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Shane Bond seems unlikely to be fit in time for New Zealand’s Test series in India, after making a slow recovery from a stress fracture in his back. Bond, who picked up the injury in Sri Lanka in May, is New Zealand’s most potent strike bowler, and consequently his medical team have promised not to rush him back into action.Bond is currently at least a week away from being able to bowl in the nets, and thereafter he will be limited to light sessions of four overs at a time. That leaves him well short of the 15-20 overs he would be required to send down in a Test match. The first Test against India starts in Ahmedabad on October 8."Shane is making very good progress but it’s a long season and we won’t be pushing things," said NZ Cricket’s medical co-ordinator Warren Frost. “He is pain-free which is a very good sign, but he will need at least six weeks of build-up." A more realistic target for Bond would be the one-day triangular tournament involving Australia, starting on October 23.There was better news, however, concerning Nathan Astle. He underwent knee surgery back in April, but has started to bat again in the nets, and is almost ready to resume international cricket. “We’re just getting him [Astle] to feel confident on the knee but we’re reasonably confident he can be there for the India series," said Frost. “He’s pretty happy with how things are progressing.”

England’s assistant coach, Graham Dilley is expected to rejoin the squad in Hyderabad during the next 24 hours after an illness scare.Dilley, 42, was taken to a Mumbai hospital last night suffering from theeffects of the sun. The former England fast bowler did not travel to Hyderabad early this morning, but has since confirmed that he is feeling better.Dilley expects to rejoin the touring party tomorrow ahead of the next warm-up game against a Board President’s XI. He felt unwell during a coaching session with the five players omitted from the tour opener in Mumbai.

– Match abandoned
Scorecard1:15

‘We now focus on Kanpur’ – Domingo

A waterlogged outfield forced the third T20 between South Africa and India to be abandoned without a toss or a ball bowled at Eden Gardens. The no-result gives South Africa a 2-0 series win and deprived India of a shot at redemption.India captain MS Dhoni revealed at the presentation ceremony that they had planned on three changes to their starting XI: Ajinkya Rahane to open the batting, Amit Mishra to reinforce the spin department and Stuart Binny as the allrounder even as they targeted a consolation victory. Instead, they have slipped two places to sixth on the ICC T20 rankings, which is where South Africa sat before this series. The visitors have now moved up to fifth.South Africa did not reveal if they were going to give an opportunity to Eddie Leie or Khaya Zondo, but captain Faf du Plessis admitted to being disappointed at not being able to complete a whitewash. The showers that fell on Thursday had ceased at least an hour before play was due to begin and three supersoppers were in operation from then on, but the outfield remained soggy.Three inspections were conducted at hourly intervals, the first being 30 minutes after the scheduled start of play at 7pm and the last at 9:30pm, two-and-a-half hours after the game was due to begin. The latest the match could have begun was 45 minutes after that, at 10:15pm, when there would have only been time for between five and seven overs a side.Eden Gardens is due to host the World T20 final and there will be concerns over the drainage although India’s captain MS Dhoni said he did not expect the outfield to dry without any sun and given the amount of rain that fell and the exposed areas of the field.

Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema has quashed rumours that he could move to Manchester United this summer, insisting that he is happy in Spain.

The 25-year-old has been linked with the Red Devils for some time, which has led some to speculate that the Premier League champions could make a move for his signature if Wayne Rooney leaves Old Trafford in the coming months.

Benzema’s future is uncertain at the Bernabeu, with the La Liga giants believed to be preparing mega money moves for Liverpool front-man Luis Suarez or Edinson Cavani of Napoli.

If either were to move to the Spanish capital, the Frenchman’s position would be under serious threat, which has led to suggestions that he could look to a move away.

But, Benzema says that he is content at Real and is not thinking about a transfer.

“Of course I’m staying,” he told Marca.

“I’m happy at Real Madrid and I’m not going to leave.”

