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Greg Blewett remains hopeful he can play first-class cricket for two more years despite several states indicating they have no interest in signing him up. Blewett, 35, who is contracted to South Australia until the end of 2007-08, was dropped from the side due to poor form in his three one-day matches this season having lost his place in the Pura Cup team in 2005-06.Blewett was disappointed not to be recalled after injuries hit the South Australia top order and kept Darren Lehmann, the captain, and Cameron Borgas, the No. 3, out of action. He said South Australia’s agreement to pay out the remainder of his $270,000 three-year deal should make him an attractive option to the other states.”I would quite like to play on as I wouldn’t like to finish on these sort of terms,” he told Adelaide’s newspaper. “If I sign on for someone else, I will get paid whatever I can negotiate for that state which I think will help me in terms of my bargaining power. I think I’m in a pretty strong position.”But Blewett, who wants to play in the eastern states, said it was unlikely he could step into the shoes of the newly-retired Michael Bevan at Tasmania. “I am not sure I would fit into a team like Tassie which has gone down a development path,” Blewett said.The paper reported that Victoria and Queensland were not interested in adding Blewett to their squads, leaving New South Wales as his main option. Graham Dixon, the Queensland Cricket chief executive, said his state preferred to use local players. “We haven’t spoken to Greg and don’t intend to at this stage. Without closing the door he isn’t part of the plans,” Dixon said.Cricket Victoria said Blewett had been considered but they were looking instead at younger batsmen. South Australia, who are on the bottom of the Pura Cup and FR Cup tables, replaced Lehmann and Borgas in the limited-overs team with newer players such as Ken Skewes and Ben Cameron.

Lancashire will begin the first stages of redeveloping Old Trafford next January with the initial work costing the club £12 million.It will include replacing the County Suite, Tyldesley Suite and the Ladies stand – which runs from the pavilion around to the broadcast media centre – with a 1000-seat function room which will provide hospitality during international matches.There are also discussions taking place with Trafford council, Ask developers and Tesco about a regeneration of the area around Old Trafford. A decision on this won’t be made until later this year but Lancashire hope the first set of works will be complete by April 2010. The overall plan also includes installing permanent floodlights.”We knew it would take time to finalise the overall development so we thought we had better show willing to the ECB and our own club members by making the first steps,” chief executive Jim Cumbes told the . “We are talking to the bank about funding. If we realised our dreams of a new or improved hotel, and complete redevelopment of the ground, it would probably cost around £70m.”Lancashire believe redevelopment of the ground is the only way to secure its international future. They lost out on an Ashes Test in 2009 when the match was given to Cardiff and their current hosting agreement with the ECB runs out at the end of the forthcoming season.From August, Lancashire will play its home matches at outgrounds such as Blackpool and Liverpool so that work can start on laying a new outfield with state-of-the-art drainage. Considerable time has been lost at Old Trafford in recent seasons when the weather has been fine because the playing area hasn’t recovered from heavy rain.

ScorecardA collapse – six wickets for 21 runs – by Windward Islands in their chase of 217, gave Trinidad and Tobago a 16-run victory in St Vincent.Windwards top order had led them to a comfortable 181 for 3, with No. 3 Andre Fletcher and Liam Sebastien scoring half-centuries. But legspinner Yannik Cariah ripped through the middle order, and the final six batsmen scored 16 runs together, with three batsmen dismissed for 0, to be bowled out for 202 in the final over. Cariah finished with 5 for 44, his best performance in his three-match List A career.T&T’s innings revolved around a solid top-order performance, led by an unbeaten half-century from Jason Mohammed. Besides Justin Guillen, who was dismissed for 2, all other batsmen scored atleast 20. Spinners Sebastien and Shane Shillingford took two wickets each.
ScorecardA balanced and collective effort by Jamaica helped them clinch the contest against Combined Campuses and Colleges by four wickets at Sabina Park, and lead the points table.Having being asked to field, Jamaica kept chipping away at their opponents, as none of the batsmen could anchor the innings. Floyd Reifer and the captain Kyle Corbin got starts, but departed after scoring 32 and 24 respectively. Spinner Nikita Miller was the chief wicket-taker, with three wickets.The home side two wickets early, with opener Jermaine Blackwood and No. 3 Nkrumah Bonner dismissed for a duck. However, Andre McCarthy (45), the captain Tamar Lambert (34) and David Bernard (28) helped them reach the target in the 46th over.

