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Hamilton Masakadza has been appointed Zimbabwe’s captain in all three formats following Elton Chigumbura’s resignation. Legspinner Graeme Cremer has been named vice-captain.”It is very exciting, because it is a big honour to lead your country,” Masakadza told the . “It is an exciting challenge I am looking forward to. I was not exactly expecting this. I didn’t think I was going to be one of the front runners. I have been waiting for my turn for such a long time, I never thought it was going to come, I thought it had evaded me.”A long-term vice-captain, Masakadza has also filled in as captain in 12 internationals when injury or absence ruled out the regular skipper. He also has extensive captaincy experience at domestic level, having led Easterns under the old domestic system and Mountaineers when Zimbabwe adopted the franchise system.Cremer is new to vice-captaincy at national level, but was a senior member of the Mid West Rhinos for several years before his hiatus from the game, and has skippered the Zimbabwe Board XI and provincial sides on occasion. Both men are also in sparkling form in the game’s shortest format, with Masakadza currently ranked eighth in the T20 batting rankings, while Cremer is ranked fifth as a bowler.”Both Masakadza and Cremer are senior players who have shown their leadership abilities working with previous captains,” ZC managing director Wilfred Mukondiwa said. “We have no doubt they will be successful in their substantive posts, which come at a time when both are in the top 10 of the ICC T20I Player Rankings for batsmen and bowlers respectively.”Masakadza’s ascent to the captaincy is all the more remarkable because he was dropped from the national squad in October after a middling year with the bat. He was recalled for Zimbabwe’s trip to Sharjah, scoring his fourth ODI hundred during the tour. His returns from Zimbabwe’s four-match T20 series were even more impressive, with Masakadza scoring 222 runs to take the record for most T20 runs in a bilateral series and became the first Zimbabwean to reach 3,000 runs in T20 cricket.”I never for a moment thought my career was over, I still have a lot in me,” Masakadza said. “I still have a few years. At the moment I want to play through to the next 50 over World Cup.”Once thought too slow even for ODI cricket early in his career, Masakadza has evolved into a stroke-playing batsman across all formats. “Naturally I play a slow game, I start my innings slowly and when T20 cricket came I thought that was the end of my cricket. I have been working hard on my game and processes. I have always worked on my game and fitness. When I was dropped I did not feel out of touch. I didn’t think I was struggling with my game that time, but still I went and worked hard, something I have always done in my career.”The Zimbabwe administration is working on securing short format fixtures for the national side ahead of the World T20 in March, which will be Masakadza’s first major challenge as captain. Zimbabwe will play Hong Kong, Scotland and Afghanistan in a qualifying round ahead of the tournament proper, and Masakadza’s form is likely to be vital for his team.”Our chances are high,” Masakadza said. “On paper we are better than those teams. I hope to maintain my form and win games for the team.”

ScorecardLuke Wright celebrated his call-up to England’s Twenty20 World Championship squad with a breathtaking 73-ball 125 as Sussex completed a two-wicket win in a high-scoring match at Hove. Still, when Wright was fifth out with 86 still needed, it required sensible innings from Carl Hopkinson, Robin Martin-Jenkins and the tail to see the chase home.Wright, who earlier this season hit a Twenty20 century off 45 balls, was in supreme touch as he struck 19 fours and four sixes. He displayed the clean striking that made him the leading run-scorer in this year’s Twenty20 and caught the eye of England’s selectors.He showed brutal strength through the off side and made full use of a short leg-side boundary as Gloucestershire’s attack, apart from Jon Lewis, was made to look pedestrian. He was finally dismissed when a top-edged sweep found Chris Taylor and he left to a long standing ovation.Wright’s domination was highlighted by a fourth-wicket stand of 73 where Michael Yardy’s contribution was 17 off 32 balls, but Gloucestershire almost pulled the match back. Lewis had removed the first three wickets and returned to shift Rana Naved-ul-Hasan with 14 still needed. However, Andrew Hodd and Saqlain Mushtaq finished the job, ensuring Wright’s effort wasn’t in vain.It was always going to take something special to overshadow Hamish Marshall’s 105-ball 122, which powered Gloucestershire towards an impressive total. He shared a stand of 180 with Kadeer Ali (76) before James Kirtley, another of England’s Twenty20 selections, claimed four late wickets.

