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Paul Sheldon has announced that he is stepping down as Surrey chief executive at the end of March after 15 years in the position. During that time he has overseen the club’s rise to become the most financially successful county, although that has coincided with a long-term slump in form on the field.Surrey’s strong financial footing has come from a number of schemes which included selling the naming rights to the ground and the construction of the OCS stand at the Vauxhall End of the ground. The club also benefits from a long-term staging agreement with the ECB and in 2005 and 2009 hosted deciding Ashes Tests.It has allowed the county to spend large sums on attracting big-name players to The Oval including Steven Davies and Chris Tremlett. However, there has been no swift upturn in results with the club still stuck in the second division of the County Championship but Sheldon has many positive memories.”I have stood down because I believe I have taken the club as far as I can, and that now is the right time to hand over the reins,” Sheldon said. “I am very proud of what we have achieved at the club over the last fifteen years. Most especially, I remember the winning era of the great Adam Hollioake side; the building of the iconic OCS Stand and the historic Ashes winning years of 2005 and 2009.”It has been a privilege to have served as chief executive of one of the greatest cricket clubs in the world and to have worked with so many talented people both inside and outside the club. Many of them have become good friends along the way.”Richard Thompson, the Surrey chairman, said: “Paul’s service to the Club, from running our 150th celebrations in 1995, to then becoming our chief executive shortly afterwards has been outstanding. Both on and off the field, Paul leaves a tremendous legacy and many enduring friendships. Paul will always be part of the Surrey family.”

Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsS Badrinath closed in on what will be his 27th first-class century•ESPNcricinfo Ltd

He may only have played two Test matches, and his age may be considered a disadvantage as India looks to groom young players for the future, but it hasn’t stopped S Badrinath from being a run-machine in domestic cricket. He was as it again in the Duleep Trophy final, scoring 97 not out on the second day to ensure his side South Zone are odds-on favourites to take the first-innings lead.South are just 39 runs behind North Zone’s 337, and with Badrinath still at the wicket and plenty of batting to come, they will be aiming to take a commanding lead.Badrinath was watchful against North’s seamers, and hit just one boundary in the first 49 deliveries he faced. Once the spinners came on, he cut loose, smashing North captain Amit Mishra for a four and a six down the ground in the 39th over, before hitting him for two boundaries on the leg side. After a steady period, Badrinath accelerated again towards the end of the day, playing two glorious drives to the off-side fence off seamer Yashpal Singh.That left him on 90 with four overs still left in the day. A less experienced batsman may have gotten anxious and attempted a rash stroke, but Badrinath is no stranger to being near a first-class century – he has 26 – and he was patient enough to play out the last few overs.South’s healthy run-rate of 4.25 was aided by aggressive half-centuries by Robin Uthappa and Manish Pandey. Uthappa had a strike-rate of 104.76 in his 66, and laid into North’s seamers early. Ishant Sharma, the India seamer’s, sixth over went for 14 runs as Uthappa hit him straight back over his head for four and then pulled him for six over square leg. Ishant ended up conceding 61 runs in his 13 overs on the day.Uthappa reached his half-century of 54 balls and celebrated it by hitting three consecutive boundaries off Sumit Narwal. His dismissal, though, was disappointing, as he top-edged an attempted pull off Joginder Sharma to mid off. Uthappa had been involved in an 85-run opening stand with Abhinav Mukund, who was out for 34 to Narwal.Pandey was also guilty of throwing his wicket away after a stroke-filled innings. He was severe on the spinners, striking Mishra for two sixes and hitting part-time spinner Mithun Manhas out of the attack with consecutive sixes over midwicket in his second over, and a four and a six in his next. Pandey attempted one shot too many, and lofted Narwal straight to Ishant at mid-off, when he was on 74.South were 243 for 3 at that stage, and North were denied any chance of a fightback by Badrinath, who remained solid till the end of the day. Badrinath was the top-scorer in the Ranji season in which he scored 922 runs at an average of 131.71, and appears to have carried that form over to the Duleep Trophy.North would have been satisfied with their batting performance in the first session, as they added 71 to their overnight score of 266 for 7. Joginder started by hitting R Vinay Kumar for consecutive boundaries off the first two balls of the day. Badrinath made what proved to be a successful decision to bring left-arm spinner Pragyan Ojha into the attack in the eighth over of the morning. Ojha baffled Joginder with one that pitched on middle, went past the edge and hit the top of off.Overnight centurion Paras Dogra responded by taking three boundaries off the next over from Vinay Kumar, but then hit Ojha straight to mid-on to fall for 167. Narwal, who proved with his two half-centuries in the semi-final that he can be useful with the bat, hit seamer Sreenath Aravind for two fours and a six in one over, but eventually became Aravind’s third victim of the innings, losing his middle stump while attempting a slog.North had ensured they went past the 300-run mark, but the response from South left their total looking quite a few short.

