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Yorkshire 144 and 44 for 1 trail Lancashire 517 (Law 206, Horton 149) by 329 runs
Scorecard

This was a day of records at Headingley, none of them favourable to Yorkshire. The most notable were the highest partnership for Lancashire in first-class matches against Yorkshire, and the highest individual innings for Lancashire in Roses matches.Perhaps in the end Yorkshire did rather well to dismiss Lancashire for 517, after they were 383 for two at one stage. The batsmen chiefly responsible for Lancashire’s position of virtually overwhelming strength were the two Australian-born players, opener Paul Horton (149) and the former international Stuart Law (206). Their contributions enabled Lancashire to pass 500 and finish the day 329 runs ahead, with one already Yorkshire wicket down.Horton and Law began the day in possession of the crease, and stayed in control until well into the afternoon session. They used the well-tried method of laying a firm foundation before attempting to build. Horton, 82 not out overnight, took 48 minutes to reach his second first-class century, and was stuck on 99 for quite a while, but he refused to be flustered and finally turned a ball from Jason Gillespie towards long leg to reach three figures; it took him 186 balls.Horton continued to play the anchor role while Law now began to play his strokes. He reached his century off 139 balls shortly after lunch, and altogether scored 125 runs during the afternoon session as he thrashed an innocuous attack. He overtook Horton in the 140s, and their partnership was worth 258 runs, beating the previous Lancashire best against Yorkshire for the seventh wicket of 247 by Graham Lloyd and Ian Austin in 1997.The stand was finally broken when Younis Khan took a fine diving catch at slip off Tim Bresnan to remove Horton for 149, his highest first-class score. Andrew Flintoff played an innings of mixed quality, 24 off 37 balls, while Law reached 201 at tea. He had now beaten Reggie Spooner’s best of 200 not out for Lancashire against Yorkshire. He failed, however, to reach Maurice Leyland’s record of 211 for this fixture, being run out for 206 in a mix-up with his partner.Lancashire’s tail had little to offer, and the last eight wickets went down for 134 runs. The top Yorkshire bowler was Adil Rashid, with three expensive wickets. Yorkshire lost the wicket of Craig White before the close and face a major task even to avoid a three-day innings defeat.

Zimbabwe’s selectors have not sprung any surprises in their 15-man squad for the five-ODI series in Pakistan.Ray Price and Gary Brent, who have both returned to the side after turning their backs on international cricket, are named, as is Sean Williams, whose inclusion in the side which played in South Africa last week reportedly caused a bitter dispute among the selectors who wanted another black player instead.Meanwhile, Peter Chingoka, Zimbabwe Cricket’s chairman, denied claims that his board was putting player safety second to the standing of the country within the ICC. “The players and their technical staff are all comfortable with the tour,” he said. “I will accompany the team on the first leg of the tour and the vice-chairman, Tavengwa Mukuhlani, will then join the travelling party when I return on January 17 or 18. The chairman of the cricket committee, Cyprian Mandenge, will take over from Mukuhlani on January 24 and return with the team.”Critics point out that the women’s World Cup qualifier has been moved from Pakistan to South Africa on safety grounds and accuse ZC of not taking the proper steps to establish the security situation in the country. Zimbabwe will be there in the build-up to the national elections in mid February when many are predicting an escalation in violence.Zimbabwe squad Prosper Utseya (capt), Gary Brent, Chamu Chibhabha, Elton Chigumbura, Keith Dabengwa, Timycen Maruma, Hamilton Masakadza, Stuart Matsikenyeri, Chris Mpofu, Tawanda Mupariwa, Ray Price, Vusi Sibanda, Tatenda Taibu, Brendon Taylor, Sean Williams

