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Nasser Hussain is doubtful for the final Test at The Oval after breaking his toe while batting against South Africa at Headingley on Saturday.Hussain sustained the injury when he was struck on his left big toe by an inswinging Yorker from Andrew Hall during England’s first innings. He batted on Sunday with the help of pain-killing injections.There were suggestions that Hussain suffered the break when he kicked a dressing-room door in frustration following his first-innings dismissal by Jacques Rudolph. “There are various conspiracy theories doing the rounds but it’s straightforward – I got hit by Hall," Hussain told Channel 4. "If I had kicked a door it would have been right-footed.”

It is on days like this, with the sun burning down from ablue sky, the pitch flawless, the outfield like a billiardtable top and his mind intently focused on a particularobjective that Brian Lara can elevate batting to heightsreserved for a select few.It is on days like this that his mastery presents arefreshing contrast to the sordid controversies stoked bymen in high places without an ounce of cricketing skill intheir bones who would undermine the game for the sake oftheir inflated egos.And it is on days like this, as with those earlier in theseries, that we wonder why his average should need boostingup above 50 once more, when 70 would be more appropriate tohis God-given talent, and why he should only now become thesixth West Indian to pass 7 000 Test runs instead of thethird to 8 000.His waning passion for the game clearly rekindled, Larareeled off his second Test hundred in ten days and his 17thin all on the opening day of the third and final Testyesterday that led the West Indies to 327 for three off theallocated 90 overs.He acknowledged at the start of the series he was concernedabout an average that had rapidly dipped a dozen points to47 and set himself the goal of bumping it back up to whereit belongs.His unbeaten 178, spread over five-and-three-quarter-hoursand 285 balls with a straight six from off-spinner ThilanSamaraweera and 20 fours in all directions, carried him towithin 30 runs of achieving his mission, after earlierscores of 178, 40, 74 and 45.It also lifted the West Indies from the early gloom oflosing openers cheaply again. Within five minutes of CarlHooper winning the toss, the left-handed Chris Gayle hadgone third ball for his second successive duck to yetanother indeterminate outside edge for a low catch to thekeeper.Half-hour later, the right-handed Daren Ganga was lbwplaying across an inswinger.The probing left-armer Chaminda Vaas was the bowler eachtime, the Sri Lankan Ashoka deSilva the umpire.A Sri Lankan bowler didn’t claim another wicket all day asLara shared successive partnerships of 194 with RamnareshSarwan, who was run out for 69, and 116 with captain Hooper,who was 52 at the end of a day that reduced even spin wizardMuttiah Muralitharan to 32 wicketless overs and theconcession of nine fours to Lara’s blade.The situation was almost identical to that at a similarstage of the first Test when the West Indies were 316 forthree, with Lara 117 and Hooper 34.Yet their all-round fraility led to defeat by ten wickets asit did when they failed by quarter-hour to hold out for adraw in the second that Sri Lanka won by 131 runs.It left Lara and Hooper with plenty of work to do to ensurea total that would allow their inexperienced bowling thefoundation from which to work and at least end the serieswith some pride restored.Along the way, Lara joined the elite company of Sir VivRichards, Sir Garfield Sobers, Clive Lloyd, Gordon Greenidgeand Desmond Haynes as West Indians with over 7 000 Testruns.It was a statistic he acknowledged he was aware of before heset out and, as soon as he completed his 130th run that gothim there, he raised his helmet and his bat to the dressingroom.Such things matter to Lara and they might just be thecatalyst for the relaunching of a career that, when he quitthe captaincy and took a four-months break early in 2000,was in definite doubt.He committed few errors throughout his long vigil. At 85, heedged occasional off-spinner Russel Arnold through wicketkeeper Kumar Sangakarra’s gloves.At 99, he was a whisker away from an lbw decision in favourof Chaminda Vaas during an especially testing spell ofreverse swing with a ball past its 50th over.At 115, in the second over after tea, his call for a sharpsingle to cover’s right left the sprinting Sarwan short ofhis ground on Mahela Jayawardene’s swooping pick-up anddirect hit.It was the fifth time in his young Test career the 21-yearold right-hander had been run out and Lara held his head inanguish at the needless loss.Once again, Sarwan had filled the breach as virtual openeron Gayle’s first-over dismissal and batted with calm,sensible assurance.He took a blow behind the helmet from an outfield returnsoon after lunch that required attention and was neverentirely at ease to Muralitharan’s straight ball. But he wasquick to pounce on any overpitched offering with his elegantdriving. He had one sharp chance to short-leg offMuralitheran at 44 but was determined not to be shiftedbefore misfortune struck four hours into an innings thatoccupied 162 balls and had ten fours.

