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ScorecardBilly Godleman equalled his career-best score as Essex were bowled out for 364 on the first day against Gloucestershire at Chelmsford.Godleman, 23, displayed a mixture of patience and a series of punishing strokes to score 130 as he left the visitors wondering if their decision to field first on winning the toss was a wise one. He experienced a few anxious moments early on, beaten a couple of times as the new ball nipped about but then settled in to provide the rock upon which the Essex innings was built.Godleman needed 99 balls to reach his half-century and a further 82 to complete his third hundred for the county that contained 14 fours and a six. He was to gather another couple of boundaries before he was bowled by Ian Saxelby just before the close.But as well as Godleman played, it was Adam Wheater who produced the most entertaining innings of the day. He confirmed the rich promise he showed last season with a swashbuckling 56 from 42 balls. Those runs arrived with the help of 11 fours and a six. He drove and pulled with power and reached his 50 with four successive fours against the fast-medium pace of James Fuller.Wheater’s innings was finally cut short by the second delivery after lunch when he slashed Paul Muchall to Alex Gidman at first slip.It was Gidman’s safe pair of hands that helped make the opening breakthrough to provide brother Will with success and end the confident start made by debutant Alviro Petersen, who struck his first deliveries from both Gidman and Fuller to the boundary but was then undone by one that did enough off the pitch to find the edge when he had made 15.Other batsmen promised substantial contributions but failed to make the best of good starts. Tom Westley (33) and Greg Smith (34) both batted attractively before getting out, while skipper James Foster reached 46 before edging Fuller to Chris Dent in the slips.All three of them shared in half-century partnerships with Godleman, as did Graham Napier, who scored 27 before he edged a third catch to Alex Gidman when attempting to drive Saxelby. He and Fuller proved the most successful of the Gloucestershire bowlers, ending with three for 76 and three for 86 respectively, while Muchall picked up two wickets.

John Bracewell has agreed a three-year contract extension as Gloucestershire coach to lead the development of a young squad.The new deal keeps Bracewell at the club until at least 2015, meaning he will have coached the county for seven years in his second stint having previously been in charge from 1999 to 2003 when Gloucestershire won five one-day trophies.”At a time when we have lost a good deal of experience in our playing squad I felt it was a good time to solidify the coaching side,” he said. “I am in it for the long haul with a group of players who have enormous potential and I will ensure they get the support they need and deserve from a very good coaching staff and top class medical department.”During the next three years the squad will mature and I am very much looking forward to seeing that happen. I enjoy working with young cricketers and the ones here at the moment have excellent skills and energy to build upon.”The Gloucestershire chairman, Rex Body, said: “We were really keen for John to keep working with the talented and improving players we have at the club. The team did really well in the County Championship last summer. We know there is progress that needs to be made in white ball cricket and it is very important that we have continuity in trying to bring this about.

Thami Tsolekile has been identified as the successor to Mark Boucher in Cricket South Africa’s (CSA) first decisive move to find a replacement wicketkeeper. Tsolekile was named as one of 22 contracted players for the 2012-13 season, the first time CSA have contracted a second wicketkeeper in 13 years since contracts were first awarded in 1998.”There’s definitely intention there for him to play for South Africa in the longer formats. We’ve showed our hand and said we think he is ready to be a successor,” Andrew Hudson, convenor of selectors told ESPNcricinfo. “But the selection decisions still have to happen and there are no guarantees.”Tsolekile has been playing first-class cricket since 1999 and represented South Africa in three Tests in 2004, when Boucher was dropped after a lean patch. He took six catches but scored only 47 runs and Boucher was soon back at the helm, a position he has occupied for the last 15 years.However, Boucher has suffered a dip in form himself, having last scored a Test century in November 2008 and has faced mounting pressure over his place in the side. He acknowledged that he is considering retirement soon saying that he knows, “everything has to come to an end,” and has forced CSA to intensify their search for a successor.In previous years it has been difficult to isolate one of the franchise ‘keepers as the next best in the country, but the selection committee was forced to do so in the most recent meeting. Contenders included Heino Kuhn, who has played a handful of Twenty20 matches for South Africa, Dane Vilas, who is taking lessons from Boucher at the Cobras and Daryn Smit, who bowls legspin occasionally. But, the selectors have settled on Tsolekile, saying his recent form with the bat and maturity behind the stumps gave him the edge.”He has always impressed at South Africa A level and he scored runs in England and Sri Lanka. The 58 he scored against the Australians in Potchefstroom at the start of the summer was also important,” Hudson said. Tsolekile has averaged over 50 with the bat in two of the last three domestic seasons while his glovework has remained, according to Hudson, “outstanding.”Although he has not been included in the national side for next month’s tour to New Zealand, Hudson said he would be considered for the England series later in the year. It is hoped that Boucher last act, which he has hinted could be on that very tour, will be to play an active role in grooming his successor. “His contribution to the national squad has been immense,” Hudson said. “Maybe it can be part of his farewell to leave a legacy and teach his understudy.”

