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Niall O’Brien, the Ireland wicketkeeper-batsman, has signed a three-year deal with Leicestershire, extending a career in county cricket that he sees as an effective way for Irish cricketers to gain the experience that is denied to them at international level by a lack of fixtures.Ireland failed to qualify from Group B of the World Twenty20 in Sri Lanka, playing only one full match, and currently only have four fixtures scheduled in the next 12 months. O’Brien praised county cricket for giving him the opportunity to develop. He has scored 5,317 first-class runs at an average of 35.91 and moves to Grace Road following three seasons at Kent and six years at Northamptonshire.”Most of the Irish boys are playing full-time in England. We love playing county cricket; it’s a very good standard and a good way to learn your trade,” he told ESPNcricinfo. “We play three different competitions, which is very very helpful. But it’s not for everyone. A few of the lads are fully contracted and based in Ireland.”There’s not a lot of cricket for Ireland and that’s disappointing. We’d like to be playing cricket year round and to develop we need to be on the future tours programme playing against the best sides in different conditions. The odd games here and there are great occasions but they’re few and far between. As a professional sportsman, it’s difficult playing against big sides just once a year. I accept that teams have busy schedules but hopefully we can be involved on a more regular basis.”For the immediate future, O’Brien 30, joins Leicestershire with the chance to work with a young side, aided by the experience of captain, Matthew Hoggard, Claude Henderson and former West Indies batsman Ramnaresh Sarwan. “There’s some good young players there and I’m looking forward to getting stuck in and setting a good example,” O’Brien said. “There is talent and I’m hoping to help it grow.”Leicestershire chief executive, Mike Siddall, said: “We are delighted that Niall is joining. With the untimely retirement of Will Jefferson the club needed an experienced opening batsman and Niall fits the bill perfectly. He is a top-class international cricketer who will bring his personality and knowledge to the dressing room and we are really pleased he has chosen Leicestershire.”The deal was being sounded out while O’Brien was in Sri Lanka, as Ireland went out of the World T20 with two inadequate batting displays: 123 for 9 against Australia and 129 for 6 against the eventual winners, West Indies.”We were disappointed with how we played, especially against Australia,” O’Brien said. “If we’d have played even five to ten percent better we would have got through the group ahead of West Indies. But we competed well and batted our allocation twice having been in poor positions – we didn’t get bowled out cheaply like England, Afghanistan and Zimbabwe did.”To make the step from competing well to winning on the world stage, Ireland are seeking more international fixtures, with Bangladesh and Zimbabwe the most likely opponents. But O’Brien described a “reluctance” for those teams to commit to fixtures against Ireland – a subject fast bowler Trent Johnston was vocal about at the World T20.

ScorecardSteven Croft and Karl Brown put on a magnificent unbroken century stand for the third wicket to lead Lancashire to an eight-wicket victory at Chelmsford, which earned the Group A winners a home semi-final.The visitors, who had already won the group, passed their opponents’ 186 all out with 21 deliveries to spare. Croft made 66 and Brown 87 as they put on 160 in 30 overs to make sure the earlier efforts of Oliver Newby with the ball were rewarded.Newby emerged with figures of 5 for 35, his limited-overs best, before his team-mates saw Lancashire to 187 for 2. Essex had looked set for a much more formidable total as openers Tom Westley and Mark Pettini moved to 47 in the 10th over without looking in any trouble.However, Newby snared both in his first two overs and then put the home side firmly on the back foot at 70 for 3 when he also removed Greg Smith. He later returned to shift Adam Wheater and Maurice Chambers as Essex’s batsmen failed to make the most of decent starts.Five were dismissed in the 20s, among them Owais Shah who was the victim of a brilliant piece of work in the field by Brown whose direct hit from deep extra-cover proved the highlight of fine fielding throughout the innings. Paul Horton pulled off three catches, one a superb effort to get rid of Wheater, while the athleticism of his colleagues cut off many strokes that looked destined for the boundary.When they responded the visitors did not begin well, losing openers Stephen Moore and Ashwell Prince cheaply. But Croft and Brown regained the initiative with a dominant third-wicket partnership full of controlled aggression. James Foster juggled his attack to no avail in his attempts to make a breakthrough.Croft and Brown scored freely against both pace and spin while putting together Lancashire’s highest third-wicket stand in limited-overs cricket against Essex, beating the 114 between Clive Lloyd and Neil Fairbrother in 1986.Brown’s effort was his season’s highest in all forms. It contained eight fours plus three sixes and spanned 97 balls. Croft’s innings occupied 98 deliveries and he struck five fours to leave Essex reflecting on their fifth defeat of the season in the competition, while their opponents completed their sixth win in as many CB40 games.

Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsGraeme Swann had a number of appeals turned down during a tight spell•AFP

This was an unforgiving day of Test cricket: unforgiving for Jonny Bairstow as he fell five runs short of a deserved maiden Test century, unforgiving for Jacques Kallis as two decisions he will rue for a lifetime continued his poor Lord’s record in what could be his last Test on this ground and unforgiving for England’s bowlers as the combination of a docile surface and sweltering heat made their task of bowling out South Africa a second time doubly difficult.In such taxing circumstances, with the title of the world’s best Test side at stake, South Africa and England are scrapping to the last. It has been a wonderful Test, slow at times but immensely combative and benefiting from the sense that something important is at stake. At the close of the third day, South Africa held a lead of 139 runs, with seven wickets remaining. They bat long and because of the extra cutting edge of their attack feel a touch ahead of the game, but the job is far from done.A rag-tag of an English cricketing summer, ruined by poor planning and even poorer weather, is reaching a marvellous climax, played out before expectant, thoroughly contented capacity crowds.Matt Prior, England’s wicketkeeper, will also have cause to reflect on cricket’s unforgiving nature. He dropped Hashim Amla when he was 2, a spring down the leg side and a full glove as he glanced Stuart Broad. Amla reached his half-century with a straight drive in the final over of the day and his blissful cover drive against Broad off the penultimate ball of the day reminded England that here was a player who could take the game away from them very quickly.But England have removed Kallis, lbw to Steve Finn. He was convinced that he got a thin inside edge and referred umpire Simon Taufel’s decision immediately, but technology discovered only ricochets against pads and the verdict was upheld. In the first innings he fell victim to what can only be described as a brainstorm by the third umpire, Rod Tucker, so his frustration was understandable. England’s delight at his removal knew few bounds.South Africa have also lost their indomitable captain, Graeme Smith, lbw on the sweep to Graeme Swann. England’s plots to dismiss have foundered in this and every previous series and he grimaced and growled and worked the ball through the leg side with the immense determination of a man who sensed that his long-awaited ambition – the rise of South Africa to No 1 in the Test rankings – was nigh. But this time, Swann’s strengthening of the leg side and encouragement of the sweep to break the stranglehold – not one of Smith’s strengths – worked a treat.Swann was pitted against South Africa batsmen who by and large have played him with supreme confidence, but three raucous lbw appeals in one over as Kallis and Amla built their stand of 81 showed that he was capable of fighting back.England were so desperate to remove Smith that earlier they gambled wildly – and lost – on a referral for a catch at the wicket. The ball from Swann turned sharply and with more hot weather forecast spin could come to the fore in the last two days. So could reverse swing – and Broad found a little of it to have Alviro Petersen lbw.England’s tail-enders withstood a barrage of short-pitched bowling from Dale Steyn (also struck painfully on the left-hand himself when acting as a nightwatchman shortly before the close) to steal a lead of six runs on first innings.England added another 107 after beginning the third day on 208 for 5. The match situation was pressure enough for Bairstow, as was the fact that he owed his place to England’s stand-off with Kevin Pietersen, and the relentlessness of South Africa’s attack added to it.South Africa’s fast bowlers first squeezed him dry and then silenced him, Morne Morkel striking his middle stump 20 minutes before lunch to leave England looking on in anguish. He made 95 from 196 balls and produced an innings of pluck and craft in the most challenging of circumstances. He has an easy manner, a deft, enterprising approach and in his late father, Bluey, follows one of the most popular Yorkshire cricketers who ever lived.South Africa had adjusted their thinking against Bairstow overnight. Gone were the short balls with which they had peppered him the previous day in recognition of his troubled introduction to Test cricket against the West Indies quick Kemar Roach. Morkel’s final delivery to him was in keeping with their adjusted approach, fast and fullish, and Bairstow, searching for his favourite leg-side, was found wanting.England lost Prior and Broad to the second new ball and Bairstow, his responsibilities weighing heavily, managed only one run in the last 40 minutes before his middle stump tumbled and his captain, Andrew Strauss, on the Lord’s balcony, held his hands to his face in disappointment.He had reached 90 with a clip through mid wicket off Vernon Philander, his best moment of the morning, but his next boundary was a thick edge wide of the slips and, on 95, two indecisive wafts at short and wide deliveries from Morkel illustrated his tension.That Prior and Bairstow were still around when the second new ball was taken nine overs into the morning was to England’s advantage, but the advantage only lasted one ball. The first ball, from Philander, curled away from Prior and he obligingly chased it, as if transfixed by its newness, and edged to second slip.Broad bats these days as if he has not been to the crease for years and, trying to shovel Steyn off his body, popped up a catch to Amla at short leg. Swann, on 12, successfully overturned Steyn’s lbw decision and, although Steyn returned with fresh fervour after lunch – hitting Anderson on the elbow before bouncing him out and Finn on the helmet – a spirited last-wicket romp of 32 gave England a crowd-cheering first-innings lead.

