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Dennis Lillee has called for the debut of Shaun Tait as he voiced fears the current side were losing their grip on the Ashes, with the teams going into Thursday’s fourth Test with the series level at 1-1.Lillee, who took 167 wickets in 29 Ashes Tests from 1970 to 1983, said Australia were a team in decline with a number of players reaching the end of their careers together. “England are on top while Ricky Ponting’s side are on a downhill run, coming towards the end of an extraordinary time when they have conquered everything in their path for many years,” Lillee told .”This is a very good England side playing against a team containing some players reaching their sell-by date,” said Lillee, whose tally of 355 Test wickets was a then-world record until beaten by Ian Botham in 1986.Lillee was particularly impressed by the “best England attack I’ve seen for years”, highlighting the fact that in Stephen Harmison, Andrew Flintoff and Simon Jones the hosts have three men capable of bowling at over 90mph. “The pace of England’s bowling has exposed technical problems caused by advancing years and playing against some mediocre attacks in recent times,” Lillee said.”Openers Justin Langer and Matthew Hayden are 34 and 33 respectively. Damien Martyn is 33, Adam Gilchrist 33 and Simon Katich is 30 today [Sunday]. Batsmen cannot escape the problems caused by anno domini. That lack of sharpness is never more exposed than by a pace attack such as the blindingly quick one England have deployed.”Lillee said Tait should be included for the fourth Test at the expense of Jason Gillespie, who said his place was under threat after taking just three wickets at an average of 100 apiece in the opening three matches. “Now is the hour for the Australia selectors to pick Tait, the fast bowler I believe should have been thrown into this series from the first Test.”Picking the 22-year-old bowler from South Australia is no risk. He has all the resources in his armoury to stick the ball right up the noses of the England batsmen, as Brett Lee has done so effectively in taking 15 wickets in the first three Tests.” Tait’s inclusion would also help reduce the age of an Australia side where 24-year-old batsman Michael Clarke is the current outstanding young player.”We are seeing one of the greatest contests of all time,” Lillee said. “But what concerns me is that I am not sure we have the resources to maintain our standards when this side breaks up. This team has been together so long that a generation of players who could have played for Australia have been skipped. I don’t see too many Michael Clarkes in the wings. I hope I’m wrong but I’ll settle for Shaun Tait’s promotion for now.”

The England camp was breathing a sigh of relief this morning, after it was revealed that Andrew Flintoff had not fractured his right thumb while fielding, during the opening match of the NatWest Challenge at Trent Bridge on Wednesday.Flintoff, who clubbed England to victory with 34 not out from 23 balls, had been forced to leave the field during India’s innings, and later went off to hospital for an X-ray, which the England management later confirmed had merely been precautionary.England are loath to take any chances with their greatest asset, especially with the Champions Trophy fast approaching. After the discovery of a bony spur on his left ankle, he was rested for the first half of the NatWest Series against New Zealand and West Indies, although he was later recalled purely as a batsman.Flintoff is now all set to take his place in England’s one-day side for the second of three matches against India, at The Oval tomorrow, where England will be aiming to wrap up the NatWest Challenge with a match to spare.

While Jagmohan Dalmiya was re-elected unopposed as president of the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB), Chandi Ganguly – Sourav Ganguly’s father – was elected chairman of the CAB’s trustee board.Ganguly, who has been a member of the trustee board for some time now, replaces Biswanath Dutt, a former BCCI chairman . Dutt stepped down a few days ago to “pave the way for infusion of fresh blood,” the Press Trust of India (PTI) reported.Dalmiya, who was challenged last year for the president’s post by Debdas Bannerjee, faced no competition this year. Indeed, none of the posts saw more than one candidate up for election, making the entire affair a tame one.

The Air Force Station ground in Delhi witnessed a slow day of cricket from Delhi and Services, with Delhi reaching a score of 242/2 by the close of play.Delhi, winning the toss, opted to bat; they did not regret the decision as openers Akash Chopra and Gautam Gambhir put on 111 runs for the first wicket. Gambhir was dismissed for 75, made off 118 balls.Radhey Shyam Gupta and Chopra then collaborated on a 61-run stand before Gupta got out, having made 29. That was Services’ last wicket of the day; Chopra and Delhi skipper Mithun Manhas were unbeaten at the close of play, the former, having completed his century, had made a slow 106 off 274 balls.