Full list of CSA contracted players

Graeme Smith (Test captain), AB de Villiers (ODI and T20 captain), Hashim Amla, Johan Botha, Mark Boucher, JP Duminy, Faf du Plessis, Colin Ingram, Jacques Kallis, Albie Morkel, Morne Morkel, Wayne Parnell, Alviro Petersen, Robin Peterson, Vernon Philander, Ashwell Prince, Jacques Rudolph, Dale Steyn, Imran Tahir, Rusty Theron, Lonwabo Tsotsobe, Thami Tsolekile

Tsolekile has shown that he is willing to learn and had made significant improvements from when he first appeared for South Africa. “I was very surprised to get a national contract but all the hard work I’ve put in has paid off,” he said. “As a cricketer I have matured with age and experience and I am more ready now than when I made my debut and I would love to get another chance.”Tsolekile is one of three newly contracted players, with the other two being Jacques Rudolph and Faf du Plessis. Rudolph was recalled to the South African Test squad at the start of the season for the series against Australia. After seven innings opening the batting without a half-century, Rudolph was moved down the order to No. 6 and said that with his place in slight limbo, did not expect to get a contract.”I was surprised but it’s very nice that they have invested their trust me and I would like to repay that,” he said. “I would like to have performed better because I got a lot of starts but did not capitalise on that. Gary [Kirsten] (the coach) has made it clear that he wants to give players extended runs so it’s nice to know I have his backing.”With Rudolph’s place at No.6 still an experimental one, Ashwell Prince’s contract was renewed despite him being dropped from the Test squad after the second Test against Sri Lanka. “We never want to write people off and the No. 6 position is still open,” Hudson said. “If Ashwell is playing well it can only benefit South Africa. He has been a great servant of the game and is still in our plans.”Those cut from the contracts list include Loots Bosman and Ryan McLaren. Bosman has struggled to find form after undergoing knee reconstruction surgery two seasons ago while McLaren has been left out despite good form. He was the leading allrounder in the recently completed four-day SuperSport Series with 576 runs and 26 wickets.Another name of interest left off the list is young tearaway Marchant de Lange, who is currently on his first full tour with the national side. de Lange has played just one Test and Hudson said he will be a part of South Africa’s future plans. “If you look at it, it took Vernon [Philander] two full series, against Australia and Sri Lanka, before he was offered a contract. We can’t always relate contracts to who we will play going forward because selection decisions still have to be made but Marchant is definitely part of the plans.”

