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Craig Kieswetter has been called up to England’s one-day squad for the tour of Bangladesh, following his impressive performances for the England Lions in Dubai, including a matchwinning 81 in their victory over the senior England team on Wednesday evening.The news was confirmed via a press release from the Bangladesh Cricket Board, outlining the details of England’s arrival. The name of Kieswetter was included at the bottom of a 16-man squad, and a Bangladesh spokesman told Cricinfo that his name had been sent through from the ECB on Saturday morning.”I’ve worked very hard over the course of the winter as part of the England Performance Programme (EPP) and have been especially pleased with my recent form on the England Lions tour to the UAE,” said Kieswetter. “I’m delighted to have been called into the one-day squad and am excited about the opportunity to tour Bangladesh with the England team.”England’s national selector, Geoff Miller, added: “Craig has impressed both the EPP and national coaches with his attitude, glovework and hard-hitting batting during the course of his time with the England Performance Programme.”Kieswetter, 22, only completed his England qualification the day before the Lions match in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday, having been born in Johannesburg. However, like Kevin Pietersen before him, who was not initially selected for the one-day series in South Africa in January 2005 during which he racked up three centuries in five innings, the extent of his talents have demanded his belated inclusion.”The way he played against us, and the way he played for the Lions against Pakistan A, he’s opened everyone’s eyes and he deserves inclusion into the squads.,” said Paul Collingwood, England’s Twenty20 captain. “He’s an exciting player and he hits the ball extremely hard, which is great for one-day and Twenty20 cricket. He deserves his chance”Although the tour of Bangladesh doesn’t include any Twenty20 matches this decision shows Kieswetter is clearly on the selectors’ radar for the World Twenty20 in West Indies, while his presence in the 50-over squad will put pressure on Matt Prior who has yet to cement his position in the same way as his Test spot.

Salman Butt atoned for some of the mistakes of the second day with avaluable third Test hundred for Pakistan at the Bellerive Oval. Butt’ston couldn’t take Pakistan past the follow-on, but it helped pushAustralia to bat again in any case, taking a little bit more time out ofthe Test and improving Pakistan’s chances of escaping a 12th successivedefeat to the hosts.Butt was blamed by his captain Mohammad Yousuf in unusually candid sentiments for his “lazy running” which led to two critical run-outs onthe second afternoon, of Yousuf himself, and Umar Akmal. Butt, however,played down both the dismissals and notions of a potentially strainedrelationship with his captain because of it or that his hundred made upfor the mistakes.”When a batsman makes runs in the shape of a century, it isalways a good feeling,” Butt said. “I don’t think it has to do with therun-outs because they are part of the game and we have to carry on. It’snot happened for the first time in the game. It happened in the first Testwith [Simon] Katich and [Shane] Watson and both were in the 90s. This is part and parcel and you have to carry on and can’t think about what hashappened.”Butt said he hadn’t read what Yousuf had said, (“I didn’t ask you,” he shotback when a reporter told him anyway) but that the captain – “like anelder brother,” Butt said – would have been justified for expressing thosesentiments. “I haven’t heard anything and even if he has said so it maybe itis because he is the best player in the side and obviously the team neededhim at the time,” Butt said.”Anybody in his place would’ve been like that so I don’t mind even if hesaid something. We’ve played enough cricket not to think about these smallthings. Ok this happened, alright he is our best player no doubt and itwould’ve been very good had he stayed on and scored a big hundred but ifsomething has happened you can’t keep on moaning about it.”Butt’s hundred was his second in Australia, following his maiden one inSydney five years ago, and two more fifties mean he is the rare modernPakistani batsmen who has done well against them, in this country. “Wehaven’t played much Test cricket over the last two years,” he said.”Recently we have played about six, so it’s like a comeback after a year’slay-off from Test cricket. It is the most difficult cricket that exists.Twenty20 and ODI are much easier formats because this is a Test ofeverything, your nerves and fitness and the pitch conditions change.”Maybe the surfaces suit my game. Some of the shots that are my scoringshots are easier to play in Australia than they are in other places. But Ihaven’t played much Test cricket around the world. Out of my 27 Tests, Ihave played about six here, 5-6 in Pakistan, one in England, five in Indiaso it hasn’t been all over the world.”

