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Inconsistency is the bane of Indian cricket teams and the currentsquad in the West Indies is no different. One can’t really be surewhen the side will touch the heights of glory or when they will plumbthe depths. They alternate so quickly between the two extremes that itbecomes extremely frustrating. Just last year it happened in Zimbabweand Sri Lanka and now again they have followed up a notable triumph atPort of Spain with a humiliating loss at Bridgetown only some ten dayslater.

But then of course the Indians must have known that conditions at theKensington Oval would not be as amiable as those prevalent at theQueen’s Park Oval. There are batsmen who intimidate bowlers andbowlers who intimidate batsmen. But here we have a ground that has ademoralizing effect on the Indians.Seven defeats in eight matches at this venue ­ including five in arow, which makes it next only to Lord’s where the Indians lost sixsuccessive Tests in the period 1932-1967 ­ is frankly an unnervingrecord. The West Indies would seem to hold all the psychological acesagainst India at Bridgetown and unless the visitors are able to shakethis off ­ like they did with a splendid fighting performance in 1971­ more defeats are bound to follow.After all, it is not just the pace of Andy Roberts, Michael Holding,Ian Bishop, Malcolm Marshall, Courtney Walsh, Curtley Ambrose andFranklyn Rose that has laid the Indians low at this jinxed venue. Eventhe spin of Sonny Ramadhin, Lance Gibbs and David Holford has been thecause of much misery for the visitors. And the infamous collapse in1997 when the Indians, set to get just 120 runs for victory, werebowled out for 81 symbolises India’s dismal showing at Bridgetown.The Indians did just about everything wrong but there is little doubtthat the batting caused more problems than the bowling. When a side isbowled out for 102 on the first day, it is an arduous uphill journeyfrom then on and only some incisive bowling followed by determinedbatting can possibly save the day. Sadly, both were missing.The bowling was generally wayward. There was little planning or efforttaken to think a batsman out. During the long fifth wicket partnershipbetween Carl Hooper and Shivnarine Chanderpaul, frequently it seemedas if the bowlers were just going through the motions of completingthe over.A deficit of 292 can be crippling but it was hoped that the Indians,by a better showing the second time around on a pitch that looked tohave eased out, could put up a fight. The optimist’s mind instantlywent back to Lord’s in 1979, when despite being shot out for 96 on theopening day and finishing 323 runs behind on the first innings, theIndians came back to save the Test thanks a 210-run third wicketpartnership between Gundappa Viswanath and Dilip Vengsarkar, one ofthe most famous rearguard actions in Indian cricket.It was quaint to think of such heroics but we were all to be badlydisillusioned. The second innings was an improvement over the first ­anything would be ­ but that was not enough.There are a couple of disturbing thoughts even as the Indians licktheir wounds. One is that the remaining two Tests are at Kingston,Jamaica and St John’s, Antigua. The Indians have not exactly coveredthemselves with glory at these venues, especially at Kingston, wherethe tally reads five losses and three draws. Conditions at Sabina Parkare generally similar to those at the Kensington Oval.The Indians will be a bit more comfortable with their record atAntigua where both the Tests in 1983 and 1997 have been drawn. All thesame, the fun and games of Bourda and Queen’s Park Oval are over andthe tough part of the tour starts now. But one wonders whether theIndians are mentally, physically and technically prepared to tackleit.The second worrying aspect is that there is precious little that canbe done to work out any change in strategy. Yes, the top-order is abit more secure with Wasim Jaffer proving to be a success and ShivSundar Das providing some semblance of substance. The failure of thefamed middle-order ­ with the notable exception of the skipper who atlast seems to be coming into his own ­ did cause some dismay but it isstrong enough to make one feel that this was just an aberration.The main problem concerns the bowling. The spin department, inparticular, is a major worry with neither Anil Kumble nor HarbhajanSingh inspiring confidence. Both have bowling averages of 40 plus whenit comes to Tests abroad. And whichever combination the teammanagement opts for ­ three seamers and one spinner or two seamers andtwo spinners ­ there is nothing to suggest that the four bowlers willdeliver the goods.The line-up, to be candid, is quite problematic but then there arehardly any other options for the selectors and one supposes the teamwill have to soldier along with this tried and tested ­ though onlypartly successful ­ quartet for the rest of the series. And that is asobering thought even for the most optimistic Indian cricket fan.

