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The final schedule for England’s tour of Sri Lanka later this year has been confirmed after slight changes by the Board of Control for Cricket in Sri Lanka.The BCCSL is determined to take cricket away from Colombo to more far-flung areas, where larger crowds can be expected, and has now scheduled the first one-day international at Dambulla, and the second Test at Kandy rather than the Premadasa Stadium in Colombo.England will play a total of three ODIs before a three-match Test series, which will start at the picturesque Galle International Stadium on the south coast.Schedule:November 13: arrive in Colombo
November 15: v Sri Lanka A, Moratuwa (previously Colombo)
November 18: v Sri Lanka, first one-day international, Dambulla (previously Colombo)
November 21: v Sri Lanka, second one-day international (day/night), Colombo
November 23: v Sri Lanka, third one-day international (day/night), Colombo
November 26-28: v Sri Lanka A, Colombo
December 2-6: v Sri Lanka, first Test, Galle
December 10-14: v Sri Lanka, second Test, Kandy (previously Colombo)
December 18-22: v Sri Lanka, third Test, Colombo
December 23: depart for England

As metaphors go, they were pretty telling.In perfect sunshine at the ‘Gabba at the start of the second day of this tour match between Queensland and New Zealand, Nathan Astle (223) continued his near-remorseless assault on the home team’s bowlers.Yet, as a chain of storm clouds began to brew at the end of a steamy afternoon, so the murky problem that continues to plague the tourists reared its ugly head again.Astle remained a tower of strength in the morning session, not only outlasting Adam Parore (30) and Glen Sulzberger (0) at the other end but alsorearranging several individual and collective milestones.He steadily pushed his score into unchartered territory, rendering Martin Crowe’s hand of 188 in 1985-86 (previously the highest score by aNew Zealander at the ‘Gabba) the first major landmark to be overhauled.Astle’s domination of the attack had already extended into a seventh hour by the time that he then moved past both his own previous first-class best of191 and 6000 first-class runs in total.Just for good measure, he quickly proceeded to square cut the 333rd delivery of his innings, an off cutter from Michael Kasprowicz (0/118), to the point boundary to reach his first-ever double century at this level as well.But, where Astle’s voracious run scoring had given the Kiwis a position of early ascendancy, the tourists’ total of 9/444 – reached before amid-afternoon declaration – soon began to be placed in better context.Admittedly, there remained little on offer for bowlers in the pitch. But the sternest examination of the New Zealanders’ readiness for next week’sFirst Test against Australia was always likely to arrive when their attack swung into action. The Kiwis have so far been unable to take ten wickets inan innings at any stage of the tour and, in coming face-to-face with a talented batting line-up, the early results of this battle were not encouragingeither.Queensland openers Matthew Hayden (56*) and Jimmy Maher (47) were not discernibly bothered by anything offered to them in a 64-runassociation that spanned either side of the tea break, both defending and attacking with minimal risk.Maher, in particular, slaughtered loose deliveries. And such commodities seemed to be in ever-increasing supply once the shine started to disappearfrom the new ball. There was a classic cover drive at Chris Cairns (0/23); a thunderous hook and off drive at Chris Martin (0/35), and severalsuperb straight drives from the bowling of Shayne O’Connor (0/28).Even across an increasingly damp outfield, many of Hayden’s drives also showed few signs of slowing in their passage to the boundary.When Maher ultimately gifted away his wicket – charging, driving and missing as he attempted to smear a delivery from Sulzberger (1/52) to theboundary for the third time in the spinner’s opening over – it resembled something of an act of mercy.Martin Love (33*) quickly took up the slack upon replacing his teammate at the crease, albeit that his elegant approach was briefly curtailed by aflurry of rain that forced a five minute recess in the action.Matthew Bell had missed a tough, low chance at point as Maher (on 32) drove uppishly, and a shy at the stumps of the scurrying Love (on 13) flewwide when a minute window of a run out opportunity existed.Otherwise, there was not a single semblance of alarm for the batsmen. And even Astle couldn’t intervene this time, forced off the field as he was because of a minor groin strain.The Queenslanders still require a further 155 runs to avoid the follow-on when they resume in the morning. But either they would have to bat verypoorly, or New Zealand’s attack would have to produce a major reversal of form, to make the prospect of successive Queensland innings a reality.

