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South African captain Shaun Pollock and vice-captain Mark Boucher frustrated the Sri Lankans with a record seventh wicket partnership to leave the home side with a clear advantage at the end of the third day of this second Test at SuperSport Park on Sunday.The lower order pair came to the crease with the South African innings wobbling on 264 for six but quickly regained the initiative, first wiping out the first innings deficit and then building a valuable lead during the 132 run stand.They were separated when Boucher (63) drove a return catch straight back to Chamila Gamage, but by then the damage had been done and at the close South Africa were 421 for nine, already 98 runs ahead.For Sri Lanka it was a long hot afternoon of frustration. Unlike at Wanderers they retained their discipline and made South Africa work hard for their runs, especially during the morning, but they lacked penetration and by the time the top order had been winkled out they were running out of steam.The pair batted positively, raising the tempo after a slow scoring morning and early afternoon. They wiped out the deficit before tea and then pressed on purposefully after the break, delighting the largest crowd of the series that lounged on the grass banks that ring this ground.Shaun Pollock, who scored a century against the Sri Lankans at the same venue on the last tour, finished the day unbeaten on 78 from 139 balls having hit eight fours and one six. He will now be hoping that Makhaya Ntini can accompany him to a third Test century tomorrow.Even Muttiah Muralitharan was forced to toil, bowling a remarkable 49.2 overs before claiming his first victim. For a side that have reputation for being susceptible against spin, South Africa have handled the master spinner with surprising ease.Muralitharan did, at least, have the satisfaction of moving past Kapil Dev’s 434 Test victims to become the third highest wicket taker in Test history when, late in the day, he trapped Andrew Hall lbw for a duck and then had Steve Elworthy (5) caught at silly point late in the day.Sri Lanka are not out of the game. In theory all three results are still possible. However, with only two days now remaining, Sri Lanka will have to score very quickly if they are to overhaul the South African lead and set a target that gives them sufficient time to force a win. A draw appears the likeliest result.Muralitharan said afterwards that Sri Lanka were still looking for victory: “We wanted to get them out for somewhere around our score but we can still put pressure on them in the final day if we score around 300 tomorrow – chasing 200 on the last day will not be easy.”Earlier in the day, Sri Lanka had started well, ending a 139 run partnership for the third wicket between Jacques Kallis (84) and Herschelle Gibbs (92) thanks to a suicidal piece of running from Gibbs who was left stranded half way down the pitch after being sent back by Kallis.It was a major bonus for the Sri Lankans, who had rarely troubled the pair, and it was followed soon after by the fall of Kallis, who was bowled by a perfect leg-cutter from Hasantha Fernando, the medium pacer’s first ball of the day.At 219 for four Sri Lanka were pulling themselves back into the game. That became to 264 for six after lunch when Chaminda Vaas used the second new ball to good effect, surprising Ashwell Prince (20) with a sharp short ball, and Gamage trapped Neil McKenzie (28) lbw.

Somerset County Cricket Club captain Jamie Cox returns to England in April with his new wife and baby after a very successful season down under playing for Tasmania.After leading Somerset to victory in the Cheltenham and Gloucester Trophy in 2001 there is just one problem that he faces when he returns to captain the Cidermen in 2002. At the moment he has nowhere to live with his wife Helen and baby son Lachlan.For the last couple of seasons Jamie has lived in a flat within walking distance of the County Ground, but this year he needs extra space to accommodate his new family.Earlier this week his accommodation problem seemed to be solved, but just before all the arrangements could be finalised it fell through, and Jamie and his family are still homeless.Now the club are once again on the lookout for a house for the Somerset skipper and his family. Ideally Jamie would like to rent a three or four-bedroomed house within easy reach of the County Ground, and would need it to be available from April 1st until September 30th.If there are any readers of the website who think that they could help to solve Jamie Cox’s housing problem please could they give Sally Donoghue a call at the County Ground on 01823 272946.

