston while newly promoted Surrey will face Yorkshire in the first set of matches.The 50-over one-day trophy, still searching for a new sponsor after C&G ended their association last season, starts on April 22 and the group stage runs until June 13. In the one tweak to the tournament, four teams will progress to a new semi-final stage instead of the two top teams moving straight to the final. The semis are pencilled in for June 20 and the final will be at Lord’s on August 18.Once again The Twenty20 group stages take place over a concentrated two-week period at the height of summer. Leicestershire, the holders, start with a home match at Grace Road on June 22 against Yorkshire. The quarter-finals will take pace on July 17 and 18 with four teams progressing to finals day at Edgbaston on August 4.The Pro40 begins on July 13 with a floodlit Division One game between Worcestershire and Hampshire at New Road and the competition features a further 22 matches under lights in the second half of the summer.

ScorecardAn unbeaten 64 from Hasim Amla ensured that South Africa drew their three-day game against Sri Lanka A at Dambulla. Requiring 219 in their second innings to pull off a victory, the South Africans lost their first five wickets for only 53, but recovered to finish on 127 for 5.Earlier, Avishka Gunawardene, the left-handed opener, scored 111 to lift the Sri Lankans to 266 in their second innings. Gunawardene added 39 to his overnight score of 72 in an innings which included 16 fours.The South Africans will now play a warm-up one-day match in Kurunegala on September 19 before the start of the one-day tri-series in which New Zealand A is the third team. Robin Peterson, Loots Bosman and Albie Morkel will be added as reinforcements to the one-day squad, while Hashim Amla and Paul Adams will return home. The South Africans’ first match is against Sri Lanka A in Colombo on September 21.South Africa A one-day squad
Jacques Rudolph (capt), Thami Tsolekile (wk), Loots Bosman, Johan Botha, Zander de Bruyn, Tyron Henderson, Garnett Kruger, AlbieMorkel, Justin Ontong, Robin Peterson, Andrew Puttick, Dale Steyn, Johan van der Wath, Monde Zondeki.

Scorecard and ball-by-ball details

Michael Vaughan missed out on a maiden one-day century, but his classy 86, to go with his 2 for 42 with the ball, formed the backbone of England’s innings as they romped to a six-wicket victory against Australia and booked a place in the finals of the Champions Trophy. Coming in after the early loss of Vikram Solanki, Vaughan added 140 in just over 26 overs with Marcus Trescothick to take the game away from Australia.He then put on 66 with Andrew Strauss, who finished unbeaten on 52, to seal the win. All of Australia’s four-pronged pace attack were put to the sword, with Brett Lee going for more than seven an over. Lee eventually got the better of Vaughan, beating him for pace to have him caught off a top edge, but by then the result was assured. After such an impressive batting display, the only disappointment was that the match was played out in front of a half-full Edgbaston.Earlier, Australia accelerated well in the final overs after some sedate mid-innings consolidation to reach a challenging total of 259 for 9. There was excitement from the very start when Adam Gilchrist sliced Darren Gough wide of Paul Collingwood at backward point: Collingwood leapt into the air but could only get a fingertip on the ball. After a slightly nervous start, Gilchrist got going with a slapped four past point and a powerful pull that landed just over the rope for six, both off Gough.Following a brief three-over opening burst from Gough, Vaughan made an interesting early change, bringing Andrew Flintoff into the attack in the seventh over. The decision almost paid off, as Gilchrist edged the last ball of the over to Trescothick in the slips, but the sharp chance was spilt. But Trescothick made up for his lapse in the next over, holding a clean catch off Matthew Hayden (44 for 1).Gilchrist kept attacking, but Gough struck a vital blow for England when he was recalled for a second spell, as Gilchrist gifted another catch to Trescothick, now in the gully (69 for 2). Some economical bowling and excellent ground fielding from England put the brakes on – from 96 for 2 in the 20th over, Australia scraped only 34 runs in the next ten, and also lost the wicket of Ricky Ponting for 29.Ashley Giles, bowling his left-arm spin on a leg-stump line from over the wicket, proved particularly hard to get away, and the pressure he built up eventually told on Ponting. Attempting to loft Giles over long-on, he was deceived in the flight and chipped an easy catch to Gough (114 for 3).Giles lost concentration slightly in his ninth over, dishing up a short, wide one that Damien Martyn crashed past point for four. That signalled the start of Australia’s acceleration, and the runs began to flow. Giles’s last two overs went for 17, and Flintoff’s introduction did nothing to stem the flurry. Darren Lehmann, who had been dormant, was suddenly motoring along at a run a ball, and Martyn went to his half-century from 73 balls.Taking a gamble, Vaughan brought himself back on, and in his first over he bowled Lehmann for 38 to break his 75-run partnership with Martyn (189 for 4). Steaming in from the other end, Steve Harmison fired a yorker at Andrew Symonds’s left foot. His shout for lbw was turned down, but it didn’t matter – Symonds wandered out of his crease looking for a single, and Vaughan swooped in from the covers to run him out for a duck (190 for 5).Martyn clipped Vaughan to midwicket for four to move to 65, but, attempting the same shot two balls later, he lofted a catch to Trescothick, running in from the boundary, who just managed to cling on (210 for 6).A fired-up Lee lofted Gough straight over his head for a huge six, but then swished across the line at a full-toss that clattered into leg stump. Gough then bowled Jason Gillespie first ball with another full, swinging delivery (249 for 8). The hat-trick ball thudded into Michael Kasprowicz’s pads, but it was too high for an lbw.Michael Clarke gave himself some room and cracked Flintoff through the covers in the final over, but then moved too far across to the off side and had his middle stump flattened (258 for 9).

