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Scorecard

After a false start in the first innings, Phil Jaques ignited his campaign to replace Justin Langer in the Test team with 167 on a day when New South Wales overwhelmed their hosts. Western Australia’s under-strength bowlers were unable to contain Jaques and the Warriors’ miserable match continued when Doug Bollinger’s hat-trick had them heading to defeat. At stumps they were 7 for 139 chasing an impossible 469.While Jaques had a stronger Australia A tour of Pakistan than the Warriors’ Chris Rogers, the real battle for the opening spot at the Gabba on November 8 centres around the early-season performances in the Pura Cup. Both specialists failed in the first innings, but Jaques quickly moved on from his 13 to underline his case for inclusion and strengthen New South Wales’ position. Jaques, who has played two Tests and six ODIs, began on 71 and moved cautiously towards his century, which took 171 balls and came with a straight boundary off Brett Dorey.Once Jaques posted three figures he lifted his scoring rate and dominated an attack missing Ben Edmondson, who strained his right hamstring on day two, and David Bandy. “I wanted to get some runs over here, and I suppose I was a little bit scratchy at the start, just to get going and until the nerves settled a bit, and then I started to flow a bit better,” Jaques told AAP. “Today I felt really good, I felt quite fluent and it was a different me today.”He brought up his 150 shortly before lunch and holed out to deep midwicket looking for a 26th boundary from his 250th delivery. Shortly after Peter Forrest fell to Aaron Heal for 64 New South Wales declared at 3 for 300.Bollinger struck in the third over when he removed Langer for 1, but his highlight came when he picked up Shaun Marsh, Bandy and Luke Ronchi in consecutive deliveries, leaving Western Australia at 6 for 78. Marsh was lbw, Bandy was caught at gully by Matthew Nicholson and Ronchi fell to a stunning diving catch from the wicketkeeper Daniel Smith. It would have been four from four for Bollinger if Dominic Thornely had taken Heal’s edge at second slip. Luke Pomersbach stood out with an unbeaten 54 while Bollinger captured 4 for 23.Grant Lambert was also on a hat-trick after ruining Rogers’ hopes of a long stay and following up with the dismissal of Adam Voges. Rogers added 17 to his first-innings 9 on a day that belonged to Jaques, Bollinger and New South Wales.

Dougie Brown, the chairman of the Professional Cricketers’ Association, has warned that the majority of England’s leading Test players might be lost to the Indian Premier League if the English authorities try to force the likes of Andrew Flintoff and Kevin Pietersen to choose between the new tournament and representing their country.Brown, who has investigated the IPL’s finances and believes that the competition will be a massive success, has grown increasingly concerned over what he perceives as administrators in England sticking their heads in the sand and refusing to grapple with the true consequences of the IPL.Citing as evidence a recent poll which revealed that nearly 50% of Australia’s best cricketers are apparently prepared to contemplate quitting the Test circuit if they are refused the opportunity to participate in the new Twenty20 tournament in India, whose initial contract lasts ten years, Brown has urged the world’s cricketing bodies to thrash out a revised schedule which prevents the kind of schism which would make Kerry Packer’s 1970s breakaway series seem trivial by comparison.”The balance of power in the sport is shifting away from the ICC to the BCCI and England can’t afford to lose all their best players to the IPL, but the players have families to worry about, mortgages to pay, and futures to consider, and you can’t blame them for looking at the chance of being able to earn twice as much in a month as they could do in a whole year and concluding: ‘I want a piece of that’,” said Brown. “I think we have to be careful not to dilute Twenty20’s appeal by setting up tournaments all over the world, because cricket has to keep coming up with fresh ideas and the last thing we need is for the calendar to feature half-a dozen Twenty20 international events on it, because broadcasters aren’t stupid. They know that the public will get behind the IPL, because it is original and it is unique, and I have no doubt that we will see that the Indians turn it into terrific success.”But we have to fight to preserve the integrity of Test cricket, and to make sure that the game doesn’t become one-dimensional. We are in danger of driving the best players away from the Test circuit if we are heavy-handed in dealing with them. This is bigger than Packer – his WSC only lasted for three or four years, whereas the IPL will be with us for the next decade and we have to accept it will transform the face of cricket.”So that is why it is so important that the ECB understands there has to be an even-handed approach to letting their best players perform in the IPL. If they simply refuse to let them perform in the Indian structure, that will set a very dangerous precedent, because big-name players, the kind of high-profile names who light up Test matches, will choose to walk away and focus exclusively on Twenty20. So this is a critical period for us all.”