As was widely predicted, Bangladesh have picked uncapped batsman Mehrab Hossain Jr in their 14-man squad for next month’s ICC Champions Trophy in India. Opener Javed Omar, batsmen Mushfiqur Rahim, Tushar Imran and all-rounder Alok Kapali were omitted from the final squad.Habibul Bashar, who missed six matches against Zimbabwe and Kenya in July and August due to a thumb injury, has been retained as captain, though he is yet to recover fully.Faruque Ahmed, chief selector, told reporters, “Mehrab Hossain Jr had some very good performances over the last two years and we hope he can do something good in the Champions Trophy.”Bashar’s selection had been confirmed by the selectors a few days ago. Ahmed told the Dhaka-based then that “Habib’s progress is satisfactory so he will definitely be included to lead the side in the tournament.”There was uncertainty over Bashar’s participation after he fractured the fifth metacarpel on his left hand during the second one-day match against Zimbabwe in July. He also missed the last Champions Trophy in England in 2004 because of a fracture to his right thumb. Bashar has said recently that his condition will only be confirmed once he starts batting from September 14.Bangladesh will play Sri Lanka, West Indies and Zimbabwe in the qualifying phase of the Champions Trophy from October 7-14. The top two teams will qualify for the main competition from October 15 to November 5.Squad: Habibul Bashar (captain), Shahriar Nafees (vice-captain), Khaled Mashud, Mohammad Rafique, Mohammad Ashraful, Mashrafe Mortaza, Rajin Saleh, Abdur Razzak, Aftab Ahmed, Syed Rasel, Shahadat Hossain, Farhad Reza, Saqibul Hasan, Mehrab Hossain jnr.

Division One

Points TableJonathan Trott moved on to a double-century as Warwickshire ended their first innings on a dominant 475. Trott was last man out for 210. Sussex got off to the worst possible start, losing Richard Montgomerie first-ball to Makhaya Ntini. Mike Yardy, with 75 and Murray Goodwin, with an unbeaten 103 steadied a wobbling Sussex ship as the visitors ended the day on 244 for 3, trailing by 231 runs.Middlesex batted for a further 22 overs this morning, allowing Paul Weekes to register his hundred and Peter Trego to reach a blistering half-century, in their declaration of 400 for 8 against Kent. In reply, Robert Key and David Fulton put on 283 for the first wicket, both striking centuries before Key was run out for 142, his fourth hundred of the season. Fulton fell just before the close of play to leave Kent on 290 for 2, trailing by 110 runs.A sporting declaration by Hampshire has brought the possibility of a result in their match against Surrey. Hampshire, starting the day on 28 for 2, declared on 361 for 6 with Shane Watson hitting 88 and the wicketkeeper, Nick Pothas, striking an unbeaten 100. In what is essentially now a one-innings match, Surrey had five overs in which to survive, which they managed without alarm.Alex Wharf took 6 for 59 for Glamorgan, to bundle Gloucestershire out for just 133 and give the visitors control of the game. Glamorgan, who are still searching for their first win of the season, were bowled out for 382 before their seamers got to work. David Harrison got things going by dismissing Craig Spearman, as he and Wharf decimated Gloucestershire’s batting. At one stage, the home side were 37 for 6; they were indebted to Stephen Adshead, who made 36 and Jon Lewis with an unbeaten 36 at better than a run a ball. Glamorgan lost five wickets in their second innings, including two to Ramnaresh Sarwan’s leg-breaks, but they lead by 400 runs.

