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Muchall keeps Durham hopes alive

ScorecardDurham completed their Friends Life t20 programme with a fourth successive win when they beat Derbyshire by 37 runs at Chester-le-Street. The Dynamos must now wait to discover whether they have qualified for the quarter-finals as one of the two best third-placed teams.Durham were penalised 0.25 points for a salary-cap breach last season, leaving them third in the division on 11.75. They now need either defeat for Glamorgan or a no-result between Warwickshire and Somerset in the Midlands/West/Wales Group, or both Essex and Middlesex to lose in the South Group, to see them through as one of the two best third-placed teams.After being put in, Gordon Muchall’s T20 best of 66 not out took Durham to 187 for 3 and earned him the man of the match award. Derbyshire were all out for 150 with seven balls unused. There were three sixes in Muchall’s 26-ball half-century and his stand of 79 in just under seven overs with Scott Borthwick virtually put the game beyond Derbyshire.They looked like making a fight of it as they sped to 42 in the first four overs of their reply, but the challenge faded after Chesney Hughes went down the pitch and was stumped for 34 in Gareth Breese’s first over. Hughes hit seven fours in his 22-ball knock, but the only other significant contribution came from Dan Redfern.He made 43 off 34 balls before falling to a stunning diving catch at long-off by Ben Stokes, who also showed his athleticism with a sharp piece of fielding off his own bowling to run out Alex Hughes.Phil Mustard, playing his 100th T20 game for Durham, contributed 24 from 21 balls to an opening stand of 54 with acting captain Mark Stoneman, who went on to make 47. His exit brought in Muchall at 83 for 2 in the 11th over and two overs later he drove two successive balls from Wes Durston over long-on for six then also cleared the rope off Redfern.Stokes, the competition’s leading six-hitter with 18, was unable to add to his tally. He made 10 not out after going in when Borthwick fell for 31 in the 18th over.

Glamorgan thrash sorry Somerset

ScorecardJim Allenby impressed with bat and ball as Glamorgan kept up their good form•Getty Images

Jim Allenby produced a fine all-round performance to help unbeaten Glamorgan to their fourth Friends Life t20 win thrashing Somerset by nine wickets at Cardiff.In front of a crowd of nearly 9,000 Glamorgan, who remain top of the Midlands, Wales and West Group, restricted Somerset to 125 for 6 with a fine bowling and fielding performance.And Allenby (47 not out from 47 balls), who also had bowled four tight overs, and Chris Cooke (42 not out from 28 balls) helped to knock off the 126 needed with 4.4 overs to spare. For Somerset, who had won their opening two encounters, Peter Trego top-scored with 42 while Craig Meschede made a quick-fire 30 with the only two sixes of the innings.Somerset decided to bat after winning the toss but made a dreadful start. Graham Wagg reduced Somerset to 14 for 2 in the fourth over taking the wickets of Marcus Trescothick and Craig Kieswetter with consecutive balls.Trescothick was caught on the mid-wicket boundary while Kieswetter was bowled. And it got even better for home side when Michael Hogan bowled former Glamorgan captain Alviro Peterson as Somerset lost three wickets in seven balls.Trego and James Hildreth tried to repair the innings and Somerset had reached 54 for 3 at the halfway stage of the innings. But they suffered another collapse. Hildreth was bowled attempting to sweep Nathan McCullum, while England’s Jos Buttler played on to Dean Cosker to leave them 78 for 5 in the 15th.Meschede put some late impetus into the innings with two massive sixes but Hogan’s final two overs conceded a total of only 12 runs.Glamorgan made a positive start to their reply reaching 38 for nought off the first five overs with Mark Wallace taking 14 from an over from Alfonso Thomas and then striking a six and a four in the next over off Yasir Arafat as the Welsh county brought up the 50.But Arafat got his revenge bowling Wallace for 30 from 19 balls. Glamorgan continued in a positive vein reaching the halfway total of their chase in the eighth over and then 77 for one after 10 overs Cooke hit Trego for two sixes in one over as Glamorgan breezed to victory with 28 balls in the bank.

