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ScorecardAn unbeaten century from Rohit Asnodkar, batting at No. 7, and useful lower-order contributions led Goa to a strong first-innings total against Kerala in Malappuram. Overnight batsman Ravikant Shukla scored 87 and Asnodkar made his maiden first-class century in his 13th match. Goa declared on 512 for 8, giving themselves a strong chance of taking a first-innings lead. Kerala lost VA Jagadeesh for 19 before stumps.
ScorecardA century from AG Pradeep and fifties from Syed Sahabuddin and Rajesh Pawar led Andhra to a 237-run lead in the first innings against Jammu and Kashmir. Resuming on 118 for 4 on the second morning, Andhra lost Amol Muzumdar before a run was scored, and were further reduced to 163 for 6, before the lower order lifted them to 390. Ram Dayal took 5 for 63 for J&K, his maiden five-wicket haul.J&K had to face four overs before stumps and their openers scored 13 without being dismissed.
ScorecardA 154-run partnership between Himachal Pradesh’s openers, Aakash Chopra and Prashant Chopra, laid a solid platform for their team to take a first-innings lead against Jharkhand. Prashant, who was part of the India Under-19 team that won the World Cup, scored a century, while Aakash made 61. Himachal suffered a slide towards the end of the day, with three wickets falling for 21 runs, but trailed by only 35 runs.That batting effort came after fast bowler Rishi Dhawan took a career-best 6 for 63 to dismiss Jharkhand for 236. The visitors had begun the second day on 176 for 5 and Dhawan trapped Sunny Gupta lbw early. Saurabh Tiwary, who was 65 not out overnight, went on to make 102. He was the last man dismissed as Jharkhand lost five wickets for 60 runs on the second day.
ScorecardRajat Paliwal scored his second hundred in consecutive games to give Services the first-innings lead against Assam. Replying to Assam’s 182, Services began the second day on 11 for 0, and slipped to 113 for 6, with seamer Arup Das taking three wickets. Paliwal held one end up, making an unbeaten 143, and 20s from Suraj Yadav and Shadab Nazar led Services past 300. They ended the day on 302 for 8, ahead by 120 runs.

Virender Sehwag, who scored a fighting century for Delhi in the Ranji Trophy match against Uttar Pradesh on Monday, refused to be drawn into the debate about his form. His innings of 107 – his first century in any form of cricket in 11 months and his first in Ranji Trophy in six years – couldn’t prevent Delhi’s defeat, but it allayed the doubts over his indifferent form. Sehwag said he was happy to have scored the century and hoped to bat well in the upcoming Test series against England.”I am happy that I scored 100 against UP. Whether I am back in form or not, is not for me to decide but I thought I played well enough and hope to do well (against England),” he told .Sehwag, who scored 25 in the first innings, suffered a cut on his ring finger when a chance off Mohammad Kaif flew past him at first slip on the second day. He didn’t take the field for the first two sessions on the third day and only came out to bat at No. 6 as Delhi’s bid to save the match started faltering. He batted for almost four hours and faced 165 balls during his innings.

Vijay happy to be back

M Vijay has been rewarded for his big runs early in the domestic season with a place in the Test squad against England, as the third opener. Vijay hit 266 in the Irani Cup and scored 93 and 155 in the Challenger Trophy, and is now hoping to get a game in the Tests.
“I worked really very hard over the last six months. I am happy that it has paid off. Now it is my job to do well for the country whenever I am given the opportunity,” he said. “I feel like going out with the bat and start playing.”

“My injury forced me to bat in the middle order,” he said. “The doctor did not give me local anaesthesia on time. The team management decides [the move to] the middle order and not the player himself.”My finger is getting better. It’s fine at the moment.”There have been concerns over the form of Sehwag and his opening partner, Gautam Gambhir. But Sehwag, like Gambhir, believes they are still the best openers in India, and refused to comment on the selectors’ decision to pick two more openers in the squad for England, Ajinkya Rahane and M Vijay.”Yes, we are [the best opening pair in the country]. The decision [to include two more openers] is taken by the national selectors. They know it well.”Sehwag is also close to a personal milestone. He is just two matches short of becoming only the ninth Indian player to play 100 Tests. “It was my dream to play for my country. Since the time I achieved that, my next dream has been to perform well and play 100 Tests for India. I am very happy that moment is coming soon,” he said.

