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Allen Stanford, the Texan billionaire behind Stanford 20/20, is expected to offer US$20 million for a one-off, winner-takes-all fixture between England and an All-Stars West Indies XI, when he meets the ECB at Lord’s on Tuesday to discuss possible joint ventures.According to the BBC, Stanford’s idea would be for the match to take place on England’s tour of the Caribbean next winter, although he has already made similar offers to both South Africa and India, and had them rejected. With the Indian Premier League just three days away, however, the ECB are eager to react to the game’s changing landscape.”Allen Stanford is an individual who is extremely wealthy and really doesn’t take no for an answer,” the veteran West Indian commentator, Tony Cozier, told BBC Sport. “He will come in and put forward a proposal that he will feel cannot be turned down, but I understand Giles Clarke is similar [in character] so we will see.”Clarke, the ECB chairman, has already talked about the creation of an English Premier League (EPL) to run during the middle of the domestic season when most international teams have time off. The hope is that the tournament would be able to attract overseas stars the same way as the IPL and in turn ward off the threat of English players jumping ship.”We don’t want a knee-jerk reaction to the IPL,” said Clarke, “but we believe that we can set up a robust, spectator-friendly, economically sustainable competition of our own which will not cut across the core revenue streams of Test and one-day international cricket.”Stanford could be a useful ally for the ECB as he has already shown his ability to set up and run a successful Twenty20 tournament then sell it overseas. Stanford is keen on multiple franchise tournaments and Lalit Modi, the IPL chairman, has said an EPL would be welcome if it didn’t clash with the Indian version.Sean Morris, the chief executive of the Professional Cricketers’ Association, told the : “Looking at all options is pure commercial commonsense. There is no proof yet that the global TV market is strong enough to have a lot of different leagues,” he said. “But it is genuinely achievable to make it attractive for everyone to play in.”If we have got the right format and scheduling that will be an attractive product to the wider TV audience and that is where most of the money will come from. Half-a-billion pairs of watching eyes is also appealing to outside investment.”Kevin Pietersen, who has made no secret of the fact he would love to play in the IPL, was encouraged by the sound of the idea. “Until I hear more about Stanford and his proposals I cannot comment,” he told AFP, “but it sounds great, very exciting for players and spectators.”He would not be drawn on the Indian issue again. ” “I have said all I am going to say about the IPL. I am not going to get into a slanging match with the people who employ me. I do not want to jeopardise my England career. All I ever asked for was some space to play both.”Clarke, along with David Collier, the ECB chief executive, and John Perera, the commercial director, are due to attend the launch of the IPL later this week where they will hold talks with Modi.

Australia have thrown out the possibility of using two spinners and asked for fast-bowling reinforcements as they search for a 2-0 Ashes lead in Adelaide from Friday. The national selectors met over two days to consider their options following Shane Watson’s second consecutive withdrawal with a hamstring injury and Shaun Tait joined Mitchell Johnson in the 13-man squad.Tait was part of the outfit before leaving Brisbane ahead of the first Test, which Australia won by 277 runs at the Gabba, and Johnson was released for Pura Cup duty when a seam attack of Brett Lee, Glenn McGrath and Stuart Clark was preferred. McGrath and Clark excelled with seven wickets each, but the expanded squad indicates the selectors are concerned with McGrath’s bruised heel.McGrath had a pain-killing injection in his left foot on Sunday and returned 1 for 53 to follow his 6 for 50 that rocked England’s first innings. Lee was the most disappointing of the trio, but he is unlikely to be overlooked after one below-par performance and the option of a five-man frontline attack disappeared with Watson’s slow recovery.Shane Warne is currently irreplaceable, especially on a surface in which he has 25 wickets from his past four Tests, and only an injury or doubts over fitness can realistically provide an opening for Tait or Johnson. Stuart MacGill tipped yesterday that he would miss the squad and his hunch was correct.”The possibility of using two specialist spinners continues to be discussed,” Andrew Hilditch, the chairman of selectors, said. “That decision is made more difficult while Watson is unfit, but it will be reviewed depending on the particular conditions we will face at each venue.” There is a chance Watson and MacGill could be required in Perth for the third game following the WACA’s transformation from a fast-bowling haven to a batsman-dominated arena.Michael Clarke retained his spot at No. 6 following his 56 in the first innings at Brisbane and his left-arm spin will be a handy asset during the second Test. “I’ve been ultra-impressed with the way Clarke’s gone about his cricket over the last 12 to 18 months,” Ricky Ponting said after the victory. “He’s extremely hungry and he’s trained hard and he’s worked on his technique for the longer form of the game. It’s great to see him play well.”Australia squad Justin Langer, Matthew Hayden, Ricky Ponting (capt), Damien Martyn, Michael Hussey, Michael Clarke, Adam Gilchrist (wk), Shane Warne, Brett Lee, Stuart Clark, Glenn McGrath, Mitchell Johnson, Shaun Tait.

