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Keith Parsons will remember the tedious final day that completed this rain-affected match long after it has been erased from the minds of slumbering spectators.The 27-year-old local product, from Taunton, ended an eight-year wait for his first County Championship century by hitting an unbeaten 108 as Somerset batted all day to reach 368-3 in their second innings, a lead of 400.When the declaration came to put the match out of its misery, Parsons and Peter Bowler had added 227 in an unbroken stand that was a Somerset record for the fourth wicket against Yorkshire.But it said everything about the final session that 21-year-old Yorkshire wicketkeeper Simon Guy marked his Championship debut by discarding his pads and bowling four overs of leg-spin.Tidy overs they were, too. And opening batsman Vic Craven could say the same about his eight overs of medium pace that cost only 15 runs.Acting-skipper Darren Lehmann had long given up hope of forcing a victory, while opposite number Jamie Cox had never entertained any other notion than batting right through from an overnight 33-0 – 65 runs ahead.There was a momentary chink of light for the visitors when Cox edged Chris Silverwood to Guy, having made 27, and Piran Holloway’s miserable season continued as he was bowled in the following over by Matthew Hoggard.At 56-2, Somerset were 88 ahead and not entirely safe. But Bowler joined Mark Lathwell in a stand of 85 for the third wicket, which dispelled any doubts about the outcome.Lathwell is still trying to re-establish himself after missing the whole of last season with a knee injury. The former England batsman produced some characteristic wristy shots, but was also out in trademark fashion, caught behind off Gary Fellows for 47 when looking well set.There were five minutes to go to lunch and it proved to be Yorkshire’s last success. After the interval Bowler and Parsons capitalised on a true and easy-paced pitch to survive without alarm, while Lehmann used his front-line bowlers sparingly.Bowler reached the fourth first class century of his benefit season off 196 balls, with 9 fours, and then became even more entrenched, taking a further 115 deliveries to add 39 to his score.Parsons lingered in the nineties, but then drove Craven through extra cover for the two runs he needed to reach a personal landmark.Somerset fans and team-mates were brought to life by the achievement. Parsons is a popular figure and a player who time and again has batted with effortless ease only to suffer a lapse in concentration to surrender his wicket short of a major score.By the close he had faced 185 balls and hit 11 fours. It will not be his last Championship hundred and perhaps the next one will be of more consequence.Promotion and relegation were meant to liven up the four-day game and may well do so in the final rounds of matches.But at present there is too much fear of losing among the sides either challenging for the title or looking to avoid a bottom three position. And that is doing the paying spectator no favours at all.Somerset took 11 points and Yorkshire 10.

Slow-burn thrillers aren’t for everyone. Mount Maunganui’s been screening one for the past three days and just as the draw was starting to turn favourite, things started to happen. “Ooooh my Goooddddd,” cried Kavem Hodge rolling around on the floor. Apparently, he was only allowed a second Test match century if he could show he could take a cricket ball to the crown jewels. He did. On 97, he put his agonised body through the trauma of a quickly run two, and on 99, decided running is for losers and whacked a pull shot to the square-leg boundary.West Indies went to stumps on 381 for 6, and trailing by 194, but there is uncertainty around two of the wickets they have in hand. Shai Hope was holed up in his hotel all of Friday and he hasn’t really been seen since. It is reported that he is unwell and as team-mate after team-mate came in ahead of him, it is starting to look serious enough to prevent him from batting. Kemar Roach is down with a hamstring injury he picked up on the first day and his status is unclear as well.New Zealand will remain hopeful of a positive result, particularly on the evidence of how they roused themselves in the final session. They were tired. The slow pace of the pitch was negating the movement that was still on offer. So there was a lot of oohs and aahs but never the aha! Until Daryl Mitchell was given the ball and he just trundled in and had Justin Greaves lbw. Three balls later, Ajaz Patel had Roston Chase trapped in front as well.West Indies had racked up fifty partnership after fifty partnership – four of their top five wickets were able to bed in. Then all of a sudden, a dibbly-dobbly bowler and a man who had never taken a Test wicket at home broke through.Slow burn thrillers. Gotta love ’em.Hodge batting in the 90s started to get uncomfortable. Anderson Phillip was hit in the head. New Zealand missed an edge through to the keeper. The replay went up on the big screen and Tom Latham said, “Oh, not again!”, throwing back to the missed opportunity when they had no reviews in Christchurch and Roach lbw only for the umpire to shake his head. There’s still two more days of this left.Ajaz Patel celebrates his maiden home Test wicket•AFP/Getty Images

