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

A tepid final day at Chelmsford produced an expected result with the Indians’ second practice match ending in a high-scoring draw. England Lions’ batsmen made the most of a good batting pitch in their second innings, rattling up 227 for 2 in effortless fashion before the Indians played out 20 overs before stumps.The Lions ended the day with more positives: Andrew Strauss, under-fire for his poor run of scores, spent a valuable 155 minutes out in the middle, Stuart Broad celebrated his Test call-up with a five-wicket haul while Owais Shah helped himself to a confident 77.The Indian bowling continued to struggle on a featherbed of a pitch and Rahul Dravid may not have too many dilemmas while choosing his bottom four for the first Test. Ishant Sharma’s struggles, along with Ranadeb Bose’s insipid showing in the previous match, leaves RP Singh as the clear favourite for the third-seamer slot.England too would have probably settled on their third seamer for the opening Test, with Broad cleaning up the tail with pace and movement. He hit the deck hard and induced a couple of edges from the tailenders before uprooting Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s off stump. He didn’t lose his head when Dhoni was swishing violently and simply stuck to the basics to breach his defences. With three wickets, along with those of Dinesh Karthik and Yuvraj Singh yesterday, he might have booked himself a Test debut at Lord’s in three days’ time.”He’s impressed everyone with his ability with the ball as well as his character,” said Strauss of Broad’s effort. “For a young guy he knows what his gameplan is like and he’s did a great job on a flat wicket here. I think he’ll hope to play his first Test”Strauss, a Lord’s debutant himself, would count himself lucky to have won the toss, giving himself a couple of chances to regain form ahead of the series, starting Thursday. He failed in the first innings but made amends with a fluent 80 today, driving confidently down the ground and suggesting a return to the good days. The ball did occasionally beat the outside edge of the bat but Strauss overcame those jitters to compile a timely half-century. It’s almost a year since he reached three figures in Tests but he now heads off to his favourite ground, one where he averages 61.5, with three hundreds and two fifties.Shah, another who fell cheaply in the first innings, also made the most of his second chance, grinding out 77 against an attack that began with purpose but ended as lollypop. The sight of Yuvraj Singh imitating Ravi Shastri with his left-arm spinners and Dinesh Karthik alternating between offspin and legbreaks summed up the day’s play, one where batsmen didn’t have to struggle for returns.Bad light forced an early tea but an early finish didn’t materialise; instead Karthik lashed a merry half-century, that included eight fours, to ready himself for the Test series. Jaffer posted his highest score of the tour, though he’d like to do better than 22 when he faces England’s bowlers in a few days.”I don’t think a result was possible given what had happened in the first two days’ play,” said Strauss. “So we wanted to bat for a long period of time before our bowlers had a short stint. The Indians talked overnight about setting something up but there wasn’t a realistic chance once we didn’t bowl them out early.”

Cricket South Africa (CSA), the South African Cricketers Association (SACA), and the country’s six professional franchises have agreed on a business model expected to make professional players “genuine stakeholders in the game.” The agreement includes standardised contracts and benefits for players and regulations on the number of playing contracts.”The Memorandum of Understanding provides for salary minimums and salary caps and for optimal use of South Africa’s player resources through regulations relating to player transfers, player loan-outs and playing overseas in the off-season,” Norman Arendse, the president of CSA, announced at a press conference in Johannesburg.Arendse said that the primary objectives included dealing with annual revenue fluctuations and stating how fundamental player issues would be dealt with. “The model enables longer term financial forecasting and planning for the provision of funds to amateur cricket for the development of the game,” he said.Tony Irish, the chief executive of the SACA, added that the initiative for the MoU came from the SACA and the players themselves. “We had a good look at what we believed was best practice relating to professional cricketers around the world [and] presented this to CSA and since then we have shared a common vision, which has resulted in the MoU.”According to Irish, the MoU projects and averages South African cricket’s revenues over a four-year period and links what the players will earn to the financial position of the game. “For players this really means stake-holding in the game, like being a shareholder in a company,” said Irish. “What players will receive in the future will depend on how successful the game actually is, and as players we will obviously work with the other stakeholders to make it as healthy as possible into the future.”Ashwell Prince, the South African batsman and president of the SACA, said that cricket’s number one stakeholder was the paying public and that the players were aware that more would be expected of them in the future. “They [the public] are our supporters and are the ones who will ultimately determine the game’s success,” said Prince. “The way we play our cricket and how we contribute to the game both on and off the field in the eyes of the public will be the key.”