Sri Lanka’s captain, Mahela Jayawardene, said that Sri Lanka’s drawnseries felt more like a win after the manner in which they surged tovictory in the third Test at Trent Bridge, and he called on his youngteam to treat the result as a springboard for further success.”The result is much sweeter because of the way we fought,” saidJayawardene. “Lord’s was where we kept the series alive. We made a lotof mistakes at Edgbaston, by not putting enough runs on the board, buthere we didn’t let them loose in the first innings, we batted well insecond innings, and gave Murali a good score to bowl at. It was abrilliant effort from the whole team.”In a way, it feels like a win,” he added. “We came here to competebut were pushed back from the first Test onwards. But we’ve come backin the series and the draw is great, so I’m pretty happy with theguys. But let’s not go overboard. We will enjoy the next couple ofdays but we’ll have the focus and be ready for the next series.”It’s just another brick in the wall,” he added in an unexpected PinkFloyd reference, although given all the selectorial meddling that hasovershadowed this series, he’d be entitled to sing the refrain: Leavethe kids alone. “We’re not going to get over-confident with what we’veachieved,” he added. “If we keep going in the right direction I’m surewe can improve ourselves as a team.Though Jayawardene had praise for all his players, he reserved specialmention for the man of the hour, Muralitharan, whose stunning figuresof 8 for 70 took his phenomenal tally to 635 Test wickets. “I’ve beenwatching him for the last eight years, and he’s a genius at work. Heknows exactly the areas to bowl in, but the best thing is hisconsistency. He asks questions from the batsmen all the time.””He’s a different guy,” Jayawardene continued. “He has enthusiasm andhunger for cricket, and the way he’s bowling he could walk up to thecrease and pick up wickets. Personally I feel very honoured to playwith him in the side. You can see his character, he is a very, verynice guy, and I’m very proud to be part of his group.”As to Murali’s long-term future, Sri Lanka are not due to tour againfor another four years, but Jayawardene did not rule out his return toEngland in 2010. “It’s all to do with what he wants to do,” heexplained. “He’s doing brilliantly and his motivation is great, but Ithink we should enjoy him as he is right now.”

Australia are taking no chances on further injuries ahead of the World Cup and have ordered their squad members not to play for their states in the Ford Ranger Cup final on Sunday. Queensland had named Shane Watson and Mitchell Johnson, while Victoria were expected to play Brad Hodge in the MCG clash.Matthew Hayden was originally included in the Bulls’ line-up but was ruled out when he broke a toe during his record-breaking 181 against New Zealand on Tuesday. Andrew Symonds (arm) and Brett Lee (ankle) are already in doubt for the West Indies trip and Michael Clarke is carrying a hip problem, leading the selectors to be extra-cautious with their remaining players.Andrew Hilditch, the chairman of selectors, said he had discussed the situation with Hodge, Watson and Johnson. “All three are being rested on the recommendation of the Australian coach and support staff on the basis that this is in the best interests of the Australian team as they continue their preparation for the World Cup,” Hilditch said.The decision angered Terry Oliver, the Queensland coach, who said his players should be available unless they are injured. “If there is a plan to rest players just for the sake of being rested, I’d be very disappointed,” Oliver told . “There is a duty under their contracts to play state cricket. I have had a look at the schedule for the World Cup and it’s not that heavy. Watto [Watson] is one bloke who would certainly benefit from this game of cricket on the weekend.”Australia’s move came as Johnson told the paper he would require “clean-up” injections for a minor injury to his right ankle. John Buchanan, the Australia coach, said it would be disappointing for the state competition that the stars would not be there but it was a necessary precaution.”Having been a state coach I understand the position of the states and recognise that this is a premier fixture in the domestic calendar,” Buchanan said. “But in this case I believe there’s a bigger picture and that’s the World Cup and the preparation of players in the Australian squad for that tournament.”

