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Scorecard
The experienced pair of Charlotte Edwards and Claire Taylor rescued an experimental England line-up from an early wobble chasing South Africa’s 158, to maintain their unblemished record this summer with a six-wicket win and ease to a 4-0 series lead.With the series already secured, England sent in Beth Morgan and Jenny Gunn at the top of the order, instead of their usual places lower down, and the pair put on a solid 40 before England lost 4 for 18 mainly through Ashlyn Kilowan.But although Kilowan finished with 3 for 19 – Gunn, Ebony Rainford-Brent and Laura Marsh – South Africa’s attack couldn’t penetrate the doughty defences of Edwards and Taylor who guided England home with an unbroken stand of 101. Taylor reached 37 not out, while the in-form Edwards caressed her way to 58. The other Taylor, Sarah, will have to wait another match to attempt her world record, but she and England can afford to wait for it.Earlier, Alicia Smith had provided substance for South Africa, making a solid 68 and Shandre Fritz added a handy 31, both falling to run-outs. England bowled well as a unit to systematically dismiss work their way through the line-up however, and there was a wicket on debut for 16-year-old Anya Shrubsole. Though Shrubsole opened the bowling, the pace bowler had to wait until the end to close the innings, as the tailender Marcia Letsoalo was snapped up by Isa Guha.The series concludes at Chesterfield on Monday and South Africa will be encouraged by the determined batting shown by Smith and Fritz and their initial bowling efforts. But with England in such dominant form, the home side are well on course for the clean sweep.

Leicestershire captain Vince Wells is likely to be out of action for the remainder of the season after breaking a finger in last Sunday’s Norwich Union League win over Yorkshire at Scarborough.It means he will miss this week’s floodlit match against Somerset at Grace Road and the Championship game against the same side which begins on Thursday.He is also unlikely to be fit for final Championship game away to Surrey and the last Norwich Union League match against Worcestershire at New Road.Wells will be replaced for the floodlit clash with Somerset by young all rounder Damien Brandy who has been impressing recently for the second team.Indian seamer Javagal Srinath will be rested for that game with Phil DeFreitas coming back into the side along with Carl Crowe who is fit again after a hip problem.Srinath will return for the Championship game which will see Rob Cunliffe replacing Wells.

Saeed Anwar, Pakistan’ dashing left-handed opening batsman, indicated Monday he may feature in the last couple of games of the Super League One-day Ramazan Cup in Lahore.Saeed has been forced to miss the first part of the tournament because he had to rush down to Karachi for family reasons.His father-in-law is in critical condition with renal failure and other complications and is currently admitted in an ICU of a local hospital where he is undergoing dialysis.Saeed, who was inexplicably ignored by national selectors for the current tour of Zimbabwe, hopes to play in the Super League matches later on.”I am forced by circumstances beyond my control to miss the start of the Super League tournament,” a visibly disturbed Saeed told Dawn. “My father-in-law is seriously ill and I can’t expect myself to keep away from family matters in this hour of need.”The Karachi-born, who now lives in Lahore, said that he has taken permission from the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to skip playing in the early stage of the tournament, which got under way Monday at Gaddafi Stadium.”With six matches available, I can afford to take it easy and God willing, if matters improve here, I shall play at least three games,” Saeed remarked.When asked how he felt as far as his motivation is concerned, Saeed replied, “I am raring to go and prove them (the selectors) that there is still a lot of cricket left in me.”After all, I have averaged 35 over the last 25 One-day Internationals. My performances in Morocco Cup and ICC Champions Trophy were quite good.”Saeed dearly wants to figure in another World Cup campaign before he ends his distinguished career. He was easily Pakistan’s best batsman in the last edition in England three years ago. Then he made 368 runs in 10 matches with match-winning centuries against Zimbabwe (103) in the Super Six tie at The Oval and the semifinal against New Zealand (113 not out) at Old Trafford.Saeed, who also led Pakistan both in Tests and one-dayers, is the proud holder of a batting world record when he smashed that memorable 194 off 146 deliveries with 22 fours and five sixes against old foes India, at Chennai in May 1997.At the age of 34, Saeed still has a lot to offer at the international level.Dogged by huge problems at the top of the order, Saeed is the ideal man to lend his experience – 4052 runs in 55 Tests and 8605 runs in 242 One-day Internationals – to a Pakistan side lacking in confidence after their recent drubbing by Australia.Pakistan’s only Test win over South Africa – their next opponents after Zimbabwe tour – was based on a fine innings of 103 by none other than Saeed Anwar at Durban in 1998.