Adam Milne, the 18-year-old Central Districts fast bowler who has been named in New Zealand’s squad for their Twenty20 series against Pakistan, has said he was surprised by the call-up in just his first year of senior cricket, but was excited at the opportunity.”I think they [the selectors] just picked me on what I’ve done so far,” Milne, who has also been named in the 30 probables for the 2011 World Cup, told the regional newspaper , “They want me to go out there, and do what I have been doing, and bowl at a good pace.” Just over a year ago, Milne was still playing school cricket and he only made his first-class debut in March 2010, when he took 4 for 52 for Central Districts against Canterbury.Milne made his Twenty20 debut for Central Districts in their Champions League T20 campaign in September, during which he was clocked at 145kph. Milne said he has probably been bowling faster during the 2010-11 domestic season in New Zealand, where speed guns aren’t being used. Shane Bond, the Central Districts Twenty20 bowling coach, tipped him to get even quicker with age, and Milne agreed it was a possibility. “I’m sure there could be [an increase in pace] if I got a little bit stronger and worked a few things out,” he said.Milne was given a contract with Central Districts only two months ago and has played three first-class matches and eight domestic Twenty20 matches. His Central Districts coach Alan Hunt said Milne wasn’t a finished product but merited a chance in the national team. “In my view he needs a bit more time yet,” Hunt said. “But he’s certainly a raw talent and if they want to try somebody, why not him I guess.”Milne’s selection came just two weeks after the newly-appointed national selector Lance Cairns told the he wanted to see Milne given time to play more domestic cricket.New Zealand’s three-match Twenty20 series against Pakistan starts on December 26 in Auckland. Ross Taylor will captain the side with Daniel Vettori rested.

Daryl Tuffey, the New Zealand fast bowler, has been included in the squad for the two-Test series against Pakistan, starting Friday. He takes the place of Wellington fast bowler Andy McKay, who hasn’t recovered fully from a side strain.Tuffey played the last of his 26 Tests during the home series against Australia last March. He has played only four Tests in the last six-and-a-half years but is a more regular member of New Zealand’s one-day side. Tuffey had missed much of the one-day series against India last month due to a bicep strain.New Zealand’s fast bowling department has been hit hard by injuries in recent times. Hamish Bennett, who impressed with his pace on Test debut against India in early November, suffered a groin strain in that match and hasn’t played high-level cricket since. McKay is back to bowling, but isn’t fit enough for the sustained spells required in Test matches.The other fast bowlers in the New Zealand Test squad, which was announced two weeks ago, are Chris Martin, Tim Southee, Brent Arnel and allrounder James Franklin.

Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsAndrew Strauss roars after reaching his century as England put Australia to the sword•Getty Images

If Australia needed any convincing about England’s resilience they were given a day-long example as Andrew Strauss and Alastair Cook hit magnificent centuries to give the visitors a golden chance to save the opening Test in Brisbane. The openers added 188 and when Strauss departed for 110, the challenge was taken up by Jonathan Trott, who helped Cook put on a further 121 for the second wicket. Cook ended unbeaten on 132 and England held a lead of 88 when bad light closed in.While few expected England to fold in a heap – they rarely do these days – even fewer would have expected a stumps score of 1 for 309. However, inspired by their captain the tourists set about showing they’d learnt the lessons from their poor first innings and gave Australia a day of toil in the field to match what England had suffered on Saturday. There is still time for the home side to force something on the final day, but nothing in their bowling in this innings has suggested they have the firepower to succeed.Strauss’s 19th Test hundred, and fourth against Australia, arrived from 184 balls when he late cut Xavier Doherty and his aggression against spin was a key part of the innings. He knew England couldn’t block their way to safety, and often used his feet to advance and loft down the ground. Strauss’s century celebration was unusually emotional; it hadn’t been the easiest start to the series after his first-morning failure and this was another example of England’s spirit. The stage was set for him to make it a massive hundred, following Hussey’s lead, but he was beaten in flight by Marcus North and couldn’t regain his ground, stumped by Brad Haddin.Cook reached his landmark with a rasping cut shortly after tea and this match has been an emphatic response from somebody who still had his fair share of doubters coming in to the tour. Shortly afterwards he gave a tough chance to Peter Siddle at fine leg off a top-edged pull, but Siddle couldn’t quite hold on as he dived forward. Trott was also given a reprieve, on 34, when Michael Clarke’s valiant attempt at point failed as the ball slipped out of his finger tips and this time Siddle was the bowler to suffer.England’s opening pair ticked off a few records along their way, including the visitors’ highest stand at the Gabba and the best opening effort by any touring team in Brisbane. They also became England’s most prolific first-wicket duo in Test cricket, although the record was diluted somewhat as they have played more than twice as many innings as the Jack Hobbs-Herbert Sutcliffe pairing they overtook. But that was a minor point in the bigger picture of England trying to claw their way back into the match, which they did with an impressively aggressive approach. The time-runs equation could be vital in the end.

Smart Stats

• The 188-run stand between Andrew Strauss and Alastair Cook is the seventh-highest partnership by an England opening pair in Australia. It is also the second-highest after the 203-run stand between Michael Atherton and Graham Gooch at Adelaide in 1991.

• Cook and Strauss became the most prolific opening pair for England in Tests, surpassing the aggregate of Jack Hobbs and Herbert Sutcliffe.

• Strauss’s century was his first in Australia. He made 247 runs in 10 innings on the previous tour.

• Cook’s century was his second against Australia and 14th overall. His previous century came at Perth in 2006.

• Mitchell Johnson has picked up just 24 wickets in eight Tests since January 14, 2010 at an average of more than 41. At home, he has just one wicket in two Tests.

• The century stand between Cook and Jonathan Trott was the tenth for the second wicket for visiting teams in Australia since 2000. It was also the third century stand for the second wicket for England, the highest being 170 between Ian Bell and Cook at Perth in 2006.

