Leicestershire have signed Mark Cleary, an Australian fast bowler, as cover for Garnett Kruger.Cleary, 23, is in Leicestershire’s squad to face Glamorgan in the County Championship match today at Grace Road. Playing for South Australia in the Pura Cup, he has taken 46 wickets at an average of 27, and was awarded a scholarship in Australia’s Cricket Academy in 2003.He joins up with his fellow Australian Brad Hodge until early May when Kruger arrives from South Africa.

The Malaysian Cricket Association (MCA) has postponed a three-match one-day international series between Pakistan and Sri Lanka, that had been scheduled to be played in Kuala Lampur at the end of May. The postponement has come about because of the MCA’s inability to find a sponsor for the series.Tunku Imran, the MCA’s president, said: "After consultation with Pakistan and Sri Lankan officials, the Malaysian Challenge Cup has been postponed but we hope to reschedule it in early November this year. I am appreciative of the fact that both boards continue to be committed to playing each other in Malaysia later this year."Imran said that he hoped that the ICC, the Asia Cricket Council and the top cricket-playing nations of the world would continue to support the game in Malaysia.

New Zealand face a hard weekend, taking on West Indies at Cardiff tomorrow, and England at Bristol on Sunday. Stephen Fleming, their captain, has already grumbled about the workload – but he won’t be too bothered if New Zealand manage to win both games, because that will clinch their place in the NatWest Series final, at Lord’s next Saturday. Actually, victory over England on Sunday will probably be enough.Saturday’s game at Sophia Gardens also offers West Indies an opportunity to get back on track after their miserable batting performance at Headingley on Thursday – 159 all out wasn’t quite a collapse of England proportions, but it wasn’t a happy day for Brian Lara and his men. One thing is certain: whatever the Cardiff pitch looks like, the captain winning the toss will be tempted to bat first, as the white ball has been wobbling about in a manner reminiscent of the 1999 World Cup, which was played much earlier in the English summer.Scott Styris, the New Zealand allrounder, is certainly no fan of the pitches served up to date. “They are rubbish wickets really, the ones we’ve played on so far,” he told the BBC. “Edgbaston wasn’t even a club wicket. And the day before the game they still had the covers on when it was sunny and warm. It’s all a bit strange given that two of the Test wickets were fantastic.”Lara, meanwhile, had eyes only for his own team’s performance: “We’ve got to be a bit more mature, show a bit more fight and technique, and get things going and get the runs on the board for our bowlers.”The weather, which has been capricious throughout the tournament – one of the problems in running it at the same time as Wimbledon fortnight – may yet lob another spanner in the works. It has been unsettled in south Wales for a couple of days, and although sun is forecast for tomorrow, clouds are prominent on the chart too. The same goes for Bristol on Sunday.New Zealand (probable): 1 Stephen Fleming (capt), 2 Nathan Astle, 3 Hamish Marshall, 4 Scott Styris, 5 Craig McMillan, 6 Jacob Oram, 7 Chris Harris, 8 Chris Cairns, 9 Daniel Vettori, 10 Gareth Hopkins (wk), 11 James Franklin.West Indies (probable): 1 Chris Gayle, 2 Shivnarine Chanderpaul, 3 Ramnaresh Sarwan, 4 Dwayne Smith, 5 Brian Lara (capt), 6 Dwayne Bravo, 7 Ricardo Powell, 8 Ridley Jacobs (wk), 9 Ian Bradshaw, 10 Jermaine Lawson, 11 Ravi Rampaul.

