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Scorecard
Sohail Tanvir justified the Federal Areas’ stand-in captain Naved Ashraf’s decision to field first by taking five wickets to help bowl out Baluchistan for 253 at the National Stadium in Karachi. But Federal Areas conceded a bit of the advantage when they lost two quick wickets before the close of play to end the first day at 79 for 3.The Baluchistan openers Shoiab Khan and Usman Tariq walked out to bat in the three-hour first session and the duo added 41 runs before Shoiab was trapped by seamer Yasir Arafat for 25. Tanvir then took centre stage in a marathon 15-over opening spell, taking three wickets in succession to send Baluchistan crashing from 78 for 1 to 92 for 4. But Tariq scored a defiant half-century and added 73 runs for the fifth wicket with Nasim Khan (31) to stem the rot. But Baluchistan once again faltered, losing five wickets for the addition of 35 runs, with Tanvir claiming the vital wicket of Tariq for 68. Imranullah Aslam, the No. 10 batsman, then frustrated Federal Areas by striking an unbeaten 46-ball 51 which included nine fours, and adding 53 runs for the last wicket with Azharullah (20). Baluchistan’s innings came to a close when Azharullah was trapped by Saeed Anjwal, the only spinner to find any success on the first day.Federal Areas were in trouble just as they began their response when Kamran Hussain had Afaq Raheem caught behind for 2. Raheel Majeed and Fayaaz Ahmed pushed the score past fifty before Azharullah struck back with a double-strike: Ahmed was caught behind while Bazid Khan fell without scoring. But Majeed, who remained unbeaten on 42, and Usman Saeed, who struck a couple of fours on his way to 13, ensured there was no further damage.
Scorecard
Punjab’s star-studded batting line-up threatened to launch a run-fest, but none of their batsman, including Salman Butt, who top-scored with 72, were able to capitalise on their starts as they scored 295 for 7 on the first day against NWFP at the Gaddafi Stadium.Earlier NWFP found immediate success after choosing to bowl when Fazl-e-Akbar has Mohammad Hafeez caught behind by Zulfiqur Jan. But Butt turned things around by displaying the same sort of form that saw him make 290 against Federal Areas in the first round of the Pentangular Cup as he reached his half-century in a 60-run second-wicket stand with Nasir Jamshed (16). Akbar returned to remove Jamshed, but that brought Misbah-ul-Haq to the crease. But Misbah and Butt did not spend too much time together when the latter was run-out after a misunderstanding as Punjab stuttered to 112 for 3.Misbah then set about consolidating the innings as he scored 53 runs of 149 balls and adding 76 runs for the fourth wicket with Shoaib Malik (41). But once the duo were dismissed by Samiullah Khan and Shakell-ur-Rehman respectively, Kamran Akmal breezed his way to a 74-ball 40, striking six fours and a six to add some quick runs. Waqas Ahmed (12*) and Junaid Zia (10*) were then involved in an unbroken 25-run stand for the eighth wicket before stumps were drawn.

The Indian board (BCCI) will announce the Indian side for the tour of Bangladesh on April 20 in Mumbai. Bangladesh host India for two Tests and three one-day internationals between May 10 and 29.The team will have a coaching camp in Kolkata from May 2 to 6, for which the players will meet on May 1, according to Niranjan Shah, the BCCI secretary. “We will be selecting around 20 players in all,” Dilip Vengsarkar, the chairman of selectors, told PTI. The Test and ODI teams will be picked from this pool of players. The team will leave for Bangladesh on May 7.The BCCI recently appointed Rahul Dravid team captain for the next three tours, to Bangladesh, Ireland and England and asked the selectors to pick a “young side” for the first of those tours. Ravi Shastri, the former international turned television commentator, was appointed manager for the Bangladesh tour. Both Dravid and Shastri will attend the selection meeting, Shah said.On being asked if Sachin Tendulkar would be dropped for the Bangladesh tour in keeping with the idea of selecting a young team, Shah repeated that it was up to the selectors to decide.Tour itinerary:
1st ODI – May 10, Mirpur
2nd ODI – May 12, Mirpur
3rd ODI – May 15, Chittagong
1st Test – May 18-22, Chittagong
2nd Test – May 25-29, Mirpur