The wicketkeeper Tom Triffitt has joined Western Australia on a two-year deal and is likely to be the state’s first-choice gloveman following the departure of Luke Ronchi. Triffitt, 21, has played ten first-class matches for Tasmania over the past two seasons but he was set to have limited opportunities in 2012-13 after Tim Paine’s recovery from a long-term finger injury.Western Australia had sounded out Paine’s interest in moving to Perth but he declined, and they are also believed to have shown interest in the New South Wales wicketkeeper Peter Nevill. The Warriors were in need of a new gloveman after Ronchi left at the end of last summer to pursue his career in New Zealand, and his backup Michael Johnson was not offered a new contract.Triffitt has shown promise throughout the under-age pathways and was part of Australia’s triumphant Under-19 World Cup squad in 2010, a side that was captained by Western Australia’s Mitchell Marsh. He said the interstate move was too good an opportunity to pass up, with the chance to earn regular appearances in both first-class and one-day cricket.”I will always be grateful for the chance that Cricket Tasmania gave me to play at interstate level in the last three years, but with Tim Paine coming back from injury I have had the opportunity to move west and I am looking forward to a long career with the Warriors,” Triffitt said. “It is sad to leave my home state but I can’t wait to get over to Perth. I have a few friends in the Warriors such as Mitch Marsh, Tom Beaton and Travis Birt, who I all played with, and I also look forward to getting to know the other guys in the squad and hopefully enjoy some success.”Although Triffitt is likely to start the season as Western Australia’s leading wicketkeeper, he will face competition from Cameron Bancroft, 19, who made his state debut last summer, and Sam Whiteman, 20, both of whom have played for the Australia Under-19s. The Western Australia coach Lachlan Stevens said Triffitt would be a valuable acquisition.”Tom has been part of a really successful program in Tasmania and has played in two Sheffield Shield finals, so not only does he bring youthful exuberance, he also brings big game knowledge and we know that will help our group,” Stevens said. “He was one of the successes of the Australian team that won the Under-19 World Cup, and we are starting to assemble a few of those key players in our squad. That core group of young talent will complement the experienced personnel we have.”We see Tom adding a bit of assuredness to our middle and lower order. We weren’t as dominant at six and seven as we wanted to be last season, and there was a burden left to eight and nine. Hopefully Tom will help to ease that. It is exciting to have three young wicket-keepers on board with Tom joining Sam Whiteman and Cameron Bancroft. All three have a role to play and it should create healthy competition within the group, which can only be a positive for Western Australia.”The state associations have until the end of the week to finalise their contract lists for next summer, with the major moves so far having been the departures of Phillip Hughes, Usman Khawaja and Nathan Hauritz from New South Wales. Tasmania have also picked up the fast bowler Andrew Fekete, who made his debut for Victoria last season.