Despite the dreadful early spring weather, the CricInfo Championship has started well for the batsmen. Just two days into the summer, nine centuries have been scored. Still, one would have to travel up and down the country throughout the rest of the year to see a better knock than today’s innings from Neil Fairbrother.The diminutive left-hander made a breathtaking 179, including a partnership of 98 with an injured Gary Keedy who batted with a runner throughout.Fairbrother’s knock was an innings that had everything. He combined skilful running between the wickets with deft turns to the leg side, and added a collection of hearty Lancashire thumps.Now into his 20th season as a first-class cricketer, Fairbrother began his knock cautiously. Timing the ball sweetly throughout, he got underway with some tidy flicks to leg. A partnership with Joe Scuderi blossomed, and Fairbrother began stroking the ball to the fence, turning the ball expertly to fine-leg and hitting powerfully behind square on the off side.The innings looked in danger of falling away when a mini-collapse left the visitors 280-9. There were doubts as to whether Gary Keedy would bat after badly injuring his back on the opening day. Keedy did his duty however, and walked gingerly to the crease with Ryan Driver to run for him.Fairbrother was unbeaten on 93 at the fall of the ninth wicket. At first, he was content to pick up singles toward the end of the over, leaving Keedy to face as few balls as possible. When he reached his century, Fairbrother was given a warm ovation from a reasonable crowd at the County Ground. The applause was to become more grudging, if still appreciative, as the next hour progressed.Fairbrother changed his attitude once he had completed his century.Determined to get his county a match-winning lead, he was content to launch the ball to all parts. His footwork had been solid from the outset, moving way across towards off stump. As he progressed, his feet started to dance down the wicket, crashing the ball through the infield at will.There was a sense that Fairbrother’s efforts could come to an end at any time. His partner, rendered almost immobile, batted like a boy forced into a school match. With no backlift and little footwork, Keedy blocked bravely, and sneered as the increasingly desperate Somerset attack strayed wide.Most of the time, Keedy was left to graze rigidly at square-leg, with Driver putting in a fine effort as runner. Fairbrother has always been fast, but it defies logic that a 37-year-old is able to scamper and turn with such ferocity. He called loudly and definitely, startling poor Driver who may have hoped for an afternoon nap. If he was still in the England team, Fairbrother would be amongst the fittest.Toward the end of his knock, the boundaries began to flow. He blasted Joe Tucker over long on for six, and went onto the back foot and pulled with such venom that the two men on the leg side boundary were barely able to move before the ball struck the fence. Sauntering down the track, he also belted the ball through the covers with skill.After reaching his century from 138 balls, he added a further 79 from 62 balls, striking 27 fours and a six. Keedy eventually fell, and the County Ground rose in appreciation of a marvellous knock from one of the most valuable county cricketers. Fairbrother is a fine exponent of the county game, and this innings was a wonderful advert for the CricInfo Championship.

Though he won’t allow himself to dwell on it, Nasser Hussain should beparticularly proud of his England team after their performance in Wellington.The significance – or lack thereof – of the cricket was brought starkly intofocus with the tragic loss of Ben Hollioake, yet England showed admirableprofessionalism amidst their obvious grief.Ghastly though it was for them, the team should take positives from Wellington.As was the case in Christchurch, individual efforts were backed up by a strong team spirit. Hussain, along with Marcus Trescothick, Mark Butcher and the rapidly-improving Andrew Flintoff set up the chance for victory. With the ball, Andrew Caddick and Ashley Giles bowled in the right channels, and secured rewards in a poor New Zealand first innings effort.Hussain looked good for successive centuries, only to fall to one of manyquestionable umpiring decisions, with only served to highlight the good sense of the ICC’s elite panel.Trescothick and Butcher batted positively in both innings, and the foresight to promote Flintoff – whose blistering knock was a clinical demolition of below-par bowling – surely confines England’s ‘boring’ tag to the past. Many captains would have been content to bat for half of day five, and whilst Hussain’s declaration did not give New Zealand a realistic chance, the manner in which it was reached showed a desire to win a Test from an improbable position.England still have a long way to go. They remain a quantum leap away fromAustralia, but are – as has been the case for two years – a decent side.Auckland will be a difficult task. Nobody can suggest England will be in theright mind-set for international cricket. But they know they will have to treat the game with dedication and professionalism.The team for the third Test appears to pick itself, although inevitable questions about James Foster will continue as long as he continues to spillsimple chances. Foster is likely to keep his place, and should do. After hisnightmare debut, his batting has improved massively. The flair with which he plays his attacking shots indicated class and potential superior to Warren Hegg’s. Hegg is the better keeper, but Foster will only improve if given the chance to do so.England may consider replacing Mark Ramprakash with Craig White. Ramprakash has struggled on tour, although in a Test which England only need to draw, he looks a more solid prospect at six than White or Flintoff.Michael Vaughan also needs a score, though his starts in the first innings at Christchurch and the second in Wellington underlined his potential.There is virtually no competition for bowling places and, barring injury, the attack will be unchanged. The development of Steve Harmison and Steve Kirby (both bowlers with genuine pace) has been encouraging, and they should be pushing for places in the English summer.Despite their inexperience, England have performed admirably so far in theseries. There is no indication that a weakened Kiwi side will pose more of athreat in Auckland.Hopefully, cricket will edge back towards normality at Eden Park. Certainly no one who was at the Basin on Saturday as a numbing silence fell on the ground would want to repeat the experience.