ScorecardMark Stoneman made his second consecutive hundred in the Championship•Getty Images

Depleted Warwickshire battled back at Chester-le-Street after Mark Stoneman’s second century in successive Championship innings for Durham. His stand of 153 with Scott Borthwick took the score to 184 for 1, but Durham were all out for 314 with Rikki Clarke taking 5 for 62.Durham’s decision to bat was probably helped by Chris Wright and Boyd Rankin joining Keith Barker and Richard Jones on the casualty list. Both had stiff backs and Jonathan Trott was on paternity leave. Chris Woakes impressed but was sparingly used in his first appearance of the season, while Tom Milnes recovered from conceding 48 in his first eight overs to take three wickets.Clarke led the attack well, although the lbw decision he gained against Paul Collingwood did not go down well with the Durham captain. He trudged off with extreme reluctance, clearly believing he had nicked the ball. Following his 131 against Yorkshire, Stoneman reached 112 before becoming Milnes’ first victim.Clarke found some movement in a testing opening spell, but Stoneman hit him for three fours in his fifth over, the third one gloved so fine down the leg side that it just evaded Tim Ambrose.Oliver Hannon-Dalby shared the new ball, but there was a bigger threat when Woakes came on for the 14th over. He found Stoneman’s edge twice in his first two overs and, after taking time to settle in, Borthwick became the dominant partner in the run-up to lunch.Stoneman took over on the resumption, scoring the first 22 runs to bring up the 100 stand as his second 50 came off 51 balls. Jeetan Patel had bowled seven overs for 11 runs until Stoneman hit him for four fours off the back foot through the off side in two overs to speed from 84 to his 127-ball hundred.Borthwick fell for 67 to Woakes, who initially looked to be appealing for lbw. But the ball had nicked the inside edge and flown off the pad to gully.Milnes moved a good-length ball away off the seam to hit Stoneman’s off stump, then Michael Richardson aimed across the line and was lbw to Clarke. Another good ball from Milnes had Gordon Muchall caught behind and John Hastings failed to capitalise on being dropped at mid-off. Two balls later he lofted Patel to deep midwicket.Warwickshire were convinced they had Ryan Pringle caught behind on 10 but he played some bold strokes in making 53 before he was last out, hoisting Clarke to deep midwicket. With four overs to bat, Warwickshire reached ten without loss.

English sport has been in a bit of a pickle lately. Don’t mention thefootball. Don’t mention the tennis. Don’t mention the cricket. Exceptwe have to. So – now that England’s senior side is in some seriousdisarray in all forms of the game, perhaps the A team can help.To this end the selectors have called in Matthew Hoggard, AlastairCook and Ian Bell to take on the mighty Pakistanis at Canterbury andhopefully give England a fillip. It will be no mean feat, though:Pakistan are unbeaten in Tests in 2006 and they easily beatLeicestershire in a warm-up last week.They tinkered around with their opening pairings, such is their wont,but both combinations paid off albeit to differing degrees. SalmanButt and Imran Farhat added 168 first up, then Shoaib Malik openedwith Farhat, and although they only put on 38, Malik went on to get acentury.Most ominously of all, though, was the form shown by Danish Kaneria inthe third innings. He bagged 4 for 32 and England will be casting concerned eyes on his form when he pitches up at Canterbury tomorrow. They will know, too, that the pitches are only going to turn more and more in his favour as the season wears on.But Rana Naved-ul-Hasan must wait on a fitness test for his injured groin and Pakistan’s coach Bob Woolmer has already said that he will miss the first Test which starts at Lord’s next Thursday.Back in the A camp, England first hinted they were beginning to take these games a little more seriously in May when they fielded a strong side against Sri Lanka, who they rolled over in three days. In that match, Liam Plunkett gained some vital practice ahead of the Testseries, and Chris Read got the chance to keep his name in the frame, as did Rob Key. It’s much the same story here, with Key continuing to lead the side. He’s still knocking on the door; in that match at Worcester he posted a solid fifty.”Our job is to put the touring side on the back foot – which is generally what seems to happen to us every time we go overseas and play A sides,” said Key. “It also gives us a chance to stake a claim for the full side. This might be a bit tougher than our first match. I don’t think this pitch will be anything like the Worcester one.”The A team also, of course, can act as a springboard for others. Jon Lewis took nine wickets against Sri Lanka and leapt into the Test side for his debut at Trent Bridge.Stuart Broad was a late entrant to the team for the last A outing (so late, in fact, that he had to have his kitbag redirected from Harrogate). He took three wickets then and so this time he is in the side by right. He’s gained great experience over the winter, for the Ateam in the West Indies, thanks to another last-minute call-up. Hehasn’t looked back, and he’s already being talked about in senior England circles.Ravi Bopara, another late call-up, has impressed too after joining Broad on the plane to the Caribbean. Both have been flying high ever since and both will now want to soar into contention for the future. Everyone loves it when a plan comes together; so fingers crossed for the A team.England A Robert Key (capt), Alastair Cook, Ian Bell, Owais Shah, Ravinder Bopara, Jamie Dalrymple, Alex Loudon, Chris Read (wk), Tim Bresnan, Stuart Broad, Matthew HoggardPakistanis (probable) Salman Butt, Shoaib Malik, Younis Khan, Mohammad Yousuf, Inzamam-ul-Haq (capt), Shahid Afridi, Abdul Razzaq, Kamran Akmal (wk), Mohammad Sami, Mohammad Asif, Danish Kaneria

