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Batsman Qasim Sheikh has been added to Scotland’s ODI squad for the back-to-back matches this weekend against Ireland in Aberdeen. The selectors were impressed with Sheikh following his century against Ireland in the Intercontinental Cup match, which was crucial in giving his team a slender first-innings lead.Fast bowler Dewald Nel, who broke his finger during the ICC World Twenty20 in June, has been given the all-clear by the doctors to play.”Qasim fully deserves his call-up after his outstanding knock last week, and Dewald returning is a major boost after his lengthy layoff,” Peter Steindl, Scotland’s head coach, said. “We hope to build on the many positives we have taken out of the recent Intercontinental Cup game as we continue to develop our side.”Scotland play a one-off ODI against Australia on August 28 in Edinburgh.Squad: Gavin Hamilton (capt), Fraser Watts, Ryan Watson, Qasim Sheikh, Navdeep Poonia, Neil McCallum, Richie Berrington, Marc Petrie, Majid Haq, Gordon Drummond, Ross Lyons, Gordon Goudie, Dewald Nel.

As Simon Katich and Ricky Ponting extended their second-wicket stand through to the end of the second day’s play, the most relieved men in Cardiff were not the Australian bowlers whose own mixed efforts with the ball had been put very firmly into context, nor the pockets of Fanatics around the ground, who arrived in England a shade apprehensive about their team’s Ashes prospects, but finished the day feeling as though normal service had never been interrupted.Rather, it was the Glamorgan CCC hierarchy, most particularly the chairman, Paul Russell, who can now look forward to hosting a full five days of refund-free Ashes cricket, when the hyped-up fears prior to the contest had been of a three-day minefield. For that, the gratitude must go to the newly installed groundsman, Keith Exton, who put aside that early-season scare when Glamorgan were docked two points in the FP Trophy for an excessively turning track, and instead unfurled a belter.Exton’s expertise didn’t come as much of a surprise to Graeme Swann, however, who at the height of the pitch furore predicted to Cricinfo that the Test track would turn out very different in character to that edge-of-the-square anomaly. And so it proved on a day of arduous toil for England’s bowlers, although by seeping their runs at less than three an over, Swann and Monty Panesar did maintain some measure of control throughout the Ponting-Katich alliance. With a 186-run advantage still on their side, Swann felt that England’s disappointing day was by no means disastrous.”This morning we talked about getting momentum, but 249 for 1 doesn’t speak very highly of the way we bowled, in fact it sums up the way we bowled,” said Swann. “We didn’t put the ball in the right place often enough. We can whinge and moan about the ball going soft, and the wicket being flat, and Katich not being given out lbw off me when he was plumb. But that’s the game, it’s the nature of the beast. We’re disappointed to be in this position, but we’ve still got a nigh-on-200 run lead.”Aside from that Katich let-off on 56, England scarcely created a chance worthy of the name, but Swann refused to be discouraged by the lack of assistance from the track. “It turned about as much as I expected,” he said. “We were reading it was going to turn square, but I’ve played here before, I know the odd ball turns but the majority doesn’t, so got to work hard for your wickets.”It will turn more as the game goes on, but it’s not going to speed up, I know that for a fact,” he said. “I think it’s played a lot better than most people thought, and there’s been more bounce than some people expected, but it’s a good wicket to bat on because of that lack of pace. There’s no spitting turn, except out of the footholds, so I might ask Mitchell Johnson [the left-armer] to rough it up in the morning.”Nevertheless, for England it was an anticlimactic day in the field, not least because of the twin psychological boosts they were given in a wildly entertaining first hour and a half of the day. Swann was central to the performance even then, clobbering an unbridled 47 not out from 40 balls, as England’s last three wickets added 99 precious runs in 16.5 overs.”I am intent on enjoying myself when I bat, because it’s the best thing in cricket,” said Swann. “No-one wants to be a bowler as a kid because it’s rubbish, so whenever I do get the chance to bat I go out and play with a smile on my face, and if it’s in my half I try to hit it as hard as I can. It’s a simple tactic, and today it came off nicely, and I was having the time of my life.”First in tandem with James Anderson, and then with Panesar “batting like Yuvraj Singh”, Swann took particular delight in tormenting his opposite number, Nathan Hauritz, whose sharp spin from middle to leg was an encouraging sign for an England side blessed with the supposedly superior spinners. But somehow, the promised purchase just did not come. England squandered the new ball by offering Phillip Hughes too much width, and then Swann and Panesar – though tidy – found their ambitions thwarted throughout.”Before lunch, maybe we got a bit hyped up because of the way we batted,” said Swann. “Hauritz got a few off the straight to turn down the leg side, and a couple out of the rough as well, so we got a bit of false hope. We probably expected to run up and get wickets every ball. We tried our heart out and put a lot into it, but I can remember only half a dozen balls turning and beating the outside edge. It’s disappointing, but it’s just one of those things.”The biggest disappointment, however, is undoubtedly the one that comes with hindsight. Ten of England’s eleven batsmen reached double figures, yet nobody exceeded Kevin Pietersen’s 69 – and there was never any danger that Katich or Ponting would paddle a sweep onto their helmet and into the hands of short leg. A single massive innings, of the type that both Australians are in the position to produce tomorrow, could have turned a handy but unfulfilling 435 into an impregnable 600-plus statement.”If you look down our scorecard I think everyone got in but didn’t go on,” agreed Swann. “Partly that was due to the first day of the Ashes, the big occasion probably got to us, but at end of the day our score was in the balance, and we realised we had to have a good morning to get back in, and get the runs that that wicket deserves. A couple of our guys realised they should have gone on and got hundreds, we’re a very honest dressing-room and very candid, but our only hundred that was truly denied was mine, because I ran out of partners.”Joking aside, Swann realises that there are still three days of serious competition to come, and he’s still optimistic of a turnaround in fortunes. To that end, he still believes that England’s spin twins will play the part for which they were selected, with Panesar coming to the fore as the game wears on.”Monty enjoyed himself and I thought he bowled well, and as the game goes on and he gets more overs, he’ll bowl better and better,” said Swann. “The reason we talk a lot on the field is that we are a partnership, and we try to bowl as a partnership. I field at mid-on to talk to him, and he fields at mid-on to me to keep smiling at me. That’s the way we work.”On the field it’s just tough cricket with the bowlers all finding you’ve really got to work to get your wickets, but we’re looking forward to getting rid of this ball, throwing it in the river, and getting a new one in their hands.”