Leicestershire have been granted planning permission to install floodlights at Grace Road, a development that has been viewed as vital to the club’s survival.Floodlit evening T20 matches have become increasingly important to driving gate revenue in the domestic game and Wasim Khan, Leicestershire’s chief executive, said the decision would help the club “retain and grow our audiences”. Khan had previously addressed residents’ concerns about light pollution by warning that, without floodlights, “we might not be here in five years’ time”.The path has now been cleared, with Leicester City Council unanimously approving the proposals. Leicestershire will begin work immediately and hope to have the floodlights in place in time for their opening NatWest Blast game in May.”It is fantastic news for Leicestershire County Cricket Club that planning permission was granted at the meeting,” Khan said. “Floodlights are an important aspect of supporting our sustainability strategy and we look forward to improving the match-day experience for our supporters.”We saw an average 48% increase in attendances at Grace Road for NatWest T20 Blast matches in 2015. The installation of floodlights will help us to both retain and grow our audiences. We can start our NatWest T20 Blast games later in the evening which will give more people the opportunity to attend after work.”Leicestershire are currently one of four counties without permanent floodlights. Gloucestershire have been granted planning permission, while Somerset are expected to draw up plans as part of their ground redevelopment, which would leave Worcestershire as the only county unable to play evening games.

India get into action with their first tour game against Victoria on Thursday, two days after their arrival in Australia. The Indians won’t be taking the game lightly given that it’s the only practice match before the first Test, but both sides have concerns over injuries and the weather with rain forecast for the next three days.Victoria have been in good form this season, equal on points with top-ranked New South Wales, and will take the game against India as a chance to blood allrounder John Hastings and batsman Aaron Finch.Victoria’s bowling will not be at full strength with fast bowlers Shane Harwood and Gerard Denton injured and Dirk Nannes being rested. Cameron White, the captain, is ruled out while Brad Hodge, who is to lead the side in White’s absence, is an uncertain starter and will be passed fit only after his back is assessed on Thursday.The visitors will look to playing most of their first-choice Test XI but Sachin Tendulkar and Zaheer Khan, who didn’t take part in training on Tuesday, are uncertain for the clash. Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who along with Tendulkar and Zaheer missed the final Test against Pakistan in Bangalore, is fit to play the opener and said the game was a crucial one for the team.”It’s always better to have a few sessions before a big Test match [and] we don’t really have much time for practice,” Dhoni told the . “Tomorrow is crucial … I think most of the players would love to play.”Tendulkar, Dhoni said, was improving, “[but] if he needs some more time to rest himself and recover, to be 100% for the first game, he can take it.”Dhoni played down talk of the team not having enough practice and of the importance of the forecast of rain. “You’d love to have more time [for practice], but that’s too many ifs and buts,” he said. “Even if it rains there’s nothing can be done about it – we’ll go indoors and have a knock, do whatever we can.”Dhoni said the team were aiming for a win. “If you are on the field and if you are playing you have got to win, there is no question of just playing the game for practice.”He said the team would have to adapt to the bouncy pitches in Australia. “Getting used to the conditions is very important … so the practice game is important, especially when you’re coming from a series in India,” he said. “When you’re playing in Australia, the length you’re bowling is very important, very different to where you bowl in the sub-continent or England.”Meanwhile, Greg Shipperd, the Victoria coach, said despite missing a few regulars, his team would give India a tough fight. “We will come out and play some good quality cricket and I’m sure probably surprise them,” he told sportal.com.au. “I think it [the pitch] will be quite grassy – it will be hard and I’m sure it will be a good cricket wicket with plenty of pace in it.”He said the team had enough strength in bowling and was expecting legspinner Bryce McGain to make an impression, which could aid him in winning the nod for a place in the Australian Test squad. Ricky Ponting revealed that McGain was considered by the selectors as a candidate for the Boxing Day Test.”A four- or five-for from Bryce McGain here certainly throws his hat into the ring for the second Test,” Shipperd said. “I was disappointed for Bryce [missing out on the Boxing Day Test] because I thought it was a 50-50 bet between him and Hogg.”Teams (from):
Victoria : Brad Hodge (capt), David Hussey, Aiden Blizzard, Aaron Finch, John Hastings, Nick Jewell, Michael Klinger, Andrew McDonald , Bryce McGain, Robert Quiney, Peter Siddle, Matthew Wade (wk), Allan Wise.India: Anil Kumble (capt), Wasim Jaffer, Virender Sehwag, Dinesh Karthik, Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly, VVS Laxman, Yuvraj Singh, Mahendra Singh Dhoni (wk), Harbhajan Singh, Zaheer Khan, RP Singh, Irfan Pathan, Ishant Sharma, Pankaj Singh.

