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The County Championship could be trimmed to make way for far more Twenty20 matches, according to proposals unearthed by The Times.Jack Simmons, the former Lancashire chairman who now heads the ECB’s cricket committee, has initiated plans to create space in the domestic calendar for an IPL-style competition. It would mean the existing 16 four-day matches being reduced to 16 three-day games, with earlier start and later finish times to allow a minimum of 120 overs a day to be bowled.At present, there is a minimum of 96 over per day, so Simmons’ plan would only see a reduction in playing time of 24 overs. However, players are likely to oppose being asked to bowl more overs in a day. When a minimum number of overs was first introduced in the late 1980s it was set at 120 per day, but finishes after 8pm were not uncommon and the number has gradually been reduced. However, overtime is still a regular occurrence.The ECB seem determined to create a larger gap in the Championship season than is now the case. One proposal, believed to have been backed by the Professional Cricketers’ Association, was to cut the number of games from 16 to 12, but that would have caused alarm among those who see the Championship as the nursery for creating Test cricketers.”I think the county chairmen would agree to a reduction in matches if they are going to make more money from Twenty20 cricket.” Simmons told the newspaper. “The England players should not have any say in this because they do not play in Championship matches. Yes, we do play too much international cricket and players become tired, but as soon as a sum of £100,000 is offered to them to take part in a competition in India they don’t appear to be exhausted any longer.”It is not possible to breed any players in Twenty20 cricket and my concern would be that standards don’t drop. The way to learn the game is in the middle in Championship matches.”

ScorecardSteven Finn may well have bowled himself into the England team for the first Test against South Africa after an impressive display on the first day of the tour match at Pietermaritzburg.On a sluggish pitch and against strong opposition with genuine international aspirations of their own, Finn bowled with pace, control and rhythm to claim four wickets to help England enjoy an almost perfect day. A post lunch spell of three wickets in nine balls was especially impressive and knocked the stuffing of the South Africa A middle order.While Chris Woakes, who has impressed in white ball cricket and in training, was probably pencilled in to play in the first Test before the start of this game, Finn has taken the chance offered with a style that will surely prove hard to ignore. With just two days between the first and second Tests, it bodes well for England to have a group of seamers in decent form.

Finn sees value in injury break

As if his bowling had not made the point eloquently enough, Steven Finn said he felt he was ready for a return to international cricket ahead of the Durban Test on Boxing Day.
Finn, who was drafted into the tour party only a week ago having proved his recovery from injury on the Lions tour to the UAE, bowled with pace and control in taking 4 for 34 against a strong-looking South Africa A side and afterwards suggested he was disappointed not to be included in the original squad.
“I was disappointed to be left out of the squad in the first place because I know my body and thought I had very good chance to be fit for the Boxing Day Test,” he said. “But the selectors obviously didn’t think that, I had to accept it and it made me work doubly hard.
“I’d like to think I’m ready for a Test match, but it depends how I pull up over the next day or so because I haven’t spent this long on my feet for the last three months. But I had two weeks with the Lions in Dubai building up to this point and there has been no bad reaction in my foot.
“I was on crutches for two and a half weeks. And I had the surgical boot on for a little longer so it was a steady amount of time to be off my feet and parked on the sofa. I did a lot of upper body and trunk strength work before building up my rehab with Watford FC, which I’m very grateful for, and at the moment everything is falling into place.
“Sometimes these things happen for a reason and to have seven or eight weeks of not using certain parts of my body that I use for bowling was a break I’ve not had for five or six years.”