Tom Latham, the New Zealand wicketkeeper-batsman, has said that though he has made the ODI and T20 squad for the upcoming Caribbean tour, he will have to compete with the likes of BJ Watling for a role in the side in the future.Latham, who scored 79 from three innings in his debut ODI series against Zimbabwe earlier this year, said that he hoped to repay the selectors’ confidence in him with a solid performance in the Caribbean. “I don’t see myself as the number one keeper at the moment,” Latham told , “but it’s always good to have to make tours, when they look at the make up of the side, as a backup keeper.”Latham, 20, he wasn’t going to focus on becoming a specialist batsman. “I’m definitely keen to keep the wicketkeeping going. It’s between me and BJ I think. They (the selectors) have said I’m a keeping option and I will be doing as much as I can to keep that going, because as my dad (former New Zealand batsman Rod Latham) said ‘it’s just another string to the bow’.”He said that the series against Zimbabwe gave him the confidence to compete on an international stage. “It was pretty exciting,” he said. “I know it was only Zimbabwe but it was still international cricket and being around the guys like Brendon (McCullum), who I really looked up to growing up, was pretty cool.”Though Latham was not picked for the series against South Africa, in March, selectors named him in both the T20 and ODI squad for the Caribbean tour in July. “I want to cement myself in the New Zealand side and play as much cricket for them in all three forms. My main goal at the moment is working towards the 2015 World Cup (in Australia and New Zealand).”New Zealand will play two T20 internationals in Florida, as part of their joint venture with USA Cricket, and will play five ODIs and two Tests on the Caribbean tour which begins on July 5.Edited by Carlyle Laurie

Vernon Philander was one of the Somerset bowlers to find his length on day two•Getty Images

On the face of things, this was a decent – if brief – day for Somerset. Showing they had learned the lessons of a disappointing first day, their seamers maintained a much tighter line and length and reaped immediate rewards. In the 21 overs possible before rain arrived, Lancashire lost five wickets for the addition of just 32 runs. Somerset, therefore, claimed full bowling bonus points, while Lancashire may yet be denied their fifth batting point.Scratch beneath the surface, however, and this was a grim day for Somerset. Most seriously, it has become apparent that Marcus Trescothick’s injury is worse than feared. Trescothick underwent surgery on the tendon in his right ankle on Thursday but, during the procedure, the surgeon discovered the tendon was not torn but ruptured. As a consequence, he is now expected to miss at least two months of the season. The mouth watering prospect of Trescothick and Chris Gayle opening together in T20 cricket at Taunton may well never come to fruition.Indeed it is becoming increasingly likely that neither man will be available. Brian Rose, Somerset’s director of cricket, spoke to Gayle on Friday with the pair agreeing to talk again after the West Indies announced their squad to tour England. As things stand, Gayle remains unclear of his inclusion in the touring squad and will speak to Rose again within the next few days. Bearing in mind the fragility of the West Indies’ batting, it would be odd if they felt they could do without Gayle.There are, at least, some intriguing names that could be available for Somerset to bring in on loan. Durham’s Liam Plunkett, struggling for form and languishing in second-XI cricket, is one experienced bowler who might benefit from a change of scenery, while his team-mate Steve Harmison is a less likely possibility. Naqaash Tahir, now with Lancashire, and Oliver Hannon-Dalby, of Yorkshire, are potential targets, too, while Kabir Ali of Hampshire is another. Whether Division One sides are persuaded to help Somerset is one issue; whether Somerset are interested in bowlers unable to win a place in Division Two sides is another. Either way, Somerset will not make a decision until assessing the fitness of all their bowlers in the days following this match.Somerset’s better bowling display on the second day here could be interpreted in different ways. While the bonus points were welcome, they may also reflect that Lancashire’s struggles provided a better indication of the true nature of this pitch. Had the hosts bowled better on the first day, Lancashire may have struggled to reach 300. Instead, the damage is done and Lancashire have already established a match-defining total. Somerset may yet be grateful for Sunday’s anticipated deluge.Amid the storms – literal and metaphorical – Craig Kieswetter enjoyed an accomplished performance in front of England selector, James Whitiker. Kieswetter remains very much a work in progress with the gloves, but he does inconsistently show an ability to cling on to very difficult chances. Here he claimed three in ten deliveries – two of them low, diving efforts in front of his slips – that would have made any keeper proud. Perhaps, for some, that will make his run of the mill blemishes – and there are still too many for a professional keeper – all the more infuriating, but it does suggest great potential.Vernon Philander, in particular, hit a perfect length and, with some balls nipping away and others going straight, soon spread confusion amid the Lancashire batting. Gareth Cross was the first to prod at one leaving him, before Luke Procter and Steven Croft followed suit. Glen Chapple’s counterattack was ended when George Dockrell found the edge of his bat with some turn and James Hildreth, at slip, pulled off another sharp catch.Such wickets must have inspired mixed feelings. While Somerset would celebrate the successful bowling, the fear remains that Lancashire, with the likes of Chapple and Simon Kerrigan in their line-up, have an attack that will not require a second invite to exploit these conditions.

