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The ECB has responded to the dreadful weather which has impacted seriously on the county programme by amending its rules to allow matches to be switched to neutral venues when suitable pitches cannot be found in the host county.Rule 40 of the first-class playing regulations was amended at an ECB board meeting on Tuesday morning and now states that “a neutral venue preferably within the region of the originally scheduled match may be considered” where grounds scheduled to stage games are rendered unusable by the weather.The rules also state that “in no circumstances will it be permissible for the match to be re-scheduled at a venue normally or occasionally used as a home venue by the scheduled away county”.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has announced its domestic schedule for the 2007-08 season with the commitment to support and prioritise the game at the domestic level. While drafting the schedule, the board highlighted the need to ensure greater participation of senior players despite the packed international season.The board has also changed the format for the season, whereby departmental and regional teams will play together in the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy. Top Under-19 players will also be given a chance to play at the first-class level in this new format.In the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy, between October 20 and January 5, 13 regional teams and nine departmental teams will take part. The 22 teams will be divided into two groups and 111 matches will be played. The Quaid-e-Azam Cup one-day championship, to be held between March 15 and 29, will feature 22 teams and 53 matches.The Twenty20 Cup will be played from January 8 to 14 next year, in which 22 teams will compete in a total of 28 matches. Five teams will compete in the first-class Pentangular Cup to commence on February 10 and a total of 10 matches will be played, with the tournament ending on March 9.The Patron’s Trophy Grade-II will begin on April 1 and end on the 30th, with 22 teams competing in 53 matches. Thirteen teams are already playing in the Inter-Region U-19 one-day and three-day competitions, set to conclude on November 8.The Inter-Region U-23 three-day championship will commence on November 11 and end on December 14, with 11 teams taking part in a total of 28 matches. In the newly-introduced U-23 tournament, five U-19 players will be included in each team.

The Haryana Under-19 team completed an emphatic ten wicket win over Jammu and Kashmir in the North Zone Cooch Behar Trophy match at the MA stadium in Jammu on Tuesday. By virtue of this outright win Haryana collected eight points.Needing just 15 runs for a win on the final day, Haryana openers Manvinder Singh (9) and Bhuvnesh Sharma (6) needed just 1.5 overs to help Haryana canter home.Earlier, resuming at the overnight score of 31 for 2, J & K’s second innings folded up at 232. Opener A Jalani (73) and Imraz Thakur (52) took the score to 71 when Thakur was caught by Ishan off Amit Mishra. S Salaria (38) and Jalani then put on 54 runs for the fourth wicket in 18.3 overs. This was followed by a 69-run fifth wicket stand between Jalani and Sathyajit Singh (57) before the former was out leg before to Sumeet.Sathyajit Singh and Anoop Mangotra (9) took the score to 221 when Anoop was held by Bisla off Joginder Singh. Thereafter, Joginder ran through the J&K lower order to finish with figures of 3 for 28. Amit Mishra was the other successful bowler with figures of 3 for 61.

