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As a wave of fanfare and a splash of headlines has made clear in recent weeks, it will soon be that Australian cricket has its first million dollar player. Within such a context, it has been easy to lose sight of the unprecedented opportunities also being created for cricketers at the other end of the spectrum.In the elevation of young wicketkeeper-batsman Tim Paine to Tasmania’s new list of contracted players for the 2001-02 domestic season, though, there can’t be too much room for misunderstanding.At his tender age of 16 years and 188 days, Paine’s stunning emergence is significant for a number of reasons.And not simply because he has just become Australian cricket’s youngest ever contracted player; younger, certainly, than new state teammate and personal idol Ricky Ponting was when he made his domestic debut all those years ago in 1992-93 as a prodigious teenage talent himself. Younger, also, by six months than South Australia’s Mark Cosgrove, a fellow newcomer to a state list for 2001-02. Younger by five months even than Western Australia’s Shaun Marsh was when he was offered a contract with the Warriors at this time last year.In short, Paine’s acceptance of a so-called ‘rookie contract’ with the Tigers is also significant in that it is symbolic.Although talk might still rage about the ageing complexion of the current national squad, attention these days is increasingly being paid to the development of genuine cricketing career-paths for Australia’s aspiring young players. Introduced as part of the recently-signed Memorandum of Understanding between the Australian Cricket Board and the Australian Cricketers’ Association, the sort of deal to which Paine has been tied provides evidence of the latest innovation in such thinking.”It’s all going to be a really good experience, I think,” says Paine of the chance not only to join the Tigers’ inner sanctum but to become one of the first players in the country to accept an agreement of this type.Potentially available to as many as thirty players in total across the country, the advent of the rookie contract scheme has been aimed at reducing the gap between junior and domestic cricket and at making the transition between the two arenas less daunting. It not only permits each of the six state associations the chance to recruit, retain, and financially assist five previously-unsigned players under the age of 23. As such, it also supplies incentives to cricketers who might not otherwise have received the opportunity to train with, and/or form part of, their state’s first-class squad.”These new contracts are a great idea; I’m pretty happy about them anyway!” adds Paine.”It’s good to give young players something (along these lines) to show them that they’re in the back of the minds of the administrators and the coaches.”The sort of opportunities that await Paine – now that he has been handpicked as one of at least two Tasmanian youngsters worthy of such encouragement for at least the next twelve months – have simply never been available before.He is not expected to become a serious challenger for selection in the state team for some time yet. He also potentially faces the enduring curse for wicketkeepers of having to bide his time behind another player – in this case Sean Clingeleffer, a similarly accomplished young gloveman who currently occupies the post.But even to a talented and versatile young athlete with a passion for, and a noteworthy pedigree in, at least one other sport, it means that a long and successful career in cricket has now become the central focus of his sporting ambitions.Where a burgeoning career as a hard-running half-forward flanker in Australian Rules Football might have lured others away previously, this early investment of faith from cricket administrators seems set to be a decisive catalyst in settling the issue.The nephew of Robert Shaw (a well-known figure in Australian Football League circles as the current assistant coach at reigning premier Essendon and former senior coach at fellow league clubs Adelaide and Fitzroy) has seen enough of what cricket can potentially offer him to know where his future lies.”Cricket would have been a pretty important priority still without the contract, but definitely not as important as it is now. I’ve pretty much got to train now all the time so it’s taking over from footy from here on in. My attention is on cricket.”In truth, it won’t really be possible to make worthwhile judgements about the effectiveness of the new system until much further down the track. And, on basic retainers of $A10,000, players like Paine still remain a long way away on the pay scale from those of their countrymen whose salaries are soon expected to traverse the seven figure mark. But, even this early, he is proof positive of its potential utility.

Durham’s bowlers earned their side a decisive advantage at the end of the first day, making a mockery of Hampshire’s choice to bat first. Danny Law produced the best bowling performance of his career, six for 53 while Nicky Hatch on his debut took two top order wickets in three balls.Hatch, a 6 ft 8 inch understudy for the injured Steve Harmison, dismissed Derek Kenway and Will Kendall in his fourth over and Hampshire were never completely in control again.Law dismissed Neil Johnson and Lawrence Prittipaul just before lunch and, getting bounce from a helpful but by no means unreliable wicket, caused more havoc afterwards by removing Giles White, who took two-and-a-half-hours over his 41, and Shaun Udal. Hampshire were 149 for eight before there was any semblance of a revival which came belatedly in the shape of a stand of 92 for the ninth-wicket between Adrian Aymes and Alex Morris. Morris hit 12 fours in his 59 and Aymes made 41 before they were both out to the persevering Law.All out for 246, Hampshire had no respite as Jon Lewis and Michael Gough put on 55 for the first Durham wicket and Lewis and Martin Love carried on to take Durham to a cosy 113 for one at the close, 133 behind. Hatch’s big day ended with figures of two for 55 incidentally.

