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New Zealand become the first team to undertake four Test tours of Zimbabwe and Stephen Fleming, the captain, Nathan Astle and Daniel Vettori have been on three of them. They will be only too aware of the country’s decline as well as the similar progression, or regression, of its cricket.At least this Zimbabwe team will be stronger than the one playing for the last 18 months as a few rebel players have returned to the side after pressure on Zimbabwe cricket from the international cricket community. Still missing are three players of genuine Test quality in Grant Flower, Sean Ervine and Raymond Price, not to mention all those who retired prematurely in despair.The Zimbabwe selection has also been handicapped by the absence of Andy Blignaut, Douglas Hondo, Tinashe Panyangara and Ed Rainsford, all still suffering from stress fractures. But at least the presence of Heath Streak will ensure that the New Zealand batsmen do not have it all their way.The batting is strengthened by the return of Stuart Carlisle and Craig Wishart, who supply much-needed experience in addition to skill. But with the ill-concealed hostility between many of the players and the administrators still very strong, can one expect morale to be high and the team to match their opponents?Zimbabwe are taking a gamble by playing only four bowlers, three of who still have everything to prove. The promising but disappointing allrounder, Elton Chigumbura, has been dropped, while Trevor Gripper was omitted due to poor form. Neil Ferreira, a gritty player with a great heart but rather limited ability, will open the batting in his first Test with Brendan Taylor, whose six-month suspension has been mysteriously cut short.For New Zealand, the main interest will be in the performance of paceman Shane Bond, who has looked most impressive and very quick in practice. He will probably not get too much help from the flat Zimbabwean pitches in the dry spring weather, but Zimbabwe’s batsmen will do well to reach 300 in an innings. With last season’s team it would have been 200 and the match would probably have been over in three days. This season it should last four.New Zealand, sound rather than spectacular in both batting and bowling, will expect to win both Tests handsomely, with fine weather almost assured at this time of year. Zimbabwe should improve on the disasters of the last season, but will have to do very well to convince the world that they still deserve to play Test cricket. Until or unless cricket in the country is restored to the hands of those who genuinely know and love the game, this is unlikely to change.Probable teams:
Zimbabwe Brendan Taylor, Neil Ferreira, Dion Ebrahim, Stuart Carlisle, Hamilton Masakadza, Craig Wishart, Tatenda Taibu (capt, wk), Heath Streak, Blessing Mahwire, Graeme Cremer, Chris Mpofu.New Zealand Stephen Fleming (capt), James Marshall, Hamish Marshall, Lou Vincent, Nathan Astle, Jacob Oram, Brendon McCullum (wk), Daniel Vettori, James Franklin, Shane Bond, Chris Martin.

Ray Mali, the president of the South African cricket board, has indicated that Herschelle Gibbs and Nicky Boje will be available to tour India later this year. It had been speculated earlier that Gibbs and Boje would give the tour a miss following the worry that they could be questioned by the Indian police with regard to the match-fixing scandal that had erupted on South Africa’s last tour to India.Mali, speaking to the Pakistani newspaper, The News, said: “Both will certainly make the tour to India. We can not disclose at this juncture what we are negotiating with the Indian cricket board but I can guarantee you that both will be available for the tour.”It has reportedly been suggested that the two cricketers are sent a day prior to the Test accompanied by a high commissioner’s official, which would presumable bestow some kind of diplomatic immunity upon them. There are also likely to be private discussions between the South African and Indian boards, and between the Indian board and their sports ministry, aimed at sorting the matter out. It is, thus, fairly likely that Graeme Smith will not have to search for a new opening partner for this important series, which South Africa will be defending.

Rain restricted play at Taunton to just 1½ hours on Friday during which time Somerset scored some quick runs before declaring 276 ahead of Glamorgan.The Cidermen then captured a quick wicket to leave the visitors needing 247 to make the hosts bat again.When play eventually got underway at 2.15pm, Somerset quickly brought up the 400 to gain their fifth batting point. Aaron Laraman then launched himself at the Glamorgan attack to bring up his first half century for his new county with some lusty blows, until at three o’ clock skipper Mike Burns declared on 476 for 6, by which time the all rounder had taken his score onto 61.The former Middlesex man had faced just 38 balls and hit two sixes and seven fours much to the delight of the many faithful supporters who remained at the County Ground, whilst at the other end Rob Turner was 32 not out at the declaration.Facing a deficit of 276, Richard Johnson made an early breakthrough for the Cidermen when in his first over opener Ian Thomas edged a simple catch to wicket-keeper Turner.David Hemp came into join Adrian Dale and the pair had taken their side onto 29 without further loss before bad light and then rain caused the players to leave the field for an early tea from which they never returned.Somerset will be watching the weather forecast closely on Saturday and hoping that the rain holds off long enough for them to take the remaining nine Glamorgan wickets and notch up their second championship victory to boost their bid for promotion.

