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The Women’s Ashes has been revamped and from this summer will be contested over seven matches across all formats of the game.The new series, devised between the ECB and Cricket Australia, is designed to protect the integrity of women’s Test-match cricket by piggybacking on the success of women’s limited-overs cricket.England v Australia is the sole remaining competition in Test cricket in the women’s game but for the past three series has consisted of just one match. To help maintain the fixture, three one-day internationals and three Twenty20s have been added to create a new multi-format Ashes series.Points will be allocated to each match, six for the Test and two each for the one-day matches, with the side winning the most points taking home the wooden ball – the women’s version of the urn which contains a bat that was burnt in the Harris Garden at Lord’s in 1998.”We’ve talked with Cricket Australia for a while about how to preserve women’s Test cricket when neither team plays any multi-day domestic cricket,” Clare Connor, head of England Women’s cricket, said. “This format is hopefully a way of combining the tradition and prestige of the Ashes and Test cricket, while also recognising the reality that it’s the limited-overs formats which have particularly grown and raised the profile of the women’s game.”We think we’ve got something that’s going to give real context to the women’s summer and sustain the enthusiasm and interest in the series. We believe that this new multi-format series will gain significantly more profile and context than can be generated by playing a one-off Test match every couple of years. It is an innovative way forward.”

Women’s Ashes

• Test match: August 11-14, Wormsley (Six points for a win, two for a draw)

• One-day internationals: August 20, Lord’s; August 23, Hove; August 25, Hove (Two for a win, one for a draw)

• Twenty20s: August 27, Chelmsford; August 29, Ageas Bowl; August 31, Durham (Two, one)

The Women’s Ashes will now be played throughout August, beginning with the Test match at Wormsley on August 11 and concluding with the third ODI at Durham on August 31, quite a departure from the five-match Test series that comprises the men’s Ashes.”We thought long and hard about whether to keep the word ‘Ashes’ in there because it’s a rebranding for what the Ashes means,” Connor said. “We spoke to the MCC and Cricket Australia and decided that we did still want to keep ‘Ashes’ as the name for the series while embracing all the formats. Hopefully once the message is clear and the points system is clear, people will see that it gives real credibility and context.”Belinda Clark, Cricket Australia senior manager – Centre of Excellence, added: “Cricket contests between Australia and England have a special place in the hearts and minds of players and the public. The new Women’s Ashes format acknowledges the past, embraces the present and takes a bold step towards the future.”Australia Women currently hold the Ashes after beating England by seven wickets in Sydney in January 2011. England had previously held the Ashes since 2005.

ScorecardBrad Haddin proved his class with an opening day century for Australia A against Scotland at the Grange to put his side in healthy shape at the close on day one.Haddin held the innings together while wickets fell around him and finally found Peter Siddle as a long-term partner. The pair shared 118 for the sixth wicket to gradually shrug off the game Scotland attack.Haddin was involved in a few decent partnerships as he quietly moved past his half-century. His team-mates squandered stands that could have developed, but Haddin stuck around and played his own game. Too many short balls allowed him to deal in boundaries and in the evening session he passed his century with 11 fours.Siddle arrived at No. 7 and played the anchor while Haddin opened up his repertoire of strokes, scoring in all corners of the outfield with ease. Siddle reached his own half-century playing his favoured cut for four that also brought up the century partnership.The stand finally asserted Australian authority on the day that had begun with Scotland – whose attack was missing Neil Carter, Kyle Coetzer and David Murphy – winning the toss and making early inroads with the ball. Openers Jordan Silk and Alex Doolan didn’t hang around, Silk finding an outside edge from Gordon Goudie to Preston Mommsen at second slip and Doolan being clean bowled by Iain Wardlaw.Usman Khawaja and Steve Smith set about repairing the early loss. Smith nudged the singles while his partner dealt in boundaries, punishing the occasional bad delivery. Khawaja looked comfortable as the Scottish bowlers struggled to adjust to the left-hander, and when he passed his half-century in 95 balls he looked like he could push on but edged Wardlaw to wicketkeeper Matthew Cross.While Wardlaw and MacLeod took the spoils with two wickets each, it was Goudie who was the most impressive with just 13 runs coming off his first 13 overs, including 6 maidens and the early wicket. He also claimed two important catches. But the balance of the match changed the moment Haddin stepped to the crease.Scotland were short in the spin department, with the experienced Majid Haq out with a hamstring injury. Both Matt Machan and Moneeb Iqbal had a trundle and ironically it was a short length delivery from the latter which eventually dislodged Haddin for 113. His eyes lit up when he went to pull and connected well but not out of the range of Mommsen at midwicket who took a great diving catch with two hands.