The national league continued and the weekend was not a happy one for Bulawayo as far as the results show.Macdonald Club visited Harare and went down to the ever-improving Takashinga team (formerly Winstonians) by 63 runs. Chasing 235, Mac Club could muster only 172 as their poor season form continues. National team player Tatenda Taibu scored a fluent 82 off 84 balls and certainly stood out as the player of the day.Former champions Old Hararians recorded their second win of the season when they beat Bulawayo Sports Club by four wickets. Former Academy player Clement Mahachi showed his batting capabilities at last with a well compiled century, hopefully a glimpse of what is to come as the season progresses.In the other local derby, and many of Bulawayo’s former players will remember it as such, Queens, who have not won a game this season, lost to BAC. Batting first, Queens scored 232 all out with young Strydom 59 and Townshend 42 the main contributors, while BAC reached their target losing only six wickets, their main scorers – and both national hockey players -being veteran `Porgie’ Williams and young Mike Mckillop with 71 and 58 respectively. It is hoped that Mckillop will be available this season as he will not have the hockey commitments he had last year. This fine young sportsman, from whom many youngsters would benefit if they tried to emulate his attitude towards sport, would strengthen the provincial side for the Logan Cup.Over the weekend, the selectors will be naming the teams to play in a two-day game to get down to naming the squad for Logan Cup in February next year. One player who will be missing, as he was last season, will be Henry Olonga, who has opted to play for the Harare side Takashinga and will no longer be eligible to play for Matabeleland.The Matabeleland pace attack is likely therefore to be built aroundStreak, Nkala, Mbangwa, Townshend and Mahachi. Gavin Wren, a former Under-19 player, is showing an interest in cricket again and could well force his way into contention.

Heavy rain frustrated Durham’s hopes of forcing the victory they need to ease First Division relegation fears.Only 16 overs were possible on the third day at Taunton where Somerset resumed on 58-0 in reply to the visitors’ 378.The start was delayed until 4.45pm, by which time the game already looked doomed to a draw. But there were bonus points to play for and Durham moved close to a fifth one by removing both overnight batsmen.Jamie Cox and Mark Lathwell suffered disappointments as they sought to build overdue scores.Unbeaten on 22 overnight, Cox was looking to end a poor run by his standards, which had seen him pass 30 only once in eight Championship innings.But the sequence continued as, having added only three to his score, the Somerset skipper was judged lbw pushing forward to John Wood.Lathwell, who resumed on 25, was soon looking in the sort of form to achieve his first Championship half-century since 1998 after missing the whole of last season with a knee injury.The former England player was untroubled progressing to 39, but then fell in almost identical fashion to Cox as his forward defensive shot was beaten by Paul Collingwood.Rob Turner and Peter Bowler took the score to 92-2 before accepting the umpires’ offer to go off for bad light.There had been claps of thunder and another storm caused play to be abandonedfor the day, putting much of the outfield under water.Wood had taken 1-5 from his five overs, while Collingwood also had tidy figures of 1-7 from three overs.A draw will suit Somerset more than Durham, who are desperately trying to make up ground on their opponents and fourth-from-bottom Kent in the battle to remain in the top flight.

ScorecardChris Dent recorded the highest score by a Gloucesteshire player since World War II•PA Photos

