England hoping to retain Donald

The England and Wales Cricket Board aims to clarify Allan Donald's future within its coaching set-up before the end of the week, it has emerged.

Donald was appointed in May on an eight-week contract as a consultant to help pace-bowling coach Kevin Shine.

But as Shine also works with England's reserve side - and potentially the Academy - Donald may be retained.

"Discussions are ongoing as to whether we extend his consultancy role," an ECB spokesman told BBC Sport.

"The England management have been very happy with what Allan Donald has brought to the table in working with the seam bowlers."

After England bowled out West Indies for 146 on Sunday to win the first one-day international, captain Paul Collingwood was quick to credit Donald's input.

Collingwood said: "AD is a very passionate guy and speaks his mind, which is fantastic, because he has a hell of a lot of knowledge."

England attracted widespread criticism for failing to retain Troy Cooley as bowling coach after the 2005 Ashes series.

AD has complimented Shiney's ideas perfectly

Stuart Broad

With injuries ruling Simon Jones out since then, and restricting the role of Andrew Flintoff, the back-up bowlers have often struggled in the international arena.

England coach Peter Moores has a close relationship with Donald after their time together at Free State, the provincial side in South Africa where England's leading pace bowler Matthew Hoggard also played.

Moores's old job - as director of the National Academy - would be a possible future role for Shine to pursue if Donald is given a more permanent position.

Donald, 40, the first South African to take 300 wickets in Tests, is not thought to have any other commitments that would prevent him staying with England.

Stuart Broad, the 21-year-old fast bowler who took 3-20 in nine overs on Sunday, said: "Allan Donald has been great to work with.

"He has made it clear that we need to bowl with aggression throughout the innings and, whatever lengths we're bowling, we need to bowl them hard.

"The guys feel like they are still moving in the right direction.

"AD has complimented Shiney's ideas perfectly so that whenever there is a problem with your action or if you're falling away slightly then they are there to help."

Vaughan quits as one-day skipper

Michael Vaughan has resigned as captain of England's one-day side, but insists he wants to be a member of the new squad when it is announced on Friday.

Vaughan said: "I will continue to play one-day cricket for Yorkshire and it is not my intention to retire from one-day international cricket as a player.

"I do, however, appreciate that the new captain will need a period of time to establish his own authority."

Paul Collingwood is the favourite to take over as one-day captain.
Collingwood told Radio Five Live: "There are going to be quite a few names in the hat.

"We've got some good one-day players in the side and it's up to the selectors in the next few days to decide who the next man for the job is.

"It's a stressful job, not an easy job, but if I was asked I would be very happy to take it.

"My one-day and Test form are going pretty well at the moment."
He was backed by former England captain Alec Stewart, who told Five Live: "In my opinion, Paul Collingwood is the best man for the job.

"I know how much it would mean to him to be captain of England.

"And I don't think you will see him have the aspirations to upset the apple cart for the Test captaincy either. He is also a player who can rise to the big occasion."

Vaughan - who remains England's Test captain - stressed he had made the decision to give up the one-day role "some time ago".

He said he had initially planned to make an announcement after the end of the Riverside Test on Tuesday "to avoid it becoming a distraction to the team".

But "intense speculation in the media" had persuaded him to bring the decision forward by 24 hours.

Vaughan recently stated that he believed it best for the same person to lead both the Test and one-day sides, but acknowledged he was unlikely to be around for the next World Cup in 2011.

And despite being England's most successful Test captain of all time in terms of the number of matches won, he has not achieved similar success in the shorter form of the game.

Some have questioned whether he was worth his place in the side as a player. He has not managed a single century in 86 matches and only averages 27 compared to his Test average of 43.
His predecessor Nasser Hussain said he was concerned that if Vaughan continued to try to play both forms of the game his career could be shortened by injuries.

"I personally would like Michael Vaughan's body looked after. He has been an exceptional Test match captain but if he plays in all the one-dayers I don't think he will last," said Hussain.

"I would like to see it handled delicately so he can go out on his own terms. He has made a brilliant leader but it gives someone the opportunity to take that side on."

Vaughan said he had been carefully considering the best way forward for England in one-day cricket since the end of the World Cup.

He added: "Our priority is to build a one-day squad able to compete strongly at the next World Cup and I firmly believe the interests of the team will be best served if I step down.