Ed Joyce has stepped down from the Sussex captaincy a week after the club suffered relegation to Division Two of the Championship. Luke Wright, the T20 captain, is a leading candidate to take over in the other two formats next season although Sussex are yet to confirm Joyce’s successor.Joyce stepped up after Michael Yardy resigned midway through 2012 and oversaw consecutive third-placed finishes in the following two seasons. The Ireland opener passed 1000 first-class runs each time but struggled for form this year, with only one Championship century. He made scores of 2 and 1 as Sussex were beaten by Yorkshire in the final round to fall out of Division One.”It has been an honour to captain Sussex for the last three-and-a half years,” Joyce said. “I couldn’t have asked for a more committed group of players and coaches to work with.”We’ve had a very tough year in 2015 but despite this, we’ve received overwhelming support from the majority of fans and this shows the unity and family feeling that Sussex engenders.”My increasing commitments with Ireland and the stage in my career that I’m at meant that the job this year became more a burden than a challenge to be relished. So the time is definitely right to hand over the reins to a new captain and whoever that is will have my full support. I’m also very determined to get back to scoring lots of runs and helping us back into the first division of the Championship and to performing much better in white-ball cricket.”We have so much talent in the dressing room and so many good people throughout the club that I’m certain we’ll bounce straight back from this season.”Joyce has another year on his Sussex contract to run and his experience at the top of the order should see him retain an important role, particularly after the retirement of Yardy.Wright finished the season as Sussex’s leading first-class run-scorer, with 1220, and also contributed more than 500 in the NatWest Blast as he captained them to the quarter-finals for the first time since 2012.Sussex’s cricket manager Mark Robinson said: “I’d like to thank Ed for all of his hard work and dedication that he has put into the job. He has always led the team with great integrity and commitment, and I’m sure that the new captain will appreciate having a player of the stature of Ed to be able to lean on for advice and support.”

Wicketkeeper-batsman Denesh Ramdin has been ruled out of Trinidad & Tobago’s KFC Cup one-day opener in Guyana with a viral flu. Ramdin’s absence takes away an all-round talent both behind the stumps and with the bat. Lendl Simmons is expected to fill in as wicketkeeper-batsman for his West Indies team-mate.Daren Ganga and his men, aiming to defend their title, will be disappointed with anything less than a victory against the Combined Campuses and Colleges (CCC) outfit at the National Stadium at Providence. In the other match in the group, hosts Guyana, led by Ramnaresh Sarwan, take on last season’s beaten finalists, the Windward Islands, at Albion.At Providence, the CCC, captained by middle-order batsman Shirley Clarke, a player with regional youth and senior experience for Barbados, are one of two developmental teams in this year’s competition, the other being the West Indies Under-19 squad. But the university boys will benefit from the considerable know-how of Barbados veteran Floyd Reifer. He will be supported by fellow batsmen Romel Currency and Craig Emmanuel, who are both seasoned representatives of the Windward Islands.T&T, on a roll of seven straight wins in this competition stretching back to last season, are looking to extend their streak to 12 by the end of this tournament and Ganga sees no room for complacency. “We have basically decided that this competition is going to be a competition of five finals, three in Guyana (group matches) and two in Barbados (semi-finals and final). And one of our biggest objectives as a team is to maintain our winning ways throughout this entire competition,” he told the .”We have prepared with the mindset that we need to improve and lift our standard in every aspect of our game. It is a given fact that as defending champions, teams will obviously be gunning for us and coming at us very hard. That is why it’s so very important for us to train in a manner where we are always challenging ourselves and lifting our standards when it comes to the actual batting, bowling and fielding.”