ScorecardLuke Wright continued his recent good form with 81 off 49 balls•Getty Images

Luke Wright smashed 81 off 49 balls as Sussex posted an impressive 202 for 3 on their way to a 24-run victory over Middlesex in the Friends Life t20 South Group clash at Lord’s.Dawid Malan hit back with 61 in 43 deliveries but even before he fell, heaving across the line in the 14th over, Middlesex had begun to lose their way. Neil Dexter blasted 27 off just 10 balls but it was too little too late for the hosts who finished on 178 for 8 – which included six penalty runs for Sussex’s slow over rate – with Michael Yardy taking 3 for 30.After winning the toss, Chris Nash got the visitors up and running with a swept six off Tim Murtagh in the third over. Murtagh suffered further punishment a couple of overs later when Wright hit four successive boundaries including a straight six.Sussex were pegged back briefly when Nash, who made 45 off 30 balls, dragged an attempted drive off Adam Voges on to his stumps to make it 84 for 1 in the 10th. But two overs later Rory Hamilton-Brown brought the hundred up for the Sharks with a sweetly timed four through extra cover off Voges.Wright then posted a 37-ball half-century in almost identical manner, off the bowling of Dexter, before flat-batting Josh Davey back over his head for six. Wright, whose impressive month had already brought him a first-class best 187 against the same opposition here at Lord’s, a YB40 century against Kent and a half-century in a Twenty20 international, was eventually caught at long-on off Murtagh for 81 but Hamilton-Brown, supported by Dwayne Smith, ensured there was no let-up.Hamilton-Brown scored 47 in 29 deliveries, including a straight six off Gareth Berg, before giving a steepling return catch to Kyle Mills in the final over. Smith, who had swatted the 34-year-old New Zealander over square leg for a maximum, finished with an unbeaten 21 off 12 balls to leave Middlesex needing to better the second-highest total at Lord’s in domestic Twenty20 cricket.Paul Stirling got the hosts off to a decent start by cover driving Chris Liddle for six in the third over of the Panthers’ reply and the Irishman was given a life on 28, when he was dropped at extra cover off the bowling of Yardy. Yardy had his revenge when Stirling (33) was caught a wide long-on and Joe Gatting then pulled off a superb one-handed catch, low to his right, off Will Beer to account for Joe Denly.Malan celebrated a 37-ball fifty by lifting Beer over long-on for a maximum but the pressure of needing to score at 10 an over eventually told and he was bowled by Nash for 61 before Voges reverse-swept Yardy to short third man. Adam Rossington fell to another good catch, this time by Chris Jordan running in from the midwicket boundary, though not before Dexter had lifted Yardy for a maximum.The Middlesex captain followed it up with two successive sixes off Liddle in the 17th over to leave his side needing an improbable 56 off 18 deliveries. The departure of Dexter, caught in the deep off Jordan, ended the Panthers’ hopes.

Ajit Chandila, the Rajasthan Royals spinner who was arrested on May 16 for alleged spot-fixing in the IPL, has said he is innocent and was “never approached”. Chandila, who was arrested along with Sreesanth, Ankeet Chavan and several bookies, was reportedly out on interim bail from August 3 to 5 for his brother’s funeral.”I have no clue about the spot-fixing controversy. I have never been approached by anybody,” Chandila told . “People have seen my performance in last two seasons of the IPL. I am clean and I trust the judiciary.”Chandila was one of 39 persons named by Delhi Police in the chargesheet they filed on the case on July 30. The players were charged under sections 420 and 120B of the Indian Penal Code – which deal with fraud, cheating and criminal conspiracy – and provisions of the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA), a special law passed by the Maharashtra provincial government to tackle organised crime syndicates and terrorism that contains far stricter provisions relating to bail.He was “shocked” by the charges, Chandila said. “My family and I are in a state of shock that such charges are being levelled against me. I am a cricketer not a terrorist.”My family has suffered a lot, and my brother was hospitalised the day I was arrested. But I have the support of my family. And soon, people will know the truth. I am innocent. I will make a comeback soon.”While Sreesanth and Chavan had applied for bail – which Delhi Police now wants cancelled – and were released from jail on June 11, Chandila had not applied for bail before.