"I am committed to continuing as England's Test captain for as long as I can be successful in that role.

"I enjoy the job and I also believe that I will be able to form a strong working relationship with whoever is appointed to the one-day captaincy."

Pietersen motivated by Ashes hurt

England want to "demolish" Australia in the next Ashes series, according to batting star Kevin Pietersen.

He told BBC Five Live's Sportsweek the team had responded positively to last winter's 5-0 defeat in Australia and their poor World Cup performance.

"Inside we're hurting and it's the same sort of pain we want to inflict on countries that tour England," he said.

"The way we're playing out cricket now is the way we want to play and the way we want to demolish Australia in 2009."

Pietersen, in particular, has been in inspired form in the current series against West Indies, making 438 runs so far at an average of 87, including a Test best score of 226.

And he credits new coach Peter Moores, who took over from Duncan Fletcher at the start of the summer, for instilling a new ruthlessness among the players.

"I think the best thing about England's performances this summer has been the fact they we've been out there at the West Indies throats...we've shown we're not that bad at cricket.

"The winter was really tough for us, playing against what is probably the greatest Australian team, but we've learnt our lessons, our batters are scoring big runs, our bowlers are taking wickets and we're not putting down too many catches - we're showing that killer instinct which is something we want to do," said Pietersen.

"we want to be mentally right, we want to be physically right and we want to keep asking questions, ball after ball, session after session. A team has to back down at some stage.

"It's something Mooresy is very keen on and as soon as you turn up at the ground you're in the right frame of mind, you've got positive energy, positive vibes in the dressing room.

"Positive energy breeds positive performances," he added.

Former England and Wales Cricket Board chief executive Tim Lamb told Sportsweek agreed that Moores had made a "promising start" as head coach.

Responding to Pietersen's comments, Lamb, now in charge of the Central Council of Physical Recreation, said "We showed what we could do in 2005 when we played at the top of our game and maybe the Australians didn't.

"I think English cricket is back on track but there is some gap to be made up between ourselves and the Australians. Let's hope for better things in a couple of years time."

Vaughan one-day future uncertain

England captain Michael Vaughan's place in the one-day side is still up for debate, chairman of selectors David Graveney has admitted.

With the opening day's play in the fourth Test washed out the selectors and Vaughan met to discuss the Twenty20 and one-day matches.

Vaughan, 32, averages just 27 in one-day cricket and led England's unsuccessful World Cup campaign.

"We haven't made our decision," said Graveney, on Vaughan's position.

"I invited him in the normal way I would the captain.

"What we have had here is a first discussion - knowing Michael's views about how we should play as a team - with Peter Moores and Geoff Miller.

Can Michael Vaughan play both forms of the game?

Chairman of selectors David Graveney

"We have talked about his position as a batsman, we haven't skirted the issue, he knows the way he has played, he knows what he wants to do long term and that is an ongoing scenario."

Vaughan's future in the one-day game has been the subject of much debate, with suggestions he would be better standing down from the short form of the game to concentrate on Test cricket.

He struggled with the bat throughout the winter before finally finding form in his 12th and final one-day innings, hitting 79 in the win over West Indies in Barbados.

"To me the way he played against West Indies is the way we have all wanted Michael Vaughan to play for England in one-day cricket," said Graveney.

The chairman of selectors indicated that he prefers evolution rather than revolution, suggesting Vaughan will stay for the near future.

"Can Michael Vaughan play both forms of the game? Do we want Michael Vaughan to be captain in 2009? How do we achieve that?

"Four years is a very long time and sometimes we have broken up our teams too early.

"If you break up a team immediately after a World Cup it means you can end up with a totally inexperienced team and one which goes through a period of losing.

"I see the integration of younger players as more gradual."

The squad is set to be announced after England's A side - now renamed as England Lions - take on the West Indies at Worcester on Thursday.

Trescothick comeback played down

England chairman of selectors David Graveney has played down talk of an immediate recall for Marcus Trescothick after the Tests against West Indies.

Despite England's series win, the poor form of Andrew Strauss and the upcoming one-day internationals have prompted many to call for Trescothick's return.

The opener missed most of the winter because of a stress-related illness, but has been in fine form of late.

But Graveney told BBC Sport: "There is no point running before you can walk."

He added: "He is up there as one of the most attacking one-day players in the world.