After losing the services of three former international players between them during the past week, Western Australia and Victoria appear to be facing a fight to retain several more of their best cricketers.Simon Katich provided one of the biggest recruiting stories of the past decade at interstate level when he agreed late last week to switch from Western Australia to New South Wales. But it may not be the end of the bad news for the Warriors with at least three other players still being targeted by other states.Matthew Nicholson put an end to speculation about his immediate future by confirming yesterday that he has rejected approaches from New South Wales and South Australia and is remaining in Perth. The Warriors are likely to receive further good news when another high-profile fast bowler signs on with the team in forthcoming days, and there is also growing speculation that Damien Fleming may ultimately be headed west.But opening batsman Mike Hussey’s name continues to be linked with a possible shift to South Australia, and middle order batsmen Murray Goodwin and Rob Baker have also been eyed closely by other states.The Western Australian Cricket Association moved yesterday to quash rumours about possible departures by Hussey and Goodwin, but their names are not yet rated as certainties to be among the list of 2002-03 Warriors’ contract holders when it is released early next month.The Warriors also appear to have been thwarted in their bid to lure Queensland seam bowler Adam Dale away from Brisbane.Victoria’s desire to cultivate a more youthful playing list meanwhile looks to be under threat on at least two fronts.The Victorians’ shock decision this week to prune Fleming and Colin Miller from their playing list will deprive the Bushrangers of two of their best-credentialled cricketers of the last decade. But at least two other talented members of the state’s playing staff – an all-rounder and a pace bowler who were each contracted last summer – have already sparked interest elsewhere.In a rare piece of good news for the embattled Vics, speculation earlier this year that captain Matthew Elliott may have been keen to move elsewhere appears to have been off the mark.South Australia also remains a key player as one of the most flurried off-seasons in interstate history continues.Hussey and Nicholson are believed to have headed a shortlist of potential recruits along with Zimbabwean star Andy Flower, while experienced fast bowlers Paul Wilson and Brett Swain and young opening batsman Luke Williams are all considering the possibility of a move interstate.Complementing Tasmanian interest in Baker, the names of Swain and Williams have each come up at a series of selection meetings in Hobart this week.New South Wales’ cards are being played closer to the chest, with few clues available as to how the Blues’ list may be rounded out. Their selectors are, however, unlikely to make any more major additions to an already imposing batting line-up. Attention may instead need to be devoted to encouraging promising strokeplayers like Phil Jaques from pursuing greater opportunities elsewhere.Queensland’s position appears the most settled of all the states, with only changes at the margins expected when its contract list is unveiled. The likelihood that Dale will stay, and Ashley Noffke’s recent loss of his ACB contract, have meant that there is less room to work in adding extra fast bowlers to the Bulls’ core group of players. Former Test paceman Scott Muller may be among the relatively small number of casualties.Each of the six state associations has until 7 June to finalise its initial list of between 14 and 20 contract holders for the 2002-03 season.

Indian batting star, Sachin Tendulkar, steered his team to a excitingten-runs win over Rest of India with a sterling 117, despite runninghigh temperature, in the former Mumbai spinner Ravi Thakkar’s benefitcricket match at Thane on Saturday.Batting first, Tendulkar Eleven, scored 298 allout in 35 overs withJatin Paranjape getting 50 apart from Tendulkar’s ton while Indian newball bowler Zaheer Khan picked up three for 42 for the Rest of Indiateam led by Indian vice captain Rahul Dravid.Despite a quick fire 73 by Sunil Joshi and patient knocks of 56 and 42by Dravid and V V S Laxman respectively, the Rest of India, fell shortby eleven runs with still two overs to spare making 288 allout off 33overs. Thakkar (two for 16) and Vinod Kambli (two for 24) were amongwickets for Tendulkar Eleven.Thakkar, speaking to PTI after the match said it was very kind of allthe top cricketers especially Tendulkar, who was suffering from feverand sore throat, to participate in my benefit tie despite their heavyschedules.”The match was a big success with nearly 25,000 people turning out towitness the match and the total collection was just over Rs sixlakhs”, he added.Brief scores: Sachin Tendulkar Eleven 298 allout off 35 overs (STendulkar 117, J Paranjape 50, Z Khan three for 42) beat Rest of India(S Joshi 73, R Dravid 56, V V S Laxman 42, R Thakkar 2/16, V Kambli2/24).

Somerset Head Groundsman Phil Frost made his first visit of the season to the Rec at Bath on Friday, where Somerset will be playing Yorkshire in a 4-day championship match starting on June 13th.Phil spent the day watering and scarifying the wicket, as well as taking delivery of a heavy roller, which will remain at the Rec till after the festival is over."This year we will be able to have more time to complete our preparations at Bath, because there is no cricket at Taunton," he told me.For much of the year the outfield area at the Rec is used as a car park for Bath Rugby Club, and very little cricket is played upon the square apart from the Somerset matches.A sponsorship deal with local solicitors Withy King and matched funding from the local council looks likely to have guaranteed the future of the Bath Festival for the immediate future, but the local organisers will be hoping for fine weather and good support form local cricket followers.