Clive Field, the representative of the sacked Zimbabwe rebel players, has reacted angrily to claims that the Zimbabwe Cricket Union is doing a good job in promoting the game in the country.In a letter to the government-controlled Herald newspaper, Field was responding to an earlier article which argued that the ZCU should be praised for their efforts.”[The writer’s opinion] is based on the fact he has seen cricket stumps standing alongside goalposts in Harare, and has watched kids playing cricket with a makeshift bat and ball in Highfield,” Field wrote. “With respect, if this constitutes evidence of progress in developing cricket at grass-roots level, then we have a long way to go. And what does this have to do with the ZCU anyway? Kids using a plastic tray to play cricket is surely not a feather in the ZCU’s cap, if anything it is a sad indictment of the Union’s failure.”Many of the Zimbabweans I have spoken to involved in the administration of cricket vehemently maintain the ZCU are not doing enough to direct the considerable funds they have at their disposal into the right areas.”Overseas travel by members of the ZCU board to Australia appears to rank far higher on their priority list than paying for much-needed cricket equipment. I attended the AGM of a leading Harare club on Tuesday night and the message I got was clear: cricket is collapsing fast in Zimbabwe at school, club, provincial and national level. The ZCU presides over this collapse.”Field went on to accuse the ZCU of being at fault for its handling of the player dispute. “It must shoulder at least half of any blame for failing to resolve this dispute. Since it began, many opportunities have been given, but none have been taken.”He was angered by suggestions in the newspaper that the rebels had taken their action in support of attempts to cause England’s forthcoming tour to be scrapped. “It demonstrates both an unhealthy over-preoccupation with Britain, and also suggests these players were prepared to be used as pawns sacrificing their careers and jobs for political considerations.”And he was equally incensed at suggestions that the players had been bought out of Zimbabwe cricket by overseas financiers who were trying to sabotage Zimbabwe cricket. “This is offensive,” he stated, pointing out that only four of the sacked players are in the UK, and – with the probable exception of Heath Streak – will earn less playing club cricket than they would had they remained as centrally contracted players. “The rest are currently unemployed, although two have secured temporary jobs. Not only has this dispute cost them their jobs but it has cost them legal fees. They have also been prejudiced by loss of income, as a result of not earning match fees for the Australian and Sri Lankan series. Gratuities which were due from the ZCU have not been paid. If lucrative offers are being made to them, this is certainly news to me.”Field concluded by dismissing the accusations as no more than the continuing “peddling of a species of opinion which I have heard before, along the lines of some sinister and invisible white force meeting in clandestine forums like Royal Harare Golf Club to bring about the end of Zimbabwean cricket.”These types of opinions are smokescreens which will appeal to the lesser informed and to seek to deflect attention away from the facts. There is no ulterior motive on the part of the players. Their position is clear and has been made known. Politicising this dispute simply detracts from the merits.”The only point on which I can agree with is that cricket has overtaken rugby and athletics as the second most popular sport in Zimbabwe. But that has less to do with any good work on the part of the ZCU than the fact both rugby and athletics have followed hockey down the road to the intensive-care unit, as a result of maladministration and political interference. Cricket will surely follow them, and soon only football will be left.”

As if the prospect of taking on one of the finest batting line-ups in the world was not incentive enough, a lucky United Arab Emirates bowler is on course for a $US1000 cash bonus, if one of them can dismiss Sachin Tendulkar in Friday’s Asia Cup opener against India at Dambulla.The UAE are one of the leading non-Test nations. In 1996, they took part in their first – and to date, only – World Cup, but have since won the Asian Cricket Council Trophy for three years in a row. Even so, they and their fellow qualifiers, Hong Kong, are hardly expected to put up much of a fight over the next fortnight, when they take on the Test nations of India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.”Of course I am overawed at the prospect of playing against the likes of Tendulkar,” UAE’s captain, Khurram Khan, told AFP. “But I don’t think anyone would want to take that wicket for money considerations alone. It would be a prize wicket like no other.”The cash offer was made by a UAE official prior to the team’s departure from Dubai, who added that the team should take heart from Greece’s unexpected success at the Euro 2004 football championships earlier this month.”I don’t know how the match will go,” added Khurram. “I just hope I can enjoy the moment.”

Paul Collingwood, who has been named in England’s 14-man squad for the ICC Champions Trophy, has been ordered to rest after aggravating a knee injury. Collingwood has had problems with his knee for two months, but continued to play county cricket for Durham and in the one-day NatWest Series for England.”It is a blow for Durham but England want him to be fit,” a spokeswoman for Durham told BBC Sport. “They are hoping that with a couple of weeks’ rest he will be fine to play in the NatWest Challenge and the Champions Trophy.”After England’s Test series against West Indies, Collingwood will join the one-day squad ahead of the NatWest Challenge against India, a warm-up for the Champions Trophy, which starts on September 1.”Paul has been advised to rest from cricket until the NatWest Challenge,” said a spokesman from the ECB. “He’s been experiencing soreness and inflammation in his right knee, and we will continue to monitor the situation.”

