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Ricky Ponting, the Australia captain, believes the World Cup will be a better event without the weaker Associate nations, but hopes the ICC’s decision doesn’t hurt the development of the game around the world. The ICC has decided the next World Cup will feature only ten teams, and the Associates will have to use the World Twenty20 as their major chance for exposure to the top level. They have not yet revealed what the qualification for the 50-over World Cup will be.It’s a move that has understandably angered plenty of the Associates, who have also received support from leading players such as Graeme Swann, AB de Villiers and Shaun Tait. However, Kenya’s capitulation for 69 against New Zealand, and Canada’s struggle to contain Sri Lanka on Sunday highlighted one of the problems of adding the less competitive teams to the tournament, according to Ponting.”That’s a tough question, for the sheer fact that you need to be bringing some of these smaller nations on in the world of cricket,” Ponting said when asked if the Associates should play in the World Cup. “We all want to see the game develop and blossom in different countries around the world. I’ve always been a bit unsure if World Cups and Champions Trophies are the right place to do that.”The major reason for that is I’m not sure how much a lot of the teams actually learn when they’re getting hammered like they tend to do in a lot of those contests. It would probably be a better tournament if there were fewer teams, but we understand the responsibility for the game to continue to grow around the world as well.”Ponting’s Australian side will meet Canada and Kenya in the group stage this year, while Netherlands and Ireland are the Associates in the other group. One thing the ICC’s decision has done is give the minnows something to prove during the current World Cup.”It is so important for us to put out strong performances and show everyone, including the ICC, how much progress the Associates have made and send further strong messages to all that we are competing,” Netherlands coach Peter Drinnen said. “We beat Bangladesh last year. We have beaten a full member in the shorter version [England at the 2009 World Twenty20]; other Associates have beaten full members. Whether we win or lose as long as the performances are there people can see the amount of progress we have made in the last three to five years with the introduction of the high performance programme.”Drinnen added his name to the growing list of players and coaches who think the move to restrict the number of teams will be bad for the game. “The gains [of playing against full members] are significant,” he said. “So it is so important that we keep getting those opportunities as that only enhances our development and increases our progress. To have those opportunities taken away, obviously, is going to be detrimental.”The 2015 World Cup will be held in Australia and New Zealand. The last time the tournament was hosted there, in 1992, was also the last time there were no Associates that took part.

Gulam Bodi, who has played two ODIs and a Twenty20 international for South Africa, has moved from the Titans to the Lions franchise with immediate effect. The Titans announced on Saturday that Bodi would be leaving, after having been with them for six seasons.Bodi has followed the same route as left-arm spinner Paul Harris, who moved from the Titans to the Lions in April 2010. Legspinner Imran Tahir also left the Titans last year, moving to the Dolphins in March.The switch has come after Bodi found himself on the fringes of the Titans side instead of being a regular opening batsman. “It is with much regret that this season has not progressed for me as I would have liked,” Bodi said. He was sidelined largely because of the return of Jacques Rudolph to the franchise this season.In an attempt to resurrect his career, Bodi has signed with the Lions just in time for the Standard Bank Pro20 competition, which starts on Friday. It’s a home-coming for the 32-year-old Bodi who first started playing cricket for what was then Gauteng. “I’m really looking forward to be playing for my home team again, something that I have always wanted. This is where I started my career and I believe that I still have plenty to offer,” he said. Bodi also plied his trade at Kwa-Zulu Natal before he joined the Titans.The Lions, who finished as runners up in the Standard Bank Pro20 last season, have made it a priority to end in the top two again, in order to ensure representation in the Twenty20 Champions League. Bodi will be essential to their plans and is likely to challenge one of Jonathan Vandiar or Jean Symes for a spot at the top of the order.Bodi will be reunited with former Titans coach Dave Nosworthy, as well as Harris, at the Wanderers and the coach is looking forward to having one of his old charges back. “Gulam will be an asset, both on and off the field with his superb track record and playing experience. I’ve no doubt that he will fit in well,” Nosworthy said.Having made his first-class debut in 1996/97, Bodi made his entry into limited-overs cricket three seasons later. He has a first-class average of 32.70 and a List A average of 32.88. He was selected to play for South Africa on their 2001 tour of the West Indies but had to withdraw after breaking a finger. He was also part of South Africa’s World Twenty20 squad in 2007.