And following trial matches in which different batsmen scored centuries, Ganga felt that this unit was “better prepared in comparison to other Trinidad and Tobago teams, even in recent times. “I think there is a very good balance in terms of our versatility,” he said. “And this as captain, especially in a one-day game, will give me a lot of options.”We have definitely seen a dramatic improvement in individual players and in the manner in which we play as a team. I think it’s a matter of development of the individuals, exposure, maturity and being in a winning culture. Guys are aware of the opportunity to go on and play at the higher level. So a lot of the young T&T players are very hungry, are very eager to be around a winning T&T team.”Given their pre-tournament preparation, the T&T camp will not be overly concerned either that the recent performances of all-rounder and team regular Richard Kelly did not warrant his selection, or that West Indies Under-19 duty has robbed them of two other members of last season’s winning outfit, Adrian Barath and Darren Bravo.And while Ganga conceded that the good pre-season form lasting throughout the Cup was “something you can’t predict as captain”, he said: “We are very capable as a team in this version of the game and there is no reason why, given the sort of quality of cricket we have been playing, we should not be successful in this competition.”

ScorecardA four-wicket haul by allrounder Darren Sammy guided West Indies A to a convincing 59-run win over Sri Lanka A in the decisive match of their five-match limited overs series yesterday at St Lucia, winning the series 2-1.Electing to bat, the West Indians were dismissed for 215 in 49.4 overs and they then restricted the Sri Lankans to 156 in 41.3 overs, with Sammy registering figures of four for 16 off 7.3 overs. Pacer Gavin Tonge supported him with 2 for 31 off eight overs, as the home side clinched a 2-1 victory in the series.Earlier, opener Austin Richards plundered 68 with nine fours and a six off 99 balls to guide West Indies A to their total. Omari Banks made a useful contribution of 40 late in the innings and Wavell Hinds chipped in with 29.The West Indies were at one stage 124 for two, but lost captain Joseph driving too early at Ishara Amarasinghe, giving a return catch. Richards was caught behind by Kaushal Silva off Amerasinghe, who also accounted for Narsingh Deonarine caught behind for six. Amerasinghe finished with 4 for 34 and Bandara 3 for 41.In reply, the Sri Lankans were in all sorts of trouble at 87 for 8, before Bandara and Dammika Prasad resisted for a while. Bandara remained undefeated on 47.The result finished a competitive series that saw the Sri Lankans winning the first game and the West Indians rebounding to capture the second game last weekend in St Kitts. The third game on Wednesday was abandoned because of rain and Friday’s day/night fixture finished in a tie.

A week before the introduction of a new Licensing Act that will allow 24 hour drinking in pubs, clubs, restaurants and bars, cricket stands on the verge of banning spectators from bringing alcohol into all international venues around the world.The new ICC regulations come into force next April and have already been labelled as `Orwellian’ by readers of The Wisden Cricketer. The magazine’s December issue devotes its new Off the long run column to the issue and ICC chief executive officer Malcolm Speed is firmly in its sights as the man behind the new measures:”Malcolm Speed, chief executive of the ICC, has poured my pint of London Pride down the drain and kicked over your glass of Chardonnay. As of next year he has banned spectators from bringing alcohol to Tests.”The regulation is imposed on April 1, 2006. There are few signs it is just a joke. It’s about safety, you see, but safety from what? Over-rowdy spectators? In England the only recent problem with overexcited fans was in 2001 and mainly involved Pakistan supporters – who don’t get smashed on booze. No, the safety in question appears to be the ICC’s – from lawsuits brought by anyone hurt in a Test ground.”So next summer it’ll be £3-plus rubbish all round except perhaps at Lord’s, where they’ve applied for an exemption. Already proper cricket fans are being priced out of grounds. And, as if exorbitant prices were not enough, the appalling product is worse. A nice nutty bitter from the picnic bag with your lunch or how about a nice insipid, angrily fizzy, lukewarm pint of disco fizz?”Less than a pint usually, as some slops out on the trek from the crowded and distant bar. And that’s before the flimsy plastic pot cracks, leaving a stream of wasp-attracting lager down the wrist. And all for only £4.”This is another example of the ICC’s attempt to `own’ every aspect of world cricket. Remember the Champions Trophy in England last year when you could only drink ICC-endorsed brands? Now these Orwellian rules are being applied across the board. These diktats crush diversity, which they should instead be fostering. Ask anyone who has winced at the death of the English outground.”Martin Luther King had a dream. I have a nightmare. It involves watching the end of the next Ashes sitting in London Cricket Unit No. 2, surrounded by City boys on the jolly, sipping a lukewarm £6 pot of ICC beer-style beverage.”The December issue of The Wisden Cricketer, the world’s best-selling cricket magazine, is published on Friday, November 18 at a cover price of £3.60.