England wicketkeeper Jos Buttler has been rested for the remainder of the one-day series against Australia and will be replaced by Jonny Bairstow for the final three matches.Although Buttler’s glovework has continued to improve his batting has faded in the second part of the season against Australia. He made just 122 runs at 15.25 in the Ashes and fell for a third-ball duck at Lord’s on Saturday, lbw to Glenn Maxwell. That followed a score of 4 at the Ageas Bowl when he drove loosely to mid-off.Being England’s wicketkeeper across all three formats since the middle of last year, when he was promoted to the Test side following Matt Prior’s ultimately career-ending injury against India, has meant Buttler has had an extensive workload.He missed the last one-day international against New Zealand and the T20 earlier this season, having sustained a finger injury, but has played 43 internationals since making his Test debut against India, at the Ageas Bowl, last July. Only Joe Root, with 44 appearances, has played more for England during that period and he has been granted a rest since the end of the Ashes.Between the end of the Ashes and the start of the limited-overs leg against Australia Buttler appeared in the NatWest Blast finals day for Lancashire having also played the quarter-final between the fourth and fifth Tests. Barely 12 hours after picking up the trophy at Edgbaston, as Lancashire overcame Northamptonshire in the final, he was at a training session in Cardiff ahead of the T20 international.Trevor Bayliss, the England coach, said: “While we initially felt Jos would have enough left in the tank for this ODI series, it has become clear in the last couple of days that he will benefit from a break from cricket ahead of the winter tours. We know that for players involved in all formats finding periods throughout the year when they can rest is key and Jos has had a heavy workload throughout 2015.”Resting  players provide opportunities for others in the international arena and Jonny Bairstow now has a chance to build on the one day form he showed at the end of the New Zealand series earlier this summer.”Bairstow was unlucky to be omitted from the original one-day squad having made a matchwinning, unbeaten 83 against New Zealand, at Chester-le-Street, in June on his recall. He was then also recalled to the Test team during the Ashes at the expense of Yorkshire team-mate Gary Ballance although did not completely convince at No.5.England already had Sam Billings, the Kent wicketkeeper-batsman, in the squad but do not yet view him as an option for the gloves and have left him out of the first two matches against Australia after he played the series against New Zealand and the T20 against Australia as a batsman.While Bairstow’s call-up to replace Buttler means at least one change to the England side for the third match at Old Trafford on Tuesday they will have to consider further alternative options as they try to keep the series alive having gone 2-0 down at Lord’s.David Willey and Reece Topley, the left-armers, will come into the equation to provide the bowling attack with some variety.

West Ham boss Sam Allardyce is looking for his side to spoil Southampton’s party on Saturday when the pair meet at St Mary’s.

Both sides are closing in on the coveted 40-point mark and a win for the south-coast club, who have beaten both Chelsea and Liverpool in their last two home matches, would see them reach that point ahead of the Hammers.

The draw at Liverpool last weekend means a win for the Boleyn club would see them reach the 40-point mark.

Allardyce told the official club website: “They will be full of confidence. The fans will be expecting to beat us, there’s no doubt about that, after they’ve just beaten Liverpool and Chelsea at home.

“I think we’ll just be the next step on the ladder for them to beat. I thought the Liverpool fans probably thought they were turning up and going to beat us last week, so we’ll hopefully spoil Southampton’s party as well.”