Paula Flannery, CLEAR White Fern, could be excused for taking a little time to come back to Earth.She’s just returned from a winter coaching position 1700m up in the Swiss mountains at an exclusive Swiss boarding and finishing school, Lyceum Alpinum, near St Moritz in the Engandine Valley, for children from afar afield as Brazil and Russia.It’s three weeks since she returned to her Christchurch base and only now is she starting to unwind from an opportunity she never expected to get.A member of the CricInfo Women’s World Cup-winning White Ferns, Flannery, 27, was asked in February if she would be available to go to the school by White Ferns coach Mike Shrimpton.The job came about because the head of sport at the exclusive co-educational school is former Central Districts player Greg Hart, who used to be coached by Shrimpton.But cricket in a Swiss school catering for the children of Europe’s wealthy?Apparently, cricket has been a tradition at the school for 50 years and Flannery was one of three coaches. With a background in teaching children with disabilities, she found her previous experiences were a great help in getting children who had never been exposed to cricket to handle the intricacies of batting and bowling.The accent was on studies at the school and the only time available for sport was from 4.30-6pm so the only children involved in her coaching were the boarders.Flannery played the odd game with a boys’ team, including a tournament in Italy. But the big event on her programme was a Cricketfest organised by her school which involved several teams in 32-over matches.The school’s top team also has an annual match against the Old Boys’ side which is traditionally very competitive. And this year the school side won the match.”It was a very enjoyable experience and I got to met a few people I would never have met otherwise,” Flannery said of her northern hemisphere summer.”Some of the kids I was coaching have their own companies. It was a lot different to anything I have experienced before.”Forty-five different countries were represented on the school roll.As for her own cricket, Flannery did a lot of work on her physical training.”I also had a lot of time to sit down and think about everything, and I’ve never really had that time before.”It also gave me a chance to charge my batteries for the next season,” she said.Her first date to watch out for is October 1 when the New Zealand team to tour India in November will be named.But the ultimate measure of how she enjoyed her Swiss experience came when asked if she would do it again, and the affirmative answer said it all.

Sri Lanka have picked five uncapped players – fast bowler Binura Fernando, legspinner Jeffrey Vandersay and batsmen Shehan Jayasuriya, Dasun Shanaka, and Dhananjaya de Silva – in their Twenty20 squad for the forthcoming two-match series against Pakistan.Dinesh Chandimal and Lahiru Thirimanne have not been included while fast bowler Nuwan Kulasekara, who was left out for the ongoing ODI series, has been picked. Chamara Kapugedera, who last played a T20 international in June 2012, has also been included in the squad.”We need to get the younger brigade in the stream, so we have a gradual transition leading up to the next World T20 and the 50-over World Cup beyond that,” chief selector Kapila Wijegunawardene said. “We need to put them on the ground and see how they perform.”Fernando, 20, has been a leading cricketer for DS Senanayake College. Though he has played only seven first-class matches, he has been touted as a promising fast bowler, thanks largely to the pace he generates from his six-and-a-half foot frame. Vandersay also has limited domestic experience, but most recently took 8 wickets for 167 in a three-day warm-up match against the Pakistanis, in June.De Silva and Jayasuriya, both 23, are aggressive opening batsmen who also deliver off spin. Jayasuriya played the the three-match unofficial ODI series against Pakistan A in May, with mixed results. He has, however, been a top performer for Colts Cricket Club. De Silva played in the four-day leg of that tour, and took three wickets and hit 154 runs across five innings. He plays for Ports Authority Cricket Club. Shanaka is not so well-known in the domestic circuit, but Wijegunawardene said the 23-year-old had been picked for his “ability to clear the ropes at will, which is a skill displayed at recent practice matches.”Kapugedara was also recalled thanks to his boundary-hitting capability, but also to lend a touch of experience to the side, Wijegunawardene said. “With all these youngsters coming into the team we also need to balance the team with experience. Kapugedara has not been in the team for a while, but we know he can do that, and we’ve picked him on that basis.” Kapugedara, 28, has played in 21 T20 internationals and 92 ODIs for Sri Lanka.Wijegunawardene also said the omissions of Chandimal and Thirimanne does not put them out of the running to play in next year’s World T20. “Chandimal and Thirimanne needed to prepare for the upcoming India Test series which is a very important one. Offspinner Tharindu Kaushal we are also saving for the Tests. We’re trying to manage all their workloads because we have a very busy calendar till July next year.” Fast bowler Dushmantha Chameera remains unavailable through injury.Both T20 matches will be played at the Premadasa Stadium in Colombo, on July 30 and August 1. Sri Lanka remain the top-ranked T20 side in the world – a ranking they have more-or-less held consistently since September 2012.Sri Lanka squad: Lasith Malinga (Capt), TM Dilshan, Kusal Perera, Kithruwan Vithanage, Dhananjaya de Silva, Angelo Mathews, Dasun Shanaka, Chamara Kapugedera, Shehan Jayasuriya, Thisara Perera, Jeffrey Vandersay, Nuwan Kulasekara, Binura Fernando, Chaturanga de Silva, Milinda Siriwardene