Batsman Matt Machan, and allrounders Josh Davey and Rob Taylor have been included in the 13-member Scotland squad for the Intercontinental Cup game against Netherlands, starting September 8 in Voorburg.Andrew Umeed, Freddie Coleman and Calum MacLeod, who were part of the rain-hit drawn game against Afghanistan in June, have been left out.Machan has been in impressive form this season, striking 892 runs in 12 county games for Sussex; Davey and Taylor also carry with them good county form.Cricket Scotland’s Chairman of selectors Iain Kennedy believed that the trio, who have made 78 international appearances together for Scotland, would bolster an ‘already strong squad’: “We are looking forward to the challenge that the Netherlands provide us and we have selected a strong squad with the intention of adding to the positive results the team has achieved this year. We are delighted to welcome County players Matt, Rob and Josh to add experience and firepower to an already strong squad.”Scotland are placed fourth with 13 points, only one behind Papua New Guinea. Ireland and Namabia lead the table with 20 points each from their first Intercontinental Cup games.Squad: Preston Mommsen (c), Hamish Gardiner, Kyle Coetzer, Matt Machan, Richie Berrington, Josh Davey, Matthew Cross(wk), Rob Taylor, Con de Lange, Ali Evans, Gavin Main, Michael Leask, Safyaan Sharif.

ScorecardFile photo: Puneet Yadav’s attacking hundred helped Rajasthan chase down their fourth-innings total of 158•PTI

Puneet Yadav’s unbeaten 107 drove Rajasthan to their first win of the season, over Haryana in Lahli.Puneet combined with opening batsman Manender Singh to post an undefeated 159-run partnership that helped Rajasthan chase down their fourth-innings target of 158. His century that included 12 fours and two sixes came off 115 balls. Haryana were bowled out for 324 after starting the day at 287 for 6. Pankaj Singh ran through Haryana’s tail, ending the second innings with figures of 5 for 85, taking his match tally to nine wickets.The win lifted Rajasthan from the bottom of the table, while Haryana remain without a victory from their seven matches.
Scorecard Dhruv Shorey(107*) and Nitish Rana’s (132*) unbroken 240-run partnership saved Delhi as they drew with Karnataka in Hubli.Shorey and Rana batted out the day after the openers Gautam Gambir and Unmukt Chand were dismissed for 15 by Sreenath Arvind. Rana was the more attacking of the two as his hundred comprised off 19 fours and two sixes. The pair batted a little less than 60 overs after their side was asked to follow-on in the second innings. Karnataka picked up three points because of their first-innings lead.
ScorecardAssam continued their memorable season, claiming three points against Maharashtra, which took their tally to 25. On a day when as many as 17 wickets tumbled, Arun Karthick’s first-innings century on a “dangerous” pitch eventually stood out. Maharashtra managed to add only 36 runs to their overnight total before getting bowled out, giving Assam a first-innings lead of 102 runs. Asam then struggled in their second innings and were wiped out for 135 in 48.2 overs. Domnic Muthusamy and Anupam Sanklecha had combined figures of 7 for 63, setting Maharashtra an improbable target of 238.Chirag Khurana was trapped in front for a five-ball duck before Swapnil Gugale and Sangram Atitkar put on a 65-run stand to prevent another collapse. Maharashtra were placed at 82 for 3 before stumps were called.