Armed robbers broke into the Nottinghamshire home of Chris Read and stole his car on Sunday. Read, the England and Nottinghamshire wicketkeeper, was staying with his fiancée and family at his home in the Mapperley area of Nottingham when the robbers burst in.The victims were shaken but unharmed in the robbery, and Read was able to play for Notts as they gained promotion against Somerset on Wednesday.In a statement, 26-year-old Read said: “This was a very harrowing incident for all of us and I’m just thankful we came through it unscathed. We now want to put this behind us as soon as possible and get on with our lives.”Police would like to speak to anyone who saw a blue Ford Focus – which might have been Read’s stolen vehicle – travelling on the Mapperley Plains Road on Sunday after 0330 BST.

Scorecard and ball-by-ball details

India concluded a dour series with a victory by eight wickets at Eden Gardens. Though the required 117 runs were achieved comfortably in the end, the favourable series result was largely due to three sessions of guileful bowling on a helpful track by Harbhajan Singh and Anil Kumble, who persevered tirelessly through both matches before finally hitting pay-dirt yesterday and today. Harbhajan picked up 7 for 87, while Kumble equalled Kapil Dev’s Indian record of 434 Test wickets, in 41 fewer matches.Rahul Dravid and Sachin Tendulkar then guided India to their second Test win of the season with a stand that made heavy work of the inevitable. Pads were stuck out dangerously to South Africa’s part-time spinners – who turned the ball sharply – but both batsmen were loth to risk an attacking approach. However, Dravid was quick to dismiss loose offerings while Tendulkar protected his wicket steadfastly. But at the end, when the target was down to single figures, it was Tendulkar who cut free with a couple of fours off Justin Ontong. Dravid remained unbeaten on 47.Virender Sehwag’s early dismissal did not rock the boat. After he guided Makhaya Ntini to Graeme Smith at slip, Gautam Gambhir and Dravid squirted balls between the infielders for runs. Both batsmen were relaxed during their stay, and Gambhir, in particular, appeared at ease when Shaun Pollock, who had previously troubled him, came on, striking him gloriously through cover. He was dismissed padding at a legbreak from Jacques Rudolph that struck him in front of the stumps (60 for 2). But by then South Africa’s cause was lost, even though the spinners extracted appreciable bounce and turn from the pitch.

The day belonged to the two men India rely on most at home. Harbhajan and Kumble continued their work from yesterday and struck down South Africa for the addition of 50 runs. In tandem, they bowled out the entire side, contributing 64.4 of the 74.4 overs sent down by India.Harbhajan continued his feverish affair with Eden Gardens. He first removed Jacques Kallis for 55 and then struck twice more. It was his fourth five-wicket haul in five innings here. Kallis had battled to 52 yesterday, but in Harbhajan’s second over of the day, he patted one back to the bowler, who accepted the simple catch and disbelievingly turned to the umpire and appealed. A few overs later, Pollock stuck his pad out at one that missed his bat and glove, and carried to a sprawling Gambhir at short leg. The appeal for the catch was upheld. Daryl Harper, the umpire, struck again two deliveries later when Justin Ontong swept, and the ball popped off his forearm to Dinesh Karthik. Then Thami Tsolekile played around a Kumble delivery and was bowled (194 for 9). After 28 valuable runs were added, Makhaya Ntini edged to Dravid, presenting Kumble with his record-equalling wicket.India were expected to win the series, albeit a tad earlier than the second-last session of the tour. On this pitch, against bowlers of the calibre of Harbhajan and Kumble, South Africa’s batting line-up stood little chance. For a team beleaguered by poor form, this victory will bring India temporary respite from scrutiny.