Why Shoaib Malik shouldn’t open
The last time he opened Pakistan’s innings was in Gwalior, against India on November 15, 2007. Salman Butt took first strike then and was out lbw second ball to RP Singh for a sifar (zero). Seven months later, Malik walked out once again with Butt. Malik’s partner lasted three balls this time, out edging Afzaal Haider – for a sifar. The captain might want to give up opening aspirations for the sake of a young teammate.Left-armed compliment
Pakistan’s troubles against left-arm spinners are well-documented. From Vinoo Mankad to Ray Bright to Maninder Singh to Phil Edmonds to Nick Cook to Ashley Giles to Mohammad Rafique to Monty Panesar, Pakistan have always seemed to bat for the cause of the most unglamorous variety of spinners.With that in mind, Hong Kong went with a smart strategy: packing their side with left-arm spinners, much like the Bangladesh side of not so long ago. Nadeem Ahmed, Najeeb Amar and Munir Dar gave away 120 runs in 27 overs, and Nadeem accounted for the wickets of Younis Khan, Mohammad Yousuf, Misbah-ul-Haq and Shahid Afridi.Dodgy decision of the day
Nadeem, playing his second ODI, had everything going for him and looked good for a five-for when he finished his seventh over, his figures at the stage reading 7-1-33-4. But he was taken off at the end of the 28th over with Pakistan’s score at 158 for 6, and brought back in the 43rd over. Sohail Tanvir and Fawad Alam had settled in by then, and got stuck into Nadeem in his ninth over, which went for 12 runs. Nadeem didn’t get to bowl his 10th. Had he taken a fifth wicket, he would have become the first Hong Kong bowler to do so; in any case his 9-1-51-4 were the best bowling figures for Hong Kong.Baptism by fire
This was the first international match – and the second first-class match – for Hong Kong’s Irfan Ahmed, 18. And he got in the way of a intent to get off the blocks. Iftikhar Anjum got his first ball of the match to nip in sharply, beat Irfan’s defenses, and end his innings in exactly one delivery. The bat had come down at an angle, and Anjum made sure Irfan would have enough time to ponder over the backswing.Stretcher for two
In the 28th over of Hong Kong’s innings, Zain Abbas tried to crack Shahid Afridi through the covers and caught a helmetless Younis Khan smack on the head. The ball rebounded and went into the covers. Zain, himself cramping and batting with a runner, had taken down a player.A stretcher was called for – it wasn’t clear whether for Zain or Younis – and Umar Gul, fielding at the boundary, hitched himself a ride to the centre. Both Younis and Zain decided to go off, and shared the ride out. Younis, though, came back after a few overs to bowl, and managed to take a wicket too.

Former England opener and Cricinfo contributor David Lloyd has called on the Lancashire League to scrap the long-standing arrangement whereby clubs pay for a professional player to boost their ranks.Lloyd speaks with authority about the Lancashire League. He made his debut for Accrington in 1963 as a 16-year-old and played regularly for them before and after his first-class career. He returned to play for them in a few games this summer at the age of 61.In the heyday of the league some of the biggest names in the game turned out, but the admission of overseas players into the first-class ranks and the spread of the paid professional to clubs across the country has made attracting big names all but impossible. That, allied to the financial problems facing many sides, caused Lloyd speak out.”In my opinion professionals are unsustainable in the league,” Lloyd told the Lancashire Telegraph. “It’s such a burden to continue to try and find the money and a number of clubs, financially, are on the edge.”Last summer, Lloyd highlighted the financial crisis threatening the future of his own club. “Even after the success we have had this year we are still in quite a parlous state,” he told the paper. “We have had an unbelievable season and the support has been fabulous but we are still not making money and we are having to work hard to get things right.”It’s pretty obvious that that the days of a crackerjack professional have gone because they are elsewhere and another unsatisfactory thing is that with so many professionals coming and going there are that many sub pros, which is another complication for clubs. I’m not saying knock it on the head straight away, but it might be worth having a moratorium for a season or two to see how it goes and starting a debate.”Perhaps it will be an incentive for the amateurs to do more.”

Leicestershire have plenty of Twenty20 pedigree having won the title twice in 2004 and 2006, and can draw on some first-hand IPL experience. Jeremy Snape, one of the original Twenty20 cricketers, was part of the Rajasthan Royals’ backroom staff and it will be fascinating to see what skills and innovations he brings to Grace Road.Durham can also draw on the IPL exploits of Albie Morkel and Shaun Pollock, giving their side depth with bat and ball which will make them dangerous opponents. Lancashire have been inconsistent this season, but Andrew Flintoff is likely to reappear at some point during the qualifiers and can win a match on his own. Lou Vincent and Stuart Law bring power with the bat (and their ICL links).Will Michael Vaughan be Yorkshire’s secret weapon? It’s unlikely, he’s only played two Twenty20 matches in his career – both for England. But Darren Gough’s body should be able to stand-up to a few four-over spells.Derbyshire have the ability to surprise a few people, with Rikki Clarke and Graham Wagg two of their key players along with Charl Langeveldt’s pinpoint yorkers. Nottinghamshire will miss their three England players – Ryan Sidebottom, Stuart Broad and Graeme Swann – but watch out for Samit Patel, another England star of the future.

