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In less than a month Brad Haddin has gone from a man under fire to owning one of the safest spots in Australia’s Test side. Several of his team-mates do not have the same security and the lack of bowling threats in their crushing loss to South Africa in Perth has even left Brett Lee facing questions over his role in the side.Lee’s pace was down, his swing was minimal and one wicket for the match was a disappointing return. But Haddin said from his bird’s-eye view behind the stumps it was clear that Lee was not bowling as badly as his results suggested.”I have kept to Brett for a long, long time,” Haddin said. “In any fast bowler’s career they pick their times these days and bowl their spells when the game suits. I think Brett’s not too far away. I think the spell he bowled on day four just showed that it’s still there and that was an encouraging sign.”After Australia made only one breakthrough on the final day at the WACA, where South Africa chased down 414 with six wickets in hand, the captain Ricky Ponting said Lee’s lack of incisiveness was a concern. Lee was named in the squad for the Boxing Day Test, but Ponting chose his words carefully and did not guarantee Lee a position in the final XI.While most of the bowling was a worry, the top order’s failure to build a big platform in either innings also drew criticism from Ponting. Haddin’s form was not part of the problem and his breathtaking 94 on the fourth day continued his outstanding form after he made 169 in the previous Test against New Zealand.Another triple-figure score beckoned when Haddin launched consecutive sixes over long-on and long-off from the spinner Paul Harris and then followed with a four straight down the ground. It took him within one clean strike of his century and the desire to bring up the hundred with another six was all-consuming.Haddin was stumped advancing to Harris trying for one last six in the same over but he said looking back, his aggressive instincts could not be curbed. “In all honesty I’d like to say I would have done something different but, thinking now, I wouldn’t have,” Haddin said. “The adrenalin was going and to be perfectly honest, I couldn’t pull it back.”He finished the match with 140 runs after making 46 in the first innings and the continuation of his form from Adelaide was one of the positives Australia could take from the game. “It was [encouraging] from a personal point of view but at the end of the day you want to set your team up and you want to win Test matches,” Haddin said. “To contribute the way you did and not win a Test match is disappointing. But we go back and start all over again in Melbourne.”Losing was an unfamiliar feeling to Haddin’s predecessor Adam Gilchrist but Australia’s struggles this year have meant Haddin has entered the side at an awkward time. A series failure in India might be followed by one against South Africa.”I think it’s a great time to come into the Australian team,” he said. “Whenever you come in to represent your country is always an honour and I don’t think there’s ever a bad time to come into an Australian cricket team. The important thing out of it is that we’ve got a contest and this is what everyone has been craving – the fans, the players, everyone.”Australia have never come back from 1-0 down to win a three-Test series and the last time they lost the opening Test of a home series was in 1988-89 when West Indies went on to take the contest 3-1. Haddin said Australia could not be written off just yet. “We are not going to roll over, I can give you that,” he said. “Obviously 1-0 down – it puts more excitement on such a big series.”

Round 1, v Andhra in Meerut

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Centuries from Mohammad Kaif and Tanmay Srivastava fetched UP three points for the earning the first-innings lead. Srivastava and Kaif added 285 at nearly three runs an over. Srivastava hit 16 boundaries in his 154, while Kaif managed two more in his 144. For Andhra, LNP Reddy missed a century but AG Pradeep compiled his first first-class century. Andhra were comfortably placed at 222 for 4 but Praveen Kumar struck in quick succession to reduce them to 238 for 6. However, a 107-run stand between M Suresh (46) and Pradeep made sure they weren’t bowled out cheaply. Bhuvneshwar Kumar then took three wickets in the space of four runs to hasten the end before Kaif and Srivastava ensured UP started their campaign well.Round 2, v Baroda in Vadodara

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In a closely fought game UP hung on to the vital first-innings lead courtesy a gritty partnership between Kaif and Amir Khan. Chasing 264, UP had slipped to 97 for 6 on the final day but Kaif, batting low at No. 7, and wicketkeeper Khan played out 30.5 overs to ensure a draw. Kaif chipped in in the first innings as well to ensure they snatched the lead. Down to 9 for 3 in reply to Baroda’s 235, Uttar Pradesh recovered despite Irfan Pathan’s 5 for 71. Half-centuries from Srivastava and Kaif and a fine rear-guard effort from Praveen Kumar enabled UP to cross Baroda.Round 3, v Tamil Nadu in Ghaziabad