VRV Singh might get a chance to make his one-day debut © Getty Images

Virender Sehwag will lead India in the next two one-day internationals against England after the selectors decided to rest Rahul Dravid. Following the series-clinching four-wicket win at Kochi, Dravid has been given a break in what has been a long season for India.VRV Singh, the pace bowler, comes into the squad in place of Dravid and Kiran More, the chairman of selectors, said: “We decided to give Dravid some rest after a busy schedule. We will let it be known if there is any change for the last match.”The decision is a vote of confidence for Sehwag, who is suffering a poor run of form. He has made just 74 runs in the series and has been troubled by England’s impressive use of the short ball.Revised India squad
Virender Sehwag (capt), Robin Uthappa, Yuvraj Singh, Mohammad Kaif, Suresh Raina, Mahendra Singh Dhoni (wk), Irfan Pathan, Harbhajan Singh, Ramesh Powar, Shantakumaran Sreesanth, Ajit Agarkar, RP Singh, Venugopala Rao, Munaf Patel, Vikram Rajvir Singh.

Matthew Elliott wants to be a Redback instead of a Bushranger© Getty Images

Matthew Elliott has applied for a surprise transfer from Victoria, his state of 12 years, to South Australia next season. The discussions with the South Australia Cricket Association (SACA) began last month and Elliott, who is contracted to Cricket Australia and Cricket Victoria until June, must wait seven days before the move is finalised.Elliott lodged the request today and said he was excited by the Redbacks’ young talent. "I look forward to relocating to Adelaide when my family and I return from the UK later this year," Elliott, who is currently with the county side Glamorgan, said.Harvey Jolly, the SACA general manager of cricket, said Elliott would be an outstanding asset. "Matthew is one of the country’s finest batsmen and will bring enormous talent and experience to our young side," he said. "We see Matthew as someone who not only strengthens our batting, but also gives support to Greg [Blewett] and Darren [Lehmann] in the top order. The three of them will be the perfect mentors for our young up-and-coming batsmen."Elliott, 33, has played 183 first-class matches with an average of 49.82 since his Victoria debut in 1992-93. He has represented Australia in 21 Tests, scoring 1172 runs at 33.48, and his last appearance came against Sri Lanka at Darwin in 2004.

Brad Hodge celebrates his fine hundred at the Adelaide Oval © Getty Images

Scorecard
A decisive spell of tight, aggressive pace from Victoria’s Mick Lewis prevented South Australia from overtaking a record total in the thrilling day-night ING Cup cricket match at Adelaide Oval. Chasing Victoria’s 7 for 293, SA made 8 for 287 in reply, giving the Bushrangers a six-run win. This was Victoria’s first match after the death of David Hookes and the win places them second on the cup table.In a game dominated by batsmen, Lewis’s bowling figures of 2 for 35 from 10 overs was the outstanding effort. The other heroes for Victoria were Brad Hodge and David Hussey, who put on a record third-wicket stand of 226 -the highest partnership for any wicket by a Victorian pair. Hodge’s 114 was his third century in seven innings for the season and took his season average to 98.2. Hussey scored 113, his first limited overs century, and earned the Man of the Match award.Victoria’s total was its highest ever in the limited overs competition, but SA looked on track to chase it down when they were 2 for 124 and scoring at almost seven per over with Callum Ferguson (58) and Mark Higgs (16) leading the charge.Ferguson hit Allan Wise for a six over long-on in the 15th over which hit an ING sign to earn him $50,000, and also brought up the home side’s 100. But Lewis, introduced to the attack for the first time in the 20th over, accounted for Ferguson and Higgs in his first four balls to turn the match, as South Australia slumped to 4 for 125.Darren Lehmann (39), the SA captain, and Mick Miller (44), the allrounder, put on 72 for the fifth wicket, but then Lehmann was run out by Hussey in the 36th over. Hodge then pulled off a brilliant diving save at midwicket to run out Miller in the 42nd over, leaving SA at 6 for 233.Greg Blewett, demoted to No. 7 because he was suffering from a back injury, fired off 26 runs from 31 balls late in the innings. But Jonathan Moss bowled Blewett and Mark Cleary in the space of four balls to make it 8 for 265. SA needed 12 runs off the last over to achieve what would have been their highest successful run-chase, but Lewis was able to restrict them to just five.