Somerset look the early favourites, with a top order including Marcus Trescothick, Ian Blackwell, Justin Langer and James Hildreth. They are the only team from the group to have previously won the tournament, when Graeme Smith was their overseas player in 2005.Northamptonshire, with their stack of South African allrounders, have the ability to push them close, but for those hoping for success from young English talent will be keeping an eye on Glamorgan. Herschelle Gibbs is a shrewd Twenty20 signing, and this could be the tournament that allows the youngsters to express themselves.Gloucestershire made the final last year and possess the destructive Craig Spearman who can destroy any attack. Graeme Hick has shown that age is no barrier to Twenty20 success, but Worcestershire’s form is poor and the same can be said of Warwickshire, who are rebuilding under Ashley Giles. However, Twenty20 is chance for both sides to turn their season around.

Surrey, the winners of the first competition back in 2003 and four-time finals day participants, have the pedigree in this group but they face tough opposition from holders Kent as well as Sussex.All three sides posses some awesome batsmen, but you have to fancy that Sussex’s bowling strength, even though Mushtaq Ahmed misses the first part of the competition through injury, could tip things in their favour. Kent have two of the best death bowlers around, Azhar Mahmmod and Yasir Arafat, and also a very deep batting order.Of the others, Hampshire will struggle to fill the void left by the retirement of Shane Warne, and their big guns, Kevin Pietersen and Dimitri Mascarenhas, will make only the briefest of appearances before the ODI series against New Zealand. Essex will similarly miss Ravi Bopara, while Middlesex don’t seem to have the firepower with either bat or ball to be there or thereabouts.To Qualify: Sussex, Kent

Stephen Fleming’s defending champions touched down in Sri Lanka on the weekend, confident that they could retain their crown in this year’s ICC Champions Trophy.The Clear Black Caps clinched a surprise win in ICC Knockout 2000 – the forerunner to the current tournament – overcoming Zimbabwe and Pakistan before defeating India in the final.And despite a relatively poor run in the two years since – only 18 wins in 56 matches – Fleming believes good planning and hard work gives his side a good chance of success.”We are excited by the prospect of defending a championship that we won pretty well last time and arrive here in very good heart,” he said, speaking from the team’s Colombo hotel.New Zealand prepared for the tournament with four state games in Sydney, winning them all, and now have plenty of time to prepare for their first game on Sept 15.”Australia was all about getting into the swing of playing again,” he said. “The conditions will be very different here but just getting outside was the first step for us.””We were lucky to have good weather and we come here early with a good programme in place for our preparation. We have two tough practice matches to get used to the heat and, in a weeks time, we should be ready to go.”Unfortunately, however, they need to defeat world champions Australia, who have been in ominous form during a tri-series in Kenya, to stay in the competition.”We have confidence in our preparation and are going to be well prepared by the time that we play Australia,” he claimed.”We respect them as a cricket side and you have to be at the top of your game to compete well with them, but we back ourselves to do that through hard work and good planning.”He admitted, though, that the unavailability of injured Chris Cairns, who scored a match-winning hundred in the 2000 tournament, was a major blow.”The absence of Chris Cairns has affected the balance of the side because he is a world-class all-rounder, but it has given an opportunity to younger players and they have come to the fore.”He singled out fast bowler Shane Bond and all-rounders Scott Styris and Jacob Oram as the players to look out for.”Shane Bond – in excellent form after a stint with Warwickshire – is an exceptional talent, a fast bowler with genuine that we are very lucky to have. Jacob Oram is an exciting all-rounder and Scot Styris had a successful tour of the West Indies.”New Zealand have an unfortunate history in Sri Lanka, their tours frequently coinciding with terrorist attacks and security concerns.Tours in 1987, 1992, 1997 and 2001 were all marred by security fears and three players refused to tour this time.But Fleming appeared relaxed: “Everything has been very smooth so far. We have been here quite a few times so know what to expect and have looked forward to the visit.”He looked forward to the ICC’s experiment with enhanced technological support for umpires during the tournament, including the use of replays for lbw decisions.”The players are just waiting to see how it goes. This is the opportune time to try it out before the World Cup and we hope it goes well, adding another dimension to the game.”