New Zealand’s first-class players will earn a pay rise after the revenue for New Zealand Cricket was forecast to increase by nearly NZ$10 million over the next four years.A four-year agreement has been reached between the cricket board, the six major associations and the players’ association (NZCPA) which will run from 2006-2010. Over this period the revenue is estimated to increase from $88,993,656 to $97,353,305.This will lead to there being nearly an extra million dollars in the player payment pool, which funds the centrally contracted players from each association. With the extra money available the number of players on contracts will increase from 11 to 12.Martin Snedden, NZC chief executive, said: “The negotiations were positive and constructive. We have formed a solid partnership with the NZCPA in the past four years and I expect that relationship will become even stronger during the term of the new contract.”

Shoaib Akhtar has said that he would always be thankful to Jagmohan Dalmiya, the former ICC and Indian board president, for supporting him when doubts were being raised about his bowling action.”The first time, in 1999-2000, was awful,” said Shoaib, in an Asian News International report, of the suspicions raised at the time. “I’m always going to be thankful to Mr. Jagmohan Dalmiya, the then ICC president, for his support. But, as I said, every controversy has made me a better and stronger person. I may have felt gutted, but the controversies haven’t killed my josh (passion) and desire to play for Pakistan.”Shoaib also said that the doping controversy, during the Champions Trophy last year, was one of the toughest periods in his life. “My own countrymen shunned me, with some even refusing to look at me. It was a terrible period. Everybody’s body mechanism isn’t the same and certain levels are higher in my body compared to others.”My hormone level fluctuates. I didn’t take drugs to enhance my performance. I don’t need to. I don’t know why I was treated so badly. The test didn’t show I was an evil person. I’ve always been misunderstood. I’ve never seen myself bigger than the game.”In an interview with , Shoaib added, “The Court’s decision was a relief. Those times when I was banned were the darkest of my life, as I was in such agony and pain and mental stress. But I have never taken illegal substances, I never did anything wrong.”Surprisingly, given that he didn’t ultimately face any punishment at all, Shoaib blasted the Pakistan board for their handling of the matter. “The way the doping case was handled was stupid and pathetically wrong,” said Shoaib. “They (the PCB) could have saved their country’s respect and a big disaster because the two of us lost our fitness and never ended up going to the World Cup.”The last four years for Pakistan cricket have been ballistic with The Oval fiasco, my doping fiasco, it was too much for Pakistan cricket to handle. Now the Pakistan team is recovering and we would like to do well once again.”

Peter Moores, the new England coach, will have less power over the team than Duncan Fletcher, his predecessor, according to a report on the BBC.Unlike Fletcher, Moores will have less day-to-day control, and on tour he will no longer fulfill the role of team manager, chief selector and coach.The changes are believed to be ones that will be recommended by the Schofield report, an investigation into England’s performances over the last four years, when it is published later this month.Among other things, the report will look at how the selection committee works and how the coach reports to the ECB.

