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Scotland must beat Kenya in their Intercontinental Cup match which starts on Thursday to have any hope of qualifying for the finals. Scotland would go ten points clear of leaders Namibia if they won, but they would then face an anxious wait to see if remaining results went in their favour.Ireland, one of Scotland’s closest rivals, face away matches against Kenya and Namibia while one of Namibia’s remaining matches is at home against bottom side Bermuda. Scotland’s best hope appears to lie in victory followed by Namibia winning their two remaining matches and Kenya and Ireland cancelling each other out.Scotland are on a high after finishing in third place in the World Twenty20 Qualifier in Belfast, a spot that will give them a place in next year’s main event in England provided Zimbabwe Cricket’s board ratifies a decision made at the ICC annual conference to step back from the event.To secure third, Scotland beat Kenya in one of the most convincing – and one-sided – matches of the tournament, chasing down 107 to win by nine wickets with 11 balls in hand after Kyle Coetzer and Ryan Watson put on an opening stand of 102.Coetzer will be on county duty with Durham and is one of four changes in the squad with wicketkeeper Colin Smith, opener Gavin Hamilton and another county player, Navdeep Poonia, who is with Warwickshire, all missing.Dougie Lockhart comes in to open and keep wicket, while Ross Lyons, Qasim Sheikh and Omer Hussain are also all included. Lyons collected six wickets against Bermuda and seven against Canada, while Lockhart made his maiden first-class hundred in Toronto, a game in which Sheikh made 92.But if Scotland are flying, Kenya are struggling for lift-off. The World Twenty20 Qualifier was a disaster and the loss in the third and fourth-placed play-off means they will miss out on a tournament they were a part of in South Africa in 2007.A loss in Glasgow won’t end Kenya’s hopes of reaching the final but it will make it very tough. One of their remaining matches is against Netherlands, who have struggled badly in this tournament, but the other is against two-time defending champions Ireland.But before they can even think of the future, they have to contend with Scotland. David Obuya and Alfred Luseno are added to the squad that was in action in Belfast.Scotland (from) Ryan Watson (capt), Richie Berrington, Dewald Nel, John Blain, Gordon Drummond, Majid Haq, Omer Hussain, Dougie Lockhart, Ross Lyons, Qasim Sheikh, Neil McCallum, Fraser Watts.Kenya (from) Steve Tikolo (capt), Thomas Odoyo, Kennedy Otieno, Peter Ongondo, Tony Suji, Hiren Varaiya, Rakep Patel, Morris Ouma, Jimmy Kamande, Nehemiah Odhiambo, Elijah Otieno, Alex Obanda, Ragheb Aga, David Obuya, Alfred Luseno, Collins Obuya.

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) today announced that LoughboroughUniversity Centre of Cricketing Excellence (UCCE) has been accorded ‘First Class’ status for the 2003 season. Loughborough joins Oxford, Cambridge andDurham UCCEs as the fourth university to gain ‘First Class’ recognition.Loughborough has won all three of the major university cricket competitions in the last two seasons – the UCCE Championship, the UCCE One-Day Challenge and the BUSA Championship.John Carr, ECB Director of Cricket Operations, said, “The Board’s Cricket Advisory Committee made this recommendation to the Management Board in recognition of the outstanding progress made in such a short time at the Loughborough UCCE and the very good performance of the Team in 2001 and 2002. I congratulate all those involved with the UCCE at Loughborough on this well deserved upgrade in cricketing status!”Dr Guy Jackson, Director of Cricket at Loughborough UCCE, said, “This recognition is very welcome and reward for the work that Head Coach Graham Dilley and several others at the University have invested. The experienced coaching team, the facilities boosted by the National Cricket Academy centre now under construction, and the advanced sports science and medicine supportservices at Loughborough make this an excellent base for cricket development. In many ways I believe this is a boost to the whole UCCE scheme, where the ECB, in partnership with leading Universities, are helping young players to develop their cricket whilst maintaining their education and gaining essential qualifications.”The success of Loughborough players such as Monty Panesar, Steve Selwood and Rob White last year show that with the right support, young players can complete their education and compete within County Cricket.”

