Gavin Hamilton, the Durham all-rounder, has announced he will retire from county cricket at the end of this season. Hamilton spent a decade with Yorkshire, before joining Durham in 2004 – but he failed to hold down a regular place in the first XI. He has spent part of the summer on loan with the Scottish Saltires, and plans to play for Scotland next summer.Hamilton, 31, came to prominence in the 1999 World Cup while playing for Scotland; he was subsequently selected for England’s tour to South Africa, and made his Test debut in Johannesburg. But it wasn’t a memorable experience, as he was dismissed for nought in both innings.Durham’s coach Martyn Moxon paid tribute to Hamilton in a statement released on Thursday: “Gavin has been an excellent member of our squad for the last two seasons and, although he has only played a handful of first XI games, his contribution both on and off the field has been extremely valuable.”

Mohammad Ali, a left-arm fast-medium bowler from Pakistan, has signed for Middlesex. Ali, 31, formerly of Derbyshire, has taken 264 first-class wickets at an average of 32.60.Middlesex’s coach John Emburey told the BBC: “We have to strengthen up in the seam bowling area and hopefully there will be a couple more signings this winter.”Ali recently qualified for England, and played for Herefordshire in 2005.

East Zone 77 for 4 trail North Zone 178 (Bose 4-45)by 101 runs
Scorecard

Ranadeb Bose took 4 for 45 and Shib Paul 3 for 51 as North Zone were dismissed for 178 after East Zone won the toss and decided to bowl at Rajkot. Despite an accomplished showing by its bowlers, East were unable to drive home the advantage, reaching 77 for 4 at stumps, still 101 runs behind.North were left struggling at 49 for 4 after Bose and Paul each claimed two early wickets. Bose started the proceedings, bowling Shikhar Dhawan for 1, and Paul was quick to join the party, forcing Sangram Singh to edge one to Deep Dasgupta, the wicketkeeper, for 8 with the score on 27. No significant partnerships emerged as both new-ball bowlers applied the pressure.Pankaj Dharmani, the veteran wicketkeeper, made a gritty 35, but wickets continued to tumble at the other end. Yashpal Singh and Sarandeep Singh both fell in the twenties, and with Bose and Paul each striking with the score at 129, North looked in danger of being dismissed for less than 150. A counter-attacking 46 off just 35 balls from Vikram Singh tipped the scales for North, but just slightly.East Zone’s reply did not get off to a good start either, with Gagandeep Singh taking care of Shiv Sunder Das and Arindam Das, the openers, for 0 and 9. With Amit Bhandari taking two wickets as well, East slumped to 59 for 4. Sourav Ganguly, who had taken 2 for 38 earlier in the day, was batting on 19 at close of play.

Match Package

Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
Bulletin – Kallis steers South Africa home
Verdict – Positives despite the defeat
Comment – Yuvraj Singh – From potential to performance
Quotes – ‘Our focus is winning the series’ – Graeme Smith
Quotes – ‘Batting under pressure, I concentrate more’ – Yuvraj Singh
News – Harbhajan fined for conduct
Preview package
Preview – India train their sights on South Africa
Stats – Red-hot South Africans have a point to prove
Quotes – ‘You have to play well to beat anyone’ – Dravid

The ICC has said that the number of umpires on the elite panel will be increased from seven to nine or ten.”Next year when we sit down to make appointments we’ll increase the number to nine or ten but we want to have the best umpires supervising Tests and one-day internationals,” Malcolm Speed, the ICC chief executive, told . He said that seven umpires officiating ten Tests and 20 ODIs per year constituted a reasonable workload for a professional.”But we’ve to recognise that cricket is the hardest game to umpire. And our aim has been to have the best umpires for the job. We also supplement the elite panel by the international panel which has two representatives from each member country. We’ve 20 to 25 supplementary umpires who from time to time also umpire Tests and one-day internationals.”The elite panel comprises Simon Taufel, Darrel Hair and Daryl Harper from Australia, Aleem Dar from Pakistan, Steve Bucknor from the West Indies, Rudi Koertzen from South Africa and Billy Bowden from New Zealand.