Michael Hussey, Peter Siddle, James Pattinson, Ricky Ponting and Ben Hilfenhaus will be among the beneficiaries in Australia’s Test team after the decision to move two Sheffield Shield fixtures forward by a day to allow extra time to prepare for the start of the South Africa series.The elimination of the Perth Scorchers from the Twenty20 Champions League allowed Victoria’s match against Western Australia at the MCG to be shuffled forward from November 2 to November 1, while Tasmania’s Bellerive encounter with South Australia had already been slated to make the same move. A domestic limited overs match between the teams has also moved, to Tuesday, October 30.Siddle and Pattinson will turn out for Victoria, while Hussey is expected to be named for the Warriors, having already returned home from the CLT20 for personal reasons. Chennai’s early exit also means Ben Hilfenhaus will be available to join Ponting in the Tasmania side to face the Redbacks – an important outing for the swing bowler given it will be his first non-T20 match since the West Indies Test tour in April.The only match of the last Shield round before the first Test at the Gabba not to be moved is Queensland’s match against New South Wales at Allan Border Field. This game might also have been shifted had the Sydney Sixers been eliminated from the CLT20, but their progress has prevented such a change.Nevertheless, the NSW and Queensland selectors will be able to nominate replacement players for the final day of the game, and the players’ presence in Brisbane prevents the need for any travel time between the end of the Shield game and the start of Test training at the Gabba. The first Test squad will be announced in advance of this round of matches.Pat Howard, the Cricket Australia team performance manager, had flagged these changes last week in explaining how the team performance hierarchy was doing all it could to prepare players for the Tests while still having the squad assembled in Brisbane on the Monday of Test match week.”Results at the Champions League Twenty20 have enabled us to move these matches and while we would’ve liked to move the match between Queensland and NSW as well, that hasn’t been possible due to the Sydney Sixers’ good performances,” Howard said.”Any player playing in that Sheffield Shield match between Queensland and NSW who is selected in the first Test squad will leave on Sunday and the state will be permitted a replacement player. NSW and Queensland will obviously know how this may affect their selection once the squad for the first Test is announced later this month.”These changes have been adapted to give those players selected in the squad for the first Test the best preparation we can.”An Australia A fixture has also been scheduled for November 2-4 in Sydney against the South Africa tourists, with some members of the Test squad likely to be chosen for this match. The opening batsmen Ed Cowan and David Warner may be among those considered.