Rory Hamilton-Brown is back in contention for the England Under-19 side after being included in the 12-man squad for the second and final Test against Pakistan at Derby. But he was not considered for the captaincy, after being stripped of the role – and banned for the first Test – following a drinking incident on the eve of the match.Whether Hamilton-Brown, who usually bats at three or four, will make the final XI this time remains to be seen with England crushing Pakistan in the opener, and all of the top four making runs.Ben Wright will resume as captain for the second Test starts at Derby this Friday, August 10. He was one of three century-makers for England as they won by an innings and 58 runs at Scarborough.The victory in the first Test against Pakistan was particularly encouraging as the team included nine players still eligible to play for the U-19 World Cup next year in Malaysia.Squad Ben Wright (capt), Billy Godleman, Alex Wakely, Tom Westley, Adam Lyth, Ben Brown (wk), Rory Hamilton-Brown, James Harris, Liam Dawson, Stuart Meaker, Chris Woakes Steven Finn

Mushtaq Ahmed has ended speculation over his future by signing a new two-year deal which will keep him at Sussex until the end of the 2009 season. There had been reports linking him with a move to Warwickshire.”Sussex is a family club and it is an honour for me to be playing here,” Mushtaq said. “Signing a two-year contract is great news and I feel blessed and very pleased.””Obviously I am delighted to have Mushtaq back again next year,” Mark Robinson, the cricket manager, said. “It was always going to be the case; it was just a question of whether he still had the desire and passion for the game. He clearly still has a lot left in him so actually completing the deal with us was just a formality. Once again he has won games for Sussex and I am sure this will continue to be the case.”Chris Adams, the captain under whom Mushtaq has played throughout his time at Sussex said: “What can I say about Mushy? I, along with the rest of the playing staff are delighted that the best bowler to ever have pulled on a Sussex shirt is staying with us for another two years. And I know that whenever Mushtaq wears a Sussex shirt we will be highly competitive in all forms of cricket.”In 77 matches since he joined Sussex in 2003 Mushtaq has taken 443 wickets at 24.78, including a hundred in 2003 and 2006, Sussex winning the Championship in both those years.Rana Naved-ul-Hasan, Sussex’s other overseas player, will now have to find another county if he is to continue to play domestic cricket in England. From next season counties will be allowed one overseas player only.

Shaun Pollock has been dropped from South Africa’s squad for the firstTest against Pakistan at Karachi, three days before the match is due tobegin. South Africa feel Pollock may not be as effective on pitches in thesubcontinent as he once was and are keen to try out younger, quickerbowlers such as Morne Morkel and Dale Steyn.This is the first time in his 107-Test career that Pollock has beendropped for any reason other than injury and unsurprisingly, he admittedto being both surprised and disappointed. “Obviously Mickey [Arthur,coach] had a discussion with me yesterday. We were looking to play 13players in this warm-up match, and then were told 12 were allowed. Mickeytold me I am not playing in this match because I am not playing the firstTest as we are going with different options.”I am surprised to have been eliminated already. When I was chosen for thesquad, I thought I had a good chance to play.”As recently as the turn of the year, Pollock won a Man-of-the-Series awardagainst India and in his last five Tests has taken 21 wickets. But herevealed that Arthur had spoken to him a few months ago about the shape ofhis future role on subcontinent tours; with South Africa due to tourBangladesh and India in March next year as well, this could be a harbingerof things to come.”Mickey feels I have a role to play especially in South Africa wherepitches are more conducive,” Pollock said. “But I don’t think my job onflat subcontinent wickets is over. I know I can perform. Then it’s up toselectors to take me for tours ahead.”I have a good record in Pakistan and if the opportunity arises for thesecond Test, I will take it. It’s disappointing, but you have to move on.”Pollock’s record in the subcontinent is impressive. In 17 Tests in thesubcontinent, he has taken 60 wickets. In Pakistan, he has taken 18wickets in five Tests and helped script a memorable win in Faisalabad in1997-98. If not on the field, then Pollock will at least be happy to playa role off it.”For sure I have a role with the younger pace bowlers. I have experiencein these conditions and even if I am not part of the team, it doesn’t meanI can’t be helpful for others with my experience. Any tips I might have Iwill pass on,” Pollock said.Pollock was also quick to reject the notion that he might be nearing theend of his career, or looking to switch to the Indian Cricket League. TheICL had made him an offer five months ago: “Am I taking Mohammad Yousuf’scontract?” he joked. “They approached me and I was not interested then andam not interested now.”I will take it season by season now as far as my career goes. I neverlook too far ahead. I’ve done well in recent series against India andPakistan and feel I can contribute more to South Africa.”