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ScorecardLeicestershire’s bowlers held their nerve to deny Gloucestershire victory on a thrilling final day. Set 222 to win in 53 overs, the hosts faltered badly at the death, finishing 13 runs short of their target.Gloucestershire looked to be favourites after half-centuries from skipper Alex Gidman and Dan Housego but, needing 47 off the final 10 overs, they lost four quick wickets before putting up the shutters and settling for the draw. Leicestershire were indebted to veteran South African spinner Claude Henderson, who bowled unchanged from the Chapel End after tea to return figures of 4 for 80 and undermine the chase.Gloucestershire were well and truly in the hunt after Gidman smashed 62 from 55 balls in a stand of 94 in 18 overs with Housego, who made exactly 50. Gidman was brilliantly caught by Ned Eckersley at short midwicket off Henderson and Housego followed him back to the pavilion soon afterwards, caught at the wicket fending at a rising delivery from Robbie Joseph, who claimed 3 for 36.Joseph then removed Hamish Marshall and Ian Cockbain in quick succession, while the wily Henderson accounted for Ed Young and Ian Saxelby to halt Gloucestershire in their tracks. Rather than risk defeat, the ninth-wicket pair of James Fuller and David Payne played out the last three overs with a minimum of risk.Resuming their second innings on 142 for 5 – just 75 ahead – bottom-of-the-table Leicestershire were under pressure from the outset on a two-paced pitch that was offering assistance to spin. But any thoughts Gloucestershire might have had of achieving a quick and decisive victory were dispelled by Ramnaresh Sarwan and Matt Boyce, who staged a restorative stand of 83 for the sixth wicket.Gloucestershire were becoming frustrated when they were gifted a much-needed breakthrough in unexpected fashion, Boyce being run out for 23 by Benny Howell’s throw from deep midwicket following a farcical mix-up.Sarwan still stood between the home side and a third Championship win of the summer and Gidman, Gloucestershire’s captain, played his trump card in a bid to remove the former West Indies batsman, throwing the ball to occasional bowler Howell. The ploy paid almost instantaneous dividends, Howell’s medium pace inducing Sarwan to offer a catch to Housego at extra cover via a leading edge.When Paul Dixey was pinned on the front foot by paceman Fuller in the last over before lunch, Leicestershire were 240 for 8 and Gloucestershire were clearly fancying their chances.Wayne White and Henderson offered up further defiance in a gritty ninth-wicket partnership of 48 but the new ball did for them both. Saxelby located White’s outside edge and Cockbain held on at second slip, while Liam Norwell wrapped up proceedings in the very next over, clean bowling Henderson with a ball that jagged back. But, by then, they had done enough.

ScorecardSteve Magoffin eventually forced a mistake after Ian Bell had made a half-century•Getty Images