While Auckland fought their way back into their Shell Trophy match against Wellington on the second day today Wellington, 113 runs ahead at the close, must still be slightly favoured to get the outright win they need in the sprint to the Trophy finishing line.Wellington wrapped up the Auckland first innings in the first two sessions today for 182 runs, giving Wellington a first innings lead of 65 and two valuable Trophy points.However, Auckland struck back to take the top four Wellington second innings wickets for 48 runs between tea and stumps of a lovely summer’s day today, and so Wellington will have to step carefully lest Auckland start the quicker tomorrow morning.The trend of this match suggests they will not. In fact, the evidence of this game so far shows that Wellington would be an almost unbeatable team if they could abolish the third session of play each day.On the first day yesterday Wellington scored 109 for two wickets before lunch, and 192 for four wickets by tea.Then they lost six wickets for 55 in the fateful third session. Today the pattern was virtually the same. Wellington dominated the Auckland first innings, taking six wickets for 89 runs before lunch, and finishing off the innings at 182 a click or two after afternoon tea.Then Wellington turned about and lost four prime wickets for 48 runs in the third session.If it is any consolation to the Wellingtonians who seem to take two steps forward and one step back, the fate of the game should be decided in the first two sessions today, and Wellington might escape the pitfalls they have encountered between tea and stumps.Auckland made their usual dreadful start to their first innings. They lost four wickets for three runs in their last first innings against Central Districts last week.Today they were three “ducks” for nine runs as Andrew Penn (two wickets in his second over) and Ian O’Brien (one wicket in his first) made the usual early inroads.Thereafter Auckland struggled along, Dion Nash scraped together 27 runs and Auckland’s perpetual batting hero, Kyle Mills (promoted to No 6) kept the rest of the innings afloat with a solid 50.This continued the amazing runs of big scores by a bowler who used to live about No 8 or 9 in the list.In nine innings this season Mills has scored 538 runs from five completed innings, average 107.6. Going back to his debut a few seasons ago Mills’ average is now a neat 69.Wellington seemed to have caught the Auckland collapse disease when they lost Richard Jones at nine in their second innings, and there was worse to follow when Matthew Bell (5) was second out at 11.Grant Donaldson was taken at 24 and Dion Nash had Selwyn Blackmore lbw at 42 – Blackmore the ninth lbw victim so far among the 24 dismissals.

Shashikala Siriwardene will lead Sri Lanka in the ICC Women’s World Twenty20 in September. Sri Lanka last played a Twenty20 game in a five-match series in the Caribbean. Dilani Manodara was the captain then, and she is also part of the 14-woman squad.Four players who weren’t part of the squad picked for the tour of the West Indies but feature in the World T20 squad are Ishani Lokusuriya, Udeshika Prabodini, Maduri Samudrika and Nilakshi Silva.Sri Lanka squad: Shashikala Siriwardene (capt), Sandamani Dolawatte, Dilani Manodara, Chamari Atapattu, Deepika Rasangika, Ishani Lokusuriya, Chamani Seneviratna, Sripali Weerakkody, Udeshika Prabodini, Maduri Samudrika, Inoka Ranaweera, Prasadani Weerakkody, Inoka Galagedara, Nilakshi Silva.

Akram Khan, the former Bangladesh captain, has resigned from his position as chief selector, a week before his contract was to expire. The announcement came following Chittagong Divisional Sports Association’s decision to nominate him as its councillor ahead of the BCB elections, which is likely to be held in the first week of October. He has been a selector since 2007, and became the chief selector in 2011.Akram will continue in his role till the home series against New Zealand ends in early November, by a special arrangement.”I sent my resignation letter on September 18, and it is up to the BCB to accept it,” Akram told reporters. “My extended contract ends this month. But I have volunteered to work during the New Zealand series because [selector Minhazul Abedin] is performing the Hajj during this time. Otherwise, we would be down to one selector – Habibul Bashar.”We will announce the Bangladesh team within the next two days. There won’t be too many changes, as I have always maintained. The average age of our side is 25, so they can play together for another eight to ten years. So there will [be] very little change in this series, if any.”Akram, a former Bangladesh captain, will not only hold voting power as a councillor but he will contest the election for the position of a director. This is why he has to leave his position as a BCB employee as it is illegal for them to contest an election.He is one of 71 councillors from divisional and district associations, who will elect 10 BCB directors. There are 58 councillors from the Dhaka clubs who will elect 12 directors while in the third category, forty-five councillors from various organisations including education boards, BKSP, police, etc, will elect one director. The National Sports Council, the country’s regulatory board for sports, will nominate three directors from 15 councillors, which includes ten former cricketers.The cricketers are former national captains Khaled Mahmud and Gazi Ashraf Hossain, Shahedur Rahman, Dr Asaduzzaman Misha, Mohammad Ali, Ahsanullah Hasan, Hannan Sarkar, Salim Shahed, Niamur Rashid and ASM Faruque. Meanwhile, BCB president Nazmul Hassan has also picked five former captains in his quota of councillors – Shamim Kabir, Roquibul Hasan, Shafiqul Haque Heera, Faruque Ahmed and Khaled Mashud. Bangladesh’s first Test captain Naimur Rahman is also among the representatives, having claimed the councillroship from his native Manikganj district.This year’s election will have the most number of cricketers as councillors.