"But we are just monitoring the situation at the moment - I refuse to keep pestering him with the same question.

"I'm talking to the coaching staff, him from time to time about subjects other than cricket, and we've left it in a situation where he will contact us when he's ready.

"It's great he's back playing and doing as well as he has been, let's see what happens now."

There are areas we have to discuss re: touring, but we have not addressed that at all yet

David Graveney

But Graveney admitted Trescothick could yet play again for England this year, despite the Somerset opener not representing his country since August 2006.

He pulled out of tours to India and Australia last year, but Graveney conceded England's short tour to Sri Lanka followed by the Twenty20 World Cup and one-day series might not be too onerous.

"First and foremost, that subject has not been broached with Marcus," he told BBC Sport cricket correspondent Jonathan Agnew.

"There are areas we have to discuss re: touring, but we have not addressed that at all yet.

"However, I know where people are coming from, I'm not sticking my head in the sand. The tour to Sri Lanka is actually a short compact trip. But does it fit the bill? Those questions have not been asked."

Pietersen unhappy with workload

Kevin Pietersen believes the demands of world cricket mean top stars are playing too much cricket and being treated no different to county pros.

The Hampshire batsman has been an England regular in both forms of the game for the past two years.

And he said: "There are loads and loads of demands on your time now.

"The world game is becoming like county cricket, which is hard but it's what we've wanted to do since we were kids so we've just got to get on and do it."

But Pietersen said he would never pull out of overseas tours, despite his plans to get married and start a family with pop star Jessica Taylor.

"I'm a bit worried about it, but not as worried as the reports say I am.

"I'm never going to be in a situation where I turn a tour down or a game down because I love doing this.

"But it might be a different story if I was a fast bowler trying to run in hard every week."

Pietersen, 26, was speaking at an Urban Cricket coaching clinic on behalf of Test sponsors npower at Bowburn Junior School in Durham.

Once the Test series starts against India we don't really have a break until the middle of October

Kevin Pietersen

He said it was important to plan time away from the game - and work hard at improving his technique between matches.

He is already eyeing a break between the final one-day international against West Indies at Trent Bridge on July 7 and start of the first Test against India at Lord's 12 days later as a possible opportunity to rest.

"I'm good at switching off and donating a load of my time to family and people away from the game and I do like to get away.

"Once the Test series starts against India we don't really have a break until the middle of October so you have to have your time away to try to recharge your batteries.

"It doesn't matter how well or badly you're playing, you have to have that balance."

Writing in his Test Match Special blog on Thursday, BBC cricket correspondent Jonathan Agnew said he "sensed an increasing discontent" among top international players.

He feels the next step would be for players to boycott an International Cricket Council event, such as the 2008 Champions Trophy.

Hoggard happy with injury return

Matthew Hoggard expects to be able to play for England in the fourth West Indies Test on Friday after bowling 10 "pain free" overs for Yorkshire.

The England seamer was playing his first match since suffering a groin injury in the first Test on 19 May.

Hoggard took 1-55 as Yorkshire scraped an unlikely one-run Duckworth-Lewis victory over Northants in the Friends Provident Trophy match at Headingley.

He said: "The only issue is going into a Test without much match practice."
Providing there are no after-effects, the 30-year-old will take his place in the England side at the Riverside.

Now I'm an old head with a lot of experience, I think I can close my eyes and 'wang' it in roughly the right spot

Matthew Hoggard

"It was a good work-out and nice to get three spells, stopping and starting and making sure I could carry on," said Hoggard, who is due to make his 64th Test appearance at Chester-le-Street.

"That was as much of a test as anything. If you can get through 10 overs with three spells it means that it's fine.

"I can't feel it now, and if I wake up on Thursday and it's still pain free then there has been no reaction.

"It would have been nice to have a little bit more practice - but I want to play in the Test match.

"Now I'm an old head with a lot of experience, I think I can close my eyes and 'wang' it in roughly the right spot.

"I'm happy with the way it's coming out. It's not as if I've come back feeling like a bag of spanners; I've come back feeling quite good."
With Liam Plunkett dropped from the squad, James Anderson would make his first appearance of the summer if Hoggard is deemed unfit.

Hoggard's sole wicket on Wednesday saw him have Usman Afzaal caught at point after the left-hander had hit 132.

The previous delivery, a slow full toss, had been hit over deep mid-wicket for six.