Having survived a first-ball review yesterday evening, Strauss gave a commanding display, punctuated with his favourite cuts and drives. However, he was given a significant let-off on 69 when Mitchell Johnson, in the midst of a torrid match, spilled a relatively simple chance at mid-off when Strauss tried to loft Doherty down the ground. There was another moment of alarm when he misjudged a pull on 88 which looped over point then an edge flew between the slips to take him to 96, but Strauss will feel England were owed a little luck.The clearest sign that Strauss’s game was in top order came from his shots through cover, which were a hallmark of his dashing start to Test cricket back in 2004. He latched on to Ben Hilfenhaus and Shane Watson when they over-pitched, while waiting on the back foot for anything short. Though the ball was only 15 overs old when play resumed there was very little assistance for the quick bowlers and Johnson, who was the fourth option used by Ricky Ponting, resorted to trying a bouncer-attack at Strauss, but a slow pitch nullified the threat.Cook showed the same application as he had in the first innings after an early alarm when he sliced a cut between third slip and gully. Most of his other 10 boundaries came out of the middle and he even showed the cover drive, which is rarely seen from him these days. Initially, Cook outscored his captain but normal service was resumed as he dug in but he never became flustered and ticked the scoreboard over. He hacked Doherty through midwicket then cut him for three to move to 97 but had to spend the tea interval sat two short of his hundred, although didn’t have to wait long. It was the first time since 1938 that both England openers had hit Ashes hundreds in the same innings.After Strauss’s aggression towards spin brought his demise, Trott began in positive fashion, which meant the scoring didn’t seize up. He carried England into the lead with an elegant cover-drive off the struggling Johnson and he ensured two set batsmen were ready to face the second new ball when it came at the beginning of the final session.Once again a crucial period loomed but Cook and Trott were equal to the challenge. Hilfenhaus found some swing and there were the two tough chances, yet it wasn’t quite the threat everyone expected. In a sign of desperation Ponting used up his last review when Trott padded up to Hilfenhaus, but the ball was easily missing off stump and Trott’s fifty soon followed as he tucked into Johnson’s wayward offerings. This Test has had too many twists to think the final day will be plain sailing, but if England can hold their nerve it will be another in their recent history of incredible rearguards.

New Zealand, fresh from a dispiriting 4-0 one-day defeat in Bangladesh, have arrived in India for what is likely to be a far sterner examination. Daniel Vettori’s side landed in Ahmedabad for a three-Test and five-ODI tour that begins on November 4 at Motera. It is their first bilateral visit since 2003.New Zealand’s tour of the subcontinent was planned as preparation for the World Cup that begins in February, but so far they have had a forgettable time on the field. They failed to make the final of the tri-series in Sri Lanka that also featured India, before being outplayed by an inspired Bangladesh side that made the most of home conditions, and the visitors’ inability to come to terms with them.The Bangladesh debacle was not received well back home, with New Zealand Cricket chairman Chris Moller terming the performance “very concerning”. The board called an emergency meeting with Vettori and coach Mark Greatbatch to review the tour, and set up a specialised committee to audit the entire framework of cricket in New Zealand, “from the grassroots right through to the elite level.” Greatbatch was scathing in his assessment of the tour, declaring that the team “played like d****”.The clean sweep in Bangladesh pushed New Zealand to seventh place in the ODI rankings, a sharp decline considering they were competing for second spot during the Sri Lanka tri-series in August. They will need a major lift if they are to compete with India, currently the top-ranked Test side and No. 2 in the ODI ratings.

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Former England batsman Owais Shah marked his final one-day appearance for Middlesex with an unbeaten half-century that helped steer the Panthers to a comfortable seven-wicket Clydesdale Bank 40 win over Derbyshire at Lord’s.The 31-year-old, who learned on Tuesday that he would not be offered a new contract, showed Middlesex supporters what they will be missing next year by playing a watchful knock that sealed his side’s third win of a disappointing campaign with 11 balls to spare.After the early loss of England Test captain Andrew Strauss for seven, the left-hander had his off stump pegged back after playing back to a Graham Wagg off-cutter, Middlesex marched toward victory with a second-wicket stand of 127 in 20 overs between Scott Newman and Shah.Newman, dropped on 38 when Wes Durston downed a stinging overhead catch at mid-wicket off a rasping pull shot, was just 10 short of his second century in this season’s competition when his 89-ball stay ended. Aiming to drive through the covers against off-spinner Jake Needham, the left-hander mistimed his back-foot force to give Wayne Madsen a comfortable catch to short cover and make it 139 for two.Having been content to play second fiddle hitherto, Shah upped his tempo after Newman’s departure to reach his second CB40 half-century of the campaign from 85 balls and after two hours at the crease.Needham struck again to have Dawid Malan (8) well held at slip by Jonathan Clare off an edged late cut but Shah, who is being linked with a move to Essex, stood firm to finish on 58 not out as Gareth Berg (21 not out) hit the winning boundary.After crumbling to 32 for 3 inside seven overs, the Derbyshire innings was underpinned by 19-year-old Chesney Hughes with a top- scoring 64 from 59 balls. Returning to the scene of his first-class debut here at Lord’s in May, Hughes batted with poise and power beyond his years to hit six fours and a six, pulled into the Mound Stand of Tim Murtagh, during his entertaining stay.Having been invited to bat first, the visitors lost Dan Redfern (9) to the 13th delivery of the match when he drove on the up against Murtagh only to pick out Berg at backward point.England paceman Steve Finn, having been named as the Cricket Writers’ Club young player of the season in London last night showed his class with two wickets in the space of four balls – Greg Smith (5) and Durston (0) both caught behind – on his way to figures of 2 for 40.Derbyshire fought back with a fourth-wicket stand worth 82 in 15.5 overs between Hughes and Madsen, the latter contributing 39 in an hour-and-a-half and with only one boundary. The departure of Hughes, who drove straight to mid-on against left-arm spinner Tom Smith, sparked a secondary collapse with Smith to the forefront with three for 26 from his eight, tight overs.He bowled Steven Adshead and then ended Madsen’s stay by enticing his down the pitch and turning one past the bat to give John Simpson a simple stumping. Wagg’s unbeaten 48 from 53 deliveries just about ensured the Falcons batted through their overs but Middlesex found the asking rate of 4.9 an over for victory well within their compass.

