England won’t decide on James Anderson’s availability for Friday’s game against New Zealand until the morning of the match.Anderson cracked his little finger during the team’s fielding practice in St Lucia on Wednesday and, though he trained with the team today – batting, bowling and fielding with a heavily strapped hand – the decision will be delayed until tomorrow.Anderson flew home early from Australia after suffering pain in his lower back. Last year he missed a whole season with a stress fracture of the spine but was starting to find his best form during the CB Series before the England management took the precautionary measure of sending him home.He’d been expected to come back into the England line-up against New Zealand although he would have faced stiff competition with Liam Plunkett, Sajid Mahmood and Jon Lewis for the pace bowling slots.

Group A
After chasing down Zarai Tariqiati Bank Limited’s (ZTB) 267 in the previous game Habib Bank Limited (HBL) collapsed to 179 against National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) at Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore. Salman Butt scored 83 and with some down-the-order hitting NBP reached the target with four wickets to spare.Tahir Mughal took three wickets matching his performance against ZTB. The top-scorer for HBL was their No.7 batsman Kamran Hussain with 34. Apart from Butt, the NBP top order did not contribute much and it was some late hitting by Naved Latif, with 36 off 44, and Mansoor Amjad, with 32 off 37, which ensured NBP chased the score without too much trouble.Zarai Tariqiati Bank Limited beat Pakistan Customs by four wickets after they reached their revised target of 219 under the D/L method with the last ball of the game at the Sheikhupura Stadium.ZTB bowled out Customs for 222 with Mohammad Khalil taking 4 for 40. Atif Ashraf and Naved Ashraf contributed to the ZTB total with half-centuries.Group B
Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) cruised to a six-wicket win over Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) on the back a 127-run partnership between Bazid Khan and Faisal Iqbal at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium.With an unbeaten 93 from Bilal Khilji WAPDA made 218 in their 50 overs. PIA’s first wicket fell early but then Agha Sabir and Yasir Hameed added 71 for the second wicket after which Khan and Iqbal came together at the wicket, While Khan fell with four runs needed to win Iqbal was unbeaten on 66.Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGP) won their second match in a row beating Khan Research Laboratories by 39 runs in Rawalpindi.SNGP captain Misbah-ul-Haq contributed 75 runs to their winning total. Ashar Zaidi’s 57 off 63 balls proved futile as KRL were bowled out for 201. Imran Ali took three KRL wickets while Imran Ali, Tauqeer Hussain and Mohammad Saeed took two each.

Even two months ago, the idea that South Africa, one-day cricket’s upwardly mobile force, might have to face off with England for a semi-final spot would have been considered preposterous, but after indifferent campaigns for both, Tuesday’s encounter at the Kensington Oval does have a winner-takes-all feel to it.On paper, it should be a no contest, with South Africa having won 33 of their last 50 one-day games, despite an indifferent start to this competition. The corresponding figure for England is a measly 19, and prior to the four-match winning streak that won them the CB Series in Australia, they had eked out six wins in 25 games.Michael Vaughan wasn’t part of that improbable triumph in Australia and, since his return, England have lapsed back into their old ways, losing to New Zealand, Australia and Sri Lanka, and just about inching past a meagre Bangladesh total of 143.Vaughan’s form has mirrored that of the team, with 113 runs from seven games, and apart from Kevin Pietersen, Paul Collingwood and Paul Nixon, no batsman has shown a semblance of consistency. Vaughan though wasn’t about to dwell on the negatives. “It’s a great opportunity to raise our levels,” he said. “It’s a game that could take us to the semi-finals, which will be a great feat for an England side.”We’re a side that can turn up and produce on the day. We did it in the CB Series when we were down and out and it’s because we have players who enjoy big games, pressure situations and big crowds. They have been similar to us in many ways. They’ve played well at times and not so well other times. It’s the biggest match of the World Cup.”One of the clutch players he was talking about was Andrew Flintoff, struggling with a chest infection since Antigua. Vaughan though dismissed suggestions that Flintoff, in the World Cup news for all the wrong pedalo reasons, might be running on empty. “I don’t think so. I still think he’s got a performance in him.”England’s pace bowlers enjoyed the extra bounce at the Kensington Oval when they played Bangladesh, and an unchanged side is likely to step onto the park on Tuesday. Having said that, the pitch subsequently used for Bangladesh’s game against Ireland was rather different in nature. Whichever captain wins the toss faces a tricky decision, though South Africa, who lack a quality spinner, will almost certainly wish to bowl first.”It’s a tricky one,” said Vaughan, who had little hesitation in unleashing his fast bowlers against Bangladesh. “I would like to win it. In one-day cricket, if you can win the toss and the team’s happy doing what they have talked about, you always think you’re one up.”