Hampshire’s Rose Bowl will be bought by the local council to save the club from its second financial crisis in a decade. Eastleigh Borough Council will buy a 999-year lease on the 167-acre site for £6.5 million and Hampshire will rent the ground for £420,000 a year.The council will also provide £30 million in loans to fund the remainder of the ground development which includes plans for a 175-bedroom hotel, conference centre and 18-hole championship golf course.Hampshire have over £12 million of debts and their future revenue streams was hit when they were not awarded an Ashes Test for 2013 or 2015. Their rain-affected Test match in June against Sri Lanka also made heavy losses.Chairman Rod Bransgrove took over Hampshire in 2000 with the club £1.8 million in debt and in danger of going out of business. He told the he is going to invest “a few more million” having already pumped £6 million into the club.”I cannot just walk away from that but I cannot keep funding losses either. We are going to have to work as a profitable company with effect from next year,” said Bransgrove. “We have agreed a good deal for everyone. People who think I am in this for myself do not know me. The £6.5 million is not for me, it will ease borrowing.”The deal has been opposed by a local hotelier, who intends to appeal a decision by the High Court to dismiss his initial objection in 2009. But the council have similar deals with other private-sector businesses.”This decision is good news for our residents and the local economy,” said leader of Eastleigh Borough Council, Keith House. “This exciting scheme will help to bring around £55million a year to the local economy and create around 500 local jobs and protect and develop a world class sporting venue. We want the Rose Bowl to be one of the world’s great cricket venues.”The Rose Bowl will stage ODIs against West Indies and South Africa in 2012 and eight further international matches by 2016. But only one Test match; against India in 2014.

Sri Lanka will start their three-Test series in South Africa without their promised pay cheques but with the assurance of their problem being resolved within the next week. The players have not received contract or match fees since March and had been assured by Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) that a partial payment would be made before the series began in Centurion today.Tillakaratne Dilshan, Sri Lanka’s captain, confirmed that none of the players had been paid yet but said the team has its mind on cricket, not cash. “I have not followed up on that,” he said in Centurion. “We are just keeping it to cricket here. At the moment we are just worried about cricket.”Dilshan did, however, say the players could receive some remuneration next week. “I think it might be sorted out next week. I think on Friday they are going to pay 50%.”Sri Lanka’s sports minister, Mahindananda Aluthgamage said last week that players would be paid 65% of what was due to them, with the balance to be paid by January 15. SLC suffered from financial problems following the 2011 World Cup and had debts of $32.5 million after building two stadiums, in Hambantota and Pallekele, and renovating a ground in Colombo for the tournament. The SLC is due to receive payment from the ICC, which they will use to pay the players.On the eve of Sri Lanka’s arrival in South Africa, some of the hosts’ cricketers came out in support of their colleagues. Graeme Smith called the lack of payment a situation that is “far from ideal,” while AB de Villiers said it was a credit to the players that they continued representing their country without pay. When Dilshan and his team touched down, they thanked the South African players for their support.”I am very happy to say that we did help and it’s great to see Dilshan thanking us for that,” de Villiers said. “I thought it was a good call from Cricket South Africa and the Cricketers’ Association and we helped a friend a need.”