SYDNEY, Oct 9 AAP – Michael Slater’s prospects of being named in the first NSW Pura Cup side of the summer suffered a blow today when he was comfortably outscored by both of his major rivals.Slater made just eight off 34 balls in a practice match at Bankstown Oval, currying little favour with selectors ahead of tomorrow’s announcement of the NSW team to play Queensland starting Wednesday.Other candidates scored heavily in early season grade and second XI games but Slater struggled for an invitational XI playing the NSW ING Cup team.Corey Richards and Matthew Phelps looked in good touch and likely to retain their places for the opening Pura Cup game in Brisbane.Phelps, who was yesterday left out of the Blues one day team, smashed 99 off 117 balls for the invitational team, having already scored three hundreds in his four previous grade and second XI innings.Richards, who has also scored three centuries this season, scored 61 off 62 deliveries, helping hand NSW a 25-run win.With Richards and Phelps demanding selection, Slater’s chances of being named in the team tomorrow could hinge on the fitness of all-rounder Shane Lee.A niggly knee problem is likely to prevent Lee from bowling in the match which might allow Slater to bat at number three.While he was dropped from both the NSW one and four day teams last summer, Slater was recalled to captain the Blues in their final Pura Cup fixture of the campaign where he batted at first drop.Richards and Phelps apart, the other batsmen expected to be named in a side to be captained by Simon Katich are Michael Bevan and Michael Clarke.Bevan scored 62 off 88 balls today and added 137 off 143 balls with Richards as NSW made 7-257.Katich scored 21 off 29 balls in his first outing for NSW and put on 60 for the fourth wicket with Clarke (36).Left arm paceman Nathan Bracken took 2-32 off 10 overs while leg spinner Stuart MacGill went for 84 off 10 overs as the invitational side finished on 9-232.

Salman Taseer has resigned from the three-man Appellate Tribunal, which is hearing Shoaib Akhtar’s appeal against a five-year ban imposed on him by the Pakistan board, citing his commitments as the Governor of Punjab, a post to which he was appointed on May 15.”The chairman of the board [Nasim Ashraf] will now appoint someone to replace Taseer after consulting the head of the tribunal, Justice (retd) Aftab Farrukh,” a PCB official told the .Taseer’s resignation comes days before the tribunal was set to reconvene on June 4 to resume their hearing into Shoaib’s appeal. The tribunal had, last month, suspended Shoaib’s five-year ban to allow him to take part in the inaugural edition of the Indian Premier League.The tribunal was constituted by the Pakistan board in April, and is headed by a retired justice, Farrukh, who was the former Judge of the Lahore High Court, and also includes former Test cricketer Haseeb Ahsan.

Despite some aggressive batting, West Indies A could not grasp the initiative in their tour match with Nottinghamshire at Trent Bridge. After initially rattling along at six runs per over against an inexperienced Nottinghamshire attack, the West Indians lost wickets in search of quick runs before skipper Daren Ganga declared 65 runs behind. The home side then set about the tourists’ bowling, hitting 38 in as many minutes to lead by 102 going into the final day. The captains are clearly pushing for a result, which should mean some entertaining cricket tomorrow.Ryan Hinds was the West Indies’ star with the bat, crashing 73 from 75 balls. The 21-year-old Bajan struck nine fours and two explosive sixes before fallingto Gareth Clough. Tom Savill earned an lbw decision to trap Donovan Pagon (1) early, as the West Indians replied to Nottinghamshire’s first innings 287. Thoughts of another collapse were dispelled by Devon Smith, who hit seven boundaries in a 21-ball knock which bought 31 powerful runs. Smith has had a wretched tour, and such positive batting may prove a turning point.Smith threw his wicket away though, and Ganga continued a poor run, edging Savill to keeper Wayne Noon for just 10. Hinds joined Runako Morton, whose blistering 33 came at better than a run a ball. Though he claimed two early wickets, Savill was the most expensive of the bowlers, thrashed for eight runs an over. Nadeem Malik’s line also strayed, as West Indies took advantage.Malik, Savill, Clough and Paul McMahon each claimed a brace of wickets. Though they were often wayward, it is encouraging to see Nottinghamshire’s future stars given a chance so early. No less than six of the side are still in their teens.Earlier, Vikram Atri fell agonisingly short of a debut century. The 19-year-old student batted more fluently this morning, hitting 16 boundaries in a 175-ball innings which was terminated on 98 by the spin of Hinds.Jermaine Lawson (4-91) was the pick of the bowlers, well supported by Hinds(3-54) and Tino Best (2-69) who removed Samit Patel, who made a pleasant 35 on debut. The third debutant in the side, Will Smith, also looked good. He remained unbeaten on 38 as the home side lost wickets in a hurry before declaring after Savill and McMahon had both been dismissed first ball.