Shakib Al Hasan, has been retained as captain for the home one-day series against Zimbabwe, while Mashrafe Mortaza and Tamim Iqbal, both of whom were out injured, have returned to the Bangladesh squad. Mohammad Ashraful also returns, making yet another comeback after having been dropped for the last ODI series against New Zealand.Shakib led the side to a historic whitewash against New Zealand, and was also the leading wicket-taker and run-scorer in the series. Mortaza, who was captain for the first game, injured his ankle and missed the remainder of the series. He had resumed bowling in the nets earlier this month in a bid to get fit for the Zimbabwe ODIs. The selectors were satisfied that he has recovered sufficiently, but have retained Shakib as captain. “Mashrafe is now fit and has been included in the side. But the board has decided to give the captaincy to Shakib for the Zimbabwe series,” Rabeed Imam, the Bangladesh Cricket Board spokesman, told .Bangladesh will also be bolstered by the return of key batsman Tamim – named the Test Player of the Year by the Wisden Cricketer magazine – who has recovered after undergoing surgery in September for a long-standing wrist problem. The injury bothered him throughout Bangladesh’s tour of England earlier this year, and he missed the New Zealand series while undergoing post-surgery rehabilitation.While Mortaza and Tamim were expected to be selected if they were fit, Ashraful’s comeback is the latest in a year where he has been in and out of the team on account of his prolonged poor form. He was dropped for the New Zealand one-dayers, but was then handed a top-level central contract by the board in a sign he was close to the selectors’ thoughts ahead of the 2011 World Cup. He recently led a second-string Bangladesh side to the country’s first-ever Asian Games gold medal in the Twenty20 competition at Guangzhou. “Ashraful finds a place after his stellar performance in national cricket,” Imam said.With Tamim, Ashraful and Mortaza returning, batsmen Shahriar Nafees and Jahurul Islam, and seamer Syed Rasel, who were part of the squad against New Zealand, have been kept on standby. Uncapped allrounder Sabbir Rahman is also among the four players on standby.Fast bowler Nazmul Hossain, who was also injured during the first ODI against New Zealand, has also been selected.The five-match series, which starts on December 1 with the first game at Mirpur, will be Bangladesh’s last ODI engagement before the World Cup.Bangladesh squad:Shakib Al Hasan (capt), Mashrafe Mortaza, Tamim Iqbal, Imrul Kayes, Junaid Siddique, Mohammad Ashraful, Raqibul Hasan, Mushfiqur Rahim (wk), Mahmudullah, Naeem Islam, Abdur Razzak, Suhrawadi Shuvo, Shafiul Islam, Rubel Hossain, Nazmul Hossain
Standby: Shahriar Nafees, Jahurul Islam, Sabbir Rahman, Syed Rasel

Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
Chris Martin bowled Sachin Tendulkar, turning in one of his finest performances•AFP

New Zealand ended the fourth day dreaming of a famous win in Ahmedabad after India’s vaunted batting proved no match against an inspired Chris Martin, whose ninth five-wicket haul left the home side effectively at 110 for 6. The mayhem in Motera in the second half of the day was in complete contrast to the morning session when Kane Williamson’s debut Test century steered New Zealand past 400 and the match looked set to meander towards a dull draw. Instead, India are looking to their chief firefighter, VVS Laxman, to put in a third consecutive match-turning second-innings effort.India seemed to have wrested a slim advantage after prising out the final five New Zealand wickets for 42. With Hamish Bennett injured and Jesse Ryder nursing a calf strain, New Zealand’s man-for-all-occasions Daniel Vettori would have to share the new ball with Martin. The possibility of Virender Sehwag cashing in to help India force a result was very much alive.What unfolded couldn’t have been more different. Gautam Gambhir made his third successive second-innings duck, inside-edging Martin to the keeper. On a pitch which had till then seemed comatose, Martin got the ball to jag in appreciably, forcing the batsmen to play cautiously.New Zealand’s fielding had been abysmal in the first innings, with several dropped catches, but substitute Martin Guptill’s sublime bit of fielding sent back dangerman Sehwag. Rahul Dravid punched the ball towards mid-off, where Guptill threw himself to his left to cut it off, causing confusion among the batsmen. Dravid stopped and sent Sehwag back after taking several paces down the track, and Guptill’s reverse-flick while still on his knees was accurate enough for the bowler to run out the stranded Sehwag.It got even better for New Zealand as a tentative Dravid poked at a ball outside off from Martin that held its line to feather it to the keeper. India went in to tea at 2 for 3, but were comforted on seeing the man in form, Sachin Tendulkar, pick off ten runs off a Martin over soon after the break.