While there was frustration that yesterday’s rain caused all but one of the second round matches to be carried into what should have been a rest day, Nepal’s Mahaboob Alam was not complaining after taking 10 for 12 in 7.5 overs against Mozambique. Chasing Nepal’s 238 for 7, Mozambique managed a paltry 19 to slump to a 219-run victory. Click here for more.It was again a day for the favourites as, in addition to Nepal, there were wins for Afghanistan, USA and Jersey.Former West Indies batsman Clayton Lambert, coach of the USA team, hailed his side as they comprehensively beat Norway by 10 wickets but said that the players were not going to become over confident despite two comfortable wins. “We’re not going to underestimate anybody. We’re the ones who have played a higher level of cricket so everyone expects us to win so there is a lot of pressure on,” said Lambert.The USA bowling attack looked extremely threatening with the wickets shared around its pace attack. Khawaja Shuja, the 19-year-old right-arm fast medium bowler, was the pick with figures of 5 for 15, although Steve Pitter (2 for 24) and Imran Awan (2 for 36) were also looking dangerous with some aggressive short-pitched bowling.”Some of the short balls were the right length for the wicket and the guys did a great job of putting the balls on a correct length,” said Lambert. “Some balls bounced and Norway didn’t seem to have played against the bouncing balls a whole lot so it worked in our favour.” In reply, the USA coasted to their target in just 14.5 overs with Sushil Nadkarni (41*) and Orlando Baker (32*) looking in fine form.

Eighteen-year-old Gulbudeen Naib was the hero for Afghanistan as he took 5 for 7, including a hat-trick to close the innings, as Bahamas managed just 46 all out. And although they too suffered a batting collapse, Afghanistan secured victory by five wickets after 6.3 overs as they attempted to score quick runs to improve their run-rate, with Mario Ford claiming 3 for 5.”I was very happy to receive my Man-of-the-Match award for Afghanistan and I would like to pay tribute to my captain, team and coach who have helped me achieve this,” said Naib. “It was the first ever hat-trick for Afghanistan so I am very happy,” he added. “I am sure my friends and family back at home will be very proud.”Matt Hague produced a captain’s performance for Jersey in their eight-wicket win over Japan taking 4 for 26 with the ball and scoring 27 not out with the bat. He played his part in reducing Japan to 124 for 8 in 50 overs before helping Peter Gough, who made 59 not out, reach Jersey’s target with 15.5 overs to spare. “It was a really good performance. After yesterday when we got off to such a good start batting we wanted to get in a game today and get a win on the board,” said Hague.In the other game of the day, Singapore registered their first victory of the event with an exciting win by three wickets over Botswana. Buddhika Oshanka made 79 as Singapore reached a target of 184 with 2.3 overs to spare.

SYDNEY, Sept 7 AAP – Centuries to Graeme Cunningham and Luke Williams gave Tasmania the upper hand after day one of their two-day practice cricket match against New South Wales here today.Cunningham hit 113 and Williams 110 before both retired as Tasmania moved to 6-376 off its allotted 100 overs in the match.Williams came to the crease with Tasmania reeling at 1-0 after Shane Mason was dismissed for a duck but combined with Cunningham in an impressive 198-run second wicket stand.George Bailey (50) and Daniel Marsh (47) lent a helping hand as Tasmania took early honours in the 100 overs a side pre-season clash which caps off a busy week for the two teams.Aaron O’Brien took 2-48 off nine overs to be the pick of the bowlers for NSW which is skippered by former Test opener Michael Slater.Both teams have lost two one day games against New Zealand in Sydney this week as the Black Caps finetuned preparations for its ICC Challenge Trophy title defence in Sri Lanka this month.New Zealand flew out today for Sri Lanka.