Seven of the last 12 days of scheduled cricket at Edgbaston had been complete washouts, including four days of international cricket, so in a summer in which spectators have been grateful for any entertainment, the 65 overs possible before another wet weather front announced its arrival were well received, not least because they contained more evidence of the wonderful form in which England’s Ian Bell currently finds himself.The only disappointment was that it amounted only to 57 runs, ending unexpectedly with a mistimed pull that went straight to the fielder at midwicket. The ball before had been driven past mid-off with superb timing, bringing him his 10th boundary, but Steve Magoffin, Sussex’s Australian seamer, then served up a shorter delivery, effectively a long hop. It should have been despatched but perhaps Bell was taken a little by surprise.Nonetheless, Bell had served his own purpose, which was to keep himself ticking over ahead of next week’s opening Test against South Africa. After a run of six scores of 53 or above in eight innings, including the brilliant 126 at the start of the one-day series against West Indies, he has hardly looked a batsman in need of practice and was given the option to miss this match, in common with his clubmate, Jonathan Trott, who chose to rest.But Bell took the view that form against the white ball is not necessarily the same as form against the red ball and decided to play, which was all the more commendable given that his wife, Chantal, who is expecting their first child, had a morning appointment to undergo a routine ultrasound scan that he also wanted to attend. In the event, aided by a 12 noon start, he was able to do both.”It’s all down the individual, whatever gets you in the right frame of mind for a Test match,” he said. “With the weather we have had it is good to get any time in the middle. I have been feeling in good nick and I just want to keep that going.”I’ve never felt that nets give me the best preparation for a Test match. I don’t know whether that makes me a bit old school but I always feel that if I can get 50 in the middle it gets me in a better place than a hundred nets. If we go to The Oval and we have to train indoors, say, at least I’ve got this under my belt.”It was a bit of a scramble getting here. I didn’t arrive on the ground until half an hour before the start and Jim Troughton was ready to go in at three if necessary. But Ashley Giles and Jim were brilliant. They said to take all the time I needed and slot in where I could, but it worked out well in the end.”It took Bell a while, in the event, to shake off his one-day instincts, as Monty Panesar discovered when his erstwhile England colleague went down the pitch to him twice in his first few deliveries. Panesar had been bowling well, as he has for much of the season, and it looked as though Bell wanted to take an aggressive approach, perhaps to knock the left-armer out of his rhythm.In fact, Bell had to fight against himself, to rein himself in, but it did make for entertaining viewing and Panesar’s figures took something of a hit as a result.Troughton, as captain, would have been pleased to be 175 for 3. His decision to bat first, given that the field has taken so much water, looked to be a slight gamble, but Varun Chopra and Will Porterfield batted sensibly and had put on 66 before the latter, looking well set, was leg before to Panesar, playing back to a ball that skidded through the rough.James Anyon and Naved Arif Gondal struggled with their line for Sussex but Magoffin was dangerous and Panesar tight and challenging. He had Chopra well tied down at one stage and claimed him as his second victim just after lunch. Chopra seemed unhappy with umpire Steve Gale’s leg before verdict, perhaps thinking he was too well forward, but these days the benefit of the doubt is less readily awarded.

Allen Stanford, the disgraced Texan financier who came to embody English cricket’s most embarrassing alliance, has been sentenced to 110 years in jail for one of the biggest frauds in history. He was convicted in March on 13 of 14 charges of defrauding investors of more than $7 billion (£4.5 billion).Stanford was hailed as cricket’s American sugar daddy when he bankrolled an international cricket tournament in Antigua that promised to transform cricket finances in England and West Indies and, in the eyes of ECB executives, provide a rival to the burgeoning Indian Premier League.But his financial empire collapsed under an investigation by United States regulators. Since his arrest in 2009, he has spent three years in jail without bail.Stanford, whose trial was delayed on health grounds after he was beaten up by prison inmates, has always denied his guilt and told the District Judge David Hittner at his sentencing hearing: “I did not defraud anybody”.Stanford’s statement lasted around 40 minutes as he stuck to his claim that he did not run a Ponzi scheme – a fraudulent investment operation that pays returns to its investors from their own money or the money paid by subsequent investors, rather than from profit earned by the individual or organisation – and that his financial affairs only collapsed once investigations into his affairs became known.He told the judge: “I’m not here to ask for sympathy or forgiveness or to throw myself at your mercy. I did not run a Ponzi scheme. I didn’t defraud anybody.”Prosecutors had asked for a 230-year sentence, with defence lawyers arguing for a lenient term of 44 months.It was all a world away from the night in 2008 that England and West Indies fought out a Twenty20 match in Antigua for a winner-takes-all prize of £20m. Stanford socialised in a touchy-feely fashion with England players’ wives, waved to the crowds, entered the dressing rooms at will, and finished the night with what was virtually an impromptu cabaret.The deal had been publicised in ostentatious style as Stanford was allowed to land his private helicopter on the outfield at Lord’s, after which he presented a Perspex box filled with $20 million in prize money in front of smiling ECB officials.Stanford signed a five year deal with the ECB worth $100 million in total, an episode from which some believe English cricket has never entirely recovered. But financial experts have repeatedly suggested that his real victims are the investors, whose estimates suggest have received back about 5% of their investment. Cricket, presenting itself as victims in a highly-complex case, has not returned a penny.In Antigua, where financial regulation was relatively lax, Stanford had a private terminal at the airport, was one of its biggest employers on the island and was said to be worth more than Antigua’s GDP. He was knighted in 2006 but after the extent of his fraud was revealed he was stripped of the title.