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Jacob Oram’s return will be a boost for New Zealand as they aim to recover some pride in the one-day series © AFP

After being obliterated during the two-Test series, Daniel Vettori is taking comfort from New Zealand’s limited-overs pedigree as they prepare for the Twenty20 international and three one-dayers against South Africa.An injury-hit New Zealand were routed by an innings and 59 runs inside three days at Centurion following a record-breaking 359-run defeat in the opening Test at the Wanderers. But the shorter formats will allow New Zealand to compete on more level terms with the home side. New Zealand are ranked third in one-day internationals, one place behind South Africa.”Our one-day form is markedly better than our Test form,” said Vettori.”We do have some confidence in our game. We’re obviously missing a few guys from our last set of one-dayers in the World Cup but because guys play so much cricket there’s a chance to turn things around.”Of the team that reached the World Cup semi-finals in April, Shane Bond and James Franklin are injured, while Stephen Fleming and Craig McMillan have retired. However, Vettori should have the services of key allrounder Jacob Oram who missed the second Test with a hamstring injury.Following Friday’s Twenty20 at the Wanderers, the three ODIs will be played at Port Elizabeth, Durban and Cape Town where conditions are not expected to be as bowler-friendly as the Tests. South Africa’s recent one-day form, however, is strong after their impressive 3-2 series win in Pakistan.

With his remarkable height and well-disguised bouncer, Ishant Sharma has impressed on the domestic circuit © Martin Williamson

Ishant Sharma, the 18-year-old Delhi medium pacer, is likely be sent to South Africa ahead of the final Test at Cape Town.Sharma, currently playing in only his fifth first-class match, is likely to join the squad before the final Test. With Irfan Pathan being sent back to India to play domestic cricket, and Munaf Patel yet to regain full fitness from an ankle injury, Sharma may be asked to step in and fill the breach in the squad, should the need arise, through another injury.When contacted, Niranjan Shah, secretary of the Board of Control for Cricket in India, would neither confirm nor deny the story. “If the need arises for a replacement, and the team management feels the shortcoming, then the selectors will discuss the matter over the telephone and decide on a replacement,” Shah told Cricinfo. Dilip Vengsarkar also echoed his views, telling reporters in Durban that Sharma won’t be joining the team.Rahul Dravid, speaking at the toss ahead of the second Test, said that Munaf was not yet fully fit, but did stress that he was only “two or three days” from where the team wanted him to be, suggesting that he would be fit in time for the next Test.However, it is learnt that the preparations to get Sharma across to South Africa are already under way. “We want him [Sharma] to see what happens at the highest level,” said a senior Indian board official and an unimpeachable source, who did not want to be named for obvious reasons. “We believe it will be good for his development.” Although this goes against the grain of what the board secretary told Cricinfo on the record, it corroborates all the other indications received from the team management and sources in South Africa.Should he go, it is unlikely that Sharma will figure in the playing eleven, but it is believed that he is being sent to South Africa to get a feel of international cricket and the Indian dressing-room and to obtain firsthand guidance from Greg Chappell, the Indian coach, and Ian Fraser, a member of the support staff.Sharma plays for the Rohtak Road Gymkhana Club in Delhi and, though in his debut first-class season, has a couple of Under-19 tours under his belt. He’s currently playing for Delhi against Saurashtra in Rajkot, where he has 3 for 117 from 36 overs; prior to this match he’d picked up 19 wickets from four games, with one five-wicket haul against Baroda. His USP is the ability to extract unnerving bounce, thanks mainly to his build – Sharma is 6’4″ tall and lanky, and is nicknamed Lambu for obvious reasons.Sharma’s cause has probably been helped by the fact that Dilip Vengsarkar, the chairman of selectors, was in Delhi a couple of weeks ago watching him bowl in a Ranji trophy match against Tamil Nadu. On a shirtfront of a Kotla wicket, where the ball barely carried through to the keeper, Sharma put in a good effort.Lalchand Rajput, the coach of the Indian U-19 team, was impressed with Sharma’s bowling, and apart from praising the bowler in the media had also conveyed his thoughts to the BCCI.