Division Two

Points TableA blistering 82 by Glen Chapple, from just 67 balls, gave Lancashire the honours on day two of their match against Worcestershire. Mal Loye could only add a further 17 runs, ending on 187, but Lancashire’s lower-order denied Worcestershire’s bowlers as they reached a formidable total of 562. In reply, Worcestershire lost Chris Gayle, Graeme Hick and Stephen Moore to leave the visitors struggling on 111 for 3, some 451 runs behind Lancashire.In Essex’s match against Somerset, which has been heavily affected by rain, James Foster’s first hundred of the season allowed Essex to reach a comfortable total of 400 for 6 declared. Foster and Ronnie Irani put on 157 for the sixth wicket, with Foster’s hundred coming off 196 balls with 13 fours and a six. The match is already into its last day, tomorrow, and despite Andre Nel picking up Matthew Wood and Arul Suppiah for ducks, the game is heading for a draw.Darren Robinson’s 19th hundred of his career, and his third of the season, was the highlight for Leicestershire who ended the day on 390 for 6. Leicestershire’s middle-order all got starts, but failed to convert them into substantial innings; Northamtonshire’s Damien Wright took four for 83 to leave the hosts struggling on 292 for 5. However, Ottis Gibson and Paul Nixon combined in a partnership worth 98, with Gibson ending the day unbeaten on 63 as the home side reached 390 for 6.Dale Benkenstein struck a century for Durham, whose first innings closed on 414 against Yorkshire. They lost wickets regularly, however, with Deon Kruis picking up 5 for 106, his third 5-wicket-haul of the season. In reply, none of Durham’s front-line seamers could force a breakthrough, but Paul Collingwood took 2 for 25 to leave Yorkshire on 129 for 2, trailing by 285.

Kenny Benjamin, the former West Indian fast bowler, has joined the USA coaching staff ahead of next week’s ICC Champions Trophy in England. Benjamin, 36, is an accredited Level II Coach, and will serve as a technical consultant and bowling coach to help boost USA’s prospects in their maiden senior tournament.Benjamin appeared in 26 Tests for West Indies between 1992 and 1998, picking up 92 wickets at 30.27. In his entire first-class career, he grabbed 403 wickets in 108 matches. He was recently a part of the West Indies coaching set-up, on their tour of Zimbabwe and South Africa at the turn of the year.The USA team is benefiting from a considerable West Indian presence. Their head coach is the former opener, Faoud Bacchus, while their captain is Richard Staple, a 34-year-old immigrant from Jamaica. Their star batsman is Clayton Lambert, the scourge of England’s bowlers on their tour of the Caribbean in 1997-98.USA launch their campaign against New Zealand on September 10.

Khaled Mahmud, the Bangladesh captain, put on a brave front as his 15-man squad left for a daunting one-month tour of Australia. Claiming that the preparations under Dav Whatmore, the new coach, had been”better and different from what we have had before”, Mahmud said: “Australia will be tough opponents. But we are not scared or nervous as we have already faced some of the world’s best teams, like South Africa.” Bangladesh will reach Australia more than three weeks before their first international match, in an effort to familiarise themselves with the local conditions.Bangladesh haven’t won an international match in four years, a fact that wasn’t lost on their captain. “We hope to show our improvements on the field. We also want to dispel the international criticisms against Bangladesh.” Ehsan Mani, the new president of the International Cricket Council (ICC), had sounded a warning to Bangladesh last week, saying that the country’s international commitments would be reduced.Bangladesh will play two Tests and three one-day internationals, with the first Test starting from July 18 at Darwin.Squad
Khaled Mahmud (capt), Javed Omar, Khaled Mashud (wk), Habibul Bashar, Mohammad Rafique, Hannan Sarkar, Mohammad Ashraful, Al Shahriar, Manjurul Islam, Alok Kapali, Sanwar Hossain, Tarek Aziz Khan, Mashrafee-bin-Murtaza, Tapash Baishya, Anwar Hossain Monir.

Former New Zealand opener, captain and coach Glenn Turner will be the guiding hand for Otago this summer following his appointment today as Otago coach.Turner takes over from Denis Aberhart who served for one year as Otago coach before being appointed the New Zealand coach.Turner has a long involvement in coaching following his own illustrious playing career with Worcestershire in English county cricket and for two stints with the New Zealand team, the most notable of which saw New Zealand achieve its first series victory over Australia, in Australia in 1985/86.Otago has been able to make the two-year appointment with Turner due to a New Zealand Cricket initiative to part-fund major associations for the employment of full-time coaches.His role will include assisting with the development and talent identification of players throughout the Otago region and also the Otago cricket coach development programme.Turner is very familiar with the Otago scene having been the convener of selectors for the past three seasons.Otago Cricket chief executive Graeme Elliott said: “We are delighted to have secured Glenn as our coach for the next two years. His extensive playing and coaching record will be fully utilised by Otago Cricket.”We have already developed a very good working relationship and I am confident that with his knowledge of the game, Glenn will give our players a significant advantage next season.”Turner commented on his appointment when saying: “We are in a process of building a solid base of players in the region and we now have an excellent high performance centre. It will be good to be back, being fully involved in cricket.”The appointment takes place immediately.