Sourav Ganguly, the former Indian captain, has expressed an ambition to join cricket administration in his home state of West Bengal though he did not specify when he would do so. Ganguly, who turned 37 today, was confident that the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) would appreciate his concern for the state’s cricket and the difference he could make.”At some point, I will find a way to get into the CAB where people have known me since I was a kid,” Ganguly told . “I am convinced that I can play a positive role. Having played the game at the highest level and being part of the system, I know what it takes to make a difference. I intend to take it step by step.”Ganguly retired from international cricket after the home series against Australia in October last year. He played a few domestic matches for Bengal after that, followed by the IPL this year. He also joined the television commentary team for the World Twenty20 in England last month.

Ireland have stretched the gap between themselves and the other Associate and Affiliate nations over the past two years, and their presence for the first time in the ICC World Twenty20 is just reward for their perseverance and talent. With a strong development programme from Under-13s, through the age groups, they are beginning to produce cricketers whose aspirations stretch beyond Ireland itself.Eoin Morgan is the latest to hot-foot it over the water to England, and for all Ireland’s genuine and impressive improvement in the last couple of years, they remain handicapped in losing their best talent to England. In addition, Ireland and Associates simply don’t play enough international cricket against the leading nations to warrant too much optimism heading into this particular event. More prosaically, they have only played four Twenty20s, each of which were against Associate nations, three of which they won comfortably.Their involvement in the Friends Provident Trophy in England is, on paper, very worth their while. But along with Morgan, who plays for Middlesex, Ireland also lose their best bowler (Boyd Rankin, to Warwickshire), their captain (William Porterfield, to Gloucestershire) and the O’Brien brothers (Nottinghamshire and Northamptonshire). A side shorn of experience and talent inevitably struggles against county sides, though they did stun Worcestershire who were rolled for a pathetic 58 last month.The shorter the format, the greater the chance: that is often the misguided call for hope by Associate followers, and in one sense it is true. There is certainly a greater chance of Ireland causing an upset, and they possess plenty of accurate and nibbly seamers to keep things tight. Trent Johnston, their allrounder with an Australian lilt, is fiercely competitive and not to be underestimated, while Porterfield and the O’Briens can fight tooth and nail to the bitter end. But it is every bit as likely their richer opponents will speed to 50 in three overs or have Ireland chasing scores in excess of 200. As ever, this tournament is as much an exposure to the higher level (and intensity) of cricket for Associates, rather than a chance for glory, though Ireland remain bullishly confident and have Bangladesh in their sights. Whatever happens, they will not be overawed.StrengthsAccurate and (for the most part) tidy seam-bowling. They’re a fit side and all fear and admire their coach, Phil Simmons, who remains as gym-fit as any coach in the game. They should hold their own as fielders, and while they have a number of attractive strokemakers, they will miss Morgan’s inventiveness. Kevin O’Brien can hit the ball miles, though.WeaknessesThey simply lack experience. They will believe they can beat a Full Member nation, and even before the ICC World Cup Qualifiers were underway two months ago, they spoke confidently about felling Bangladesh. But as they showed against Australia, Bangladesh might be a weak bowling unit, but they will test Ireland to the limit and should still win.X-FactorThey might keep losing some of their best players to the old enemy across the water but perhaps, for once, their experience in English conditions will give them a slight advantage over the tourists. Porterfield, the O’Brien brothers and Rankin all play county cricket and, as their determined display in South Africa showed, not to mention their defeat of Pakistan in the 2007 World Cup, Ireland will never be overawed by the occasion.Key player(s)Boyd Rankin, their sky-scraping fast bowler, is a genuine talent and many in Ireland believe he’ll be the next Irishman to don an England shirt. Whether Twenty20 will suit him is another matter, however. Porterfield has steel and maturity beyond his 24 years and offers stability and class, while Kevin and Niall O’Brien can both tonk the ball miles if it’s in the slot.T20 form guideIreland have played just four Twenty20 matches, winning three, though all four were against Associate nations.Squad: William Porterfield (capt), Andre Botha, Jeremy Bray, Peter Connell, Alex Cusack, Trent Johnston, Kyle McCallan, John Mooney, Kevin O’Brien, Niall O’Brien, Boyd Rankin, Paul Stirling, Regan West, Andrew White, Gary Wilson

