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Australia’s coach Darren Lehmann has thrown his support behind the idea of scrapping the toss, while he is also open-minded about the concept of four-day Test cricket. While Australia and New Zealand pioneered day-night Test cricket in Adelaide last week, other suggestions have also been made in the debate around making Test cricket more competitive and more attractive to spectators.One idea is to abolish the coin toss before matches and instead allow the visiting team the choice of whether to bat or bowl, which proponents argue would encourage the host country to produce a fair pitch. Ricky Ponting, Steve Waugh and Michael Holding have all expressed support for the idea, while the ECB will next year trial a similar concept in county cricket.Under the ECB’s trial, the visiting county will automatically be given the option of fielding first and only if they decline will the coin toss go ahead as usual.”That is one that should definitely come in to cricket, where the opposition gets the right to choose what they want to do,” Lehmann told reporters in Adelaide on Thursday. “I reckon it will stop all the wickets suiting the home team.”As you saw in Perth, the wickets don’t suit how we want to play sometimes and in Australia in general the wickets have been fantastic for years, it doesn’t really matter on the toss, who wins or not. But in some other places it certainly has a big bearing on the game.”The MCC World Cricket Committee also expressed its concerns about pitch preparation last week and said in a statement that home advantage had become too significant in Test cricket, and it would monitor with interest the ECB trial next year. It was the MCC World Cricket Committee that pushed for day-night Tests six years ago and Lehmann said he loved the roll-out of the inaugural pink-ball Test.”I thought it was a great concept,” he said. “It was probably over a little bit quick for my liking in terms of the game but it was exciting for three days and it could have gone either way. Maybe a little less grass [on the pitch] and maybe get the ball a little bit darker in the seam, but it’s only a little bit of tweaking. I was quite impressed by it. I know the fans loved it … we have just got to make it better.”Four-day Test cricket has also been floated as a possible way of keeping fans interested in the longest format. Cricket Australia CEO James Sutherland has an open mind about the concept, with the possibility that the four days could be extended so that little play was lost overall. Lehmann said he did not mind the idea, but was unsure whether the extra overs could be easily fitted in.”We don’t bowl our 90 overs in a day as it is, so that is probably the only thing,” he said. “But I’m open to all those sorts of things. Whatever makes the game better for the fans is pretty important.”

Cricket South Africa has agreed to a request from the team management that all members of the Test squad preparing for the tour of India should be rested for the semi-finals and final of the MTN Domestic Championship. The semi-finals are to be played this Friday and Sunday, with the final next Wednesday (March 19).Exceptions will be made in the cases of JP Duminy and Charl Langeveldt as neither has played any Test cricket this summer. The same applies to Makhaya Ntini, who has only played in a limited number of ODIs this season, and Ashwell Prince, who is not a member of the ODI squad. Contracted players who have not been chosen for the India series will all be available for their franchises.In effect, this means that both Ntini and Robin Peterson, who is not a contracted player and has only played one Test in 2007-08, can turn out for the Warriors in Friday’s MTN semi-final against the Eagles at St. George’s.The Cape Cobras will be able to call up Prince, Duminy, Langeveldt and Herschelle Gibbs for their semi-final against the Titans at SuperSport Park, while the Titans will have Andre Nel and Albie Morkel at their disposal.

A bumper performance in the recently-concluded Bangladesh Premier League helped uncapped left-arm seamer Abu Hider earn his maiden call-up to a preliminary Bangladesh squad for a proposed T20 series against Zimbabwe in mid-January, February’s Asia Cup T20 in and the World T20 in March.Hider took 21 wickets from 12 matches, one short of equalling the top-wicket taker in BPL, at an average of 15.04 and economy rate of 6.91. Batsman Mosaddek Hossain, left-arm spinner Saqlain Sajib and wicketkeeper Nurul Hasan are the other uncapped players in a squad of 30, who will meet for a training camp that begins on January 3.