Kevin Pietersen has signed a four-month central contract with the ECB and will be “reintegrated” into the England team after a process of reconciliation has been completed. The announcement could pave the way for Pietersen to be included in England’s touring squad to India, although that has not yet been decided on.Andy Flower, the England coach, will determine when Pietersen will return fully to the fold, once the 32-year-old becomes available for selection. Pietersen said that he hopes to play for England again “as soon as possible” and committed himself to international cricket until the 2015 World Cup.”It’s been a horrible situation for all involved but it’s time to move forward,” Pietersen said. “All being well I’ll be back in an England shirt as soon as possible.”I am committed to completing the reintegration process we have agreed over the coming weeks and resuming my England career in all formats, hopefully until the World Cup in 2015, as long as my body allows. I want my son growing up seeing me playing for England and I hope one day he will put an England shirt on himself.”I’d like to take this opportunity to apologise to my team-mates, all England supporters and the ECB for the situation that has arisen over the last couple of months. Thankfully we have drawn a line under it and can move forward. Although it has been covered in the statement, I’d like to make it clear that at no time did I share tactical information with any of the South Africans.”Giles Clarke, the ECB’s chairman, said: “Kevin has signed a central contract today. Andy Flower will determine the progress of the reintegration process. It could be soon, it could be much later.” He added that Pietersen’s contract could be extended to the full year once the agreed process had been completed.Clarke also expressed confidence that Flower, who has supported the hard line taken against Pietersen, will not be disillusioned by the attempts to begin afresh and predicted that he will remain as England’s coach until at least the World Cup in 2015.Pietersen was dropped from the side in August after sending what he admitted were “provocative” texts about the former England captain Andrew Strauss to members of the South Africa team. He was left out for the deciding Test of the series at Lord’s, amid concerns about “trust and respect” within the England squad.Pietersen later apologised to Strauss privately but was not included in England’s squad for the World Twenty20, despite reversing his one-day retirement, or the Test party for India.The ECB has now said, however, that it has received a “binding assurance” from Pietersen that the messages, which were actually sent via BlackBerry Messenger and have since been deleted, were not derogatory of Strauss and did not contain advice on how to get him out, as had been alleged.An ECB statement said: “ECB and Kevin Pietersen confirm that agreement has been reached concerning a process for his reintegration into the England team during the remainder of 2012. Upon completion of the programme, the England selectors will consider Kevin for future matches.”Kevin Pietersen has apologised to Andrew Strauss and wishes to express to all those who support England his regrets at the impact the recent controversies have had on the England Team. He now wishes to put the events of the summer behind him and to focus on regaining his place in the England Team.”With regards the issue of the BBM messages, due to the fact that Kevin had not retained the BBM messages, this matter has been successfully concluded through a binding assurance provided to ECB by Kevin. Kevin conceded that the messages exchanged were provocative. ECB is satisfied, following receipt of this binding assurance, that to the best of his recollection, Kevin did not convey any messages which were derogatory about the England Captain, the England Team Director, the ECB or employees of the ECB. Furthermore, there was no tactical information whatsoever provided to members of the South African touring party.”England begin their tour of India towards the end of October, with a four-Test series to be followed by two Twenty20 internationals. They will then return to India in January for an ODI series before departing for a tour of New Zealand in February.

Lancashire suffered their second defeat in as many days at Newlands as they fell 66 runs short at the hands of a strong Western Province side.Western Province batting first notched 230 for 8 in their 45 overs thanks mainly to opening batter Neil Johnson who scored 107. The WP side were looking set for an even bigger total but the vital run out of Johnson and tight bowling from Gary Yates, Chris Schofield and Peter Martin put Lancashire well in the game at the interterrible start losing Driver, Roberts, Fairbrother and Lloyd in the first six overs to leave them at 11 for 4.A revival was then sparked by Mark Chilton and Joe Scuderi but this partnership was ended when Mark Chilton was harshly given out LBW for 20. If ever a captains innings was needed it was now, Warren Hegg once again deputising for the injured John Crawley decided the best form of defence was attack and along with Joe Scuderi set about restoring some pride to the teams total.Warren Hegg was finally out for a gutsey 61 and Scuderi followed for 27, along with a brave knock at the end from Chris Schofield who injured his back when bowling, the lower order fought well before being all out for 164.