Ian Bell has been named as captain of the MCC side to take on Yorkshire in this year’s Champion County match in Abu Dhabi. Bell, who still hopes to add to his tally of England caps, was handed the Warwickshire captaincy last month.The four-day first-class match between an MCC XI and the reigning county champions, traditionally the season’s opening fixture, will begin on March 20. Unlike previous years, when the match has been used to trial the pink ball, this time it will be played during daylight hours with a red ball, at Yorkshire’s request.It could be the first of several duels with Yorkshire for Bell, as he attempts to lead Warwickshire to the Championship title they last won in 2012.”This match is perfect for me to get some time in the middle ahead of the new season and I’m very grateful to MCC for offering me the chance to both play for and captain the team,” Bell said.”It’s a nice opportunity for some practice in warm weather, and it will of course be a privilege to represent MCC again. Yorkshire’s team is full of top quality players so it will be great for myself and the rest of our guys to test ourselves against them, and hopefully I can contribute to an entertaining match.”Bell, 33, has previously played for the MCC in 2004 and 2009 but this will be the first time he has done so out in the UAE, which is hosting the Champion County match for the seventh time. The team for this year’s fixture has yet to be announced.John Stephenson, MCC’s head of cricket, said: “Ian Bell is one of the best England cricketers of his generation and I’m delighted that he has agreed to captain MCC for this year’s Champion County match. It’s an ideal opportunity for him to gain match practice ahead of the new season, and I’m sure his experience will prove beneficial for our squad too.”

Duncan Fletcher, the England coach, believes the way his batsmen countered Shane Warne at the Gabba will be a big boost for the remainder of the series. Warne went wicketless during nine overs in the first innings, but picked up four victims in the second, including Paul Collingwood and Andrew Flintoff.”I thought it was quite important we played Shane Warne very well,” Fletcher said in the . “We were pretty confident the way we played him there. The only thing is we gave him two soft wickets, and outside of that we played him very, very well and positively, so that was a big positive which came out of there.”Collingwood, who was stumped for 96, was the first of Warne’s “soft” dismissals and was quickly followed by Andrew Flintoff’s confusing punch to Justin Langer at deep mid-on. Only at The Oval on the past two tours has Warne, who finished with 4 for 124 from 34 overs, given up as many runs in an innings against England. Collingwood and Kevin Pietersen were particularly comfortable in a 153-run stand on day four until Collingwood charged Warne to end his brave resistance.Despite the 277-run defeat, Fletcher was also pleased with England’s work against the fast men in the second innings. “I thought we played the other bowlers pretty confidently as well,” he said. England will have another chance to prove themselves in the second Test starting on Friday.

Andrew Flintoff has not ruled out bowling in the Champions Trophy even though he is only just coming to the end of his ankle rehabilitation programme.Flintoff was named captain of England’s squad for the tournament in India with a view to him playing as a specialist batsman. He has not played for England since the final Test against Sri Lanka at Trent Bridge in June, and an aborted comeback for Lancashire in July led to ankle surgery.The time frame for his recovery initially appeared to cut things close to the start of the Ashes, but Flintoff says he is right on track. England’s first match in India is on October 15. “My rehabilitation programme was meant to stop in mid-October and that’s when the cricket starts,” he told reporters before a signing session for his new book Freddie My World. “Fingers crossed, if everything goes to plan hopefully I will bowl. But it’s just wait and see.”He is also confident that his ankle will stand up to the stress of the winter, which after the Champions Trophy includes the five-Test Ashes series, VB Series and the World Cup in West Indies. “The operation was a success, and something that was needed, so going into a test series my ankle and my body are as fit as they have been for, probably, ever.”Flintoff has been England’s first-choice captain since the tour of India in March – despite a late bid from Andrew Strauss – when Michael Vaughan was forced home with his knee injury. He says he will try to follow a similar pattern to how Vaughan captained in last summer’s Ashes series, but won’t be afraid to go about leadership in his own style.”The way Michael captained the side and the basic principles that he used, I will be trying to do the same,” he said. “He wanted us to enjoy playing cricket and have no fear of failing and enjoy each other’s company. I will be working down those lines as well, I will probably put my stamp on it as the series goes on.”Flintoff, who is aiming to be the first visiting captain since Richie Richardson in 1992-93 to win a series in Australia, is not daunted by the challenge. Typically, he is motivated by the winter that lies head. “Playing Australia at home, having played against them last year, is tough cricket. We are going to have to play better than we did last time and we realise that. It’s going to be a tough winter. It’s going to be one to be enjoyed, getting the chance to play in the Ashes in Australia and the chance to go to the West Indies, it’s a tough challenge but I think it will be the best winter of our lives.”