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The success of England’s Test cricket team has been recognised by one of their major sponsors, the national energy provider, npower, who today announced a two-year extension to their title sponsorship of home Test matches. The current deal, which was due to expire at the end of this year’s Ashes series, has now been extended to 2007.”Cricket has been a fantastic vehicle for gaining new customers and increasing customer loyalty to the npower brand over the last four seasons,” said Kevin Miles, npower’s managing director residential. “We are delighted to extend our agreement for a further two years – especially given the buoyant state of the current English cricket team.The new deal includes a marketing fund of £300,000 each year, which will be directly spent on giving greater access to the sport for fans. In recent years, npower has sponsored cricket’s feline mascots, The Pride Side, which has encouraged children between the ages of 5 to 11 to experience a day at a Test. Npower are also major sponsors of the Twenty20 Cup, women’s domestic Test series, and the npower Village Cup.”Once the new television agreement was signed with Sky and Channel 5, we had no hesitation in agreeing our continued backing of the sport but it was important to us that we ensured that a substantial portion of our money would go directly into giving fans greater access to the sport.”England might regard the company as something of a lucky charm – they won seven npower Tests out of seven in the 2004 season – and David Collier, the chief executive of the England & Wales Cricket Board, was delighted at the news.”With the England team having enjoyed four successive Test series wins, Test cricket is proving to be a more attractive vehicle than ever for sponsors and business partners,” said Collier. “npower has made a significant investment in our game since 2001 and I am delighted that our partnership with them is to continue for a further two years.”Michael Vaughan, the England captain, added: “npower have been strong supporters of English cricket and the England team and we welcome the renewal of their sponsorship. It’s excellent news.”

Wellington will host the State Championship final against Canterbury after they used their severely rain-affected match against Auckland as nothing more than batting practice. Grant Elliott, fresh from his Test debut, compiled a career-best 196 not out and Neal Parlane continued his prolific campaign with 110 as Wellington reached 444 at the Basin Reserve. Auckland needed a victory to have any chance of overtaking Canterbury on the points table but there was little they could do as bad weather meant no play was possible until well into the third day. Auckland barely had time to have a bat, fizzling out to 23 for 1 when bad light ended their season.Canterbury were pleased with the rain in Wellington as they conceded first-innings points in their last preliminary match against Otago in Dunedin. They struggled against the all-round efforts of Warren McSkimming, who collected 5 for 56 as Canterbury stumbled to 247 having been sent in. McSkimming then helped rescued Otago from a precarious 134 for 6, scoring 71 and putting together valuable partnerships with Derek de Boorder and Bradley Scott to secure the lead. Todd Astle made an unbeaten 79 in Canterbury’s second-innings 215 for 3 as the match petered out to a draw.At McLean Park, the defending champions Northern Districts managed to avoid finishing on the bottom despite giving up first-innings points to Central Districts, who were left propping up the table. Brent Arnel finished with ten wickets for the match, his first such haul in first-class cricket, but the star was Ross Taylor. His 152 from 111 balls – he reached triple-figures from 85 – brightened up a game that was always heading for a draw. Taylor’s effort came as Central Districts piled on 392 for 9 in their second innings, having scored 390 in the first, when Peter Ingram made 112. Arnel grabbed 6 for 82 in the first innings and four in the second, however his batting colleagues could not quite push in front of Central Districts and finished their only innings at 365, led by Daniel Flynn’s 109. Arnel finished the preliminary rounds as the competition’s leading wicket taker, with 33 at 20.93.

The final Test in Antigua set a record or two – never before have eight individual hundreds been scored in one match, and that’s not counting the six bowlers who conceded three figures – but it was over as a contest and as meaningful entertainment long before the end of the fifth day.The problem was the pitch, which was as flat as a freshly-tarmaced road but one which offered marginally less reward to bowlers. The same could be said of the Antigua Test last year. The two most recent Tests at the Recreation Ground have produced 2720 runs and 37 wickets; this year, there were 1462 runs and 17 wickets.And spare a thought for Makhaya Ntini, who slogged away for 33 overs for his one wicket, and then watched as two wicketkeepers with no pretentions to being bowlers took three between them. AB de Villiers grabbed 2 for 49 as even West Indies grew weary of batting, and then Mark Boucher took his first wicket with his eighth ball in Test cricket.Andy Roberts, Antigua’s first Test player and someone who has been involved in pitch preparation at St John’s for more than a decade, said the two games were played on different tracks. “This particular pitch has not been used for a couple of years now,” he admitted. “In fact, I have been told the last time it was used was when Brian Lara scored his 375 against England in 1994.”Five-day matches need to offer something to both batsman and bowler. This strip of concrete was so unchanging that the match could have been extended to 10 days and a result would probably have still not been forthcoming.The authorities, in a bid to placate television companies, are looking to come up with pitches which will last. While low-scoring matches are often high on drama, they leave TV executives with too many hours of empty space to fill and rob the grounds of valuable income.Roberts said that his hands were tied and that as the West Indies board only allowed that strip to be used once a year, he could do little to improve its pace and bounce. His frustration was evident before the game. When asked by a reporter how he expected the pitch to play, he replied: “It is very difficult to make a prediction … as we haven’t played cricket here in Antigua for the year, so I have nothing to judge how it will play on.”Whatever the reasons, something needs to be done to redress the balance at St John’s, otherwise even the cricket-mad Antiguans will start to stay away from matches which are anything but contests.