Bangladesh’s preliminary squad

Tamim Iqbal, Sabbir Rahman, Soumya Sarkar, Mashrafe Mortaza, Imrul Kayes, Mustafizur Rahman, Jahurul Islam, Abu Hider, Liton Das, Al-Amin Hossain, Anamul Haque, Shafiul Islam, Mossadek Hossain, Mohammad Shahid, Mohammad Mithun, Abul Hasan, Mushfiqur Rahim, Taskin Ahmed, Shakib Al Hasan, Kamrul Islam Rabbi, Mahmudullah, Arafat Sunny, Nasir Hossain, Saqlain Sajib, Nurul Hasan, Sohag Gazi, Shuvagata Hom

Pacemen Shafiul Islam, Mohammad Shahid, Abul Hasan and Taskin Ahmed, batsmen Mohammad Mithun and Jahurul Islam and spinner Shuvagata Hom have also been included despite not playing T20s for Bangladesh in their last assignment, against Zimbabwe in November.The chief selector Faruque Ahmed said they had to keep fast bowler Rubel Hossain out of the preliminary squad due to his calf injury and added they don’t have opening batsman Rony Talukdar and legspinner Jubair Hossain in their immediate plans.The BCB are still working on plans to have a three or five-match T20 series against Zimbabwe, ahead of the Asia Cup and World T20.

England women have departed Heathrow to head to Australia in a bid to defend their Ashes title. The four-day match, which will be played at The Bradman Oval, starts on February 15.The team will also play a five-match ODI series, including games at the MCG and the SCG and a Twenty20 game at the MCG. After their tour of Australia, the players head to New Zealand for a five-match ODI series, with all games played at the Bert Sutcliffe Oval at Lincoln University.”We’re all really looking forward to it,” Edwards said. “We’ve all been working hard over the winter. It’s going to be a tough tour as both Australia and New Zealand are two of the best sides in world cricket, but we’re taking a young talented squad with lots of potential, and we’re fully prepared for it.”England certainly are a young squad: they are taking just three players who took part in the last Ashes on Australian soil: Edwards, Claire Taylor and Lydia Greenway.The side will arrive having not played an outdoor match since last September, although they will link up with five players who have been playing grade, and in Jenny Gunn’s case state, cricket.A standby player and first batting reserve, Ebony Rainford-Brent, has also made arrangements to head out to Australia, with Surrey paying for her flight, and she arrives on Tuesday in South Australia. She will play grade cricket for Port Adelaide, Karen Rolton and Emma Sampson’s team, and will be match-ready should England need her.

Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsQuinton de Kock announced his arrival among the ranks of attacking wicketkeeper-batsmen to be reckoned with as he raced to an enterprising maiden Test century which has positioned South Africa for a consolation victory on a Centurion surface already showing signs of unreliability.Only two England batsmen have been prised out in the first 46 overs in their reply to South Africa’s 475 and their opponents have looked a pace bowler light, especially with Morne Morkel in one of his malfunctioning moods. But Nick Compton had reason for grievance after he was lbw to one from Kagiso Rabada from scuttled through low – this on only the second day. There was enough evidence that he might not be the last.England’s top three has offered low returns throughout the series: one half-century apiece for Alastair Cook, Alex Hales and Compton. But Cook remained at the close on 67, England’s deficit still 337 runs with eight wickets intact, and there were signs as he tried to plot a long route towards safety that that his long-limbed defence was creeping back into rhythm.Cook has rarely looked more exasperated as in England captain in the field than he has during the 132 overs that South Africa batted. England, with the series won, have lost a little intensity. His batting is all about such qualities, whatever the position of the series, and he will be hell bent upon coming up with a meaningful retort. Apart from an inside edge off Morkel, on 55, which popped safely into the off side and numerous attempts to have him caught down the leg side (the latest theory), he played soundly.England’s reply started badly: Alex Hales perishing in the nine overs up to tea. Hales is fast becoming the latest failed claimant in the past three-and-a-half years to the opening position vacated by Andrew Strauss. Unlike many other contenders, he has a limited-overs pedigree behind him, enough to encourage loyalty by many good judges, but in Test cricket his approach remains fraught with uncertainty, summed up by a weak drive at a floaty outswinger from Rabada and a catch for Dane Piedt at cover point.Hales, unbalanced in the shot and dismissed for 15, has one innings remaining to enhance a debut series that stands at 135 runs at 19.28 with only one half-century on a Cape Town featherbed.De Kock now has that settling maiden hundred under his belt. His return to the South Africa wicketkeeping role after a freakish accident that ruled him out of the third Test – he slipped while walking the dogs – had not been universally supported after a strong showing behind the stumps by Dane Vilas as his emergency replacement.But that debate was silenced as de Kock’s blithe-hearted strokeplay took full toll of a lethargic England attack that failed to respond to the rigours of a fourth Test in as many weeks. Unlike his fateful dog walk, this time he had provided a strong lead.He remained unbeaten on 129 from 128 balls when South Africa’s innings finally came to a halt. Such a breakthrough innings could not be more timely for South Africa as they seek to emerge from an uncertain period – illustrated by five changes for this Test – and establish a new-look side.De Kock survived two challenging catches on 28 when Ben Stokes could not hold on at gully off James Anderson and again on 90, Cook this time the culprit as de Kock drove the offspinner Moeen Ali to short cover.He was only 62 when South Africa lost their eighth wicket, but Piedt provided steadfast support for more than two hours as the home side, trailing 2-0 in the series, took a firm grip on the final Test.Just to add to England’s disenchantment, there was a mix-up between Jonny Bairstow, a wicketkeeper under scrutiny, and his captain, Cook, who was stood unsettlingly alongside him at first slip when an edge from de Kock, on 80, flew between them. Both could have gone for it; neither did.The poor alignment of keeper and slip should definitely be questioned before any other factor because Cook had virtually moved alongside Bairstow so confusing their areas of responsibility. On this occasion, it was a tactical error primarily, but it was not the first chance to go astray and the dissatisfied expressions on both faces told of a distrust and disappointment that is unlikely to aid Bairstow’s cause.England needed quick wickets at start of play with South Africa already 329 runs to the good. They missed out on de Kock, who had added only three to his overnight score when Stokes failed to hold on, but had a promising start nevertheless when Stuart Broad and Anderson struck in the first four overs, Temba Bavuma edging to the wicketkeeper and Rabada falling lbw first ball.Finally, nearing the end of an unrewarding tour, Anderson had made the ball swing and must even have found joy in Rabada’s decision to review the decision as it meant he could wallow in innumerable replays proving as much on the big screen. It was the only joy he found in the innings. Other have been equally unimpressive: Chris Woakes has looked trouibled; Moeen Ali’s length was all over the place.De Kock’s response to the loss of early wickets was emphatic. A modicum of width was enough for him to flay his next two balls, from Broad, for successive off-side boundaries. A wristy late cut against Moeen signalled his half-century. When Kyle Abbott deposited his first ball from Moeen for a long-on six, and de Kock also cleared the ropes later in the over, South Africa reached drinks in exuberant mood.Stokes silenced Abbott with a blockhole leg-before – the batsman’s review entirely pointless – but de Kock sallied forth. There was no dallying in the 90s as he again found Moeen to his liking , a pull and drive over the top taking him to 99, before stealing a single into the covers to reach his hundred at the start of Moeen’s following over.It was Stokes who eventually moved things on, breaking Piedt’s resistance with a rising delivery and Morkel lbw without scoring for his third wicket of the day and figures of 4 for 86.