Local cricket clubs in England and Wales will be given the chance to host a game against a team of England ‘legends’ in a scheme designed to provide a boost to club finances.Michael Vaughan, the former England captain, will lead the legends team in three Twenty20 matches over the August Bank Holiday weekend, with clubs encouraged to utilise the games to organise activities to generate funds to help improve and repair their facilities.To be in with a chance of hosting one of the games, clubs must be registered for NatWest CricketForce Fundraiser. Once clubs have registered they need to demonstrate the strength of their support by enlisting supporters to vote for them online and make it into the top ten on the leaderboard at natwest.com/cricket.The ten clubs with the most points when voting closes at 9am on Tuesday June 26 will be submitted to a judging panel who will decide which clubs will host one of the three NatWest Locals v Legends T20 games.”Every local cricket club has its own legends who, on their day, believe that they can compete against the best,” Vaughan said. “The NatWest Locals v Legends T20 Series will allow three grassroots clubs to win the chance for my team of former England stars to come and play them at their home ground for a one-off match to raise funds for their club.”All clubs who register will be eligible to win a range of prizes from signed merchandise and tickets to attending training sessions with current England players.

Sachin Tendulkar has stepped down as Mumbai Indians captain ahead of the IPL 2012 season-opener against Chennai. Harbhajan Singh, who was Tendulkar’s deputy, has been appointed captain by the franchise after Tendulkar cited needing a “break” in leadership duties as the reason.”Sachin Tendulkar, in discussion with the management of Mumbai Indians, has decided to hand over the responsibilities of captaining Mumbai Indians in season five of the IPL to ace offspinner Harbhajan Singh,” a media release from the franchise stated.Tendulkar said that he had discussed the matter with the owners of the franchise before taking the decision. “At this point of time, I feel I need a break from the responsibility of captaincy of the Mumbai Indians,” Tendulkar was quoted as saying in the release. “After due consideration, I discussed my intention to hand over the captaincy of the team to Harbhajan Singh, with Mukesh [Ambani] and Nita.”In the four years Tendulkar was at helm, the best result Mumbai achieved was in the 2010 edition of the tournament, when they finished as runners-up to Chennai Super Kings.Harbhajan, who led Mumbai to the Champions League T20 title last year, was the automatic choice to take over the leadership mantle. Incidentally, Tendulkar sat on the bench through that victorious campaign, as he was recuperating from a toe injury he picked up during the England tour last August.Though Harbhajan’s bowling form has been patchy, he has found success as a captain. After leading Mumbai Indians to the Champions League title, he led the India Green team in the Challenger Trophy, top-scoring for his side in the tied final and picking up 3 for 37. Recently, he led Punjab Twenty20 side to the final of Syed Mustaq Ali Trophy, which they lost to Baroda.