Hodge’s Test career has been a slow burn too and at one point was in danger of being put out. He had been dropped during the home summer with only two of his previous 15 innings crossing the 30-run mark. Speaking at the end of the day’s play, he had the grace to accept that, saying if the employees aren’t giving what is expected of them, bosses will look elsewhere.West Indies came back to him for this tour of New Zealand and he made it a priority to figure out a way to bat against the moving ball. This challenge, far from making him shrink, triggered the analytical side of him. He has a degree in sports science and those principles might have come in handy to recognise that he could leverage his strength, scoring square of the wicket, into runs, “Plan your work, work your plan,” he said at the end of the day on 109 not out.Hodge looked suspect initially, surviving outside edges through the slip cordon and berating himself about his front foot’s reluctance to get in line with the ball. But none of that deterred him from doing the basics right; from being ready for the next ball; from gaining better awareness of his off stump. With more and more time in the middle, he was able to get his body moving the way he wanted. The strength of his defence began to shine through – soft hands, bat face pointed down to make sure the ball didn’t reach the close catchers – and the bowlers began looking elsewhere. Hodge punished them for their lack of perseverance, playing some of the most crisp pull shots. The early struggle and the method to get out of it made the final yield all the better.Tevin Imlach, batting at No. 4 in place of Hope soon after his captain had wondered where he was trying to score his runs, put in a decent shift which included running down the pitch at Ajaz and hoisting him over the top for a straight six. That shot was a direct response to the left-arm spinner almost running through his defence with an arm ball.Alick Athanaze was all class. He, like Hodge who was his room-mate as they came up playing together in Dominica, was back-foot dominant. Punches and whips and cuts all eye-catching for the sound off the bat and the balance at the crease.The Grinch made an appearance on dress-up day in Mount Maunganui•Getty Images

Greaves spoke on Friday about bringing glory back to West Indies and it is clearly not beyond him. Once, a mere forward defensive was almost enough to carry the ball to the long-off boundary.Each of those three players had the chance to go big in largely placid conditions but they were all cut short. Imlach out for 27 driving at a ball that wasn’t pitched up and could’ve been left alone. Athanaze left a nothing ball from Ajaz that would’ve comfortably missed leg stump but for a cruel deflection off his front leg. He was 45 off 57. Greaves (43 off 69) missed a straight ball from Mitchell and needed a review to see just how plumb he was. New Zealand’s batters had been ruthless. West Indies’ had work to do.Jacob Duffy, the highest wicket-taker of the series, ran in with purpose whether his job was to strike early – which he did, John Campbell falling without adding to his overnight score of 45 – or do some donkey work – he cranked his pace up to 144kph for the last over of the day which he spent banging the ball into the pitch to see if he could benefit from a bit of variable bounce.Ajaz, who hasn’t played a Test at home for five years, and whose 85 wickets until now were all the result of work done away from home, made the most of the wind blowing across the ground, just lobbing the ball up at the high-70-low-80 kph range and getting good drift and dip. Michael Rae overcame a laceration to his shin to keep trucking in. Zak Foulkes, a swing bowler out of place on a pitch which was helping only those who could hit the deck hard, tried his best. New Zealand were a much-improved bowling side. Their discipline was up. They didn’t let their shoulders sag even as the ball got soft and partnerships kept building. That mentality is going to be crucial as the slow burn in Mount Maunganui continues.