Comeback of the dayOn Friday afternoon he had merely been rested. Come Saturday morning, as the Netherlands post-mortem kicked in, his Achilles problem had become so serious his participation in the Ashes was under threat. Somewhere between those two extremes lies the truth about Kevin Pietersen’s hurty heel, but by God England were grateful to have him back tonight. For a man who professes to being “not very good at Twenty20”, Pietersen packed a mean punch as he provided impetus to England’s survival bid with a 31-ball half-century, including a drilled six over long-off that rivalled even the power that Chris Gayle brought to this ground on Saturday. Where he led, his team-mates followed, as England atoned for their Dutch disaster with admirable purpose.Shot of the dayIt was nothing special by the standards of the striking that we’ve seen at The Oval in the past 24 hours – nothing more than a flat pull from Luke Wright that scudded over midwicket. But in the context of a flatlining campaign it meant so, so much. After 143 deliveries, one humiliating defeat, and acres of abusive newsprint, England had finally managed to hit their first six of the World Twenty20. By the end of their innings they had cleared the ropes on five subsequent occasions, but as any pimply youth will tell you, the first time is always the most special.Shot of the day Mk 2It’s not like Pakistan to hold back from aerial shots, but a combination of effective English bowling and their own peculiar reticence meant we had to wait until the 17th over of the innings for their first blow over the ropes. Misbah-ul-Haq was the man to do the business, an abrupt wallop up and over long-on that put an unwarranted dent in Wright’s excellent figures. Sadly for Misbah – and Pakistan – the fun did not endure. He was clumsily dropped at point off the next ball by Ravi Bopara, and at the start of the next over he picked out Eoin Morgan at mid-on while attempting a repeat of that blow.Strangler of the dayAt Lord’s on Friday, Adil Rashid had proved powerless to halt the Dutch surge, but this time around, on a wicket entering its eighth innings in two days, he had the stage to show his class and he did not disappoint. With admirable control, and ably assisted by Wright and Graeme Swann, Rashid sent down 24 deliveries between the sixth and 14th overs at exactly a run a ball, and he did not concede a boundary until the start of his third over. By the time he completed his spell, Pakistan needed the small matter of 15.50 runs per over, and the game was already in the bag. It was an impressive comeback from a man who might have felt a touch traumatised by his debut.Bowler of the dayTalking of trauma, Stuart Broad has had his fill of it at World Twenty20s. The man who was smacked for six sixes at Durban in 2007 suffered an even greater humiliation against the Dutch, when his brilliant final over was rendered irrelevant by the woefulness of his own fielding. Happily for England, he didn’t dwell on that disaster, and returned with renewed aggression. His three overs went for 17 runs and accounted for three Pakistan wickets, including two in two balls as Kamran Akmal and Salman Butt imploded at the top end of the run-chase.Nutmeg of the dayPakistan spilled four catches in a sloppy fielding performance, most of them ludicrously simple. But their most embarrassing lapse came from Umar Gul at third man, who managed to let the ball trickle through his defences to hoots of derision from a deafeningly excited Oval crowd. An exuberant hoick from Wright spun off a thick edge, bounced once, twice, three times in front of Gul, then hopped like a fluffy bunny rabbit straight through the hole in his long barrier. Umar knelt in contemplation for a moment, stroking his chin like Rodin’s Thinker, then turned sheepishly to retrieve the ball from the