Australia will be watching Shivnarine Chanderpaul’s utilitarian stance for vast tracts of this Test series unless the visitors can find a way of forcing him to take uncharacteristic risks, the visitors’ vice-captain, Shane Watson, has said.Like so many touring sides before them, Michael Clarke’s team was entirely unable to dislodge Chanderpaul from the crease as he stayed for six-and-a-half hours, while compiling an unbeaten 103, before West Indies captain Darren Sammy declared. Chanderpaul, whose appetite for runs has not yet been sated at the age of 37, underlined his comfort in Barbados by passing Brian Lara as the highest run-scorer in Tests at Kensington Oval.Watson said Australia had to concoct a method of drawing Chanderpaul out of a mode of batting that was close to risk-free on pitches offering little in the way of steep bounce or sideways movement to the fast bowlers, or sharp turn to the spinners.”The way he plays, getting back and across and being able to use his hands to get the ball into the gaps, and he does it for such a long period of time, it’s hard to actually find a way for him to play a false shot because of the way he’s set up for these conditions here,” Watson said. “We’re going to have to [find a way], because we don’t want him to bat for as long as he did [in this innings] through this whole series.”We’ll just have to sit down … have to find a way to be able to get him to take some type of risk. He’s done it [risk-free batting] for such a long period of time and he is a true champion, so we’re going to have to bowl really well to him throughout the series to hopefully not let him have as much impact as he did today.”Chanderpaul said his 25th Test century, passing Lara’s milestone and contributing towards putting West Indies in a strong position had given him plenty of pleasure.”I never expected to be the person who had the most runs at Kensington, given I’m a guy from Guyana coming to Barbados. To have the most runs is a hell of an achievement at Kensington,” Chanderpaul said. “It’s always a very good wicket to bat on once you get in.”The young fellows, they’ve come into their own. We’ve been setting the plans and the goals for the team and they’ve been working hard towards it. We’ve all been working hard towards it. I’m happy to see that we actually achieved them today.”Chanderpaul played the silent partner at various times throughout the day, not least when Sammy was clattering 41 either side of a blow to the helmet from Watson. He then shepherded the tail through to the declaration, which did not arrive until all 11 home batsmen had got into double figures. “Whenever Sammy’s batting, things are pretty lively,” Chanderpaul said. “Look at the partnership. I was looking at it and I thought, ‘Geez, I’m not contributing here’.”We actually set team goals and the team goals were what we were working on. I didn’t set any personal goals. The team goals would help us achieve whatever we wanted to achieve individually. What we got on the board was what we set ourselves, guys making sure they bat right through the entire innings.”Sammy’s duel with Watson made for a bracing sight, both men exchanging stares in between bouncers, sixes and boundaries. Watson said Sammy’s straight six the ball after being struck on the head was a moment of pure nerve. However, he also noted that Sammy had not yet found the knack of building on his aggressive starts.”No [I’ve never been hit for six the ball after hitting a batsman before], especially after he took a bit of time to come around,” Watson said. “I thought that was the right ball to bowl at that stage – bowling a good-length ball – but he seemed to enjoy it and hit it over my head. It was a good duel, he took it very well and kept going. That’s what you expect of an opposition skipper, to really dig in like he did and keep going through. He was struggling a bit after that over. Darren’s a very nice guy and a tough competitor as well, it showed a lot of character by him.”There’s no doubt, the way he’s batting, he does take a few risks to be able to bat that way. There’s always going to be a chance that one shot you won’t execute exactly right. We knew that’s the way he bats, the way he bats best is when he’s taking us on. Let’s hope he doesn’t find the secret to getting a big one.”

Brendan Taylor, the Zimbabwe captain, will play in the Bangladesh Premier League after signing up with Chittagong Kings.”We have just signed for Brendan to join the Chittagong Kings for the last three games and the finals in the BPL,” Taylor’s agent said. “The deal was negotiated directly by us with the owner and CEO, Sameer Quader Chowdhury, of the Chittagong Kings.”Chittagong are currently in third place, with eight points, two behind joint leaders, Khulna Royal Bengals and Duronto Rajshahi.Taylor has played 54 Twenty20s, averaging 31 at a strike-rate of 122.04. He recently played in New Zealand’s domestic Twenty20 league, and smashed a career-best 101 for Wellington.

Match facts

Xavier Doherty has become an important player in Australia’s one-day side, according to the captain Michael Clarke•Getty Images

February 12, Adelaide
Start time 1350 (0320 GMT)

Big Picture

The triangular series roadshow rolls into Adelaide on Sunday, when Australia and India meet for the second time. Already Australia have jumped clear on top of the table thanks to victories in their first two games, while India are on the board having beaten Sri Lanka in Perth. Not that either team was convincing against Sri Lanka at the WACA; Australia’s batsmen struggled and India made hard work of a chase that should not have been too tricky. Adelaide Oval should provide the bats men with more comfort.Australia have taken the opportunity to rest Michael Hussey, which should mean Peter Forrest will makes his debut at a venue he has enjoyed, at least in the longer format – he has two first-class centuries and an average of 65.14 at Adelaide Oval. Mitchell Marsh could provide some excitement if he is included. The captain Michael Clarke said after Friday’s victory that while it was hard to change a winning side, it was also important to give opportunities to players, so Marsh and Forrest will both be firmly in the mix.India are still searching for their first win over a Clarke-led side on this tour, their only victory over Australia having come in a Twenty20. The short turnaround for the hosts, who were due to arrive in Adelaide the night before the game, could work in India’s favour.