Division One

Sussex are closing in on a crushing victory at Horsham, after piling on the runs in the first innings and then reducing Durham in their second innings to 108 for 6. Durham now trail by a significant 200, with four wickets in hand. Four wickets apiece for Liam Plunkett and Paul Wiseman were scant consolation as Sussex, led by Chris Adams’ 193, racked up 517. Sussex now have two more days to close out the match, but they will be confident of doing so on the third.Anthony McGrath’s 24th first-class century helped Yorkshire to a solid position against Warwickshire at Edgbaston, after losing the first day to rain. McGrath was unbeaten on 142 at stumps, and he was well supported by Younis Khan’s 49 – together they put on 87 for the third wicket – and particularly so by Jacques Rudolph. The pair added 177 for the fourth wicket.

Division Two

Weighty contributions from Somerset‘s top order, including Marcus Trescothick’s 146, consolidated a promising position at Taunton. Neil Edwards missed out on a fourth first-class hundred, when he fell for 96, while Justin Langer added 83 as Somerset battered their way past Northamptonshire‘s 221, to take a first-innings lead of 238. When Northants batted again, they lost Chris Rogers and Stephen Peters almost immediately, courtesy of the inevitable Andrew Caddick and Charl Willoughby, but Usman Afzaal (46) and David Sales (12*) began to repair some of the damage. Nevertheless, Somerset are very much in the box seat.David Hussey’s century gave Nottinghamshire a steady platform against Gloucestershire after play finally got underway at Trent Bridge following a first-day washout. Notts eased to 259 for 4, with Hussey unbeaten on 114. The early loss of Stephen Fleming for 1 did not hamper the home side, Jason Gallian making 45 and then Mark Wagh easing to 74.

The Indian squads for the tours of Ireland and England will be selected on June 12 in Delhi. The selected players will have to attend a camp in Bangalore from June 13 to June 16.”The selection committee will meet in Delhi at 5.30 pm on June 12 after the meeting of the working committee to choose the team for England and Ireland tour,” Niranjan Shah, BCCI secretary, told PTI. “The selected players would be asked to assemble in Bangalore by the afternoon of June 13 for the cricket camp which will run till June 16.”The camp will follow a fitness-specific camp for batsmen which will be held at the National Cricket Academy in Bangalore from June 9-12.India are scheduled to play a three-ODI series against South Africa in Ireland in July before heading to England for three Tests and seven one-day internationals.