Given the packed schedules that you see in international cricket, it’s quite surprising that these two sides haven’t met for over two years now. Then, South Africa clinched a seven-match series 4-1 on home soil – one game was tied – with Justin Kemp’s swashbuckling hitting providing a lot of the impetus despite three centuries from Pietersen in his debut series.With Pietersen having left behind his KwaZulu-Natal roots to go and qualify for England, there was plenty of needle in that series. Vaughan, however, wasn’t about to heighten the tension surrounding the game with any incendiary comments of his own. “Cricket’s a tough sport and when you have 11 guys out there, it can get a little fiery,” he said. “But it’s nothing that gets too personal, just a bit of banter.”England won five of their first six games against South Africa, including both encounters at the 1992 World Cup, but South Africa have emerged victorious in the two World Cup games since. That said, it’s hard to think of South Africa in relation to this competition without thinking of the C word – Chokers – but Vaughan didn’t go down the Australian route and attempt to pray on those insecurities.”I don’t think you can say we have handled it better than South Africa but yes, we have handled it well,” he said, when asked about pressure situations. “We’ve been in such situations before and we know we can come out of them.”His opposite number, Graeme Smith, has been amongst the runs, but also in the news for all the wrong reasons. His abrasive demeanour has rubbed several opponents the wrong way, but Vaughan played down any suggestions of bad blood. “I have no issue with him,” he said. “He’s an excellent captain, the leader of his team. I have a lot of respect for him.”Despite their underwhelming performances on the pitch and the drink-related problems off it, England know that they’re just two good games away from a place in the last four, something that they haven’t managed since Ian Botham and his mullet were still around.”We’re realistic of what we can achieve,” said Vaughan. “If you had told me before the World Cup that we would have one game [actually two] to get to the semifinal, I would have taken it.”

John Buchanan is in the final week of his seven-year coaching role with Australia, but he has not stopped talking about the future by suggesting Michael Clarke could be the next captain. After being dropped two years ago, Clarke has returned stronger and more mature and has been a crucial part of Australia’s march into the World Cup final with 464 runs, including 60 not out in the semi-final win over South Africa.The leadership debate is not an immediate issue as Ricky Ponting is only 32, but Buchanan has tipped Clarke as a contender when he retires. He was a captain of the Australia Under-19s and was named deputy to Michael Hussey for the one-day tour of New Zealand in February before he went home with a hip injury.”I see him growing as a person and he is obviously performing pretty well in the field,” Buchanan said in the Sydney Morning Herald. “Obviously he is [considered a future captain] because he should be around the team for years to come.”By that stage he will be a senior player and should have an incredible record behind him. But who is to know what will happen in the future?”Clarke began his Test career in India when his friend and coach Neil D’Costa was his manager, but before the Ashes series he swapped to the management group that looks after Matthew Hayden. “He is associating himself with the right people,” Buchanan said in the . “No disrespect to people before him, but for Michael’s future he needs to associate and be educated by the right people. I see him making those sort of choices.”While Buchanan looked ahead, he also allowed himself to go back over the relationships with some of his current and former charges. In the Herald Clarke, Hayden and Shane Watson were listed as some of Buchanan’s successes, but he regretted he was unable to connect with the legspinners Shane Warne and Stuart MacGill.”People are not compatible with each other all the time and probably their style and my styles were never going to nicely coalesce,” he said. “There have been moments when they have gone in the same direction and moments when they haven’t, not necessarily due to them or due to me. It’s just the way it is.”I always regret that you don’t have the perfect relationship with everybody because if you don’t it’s very difficult, I think, to bring out the best in them. That to me is one of the roles of the coach, that you’re always trying to expand somebody’s horizons and if you don’t have a good relationship with someone there’s no way you can achieve that. I regret that.”

