Briefly Cricket

Stuart Broad took two wickets in his first over as England made a solid start to their three-day Ashes warm-up match against Western Australia in Perth.

Broad scalps three

PERTH: Stuart Broad took two wickets in his first over as England made a solid start to their three-day Ashes warm-up match against Western Australia in Perth on Friday. The paceman reduced the hosts to 0 for two and added the wicket of Australia Test batsman Marcus North for 19 before lunch but the hosts had rallied to 242 for eight when they declared late in the day. Alastair Cook was then bowled by Steve Magoffin for five to leave the tourists on 10 for one overnight with skipper Andrew Strauss and nightwatchman James Anderson at the crease.

Brief scores: Western Australia: 242 for eight decl in 82 ovs Wes Robinson 62,Adam Voges 72; Stuart Broad 3/47 vs England XI: 10 for 1 in 6 ovs Andrew Strauss batting 5,Alastair Cook 5; Steve Magoffin 1/4

South Africa elect to bat

ABU DHABI: South Africa captain Graeme Smith won the toss on Friday and elected to bat against Pakistan in the fourth one-day international at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. South Africa leads the five-match series 2-1 after a two-run victory on Tuesday. South Africa beat Pakistan twice in a Twenty20 series last month. Smith,who has been sidelined with a finger injury he picked up when a Shoaib Akhtar ball hit him during the first ODI,returns. Along with Smith,South Africa brings back fast bowler Dale Steyn,who has been out injured,as well as bowler Wayne Parnell. Pakistan made one change with left-arm spinner Abdur Rehman replacing Saeed Ajmal who was criticized in the last match for his poor form.

WICB acts tough with players

BARBADOS: West Indian players who want to take part in the next three seasons of the IPL cannot approach the league directly or through agents and will have to apply through the West Indies Cricket Board. The players have been asked to submit their expressions of interest to the board by November 9,reported ESPNcricinfo.The WICB,in a media release,outlined the procedure which is applicable to all West Indian players irrespective of whether they are contracted to the WICB or whether they have played for the West Indies. After receiving the expressions of interest from the players,the WICB said it would create a register with the names and submit it to the BCCI and the IPL. The BCCI/IPL will then enter the names into the IPL auction register and send it to the respective IPL franchises, the WICB said.