Former Test cricketers Richard Hadlee, Martin Snedden and Geoff Allott are among eight recommended people who are likely to be voted in as New Zealand Cricket’s new board of directors.To be elected, each candidate needs more than 50% of the votes cast by the delegates representing all Major Associations and District Associations at a Special General Meeting in Auckland on September 19.The other five recommendations, selected by an appointments panel, were Greg Barclay, Neil Craig, Liz Dawson, Stuart Heal and Don Mackinnon, all of whom have experience in sport and corporate administration and governance. Barclay, Heal and Mackinnon are current NZC directors seeking re-election. The three former cricketers also have extensive experience in administration of the sport.”It was a difficult job selecting the eight candidates from a range of quality nominees,” NZC president Stephen Boock said. “I am confident that through this thorough process we have found a group of people with the combined skillsets to drive cricket forward in this country.”The upcoming vote is an outcome of the new NZC constitution that was approved in July.

Amit Mishra, the India legspinner, said a significant variation in pace had brought him success on the recent tour to Zimbabwe.Mishra, who last played an ODI in 2011 before being picked for the playing XI in Zimbabwe, finished as the highest wicket-taker in the series, with 18 wickets in five matches at an average of 11.80, equalling Javagal Srinath’s record for most wickets in an ODI bilateral series. His performances in the series included a career-best 6 for 48 in the fifth ODI.”The significant change was the variation of pace,” Mishra told . “Earlier, my deliveries used to come at a slower pace, which allowed the batsman to adjust. Now I am trying to bowl at a pace and still extract spin.”Mishra revealed that the changes were a result of better fitness and tips from former India bowlers Narendra Hirwani and Anil Kumble.”I was injured for a while last year and I was in NCA for recovery,” Mishra said. “That’s the time I worked with the likes of Anil Kumble, Narendra Hirwani and the other coaches at the academy who helped me become a better bowler. He [Kumble] told me about the importance of variation in pace and also told me how to out-think a batsman. I worked on my googly with him and that’s also paying dividends.”In spite of an ODI debut in 2003, Mishra has played just 20 one-dayers and 13 Tests for India since his debut in 2008. He hopes that his performances against Zimbabwe will better his chances of playing more Tests for India against stronger teams.”I know the challenges will be greater, but that’s where I have to show that I have become a better bowler. And for that to happen, I have to be selected first in the Test team. My job is to keep performing.”

