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Tim Munton came back to haunt Warwickshire – not in his specialist role as a pace bowler but by making only his fourth half-century in first-class cricket.The acting Derbyshire captain, who spent 15 campaigns at Edgbaston until moving to the East Midlands last year, lifted the bottom-of-the-table strugglers to a more presentable total of 165.The signs were good for Warwickshire when they took the first eight wickets for 101 in their bid to re-launch a faltering promotion challenge in a match reduced to three days because of rain on Wednesday.The weather was still a problem, with drizzle causing intermittent interruptions, but the early rush of wickets promised a short cut to a first win in five games.Derbyshire’s batting weaknesses were soon evident when Michael Di Venuto, lbw without playing a shot, and Luke Sutton, caught at short leg, departed to the first and last balls of the seventh over from Melvyn Betts.Neil Carter then removed Rob Bailey with a leg-side catch by Keith Piper and Derbyshire lost their anchor man when Steve Stubbings angled a ball from Alan Richardson to gully.Mathew Dowman tamely carved off-spinner Neil Smith to backward point and there were further wickets in quick succession for the seamers, Dougie Brown, Richardson and Carter.Karl Krikken had injected welcome resistance with a patient 18 before Munton took control with 50 from 88 balls and a ninth-wicket partnership of 55 with Kevin Dean (18).Richardson finally wrapped up the innings for final figures of 4 for 28 and, in poor light to the close, Warwickshire lost skipper Michael Powell for 37 and Ian Bell for six – both to Graeme Welch – while making 88 for 2. Nick Knight was unbeaten on 37.

Karnataka have begun to alternate wicketkeeping duties between Robin Uthappa and CM Gautam at the behest of KSCA secretary Brijesh Patel to facilitate Uthappa’s return to international cricket as a wicketkeeper-batsman. The decision, which gave Karnataka’s batting coach J Arun Kumar “sleepless nights”, has come as a challenge for Gautam, who has found the switch between keeping and fielding “irritating.”Gautam kept wicket in Karnataka’s opening game against Assam in Guwahati, but Uthappa kept against Bengal. Gautam was back as keeper in the first innings against Vidarbha, but Uthappa took over in the second.Karnataka captain Vinay Kumar had said before the start of the Vidarbha game that it was Uthappa’s call to keep wicket, and Arun Kumar confirmed that was the case.”It was not a strategy but it was just the interest of Robin Uthappa trying to play for the country as a wicketkeeper batsman after Dhoni has retired,” Arun Kumar told ESPNcricinfo. “We took it to Mr. Brijesh Patel also, and Brijesh Patel took the decision that now let them alternate keeping. Even it was beyond my comprehension, but we still went to Brijesh and he said share the duty.”Gautam had said during the Vidarbha match that he did not have a choice in the matter, and later said that flitting between the roles of a keeper and a fielder was hard. “It is irritating because on and off keeping is not that easy also because I have to focus on my fielding,” Gautam told ESPNcricinfo. “It’s a new challenge for me because I haven’t done this for the past seven years.”Arun Kumar said it was hard for him to strike a balance between the interests of an individual and a team. “I am [in] a bit of a tight spot, to be honest. It’s not an easy thing for me convince both of them. It took a lot of sleepless nights for me to decide on this.””Obviously CM Gautam was really hurt, and then I explained to him that people know you are a good keeper. You don’t have to prove anything. The selectors know apart from [Wriddhiman] Saha you are the best keeper in the country.”Same thing to Robin also. He has kept in IPL and people know he is a good keeper. Both of them will have to get 1000 runs a season to break into the India side, as simple as that.”According to Arun Kumar, a slightly revised arrangement will now have Gautam keeping in the first innings before making way for Uthappa in the second. “Basically Robin wants to keep in touch with keeping, CM is a professional keeper. For Robin to keep in touch even in the second innings is good as long as he gets every match.”So I thought the logical way to do it is that let CM keep in the first, Robin in the second so that we are fair to both of them. Now we have come down to this and both are happy now.”Arun Kumar said Gautam was deliberately stationed at first slip next to Uthappa to bridge any communication gap. “I want both of them to talk to each other, understand each other better than keeping somebody away,” he said. “If it’s filled up with a lot of silence then you don’t know what’s running in each other’s mind.”As a coach of a very confident team, a very understanding team, we are like a family. Obviously there will be a lot of quarrels and misunderstandings in the family, but it’s my duty as a coach to set everything right. So, it’s a healthy competition going on. They have no animosity between them.”Gautam said he did not want to dwell on it. “I don’t really want to think too much and get frustrated over the issue. I want to focus on my cricket. End of the day, I want Karnataka want to win. I always played for that. Whether I play for India or not, I ultimately want my team to win. So, whatever they feel comfortable or happy with, I will go by that.”