England today announced that the Lancashire all-rounder Andrew Flintoffisto fly to the ECB’s National Academy in Adelaide tomorrow for furthertreatment following his recent hernia operation.Flintoff, who underwent surgery following the 3rd npower Test againstIndia this summer, has not yet recovered full fitness and missed theopening match of England’s tour of Australia at Lilac Hill yesterday.Coach Duncan Fletcher said: “Although Andrew’s recovery programme isrunning behind schedule at present, we remain confident that he will beable to take part in the Ashes Series.”However, our physio Kirk Russell has a heavy workload at present due tothe number of injuries in the squad and we feel that the medical team atthe Academy are best placed to give Andrew the intensive one-to-onetreatment heneeds if he is to be fit for the first Test in Brisbane.”No decision has yet been made as to whether the England selectors willsend for a replacement for Flintoff while he is undergoingtreatment at the ECB National Academy.

BRISBANE, June 6 AAP – If his media performance is anything to go by, Pakistan cricket captain Waqar Younis will be giving nothing away in this month’s limited overs series against Australia.Younis held a news conference today after flying into Brisbane to prepare for the first game of the three-match series against the world champions at Melbourne’s Colonial Stadium on Wednesday.Quizzed on subjects ranging from how the critical situation between Pakistan and India over Kashmir was affecting the team to fellow paceman Shoaib Akhtar’s speed, Younis bowled a tight line with his answers.”We’re not really worried at all,” he said of the potential nuclear conflict back home.”We’re here to play cricket and we’re just focused on cricket.”On whether Australia should continue with its planned tour of Pakistan in August, he said: “That is between the two boards.”Akhtar, who last month was unofficially timed at 100mph (160kph) in a one-day international against New Zealand, goes head-to-head in a pace battle with Australia’s Brett Lee for the first time in two years.”I think both are bowling very well, Younis said.”(But) I’m not really worried about (Akhtar’s) pace, I’m more worried about how good he’s bowling.”Younis agreed the upcoming series was between the two best performing teams in the world.But as to whether success would provide an edge for next year’s World Cup, he said: “I think it’s a bit too early and a bit too small but then again it will be handy for both the sides for the World Cup preparations.”On the departure of the Waugh twins from the one day side and Ricky Ponting’s elevation to the Australian captaincy, he said: “If we want to beat them we have to be very professional and very tough against them.”Younis was a little concerned the two games in Melbourne could be played in cold conditions.”We came from where it was 44 degrees and coming and playing in six degrees is definitely going to be tough but we are professional and we should be alright,” he said.Pakistan plays a 40-over a side practice game tomorrow against a Queensland selection at Allan Border Field while Australia plays the Queenslanders on Sunday.

England today named a 13-man squad for next week’s 2nd npower Test Match vIndia at Trent Bridge.Kent batsman Robert Key wins a Test call-up for the first time as areplacement for Graham Thorpe and the uncapped Durham pace bowler StephenHarmison is also included following the withdrawal of Glamorgan’s SimonJones with a side injury.Commenting on the selection, Chairman of Selectors, David Graveney, said:”Simon Jones was not considered for this match as he has an injury to hisleft side and will undergo a further scan tomorrow to enable us to assesshow long he will be out for.”Our resources in the bowling department have been stretched for this matchand we have had to slightly vary our policy with regard to bowlers needingto play in a four-day match before a Test match to prove their fitness.”Alex Tudor did play in a Norwich Union League match last week and we willgive him every opportunity to prove he is fully match fit in the run up tothe Test Match. With Simon Jones injured, we view Stephen Harmison as a likefor like replacement who gives us the option of express pace if required.”We also considered Ian Bell and David Fulton as replacements for GrahamThorpe. But Robert Key has been in outstanding form for Kent and his careerhas really kicked on this season after he attended the National Academy inAustralia last winter. He will open the batting with Michael Vaughan withMark Butcher coming in at number three.”England Squad for 2nd npower Test v India