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L Balaji celebrated his return to first-class cricket with a five-wicket haul to help Tamil Nadu crush Uttar Pradesh by an innings and 238 runs. Dinesh Karthik made his highest first-class score to push Tamil Nadu past 500 before Balaji and C Ganapathy combined to bundle out UP for 119. Faced with a daunting deficit of 357, UP began cautiously as their openers added 36 in 17 overs. Ganapathy broke through for Tamil Nadu, sending back Shivakant Shukla to trigger the collapse. Only four players managed double figures and the resistance was feeble as Balaji and Ganapathy pegged away at the wickets, finishing the formalities in just 43 overs, with a day to spare.

Round 4, v Maharashtra in Kanpur

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This eight-wicket victory was Uttar Pradesh’s first outright win of the season, and moved them up to No. 3 in Group B. Shivkant Shukla hit 131 and added 137 runs with Parvinder Singh to charge UP to a lead before Piyush Chawla (3 for 42) and slow left-armer Praveen Gupta (3 for 55) bowled out Maharashtra for 221 in the second innings. Shukla fell for 16 in UP’s chase, but Srivastava and Parvinder scored at a fair clip to clinch the victory in 36.5 overs.Round 5, v Railways in Delhi
Uttar Pradesh 346 (P Kumar 98, Raina 66, Kartik 3-60, Karan 3-73, Singh 3-86) and 150 for 6 dec (Srivastava 62, Parida 2-7) drew with Railways 200 (Goud 78*, Chawla 5-33, RP Singh 3-81) and 215 for 8 (Rawat 80, Bangar 70*, B Kumar 5-35)
ScorecardA determined Sanjay Bangar and Mahesh Rawat, playing with viral fever, helped Railways hang on for a tense draw, after Uttar Pradesh had reduced them to 33 for 6, then 77 for 7. UP declared 5.5 overs into the final day, and 33.4 overs and seven wickets later were in sight of a big win. But Bangar and Rawat frustrated them for close to two-and-a-half hours, before Bangar and Anureet Singh batted out 13.2 overs to keep the visitors at bay. Yere Gowd had done the same in the first innings with a stodgy unbeaten 78 to help Railways avoid the follow-on after Chawla took a five-for. UP were left to rue their slow batting in their second innings when they added only 150 runs in 55.3 overs.Round 6, v Karnataka in Bangalore
Karnataka 511 (Akhil 135, Uthappa 65, Raghu 64, Chawla 3-141) drew with Uttar Pradesh 567 (Srivastava 159, Kaif 112, Chawla 96, Aiyappa 3-108)
ScorecardWhile all about him were losing their heads, and their wickets, Piyush Chawla kept his, to score a crucial 96 and take Uttar Pradesh a step closer to the quarter-finals. Coming in just before lunch, with UP still 143 short of Karnataka’s 511, he strung together a partnership with Bhuvneshwar Kumar, then saw two wickets fall to let Karnataka back in. UP were 55 behind when No. 10 Amir Khan came out but the two batted sensibly for the much-needed three points in this, their last league game. Meanwhile, Maharashtra denied Railways, who needed to win with a bonus point to get ahead of UP, an outright win and paved the way for UP to enter the final eight.

Quarter-final v Gujarat in Vadodara

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This quarter-final ended in a draw and UP sauntered to the semi-final on the first-innings lead. Gujarat squandered their first-day advantage, being bowled out for 117 after restricting UP to 305. Praveen Kumar took five wickets, and was well supported by fellow medium-pacers Imtiyaz Ahmed and Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who shared the remaining wickets between them, to help UP gain a massive 188-run lead. UP were in no hurry on the third day, plodding along at 2.32 runs an over to shut Gujarat out of the match. Gujarat had about two sessions to bat on the final and their batsmen crawled to 106 before the match was called off.Semi-final v Tamil Nadu in Nagpur
Tamil Nadu 445 (Mukund 100, Karthik 72, Vijay 69, Ganapathy 67*, Badrinath 65) drew with Uttar Pradesh 447 for 8 dec (Shukla 178*, Parvinder 138, Balaji 5-114)
Uttar Pradesh progress to the final by virtue of first-innings lead
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A monumental effort from Shivakant Shukla, the fourth-longest innings in first-class cricket, took Uttar Pradesh through to their third final in four years. Both teams fought hard till the end for the vital first-innings lead. UP were the favourites to knock off the required 193 runs at the start of the final day, but a spirited L Balaji kept TN in the hunt. However, Shukla continued unflustered, playing with intense determination to steer his team into the lead with only two wickets in hand.