ScorecardSusan Benade marshalled the chase with an unbeaten half-century that helped South Africa score a last-ball win over Bangladesh in the second Twenty20 in Mirpur and square the three-match series 1-1. Benade came to the crease in the fifth over, after South Africa – chasing 106 – had lost both openers with the score on 15, and shared a 73-run stand with Alison Hodgkinson (37). South Africa required 18 off 14 balls when Hodgkinson fell to offspinner Khadija Tul Kubra and were in a spot of bother as their captain Mignon du Preez was out without scoring four balls later. But Benade prevented any further damage and saw the visiting team through to the finish. Jahanara Alam was the pick of Bangladesh bowlers, with an economical spell of 4-0-16-3.South Africa had put Bangladesh in to bat first in the crucial match and it was Benade with the ball who made the first breakthrough, getting opener Rumana Ahmed’s wicket in the first over. Other South Africa bowlers joined in as they picked regular wickets to deny Bangladesh any strong partnership. None of the Bangladesh batsman, apart from captain Salma Khatun (42), managed more than 10 runs. Legspinner Dane van Niekerk was the most successful bowler for South Africa with two wickets.The third and the final Twenty20 of the series will be played on September 14.

ScorecardAndrew Hodd, seen here batting for Sussex, is grateful for a chance of more cricket with Yorkshire•PA Photos

The implications of the Kevin Pietersen affair have been widespread within English cricket, but Andrew Hodd stands to benefit most from the controversy. Frustrated and nearing the end of his contract at Sussex, an unexpected opening at Yorkshire has given him four matches to prove himself worthy of a permanent deal.Until last week, Hodd, 28, was facing an uncertain future having not played a championship match for Sussex all season. The selectors’ decision to drop Pietersen for the final Test changed all that, however, when Yorkshire suddenly found themselves without a wicketkeeper for the climax to a season they hope will culminate in promotion.Jonny Bairstow’s recall to the Test squad as Pietersen’s replacement and Yorkshire’s decision to release Gerard Brophy, his deputy, prompted an immediate loan approach for Hodd, who has four championship fixtures to help in the promotion bid and possibly earn himself a long-term deal.”I’ve been speaking to Martyn Moxon (Yorkshire’s Director of Cricket) for a month now with a view to maybe something happening the end of this year or next year,” Hodd explained. “They were very low key chats, but suddenly on Sunday night I got a phone call saying that Gerard had retired and asking if I would come up. I jumped at the opportunity.”I just want to play some cricket. It’s never good not playing, although no one is playing at the moment with the weather the way it is. I am sure Johnny Bairstow will go well and hopefully it will open up a door for me.”He looks certain to be given further chances to impress. Bairstow is unlikely to feature again for Yorkshire in the championship before the end of the summer. England have five one-day internationals and twoTwenty20 internationals against South Africa, before flying straight off to the World Twenty20 tournament in Sri Lanka.Hodd’s debut, like most of Yorkshire’s season, was badly interrupted by the weather. Facing Derbyshire, leaders of Division Two, at Headingley, only 30.1 overs were possible before heavy rain halted play just after lunch with Yorkshire handily placed on 127 for 2.Derbyshire’s 26-point lead looked unlikely to be threatened after Phil Jacques was bowled shouldering arms to Tim Groenewald in the fourth over that may have kept a little low. But given favourable conditions, the bowlers failed to exploit the conditions and allowed Adam Lyth and Andrew Gale to add 87 in only20.3 overs.Gale, the Yorkshire captain, looked on course to claim only his second championship half-century of the summer after racing to 47 off 69 balls, including seven fours. Most of his runs were helped by Derbyshire sticking to a leg-stump line, which paid off in the end when he got a top edge attempting to pull Ross Whiteley and picked out fine leg only 25 minutes before lunch.Only one delivery was possible after the interval, continuing a theme for Yorkshire’s summer. They have played only 128 hours of championship cricket out of a possible 294 and, with further rain forecast during this match, may struggle to force the positive result that will help their promotion challenge.The extra time spent in the dressing room will, at least, have given Hodd more time to assimilate himself into the Yorkshire culture. He has not played a first-class match since featuring for Sussex against Warwickshire in July last year, since when Ben Brown has been preferred as their wicketkeeper.He does not believe it will take him long to become used to playing first team cricket again. He has been signed only for championship cricket with Yorkshire giving Dan Hodgson, a 22-year-old who has been playing for Leeds-Bradford MCCU, experience keeping in their remaining CB40 matches.”You don’t just want to sit in the second team, you want to play, score some runs and feel good about yourself,” Hodd said. “I just want to make the most of the next 16 days or so.”With cricket you just try and play the ball and even in the second team this summer I will have faced good bowlers at certain times. Playing at first-class level is a bit more relentless, you will face better spells for a longer duration but I’m just hoping I’ll be up to it – I’ve got that hunger to do well.”