Players D.O.BNasser Hussain (captain) (Essex) 28.3.68Mark Butcher (Surrey) 23.8.72Dominic Cork (Derbyshire) 7.8.71John Crawley (Hampshire) 21.9.71Andrew Flintoff (Lancashire) 6.12.77Ashley Giles (Warwickshire) 19.3.73Stephen Harmison (Durham) 23.10.78Matthew Hoggard (Yorkshire) 31.12.76Robert Key (Kent) 12.5.79Alec Stewart (Surrey) 8.4.63Alex Tudor (Surrey) 23.10.77Michael Vaughan (Yorkshire) 29.10.74Craig White (Yorkshire) 16.12.69

Reflecting on South Africa’s five-wicket victory over Australia at Kingsmead on Monday, acting captain Mark Boucher made a revealing admission.After the humiliation in the first Test at the Wanderers, he said, some of South Africa’s senior players realised they needed to win back lost friends. He was talking about a cricket-loving public, battered for two years since the Hansiegate Scandal and now having to deal with defeat after defeat after Australia played out against a backdrop of political bickering coupled with incomprehensible selection policies, official arrogance and administrative confusion."Sometimes you need a bit of a knock to realise that, yes, you’re a cricketer and, yes, you’re a role model, but you’re not bigger than the game," he said.It would be stretching a point to say that just one win after five successive hammerings by Australia has put everything right with South African cricket, but there is also little doubt that Kingsmead, as at Newlands a week ago, South Africa finally found it within themselves to compete with Australia.The last day at Kingsmead was not as tight and as tense as expected. Jacques Kallis and Ashwell Prince – Boucher had special praise for Prince, saying that he had shown "maturity beyond his years" – weathered the expected the early storm as Australia made use of a new ball only three overs old before settling in.There were, to be honest, few alarms for the South Africans. Prince had an airy swish in Glenn McGrath’s first over, but thereafter buckled down and Kallis, as might have been expected, batted with calm assurance, looking as immovable as he has all summer.The pair chipped away at the 335 target, making light of South Africa’s wobble on Sunday afternoon when Mark Waugh initiated a mini-collapse. The stand mounted even as Steve Waugh swapped McGrath and Brett Lee for Shane Warne and Jason Gillespie, and the realisation gradually dawned around Kingsmead that for once the South Africans were mentally tough enough to withstand Australia.There was a minor personal tragedy for Prince before the end when he nicked Warne to Mark Waugh at slip to go for 48 after a partnership that had produced 99 for South Africa, but only four more were needed at that stage and Boucher finished it off with a six, leaving Kallis unbeaten on 61.It was the highest fourth innings score chased and achieved by South Africa and the eighth highest in Test history. Both of which facts put the pitch, which played magnificently throughout, into true perspective.Steve Waugh made few excuses afterwards, saying that: "South Africa applied themselves really well in the last innings and that got them across the line."He also said that the mental fatigue of playing back-to-back Tests probably accounted for the distracted batting in the first three innings of the game.So the series, then, is over with Australia having retained their world championship title. They have been the better team than South Africa, as Boucher readily admitted, and it is a pity that it took until the fifth and sixth meetings of the summer before the South Africans finally worked out how to be competitive.Boucher said that his side had learned a lot from Australia, not the least lesson being the intensity that Steve Waugh and his team brought to the contests.For Waugh, it was a flat finale. He noted that he would feel a little odd on Monday night packing to go home while many of his team-mates turned their attention to the one-day series that starts in Johannesburg on Friday.It is not the end of his career – he will rejoin Australia for the Test matches against Zimbabwe – but it is almost certainly his last Test match against South Africa. And as much as South Africans love to hate Australians, many will miss the sight of the world’s most famous battered green baggy.

The draw for the semi-finals of the Benson & Hedges Cup has given holders Gloucestershire a tough trip to Headingley against Yorkshire.Surrey will entertain Nottinghamshire at The Oval to decide who will appear at Lord’s in the final.Both matches will take place on June 25.

