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Monty Panesar, the England left-arm spinner, has joined South African domestic side Highveld Lions as their overseas player this season.Panesar was dropped from the England Test team after the first Ashes Test at Cardiff, despite his match-saving effort with the bat on a tense final evening, and has now lost his central contract. His spot as England’s No.1 spinner has gone to Graeme Swann and in 13 County Championship matches this season Panesar took just 18 wickets at an expensive 59.44.”Having practised with [head coach] Dave Nosworthy and the Lions players last January for 10 days prior to going to West Indies with England, I know what superb facilities and friendly people await me in Johannesburg,” Panesar said. “[Chief executive] Alan Kourie was very helpful to me on my last trip, and I look forward to picking his and other people’s brains further as I seek to develop my bowling and all-round game in the challenging environment of South African cricket.”England are yet to announce their touring party for the winter tour of South Africa, but Panesar’s name is not expected to feature with Adil Rashid set to travel as the second spinner. However, Panesar will be in the right place should injuries strike the main squad.Two years ago the Lions had Steve Harmison in their ranks as he tried to prove his form and fitness before the tour 2007-08 tour of Sri Lanka.

Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsRicky Ponting was in complete control during his hundred as he put Australia on course in a large run chase•PA Photos

Ricky Ponting has already suffered the ignominy of surrendering the No. 1 Test ranking on this tour, but his final week in England may yet witness Australia’s return to the summit of the 50-over game. Ponting produced his highest ever ODI total against England – a breathtaking innings of 126 from 109 deliveries – that provided the platform from which Australia launched a successful assault on England’s intimidating 299.Nothing short of a 7-0 series whitewash will allow Australia to usurp the top-ranked South Africans entering the Champions Trophy, and Ponting’s 27th career ODI century delivered them to within two wins of the feat. Australia’s fifth consecutive victory over England was sealed when Mitchell Johnson blasted Ryan Sidebottom for a straight six with four wickets in hand and 10 balls remaining, however it was the imperious batting of Ponting that will be remembered as the tide-turner.The designated rest period has clearly done Ponting no harm. From the outset, his was an innings of sublime timing and intimidating power that England’s bowlers could do little to repel. At one point, Ponting cuffed a Sidebottom delivery over the press box, but his most entertaining sequence came when he pounded consecutive sixes off Adil Rashid, who had the dubious honour of taking the second ball.Ponting’s only moment of trepidation came on 35 when, facing Dimitri Mascarenhas, Matt Prior removed the bails with his foot in motion behind the crease. The third umpire, Nigel Llong, found in his favour, however, allowing Ponting to resume his third-wicket stand with Michael Clarke, which produced 123-runs.The Australians suffered a pair of setbacks when Tim Bresnan removed Tim Paine and Shane Watson, the latter for a well-struck 36 from 34 deliveries. But their exits drew Ponting and Clarke to the centre, and both appeared in an ominous mood from the outset. While Ponting powered out of the blocks, Clarke began his innings watchfully before steadily accelerating as the evening progressed. His penchant for scoring runs this series has not been in question, although his ability to do so quickly has emerged as a discussion point, particularly with the Twenty20 captaincy up for grabs. A return of 52 from 64 balls might not have ended the debate, but it did represent a higher gear than those which he has operated on thus far in the series.England were left to rue a poor fielding display that undid much of their earlier work with the bat. Australia’s final pair of Cameron White (24 not out from 15 balls) and Johnson (18 not out from 12) were too often allowed charity runs in the closing overs, turning a potentially tense finale into a relatively docile stroll.Earlier, Eoin Morgan’s flashing blade propelled England to their highest total of the series, and with it their best chance yet of ending Australia’s fortnight of dominance. Morgan’s frenetic innings of 58 from 41 deliveries featured an array of dazzling strokes, including powerful sixes to bring up England’s 200 and his own half-century.England seemed set for another middle order stammer when Owais Shah departed in the 39th over with the total at 192 for 5, however Morgan’s late-innings partnerships with Mascarenhas and Stuart Broad provided the hosts first with ballast, and later authority. The Dublin-born left-hander made his move between the 38th and 42nd overs during England’s batting Powerplay, at which time the hosts advanced their total by 45 runs, then proceeded to frustrate the Australians with powerful and occasionally improvised strokeplay, such as his stunning reverse sweep to the boundary off Nathan Bracken.Bracken exacted revenge with his next delivery, though not before Morgan, who was dropped on 38 by juggling Michael Hussey at deep square-leg, had accelerated to his highest one-day international score since shifting allegiances from Ireland. At the time of his departure in the 48th over, England were well on course for a competitive total, and when Rashid blasted three boundaries from Johnson’s final over, a intimidating score was in the books.England’s middle-order resurgence may not have come in time to save the series, but it will provide team management with a sense of optimism ahead of the Champions Trophy. Too often England’s batsmen have been contained and subsequently dismissed by Australia’s bowlers over the past few weeks, but on an ideal batting surface the hosts managed a display befitting of an international-standard limited-overs side.

