Laxman, Kartik shine

London: V.V.S. Laxman struck a fine hundred to help Lancashire gain a 205-run lead against Warwickshire on the second day of the Division One County match at Old Trafford.
Riding on Laxman’s 103 and P. Horton’s 71, Lancashire were all out for 311 in their first innings in reply to Warwickshire’s first innings total of 106.
In a second division match, Murali Kartik took six wickets as Middlesex restricted Leicestershire to 190. Middlesex were bundled out for a 176 in their first innings at Southgate.
SUMMARISED SCORES
Warwickshire 106 (G. Chapple 4/22, Sajid Mahmood 2/21) & 125/2. Lancashire 311 (VVS Laxman 103, P. Horton 71; N. Carter 5/62).
Middlesex 176 & 309/6 (E. Smith 134, Jammie Dalrymple 57 n.o.) Leicestershire 190 (J. Maunder 58; Murali Kartik 6/85). Matches to continue.

ECB effects changes

Calcutta: The ECB on Thursday confirmed changes to the format of both the Friends Provident Trophy and the Twenty20 Cup in the 2008 domestic season, adds A Staff Reporter.
According to an ECB release, the initial stages of the Friends Provident Trophy will be changed to four groups of five teams comprising the 18 first class counties as well as Ireland and Scotland.
Meanwhile, in the Twenty20 Cup, the group stages will change to a symmetrical format of five home and five away games. The groups will remain regional-based with three groups of six first class counties.

England tour of Lanka

Colombo: The first of England’s two winter tours to Sri Lanka will start earlier than planned if they fail to reach the ICC World Twenty20 semi-finals, a senior Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) official said on Thursday.
“They have asked if we have any objections to their coming early. We have said no objections,” the official said.
England were originally scheduled to arrive on September 25 but are now looking at the 22nd.

Rafique mulls offer

Dhaka: Bangladesh spinner Mohammed Rafique is considering an offer to play in the rebel Indian Cricket League (ICL), a leading Dhaka newspaper reported on Thursday.
“I got a phone call from Pakistan cricketer Mohammed Yousuf recently. He wanted to know whether I was interested in the competition or not,” Rafique was quoted as saying by the daily.