Chris Dent’s superb career-best 268 put Gloucestershire in the ascendancy against old foes Glamorgan on the third day of their Championship match at Bristol.Gloucestershire’s formidable total of 558, founded upon a record-breaking stand of 166 between Dent and James Fuller, helped the home side establish a meaningful first-innings lead of 125. But a draw appears the most likely outcome after Glamorgan openers Jacques Rudolph and James Kettleborough overcame fatigue to negotiate 27 overs and reach the close on 88 without loss.Rudolph’s chanceless innings of 56 not out has occupied 87 balls and the captain will seek to steer his side, who trail by 37, to safety on the final day.On a day when the records tumbled, Dent posted the highest individual score by any Gloucestershire batsman in matches against Glamorgan since World War II, eclipsing the 254 made by Andrew Symonds at Abergavenny in 1995.His run-laden alliance with Fuller, who registered a career-best 73 from 99 balls, represented a club record stand for the eighth wicket in matches against Glamorgan, surpassing the 128 mustered by Mark Hardinges and Ashley Noffke at Bristol in 2007.And Dent comfortably bettered his previous highest first-class score of 203 not out, made against Cardiff MCCU in 2014, in the process becoming the only Gloucestershire player to pass 1000 first-class runs this season.Dropped by Colin Ingram in the slips before he had scored, Fuller made good his escape to eclipse his previous highest score of 57, made against Leicestershire at Cheltenham in 2012.With the exception of a couple of early setbacks, Benny Howell shouldering arms and losing his off stump to Michael Hogan without adding to his overnight score of 40 and Kieran Noema-Barnett chipping Craig Meschede straight to point for 5, it was pretty much plain sailing for the home side.Dent and Jack Taylor, who raised 35 from 33 balls and struck seven fours before top-edging a catch behind off Dewi Penrhyn-Jones, redressed the balance in an entertaining stand of 53 for the sixth wicket.With Gloucestershire opting to apply scoreboard pressure rather than pursue a contrived finish, Dent was presented with a chance to post a maiden Championship double hundred. In no mood to pass up such an opportunity, the Bristolian clipped Penrhyn-Jones to backward point and scampered a quick single to reach the mark in the 98th over. When he guided Graham Wagg to the fine leg boundary in the next over, the left-hander entered hitherto uncharted territory and County Ground regulars rose to acknowledge his achievement.Fuller must have had one eye on a maiden hundred when he advanced down the track to Andrew Salter and attempted to clear the long-on boundary, only to find Penrhyn-Jones, who took a fine catch just inside the rope.David Payne was bowled by Salter shortly after tea and Dent, having batted for eight hours, faced 347 balls and accrued 34 fours and 2 sixes, was last man out, superbly held by Wagg on the deep midwicket boundary off the bowling of Meschede. It proved tough going for Glamorgan’s seamers and Australian Hogan was the only bowler to emerge with credit, returning figures of 3-83.

Yorkshire’s captain, Andrew Gale, has criticised England’s decision to omit Adam Lyth and Gary Ballance from the Test squad for the UAE. Four players from the Championship-winning county were included but Gale said Ballance in particular had been “harshly treated” after being overlooked by the selectors.Ballance became the third-fastest England batsman to score 1000 Test runs earlier this year but was dropped after the second Ashes Test, with Ian Bell moving up to No. 3 and Yorkshire team-mate Jonny Bairstow earning a recall. He has now slipped further down the pecking order, with James Taylor included at Ballance’s expense after impressing during the ODIs with Australia.While Ballance has produced scores of 165 and 91 in the Championship in recent weeks, he made a pair against Middlesex as Yorkshire claimed the title at Lord’s. Concerns have been expressed about his back-foot technique – in Yorkshire’s current fixture against Hampshire, being televised on Sky, Ballance was dropped in the gully playing tentatively at Fidel Edwards before being dismissed for 30 – although that may have been less of an issue on the slow surfaces of the UAE.There was no room for Ballance in either the Lions squad to play a T20 series with Pakistan A in the UAE this winter – although the format is not his strongest suit – or the England Performance Programme, which were announced on Wednesday.”I’m gutted for the lads,” Gale said. “I’m so disappointed for Gaz. He’s got an unbelievable record. I think he’s been harshly treated, and I’m really disappointed with the ECB for that.”I strongly disagree with the decision they’ve made. He’s got a proven record at that level, and yet they’ve picked James Taylor ahead of him. As much as I love ‘Titch’, I think Gaz deserves a chance to get back in that squad and prove again what he did before.”He’s a mentally strong lad is Gaz and a pretty level-headed guy. Knowing him as I do, he’ll take it in his stride and come back much stronger.”Lyth scored a century in his second Test but his position as Alastair Cook’s opening partner came under increasing threat during the Ashes, as he averaged just 12.77 with a highest score of 37. Lyth was the leading first-class run-scorer in 2014, with 1619 at 70.39, but only passed 50 once in 13 Test innings against New Zealand and Australia as bowlers targeted a noticeable fragility outside off stump.Alex Hales was the beneficiary, having passed 1000 runs in first-class cricket for Nottinghamshire this season, although England could pursue other options within the squad to open in three Tests against Pakistan.”In terms of Lythy, I thought Michael Carberry summed it up well in a Sky interview when he said someone deserves a really good run in that opener’s spot,” Gale said.”I’m not a fan of chopping and changing. You’ll see with our Yorkshire team this year that I’m a big believer in continuity and backing guys for a certain amount of time. Lythy’s shown that he can perform at that level, and it’s not as if opening batters are falling out of trees and churning runs out week after week like Lythy did last year.”With Lyth and Ballance left out, the number of Yorkshire representatives in the touring squad fell, after six were taken to the Caribbean at the start of the season. Joe Root, England’s highest-ranked batsmen, is a guaranteed starter in the middle order, while Bairstow, Adil Rashid and Liam Plunkett retained their places.