England v West Indies – Match abandoned
ScorecardThe final one-day international between England and West Indies at Headingley was washed out as torrential rain lashed Leeds leading to a call-off shortly after 1pm. It meant England take the series 2-0 following their handsome victories at West End and The Oval.In 2009 the corresponding fixture was also abandoned without a ball bowled when the Headingley drainage struggled to cope with a morning downpour but this time the weather never threatened to break to allow any action. This was the fourth day of international cricket lost during the tour following the weather-ruined Edgbaston Test that only had play on two days.The lack of action meant no opportunity to look at England’s rejigged side after they rested Tim Bresnan, Stuart Broad and Graeme Swann, a decision that provoked another debate about resting and rotation. The three players will be back with the squad for the Twenty20 international at Trent Bridge on Sunday which concludes West Indies’ visit.Following the Twenty20, England then have five one-day internationals against Australia before the main contest of the season with a three-Test series against South Africa.

ScorecardTom Cooper top scored with 25 – almost half of Netherlands’ total•Getty Images

Worcestershire produced a stunning bowling performance to condemn Group A leaders Netherlands to only their second CB40 defeat of the campaign courtesy of a nine-wicket victory at The Hague.After the contest was reduced to 39 overs per side due to the inclement weather, Worcestershire skittled the hosts for just 57 inside 24 overs after winning the toss, with only Tom Cooper, who made 25, and captain Peter Borren making double figures. Gareth Andrew and Jack Shantry both claimed three wickets, and David Lucas and skipper Daryl Mitchell took two wickets apiece.Vikram Solanki’s unbeaten 39 from 40 balls saw Worcestershire home inside 14 overs, with the convincing triumph moving them into second place in the table, five points behind the Dutch but with three games in hand.Netherlands never recovered from having Stephan Myburgh caught behind by Ben Scott off the first ball of the innings from Lucas. He and Shantry combined in successive overs to remove Michael Swart and Wesley Barresi to leave the Netherlands 24 for 3 in the eighth over.Cooper had 25 of the Netherlands’ 33, but was trapped in front by Andrew before Lucas caught Cameron Borgas off Shantry seven balls later.Mitchell introduced himself into the attack and made a double breakthrough in the space of five balls, accounting for Tim Gruijters and Mudassar Bukhari as the hosts found themselves seven down for just 47.Borren made 12, but his 33-ball knock came to an end at the hands of Andrew, who trapped him in front and then dismissed Tom Heggelman in similar fashion next ball to complete figures of 3 for 9 off seven overs. Shantry took 3 for 26, wrapping up the innings by dismissing last man Timm van der Gugten for just a single.Despite the loss of Moeen Ali to van der Gugten in the fifth over, Solanki, who struck a century in his side’s defeat to Lancashire on Monday, ensured Worcestershire had no further alarms by hitting five fours. He was accompanied in an unbroken second-wicket stand of 48 by Phil Hughes, who hit one four in his 12 not out.

N Srinivasan, the BCCI president, was reportedly questioned by India’s Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for over six hours on June 18 in connection with a case against an Andhra Pradesh politician, YS Jagan Mohan Reddy. The case relates to Reddy allegedly amassing assets disproportionate to his known sources of income.Srinivasan, the managing director of India Cements and the owner of IPL franchise Chennai Super Kings, was asked to appear before the CBI to explain government orders allowing additional water used by his company’s plants in southern India. The investigative agency claims that India Cements – one of India’s largest cement companies, based in Chennai – invested in Reddy’s businesses in return for getting the order passed. Srinivasan was apparently called in to explain the transactions.Reddy’s father YS Rajasekhara Reddy was chief minister of Andhra Pradesh till his death in a helicopter crash in 2009. A report in says the Reddy government had allegedly allocated water to India Cements’ factories in two districts of Andhra Pradesh in violation of existing rules and regulations. The first information report (FIR) filed by the CBI cites two government orders which it claims helped the company double its production. In return, the FIR claims, India Cements invested a total of Rs 600 million (US$10.9 million) in three companies owned by Reddy. This, according to the CBI, is part of a total of Rs 1.4 billion ($25.45 million) that India Cements has invested in businesses controlled by the Reddy family.