Zol to captain India U-19s in Australia tri-series

Maharashtra batsman Vijay Zol has been named captain of the India Under-19 squad for the Tri-nation Under-19 Tournament in Australia, which will begin on June 30.Zol and Mumbai batsman Akhil Herwadkar are the only two players in the squad who were a part of the squad at the U-19 World Cup last year, which India won.Zol hit the headlines when he scored an unbeaten 451 during a domestic U-19 match in 2011. During the U-19 World Cup, Zol scored 151 runs in six matches at an average of 25.16. He has scored 272 runs in seven List A matches at an average of 36.Kerala wicketkeeper Sanju Samson, who was part of the Under-19 team for the Asia Cup in 2012, also made the squad. He had had a good domestic season in the limited-overs format, scoring 222 runs in seven games at an average of 37.00 in the Vijay Hazare Trophy and then doing well in the IPL with 206 runs in 11 games.The tournament will also feature U-19 teams from Australia and New Zealand.India Under-19 squad: Vijay Zol (capt), Sanju Samson (vice-capt & wk), Akhil Herwadkar, Shreyas Iyer, Deepak Hooda, Mohammad Saif, Sarfaraz Khan, Ricky Bhui, Abhimanyu Lamba, Rishi Arothe, Atul Singh, CV Milind, Aamir Gani, Kuldeep Yadav, Ankush Bains (wk)

Broad's best secures crushing win

Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsStuart Broad was rampant during an 11-over spell broken only by lunch•PA Photos

In a destructive spell of pace bowling, Stuart Broad blew away New Zealand with career-best figures of 7 for 44 as England surged to a 170-run victory at Lord’s. A Test that had begun at a cautious pace hurtled to a conclusion less than hour after lunch on the fourth day with New Zealand dismantled for 68.Broad took the first five of his wickets in 5.4 overs before lunch to crush New Zealand’s hopes that would have been reasonably high just an hour earlier after Tim Southee, with just the second ten-wicket haul by a New Zealander at Lord’s, had instigated another collapse, England losing their last eight wickets for 54 dating back to Joe Root’s dismissal on the third evening. Yet, to show that days of hard work can be undone in the blink of eye, they went to lunch six down having lost their captain, Brendon McCullum, on the stroke of the break to give Broad his eighth five-wicket haul and remove their last hope of making a dent in the target.History was still weighted against New Zealand at the beginning of their pursuit of 239. Only two sides had chased more to win at Lord’s: West Indies against England in 1984 and England against New Zealand in 2004. Still, with the sun peeping through and the day a touch warmer they might have been expected to get closer than they did.Instead, Broad produced one of the eye-popping bursts that have been dotted through his Test career and which make it all the more exasperating when he appears to divert from the full length that makes him such a threat. The only wicket he took with a short ball was when Southee dimly pulled to deep square-leg. When he bowled Bruce Martin, who was suffering a calf strain that could end his tour, he had his second haul of seven at Lord’s following his previous career-best against West Indies last year.For the first time since 1936, England had just two men bowl unchanged through a completed all-out innings, although Broad and James Anderson did not quite share all ten wickets. The last fell to a chaotic run out after one of the substitute fielders, Adam Dobb, had not quite been able to gather a top-edged hook from Neil Wagner, who then ended up in the middle of the pitch. It was New Zealand’s sixth-lowest total against England.After bringing some solidity back to their batting, this was a reprise of the efforts that haunted New Zealand on the tour of South Africa. Peter Fulton played a big hand in his demise when he fiddled outside off to a delivery he should have left alone, completing a match that made his twin hundreds in Auckland feel a lifetime ago. Hamish Rutherford, though, could do little about the ball he received, which seamed away off middle and extracted the off stump.Two deliveries later Broad added another, the key wicket of Ross Taylor, whose aggressive approach knocked England off their stride in the first innings, with a ball that seamed away and was edged low to first slip where Alastair Cook took an excellent catch. Like Fulton, Taylor may consider that he did not need to play but the early adrenalin of an innings can be difficult to control.Broad’s next success came in slightly more unconventional fashion for an opening bowler against the top order when Kane Williamson, the epitome of technical correctness and calmness, drove a fierce catch to catch to extra cover, which knocked Steven Finn off his feet.Anderson compounded New Zealand’s problems by producing one of the dismissals of the match. After hooping a delivery viciously back between Dean Brownlie’s bat and pad – unplayable was a term not out of place – he then made the next delivery hold its line outside off stump and the batsman edged to first slip. McCullum tried to make a statement by not resisting his shots but was taken on the pad; he used the DRS – he had to – but the impact was just in line with off stump.The final outcome was tremendously tough on Southee, whose six second-innings wickets had come in the space of 52 balls from late on the third day and placed him alongside Dion Nash on the ten-wickets honours board. In a hint of what was to follow over the next three hours, Finn (who would never have believed he would not be needed with the ball) edged the fifth ball of the day into the slips to begin a procession of 14 batsmen falling for 101.Southee’s five-wicket haul came when Ian Bell, still suffering from tonsillitis, edged loosely to third slip but his personal success will be scant consolation after what followed.

