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A corrected technical flaw has been behind Michael Hussey’s confidence-boosting return at Lord’s, which has helped him relax following an extended slump. Hussey realised during a chat with Ricky Ponting that he had a “blind spot” in his stance and the captain suggested a change in focus at delivery.Hussey fixed the problem before the Ashes tour and is feeling more comfortable at the crease, something which showed during a double of 51 and 27 in the loss at Lord’s. “I had really closed myself off and was really concentrating on my right shoulder,” he said as he prepared to lead Australia in their tour match against Northamptonshire on Friday. “That was causing my eyes not to be level with the bowler – I was sort of looking out towards mid-off.”There was a slight blind spot so it meant I could not quite catch the flight of the ball out of the bowler’s hand as I would have liked. I have just tried to open my eyes up a bit to look straight at the bowler and it has helped me pick the ball up a little easier.”The Lord’s half-century was only his third since Australia returned home from India last November and the streak became so bad there were even questions over his value to the side. A hundred in the tour game in Worcester reconfirmed his status, but he registered only 3 during a tense display in Cardiff.Hussey’s main moments of discomfort the following week in London came from Andrew Flintoff, who clipped the batsman’s off stump in the first innings when he shouldered arms. “I don’t know if we could have done a hell of a lot differently against him,” Hussey said of Flintoff, the Lord’s hero. In Hussey’s second bat he was unfortunate to be given out caught behind to a Graeme Swann delivery he didn’t hit.While the returns were small by Hussey’s standards, he is pleased with how he is going and is not feeling the stress he experienced during his drought. “I certainly struggle more when I put a lot of pressure on myself,” he said. “When I was not getting the results I was after against South Africa, I was trying harder and harder and harder, so I am just trying to go the other way – keep the pressure off myself and relax.”The withdrawal of Kevin Pietersen from the rest of the series with an Achilles problem has also eased the demands on Australia, who enter next week’s third Test in Birmingham needing a win to draw level. “They are definitely going to miss him,” Hussey said. “He’s played well against Australia and is probably the lynchpin in that batting order. To not have him there has got to be a plus for us.”Hussey is back in Northampton, which was home during a long county stint, and is in charge of the side for the next three days following the resting of Ricky Ponting, Michael Clarke and Brad Haddin. “I owe a lot really to Northampton because I learnt a lot of my cricket here, particularly playing against spin bowling,” he said. “I came from the WACA where it was all pace and bounce and I had no idea about playing against spin.” However, slow bowling is unlikely to be a major concern of the Australian batsmen over the next six weeks.

Australia are praying for the forecast rain to avoid Cardiff over the rest of the match as they plan a big lead in the hope of grinding out a first-Test victory. Wet weather is forecast throughout Saturday and the visitors hold a 44-run buffer after finishing the third day in the excellent position of 479 for 5 following centuries to Ricky Ponting and Simon Katich.”If the rain stays away I definitely believe we can get a result,” the vice-captain Michael Clarke said. “[Saturday] is a really important day for us. If we can make another 100, or 150 runs, that wicket on day five will continue to spin, and the bounce will be more inconsistent.”Nathan Hauritz, who took 3 for 95 in the first innings, has out-performed Graeme Swann and Monty Panesar, who were less effective than Paul Collingwood when he came on to deliver some off-cutters. “Haury bowled much slower than the England spinners, generally got a lot more spin and bounce,” Clarke said. “We’ll wait to see what happens, but I believe there is enough spin out there.”Ricky Ponting and Andrew Strauss agreed before the series that the lights could be turned on for bad light and they were used for the first time in a Test in Britain, allowing an extra six overs before stumps. That period, which followed a rain delay of two hours and three minutes, gained England a wicket when Clarke hooked at Stuart Broad and was caught behind for 83.When the umpires offered the batsmen the light Strauss was unhappy and it was hard to see how the conditions had deteriorated. “It was frustrating to come off, there was a new batsman in so we wanted to carry on,” James Anderson said. “[Andrew Flintoff] had a decent speed and Stuart was bowling with good control, so we would have liked to stay on.”Clarke said the conditions were fine when he was batting, but he exited in the third-last over of the day. “The ruling is once the natural light is gone and the lights take over from the natural light, [the umpires] can offer it,” Clarke said. “When I was out there the light was okay, I have no excuses for my dismissal. I just found out it was the first time it was used in Test cricket in England, so lock me down for the first wicket.”Did Clarke want to come out for the final period? “Yeah, of course we did. The wicket is good to bat on and we’re in a fantastic position. We were told there were 12 overs left in the day and Marcus North and I saw it as an opportunity to get a few more runs on the board.”England will aim to wrap up Australia’s innings as swiftly as possible on the fourth day, weather permitting. “We’re not thinking about a draw now,” Anderson said. “There’s a big first session first thing in the morning, so we’ve got to think about getting those five wickets quickly.”