Talented Hawke’s Bay teenage batsman Jesse Ryder will be part of the Central Districts team for the State Shield match against Canterbury at Nelson on Saturday.A hard-hitting opener for the New Zealand Under-19 team last summer, he attended the New Zealand Cricket Academy this year and has been part of the CD Under-19 team at the national tournament in Christchurch.He will be joined by another New Zealand Under-19 player last year Ian Sandbrook, who also attended the Academy this year. He is a wicket-keeper/batsman.The Central Districts’ Stags team to play Canterbury Wizards at Trafalgar Park, Nelson on Saturday, December 28 is:Craig Spearman (captain), Jesse Ryder, Peter Ingram, Glen Sulzberger, Ian Sandbrook, Greg Loveridge, Campbell Furlong, Bevan Griggs, Andrew Schwass, Michael Mason, Lance Hamilton, Brent Hefford. Coach: Mark Greatbatch. Manager: Darryl Cochrane.Martyn Sigley has been named captain of the Central Districts A team to play in the Provincial A team competition at Lincoln from January 2-14. The team is:Martyn Sigley (captain), Tim Anderson, Marc Calkin, Hamish Cunliffe, Duncan Cederman, Brendan Diamanti, David Good, Jamie How, Andrew Murley, David Rankin, Taraia Robin, Greg Todd. Coach: Scott Briasco. Manager David Black.

Lisa Sthalekar will make her Australian debut today when the Southern Stars take on England in the first of three one-day internationals in the CricInfo Women’s Series at the County Ground, Derby.The 21 year-old all-rounder from the Gordon club in Sydney is one of two changes from the side which defeated England by an innings and 140 runs in the First Test at Shenley earlier this week. Fellow New South Wales all-rounder Julie Hayes also comes into the Australian eleven, with spin duo Olivia Magno and Avril Fahey the players replaced.Sthalekar, who first played for the Australian Under-23 side in 1997/98, has been a key member of the New South Wales team which has won the Australian national women’s titles for the last five years, with her economical off-spin and ability to score quick runs in the late overs. In 32 national league appearances for New South Wales, she has scored 288 runs at 20.57 and taken 35 wickets at 21.31.Hayes, from the Balmain club, made her Australian debut during the 2000 CricInfo Women’s World Cup in New Zealand, where she made four appearances without batting in a strong lineup, and took 5 wickets at 13.80.In total, there are four changes from the Australian one-day side that lost narrowly to New Zealand in last December’s World Cup Final, with Cherie Bambury and Zoe Goss not selected for this tour. Michelle Goszko, who scored a world record-equalling 204 on her Test debut on Monday, makes her first one-day international appearance since playing against Ireland in July 1998.Karen Rolton, yet another all-rounder in an Australian lineup with plenty of batting depth, will today play in her 50th one-day international. Rolton was arguably the star of the 2000 Women’s World Cup, where she set a new record for the fastest century in a women’s one-day international.England will be very much the underdogs today as they attempt to put the disasters of the World Cup behind them and assemble the nucleus of a young side for the future. Middle-order batsman Kate Lowe made an impressive Test debut earlier this week, while captain Clare Connor, with five wickets in the Test, showed that she can pose a genuine threat to the Australian batting. And she does have a one-day international hat-trick (against India in 1999) to her credit.Play begins today at 10.45am local time (0945 GMT, 7.45pm in eastern Australia). The remaining matches of this one-day series will be played on Monday July 2 at Northampton, and Tuesday July 3 at Lord’s. Today’s match, and that on Monday, are being televised live in the UK by Sky Sports as part of their ongoing arrangement with the England & Wales Cricket Board to screen two games of women’s cricket per year.The Australian team for today’s first one-day international in the CricInfo Women’s Series is: Belinda Clark (capt), Lisa Keightley, Karen Rolton, Michelle Goszko, Louise Broadfoot, Julie Hayes, Julia Price, Therese McGregor, Cathryn Fitzpatrick, Charmaine Mason, Lisa Sthalekar. Sally Cooper is 12th man.

Leeds United are monitoring long-term target Ryan Kent ahead of a potential move for the winger in the upcoming summer transfer window.

What’s the story?

Last year, the Whites had a number of bids rejected for the Rangers ace, but that does not appear to have deterred them in their pursuit.

According to Football Insider, Kent remains on Leeds’ radar despite long-term admirer Marcelo Bielsa leaving the club, and the Premier League side could make a fresh move to sign the 25-year-old this summer.

Imagine him and Raphinha

Kent enjoyed an impressive campaign north of the border last term, scoring 13 goals and setting up another 15. His performances this year have been equally eye-catching, managing a whopping 15 assists in just 35 games across all competitions.

The £20k-per-week winger has earned rave reviews for his performances, not least from team-mate Conor Goldson, whopreviously  hailed him as “magnificent” and said: “He has got a lot of ability. (He is) 24-years-old, two-footed. It is not nice when he runs at you, I can tell you that personally from training. He has got everything.”