AB de Villiers has confirmed he wants to reduce his workload across all formats of the game and discussions will take place with Cricket South Africa in May as talk about his future swirled amid a report that he was considering retirement from Test cricket.De Villiers was responding to a story in the newspaper which claimed several former team-mates and friends revealed that de Villiers was contemplating quitting because of unhappiness with the South African system.In a pre-play television interview with Mike Haysman before the third day in Durban, de Villiers explained his concerns about the amount of cricket on his schedule, reaffirmed his commitment to the country but did not categorically deny the newspaper’s claims.”There are a lot of rumours flying around I hear, but for the last two to three years the only talk I’ve been doing is to keep myself fresh and to have a bit of rest here and there,” de Villiers said. “It’s always been the most important thing for me to enjoy my cricket. It’s just important to look at the schedule moving forward, that’s the talk in the camp and for me maybe not to play all kinds of cricket.”De Villiers admitted he is being stretched, especially as his workload is not limited to international cricket. “If I play all the IPL games the whole season, I do get a bit tired towards the end of the season,” he said. “That’s the only thing that I’ve been talking about in the last while. To keep myself fresh and to keep enjoying the game. I love representing my country and nothing has changed.”After the day’s play Mohammed Moosajee, the South Africa team manager, said that there were ongoing discussions about how to find de Villiers a break and a plan for the next year would be drawn up after the World T20 but for the rest of the season he will continue in all three formats.”When any international cricketer plays for 10 or more years, there is a concern about what happens when they stop playing,” Moosajee said. “AB is in constant contact with Russell [Domingo] and selectors to find opportunities to give him a break. He is still very much committed to playing for his country, it’s to look at the schedule for 12 months and see where we can give him time off.”That discussion will take place when new contracts are announced in May. Until the end of the season, he is committed to playing all forms. It’s all about getting the perfect balance. And getting the time to take time off.”Since his debut in 2004, de Villiers played 98 straight Tests before missing the July tour to Bangladesh for the birth of his first child. He also skipped the ODI leg of that series after he was banned for the first match for an over-rate violation and given time off after that. The South African management have been careful with ensuring de Villiers gets enough time off and have left him out of some bilateral series, such as the one to Australia last November, but they have also continually added to his job.De Villiers was forced to keep wicket in Tests after publicly stating he did not want to when Quinton de Kock rolled his ankle against West Indies last summer. He has since had to take over again after de Kock and his replacement, Dane Vilas, were both dropped. De Villiers has also had to bat a place higher than normal, No.4, because of the fragility of the current line-up and apart from Dean Elgar, has been the only batsmen to find form in the last few months. The burden may simply be getting too heavy.However, suggested it was a combination of exhaustion and irritation with internal policies, chiefly the transformation plan which is well-intentioned but threatening to derail some aspects of South African cricket. De Villiers was deeply affected by the selection controversy of the World Cup semi-final, which saw Vernon Philander picked ahead of Kyle Abbott.Similarly, Graeme Smith was reported to have been unhappy when the selectors insisted on Thami Tsolekile playing in the Test XI. CSA denied that Smith had threatened to quit over the fracas but three months later, Smith cited family reasons for his premature retirement.No comments have yet been made about the other two players who are also rumoured to be considering calling it quits. wrote that Dale Steyn, who has suffered several injuries since turning 30, and Philander, who is looking to county cricket, could also bid farewell to international cricket after the England series. Morne Morkel, the bowling partner, to those two was not asked about either of those but laughed off suggestion of de Villiers’ possible retirement.

Scotland have picked fast bowler Gavin Main in their squad for the upcoming World Twenty20, which starts in India from March 8, the only change to the squad that recently toured Hong Kong and the UAE last month.Preston Mommsen will lead Scotland, while Kyle Coetzer has been named vice-captain. Main, 20, has replaced pacer Bradley Wheal, who played an ODI and two T20Is against Hong Kong.Main, who represented Scotland in the 2014 Under-19 World Cup, was unavailable for selection for the Hong Kong tour after opting to play in New Zealand in January and February. He has played three T20Is for Scotland so far, following his debut against Ireland last year. He also made his List A debut in 2015, in a World Cricket League Championship match against Nepal. Main made his first-class debut for Durham in May 2014 and was a part of the county’s Second XI squad in domestic season last year.The 15-member squad will depart for Pune on February 22 for a training camp before they head to Mohali for their warm-up matches against Oman and Netherlands on March 4 and March 6 respectively. Scotland are slotted in Group B in the first round of the tournament, with Afghanistan, Hong Kong and Zimbabwe. They will play their first match against Afghanistan in Nagpur on March 8. If Scotland top their group, they will join England, South Africa, Sri Lanka and West Indies in Group 1 of the Super 10s stage.Scotland squad: Preston Mommsen (capt), Kyle Coetzer (vice-captain), Alasdair Evans, Calum MacLeod, Con de Lange, Gavin Main, George Munsey, Josh Davey, Mark Watt, Matt Machan, Matthew Cross, Michael Leask, Richie Berrington, Rob Taylor, Safyaan Sharif

Jacques Rudolph, the South Africa batsman, has signed a two-year extension to his current contract with Yorkshire, keeping him at the club until 2011 and leaving the door open for him to qualify for England.Rudolph, 26, had a deal until the 2009 season but after scoring 1078 runs in the Championship – the only Yorkshire batsman to reach four figures – he has committed his long-term future to county cricket.”I have thoroughly enjoyed my first season with Yorkshire, both on and off the pitch,” said Rudolph, who has recently started the South African domestic season with the Eagles. “The quality of coaches, players and facilities is superb and there are exciting times ahead. I’m really pleased to have signed the new contract and look forward to seeing the Yorkshire lads again in March next year for pre-season training.”Chief executive Stewart Regan added: “We’re all delighted that Jacques has confirmed his long-term commitment to Yorkshire. He is bringing his wife, Elna, to Yorkshire next spring and is keen to buy a house and put down roots in the county.”The longer deal allows Jacques the potential opportunity to qualify for and go on to represent England in the future. This is a significant development in Jacques’ career.”Rudolph has played 35 Tests for South Africa, the last against Sri Lanka in Colombo during August 2006, and averages 36, but is one of a number of players to turn their back in the country.