Gerald Majola, the chief executive of Cricket South Africa (CSA), has confirmed Mickey Arthur, the South African coach, cannot be axed from the national selection panel as he is under a contract. The board’s general council, which reaffirmed its stand on the transformation policy, had “removed” Arthur from the panel on Saturday. However, only the board’s professional arm, headed by Majola, had the power to remove him.”Mickey Arthur is contracted by Cricket South Africa (Pty) Ltd, and his contracted duties include being a national selector,” Majola said in a statement. “Only the board of directors of CSA (Pty) Ltd can change this, and therefore the resolution taken at General Council’s teleconference on Saturday to remove Mr Arthur from the selection process is unconstitutional.”I have been in contact today (Sunday) with the convenor of selectors, Joubert Strydom, and have informed him that the same selection panel will finalise the team to tour Bangladesh. The panel comprises Joubert Strydom (convener), Mickey Arthur (national coach), Vincent Barnes (assistant national coach), Graeme Smith (captain), Mustapha Khan (selector) and Shafiek Abrahams (selector). The team will be announced tomorrow (Monday) after three players have undergone fitness tests, namely Hashim Amla, Andre Nel, and Neil McKenzie.”With any luck, Arthur and Norman Arendse, the CSA president with whom he has been having a running battle, will bump into each other in a deserted parking lot sometime soon. Maybe then, with no one watching and nothing more lethal than a pair of jabbing index fingers, we might get to the bottom of this week of Monty Python mayhem. Until then, let’s try and make sense of what has happened.On Tuesday Arendse rejected the squad selected for South Africa’s imminent tour to Bangladesh. He did so, we believe, on the grounds that only four black players were included in the squad and not seven as called for in terms of CSA’s plan for the ongoing racial transformation the game. It doesn’t matter if we euphemise that bit of legislation as a policy or a target: what matters is the number. And that number is seven. Four isn’t even close.Where was Herschelle Gibbs in the wake of his spectacular century in the last one-day international against West Indies, Arendse wondered. And didn’t Monde Zondeki deserve some recognition for the 54 wickets he took in 10 SuperSport Series matches this season? Both are black, which would leave us just one short of the required number.Arthur countered with a similarly sharp perspective. The South Africans return home briefly from Bangladesh before returning to the subcontinent for what is sure to be a challenging series against India. Arthur wanted his best team on the field in Bangladesh to ensure they hit the ground running when they encountered the big brothers next door.Arendse countered that, with a lengthy tour of England looming after the Indian venture, South Africa needed to find out whether players like Zondeki – and other bowlers – were up to international standard.At this point, non-South African readers might wonder what all the fuss has been about. Even allowing for what in other countries would be the novelty of a racially based selection policy, this is the stuff of the average committee meeting, surely. Why all the acrimony?The upshot was that Arendse laid disciplinary charges against Arthur, who duly fired back a salvo of charges of his own against the president. Except that Arendse, as an elected official, was not subject to the same set of rules and regulations as CSA employees like Arthur. So the coach’s charges are unlikely to stick. Instead, Arthur is likely to find himself on the carpet on charges of bringing the game into disrepute in the next day or so, and he might well find himself out of a job shortly after that.