Match abandoned
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were out

Australia were denied a certain victory in the third match of the DLF Cup, as the wet weather played havoc for the second match in a row at the Kinrara Oval. After Australia mustered 244, India, set a revised target of 170 in 29 overs, were decimated by an outstanding spell of fast bowling by Mitchell Johnson, who ripped out the heart of the Indian batting in two hostile overs. He returned magnificent figures of 4 for 11 to have the Indians reeling at 35 for 5 in eight overs, before the rains returned to save India the blushes.Already having lost a rain-affected match to West Indies on Thursday, India were lagging in third place on the points table, but their bowlers put in a fine show after Australia won the toss, recovering from an early battering to restrict them to 244. Shane Watson, promoted to open the innings for the first time in his ODI career, rode his luck early on and bludgeoned some fine blows en route to a career-best 79 while Michael Clarke made a controlled 64. But the Indian attack, led by the irrepressible Harbhajan Singh (2 for 24) hit back in fine style, ensuring that India needed an asking rate of less than five an over to get their first points of the tournament.Sachin Tendulkar versus Glenn McGrath was the big contest everybody had been waiting for, and their tussle, though brief, lived up to the hype. McGrath rattled Tendulkar on the helmet off the first ball he bowled to him, and then kept Tendulkar guessing with excellent variations in length and seam movement. Tendulkar hit back with an audacious down-the-pitch hoick over midwicket before the rains sent the players scurrying back with India on 16 without loss after five.The three overs of play after resumption was the most dramatic passage of the entire day. Johnson has been touted as the next big thing in Australian fast bowling, and he showed just why he is so highly rated, destroying the famed Indian line-up with pace, swing and seam. The revised target of 154 in 24 overs clearly meant the batsmen had to up the pace instantly, and the pressure told, as Dravid scooped a drive to cover. Irfan Pathan walked out, and was greeted with a jaffa – the ball pitched on middle and off, and took off stump even as Pathan shaped to get into line.Virender Sehwag briefly provided respite with an upper-cut off Stuart Clark for six, but then succumbed to a misunderstanding with Tendulkar, who himself was next out after surviving the hat-trick ball. When Yuvraj Singh edged a catch to slip, India had lost five wickets for 19 runs in three overs, and were staring at a humiliating defeat, before they were rescued by the rain.The Australian innings was split into two parts – the first one was all about their batsmen – especially Watson – dominating completely, while the second part belonged to the Indian bowlers.

Watson and Phil Jaques, his opening partner, got the innings going in fine style after a circumspect first six overs, which fetched only 23. The next four overs produced 41, though, and the Australians were well and truly underway, as both batsmen launched into Ajit Agarkar and Munaf Patel – the Indian new-ball pair – with a series of pulls, lofted straight-drives and punches through the off side. India had one chance to stop the rot before it had even begun, when Watson – then on 13 – got a leading edge off Agarkar, but Harbhajan made a mess of the chance at cover.The first wicket added 64, and though Ricky Ponting and Damien Martyn didn’t contribute much, Australia were rollicking along thanks to Watson. Plonking his front foot down the pitch, he took full toll whenever the bowlers pitched it up, thumping fours down the ground and through cover. And when they pitched it short, Watson unleashed some fierce pull shots, none more destructive than the one off Munaf in the eighth over – the ball soared over midwicket for six. Irfan Pathan, still woefully short on confidence, was taken to the cleaners too, as he leaked four fours in an over. Then Harbhajan was introduced into the attack, and the momentum shifted completely.Controlling his length, pace and flight superbly, Harbhajan immediately commanded respect from the batsmen. The pitch afforded him some turn, and he used it perfectly, turning it in from outside off, and keeping the batsmen guessing with the occasional doosra. He soon got the vital wicket of Watson – who clipped one to midwicket – and then rode on that success. Mark Cosgrove didn’t have an answer to his guile either, and with Sehwag offering fine support at the other end, Australia were suddenly on the defensive.With Australia losing the momentum, it was left to Clarke to play the role of sheet anchor. His approach too changed as the wickets fell, and fluent strokeplay gave way to nudges and pushes as he sensibly reined himself in. He finally fell trying to force the pace, as Agarkar and Munaf returned with accurate second spells. A brief spell of rain forced the players off the field with seven deliveries left, but, on resumption, they needed only three more to take the final Australian wicket and wrap up the innings.Dravid woud have been looking forward to four points at the halfway mark, but by the end of the game, he would have been mightily relieved to get two.