State Bank of Pakistan made light work of a target of 214, beating Karachi Dolphins by nine wickets to enter the final of the President’s Gold Cup. Opener Babar Azam made an unbeaten 142 off 120 balls – his third century of the tournament – while Abid Ali remained unbeaten on 58 to help State Bank achieve the target with 81 balls to spare. The 175-run partnership between the pair – which came at a brisk rate of 6.36 – thwarted Dolphins who had an early breakthrough with the wicket of opener Farrukh Shehzad. Azam’s century, which had 22 fours, also helped him overtake Khurram Manzoor to become the leading run-scorer in the tournament.Dolphins, having been put in, were unable to manage the same levels of solidity with only one half-century from Mohammad Hasan (65) and Mir Hamza’s late cameo of 26 off 20 deliveries before they were bundled out in the 44th over. State Bank’s left-arm spinner Zafar Gohar picked up 3 for 34 while Mohammad Naved and Rizwan Haider took two apiece.The winner of the second semi-final between Khan Research Laboratories and National Bank of Pakistan will face State Bank in the final on Sunday.

India’s team director Ravi Shastri has slammed the scheduling of the Carlton Mid tri-series between India, Australia and England just before the World Cup, calling the tournament a “sheer waste of time and energy”.India came in to the World Cup without a victory in any format for almost three months, losing the Tests 2-0 before failing to win a single game in the corresponding tri-series. Shastri, though, felt that the extra ODIs just before the World Cup took a toll on the players, and that he always expected India to turn around their form when it mattered most.”I think the team was mentally drained after playing the tri-series. The boys needed to recharge their batteries and freshen up for the World Cup,” Shastri told . “The break from cricket did them a world of good as they came all guns blazing when it was required. And frankly speaking, I believe that this tri-series that we played was a sheer waste of time and energy.”I am not all surprised [by the turnaround]. In fact, why should I be surprised that the team has started on a magnificent note? I had complete belief in the boys and their abilities. It was a case of performing to their potential and that’s exactly what has happened in the two matches against Pakistan and South Africa. If you ask me, the script went on expected lines.”I don’t love looking back too much into the past nor am I interested in looking too far ahead. But I would like to say this with conviction that this is the best Indian fielding unit that I have seen in many years. This team has some amazing fielders and they are among the fittest in international cricket.”Shastri had special praise for Virat Kohli, who top-scored for India in the Tests with 692 runs from four matches, including four centuries. Kohli followed that up with a vital hundred in India’s World Cup opener against Pakistan, earning him comparisons from Shastri with former batsmen Sachin Tendulkar and VVS Laxman.Ravi Shastri – “I think the team was mentally drained after playing the tri-series. The boys needed to recharge their batteries and freshen up for the World Cup”•Getty Images

“As far as I am concerned, I have never seen any Indian batsman perform better than Virat on Australian soil keeping Sachin Tendulkar and VVS Laxman in mind as they have done exceptionally well,” Shastri said. “I mean show me one Indian batsman who has scored four centuries in four Test matches. He has been phenomenal. He was dominant and that’s the reason we carried the attack back to the Australian camp in all the Test matches.”Shastri was also quick to rubbish reports of a rift between Kohli and India’s ODI captain MS Dhoni.”I have little patience or time for nonsense that’s spread around. Frankly speaking, I care two hoots about skeptics or doubting thomases spreading some stupid theory. Neither me nor the players are bothered about these stuff. If someone feels that he wants to waste his time discussing these issues, they are free to do so. And you will know why the players are least bothered about these issues. They all sleep well at night as their conscience is clear.”Mahendra Singh Dhoni is the undisputed leader of the Indian cricket team. He has been the boss for last eight years. He has been pro-active and has always led from the front. He has been a terrific limited overs cricketer. He has won matches for India and is a calming influence in that dressing room. He has earned respect from his colleagues because he is a true leader.”