Hoggard's first six overs were unspectacular but tidy with the new ball, and he returned with two more spells of two each.

Northants racked up 314-4 on a good wicket and Hoggard was more economical than most of the Yorkshire bowlers.

And he finished up on the winning side after heavy rain convinced the umpires to take the teams off the field just as Yorkshire sneaked in front on D/L, with 119-2 on the board from 21 overs.

Harmison receives Gough's backing

Former England paceman Darren Gough is confident that Steve Harmison can rediscover his best form.

Harmison, 28, endured a miserable Ashes series and has bowled erratically in the Tests against West Indies.

But Gough told BBC Radio Five Live: "He's got 200 Test wickets and has bowled out the best teams in the world.

"He's had a bad couple of months and people are saying he's rubbish. He's awesome. That guy can go and get 300 or 400 Test wickets."

Yorkshire captain Gough, who took 229 Test wickets for England, added: "When they look down and see the name Steve Harmison, it worries the opposition."

Gough's view of Harmison's talent was echoed by another former England bowler, Dominic Cork.

Steve Harmison will be the number one world-class bowler for a long time to come

Dominic Cork

"When he gets it right, he is the best in the world, up there with the likes of Brett Lee and Glenn McGrath.

"He gets wickets. Somebody who has become number one in the world all of a sudden doesn't just lose talent.

"Steve Harmison will be the number one world-class bowler for a long time to come and we should get off his back and give him a chance."

However, Gough feels that Harmison's England team-mate Liam Plunkett needs to get his confidence back before facing further international opposition.

"I really rate him but he has just got to start again," said Gough.

"His confidence is just shot to bits and he needs to get back now and play some county cricket.

"I think they'll bring him back for the one-dayers but I think he needs to get some confidence back."

Hoggard backs Strauss to hit form

Matthew Hoggard says England were right to keep faith with out-of-form opener Andrew Strauss for the final Test against West Indies at the Riverside.

Geoff Boycott said the Middlesex batman should have been dropped for the match, which starts in Durham on Friday.

But Hoggard told BBC Five Live: "He's a quality player. It isn't just about runs, it's also about his personality and knowledge. He's another captain.

"He's on a bit of bad run at the moment but it only takes one knock."

Hoggard is due to return to England's side on Friday providing he proves his fitness in Yorkshire's Friends Provident Trophy match on Wednesday.

The Yorkshire seamer missed the last two Tests because of a groin strain but is confident of joining forces with Steve Harmison in England's line-up.

Hoggard's return has seen the selectors drop Liam Plunkett after an erratic display in the third Test series-clinching win at Old Trafford.

Vaughan wants 'ruthless' England

England skipper Michael Vaughan has called on his team to show no mercy to the West Indies in the fourth and final Test at Chester-le-Street this weekend.

Vaughan was delighted to seal the series at Old Trafford but is eager to hammer home his side's superiority.

"I'm looking for 3-0," said Vaughan after becoming England's most successful captain of all time.

"You've got to enjoy getting teams in the dirt. You've got to enjoy getting on top of them."
England took an insurmountable 2-0 lead in the series with a 60-run win in Manchester but Vaughan was unhappy that the tourists got as close as they did to pulling off a remarkable triumph.

We are on a winning streak but you have to be ruthless to continue it

Michael Vaughan

The Windies were set a record target of 455 on Saturday and were 22-1 when play resumed on Sunday.

But a magnificent effort from Shivnarine Chanderpaul frustrated England's bowling attack and helped the West Indies get uncomfortably close to pulling off a famous victory.

"There was a little spell in the game in which we weren't as ruthless as I would have liked and we allowed them to sneak back into it," admitted Vaughan.

"But we will have to learn from that. We are now two-up and we will go to Durham and get a 3-0.

"Winning becomes a habit and losing becomes a habit. We are on a winning streak but you have to be ruthless to want to continue it."

The Yorkshire star will also be keen to build on his superb record as England captain.

Monday's victory was the 21st of his 35-Test tenure and it took him past Peter May's previous best of 20 wins. Vaughan has also won eight of his 11 Test series in charge.

Panesar soars up bowling rankings

Monty Panesar has climbed from 26th to a career-best 12th in the ICC rankings after his 10 wickets at Old Trafford.

Panesar, 25, the first England spinner since Phil Tufnell in 1997 to achieve the feat, helped the hosts to a 60-run win over West Indies in the third Test.