Scorecard

England outclassed Bermuda by ten wickets after knocking them over for 55 at the Royal Selangor Club in Kuala Lumpur. Chasing 56 was never going to pose much of a problem, with James Taylor striking an unbeaten 43 which included eight fours.Bermuda were in self-destruct mode from the moment they chose to bat, losing their first four wickets to the new-ball combination of Steven Finn and James Harris. The two snared two wickets apiece as Bermuda slumped to 29 for 4.Christopher Douglas (21) was the only Bermuda batsman to reach double figures as they folded in 28.5 overs. Eight of the batsmen couldn’t even reach 5 and it was only thanks to the 11 extras that the total passed 50. Liam Dawson, the left-arm spinner, took three wickets and was duly rewarded with the Man-of-the-Match award.
Scorecard
Australia exposed Nepal’s batting frailties by bowling them out for 110 on course to their 107-run win at the University Sains Malaysia ground. Nepal’s bowlers had done a good job by restricting Australia to 206 before their batsmen crumbled during the run-chase.Nepal’s pursuit got off to an inauspicious start when Mahesh Chhetri was run out by Phillip Hughes and they soon collapsed to 36 for 4 when the right-arm fast bowler James Pattinson prised three wickets. Clive Rose, the left-arm spinner, then took the next three: he had Rom Shreshtha and Sagar Khadka caught by the captain Micheal Hill, before trapping Antim Thapa lbw. Rahul Vishwakarma had some fun out in the middle, smashing a six and three fours to remain unbeaten on 33, before Steven Smith removed the tail-enders with his legspin.Australia had made a solid start, with Hughes and Kirk Pascoe putting on 62 for the first wicket, but the tide turned in Nepal’s favour once Pascoe was bowled by Shrestha. Hill showed aggressive intent, striking a six and a four, but he tried one shot too many against Shrestha.Once Hughes, who was guiding Australia’s innings, was stumped off the bowling of Vishwakarma, Nepal pulled things back. Australia’s middle order all got starts but they could not capitalise on them. Michael Cranmer scored 32 and James Faulkner made 22 before Khadka ripped through the tail to finish with four.
Plucky knocks from Usman Salahuddin and Ali Asad helped Pakistan recover from a perilous 28 for 4 before the bowlers completed the fightback against New Zealand by rounding off a 27-run win.New Zealand’s medium-pacers seemed to have justified their captain’s decision to field, restricting Pakistan to 156 in 47.1 overs. Tim Southee and Trent Boult, the opening bowlers, shared four wickets between them before Anurag Verma picked up two towards the end.However Pakistan’s bowlers were up to the task, reducing New Zealand to 51 for 4 in the 23rd over. Harry Boam led the chase with a patient 38 and his partnership with Greg Morgan took them closer but legspinner Ahmed Shehzad grabbed three wickets to hasten the end.

Australia and England have paid tribute to the victims of the Bondi Beach terror attack while Pat Cummins has urged people to donate blood.Fifteen people died after gunmen opened fire on crowds gathered to mark the first night of Hanukkah, the Jewish holiday, on Sunday evening.In a joint statement, the two boards said: “Everybody at Cricket Australia and the England & Wales Cricket Board is horrified by the tragic events at Bondi Beach yesterday evening. All of our thoughts are with the victims, their friends and families, the Jewish community and the people of Australia at this deeply distressing time. Our condolences go out to all those affected. We stand with you.”Posting on Instagram, Cummins wrote: “Absolutely devastated by the horror last night in Bondi. My heart goes out to the victims, their families, the people of Bondi and our Jewish community during this time. If you can, please book an appointment to donate blood.”Flags at Adelaide Oval, where the teams are preparing for the third Test, were flying at half-mast on Monday. South Australia Premier Peter Malinauskas said there would be additional security for the event.”There is a major event occurring in South Australia starting on Wednesday with the Ashes Test match at Adelaide Oval,” he said on Monday. “As is always the case with any major event, particularly those at Adelaide Oval, there are ongoing risk assessments that occur in the lead up to these events.”Given the events that have occurred yesterday in Sydney, there will be additional protocols put in place at Adelaide Oval. This is done only as a precautionary measure, but it is appropriate that we are at a crescent sense of alertness just at the moment for the time being.”I want to thank South Australian Police for their already active engagement with Adelaide Oval management in that regard.”Australia offspinner Nathan Lyon, who lives in Sydney, said: “It was a horrific day for everyone involved, and we stand by them, and our thoughts and prayers are with them. But nothing I’m going to say right now is going to make anyone feel any better. But other than that, we’re thinking of them, and hopefully they can get through this.”Former England captain Michael Vaughan, who is in Australia commentating on the Ashes, was having dinner with family in Bondi when the restaurant he was at went into lockdown.”As we waited for our table at the restaurant, we were having a drink in the Royal pub next door, and I was on the phone outside,” Vaughan wrote in a column for the UK’s “The bouncer walked over with his hands in a gun sign and told me to get inside.”By the time we were sat down, we knew there had been an attack…The restaurant locked the doors and made clear no one was leaving until it was safe. That was about 7pm, and we did not leave until almost 9pm.”I have never experienced anything like it. You know what’s happening around you, but you don’t want to believe it’s happening.”In Perth, Sydney Sixers players were given special permission to access their phones ahead of the opening BBL match against Scorchers. They were already under anti-corruption protocols which meant their phones had been taken away but were allowed to contact family.”We had our phones locked away. We were allowed to use them to just sort of check in with family and friends,” Sixers quick Charlie Stobo said. “It’s all happened pretty quickly.”Sixers play their first home match of the season against Adelaide Strikers at the SCG on Wednesday and it’s understood there is likely to be extra security in place at the venue.