Form guide

Australia WWWLW (Most recent first)
India WLWWL

In the spotlight

The WACA is not known as a spinner’s pitch but Xavier Doherty certainly enjoyed bowling there on Friday night. He turned the ball, at times immensely, and picked up 2 for 24 from his ten overs. “He was outstanding once again,” Michael Clarke said after the game. “He continues to be a very good consistent performer for us. He can bowl in the Powerplay, he’s spinning the ball, I think he’s an important player for us and he’s continuing to do a good job.”Like Doherty, R Ashwin enjoyed bowling at the WACA against Sri Lanka, where he took 3 for 32. Adelaide Oval should also offer some assistance for the slow bowlers, although they must be careful not to drop short, given the small boundaries square of the wicket.

Team news

Australia will rest Michael Hussey, who was to remain in Perth, and Ben Hilfenhaus has also been released from the squad. Mitchell Marsh will join the group after playing in Western Australia’s Sheffield Shield match during the week, although it’s unlikely he and Daniel Christian will both play. Hussey’s absence means Peter Forrest is almost a certainty to make his debut.Australia (possible) 1 David Warner, 2 Matthew Wade (wk), 3 Ricky Ponting, 4 Michael Clarke (capt), 5 David Hussey, 6 Peter Forrest, 7 Daniel Christian/Mitchell Marsh, 8 Ryan Harris, 9 Mitchell Starc, 10 Xavier Doherty, 11 Clint McKay.India’s rotation policy has meant changes in the top order, but a team spokesman said the policy was not rigid and the primary aim was to qualify for the finals. That could mean an unchanged outfit after their success against Sri Lanka.India (possible) 1 Virender Sehwag, 2 Sachin Tendulkar, 3 Virat Kohli, 4 Rohit Sharma, 5 Suresh Raina, 6 MS Dhoni (capt, wk), 7 Ravindra Jadeja, 8 R Ashwin, 9 Vinay Kumar, 10 Praveen Kumar, 11 Zaheer Khan.

Pitch and conditions

The Adelaide Oval surface is always good for batting. That said, Victoria batted first in a Ryobi Cup match there last week and were bowled out for 123. The forecast for Sunday is for a partly cloudy day with a top of 26C.

Stats and trivia

• Australia and India have met in four ODIs at Adelaide Oval, all of which have been won by Australia
• Australia’s attack is so inexperienced at this level that their leading ODI wicket-taker is Michael Clarke with 53

Quotes

“The feeling in the group is really good. We’re showing that we know how to win games of cricket, which is good and means guys are confident.”
Michael Clarke

ScorecardGraham Onions took three second-innings wickets to stake a claim for a place in the first Test•Getty Images

Graham Onions and Monty Panesar took three wickets each to propel England XI to their second win in as many practice games, and give the selectors a reminder of the decisions they face ahead of the first Test against Pakistan on Tuesday.In the absence of Tim Bresnan, a bowling spot is up for grabs in the England Test side. Onions and Panesar both pressed their case for inclusion as they helped bowl the Pakistan Cricket Board XI out for 150, and set up a 100-run win on the third day.Panesar finished with 8 for 103 in the match to press his case to be included as a second spinner for the first Test. Onions also showed he was ready for a return to Test cricket, taking 3 for 38 in the second innings. His two wickets help reduce the PCB XI to 16 for 3 in pursuit of 251 after England declared their second-innings five minutes before lunch.Onions had Afaq Raheem cutting onto his stumps for 7 before Mohammad Ayub was trapped in front for a third-ball duck. Chris Tremlett is the favourite to replace Bresnan for the first Test and he also struck with the new ball by having Nasir Jamshed caught behind, playing away from his body.Usman Salahuddin and Fawad Alam added 71 for the fourth wicket before Panesar added to his first-innings five-for by finding the edge of Salahuddin’s bat, Graeme Swann taking the catch at slip.Swann got among the wickets by trapping Haris Sohail leg before, despite a hint of bat before pad, and there was also a wicket for Kevin Pietersen’s occasional offspin as Alam holed out to midwicket for 51 for 93 balls.But it was Panesar again that stole the show as he lured Raza Hasan past a turning ball, before completing the win when Mohammad Talha offered no stroke and was out lbw for three.England will be encouraged by Panesar’s form and they will also have been pleased to see Jonathan Trott make runs in England’s second innings. Trott was promoted to open the batting and struck 12 fours making 93, and shared an opening stand of 130 with Andrew Strauss.Strauss also went past 50 before falling leg before to Yasir Shah, who took all three wickets in the innings and gave England a reminder of their fallibility against spin. He finished with 8 for 95 in the match.