He is ranked the third best slow bowler in the world after Sri Lanka's Muttiah Muralitharan and Anil Kumble of India.

"He's had a heavy influence in Tests England have won. He's top-class," Windies captain Daren Ganga said.

"He is winning games for England and I rate spinners on how they've influenced a game."

West Indies began the final day at Old Trafford on 301-5 chasing a record 455 to win.

Panesar, who now has 59 wickets in 16 Tests, finished with 6-137, to go with his 4-50 in the first innings, as England wrapped up victory on the final day.

He extracted sharp turn and bounce on a wearing surface and caused all the batsmen problems.

"He's just great to have in the team - I knew chasing that amount of runs with him in the side would always be very difficult for them

Michael Vaughan on Panesar

Bowling unchanged from the Warwick Road end throughout the final day, Panesar's enthusiasm spilled over on a handful of occasions, leading to a rebuke from umpire Aleem Dar.

"Aleem told me to appeal before I started celebrating," said Panesar. "I guess I get a little bit excited when I'm out there."

Coach Peter Moores played down the seriousness of the incident, saying: "When the umpire says not out then Monty stops which I think is fine, it's when people go again that isn't right.

"I thought all the appealing that went on was fine."

Captain Michael Vaughan said he was glad to have Panesar as an option.

"He's becoming pretty special and a really nice left-arm spinner," Vaughan said. "He bowls in good areas and give him a bit of rough and he can hit it.

"He's just great to have in the team. I knew that chasing that amount of runs with him in the side would always be very difficult for them.

"I know he got six-for but I thought they played him pretty well. If they hadn't played him as well as they did he could have ended up with a really big bag of wickets."

Strauss needs break, says Boycott

Geoff Boycott says England should have dropped Andrew Strauss for the fourth Test against West Indies and asked him to regain his form with his county.

The Middlesex opener, 30, struggled during the winter and has hit only 58 runs in three Tests this summer.

Coach Peter Moores has backed the left-hander to come good but ex-England batsman Boycott says he needs a break.

"He's just not playing well. I would have sent him back to county cricket for a while," Boycott told.
"If he gets runs in the next Test it will be a good decision but I've been in that situation when your mind's gone and you can't make a run, your feet are all over the place.

"If the West Indies bowl OK he will get out again cheaply because his feet are not going in the right spot so he will need a lot of character and a slice of luck or two early on to survive."

He's worked hard and with hard work normally comes that bit of luck

Peter Moores on Strauss

England made just one change to their 12-man squad for the fourth Test, which starts on Friday at the Riverside, recalling seamer Matthew Hoggard in place of the out-of-form Liam Plunkett.

But they kept faith with Strauss, and Moores is convinced he will be back to his best sooner rather than later.

"He's hitting the ball well in practice. I've every confidence in Andrew, he's a really good player, he's shown it in the past and we'll see it again in the future," he insisted.

"It's a case of getting some time in the middle. Before he came into this Test series he'd just got a hundred, and he's very hungry.

"He's worked hard and with hard work normally comes that bit of luck, and hopefully he gets that at Durham."

Strauss made a flying start to his Test career with five centuries in his first 11 games and he has almost 3,000 from 39 Tests at an average of 41.15.

It would have been an opportunity to push Michael Vaughan up to opening and bring in a younger player

Boycott on why Strauss should have been dropped

But that has dropped because of a dip in his form which began with a torrid time in the Ashes series in Australia and continued at the World Cup in the Caribbean.

Despite his struggles - he made 6 and 0 in the third Test at Old Trafford - England have an unassailable 2-0 lead in the series against the Windies and Boycott says the time was right to make a change.

"I'm not dismissing him from Test cricket - he has too good a record," the former England opener added on BBC Radio Five Live's podcast.

"But everybody's had a period where they haven't played very well, they've lost confidence and form, and it can be very cruel in the Test arena.

"It would have been an opportunity to push Michael Vaughan up to opening, which he's quite used to, and bring in a younger player.

"Owais Shah and Ravi Bopara could do with some international cricket, so it would have been a good opportunity, especially since they've already won the series."

Magical panesar seals series win

Third Test, Old Trafford, day five: England 370 & 313 bt West Indies 229 & 394 by 60 runs
Monty Panesar took his first 10-wicket haul in a Test as England beat West Indies by 60 runs at Old Trafford to secure an unassailable 2-0 series lead.