Ajinkya Rahane, the Mumbai batsman, has set his sights on winning an India cap after his career-best 201 helped his side crush Orissa by 315 runs to earn a place in the quarter-finals of the Ranji Trophy’s Super League.Rahane, 20, has been in terrific form this season, leading the run charts with 762 from six matches. He said Sunday’s double-century, which completed Mumbai’s recovery after they folded for 180 in the first innings, was the best knock of his career. “My plan was to keep it simple and play my natural game on the merit of the ball and not go for rash shots,” he told . “I learnt from my mistakes in the first innings and didn’t want to repeat them. My aim was just to stand there and give Mumbai the upper hand.”He said his job was not finished yet. “We have just played the league and qualified for the quarterfinals and it will be important to score in the knockout stages,” he said. “My aim is to play for India. I am going on the right track but my priority is to score runs in crucial matches.”Rahane had a chance to impress the national selectors after being picked for India A against Australia A in September but failed to cash in on the opportunity. Mumbai coach Pravin Amre praised him for not letting his shoulders droop after that setback. “He worked on his mental aspect and the approach,” Amre said. “He is a talented player with the right technique and is good opening material for India.”Amre was also delighted with the performance of medium-pacer Dhawal Kulkarni, another member of that India A squad who has been on song this season. Kulkarni, playing his first season, was given the responsibility of leading a young bowling attack (combined experience of eight first-class matches, including two debutants) and responded with a five-wicket haul in the first innings. “After the experience he has gained from Australia, he has become a special bowler,” Amre told the . “Taking 32 wickets [from six matches] on flat pitches is an amazing feat.”

Herschelle Gibbs has received a vote of confidence from Glamorgan only weeks after he was dropped from the South Africa team for breaking a curfew, after being signed up as their overseas player for July, August and September 2009.Gibbs, 34, played for the county in the Twenty20 Cup last summer, and replaces their outgoing overseas player, Jason Gillespie. “I’m really excited about returning to Glamorgan, joining the team for the Twenty20 Cup last season was a great experience,” he said. “I am looking forward to having more time to play with Glamorgan.”He has an option to extend his stay at the county, although with an IPL contract for May and the prospect of a recall to the international side for the World Twenty20 in June, he faces a busy few months. Nevertheless, having recently split from his wife and undergone a alcohol rehabilitation course, he’ll be reassured to know he is still in demand. He is currently playing for his club side, Cape Cobras, in South Africa’s SuperSport Series.Glamorgan’s cricket manager, Matthew Maynard, is convinced that his club have made an astute signing. “I am absolutely delighted about Herschelle returning to the club,” he told the BBC. “He made a great impression on the team in 2008 and he is an inspirational player to add to the squad.”Herschelle is a typical example of the cricketing experience that we are looking to sign to the club and I’m thrilled that he is joining us next season.”

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A century from the veteran Brad Hodge drove Victoria to an easy eight-wicket win over South Australia but the contributions from their two new men were just as pleasing for the Bushrangers. Hodge finished unbeaten on 102 as Victoria comfortably overhauled the Redbacks’ 5 for 239 with 41 balls to spare.But the success was set up by a confident 60 from 69 balls provided by Chris Rogers, who was playing his first game for his new state. Rogers switched during the off-season from Western Australia, where he was frustrated at not being picked in the one-day team, and he immediately showed Victoria his limited-overs potential.Rogers and Rob Quiney combined for a 71-run opening stand that dulled the impact of Shaun Tait, who took the new ball in his first state match since walking away from the game in January. They also fended off Tait’s new-ball partner Allan Wise, who last year was a Victorian and was lining up for the Redbacks for the first time.South Australia’s newcomers, including another former Victoria player, Michael Klinger, who made 17, failed to have the impact of the fresh faces in the Bushrangers line-up. Jon Holland, the left-arm orthodox spinner making his state debut in the absence of Bryce McGain and Cameron White, collected a wicket in his first over, finished with 2 for 44, and was credited by his captain David Hussey with changing the match.Holland was the pick of Victoria’s bowlers, who conceded 79 to the opener Daniel Harris and 59 to Cameron Borgas, although importantly neither man scored at a strike-rate above 80. Aaron O’Brien, the former New South Wales allrounder, made an unbeaten 23 and grabbed a wicket in his first game for South Australia, while the out-of-favour batsman Mark Cosgrove battled for 23.