Phil Jaques c Sehwag b Munaf 25 (64 for 1)
Ricky Ponting c Tendulkar b Pathan 19 (92 for 2)
Damien Martyn c Dhoni b Singh 4 (113 for 3)
Shane Watson c Raina b Harbhajan 79 (157 for 4)
Mark Cosgrove c Dravid b Harbhajan 1 (167 for 5)
Brad Haddin run out (Sehwag) 16 (200 for 6)
Michael Clarke c Raina b Munaf 64 (230 for 7)
Mitchell Johnson c Dhoni b Agarkar 1 (232 for 8)
Stuart Clark c Singh b Munaf 7 (243 for 9)
Hogg c Dhoni b Agarkar 12 (244 all out)
IndiaRahul Dravid c Martyn b Johnson 6 (20 for 1)
Irfan Pathan b Johnson 0 (20 for 2)
Virender Sehwag run out (Clarke/Haddin) 8 (34 for 3)
Sachin Tendulkar c Haddin b Johnson 12 (34 for 4)
Yuvraj Singh c Hogg b Johnson 0 (35 for 5)

Daren Ganga, West Indies’ opening batsman, will be given his first outing on their South Africa tour in the four-day warm-up match against South Africa A at East London.Ganga will open the batting alongside Devon Smith with Chris Gayle still sitting out as he recovers from the hamstring injury he picked up in Zimbabwe. Ganga is coming off a lean run in Tests, having failed to reach double figure in his last six innings after making 25 runs in the final three matches against England in May and June.Dwayne Bravo continues to lead the team, which won the Twenty20 international at Port Elizabeth by five wickets, while Daren Powell and Jerome Taylor who impressed in that match also sit out against South Africa A. Rawl Lewis, the legspinner, is given a chance to put his name in the equation for Test selection as is left-arm quick Pedro Collins.The four-day match is the only warm-up match before the Test series starts on Boxing Day at Port Elizabeth with two more games at Cape Town and Durban.West Indies Devon Smith, Daren Ganga, Runako Morton, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Marlon Samuels, Dwayne Bravo (capt), Denesh Ramdin (wk), Rawl Lewis, Darren Sammy, Pedro Collins, Fidel Edwards

Majid Saeed, the captain of the Gujranwala team, hit an unbeaten 94 in the second innings to steer his side to a four wicket win over Sheikhupura in the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy (Grade-I) match played at the Jinnah Stadium, Gujranwala.Chasing a target of 143 runs, Gujranwala were reduced to 98 for 6 when the captain came to the team’s rescue. He shared an unbroken partnership of 47 with wicket-keeper batsman, Hafiz Khalid, to safely reach home.Earlier, Sarfraz Ahmad, the left-arm seamer from Gujranwala took 5 wickets for 43 runs to send Sheikhupura packing for a paltry 146 in their first innings. Qaisar Abbas scored 67, as only two other batsmen could pass the double-figures.Gujranwala’s reply was not a confident one, as they lost 6 wickets for just 100 on the board. However, a partnership of 61 runs for the seventh wicket between Abdul Rehman and Hafiz Khalid ensured that their side takes the vital first innings lead. In the end it turned out to be a lead of 52, as Gujranwala were all out for 198 in their first innings.For Sheikhupura, Naveed ul Hassan and Jaffer Nazir took 6 and 3 wickets each for 80 and 32 runs, respectively.Sheikhupura’s start in the second innings was disastrous as they lost three wickets for only 11 runs. However, it was the gritty knock of 59 from the opening batsman, Zahid Javed, which avoided a total collapse. He was supported in his efforts by the middle and late order comprising of Mujahid Jamshed (32), Yasir Bashir (40), and Naveed ul Hassan (39).Sheikhupura were all out for 194, leaving a target of 143 runs for Gujranwala to wrap up the game in their favour.Mubbashir Nazir was the most successful of the Gujranwala bowlers taking 6 wickets for 56. Sarfraz took 2 for 71, whereas Abdul Rehman and Asim Butt bagged one wicket each.