Marlon Samuels, the Pune Warriors batsman and part-time offspinner, has been reported for a suspect action following his spell against Chennai Super Kings on Saturday, according to a media advisory posted on IPLT20.com, the tournament’s website. Samuels was reported by the on-field umpires, Aleem Dar and Bruce Oxenford, and the third umpire Vineet Kulkarni after the game.As per IPL policy, Samuels will be allowed to bowl for the Warriors but should he be reported again, he “will be suspended from bowling for the remainder of the season.”Samuels has had problems with his action in the past. He was reported for a suspect action after the third Test between West Indies and South Africa in 2008 in Durban, when the on-field umpires raised doubts especially with regards to his “fast” deliveries. He underwent significant remedial work, and an independent test found his action to be legal. In 2011, he was cleared by the ICC for bowling in international cricket.

Match Facts

March 23-27, Wellington (Basin Reserve)
Start time 1030 (2130 GMT)Wellington was where New Zealand started the series, with a victory, and they look to end it here with victory as well•AFP

Big Picture

Sportsmen are taught Aristotle’s philosophy of “one swallow does not a summer make,” in an attempt to ensure they don’t get carried away by isolated performances. Most of the time, it’s a sensible way to assess results. The Wellington Test match could be one of those times when it isn’t. It is the concluding chapter of the summer for both teams, and will serve as a decent indicator of where each of them are after a season of hard graft.For New Zealand, a fightback and a victory will end their season on a high after it started, filled with promise against Australia and sprinkled with authority over Zimbabwe. New Zealand were careful to treat their whitewash of Zimbabwe with sobriety and not read too much into the results, knowing that South Africa would be tougher opponents. Just how tough, only emerged later.Since winning the first T20 on February 17, New Zealand have been on the back foot. Even the drawn Test in Dunedin was thought of to have meant more for South Africa as it would have required a record-breaking effort from the hosts to emerge victorious. Wellington was where New Zealand started the series, with a victory, and they look to end it here with victory as well.South Africa will use the New Zealand tour as a springboard to the rest of their travels this year, which include a top-of-the-table Test clash against England and a series in Australia. They cannot lose the series, which will keep their record as world cricket’s best travellers since 2007 intact. In almost every department, bar their first innings showings with the bat, South Africa have looked a complete unit. Morne Morkel said they feel ready to play “the perfect Test match,” which involves one massive innings and bowling the opposition out twice. If they get that right, they will leave New Zealand with having achieved everything they set out to do.