Pakistan umpire Asad Rauf has, through his lawyer, denied the allegations made against him by Mumbai Police in its chargesheet on the IPL betting scandal. Rauf’s counsel said though his client respected the Indian judicial system, he didn’t trust the Mumbai Police and would not travel to India to contest any trial.”All the allegations reported in media are baseless,” Rauf’s lawyer, Syed Ali Zafar, said in Lahore. “We don’t have any chargesheet and only have the press reports that have no legal value or importance at the moment.”So we think it is just a conspiracy by Mumbai Police to defame his [Rauf] and the country’s name. We think Mumbai Police is indulging in character assassination. He is a well-known, professional, competent Pakistani umpire. Whatever is being reported in press is all false and I strongly deny it on behalf of Asad Rauf.”Zafar said Rauf’s camp would respond to the allegations only if approached by the ICC or Pakistani authorities about the same. “Asad Rauf has full confidence in Indian courts but he has no faith in Mumbai Police and at the moment we are not confident going to India. For Asad Rauf the situation is not right in India – they could detain him, they can frame other charges. But if Mumbai Police goes to the ICC’s anti-corruption unit or approaches [the concerned] authorities in Pakistan, we will then provide witnesses and give our point of view.”Rauf, who was listed as a “wanted accused” in the chargesheet, was allegedly given gifts by bookies, passed on match-related information to them, and placed bets on matches himself while officiating in the tournament. The police made their case on the evidence of transcripts of recorded phone conversations that Rauf allegedly had with other people accused in the chargesheet, and a large portion of it concerns the period before and after Delhi Police arrested three Rajasthan Royals players following their match against Mumbai Indians on May 15, which Rauf umpired.”Mumbai police has given general statement that Asad Rauf has done betting in collaboration with bookies,” Zafar, who was seated beside Rauf said. “First of all, Asad Rauf has not done any gambling in any sport ever. Mumbai police has not provided any specific incident in its chargesheet. There’s some conversation of Asad Rauf and there was some doubt. We don’t have tapes and we don’t know in which context the conversation was held, so I can’t comment on it.The chargesheet also contains details of alleged gifts Rauf may have received from bookies and evidence indicating he met with others accused in the case. Two bags according to the chargesheet reportedly were to be delivered to Asad Rauf were taken into custody from Air India cargo department at the Mumbai airport. The bags reportedly included gifted apparels, shoes and other accessories, shopping bills at Diesel showroom, Asad Rauf’s pass and bills in the name of Asad Rauf Malik.Rauf said the bags mostly contained religious items, and there was nothing wrong with “exchanging gifts”. “I challenge Mumbai Police, that they should open the bag in the court and produce lavish watches and gold and show it to the whole world,” he said. “There are some religious things in them, which are most important to me. I can confirm with full confidence that there wasn’t any expensive jewelry in my bags, they contained (cotton sheets) brought from different shrines from Baghdad and various other holy cities. We have written to the authorities to reclaim my stuff.”As far as exchanging gifts is concerned, it’s not a crime. Mumbai Police should have realised that the subcontinent has its culture and we give gifts. It’s a tradition in Pakistan and even in India. There are lots of instances when people do come from India [to Pakistan], go to shops and the shopkeepers don’t take the money from the guests.”Rauf also denied allegations that he left bags behind while “escaping” from India. “I had requested Vindoo Dara Singh [a Indian actor who was arrested in connection with the betting scandal] to send those bags to the Delhi airport, but due to some miscommunication I missed them.”Rauf said that the ICC had investigated the allegations and given him a clean-chit. “The ICC has investigated the whole thing, it also has its anti-corruption unit, it didn’t find me involved in any corruption,” he said. “I have provided all my bank accounts, my property details and my SIM card details to them.”Rauf was withdrawn, by the ICC, from officiating in the Champions Trophy in June following the media reports of him being investigated by the police. He was later dropped from the ICC’s Elite Panel of umpires, though the governing body confirmed that had nothing to do with the allegations but was a decision taken after the umpire’s annual review.

Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsNeil Wagner finished with 5 for 64, helping bowl Bangladesh out for 282•AFP