“We are very confident,” said Trinidad and Tobago team manager Colin Borde at the end of a three-day practice match at the National Cricket Centre, Balmain, Couva.The match was in preparation for the 2008 Carib Beer Challenge final against Jamaica next week (April 24-28) in Jamaica, and Borde believes the national squad are ready for the contest after a two-week break for the series between West Indies and Sri Lanka.”We trained for three days last week and the guys have been playing in this three-day match here and I think they will be ready for the final,” Borde said. “We are the defending champions and the guys know what it is all about and I am not worried …I am confident that they can get the job done.”T&T, who defeated Barbados in the final last year at Guaracara Park, Pointe-a-Pierre, will have to travel to Jamaica to take on this year’s Carib Beer Series champions and will be without the services of West Indies allrounder Dwayne Bravo.Borde said: “Denesh Ramdin will be available and we are confident we have good players who can step up (in the absence of Bravo). Darren Bravo, who scored 153 in the practice match, had a good knock and he is an exciting prospect and [Adrian] Barath had a dream debut season, but it has been rough this year, but I am sure he knows what it takes … he is a hard-working youngster and he knows what has to be done and I think he will come good.”Speaking about the rest of the team, Borde said: “Amit [Jaggernauth] is now our strike bowler and we have [Rayad] Emrit, [Richard] Kelly, Ravi Rampaul and Dave Mohammed, so I think we have some good bowling options.”Borde is also confident that captain Daren Ganga can recover from his bad patch of form this season. “He is a big-game player and I am not worried … he will step up for the occasion. He [Ganga] had a good knock today and he is in good touch…we have what it takes and we are confident of victory. The guys are going back to their clubs to continue playing more competitive cricket over the weekend. We will be ready for Jamaica.”

Shaun Williams, the Bangladesh assistant coach, has not been offered an extension to his contract, which runs out in June. Williams, who took over as coach after Dav Whatmore’s resignation last year, will continue till his contract expires.Williams went to Bangladesh as national game development manager and had played a key role with the Under-19 and A teams. He was an assistant coach with the national side during the World Cup in the West Indies, during which Bangladesh made it to the Super Eights, and registered victories over India and South Africa.With Bangladesh not able to find a suitable replacement, Williams was appointed as interim coach for the Sri Lanka tour and the ICC World Twenty20 in South Africa, before fellow Australian Jamie Siddons took charge in October.Bangladesh haven’t had a great run of late, they were whitewashed in both Tests and ODIs on the tours to Sri Lanka and New Zealand, and failed to make an impact during South Africa’s visit as well. They however had something to cheer with 3-0 cleansweep in the ODIs against Ireland.Bangladesh travel to Pakistan in April for a five-match ODI series.

Skipper Parender Sharma spearheaded Haryana’s run spree on the secondday of their North Zone Ranji Trophy league match against HimachalPradesh at Mandi on Saturday. The 27-year-old right hander slammed anunbeaten 207 as he steered Haryana, who resumed at 240 for three, to atotal of 457 for five declared. In reply Himachal Pradesh were 34 forno loss at close of play.Parender Sharma and Rajesh Puri (55) took their overnight fourthwicket stand to 129 runs off 45 overs before the latter was out. Hefaced 119 balls and hit eight fours. Parender Sharma then foundanother able partner in Sanjay Dalal (61) with whom he added 168 runsfor the fifth wicket off 48 overs. At the declaration, Sharma who hadbatted 490 minutes, had faced 381 balls and hit 23 fours and a six.Rajinder Thakur took three of the wickets that fell but conceded 103runs from 36 overs in the process.Himachal openers Arun Verma (17) and Nischal Gaur (12) batted throughsafely for about an hour and 13.4 overs before bad light stopped play,47 minutes early.