India are unlikely to gamble by playing Rahul Dravid who is suffering from gastroenteritis © Getty Images

In sickness and in health Barring an infusion of Kryptonite, Rahul Dravid is unlikely to lead India tomorrow. The gastroenteritis attack that led to his hospitalisation has left him very weak, and India are unlikely to gamble – even if it’s their most reliable batsman – with the series still at stake. At the press conference after nets, Greg Chappell gave every indication that Gautam Gambhir would keep his place in the XI, and he will most likely be reunited with Virender Sehwag at the top of the order. Mohammad Kaif, who had quite a bit of batting time this morning, should ease into the holding role that Dravid has taken upon himself with such aplomb for so long.For Sri Lanka, Marvan Atapattu is on the mend after a bout of flu, but neither Chaminda Vaas nor Dilhara Fernando have shaken off the fever that saw them miss nets this morning. Lasith Malinga and Farveez Maharoof are the pace bowling back-up, and Upul Tharanga is expected to come in for Avishka Gunawardene, who has done nothing so far to suggest that he belongs at this level.Heat and dust The dry heat certainly won’t help players trying to shake off the after-effects of a viral infection, though the batsmen among them will be cheered by the brown, grassless pitch. The curator had some grass rolled in to bind the surface, and there should be decent bounce, but it appeared a surface that was full of runs – not too dissimilar from the one where India and Pakistan rattled up well over 600 runs in an ODI last April. Chappell expected it to aid the slow bowlers as the match wore on, lending credence to the theory that the result will once again hinge on how effective Muttiah Muralitharan and Anil Kumble can be.Mr Commitment On the eve of Kumble’s 100th Test, Chappell reckoned that he was as great a competitor as his old wrecking ball, Dennis Keith Lillee. And like Lillee, who never stopped haring in during each of his 70 Tests, Kumble carries on with the kind of enthusiasm and commitment that would shame someone a decade younger. He loped in to bowl his legspinners and googlies, batted with concentration, and also appeared to discuss with Chappell how he might make use of the extra bounce to snare the batsmen on the cut. Only those that evolve and improve stay ahead, and Kumble is now in a league of his own in India’s spin pantheon.What crisis? If you’re prone to believing the hysteria merchants masquerading as TV reporters and journalists, you might have imagined that the India team was full of insecure, embattled individuals, each wondering who would be next in line for the chop. The bonhomie on view at nets and fielding practice laid bare those canards and lies for what they are – misinformed, malicious rumour-mongering. Sehwag and Harbhajan Singh – supposed targets on “Chappell’s hit-list” – discussed tactics and shared a laugh or two with the coach, Sachin Tendulkar let out a primal scream after foxing Mahendra Singh Dhoni with a wrong `un, and VVS Laxman was all smiles after diving full length to his left to take a low catch.And regardless of whether he plays or not, Wasim Jaffer slotted in seamlessly, doing arm-strengthening exercises with Greg King before Chappell talked to him about the mental preparation and focus needed. Unlike parliament, which apparently has no issues of import to debate, there was not a protest placard in sight.TeamsIndia (likely): Gautam Gambhir, Virender Sehwag (capt), VVS Laxman, Sachin Tendulkar, Yuvraj Singh, Mohammad Kaif, Mahendra Singh Dhoni (wk), Irfan Pathan, Ajit Agarkar, Anil Kumble, Harbhajan Singh.Sri Lanka (likely): Marvan Atapattu (capt), Upul Tharanga, Kumar Sangakkara (wk), Mahela Jayawardene, Thilan Samaraweera, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Jehan Mubarak, Chaminda Vaas, Malinga Bandara, Muttiah Muralitharan, Dilhara Fernando.

McGrath has plenty of reasons to be happy after hitting 61 in the first Test against New Zealand© Getty Images

The rewards are rolling in for Glenn McGrath, following his Test-best 61against New Zealand in the first Test at Brisbane. He has netted theMcGrath Breast Cancer Foundation AUS$10,000 (£4,200) from one sponsor, andthe same amount for himself from Sommers, his bat manufacturers.Prior to the innings, McGrath had been in danger of finishing his careerwith more wickets than runs – his tallies in the run-up to the BrisbaneTest had been 454 and 477 respectively. But he revealed in Sydney’s newspaper that New Loan, one of his sponsors, hadpromised to give $10,000 to the McGrath Breast Cancer Foundation if hereached a Test half-century. McGrath’s English-born wife Jane underwenttreatment for breast cancer in 2003.Mark Waugh had famously bet Shane Warne that McGrath would never make afirst-class fifty, which he achieved in July 2000 when he made 55 forWorcestershire against Nottinghamshire at New Road in July 2000, as he puton 103 for the last wicket with Kabir Ali.But further incentive was needed for him to repeat the feat in Tests.McGrath therefore negotiated a clause in his batting contract that ensuredhe’d win a similar bonus himself for reaching a Test half-century.John Rennie, the managing director of Sydney-based Sommers, was delightedwith the exposure his client won for him, but indicated that he thoughtthat, like many, the chances of McGrath ever making a fifty were slim. Hischeque will be presented before the start of the second Test, starting atAdelaide this Friday.