ScorecardGerard Brophy is stumped during James Tredwell’s final-day hat-trick•Getty Images

A stunned Yorkshire saw their County Championship title hopes dashed in 44 crazy minutes against Kent at Headingley on Thursday, when their last nine wickets crashed for 37 runs in the space of 55 balls. They were routed for 130 which left Kent with 90 to make for victory – and they suffered a few scares on the way before winning by four wickets.Yorkshire’s only consolation was that they ended a splendid first season under Andrew Gale’s captaincy in third place in the table to net £100,000 in prize-money for the players and £15,000 for the club.The chief destroyer for Kent was off-spinner James Tredwell, who included a hat-trick in his 7 for 22 return while paceman Dewald Nel claimed the three remaining wickets. He was the first man to take a hat-trick against Yorkshire since Tony Gray for Surrey at Sheffield in 1985 and the first spinner since Intikhab Alam for Surrey at Headingley in 1972.Yorkshire embarked on the final day of the season on 51 for 1 with a lead of 10 and things could not have gone better for the first 23 minutes as Adam Lyth and Anthony McGrath quickly added 42 runs through top-quality strokeplay.Boundaries came thick and fast for both batsmen off Nel and Darren Stevens and when Lyth reached 37 it gave him 1,500 runs for the season. But, with the second-wicket stand worth 53, McGrath was unable to avoid contact with a spitting delivery from Nel and Geraint Jones held the catch.It was the start of an amazing collapse which continued as Gale was bowled by Nel before Lyth had his stumps hit by Tredwell. The next ball from Tredwell lured Gerard Brophy out of his crease to be neatly stumped by Jones, and with the first ball of his next over Tredwell completed his hat-trick, Jonny Bairstow popping up a catch to midwicket where Nel swooped on the ball.Ajmal Shahzad responded by driving Tredwell for six in the same over but there was no holding back Kent, Nel having Adil Rashid taken at second slip by Martin van Jaarsveld and Steven Patterson falling to a reflex catch by Sam Northeast off Tredwell at short leg.Shahzad drove Tredwell for a second six before being stumped next ball and the end came when Moin Ashraf edged Tredwell to Van Jaarsveld. Tredwell’s seven wickets had come in the space of 19 balls at a cost of 15 runs from two sixes and a three.Yorkshire were not quite down and out because Joe Denly and Northeast were pinned lbw by Ashraf and Shahzad respectively with only six scored but Rob Key and Van Jaarsveld prospered either side of lunch before Key clipped Patterson straight to McGrath at mid-wicket.Patterson dismissed Jones without scoring in his next over and it seemed Kent were home and dry when Van Jaarsveld drove Rashid for consecutive sixes. But he was caught at slip off the leg-spinner’s next delivery and two balls later Rashid bowled Alex Blake.Kent still needed eight runs and after Darren Stevens had straight driven a boundary he gave a difficult return chance to Patterson, who could not hold on with his left hand, leaving Tredwell to crown a great day by hitting the winning boundary.Yorkshire skipper Gale said: “I am very disappointed with what has happened today. In those 45 minutes of our batting collapse there were signs of the old Yorkshire of the last two or three years.”I thought we had got rid of those jitters but obviously not. That was not the way we have played our cricket this season and it will take a week or two to get over but it has still been a good year and the lads can be proud of their efforts.”I think we that we took the game for granted and felt that it would be easy but you have to respect the game and Kent are a quality side and they have some quality performers. If you take your eye off the ball it will bite you on the backside and it did and we threw the game away.”To say that our defeat was through lack of experience would be an easy get-out. Hopefully, the lads will learn something from it but it is still a bitter pill to swallow. Division One of the Championship is a tough division and I think that to win six games is a great effort.”