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

After hours of waiting, in which more than 70 overs and almost five hours of play was lost, the game finally got under way at half past four in the afternoon on the second day. Sourav Ganguly completed his century and was dismissed immediately, on an even 100, and Sachin Tendulkar brought up his hundred soon after. The aim was to play 23 overs, but that was never likely given the speed at which light deteriorates late in the day in the East, and in the end 20 overs were sent down, in which India added 89 runs for the loss of 3 wickets. India reached 384, with Mahendra Singh Dhoni still at the crease.When play began, India were 295 for 3, and had a full day’s play been possible that would have been a good platform from which to build. But, given all the time lost, and how flat this pitch is – its nature had not changed in the least despite all the moisture that had been around – it’s becoming increasingly difficult to see either team forcing a win in this Test match.If anything, the loss of time has made one scenario more likely, and that is India batting long in their first innings and then attempting to bowl out Bangladesh twice. However, for that to happen, India had to score quickly and give their bowlers enough time to get to work. The fact that Tendulkar and Ganguly, both left out of the one-day team for this tour, were nearing centuries, meant that the pace was unlikely to be anything to write home about.Still, Ganguly looked to play his shots, picking up three boundaries on the road from 82 to 100. Two of those were pull shots, struck in front of square once each off Shahadat Hossain and Mashrafe Mortaza. There was also a sweetly timed straight drive off Mohammad Rafique, which was scarecely more than a checked shot, but the timing was impeccable and the placement perfectly inbetween bowler and mid-on.The century came in slightly ungainly fashion, when Ganguly fended away a short ball from Shahadat with an awkward pull shot. There was relief on Ganguly’s face as he held his arms aloft, acknowledging the scattered cheers, having reached three figures in Tests for the first time since September 2005, against Zimbabwe at Bulawayo. There he made 101 off 262 balls, reaching his century with a boundary, and was dismissed off the very next ball. In a manner of speaking history repeated itself at the Divisional Stadium in Chittagong. Two balls after reaching his hundred Ganguly was dismissed, playing the pull, as he top-edged the ball straight up in the air for mid-off to catch.Meanwhile, Tendulkar was inching towards his own milestone. As has been his method in recent times he cut out all risky shots, and instead concentrated on picking off the ones and twos – mostly ones – through the on-side, shuffling across his stumps and closing the face of the bat, working the ball to the on-side. But when the ball was loose – pitched a touch short, and width afforded, or too full – Tendulkar did not hold back, clattering Mashrafe Mortaza through point and then punching back past the bowler for consecutive boundaries to move from 85 to 93. Tendulkar got to his 36th hundred with a punch to mid-on.The arrival of Dhoni, at the fall of Ganguly’s wicket, did plenty to elevate the run-rate, and give India’s innings some much needed momentum. Dhoni began as he meant to go on, with an aggressively punched boundary. But even as Dhoni motored on India lost their third wicket to a batsman attempting to pull a ball from outside the off stump as Tendulkar failed to get hold of one from Shahadat and skied the ball to the off side. Tendulkar had made 101.Ramesh Powar replaced Tendulkar, and in the fading light Dhoni continued to force the pace, constantly looking to attack the mediumpacers. He picked up six boundaries in typically flamboyant fashion, but Powar failed in his duty to keep Dhoni company. Powar came down the pitch and had an ambitious heave at a straight one from Mohammad Rafique and found his stumps violently rearranged. Anil Kumble, who came in to bat at No. 8, was more sensible, and restrained, and ensured that he kept his wicket intact when stumps were drawn. This left Dhoni, batting on 36 from 35 balls, with another stab at the Bangladeshis on the third day. India need to look for quick runs and a declaration, if they are to make a serious attempt at winning this Test.

Trent Johnston, Ireland’s captain, has challenged his young squad to produce the goods against the might of India who they face in a one-dayer on Saturday at Stormont, Belfast.Only seven members of the squad which beat Pakistan to reach the Super Eights of the World Cup remain, but Johnston insists that – in spite of being in a phase of regeneration, not to mention beset by injuries – they can still challenge India.”At the World Cup people questioned where the next generation of Irish cricketers would come from – well here they are,” Johnston, 33, said.”These matches could be the start of a new era. We’ve got a new coach [Phil Simmons] who is bringing new things to the table and a group of young players with new ideas.”Of course we’re looking to rebuild but the fact that we still have a strong squad shows we’ve got a lot of depth.”Roger Whelan, Gary Kidd, Alex Cusack and Thinus Fourie – who have five international caps between them – are all set to play against India and Johnston has backed them to produce the goods.”Playing these sides is great as the young lads get to test themselves against legends of the game like Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid,” he said. “Just to say you have faced those players is incredible and every one of our lads is looking forward to it.”It’s important the younger guys make the step up but we are confident they are ready. When they are given a chance like this they need to grab it with both hands.”After India, Ireland face South Africa on Sunday before the two touring teams pair off in three further one-dayers next week.Click here to leave your thoughts.

Andrew Flintoff will make his return to action earlier than expected when he turns out for Lancashire’s 2nd XI at Blackpool on Tuesday. He will play as a batsman after the ECB made him available for the match following promising progress in his recovery from the ankle surgery which has ruled him out of England action this season.Earlier this week Flintoff said he was targeting the one-day series against India as a return to the England scene and the 2nd XI outing is the first stage of the comeback. Earlier this season he played as a batsman for Lancashire before it was decided that he would undergo surgery.Flintoff initially felt discomfort following the Championship match against Hampshire, at The Rose Bowl, prior to the first Test against West Indies. The medical staff began by playing a wait-and-see game, sending him back to Lancashire, but soon decided the problem would only be sorted by another operation.”I have a new hunger to get back in the side and perform,” Flintoff told Sport magazine this month. “When something is taken away from you and you can’t play – through injury or whatever reason – you realise how much you miss it and how much you want to get back.”I’m desperate to get back as soon as I can. I am still only 29 and I genuinely believe my best years are in front of me. A lot of batsmen don’t reach their peak until their early 30s, and as a bowler I feel I’m reaching that peak, too.”