Ricky Ponting does not believe the Test captaincy has affected his batting, but he intends to finish a "stop-start" year on a high against Pakistan, starting in the first Test at the WACA tomorrow. Entering the match with 505 runs at 36.07 for 2004, Ponting has fallen well short of his career average and his Australian-record haul of 1503 runs at 100.2 last year.Ponting said he understood that he hadn’t set the world on fire since taking over from Steve Waugh, and is still searching for his first century as captain. “I certainly haven’t felt any added pressure there,” he said. "I really don’t let things cloud me at all and I’m not one that thinks too much about cricket when I’m not at training or around the team."Disruptions with a broken thumb and the death of his aunt forced him to miss four Tests this year and he said it affected his form. “It’s been a frustrating sort of Test year for me just because it’s been so stop-start,” Ponting said. "I’ve missed a few games in a few series and obviously missed the first part of an unbelievably satisfying tour to India as well.”Ponting said he had no problem getting starts, but hadn’t gone on to make the big scores like he did in 2003, when he hit three double-centuries against India and West Indies. In the two-Test series against New Zealand he was in a hurry to three figures in the first-innings, settling for 51 and 68, and was an unbeaten 26 before his second Adelaide declaration.”Probably on a few occasions this year I’ve let what could’ve been a big score slip,” he said. “So hopefully that changes around here tomorrow and Boxing Day and I can finish off the year on a good note."

Jagmohan Dalmiya, president of the Indian board, has confirmed that Ahmedabad will be the venue for India’s first Test against New Zealand, which starts on October 8. “The Green Park stadium in Kanpur is not fit to stage the Test, so we have shifted the match to Ahmedabad.”As had earlier been anticipated, the game has been shifted from Green Park in Kanpur due to poor ground conditions there. Kanpur has experienced heavy monsoon rains which have damaged the newly laid pitch and the seating area in the stadium. Jyoti Bajpai, secretary of the Uttar Pradesh Cricket Association (UCPA), expressed his disappointment, but agreed that there was no other solution.”Even the pitches committee had refused to take any responsibility regarding the Green Park wicket. Besides, it is not feasible to rectify the problems in the available time of two months,” he clarified. “Though it was a big blow to Kanpur but sometimes such types of blows are a must for good things to happen. Despite the shifting of the Test, our number in the rotation list will remain on top.”The second Test of the two-match series will be played at Mohali from October 16 to 20.

A fine all-round performance from Paultons’ Steve Mitchell was all to no avail in week four of the New Forest Indoor Cricket League at Lymington Sports Centre.Mitchell struck an unbeaten 26 in his sides’ total of 100 for 3 against Cadnam and then took three wickets for just 9 runs. Sadly the gritty northerner received little or no support from his team-mates as Paul Kerley (29no) and Simon Pollock (25no) guided Cadnam home to a three wicket victory in the tenth over.Swan Green are still looking for their first win in the top flight after suffering a 13-run defeat at the hands of North Baddesley. Jon Bance (25no) returned from injury to take Baddesley to 132 for 2 with the help of Pike (37no), Williams (22no) and Bewick (20). Williams then bagged two wickets as Swan were bowled out for 119.In Division Two, Lymington were soundly thrashed by a rampant Godshill who took full advantage of Lymington’s intriguing selection policy which involved picking four wicketkeepers but not one recognised bowler. Andy Cross (2-14) made early inroads into the Lymington top order and it was only some late resistance from veterans Robin Goff and Aubrey Hodder that enabled Lymington to creep up to 73 for 4.Godshill wasted no time in notching up a six wicket win with Gerald Pettley making an unbeaten 28.Matt Dowding’s 37 wasn’t enough to save Milford from defeat against Pylewell Park. Dowding led the seasiders’ reply after Pylewell had been dismissed for 124 (Trevor Mapes 32, Steve Gates 26). But Simon Pallister’s brace of wickets swung the game Pylewell’s way as Milford were bowled out for 112.Park II notched up their second consecutive big score in Division Three. With Graham Smith (29no), Colin Kitcher (28), Wayne Royan (28no) and Carl Brooks (25no) all among the runs, Pylewell rattled up a formidable 156 for 3 against Milford II. Brooks then took two quick wickets to leave Milford in dire straits at 18 for 5! Thankfully Colin France saved his team from complete embarrassment with a steadfast 41 not out, although the men from South Baddesley were still able to register a crushing 97 run victory.Burley II could only must five players for their clash with Esso III. Fiery fireman Les Browning (37no) set Burley on their way to 108 for 4, but Andy McEnhenney (25no) and Nick Chapman (27no) took full advantage of the extra gaps in the field to steer Esso to a three wicket victory with two overs to spare.