In spite of their improbable victory in the recent ODI series in Sri Lanka – their first on the subcontinent in 20 years – England are expected to revert to their seasoned five-day specialists when the squad for the three-Test series in Sri Lanka is unveiled at The Oval tomorrow.England emerged triumphant by three games to two in Dambulla and Colombo earlier this month, in a contest that was played out on slow low wickets and at an unusually Test-like tempo. But for several members of that squad, as well as the veteran Mark Ramprakash, disappointment is on the cards.Foremost among England’s considerations will be the wicketkeeping position. Phil Mustard took the gloves and opened the batting during the ODIs, but having failed to establish himself in five opportunities, England are expected to revert to Matt Prior, whose Test career began with a remarkable debut century against West Indies at Lord’s in May, but who sustained a broken thumb during the recent World Twenty20 in South Africa.Prior’s position came under scrutiny following a poor series with both the bat and the gloves against India last summer, but having worked their way through six wicketkeepers in the past 12 months, the selectors are expected to give Prior another opportunity to establish himself. He is a key disciple of the new coach, Peter Moores, having learnt his craft under Moores at Sussex, and was Geraint Jones’ understudy on England’s last visit to the subcontinent in 2005-06.One man who seems certain to have earned a recall on the strength of the one-dayers is the offspinning allrounder, Graeme Swann, whose first matches for England in seven-and-a-half years were an unmitigated triumph. He spun the ball prodigiously, produced vital runs down the order, and assuming he recovers from the hamstring injury he sustained ahead of the final ODI, could be a useful sidekick to Monty Panesar, who will start the series as England’s No. 1 spin option.In the absence of Andrew Flintoff, Swann’s allround credentials will doubtless boost his chances of a call-up, while Ravi Bopara is another man well-placed to step up a level, following his nerveless displays in coloured clothing this year – although he could well be put on stand-by in the development squad that is due to be stationed in India during the tour. One man who has been headed in the opposite direction is the former stalwart Andrew Strauss, who this time last year was a candidate for the captaincy.Strauss’s form slump has already led to his omission from the one-day set-up, but having secured an ECB central contract, he seems set to retain his place in a 15-man squad. The man who will miss out is likely to be Ramprakash, whose prospects of a recall at the age of 38 were being talked up last week following his stunning summer of run-scoring for Surrey. Owais Shah is the other man in the frame for the final batting slot, having made 88 and 38 in his only previous overseas Test appearance, at Mumbai in 2005-06.England’s obligation towards their centrally contracted players should also ensure recalls for Steve Harmison and Matthew Hoggard, both of whom missed large portions of the summer schedule with injuries. Harmison, with a hernia operation behind him, is hoping to prove his fitness in two first-class matches for Highveld Lions in South Africa.James Anderson, Ryan Sidebottom and Stuart Broad – all of whom excelled during the recent ODI series victory – are expected to fill the remaining fast-bowling slots, with the only other significant change being that of the captain, Michael Vaughan. Four years ago, Sri Lanka was the scene of Vaughan’s first major tour as England captain, but he was unable to emulate the feat of his predecessor, Nasser Hussain, whose 2-1 victory in the 2000-01 series was one of England’s finest of all time.Possible squad Michael Vaughan (capt), Alastair Cook, Kevin Pietersen, Paul Collingwood, Ian Bell, Andrew Strauss, Owais Shah, Matt Prior (wk), Ryan Sidebottom, Steve Harmison, Monty Panesar, Graeme Swann, Matthew Hoggard, James Anderson, Stuart Broad.