Smart Stats

• Kane Williamson’s 131 is the highest score by a New Zealand batsman against India on debut. It is also the second-highest score by a New Zealand batsman on debut behind Matthew Sinclair’s 214 against West Indies.

• Chris Martin’s spell of five for 25 is the fifth-best bowling performance by New Zealand bowler in India and at present, the second best by a visiting bowler at Ahmedabad behind Dale Steyn’s 5 for 23.

• India’s score of 15 for 5 is their worst score at the fall of the fifth wicket against New Zealand and their second lowest overall. Three of the six worst scores at the fall of the fifth wicket have come against New Zealand.

• Daniel Vettori became the fifth New Zealand batsman to reach 4000 runs in his 101st Test. He has 3995 runs for New Zealand and 8 for the ICC World XI.

• Gautam Gambhir has now made three ducks in his last five innings and just 86 runs in his last nine innings. During that period, his average has fallen from 57.50 to 49.92.

That proved only a temporary relief as another Martin indipper took Tendulkar’s inside-edge on its way to the leg stump. Martin greeted new man Suresh Raina with a surprise bouncer, and then slipped in a fuller delivery the next over; Raina was caught on the crease and nicked a drive to slip. India were 15 for 5 – India’s second-worst score at five down in their Test history – and there could have been further trouble when Dhoni was struck high on the pads three balls later by yet another incutter.Laxman and Dhoni set about reviving the Indian innings, though there were no easy runs on offer from the accurate New Zealand spin pair of Vettori and Jeetan Patel. They eased the ball around for singles, and threw in the odd boundary, and when they had blunted the bowling for 24 overs, New Zealand’s hopes started to recede. Martin wasn’t done for the day, though, and an effort-ball from him produced some extra bounce and Dhoni chopped the ball onto the stumps. Harbhajan came out and attempted the big shots, pulling some off and missing others, but manage to remain unbeaten with Laxman at stumps.New Zealand will fancy their chances of winning this Test, a position India would have expected themselves to be in after their first innings. First, they hadn’t anticipated New Zealand’s spirited batting performance. Williamson, supported by his captain Vettori, who played a characteristically gritty innings, added 86 in the morning before Williamson fell in the final over before lunch with New Zealand well past 400.India’s chances in the session before that late breakthrough came in the first four overs: a couple of lbw appeals against Vettori and a Williamson nick just short of third slip. For the next 100 minutes, it was all New Zealand. Williamson hit a couple of boundaries off Zaheer Khan – a pull behind square and a glance to fine leg three balls later – to move from 93 to 101 and become the eighth New Zealander to make a hundred in his first Test. There were no extravagant theatrics that you might expect from a 20-year-old who had played a fine innings to rescue his team from a tight spot; just a big grin and a wave of the bat towards the dressing room.Vettori settled down after his initial jitters, and went past 4000 Test runs, again showcasing how much his batting has developed in the last few years. India’s bowlers were flat in the morning and it didn’t help that Zaheer, who has been Dhoni’s go-to bowler, didn’t appear to be 100% fit, rarely hitting even 130kmh. India wheedled out the last four New Zealand wickets in the hour-and-a-half after lunch but could scarcely have imagined the nightmare to follow.