West Indies 2 for 214 (Gayle 102, Dowlin 55) trail Australia 7 for 520 dec (Katich 99, Watson 89, Haddin 88, Hussey 82, North 68) by 306 runs
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were outNo, Chris, we should be bowing at you: Gayle kneels down to mark his awesome century•Getty Images

Chris Gayle whipped up the fifth fastest century by balls faced in Test history as West Indies refused to be blown over on a dramatic and heated day in Perth. Gayle unleashed the controlled fury of a captain who had watched his bowlers struggle for penetration with a 70-ball hundred that catapulted his side to 2 for 214, a promising collection which still leaves them 306 behind.Australia felt chirpy after declaring at 7 for 520 but were soon silenced by Gayle’s hot blade as he clumped 102 within 25 overs. The WACA has hosted some brutal innings and this one probably included the biggest six at the ground, with one of his straight sixes off Nathan Hauritz landing on the roof of the towering Lillee-Marsh Stand.That rocket, which was powered by his charge down the pitch and a free-flowing swing, took him to 91 and it was appropriate that his century came with another six, this one sailing over the sightscreen. It was his fourth clearance off Hauritz and sixth of the innings, prompting him to drop to his knees for a praiseworthy celebration. Everyone watching deserved to be bowing down at him.After a hard-working, unbeaten 165 in Adelaide, which re-floated his side after their three-day defeat in Brisbane, Gayle followed up in his traditional style. This was a batsman preening and flexing, exterminating the frustration of time in the field.Sulieman Benn, the giant spinner with a seriously grumpy alter ego, had signalled that West Indies would not slip away meekly when he started a lengthy confrontation with Brad Haddin that ended with Mitchell Johnson pushing the bowler away. Gayle then showed the right sort of aggression for a modern cricket field, an innings containing defence and leaving with Twenty20-style explosions thrown in.Gayle is without two of his best batsmen – Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Adrian Barath are out injured – on a surface with a reputation for supporting fast bowlers. He didn’t care. His team might look fragile but he was not going to be pushed around. Four boundaries were taken in Johnson’s opening two overs to set Gayle’s tempo and he would calm down only momentarily.The debutant Clint McKay was initiated with a four in front of point first ball and returned after tea to be swatted down the ground and lifted for a six to long-on. Gayle barely followed through and with his score on 79 from 46 balls there was a chance he could tackle Viv Richards’ record of 56 deliveries. It didn’t happen but, like Adam Gilchrist’s 57-ball effort in Perth during the 2006-07 Ashes, it didn’t matter.Strokes that would usually wedge in the mind were replaced at the speed of a wedding-ceremony slideshow. When Gayle flicked Doug Bollinger over square leg to bring up his half-century from his 34th ball it seemed like the shot of the series. An effortless swing cleared the fence on one of the world’s biggest grounds and the batsman’s heart-rate would not have fluttered. More grunt followed the grace.

Smart Stats

• Australia’s total of 520 is the second-highest score that did not feature a single century. Only India’s score of 524 for 9 declared against New Zealand is ahead on the list and featured six fifties against Australia’s five.

• Marcus North and Brad Haddin scored the 14th and 15th half-centuries for Australia in this series, but the hosts are yet to register a hundred.

• Chris Gayle’s century was the fourth for the visitors in the same time.

• If the Australian batsmen fail to register a century in the second innings, this would become only the ninth time that Australia have gone through a series of at least three matches without a century.

• The 15 half-centuries Australia have scored is already the highest scored by any team in a Test series where it did not score any centuries.

The Australians were in shock and awe, especially Hauritz, who will do well not to have nightmares of Gayle’s right leg stepping down at him. Ricky Ponting kept Hauritz on hoping for a mis-hit, and there was an edge on 81 that was spilt by Michael Clarke at first slip. If Gayle missed a century it would have been a bigger crime than the physical confrontation of Benn and Johnson.He didn’t and after such carnage his dismissal was as weak as the winds in the eye of a storm, a limp waft at a short ball floating to Shane Watson at point. Bollinger was the bowler but the noise that followed was for Gayle’s innings of 72 deliveries, which also had nine forgotten fours. As he exited to the first ball of the 24th over he had all but 34 off his side’s 136.Travis Dowlin was the almost silent partner but his 55 was hugely valuable until he scooped a catch to gully off Johnson. By stumps the tourists had Ramnaresh Sarwan on 42 and Narsingh Deonarine on 10, while Johnson, McKay and Hauritz were left to tend their bruises.It was a day for runs, none of which went to Ponting. He did not bat due to his injured left elbow, but closed the innings midway through the second session after Haddin had built on the work of Watson, Simon Katich, Michael Hussey and Marcus North. On another day Haddin’s 88 from 91 balls would have been the most memorable and North’s confident 68 would have been discussed with appreciative nods. Sorry, but Gayle’s special circumstances relegated them to small mentions.Australia resumed the second day at 3 for 339 and quickly lost Hussey for 82, with Haddin soon doing his best to impersonate Gilchrist. Gayle did a better job, but Haddin’s collection was important in inflating Australia’s total, which is still intimidating despite West Indies’ forceful reply.Haddin threatened to become the first Australian of the series to score a hundred, but instead became the 15th local to reach a half-century during a purposeful innings that gained intensity with his elongated debate with Benn. The complicated exchange inadvertently brought in Johnson when the bowler pointed at Haddin and accidently brushed his partner’s shoulder.It had all begun when Haddin took offence at Benn and Johnson running into each other when the bowler was fielding in his follow-through. The ultimately harmless episode was an unnecessary and ugly period that showed both teams have some fight left after three weeks of play. It didn’t help Benn though, as he returned 1 for 87 off 28 overs, but added to the excitement of a breathless day.

Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsThe first ODI didn’t get close to start at the Wanderers•Getty Images

The opening one-day international at the Wanderers was abandoned without a ball bowled after the heavy rain that has plagued Johannesburg in recent days continued. The umpires made two inspections and called the game off at 5pm when it became clear the weather wasn’t going to allow a contest.Mickey Arthur and Andy Flower, the two coaches, made an appearance at the ground, but both teams stayed in their hotels which gave a clear indication as to the prospects. The signs hadn’t been good leading into the match when England were forced to train indoors yesterday including making use of a covered car park for fielding practice.The washout means that Paul Collingwood will have to wait until Sunday, at Centurion, to become England’s most capped ODI player. He remains level with Alec Stewart on 170 appearances, but the rain in Johannesburg at least means he has a couple of extra days to rest his troublesome back.The same applies for James Anderson who can give his sore knee some extra treatment and England will be the happier of the two sides about a delayed start to the series with a number of injuries in the squad. Stuart Broad (shoulder) and Graeme Swann (side) are already ruled out of the second match with Liam Plunkett and James Tredwell having been called up as cover.The forecast is better for Sunday when the series moves the short distance north to Centurion Park, where South Africa gave England a thumping in the Twenty20 last week, before further matches at Cape Town, Port Elizabeth and Durban.

Chris Nash, the Sussex batsman, has been forced to return home from the England performance squad in South Africa after fracturing his thumb during training.Nash will undergo surgery next week and his rehabilitation will be monitored by the ECB medical team. No replacement will named in his place.The squad, made up of players in three categories depending on how soon they are expected to challenge for international honours, arrived in South Africa last week and will be based in Pretoria until December 17.The four category A players involved – those closest to an England call-up – are Michael Carberry, Stephen Moore, Mark Davies and Amjad Khan although the selectors have already moved outside the performance programme when they summoned James Tredwell to cover for Graeme Swann in the one-day squad.Nash is a category B player which means the selectors view him as being between one and three years away international cricket. He earned his spot after scoring 1298 runs at 59.00 in the County Championship.

Adam London has signed a new two-year contract with Middlesex, keeping him at Lord’s till the end of the 2011 season. The 21-year-old left-hander made his first-class and List A debuts for the county in the 2009 season after graduating from the youth setup.Angus Fraser, Middlesex’s managing director of cricket, was delighted that London had extended his deal. “Adam is a committed, capable and exciting young cricketer, as he showed at the end of last season when he scored a couple of half centuries for the first eleven,” Fraser told . “In each innings he showed character, firstly on debut against a strong Gloucestershire seam attack at Lord’s, and then when he made a match-saving 65 against Derbyshire at Uxbridge with a broken finger. On both occasions he showed that he is made of the right stuff. Adam has a bright future and it is good to know that he is spending it at Middlesex.”London has played four first-class matches, scoring 190 runs at 27.14, including two half-centuries. He has featured in two List A games as well.

Ricky Ponting, the Australian captain, has expressed concern over Nathan Bracken’s international future after the fast bowler returned home from because of a chronic knee problem.”You’d have to be [concerned] I guess,” Ponting said. “None of us know the extent of it just yet, we won’t know until he … has it looked at properly and maybe has surgery. He’s no spring chicken, he’s had it operated on before and I believe it’s a degenerative type of condition.”Bracken had problems with his knee for a couple of years but the injury flared up in South Africa, forcing him to miss the ICC Champions Trophy. He flew to Australia on Thursday where he will see a specialist.Australia also had an injury concern over Michael Clarke, the vice-captain, who suffered from a sore back after the flight from England to South Africa. Australia are pooled in Group A with West Indies, India and Pakistan and will begin their Champions Trophy title defence against West Indies on Saturday.One senior player recently returned from injury is Brett Lee. He was in good form in the 6-1 series win over England after missing the Tests, but Ponting said he would require careful management if he was still playing in 17 months.Although satisfied with the pace reserves, Ponting said Australia could not afford to carry quicks in their twilight years. “Brett by that stage will be 34 (and Bracken 33), and you can have one of those guys as long as you don’t have two or three,” he said.”With (Peter) Siddle and (Mitchell) Johnson and (Ben) Hilfenhaus, they’re the younger brigade that has led the attack really well over the last few months, so I think we’re in pretty good shape.”With Brett, if he actually makes it through we’ve got to make sure we look after him well because we’ve seen in England he can be a leading wicket-taker for us, especially in the conditions that we’ll have in the next World Cup with his reverse swing bowling.”

Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were outBrendon McCullum slammed 49 off 34 balls•AFP

Having been beaten soundly in the Test series, New Zealand now head into the tri-series brimming with confidence after a second consecutive 20-over victory over Sri Lanka, this time by 22 runs. Brendon McCullum and Jesse Ryder’s clinical hitting and Nathan McCullum’s teasing offspin were responsible for driving New Zealand to victory and handing Sri Lanka their fourth Twenty20 loss in a row.Brendon McCullum and Ryder were badly out of form during the Test campaign, but showed both courage and muscle during an 84-run opening stand in 62 deliveries, while Nathan McCullum gave further proof that New Zealand’s limited-overs recruits have helped shape a change in fortunes. When Sri Lanka quickly slumped to 11 for 3 this game looked almost over as a contest, but Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara still had a sting to inflict, adding 67 in 43 balls. Then came the fatal blow in the 11th over, bowled by Nathan McCullum, as Jayawardene and Angelo Mathews departed to clever changes of pace. Thereafter, Sri Lanka were never in the hunt.There were to be no fireworks this evening from Tillakaratne Dilshan, who flicked straight to deep square leg in the first over, giving Shane Bond his first international wicket since 2007. In walked Mahela Udawatte at No. 3, the one change Sri Lanka made, and back out he went after he checked his first ball from Kyle Mills and gave point a dolly. Sri Lanka’s chances dimmed when Mills got Sanath Jayasuriya to miscue to midwicket in the fourth over.Mills’ third over wasn’t as productive, as Jayawardene put away two full tosses and a half-volley on the pads. After the Powerplay overs Sri Lanka were 37 for 3, compared to 64 for 2 on Wednesday. Then Jayawardene and Sangakkara stepped on the gas, rattling up a 50-run stand in 6 overs. Where Jayawardene improvised to dab the ball past Brendon McCullum behind the stumps, walk across and paddle, and pull six over fine leg, all off Ian Butler, Sangakkara used his feet to come out and bisect midwicket and square leg.By now the crowd had roared back to life and New Zealand appeared worried, but in one over the mood changed dramatically. Daniel Vettori called on Nathan McCullum, who came in for this game in place of Peter McGlashan, and within four balls he snapped Sri Lanka’s spine. Jayawardene’s top edge was well held by Ryder at short fine leg, and then Angelo Mathews chipped softly to midwicket. Vettori knew taking the pace off would work, and that was a sensational over from Nathan McCullum.Nathan McCullum put down a very tough caught-and-bowled chance off Sangakkara, who reached his half-century off 40 balls. Sangakkara kept flaying but his luck ran out on 69 when he top-edged back to Oram. Bond completed the dénouement with 3 for 18.It was only a matter of time before Brendon McCullum and Ryder found their groove in coloured clothing. Brendon McCullum got off the mark with a cramped chop to third man, but there was nothing restrained about strokes that raced to the boundaries at backward point, square leg and midwicket. Against Nuwan Kulasekara he began by pulling off his own version of the scoop trademarked by Dilshan, with some help from his helmet, getting way across and scooping the ball from outside off stump, on to Sangakkara’s helmet, for four.Lasith Malinga’s second over cost 19. First Brendon McCullum steered a couple to third man by getting outside leg stump, then backed away and carved six over backward point, put a no-ball away for four with power past two off-side fielders, and finished off by slapping three through cover.Ryder had been content allowing his partner take charge, ticking along to 10 by the time Brendon McCullum was 35. Ajantha Mendis came on for one over, the sixth, and allowed just three but Malinga Bandara was given a rude welcome by Ryder, who got down and swatted six over midwicket. He nonchalantly paddled Jayasuriya for four and Brendon McCullum slammed Dilshan for a six, his 100th boundary shot in this format.With New Zealand’s run rate 8.30, Jayasuriya struck when Brendon McCullum knocked back a return catch for 49. Ryder accelerated his game efficiently, repeating the slogged six twice off Dilshan in a 20-run 12th over in which he raised his fifty off 31 balls. Then Mendis returned to bowl the next over and immediately had Ryder beaten in the flight and popping an easy catch to extra cover.Jayasuriya, after a break and a change of ends, came back to dismiss Ross Taylor playing across the line for 16. Martin Guptill, demoted to No. 4, jacked the run-rate back with six and a four in Kulasekara’s comeback over, the 17th, which cost 17. Malinga bowled a seven-run final over in which he yorked Guptill for 32, but by getting 87 in the last ten overs New Zealand had done well.So well, in fact, that victory was all too easy.