On one hand, England hope history does not repeat itself against Pakistan in the UAE. On the other, they are aiming to replicate the one facet of the 2012 series that did go well for them.England’s bowling was not the problem during their 3-0 defeat on the previous visit. In the second and third Tests James Anderson, Stuart Broad, Graeme Swann and Monty Panesar combined impressively and looked to have sealed each match in turn. In Abu Dhabi, a chase of 145 was botched spectacularly as England collapsed to 72 all out, then in Dubai England removed Pakistan for 99 in the first innings, only to be thwarted by Azhar Ali and Younis Khan second-time around.Anderson and Broad are among the five surviving players from that tour to make it here again (Cook, Bell and Finn the others) with Anderson set to return as the father-figure of England’s pace attack having missed the final two Ashes Tests due to a side injury. He and Broad shared 22 wickets during the 2012 series and will be delving into their banks of experience over the next few weeks to help an attack that remains raw.”When conditions are this alien to a lot of the younger guys it’s important we try and give them as much information as possible so they can prepare themselves. Passing on advice is crucial,” Anderson said”Last time we were here we had a decent amount of success, myself and Stuart and the two spinners, so we know how to get 20 wickets out here. We know we’ll have to bowl very well to do that. It’s an exciting challenge; the conditions, the heat, if we do perform well it will be very satisfying.”James Anderson bowls in the nets ahead of the first Test•Getty Images

Anderson will resume his Test career on 413 wickets – in a neat twist, given the opposition as well as the Lancashire connection, one wicket will bring him level with Wasim Akram at joint 10th on the all-time list. His preparation has been limited – 12 overs and one wicket, with a catch down the leg side – but he is not alone in that and at least ended the season playing county cricket.There has been the notion floated that, in a horses-for-courses selection, similar to that justifying Moeen Ali opening, Anderson’s place could be under threat as his greatest strengths are likely to be diminished in the prevailing conditions where traditional swing is a rare sight.At 33, his days as the leader of the attack are numbered but you don’t easily shelve 400-plus Test wickets. Even if there is just a modicum of swing for a short period Anderson should still be better than most at finding it.”I’m itching to get going again,” he said. “It was frustrating to miss the last couple of Test of the summer but I’ve played a bit for Lancashire which was good, got some wickets, so felt in good in form and since being out here all of us have acclimatised quite quickly and are raring to go.”Despite the acclimatisation, conditions will remain very tough for England and Anderson knows it is vital, especially for the quicks, that they make every over count. In such searing heat, spells will rarely exceed five overs so they will need to assess very swiftly what tactics should be employed.”We saw Steven Finn bowl seven [in the warm-up], that’s probably pushing it a little bit, but we are aware we’ll have to be used in short spells,” Anderson said. “Me and Broady have brought it up with the lads already, when we came out here last time we bowled four-five overs maximum which means you have to be on the money from ball one and that puts a bit of emphasis on you as a bowler – you can’t just ease into a spell. You have to nail it.”You’ve got to assess the situation very quickly, if the ball isn’t swinging you have to go to Plan B,” he added. “You have to quickly assess if it will reverse-swing, while cutters and little changes in pace are crucial as well. It’s about finding the right skills for the situation, the pace of the pitch is important, whether you bring the slips out and things like that. It’s about being sharp and aware.”Anderson acknowledged that success in this series would rank alongside the away wins in the Ashes in 2010-11 and India in 2012-13, but insisted that the team – in the spirit that carried them through the home season – are not overawed by what is in front of them.”We put a lot of pressure on ourselves,” he said. “We want to improve on the performances from the summer. We know we can play better than we did even though we won that series, we want to continue to improve and show people how exciting we can be.”We are aware of how we performed last time we were here. As we saw in the Ashes, we lost them in 2013 but then won them back, so it’s all about how you prepare and play in that particular series. What happened in the past doesn’t really matter that much.”Except, of course, if you are remembering how to take wickets.