Benzema was criticised by sections of Real’s support last season, with his 11 La Liga goals deemed to be a below-par output for such a talented player.

Even if Los Blancos sign big name players this summer, the ex-Lyon man is said to be keen to stay and battle for his place.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

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A fourth-wicket partnership of 192 between Bazid Khan and Mohammad Wasim propelled Khan Research Laboratories (KRL) to 253 for 5 on the opening day of their first-round Group B Quaid-e-Azam Trophy match against Zarai Taraqiati Bank Limited (ZTBL) at the KRL Stadium in Rawalpindi.From 12 for 3 KRL were resurrected by Bazid’s unbeaten 120 and 92 from Wasim, the former Pakistan batsman. Bazid, in his KRL debut, batted for a little over five-and-a-quarter hours, facing 233 balls with 15 fours and two sixes. It was the 26-year-old’s ninth first-class hundred.Wasim, the KRL captain, fell eight runs short of what would have been his 18th first-class century. He faced 186 balls and hit ten boundaries. Shoaib Akhtar, currently serving a 13-match international cricket ban, was included in the KRL line-up.A lower-order rally, after Pakistan fast bowler Shabbir Ahmed picked up three wickets, helped Lahore Ravi to 251 against Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) on the first day at the Lahore City Cricket Association Ground.Shabbir’s decision to field was backed up as WAPDA restricted Lahore Ravi to 124 for 6, despite opener Kashif Siddiq’s 53 from 104 balls. Shabbir grabbed 3 for 60 and offspinner Aqeel Ahmed finished with 4 for 80. Junaid Zia, the Lahore Ravi captain, hit 50 off 76 balls and Waqas Ahmed a brisk 42-ball 45 in a seventh-wicket stand of 82 to get the side to a decent total.In reply, WAPDA closed on 33 for 1.Fast bowler Saad Altaf and wicketkeeper Naeem Anjum combined to dismiss Abbottabad for 212 before a 77-run opening stand capped a good first day for hosts Islamabad at the Diamond Cricket Club Ground.Altaf’s career-best 6 for 73, and 20-year-old Naeem’s six catches behind the stumps, restricted Abbottabad to a small total and it was only thanks to a 77-run seventh-wicket stand between Khalid Usman (50) and Iftikhar Mahmood (36) that the visitors progressed from 79 for 6.Pace bowler Rauf Akbar and offspinner Atif Maqbool finished with 2 for 35 and 2 for 26 respectively. By the close of play, the Islamabad openers, Raheel Majeed and Umair Khan, had taken Islamabad to within 13 runs of Abbottabad’s first-innings total.Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) bowled out Sui Northern Gas Pipeline Limited (SNGPL) for 152 and were at 46 for no loss at stumps on the first day of their Group B match at Rawalpindi.An unbeaten 39 off 83 balls from Imran Khalid, from No. 8, was the only resistance of note as PIA’s bowlers Fazl-e-Akbar, Najaf Shah and Tahir Khan shared the spoils.An 87-run eighth-wicket partnership between captain Ali Raza and Mohammad Saeed boosted Lahore Shalimar to 230 for 8 on day one of their Group B encounter against hosts Peshawar at the Arbab Niaz Stadium.Lahore Shalimar opted to bat first but were reduced to 138 for 7, with right-arm fast bowler Nauman Habib picking up three wickets. However, Saeed top-scored with 55 and Raza made an unbeaten 44 to ensure the visitors weren’t bowled out for a low total.An unbeaten 89 from Asif Hussain helped Faisalabad reach 205 for 4 in 83 overs on the first day of their Group A match against Multan in Sargodha.Hussain added 71 runs for the second wicket along with opener Abdul Mannan, who scored 51. Imranullah Aslam, the leg-break bowler, was the pick of the bowlers for Multan, finishing with figures of 3 for 55 from his 22 overs.Only 30 overs were possible on the first day of Sialkot’s match against National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) at the Jinnah Stadium due to inclement weather. NBP put hosts Sialkot in and they finished the day on 106 for 5, with Bilal Hussain’s 48 the highest score. Wasim Khan, the right-arm fast-medium bowler, had the best figures of 2 for 23.

Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
SA how they were out
India how they were out

Herschelle Gibbs struck form with an unbeaten 93 to set up a South African win © AFP

For the third match in a row India’s batsmen caved in under the floodlights against a relentless pace attack, surrendering to a 80-run defeat in the fourth ODI at Port Elizabeth. Herschelle Gibbs’s controlled 93 set up South Africa’s thumping win before the pace attack sealed the deal, giving them an unassailable 3-0 lead in the series with one match to play.India’s was a much-improved performance on the field – a fine start with the new ball was complemented by disciplined spin bowling in the middle, their fielding was sharper, and their bowlers finally got it right at the death. But, just when they appeared to be turning a corner, a rash of poor shot selection ended their chances. Irfan Pathan’s battling 47 was the only bright spot as India slumped to their 11th defeat in their last 15 games (two games didn’t have results).Having sustained their intensity for the entire first half, unlike at Cape Town when they allowed South Africa to break away, India had a chance to pull one back. But a combination of Makhaya Ntini’s blistering pace and Shaun Pollock’s nagging accuracy left India with nowhere to hide. Some reckless shot-making didn’t help matters and none of the top-order batsmen showed the gumption to hang in there and bide his time.The slide began in the sixth over of the innings when Jaffer flashed away from his body – not a stroke he would even imagine attempting in the Test matches. Sachin Tendulkar, batting at No.3 for only the eighth time in his career, was unsure about whether to play or leave and fell to Pollock for the ninth time (Chaminda Vaas is the only other bowler to have managed it so many times). The two dismissals seemed to rattle Sehwag, who soon scooped a full ball to midwicket and watching Loots Bosman pull off a superb diving catch. Mohammad Kaif and Dinesh Karthik found runs difficult to come by and succumbed to a silly run-out. Karthik set off but stopped after a few steps and there was little Kaif could do but carry on running back to the pavilion.The support cast refused to let up on the aggression that Ntini and Pollock had displayed. Andre Nel, who missed the previous game, generated lift and hit the splice hard while Jacques Kallis troubled the batsmen with movement off the pitch. Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s brief blast, including four spanked fours and a pulled six off Kallis, ended in an over-ambitious swing while Dinesh Karthik and Ajit Agarkar gave it away after they were set. Pathan, however, stood out. He managed to score at close to a run a ball and showed that he could attack as well as defend with his solid technique. He even managed to blitz the fiery Nel for two huge sixes – one drilled over long-off, the other lofted over cover.

Flattering to deceive: Zaheer Khan dismissed Graeme Smith in his first over for the third time in three matches providing early hope for India © AFP

India will do well to pick up a few lessons from Gibbs, who shelved his attacking instincts in the face of disciplined bowling. His innings could have been terminated on 2, when he pulled a short one straight to Sehwag at midwicket, but Sreesanth overstepping the mark allowed him to fight on. He waited for the loose deliveries, while effectively collecting singles against the spinners, and acted as a glue to ensure that the innings didn’t fall apart.He shared three vital partnerships – 69 with Kallis, whose aesthetically-conceived 49 was gorgeous in its execution, 61 with Mark Boucher, who nudged his way to 29, and 61 with Shaun Pollock, who’s promising 37 was cut short by a needless run-out. Kallis’s knock was the most aggressive of the lot, leading a superb counterattack from a precarious 7 for 2, after Zaheer Khan had removed Smith for the third successive game in a row.Things South Africa couldn’t manage a boundary between the 29th and 39th overs – a phase during which Tendulkar and Sehwag applied the brakes. Pollock’s busy approach, including two crisply-struck sixes, allowed him to motor to a 43-ball 37 but a reckless bit of running from Gibbs – when he was concentrating on the ball driven to mid-on rather than Pollock running three quarters of the distance – cost him his wicket. Zaheer and Sreesanth cashed in on that moment. Managing full-length deliveries on a consistent basis, the duo conceded just 28 in the final four overs, providing a suitable denouement to the good work from the rest. India’s batsmen, though, undid it all.