John Wright has said that working with a pool of 36 players in two pre-season camps will give him and the selectors a good idea of which players can make the transition to the international level. Wright arrived in Bangalore yesterday with Gregory King, the newly appointed trainer, ahead of the conditioning camp which will be held from August 14-26.The Times of India quoted Wright as saying: "Managing 36 players could be a bit difficult but the main idea is to get more players used to the training methods of King. It’s the beginning of the season and as it progresses the number of players will come down. Having more players will also provide a wider pool of talent. It will give the selectors and myself a good indication of who’s keen on working harder."When asked about the absence of Javagal Srinath, who pulled out from the camp due to an injury in his right knee, Wright said that he hadn’t spoken to him yet. “Sri is an experienced professional. He is big enough to make up his mind. But at the end of the day we need to talk to him.”Wright also spoke about the areas where the team needed to improve. “There are certain areas like the top of the order, fast bowling and fielding …where we need more competition from players.”The list of 36 probables includes four openers apart from Virender Sehwag and Sanjay Bangar, who opened the innings in India’s last Test, but one name missing from the line-up was Sadagoppan Ramesh. Ramesh last played for India in 2001 before being forced out with an injury. Speaking on Ramesh’s chances of making a comeback, Wright said: “Ramesh is a good player. But there are always some unlucky players. He’s scored runs in the domestic season and will have to take his chances.”

Michael Vaughan hopes Andrew Flintoff can make his Test return during the upcoming series against New Zealand, however he said it was vital that Flintoff not rush back too soon and risk aggravating his ongoing ankle problems. Flintoff has not played a Test since the 2006-07 Ashes loss in Australia and a fourth operation on his left ankle ruled him out of the recent tours of Sri Lanka and New Zealand.”He has got three or four four-day games for Lancashire, so hopefully he will come through those with overs under his belt, runs by his name and give himself a good chance because we want him back,” Vaughan told . “An England side with Freddie in is a better team.”He wants to be there. He is the only one who knows what his anklefeels like. He hasn’t bowled 18 to 20 overs in a day yet and had to go out and bowl five or six the next day yet, so hopefully he will get through that.”Flintoff himself was aiming to be ready for the first Test, which starts on May 15, however that will depend on his progress during Lancashire’s initial games. His first big trial will be in a four-day match against Surrey beginning on Wednesday, and Vaughan said there was no point hurrying him into the national side before he was ready.”We just want him right, whether that means he misses the first game, second game and comes back for the third,” Vaughan said. “I just want him back fit and ready; whether it’s first or third, that will do me. It is so important you listen to your body and know yourself.”Flintoff’s fast-bowling colleagues Steve Harmison and Matthew Hoggard are also desperate for a successful start to the county season following their axing from the Test side during the tour of New Zealand. Vaughan said Hoggard would undoubtedly be working overtime to put his name back in the frame, while Harmison would be fired up and keen to prove a point.”Harmy has been given a harder time and I wouldn’t want to be a county batsman over the next month having to face him because I think he has got a bit of a bee in his bonnet and a point to prove,” Vaughan said. “That is exactly what I want – I certainly don’t think it is the end of their careers yet.”Regardless of how the attack looks, there could be adjustments to England’s top order for the first Test with Vaughan himself keen to drop down the order. He had a poor series personally in New Zealand, scoring 123 runs at 20.50, and a direct swap with the No. 3 Andrew Strauss might be on the cards.”I wouldn’t say I would carry on opening for England, no,” Vaughan said. “We will have to sit down with Peter Moores and the selectors. Straussy is at three at the minute – he likes opening and I am at two and like batting at three – so maybe that will be a little bit of a change.”

Don’t write us off just yet ! That’s the message from Calmore Sports after a crushing 162-run win over Portsmouth, which keeps the club’s prospects of avoiding the drop very much alive.Favourites to go down in the ECB Southern Electric Premier League after only one win all summer, Calmore produced a stunning performance – with Hampshire hopeful James Hibberd leading the way.He wrecked Portsmouth’s top order with a 4-20 blast after top scoring in Calmore’s towering 274-7.Calmore’s win has cut Portsmouth’s advantage at the bottom to ten points – a situation that could be overturned next weekend if Hibberd’s side win at Andover and Portsmouth are beaten by Havant."If only we’d played like that all summer," sighed Calmore captain Tom Pegler. "We brought a couple of the older, more experienced players back like Gregg Lewis and Clive Surry, and it made all the difference."The team spirit was terrific – as was our overall performance," he added.Calmore scored at a rapid rate throughout their innings, with Hibberd (61) and Lewis (33) putting on 90 before Paul Cass (58) and Charlie Freestone (29) took the total on to 185-5.Pete Hayward (3-38) made breakthroughs but had finished his ten-over stint by the time Surry unleashed 43 not out to sweep Calmore to 274-7.Fired up, Hibberd ripped through Portsmouth’s top order, whipping out Ben Thane, Dean Oliffe, Matt Keech (second ball) and Chris Moon to leave the visitors rocking at 20-5.Lee Savident (39) and Hayward (28) provided long overdue resistance, but two wicket spells by Freestone (2-24) and John Wall (2-21) reduced Portsmouth to 112 all out.