This was a day of Test cricket neither New Zealand nor India will want to remember, but tomorrow, around lunchtime, it is a match one team will struggle to forget.After 22 wickets fell in the 105 overs bowled, and a part of all four innings featured, New Zealand were left needing 136 runs with 10 wickets in hand to secure a victory while India know there is still a chance for them to draw the National Bank Series if they can create the mayhem they did today when bowling New Zealand out for 94.New Zealand captain Stephen Fleming said yesterday it would be the team that wanted to win the match most that would take it – and that is the challenge ahead of both teams tomorrow.The remarkable first innings which saw India out for 99 and New Zealand for five runs less is the lowest innings total from which the team batting first has secured a first innings lead.Whatever else the record books may say, and the 94 was New Zealand’s lowest score in a Test against India, surpassing the 100 scored at Wellington in 1980/81, a match they went on to win, the day itself is unprecedented in New Zealand cricket history.As disappointing as New Zealand’s failure to build a significant first innings advantage, so too, was India’s inability to score more than 154 in their second innings.Traditionalists might wonder whatever happened to good, old-fashioned technique? It was nowhere in evidence on either side, no matter what the reputations of the players concerned.Conditions were difficult, just as they were for India on the second day, but the New Zealanders knew that.However, that didn’t stop the New Zealanders playing some shots that defied the logic of the situation facing them. India in their second innings capitulated as badly as they have in each of their Test innings in the series.Was New Zealand’s batting in the first innings the result of being 1-0 up in a two-Test series? Or was it a hint that Mark Richardson was more of New Zealand’s saviour in the first Test than was earlier appreciated?The batting is not in good shape, and given a seven-match one-day series is next on the menu, there is plenty of cause for concern.Lou Vincent sent a regulation catch for first slip Rahul Dravid off Zaheer Khan.Richardson was leg before wicket to Khan, although it had to be wondered why, if Richardson was out why Fleming who was even more in line when he was struck an over earlier wasn’t out?Craig McMillan spent 28 minutes over an unconvincing four before going in similar fashion to Vincent.Nathan Astle launched into a cut in the direction of backward point off the second ball he faced but found Harbhajan Singh waiting to accept a not-too-difficult chance.Fleming was upset by movement around the sightscreen for a long period and then once it was sorted offered a straightforward return catch to Khan.Jacob Oram had a rush of blood and failed to apply full power to his attempted drive after going down the wicket to Harbhajan, generally fatal and no different in this case.Styris then fell leg before wicket to Harbhajan, to be followed by Robbie Hart who went leg before wicket to Khan, both of them being reasonable shouts.Daryl Tuffey played some of the best strokes of the innings but wasn’t able to turn quickly enough after being sent back by Daniel Vettori and was run out on the third umpire’s call and he was followed by Vettori who edged Khan to V V S Laxman at second slip.India’s second innings was fortified largely by an innings of hope from Sachin Tendulkar worth 32 and another innings in miniature from Dravid who was out for 39. Tendulkar played on a ball from Tuffey while Dravid opened up to a wider ball from Oram and cut it to substitute fieldsman Michael Mason at point.Virender Sehwag, dropped down the order to allow the opportunity to play more of his shots, confirmed the worth of that theory by lashing 25 runs off 18 balls, being especially severe on fast man Shane Bond. However, Bond had him out in an over in which he had taken 14 runs from Bond, when an off drive was well taken by Tuffey at mid-off diving forward to snare a rocket-like shot.And at the end Harbhajan contained his natural bent long enough to accumulate 18 runs before edging a ball to Hart.But it was controlled spells of bowling from Oram and Tuffey, who each took four for 41 that got New Zealand back in the match, and the opportunity to take a 2-0 scoreline from the series, something few anticipated before the series started.Khan and Harbhajan appeal as the biggest hurdles New Zealand will have to overcome.