When England began their run-chase, Vikram Solanki never looked at ease with the bowling, and was trapped lbw by Gillespie after shuffling across his stumps and playing around his front pad (21 for 1).Ponting was determined to keep attacking, leaving two slips in place, but Vaughan started to find his touch against Lee, smashing him for two fours on either side of the wicket. With Trescothick going at better than a run a ball at the other end, the fifty partnership came up from only 51 balls. Vaughan then unleashed an array of well-timed shots against Lee, hitting 16 in one over, and suddenly it was Australia who were struggling. England’s hundred came up in the 19th over, and Trescothick then brought up his own half-century by stepping down the wicket and hitting Kasprowicz high over long-off for six.Ponting turned to his spinners, Lehmann and Symonds, and just as England’s slow bowlers had done earlier, they successfully slowed the scoring rate. With the field spread, there were singles on offer, but the boundaries dried up. Vaughan moved past 50 with a deft late-cut off Symonds, but Symonds then struck a late blow, bowling Trescothick with a quicker one (161 for 2).But Strauss was immediately into his stride, working Symonds off his toes, and then easing him to the third-man boundary with sublime touch. McGrath came back on, but the first three overs of his second spell cost 22, and England continued their march to victory.In a final throw of the dice, Ponting brought Lee back on. Vaughan, with a maiden hundred in his sights, top-edged an attempted pull straight up in the air, and Hayden took a simple catch. But it was all academic for England from there on, as Strauss continued to work the ball around easily and Flintoff biffed 16 off nine balls to take them to the brink.Before the start of the chase, it was thought that it would revolve around Flintoff. As it turned out, it was Vaughan, after a wretched run of form in one-day cricket, who broke Australia’s 14-match winning streak – dating back to January 1999 – and won the game for England.