ScorecardScotland at last showed their true form as they ran to a convincing nine-wicket victory over a disappointing Kenya. They began with a fine bowling performance, spearheaded by Dewald Nel, and then their opening batsmen Ryan Watson and Kyle Coetzer gave the other teams in the tournament an object lesson in how to bat in such circumstances. They put on 102 together, taking their team to the verge of victory, and completing it with eleven balls to spare. Should Zimbabwe confirm their withdrawal from the Twenty20 World Cup, Scotland will replace them.Kenya batted despite their nasty experience after being put in by Ireland this morning and decided on a discreet start, but this approach still failed them at the first, Maurice Ouma departing lbw to Nel. Gordon Drummond, coming on for the sixth over, beautifully yorked Nehemiah Odhiambo for 11; 27 for 1. Four runs later, Kennedy Otieno was bowled by Berrington for 14, trying to work a straight ball down the third man.Steve Tikolo began carefully, and after ten overs the score was 47 for 3. But in the next over came the major blow, Tikolo lbw to Berrington for 19, with Thomas Oboyo (6) following, relucantly, also lbw to Gregor Maiden in the next over. Kenya were 56 for 5, and with little batting to come.Ragheb Aga did his best, and hit a six over long leg off Gordon Drummond, but could not find a capable partner. He reached 28 off 25 balls but, in the penultimate over, he holed out to long-on attempting another six. That made the score 89 for 8, but unexpectedly Kenya brought up three figures. They scored 12 off the final over, bowled by Drummond, and including a huge six well over the long-off boundary by Peter Ongondo, who ran himself out next ball.The final total was 105, an almost certain loser in a normal Twenty20 match – or a quality match of any sort – but in this tournament, who knew? Nel, with 3 for 10, returned excellent figures, continuing a fine event, while Berrington took 2 for 21.Watson and Coetzer finally displayed the type of batting required for success in these situations, which no other partnership in the tournament to date had been able to achieve. Naturally some risks needed to be taken, but they were well-calculated ones, proper ‘percentage’ cricket, instead of the wild heaves that so often had ended other partnerships prematurely over the past three days.They were 50 without loss after ten overs, well on their way to victory, with only five fours – showing their ability to hit the loose ball, but not to be obsessed by the boundary – and a great many well-run ones and twos. The bowling was fair enough in quality; it was just the batting that for once was so much better.Watson, the dominant partner, reached his 50 off 54 balls; this was only the second fifty of the tournament, following that of Netherlands’ Ryan ten Doeschate in the first match. The team hundred came up in the 17th over, and this made it the first century partnership of the tournament. At 102, though, Watson tried to win the match with a six, but instead skied a catch to mid-off, departing for 54. But it did not take long for Coetzer, finishing on 48, to complete a victory that would be very satisfying in every way, except that it failed to win them a place in tomorrow’s final.

THE Western Australian Cricket Association today announced its team to play the Southern Redbacks in a Pura Cup match in Adelaide from December 19-22.The team is:Justin LANGER (Capt), Mike HUSSEY (VC), Jo ANGEL, Ryan CAMPBELL, Beau CASSON, Michael CLARK, Murray GOODWIN, Brad HOGG, Chris ROGERS, Adam VOGES, Brad WILLIAMS and Paul WILSON.Fast bowler Matthew Nicholson and batsman Shaun Marsh, were not considered for selection because of injury.Nicholson ruptured a tendon in his right forearm during last week’s ING Cup match. Marsh is recovering from a hamstring injury he suffered in Brisbane last month."On medical advice given to the selectors, Matthew Nicholson and Shaun Marsh were not considered for selection," Chairman of Selectors Wayne Hill said."We look forward to our Australia `A’ team representatives returning to the team and we are extremely excited that some of our new young players have held their places in the team following encouraging starts to their first-class careers."Hill said wicketkeeper Luke Ronchi was unlucky to lose his place after making 90 and 33 in his debut match against Tasmania."Luke is extremely unfortunate following his outstanding debut, but we have an international representative in Ryan Campbell returning to the side," Hill said."Luke was chosen as replacement wicketkeeper in Ryan’s absence, but there is no doubt that Luke will continue to be a major figure in our future planning."

