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Sachin Tendulkar will make his much-awaited return to cricket through a series of charity matches in England beginning this week. He has been sidelined since March after undergoing shoulder surgery, but will appear for Lashings against Cambridge University Cricket Club at Fenners on Wednesday.Tendulkar, 33, will then face Reigate CC on Sunday, June 25, before taking on Middleton CC in West Sussex the next weekend. He will conclude his stint with Lashings against Sutton Valence School in Kent on July 6.”This is a great opportunity for me to get back into cricket, to get some batting practice, and to play matches that will help raise money for charity,” he told BBC Sport. “I get the chance to play alongside international players, but not in games where every run counts.”His last international appearance was the third and final Test against England at his home ground of Wankhede in March. He made himself unavailable for the one-day series against England and the entire tour of the West Indies but now he hopes to be fit for a tri-series in Sri Lanka in August.

Azhar Ali has said he and Mohammad Amir had “moved on” from the complications that beset Amir’s reintegration to the Pakistan team, in the approach to the New Zealand tour. He said he would focus on captaining Amir, and helping create an environment in which the bowler could thrive.The first ODI on Monday will be the first occasion in which the two will play together, since Amir’s return to international cricket. “He bowled well in the T20s I think,” Azhar said. “As the captain my job is to take the best out of him. Hopefully we will all be united and with Mohammad Amir, and we will allow him to bowl really well and get wickets for Pakistan.”

Elliott credits diligence for bowling contributions

New Zealand allrounder Grant Elliott said his recent effectiveness with the ball in T20s was thanks to “hard work”. Elliott took nine wickets on the four occasions he bowled in the recent T20 series, against Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
“As an allrounder sometimes your batting’s not going as well and you want to be able to get into the game,” Elliott said. “I always think about what I wouldn’t want to face, when I’m bowling. For me in T20s, it’s about taking pace off the ball. In the one-dayers it’s slightly different. I want to try and swing the ball and hit the back of the length.”
New Zealand are without Ross Taylor in the ODI series, after the batsman sustained a muscle injury in his side during the final T20. Brendon McCullum is also injured, but Elliott said the team had enough skill and experience to cope with the absences.
“It’s unfortunate what’s happened to Ross, but that always creates opportunity for guys to step up. We’ve got a lot of experience in this team. I think what we’ve seen in the past is that guys have come in during the recent tours of South Africa and Zimbabwe, filled gaps and done pretty well.”

Four weeks ago, Azhar had been among two players who sought to avoid a pre-tour conditioning camp, stating: “I will not attend the camp as long as Amir is there.” He had also attempted to resign the ODI captaincy over Amir’s inclusion, before the Pakistan Cricket Board intervened. He struck a more philosophical tone in Wellington.”Whatever my stance was, my job is to lead this side and keep harmony in the dressing room,” he said. “We are all united and keen for this challenge.He did not want to be drawn on what has allowed his position to change since December. “We should not discuss more about it. We’ve moved on.”In the event Azhar is the passive-aggressive type, the Basin Reserve does present him with a unique opportunity. Bowlers who have upset their captains sometimes find themselves bowling into the stiff wind that is a feature of the Wellington climate. A strong northerly breeze is forecast for the day.”We already discussed it and we’re practicing in this wind,” Azhar said. “So everyone is prepared for that.”In addition to Amir, Azhar has a legion of left-armers in the squad. Wahab Riaz, Mohammad Irfan and Rahat Ali are likely to play at some point in the series, and left-arm spinning allrounder Imad Wasim has also been effective with the ball since making his debut last year.”A lot of the good bowlers that are coming in – most of them are left-armers, in Pakistan,” Azhar said. “Sometimes it’s an advantage because not every team has left-armers. They bowl at good pace as well, so we’re lucky to have them.”With bounce and pace expected in the Basin Reserve surface, Azhar said he hoped Irfan could trouble opposition batsmen. New Zealand allrounder Grant Elliott said Irfan’s height and pace made him an “exciting” bowler to face.”I think I made the comment that playing Irfan was like batting on a trampoline,” Elliott said. “The height that he comes from is very different. It takes a little bit of getting used to – the first couple of balls. He’s another great player for the crowd to see bowl. He’s seven foot and bowls at 140 clicks.”