Sohail Tanvir and Junaid Zia made State Bank of Pakistan follow-on against Zarai Taraqiati Bank Limited at the Diamond Club Ground in Islamabad. The duo picked up nine wickets between them as State Bank were shot out for 112 in reply to ZTBL’s 263. Mohtashim Ali (44) was the only batsman to resist for State Bank as they crumbled in 32.4 overs. They lost three second-innings wickets for 62, ending the day still needing another 89 to make ZTBL bat again. Mohammad Ali had earlier ended with 7 for 59, taking the last three wickets as ZTBL added only seven runs to their overnight score of 256 for 7.Mir Azam’s maiden first-class century put Abbottabad in control against Rawalpindi at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium despite debutant medium-pacer Mohammad Ahsan’s seven wickets. Abottabad began on 73 for 2 in reply to Rawalpindi’s 215. Azam played an attacking innings, hammering 22 fours in his 133 off only 110 balls as Abbottabad surged to 250 for 3 at one stage. Ahsan ensured they did not pile on a huge lead, running through the lower order to end with 7 for 119 on debut. Rawalpindi, facing a deficit of 94, lost four wickets in the second innings for 136, an overall lead of only 42.Mohammad Imran took five wickets to blow Faisalabad away after Sialkot ended their first innings on 452 at the Jinnah Stadium. Prince Abbas made the early breakthroughs, striking twice before Imran took over to have Faisalabad reeling on 27 for 5. Mohammad Salman and Nabeel Malik got Faisalabad past 100 but could not carry on for long. Faisalabad ended on 153 for 8, trailing by one short of 300. Shehzad Malik (74) and the Sialkot lower order had earlier made the Faisalabad bowlers toil. Prince Abbas was unbeaten on 41 while last man Imran contributed 20 as the tenth wicket added 47.Ahmed Shehzad led an improved batting performance by Habib Bank as they ended on 245 for 6 in their second innings against Pakistan International Airlines at the Lahore City Cricket Association Ground. Shehzad (81) put on a century opening stand with Shan Masood after PIA took a first-innings lead of 56 earlier in the day. Akhtar Waheed, though, triggered a middle-order collapse as five wickets fell for five runs. At 121 for 5, Habib Bank were in deep trouble but captain Hasan Raza resisted with an unbeaten 58 and his partnership with Fahad Masood took Habib Bank past 200. PIA had earlier folded up for 184 with Masood ending with 4 for 56.Afaq Raheem set Islamabad on their way to taking a comfortable first-innings lead over Karachi Blues at the National Stadium. Replying to Karachi’s 264, Raheem shrugged off the loss of his opening partner Umair Khan for a duck as he proceeded to hit 13 fours in his 94. Imad Wasim and Zohaib Ahmed chipped in with contrasting half-centuries as well. Wasim was subdued in his 60 off 130 deliveries while Zohaib clattered 12 fours in making 66 off 68. Though Azam Hussain struck thrice, Islamabad ended the day in front at 301 for 6 after Nasrullah Khan’s four wickets had kept Karachi to 264.Wahab Riaz made 84, his highest first-class score, to stretch , National Bank of Pakistan‘s innings to 358 against Water and Power Development Authority at the Gaddafi Stadium. National Bank had started the day on 274 for 7 with Qaiser Abbas on 84 and Riaz on 28. While Abbas was dismissed soon after completing his century, Riaz smashed nine boundaries in his 84 off 134 balls before he was bowled by Imranullah Aslam to end the innings. WAPDA lost Asif Khan early but Rafatullah Mohmand put them on track. He hit 13 boundaries and put on 78 for the third wicket with Aamer Sajjad. National Bank ended the day on a high when Mohmand was dismissed by Qaiser Abbas off the last ball for 94 with the score on 186.