Political leaders in the Caribbean who met on Friday have put forward a series of recommendations to resolve the dispute between the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) and the West Indies Players’ Association (WIPA). The recommendations include the senior players making themselves available for selection in regional tournaments.A statement from the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) secretariat, the government body established in 1996 to strengthen West Indies cricket, listed out the “minimum criteria” to ensure selection of the best available team for future tournaments:* Players to make themselves available for selection in accordance with normal WICB requirements, in particular, participation in the regional tournaments;* WICB to agree to the television/image rights fees (sponsor’s fees) traditionally paid to players pending the special arbitration on this issue to facilitate the signing of retainer contracts by October 1 this year;* WICB and WIPA to agree on the implementation of: (1) the special arbitration process provided for in the mediator’s draft agreement, i.e. on ‘Team rights’ and ‘the India tour’; and (2) best efforts by the CARICOM Secretariat in the first instance to facilitate the resolution of the other outstanding issues proposed by WICB and WIPA, or the pursuit of arbitration if necessary, such arbitration not to delay the return of West Indies cricket to normalcy;* CARICOM to convene a stakeholders’ meeting at the earliest practicabledate to discuss the future of West Indies cricket, taking account of the WICB’s development plan, as well as the report of the Patterson committee established by WICB;* The WICB to inform the ICC of the action taken by Caribbean governments with the object of returning West Indies cricket to its accustomed place in world cricket in consonance with the highest traditions of the sport as upheld by the ICC.The communiqué acknowledged that the WICB and its affiliate organisations held the final say in the running of West Indies cricket, but added that the political leaders in the region had an obligation to ensure the well-being of the game. “Heads of government have always been cognizant of their responsibility as representatives of the Caribbean people in the region and the diaspora for whom cricket is one of the major integrating factors,” it said. “This fact was primarily responsible for the establishment of the Prime Ministerial Sub- Committee on Cricket [13 years ago] at the onset of the dramatic decline in the performance of the West Indies teams.”It cautioned that if the current crisis was not resolved “immediately”, the attempt to revive the game in the region would suffer a massive setback. “Over the past 10 years in particular, the Heads of Government as well as all stakeholders in West Indies, have endured the fracturing of relations and distrust between WICB and the West Indies Players Association,” it read. “The current situation, if not resolved IMMEDIATELY [sic], will no doubt destroy the fabric on which to base any hope of reviving the region’s standing in international cricket, or building a solid future for West Indies cricket.”The recommendations arrive in the aftermath of failed negotiations between the WICB and the WIPA under the mediation of the CARICOM-appointed Shridath Ramphal. The contracts crisis reached its height when senior West Indies players boycotted the home Test series against Bangladesh, and the WICB fielded a makeshift team which was also retained for the Champions Trophy.