Stephen Cook offered South Africa A’s only consolation as they succumbed for 136 in 56 overs. By carrying his bat for an unbeaten 53 in four-and-a-quarter hours, the uncapped 33-year-old demonstrated the patience, discipline and hunger required to prosper at Test level.Finn, who was forced to pull out of England’s Test series in the UAE in October after suffering a bone-stress injury in his left foot, was drafted into the squad as a late addition last week after impressing for England Lions in two Twenty20 comeback appearances against Pakistan A in Dubai.Despite having played just three Tests in the last couple of years, Finn made a strong case to be considered a first-choice selection during his comeback game at Edgbaston during the Ashes. Bowling with the familiar pace of old, but also with an ability to swing the ball which he had developed during his spell out of the Test side, he claimed 6 for 47 in the first innings and looked to have recovered the form and confidence that rendered him such an exciting prospect at the start of his career.It took him only three deliveries to strike here and, if his first wicket owed something to batsman error – Quinton de Kock edged a lavish drive outside off stump – his next three were the result of well-directed fast bowling that exposed the batsmen’s frailties around off stump. Omphile Ramala sliced a drive to point, Khaya Zondo fenced to slip and Dane Vilas appeared to be beaten for pace when he missed a straight one.It is still slightly premature to state for certain that Finn will play in the first Test. The England support staff will monitor how he recovers from his exertion in the morning. But, presuming that nothing untoward occurs, it would be a surprise if he does not play in Durban now.The selection of third seamer was the only dilemma left for England, but this was a pleasing day in other respects. Despite the heat and humidity, England clung on to some fine catches, with James Taylor’s effort at point – diving forward to snatch the ball up just off the turf – a highlight. Joe Root also held a couple of good chances, leaping above his head to hold on to an edge offered by Chris Morris, while Alex Hales, the new man in the cordon at third slip, also held a sharp chance.The only real blemish came when Ben Stokes, at slip to Moeen Ali’s off-spin, put down a sharp chance offered when Cook edged an arm-ball on 41. It is likely that James Anderson will return to fielding at slip off Moeen in the Test series, however, so Stokes’ blemish need not provoke any lasting concern.To complete England’s day, Alex Hales batted with much greater assurance and unveiled some typically elegant strokes in helping his captain reach stumps without loss. Hales took one blow to the left hand courtesy of the distinctly hostile Marchant de Lange, but generally emerged with some credit from a tough examination. Barring injury, he is certain to open in Durban.There is nothing untoward in Anderson’s omission from the XI for this game. He is at the stage of his career where he knows what he needs in terms of preparation and also knows that, whatever cricket he has left, is best played on the pitch and not in the nets. He only bowled 12 overs ahead of the Pakistan series in the UAE.Stuart Broad looks fine, too. Experienced enough to know this was not the game to try to rediscover those Ashes-winning spells, he bowled tidily and generated some decent bounce upon occasions. Stokes, too, was controlled and proved too good for the tailenders.Steven Finn appeals unsuccessfully for lbw•Getty Images

Mark Footitt, while not quite as consistent as his colleagues, also bowled pretty well. But while he produced a fine delivery to account for Reeza Hendricks – on off stump and demanding a stroke – he also went off the pitch one over into his second spell before lunch suffering from cramp. England are unlikely to take a chance on him in the immediate future.Cook was the one batsman to play with the application required on a slightly two-paced surface offering some seam assistance. While he looked fortunate to survive two big leg before appeals against Finn, both times when he had scored 27, and has a tendency to play across straight balls, it is far from impossible he may win his chance at Test level before the end of the series.The struggles of his teammates suggested that, whatever the strength of their Test XI – and the No. 1 Test ranking tells its own story – there is some doubt about the depth in quality of the game in South Africa.

