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ScorecardAn innings of immense promise from Sarah Taylor enabled England to secure a three-wicket victory in the fourth one-day international at the Rose Bowl and with it the series against India. Taylor’s 61 was the outstanding innings of the day and she batted with an ease that no one else managed. England’s chase was not without its alarms, but they had enough in reserve as Jane Smit and Katherine Brunt carried them over the line with 26 balls to spare.India had fought back after a poor start as they lost both openers with just a single on the board. Mithali Raj and Anjum Chopra added 108 for the third wicket to lead the fightback, however a clutch of late wickets restricted the total to below 200.England’s chase was rocking after an impressive early spell from Jhulan Goswami, who took three wickets in an eight-over burst that went for just 10 runs. She claimed two in two balls when Caroline Atkins inside-edged onto her stumps then Charlotte Edwards, again batting down the order, pushed at her first ball and was well taken by Karu Jain.It was anyone’s game at 17 for 3, but the innings was steadied by Claire Taylor and Jenny Gunn. India gained another vital breakthrough when Taylor was stumped down the leg-side, bringing Sarah Taylor to the middle. For the first match of this series she was selected as the wicketkeeper, in place of Smit, but she can more than hold her own as a batsman.In the third match, at Arundel, her 40 was full of class and at Brighton College she loses nothing in comparison with her male colleagues. This innings gave a wider audience a view of her ability as she timed the ball from the outset and was well-organised throughout. “It’s been a steep learning curve,” she said later, although such sentiments could have applied to India’s bowlers as she routinely punished them with conviction. Much of the batting up to that point had been a struggle, but Taylor found the gaps and had the timing to reach the fence.Her half-century came off 51 balls – “I’m looking to score at a run a ball” she later confirmed – but when she sliced to point the game was not quite won with 29 still needed. However, Smit – who had originally been left out as keeper in favour Taylor – used her experience to strike five boundaries, the final three arriving in a rush to seal the match.Despite India’s early wickets they had always appeared about 25 runs short after struggling to press the accelerator following the early loss of their openers. Raj and Chopra played well, in a record third-wicket stand between the two teams, but were reluctant to chance their arm. It was left to Hemlata Kala to pick up the rate with a well-paced 40 off 46 balls.England’s bowlers stuck to their task with Holly Colvin, who earlier in the day gained 10 A-stars in her GCSEs, producing an economical spell with her left-arm spin. However, it was England’s other young star who played the vital hand, and laid a marker for the future -“I’m loving it” she smiled – as the team managed to reverse their series defeat from the winter.

Richard Done, the former head coach of the Queensland Cricket Academy, has been appointed by the International Cricket Council as their new High Performance Manager.Done, a former New South Wales fast bowler, has been involved in Australian cricket for 25 years, and takes over the ICC role from Bob Woolmer, who is now in charge of Pakistan.Done’s task is to help to bridge the gap between the leading Associate nations of the ICC and the full members through such tournaments as the inaugural three-day Intercontinental Cup, the semi-finals of which take place in the United Arab Emirates from November 17.”This is a vital role in the development of the sport outside its traditional heartlands,” said Malcolm Speed, the chief executive of the ICC, who added that Done had been selected after an extensive search for Woolmer’s replacement.”After an interview process involving high-calibre applicants from eight of our Full Member countries, Richard emerged as the outstanding candidate with the skills and experience to help these nations develop,” Speed added. “I wish him every success in this challenging role.”Done, who has undertaken coaching assignments in India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and the UAE, was senior coach at the Australian Cricket Academy for nine years, where he oversaw the development of several of the current Australian squad, including the entire pace attack of Glenn McGrath, Jason Gillespie, Brett Lee and Michael Kasprowicz. He has also coached the Australian Under-19 squad on several occasions.Done’s first role will be to attend the finals of the Intercontinental Cup. After that, he will concentrate on preparations for the ICC Trophy in Ireland in July 2005, where the top five teams from the 12-team event will qualify for the 2007 World Cup in the West Indies. The countries currently on the High Performance Programme are Kenya, Namibia, Holland, Scotland and Canada.”Over recent years the ICC has demonstrated a genuine commitment to developing the sport around the world and I am excited about the opportunity to help contribute to this goal,” said Done. “I am looking forward to working with coaches and players to help these nations improve.”