Lack of preparation won’t be an excuse for Northern Districts when they open their State Championship campaign against Auckland at the Harry Barker Reserve in Gisborne on November 29.Four of the side’s front-line players, Scott Styris, Daryl Tuffey, James Marshall and Bruce Martin, have been playing club cricket in Sydney over the last six weeks.Marshall has scored 251 runs for the Eastern Suburbs club, including a 154, to average 50.20 after five matches. Tuffey has taken 12 wickets for the Sutherland club at an average of 20.08.All four players will return to New Zealand on Sunday or Monday after completing the round of games that is underway in Sydney at the moment.Their inclusion in teams in Sydney resulted from Scott Styris going to Gordon where former New Zealand coach Steve Rixon was associated last summer.ND coach Bruce Blair said the inclusion of four players this year was a strengthening of the on-going relationship between ND and New South Wales.After he and ND operations manager Pat Malcon visited Sydney to speak with senior NSW officials, they learned there had been acceptance of the ND players being involved. The New Zealand players, all of whom were good first-class players here, with Tuffey and Styris being international players, were bolstering the Sydney competition and it had been good for club players there to mix with the New Zealanders and to see them in action.Blair was keen to see the system applied again next year because it not only gave the players cricket at a time when not a lot was happening due to climate restrictions in New Zealand, but it also helped develop the players’ life skills.”They’ve done pretty well and James Marshall has hit his straps,” Blair said. “And Daryl has been very happy with the rhythm he has got and the way he’s been feeling. Scott has been bowling on very, very true wickets to good players who look to attack.”The Australian four will not be included in the ND side to play Auckland, in Auckland, on Monday and Tuesday.That will allow the selectors to have a look at three of four players who are on the fringe of the squad.The full ND squad will then meet back in Hamilton on Wednesday for a fitness testing session and squad work.The squad for the first part of the season will then get together in Hamilton for two days of practice before bussing to Gisborne on the Wednesday afternoon.For those players back in New Zealand there have been two rounds of Hawke Cup play over the last two weekends.Blair is looking forward to getting the team back together and looking forward to further develop the skills in the side.

Saleem Altaf, the Pakistan board official who was sacked earlier this month, has demanded an independent audit of the PCB’s finances.”PCB lacks accountability and transparency in financial matters,” he told a television channel. “Under [chairman Nasim] Ashraf, the staffing of the board has grown to close 700, which is unheard of in any cricket setup in the world. An independent audit is required.”Altaf, who was director of special projects before being fired for allegedly leaking sensitive information to the press, said he would file a lawsuit against Ashraf against the unlawful taping of his conversations. “They have not charged me with anything in writing nor have they given me any termination letter,” he said. “I am taking them to court that is for sure.”It is believed that conversations Altaf had with several journalists over a period of time were being recorded by the board. “How can they bug my room and tap my telephones?” he said. “Only an insecure person does this or someone who has something to hide does this.”

South Africa may be without the injured Dale Steyn for the third Test against England, but coach Mickey Arthur is awaiting the return of a fired-up Andre Nel at Edgbaston.”Any time Andre [Nel] plays for South Africa he’s fired up,” Arthur told the BBC. “I can’t wait to see him bowl hard. I think he’s going to do really well.” Nel last played a Test against the West Indies at home in January. Nel, known for his aggressive approach, had been controversially dropped from the Test team to India in favour of Charl Langeveldt.”We’ve backed him a huge amount over the last couple of months and I’ve got a feeling he is going to come through this one fantastically,” Arthur said. “It just shows that when you plan there has to be a queue and some succession in place.”We have the ability now to lose one guy and be able to bring back a guy who is a hardened Test-match campaigner. So we are fortunate to do that, but that’s how we structured our team.”Nel goes into the Test having warmed up against a Bangladesh A team in the tour game at New Road, in which he picked up three wickets and his maiden first-class fifty.”Andre is a good tourist, but he certainly doesn’t like not playing,” Arthur told the Daily Telegraph. “He wants to be involved all the time and there is a lot of pent-up energy and aggression there that will hopefully come out at Edgbaston. Every time he has bowled in the nets on this tour, he has wanted to prove to me that he belongs and that he should be in the team.”Andre has got much better of late in learning how to channel his aggression in the right direction,” Arthur said. “If he can, it gives him his competitive edge and I never want to take that away from him.”Nel has played just one Test against England – at Centurion in 2005. He had figures of 6 for 81 in England’s first innings; the match, though, ended in a draw.

Geoffrey Boycott is planning to return to cricket commentary as he continues to receive treatment for cancer.The former Yorkshire and England opening batsman, 62, was diagnosed with the disease in September after a lump was found on his neck.He has told his employers ESPN he is still aiming to be back at the microphone soon, and hopes to commentate on the World Cup in southern Africa next spring.He told the American broadcast company: “I feel very good – no problemsswallowing and eating. I’m sleeping well, and my weight’s great.”I need some more drugs and radiation treatment that will start next week andgo on for five weeks. I hope I will be ready to resume work for ESPN by the World Cup in February.”