The Windies, chasing a record 455, were given hope by Shiv Chanderpaul (116no) who guided them to 379-7 at lunch.

But Steve Harmison (4-95) dismissed Jerome Taylor and Fidel Edwards in the same over to go past 200 Test wickets.

And Panesar (6-137), who removed Denesh Ramdin and Darren Sammy in the morning, had Corey Collymore caught to seal it.
The victory saw Michael Vaughan overtake Peter May as England's most successful Test skipper, with 21 wins, and clinched a third straight series triumph over the Windies.

The visitors have only pride to play for in the fourth and final instalment of the series, which begins in Durham on Friday, but they will go there having regained plenty of it in this game.


MOST WINS AS ENGLAND CAPTAIN
Michael Vaughan (2003-): 21 wins in 35 Tests (60% won)
Peter May (1955-61): 20 in 41 (48.78%)
Mike Brearley (1977-81): 18 in 31 (58.06%)
Nasser Hussain (1999-2003): 17 in 45 (37.77%)
Michael Atherton (1993-98 & 2001): 13 in 54 (24.07%)

Their final total was the eighth highest in a losing cause and, when they resumed on 301-5, they were still in with a shout while Chanderpaul was at the crease.

The experienced left-hander was the epitome of caution, particularly against Panesar, who extracted sharp turn and bounce.

One delivery to Chanderpaul which shot up and over wicket-keeper Matt Prior's head was signalled as the short ball for the over from umpire Aleem Dar.

And it was no surprise when the slow left-armer found Ramdin's edge in his second over, with Paul Collingwood doing the rest at slip.

Sammy was determined to be positive and twice carved Harmison away for boundaries on the off-side before lifting Panesar down the ground.


HIGHEST SCORES IN DEFEAT
451: NZ v Eng, 2002
445: Ind v Aus, 1978
440: NZ v Eng, 1973
417: Eng v Aus, 1977
411: Eng v Aus, 1924
402: Aus v Eng, 1981
397: Ind v Eng, 2002
394: WI v Eng, 2007
376: Ind v Eng, 1959
370: Eng v Aus, 1921
370: Eng v Aus, 2006

He was fortunate on several occasions, particularly when Andrew Strauss could not grasp the chance when he gloved to gully, before Panesar held on to a firm return drive.

That exposed, statistically, the worst tail in Test cricket and it could have got worse for the Windies had Collingwood not dropped a chance at slip off Jerome Taylor he would have been expected to take.

Chanderpaul, who had resumed on 81 off 176 balls, took 57 deliveries to get to his 15th Test century, choosing caution over any attempt to add to his 12 boundaries.

And with Taylor proving a surprisingly defiant ally for him, keeping out 45 balls, England were by no means assured of victory when they went off for lunch.

Harmison hastened the visitors' demise, however, by producing two brutal deliveries which Taylor and Edwards fended to short-leg and gully.

Appropriately enough, Panesar had the last say and ended with fine figures of 10-187 for the match, when Collymore clipped the slow left-armer to short-leg, where Ian Bell brilliantly plucked the ball.

Hoggard returns to England squad

England have called up Matthew Hoggard to replace out-of-sorts Durham seamer Liam Plunkett in their 12-man squad for the fourth Test against West Indies.

The Yorkshire paceman has been missing from the team since suffering a groin injury in the first Test at Lord's.

He will play at the Riverside on Friday if he can prove his fitness in his county's FP Trophy match on Wednesday.

"If he is fully fit, he will replace Liam Plunkett in our line-up," said chairman of selectors David Graveney.

Plunkett, who endured an indifferent winter in Australia and the Caribbean, has struggled for consistency throughout the West Indies series.

And he did not bowl at all on Monday as England sought to bowl out the tourists and clinch the series.

He's a man for the future, without a shadow of a doubt

Peter Moores on Plunkett

Former Test captain Alec Stewart and BBC cricket correspondent Jonathan Agnew have both said that the 22-year-old needs a spell in county cricket to rebuild his confidence.

"With Matthew we get a slightly more experienced performer and it's a chance to get more consistency in that bowling," coach Peter Moores said.

"We want Liam to go back to Durham and keep honing those skills. He's a man for the future, without a shadow of a doubt, because not only does he bowl at a good pace and make it swing he also bats.