Herschelle Gibbs has emerged as a doubt for South Africa’s tour of Sri Lanka in August, after injuring his ankle in a training session on Thursday. “There is enough doubt for us to make preparations to call up a substitute,” said Eric Simons, South Africa’s coach, after Gibbs sustained the injury at the High Performance Centre at Tuks University in Pretoria.”We have spoken to the selection committee, and if necessary will call in a replacement. However, we are reasonably confident that he will be able to come with us on Monday.”South Africa are scheduled to play two Tests and five one-day internationals on their trip, which kickstarts another arduous season of cricket, which also includes the Champions Trophy in England, a two-Test tour of India in November, and the visit of England over Christmas and New Year.”We have a very big season, with many challenges, coming up,” said Simons. “Last season was very up and down. The team and some individual players enjoyed some great successes, but there were also a number of disappointments. We spent this week looking back and looking ahead, and I believe that in two or three seasons, we will look back on this week and see it as a major step ahead.””Conditions in the sub-continent are unique,” said Graeme Smith, South Africa’s captain. “When we travel to England or New Zealand, the conditions are similar to what we have grown up with here. But we have to do a lot of preparation for Sri Lanka. I have been doing a lot of reading about the conditions there, and I guess we have to be prepared to mix and match. We may even have some strange field settings.”

Things are looking up for Otago cricket after the senior men’s side claimed a clear third place in the State Championship, the best finish for several years.Backing this result has been the early re-appointment of coach Glenn Turner and the news that former Pakistan international Mohammad Wasim will return to the side next summer.Wasim scored 651 runs at an average of 40.68 to finish in seventh place on the Championship batting aggregates and superbly complemented his fellow opening batsman Craig Cumming, who scored 751 runs.Otago Cricket’s chief executive Graeme Elliott said the side had benefited from having an attack which could bowl opponents out and the successive outright victories to beat Canterbury and Wellington in the last two matches of the season had been especially impressive.”Shayne O’Connor was back and fully fit and was taking wickets while Kerry Walmsley and Warren McSkimming also bowled well.”We had good top-order batting but our middle-order still needs to do better,” he said.Elliott was disappointed the side could not beat competition winners Auckland in their match at Queenstown when they had all day to score 247 for victory.”We just let them get on top of us,” he said.”But it was really good to see a couple of chunky wins at the end.”Elliott confirmed that Wasim would be back next summer. He was going to be working on elements of his batting that he had worked on with Turner during the summer and would also be working on his leg-spin to give the Otago attack another prospective prong.Elliott added that normally when Otago got to the end of season a period of time was wasted while sitting around wondering who might be the coach of the side in the next summer.That had been resolved this year with Turner’s early appointment, a move which allowed him to address issues over the winter.The improved quality of pitches in the Otago region had also been a boost for the side. Apart from Queen’s Park in Invercargill where there was still a need to lift the standard, Otago had pitches that were as good as anywhere in the country, Elliott said.”Carisbrook was a wee bit ordinary before Christmas, but afterwards it, and Queenstown and Molyneux Park in Alexandra were among the best in the country,” he said.The use of the University Oval next summer would continue the quality of pitches available in Otago.Elliott wants to play all of Otago’s four-day cricket in Dunedin, and to take the one-day State Shield matches around the region.”University Oval will have the Kakanui loam soil which is a proven product in our conditions.”What I want to do is play two four-day matches at Carisbrook and three at the University Oval,” he said.