If England is to create a viable Twenty20 competition to rival the Indian Premier League, then the 18 first-class counties are going to have to bite the bullet and merge into six regional sides. That is the message from Sean Morris, the new chief executive of the Professional Cricketers’ Association, who believes that without adaptation, English cricket faces being second-best to India for evermore.”This is a great opportunity for English cricket, an unbelievable chance for England to reassert itself,” Morris told The Guardian. “I just hope we take it. India, a big competitor, has got first to the market. Considering that we invented Twenty20, they should not have got there first. It is important that we act quickly.”Morris’s proposal is expected to be discussed at a meeting of the England & Wales Cricket Board on May 26, but plans are already in full swing following a week of talks with Allen Stanford, the Texan billionaire whose patronage has given English cricket renewed confidence as it seeks to respond to the threat of the IPL. Stanford told the BBC on Thursday that he believed that England was not only better placed to take the lead in Twenty20 cricket, but that the game could eventually overtake football as the world’s most popular sport.Should the regional plan come to fruition, there could be some enticing amalgamations on the cards. Lancashire and Yorkshire could be thrown in together with Durham as a Northern region, with Surrey, Middlesex and Essex all uniting under the London banner. Such a proposal may be anathema to the die-hard fans of the counties involved, but Morris cited the example of South African rugby, where traditional Currie Cup rivals have combined to form potent Super 14 franchises.”This is the biggest opportunity we will ever get to restructure,” said Morris. His argument is that, without reducing the number of competing sides, the talent on display would be spread too thinly, and the prospect of attracting the big-name players would diminish. “When you look at the broadcasting deal that will drive it and for sponsorship partners and for fans, does playing 18 teams really stack up? We need to have a product that is exportable back to India, because that is where the money is.”Stanford is willing to invest heavily in the scheme, but has effectively set the ECB a deadline of 2010 to get the competition up and running. “If I was to make a more aggressive bet I would say 2009. But no later than 2010 or they’ve missed the boat,” he told BBC Sport. “We all know that and I don’t think the British are going to miss the boat.”Potential regional sides

North Yorkshire, Lancashire, Durham
London Surrey, Middlesex, Essex
South Hampshire, Kent, Sussex
Wales and West Glamorgan, Gloucestershire, Somerset
West Midlands Warwickshire, Worcestershire, Northants
East Midlands Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire, Derbyshire

Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were out

An action-packed day of Test cricket ended with Sri Lanka edging the honours, as South Africa were bowled out for 361 in the last over of the evening. Fifty-six fours, two sixes, and ten wickets meant there was plenty of entertainment on offer for the crowd at the P Saravanamuttu Stadium, the venue where Sri Lanka had played their first Test match 25 years ago.The day was clearly split into three parts: the first one belonged to Sri Lanka, as their seam attack, bolstered by Chaminda Vaas’s return from injury, struck three times within the first hour. South Africa then hit back in the afternoon session, as Ashwell Prince (86) and AB de Villiers (95) combined in a magnificent 161-run stand for the fifth wicket, getting their runs at more than four an over and making even Muttiah Muralitharan look ordinary. That was too good to last, however, as Sri Lanka fought back in the final session, nailing six wickets, though Shaun Pollock’s entertaining unbeaten 57 kept them in the field the entire day. Muralitharan finished with yet another five-for – the 55th of his Test career – but it cost him 128, with the runs coming at nearly four an over.The conditions at the ground had a huge role to play in the kind of action on view: the pitch, while being a good batting strip, had more pace and bounce than the one in the first Test, helping the bowlers but also ensuring that the ball came on to the bat and facilitated strokeplay. The outfield was fast too, so that almost every time the batsmen pierced the gaps, the ball sped away to the fence.Asked to bowl first after losing the toss, Sri Lanka got off to a sensational start: Vaas celebrated his return to the side with a second-ball dismissal of Herschelle Gibbs, trapping him in front with a typical delivery which swung back in after pitching on middle and leg. It was the 12th time Vaas nailed Gibbs in international matches – his three dismissals in Tests have all been for ducks, while in the nine ODI innings in which Vaas has dismissed him, he averages 3.11.Andrew Hall was a walking wicket from the first delivery – he played and missed at six out of eight balls from Malinga, before finally edging the ninth to second slip. Jacques Rudolph left soon after, beaten for pace and movement by Malinga, and at 31 for 3, the innings was in danger of crumbling just like it had in the first innings of the first Test. Prince then began the recovery with Amla, who played with excellent poise and assurance for his 40, clipping the ball sweetly off his pads and defending solidly. The real resistance, though, started after Amla fell.de Villiers, especially, was intent on taking charge from the moment he walked to the crease. His first scoring shot – off the second ball he faced – was a beautifully timed punch down the ground off Muralitharan, and that set the tone for what was an innings highlighted by superb footwork, crisp cuts and drives through the off side, and splendid shot-selection. His handling of Muralitharan was quite exceptional: before the series, he had bravely commented about how Muralitharan could be rattled by an attacking batsman, and here he walked the talk, either going down the pitch to smother the spin, or going right back and playing with the turn. He used the sweep shot to good effect too, and in all scored 31 from 51 balls off Muralitharan. The other bowlers were even easier to handle, with the listless Maharoof being repeatedly creamed for cuts and square-drives.Prince started off more circumspectly, content to defend and nudge the singles, but gradually he opened out too, playing some rasping drives down the ground and through cover when the bowlers offered width. Muralitharan’s threat was negated by some twinkle-toed footwork, which allowed him to either make room and drive through the off side, or work him off his legs for runs. He offered one chance, when on 69, driving through Sanath Jayasuriya’s hands at gully, but other than that one lapse, the knock was quite blemishless.With the score reading 231 for 4 at tea, South Africa were on the ascendancy, but things went pear-shaped after the break, as Prince went second ball after tea, edging a cut. de Villiers fell in the nineties for the fourth time in his brief career, unluckily given out when bat had only made contact with ground.Muralitharan and Maharoof then made further inroads, before Pollock stamped his presence on the game. Back in the side after missing the first Test due to the birth of his second child, Pollock celebrated by carting the ball to all parts en route to an entertaining knock, hoicking Muralitharan over midwicket for six, and top-edging over the wicketkeeper for another. Makhaya Ntini gave him excellent support in a last-wicket stand that fetched 34 and frustrated Sri Lanka late in the evening. Ntini’s dismissal in the last over of the day ensured, though, that Sri Lanka won’t have to take the field again on the second morning.

Herschelle Gibbs lbw b Vaas 0 (0 for 1)
Andrew Hall c Dilshan b Malinga 0 (4 for 2)
Jacques Rudolph b Malinga 13 (31 for 3)
Hashim Amla lbw b Muralitharan 40 (70 for 4)
Ashwell Prince c P Jayawardene b Muralitharan 86 (231 for 5)
AB de Villiers c P Jayawardene b Malinga 95 (256 for 6)
Mark Boucher b Muralitharan 32 (273 for 7)
Nicky Boje c Sangakkara b Maharoof 11 (307 for 8)
Dale Steyn c Jayasuriya b Muralitharan 6 (327 for 9)
Mahkaya Ntini c Maharoof b Muralitharan 13 (361 all out)

ScorecardRishabh Pant hit 10 fours and 2 sixes•PTI

Opener Rishabh Pant struck 87 off 88 balls to set up India Under-19s’ 33-run win against Afghanistan Under-19s, their second in the Tri-nation tournament in Kolkata.Pant added fifty-plus partnerships with Amandeep Khare and captain Ricky Bhui to drive his team forward after they lost the early wicket of Washington Sundar. Although Pant and Bhui fell in quick succession, Mahipal Lomror pushed India Under-19s to 236 despite a lower-order collapse – the last five wickets tumbling for only 35 runs. Rashid Khan, the legspinner, was pick of the bowlers for Afghanistan, taking four wickets, including that of Pant.Rashid would also hit seven fours during his 39-ball 43, with contributions from the lower order, but damage inflicted upfront in the chase was irreparable. Pacer Khaleel Ahmed and left-arm spinner Pradipta Pramanik had combined well to reduce Afghanistan to 65 for 5 in 16.5 overs. Both the openers – Hazrathullah and Ihsanullah – passed 20s but could not convert it into a big score. Eventually, Afghanistan were bowled out for 203 in 47.3 overs, Ahmed finishing with impressive figures of 4 for 41, as the hosts took their points tally to nine.