Three months ago the future of cricket in Kenya looked to be bright. The national side reached the World Cup semi-finals, and the resulting publicity appeared to be just what was needed to kick-start a sport stifled by political bickering and poor administration.But the politics which undermined attempts to promote the game in Kenya for a number of years are threatening to crush the progress which many hoped would result from the World Cup.At the heart of the problem is the Kenya Cricket Association, the very body which should be at the forefront of fostering the game. It seems to harbour a number of individuals who are more interested in self-promotion, and the decision by the International Cricket Council to award Kenya £300,000 has resulted in a scramble for places at the trough.The KCA is battling with the Nairobi Provincial Cricket Association (NPCA) for control of Kenyan cricket. The latest clash has resulted in the establishment of provincial and national leagues (a key point in the ICC’s plans to elevate Kenya to full Test status) stalling as the two argue.The NPCA is no longer affiliated from the KCA, and is trying to establish a breakaway league. It claims it has enough support to launch in early July. In recent seasons there have been two separate leagues, leading to confusion and further acrimony.As the two associations squabble, the momentum resulting from the World Cup diminishes and cricket is slowly returning to its status as a second-division sport in Kenya. At the moment it looks as if any progress will be in spite of the two bodies rather than because of them.The KCA has been accused of misappropriating funds, and despite repeated denials its image is so tarnished that potential sponsors are reluctant to be associated with it. In May 2002 the Kenyan government temporarily dissolved the KCA in reaction to continued allegations of mismanagement, although this development was subsequently ruled illegal by Kenyan courts. Opponents have repeatedly called for greater transparency, but their requests have not been met to their satisfaction.The situation is further complicated by the Kenyan team itself, many of whom are at loggerheads with the KCA. In 2001 a planned series against Sri Lanka A was cancelled when the players refused to take part, in a long-running dispute over money. Kenya’s participation in the World Cup was even in doubt when the players threatened a last-minute strike over pay.Last month the KCA opened its new academy. What should have been a well-publicised boost for the game was overshadowed by the absence of almost all the World Cup squad, who stayed away as part of their ongoing feud with the KCA.For the sake of Kenyan cricket heads need to banged together and action taken so that time and effort is spent promoting the game as a whole. Sadly, history suggests that self-interest will continue to win out.

Chairman of selectors Michael Findlay has strongly defendedthe inclusion of Brian Lara in the West Indies team for theforthcoming tour of Sri Lanka in spite of a lingeringhamstring injury.He said yesterday he and other members of the panel wouldnot stand condemned for failing to give one of the bestbatsmen in the Caribbean and one of the best in the worldevery assistance we could in sorting out his problems,whether they are mental or physical.What appears to some people as us leaning on the side ofBrian Lara is not that at all, he added.Brian still has a future in West Indies cricket and can makea significant contribution to West Indies cricket, Findlaysaid on Starcom Network radio here.We, as selectors, therefore felt we had to explore all thepossibilities for his participation (in the tour), heexplained.We’re not bending over backwards for him. If he had certainconcerns, we tried to work them out.Lara was picked in the 16 for the tour that starts inNovember in spite of a hamstring problem that has botheredhim since June, 2000, on the tour of England and that causedhim to abandon the tour of Zimbabwe and Kenya last June.Team manager Ricky Skerritt acknowledged on Monday that Larawas not 100 per cent fit but, following extensive tests overfour days, said his fitness level seems to be adequate forhis particular requirements on tour.

ScorecardFile photo – Stiaan van Zyl scored 96 off 193 balls•AFP

India A’s spinners – Axar Patel, Jayant Yadav and Karn Sharma – engineered South Africa A’s lower-order collapse as the visitors lost their last seven wickets for 56 runs to finish with 260 on the first day.While Axar picked up his third five-wicket haul in first-class matches, it was offspinner Jayant’s double-strike that first threw South Africa off gear. Jayant bowled Stiaan van Zyl for 96 in the 72nd over, when South Africa were cruising on 204 for 3, and two overs later, had Quinton de Kock stumped for a duck. Axar then sliced through the lower order, picking up four of the remaining five wickets that fell in a little over eight overs. Jayant and Karn finished with three and two wickets respectively.South Africa would not have anticipated such an end to the day, given the steady start provided by their openers, Reeza Hendricks and van Zyl, after they elected to bat. The opening stand of 58 was broken when Hendricks was dismissed by Axar in the 22nd over, B Aparajith taking the first of his three catches.Van Zyl’s, however, was an assured presence, as he stitched together partnerships of 49 and 78 with Gihahn Cloete and Omphile Ramela for the second and third wickets respectively. But, once van Zyl’s 193-ball effort, comprising 13 fours and a six, came to an end, India’s spinners were all over the visitors.In the morning, the game was interrupted for a few minutes after Jiwanjot Singh spotted a snake in the field. reported that one of the umpires had to jump when the common krait, a venomous snake, made an alarming movement. However, the snake was soon whisked away by the ground staff.