Will Sourav Ganguly be included in the Test squad? © AFP

The Board of Control for Cricket in India advised the selectors “not to ignore Ganguly” for the Test series against Sri Lanka, in the course of the selection meeting which took place in Chennai on Tuesday morning, it is learned. Rahul Dravid may have been named captain for the three-match Test series against Sri Lanka which starts on December 2 but there is considerable pressure on the selection panel to include Sourav Ganguly in the side as player.Recently Ranbir Singh Mahendra, in a move that can only be termed unusual for a board president, declared emphatically that Ganguly would be back in the team. “At present nobody wants to disturb the winning combination. Otherwise I don’t think there’s any problem for Sourav to return to the international team,” he said. When asked if he believed Ganguly figured in the scheme of things in the long run, he retorted: “Who has ruled him out? Nobody has. This is the handy work of gossip-mongers who believe in sensationalism. He is a great player, he has also been a great captain. We are proud of him and he will definitely make a comeback to the team.”The selectors met on Tuesday morning to pick the captain for the forthcoming home series, and chose Dravid after some discussion, in the light of recent positive results of the team and Dravid’s own performance as captain in the opportunities he has got so far. The selectors will meet again to select the ODI team to play the last two matches against South Africa, but Ganguly’s chances of making it into that squad are extremely slim.It is a poorly-kept secret that three of five selectors have been pushing for Ganguly’s return. The BCCI, however, on paper at least, is not meant to interfere with the selection panel on matters of team selection. This generally means that selection meetings are given direction and guidance by the chairman of selectors, Kiran More, in this case. What stance More adopts, and how aggressively he chooses to promote this with his fellow selectors will hold the key to Ganguly’s return.But it is by no means a foregone conclusion that Ganguly will return. Yuvraj Singh and Mohammad Kaif, largely considered ODI specialists until now, have both caught the eye of the selectors as players who need to be invested in, and given a decent run, in the long form of the game. While Kaif has always been thought of as having the kind of game suited to the longer version, Yuvraj’s flamboyance and inconsistency have been held against him. That Yuvraj has averaged a cracking 48.9 in the last 15 ODIs he has played, has not gone unnoticed, and will make it tough for the selectors to overlook him for the Sri Lanka Tests.And there is the case of VVS Laxman. Although currently not in the limited overs team, Laxman is virtually a certainty for the Test side. His class is unquestioned, and both captain and coach have the highest regard for him. Keeping all these factors in mind, even with the board’s instruction to the selectors, it’s too close to call whether Ganguly will return or not.