ScorecardB Aparajith became the fourth batsman to score a double-hundred on Duleep Trophy debut•ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Manish Pandey and B Aparajith slammed double-hundreds to help South Zone reach a mammoth 553 for 7 at the end of the second day against West Zone in the Duleep Trophy quarter-final in Chennai. The two batsmen were not very far from their hundreds at the start of the day and while it was the third first-class double-hundred for Pandey, Aparajith went past 200 for the first time as 98 overs were bowled after a curtailed first day. Aparajith became only the fourth batsman to score a double-century on a Duleep Trophy debut after Mohammad Azaharuddin, Sanjay Manjrekar and Rakesh Parikh.Pandey was retired hurt on the score of 104 and Aparajith was joined by wicketkeeper CM Gautam, who was trapped lbw by left-arm spinner Akshay Darekar for a duck. Rohan Prem and Aparajith put on 91 for the fifth wicket, out of which Prem made 35 before he was dismissed by Murtuja Vahora. Pandey rejoined Aparajith at the team score of 333 and both batsmen then put on another 140 runs for the sixth wicket.Their partnership was ended by a run-out when substitute fielder Harshad Khadiwale dismissed Aparajith for 212 after he had struck 17 fours and a six. Pandey crossed the score of 200 soon after but fell short of his highest score of 218 by five runs when he was given lbw to Rakesh Dhurv. Malolan Rangarajan and captain Vinay Kumar saw them till stumps with unbeaten contributions of 26 and 19, respectively. West Zone used seven different bowlers but none apart from Vahora could take more than one wicket.

Match Facts

September 3, Malahide
Start time 10.30am (0930GMT)William Porterfield and Eoin Morgan pose with the trophy•Getty Images

The Big Picture

This is more than just another one-day international. Although Ireland-England at cricket does not match the level of the corresponding rugby clash in the Six Nations, this biennial meeting is becoming something of a grudge match, especially since that heady evening in Bangalore, which is forever etched in Irish cricket history.This match, regardless of the result, will also mark a historic occasion for Ireland with a record 10,000 sell-out crowd expected at the new stadium in Malahide outside of Dublin.The Irish have a point to prove. Or, rather, want to continue proving their point. There is a strong feeling their credentials are still not taken seriously by Full Member nations – there continue to be grumbles, some not entirely fair, about the ECB’s role – as they maintain their push for Test status by 2020.As in 2011, England are not sending over a full-strength side although that is not a one-off decision for this match – key players, including captain Alastair Cook, will also miss the Australia one-day series. Eoin Morgan captains the side as he did two years ago, which is another subject to spark debate, while the possible presence of Boyd Rankin in the England attack will stir the emotions.Ireland had long-since accepted that they had lost Rankin, but to see him make his international debut in a T20 (a format he rarely plays for Warwickshire) and potentially begin the second phase of his ODI career against his former team-mates has not sat easily with many around Dublin and beyond.Away from the debate about poaching players and the politics of world cricket Rankin is one of a number of England players eager to catch the eye. Gary Ballance, the Yorkshire batsman, is in line for an ODI debut while Jamie Overton, the Somerset fast bowler, will become England’s youngest debutant since Brian Close if he makes the final XI.Players on both sides will know each other well: Rankin could end up opening the bowler against Ed Joyce, a role reversal of the 2007 World Cup when Rankin bowled Joyce with his first ball when the latter was playing for England. William Porterfield, Niall O’Brien, Gary Wilson, Paul Stirling, Tim Murtagh and George Dockrell are all established county players, while Kevin O’Brien has just returned from the Caribbean Premier League. Points to prove, for a lot of people.

Form guide

(Most recent first)
Ireland TWLTW
England LWWLW

Watch out for…

Trent Johnston has decided to call time on his career at the end of this year, a surprise to many who expected him to continue until at least the World Twenty20 in Bangladesh. But the knees and various other ailing body parts can only take so much. He has been a wonderful servant of Irish cricket; opening bowler, captain, motivator, spokesman, politician. A victory here would be a fitting send-off.Two years ago, in the corresponding fixture, Boyd Rankin opened the bowling and claimed the wicket of James Taylor. This time they are in the same squad. If Rankin makes the XI, his second ODI debut will come after a record of 37 matches and 43 wickets at 32.34 for Ireland. A potential new-ball spell against Joyce and his county team-mate William Porterfield could be one of the highlights of the match.