Australia’s quest for overseas success in 2016 will start at home, with the inclusion of Steve O’Keefe as a second spinner made with an eye towards the tour of Sri Lanka later in the year.Sunday will thus be the first time the hosts have plumped for twin spin in Sydney since the days of Shane Warne and Stuart MacGill in tandem, and they will be doing so with clear goals in mind. Victories away from home will require team compositions more varied than the five batsmen, one allrounder, three pacemen and one spinner formula usually favoured by the coach Darren Lehmann, making O’Keefe a key part of plans for later in the year.

Boland ensures captain remembers him

There are few better ways to impress the national captain than to splay his stumps in training, and the Victorian Scott Boland ensured he would not soon be forgotten by Steven Smith when he did exactly that on Test match eve. Smith agreed he had been well beaten by the delivery, which exemplified the way Boland has developed as a seamer of good pace to now sit on the fringes of the Test team.
“That was a pretty good ball in the nets today. I think it hit a crack and did a little bit – it was a pretty good area,” Smith said with a smile. “He’s done that pretty consistently over the last couple of weeks, I’ve been pretty impressed.
“The last couple of yeas he’s gotten a lot stronger. He’s probably got a bit more confidence in his body and he’s running in all day. He’s really impressed all the selectors in Shield cricket this season, hence why he’s got into this squad and been close to playing.
“I’ve been really impressed with the way he’s bowled the last couple of weeks. He certainly is hitting the bat hard and hopefully he can continue to do that.”

England’s strong start in South Africa and a looming return series away to New Zealand also affords Australia the possibility of climbing to No. 1 in the Test rankings should results fall their way, so adaptability and versatility is paramount. All these factors made it convenient for Peter Siddle to carry a sore ankle to Sydney and rule himself out after an exploratory bowl on match eve – the captain Steven Smith admitted he was unlikely to play in any event.”His ankle still isn’t 100%,” Smith said. “He felt it wasn’t best for him to come into this Test match the way he is at the moment. He’s a great team man and felt he would be letting the team down [if he played]. But we were probably going to go the two spinners option anyway. We think it’s going to turn so we were going to go that way anyway.”He’s going to have a rest for a couple of weeks I think and hopefully get himself right for New Zealand. But we’re happy with the side and the two spinners, we think it’s going to turn and we’re ready to go. It’s going to spin and it gives us an opportunity now to see Steven and see how he goes.”Obviously we’ve got a tour of Sri Lanka coming up where two spinners is a pretty good possibility. Nathan Lyon has done a terrific job for Australia since [O’Keefe] has been playing. He’s an experienced player now and he’s our No.1 spinner. I think everyone around the country knows that, including Stephen. He’s got an opportunity now to become the second spinner.”Smith made no secret of his desire to get Australia back to the top of the ICC rankings – his is not the only side seeing an opportunity as South Africa appear increasingly shaky in their move towards a period of transition. “Huge motivation,” Smith said. “That’s what we want to do, to be No. 1 in all three formats, we’re working extremely hard to get there.”It’d be nice to win this week and wrap the series up 3-0. It’s been a good summer for us so far, so we’d like to finish on a high and then New Zealand is going to be another big challenge for us. Playing away from home is a challenge for all teams around the world at the moment.”That’s one of the biggest ways we’re going to be judged – how we play away from home. It’s a big challenge for us in New Zealand but I’m confident if we continue playing the way we are, hopefully we can have a lot of success over there.”To that end, Smith’s rediscovery of something like his best at the MCG was a tonic for the new year. It is a testament to the difficulty of batting that even as he finished 2015 as the most prolific run maker in Test cricket, Smith was experiencing another period of doubt about his technique and rhythm, having slogged through other miniature slumps at the start of the World Cup and then in the midst of the Ashes in England.”I felt pretty good last week. it was nice to just spend a bit of time in the middle again,” he said. “All of my movements and my swing and everything were back in sync. I went back and looked a bit of footage before the Melbourne Test and noticed my bat face was a little bit closed.”I was looking at footage from last summer actually, where I was scoring a lot of runs, and I think last week I got my bat face back to where I wanted it to be and everything felt really good. Hopefully I can score a few more this week.”

