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Australia’s growing sick list now includes Matthew Hayden after he succumbed to a knee injury. Hayden’s tendonitis means both of the country’s Test openers are out – Phil Jaques has the mumps – of the Pura Cup games starting on Friday while Andrew Symonds has an ankle problem, Michael Clarke is fighting hamstring tightness and Stuart MacGill’s struggles continue.It is a relief for Australia that there is no serious cricket due until the Twenty20 international in Perth on December 11. Hayden will not play for Queensland against South Australia after Cricket Australia’s medical staff said he needed on-going treatment. The injury does not threaten his prospects for the Boxing Day Test.The future of MacGill is still unclear after a specialist analysed his hand and wrist on Wednesday and a Cricket Australia spokesman told the Australian he would return for more scans. MacGill is having trouble with a bone-on-bone knee problem, but he also experienced numbness in his hand during the Test against Sri Lanka in Hobart.”I have had nothing confirmed at this stage by anyone qualified to do so, but can guarantee you that I will not be taking the field again until I am at the top of my game,” MacGill told the paper. “I will do anything necessary to achieve that, including surgery.”MacGill’s manager, Leo Karis, said the legspinner did not know what to do. “He’s assessing his options,” Karis told AAP. “Whether that option is A, B, C or D, his main focus is playing cricket pain-free and that’s up to him to see how he does that.”

Abdul Razzaq, the Pakistan allrounder, was admitted to a private hospital in Melbourne this morning after a bout of vomiting, dizziness and breathing difficulties. His illness has not yet been diagnosed, but it forced him to miss the third day’s play of the Boxing Day Test at the MCG. Ambulance crews were called to the team hotel this morning after reports that Razzaq had fallen out of bed, suffered some loss of feeling in his legs, and had collapsed.Bob Woolmer, Pakistan’s coach, indicated that Razzaq was slightly better after being put under observation. “We haven’t any real diagnosis as to what the problem was,” he told the AAP news agency. “As a cricket coach, I’m not going to venture into the doctor’s field. Whether he will be fit tomorrow is conjecture, I don’t know. He can walk, but very slowly.”When Razzaq was admitted to hospital, Haroon Rashid, the Pakistan manager, told , a Melbourne-based newspaper: “In the morning he complained so we took him to hospital, but otherwise everything [about him] seems fine.”Razzaq has had a listless series so far. He was out to a reckless hoick at Perth, and was then inexplicably strokeless in Pakistan’s first innings at Melbourne, facing 76 deliveries to make an unbeaten 4. Observers suggested that he may have been over-compensating for a rash dismissal in the first Test.

Vikram Solanki held up Warwickshire for a further 85 minutes today as Worcestershire topped 300 in a first innings at New Road for the first time this season.Solanki is a batsman who cashes in on his big innings. Resuming on 113 – thed ninth first-class century of his career – he went on to pass 150 for the seventh time.Three fours off Graeme Welch in the sixth over put him back in the groove but overnight partner Steve Rhodes was content to plod along with only five in the first hour.Solanki eventually collected 25 boundaries to reach 160 in 311 minues before a loose drive off Dougie Brown flew straight to substitute Stuart Eustace at mid-off.Rhodes contributed 28 to a partnership of 112 in 34 overs and added only 25 in 135 minutes this morning to reach 45 in a lunch total of 311 for six.

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There was a dramatic day allround at Headingley as Somerset plunged towards an innings defeat without Marcus Trescothick, their captain, who had to leave the match to return to his wife who was expected to give birth earlier than was thought. Without their skipper Somerset were spineless. Firstly Ian Harvey continued to carve up their attack and crunched his way to a maiden double-century and then their batting fell in a heap. Sanath Jayasuriya suffered a nightmare debut, out twice in the day for 0 and 7, caught off Matthew Hoggard in the first innings. But it was Deon Kruis, the South African seam bowler, and Tim Bresnan who did most of the damage. Bresnan backed-up his 74 with three first-innings wickets and Kruis ripped the Somerset top-order out when they followed-on, a massive 319 runs behind. Craig White nipped out Ian Blackwell before the close, as Ismail Dawood, the wicketkeeper, took his fifth catch and they had a chance to wrap up victory today until some belated resistance from John Francis and Aaron Laraman.
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A determined century from Darren Robinson and some useful contributions from the enabled Leicestershire to get within 100 runs of Northamptonshire’s first-innings. Robinson and Darren Maddy extended their opening stand to 135 before Steffan Jones claimed the top-three batsmen. The Northants bowlers continued to chip away and at 263 for 7 the follow-on looked a possibility. But the lower-order used the long handle to good effect, especially Claude Henderson who hit 30 from 27 balls. All the Northants bowlers took at least one wicket, but Jones was the pick with 4-74. It will now be down to David Sales to decide what sort of a target he wants to set Leicestershire and he could be tempted to put pressure on the fragile batting line-up.

Yorkshire have confirmed the signing of Yuvraj Singh as their second overseas player for the 2003 county season.The decision was made following injuries to their other overseas player, Australia’s Matthew Elliott, and all-rounder Craig White. White is expected to be out of action for three months after undergoing a rib operation, while Elliott, who is carrying a long-standing knee injury and whose brother-in-law is battling a terminal illnees, is also expected to take a relatively long break.Yuvraj becomes the second Indian after Sachin Tendulkar to play for Yorkshire. He is expected to arrive in Headingley on Thursday and will make his Yorkshire debut in a Sunday League game against Leicestershire on May 18.”Sachin told me that I would enjoy it at Yorkshire and that I should take the opportunity with both hands,” Yuvraj told later.”I think everybody should have the experience of playing county cricket,” he added.Yuvraj has yet to play Test cricket, but he has 73 ODI caps to his name, and was a key component of the Indian team that reached the World Cup final.