Shane Warne has called for the end of one-day cricket, saying that the 50-over format has “passed its sell-by date”. He is of the opinion that teams should play only Test and Twenty20 cricket with a World Twenty20 being held every two years.”This is a big call, but cricket evolves and the 50-over game has passed its sell-by date,” Warne wrote in his column for the . “It’s amazing to think that after the Ashes series, England and Australia play seven one-day games, which take about a month. Sorry, but that’s just greed on the part of administrators.”By eliminating one-day matches, Warne wrote, international players would be able to play more domestic cricket, thereby improving its quality, and also have more time with their families. “Under my plan a tour would last roughly five weeks: three Tests with a warm-up game and five Twenty20s in a ten-day period. The Ashes would stay as a five-match series.”Warne also advocated a world Test championship with two divisions and one team getting promoted and demoted from each every two years, as well as a separate window for the IPL. “I wonder if people in England realise how big the Indian Premier League is,” Warne, who is captain of the Rajasthan Royals, wrote. “I’ve read that it is the fourth biggest sporting event in the world in terms of value, estimated at around $1 billion. England are having to move away from early-May Tests because they are struggling to find opponents during a clash of dates with IPL. A gap of a month or six weeks fixed in the calendar would ease all potential problems and keep the players happy.”Warne also criticised the present standard of umpiring in international cricket, saying it was “as low as I’ve known it in 20 years”. “Yes, it is a difficult job and technology exposes any mistakes, but some of the performances in the Ashes series so far have been pretty ordinary,” he wrote. “Players will accept that the odd bad decision gets through now and again. At the moment, there are just too many.” He also felt that the remuneration umpires currently receive should be revised upwards to “reflect the importance of the job”.

Surprise choice and an interesting marker
It surprised everyone that Kumar Sangakkara began the day with Thilan Thushara and a non-spinning, part-time offspinner, Tharanga Paranavitana. It is also interesting how Paranavitana marks his run-up. He doesn’t take steps, and when he marks his run, his right foot meets left, then left meets right and so on. It helps that he hardly has a run, it’s just a couple of paces. To be fair to Sangakkara and Paranavitana, an edge was produced in the latter’s second over, but it flew wide of slip.Thushara v Fawad – watch out for the head
After Fawad Alam escaped a blow on his head by centimetres yesterday, another accurate bouncer from the same bowler found him today. Late to duck, Fawad was in an uncomfortable place again and got hit flush on the helmet. Like yesterday, though, it didn’t faze the debutant.Brain freeze of the day
And the action revolved around Paranavitana. He came back for a second spell, overs before lunch. Slowly he marked his run-up, sedately he took his two paces to bowl, and suddenly he saw Younis Khan, 82, shaping up for a reverse-sweep to the first delivery of the spell. Paranavitana slipped a full toss down what would have been leg side, Younis went through with the shot, dragged it onto his right shoulder, and the ball lobbed to the keeper. Earlier this year, Younis had got to his triple-century against the same opposition with the same shot.Successful surprise choice of the day
Just after lunch Sangakkara took the new ball, and threw it to – surprise – Rangana Herath. Herath got Mohammad Yousuf lbw, plumb too, off his second delivery with the new ball. In the four Tests that Yousuf has now played against Herath, he has fallen five times to him – four of them blocking the wicket. The choice of the new-ball bowler doesn’t sound that strange anymore.

Marcus North knows there will be tougher days ahead but he was relieved to break through his early tour slump with a composed 106 in an ideal warm-up before next week’s first Test. North had 1, 11 and 1 before this innings and he can now think clearly about how to cope with England’s 1st XI from No. 6 following a commanding performance against their understudies in Worcester.”Leading into an Ashes series there is pressure to score runs, especially in the position where I have only played two Tests and am looking to still cement that position of mine,” he said. “Not that it was building up massively, but there was a bit of pressure there leading into the Test without a score and without finding the middle. It is pleasing the work has paid off.”He refocussed with some early morning drills under the watch of the coach Tim Nielsen and when he stepped out at 41 for 2 he soon found the freedom that had been missing. Particularly strong down the ground, he also worked the ball cleverly and unleashed some strong pull shots from the spinners as the third day ended.”Maybe it was a bit of transition of not playing a lot out in the middle and having a lot of nets,” he said. “The first innings was an example of not watching the ball enough and last night and this morning I did a few drills with Tim and started watching the ball and I felt a lot more comfortable.”North will also be required to deliver offspin in Cardiff and, with Nathan Hauritz’s problems, he is looking increasingly likely to be the No. 1 slow bowler despite his part-time status. “I played that role in South Africa in the two Tests, and it would not just be me, but Simon [Katich] and [Michael] Clarke as well. If that is the way the balance of the team goes, I would feel comfortable to play a role with my bowling for sure.”

Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were out
Trent Johnston was the hero for Ireland with his accurate bowling during the Super Over•Getty Images

If the rest of the ICC World Twenty20 is going to be as eventful as the warm-up game between Ireland and Netherlands it will be a thrilling tournament. The handful of fans who turned up at Lord’s, and there weren’t many, were witness to a tie and then a one-over eliminator after which Ireland finally clinched victory by four runs.Ireland succeeded despite Dirk Nannes’ best efforts. The Netherlands fast bowler was hostile in all his spells: his first three overs were extremely economical and did not allow Ireland to accelerate during the Powerplay, his last over broke Ireland’s momentum as they pushed towards the target, and his bowling during the one-over eliminator was magnificent. Nannes’ pace and bounce was too hot for Ireland’s batsmen and he conceded only three runs off the bat in the one-over eliminator, while Ireland managed three more through extras.Netherlands needed only seven in the eliminator to win the game, and then five from five balls, but Trent Johnston held his nerve. Concentrating on keeping the ball full, he had Bas Zuiderent stumped off the third ball and ran out Darron Reekers off the next to end the Netherlands innings.”It was always going to be Trent,” the Ireland captain, William Porterfield, said. “I never entertained picking anyone else. He has a vast amount of experience, and he can mix it up pretty well varying his pace, as was shown with a few slower balls. He loves the big stage and they don’t come any bigger than Lord’s. He bowled his original four-over spell pretty well, and hit the blockhole. He knew where he wanted to put the ball, and executed it to perfection.”The match went down to a one-over eliminator after Ireland fell one run short of the target of 136. They required nine off the final over, bowled by Pieter Seelar, and then needed two off the last two balls but could manage only one. It was Nannes’ last over, however, which prevented Ireland from securing victory within the standard 20 overs. Ireland needed only 30 off the last four overs but Nannes, who plays for Victoria and the IPL franchise Delhi Daredevils, conceded three and took the wicket of Trent Johnston, who skied a pull, to make Ireland’s task tougher.Ireland’s bowlers had put in a collective performance earlier in the afternoon to restrict Netherlands to 135 for 9. They did not experiment much with their bowling attack, using only five bowlers, but they got the job done. Their new ball bowlers made the first incisions into the Netherlands batting line-up and the support bowlers ensured that the innings was devoid of sustained momentum by striking at regular intervals.Netherlands had accelerated to 45 for 2 after the Powerplay but Ireland’s bowlers pulled them back after the fielding restrictions were lifted. Johnston, who was first change, bowled four economical overs, keeping the pressure up while the bowler struck at the other end.Regan West tied Reekers down with his left-arm spin before slipping a faster one past the batsman’s attempted cut. The Netherlands batsmen struggled to time the ball initially against the slower bowlers – West and the offspinner Kyle McCallan – and managed to score only 66 off the first ten overs.A few Netherlands batsmen played cameos – Peter Borren ruined McCallan’s economy-rate by hitting him for sixes over midwicket and down the ground – and Ryan ten Doeschate’s 29 was the highest score – an indication that no batsman stuck around long enough to cause Ireland significant damage. And just when Netherlands were thinking of a late surge, McCallan struck twice in two balls – removing ten Doeschate and Edgar Schiferli – to finish with 3 for 32.Unlike the Netherlands, Ireland’s batsmen struggled to score during the Powerplay. Nannes and Schiferli bowled a difficult length and while Nannes was extremely economical, Schiferli picked up two early wickets. Ireland had reached only 29 for 2 after the first six overs but they were steadied by Andre Botha and Paul Stirling, who added 55 for the third wicket and gave their team a chance, which the rest of the batsmen duly took.