The fall of eight wickets during the 53.3 overs possible, particularly New Zealand’s three, had kept the contest on an even keel before the afternoon rain forced an early end for the second day in succession. Earlier it was Neil Wagner’s maiden five-wicket haul that handed the tourists the advantage.Bangladesh’s 282 was nowhere near a decent first innings total in Mirpur, but New Zealand conceded some of that advantage, losing three wickets for 107 in 33.3 overs. At 1:44pm local time, the players walked off as the drizzle turned into an outright downpour.Shakib Al Hasan did much of the damage, picking up all three wickets to fall. The home side had a poor morning session, losing their last five wickets for just 54 runs in 20.1 overs.The captain Mushfiqur Rahim was drawn to an away-swinging delivery by Wagner and was caught at a second gully position. It was his first shot of intent, having remained subdued till the dismissal. Nasir Hossain followed three overs later when an excellent delivery from Ish Sodhi took the edge to Ross Taylor who took a simple catch at slip.Bangladesh’s last recognised batting pair had contributed 18 and 19 respectively, but their target of around 400 evaporated quickly. Sohag Gazi, who scored a century in the first Test, struck a four and a six in his 21-ball 14, before he became Wagner’s fourth victim, also caught at gully. Rubel Hossain edged behind to give the Pretoria-born left-arm fast bowler his fifth wicket and when Sodhi bowled Abdur Razzak, New Zealand’s morning work was done.But Bangladesh responded swiftly. In the 13th over of the visitors’ reply, Shakib, in his first over, had Hamish Rutherford poking at a ball that popped to short-leg where Mominul Haque juggled once before holding on to it. Rutherford hardly looked comfortable against spin, toeing and top-edging deliveries around fielders on occasions.Shakib struck again off the second ball of his following over when he trapped Peter Fulton with a straighter delivery. The batsman thrust his pad out and with Shakib hardly getting the ball to turn, it was a very easy decision for the umpire.After lunch, Taylor and Kane Williamson showed some resistance. The pair were severe on Abdur Razzak after lunch, scoring 7, 8, 5 and 13 in consecutive overs. Williamson, however, was stopped in his tracks, quite literally, by Razzak’s replacement at the Media Centre end. Rubel Hossain bowled a short one to the New Zealand No.3 who ducked too soon and was hit on the side of his face. He keeled over, and was taken off by the physio.Brendon McCullum joined Taylor but New Zealand had lost their rhythm. He batted for half an hour before holing to deep square leg where Rubel took a tumbling catch. He hurt his back in the process as he fell awkwardly. He was back on the field the next over, and a short while later, rain struck.There was nevertheless enough time for a brief look at Bangladesh’s latest Test debutant, Al-Amin Hossain. The tall seamer – a rarity even for Bangladeshi pace bowlers – opened the bowling, gave away 13 runs in his only spell of six overs, and was struck for two boundaries.

Group II

Multan‘s lower-order collapse on the final day, triggered by pacer Mohammad Saeed’s four-wicket haul, resulted in an eight-wicket rout at the hands of Lahore Shalimar, who brushed aside a 76-run target and moved to second place in Group II.Lahore Shalimar won the toss and chose to bowl, and were handed an immediate advantage when Mohammad Bilawal took seven wickets to dismiss Multan for 69.In spite of a shaky start, Lahore Shalimar grabbed a substantial first-innings lead, posting 282, built around Mohammad Saeed’s maiden first-class hundred. The No. 9 batsman scored 113 off 114 balls with 16 fours and four sixes. Offspinner Haziq Habibullah was the pick of the Multan bowlers, returning first-innings figures of 4 for 81.Faced with a 213-run deficit, and with a risk of an innings defeat at 117 for 4, Multan staged a recovery led by Ahmed Rasheed. Rasheed’s 170-ball 89 had 11 fours and contributions from Abdul Rehman Muzammil (47) and openers Usman Liaqat and Ahad Raza helped Multan clear the deficit. However, Mohammad Saeed struck with a four-wicket haul to skittle Multan out for 288 as the batting side lost its last six wickets for 38.The Lahore openers put on a 55-run stand in pursuit of the 76-run target and the side needed just 18 overs to complete an eight-wicket win. Mohammad Bilawal finished with match figures of 10 for 111, his maiden first-class ten-wicket haul, while Saeed added to his first-innings tally to finish with a seven-wicket match haul.A high-scoring match between Islamabad and Hyderabad petered out in a draw in Islamabad.Put in to bat first, Islamabad scored 303, helped by contributions from all batsmen, including a fifty from Moed Ahmed. Fast bowler Farhan Ayub picked up six wickets for 106, but regular partnerships between the Islamabad batsmen ensured they reached a solid score.In reply, Hyderabad, powered by fifties from openers Zeeshan Gul and Darya Khan eked out a slender 17-run lead. The openers added 113 for the opening stand to notch up important innings where other Hyderabad batsmen failed to convert their starts. Gul fell for 50, while Darya Khan missed his maiden first-class hundred by five runs. Hyderabad’s bowlers then gave their side a solid shot at victory, reducing Islamabad to 56 for 5 in the second innings, before a lower-order rally saw Islamabad climb to 200.Set a target of 184 runs, and running out of time, Hyderabad stuttered to 41 for 5 in 21 overs by close of play. Shehzad Azam, the Islamabad fast bowler, picked up 4 for 29 in 11 overs.