Shane Watson has described the Potchefstroom pitch as “dangerous” and “disappointing” after the Australians won their tour match against South Africa A inside three days. The surface had variable bounce, making it extra difficult for the batsmen to judge how to play shorter balls, with some skidding through and others climbing awkwardly.Several batsmen from both sides were struck on the helmet – notably Shaun Marsh and JP Duminy – and the body as they tried to duck short balls that didn’t rise, and it was hardly what the Australians wanted as they prepare for a Newlands pitch likely to be slower. Watson said it was the toughest pitch he had batted on since the Bellerive surfaces during his early days as a Tasmania player.”It was one of the more dangerous wickets that I’ve played on,” Watson said. “When the ball is swinging and seaming, that’s a big challenge, but when some balls are sort of rolling on the ground and other balls are taking off a length as well, it makes it pretty dangerous, especially when you’ve got high quality fast bowlers as well, to take advantage of that.”It was as big a challenge as I’ve seen in a wicket probably since my days in Hobart, when the conditions there weren’t ideal for one year. Things hopefully will only get better, wicket wise.”It’s disappointing, no doubt. But it is a challenge. In the end we were here to get as much as we can out of this game as a tour match, to have as good a preparation as we can for the first Test. That’s the cards that were dealt and I think the majority of the guys got a lot out of these three days to be able to make sure we’re ready to go.”Watson made the best of the situation in the second innings, scoring 77 from 73 balls when Australia were chasing 212 for victory. Having fallen for 6 on the first day, he attacked hard, pulling and cutting with muscle, a highlight coming when he drove Vernon Philander straight over his head for four and followed up two balls later with a powerful front-foot pull for six over long-on.”The way the wicket was, I knew I was going to have to try and put a bit of pressure on the bowlers to get them thinking about where they were trying to bowl the ball,” he said. “The majority of the time that’s my game plan, to put the pressure back on the bowler. There’s no doubt the outfield is very, very fast as well, so that helped the scoring-rate as well.”The Australians fly to Cape Town on Friday to prepare for next week’s first Test, and the tour match has given the selectors plenty to ponder about the make-up of the attack. Mitchell Johnson’s nine-wicket game was an encouraging sign, Peter Siddle has posed a strong challenge to Trent Copeland for the third seamer’s position and while Patrick Cummins is also in the mix despite not playing.”Mitch bowled beautifully throughout this game,” Watson said. “To see him swing the ball, I think that’s a great thing. He did that during the one-dayers as well. That’s always a very good sign that he’s in a really good place with his game. I think Peter Siddle bowled well. It’s going to be a very interesting selection over the next couple of days. We’ve got Ryan Harris to come back in as well, so it’s going to be interesting for the selectors.”

Troy Cooley will be Australia’s interim head coach for next month’s tour of South Africa, but he has confirmed he will not apply for the full-time job as Tim Nielsen’s replacement. Cooley is the head coach at the Centre of Excellence in Brisbane, having spent five years as the bowling coach and Nielsen’s assistant with the national team.The current assistant coach, Justin Langer, and the fielding mentor Steve Rixon had been the two favourites for the interim position after Nielsen stood down at the end of the recent tour of Sri Lanka. However, Cricket Australia’s general manager of cricket, Michael Brown, said Cooley was a good fit for the stand-in role, which covers the two Twenty20s, three ODIs and two Tests in South Africa.”Troy has filled this role successfully in the past, and has worked extensively with all players within the Australian set-up and with our younger squad members at CA’s Centre of Excellence,” Brown said. “Troy has advised that he will not be an applicant for the head coach role, given his significant and important duties at the Centre of Excellence. This appointment will therefore allow the Australian squad continuity as they attempt to cement their No.1 ODI ranking and attempt to climb the ICC Test rankings.”Rixon is expected to be a strong contender for the full-time position as head coach, while Langer could also feature in Cricket Australia’s considerations. Cooley, who was in charge of Australia A’s tour of Zimbabwe earlier this year, said he was looking forward to taking on the interim role.”I feel excited and comfortable coming into this caretaker’s role knowing that Michael Clarke, Shane Watson and Tim Nielsen have been planning this South African campaign for a while now,” Cooley said. “My immediate task will be to come up to speed with their plans and work with the players and support team to ensure the preparation is spot on for a successful tour.”My working knowledge of the Australian team and our opposition will no doubt be an asset in the short term as we look to build on the successful tour of Sri Lanka. My role is to ensure all players have what they need to prepare for the tour and to oversee the support staff to ensure the best possible results.”As the acting coach, Cooley will be part of the selection panel and will have a say in the ODI and T20 squads for the South African series, which will be announced later this week.

Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsAizaz Cheema ended Zimbabwe’s resistance early on the fifth day to finish with match figures of 8 for 103•AFP