The next time Andrew Strauss dons the whites for England will be when he walks out to toss alongside Ricky Ponting at Cardiff. After England’s crushing innings victory today, he was at pains to point out “there is plenty of cricket to be played” before then. But now that there is no more Test action until July, it is hard not to look ahead. On Wednesday morning the Australian selectors name their squad for the Ashes series and, while the chosen few won’t fear their challenge, they may just encounter an England side in better shape than could have been expected a few months ago.Let’s make it clear. If England hadn’t won this series, a major inquest would have been undertaken. The visitors were woeful and didn’t want to be here; their captain couldn’t be bothered to turn up until two days before the first Test, and conditions meant some of them barely got their hands out their pockets. Still, England haven’t made a habit of registering comfortable wins, even when they should. So victories by 10 wickets and an-innings-and-83-runs are as good a place as any to start.”The real positive to come out of it was how clinical we were,” Strauss said. “We got on top in both Tests, we had to earn the right to, but once we got on top we stayed on top and by and large took our chances. We are in a pretty good place at the moment.”Guys are enjoying each other’s success and we are a pretty close-knit group. I think that always happens when you’re winning, so hopefully we can make sure when we meet again for our next Test that we are reminded how close we are now. You just look at the way the guys are practising and training, there’s a real hunger to improve and we need to cultivate that and ensure it grows.”We aren’t getting carried away thinking we are the complete article by any means, we still need to keep improving and working hard. There are still areas we need to improve dramatically on if we want to be the best team in the world. But with small steps, we are going in the right direction.”The England side that reached its peak in 2005 had a confidence built over a sustained run of success leading into the series. This latest 2-0 victory is just England’s fifth series win since that triumph, coupled with a winter where they lost a captain and coach, but although the opposition were a shadow of the side that won in the Caribbean it was clear to see the positive signs Strauss was talking about.”Things settled down very quickly after the upheaval which is very encouraging because it means the players are committed to playing for England,” he said. “There are no hang ups or ego problems. It shows our priorities are right.”Two weeks ago the vacant No. 3 spot was being questioned more than MPs’ expenses, while there were issues over the balance, and experience, of the bowling attack particularly without Andrew Flintoff. Fitness permitting, Flintoff will return for the Ashes, but this series has further increased the gap in the statistic of England winning more matches without him than with him. There is a nagging feeling that he can be an overwhelming presence in the dressing room and it has been noticeable this week how happy the current camp is.Without Flintoff to fall back on in these two matches, the young attack has made the most of home advantage with emphatic results. The mastery of swing by Jimmy Anderson and the menace from Stuart Broad shows that England’s new generation of quicks are maturing into a powerful force. Anderson has become a threat in all conditions, while Broad is able to turn on the aggression that England have wished for from Steve Harmison but so rarely received. Harmison is now laid up with a shin complaint and the door that had been left slightly ajar for a recall is slowly closing.”In West Indies they both bowled exceptionally well and didn’t get what they deserved because the wickets were very flat,” Strauss said. “This match they’ve got more like what they deserved. Jimmy’s control with the swinging ball is exceptional and he’ll be a threat against anyone when it’s swinging, but at the same time when it’s flat I think we’ve learnt a lot from what happened in West Indies and also have a plan B which is encouraging.”The difficulty now for England is maintaining this flicker of momentum. A month of one-day cricket begins on Thursday and after the limited-overs series against West Indies there is the ICC World Twenty20, which also involves a change of captain with Paul Collingwood replacing Strauss.”The reality is when we step out there in Cardiff it means nothing really,” Strauss said. “The only thing from a team point of view is to remember what it’s like to win. We haven’t done that as much as we’d have liked recently, now we’ve done it twice in a row. But once we start the Ashes series it’s back to square one.”Normally a series win is followed by an on-pitch presentation in front of a celebratory stands. However, on this occasion the Wisden Trophy was returned to English hands after just 69 days in one of the hospitality rooms with a few dozen spectators clapping from the outside. It was hardly Nasser Hussain at The Oval in 2000, or Gayle in Trinidad two months ago.Such a famous trophy deserved better and it summed up the large feeling of apathy towards this contest. England, though, took it deadly seriously. If they win their next Test series, you can rest assured the celebrations won’t be so restrained.

Group B

Marcus Trescothick blasted a brilliant 144 from 108 balls, and the recent triple-centurion James Hildreth maintained his penchant for big scores with 151 from 141 balls, as Scotland continued their struggles with a comprehensive 151-run defeat against Somerset at Taunton. After the early loss of Craig Kieswetter for 8, Somerset did not look back, as Trescothick and Hildreth added a hefty 260 for the second wicket in double-quick time. Even when Trescothick did finally fall to Matthew Parker, there was no end to the Scottish suffering, as Peter Trego hurtled into the fray with 74 from 39 balls – an innings that included six fours and four sixes. Somerset’s eventual total of 403 for 3 was never going to be challenged, even though Scotland’s captains new and old, Gavin Hamilton and Ryan Watson, led a brave pursuit with 62 and 67 respectively.Middlesex routed Kent by 80 runs at Canterbury. Click here for the bulletin.