ScorecardAt 13 for 2, Baroda were in deep trouble as the second day came to a close at Vadodara. They had been bowled out for 69 – their overnight score – in the morning, and then Tamil Nadu bettered their own first innings total by putting on 183. With a target of 272 facing them, and two days to get there, Baroda’s batsmen attempted to stay at the crease for a long period. While Connor Williams survived to reach nine, two others played out 41 minutes between them and added only 3 runs before being dismissed. Tomorrow, they will require 259 more on a pitch where only one batsman out of 32 dismissed has managed to score a fifty.
ScorecardAfter Mumbai reached 292 at Wankhede, Nilesh Kulkarni went to work on Karnataka’s batsmen, and prised out 5 for 39. Karnataka were dismissed for 166, losing all ten wickets for the addition 84 runs after Robin Uthappa (39) and Barrington Rowland (43) put on 82. Romesh Powar also had a hand in Karnataka’s capitulation with 4 for 70. But before the day was out, Karnataka had their own back, dismissing Wasim Jaffer in the first over. Mumbai ended on 2 for 1, with an overall lead of 128.
ScorecardKirat Damani led Gujarat to 353 with his marathon innings of 142, before becoming the second of Sunil Dholpure’s five victims. After Damani’s departure, S Yadav shepherded the tail past 350. Madhya Pradesh then found the going hard, and were reduced to 62 for 3, with the top three gone. The sole performer for the team was Dholpure, who ended with figures of 5 for 70.
ScorecardDelhi were on the verge of overtaking Bengal’s total of 240 at Kolkata by the end of the second day. At 184 for 3, they were only 56 runs behind, with the two batsmen, Mithun Manhas and Vijay Dahiya, well-set at the crease. Manhas was on 79 and Dahiya on 68. They came together after Delhi tottered at 51 for 3, and slowly turned the tide their way. In the morning, Amit Bhandari added three more wickets to his overnight tally of two to finish with 5 for 55.
ScorecardAt Anatapur, Andhra found themselves with a big task ahead. They were 120 for 6, still 143 runs behind Railways, who had made 263. While no batsman scored a fifty for Railways, small partnerships ensured they reached a total that would cause Andhra trouble. Venugopal Rao took four wickets for 34 – including three yesterday – to end Railways’ innings.
ScorecardHyderabad took what could very well be a decisive lead after bowling out Punjab for 105 on the second day at The Gymkhana Ground in Hyderabad. Hyderabad’s bowlers shared the wickets, dismissing everyone but Ankur Kakkar (48) cheaply. Punjab’s bowlers then struck back, reducing their opponents to 54 for 4. But VVS Laxman once again kept things together, and was still at the crease with 59 off only 78 balls.
ScorecardAt Karad, the day was all Ranjit Khirid’s. After scoring 80, he picked up 5 for 45 to have Uttar Pradesh in deep trouble. UP could only manage 229 for 8 in reply to Maharashtra’s total of 394. Suresh Raina, who hit three half-centuries for India earlier this year in the under-19 World Cup, struck 67 off 101 balls and was involved in a 125-run stand with R Shamshad, who scored 60. But UP were on course to conceding the first-innings lead and the points that went with it.

Ian Harvey, the Yorkshire and former Australia allrounder, has revealed he will consider an offer to play South African domestic cricket next summer when he receives his contract proposal this week.Harvey’s manager Tony Box confirmed negotiations with Victoria, his Australian state, had reached an impasse and that Harvey was seriously considering playing for Western Province Boland – alongside the South Africa captain Graeme Smith, Jacques Kallis and Herschelle Gibbs – after the English season.Harvey, 33, has been offered only a 12-month contract at a reduced rate by Victoria for next season, after he had asked for a two-year deal. “The beauty about South Africa is their season corresponds with the Australian domestic season,” Box told Melbourne’s Herald Sun newspaper. “It would mean Ian could continue to play English county cricket.”Harvey has played 73 ODIs for Australia, but lost his place after their brief tour of Zimbabwe in 2004. Last season, for Victoria, he scored 434 runs at 36 and took 21 wickets at 28 apiece from nine Pura Cup matches. He is currently playing for Yorkshire, and is averaging 43 with the bat and 33 with the ball in the Championship.