John Bannon, the Cricket Australia board director and former Premier of South Australia, has died in Adelaide, aged 72. He had battled cancer since 2007, but been a member of the CA board since 2008.After a lengthy political career in which he was SA’s longest serving Labor Premier, Bannon served on numerous boards but was a key player in Australian cricket both with CA and the South Australian Cricket Association. He was named a SACA life member in 2014.His time on the CA board encompassed the sweeping governance reforms of 2012, which saw the board changed from a structure of 14 state-appointed directors to nine independent appointees, with at least one being based in each of the six states. Bannon, who was also a political and cricket historian of note, remained an advocate of Federalism throughout the reform process.The CA chairman David Peever said Bannon’s many achievements included his assiduous work to build cricket’s connection to indigenous Australia. “As a board, we will miss John’s stature, his knowledge and his wisdom,” Peever said. “He provided the Board with astute judgement and decades of experience navigating complex and challenging issues.”Throughout that time he championed cricket’s efforts to better engage Indigenous communities as co-chair of the National Indigenous Cricket Advisory Council, a cause he was fiercely passionate about. He also played an important role overseeing the recent governance changes to Australian cricket.”On a personal level I will miss his friendship, wisdom and guidance. He was always selfless in the way that he was prepared to share his knowledge to better other people and the game. Despite his tremendous experience and depth of knowledge he carried himself with great humility, never imposing his will on others. Our game and our country have lost a remarkable man.”We extend our deepest sympathies to John’s wife Angela and the entire Bannon family at this sad time.”Andrew Sinclair, the SACA chairman, spoke of Bannon’s contribution to the governance reform process and also the major redevelopment of Adelaide Oval, during which time he served on the SACA board before retiring earlier this year.”John made a massive contribution to South Australian cricket, Australian cricket and the recent redevelopment of Adelaide Oval,” Sinclair said. “Through negotiations of the Adelaide Oval redevelopment and Australian cricket governance reforms, he was always a voice of reason; calm and considered.”His unmatched understanding of history will be sorely missed, for no sport can reflect on its current position without knowing what went before. He had enormous knowledge of Australian history, from cricket to politics.”John was driving various SACA cricket history and museum initiatives. These will absolutely come to fruition, unfortunately without John in person, but he’ll be there in spirit and in the hearts of many SACA Members. There is a very strong board resolve to continue John’s legacy. The board rooms of Australian and South Australian cricket are much poorer for his loss; he is already sadly missed.”While Bannon was unable to travel to England for the Ashes this year due to his declining health, he continued to work right up until the last few days before his death. He was at Adelaide Oval for the inaugural day-night Test match earlier this month, and had also pushed for a project to preserve and collate the CA board archives, one of many projects that will form his legacy as a major figure in Australian cricket.SA’s current Premier, Jay Weatherill, has offered the Bannon family a state funeral.

Western Australia 7 for 362 (Rogers 166, Marsh 53) v Victoria
Scorecard

Chris Rogers dominated Victoria on a warm opening day in Perth as the visitors’ decision to bowl first at the WACA backfired. The Bushrangers wanted early wickets in their push for an outright win to move away from New South Wales, who they will meet in the final, but Rogers punished them with 166 and the Warriors posted a commanding 7 for 362.Allan Wise captured the early wicket of Justin Langer for 14, but the pitch did not offer the bowlers much assistance and Rogers combined with Shaun Marsh in a partnership of 146 that set up the innings. Marsh edged behind to Shane Harwood for 53 before Rogers reached his 24th first-class century on the way to his highest score of the season.Bryce McGain, who is being mentioned as a national spin candidate after Brad Hogg’s retirement, struggled in his first six-over spell, which went for 28, but he returned to remove Rogers, who struck a full-toss to Cameron White at midwicket. Rogers’ heavy scoring included 26 fours and one six and he managed to operate at a strike-rate of 75.11 from his 221 balls.McGain struck again when, four balls after Andrew McDonald had Marcus North lbw for 42, he confused Luke Pomersbach (13) with a short ball and trapped him in front. He picked up 2 for 60 from 15 overs and out-bowled White, who went for 29 from four.Harwood’s second wicket came with his first delivery with the second new ball when Luke Ronchi drove to Brad Hodge at gully and the Warriors had lost 4 for 37. Adam Voges (27 not out) was out-scored by the bowler Steve Magoffin, who picked up 30 before slipping four overs before stumps.

Matara Sports Club defeated Kurunegala Youth Cricket Club a by 12 runs in their Premier Limited Overs match which was held at NCC Grounds today. In a tense, low scoring affair Matara scored just 140 but then bundled out Kurunegala for just 128.Kurunegala had won the toss and elected to field first. The decision looked to have been justified as the opening bowlers exploited the moisture that remained in the wicket after heavy rains during the previous night.Kumara, the opening bowler, proved to be a real handful. He struck two early blows by dismissing Lokuge and Ravin to leave Matara 30 for 2. The batting side slipped to 109 for 7 before being rescued by Ramzan, who top scored with 40 runs. He added a valuable 30 runs with Buddika (30). When the pair were separated, Matara lost their remaining wickets for just 1 run.Kurunegala started the run chase in positive fashion. The openers, Kariyawasam (11) and Rajapaksa (22) added 29 runs for the first wicket. Jayawardana (11) took the score to 49 before he was stumped. The Kurunegalan innings then went into freefall as three wickets fell for just 9 runs.When 24 runs were added for the fifth wicket and 28 for the 6th the batting looked to have recovered sufficiently. However they lost 5 wickets for just 18 runs to give Matara a dramatic victory in the 48th over of the match.