ScorecardTahir Khan scored his second first-class century, a career-best 142, to take Services to a position of strength against Assam. Assam will be relieved they got Tahir out, four overs before stumps. Tahir hit 19 boundaries in his innings and scored at a fine strike-rate of 55.90. He got good support from captain Yashpal Singh who scored 40. They added 83 for the fourth wicket. Kushaljit Das and Arnald Konwar took two wickets apiece for Assam.
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Haryana made up for a late and poor start at Jammu by scoring 247 for 4 in 57 overs, with Sachin Rana scoring an unbeaten 108 off 160 deliveries. They were 54 for 3 at one stage after Vijay Sharma had struck thrice in his first spell. That’s when Rana came in to join Sumeet Sharma and they added 102 runs for the fourth wicket. Sumeet scored an even fifty. But the innings of the day came from Rana who hit 13 fours and two sixes in his 108.
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Jharkhand’s Sujit Roy, playing in his fourth first-class match, picked up his first five-wicket haul to keep Goa down to 251 for 7, despite four of their batsman scoring forties. Roy, a right-arm medium-pacer, dismissed three of those batsmen.Goa will rue that none of the four batsmen – Sagun Kamat, Saahil Dhuri, Manoj Joglekar and Ajay Ratra – who looked set went on to play a big innings.
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Led by steady half-centuries from Amit Pagnis and Mahesh Rawat, Railways made a strong start against Madhya Pradesh, scoring 256 for 5 on the first day. MP had to struggle for the wickets, as the first-wicket stand lasted 26 overs and produced 90 runs. After Pagnis’s wicket for 66, MP got two quick wickets, but Rawat made sure there was no collapse.For MP, Jalaj Saxena took 4 for 49; his previous best is 4 for 54.
ScorecardNiraj Patel narrowly missed what would have been a second consecutive century, as he, in company with Bhavik Thaker put Gujarat in control against Vidarbha. They ended the day at 270 for 5, making Vidarbha, who tried eight bowlers, work hard. Thaker and Niraj added 134 for the third wicket, after Gujarat found themselves in a somewhat precarious situation at 63 for 2.

Michael Clarke has acknowledged the support he received from Brian Laraduring the tough times as he looked ahead to the Champions Trophy titleclash against West Indies on Sunday.”He’s been very helpful and is a great friend of mine,” said Clarke afterAustralia’s practice session at the Cricket Club of India (CCI). “When Igot dropped from the Test team, we were playing West Indies at thattime. He was there for that. He was very supportive as he has been since Imade my debut, since my first tour to the West Indies. We get along verywell. We talk a bit outside the cricket arena. We are pretty good friends.”While I was in Australia, I had a chance to catch up with him a fair biteven though I was dropped from the Test team. As friends do, you talkabout cricket obviously. He said that now that you have been dropped, itis important to go back to first-class cricket and make sure you stand upand be counted.”He asked me to be the one scoring as many runs as you can.Not just getting 50s and 70s, but scoring big hundreds and selectors won’tbe able to take their eyes off you. And they will have to re-pick you.”Clarke secretly hoped that Lara wouldn’t get too many in the final butemphasised the amount he’d picked up from watching Lara bat. “Anytime youget a chance to play against great players, you obviously don’t want themto get too many runs against you. But while they are batting, you canwatch and learn and see how they go about their job. I look forward toplaying against him. I look forward to playing against the West Indies team.They are playing good cricket at the moment.”Fortunately for Clarke, he’ll walk out onto the field with a number ofgreats as well. “All the young guys in this squad and in the Test squadare very lucky because we have some great players in the squad,” heexplained. “In our team, any opportunity you get to play cricket with themor be around them can only help you as a young cricketer. Being part ofthis Australian team, I am very lucky.”It is important to maximise yourtime with those guys – Glenn McGrath, Ricky Ponting, Shane Warne andMatthew Hayden in the Test team. These guys have been very successful forsuch a long time. So I guess, if you can’t learn off them, you will neverlearn.”While admitting that West Indies would go into the game with tremendousconfidence, after their thumping semi-final win, Clarke didn’t think therewas much to choose between the two sides. “West Indies played fantasticcricket in the first game [against Australia],” he added. “They playedreally well and we could not chase the runs down.”But I think we are ingood stead at the moment. The last two games, we played brilliant. We hadtwo very good wins. All the boys are looking forward to our first final ofthe ICC Champions Trophy. We have never won this tournament. It is apretty big tournament. Hopefully, we will play better than the West Indiesand win the game.”