Group A

Punjab v Bengal in Mohali
The Punjab quicks had a good time on the Mohali track in winning by an innings against Hyderabad. There is no reason Sourav Sarkar, Ashok Dinda and Veer Pratap Singh won’t like it. Watch out for Jiwanjot Singh, the Punjab opener who scored a double-hundred on debut. Punjab 7 points, Bengal 3 pointsRajasthan v Mumbai in Jaipur
Mumbai go to Jaipur sans all the Test stars and Ajit Agarkar. Rohit Sharma will captain them against the defending Ranji champions who managed just one point in their first match. Watch out for Pankaj Singh, who took nine wickets in the first match and might even have harboured thoughts of a Test call-up. Rajasthan 1, Mumbai 3Gujarat v Saurasthra in Surat
When Saurashtra had Cheteshwar Pujara available, they weren’t playing. Now that Pujara is gone to India Test camp, they kick off their season with this Gujarat derby. Gujarat are coming off a frustrating finish when they came close to sealing six points against Madhya Pradesh. Watch out for Parhtiv Patel, who scored 162 and 80 in the first match. Gujarat 3, Saurashtra yet to beginHyderabad v Madhya Pradesh in Hyderabad
Despite the presence of VVS Laxman, Hyderabad have got off to yet another disastrous start. Who said it was going to be easy? They could learn from their next opponents, Madhya Pradesh, whose lower order fought and fought to register one point against MP. Watch out for Jalaj Saxena, the India A spinner, who must consider himself the best spinner outside the Test squad. Hyderabad 0, MP 1

Group B

Delhi v Odisha in Delhi
Delhi, who lost their first match outright despite the presence of four Test stars, will miss not only them but also Ashish Nehra, who has been rested in order to fight the tight schedule. And they are still missing Rajat Bhatia, who got injured in the Champions League T20. Odisha hosted a rained-out match last week, and will hope for a drier time in the capital. Watch out for Parvinder Awana, who is one of the quicker bowlers in Indian domestic cricket but didn’t get to play in the presence of Ishant Sharma and Nehra. Delhi 0, Odisha 1Maharashtra v Uttar Pradesh in Pune
This is the impressive Subroto Roy Sahara Stadium’s first-class debut, and Maharashtra’s first game this season. This is also the game to watch out for Suresh Raina, who has been dropped from the Test side. Reports say he was sombre and didn’t even have lunch the day the announcement of his exclusion was made. Maharashtra yet to begin, UP 6. Read more here.Baroda v Vidarbha in Baroda
Vidarbha are coming off an outright win over Haryana, but will be missing Umesh Yadav who is away for Tests. Baroda, too, will be missing Irfan Pathan, who is out with a knee injury. Watch out for Yusuf Pathan, who failed twice in the previous match, scoring 24 and 0. Baroda 3, Vidarbha 6Tamil Nadu v Karnataka in Chennai
A rivalry that once was. Nowadays they play each other in front of 30 people or so. This will be a battle of the Karnataka bowling against the Tamil Nadu batting, although they will be missing the services of M Vijay, who has been called up for Tests. Tamil Nadu 1, Karnataka 1

Group C

Jharkhand v Assam in Jamshedpur
Big match in Group C. Assam and Jharkhand have emerged as early leaders in the group with seven points each. Watch out for Dheeraj Jadhav, who scored the first double-century of this Ranji Trophy.Andhra v Tripura in Anantapur
Two teams with ordinary starts to the season. Tripura lost by an innings in Guwahati, and Andhra conceded a first-innings lead in a rain-interrupted home match to Services at home. The weather is expected to be better this time. Watch out for Amol Muzumdar, who is 81 short of becoming the highest overall run-getter in Ranji Trophy. Andhra 1, Tripura 0Goa v Jammu & Kashmir in Porvorim
This is Goa’s first game of the season, and also their imported keeper Manvinder Bisla’s first since December 2010. Bisla was without a Ranji side in 2011-12, before he became a star through his innings in the IPL final. J&K will look to prove wrong those who have started calling them walking seven points after their innings defeat to Jharkhand. Goa yet to begin, J&K 0Himachal Pradesh v Services in Naduan
Himachal Pradesh came close to beating Kerala outright, but had to do with three points. Services are at three too. Watch out for Rishi Dhawan, who scored a century and took three wickets in Himachal’s first. Himachal 3, Services 3