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

Shahriar Nafees continued his superb form © AFP

A flamboyant half-century from Shahriar Nafees plus a more sedate contribution from Mehrab Hossain jr guided Bangladesh to a comfortable six-wicket victory over Zimbabwe, in the second one-day international at Bogra, and a 2-0 series lead. Their opening stand of 104 broke the back of the run chase after a disciplined bowling performance had restricted Zimbabwe to an under-par 217, despite Sean Williams’s 61.Nafees, who struck an 105 in the first match, cut loose against the new ball and any thoughts Zimbabwe had of clawing themselves back into the series disappeared as rapidly as the ball off Nafees’s bat. He struck 10 boundaries with his half-century arriving off 45 balls. Mehrab took more than twice as long for his landmark, but it was an equally important contribution which ensured there was no back into the match for Zimbabwe.Saqibul Hasan added some blows of his own in a 28-ball 36 and Habibul Bashar, the Bangladesh captain, had the satisfaction of being in the middle when the winning runs arrived with more than seven overs to spare. This result, coupled with Bangladesh’s nine-wicket win in the opening match, continues to suggest there is even a noticeable gulf appearing between these two teams – especially in sub-continental conditions.The Bangladesh spinners again played a key role in holding the Zimbabwean batting as Saqibul, Mohammad Rafique and Abdur Razzaq conceded 117 off their combined 30 overs. Stuart Matsikenyeri and Chamu Chibhabha added 49 for the second wicket before Mashrafe Mortaza forced Matsikenyeri to nick one to Khaled Mashud.Chibhabha and Hamilton Masakadza buckled down, but the introduction of spin in the ninth over put pressure on both batsmen. Saqibul trapped Chibhabha leg before for 31, and Masakadza and Williams added 76 for the fourth wicket. Mazakadza began slowly, and just as he opened up with a fine slogged six off Saqibul, he was stumped off the same bowler.Williams too was sluggish to start off with – he was troubled by Rafique and Razzak on occasions – but still collected fours by employing the sweep and cut with his first ODI fifty came off 61 balls. However, when he was trapped lbw by Rafique Zimbabwe’s hopes of exploiting the final overs went with him.Zimbabwe must now win the third match, in Bogra on Tuesday, if they want to keep the series alive.

New central contracts announced for Pakistan players © Getty Images

Younis Khan, the Pakistan vice-captain, and Shahid Afridi, the allrounder, have been elevated to the top category, according to new central contracts announced by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB). Meanwhile, Danish Kaneria, the legspinner, and Kamran Akmal, the wicketkeeper have been promoted from grade three to grade two. However, the board has not made any monetary increase in the new contracts.The central contracts in Pakistan cricket are divided into three pay categories. The grade one players get a monthly retainer of Rs 200,000, the grade two players Rs 125,000 and those in grade three Rs 75,000. The monthly retainers are beside the match and tour fees paid to the players.Meanwhile, , the Karachi-based daily, reported that the board violated its own performance criteria laid down in the contracts system when it promoted Akmal to grade two although he has still not accumulated the necessary 150 points required for that to happen. Akmal has at present 104 points to his credit.Central contracted players:Category `A’: Inzamam-ul-Haq, Younis Khan, Mohammad Yousuf, Abdul Razzaq, Shoaib Akhtar, Shahid Afridi.Category `B’: Mohammad Sami, Shoaib Malik, Danish Kaneria, Kamran Akmal.Category `C’: Asim Kamal, Salman Butt, Rana Naved-ul-Hasan, Umar Gul, Rao Iftikhar, Shabbir Ahmed, Yasir Hameed, Arshad Khan, Imran Farhat, Bazid Khan.Pakistan `A’ and Juniors: Misbah-ul-Haq, Hasan Raza, Faisal Iqbal, Mohammad Asif, Yasir Arafat, Najaf Shah, Shahid Nazir, Mohammad Arshad, Imran Tahir, Zulqarnain Haider, Ashar Zaidi, Taufiq Umar, Mohammad Khalil