Daren Powell, the West Indian fast bowler, is expected to sign for Glamorgan and play the rest of the season in England, according to a report on the BBC website.Glamorgan have been in talks with Powell and hope the 29-year old West Indian fast bowler will be signed in time for the side’s first Natwest Pro40 match against Derbyshire on July 16. Powell is currently in England, playing for the touring West Indies.”We wanted someone playing here already and the West Indies squad was the first port of call,” said Adrian Shaw, the Glamorgan coach. “He’s slightly slower than Fidel Edwards but still bowls at around 85 miles an hour and has got a much more solid action.”He looks as though he’ll stay fit and play a lot of cricket. He’s a strong lad and a much improved bowler.”Powell has played 22 Tests for the West Indies and has played overseas for Gauteng in South Africa. He previously had a brief spell with Derbyshire in 2004.Meanwhile, Glamorgan allrounder Damien Wright has returned to Australia for an ankle surgery. The county are without the services of Simon Jones and England A seamer David Harrison, both suffering from injuries.Jones is struggling with a knee problem while a back problem has ruled out Harrison for the rest of the season. Powell would join a young attack that includes 17-year old James Harris and 20-year old Huw Waters.

Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were out

On paper, the margin of South Africa’s win over West Indies in the second ODI at Newlands was considerable, but even that doesn’t give a clear idea of how much West Indies lacked intent and never even tried to win.Once Graeme Smith and JP Duminy had steered South Africa to 255 for 9, West Indies seemed to throw in the towel and even the TV commentators, usually the last to admit when a game has reached the pointless tediousness stage, were calling it way before the end. The final third of the match was utterly uncompetitive, and it was only that the bulk of the 17,500 crowd were happy with watching their side thump a substandard opposition that the old ground wasn’t empty long before the finish.On this performance it is hard to see how West Indies can get back into a series they are already two down in with three to play. They were a bowler and a half light, their batting was flimsy and their fielding again let them down under pressure. As if things couldn’t get worse, already without Chris Gayle they now face losing Shivnarine Chanderpaul who was reduced to a hobble by an unspecified leg injury.It had all started so promisingly. Fidel Edwards and Jerome Taylor forced South Africa, who had won the toss, on the back foot in a lively opening spell, with Taylor making the early inroads. Herschelle Gibbs, a shadow of the one-day bully he once was, again fell early, nibbling at one with minimal footwork, and then Jacques Kallis drove loosely on the walk and spooned the ball to mid-off. Five overs in, South Africa were 18 for 2.The remainder of the first Powerplay was all caution from Smith and AB de Villiers, but the innings turned on its head with the introduction of the insipid Rampaul. Bravo immediately brought back Edwards but the horse had bolted. West Indies suddenly looked messy in the field, and the bowlers offered too many bad balls which both batsmen invariably pounced on, de Villiers in particular hammering high and hard through midwicket.The brakes were applied by the unlikeliest of combinations, Marlon Samuels and Sewnarine Chattergoon, the latter the most occasional of part-time bowlers. Neither did much with the ball, but both concentrated on putting it there or thereabouts and at a time when the innings should have been accelerating, it spluttered and almost stalled.

That the two spinners were needed was because Ravi Rampaul, Dwayne Bravo’s first change, fell apart in the space of three poor and expensive overs. His first was savaged by de Villiers for 18. He was taken out of the attack, but when he returned it was evident his confidence was shot. Bravo needed to pull something out of the bag and he did just that.South Africa didn’t accelerate in the final overs. Smith perished 14 short of a deserved hundred to the tamest of shots, and Duminy continued to play the kind of knock that he had a week ago, not flashy but keeping the runs coming and giving the innings rigidity. Had someone been able to stay with him a bit longer then South Africa would have made a total nearer 300, but as it was all the lower middle-order mustered were cameos. Taylor benefited, adding two late wickets to his earlier successes to finish with 4 for 34.The way Duminy perished – run out trying to sneak a bye to a ball he missed – was undeserved, but he had done all that was asked of him. The innings subsided in an over of three wickets, two of which were run outs, and one run but South Africa appeared to have done enough.They had, and some. The West Indies innings never got going, spluttering along as if run rate was not an issue. Chattergoon tried to get things moving but nobody else showed much enthusiasm for the task. At one stage there was a 19-over spell – more than 90 minutes – when not one boundary was scored … and it wasn’t as if they were even trying to hit the ball. It was cricket but it was not entertainment, and John Dyson, their new coach, must be wondering quite what he had got himself into.Credit must be given to South Africa’s bowlers who applied the pressure early – Shaun Pollock’s opening spell as parsimonious and niggardly as ever and his 2 for 13 included five maidens – and never allowed the batsmen a glimmer of hope. Morne Morkel bowled with pace and control, deserving his career-best four wickets. The fielding was also tight, typified by de Villiers’ superb pick up and direct hit to run out Bravo. But they were never remotely tested.As the evening went on Chanderpaul, batting with a runner, passed fifty but by then few cared and his presence, like a lone diner in a restaurant at midnight, was simply irritating.