Scorecard

Former Queensland allrounder Brendan Nash turned in a fine performance with both bat and ball to help Jamaica coast to a six-wicket victory over Barbados in their final Zone A league match of the KFC Cup. Both teams had already qualified for the semi-finals but Jamaica topped the table as a result of this victory.Nash bowled a miserly spell of 10-2-11-1 and Jerome Taylor took three wickets as Barbados were restricted to 170. Even that modest total was reached because of a 34-run stand for the tenth wicket. After a brisk start, the scoring-rate fell as the batsmen struggled on a pitch which was not conducive to strokeplay with Kirk Edwards facing 70 balls to make 17.In reply, Jamaica lost Brenton Parchment early but the rest of the batsmen played handy knocks to help overhaul the target with seven overs to spare. Chris Gayle, the captain, top scored with 49. Shawn Findlay chipped in with 39 while Nash remained not out on 36 as Jamaica maintained it’s unbeaten streak in this year’s tournament.Barbados coach Henry Springer blamed the batting for the loss. “It was a lack of situation awareness. Our batsmen need to understand what situation they find themselves in and to be able to deal with it,” he told the
ScorecardIn a match between two teams who had no chance of progressing further in the tournament, Leewards Islands rode on a solid all-round performance from Omari Banks to beat West Indies Under-19s by five wickets.Despite some wayward bowling from Leewards Islands, who gave away 28 extras including 19 wides, the Under-19s could only manage 159. Banks bowled a tight spell of 2 for 18 in his ten overs while offspinner Chaka Hodge took three lower-order wickets to keep the Under-19s in check. Opener Chesney Hughes top scored with 31 while no other batsman passed the 25-run mark.In reply, Leewards Islands started shakily as fast bowler Jason Dawes took three wickets to reduce them to 40 for 3. Spinners Veerasammy Permaul and Steven Jacobs bowled economically giving away just 35 runs in their 20 overs to make the Leewards Islands’ batsmen work hard for their victory. Banks, who batted with a runner because of a hamstring injury, remained unbeaten on 55 while Steve Liburd and Tonito Willett played useful knocks to ensure the target was reached with two overs to spare.The result was a consolatory win for the Leewards Islands and means that the Under-19s are the only team to have not picked up a point during the tournament.

Kenya have reportedly named a provisional 28-man squad for next week’s Intercontinental Cup tie against Uganda at Kampala, but with Kenya cricket in such a state of flux, few appear to know exactly who is in the side.The Nation reported that Steve Tikolo would lead the team, even though he quit the captaincy after last September’s Champions Trophy and was replaced by Hitesh Modi. Modi was training at the Aga Khan club on Wednesday.And more remarkably, Ragheb Aga, who captained Kenya in their last match as Modi was on honeymoon, has reportedly not been contacted by the selectors, nor has Abeed Janmohamed, who kept wicket in their last two games. Both are based in the UK. Amit Bhudia, who is considered one of the best up-and-coming batsmen, is also unavailable as he is in the Netherlands.The preparations have been further disrupted by the news that Ravi Shah, who is probably the best batsman outside Test cricket, will miss the match after failing to shake off a long-standing knee injury. That will be a blow to the side as Shah averaged 57.55 in first-class matches for Kenya last year.Training is being co-ordinated by Mudassar Nazar, who was appointed as coach by the Kenya Cricket Association following the resignation of Andy Moles in January, and who has been retained by the interim selection panel.

Test cricket returns to the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo, the venue famous for holding the world record Test total of 952 for 6 by Sri Lanka, when it hosts the first Test of the three-match series against Bangladesh next month. The series, which also includes three ODIs, gets underway on June 25.The stadium is currently the property of Sri Lanka Cricket who have signed a 33-year lease and acquired the premises. It has hosted only two Tests in ten years, the last one coincidentally against Bangladesh, in 2005.The Asgiriya Stadium in Kandy was originally scheduled to host the first Test but poor ground conditions prompted a change in schedule, and it will now host the third Test starting July 11. The Saravanamuttu Stadium will host the second Test from July 3.Bangladesh are due to arrive in Colombo on June 17 and wind off their tour on July 26.Itinerary
June 17 – Arrival
June 20-22 – Warm-up match at Colts
June 25-29 – 1st Test, Colombo (R. Premadasa Stadium)
July 3-7 – 2nd Test, Colombo (Saravanamuttu Stadium)
July 11-15 – 3rd Test, Kandy
July 18 – One-day warm-up match, Colombo (NCC)
July 20 – 1st ODI, Colombo (Saravanamuttu Stadium)
July 22 – 2nd ODI, Colombo (R Premadasa Stadium)
July 24 – 3rd ODI, Colombo (R Premadasa Stadium)