Group I

Abbottabad and Sialkot held each other to a high-scoring draw, which featured three centuries at the Abbottabad Cricket Stadium.Mohammad Ali (133) enjoyed a memorable debut as he rescued the home side from 38 for 2. Ali, whose innings included 19 fours and lasted just a shade under six hours, and 18-year-old Kamran Ghulam (157) carried Abbottabad to a daunting 513 for 7, before the declaration . Ghulam, though was the more aggressive of the two centurions, as his 23 fours helped him maintain a strike rate over 80. Another debutant, Baber Khan, came in at No. 9 and struck 54 off 55 balls. Hasan Ali, 19, was the pick of the bowlers with 3 for 133.In reply, opener Majid Jahangir (107) and Naved Sarwar (80) stabilised Sialkot after quick wickets. A brief collapse in the middle order hurt Sialkot’s momentum but No. 8 Nabeel Malik arrested the slide – three wickets for 36 runs – with his second first-class fifty. The rest of the tail, however, could not muster similar resolve and Sialkot lost their last four wickets for 13 runs to finish at 360.Abbottabad’s second innings lasted for nine overs in which the openers hit 64 runs before the match was drawn.It was a case of first-innings blues as Rawalpindi met Peshawar in the Quaid-e-Azam tournament at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium. Both teams put in strong performances in their second innings, with Isarullah scoring the only century of the match, as it ended in a draw.Seamer Azam Khan snared four of the top-five Rawalpindi batsmen, including opener Shoaib Nasir, whose 38 remained the highest score of the innings. Azam’s new-ball partner Afaq Ahmed chipped in with three wickets as Rawalpindi benefited from lower-order contributions – the last four wickets added 117 runs – to reach 180.Peshawar’s steady start was interrupted when Ashfaq Ahmed was forced to retire with the score on 42. Iftikhar Ahmed’s 92 was the saving grace after the top-order could not consolidate on their starts. Striking 15 fours in his 107-ball innings, his counterattack helped Peshawar claim a 63-run lead, which proved vital in their claiming three points off this match.Rawalpindi’s solid start was dented when their first two wickets fell within four runs. The score was 99 for 2 and by the time they had added five more runs, another wicket had fallen. Regular wickets became the order of the day until Zahid Mansoor (91) and wicketkeeper Talha Qureshi (45*) steadied the innings, taking Rawalpindi from 186 for 6 to 278 before the partnership was broken. Qureshi remained unbeaten until the end of the innings, taking his side to 384.Azizullah, the 21-year-old fast bowler, toiled away for 42.4 overs and reaped good rewards as he claimed his maiden five-for in first-class cricket.Chasing a target of 322 runs, Isarullah’s ton helped Peshawar set a good pace as they made 181 for 2 in 51 overs, but in the end the honours were shared.

Lalit Modi is the favourite for the post of the Rajasthan Cricket Association president, the election for which was held on Thursday. The results, however, will only be known on January 6 with the ballots in possession of Supreme Court till then. The court is monitoring the elections and has appointed a former judge, Narendra Kasliwal, to oversee the process.Whatever the outcome of the vote, and regardless of when the court reveals it, there is trouble ahead for the RCA. Modi, who has been banned for life by the BCCI, represents the Nagaur District Cricket Association. The BCCI made it clear in an email to RCA president CP Joshi last week that the association would lose all its privileges if they let Modi continue. A decision to this effect is likely to be finalised at the BCCI’s next working committee meeting.In another email to Joshi on Wednesday, minutes after Kasliwal cleared Modi’s candidature, the BCCI sent a final warning to the RCA. “You have deliberately adopted a defiant tone. You will stand to lose your very right of membership of the BCCI, including the right to send players representing your state association for BCCI conducted tournaments.”Even though the BCCI has threatened to bar the RCA from all tournaments – including Ranji Trophy, various age-group and women’s tournaments – since Modi is a district unit representative, the board, in consultation with its legal team, has decided not to take any step in a hurry. It will wait and watch if the Supreme Court allows Modi to take charge as the RCA president. If it does, then the BCCI will take up the issue in its working committee.The Modi faction, meanwhile, was confident of sweeping the polls. If Modi is elected president, he has proposed his foe-turned-friend Sanjay Dixit and Bimal Soni as his principal advisors. Both Dixit and Soni have been vocal in their criticism of BCCI president N Srinivasan.