At the start of yet another new era in Pakistan cricket, there was a distinct lack of occasion and atmosphere. The details of the match might be forgotten, but the day will be remembered as the beginning of what promises to be, if nothing else, one of the more intriguing relationships in cricket – that between Bob Woolmer and the Pakistan team.Pakistan’s ultimately facile victory over a strangely dispirited Bangladesh side was expected, as were the architects of the victory. It produced but the briefest glimmer of the benefits Woolmer might ultimately bring to Pakistan, but given that it was only his first game in charge, it also revealed some of the conundrums that he must address in the Pakistan team.There was a sniff of experimentation – you feel it wouldn’t quite be Woolmer if there wasn’t – in Shoaib Malik’s promotion to No. 3. Shoaib Akhtar cut down his run-up, bowled within himself, and looked threatening. But there were also reminders of the impetuosity of Yasir Hameed, and of the worrying ineffectiveness of Abdul Razzaq’s bowling.Hameed’s century was, statistically at least, an impressive feat, and his first fifty was accumulated in a pleasant, stylish and confident manner. His second, however, brought to light his limitations. Time and again, he went hard at the ball, bludgeoning and not caressing, as is his strength. Against a more testing attack, he might not have lasted much past fifty. But if his is a problem in his vast, unfulfilled potential, then Razzaq’s predicament is to the sting he once possessed as a fifth bowler.Whatever the reasons behind it – over-exertion, injuries, loss of pace or a combination of all three – the nature of it was crystallised by the first deliveries of his first two overs today. The first, a lazy no-ball, was slapped through the covers for four by Javed Omar, and the second was dismissed by Mohammad Ashraful for another boundary. He remained ineffective on a pitch that should have helped his bowling, and instead of searching for a sixth bowler, Pakistan must now find a fifth one who can safely go through ten overs.Shoaib Malik’s usefulness in the field and as a bowler further clouds the issue, and although the one-down option is interesting in its relative novelty, it was tried and discarded after a couple of matches against Australia before the last World Cup. Whether it is viewed as a long-term strategy or as a spur-of-the-moment improvisation, it seemed unnecessary today and disrupted what can be, in Razzaq and Malik, a lethal lower order. After a solid start, Pakistan’s loss in momentum as the last ten overs began was the result of this experiment.But Woolmer will have taken heart from the performances of the pace spearheads. Fast enough to trouble the batsmen, if not always the speed gun, both looked dangerous, although the quality of opposing batsmen will undergo a dramatic rise after the weekend. Shoaib heeded Woolmer’s advice and found some rhythm and reverse swing in his second spell, and looked controlled, while Sami allied movement and pace admirably early on. Inzamam-ul-Haq too played a part, with an effortless and pretty cameo, and although his value to the team as a captain is still uncertain, his value as a batsman is growing – and it has done so sharply since his leadership began.Drawing conclusions about the team – or the influence of a new coach – after a 76-run victory against Bangladesh is not only unfair, it is futile. The spirit, fight and organisation Bangladesh have shown of late were strangely absent, especially in their batting. While the bowling, with their own Razzaq, did well to pull back Pakistan, the complete inability of their recently strengthened lower order to deal with pace must have been frustrating for the other foreign coach with a little to prove – Dav Whatmore, the former miracle-worker for Sri Lanka who is now trying to do the same with Bangladesh.Tomorrow should bring another comfortable win for Pakistan, maybe with a dash less rustiness, against Hong Kong. Six points in a tournament from the first game is always a handy start for a new regime, but the entire camp will know that higher peaks will have to be scaled next week. Only then will we witness a further glimpse into what promises to be an eventful relationship.

Jerome Taylor, the 18-year-old medium-pacer from Jamaica, is the only newface in West Indies’ 14-man squad that will take on Sri Lanka in the firstTest which starts on Friday, June 20 at St. Lucia. Taylor is spoken ofhighly in the Caribbean, and an impressive ODI debut against Sri Lankacapped a highly successful domestic season.Taylor has played just seven first class matches, picking up 21 wickets atan average of 20.14, and was named the most promising bowler in the CaribBeer series this year. If he plays the Test, Taylor will become the youngestdebutant for West Indies since Alfie Roberts played against New Zealand inAuckland in 1956.The rest of the line-up is drawn largely from the squad which was beaten 1-3in the four-Test series against Australia. There’s room, though, for CoreyColleymore, who could be playing his first Test in four years. He has notplayed a Test since his debut against Australia in April 1999.Squad
Chris Gayle, Wavell Hinds, Devon Smith, Daren Ganga, Brian Lara (capt),Ramnaresh Sarwan, Marlon Samuels, Ridley Jacobs, Omari Banks, Carlton BaughJr (wk), Corey Collymore, Mervyn Dillon, Vasbert Drakes, Jerome Taylor.