Scorecard

New Zealand first innings 353

Mark Richardson c Ponting b Kasprowicz 19 (1 for 26)
Edged perfect legcutter to second slip
Stephen Fleming c Warne b Kasprowicz 0 (2 for 26)
Edged straight ball to second slip
Scott Styris c Gilchrist b Kasprowicz 27 (3 for 37)
Poor foot movement and straightforward catch
Nathan Astle run out (Clarke) 19 (4 for 138)
Parried by Gillespie in gully, direct hit at non-striker’s end
Mathew Sinclair c Ponting b Gillespie 69 (5 for 138)
Caught low at second slip
Craig McMillan c Gilchrist b Warne 23 (6 for 180)
Thin edge giving bowler the charge – would have been stumped
Brendon McCullum st Gilchrist b Warne 10 (7 for 206)
Beaten by legbreak, very close for third umpire
Daniel Vettori c Warne b Kasprowicz 21 (8 for 264)
Edged slashed drive high to second slip
Kyle Mills c Hayden b Warne 29 (9 for 317)
Defensive prod well held low at first slip
Chris Martin c Ponting b Warne 0 (10 for 353)
Bat-pad high to silly point

Australia first innings

Matthew Hayden lbw b Mills 8 (1 for 16)
Trapped on back foot and hit high on pad
Justin Langer lbw b Vettori 34 (2 for 85)
Plumb in front to ball that jagged back and stayed low
Ricky Ponting c Astle b Martin 51 (3 for 109)
Well caught at square leg off hook
Darren Lehmann c McCullum b Vettori 8 (4 for 128)
Caught behind off attempted drive

Robin Smith square cuts at Northampton

Robin Smith will miss this Sunday’s National League match against Nottinghamshire Outlaws after pulling a hamstring in last weeks victory over Northamptonshire Steelbacks.”It is hoped that Robin will be fit for the Frizzell Championship match against Glamorgan at The Rose Bowl next week”, said a club spokesman, “if not he should be ready for the floodlit match at Trent bridge on 21st July”.Smith pulled his joint attempting a quick single, and continued batting with the help of a runner (Derek Kenway) until he was run out. Enjoying some of his finest form, Robin is also in the middle of a successful Testimonial campaign.

England XI had a good outing today at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.On the second and final day of the two-day match against MumbaiCricket Association President’s XI, played on Monday, England XIamassed 370/3 in 90 overs, in reply to MCA XI’s 373/5. The match endedin a predictable draw.England got off to a solid start in the morning. Marcus Trescothickwas as always in an attacking mood, pulling the medium-pacer AavishkarSalvi for a six. Trescothick played some cracking shots to the fenceas the bowlers erred in line and length. In contrast, Mark Butcherfound the attack not to his liking. He made batting look a difficulttask and inched forward as if treading through a minefield.Trescothick was the star of the morning’s play, using his feet totackle the spinners and showing positive approach. He walked down thetrack and smacked two huge sixes over long-on off the bowling ofNilesh Kulkarni to move from 48 to 60. The Somerset opener lost hiswicket to aggression, going for a sweep of Ramesh Powar and top-edgingthe ball to Kambli at square leg. Trescothick made 60 off 68 ballswith the help of three sixes and six boundaries.Michael Vaughan didn’t do any better than Butcher; he was verytentative in his brief stay in the middle. Vaughan (2) pushed forwardat a delivery from Kulkarni and the faint edge was well taken bywicketkeeper Abhijit Shetye.Nasser Hussain walked in to join Butcher at the score of 91/2 andimmediately made his intentions clear by lofting Kulkarni for four.Soon after the luncheon break Butcher (33 off 104 balls) put an end tohis misery by running himself out. Thorpe joined Hussain and the twomost experienced batsmen in the side went on about their task withoutany fuss. There was nothing in the bowling to suggest that they werethreatening to take a wicket.Hussain and Thorpe punished the bowling all around the park. Hussainwas the aggressive of the two, smashing his way to 70 retired hurt off125 balls, which included seven boundaries and three huge sixes.Thorpe was keen on gathering the runs, waiting for the ball till thelast moment to play it on both sides of the wicket. The amount of timethat is this stylish left-hander from Surrey has to play the strokesis amazing to see.Thorpe made 45 off 83 balls, striking four boundaries and took EnglandXI to 232/3 at the tea break. Thorpe too retired hurt to pave way forCraig White and Mark Ramprakash to have a go after the tea break.England XI scored 138 runs off the 28 overs, which was also the fourthwicket partnership between the two batsmen. Ramprakash remainedunbeaten on 58 off 96 balls, striking five boundaries. The highlightof the session’s play was the explosive batting by Craig White.The Yorkshire all-rounder struck five huge sixes and seven boundariesin his whirlwind unbeaten knock of 79 runs off 73 balls. White wassimply superb against the spinners, using his feet to smack the ballhigh and over the fielders. Ramprakash too played a fine hand, showinggood technique against the spin trio.England can take heart from the performance of their batsmen, whichwill be crucial in the Test series. Trescothick, Hussain, Thorpe,Ramprakash and White are all in good form. Unlike many visiting teamswho struggle in the tour opener, England showed lot of resolve andcharacter on a hot Monday afternoon, giving away nothing to the homeside.