Essex look to Cook for assistance

ScorecardGraham Napier made an invaluable 74 from No. 9•Getty Images

Such is the professionalism of the England team these days that there has never been a higher expectation that when England players return to their county sides in the Championship, they will deliver. That was certainly the case for Joe Root in Yorkshire’s victory at Durham and here, Essex need Alastair Cook to bring some stability to their season.Cook’s status, as England’s captain, could hardly be more proven. He strolls around Chelmsford with an easy charm which tells of achievements already secured and challenges to come. Essex value his presence all the same as they seek to arrest a disturbing start to the season.Halfway through this match, Hampshire, strongly fancied for promotion, have edged to a lead of 20 runs, their second innings creeping along at two-an-over. They lost Michael Carberry and Jimmy Adams to David Masters’ new-ball spell, Carberry falling to a fast catch by Ben Foakes off the meat of the bat at forward short leg.It would be understandable if Essex, an innings defeat against Northamptonshire still fresh in the mind, are already hankering after Cook to produce a matchwinning response in the fourth innings. He will be back with England in a flash, but at the moment temporary assistance is welcome.Cook batted in an orderly fashion as if intent upon gently attuning his mind to the approaching demands of two back-to-back Ashes series. He proceeded without much ado for more than four hours – 176 balls for 59 – before James Tomlinson found a little swing around leg stump and had him lbw.”It’s been Alastair at his most restrained,” observed one Essex member as she gazed over the sunlit River Cam at lunchtime. The observation came with a wistful sigh as if she would like to mother him. She sounded like a proud parent, recognising that her offspring had grown up and gone on to better things, but half wishing she could have held back the clock.At 73 for 6, Essex were in a pickle, the score doing little for the well-being of Paul Grayson, the coach, who was unwell. But Cook stayed on long enough to add a few appealing condiments. The bracing ingredients came, though, from Graham Napier, who struck 74 from 105 balls to give Essex a useful first-innings lead of 57. Their last four wickets added 181.Napier lost his T20 world record for six-hitting last week when Chris Gayle struck 17 in one knock in his IPL rampage for Royal Challengers Bangalore. Napier had hit 16 for Essex against Sussex Sharks in 2008 and Essex actually delayed a practice session at Northampton to watch Gayle take his record.Napier felt obliged to pronounce himself “a bit gutted”, which is presumably even worse than gutted, on the grounds that some of the bones are left in, but he is an easy-going, uncomplicated sort who will not fret that he has lost part of his place in cricket history – he still jointly holds the first-class record for most sixes in an innings. He found the going strikingly easier than anybody (at least until Tim Phillips hit with gusto for 40 from at No. 10), although there was only one six, a pick-up over midwicket off the left-arm spinner Danny Briggs.Over lunch the first sun warning of the summer was given on the Chelmsford public address. These are routinely made on county grounds whenever the temperature creeps above about 14 degrees. No sooner was the announcement made than the sun went in and a chill wind took hold again. Such warnings are probably just as well when Cook bats because famously he never sweats and could presumably create a misleading impression. It is a wonder Health & Safety have not banned him because of it.

Shakib hopeful of being fit for Zimbabwe tour

Shakib Al Hasan has expressed confidence of being fit and available before Bangladesh’s tour to Zimbabwe in April. He has been out of international cricket since November last year with a stress fracture on his shin.”Hopefully I will be fit and available before the tour of Zimbabwe,” Shakib said in Dhaka. “I started running from yesterday (Saturday) under the guidance of [National Academy trainer] Stuart Karppinen and did not feel any discomfort.””But as far as my cricketing fitness is concerned, I am still getting there because I haven’t yet started batting or bowling. By next week, I will start with bat and ball to regain the fitness required to play at competitive level.”Shakib underwent an operation on his right calf in Sydney last month as a result of which he missed Bangladesh’s tour to Sri Lanka.Bangladesh have been setback by a spate of injuries. After Shakib was ruled out of Sri Lanka tour, Enamul Haque Jr, Naeem Islam, Shahriar Nafees, Mashrafe Mortaza, Shafiul Islam, Nazmul Hossain and Tamim Iqbal have all pulled out of the tour at some stage.Shakib blamed the cricket schedule for the long list of injuries. “If you look at the calendar, you’ll notice that we have been playing a lot of cricket lately, both domestic and international.”So these kinds of injuries can happen on a regular basis. But at the same time, this helps newer players to get opportunities,” he said.