An all-round bowling effort from Hyderabad ensured Pakistan Television were bundled out for 125 on the opening day at the Niaz Stadium. On a day when bowlers dominated from start to finish, Hyderabad did not fare much better against PTV’s seamers, finishing the day at 101 for 5. PTV opener Imran Ali’s 37 was the highest score from either side, and his 42-run opening stand with Raheel Majeed offered little indication of what was to follow. Legspinners Sharjeel Khan and Zahid Mahmood picked up three wickets each for Hyderabad before seamers Saad Altaf and Mohammad Ali did the damage when PTV bowled.The events at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore were in complete contrast to those at the Niaz Stadium as Khan Research Laboratories galloped to a dominant 301 for 2 against Lahore Shalimar. Opener Ali Naqvi was the only batsman to fail after Shalimar chose to field. Saaed Anwar jnr struck 12 fours in his 67 to lay the foundation before Bazid Khan and Mohammad Wasim capitalised. Wasim, who has played for Pakistan at the highest level, brought up his 25th first-class ton by stumps, while Bazid remained six short of the landmark following the unbroken 178-run stand.Opener Khalid Latif’s 64 was the only resistance offered by Karachi Whites as State Bank of Pakistan bowled them out for 187 at the National Bank of Pakistan Sports Complex. Seamer Bilawal Bhatti who picked up four wickets was the wrecker-in-chief for NBP after they chose to field. Rizwan Haider chipped in with three wickets as the hosts struggled to put together partnerships. Wajihuddin’s (32) third-wicket stand of 53 with Latif guided them to 107 for 2 before the middle order misfired. SBP ensured they did not lose any wickets in the two overs they got to face, and hold all the aces going into the second day.Three half-centuries from middle-order batsmen and one from a tail-ender helped Lahore Ravi survive Quetta seamer Gohar Faiz’s maiden five-wicket haul and finish at 302 for 9 after an action packed day at the Lahore City Cricket Association Ground. Faiz struck three early blows to leave Ravi stuttering at 37 for 3 before Fahad-ul-Haq and Sheraz Butt began the resistance. Fahad made 54 off 92 balls and added 111 with Sheraz to repair the innings before Quetta reclaimed the upper hand by claiming five wickets for 51 runs. Having batted through the collapse, Ashraf Ali ensured he did not fall by the wayside, and found a willing partner in No. 10 Tanzeel Altaf. The pair added 87 crucial runs to push Ravi towards 300 before Altaf fell for 51. Ashraf shepherded the last man Imran Haider to ensure his side was not bowled out on the first day, and was unbeaten on 72 at stumps.Peshawar failed to build on the base laid by their openers and stumbled from 121 for 2 to 264 for 8 against Abbottabad at the Gohati Cricket Stadium in Swabi. Mohammad Fayyaz and Gauhar Ali stroked their way to a 72-run opening stand before things began to go awry for Peshawar. Fayyaz made 58 with 11 fours and Gauhar contributed 41 before Wajid Ali broke through. Ahmed Jamal and Mohammad Naeem got into the act as well as Peshawar’s batsmen began to throw away starts. Jamal picked up four wickets before an unbroken ninth-wicket stand of 95 between Nauman Habib and Riaz Afridi gave Peshawar some late cheer.

The Australian team management is largely pleased with how Doug Bollinger and Michael Hussey fared in the training session, but the fast bowler is not a sure starter for the first Test that begins on Friday. Bollinger and Hussey joined the team just two days before the Test, after returning from their successful Champions League Twenty20 campaign with Chennai Super Kings in South Africa.”We just talked about it from the start that Michael and Doug wouldn’t be here till a certain stage,” Tim Nielsen, Australia’s coach, said. “When that changed, we pushed it back. Everybody is understanding [of that]. We just let them [Bollinger and Hussey] know upfront that if they are fit, they are more than likely to take their place in the team. We have to make the right decision, not only on their getting a spot, but [make sure] they are physically and mentally and technically right to play.”So we will have another look at them tomorrow, and make sure they are ready to go.”Nielsen said the uncertainty centered more on Bollinger than Hussey. He was pleased with how the fast bowler had got through his short bowling stint today, but how he performed tomorrow would be the big test. “It’s not as if he was sitting on a beach on his bum, he has been playing cricket. He has got some miles in his legs. [However], he certainly hasn’t had six-seven-over spells two or three times a day.”Bollinger bowled in the nets for about 20 minutes, and was seen working with the physio. “They are a little bit behind time wise,” Nielsen said. “They are in pretty good place today, we will probably know more tomorrow morning. But at this moment, they have had a bat and a bowl today, and at this stage we are pretty positive about them.”Peter George, who played in the tour game against the Board President’s XI, could make his Test debut if Bollinger is not picked. Nielsen had positive things to say about the tall fast bowler. “Peter George did a good job in the practice match, especially in the first innings. Admittedly he came on to bowl when we had already taken two or three wickets. So it was a little bit easier for him, and things didn’t work out that well from results’ point of view in the second innings when they batted nicely.”The thing we know him about him is that he runs in, he is consistent with his pace, and we like to think he is a bit like McGrath in his action and in the bounce he extracts. He is not an express fast bowler, but he has got enough pace to make the ball bounce off a length. Most importantly he runs in all day to try the right thing for the captain. Given the opportunity he will do a very good job at Test level.”Last year, too, when Australia toured India for a seven-ODI series, they had a similar situation. Brett Lee, Bollinger and Nathan Hauritz joined the team on the eve of an early-morning start. Lee lasted just one match then. “We talked about it right from the start,” Nielsen said. “There is no running away from these things. It could have been the captain if he was playing for a Champions League team.”It’s harder and throws a little bit more chaos in the system when somebody has a late injury or somebody is ill late in the last couple of days leading up to the Test. Your plans are set, you have a kind of idea in your head what players are going to play, then somebody gets hurt late… We understand what we had with Doug and Huss [ Hussey]. Yes, this is not ideal preparation, but this is the modern world of cricket.”They play for different franchises, for different teams, and their countries. That’s what we have to deal with. I suppose this is where we’ve got to earn our money. We have got to make sure that they are as close to their best as possible, come Friday.”