Sourav Ganguly, the Indian captain, has refused to comment on whether he will play in the Challenger Series which begins on October 10 at Mohali.There have been reports of uncertainty over Ganguly’s participation after he met Dr. Kalyan Mukherjee, an orthopedic surgeon, and got an MRI scan done on his injured right elbow. “I am not going to say anything on the Challenger now,” Ganguly was quoted as saying by the Press Trust of India.Gautam Dasgupta, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) joint secretary, said that he had not received any information on Ganguly’s unavailability for the series. Chandi Ganguly, Ganguly’s father, also refused to comment on the subject.Ganguly sustained the injury during a practice match on India’s recent tour of Zimbabwe.The Challenger series, which involves India Seniors, India A and India B, will serve as a selection trial for the forthcoming one-day series against Sri Lanka.

The build-up to the first Test has produced an unusual mix of theories laced with fact and fantasy. John Bracewell, the New Zealand coach, is a zany thinker who has stumbled on the debatable discovery that Australia are vulnerable the longer a Test lasts. On the fifth day, he reckons, they win 33% of matches.At first listen the idea may sound plausible. Australia’s record in fourth-innings chases was exposed again two weeks ago at Mumbai, when it joined the SCG, The Oval and Headingley as venues of chaotic collapses. But this team scores so quickly and bowls so aggressively that since 2001 the final day has been redundant 20 times.”What’s our record like on the third and fourth day?” Ricky Ponting asked to challenge Bracewell’s research. “That’s a strange one. If we’re in a position to win a Test on the fifth day I’m backing our side.” Australia have lost five of 27 matches on the final day since 2001, so Bracewell’s claim might be as light-hearted as the giggle Shane Warne and Glenn McGrath gave Ponting when they publicly targeted Stephen Fleming and Nathan Astle.With a bowling attack based around medium pace and Daniel Vettori, New Zealand’s best method of attack will be defence. Ponting expects his opposite number to try dragging out the matches in a similar way to the 2001-02 contest, which was drawn 0-0. “I’ve thought about that a lot before the series and we talked about it in our team meeting,” he said. “They’ll try slowing the scoring rate, but sides have done that to us over the past 10 years and we’ve coped.”Fleming will unveil his tactics on the field after giving little away in his pre-match conference. “The excitement of trying a few things and actually working out how to get 20 wickets is part of the fun,” he said. “We’re going to have to play extremely well every day, we can’t afford to have a bad session.” At least the mystery surrounding his illness is over and he is claiming full fitness.One thing that hasn’t changed is the pitch, which is a typical Kevin Mitchell production. Green but hard, it will offer early bowling assistance that will not put Ponting off batting first and searching for a 500-plus total. “We think it’s time to get a big innings,” he said. “We’ve been batting well without nailing down that really big score.”And just as the talk was getting serious, the news spilled out that Australia had selected Darren Lehmann, hamstring permitting, to race the opener Mark Richardson in the battle of the team’s turtles after the two Tests. This series could be too much fun.