James Anderson and Alex Loudon have been omitted from the Test squad to tour India, but they are the only changes from the party that lost 2-0 against Pakistan. However, the selectors have left one space free, which will be filled by a third spinner once the fitness of Ashley Giles has been assessed.Simon Jones returns after recovering from surgery to the bone spur on his right ankle. He is due to spend ten days at the MRF Pace Academy, in Chennai, to continue his rehabilitation. Liam Plunkett’s encouraging performances on his Test debut at Lahore, and in the following one-day series, have been enough to pip Anderson to the reserve pace bowling slot.Anderson retains his place in the one-day squad but the end of Darren Gough’s international career is a step closer with his omission. Vikram Solanki’s stop-start career has again been halted with Ian Bell preferred, lending further weight to the theory that England still don’t know their best one-day team.The chairman of selectors, David Graveney, said: “Although we lost the series [in Pakistan], there were some encouraging individual performances from players who are new to Test cricket and we are keen to continue their development.””With regard to injured players, Michael Vaughan and Ashley Giles both underwent operations before Christmas and their rehabilitation programmes are progressing according to plan. We do, however, intend to name an additional spinner in the Test squad once we have had an opportunity to further re-assess Ashley’s fitness nearer to the time of our departure for India.”Graveney explained that the one-day squad was selected with a view to the World Cup: “Plunkett has made a promising start to his international career and is an emerging player with great potential. Bell has also been named in both squads as we believe his ability to bat in the top order will give us another option as we continue to plan for the World Cup in 2007.”Solanki will be disappointed not to make the trip to India but he is still part of our plans for the future and is one of a number of players on the fringes of selection for the one-day squad.”Commenting on Gough’s omission, he said that the performance of the younger seamers had encouraged the selectors to stick with them for India. “Gough asked the selectors not to consider him for the tour of Pakistan for personal reasons and we respected his wishes.”With Plunkett and Anderson performing well in Pakistan, and Jones now available for selection again, the selectors feel the priority is for these players to gain as much experience of one-day cricket as possible, ahead of the World Cup, and as a result Gough misses out.”The news will not come as a surprise to Gough, who had earlier told that he was not expecting a recall. “I’m not a 20-year-old who’s out there demanding a place. I’m mature and I can understand they want to go with the young guys.”Of course I am disappointed because I still think I am one of the best bowlers at the end of a one-day match. You can’t buy one of them at a local superstore – it takes years and years.”England Test squad Michael Vaughan* (capt), Marcus Trescothick*, Andrew Strauss*, Ian Bell*, Kevin Pietersen*, Andrew Flintoff*, Paul Collingwood*, Geraint Jones*, Matt Prior, Ashley Giles*, Shaun Udal, Liam Plunkett, Matthew Hoggard*, Simon Jones*, Steve Harmison*. *denotes 12-month central contractOne-day squad Michael Vaughan (capt), Marcus Trescothick, Andrew Strauss, Kevin Pietersen, Andrew Flintoff, Paul Collingwood, Ian Bell, Geraint Jones, Matt Prior, Ashley Giles, Ian Blackwell, Kabir Ali, Liam Plunkett, Simon Jones, Steve Harmison, James Anderson.

Karen Rolton takes over as captain of the Australian women’s cricket team – which includes two uncapped players – with her first assignment being a series against India later this month.Creagh O’Connor, Cricket Australia’s chairman, announced Rolton as the best candidate for the captaincy. “We congratulate Karen on becoming Australia’s women’s cricket captain. It is a tremendous honour for Karen and recognition of her position in the game, as well as the respect and leadership she holds among her peers,” he said. “As we continue to try and attract more players to the game, Karen will play a key role in this alongside her male counterpart Ricky Ponting as our role models and leaders in cricket. We wish her every success and welcome her to one of the highest positions in Australian cricket.”Rolton, 31, has been Australian vice-captain since 1997. Making her debut in the 1994-95 season, she has become the third highest one-day international run-scorer in women’s cricket, with 3624 at 56.62. She has also taken 77 one-day wickets – seventh on the list of all-time wicket-takers – and with three one-day matches against India coming up, Rolton is on course to become one of a handful of players to take 100 one-day wickets. In Test cricket, Rolton is 50 runs shy of taking the mantle of Australia’s leading run-scorer, with a record highest score of 209.Rolton – tipped as a favourite for Women’s International Cricketer of the Year at tonight’s Allan Border Medal awards presentation – said she was humbled by the news. “This is something I have always dreamed of, and I am honoured to be given the chance to lead women’s cricket in Australia,” she said. “There are a number of people that I would like to thank, including my family, my friends, my team-mates and all who have played a role in my cricket career over the years. It’s a great challenge and I will do everything I can to help lift and drive the game in Australia.”Included in the 13-player side are two uncapped players – Sarah Andrews, the 24-year-old New South Wales fast bowler, and Jodie Purves, the 21-year-old Queensland wicketkeeper. Melissa Bulow, the Queensland captain, and Michelle Goszko, the NSW batter, make a return to the national side for the first time since 2003. Lisa Sthalekar, the NSW allrounder, was named vice-captain.Margaret Jennings, the former Australian captain now serving as national chairperson of selectors, said the incoming players deserved their chance at the national level. “Jodie Purves is one player who has come through the system,” she said. “She was the wicket-keeper for the Australian youth team and has worked hard in Queensland where she has taken over the `keeping duties. Michelle Goszko and Melissa Bulow come back into the side after good seasons at state level. With the retirements of Belinda Clark and Lisa Keightley, we need to replace the opening partnership and really develop our batting stocks, and these players have been included for that reason.”Australian Women’s Squad: Karen Rolton (capt), Lisa Sthalekar (vice-capt), Sarah Andrews, Alex Blackwell, Kate Blackwell, Melissa Bulow, Cathryn Fitzpatrick, Michelle Goszko, Julie Hayes, Shelley Nitschke, Kirsten Pike, Jodie Purves(w/k), Clea Smith.