"He's only 22 and Test cricket's a harsh place to ply your trade."


James Anderson has been put on standby and is due to play for his county Lancashire on Wednesday.

England bowling coach Allan Donald is due to fly home to South Africa following the death of his father in Bloemfontein.

He hopes to return to link up with the England team before the final Test gets under way at Chester-le-Street.

England squad for fourth Test at the Riverside:

Michael Vaughan (capt), James Anderson, Ian Bell, Paul Collingwood, Alastair Cook, Stephen Harmison, Matthew Hoggard, Kevin Pietersen, Matt Prior (wkt), Monty Panesar, Ryan Sidebottom, Andrew Strauss.

Gough fractures his bowling hand

Darren Gough broke his bowling hand while posting his best Yorkshire figures for 11 years against Kent.

The ex-England bowler, 36, had 6-47 but took a blow trying to stop a straight drive from tail-ender Ryan McLaren.

The Yorkshire skipper was in his 15th over at Tunbridge Wells when he was struck fielding off his own bowling.

"It was an instinctive reaction, going for the catch. It's very frustrating because I had been feeling very fit and in 'A1' condition," said Gough.

Gough managed a wicket after breaking his hand when yorking McLaren.

But two balls into his next over he gave up the fight and is set to be out for up to five weeks.

Her said: "I knew I had done it straightaway. I tried to carry on, but my hand started swelling up.

"Otherwise I would have kept going.

"It's a sickening blow, but the only consolation is we just have one Championship game against Sussex next week before the Twenty20s.

"I hope to be fit to bowl again after that - we'll just have to wait and see how quickly I recover."

Plunkett 'like McGrath' - Donald

England bowling consultant Allan Donald has compared Durham youngster Liam Plunkett to one of the game's greats - the recently retired Glenn McGrath.

Plunkett, 22, who has taken 22 wickets in eight Tests, has struggled for consistency against the West Indies.

Donald told the BBC: "I'll go so far as to say Plunkett reminds me of a young McGrath, but a little bit quicker.

"It's just a question of him maturing. People expect instant solutions but it's not going to happen like that."

Donald, employed by the England and Wales Cricket Board for five weeks, is thought to be interested in a long-term role as bowling coach.

He is working in tandem with current bowling coach Kevin Shine, who according to reports is set to take on a reduced role at the academy.

Donald, a former top-class South Africa Test paceman, insisted England fans could expect Plunkett to be a force in years to come.


You shouldn't really have technical problems at this level. It's very much in the mind and the guys need to be told how good they are

Allan Donald

"There's a process he has to go through," Donald told BBC cricket correspondent Jonathan Agnew.

"It's a growing process and there's no better way to learn it than at the highest level.

"It's a very difficult thing when you have a 22-year-old learning his trade at the highest level but sometimes it's not a bad thing actually to grow here [in the Test arena].

"You know what the step up is like from first-class level to Test level."

Donald, who in a previous interview said he expected Steve Harmison to regain his best form for England, said he was going to keep things basic.

"I'm not just going to throw a plethora of information at everyone," he said.

"You shouldn't really have technical problems at this level. It's very much in the mind and the guys need to be told how good they are.

"I'm just here to facilitate and be a motivator."

Flintoff clears air with Vaughan

Andrew Flintoff says he and Michael Vaughan are at peace with each other following a lunch date on Wednesday.

The pair have dominated cricket's media agenda after the England captain said the all-rounder's "Fredalo" exploits had hurt team spirit at the World Cup.

Lancashire chief executive Jim Cumbes was appalled by Vaughan's remarks, who later claimed to have been misquoted, although tapes suggest otherwise.

And Flintoff said: "Michael and I sat down, had a chat and walked away fine."


Speaking to BBC cricket correspondent Jonathan Agnew, he added: "We go back a long way, and have a lot of history on and off the field.

"As far as I'm concerned it's finished. We've done press interviews and this and that.

"I've got utmost trust in him, but it's finished, we move on. I don't want to be talking about things that happened six to eight weeks ago."


The back of the ankle is in perfect shape and they are confident the front will be as well

Flintoff also said he was confident his recovery from ankle surgery last Friday would allow him to bowl at speeds of 88-90mph on a regular basis in the future.

He added: "I'm hoping to play at some stage this summer.