The Crusaders showed the Austrian Cricket Association little mercy as they punished the ACA attack with a glorious exhibition of strokeplay. Matthew Harrison and Tim Welsford shared an opening stand of 132, before Welsford departed for 72, and Harrison went on to reach his century in 104 minutes off 83 balls, eventually retiring on 113, sharing in a rapid partnership worth 87 for the fourth wicket with Ian Hewitt. Hewitt went on to eclipse him, plundering his 102* off 63 balls in a mere 70 minutes, as the Crusaders scored 332-4 in 37 overs. Earlier in the innings there had been a slight wobble as Wasif Mohammed picked up three wickets in five balls, removing Welsford, McDonald and David Hussey, the last of whom was stumped off a wide, thanks to some fast glovework by Amir Naeem.The batting performance was possibly surpassed by the bowling performance, with Hewitt bowling impressively and returning with 4-19 off 8 overs, the first blow being struck in the first over, with Tim Simpson departing for a duck. Erwin Grasinger batted patiently for 17 – occupying the crease for an hour in the process as wickets fell at the other end. Babar Nadeem, playing for the ACA side for the first time struck eight fours in a knock of 37, the highest score in the ACA innings, and after brief resistence from Thomas Grabetz and Paul Hudson, the ACA side were finally all out for 103.The Crusaders left Austria undefeated, with two wins to start their tour with, and moved onto Amsterdam, where their next opponents are due to be a VRA Invitation XI and SGS, both matches being played side by side on the same day (24th June) in Amstelveen, before games against the Netherlands and Netherlands Under 23 on the following days. The ACA would once again like to express their thanks to the Crusaders for the spirit in which they played the games and for their help in trying to encourage cricket in Austria.

Batting maestro Sachin Tendulkar has postponed his departure to SouthAfrica for treatment to his injured right toe by three days, thesecretary of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) JaywantLele said in Baroda on Wednesday.Lele told PTI that the batting star was to leave for South Africatomorrow, to be treated by noted orthopeadic surgeon Dr Mark Fergussonbut has postponed his departure due to personal reasons.Tendulkar skipped the on-going Test series in Sri Lanka due to theinjury sustained during the Triangular one-day series in Zimbabwe inthe last league match against the West Indies on July 4.Tendulkar’s stay in South Africa will depend on the advice ofFergusson. However, he will be available for the Indian cricket team’stour of South Africa beginning from October 1.

Durham managed to win a Championship in 2013 while appealing to public bodies for a financial bale out, so they have proved beyond doubt that money is not everything, but there will be rumblings of concern in the north-east at the financial pressures which could drive one of their most promising all-rounders, Ryan Pringle, away from the county.That unease will be all the stronger because Pringle has not been tempted by one of the wealthier First Division clubs, but by two unsung suitors in Derbyshire and Northants, the former reeling from an unexpectedly grim Second Division campaign, the latter who have financial issues of their own. Durham have now belatedly made Pringle an improved offer and are sweating on the outcome.Named Durham’s Young Player of the Year at the end of last season, Pringle did much to pronounce himself a genuine all-rounder in his first full season when he broke into the Championship side midway through the 2015 season.Derbyshire have played down talk of a move. “Whilst the club continues to look at options to strengthen its squad and does not usually comment on any speculation, due to the specific nature of this claim, the club would like to state that no approach has been made and the player has not signed for Derbyshire.Durham have not one unsettled young spin-bowling allrounder, but two, with Essex talking to the England U-19 player Adam Hickey as they seek to build their slow bowling options following the release of Monty Panesar.In view of the recent retirement of another offspinner, Gareth Breese, Durham’s spin bowling resources could be highly stretched – they rarely bowl Scott Borthwick’s legspin these days – and leave them particularly vulnerable away from Emirates ICG as they seek to maintain a Division One status held since 2006.Pringle struck a top score of 99 against Hampshire in September, as well as claiming 20 wickets at 28.30, and would have made his maiden Championship century at the Ageas Bowl if – as he tells it – he has not been adjudged caught off his helmet.Durham cut salary costs by around £1m before the 2014 season, as debts in their holding company advanced past £5m. They staged a lucrative Ashes Test the previous summer, but only after receiving more than £5m in loans from Durham County Council, the North-East Local Enterprise Partnership (the latter at commercial interest rates of 7.5%) and the ECB.Their chances of hosting the bigger Tests are also severely threatened by the vast improvements made at Old Trafford and by the gradual upgrading of Headingley, where Yorkshire’s two successive Championships have sharpened regional pride. International cricket in Chester-le-Street was a catalyst for change in the north, but competing with Yorkshire and Lancashire both on the up, competing in the future will be a challenging task.