ScorecardAll Marcus Trescothick’s trademark shots were on display•Getty Images

This was a day spent chuntering about could-be controversies and moral quagmires that never quite came to pass. In those disputes stead stood Marcus Trescothick.With both sides trapped in a relegation bunfight with Hampshire, not many at Hove were impressed with the contrivance at the Ageas Bowl, especially when Yorkshire fell to 37 for 3. This sense of injustice was exacerbated by the fact that Hampshire were facing a weakened Yorkshire outfit, which is set to return to full strength when Sussex visit Headingley on Tuesday. But when Yorkshire’s fourth wicket was worth 190 those grumbles rather died, as it became clear Hampshire had gone hard, and were going home.Then, with this game merely an exercise in accumulating vital bonus points, not many Sussex fans were particularly enamoured by the idea of a Somerset declaration that denied them a shot at two more points for their bowling. But having taken four in 100 overs, the chances of two more in 10 looked slim, so when Trescothick turned and offered a hand to Ed Joyce to call stumps, he duly accepted.Ultimately, both these sides, Somerset having given Mike Yardy a guard of honour on his last day at Hove, and Sussex having watched the last rites at the Ageas Bowl on TV, as well as Worcestershire’s relegation being confirmed, left pretty contented.The unflappable constant was Trescothick, who produced a magnificent sixth first-class double century, never looking like getting out, and all the while utterly aware of Somerset’s position in the game, and totally unconcerned by goings-on elsewhere. He was here to bat as long as his team needed him to in order to leave with 13 points, and to blunt Sussex’s attack to limit their haul: 157 personal and 324 team runs later for the day, he did just that. Somerset took 13 points, two more than Sussex, and a place above them in the table for good measure.The man oozed control: going through the motions, but going past marker posts for bonus points and personal milestones, too. “I didn’t try to get drawn into what was going on at the Ageas,” he said. “[Umpire] Alex Wharf told me out there that they were 30 for 3 but I just thought ‘I’m not interested’. What will be will be. It’s out of our hands, we can’t control what they are doing over there.”I was really determined going into this game. It was just so important, given the position the two teams were in in the competition. Getting in there today, the bonus points were absolutely vital, in the context of what it is, and trying to limit Sussex to as little as what they could do. Going in from lunch onwards, we had a clear plan. I was really determined about how we approached it and it worked out great.”The great joy of watching Trescothick make runs these days is that, really, nothing has changed. The strokes are the same: the punchy drives with minimal foot movement, that scythe of a cut, the gentle dab to third man, the dismissive flick should the bowler err onto his pads and the glorious, gut-swinging pull off his chin; even the upper cut made an appearance when Chris Jordan dropped short. There’s a pair of glasses and he’s a touch slower between the wickets, but Trescothick’s all there.It was the cover drive that brought him his century, his second in a week and 58th of his career, after a quiet start to a day played under blue skies on a flat pitch. His partner was James Hildreth, an equally assured presence, driving prettily and flicking nicely to leg; indeed it was a particularly fine glance that took him past 50.Both dissected some rather strange fields as Ashar Zaidi and Luke Wells did plenty of bowling, while Steve Magoffin – who now has 535 Championship overs in his legs this season – appeared to rest up ahead of a trip to Headingley. Either way, Sussex didn’t look a team as desperate for their bonus points as Trescothick, who flogged them for their folly.Hildreth was caught down the legside by a diving Ben Brown, and Jim Allenby fell the next over, a thick edge heading straight to Chris Nash at third slip. But while Sussex’s tails were temporarily up, all they had done was bring Trescothick and Peter Trego together, the latter with an equally insatiable appetite for slaughter. He was away with a fizzing straight drive off Zaidi – who cut an extremely frustrated figure after a couple of rejected appeals – and was quick to pull anything short.Trescothick continued relentlessly, consecutively cover driving for four and hoicking for six off Wells, while Sussex’s last hope was the new ball, and its first delivery was flicked hard to the midwicket fence. He took Somerset past 400 with a wild pull and reached 200 with a cut off Wells. Not to be outdone, Trego plonked Zaidi for a huge straight six, and dab swept and cover driven fours in an over, before savagely pulling for his century shortly after 4.10.Over strolled Trescothick, as Trego pumped the air in celebration, shook his team-mate’s hand, turned to Joyce and told him enough was enough of this mighty fun partnership.”[My body] is barking at the moment,” Trescothick reflected. “The back is in bits from bending over quite a bit. But it’s one of those pains that is quite nice to put up with. One of the ankles is a bit sore, so I’ll keep an eye on that. But I’m more than happy to stay out there if I’m making this many runs.” So are we, Marcus. So are we.