Chris Cairns, the former “golden boy” of New Zealand cricket who stands accused of lying under oath to win a £1.4million libel settlement, was described as believing he was “untouchable” as the prosecution laid out its case in his trial at Southwark Crown Court in London.Cairns, whom prosecutor Sasha Wass QC described as a “legend” of the game, appeared in the dock to answer charges of perjury and, in conjunction with his co-defendant and former attorney Andrew Fitch-Holland, perverting the course of justice. Both men deny the charges, which relate to Cairns’ 2012 libel action against Lalit Modi, the former commissioner of the Indian Premier League.Cairns successfully sued Modi at the High Court in London following a Twitter message in 2010 in which Modi had alleged that Cairns had been excluded from that year’s IPL auction list “due to his past record of match fixing” in the now-defunct Indian Cricket League (ICL).”The prosecution case against Mr Cairns is that he manipulated the legal system in this country to his advantage,” said Wass. “Chris Cairns knew he had been guilty of match-fixing, he knew why he had been suspended and he knew what Mr Modi tweeted about him was true.”But Mr Cairns was an arrogant individual and very sure of the power he held over the people around him. This is what he did: he lied in witness statements, he lied on oath and he arranged that others should give false evidence on his behalf.”After all, the only people who knew for certain that Mr Cairns was engaged in match fixing were those people who had been match fixing with him. Why would they want to give evidence to that effect in court?”So Mr Cairns had a free rein: he could protest his good name and spotless reputation to the rooftops, knowing or believing that he was untouchable.”The prosecution allege that Lou Vincent, the former New Zealand batsman who was a team-mate of Cairns’ at Chandigarh Lions in the ICL, was persuaded by Fitch-Holland to provide a false witness statement to support Cairns’ libel case. Vincent was last year handed a life ban by the ECB after admitting to taking money to under-perform.During a Skype call, played to the court, Fitch-Holland told Vincent: “If you can literally get a one-paragraph statement that says ‘I played in the game, everything seemed okay, end of … it makes it plain that things are a lot more straightforward than they look.”In the recording, Fitch-Holland appeared to accept that both he and Vincent knew the cheating had happened, saying: “… between you and I, we all know some of what is being said is clearly true”. However, he tried to reassure Vincent that he would never have to swear his statement was true in court.Vincent, however, expressed his concerns: “It’s a big ask from me to … in a legal document say something that isn’t true”, he said, adding: “I am not proud of what has happened at all … it’s hard for me to live with what’s gone on.”Wass said the conversation was proof that all parties knew the libel case that Cairns was bringing was untrue.The case continues at 10am on Monday.

ScorecardMedium-pacer Mohammad Saifuddin’s five-wicket burst helped Bangladesh Under-19s clinch the seven-match youth ODI series against South Africa Under-19s at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chittagong. The eight-run win in the fifth match of the series gave Bangladesh an unassailable 4-1 lead, with two matches remaining.Saifuddin was brought into the game in the 40th over with the visitors needing 66 runs off 66 balls with seven wickets in hand. Saifuddin took two wickets in his first two overs before creating mayhem in his fourth – the 48th over. He took three wickets in four balls, removing South Africa captain Sibonelo Makhanya, Dayyan Galiem and Lesego Senokwane.A score of 193 for 3 suddenly turned to 231 for 8, leaving South Africa with only two overs to score the remaining 27 runs. Nihaduzzaman then gave away 13 runs, which included three wides in the 49th over. Saifuddin bowled two no-balls in the final over but the last three deliveries were dots, and the visitors eventually fell short by eight runs.Wicketkeeper Rivaldo Moonsamy (63), Wiaan Mulder (50) and Galiem (60) struck fifties in the visitors’ chase. Moonsamy and Mulder added 108 runs for the second wicket while Tony de Zorzi and Galiem adding 66 runs for the fourth wicket. Apart from Saifuddin’s five wickets, Mehedi Hasan, Saleh Ahmed and Nazmul Hossain Shanto took one each.After opting to bat, Saif Hassan gave the home side an early boost with his 30-ball 33, which contained seven boundaries. After Hassan was trapped leg-before by Makhanya in the ninth over, Pinak Ghosh and captain Shanto added 45 more runs for the second wicket.Pinak then added another 90 runs for the third wicket with Mehedi, with both batsmen scoring fifties. Pinak top-scored with 76 off 116 balls with four fours and two sixes while Mehedi made 63 off 73 balls with six fours. Shafiul Hayat struck three fours and a six in his 24-ball 27, helping Bangladesh to 257 for 9 in 50 overs.The visitors were kept in the hunt by pace bowler Ziyaad Abrahams’ superb bowling performance, as he finished with 6 for 58 in nine overs. He became the third South African to take a six-wicket haul in Youth ODIs after Wayne Parnell (2008, against Bangladesh) and Kagiso Rabada (2014, against Australia).