England’s cricketers were delayed en route to Wellington, the venue for Saturday’s opening one-day international against New Zealand, after Christchurch airport had to be closed for two hours following a security alert.According to police, a 33-year-old woman passenger on an incoming plane from Blenheim stabbed at least one of the two pilots and then threatened to blow up the aircraft. The woman was arrested and sniffer dogs were deployed while the passengers were evacuated, but no explosives were found.The incident caused a major backlog of flights, and England’s departure was delayed for two-and-a-half hours, during which time they remained at their Christchurch hotel. Their scheduled training session at Wellington had to be abandoned and instead they held a team meeting at their hotel.Paul Collingood, England’s ODI captain, felt the two Twenty20 wins had given his side some positive headaches. “There’s going to be some tough decisions, there’s no question about that – the boys who have come in for the Twenty20 format have done really well,” he said. “But you have to also remember the performances that we put in in Sri Lanka. I know we have different conditions here in New Zealand, but we’re a well-oiled one-day side at the moment.”England sprung a surprise when they beat Sri Lanka 3-2 in an away series last year. They now play New Zealand for five ODIs.

Following their five-wicket defeat in the first Test, Jamie Siddons, the Bangladesh coach, said he does not expect his side to beat South Africa unless a miracle occurs.Siddons said the Bangladesh batsmen were not used to batting against the sort of pace generated by South Africa’s fast bowlers. “They [the batsmen] go from playing for their clubs in the National League to trying to take on the best fast bowler in the world. [Dale] Steyn kept striking in the first few overs and we never recovered. We spent the [whole] Test trying to recover all the time. He [Steyn] ripped us apart in the second innings with 150 kph outswingers [to the right-handers] or inswingers to the left-handers.””When your batsmen are out of confidence and having to play against Steyn, Morne Morkel or Makhaya Ntini, that is a tough assignment. The pressure they transmitted is too much for our batsmen at the moment. Their bowlers were just too good for our batsmen.”Despite the loss, Siddons was not keen on changing the squad for the second Test. “You’ve got to give young players time. I think they have the talent to improve, even if it takes eight years. What happens if we bring all the experienced players back in and get the same results? I’m not going to do that.”Graeme Smith, South Africa’s captain, felt his side had to work hard for the win because of the nature of the Mirpur wicket. “[It] is a little tougher than the other subcontinent wickets,” Smith said.”The lack of bounce and pace is something we took some time to get used to. It is good to see the way the guys played in the second innings to chase down more than 200 runs.”Having bowled out Bangladesh for 192 in the first innings, South Africa proceeded to concede a 22-run lead when they were bowled out in 60.3 overs. Smith said that after playing three months at home, using a different style and game plan, coming to Bangladesh had been a wake-up call. “Our whole style of playing we were brought up with is turned day and night here. You need a whole different technique as a batsman, as a bowler, in your thinking method and in the ways you get people out. It all changes.”These are not our natural conditions here. We have to learn how to play here, we have to adapt our style and I think we’ve done that now. We’ve won series in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh so obviously we are much more accustomed to playing here now. We’ve found a way to adapt our cricket to do well here.”Smith was impressed with Shahadat Hossain, the Bangladesh right-arm seamer, who took a career-best match haul of 9 for 97. “He [Shahadat] used the conditions well, he got reverse-swing, which made it tough. He bowled the ball in the right areas. And I think [Mohammad] Rafique really did a good job in the first innings containing one end, which made it difficult for us to score.”The second Test will start on February 29 in Chittagong and will be followed by three one-dayers between the two sides.