Michael Vaughan is getting all too used to making comebacks. Since the tour of Pakistan in 2005-06 he has been in and out of the captaincy hot-seat on no fewer than seven occasions, although this latest return to the colours is subtly but significantly different. It was not another injury that led to his omission from the recent one-day series against West Indies; it was his acceptance that that aspect of his career had run its course. And it was not yet another stand-in who took his place in the manner of Andrew Strauss and Andrew Flintoff last year; it was Paul Collingwood, England’s officially appointed one-day captain.Fortunately for Vaughan, Collingwood is one of the most grounded men in the game and will doubtless settle back into the ranks for this Test without a moment’s hesitation. But Vaughan would be forgiven for feeling a little on edge as he surveys his troops on Thursday morning. It was from an identical situation in 2003 that he himself inherited the Test captaincy from Nasser Hussain. Hussain, like Vaughan, had surrendered the one-day role after that year’s World Cup, and he went on to endure one last distracted Test at Edgbaston before realising that his command of the dressing room had gone for good.Three days into his latest spell at the helm, Vaughan was showing none of the angst that marked the end of his predecessor’s tenure. “I’m feeling very refreshed,” he announced, after a month’s break in which time he had watched England’s two Twenty20s against West Indies but merely dipped in and out of the 50-over games, much like the rest of the nation’s sports-watchers. A stiff back, sustained during last week’s rain-wrecked Roses match at Old Trafford, caused a murmur of alarm, but otherwise he announced himself to be fully fit – both physically and mentally.”Only time will tell, but the split captaincy has worked to date,” Vaughan said. “I haven’t felt [the team] has moved on [without me], but I think the big test was when I saw Colly lead them out in the Twenty20 game, would I feel any bitterness or resentment? I didn’t feel any of that, so I guess it was the right decision to move forward.”Me and Colly are great mates,” he said. “When I took the England captaincy I said I wanted 11 captains, and we now have two. Strauss has done the job as well, and there’s also Freddie [Flintoff] when he comes back. The more leaders you can have in the dressing room and on the training pitch to drive the team forward, the better.”

For the time being, however, England have been shorn of so many of their established leaders that the sight of two official captains might be something of a blessing. If Matthew Hoggard’s back spasm is as serious as the medical team fear, then England’s attack will have lost the services of their last remaining link to the 2005 Ashes. At least one debutant is expected to feature in Stuart Broad; a second could follow if Chris Tremlett sneaks in ahead of James Anderson, while the most experienced man in the line-up will be none other than Monty Panesar, who was a wide-eyed new boy when the teams last met in India 16 months ago.Vaughan, however, was determined to look on the bright side. ” It’s new and exciting to see,” he said. “It’s a brand-new attack with no Harmison, Flintoff, Giles or Simon Jones. We had a great attack in 2005, but it’s exciting for us all to see how they react to playing in front of a lot of people, against a very good batting team. It’s going to be a great challenge for whoever plays.””We have some good options,” he said. “Tremlett is bowling nicely with his bounce. Broady got a five-for [at Chelmsford], Jimmy got a five-for in the Roses match, and Sidey [Ryan Sidebottom] came in the early season and did exceptionally well. The Indian side are full of experience, more so in the batting, so it will be an exciting challenge for our young four-man attack to come up with plans to outdo them and, if they get the opportunity to be aggressive, to get 20 wickets in a Test match.”In the circumstances, the onus shifts squarely onto England’s batsmen to provide the support required for such an untested attack. And few players have lorded it over the Indians quite so handsomely as Vaughan himself, whose golden summer of 2002 featured 615 runs in seven innings, including 197 at Trent Bridge, 195 at The Oval, and an even 100 in the first Test at Lords – the second of his five hundreds in nine matches on this ground.”I always feel I play quite well at Lord’s, but tomorrow’s a new day, a new game, and I’ve just got to make sure I go out and try and do the basics,” said Vaughan. “Like most times when you play well, it’s about doing the basics well, and once you’ve done that you can elaborate a bit more, and attack the bowlers more. That’s the style of batting I have when I’m playing well, and I felt I was doing that reasonably well earlier in the summer.”Vaughan marked his last England comeback with a memorable century against West Indies on his home ground at Headingley, but he had no hesitation in admitting that the big test of the season was just about to begin. “We know this is a bigger series,” he said. “There is a lot more media, more supporters, and more exposure. It’s a real good challenge for the team to see if we have moved forward from the winter, because we know that’s how we’ll be judged. We’ve played to a similar standard and now we need to raise it again.”