India to bring best out of England – Strauss

Strauss is set to guest for Somerset against India in the tourists’ only warm-up match, starting in Taunton today, before the first npower Test of four at Lord’s next week.

He could do with some morale-boosting runs in the three-day fixture, having made only 27 in his last three Test innings against Sri Lanka.

But the opener is more concerned with the date that counts, next Thursday, when he will lead England on his home ground in a series which could see them knock India off the top of the International Cricket Council’s Test rankings.

“We know the size of the challenge against the number one side in the world, and it will be a tough nut to crack,” he said. “But these challenges generally bring out the best in our players.”

As for his opportunity to bat against India beforehand, he is grateful to Somerset for agreeing to his request for a short-term loan but insists the number of runs he makes will not dictate how he and England fare in the Test series.

“What happens here has no great factor on what happens in the first Test,” he said. “I don’t think what happened against Sri Lanka is all that relevant.”

Prior smashes Sussex to victory over Hampshire

England wicketkeeper Matt Prior hit a brilliant unbeaten 97 to guide Sussex to a five-wicket victory on the final day of the LV= County Championship game with Hampshire at Hove.

Prior smashed 12 fours from 167 balls on a sluggish pitch on which run-scoring had been difficult for the previous three days.

Sussex, needing 233 for their fourth championship win of the season, resumed on 82-3 and lost Luke Wells in the day’s fifth over. But, from 105-4, Prior and Andrew Hodd at first steadied the innings and then flourished.

Prior added 81 with Hodd and then another unbroken 49 with Ollie Rayner.

Nick Compton’s second century of the season secured Somerset a draw against Nottinghamshire.

The 28-year-old batted for more than six hours to compile 115 from 268 balls with 14 fours.

In Division Two, Tony Palladino shattered Glamorgan with a five-wicket haul as Derbyshire completed the double over the Welsh outfit.

The right-arm seamer was supported by Jon Clare and Mark Turner, who each took two wickets, as the visitors were dismissed for 167. Glamorgan’s rapid demise lifted the hosts to a resounding 186-run victory with more than 41 overs remaining.

Palladino ended with figures of 5-50 as the hosts cantered to a 23-point win.

T20 hopes are finally ended for Gale’s men

Paul Collingwood claimed a hat-trick in taking 5-6 to dismiss Northamptonshire for 47, the lowest score in English Twenty20 cricket, sealing a 97-run win which ended Yorkshire’s slim hopes of making the quarter-finals.

The previous lowest was 67 by Sussex against Hampshire at Hove in 2004, but the depleted Steelbacks fell 20 short of that as they were all out in 12.5 overs and lost by 97 runs.

Durham’s win took them back into fourth place in the North Group group and they will scrape into the last eight with six wins and six defeats unless Worcestershire pip them by winning at Trent Bridge tonight.

In his second over Collingwood first persuaded Bilal Shafayat to sky a catch to mid-off then bowled David Willey and 17-year-old Norfolk lad Oliver Stone, who was making his senior debut..

Northants captain Johan Botha must have thought his bowlers had done a reasonable job in restricting Durham to 144-7 after they chose to bat, Dale Benkenstein hitting a timely 31.

With Collingwood bagging five wickets, Mitch Claydon weighed in with the last two wickets to finish with 3-6.

Only Niall O’Brien, with 14 not out, reached double figures for the struggling visitors.

In the night’s other match, Kent beat South Group rivals Surrey by 15 runs at The Oval.