ScorecardJames Vince blazed a trail for Hampshire•Getty Images

James Vince hit a brutal 84 off only 49 balls to lead holders Hampshire to the top of the Friends Life t20 South Division with a seven-wicket thrashing of previous leaders Middlesex at Richmond.It looked as though Middlesex had set Hampshire a challenging target when Dawid Malan’s 77 enabled the hosts to reach 164 for 5 on a slow, club pitch but Vince and his opening partner Michael Carberry made a mockery of it by putting on 89 in the first seven overs.They made a relatively slow start but the floodgates opened in the third over when Carberry hit Kyle Mills, the New Zealand fast bowler, for four, four, six, four, four and two.Two overs later, England Lions batsman Vince followed suit by cracking Gurjit Sandhu for five successive fours and when Carberry thumped Neil Dexter for a four and two sixes in the same over Hampshire had plundered 83 from the Powerplay.Middlesex needed a huge slice of luck to break the stand when Vince drove Ravi Patel straight back down the pitch and Patel, the left-arm spinner, deflected the ball into the stumps to run out Carberry, who had made 43 off 16 balls with five fours and three sixes.But there was no respite for Middlesex, as Jimmy Adams helped Vince add another 70 in eight overs before Vince, who had hit 12 fours and two sixes, drove Sandhu to Paul Stirling to deep mid-off. Adams fell for 29 in the same over but Hampshire romped home with 4.5 overs to spare.Hampshire bowler Dimitri Mascarenhas had taken an early grip on the game by having Stirling caught on the midwicket boundary by Adam Wheater and Joe Denly at cover by a diving Adams in a four-over spell that cost only 19 runs.Middlesex were contained to 57 in the first 10 overs before Adam Voges broke the shackles by hitting Liam Dawson for two fours and a six in one over and going on to share a third-wicket partnership of 55 in seven overs with Malan.Voges had made 28 off 17 balls when he heaved Vince to Carberry on the midwicket boundary and Malan found an even more productive partner in Adam Rossington who helped him add another 52 in only four overs.Rossington also hit three fours and a six in his 26 off 16 balls before he pulled a Danny Briggs full toss to Dawson on the square leg boundary and Malan had struck nine fours and a six when he was caught at long on off the last ball of the innings.

Michael Clarke has admitted the off-field drama surrounding the Australia team has affected preparation for his side’s must-win group match against Sri Lanka, but said Australia remained focused on achieving their first win of the tournament, and progressing to the semi-finals. 


Australia must defeat Sri Lanka to earn a semi-finals place, and if England win their final group match against New Zealand, they must win well enough to outdo New Zealand’s net run rate. They lost their opening match to England by 48 runs, and had the second match rained out.”The feeling in the camp has obviously been a little bit different over the past few days because there’s been a little bit of disappointment in one of our players,” Clarke said. “But I can guarantee you we left it there – after I did the press conference a couple of days ago now – and now we’re looking forward. Our focus has been preparation for this game against Sri Lanka and staying focused on what’s important.”The rain played a part in interrupting training yesterday, but a lot of the guys came and trained indoors. The day before, we trained really well as a team, and I know all the guys are looking forward to playing against Sri Lanka tomorrow.”Clarke was uncertain if he would be available to play on Monday, but expressed confidence in George Bailey, who led the side in the first two matches. Bailey hit a fifty in each of those games, and has been a consistent middle order presence since breaking into the ODI side, having maintained an average of 46 – which improves slightly when he is leading. Clarke was ruled out of the early part of the tournament due to a flare-up of a long-standing back injury.”I think George [Bailey] has done a great job. I think his performances over the past four months have been outstanding for us in one‑day cricket. He continues to lead from the front, and I think he’s captained the team really well in my absence and will do again tomorrow if I’m unavailable to play.””My back is feeling ok. I’ll have to train today with the boys and see how I pull up tomorrow. But I’m hopeful, there’s no doubt about that.”Clarke also had praise for Adam Voges, who he hoped would help add leadership and stability to what has at times been a brittle batting order. Voges hit 71 in the last match against New Zealand and averages 51.50 in 19 ODIs.”Vogey brings a lot of experience. He’s a class player and has been in first‑class cricket for a long time. His one‑day record for Australia is outstanding. So I guess he’s coming in trying to fill that Michael Hussey role batting at five and six for us, but also with the experience and leadership that he brings. He’s a great guy, I love having him around and it’s really nice to see him batting as well as he is at the moment.”

Seamer Shafiul Islam and allrounder Ziaur Rahman have been called up to the Bangladesh Test squad, as cover for pacers Rubel Hossain and Shahadat Hossain. Shafiul and Ziaur will fly to Harare on Sunday night.Rubel, who had back trouble during the tour to Sri Lanka earlier this year, hurt his shoulder during the first Test here, while Shahadat had missed the Test due to a knee injury. They do not have much time to regain full fitness, with the second Test beginning on Thursday, thus prompting the team to call for back-up.Bangladesh’s other injury concern is opener Tamim Iqbal, who also missed the first Test. However, his thumb injury is coming on well and indications are he should be fit in time for the second game. On Saturday, captain Mushfiqur Rahim said: “He is doing really well.”Ziaur had featured in the limited-overs leg on Bangladesh’s tour to Sri Lanka, but is yet to debut in Test cricket. Shafiul last played in the home series against West Indies, in December last year. He had made a comeback in that series, following a long injury layoff to recover from a shoulder injury that he picked up while fielding in the Asia Cup in March 2012.Bangladesh lost the first Test by a whopping 335-run margin, within four days, and will have to win the second match to squad the series.