ScorecardJust 11 overs were possible at Basingstoke before heavy rain and thunderstorms brought an end to the second day’s play between Hampshire and Durham in the County Championship.No play was possible until 1:10pm and Hampshire had little time to build on their overnight score of 373 for 5 before rain brought an end to proceedings.They added 48 runs to move onto 421 for 5 as Durham struggled again to make an impact on a docile wicket. James Vince was 27 not out at the close of play alongside nightwatchman James Tomlinson, who was 11 short of a career best at 31 not out.

Trent Johnston, Ireland’s stand-in captain, has said that critics who called Ireland a one-generation side were wrong after his team’s unbeaten run to the title in the ICC World Cricket League Division 1 tournament in the Netherlands. Ireland won all five group games, as well as the final against Scotland, despite missing key players such as regular captain William Porterfield, wicketkeeper Niall O’Brien and fast bowler Boyd Rankin, who were playing county cricket in England.”All those people who talk about the wheel turning, or that Irish cricket is a one-generation side, are very much mistaken and will be proven wrong if they look at the performances the kids have put in over the last 10 days,” Johnston said. “It is great to win another trophy that keeps us at the top of Associate level. We had a few speed bumps against Afghanistan in the last 12 months, but it was not (the case) here as we beat Afghanistan pretty convincingly a few days ago with an inexperienced side.”Ireland’s six-wicket victory in the final, however, was achieved after a couple of setbacks. Scotland’s openers, Fraser Watts and Preston Mommsen, began the match with the highest opening stand of the tournament. “I was certainly not happy to see Scotland reach 141-0 after I had sent them in as we didn’t bowl very well at the start. But we persisted and stayed focused which earned us two key wickets,” Johnston said. “A couple of silly shots from their senior players later on got us back in the match and in the end we were left chasing 233 instead of anything in excess of 280.”Ireland’s bowlers fought back strongly and triggered a collapse during which Scotland lost 10 wickets for 91 runs. Ireland also lost three early wickets during the chase of 233 but were guided to victory by Kevin O’Brien and Andrew White, whose 160-run partnership was the highest of the tournament as well as a record in ODIs between the teams.”Kevin has matured as a cricketer and is working very hard on his game,” Johnston said. “We call White a finisher so I was confident that the two would take us home after we were struggling at 51-3. The two were expected to build a partnership and they did exactly that, and though White couldn’t take us over the finish-line, it was an excellent effort by him.”While Scotland were disappointed they couldn’t capitalise on their chances in the final, their captain Gordon Drummond said he would have settled for second place at the start of the tournament.”If you had offered me a second place and four wins out of six matches before the start of the tournament, I would have definitely taken it because we arrived here without a couple of key players and after having finished fifth in South Africa last year,” he said. “We were constantly assessing the situation [in the final] but when we reached 141-0, we were targeting 280 and this is what we should have got at the end. Something that we need to learn is to convert good starts into winning scores and kill off the opposition.”