Pakistan captain Waqar Younis and vice-captain Inzamam-ul-Haq willrepresent National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) in the Patron’s Trophyfirst-class competition starting Sept 21.The two have agreed to play for NBP after being convinced by old palMushtaq Ahmad who will skipper the side.A NBP spokesman confirmed the participation of the two players, addingthat it would be a great honour for the establishment.”We were approached by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) if we couldaccommodate Waqar Younis and Inzamam-ul-Haq. The matter was taken tothe highest authorities who gave the thumbs up,” the spokesman said.Waqar and Inzamam are without any departments. However, it was notimmediately known at what financial package the two players willrepresent NBP.Squad: Mushtaq Ahmad (captain), Waqar Younis, Inzamam-ul-Haq, ImranNazir, Sajid Ali, Shahid Anwar, Mohammad Javed, Akhtar Sarfraz,Mohammad Sami, Shabbir Ahmed, Kamran Akmal, Hanif-ur-Rehman(wicketkeeper), Imran Javed, Naeem Tayyab, Qaisar Abbas, Naumanullah,Aleem Moosa, Athar Laiq, Khalid Latif, Salman Butt, Aurangzeb Khan,Zafar Iqbal, Naeem Khan.Mohammad Jamil (manager) and Saeed Azad (coach) will be officials ofthe team.

England left-arm fast bowler Ryan Sidebottom has been ruled out of the first one-day international against India at Southampton on Tuesday because of a side strain.Sidebottom sustained the injury during the third Test against India at The Oval and did not bowl in the second innings. He was being treated at Loughborough and will be re-assessed for the rest of the seven match ODI series after the first match.England haven’t called up a replacement to the squad, which leaves the fast-bowling attack in the hands of James Anderson, Stuart Broad, Chris Tremlett and the returning Andrew Flintoff.Sidebottom took eight wickets at nearly 38 apiece in the Test series against India and was included in the one-day squad even though he had played only one out of three against West Indies. He has also been named in England’s squad for the Twenty20 World Championships in South Africa in September.

Martin Bicknell, the Surrey and England fast bowler, has retired. Bicknell, 37, had enjoyed some outings in Surrey’s first team this year, but had always said this was to be his final season and he finally called time on his playing career today, a few weeks earlier than planned. “Physically I was struggling,” he said,”but it just felt like it was the right time.”I’m relieved in a way,” he added, “but also a bit sad. It’s the end of an era.” It certainly is. Bicknell has been with Surrey for the last 28 years, since he joined them at the age of ten. He always wanted to play professional cricket and that dream came true when he was handed his first county contract at the age of 17, following a successful season in the seconds.In all he took 1047 wickets for the county, but he also fashioned something of a batting career for himself, and he’s rightly proud of his 6740 first-class runs. He smiles: “I was almost an allrounder.”He also flirted with the Test stage, although he only had four matches at that level. His debut, in 1993 against Australia, was a most fiery baptism. “I was thinking this is so tough – Allan Border, Steve Waugh, David Boon, all at the height of their careers.” Nevertheless, he had some success, taking four wickets, but injury wrecked his chances of a winter tour.He then waited for a call but that only came a decade later. “I wasn’t selected, it baffled me for a while.” True, he had stiff competition from Andrew Caddick and Darren Gough because he was seen as a new-ball bowler, but Bicknell still finds that perception bemusing. “It’s a bit of a mystery. I was actually most successful on the unresponsive pitches at The Oval.”He just shrugged and got on with being a strikeforce for Surrey, and helped them lift the Championship trophy in 1999, another career highlight. Then came the surprise Test recall in 2003, when he was 34. “I had just gone past my peak,” he admits. “I was very concerned at how I’d get on.” He need not have worried; he took a wicket with his second ball against South Africa at Headingley and then bowled England to victory in the final Test at The Oval.

“I had two very good performances and that left a good feeling for me. I had happy experiences of playing Test cricket.” But should he have played more? “People will look back and think I was a bit unlucky. Obviously it would be nice to have played 60 or 70 Tests, but it’s just one of those things. I was lucky to have played Test cricket at all.”Alan Butcher, the manager of cricket at Surrey, added, “Martin Bicknell is one of the true Surrey greats. He was integral to Surrey’s success during the glory years between 1997-2003, and is one of those cricketers who are truly irreplaceable.”Bicknell may have called time on playing, but he intends to maintain his Surrey links, hopefully getting involved with coaching their juniors. “That would be very enjoyable.” And he will be nurturing more youth as Head of Cricket at Charterhouse School, after four successful months with them.When he’s not involved in cricket, Bicknell enjoys his golf – and he has an impressive handicap of 2. He’s back off to India in February for the World Cup of Golf, where former international cricketers compete for the honours, and he hopes to claim the title this year, after Kapil Dev pipped him in the inaugural competition this year. “It’s a lovely day out,” he says of playing golf. “I love the game. I could play every day.”And as for cricket, though he won’t be playing every day, he will look back on his time with happiness. “I’m not leaving the game with any regrets.”