Darren Bent’s scoring record speaks for itself. Since his difficult spell as a bit-part player at Tottenham ended, Bent has produced the goods week in, week out in three Premier League seasons with Sunderland and Aston Villa. He has scored 41 goals in the last two Premier League campaigns – more than any other English striker.

Bent’s record in the England youth teams is no different. He produced nine goals in 14 games for the under-21 side, having managed three in three at under-19 level. And yet, in the five years since his England debut, the pre-World Cup 2006 friendly against Uruguay at Anfield, Bent has amassed just 11 caps. He started his first competitive international when England faced Wales in Cardiff back in March (and scored). In all, Bent has four goals in those 11 appearances – not bad as half of them were cameo run-outs as a substitute.

And yet whenever Bent’s name is seen in an England squad, even now, he appears to inspire only doubt and concern among national team supporters. It is as if Bent is becoming the 2010s equivalent of his current club teammate, Emile Heskey. He has neither the trust nor the confidence of the England faithful, and except for the few minutes after he scores, it is none too difficult to find yourself a fellow detractor with whom to share a complaint about his performance.

Are England fans right to doubt Bent’s value in the national shirt, though? This is a man who has demonstrated an instinctive predatorial ability ever since he burst onto the Championship scene at Ipswich Town, forming an unstoppable strike combination with Shefki Kuqi. (I know that sounds absurd, but I watched them a lot, so trust me.) Only Wayne Rooney among English strikers challenges Bent’s strike rate over the duration of his Premier League career – the likes of Jermain Defoe, Peter Crouch, Ashley Young et al are lagging some way behind.

There are certainly elements of Bent’s game which appear to diminish his value to Fabio Capello’s squad. Bent tends to be very quiet for spells of a game when his team is in the ascendancy; although there are signs of him developing the ability to drop deep and link up in a Villa shirt, it has never been a strength of his and it is yet to be witnessed of him at national level. As a result, his work rate has often been criticised as sub-standard for an England player.

Bent is much more comfortable, quite clearly, using his pace and power to lead the line, making runs off the last defender for through balls and poking in loose balls in scrambled penalty area situations. I have also heard criticisms of his passing and he either does not possess, or at least has never showcased, a regular ability or affinity to shoot from range.