Harris' late show seals win for Bulls

ScorecardRyan Harris delivered victory for Queensland with two wickets in the final over of the match•Getty Images

Ryan Harris conjured a sizzling final over to snatch for Queensland a domestic limited overs final that Victoria seemed to have in their keeping after a night of many fluctuations on a lively MCG surface kept fresh by rain.Needing five runs from 10 balls with three wickets in hand following a pair of sixes swung by Clint McKay, the Bushrangers lost Will Sheridan without addition but still needed only five from Harris’ final over of the match. It was a task he had been saved for while the hosts took advantage of some wayward bowling by Cameron Gannon.After a pair of singles, Harris whizzed down a lifter that McKay did well to edge and Chris Hartley better still to catch, leaping well off the ground to claim the chance. Next ball Fawad Ahmed pushed apprehensively at a delivery of immaculate line and length and Peter Forrest held another sharp chance at second slip, a cue for jubilant Bulls and disconsolate Bushrangers.Under the astute yet uncomplicated helmsmanship of the coach Darren Lehmann and the captain James Hopes, the Bulls now hold both the Sheffield Shield and limited overs titles, while the Brisbane Heat carried off the Big Bash League in January. They have shown a knack for finding something extra in tight moments.In a strong reminder that he will be a more than useful Ashes tourist should his fitness hold up, Harris made a lively start to the innings also, nipping out Aaron Finch while keeping the runs down. Along with James Hopes, Alister McDermott and Gannon, Harris ensured regular wickets always kept the Bulls in the match, until McKay’s sixes had threatened to finish it.Peter Handscomb and Cameron White came closest to establishing a match-winning stand, but the Bushrangers captain succumbed to one of several short balls that leapt threateningly across the evening – symptomatic of a contest in which no batsman passed 50.Queensland had seemed unlikely winners when the match was stopped for rain after 20.1 overs in the afternoon, a scoreline of 4 for 69 relating how their batsmen struggled on a pitch offering movement and bounce to the seamers.The delay reduced the match to 32 overs per side, and for some time after the resumption the Bulls did not look like setting any sort of total for Victoria to chase, slipping to 7 for 97 when Ahmed deceived Peter Forrest in the midst of another teasing spell of leg spin.However Jason Floros summoned his cleanest hitting to capitalise on Victorian errors of length in the closing overs, crashing the first three balls of the final over, bowled by John Hastings, for six, four and six. In all 18 came from that final over, runs that would give Harris just enough room to seal a thrilling victory.

Taylor's treatment 'unfathomable' – Woodhill

Former New Zealand assistant coach Trent Woodhill has blamed the New Zealand team management for the “unfathomable” treatment of Ross Taylor, saying he sensed the trouble brewing during the team’s tour of the West Indies last year. Taylor took temporary leave of absence from New Zealand cricket after losing his Test captaincy in December 2012, and returned to the national side for the T20 series against England.”During the West Indies tour I was really frustrated with the way Ross Taylor was being treated, not by anyone other than the manager and a few of the senior players who weren’t giving him the support that he needed,” Woodhill told . “I don’t think it was ever about Ross and Brendon. It was always about management. To me, Brendon should want to captain his country and I was all for a split captaincy, but it’s just the way it was done [that was the problem].”After the World Twenty20 I closed the book on New Zealand, but the way Ross was treated and is being treated I just feel bitter towards their treating [of] one of the best human beings I’ve ever met. Ross Taylor is literally the nicest guy you could ever meet and the most respectful and down to earth, and the way they treated him [was unfathomable].”Following his removal from Test captaincy, Taylor said he “never” received support from Mike Hesson, the New Zealand coach, during his time as captain and that he was “surprised” by the timing of the decision that came after he had led New Zealand to victory over Sri Lanka in Colombo.Woodhill, who is from Australia, was involved with the Melbourne Stars in the Big Bash League and will be part of the Delhi Daredevils support staff during the IPL. When asked about why he wasn’t appointed the New Zealand coach, instead of Hesson, he said, “The New Zealanders didn’t want a foreigner. They had issues with [former Australian coach and director of cricket] John Buchanan – he was ostracised, and still is – and the manager, players’ association rep and new CEO [David White] all just wanted a Kiwi in there.”