Bangladesh romped to a nine-wicket win over Malaysia in the third-place play-off in the CLICO International Under-15 tournament in Trinidad. Malaysia collapsed from 47 for 2 to 73 all out, with offspinner Khaza Khairuddin taking 4 for 15 and Naseef Ahmed 4 for 9. Didar Hossain (41*) led the chase and Bangladesh knocked off the runs in the 12th over. Despite the loss, Malaysia have performed tremendously considering they only entered the competition at the last minute following the withdrawal of Zimbabwe.Ireland defeat ICC Americas by two wickets in the fifth-place play-off in Tobago. Ireland appeared to be heading towards defeat as they slid to 77 got 6 chasing 139, but Barry McCarthy (44*) and Jonathan Andrews (16) added a vital 52 for the seventh wicket to guide the Irish to victory with three overs in hand. ICC Americas should have posted a bigger score, but from a platform of 110 for 3 they fell away, with Andrews and Ben Wylie taking three wickets each. ICC Americas’ lack of discipline also told as their bowlers gave away 24 wides and five no-balls.Netherlands finished in seventh after a 60-run win over the very poor Kenya side. Stefan Ekelmans’ 51 was the anchor as Netherlands made 172 for 8 in 50 overs, Kenya’s bowlers contributing 21 wides. But Kenya’s batsmen, as has been the case throughout, were simply not good enough, with Irfan Karim’s 50 one of only two scores in double figures as they limped to 112 in 44.2 overs.

Kevin Pietersen has ruled himself out of the running to be Michael Vaughan’s successor as England’s one-day captain, leaving the way clear for Paul Collingwood to be named as the new leader when the squad is announced on Friday.Speaking at a sponsor’s function in Central London, Pietersen said: “It’s something I’ve thought about long and hard but it’s not the right time for me to do it. Right now is the time for me to be doing team stuff.”I would be humbled in the future to be given the opportunity to captain my country, but whoever gets the job tomorrow will get my full support. It is a new era now with a new coaching staff and a good time for England to move forward.”Pietersen’s credentials as a captain have never yet been tested, although he received backing this week from Geoff Boycott, who argued that England needed to take the innovative route if they wanted to claim the World Cup in Asia in 2011. Pietersen just smiled and said: “I thank him for that.” Darren Gough, his best man at his forthcoming wedding, also gave his backing.Collingwood has also had limited experience of leadership, but is viewed as the safer option. “If I were to be asked, it would be very hard to turn down,” he said during the recent fourth Test in Durham. “There’s obviously going to be a few people who are up for the job so we’ll have to wait and see who the selectors feel would be the best made for the job.”But Pietersen did admit it was “something I have thought about a lot” and also said that he had had talks with the England management. “It has been mentioned. It’s not the right thing for me right now.”Pietersen added that he was sorry that Michael Vaughan had stepped down, although he realised that it was the best thing for England, and for the sake of Vaughan’s longevity in Tests. “It was done in the best interests of the country. The schedules we play, it’s hard. Test match after Test match after Test match… Our bodies take a hammering.”But he realised that, although finding a balance is hard, England’s one-day preparation still need to be addressed. “The one-day scene has been neglected,” he said. “We haven’t won too many trophies. It’s about winning at all costs and being the best at everything.” In the meantime, there are the forthcoming Twenty20s to take his mind off matters.”It’s a release,” he said, although he will be taking the Twenty20 World Championships in September very seriously. “It’s in South Africa, so that could be interesting,” he said with a grin which alluded to the reception the crowd gave him in 2005 when he scored three centuries in his first major series for England.