Scorecard and ball-by-ball details

Hamish Marshall improvised his way to a cool-headed fifty© Getty Images

In a gripping match under the lights of Melbourne’s Telstra Dome, where the advantage flashed from side to side, New Zealand collected their first win of a horror tour when Brendon McCullum stole a single from the third-last delivery. New Zealand had a demoralising and dispiriting Test-series loss at Adelaide five days ago, but a change of clothes has made a world of difference.New Zealand have been in Australia for almost a month, but finally the summer had a close contest. In a crisis in whites, they were unable to eye the world champions during the two Tests, but chasing Australia’s 246 they were as cool as the stadium’s air-conditioning in the final 10 overs even though the result was in doubt.The 48th over virtually sealed the four-wicket victory, as Michael Kasprowicz was belted for 22. It included one delivery which went for five wides, and two fours to McCullum and one to Hamish Marshall, who combined for a thrilling 39-run stand off 21 balls. Marshall, the Man of the Match, timed his innings perfectly while McCullum’s 20 from 13 provided the late-innings burst they had always planned.Nathan Astle and Mathew Sinclair set the platform for the acceleration with a 128-run partnership that followed a fine bowling comeback, and the Aussies were in a contest for the first time since the second day of the Brisbane Test. Australia briefly regained control after Sinclair was run out by Andrew Symonds after backing up too far to make it 2 for 128.A run was never an option, and Sinclair’s snooze was even more costly as Astle departed in the next over for 70 off 102 balls when Ricky Ponting caught him spectacularly. The run-chase faltered briefly, but Marshall, Jacob Oram and Chris Cairns kept them close enough to pounce. Then Marshall and McCullum took to Kasprowicz. Australia, so dominant during the Test series, now face two must-win games at Sydney on Wednesday and Brisbane on Friday to lift the glittering new Chappell-Hadlee Trophy.Brett Lee, who only got his opportunity when Australia rested Jason Gillespie and Glenn McGrath, their two most experienced bowlers, was happy to be finally marking his run-up and raised the excitement levels of Australian fans expecting another New Zealand walloping. He thudded a 152kph delivery into Stephen Fleming’s pads with the second ball of the innings, and a second wicket popped out of Ponting’s hands when Sinclair dabbed at an outswinger. He returned at the death to claim Cairns, the opposition’s own returning glamour boy.Cairns has decided to play only one-day matches, and he showed how much New Zealand missed him during the Tests when he joined Daniel Vettori in pegging back a dangerous early onslaught. They applied the brakes after sending the opposition in and then inflicted serious damage as Australia’s early sprint became a limp.Adam Gilchrist had launched Australia’s one-day summer with a spectacular 68 from 54 balls, and they looked like reaching 300 without breaking into a sweat. The speedy opening partnership was ended by a sensational catch by Sinclair on the boundary at square leg. Diving full-length to his left, Sinclair grabbed the chance from Matthew Hayden off Oram (1 for 64). Vettori then snapped up the middle order with three wickets, but it had been Cairns who had prompted an Australian collapse – four wickets for 10 in 18 balls.Cairns has spent his time away growing a bushranger’s beard, and he watched Australia reach 50 in the seventh over by attacking Kyle Mills and Ian Butler. He slowed the run-rate and grabbed the crucial breakthrough when he surprised Gilchrist with one that ducked in through his defence (2 for 113). Relieved to have ended Gilchrist’s fireworks, New Zealand celebrated again when Vettori trapped Ponting lbw, despite an under-edge, and cheered again when Symonds and Damien Martyn soon followed. Symonds mis-hit Vettori to Mills at mid-on while yet to score, and Australia were under pressure at 5 for 123.Darren Lehmann, who finished with a half-century in even time, and Michael Clarke put on 71 for the sixth wicket to stop the rot before Cairns hit Clarke’s leg stump. When Butler found Shane Watson’s edge, Australia had to give up on reaching 250 – unthinkable 30 overs before. They finally managed 246, but it wasn’t enough.

The venue for Glamorgan`s Second XI Trophy fixture against Gloucestershire on 30th June has changed. The match will now be played at Bristol West Indies Cricket Club, and not Bristol University as previously advertised.Glamorgan`s U-21 fixture scheduled for July 3rd against Lambeth Academy at Maesteg has also been cancelled because the visitors have been unable to raise a team.

A second-innings collapse from Maharashtra saw Mumbai pull off aseven-wicket victory in their Ranji Trophy league match at Mumbai onSunday.Reaching a first-innings total of 250 thanks mainly to some late-orderheroics, Mumbai must have felt that they did not have nearly enoughruns in the bank. Iqbal Siddiqui was the most impressive Maharashtrabowler, returning figures of 7-91.Ramesh Powar, however, returned his own impressive figures for Mumbai,taking 6-30 off 19.5 overs. The Maharashtra innings collapseddramatically; with only the openers getting to double figures, theside was dismissed for 98.Set a target of 65 for victory, Mumbai brushed off minor hiccups tonotch up a seven-wicket victory. They now garner eight points fromthis match, their first of the Ranji season.