Jonty Rhodes is one of the favourites to become England’s fielding coach as the new management team continues to expand the back room staff. It is hoped the position will be filled by the time the one-day squad meets up again for the seven-match series against India in the second half of August.England dropped three catches during the deciding one-dayer at Trent Bridge on Sunday – two in the outfield by Alastair Cook and Ian Bell, plus one by wicketkeeper Matt Prior – while the ground fielding was caught out by aggressive West Indies running. The boundary sweepers often struggled to collect the ball cleanly while those inside the circle rarely managed any direct hits.”As with the rest of the support team we want the right person to do that job,” said England coach Peter Moores. “When we’ve got the right bloke we can look to bring him in and see how he goes. We have seen that in other specialist positions for coaches.”We are talking about people who could make a genuine difference to international performances – and they don’t always grow on trees. If we get a fielding coach we want him to influence fielding in England not just at England level.”Rhodes, who was famous for his work at backward point in his career, has previously held a similar post with South Africa and Pakistan. His former team-mate Allan Donald is currently England’s bowling coach until the end of the Twenty20 World Championships.

Five wickets from Peter Ongondo restricted Sri Lanka A to 194 before Maurice Ouma and Tanmay Mishra powered Kenya to their first win in the tri-nation series at Nairobi.Ouma combined with Mishra to steady the chase after Chanaka Welegedera had struck twice in succession to leave Kenya stumbling at 14 for 2. Both the batsmen helped themselves to short offerings from the seamers to move the score along. Ouma turned on the heat in the 17th over when he smashed Dammika Prasad for four boundaries. He pinged the long-on and the long-off boundary with lofted shots and pulled to the square-leg boundary before slogging one over the ropes again to propel Kenya comfortably ahead of the required rate.Kenya were sitting pretty at 101 for 2 when Rangana Herath removed Ouma in the 21st over. Four overs later, Kaushal Lokuarachchi induced a nick from Collins Obuya to present a window of opportunity to the visitors. Sri Lanka almost crashed through it by removing Mishra and Alex Obanda in quick succession to leave Kenya at a wobbly 150 for 6 but Thomas Odoyo found support in Jimmy Kamande and the pair took Kenya close. Kamande put the equation in the hosts’ favour with three boundaries in the 41st over off Prasad. There was an edge past the lone slip, a smashing pull to deep midwicket and a drive through cover as Kenya moved from 164 to 180.Kulasekara prised out two more wickets but Odoyo held firm and brought up the winning runs with a drive through cover.Earlier, Ongondo grabbed the first three wickets in his initial spell and then came on to knock over the lower-order batsmen as Sri Lanka failed to complete their quota of 50 overs, a continuing trend in this series. Sri Lanka did far better that Kenya and India A, who scored 98 and 102 while batting first in the earlier games, in conditions far more conducive to batting with the sun coming out.Odoyo, Kenya’s captain, won the toss and chose to field. The move appeared to be working when Ongondo struck in the third ball of the first over. Mahela Udawatte cut one square, but straight to Kamande at point. Malinga Warnapura was Ongondo’s next wicket, nicking one to Ouma, the wicketkeeper. Ongondo had Sri Lanka tottering at 42 for 3, when Kamande caught one over his head at cover, Dilruwan Perera stepping out to hit one over the top. Chamara Kapudegara and Thilina Kandamby fell to Odoyo and Nehemiah Odhiambo soon after, with Sri Lanka tottering at 81 for 5.Kaushal Silva, the wicketkeeper, scored 60 and ensured his team were not dismissed for a paltry total. Silva and Lokuarachchi put on 61 for the sixth wicket, before Kamande had Lokuarachchi trapped leg-before. Prasad made a quick 31 off 34 balls before Ongondo removed him in his second spell. Silva was now running out of partners, and two run outs off successive balls put an end to Sri Lanka’s innings.

Darren Lehmann will miss South Australia’s Pura Cup opener against Victoria next month after tearing a hamstring last week. Lehmann had only just started training following an off-season interrupted by surgery on his achilles tendon and a case of deep-vein thrombosis.He told the that at 37 it would be a challenge to make it through a 21st season of first-class cricket. “It is disappointing breaking down again but I guess it’s a case of finding the best way to manage my body,” Lehmann said.Nathan Adcock, the new captain of South Australia, will not be able to call on Lehmann for advice in their first Pura Cup game at Adelaide Oval starting on October 14. Lehmann has also confirmed he will be on the sidelines for the KFC Twenty20 competition in January, giving the Redbacks’ less experienced batsmen a chance to shine.”Twenty20 is probably a young man’s game now,” he said. “It will be good for some young guys to get some more opportunities.”