Pakistan surged to a seven-wicket victory in Bulawayo as Zimbabwe paid the price for throwing away ten sessions of hard work in one poor session on the fourth day. Tatenda Taibu and Kyle Jarvis had kept Pakistan waiting with a 66-run stand for the eighth wicket yesterday, but Taibu’s exit without any addition to the score signalled the end of Zimbabwe’s resistance. Pakistan lost their top three batsmen in the chase, but the paltry target of 88 was insufficient to trouble them.Though the opposition wasn’t the toughest, it was a significant result for Pakistan since it gave them consecutive Test wins for the first time since 2005, following their series-levelling triumph against West Indies in Basseterre.After skittling out the top eight Zimbabwean wickets in 27.3 overs, Pakistan were made to wait for exactly another 27.3 overs for their next wicket, and the last one followed without much fuss. The speed of Zimbabwe’s capitulation came as a surprise, given how resilient Taibu and Jarvis had been in the lead-up to stumps yesterday.With an in-and-out field aimed at keeping Taibu off strike, Aizaz Cheema, celebrating his 32nd birthday, delivered the last ball of his opening over well wide of off stump. Anxious to get the single, Taibu looked to steer away from his body and guided the ball into the wicketkeeper’s gloves. In his next over, Cheema removed Chris Mpofu with a fuller length, making him edge to Adnan Akmal again. The double-strike gave Cheema an eight-wicket match haul – the second best by a Pakistan debutant.One man’s gain was another’s loss, though, as Mohammad Hafeez was left stranded on four wickets – one more would have made him the 27th player, and only the second since 2000, to achieve the double of a century and five wickets in the same game.Backed by the confidence of a strong all-round showing, Hafeez began the chase in attacking fashion. He welcomed Ray Price, the one man likely to cause problems on a wearing pitch, with a lofted drive for four and a slog-sweep for six. Taufeeq Umar fell fending an effort ball from Jarvis through to Taibu, but Hafeez kept playing his shots.He raced to 38 off 44 balls before Price managed to bowl him round the legs off an edge. Azhar Ali and Younis Khan took Pakistan to the brink before Azhar betrayed his inexperience. Normally known for his patience, Azhar gifted his wicket to Price while attempting to hurry Pakistan across the line.Pakistan’s most experienced pair – Younis and Misbah-ul-Haq – ensured there was no further loss and they surged home minutes before lunch. It capped Waqar Younis’ stint as Pakistan coach with a win that was hard-fought, yet clinical. The result also underlined Zimbabwe’s standing in the Test format: while they aren’t entirely lacking on the skills front, they are still some way away from becoming a top-flight side.

The divisions within the Rajasthan Cricket Association (RCA) intensified with the suspension of its secretary Sanjay Dixit by its president CP Joshi, who is also a central government minister. CP Joshi has named KK Sharma as “acting secretary” of the RCA after Dixit’s suspension.The rift has reportedly manifested itself in the appointment of officials. Joshi appointed an Officer on Special Duty, Giriraj Sanadya, and this move was followed by a counter-appointment by Dixit’s side, that of Mahesh Joshi, a Member of Parliament from Jaipur, as Chairman with the support of 15 districts that are part of the state association. The suspension of Dixit was the reaction, supposedly with the support of 20 districts at a meeting in Udaipur involving members of CP Joshi’s faction. The RCA has 33 voting units.”There were 20 district representatives present in the meeting today and an unanimous decision was taken to remove Sanjay Dixit from secretary’s post,” Sharma was quoted as saying by . “A five-member high power committee including Sharma, Somendra Tiwari, Mahendra Sharma, B.K. Upadhyaya and Giriraj Sanadya was constituted to look into the affairs of the RCA.””We have two-third majority,” Udaipur Cricket Association president Lakshyaraj Singh, who played a pivotal role in Friday’s developments, told . “There cannot be any legal implications here.”Lalit Modi, the suspended IPL commissioner, a bitter rival of Dixit and who lost the RCA elections in 2009 to CP Joshi, supported Dixit’s suspension. “Dixit was ruining cricket in Rajasthan. Irregularities have become common in the RCA functioning,” Modi was quoted as saying by . In his response, Dixit tweeted: “Fugitives are not allowed in the RCA, whether through front door or back door.”It has been reported that an annual general meeting will be held where the decisions made by the Joshi faction will be “ratified”, though a date for the meeting is yet to be announced.