Gayle out?
Chris Gayle has been ruled out of the first edition of the Indian Premier League after failing to recover from a groin injury that he sustained during the recent series against Sri Lanka, the Kolkata based reported. However, he will be in Kolkata in the first week of May to spend some time with the team. The franchise are yet to name a replacement.However a spokesman for the franchise said a final decision was yet to be made. “He’s injured but he’s still not out of the tournament,” he said. “No decision has been made yet.”Gearing up on a centre-pitch
Both the Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings were allowed centre-wicket practice on the eve of the match, it was reported. Mumbai, who practised second, were initially asked to use the adjoining net facilities but the moment they realised that their opponents had used the one of the centre strips, they demanded similar facilities too. “The match won’t be played on the pitch on which the teams are practising. It will take place on the pitch adjacent to it,” one of the TNCA officials was quoted as saying in the .Burdett turns down SOS
The Kolkata franchise sent out an SOS to South Australia’s 57-year-old chief curator Les Burdett but he is unlikely to oblige, the reported. Burdett, who is vacationing with his family in the outback, said: “I can’t come to India now for few days at least. I am enjoying my holiday and I have recently returned from your country where I inspected the pitches (at Mohali and other centres). For a few more days I can’t leave Australia again.”The bad blood ain’t over
Though they may share the same dressing room for the Kolkata KnightRiders, Ishant Sharma has emphasised there will be no comradeship withRicky Ponting when the two face-off against each other while playing fortheir countries. “It is a privilege to share dressing room with a greatplayer like Ponting,” Ishant said. “We discussed cricket and joked at eachother at the dressing room, we are just like friends now. But it is notthat I won’t show aggression at him while playing for India againstAustralia.”The spell that Ishant bowled to Ponting at the WACA was one of thehighlights of India’s tour to Australia. “No colour comes before you whenyou are donning your national colours. I will give back if I am provokedand the same thing had happened in the Australia series.”Empty stands greet Hyderabad’s opening game
The first game in Hyderabad was preceded by a gala opening but there was hardly anyone watching. One of the reasons offered include the distance one needs to travel outside the city to reach the stadium. There is also a view that the people have been saturated with the Indian Cricket League, which recently staged seven matches in the city.

No play was possible in the fourth T20I between India and South Africa because of poor visibility in foggy Lucknow. Leading the series 2-1, India are now assured of taking their unbeaten streak in T20I series to 15. The decider of the series is scheduled to be played in Ahmedabad on Friday.While the AQI in Lucknow hovered around the early-to-mid 400s, which is hazardous, the concern for the umpires remained visibility. During their inspections, one of the umpires would go to a square boundary to see if he could spot the white ball held up by the side of the pitch. Six inspections took place before play was finally called off at 9.26pm.Cricket in north Indian winters has long been a contentious issue, and not just for visibility. The BCCI had scheduled a Test for South Africa in Delhi before better sense prevailed and Delhi was given a Test before Diwali, which is when the air quality in north India starts to fall to poor and dangerous levels.South Africa’s tour comes to an end on Friday in Ahmedabad. In what has been a hugely successful tour, they blanked India 2-0 in the Tests and forced a decider in the ODI series, which India won 2-1. India have registered two comprehensive wins in what remains their strongest format to go 2-1 up in the T20Is, but they didn’t get a chance to seal the series before the finale because of the bad light in Lucknow.Jasprit Bumrah, who missed the last match for personal reasons, was with the team in Lucknow, which should be a boost for India ahead of the last match, which will be played in Bumrah’s hometown.