Julian Hunte, who became the new West Indies Cricket Board president on Sunday, said that building confidence in the board’s operations is one of his priorities as they aim to develop the game.”One of the major concerns in this regard is the credibility of the WICB,” he said following his unopposed election. “This goes beyond our public image and strikes at the heart of the character of the corporation.”It is a matter that we must address since our ability to attract additional support, especially from the private sector, is dependent on both our reputation as an organisation and the success of our teams.”Hunte inherits a board which has been heavily criticised in the media for the way it runs and for an increasingly antagonistic relationship with the players. He said that introducing a professional league in the region and developing a more harmonious relationship with the West Indies Players’ Association (WIPA) were the other priorities for his administration.”[We have to re-establish] the development committee as a number one priority of our strategic plan including the introduction of a professional league. [We must] settle all outstanding issues and define the way forward for the board and WIPA to work together in a unified, harmonious, and mutually beneficial manner.”Forging better relations was the reason that he had asked Dinanath Ramnarine, WIPA’s chief executive, to join the board as one of four new non-member directors. “I believe that we cannot improve our cricket without the direct involvement and commitment of our players through their representative organisation,” Hunte said. “WIPA has now been given the opportunity to be part of the solution instead of continuing to be perceived as part of the problem. It is both a challenge and an opportunity for that organisation.”

ScorecardAn unbeaten 66 from Samit Patel put Nottinghamshire within touching distance of a lead against West Indies A. However, rain had the final say on the second day and now leaves the match heading for a draw.Trailing by just 100 overnight, Nottinghamshire lost Darren Bicknell in the first over the day without adding to their overnight score. He edged Daren Powell to Patrick Browne, the wicketkeeper, and the same combination then brought the downfall of David Allenye as West Indies pegged back the home side.However, Patel soon hit his straps and added 52 for the fourth wicket with Joshua Mierkalns, a 20-year-old, who is making his first-class debut. Mierkalns fell to Dave Mohammad but Patel had time to pass his half-century before the rain arrived.

England have named an unchanged squad for the third Test at Old Trafford following their two-win at Edgbaston to level the series at 1-1. Chris Tremlett retains his place and England resisted the urge to call-up a second spinner despite the likelihood that the Old Trafford pitch will turn.David Graveney, the chairman of selectors, said: “Yesterday’s result was fantastic not only for everyone connected with the England team but for the game of Test cricket as a whole. Both teams will be tired after Edgbaston and it will be important for us to ensure that we recover properly and prepare well for Old Trafford.”In the past we have included two spinners in our squad for an Old Trafford Test, but on this occasion, we feel that reverse swing is likely to be as important a factor as spin and we have that option available to us within our twelve.”The pitch can also provide extra bounce for the quicker bowlers at Old Trafford, and again, we feel that we do have a number of bowlers within our party who can exploit that if required.”England squad Marcus Trescothick, Andrew Strauss, Michael Vaughan (capt), Ian Bell, Kevin Pietersen, Andrew Flintoff, Geraint Jones (wk), Ashley Giles, Matthew Hoggard, Steve Harmison, Simon Jones, Chris Tremlett

Gerald Majola, the chief executive of the United Cricket Board, faces a commission of inquiry as the fall-out from the Diteko Modise fraud scandal gathers pace. Modise, the former financial manager, was alleged to have stolen at least R7.2 million from the UCB, and it has been suggested in the South African media that Majola might have been expected to pick up on his behaviour.The UCB held their AGM at Johannesburg International Airport on Saturday and the general council, made up of the presidents of the provincial unions, decided to institute the inquiry. Their treasurer, John Blair, who has stepped down after four years in the post, was exonerated by the general council at an extraordinary meeting. "John Blair, as an honorary, non-executive office bearer," read a UCB statement, "was not and could not have been aware of the alleged theft committed by Mr Modise.”Advocate Norman Arendse SC, a UCB General Council member, will lead the commission of inquiry, and its terms of reference will be “to inquire into and report on the alleged misconduct of the CEO and members of his staff” and “to make findings and recommendations including, but not limited to, the taking of disciplinary action if necessary.”In other business at the AGM, Blair, who was replaced as treasurer by Haroon Lorgat, warned the UCB that it and its affiliates must “conform to strict financial disciplines” after a “very poor financial year”, due in the main to income from the sale of TV rights dropping from R50 million to just R14.6 million.Vuyisile Mgadle, the newly appointed Border president and Arendse, the head of Western Province cricket, took their places for the first time in the general council, with Eastern Province’s Xolani Boqwana, North-West’s Oupa Nkagiseng and Free State’s Tim Khumalo voted in as the three black African representatives.The general council will return tomorrow to discuss the new officebearers of Cricket SA (Pty) Ltd, with the heads of the six newprofessional franchises expected to be given the posts.