Group C

James Franklin and Steve Adshead rescued Gloucestershire with a remarkable seventh-wicket stand of 106, as Yorkshire were condemned to a three-wicket defeat in a thrilling low-scoring encounter at Bristol. After batting first, Yorkshire were restricted to 217 for 9, with Franklin and Jon Lewis excelling in helpful conditions. Jacques Rudolph was the first to go, bowled by Lewise after struggling to 1 from nine balls, and at 49 for 5 humiliation beckoned. Yorkshire’s captain, Anthony McGrath, found solid support from Rich Pyrah, however, and added 115 for the sixth wicket to give their bowlers a total to defend.They made a good fist of it at first, with Deon Kruis and David Wainwright finishing with three wickets each, but having slumped to 107 for 6 the fightback began. With calm shot selection, Franklin and Adshead turned the match on its head, as Gloucestershire maintained their unbeaten record in the competition.Ed Joyce with the bat and James Kirtley with the ball propelled Sussex to a comfortable 56-run victory over Durham at Hove. Joyce, who compiled an excellent 127 from 125 balls to underpin a sizeable 50-over total of 313 for 6, opened the batting and added 110 for the first wicket with Joe Gatting, who made 50 from 61 balls, and then kept the innings ticking along as his middle-order colleagues all made starts without anyone exceeding Mike Yardy’s 27 from 20 balls. Their combined effort proved sufficient, however, despite the best efforts of Phil Mustard, whose run-a-ball 92 kept Durham in the hunt for the first half of the chase. Then, from a promising 188 for 2, Durham capitulated to Kirtley, who returned the best figures of his limited-overs career, 6 for 50 from 8.5 overs, to seal the contest with 19 balls to spare.

Tables

There were times when Lee Carseldine was so sick with a back injury he couldn’t even consider playing cricket again. Slowly, painfully and successfully, he recovered and on Friday night capped his unbelievable rise with the Ian Healy Trophy as Queensland’s player of the year.The tale is so impressive Matthew Hayden thinks a movie should be made about it. “The last time I had a good chance to see Lee was in Melbourne when he was lying paralysed from the waist down and was basically on death’s door,” Hayden said. “To come back and rattle the cage of Queensland and Australian cricket is a phenomenal story.”Carseldine, the 33-year-old left-hander, missed three years with the injury and was not sure if he was ever going to be able to play again. “I wasn’t a huge wreck, but I was close to it,” he said. “The Australian Cricketers’ Association really looked after me when I was out of cricket. I am in their debt.”He said it was a huge honour to join previous Ian Healy Trophy winners such as Michael Kasprowicz, Andy Bichel, Ashley Noffke and Stuart Law. “I’ve loved playing for Queensland my whole life, since the juniors,” he said. “They’ve always looked after me and given me time.”Over the past season Carseldine picked up 595 runs in the Sheffield Shield, 477 in the FR Cup at 43.36 and an incredible 298 in the Twenty20 competition, averaging 99.33 at a strike-rate of 134.84. The returns earned him a start with the Indian Premier League team Rajasthan Royals and gained him a host of accolades at national and state level. He also gained the Bulls’ Twenty20 and players’ player prizes at the awards ceremony in Brisbane.Chris Hartley, the wicketkeeper, was the Sheffield Shield player of the year for his season of 524 runs, including two centuries, 52 catches and two stumpings. During the summer he joined Rod Marsh and Adam Gilchrist as the only players to have scored a century and gloved ten dismissals in a match, and set a record by not giving up a bye in Victoria’s total of 8 for 806 declared. Ben Laughlin, who is with the Australian team in South Africa, was the FR Cup player of the year while Jodie Fields won the Queensland Fire prize.The retired Bichel, Hayden and Martin Love were recognised for their outstanding careers and Bichel’s next engagement is a stint as bowling coach with the Kolkata Knight Riders. Queensland Cricket’s chairman Damien Mullins also confirmed the loss of Shane Watson to New South Wales for next season.