Shoaib Akhtar has been included for Pakistan’s national Twenty20 tournament, which starts on October 4 in Lahore, after he was issued an ultimatum by the Pakistan Cricket Board to pay an outstanding fine of Rs 7 million (approx US$105,000). The PCB today announced its 15-member squads for all 13 participating teams, with Shoaib representing Islamabad Leopards.The PCB slapped Shoaib, 33, with the fine last month after he criticised the PCB over its failure to award him a central contract. He was initially banned by the PCB for five years, but the sentence had been reduced to 18 months by an appellate tribunal in June.The ban had restricted him from playing in and for Pakistan but he was given permission to play in England. He’s currently on a short stint with Surrey. He has also been included in the preliminary 20-man squad for next month’s Canada Cup Four Nation Twenty20 tournament.A notable exclusion is the batsman Younis Khan, who was granted permission from the PCB to represent South Australia as their overseas player in their domestic season, which starts next month.The tournament will be staged between October 4-8 at the Bagh-e-Jinnah and Lahore City Cricket Association Grounds. It will serve as a selection trial for the series in Canada, Pakistan’s first international assignment after the recent Asia Cup. The Champions Trophy, scheduled between September 12-28, was postponed due to security issues.For the full list of squads, click here.

A seat for next summer’s Ashes is, as expected, proving to be the must-have ticket of 2009 with Edgbaston announcing that the second and third days of the third Test were sold out within hours of tickets being put on sale.On Monday night there were still some available for the first day, but these were expected to go on Tuesday. Around 4500 public tickets, priced at £75 for adults and £20 for children, remained for the fourth day. All members seats for the first four days have already sold out.The other four venues – Lord’s, Cardiff, Headingley and The Oval – will not release tickets until November, but Warwickshire took the decision to make seats available to those who had seen a Test at Edgbaston in the last four years. While that is good for regulars, it means that visitors from Australia may have difficulties obtaining tickets, although an ECB spokesman insisted this would not be the case.Those hoping to attend any of the matches will have to have deep pockets. Prices have been announced for Cardiff and Headingley and these go up to £85, while there is speculation that the cost at the London grounds could nudge £100.The news, which is not unexpected, will increase pressure on the ECB, which controversially awarded an Ashes Test to Cardiff despite the fact the ground had never staged a major international and has a capacity of only 15,000. It replaced Old Trafford, which has a capacity of just 3000 more but had a tried and trusted infrastructure.In 2001, an ECB official, referring to The Oval, said: “By the time the match comes round in August we will have received something like 100,000 applications for a ground with a capacity of 18,500. If the capacity had been 60,000, it would still not have been big enough.”