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A solid 91 from Mark Wallace in Glamorgan’s 451 helped to set up an intriguing final days’ play tomorrow at Swansea, with Sri Lanka A needing another 225 runs to win with nine wickets left.Nuwan Kulasekara, who ended with figures of 6 for 109, made the early breakthrough for Sri Lanka A with the wicket Dean Cosker early on, but David Hemp and Ian Thomas put on a handy stand until Thomas was caught off Suraj Mohamed for 68. Mike Powell completed a dismal match with the bat when he was bowled by Kulasekara for 2, but Jonathan Hughes then added a round 50 before he was trapped lbw by Jehan Mubarak.Hemp then fell for 73, bowled by Kulasekara, and Wallace made his mark on the match, hitting 12 fours and a six and putting on stands with Robert Croft (37) and David Harrison (22*). Wallace was finally out, stumped by Charith Sylvester Fernando off Suraj as Glamorgan set Sri Lanka A 254 to win.However, Ian Daniel was out in the first over, bowled by Harrison for 1, leaving Shantha Kalavitigoda and Malintha Gajanayake holding the fort as Sri Lanka A press for victory tomorrow.

Queensland 2 for 64 trail NSW 203 (Haddin 66, Dawes 6-49) by 139 runs
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The ball dominated as 12 wickets fell on the opening day of Queensland’s Pura Cup match against New South Wales at the Gabba. At the close, Queensland were 2 for 64 in reply to NSW’s 203.There was little untoward in the first two hours as NSW cruised to 1 for 89 after winning the toss. But then they lost nine wickets for 114, including four for nine runs in a torrid half an hour after lunch as Joe Dawes and Andy Bichel wreaked havoc. Dawes finished with 6 for 49.Brad Haddin led a spirited counterattack with a 90-ball 66, which included 10 fours and a six, but he received scant support. Queensland wicketkeeper Wade Seccombe took four catches in the innings, taking him past 500 first-class career and 450 domestic four-day dismissals.Matthew Nicholson took two quick wickets when Queensland batted to reduce them to 2 for 31, but Jimmy Maher (23*) and Andrew Symonds (29*) arrested the slide with an unbroken 47-run stand.

Warwickshire have confirmed the signing of the Australian spin bowler Brad Hogg as one of their overseas players for 2004. Hogg, 32, was a member of the side which won the World Cup in South Africa earlier this year, and is currently playing for Australia in the one-day TVS Cup tournament in India.Hogg, a left-hander, started out as a specialist batsman and remains a fine strokemaker who bats in the middle/lower order for Western Australia, but he is now better known as an unorthodox left-arm wrist spinner. He is also a magnificent fielder.Dennis Amiss, Warwickshire’s chief executive, said: “We are delighted to be able to agree terms with Brad to enable him to join us next season, and his world-class left-arm spin bowling will provide the control and penetration we have been searching for. He was, without doubt, one of the most impressive bowlers in the last World Cup, taking 13 wickets at 24.76 apiece, and he will make an enormous difference to our bowling line-up.”

Victoria 2 for 14 trail South Australia 254 (Cosgrove 82, Manou 50) by 240 runs
ScorecardSouth Australia and Victoria were evenly poised in their Pura Cup match at the Adelaide Oval after a lacklustre opening day. Mark Cosgrove hit a stylish 82, with 13 boundaries, and his contribution lifted the home side from 4 for 68 after the captain, Graham Manou, won the toss and elected to bat.Manou chipped in with 50 while the No. 8, Mark Cleary, scored 40 as the lower order pushed the total past 250. The paceman Michael Lewis impressed early and finished with 3 for 34 while Mathew Inness also grabbed three as he cleaned up the tail.South Australia finished strongly as Shaun Tait picked up the valuable wickets of Matthew Elliott for 6 and the nightwatchman Lewis for a duck.

South Africa’s domestic limited-overs season will get a star-studded launch with the annual Sports Trust Cricket Challenge at the Wanderers on November 10. The match traditionally pits the Standard Bank Cup winners against the Rest of South Africa, and this year’s game will see all 14 members of the South African squad to tour India in action.While Andrew Hall and Justin Ontong will represent the Highveld Lions, Ray Jennings, the new national coach, will pick his XI from the other 12 squad members. The squad have been in an intense training camp at the United Cricket Board’s High Performance Center at the University of Pretoria since last week, and this match will provide the players with an ideal opportunity to get some match practice ahead of their departure for India on Thursday.Aside from Ontong and Hall, the Highveld Lions – who beat Easterns in the final of the Standard Bank Cup last season – will feature five players with international experience, including Neil McKenzie, Adam Bacher, HD Ackerman and Derek Crookes.Rest of South Africa (from): Graeme Smith (capt), Boeta Dippenaar, Hashim Amla, Zander de Bruyn, Jacques Kallis, Makhaya Ntini, Robin Peterson, Shaun Pollock, Jacques Rudolph, Thami Tsolekile, Alfonso Thomas, Martin van Jaarsveld.Highveld Lions (from): Andrew Hall, Adam Bacher, HD Ackerman (capt), Neil McKenzie, Justin Ontong, Vaughn van Jaarsveld, Derek Crookes, Ahmed Omar, Eugene Moleon, David Terbrugge, Enoch Nkwe, Garnett Kruger.