rope, and face a barrage of well-earned abuse.Debut of the dayAs a lithe and whippy left-armer, the 17-year-old Mohammad Aamer has an awful lot of hype to live up to. Comparisons with the great Wasim Akram aren’t exactly helpful for a youngster making his way in the game, and yet, Aamer still managed to make a favourable first impression when he removed England’s man of the moment, Ravi Bopara, with his second delivery in international cricket. Granted it was a bit short and wide, but there was enough pace on the ball for Bopara’s loose carve to take an edge, and Shoaib Malik at backward point leapt with vigour to pouch a brilliant full-stretch catch.

ScorecardChris Woakes is congratulated on another West Indian wicket•Getty Images

At a time when young English quick bowlers are making the headlines, Chris Woakes enhanced his claims for higher honours as he starred for the England Lions by taking out the West Indian top order on a rain-hit opening day at Derby.Woakes ended with the fine figures of 4 for 26 as the tourists struggled to 76 for 4 in the 28 allowed by the weather. Play had started on time, but the opening passage of action lasted just 3.1 overs however that was still enough time for Woakes to make his mark. Lendl Simmons was drawn into a loose push which sent an edge through to Tim Ambrose for what was the first of three all-Warwickshire dismissals.Rain prevented further play until well into the final session, but the lengthy stoppage hadn’t effected Woakes who soon had Devon Smith caught behind. That was quickly followed by Denesh Ramdin’s wicket as the stand-in captain was caught by Ian Bell.However, Woakes’ most notable scalp was still to follow when he removed a well-set Ramnaresh Sarwan for 31 with Samit Patel taking the catch as the West Indians staggered to 55 for 4.Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Brendan Nash managed to resist until bad light brought an early close, but it was another troubling day for the West Indian top order – following their poor display against Essex, with the opening Test less than a week away.

Andy Moles, the New Zealand coach, has expressed his desire to join the selection panel after initially turning down the role when he was appointed last December.”I feel my thoughts were taken into consideration when final decisions were made but I’ll be talking to New Zealand Cricket around that and we have to make sure we get the best XI on the field every time we play,” Moles told the . “As long as we are being consulted and have our views put forward and debated well, it will work, but ideally I would like to be on the selection panel in future.”We need to make sure that my views and the captain’s views are taken into consideration so we get the balanced side to win games of cricket,” he said.When Moles took over from John Bracewell, he didn’t want a dual role as a selector because it would hinder him from interacting with the players at a more personal level. But he changed his mind after a testing summer in which New Zealand failed to win both Test series – against West Indies and India – and the one-day series against India.Reflecting on the summer, Moles said the emergence of Jesse Ryder was the highlight of the season. Ryder, who scored his maiden double-century, was New Zealand’s leading run-scorer with 327 runs (avg. 65.40) in the three Tests. His next assignment is in South Africa where he will represent the Bangalore Royal Challengers in the IPL.”Jesse is a remarkable young man,” Moles said. “He has improved as an individual tenfold from where he was three-six months ago. He knows what is expected of him.”There is support group around him and the team [Bangalore] he is going to is aware of the protocols around Jesse, so we expect him to score runs and take wickets and be in the limelight for the right reasons.”