Former Rangers star Kris Boyd has previously waxed lyrical about the ex-Liverpool winger, saying: “There’s Ryan Kent who is phenomenal – he gets you off your seat. His numbers have increased season after season. Even if the team are not at the level we saw at the start of the campaign, he is still a threat. He is so comfortable with the ball – it is like has superglue in his boots!”

Neil Dewsnip, his former coach at England under-17 level, said: “He seems to relish the atmosphere, so I think he’s in the bracket of players who think ‘the bigger, the better’. Ryan is very exciting so, when he’s good he’s devastatingly good. But that’s a trait of a lot of wide players. The challenge is to be consistent and I’m sure that’s what Steven and his staff will be working to achieve.”

Having a dynamic winger like Kent to perhaps partner someone like Raphinha (if the Brazilian stays put at Elland Road) would be quite the formidable duo for Leeds going forward and would certainly leave a lot of Premier League defences terrified.

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Kent has clearly impressed a lot of people in his time at Ibrox, and a move for him this summer could finally see Leeds get their man.

AND in other news – “We’re told…”: Graham Smyth drops big Leeds United update which will delight supporters

	Geoff Miller: ICL players won’t be called upon for England duty © Getty Images

Geoff Miller, England’s newly-installed chief selector, has hinted that any England player who signs up for the rebel Indian Cricket League could go the same way as New Zealand’s Shane Bond, who last month had his national contract terminated and now faces being cast into the international wilderness.So far only four England players – Chris Read, Vikram Solanki, Darren Maddy and Paul Nixon – have taken the lucrative offer from the ICL and, of those, only Read had realistic prospects of resuming his international career. But Miller, in New Zealand with the one-day squad, suggested that the ECB would be making an example of them to prevent others from following the same path.Contracts for the ICL are worth between £200,000 and £500,000, but the tournament is not sanctioned by the ICC – unlike the forthcoming Indian Premier League, which takes place in April. Miller stopped short of saying that legal issues were behind his comments, but instead questioned the motivation of players who sign for the ICL.”There are lots of factors to consider but if they have chosen to do that [join the ICL], what is the reason to do that?” he told The Guardian. “What’s wrong with the England side? It is something you would need to discuss with the player but I would like to feel the players would not want to make that decision.”I would like to feel those players would want to be with the England side,” said Miller. “If it is detrimental to what happens in the changing-room that is paramount to me. I am big on atmosphere in the changing-room and creating a good spirit.”

An ambulance is parked the Pakistan team hotel where Bob Woolmer was found unconscious in his hotel room © AFP

Bob Woolmer’s autopsy performed on Tuesday morning, almost 48 hours after his passing away, had inconclusive results, and the pathologist has asked for further testsbefore the cause of death can be pinpointed.The autopsy, performed by Dr Ere Sheshiah, started at 9:35am, and was concluded by noon. Gill Woolmer, Bob’s wife, was officially informed of the findings at 12:35pm, and the Jamaicanpolice then met team officials to inform them of the autopsy findings.With the pathologist unable to ascertain the cause of death, samples takenwere sent for toxicology and histology tests. The results are awaited.The Pakistan team is scheduled to leave Jamaica on Saturday and the Jamaican police are hoping that Woolmer’s body can be flown out with them. Karl Angell, director of communication for the Jamaican Constabulary, asserted that the tests were being fast-tracked so that the matter could be cleared up at the earliest.A press conference was organised by the Pakistan team management and theJamaican police at 3:30 on Tuesday afternoon. Reading from a preparedstatement, Pervez Mir, the team’s media manager, spoke of how MurrayStevenson, the trainer, had gone to officially identify the body at theKingston Public Hospital mortuary.When asked what sort of timeframe we were looking at, Mark Shields, thedeputy commissioner of police, said: “It depends on the results. As ofnow, we don’t know the cause of death.”Shields was then asked if the inconclusive findings suggested thatanything was amiss. “Not necessarily,” he said. “Any sudden death istreated as suspicious till we can say otherwise. At this moment, we’re notruling out anything.”According to Colin Pinnock, the deputy superintendent who is the chiefinvestigating officer, such occurrences were not uncommon. “It happens,”he said. “The pathologist just wants to be absolutely sure. Samples havebeen sent to the forensic lab and the national lab.”The team’s departure could conceivably be affected if the tests take time,and Mir and Talat Ali, the manager, will stay back if that’s the case.”The team is disturbed,” said Mir. “But we must move on.”Shields assured everyone that the investigation would be concluded as soonas possible, but quickly added: “We won’t cut any corners either.” For themoment, Woolmer’s room at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel remains sealed, withthe police not having handed it back to the hotel management.