Former South Africa allrounder Lance Klusener has cut ties with the rebel Indian Cricket League to embark on a coaching career. Kwa-Zulu Natal, his home province, have nominated him for the next level three coaching course to be held at CSA’s High Performance Centre in Pretoria early next month.”It is great to have Lance Klusener back in the [Cricket South Africa] fold,” Gerald Majola, the CSA chief executive, said. “He rightfully gained legendary status as a South African allrounder, and helped change the face of limited-overs cricket worldwide.”We are particularly impressed and pleased with his decision to become a top-level coach because he still has so much to offer in bringing through the next generation.”CSA coaching manager Anton Ferreira added that other former internationals will also be attending the course. Leading coaches including Graham Ford and Gary Kirsten have graduated from the same program.”Others include Roger Telemachus, Paul Adams and Neil Johnson and it is very encouraging that we have cricketers of this quality coming into our coaching structures,” Ferreira said. “Paul has already done a lot of specialist spin bowling coaching and he is showing tremendous promise as a quality coach.”Klusener, 38, enjoyed reasonable success with the Royal Bengal Tigers in the ICL, scoring 688 runs in 24 Twenty20 games at a strike rate of 127.64 and picked up 21 wickets. He signed up with the league in 2007, effectively ending all hopes of a recall to the national team. He last played for South Africa in 2004. His crowning moment came during the 1999 World Cup, where his savage hitting won him the Player of the Tournament award.

ScorecardBangalore Provident (Rural), one of the strongest teams in the competition, expectedly lifted the inaugural KPL Cup in a low-scoring final against Belagavi Panthers at the Chinnaswamy Stadium. Bangalore’s spinners, led by Amit Verma, set up the victory by restricting Belagavi to 122 for 7 on a sluggish surface. Bangalore were in control for the better part of the chase before a sudden spurt of wickets added a competitive flavour towards the end.Belagavi opted to bat first but soon discovered that run-scoring wasn’t very easy. Spin was introduced early and the wicketkeeper Thilak Naidu even stood up to the seamers to check the batsmen from using their feet. Belagavi were pegged back early when their in-form opener, J Arunkumar, was bowled by NC Aiyappa. When Manish Pandey departed in the fifth over, the run-rate dropped once the spinners took control. R Vinay Kumar, the opener, broke the shackles with a six over wide long-on but fell soon after while attempting another big hit.Verma, not a regular legspinner, was the most effective bowler among the lot, taking 2 for 12 in four overs.S Sampath and Vinayak Uthappa gave the innings a much-needed spark with a stand of 31 in 4.3 overs for the fifth wicket. Uthappa top scored with 45, while Sampath chipped in with 14. Sampath even pulled off a reverse paddle scoop for four off Aiyappa but the bowler had the last laugh the next delivery when the batsman holed out to extra cover.The Bangalore openers, Naidu and MK Manjunath, began on a steady note with a stand of 48. Naidu eased to 33 before edging to the wicketkeeper while trying to cut Ramling Patil. Bangalore were still well-placed to win at 101 for 3 in the 16th over before two late strikes by Vinay Kumar made them sweat a bit towards the end. SK Jain hung around to steer his team home with an unbeaten 28. Belagavi, to their credit, took the game till the 20th over, but their showing in the field didn’t hide the fact that they fell at least 20 runs short.

The latest in a long list of injuries has reportedly prompted New Zealand allrounder Jacob Oram to consider his international future. A hamstring problem had ruled him out of New Zealand’s unexpected run to the finals of the recent ICC Champions Trophy in South Africa.”I am obviously gutted with my latest injury and missing out on an ICC event – these events are particularly special,” he told the New Zealand-based . “At the moment I am spending some time assessing my future and trying to work out what is best for me and New Zealand.”Another injury-prone allrounder, England’s Andrew Flintoff, has already retired from Tests and is concentrating on limited-overs matches in a bid to prolong his career. It was a route that Oram had suggested earlier this year he was also considering taking. Like Flintoff, he has a lucrative contract with the IPL’s Chennai Super Kings, worth US$675,000 a year.Oram suffered a variety of injuries over the past year. He returned home mid-way through the tour of Bangladesh 12 months ago and missed the Test series in Australia because of a back injury. A calf strain kept him out of the home Test series against West Indies and an Achilles injury cut short his participation in the one-day series that followed and the home Tests against India.