Victoria 8 for 423 (Hussey 113, Rogers 105, White 84*, Wade 70, Symonds 3-48) v Queensland
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details

Victoria’s already strong hold on the Sheffield Shield increased as Cameron White and Matthew Wade half-centuries combined with more rain. Wet weather hurt Queensland again, delaying the start and limiting the third day to 49 overs, but they also contributed to their own situation with four dropped catches.The 135-run partnership for the eighth wicket between White and Wade built Victoria’s first-innings total towards 8 for 423 and also stole more time from the visitors, who must win outright to take the trophy. Their aim is becoming increasingly unlikely, especially with some sloppy fielding slowing them down in the cool weather.The Bulls needed quick wickets when the hosts resumed at 6 for 281 after the washed out second day, but White and Wade dealt with the tricky conditions and tight seam bowling led by James Hopes. A long delay before tea threatened an early stumps, but the players returned in sunshine after 6pm for eight overs, with the Bushrangers adding 26 and losing two wickets.Queensland’s short-pitched attack contributed to the exits of Wade and Damien Wright in consecutive balls from Ben Laughlin. At stumps White was unbeaten on 84 after the crucial stand with Wade, who followed back-to-back centuries in the last games of the regular season with 70.Hopes showed his courage and skill during a marathon 17-over spell from the start of the day, which began at midday when the run-ups were deemed dry, until halfway through the middle session. Unfortunately for Hopes, the lasting memory of his work will be his grimacing as the batsmen’s numerous mistakes ended up in edges through the cordon and fieldsmen’s fingers.Shane Watson was the main culprit, missing both White and Wade either side of the first rain break after lunch. He spilled a reasonably comfortable chance at second slip off Wade and then grassed a tough one low-down from White’s push forward.White was on 46 and had added one run since he was reprieved by a diving Lee Carseldine at cover, a chance which increased the level of Hopes’ frustration on the way to returning 2 for 95. The legspinner Daniel Doran also went one-handed to a caught-and-bowled offering from Wade on 56 when it could have been accepted with two. A Ben Cutting no-ball prevented the bowled of Clint McKay in the last over before stumps.White overcame his early slips to move into some better form and found two boundaries in an over from Doran, including a strong drive down the ground. His fifty, which came off 137 balls, was brought up with a cut single and he scored more freely after the milestone.Wade provided excellent help and was strong on the off side, particularly off the back foot, and late in the day pulled a six off Laughlin. Queensland’s Chris Hartley and Graham Manou, from South Australia, remain Wade’s main rivals for the vacant spot as Brad Haddin’s understudy, so his surge to 545 runs for the season was particularly timely.However, his departure was ugly when he hit the stumps in his follow-through while aiming for another six from a short delivery. Next ball Wright missed a full inswinger and Laughlin had 2 for 71 to join the list led by Symonds’ 3 for 48.In a match already riddled with interruptions there was another caused by the flocks of pigeons that were excited by the extra food around the centre square. Before tea the umpire Bruce Oxenford called a groundsman to request some seed be spread in the outfield to allow the game to continue without extra distraction or mess. It didn’t really work and the Queenslanders were irritated further by Victoria’s steady pursuit of a big first-innings total that will almost certainly lead to them raising the trophy on Tuesday.