England’s cricketers have cancelled their scheduled flight to Zimbabwe on the orders of the England & Wales Cricket Board, and are meeting in a hotel in Johannesburg to assess the situation, following the Zimbabwe government’s decision to refuse visas to 13 members of the accompanying British press corps.The team had been expected to fly into Harare today (Wednesday), but until the ban on the journalists is rescinded, the tour seems set to remain in limbo. “We’re doing everything in our power to get that ban overturned,” said the ECB’s media manager, Andrew Walpole.England’s decision to stay put in South Africa followed a hint from Ehsan Mani, the president of the ICC, that England may yet be able to cancel the tour without incurring any financial penalty.”This has caused great concern for us and come out of the blue,” Mani told BBC Radio Five Live. “It is not something that is covered in our protocols.” Mani added that the decision to go ahead with the tour still rested with the ECB, but that no individual player would be punished if he chose to withdraw.Mani did, however, make plain the ICC’s displeasure with the Zimbabwean government and, by admitting his sympathy for the ECB’s predicament, he appeared to be hinting at a softening of attitude towards England’s stance. “We have a huge amount of sympathy for the ECB,” he said, “[after] the way this matter has been handled by the government in Zimbabwe.”Meanwhile, the British government have begun to be involved. Denis MacShane, a Foreign Office minister and a former journalist himself, summoned the Zimbabwean Charge d’Affaires in London to express Britain’s “deep concern that the government of Zimbabwe has denied access to British journalists covering the England cricket tour of Zimbabwe.”He told reporters: “Our Embassy in Harare is also making representations. As a former sports journalist, I would like to underline my view that this is a reprehensible step. The UK has long been an advocate of media freedom in Zimbabwe. This applies as much to sports journalism as any other kind.”The government of Zimbabwe’s actions are further evidence of its refusal to allow the international and domestic media to operate freely in Zimbabwe. I will urge the government of Zimbabwe to allow access to all British journalists who have sought access to Zimbabwe to cover the tour.”The ECB itself was taking nothing for granted, however. “I expect the tour to proceed despite the unfortunate situation regarding media accreditation,” said David Morgan, their chairman. “It’s unfortunate and embarrassing and something that we will be pursuing on arrival there with the chairman of Zimbabwe Cricket.”Nevertheless, the ECB did confirm they had asked the ICC if the visas issue was sufficient reason to cancel the tour. Thirteen journalists, including those from , and the BBC, were among those denied entry into Zimbabwe.

Summer may not have arrived in New Zealand but the Christmas turkey did and, as New Zealanders pile into their cars and head for the holiday spots, television becomes all-important for cricket fans to keep in touch with the international season cricket. As Boxing Day dawned for the first ODI between New Zealand and Sri Lanka at Auckland, the featured a column outlining what Sky Television had to offer this season. The opinion piece was the work of New Zealand’s greatest ever batsman, Martin Crowe, who also happens to be the head of Sky’s cricket coverage.Of note was Crowe’s admonishing of Hawk-Eye, the visual technology commonly used to demonstrate whether or not a delivery will hit the stumps. In his column, Crowe said Sky would only use technology that could assist the umpire. In his view, Hawk-Eye was a hindrance that could never be used by umpires as it could only guess where the ball would have travelled. Not only is his logic flawed – umpires and commentators alike are themselves guessing – he failed to paint the full picture for readers on the merits of Hawk-Eye and instead promoted a new Sky-designed gimmick. As Cricinfo’s S Rajesh demonstrated earlier, this year Hawk-Eye is in fact correct 99% of the time, a figure umpires are unable to achieve.Also of interest on the opening day of the season was Crowe’s announcement of Sky’s commentary team. Along with the regulars, all of whom were ex-New Zealand players, Crowe recruited the recently-retired Mark Richardson as well as the injured duo of Shane Bond and Chris Harris. The decision to not include a Sri Lankan commentator was both curious and potentially dangerous. While Crowe is no doubt correct when he said entertainment was the overriding consideration for television, accuracy on player information can never be compromised. This is particularly so when Sri Lanka has not featured regularly on New Zealand television for over 18 months. When a commentary team lacks someone with intimate knowledge of a touring side,the risk of misinformation increases.And so it happened before a ball was bowled at Eden Park. As the Sri Lankan openers, Sanath Jayasuriya and Saman Jayantha, made their way out to the middle Crowe, opening up on Sky Television, said that Jayantha had been promoted ahead of Marvan Atapattu. The obvious surprise in Crowe’s voice was misplaced since Atapattu had not opened in an ODI since the tour of Zimbabwe in April while Jayantha had partnered Jayasuriya regularly since then.Having an expert on Sri Lankan cricket would not only have seen such errors rectified quickly but would help the New Zealand commentators to really get to know the Sri Lankan players. It would also add another perspective to the comments such as “Cairnsy” and “we’re looking good” – something we heard from Adam Parore today.