Munaf Patel is determined to regain his firepower in order to book a berth in the Indian team for the upcoming limited overs series in England. Munaf, undergoing rehabilitation and training at the MRF Pace Foundation, said that he was progressing gradually to regain his rhythm and fitness and was close to bowling with his usual venom.”Currently I am using 85 per cent of my run-up. Hopefully I will be able to use my full run-up soon”, he said.Indian team physio John Gloster is advising Patel on his current rehabilitation schedule. Munaf said his prime target was to become fully fit. “After the back muscle spasm problem in the Bangladesh tour, I am concentrating on regaining full fitness. Had it been some other injury, it would have taken a longer time to cure.”Patel, who has taken 26 wickets from 22 ODIs, was not unduly perturbed about the new pacers competing for berths in the national team. “The competition is always there. There will be pressure also. Whoever performs well under tough conditions will surely get picked to play for India.”I am not looking at the past. I am positive about my future. I am working hard to achieve my target. I will be able to bowl with the same pace as before,” he said.Javagal Srinath, the former Indian fast bowler, felt that Munaf looked promising during the sessions at the pace academy. “It’s been pretty good,” Srinath told ANI. He has been open, open for ideas. He is learning fast… He seems good. The match fitness is something, which he has to declare on his own, but otherwise you can see the spark in Munaf, pace is good. He looks alright.”

Somerset announced a pre-tax surplus of £330,389 for the year ending September 30, 2015, as they set their sights on repaying the outlay on a new £3.9m pavilion.The investment was a chief factor in the county winning international status ahead of the 2019 World Cup as well as cementing its position as one of the most successful T20 venues in the country.A rise in profitability was a relief for Somerset, long regarded as one of the most financially-stable of the first-class counties, as they showed no ill effects from the disruption caused by the construction of the new pavilion, which was completed earlier this month, and the associated reduction in seating capacity and facilities during the season.Catering income, in fact, remained a bedrock of the club’s accounts with profits amounting to £964,000, a marginal drop on the previous year.Cricket income rose 10% to £1,284,000 despite a disappointing season in which Somerset only escaped relegation in the final match of the season and failed to challenge in both limited-overs cup competitions. Income from the ECB rose by a similar amount to £2,051,000.Treasurer Malcolm Derry said: “The year was expected to provide significant financial challenges due to the major off-field upheavals associated with the new pavilion.”These strong financial results are of particular importance as the club remains committed to both operating within its budget and repaying the debt taken to finance the new Somerset Pavilion to schedule whilst not detracting from our substantial ongoing investment in our core business of cricket.”These payments will take a considerable time with net debts standing at £3.85m.Somerset claim, though, to have retained a strong commitment to investing in their playing squad. When playing costs are expressed as a percentage of income received, they claim to rank second among the 18 first-class counties.