Antigua-based billionaire Allen Stanford has been charged with fraud by US authorities according to the Reuters agency. The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) said that it was “alleging a fraud of shocking magnitude”.Linda Chatman Thomsen, director of the SEC’s division of enforcement, said: “As we allege in our complaint, Stanford and the close circle of family and friends with whom he runs his businesses perpetrated a massive fraud based on false promises and fabricated historical return data to prey on investors. We are moving quickly and decisively in this enforcement action to stop this fraudulent conduct and preserve assets for investors.”Rose Romero, regional director of the SEC’s Fort Worth regional office, added: “We are alleging a fraud of shocking magnitude that has spread its tentacles throughout the world.”A US district judge granted the SEC’s request to impose a temporary restraining order on the Stanford operations and to freeze the defendants’ assets, and appoint a receiver to marshal those assets.Federal agents were also reported to have entered the Houston office of Stanford Financial Group, according to a Reuters eyewitness.In Antigua, the country’s prime minister, Baldwin Spencer, said the case had “profound, serious implications” for Antigua and Barbuda and its fallout threatens “catastrophic and immediate consequences”. The government, he said, was putting in place a contingency plan and there was no need to panic.

Earlier on Tuesday the SEC had filed a complaint in federal court in Dallas accusing Stanford, the head of the Stanford Financial Group, of fraud in the sale of about US$8 billion of high-yielding certificates of deposit held in the firm’s bank in Antigua. James M. Davis, a director and chief financial officer of Stanford Group, was also arrested.The SEC said it could not account for the US$8 billion in assets that were housed in the Antigua bank after issuing subpoenas for bank records and to various witnesses. Most of those subpoenaed, including Davis and Stanford, failed to testify or produce documents relating to the assets. The group as a whole has 30,000 clients and investments totalling around US$50 billion.The SEC went on to describe claims by the bank that it paid “significantly” higher returns on its CDs because of the high quality of its investments as “improbable, if not impossible”.The SEC’s investigation into Stanford Financial Group comes at a time it is under considerable pressure inside the USA for its inaction regarding the multi-billion Bernard L. Madoff case.

Cricket Australia will unite with sponsors to raise money for victims of the bushfires that have claimed at least 126 lives across Victoria. Cricket Australia, Channel Nine and the Commonwealth Bank will appeal for donations throughout Tuesday’s one-day international between Australia and New Zealand in Adelaide.All proceeds from tickets sold from Monday will go to the 2009 Victorian Bushfire Appeal Fund – a charity organised by the Victorian and Australian Governments, and the Red Cross – and viewers will be asked for donations throughout the telecast on Tuesday. Commonwealth Bank will donate $1 million, as well as $100 for every run scored and $5,000 for each six during the match. CA will also contribute $100,000 to the fund, and the South Australian Cricket Association $25,000.New Zealand Cricket too has stepped forward in making a financial donation. Each player will donate a signed series shirt to be auctioned, with the proceeds going to the bushfire relief.”The tragic news on Saturday and Sunday shocked us all and Australian players at the Sydney game were keen to see what cricket could do to help,” Cricket Australia’s chief executive James Sutherland said. “Cricket is a part of the community in all the regions affected and those regions have produced fine club, state and international players. At the end of the day, this is a national tragedy and we just want to do something to help.”The Australian players will donate their Adelaide match payments to the appeal after wearing black armbands throughout Sunday’s one-day match at the Sydney Cricket Ground in acknowledgement of the victims of the deadly blazes. The armband idea was presented to team management by allrounders James Hopes and Cameron White – the latter of whom hails from the Gippsland region of Victoria, parts of which have been devastated in recent days.Sutherland held discussions with representatives from Channel Nine and the Commonwealth Bank throughout Sunday’s match in Sydney, and details of their bushfire relief fund will be released on Monday. Cricket Australia was heavily involved in the staging of the tsunami charity match at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in 2005, which raised $15 million for victims.Those who watched Sunday’s game on Australian television were regularly updated on the bushfire crisis, in which an estimated 750 homes have been destroyed and hundreds of thousands of hectares scorched. Local authorities expect the death toll to rise in the days ahead in what John Brumby, the Victorian premier, described as “the worst day in Victoria’s history.”Ricky Ponting, the Australian captain, hoped his side’s 32-run win over New Zealand on Sunday provided some cheer to those effected by the blazes.”The team have done whatever they can to try and show as much support as possible,” Ponting said after the victory. “I know there are a few things in the pipeline already that the team will be discussing tomorrow to see if there are any other ways that we can help out in the Adelaide game. Even today, with a great result for Australia, hopefully we have been able to put a smile on a few households around Australia.”