Despite resigning from his post of joint secretary and media committee chairman only three months ago, Reazuddin Al Mamun was reinstated by the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) after a long executive meeting on Saturday.It was a grim-looking Mamun who arrived for the meeting half-an-hour after it started, but he was all smiles when he later emerged with Ali Asghar, the board president, beside him.”There was no seat reserved for me in the room but I was not surprised,” said Mamun. “I came here to say goodbye to everybody and explain my position on why I tendered my resignation. And all of my colleagues didn’t want me to quit. But I have decided to stay only when the president showed the letter that there was no further relation with Aston Moore.”The current crisis began in October when rumours circulated that Asghar had made a secret TV and sponsorship deal with Aston Moore, the BCB’s marketing company. That led to Mamun’s resignation. After Saturday’s meeting, the board insisted that there were no such media links with Aston Moore.Mahbubul Anam, the BCB’s general secretary, was apologetic over a number of issues that had not been addressed before now. Mahbubul, who like his president came under severe criticism for failing to convene a meeting within the stipulated time and the confusion over Mamun’s invitation, admitted that they failed to run the show properly in last few months that even led to the breach of constitution.”As per constitution we are bound to hold at least one meeting in every three months but unfortunately we failed to meet the deadline for the third meeting,” he told reporters. “We concede that it was our administrative failure. But thankfully the members have accepted our excuse and we promise that it would not happen in future.”

He also revealed that a five-member committee involving the president, general secretary, chairman of marketing committee, chairman of media committee and chairman of finance committee will now look into the future TV deal. Mahbubul also said that the meeting dissolved all the present standing committees in an effort to start afresh with more dynamic ones.”Since we wanted to start from the scratch we have dissolved the sub-committees and formed a seven-member body involving Aziz Al Kaiser Titoo, general secretary, two joint secretaries, Khondokar Jamiluddin, Shaheen Aftabur Reza and Asaduzzaman Kahinoor. The committees will submit the names within 48 hours for approval of the board. We have already short-listed the candidates from five to two and we are expecting to make a final decision within two days.”The meeting also approved the upcoming home matches against Kenya. The Africans will arrive here on March 10 to play three to four ODIs if Zimbabwe do not come for the triangular series.”

The Essex opener Will Jefferson has been forced to pull out of a pre-season tour of South Africa, and is in doubt for the start of the season, after damaging tendons in his left wrist in a freak accident at his home.Jefferson, 26, was trying to push open his bathroom window when his hand went through the glass, cutting his wrist and severing 70 per cent of the tendon. He underwent surgery on Saturday morning and now has full feeling and movement back in his hand.He told the Essex website: “On Monday I saw a hand therapist who gave me some exercises to do although I am going to be in a splint for a month and the tendon will require two months to repair.”The good news is I can still cycle and cross-train so I can keep up my core fitness regime. I should be able to start bowling again within three to four weeks but it could take six to eight weeks to resume batting so I could be struggling for the first Championship match.”

Netherlands 474 and 202 for 5 (van Bunge 70*) drew with Kenya 367 (Tikolo 212*)
ScorecardSteve Tikolo’s classy double-hundred led Kenya to safety on the final day of their Intercontinental Cup match against the Netherlands at Nairobi Gymkhana. Tikolo, resuming on 186 and with Kenya trailing the Netherlands by 142, remained unbeaten on 212 when Hitesh Modi was the last man out. It was a dull end to a match which the Netherlands had dominated on the first two days and, despite a fifty from Daan van Bunge, time was always going to be against them after Tikolo dropped anchor.Tikolo wasn’t the only name on show in Kenya’s innings today, though. Yesterday, Modi wasn’t expected to bat after breaking a finger on his left hand on the first day, but hung around for 17 balls almost batting one-handed. Modi helped Tikolo edge Kenya towards a position of safety, with a heartening last-wicket stand of 52. Kenya were finally bowled out for 367, with van Bunge bowling impressively to pick up 3 for 51.This still left the Netherlands with a lead of 107, but in order to enforce victory they needed to score quick runs in the first session and bowl Kenya out in the afternoon. However, when the Netherlands slipped to 61 for 3, a draw was the only possible outcome. van Bunge made amends for his cheap dismissal in the first innings to contstruct a solid anchor-innings of 70 which was made from 176 balls.His team-mates, though, were less impressive; the next highest score after van Bunge’s fine knock was Alexei Kervezee – who has played just three first-class games and is just 16 years old – who made 29. Kenya shared the wickets around as the Netherlands reached 202 for 5 as the game petered out into a draw.