If anyone has a doubt about what is going wrong with cricket in India, all you have to do is to take a look at the last day’s play between South Zone and England Under-19s played at Guru Nanak College Ground, Chennai, on Wednesday. Let alone positive thinking, one wonders whether there was any thinking at all in the South Zone camp.Having bowled out English colts for 183 on Tuesday and going into the last day with a lead of 135 runs, one hoped that South would really go after the English bowling and set a target. TS Suman and Arjun Yadav started the day for South Zone on 43/1.Suman as always was in an attacking mood, playing shots with gay abandon. Make no mistake; he is not a slogger by any means. He just hits the ball so hard and is blessed with a good timing too. He raced to reach his fifty without much ado. He was on 53 when the tall English bowler Tremlett got one ball to move a little away from the batsman and take a faint edge. Wicket keeper Mark Wallace was too happy to dive to his right and take a good catch. Monty Panesar who had removed Shashank Nag the previous evening was brought into the attack and produced a good spell.Panesar with his orthodox left arm bowling, tied up the batsmen. He later bowled ASK Varma who had scratched around for just nine runs. 90/3 in the 31st over brought in the first innings batting hero, Deepak Chougule. He too got bogged down a little and was eventually dismissed lbw to Panesar for just four runs.106/4 in the 35th over was not too bad at all. The batsmen were in a negative frame of mind, pushing and prodding at the ball. The new batsmen ASK Varma and captain Arjun Yadav were no exceptions either, never looking for quick runs. At lunch South Zone was 155/4 with Yadav unbeaten on 67 made off 149 balls in 150 minutes. A declaration was on the cards as South lead by 247 runs.Giving themselves the option of bowling for two sessions would have been ideal. Moreover the visiting boys would have had an opportunity to get some valuable batting practice ahead of the ‘Test’ that starts on Saturday. Defying all logic and positive thinking, Yadav continued batting for some more time and declared the innings closed at 201/4 as soon as he got to his personal hundred. The Visitors were clearly irked by this attitude, considering this to be a warm up match.England was set a ridiculous target of 294 in a minimum of 35 overs. Opening batsman Nicky Peng struck three consecutive boundaries off the left arm seamer, Steve Lazarus. Peng lost his concentration and was trapped LBW by L Balaji for 13 by a ball that kept very low. Lazarus had a nervous looking Kadeer Ali caught behind for just two runs. The other Opener John Sadler and the new batsman Gordon Muchall put on a 63 runs third wicket partnership.Sadler who looked compact and in fine touch was well caught and bowled by the left arm spinner, Shankara Rao. Ian Pattison who came in next did not survive long enough either, caught by the substitute fielder Ahmed Quadri off Rao for 5. In the meantime more farce was to follow. The South Zone management wanted to finish the match a bit early that some of their players could catch the train back home. English team declined and played on till the end of the match. At close English colts were 110/4 in 41 overs. Gordon Muchall played a patient and valuable innings of an unbeaten 48, which included five strokes past the boundary ropes.The Visitors had some positive things to take from this match. Ferley as a bowler looked in very good touch. Panesar picked up 3/40 in the second innings, the batting of Tremlett in the first and Muchall in the second were heartening indeed. Things might have been so different if South Zone had declared earlier and made a match of it. Mr. Yadav, there is no shine to your hundred!