Scorecard

Mumbai’s bowlers, led by Ramesh Powar, dominated the opening day of the Ranji season after Karnataka won an important toss and chose to bat on a turning wicket. Ajit Agarkar prised out the Karnataka openers cheaply before Powar removed Rahul Dravid, who led a mini recovery act. Powar then ran through the tail to leave Karnataka struggling at 189 for 9. B Akhil led a rearguard effort with a gritty unbeaten 119-ball 53, an innings whose importance will be known after Mumbai bat on this wearing track.The first session featured some fine seam bowling from Agarkar, but Powar dominated the next two. He had delivered the sucker punch ten minutes before lunch when he removed Dravid with a flighted delivery that spun and bounced to produce an edge off a jab. Karnataka’s defences had been breached and it would have been even worse had the short-leg fielder, Sahil Kukreja, held on to sharp chance offered by C Raghu in the same over.Undaunted, Powar struck almost immediately after lunch. Slip, silly point, short leg and backward short leg watched in glee as Powar began to tease the batsmen with variations in flight and turn. In the fourth over he deceived Yere Goud with a lovely flighted delivery that dipped rapidly on the lunging batsman and spun to leave him desperately swishing in the air.The runs came in a trickle in the post-lunch session – 58 runs in 34 overs – as the batsmen struggled to come to terms with the turning ball. Raghu, with a patient 138-ball 31, fought hard while Akhil showed rare glimpses of aggression as he drove and cut the spinners on a few occasions. Using his height, he stretched well forward to drive Powar and Iqbal Abdulla, the 17-year-old left-arm spinner making his Ranji debut. He even attempted a couple of reverse-sweeps against Powar as he began to run out of partners.Abdulla got sharp bounce, with Vinayak Samant, the wicketkeeper, collecting some deliveries in front of his face. All indications were that Anil Kumble would have plenty to look forward to later in the game.Powar certainly enjoyed the wicket. In the last session, he grabbed three wickets in four overs as the tail succumbed pushing and prodding. Sunil Joshi was struck on the pad while stretching forward, Kumble stabbed a turning delivery and Vinay Kumar jabbed at a floater.The first hour of the day belonged to Agarkar, who kept the ball full, got late movement and strangled the batsman. Barring an elegant cover drive from Dravid, hardly any shot pierced the infield as Agarkar ended his first spell with figures of 8-3-9-2. He was on the job right from the start, teasing the outside edge with his second ball before striking two balls later when Barrington Rowland, on nought, lunged at a good-length delivery that shaped away.That brought in Dravid, with another semi-crisis to tackle. The first ball was patted to the off side and he soon got off the mark with a dab to cover. Dravid played cautiously, constantly looking to get forward to kill the movement but the same could not be said of the other batsmen. KB Pawan, brought in for Robin Uthappa, was edgy throughout his 31-ball stay. He was caught at the crease, unsure of his off stump and was constantly pushing tentatively away from his body. Agarkar beat him repeatedly but what would have pleased Pravin Amre, Mumbai’s coach, the most, was the effort from Rajesh Verma.Verma was rewarded for his five-for (“a pleasant surprise” according to Amre) in the Irani Trophy with a place in the playing XI. He repaid that faith with a fine spell, bowling just marginally short of good length and cutting the ball both ways with a whippy action. He beat Pawan three times in his first over and continued to harass him subsequently.Dravid was cautious against Verma and Agarkar but was beaten only three times: the first prompted an lbw appeal as Agarkar brought one in to rap him high on the pads; the second missed the outside edge as Verma cut it away; and the third, half an hour before the break, saw Dravid play a rare stroke away from the body off Agarkar. The rest met the middle of the bat as Dravid proceeded to settle the nerves in the dressing room.Spin was introduced in the 17th over, and Dravid immediately hit Powar for successive fours, an elegant off drive followed by a cut against the turn, while Raghu, who grew in confidence as the innings progressed, dabbed the ball around in the gaps to rotate the strike.The first signs of alarming spin came off the fifth ball of the 23rd over. Powar got it to turn sharply and bounce, forcing a surprised Dravid to hurriedly pull out of an intended cut. Soon Powar took over to have a stranglehold over Karnataka.

Gauteng 145 for 4 beat Zimbabwe Provinces 144 (das Neves 4-24) by six wickets
ScorecardGauteng punished Zimbabwe Provinces for a shambolic batting display with a six-wicket victory at Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo. Zimbabwe did not bat their full allotment of overs and were bundled out for 144 with more than 12 overs remaining and Gauteng cruised home with plenty of time in hand.Zimbabwe lost their first wicket in the second over, the under-the spotlight Tino Mawoyo top edging Brian Mathebula to fine leg. A second-wicket stand of 50 runs between wicketkeeper Regis Chakabva and Alester Maregwede gave Zimbabwe some hope but Johnson Mafa took two wickets in his first over and Zimbabwe slid from there on in.Maregwede who was caught behind by wicketkeeper Dale Vilas for 29 and three balls later Steven Nyamuzinga was taken at first slip by Dumisa Makalima for a three-ball duck. Zimbabwe lost another three wickets without adding a run with the score on 103 and only a last-wicket partnership of 31 between Graeme Cremer and Tafadzwa Kamungozi boosted to the score to anything remotely defendable.Gauteng romped to a comfortable victory with runs coming from Warren Swan, who top scored with 44, while opener Williams Motaung chipped in with 32.