Andrew Symonds has a month to prove his commitment to the Australia team ahead of the India tour after he was banished from the squad in Darwin for going fishing and missing a team meeting. The side’s leadership group sent Symonds home to Brisbane following the incident, which was the latest in a string of misdemeanours.Symonds is taking no part in the three-match ODI series against Bangladesh but the stand-in captain Michael Clarke said that provided Symonds could “get his head right” there was no reason he would not be available for the India trip. Clarke said Symonds, one of his best friends within the squad, was usually terrific to have around because of his laid-back nature.”That’s why we love him,” Clarke said. “That’s why we want him as part of our squad, because he is such a great guy. But like I say, we believe as a leadership group and a team that he is not fulfilling commitments 100% and right now he needs some time away from the game.”Symonds’ passion for fishing is well documented and he took to the water early on Friday, the day before the first Bangladesh match. When a compulsory team meeting was called later that morning, Symonds did not know about it as he was already wetting a line. An optional training session was later held at the Marrara Cricket Ground, which he had already decided not to attend.The coach Tim Nielsen confirmed that Symonds was fishing and said his lack of preparedness left the group worried about how Symonds was mentally coping with his cricketing demands. “He wasn’t organised enough to understand what his commitments to the group were that day and therefore he missed it,” Nielsen said. “That to me raises concerns about how and what sort of space he’s in in his own mind.”The scenario ahead of a Bangladesh game is worryingly familiar for Symonds, who in 2005 was told not to play in Cardiff after turning up to the ground under the influence of alcohol. Australia went on to lose that match, the only time they have been defeated by Bangladesh in an ODI. Nielsen said drinking was not “a standout part of the decision-making” this time.Cricket Australia stressed that the incident itself was a minor one, although he has been told in the past that his contract would be revoked if he became involved in another serious incident. Their concern this time was with his ongoing attitude and the poor example he was setting for a young squad already missing Ricky Ponting, Matthew Hayden and Brett Lee. His series of transgressions include failing to board the team bus in the Caribbean in June after sleeping in.In the past year Symonds has also been outspoken about not touring Pakistan and was involved in the race row with India’s Harbhajan Singh at the SCG. In the aftermath of the Sydney event Cricket Australia cut one of his columns for a Sunday newspaper and Symonds was also disappointed the players did not receive more backing from their employers.Following the Australian season he became the highest overseas signing with the Indian Premier League, joining the Deccan Chargers for US$1.35m. The Australian international players were desperate to appear in the tournament, despite previously complaining about overload, and had to deal with more of Cricket Australia’s administrative concerns.Symonds was told of the decision on Friday night in a meeting with the leadership group, which included Clarke, the coach Tim Nielsen, the team manager Steve Bernard, and Ponting via a teleconference. “Andrew was obviously very disappointed but he accepts our decision,” Clarke said. “I know Andrew pretty well – I hope he goes away from this and gets himself right and gets himself back into our team.”Symonds flew out for Brisbane on Saturday afternoon and the ball is now in his court as to how he will respond to the team’s concerns. A replacement player will be sent to Darwin to boost the squad, which had only 11 fully fit players available for the first match.Symonds’ most famous fishing incident came in 1999 when he went out with Matthew Hayden and their boat sank off Queensland’s North Stradbroke Island. The men were forced to swim for more than an hour through Moreton Bay in areas well-known for sharks. On that occasion everyone was relieved the pair returned in good health.Additional reporting by Peter English

Hampshire’s match against Lancashire is intriguingly poised going into the final day at Old Trafford, with the hosts leading by 190 but with only three second-innings wickets in hand. Hampshire were bowled out for 288 in their first dig, with Dominic Cork trapping Michael Brown lbw before Nic Pothas edged him to second slip. Cork later took a fine, diving catch at mid-off to remove Chris Tremlett, but after bowling Hampshire out mid-afternoon, Lancashire’s promise with the ball failed to materialise with the bat. In the blink of an eye, they slipped to 54 for 4, but Francois du Plessis played a dogged hand of 31 to steady Lancashire. On a tricky pitch, a score of around 230 could really test Hampshire, and the fourth day looks to be a fascinating duel.For John Ward’s report of the third day between Nottinghamshire and Yorkshire at Trent Bridge click here.