Thilan Samaraweera, whose century rescued Sri Lanka from a dicey 99 for 6, said the key to securing a win in the second Test at the Queen’s Park Oval would be how the visitors utilise the new ball.”The pitch is still allowing the bowlers to seam the ball around, and the bounce is up and down,” he said. “If we can get two or three wickets with the new ball, we can put some pressure on them, since we have a world-class spin bowler (in Muttiah Muralitharan). Chris Gayle was getting the ball to turn a little bit, but the new ball will be the key.”Samaraweera’s 138-run partnership with Chaminda Vaas for the seventh wicket left West Indies chasing a challenging 253 for victory. “My approach when I went in to bat was to play as straight as possible,” he said. “I played a bad shot in the first innings – a ‘nothing shot’ – and found playing straight and playing off the front foot was the key.”My strategy was to bat through the innings, but I think Chaminda (45) helped a lot since he was batting so well at the other end. When I came to the crease, we were 32 for 3 and I felt that we could still get a good score since Tillakaratne Dilshan, Chamara Silva, and Vaas were still to come.”Besides shoring up Sri Lanka’s fortunes, his sixth Test century is also likely to guarantee him an extended run in the side. “This innings is important for me, since there is a lot of Test cricket coming for us this year – we have about six Tests remaining – and I feel strongly that I can establish myself in the side again,” he said. “I have a key role to play in the side. I have to play among a host of stroke-players, and I can play the long, patient innings which I did a few years ago when we were in a similar situation and I scored a hundred against Pakistan.”I also thought this innings was crucial because I had set myself the goal in this series to take the pressure off Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene, since they have been tremendous for Sri Lanka over the last three or four years.”Looking ahead to the fourth day’s play, and a possible series win, he said: “We want to create history by becoming the first Sri Lanka team to win a Test series in the Caribbean, and whitewash West Indies in a series at home for the first time in their history.”

Steve Harmison, the England fast bowler, has struck back at Geoff Boycott after the former opening batsman had launched a scathing attack at him in a column for .Boycott had virtually written off Harmison after his poor display in the first Test against New Zealand in Hamilton, urging the selectors not to give him a central contract. “Since the Ashes series of 2005 he has been poor, indifferent to bad. He’s not got enough wickets and been given so many chances,” Boycott wrote in his column. “There comes a point when the public and selectors get fed up and disillusioned with a guy not delivering. That time has come. If he gets a central contract this summer over some of the new kids, or any sort of central contract, then a lot of us will be screaming: favouritism and a total waste of money. England should forget him.”Harmison’s reply was equally cutting. In his column for , Harmison wrote: “No one can dispute the man could bat but over the years he has developed an equally well deserved reputation as someone who thrives on kicking a man when he is down … Enough is enough. His remarks about me this week have gone beyond what is acceptable and it is time someone stood up to him and told him so.”People who only have a passing interest in the game hear the famous Geoff Boycott Yorkshire accent and may think it gives some status to his opinions. But inside the dressing room he has no status, he is just an accent, some sort of caricature of a professional Yorkshireman.”Harmison went on to add that a couple of batsmen currently in the England team didn’t have a high opinion of Boycott either. “Their shared experience was that when things weren’t going well for them all they heard from Boycott was him nailing them in the newspapers or on radio or TV, then, if they made a century or played well, he would come up to them full of compliments and try to ingratiate himself with them. I’m not the only England player who has been forced to take it in the neck from Boycott and I won’t be the last.”Harmison also took a dig at Boycott for his comments on Australian fast bowler Shaun Tait’s decision to take a break from the game due to exhaustion. Boycott had said Tait’s decision had “lacked character”.”I wonder what Australia’s Shaun Tait thought recently, when, after announcing he was taking an indefinite break from the game due to physical and emotional exhaustion, Boycott reacted by claiming he should have shown more desire to work through his problems,” Harmison wrote. “You get the feeling that Boycott is an insecure man who needs to be heard.”As a parting shot, Harmison had this to say to Boycott: “You say that if England give me another central contract come October that would be waste of money. To me, you are a waste of space.”

Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsKevin Pietersen hit five fours and two sixes during his 36-ball 62•Cricket Australia/Getty Images

On Thursday, one of the BBL’s hoodoos rolled on, as Adelaide Strikers became the fourth consecutive table-toppers to fail to make the final. A day later, one was lifted, as Melbourne Stars, after the pain of losing four semi-finals, finally made the final. On Sunday, the Big Bash League will have a new winner, as Stars take on Sydney Thunder at the MCG. Whoever wins, however, will have a captain from the same family, as Thunder’s Mike Hussey, in his last game in Australia, takes on Stars’ David.Stars had put up an excellent performance to limit Scorchers to 139; Daniel Worrall had produced the goods in the powerplay and at the death, with clever swing and a nagging line, while the spinners were superb, with Adam Zampa’s leggies tough to get away and Michael Beer’s swerving anglers, which often resembled medium pace, proved to be equally parsimonious.The chase was not going to be easy. But as soon as Kevin Pietersen, who put together a measured mini-masterpiece, was at the crease, Stars looked in control. The sight of Pietersen shadow-batting in the middle two hours before the game, inspecting the pitch, and loosening his limbs, was an interesting, arresting one. Say what you will about Pietersen, but nobody in the game prepares better.At the crease, Pietersen instantly looked just that: better prepared. Stars took eight runs from the first three overs before Luke Wright slapped to cover. Pietersen was immediately away, flicking David Willey for two. He then combined with Marcus Stonis and ensured that the next two overs cost three fours each. Jason Behrendorff and Andrew Tye, usually stingy, were carted, with Stoinis particularly severe on Tye through the legside.After that, remarkably, Stars went six overs without a boundary. But such was the pair’s calm that this was not an issue. The MCG is big, and they exploited the spaces with ones and twos. Brad Hogg then jagged one back and had Stoinis lbw for 44. Pietersen, though, rolled along in the company of Peter Handscomb. He faced just six dot balls, and unfurled out some trademark fanciness, including the one-legged ramp and a dance down to bump David Willey – who had given him some lip – over long-off for six. Eventually, after a late assault on Joel Paris, he was bowled trying a reverse ramp. David Hussey, however, joined Handscomb to finish the job with 11 balls to spare.Right from the first over, the hosts had looked out to right wrongs. Rob Quiney at mid-off dove full stretch to cut off a Marcus Harris drive, and two balls later Worrall got one to nip away and Quiney took the catch from a skied short-arm jab. Michael Carberry looked in good touch but, after he drove Ben Hilfenhaus beautifully through cover, Worrall had him too, cramped up when trying to cut. These key scalps were Worrall’s reward for discipline.During Michael Klinger’s partnership with Adam Voges, however, everything reverted to a rather familiar feel, with Scorchers steadily accumulating in readiness for late acceleration. Voges looked particularly business-like, firing Evan Gulbis’s only over for three fours. Zampa was drilled back over his head and Stoinis pumped over mid-off. Klinger, who had looked less fluent, got in on the act too, tracking Hilfenhaus and sending him for a handsome straight six.But that late acceleration never came. With his final ball, the last of the 16th over, Zampa tossed one up and ripped with his wrist; Klinger had premeditated a sweep and long-on barely had to move. Next ball, Willey tried to slog Stoinis, who had taken the previous catch, and was caught on the edge of the circle. Ashton Agar almost succumbed to the same fate, but Hilfenhaus shelled a terribly tough, sliding catch at third man. When Voges found long-on in the next over off Beer, Scorchers were in disarray at 5 for 116 having uncharacteristically wasted a platform.Stars, right on cue, found two fine death overs to seal the squeeze. Hilfenhaus claimed Agar and gave away only six in the penultimate over of the innings, before Worral returned to york Tye. If any team could defend 139, it was Scorchers, but this felt terribly underpar, much like the crowd, which looked thin due to the threat of rain and the fun of tennis.With each ball faced by Pietersen, the hope of a third title for Scorchers became ever slimmer. Remarkably, like Stars, Pietersen has never won a domestic T20 title. Both have more hoodoos to end on Sunday.