Derbyshire have appointed Simon Storey as their new chief executive. He replaces Keith Loring, who remains with the club in a consultancy role but has stepped down from day-to-day duties.Storey, 42, has a marketing background with 20 year’s commercial experience. He comes from a management role with a pharmaceutical company in Switzerland.”It is an exciting time to join the club,” Storey said. “I am relishing the opportunity to help lead Derbyshire towards future success. I do not underestimate the challenge ahead but I have confidence in the long-term direction of the club and I am committed to bringing all my leadership abilities, commercial experience and sporting passion to help the club achieve our goals on and off the field in the coming years.”Storey will inherit a county in reasonable financial shape, Derbyshire having made a profit in five of the last six years. But the main challenge is to bring back success on the field. Derbyshire have not finished above fifth in Division Two of the County Championship since their only season in the first division – in 2000 – where they finished bottom.Last season had long-standing chairman Don Amott leave the county after a boardroom dispute and coach John Morris left two months into the new season.But Derbyshire have begun 2012 strongly, with victories over Northamptonshire and Glamorgan and a draw against Leicestershire.

Ravi Rampaul, the West Indies fast bowler, has signalled his readiness to return for the Test series against Australia following his bout of dengue fever.At 27, Rampaul has developed into one of the region’s most reliable international bowlers but was unable to be considered for the West Indies pre-tour training squad or the ODI series due to illness – he also had to shrug off a shoulder problem.However Rampaul has returned to playing club cricket in Trinidad and is hopeful of representing the island in their regional first-class tournament semi-final against Barbados, the better to prove his fitness for the Tests that begin on April 7.”I am definitely anxious to get back,” Rampaul told the . “I have missed out on a lot and I just want to get back on the team and then cement my place for the Test series against Australia.””Basically I have been doing my physiotherapy and a lot of training. I have been doing a lot of bowling for the past two weeks on my own in the nets and it has been coming along. This is my first real test here, playing this match [for PowerGen against Preysal]. Hopefully I can do well here and be ready for the Test series against Australia.”Having made his Test debut against Australia in Brisbane in 2009, Rampaul has since lodged a series of sturdy displays with the new ball against Pakistan, Bangladesh and India, bustling through the crease at good pace and also showing the ability to move the ball in the air and off the seam. He is capable of providing a useful pace counterpoint to the unbridled aggression of Kemar Roach, a probable starter in the Tests given the problems he caused Ricky Ponting in the 2009 matches.”Australia is probably one of the hardest teams you can play against,” Rampaul said. “I always like a challenge and I always want to do well against the bigger teams. It has been a tough couple of months for me but I know what I want and I know what my goal is, and I have been training hard and doing my therapy. My shoulder is feeling much better. I am feeling fit and ready.”Though they will lose a handful of key performers to the concurrent IPL, the West Indies team has shown plenty of promise in the ODI series, forcing a 2-2 tie under the increasingly astute leadership of Darren Sammy. The hosts’ fielding has also caught the eye, and Rampaul’s return will add to their bowling options.”The team have been playing a lot of good cricket,” Rampaul said. “They look good. They look fully focussed right now and they gel together pretty well, and I am anxious to get back. [Being on the sidelines for so long], it was a bit hard but it gave me a lot of time to review my past performances and try to figure out batsmen, so when I do start back, I will be ready.”

Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
A lot will rest on Brendon McCullum if New Zealand are to complete their highest successful fourth-innings chase•AFP