Form guide

(most recent first)New Zealand LDWWL
South Africa WDWLW

Players to watch

Daniel Flynn last represented New Zealand in December 2009, in the middle order. He will make his comeback as an opener, coming off three consecutive first-class centuries. Although the batting line-up should not depend entirely on him for an improved showing, they will certainly be looking to him for a solid start. New Zealand’s highest opening stand in the series so far has been 16 and Flynn will need to combine with Martin Guptill for many more runs than that if he hopes for a longer stint in Test cricket than Rob Nicol had.He is the bowler almost everyone is talking about and Vernon Philander cannot seem to put a foot wrong. Philander has collected 15 wickets in the series so far, at an average of 14.33, and if he takes five in the Wellington Test he will be the fastest South African to 50 Test wickets and the fastest for almost 116 years. Philander should continue to make use of subtle seam movement and exemplary lines but it will be interesting to see how he deals with the fierce winds at the Basin Reserve.

Team news

New Zealand will include a sixth specialist batsman to prop up their line-up. Nicol was dropped from the squad after the Hamilton Test and Flynn will open in his place. Dean Brownlie has recovered from a broken finger and will slot in at No.6, meaning that Daniel Vettori and Kruger van Wyk will drop one place lower. The new-look batting card will mean New Zealand are forced to leave out one of their seamers and field a three-pronged attack consisting of Chris Martin, Mark Gillespie and Doug Bracewell.New Zealand: (probable) 1 Martin Guptill, 2 Daniel Flynn, 3 Brendon McCullum, 4 Ross Taylor, 5 Kane Williamson, 6 Dean Brownlie, 7 Daniel Vettori, 8 Kruger van Wyk (wk), 9 Doug Bracewell, 10 Mark Gillespie, 11 Chris MartinGraeme Smith confirmed that there is unlikely to be any changes to the South African XI. Marchant de Lange, Lonwabo Tsotsobe, JP Duminy and Robin Peterson will continue to serve drinks.South Africa: (probable) 1 Graeme Smith, 2 Alviro Petersen, 3 Hashim Amla, 4 Jacques Kallis 5 AB de Villiers/JP Duminy, 6 Jacques Rudolph, 7 Mark Boucher (wk), 8 Vernon Philander, 9 Dale Steyn, 10 Morne Morkel, 11 Imran Tahir

Pitch and conditions

The Basin pitch was ready to play on four days ago as the groundstaff anticipated wet weather in the lead up to the match. The sun came out on Thursday though, giving the curator Brett Sipthorpe a few hours to allow his surface to dry. He uncovered it for the first time since Sunday and revealed a patchy looking surface that started to even out the more it was rolled. It is being talked of as a good cricket surface, with enough in it for bowlers and batsmen alike. The match could well be interrupted by rain, with scattered showered forecast for the weekend. Conditions will be made more challenging by the strong northerly wind which is set to blow across the ground for the first two days.

Stats and trivia

Maharashtra medium-pacer Kishor Bhikane was killed in a road accident in Latur, at the age of 24. Bhikane was riding a two-wheeler, according to , on the Latur-Barshi road in Maharashtra. He and another cricketer, Abhilash Lokhande, who was riding pillon, were returning from a Maharashtra Cricket Association (MCA) invitational match in Sakhra Pati village when their vehicle was hit by a truck. Bhikane is reported to have died on the spot, while Lokhande sustained serious injuries.Bhikane had been awarded the motorcycle he was riding as a prize for being the best bowler of the Maharashtra Premier League Twenty20 tournament last year.Bhikane last played for Maharashtra in the group stages of the 2011-12 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, in October last year. He had taken two wickets in the four games he played. He made his first-class debut in December 2009 and played a total of three first-class matches, taking six wickets. He had 15 wickets in 17 List A and Twenty20 games, and helped Maharashtra win the 2009-10 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, taking three wickets in the final.The Maharashtra team is in Delhi for the Vijay Hazare Trophy and their captain Rohit Motwani told the that Bhikane had been part of a 20-member squad that had played in a few friendlies in Mumbai.Maharashtra play Punjab in a pre-quarter final on Monday and Motwani said, “We will be playing for him.” Riyaz Bagwan, MCA tournament committee member said that the state cricket president Ajay Shirke, who is currently out of country, has promised support for Bhikane’s family.Edited by Dustin Silgardo