"We're not putting a time frame on it, we'll just see how it goes. One thing I want to do is get the ankle right. I want to get out there and bowl fast again.

"I've had two operations in the back [of the ankle] which aren't related to the latest one I've had.

"The back of the ankle is in perfect shape and they are confident that after this the front will be as well."
Flintoff

Flintoff said he had been watching "a lot of television" during the course of the week, including Cash in the Attic, Bargain Hunt and CBeebies.

England depth worrying - Caddick

Former England fast bowler Andy Caddick believes there is a lack of strength in depth in the current line-up.

He told Five Live Sport younger bowlers should spend more time playing county cricket before reaching Test level.

Injuries to stars like Andrew Flintoff, Simon Jones and Matthew Hoggard have left Steve Harmison as the sole senior paceman taking on West Indies.

"It's pretty light. There's not much coming through the ranks if there are some more injuries," said Caddick.

Caddick, one of 10 English bowlers to have taken more than 200 Test wickets, continued: "I'm a little bit concerned these guys aren't having enough time playing domestic cricket.

"It would be nice to see these guys learning the trade, especially in one-day cricket."

If we can get the youngsters playing more domestic cricket England will be in a better position for the future

Andy Caddick

Under former coach Duncan Fletcher, centrally contracted players rarely appeared at county level, although his successor Peter Moores has shown signs of loosening the policy.

Harmison, who missed the World Cup having retired from one-day cricket, gained a rare opportunity to play for Durham at the start of the season.

But his opening partner Liam Plunkett, who struggled for consistency in the Caribbean, managed just one match for his county before the Test series began.

Somerset veteran Caddick was speaking after day two of the Championship match against a Leicestershire side including young pace star Stuart Broad.

"I would like to see him playing a lot more domestic cricket. These are young guys who need to spend two or three years learning how to bowl," he said.

"If we can get the youngsters playing more domestic cricket England will be in a better position for the future."

Vaughan slated for Flintoff claim

Michael Vaughan's criticism of Andrew Flintoff has been branded "despicable" by the chief executive of Lancashire.

The England skipper told The Guardian Flintoff's drunken antics on a pedalo damaged his team's World Cup chances.

"I was absolutely staggered when I read that, I just couldn't believe it," Jim Cumbes, the chief of Flintoff's county, told BBC Radio Five Live.

"It's despicable against a guy like Fred, who over the last few years has given England blood."
Vaughan said Flintoff's behaviour had irreparably harmed England's team spirit, but Cumbes said the all-rounder would be hurt by the public criticism.
Cumbes added: "Rule one of any sport is that you don't slag your team-mates in public.

"I think Fred will be bitterly hurt by this, because the last thing he would dream of doing is let his team-mates down.

"Of course he wants to do well individually, but he wants to do well for his team-mates.

"He's played when he's been unfit and forced himself through it. He was the talisman in the Ashes series."

Flintoff lost the England vice-captaincy early in the World Cup after getting into difficulty on a pedalo following his team's defeat by New Zealand.

And in an interview in the Guardian newspaper on Tuesday, Vaughan said: "That changed the whole atmosphere in the camp.

"We went into the New Zealand game with a good attitude but didn't play well and after 'Fredalo' we just started taking it all too seriously.

"Suddenly you've got players who have no freedom left. I like to see players enjoy themselves but no one would dare go out after that incident - and you can't create any spirit then."

Jones targets England tour place

Kent wicket-keeper Geraint Jones refuses to accept his England career is over despite Matt Prior's success in the current series against West Indies.

Jones lost his place during the Ashes tour to Australia, primarily because of his poor form with the bat.

But he made an unbeaten 106 in Kent's last Championship game against Surrey.

"Realistically I have to look at a place on a winter tour and that will come about if I continue to score runs," he told BBC Radio Kent.

The 30 year-old has played 34 Tests and 49 one-day internationals.

But he was pushed down the pecking order when Prior became the first England keeper in history to score a century in his debut Test when he made 126 not out against West Indies at Lord's last month.

Despite that, Jones has drawn encouragement about his own future from an early season chat with chairman of selectors David Graveney.

"Grav popped down early in the summer and gave me the standard line about 'Go back to county cricket, score your runs and your name's in the frame'.

"That's something I've taken heart from - and the fact that I haven't been dismissed totally," Jones added.