ScorecardRyan Broad’s 60 helped keep Queensland safe in Adelaide•Getty Images

Both teams ran out of time in their pursuit of victory as Queensland held on for a draw against South Australia in Adelaide. Despite the Redbacks controlling the game, they were able to take only five wickets on the final day as the visitors’ batsmen proved too hard to remove and finished at 5 for 228.The opener Ryan Broad held things together at the top of the order after the Bulls were set an unlikely 329 in less than 90 overs. After losing Nick Kruger and Wade Townsend by the time the score was 31, Broad dug in with Lee Carseldine in a crucial partnership of 98 that started the home side’s doubts.Carseldine’s dismissal on 47, when he was ruled lbw off Dan Christian, helped the Redbacks’ cause but by tea the hosts still needed seven wickets. They picked up Broad for 60 straight after the break and when Glen Batticciotto (17) was bowled by Jake Haberfield (3 for 52) in the following over they had a chance. However, Chris Hartley and Chris Simpson ensured there were no further setbacks.South Australia had taken a 169-run lead on first innings and Michael Klinger and Cameron Borgas thrashed 48 in six overs on the fourth morning before the declaration at 2 for 159. Klinger added 92, which came from only 79 balls, to his first-innings 84 while Borgas finished with 32 not out to follow his unbeaten 164. Both sides are level at the top of the table on eight points but have played three games, one more than Western Australia and Tasmania, and two more than New South Wales and Victoria.

Ricky Ponting has taken another step in his crusade to ensure playing for Australia remains the pinnacle for his country’s cricketers. Ponting, who guided a patched-up squad to a series win over India on Sunday, is concerned that the lucrative Twenty20 domestic leagues will sway emerging talent to push for dollars over international caps.”I’ve made no secret that I’m a bit worried about some of the attitudes of younger players … with the amount of money that’s around in Champions League and IPL,” Ponting said in the Age. “‘I’ve made it very common knowledge over the last couple of years that I just hope that the next generation of players coming through have the same sort of want and desire to play as much international cricket as I have, because that’s what it’s all about as far as I’m concerned.”Ponting, who has appeared in four IPL games for the Kolkata Knight Riders, has retired from Twenty20 internationals “to play more 50-over cricket and better Test cricket over the next few years”. However, the younger guys are more likely to be persuaded by the huge sums available in the game’s shortest form.The situation is so delicate that Ponting reminds new recruits of the importance of being in the national side. ”One thing we always try and stress, as the more experienced players in this team, is just how much of an honour it is to get a chance to play for Australia,” he said. “We really ram that home to the young guys coming in, and every young bloke I’ve seen come in has accepted just how big and special it is to play for Australia.”That’s my job and Huss’ [Michael Hussey’s] job and Michael Clarke’s job, as the senior players in the side at the moment, just to keep reinforcing that to those blokes. Hopefully, they’ll want to do what some of our older blokes have done.”

Scorecard
South Africa Masters saw off a threatening fourth-wicket partnership between Collis King and Jimmy Adams to clinch a ten-run win that handed West Indies Masters their second straight loss in the Cricket Legends of Barbados International Cup. Chasing a target of 165, West Indies ended up on 154 for 5 as South Africa held their nerve when it mattered most. The home side, who have won just one match from three attempts, now need a victory to move into Saturday’s final.The chase began well with Stuart Williams (20) and Gordon Greendige (16) adding 45. Williams’ dismissal, picking out deep square leg, was followed by Greenidge having to retire with a hurting left knee. Carl Hooper took ten deliveries for a single run before he edged Fanie de Villiers to Neil Johnson, further putting the blocks on the scoring rate, but West Indies were boosted by King and Adams.King smacked three sixes in his speedy 37, each one effortlessly smacked over the fielders, and the stand was worth 64 when he was dismissed in the 17th over. Looking for another big hit, King was held at long-on by Claude Henderson off Alan Dawson. Adams struck a top score of 42 from 34 balls, after being dropped by Pat Symcox at short fine leg when he was 11. With 19 needed from just four balls, he was bowled by Lance Klusener. Vasbert Drakes had the consolation of hitting the last ball of the match for six.The game began with South Africa opting to bat and putting up 164 for 3, thanks mainly to Dave Callaghan (69) and the captain Dale Benkenstein (58). Their match-winning third-wicket partnership of 109 from 11 overs stunned West Indies after they had sent back the openers inside the seventh over.Callaghan clubbed six fours and two sixes in his 42-balls he effort, one that earned him the Player-of-the-Match award. Benkenstein hit three fours and three sixes in his 35-ball innings.

England suffered an injury scare shortly before the start of the fourth day’s play in Durban when Paul Collingwood dislocated his left index finger during fielding practice.He was seen leaving the field with the team doctor and was taken to hospital for an x-ray which showed there was no fracture. Collingwood made 91 on the second day of the match before falling to JP Duminy shortly before the close, and has been one of England’s in-form batsmen throughout the tour.Having been named Man of the Series in the ODIs, Collingwood made 50 in the first innings of the first Test at Centurion, before a vital unbeaten 26 off 99 deliveries on the final day helped England secure a draw with nine wickets down.Now that the injury has been shown to be purely a dislocation it appears to be less of a potential headache for the management. There is no specialist reserve batsman in the squad with all six in the starting line up. Luke Wright is currently the spare batting option, but his inclusion would alter the balance of the side.In the last couple of weeks England have overcome a run of injuries that occurred during the one-day series and in the lead-up to the Tests. Jimmy Anderson (knee), Graeme Swann (side), Ryan Sidebottom (side), Stuart Broad (shoulder), Graham Onions (back) and Alastair Cook (back) have all spent time on the sidelines at various points.

Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were out
Mushfiqur Rahim played straight until he committed an error•AFP

A brain freeze from the Bangladesh lower order squandered the initiative that a 108-run seventh-wicket stand had secured them. With Bangladesh throwing away their last four wickets and falling behind by one run, India didn’t look the gift horse in the mouth and went on to extend that lead to 123 with nine wickets in hand.From 98 for 6, Mahmudullah and Mushfiqur Rahim had carried Bangladesh past 200 when common sense deserted them. Mushfiqur, who had survived an edgy period early on, threw it away by slog-sweeping an innocuous-looking Amit Mishra from wide outside off. No. 9 Shahadat Hossain came out swinging like the climax of a Western, as opposed to giving the strike to Mahmudullah, who was already past his maiden Test fifty by then.In the last over before tea, Shahadat chipped Mishra straight to cover. Back after the break, Mahmudullah smote the first ball for four, but when he lofted the fifth ball of the over over mid-on, he came back for two – any other settled batsman would have taken a single and seen out the whole of the next over. Under pressure to take a single next ball, he opened the face and edged Sreesanth to Dinesh Karthik. In the next over, Shafiul Islam got off the mark in Tests with a mowed six, but sliced the next ball to point. Just like that, a golden opportunity of keeping India in the field till about stumps had passed Bangladesh by.They lost wickets in clusters: the last four for 36 runs, and the first six for 45. Of those six, three came early on the third morning. Zaheer Khan and Ishant Sharma continued from their impressive spells from the second day and the batsmen kept obliging. There was slight seam movement and bounce in the pitch, enough to make the batsmen regularly play down the wrong line.Mohammad Ashraful was all at sea, playing Zaheer away from the body, and getting squared up by Ishant. The ever so slight holding of the line from Ishant, and a shade of extra bounce, was enough to awkwardly square up Ashraful and take the shoulder of the bat. Shakib Al Hasan looked to counterattack, hitting four boundaries in the next four overs. Again, all it took was a slight straightening of the ball, and a slash at a wide delivery was flying over gully when Virender Sehwag intercepted it perfectly.When Zaheer and Ishant were taken off simultaneously, their partnership had resulted in five wickets for 59 runs, during the 23 overs they bowled on the trot. Sreesanth came back to end Raqibul Hasan’s resistance, who too played inside the line of a straight delivery, and edged.The seventh-wicket partnership stopped the procession of dismissals to outside edges and made India go wicketless for almost a full session, leading Bangladesh to a first-innings lead at the same time. Zaheer, the pick of the bowlers, struggled for support, with Sreesanth warned once for running on the pitch and over-stepping almost every second delivery. Mishra was not looking effective at all and Mahmudullah got stuck into him. Between them, Sreesanth and Mishra bowled 12 no-balls.The duo didn’t entirely abort the shots that had proved to be fatal for the earlier batsmen, but were slightly more sensible. They did get away with plays and misses to begin with, but when they chased the wide ones, soft hands meant the ball didn’t fly towards slips. In fact, the third man area leaked eight boundaries.The other big difference the two made was the running between the wickets. They ran hard, and they ran more often, which meant neither of the batsmen got stuck at one end for too long. Nineteen boundaries had been hit before the two came together and 14 came during their stand.As the stand grew bigger, the batsmen grew surer. Mahmudullah started targeting Mishra, driving him through the covers, lofting him over mid-on, and paddling him to alternate the strike. But then, Bangladesh chose to display their lack of experience.Coming into bat one run ahead, Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir were more circumspect than in the first innings. They saw off the aggressive Shahadat without much adventure, and punished the other fast bowers, Shafiul and Rubel Hossain. With eight of their overs going for 55, Shakib had to bring himself on early again. By then, almost nonchalantly Sehwag and Gambhir had added 56 in 10 overs.Sehwag stayed quiet against his first-innings nemesis for a bit, and had taken only five off 16 Shakib deliveries when he stepped out and launched him over long-on. Four balls later the slog-sweep against the turn consumed Sehwag. Sent in originally as nightwatchman, Mishra reversed roles, and got his own back at Mahmudullah, dancing down the track and lofting him over mid-on twice on the way to an unbeaten 24 off 21 deliveries. He subjected the other spinners to three other boundaries, taking his tally to one more than Gambhir’s, who had seemed inconspicuous and yet scored 47 off 56.