McGrath and Turner join Hall of Fame

Two of Australia’s finest fast bowlers, Glenn McGrath and Charlie Turner, will become the newest additions to the Australian Cricket Hall of Fame on Monday. Turner and McGrath represented Australia a century apart but will together be inducted into the Hall of Fame at the Allan Border Medal ceremony in Melbourne, bringing the number of inductees to 37.The nomination of McGrath follows last year’s induction of his long-time team-mate Shane Warne, who bowed out from Test cricket alongside McGrath during the Sydney Ashes Test in the first week of 2007. The inaugural winner of the Allan Border Medal in 2000, McGrath took 563 Test wickets at 21.64 as well as 381 wickets at 22.02 in one-day internationals, and was inducted into the ICC Hall of Fame in December last year.”I’m very humbled but it’s a huge honour,” McGrath said. “I grew up in the country watching cricket and loving cricket from a young age and the thought of one day playing for Australia was such a dream.”To achieve that, but then to be lucky enough to have played for as long as I did in an amazing era, and now to be inducted into the Hall of Fame is a huge honour. To be alongside some of my heroes growing up, guys like Dennis Lillee, Rod Marsh, the Chappells, there are some incredible names there. To think that my name is alongside those is pretty amazing.”Just as McGrath was the pre-eminent Australian fast bowler of his era, Turner was Australia’s leading fast man during his international career, which spanned the years 1887 to 1895. Turner, known as the “Terror”, was the natural successor to Fred Spofforth, whose final Test was Turner’s debut, and in 17 Tests Turner collected 101 wickets at the average of 16.53.He remains the equal second-fastest man to the 100-wicket milestone in Tests; among Australians, only Clarrie Grimmett can match Turner’s record of reaching the mark in 17 matches. Turner, who played for New South Wales, also had a remarkable first-class record of 993 wickets at 14.25.”Glenn McGrath and Charlie Turner were each the outstanding Australian fast bowler of their era,” David Crow, the Australian Cricket Hall of Fame chairman, said. “Despite careers more than a century apart, they had much in common. Tall, right-arm fast bowlers, both men hailed from country New South Wales. Their superb records demonstrate the dominance each had over opposition batsmen over a prolonged period.”The Hall of Fame began in 1996 with the induction of ten players and a further 27 have been added in the years since.Hall of Fame inductees Warwick Armstrong, Richie Benaud, John Blackham, Allan Border, Sir Donald Bradman, Greg Chappell, Ian Chappell, Alan Davidson, George Giffen, Clarrie Grimmett, Neil Harvey, Lindsay Hassett, Ian Healy, Clem Hill, Bill Lawry, Dennis Lillee, Ray Lindwall, Charles Macartney, Rod Marsh, Stan McCabe, Glenn McGrath, Graham McKenzie, Keith Miller, Arthur Morris, Monty Noble, Bill O’Reilly, Bill Ponsford, Bob Simpson, Fred Spofforth, Mark Taylor, Hugh Trumble, Victor Trumper, Charlie Turner, Doug Walters, Shane Warne, Steve Waugh, Bill Woodfull.

Anderson, Trott rested from ODIs

England have rested fast bowler James Anderson and batsman Jonathan Trott from the ODI series in India in January and replaced them with Chris Woakes and Jos Buttler. They have also included batsman Joe Root in the Twenty20 squad for the two matches in December before they return home for Christmas.”Woakes and Buttler replace Anderson and Trott in the India ODI squad as the selectors look to manage workloads,” the ECB said in a statement.Anderson had originally been selected only to play the first three matches of the five-ODI series, but he will now miss the entire contest after playing an important role in England’s 2-1 victory in the Test series in India.Woakes, who is currently playing domestic cricket in New Zealand, has played six ODIs, taking seven wickets at 29.14 and scoring 72 runs. Most of scalps came in one innings when he claimed 6 for 45 against Australia in Brisbane. He spent a lot of time around the squad during 2012 without commanding a regular place.Buttler, the 22-year-old Somerset batsman, only has one ODI cap under his belt. In that match, against Pakistan in Dubai, he collected a second-ball duck.Root was added to the T20 squad that was weakened by the injury to Stuart Broad, who will be replaced as captain as Eoin Morgan. Although Root face 229 balls for his 73 on debut, he also has a more flamboyant side to his game as he showed briefly in the second innings and has demonstrated for Yorkshire in the domestic Friends Life t20.England play Twenty20 internationals on December 20 and 22 before returning home for Christmas and the New Year. They return to India in the first week of January for the ODI series.Twenty20 squad: Jonny Bairstow, Tim Bresnan, Danny Briggs, Jos Buttler, Jade Dernbach, Alex Hales, Michael Lumb, Stuart Meaker, Eoin Morgan (capt), Samit Patel, James Tredwell, Luke Wright, Joe Root, James Harris.ODI squad: Alastair Cook (capt), Jonny Bairstow, Ian Bell, Tim Bresnan, Danny Briggs, Jade Dernbach, Steven Finn, Craig Kieswetter, Stuart Meaker, Eoin Morgan, Samit Patel, Kevin Pietersen, James Tredwell, Chris Woakes, Jos Buttler.

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