ScorecardMoin Ashraf bowled Matt Coles to reach his first five-wicket haul in first-class cricket on a rain-interrupted day at Headingley•Getty Images

Moin Ashraf turned in Yorkshire’s best bowling figures of the season and Alex Blake registered his maiden first-class century for Kent as the two sides continued their battle for supremacy on another rain-hit day in the County Championship match at Headingley.Blake’s unbeaten 105 helped to stretch Kent’s first innings to 302 and his tenth wicket stand of 41 with Dewald Nel brought their side the third batting bonus point, which kept them in with a chance of avoiding relegation from the top flight.Kent finished with an overall lead of 41 and by the close Yorkshire had reached 51 for 1 to go ten runs in front. Now they must force a win on the final day of the season to see if it is sufficient to clinch the Championship title for the first time since 2001.Drizzle, followed by a heavier burst of rain, meant only four overs were possible before 3.40pm when 38 overs still remained but in that initial period there was just sufficient time for 21-year-old Blake, a student at Leeds Met University, to add the ten runs to his overnight score which he needed to complete his maiden half-century from 80 balls with ten boundaries.On the re-start, Ashraf continued his outstanding form of the previous day by taking two wickets in three balls and his final figures of 5 for 32 were Yorkshire’s best in the Championship this term, beating team-mate Steve Patterson’s 5 for 50 against Essex at Scarborough.Simon Cook fell lbw to Adil Rashid’s googly to make Kent 261 for 9 but while Nel held firm, Blake unleashed some stunning cover drives off both Patterson and Ajmal Shahzad. He was also severe on Rashid, thrashing him for three consecutive boundaries, the second hurrying him to his century off 142 balls with 17 fours and the next bringing up the 300.Kent had achieved another crucial batting point and the innings was then quickly wrapped up by Patterson who trapped Nel lbw. Adam Lyth and Jacques Rudolph began to whittle away at the deficit but there was a life for Lyth on 19 when he edged Cook and a low chance was put down by James Tredwell at first slip.Tredwell made amends in the very next over by gaining an lbw decision over Rudolph and as he departed for 13 he was applauded off the field by Lyth, so fuelling speculation that this could be the South African’s last appearance for his adopted county, although he still has a year to run on his contract.Yorkshire were still a run behind at the fall of the wicket but Lyth and McGrath just had time to put them in front and leave everything depending on what happens at Headingley and elsewhere on the final riveting day of the season.