Easterns have won Zimbabwe’s provincial Twenty20 tournament with a seven-run win over Westerns in the final on Good Friday, but concerns over standards of play over the three days hogged the limelight.Zimbabwe Cricket were using the tournament, a last-minute fixture in place of the twice-postponed Logan Cup, to prepare for South Africa’s domestic Standard Bank Pro20 contest. But the ever-tumbling domestic standards were in evidence.It gave indications that the Zimbabweans could expect pretty much the same or even worse treatment on the field against the South African franchises as they did in the MTN domestic championship, more so as their opponents in South Africa have more adept and experienced at this version. What’s more, they have already identified their Twenty20 specialists while the Zimbabweans are still searching.And neither did they find them in this tournament. No one set the competition alight, although the usual suspects, Brendan Taylor (Northerns), Hamilton Masakadza (Easterns), Tatenda Taibu (Northerns) and Stuart Matsikenyeri (Easterns) all showed good consistency with the bat and threw caution to the wind when necessary, perhaps conscious of their role as the best Zimbabwe can manage at the moment. They could ill-afford to have their best misfiring.If this was a positive, its one that quickly wipe the smile off the selectors’ faces because few from outside the pool of current national and A side players staked claims and showed Twenty20 attributes. Perhaps it’s a good thing because now the coaching staff can only concentrate on few, targeted players at Twenty20.But then, Zimbabwe Cricket has been boasting about the success of its outreach programme where new cricketers are being churned out in the new structures. Besides, Zimbabwe needs to widen its pool now more than any other time. It was generally acknowledged that the available talent wasn’t that big when Zimbabwe were doing well before the senior players left, and with not much resources now as in the past, it will be a real struggle to get things right.Without experienced bowlers, those in the tournament, particularly the seamers, tried too hard to adjust their actions for Twenty20, thus overcomplicating their bowling and not getting the balance between defence and attack. They went for aggression and in the process losing the basic line and length. The only time they looked good was when the batsmen were getting themselves in trouble. To the better bowlers, it was so easy to read the batsmen’s good shots thereby getting them to play outside their comfort zones and drying up runs.Attendances were far from encouraging, largely because few outside the inner circles knew about the tournament due to poor publicity. Only a handful stumbled upon the final day play while patronising the Keg & Maiden bar on Good Friday.The victory by Easterns, formerly Manicaland, means they become the new dominant side in Zimbabwe provincial cricket after winning the Logan Cup last year. But the province is made up almost entirely of players from Harare, drawn from the Takashinga club in particular, and cricketers based in the province hardly got a chance to play, as was the case last year. The purpose seems to be to fool people into believing these is strength outside the capital.Southerns (Masvingo) and Centrals (Midlands) do have a fair number of players originally from the provinces, but Harare players are also posted to strengthen the sides. That leaves Northerns, the former Mashonaland, and Westerns (Matabeleland), the only sides without exported players.

The popularity of Twenty20 cricket has spread to Canada, including a chance that Indian Premier League teams could visit the country following “advanced” discussions, Cricket Canada has confirmed to Cricinfo.The board held talks with important IPL figures at the start of the Indian tournament last month but have so far been offered “no promises and no confirmations”.”Atul Ahuja, Cricket Canada’s chief executive, had discussions with leading individuals in respect to possible visits to Canada by IPL teams,” a CC spokesperson said. “In some cases, those discussion were quite advanced, but at the moment there are no promises and no confirmations.”Either way, Twenty20 will be taking centrestage for the next few months in Canadian cricket. The first-ever national Twenty20 championship will be held over the weekend of May 17 and 18 at King City near Toronto, on four turf pitches. There will be 12 matches per day, involving teams from Briitsh Columbia, Alberta, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec and Nova Scotia. The competition is a formal Cricket Canada event in partnership with their new major sponsor Scotiabank.”There is growing commitment to the Twenty20 format across the country,” said the spokesperson, “in part because it fits perfectly with the North American sporting format.” The Toronto and District Cricket Association now has a separate Twenty20 League, as does the Etobicoke and District Cricket League in the suburbs of Toronto. In British Columbia, their mainland competition launched a Twenty20 league in April, with Sri Lanka’s Arjuna Ranatunga as the chief guest.There will also be a non-representative team from Canada at the upcoming MAQ T20 Cricket Festival May 23-25 at the Broward Stadium north of Miami, Florida.The Twenty20 arrangements are aimed at solidifying cricket across Canada. “It’s also geared to preparing Canada for playing more Twenty20 cricket internationally,” the spokesperson said, “with a particular eye on the Associates tournament in Ireland in August and the June 2009 Twenty20 World Championships.”