Daft decision of the day
Play didn’t begin until 3pm, reducing the match to 24 overs. Withheavy rain forecast at 6pm, it would seem only sensible to reduce theinterval between innings as much as possible, in order to give thehardy Edgbaston crowd the chance of seeing a full match. Instead, theytook 30 minutes while the rain petered down, and the race against theweather continued.Shots of the day
It was only a reduced game, but Luke Wright took full advantage toprove his worth which, in six ODIs prior today, had yielded only onefifty. He looked out of sorts at Chester-le-Street, yet today appearedto resemble the fearless striker members of Hove have enjoyed for thepast two seasons. His target? Michael Mason. The first rocketed overcover, going inside out, which was followed by the cleanest of sixesover the top. He saved the best for last, however, with a slog-sweepover midwicket so emphatic as to make Steve Waugh, the shot’s pioneer, greenwith envy. Now, England just need Ian Bell and Wright to fire in thesame innings and they might have found a useful, potentiallydestructive, opening partnership.Unwise marketing of the day
Britons are renowned boozers, and never more so than at the cricket.And while international grounds have, for the most part, banned peoplefrom bringing in their own, one Australian wine company exploitedBritain’s thirst with unlimited quantities available to all, albeit ina tea-cup sized plastic container. With each rain break, the crowdscame eargerly flocking for a top-up, but such was their increasingstupor that they remained beside the bar, ready for another. A trafficisland of sozzled fans, none of whom were capable of remembering whatthey had enjoyed, blocked the entrance to the hospitality suites,prompting a naïve policeman to call for order. He failed.Belly-flop of the day
Dimitri Mascarenhas is many things, but any aspirations he had ofemulating Paul Collingwood’s salmon-leaping catches came tumbling downto earth today. With a bump. Stationed expectantly at short fine-leg,Brendon McCullum flicked one aerially just to his left. He sprangforward, almost getting both feet off the ground, before collapsingflat on his stomach rather indignantly. It was a moment to make allaspiring league cricketers proud.

Somerset County Cricket Club have confirmed that Michael Burns will skipper the side next season and that West Indian fast bowler Nixon McLean has signed as their second overseas player for 2003.With regard to the appointment of the former Warwickshire all rounder to the captaincy Peter Anderson the Somerset chief executive told me: “I think the club accepted that probably we didn’t get it right in 2002 and swapping between Jamie Cox, Marcus Trescothick and Mike Burns was unsuccessful.”The Somerset boss continued: “Of course we tried to help Marcus to get captaincy experience because he wants to be the captain of England, which probably wasn’t in the club’s interest, but every cloud has a silver lining and Mike Burns pushed himself to the front when he had his chance. He is now a solid journeyman professional who knows the game inside out and has now been given his opportunity.”Regarding the signing of Nixon McLean, who had two seasons with Hampshire in the late 1990’s Mr Anderson told me: “In the light of our injury stricken season with fast bowlers the club decided that we had to sign a fast bowler as our second overseas player. Nixon McLean had an outstanding season for Natal in 2002 and good judges of players in South Africa tell us that he is now at the top of his game and he is a formidable strike bowler.”The chief continued: “When we first contacted him he said that he was excited at the prospect of filling Joel Garner’s size fifteen boots, even though he only takes size twelve, and asked us me to tell Andy Caddick that he (Nixon) would be bowling with the wind next season!”Mr Anderson expanded on the situation regarding Andy Caddick’s new England contract and looking forward to next season told me: “With Andrew getting a twelve month contract, and following an arduous winter tour to Australia and the 2003 World Cup in South Africa it may well be that he will be available for a large part of the season as England ring the changes.”He concluded: “An attack containing Caddick, McLean and Richard Johnson would be formidable and would strike the hearts of any opening batsman on the circuit.”