Alec Stewart has followed in his father’s illustrious footsteps by being awarded an OBE for his services to cricket in the Queen’s Birthday Honours’ List.Stewart passed Geoffrey Boycott and David Gower to move into second place in England’s list of Test run-scorers against Zimbabwe at Durham last week, and was also awarded the MBE in the 1998.On receiving the honour, Stewart said: “The great thing is that I’ve now managed to catch up my Dad because he was awarded the OBE a good few years ago.””It’s a terrific honour and it’s really pleasing to be recognised in this way.I’ve always gone about my cricket in a professional way and to be honoured in this way for it makes me very proud and it’s a moment I’ll treasure.”Stewart, now 40, has continued to defy his critics by making more appearances than any other England player at both Test and one-day level, and his ability with the bat and behind the stumps has stood the test of time since making his international debut 14 years ago.He retired from one-day international cricket after the World Cup, but has no plans to do the same in Tests. He recently said: “All I’ve ever said about the future is that while the enjoyment is there and I feel I’m playing well enough to warrant a place in the side, I see no reason to give it away myself.””I feel exactly the same as I did 20 years ago. I have the same buzz and pre-match nerves I’ve always had and that’s a good thing because that shows you’re still up for the game.”

Former New Zealand Test captain and coach Glenn Turner believes the answer to many problems being experienced by bowlers may lie in under-use rather than over-use.With New Zealand having suffered a remarkable string of bowlers suffering from stress-related back injuries in recent years, Turner has done some research looking at bowler workloads, as far back as the 1920s.”I went back that far to see what some of the workloads were, especially in county cricket in England.”Some of the old boys back then were bowling 2000 overs a year.”Blokes like Fred Trueman and Brian Statham were bowling 1200 overs a year in their prime.”In his busiest year Richard Hadlee bowled something like 1200 overs in the year,” he said.Turner compared that to a bowler like New Zealand left-arm medium-fast bowler Shayne O’Connor who last year, in one of his busiest seasons before injury, bowled only 450 overs.”What’s happened?” Turner asked.He believed that bowlers nowadays have not trained to cope with the workload required of them. Some bowlers also came back too quickly from injuries and other bowlers were just not capable of achieving the workload asked of them in bowling 25 overs in a day.Turner recounted his days at Worcestershire during the 1960s and 1970s when regular bowlers like Len Coldwell and Jack Flavell bowled 25 overs day in and day out, warmed up by bowling six bouncers in the morning and had six or seven pints of an evening after a day’s play.Turner wasn’t against players building their strength and conditioning in gymnasiums, there was a place for that but he felt that many could take on more bowling as part of their preparation.”The balance does have to be right,” he said.Turner also expressed reservations about the intrusion of biomechanics into bowling actions. He appreciated there were instances where change was good.But he also wondered whether much was known about the danger of changing people’s actions and the effects of different muscles being used.Having seen a bowler like South African Mike Procter in action so many times Turner could only wonder what might have happened to him had someone tried to make his wrong-footed action biomechanically correct.”If someone is breaking down often maybe you do have to make changes,” he said.”The other thing about those bowlers of earlier times was the rest they had. Invariably when they weren’t bowling they put their feet up and when they had a game off for bad weather they had total rest, and that is an important facet,” Turner said.Turner has taken up the coaching position of the Otago team this summer after last year’s coach Denis Aberhart was appointed to the New Zealand coaching position.