ScorecardAlexei Kervezee’s century is proving the difference between the sides•PA Photos

When Alexei Kervezee first appeared on the scene as a fresh-faced teenager, the coach, Ian Pont, remarked that there were ‘shades of Graeme Hick’ about him. The comments were roundly dismissed as absurd. How could anyone compare an untried teenager to Hick?But Pont’s words may prove remarkably prescient. For while Kervezee will never emulate Hick at county level – no-one ever will – he may well end his career with a superior record in international cricket.Certainly Kervezee’s batting in this game has been outstanding. Not only did he produce his third first-class century of the campaign, but he passed 1,000 championship runs for the season. For a man of just 20 years of age, that is quite an achievement.It may well prove to be the defining contribution in an otherwise evenly-contested match. If Surrey are to achieve their victory target of 369, it will be the second highest winning fourth-innings total in the club’s first-class history. The highest remains the 410-8 they made at Canterbury in 2002.That target looked mightily distant by stumps on the third day. Though Surrey started their chase pretty well, an inexplicable moment of madness from Tom Lancefield precipitated a collapse and the visitors lost four wickets for the addition of four runs in 22 balls.With just four-and-a-half overs left of the day, Lancefield skipped down the pitch and drove obligingly – and quite unnecessarily – to mid-on. Stuart Meaker, the nightwatchman, was punished for thrusting his pad into his forward defensive stroke, before Mark Ramprkash was bowled, second delivery, by a lovely arm ball. It left Shakib Al Hasan with three wickets in eight deliveries without conceding a run. Gareth Andrew soon capitalised by trapping Arun Harinath leg before, playing across a straight one. Surrey will have to bat remarkably well to deny Worcestershire. With the wicket providing assistance for the spinners, Shakib is likely to prove irresistible.But if it proves to be Shakib who seals the win, it will have been Kervezee who built the platform. With the game in the balance (Worcestershire were just 112 ahead when they lost their fourth wicket, Moeen Ali driving loosely to mid-off), he produced a high-class demonstration of batting, unleashing scorching drives, commanding pulls and delicious flicks through mid-wicket. His almost dismissive treatment of Gareth Batty’s off-spin brought particularly warm applause. Batty, a former player who defected at the end of last season, is not the most popular man in these parts.If Kervezee was a little loose initially – he flashed the ball before lunch just over gully – he was into his stride in the afternoon session. Timing the ball delightfully, he contributed 98 of the 190 runs Worcestershire scored in just 35 overs. Andrew, with 34 from 32 balls, helped him add 74 in just 61 balls in what will surely prove to be the partnership that defines the game.Perhaps only Jimmy Taylor of young county batsmen offers more promise than Kervezee. But not even Taylor can match Kervezee for style. He sustained one crushing blow on the head from a short ball from Meaker, but was straight back in line to the next delivery and looked unflustered by everything Surrey through at him. A Namibian and Dutch descent, Kervezee qualifies for England at end of 2011. It will be relevant.It is surely fitting that Kervezee will provide a lasting legacy of Mark Newton’s time at Worcestershire. Newton steps down as chief executive of the club at the end of September after a decade in the post, but his influence will be felt many years into the future.It was Newton’s swift action that secured the services of Kervezee four years ago. With several other clubs – including local rivals, Warwickshire – looking at Kervezee with interest, Newton seized the moment and flew to Holland. There he meet the boy and his parents in the airport and quickly agreed a contract. It was an astute move. Securing Kervezee on a five-year contract extension a few weeks ago will surely prove equally astute.Kervezee won’t be Newton’s only legacy. Despite coping with floods, a recession, the mass defection of players and the insolvency of a major sponsor, Newton has overseen the building of The Graeme Hick Pavilion and the Basil D’Oliveira Stand at New Road. The club are also optimistic that they will be able to announce the next phase of the ground redevelopment – which includes a hotel – within the next few weeks. If they do so, it will alleviate much of the financial pressure which currently burdens them. From the depths of 2007, when the club lost over a million pounds, it’s hard to see how anyone could have done a better job than Newton. It is interesting to note, however, that his replacement, David Leatherdale, will not be replaced as the club’s commercial director. Times are desperately tight in county cricket.For that reason, there is also some doubt over the future of Vikram Solanki. Though he is contracted for another two years at New Road, the club may well be willing to listen to offers. In these straitened times, the salaries of senior players are increasingly hard to justify and Solanki’s return of just 593 runs at an average of 27 hardly makes a compelling case for retainment.But if this season really is about building for the future, then Worcestershire supporters have brighter times ahead. For in Kervezee they have a gem. Batty, Meaker and Dernbach were all punished for more than four an over and, by the time he reached his century (off just 103 balls), he looked a class apart.It was a different game when Chris Tremlett had the ball in his hand. His opening spell (8-4-4-2) removed David Wheeldon, who paid the price for playing slightly across one that nipped back, before Vikram Solanki’s tentative prod at a beauty that bounced and left him ended up in the hands of slip. Tremlett returned later to dismiss Shakib, caught off the glove as he attempted to hook, and bowl Kervezee as the batsmen sought to hit out with only tailenders for company.Tremlett finished with his fifth four-wicket haul of the season and match figures of eight for 87. Geoff Miller has already watched him in this match and can only have been impressed.