Muttiah Muralitharan’s enforced layoff after shoulder surgery has prompted him to focus his attention on a global fundraising mission for a charitable trust designed to help disadvantaged rural communities in Sri Lanka.Muralitharan first travelled to England to wrap up his deal with Lancashire and participate in a charity evening at the Shenley Cricket Centre. He has now arrived in Canada to attend two felicitation-cum-fundraiser events in Ottawa and Toronto on October 8 and 9. Money will be raised through the auction of personal cricket memorabilia.Muralitharan will return to Sri Lanka next week, and will then visit Jaffna in early November as a United Nations Goodwill Ambassador for the World Food Programme, before flying to Australia in mid-November for a check-up with Dr David Young, the surgeon who operated on his bowling shoulder in August.His focus on charity work – which provides a glimpse of his life after cricket – follows the setting up of the Muralidaran & Gunasekera Foundation two years ago. The foundation is currently involved in 90 humanitarian community projects in Sri Lanka, with many more in the pipeline.Muralitharan remains hopeful of being fit in time for Sri Lanka’s tour of New Zealand in December, contrary to some media reports which suggested that his comeback has been delayed, and has stepped up his rehabilitation programme. He will not resume bowling again, though, until after his meeting with Dr Young.

Bedfordshire’s Alex Wakely starred with bat and ball as England U19s overwhelmed their hosts, Malaysia, by nine wickets at Kuala Lumpur. On a rain-interrupted day, England won the toss and bowled first but were forced to withdraw their seamers early because of heavy cloud cover and bad light.And so it was over to the spinners, who took seven of the ten wickets to fall, with Wakely taking 3 for 20 in nine probing overs. Malaysia were bowled out for 104 with more than eight overs to spare, with Liam Dawson also starring with 2 for 21.Heavy rain in the interval meant that England’s target was adjusted to 100 in 43 overs, but opening the batting with Billy Godleman, Wakely made short work of the requirement, rattling along to 54 from 47 balls with eight fours and a six.Wakely would have been on hand to see his side to the finish but for a controversial run-out. With just 12 runs required, Malaysia’s wicketkeeper broke the stumps without the ball in his hands, but the umpire mistakenly upheld the appeal. It mattered not, however, as Godleman finished unbeaten on 32 as England eased home in just 18.1 overs.England’s next match is against India on Wednesday, a dress rehearsal for the Tri-series final on Friday.

Michael Vaughan has highlighted the need for his team to acclimatise quickly to the testing conditions of the subcontinent. England’s tour of Pakistan begins with a warm-up match on October 31, and one further practice game before the first Test gets underway on November 12 at Multan.”We’ve got players who haven’t played in the subcontinent and it does take a while to get used to the surreal conditions out there,” Vaughan told the BBC. “It’s a different type of cricket and we’re going to have to be at our best to get used to the conditions quickly.”Following this week’s news that the Pakistani team will lend hands-on support to areas devastated by last week’s earthquake, Vaughan is acutely aware of the trauma engulfing the region. “Going to Pakistan now for me is just a chance to hopefully put a few smiles on some of their faces,” he added. “We’ve played some great cricket and we know how passionate they are about their cricket. It’s going to be difficult but hopefully we’ll get the chance to do a bit of fundraising while we’re there, play some good cricket and bring some joy to some of them.”Any doubts about England suffering an Ashes hangover in Pakistan were quashed by the captain. While obviously delighted with his team’s performance against Australia, he conceded that Pakistan remain formidable opponents on their home territory: “It was great to play in [the Ashes] and win but we have to move on now and try and play well in Pakistan. Pakistan are a very talented team, Bob Woolmer has done a good job with them, got them playing well as a team, so it’s going to be a tough challenge.”Vaughan also said he was happy to continue as the England captain for as long as the ECB wanted him to. “I’m sure there will come a stage where the players would like to hear a different voice and like to have a different direction,” he added. “When that is I’m not too sure but it is up to the players and the ECB to decide how long they want me to carry on. I would love to carry on for a while but it is not my decision. I’ll stay for as long as they want me.”

Simon Jones will undergo an MRI scan on his injured left knee, and is also set to meet with a specialist, after limping off the field during Glamorgan’s C&G Trophy match against Ireland on Monday.Jones had bowled an impressive first spell, claiming two wickets, but felt a twinge in his knee when he return for a second stint and left the field after one more delivery. The seriousness of the setback is not yet known, but the ECB chief medical officer, Dr Peter Gregory, did not envisage him being fit in time for Lord’s.”Simon is currently rated very doubtful for next week’s first Test match,” said Gregory, after liaising with the Glamorgan physiotherapist, Chris Towers. “We will need to re-assess his injury after consultations with the specialist on Thursday.”Jones has made a careful return to action after leaving England’s tour of India after twisting his knee in the nets before the first Test. He bowled 28 overs during Glamorgan’s Championship match against Essex and, despite reporting some slight stiffness, came through unscathed.England name their Test squad next Sunday with Ashley Giles and Michael Vaughan already ruled out and Steve Harmison unlikely to make it.