Sri Lanka Women booked their place in the Women’s World Cup after comprehensively beating hosts Bangladesh Women in Mirpur. After restricting Bangladesh to an exact 100, Sri Lanka made light work of the target, reaching home within 27 overs. Shashikala Siriwardene had a hand with both bat and ball, taking 2 for 23 and scoring an unbeaten 22 to guide her side home. Sri Lanka’s Udeshika Prabhodani struck early after Bangladesh opted to bat, reducing them to 13 for 3. Salma Khatun resisted with 32 but she didn’t get enough support as Bangladesh were restricted by tight bowling and fielding. Bangladesh exerted pressure when they took the field but Inoka Galagedara and Sandamali Dolawatte ensured Sri Lanka didn’t stutter towards their target.”We knew today that if our bowlers restricted the side to below 200 we would do well and the best score Bangladesh have against us in 190 which was in Sri Lanka,” Dilani Manodara, Sri Lanka’s captain, said. “I do think they are a much improved side but today was our day in the field. It was disappointing that we lost wickets again early on but this can only be improved upon. We knew that it was a slow wicket and coming out second to bat it would only get slower and would take turn, but we finished the job and secured our win and a place at the World Cup.”Bangladesh meanwhile will head to the play-offs for ODI status. “Today our batting didn’t perform and we should have made more runs but once again the Sri Lankans were very tight in the field against us,” Khatun, the captain, said. “We should have batted better out there today, their bowling was good but runs were there to be scored and we didn’t make them. The biggest difference I have found playing against the stronger sides in this tournament has been the fact that they have played a lot more cricket than we have, some of the sides here have had well established women cricket for over 20 years, whereas we have only been playing regularly for about five years.”Pakistan Women too sealed their berth in the World Cup with a massive 193-run win against Netherlands Women in Fatullah. Fiftes by Nida Dar, Bismah Maroof and Javeria Khan took the score to an imposing 277 for 4. Maroof and Dar were amongst the wickets as well, taking three wickets apiece to send the opposition crashing to 84. Their captain Sana Mir missed out on a fifty, falling just one short, but her knock set the platform for the middle order to build on. Javeria top scored with 67 while Maroof wasn’t too far behind, at 66.Only two Netherlands players managed to go past double figures. The batsmen were rocked by the spinners and were no match for the Pakistan attack.”Today’s performance was great, we wanted to make at least 250 and we did that, with three of the team making half-centuries too,” Mir said. “There was some good bowling which was really tight, the only thing I would like to improve upon ahead of our match against South Africa is the amount of extras that we bowled.””After we won gold at the Asian Games recently, women’s cricket has really taken off in the media in Pakistan and increased in popularity.”It was a much closer affair at Savar, as Japan Women sneaked home by six runs against Zimbabwe Women. Ema Kuribayashi played a captain’s knock of 47 but lacked support from the rest as Japan were bowled out for 152. They had Extras to thank – 25 of those runs came off wides. Kuribayashi played her part in the field as well, taking a wicket, two catches and effecting a run-out. Japan’s fielding was impressive and that played an important part in restricting Zimbabwe. Modester Mupachikwa was the top scorer with 32. Japan too were generous with extras – they conceded 30 wides. However, it didn’t hurt them in the end as Zimbabwe ran out of overs and lost despite having two wickets in hand.