Scorecard

Riding on a quickfire fifty from Brad Haddin and the bowling trio of Brett Dorey, Shane Watson and Dan Cullen – three senior side hopefuls – Australia A handed New Zealand A its second defeat of the day at Darwin. Shortly after going down to Pakistan A, the tourists slumped to a 16-run loss despite turning in a worthy display with the ball.Having won the toss, Australia chose to bat and ran into early trouble. Chris Martin, the fast bowler with considerable international experience, dismissed Mark Cosgrove and Watson, while Joseph Yovich accounted for Phil Jaques. Staring at a potential disaster, Haddin and Brad Hodge combined for a 70-run stand for the fourth wicket, one that made the difference in the end. Haddin smashed 52 from 34 deliveries and Hodge 40 from 29, and the duo looked good for more before Jeetan Patel, the offspinner, and Yovich returned to rein the hosts in. Patel had Hodge and Chris Rogers beaten in flight and Yovich’s medium pace put the skids on a late-order attack as Australia were restricted to 160.By Twenty20 standards, this was a total that should have been overhauled with ease, but New Zealand failed to seal the deal. It was killer execution from Australia: Dorey dealt three early blows with the new ball, Watson struck when it mattered most, and Cullen stymied the long-handle attempts of the tail. Though they began very slowly, New Zealand’s hopes were raised with a superb 85-run stand for the fifth wicket between Rob Nicol (39) and Mark Orchard (53 from 28). As the run rate veered towards the gettable, Watson and Cullen effected a dramatic landslide that left New Zealand gasping. Ultimately, it was Australia’s nerve with the ball that proved too hot to handle.

A report in the Nairobi-based Daily Nation says that several Kenyan players have made themselves unavailable for this Friday’s Intercontinental Cup match against Namibia, as a result of a contractual dispute with the board (KCA).The squad, together with a new captain, is to be named shortly, but some players are likely to be omitted after clashing with the board over a decision by the KCA to extend their contracts only until the end of November.A source informed Wisden Cricinfo that he had been told that a number of mainly African players have made themselves unavailable for the game, allegedly including senior figures and youngsters, although most of the Asian cricketers have agreed to play. He added: “I hear the selectors are desperately trying to find adequate replacements who are willing to play.”There are separate reports that the selectors are scambling around to try to fill the side. Some people who have not previously come close to international selection are thought to have been approached, including a couple who live overseas.Steve Tikolo, who resigned as captain after Kenya’s exit from the Champions Trophy, said he would personally not sign a two-month contract. He was quoted as saying: “Giving us a contract until the end of November means that after that date, when Kenya has no international fixtures, we are discarded.”Sharad Ghai, the KCA’s chairman, said this position had been forced on the board due to lack of funds. “I had said before that unless we find a sponsor, it is going to be difficult to keep the players on contract and nothing has changed so far,” he explained. “The seniors said they want at least a year’s contract but we say no because we do not have the resources, they need to give us more time to get a sponsor.”If they do not play, too bad but I have faith in the younger players to do well against Namibia, I believe they have a point to prove and are more hungry,” he added. “I don’t mind losing, we must have the courage to lose today so we can win tomorrow.”

Shoaib Akhtar, who two days ago pronounced himself “very much available” for the forthcoming six-nation Asia Cup one-day tournament in Sri Lanka, has been ruled out so that he can rest a rib injury.Wasim Bari, the former Test wicketkeeper who is now Pakistan’s chairman of selectors, said: “We have received directives that Shoaib should not be considered for the Asia Cup to allow him to recover.”Shoaib, who is 28, picked up the injury in the third and final Test against India at Rawalpindi in April – but he has been playing county cricket for Durham since, and on Tuesday said he had “recovered well from my ribcage injury after two weeks of rest”.The Asia Cup begins in Sri Lanka on July 16. India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh are all taking part, along with associate-member countries Hong Kong and United Arab Emirates.