An unbeaten 82-run partnership between Brendon McCullum and Ross Taylor set up a tantalising final day in Dunedin, in which all four results remain possible. South Africa need eight wickets to take the series lead, while New Zealand require another 264 runs to complete their highest successful fourth-innings chase. Rain forecast for tomorrow however, may prevent a result.McCullum and Taylor were positive through their association, especially harsh on width outside the off stump from South Africa’s fast bowlers. A mid-session flurry in the evening even produced 40 runs from 31 deliveries, as the pair smacked five fours and a six, making it clear New Zealand were not simply chasing a draw. Although the pitch had become considerably slower and lower over the past two days, a lack of marked increase in turn for Imran Tahir will bolster hopes of an unlikely upset. The possibility was not lost on Graeme Smith, who stationed men on the offside fence towards the end of the day.The two batsmen had put on a promising partnership in the first innings, only to throw their wickets away when New Zealand seemed headed for a significant first innings lead. But on the fourth evening, false shots were rare. Jacques Kallis had Ross Taylor slashing at one too close to his body, late in the day, but apart from that solitary misjudgment, only the truly loose deliveries were attacked. A languid cover drive by Taylor relied more on timing than his characteristic power to reach the fence, while McCullum’s innings displayed a keen awareness of the field, which he sought to manipulate. It has not always been the case for him, even at times during this tour. He was unbeaten on 58, when the umpires called it a day, due to bad light, with Taylor two short of his fifty.The chase was set up by Jacques Rudolph, who became South Africa’s third centurion in their second innings, with an unbeaten 105, embellishing an impressive record in New Zealand, where he now boasts an average of 98.6. South Africa had moved slowly in the first session of the day, largely unwilling to take risks to spur an ambling run rate, but alongside Mark Boucher, Rudolph quickened the tempo after lunch, and South Africa declared with a lead of 400 midway through the afternoon session. He had taken 140 deliveries for his 59 at the end of the first session, but needed only 35 more to move to triple figures, shortly before Smith motioned the innings closed.Eighty-nine overs in the field on day three had seemingly sapped the New Zealand attack, as their opening forays on day four lacked pace and penetration, while South Africa progressed slowly to a hefty lead. Chris Martin was negotiated without fuss by South Africa’s overnight pair – much as he had been throughout several toothless spells the previous afternoon – and though Doug Bracewell coaxed modest nip from a placid surface, his first spell found chiefly the middle of Kallis’ blade, when the batsman resumed an unhurried innings on 107.

Smart stats

• For the 15th time overall in Tests and the first time against New Zealand, three South African batsmen scored centuries in an innings. The last time this happened was in the third Test win against Sri Lanka in CapeTown.

• Jacques Rudolph scored his sixth Test century and his second against New Zealand. On the previous occasion he scored a century against New Zealand, South Africa lost the match by wickets. It is his first Test century since the 102 against Australia in Perth in 2005.

• South Africa’s total of 435 is their highest second-innings score in Tests against New Zealand. On the previous occasion when they made over 400 in the third innings (Johannesburg in 2007), they went on to win by 358 runs.

• If New Zealand are to win the Test, they will become only the fifth team to chase over 400 in the fourth innings. West Indies hold the record for chasing the highest target (418) in Tests. The highest target chased by New Zealand is 324 against Pakistan in 1994.

• The 82-run stand between Ross Taylor and Brendon McCullum is the fourth-highest third-wicket stand for New Zealand against South Africa and is presently their third-highest stand for the third wicket in the fourth innings.

Trent Boult drew the unenviable task of bowling into a strong, chilling wind, but it turned out a blessing when Kallis misjudged the pace of the third ball in Boult’s first over. Expecting the ball to arrive much quicker, Kallis was through a clip off the pads, and ended up scooping it in the air to Rob Nicol at midwicket.Despite that early breakthrough, New Zealand were unable to build pressure as South Africa ambled on comfortably via risk-averse accumulation. The run-rate rarely stirred above three an over, and when AB de Villiers sought to raise it, he found McCullum at deep midwicket with his first truly expansive stroke.The declaration prior to tea gave South Africa enough time to prise the first New Zealand wicket before the break, when Martin Guptill fell prey to Vernon Philander, who induced bounce and slight movement off the seam to take Guptill’s edge on 6.Dale Steyn was down on pace throughout his spells in the second innings, perhaps hampered by a swollen big toe on his landing foot. Morne Morkel threatened with the new ball, hitting Nicol on the shoulder and the wrist in his first spell, but had his natural bounce hamstrung by an aging pitch playing lower as the match wore on.Tahir could not generate the turn he might have hoped for, but was handed a wicket nonetheless – off the worst ball he bowled in the innings. Nicol’s surrender was perhaps the most mindless dismissal of the summer, when he slapped a knee-high full toss to Smith at mid-on. The batsman cringed regretfully almost as soon as he played the stroke, but South Africa were gleeful at the bonus – Tahir barely able to believe his luck, or the folly of a batsman who had scraped through another testing new-ball period from the seamers.McCullum’s fluency was immediate though, as he hit boundaries from each of the first two overs he faced. New Zealand will rest their hopes with him and Taylor, when the pair resume tomorrow, if the weather allows it.