The Jamaican leg of India’s tour to the West Indies later this year might be scrapped or switched to another venue after fears that the ground at Sabina Park, Kingston, currently being spruced up for the 2007 World Cup, might not be ready to host the matches.India are scheduled to play two one-day internationals there on May 18 and 20, and the fourth Test from June 30 to July 4. However, cement shortage in Jamaica has meant that the US$29 million renovation project at the venue is behind schedule by at least two weeks, according to a report in . Robert Bryan, the chief executive officer of Jamaica Cricket 2007, indicated that a final decision on the matches will be taken soon. “We are at an advanced stage of evaluating and as soon as a decision is taken, an announcement will be made in short order,” Bryan was quoted as saying by the daily.Paul Campbell, the vice-president of the Jamaica Cricket Association, also indicated that getting the venue ready for the Indians will be tough. “As we speak there is no final decision, [but] it was brought to our attention last week [by the Sabina venue development team] that under the current circumstances meeting the deadlines will be really, really tight.”The focus is World Cup 2007. That’s the big picture,” said Campbell. “What is being assessed is whether hosting international games in the short term will impact negatively on our hosting the World Cup next year. How will it affect our delivery of the venue on time? That’s the question.” A decision on the matter could be taken as early as Tuesday (April 11).Sabina Park will host seven World Cup matches, including the first game and a semi-final, but work on the ground has been hit first by labour problems, and then by the cement crisis. The problem was further exacerbated when batches of cement were recalled as they were of substandard quality.

The former West Indies and Kent cricketer, Hartley Alleyne, an acclaimed coach at St Edmund’s School in Canterbury, faces deportation within 28 days after being refused a work permit by the Home Office.Alleyne, who completed an NVQ in sports coaching to satisfy immigration officials, is being backed in his bid to stay in the country by Canterbury’s MP, Julian Brazier, who has branded the decision “appalling”. Brazier is demanding for an urgent meeting with Immigration Minister, Liam Byrne.”It is utter madness,” Brazier told The Kentish Gazette. “Here is a man who has given a great deal to this country and particularly young people and is unique in the experience he provides.”How can we turn down his application for a work permit when the Government is letting foreign criminals stay in this country and handing out permits to thousands of others who shouldn’t be here?”The decision can be overturned by Mr Byrne and I hope to persuade him to do the right thing.”The school has stood by Mr Alleyne during his appeal, and its staff and pupils are said to be devastated by his impending deportation. He has lived in the UK for 29 years and has an English wife and three children.”To me England is my home,” he told the website, “and Barbados is a place that I return to every now and again for a holiday. I have given so much of myself to this country and have helped to teach kids cricket and help them make a good start in life.”

Carlton Baugh, the wicketkeeper-batsman, has been dropped from the WestIndian one-day squad for five-match series against Pakistan startingDecember 5. The selectors have decided to retain Denesh Ramdin, who is partof the Test team, instead.The other players to miss out are Fidel Edwards, the fast bowler and WavellHinds, the opening batsman. Hinds had failed to make the Test squad, whileEdwards, had yielded his Test spot to Daren Powell in the second Test.Powell has made to the one-day squad as well.Lendl Simmons, the 21-year old opening batsman from Trinidad, is the onlynew face in the 14-member squad. Simmons was part of the Test squad and scored 40 in a tour match against the PCB Patron’s XI. Dave Mohammed, the chinaman bowler, whobowled creditably in the second Test is the lone specialist spinner.ODI squad
Brian Lara (captain), Ramnaresh Sarwan (vice-captain), Chris Gayle,Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Runako Morton, Marlon Samuels, Dwane Bravo, DwayneSmith, Lendl Simmons, Denesh Ramdin (wicketkeeper), Ian Bradshaw, Dave Mohammed, DarenPowell and Jerome Taylor

The Dolphins made the most of winning the toss and a good pitch to reach 308 for 3 by the close on the first day of their match against Cape Cobras at Paarl. Hashim Amla (118*) and Ahmed Amla led the way with a third-wicket stand of 205, ended shortly before the close when Ahmed Amla fell to Paul Adams, missing out on his fourth first-class hundred by two runs.The Eagles found the going tough after batting first against the Lions at Potchefstroom, Andrew Hall’s 5 for 39 doing much of the damage as they were bowled out for 181. The Lions made a solid reply, but two late wickets by Thandi Tshabalala gave the Eagles renewed hope as the Lions closed on 124 for 4.The Warriors closed on 277 for 5 against the Titans at East London, with half centuries from Mark Bruyns and Carl Bradfield underpinning their innings. Albie Morkel and Dale Steyn kept the Warriors in check with two wickets apiece.