Leicestershire’s captain, Paul Nixon, frustrated Northamptonshire with a fighting 73 on the third day at Northampton, but the home side stuck to their task and completed an emphatic eight-wicket win shortly before stumps. Following on, Leicestershire began the day on 8 for 1, and it appeared Northamptonshire were walking to victory when Nicky Boje had Tom new caught for 11 and Jacques du Toit dismissed for just 2. Once Boeta Dippenaar fell for 15, Leicestershire had slipped to 92 for 6, still trailing by 108. But Nixon refused to be so easily beaten, and found excellent support in Tom Smith, the 22-year-old, who lasted 89 minutes for a courageous 31. The pair put on 66 for the eighth wicket and, after passing his fifty from 92 balls, Nixon edged Leicestershire past the 200 mark to ensure Northamptonshire would have to bat again. However, he fell to the impressive David Lucas, top-edging him to fine-leg, as Leicestershire set Northamptonshire a facile 27. Though they lost Niall O’Brien and Stephen Peters, David Sales and Robert White eased them home.Worcestershire romped to a bruising 10-wicket win over Middlesex, inside three days at Lord’s. The hosts trailed by 61 in their second innings, and experimented by opening with Ed Joyce. It failed miserably, as Joyce edged Kabir Ali behind for a third-ball duck. Ali, who bowled beautifully, then removed Nick Compton before deflecting a firmly-struck drive by Owais Shah to run out the unfortunate non-striker, Eoin Morgan. When Shah fell, Middlesex were 24 for 4 but Dawid Malan – their up-and-coming left-hander – cracked 52 while Ben Scott made 58, in a spirited stand of 113 in 25 overs. And then Gareth Batty took over, ripping out five wickets in 34 balls, with a combination of sharp spin and clueless Middlesex batting. Worcestershire were set 105 to win, and Stephen Moore (55 from 56) and Daryl Mitchell (48) powered them home in just 17 overs.Essex are on the brink of a thumping win over Gloucestershire after dismissing the visitors for 184 on the third day at Chelmsford. Gloucestershire, who resumed on 70 for 6, didn’t fold submissively however, as Steve Snell dropped anchor with 53 from 164 balls. There was little of any substance from the lower-order, and Danish Kaneria mopped up the tail to register 5 for 53 from 32.3 probing overs. Gloucestershire had set Essex a facile 181 to win, but the home side lost Varun Chopra and Jason Gallian to set the nerves jangling, before Neil Dexter (60*) and Ravi Bopara (83*) put them back on course with an unbeaten third-wicket stand of 143. With a full day tomorrow and the forecast balmy, Essex only need 31 to record their fourth win of the season and leapfrog Middlesex.

Two days ago Sri Lanka had an opportunity to knock India – a more dangerous side than Pakistan – out of the competition, but they reduced their chances of winning by resting Chaminda Vaas and Ajantha Mendis. The move was obviously to keep Vaas fresh, and to prevent the Indians from getting first-hand experience of Mendis in case India made it to the final. As it turned out, India chased down 309 to progress to the title clash, ensuring that Sri Lanka go into the final having lost their last match, and that too to the eventual finalists.The move was reminiscent of their tactics during the World Cup Super Eight match against Australia last year when they rested Vaas, Lasith Malinga and Muttiah Muralitharan, believing it would make a difference if the teams met again in the final. They were outplayed then, as they were outplayed by India here. Their strategy then did not make much difference to the outcome of the World Cup final, and Sri Lanka will hope that doesn’t happen again.Mahela Jayawardene suggested psychological advantage from previous games would count for nothing. “We can take the positives from whatever we have done in the past,” Jayawardene said. “We don’t want to think about how Pakistanis and Indians have done. For us it’s all about the way we have gone about in the tournament and how we can apply ourselves tomorrow. We will have a gameplan and we will try to execute that to the best of our ability.”Ajantha Mendis is a major part of that gameplan, not just due to his unique bowling style, but also because he seems to have taken the focus off the other Sri Lankan bowlers, two of whom -Vaas and Murali – are among the best in subcontinent conditions. “It’s good that everyone is talking about Ajantha, so other bowlers can chip in unannounced and take three or four wickets,” Jayawardene said.India would want to forget the Kitply Cup final loss, after they had been the best side in the tournament in the league games. And although this team has been good in the finals in the recent past – they won the World Twenty20 and the CB Series – losing finals was a trend that crept in unannounced in Sourav Ganguly’s team too. Before they won the famous NatWest Trophy final in England in 2002, they had played 10 finals without a single win. Ten more finals didn’t result in tournament wins before CB Series triumph earlier this year.Sri Lanka have had a role to play in India’s losing streaks. They last lost to India in a tournament final in 1998, and have beaten India four times in finals since then. However, that may be of little significance as only four among the current Indian squad – Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Virender Sehwag, Yuvraj Singh and Irfan Pathan – were the members of the team that lost the last of those four finals in August 2005.India’s coach Gary Kirsten also doesn’t read too much into the past. “We are taking this as just another game,” he said. “Unfortunately in one-day cricket, if one guy has an extraordinary day, you can lose the game there. But what we can do is focus on what we do well.”The Indians have already complained about the itinerary, and the conditions are likely to suit the opposition bowlers more than their own. If they can show the mental strength to overcome those hurdles, the reward will be their first Asia Cup title since 1995.