Trevor Bayliss, the New South Wales coach, wants Brett Lee to return from India if he is not picked for the final Test on Wednesday.Lee has not played in a Test since January and Bayliss said it would be better for him to fly home and play for the Blues. “I would have thought there are two or three other young guys over there who could do a decent job running around,” Bayliss told the .New South Wales start their Pura Cup match against Western Australia at the SCG tomorrow and will play New Zealand in a first-class game on November 11.Western Australia will not call for another bowler despite Michael Clark having scans today to determine whether a screw has loosened in his back. Clark, who missed last seasosn with stress fractures of the spine and had a pin inserted into the L4 vertebrae, complained of soreness after fielding in the ING Cup match against New South Wales yesterday.Adam Voges, who scored the fastest century in the competition yesterday with his 62-ball hundred, is likely to be dropped as Scott Meuleman returns from a dislocated shoulder.New South Wales Brad Haddin (c), Nathan Bracken, Stuart Clark, Phil Jaques, Jason Krejza, Greg Mail, Stuart MacGill, Matthew Nicholson, Aaron O’Brien, Matthew Phelps, Dominic Thornely, Damian Wallace.Western Australia Michael Hussey (c), Murray Goodwin, Ryan Campbell, Beau Casson, Kade Harvey, Brad Hogg, Steve Magoffin, Scott Meuleman, Marcus North, Adam Voges, Darren Wates, Shaun Marsh.

West Indies today named their preliminary 30-man squad for the ICC Champions Trophy this September in England.Brian Lara will lead the squad, and there were recalls for the likes of Merv Dillon, Corey Collymore, Daren Ganga, Wavell Hinds and Marlon Samuels, who has been out of action since November 2003 with a knee injury.Joey Carew, the acting chairman of selectors, said the squad contained, in the main, players who have been involved in one-day cricket over the last couple of years, and that it was indicative of the continuity which the selectors felt was important for the stability of the squad.Carew said: “Although in a sense, the selection is purely academic since the final squad of 14 has to be selected by 10 August, it gives an indication of who we have in mind to represent us in this important one-day tournament as we keep our focus on the World Cup.”He added that those players in the squad who were not currently in England must continue practising and playing where possible to ensure that they were fit and ready if selected in the final 14.West Indies preliminary squad
Omari Banks, Carlton Baugh (wk), Jason Bennett, Tino Best, Ian Bradshaw, Dwayne Bravo, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Pedro Collins, Corey Collymore, Merv Dillon, Fidel Edwards, Daren Ganga, Chris Gayle, Ryan Hinds, Wavell Hinds, Ryan Hurley, Ridley Jacobs (wk), Sylvester Joseph, Brian Lara (capt), Jermaine Lawson, Ricardo Powell, Ravi Rampaul, Darren Sammy, Marlon Samuels, Adam Sandford, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Devon Smith, Dwayne Smith, Dwight Washington, Kurt Wilkinson.

Promising Hampshire YC’s all-rounder David Wheeler is set to play his first Southern Electric Premier League match of the season tomorrow (SAT) – barely a week after having been diagnosed with a stress fracture of the spine.But instead of playing for the Hampshire Academy, whom he helped win the Premier 2 championship last summer, Wheeler is planning a "gentle run out" for New Milton against Hungerford at Fernhill, 1pm.Wheeler, 18, played all his junior cricket for New Milton before joining the Academy and has been given the nod by Hampshire Second XI coach Tony Middleton to return to his roots tomorrow."David is terribly frustrated and desperate to get a bit of cricket in before he undergoes surgery to cure his back problem," said his father Cliff."He hopes it will be a quiet run out with his old New Milton chums, in which he can do a bit of batting and fielding without over-extending himself."That’s unlikely to prevent the big hitting Wheeler from changing his natural game.He scored almost 600 runs for New Milton in 2001 and nearly 400 in the Academy’s Division 2 title success last summer.Paultons expect to build on their opening day success against Hook & Newnham Basics with a win over Hambledon, while strongly fancied Trojans are boosted by the return of Jamie Donaldson, Nigel le Bas and Chris Mitchell at Waterlooville.Title favourites Winchester KS face a difficult test against Ventnor at Steephill.