Team news

England could hand out four new ODI caps – Michael Carberry, Jamie Overton, Chris Jordan and Gary Ballance – while giving Rankin his first appearance in 50-over cricket for the Three Lions. Quite what combination of pace bowlers they go for remains to be seen, but Steven Finn, with his experience, should lead the line. Danny Briggs was preferred to James Tredwell in the Twenty20s, but Tredwell’s recent ODI form has been impressive.England (possible) 1 Michael Carberry, 2 James Taylor, 3 Ravi Bopara, 4 Eoin Morgan (capt), 5 Gary Ballance, 6 Ben Stokes, 7 Jos Buttler (wk), 8 James Tredwell, 9 Jamie Overton, 10 Boyd Rankin, 11 Steven FinnApart from missing Alex Cusack through injury Ireland will be at full strength. Their side is packed with international and county experience; Tim Murtagh has helped compensate for the loss of Rankin – while George Dockrell is the latest player Ireland are desperate to protect from English interests.Ireland (possible) 1 William Porterfield (capt), 2 Paul Stirling, 3 Ed Joyce, 4 Niall O’Brien (wk), 5 Gary Wilson, 6 Kevin O’Brien, 7 Andrew White, 8 Max Sorensen, 9 Trent Johnston, 10 Tim Murtagh, 11 George Dockrell

Pitch and conditions

A new pitch on a new ground so something of the unknown as Malahide hosts its first one-day international. However, Phil Simmons said that in some of the domestic matches played there the keeper has been standing a fair way back. There is good news on the weather front – after damp days for the 2009 and 2011 fixtures – with a dry, bright day forecast.

Stats and trivia

• England will field no more than four players who appeared in the Champions Trophy final against India
• In the four ODIs he has played this year, Joyce is averaging 133 including a career-best 116 not out against Pakistan. Joyce also averaged 57.57 in the YB40 for Sussex
• If England do hand out four new caps, it will be their most since they picked four new players against Zimbabwe, at Harare, in 2001-02

Quotes

“I think we have brought a strong side, a young and very talented side. Given opportunities, hopefully they will show they are world-beaters.”
“If you look through their side, there are some pretty exciting young players in there. If you look at the performances of all those lads, especially in country cricket, they have all got a future in the game.”

ScorecardChris Dent struck his fourth first-class century on day four•Getty Images

Chris Dent struck an unbeaten century as Gloucestershire’s County Championship match against fellow promotion-chasers Northamptonshire at Wantage Road drifted to a tame draw.Dent’s 128 not out off 211 balls, including 17 fours and one six, eased Gloucestershire to 227 for 1 as they batted through the day with their captain Michael Klinger contributing 78 from 181 deliveries.As a result, the visitors go up to third in the Division Two table, two points clear of Essex having played a game more. But with second-placed Northants coming out of this match with three more bonus points than their opponents the gap between them is now up to 27 points.Gloucestershire began the day on 31 without loss, 178 runs behind their opponents, with Klinger resuming on 21 and Dent, who went for a four-ball duck in his side’s first innings, on 10. But, for the second day in a row, the start of proceedings was delayed – on this occasion due to a wet outfield caused by overnight rain.Play eventually got under way at 12:15pm after 20 overs had been lost but what went on thereafter was a total anticlimax as Klinger and Dent easily batted through to lunch on a lifeless wicket. Runs continued to come easily in the afternoon with Klinger to first to go past 50 off 112 balls with a boundary through fine leg off the bowling of Steven Crook.The pair made their fourth opening partnership of 100 plus of the season with Dent also completing his half-century off 102 deliveries by smacking James Middlebrook through square leg for four. Dent, 22, then accelerated to his fourth century in first-class cricket and his second of the season off 159 balls by sweeping a four behind square leg off Cameron White.But Klinger was to fall on the final ball before tea when he edged his attempted sweep off White went to Andrew Hall at slip to finally break the stand on 190. He became the first wicket to fall since White himself was dismissed at 2:30pm yesterday, but it understandably only drew subdued celebrations from Northants.With the evening session not bringing any further incident, the two captains shook hands at 4:50pm with Gloucestershire wicketkeeper Gareth Roderick unbeaten on 11. Northants come out of this contest with 11 points and Gloucestershire eight and both sides now have five games left to try and secure their place in Division One next season.