There was never really any doubt that Waqar Younis would lead Pakistan in the World Cup. There was a lot of kite-flying and because the PCB maintained a silence , this kite-flying acquired a measure of credibility.It has been the PCB’s policy to appoint a captain on a series basis. It has adhered to this policy.It makes sense since form and fitness are of paramount importance and Waqar is no spring-chicken and is a high-risk when it comes to injuries. He is not alone in this as younger fast bowlers are falling by the wayside and are being patched-up and sent into battle.India rested Zaheer Khan in the one-day series against the West Indies, Mervyn Dillon pulled out of the tour of Bangladesh, Chris Cairns is still not fit to bowl, England seem to lose a fast bowler per match Allan Donald is being kept wrapped in cotton-wool and Zimbabwe had all its pace attack unfit, Muttiah Muralitharan is recovering from a hernia operation and Shane Warne has done his shoulder and is doubtful for the World Cup and our own Shoaib Akhtar has returned home to nurse a gammy knee.The PCB chairman has now confirmed Waqar as captain and hopefully the only kite-flying that will be done will be during the forthcoming basant.I think that Waqar will be the first to admit that he is no Imran Khan, Imran had the special gift of getting the best out of his players, even those he may not have personally liked. Like all humans, he had his likes and dislikes. He never allowed this to influence the way he handled the team.Waqar has never concealed that he is uneasy with Wasim Akram in the team. That, at least, is the perception and the selection of the playing eleven on tour has been whimsical. But he has done the job and led from the front and picked up wickets and given Pakistan the breakthrough. He has even started to make a few runs. The PCB has reposed confidence in him. This should cheer him up.The team management had asked for Saeed Anwar for the Test matches and the selection committee has sensibly refused to panic. Saeed should have been on the South Africa tour from the onset. There is no doubt that he was short of match-practice. But he is a near-certainty for the World Cup and he needs to get into the groove by playing domestic cricket. Pakistan will need his experience in the World Cup. He has time enough to get in the right frame of mind.We knew that the tour of South Africa would be a hard one but the margin of 4-1 is not a proper reflection of the difference between the two teams. Pakistan bowlers did everything asked of them but the batting seems to show no sign of the toughness that is required against quality opponents. The running between wickets left much to be desired, a sign that reflects not enough homework is being done on this vital aspect of the game.Running between the wickets is about judgement but it is also about communicating with one’s partner. There are only three calls, yes, no or wait. Simple words that do not put any stress on the mind and are unambiguous, not subject to interpretation, nor a basis for negotiation.While we are focused on the World Cup, a Test match comes around that is far more gripping than anything that the one-day version can dish out. Such a Test match was the one that was played at Hamilton between India and New Zealand.New Zealand won it in a tight finish. The first day’s play was washed out. But two days and a session were enough to get a decision. The wicket was certainly lively and the ball seamed but it was certainly not dangerous. Far too much was being read into it, the fault lay not in the wicket but in the lack of technique that was needed to cope with the moving ball. Far too used to batting-friendly pitches, this one had some juice. It was a low-scoring match, too much for batsmen of either team.In the days when wickets were not covered and we would get ‘sticky dogs’ there were batsmen who had developed special skills to play on them. I would like to see more pitches like the one at Hamilton. Batsmen have it far too good. They have all the protective gear while the fast bowlers can bowl no more than two bouncers per over.New Zealand were without Cairns. He is expected to play as a batsman in the one-day series. But probably will be fully fit for the World Cup. With the West Indies beginning to re-group. New Zealand the West Indies are two ‘outsiders’ that look most threatening for the World Cup.The West Indies will have Carl Hooper and Dillon back but there seems to be no news about Brian Lara, beyond, that he is unfit. But no progress report has been forthcoming. But not just the West Indies but cricket needs Brian Lara, still a prince among batsmen. But in Ramnaresh Sarwan and Marlon Samuels, they have two batsmen in the mould of Rohan Kanhai and that is high praise.