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It should be remembered, though, that these are not the skills on which Bent’s career has been built. He is, purely and simply, a goalscorer. He is a proven goalscorer who now has a decade of experience of leading a line. In six Premier League seasons since leaving Ipswich, Bent has scored 92 goals in 209 Premier League appearances. And in the post-Rooney preparations for England’s 2012 European Championships, a record of practically one goal in two should be enough to merit Bent a prominent role in the construction of England’s new strike force.

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Mircea Lucescu paid tribute to his Shakhtar Donetsk players after their 3-2 victory away to Roma in the Champions League knockout stages.

Simone Perrotta gave hosts Roma the lead in the 28th minute at the Stadio Olimpico, but goals from Brazilian trio Jadson, Douglas Costa and Luiz Adriano put the visitors in command.

France international Jeremy Menez pulled one back for Roma, but it is the Ukrainian side who will hold the advantage ahead of the return fixture at the Donbass Arena on March 8.

“The result is great and we deserved it,” Lucescu said.

“We were lucky Roma were so nervous. Fans can only imagine how difficult it was on the pitch, but we’re a highly organised team and fast on the counterattack.”

“I knew the level of my players and I was completely confident they would give their all to achieve this result. This is how we repay our fans and our president.”

“We should attack at home because Roma will also go forward. They will probably play a different game, hit us on the counterattack, but in any case they’re a very strong side.”

Roma coach Claudio Ranieri was left to rue his team’s lapse in concentration immediately after taking the lead.

“We started very well; we were doing everything we had too in the early stages,” Ranieri said.

“We knew they could be dangerous on the counterattack because their players have pace and technique. Then we scored, but 45 seconds later they equalised.”

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“Small things like this can turn games around. We played well tactically, but we should have been more careful immediately after taking the lead. Then (Douglas) Costa scored a great goal, while the third was just unfortunate.”

“We have to accept the result but I’m satisfied with my players, especially in the second half because they reacted and tried to come back from 3-1 down, a result which could have left us on our knees.”

“We weren’t lucky tonight but we won’t give up because it could be the other way around in Ukraine.”

Fulham goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer hopes Roy Hodgson stays at Craven Cottage and resists the opportunity to manage Liverpool.

The Reds are looking for a new manager after dispensing with Rafa Benitez's services and veteran Cottagers boss Hodgson has already been linked with the Anfield vacancy.

Australia international Schwarzer said:"The gaffer is huge for Fulham. He has done a remarkable job during the past two-and-a-half years.

"We hope he doesn't go, we hope he stays at Fulham. But I wouldn't blame him at all if he decides to move.

"It doesn't surprise me if a number of clubs would be after him as a manager given his superb record.

"The gaffer is at that stage of this career where he is thinking 'will this sort of opportunity come around again?'

"I suppose in a lot of ways you can't blame the guy if an opportunity like this came along.

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"It is Liverpool you are talking about, a huge club, who normally compete in the Champions League every season.

"There are four or five such clubs in the country and there would be very few managers or players who would find it difficult to resist going to them."Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email

An eager Wayne Rooney has shared his views on new Manchester United signing Shinji Kagawa and seems optimistic their understanding on the pitch will be evident when the season kicks off next week.

Speaking after United came back from two goals down to win 4-3 against Hannover in a pre-season friendly yesterday, and scoring two goals himself, Rooney was quick to praise the Red Devils new midfield man.

“It was end-to-end and we were a bit sloppy at times. We could have done better defending,” the 26-year-old forward told MUTV.

“But I thought some of the play throughout the game was great. Some great link-up play between us.

“We’ve got the four goals which maybe we were lacking in pre-season and it’s great to get them with the season coming up.”

Asked if he enjoyed linking up with Kagawa, Rooney said: “It was great. Obviously he’s a very clever player.

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“The likes of himself, Chicharito and Tom (Cleverley) – there are players capable of getting on the ball and linking the play and it worked well for us tonight.”

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