ScorecardLegspinner Imran Tahir took a hat-trick as Warwickshire bounced back from their championship humbling at Chester-le-Street with a five-wicket Friends Provident t20 win against Durham tonight. It kept the visitors on course for the quarter-finals, while Durham’s fifth successive defeat in the competition left them next to the bottom of the North Group.At 51 for 7 Durham were on course for their lowest Twenty20 total, but Albie Morkel and Gareth Breese added 66 in the last eight overs to take them to 117 for 8.Warwickshire were unable to call on England Lions pair Ian Bell and Jonathan Trott but cruised home with two overs to spare. They were 68 for 2 after 11 overs but then both Darren Maddy and Ian Westwood were run out.They needed 41 off six overs, but Rikki Clarke eased the pressure by driving Ian Blackwell over long-off for six. After Jim Troughton was stumped for 34, Clarke hit a second six on his way to an unbeaten 29 as Warwickshire took 19 off the 18th over, bowled by Neil Killeen in his first appearance of the season.After being put in on a sunny evening, Durham were already in the mire when Tahir came on for the 12th over. He has already had eight wickets in an innings against them at Edgbaston this season, plus 6 for 69 last Wednesday, and continued to wreak havoc largely with his googlies.He hurried a delivery between bat and pad to bowl Gordon Muchall for 10, then Will Smith drove to mid-on, where Ant Botha held a juggling catch. Left-hander Ben Harmison edged the hat-trick ball to Clarke at first slip.Durham took seven runs off each of the first two overs, with a boundary for both openers, but then totally lost their way. The next six overs produced a total of 11 runs for the loss of four wickets.Ian Blackwell lobbed a simple catch to mid-on off Neil Carter, who also yorked Ben Stokes, while Phil Mustard miscued to midwicket off Boyd Rankin and Dale Benkenstein drove Keith Barker to mid-off.Breese hit half of Durham’s total of eight fours in his unbeaten 30, while Morkel drove the only six, off Tahir. Morkel, who had to send for a runner after suffering a leg injury, reached 48 off 42 balls before holing out off the final ball of the innings.

ScorecardRavi Bopara celebrated his England call-up with an unbeaten century at Chelmsford but it was not enough to save Essex from defeat against Somerset in their Friends Provident t20 battle.Bopara’s 105 led Essex to a total of 173 for 6 but the visitors were to ease to victory with six wickets and five balls to spare. Bopara battled throughout the innings, although he needed a big slice of luck when Murali Kartik put down an easy catch at midwicket after making just 16.He was to make good his escape by going on to reach his century by smashing the last three balls of the innings sent down by Kieron Pollard for six. Bopara struck six sixes and eight fours during his 62-ball effort and so dominated the innings that the next highest contributor was Mark Pettini with 21.But Somerset were soon in the ascendancy when they replied as openers Marcus Trescothick and Peter Trego raised the 50 in the fifth over. Trescothick did not produce the fireworks that saw him complete a 13-ball half-century in the previous game against Hampshire, but he still produced a series of thrilling strokes.He completed his 50, his third in succession in the competition, and went on to make 78 from 51 deliveries.Trescothick was finally caught on the cover boundary attacking left arm spinner Tim Phillips but not before he had helped himself to three sixes and nine fours.His departure came in the 15th over following a stand of 101 in a dozen overs with James Hildreth, who was content to play the supporting role.Hildreth went on to make 43 from 35 balls before he was trapped lbw by Bopara, leaving Zander de Bruyn and Jos Buttler to lead Somerset to a success which enabled them to leapfrog Essex in the table.They now occupy second place and will be seeking to at least occupy that position over the remaining matches to guarantee themselves a home tie in the quarter-finals.