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Three players from Pakistan’s Champions Trophy-winning team have been roped into the upcoming Caribbean Premier League which begins on August 4: Babar Azam has been named a replacement for the injured Chris Lynn for the Guyana Amazon Warriors, while St Kitts and Nevis Patriots have called up Mohammad Hafeez in place of Ben Cutting and Hasan Ali for Kieran Powell.Babar, with an average of over 50 in ODIs and T20Is, has been a consistent performer for Pakistan in the white-ball format. He averaged 32.33 for Karachi Kings in the Pakistan Super League this year, producing a number of match-winning knocks in their run to the semi-finals.Warriors head coach Roger Harper rued the absence of Lynn, who scored 454 runs in the tournament last year, but said he found Babar’s talent “exciting”. “We are hugely disappointed to lose the talent of Chris Lynn to shoulder injury, he was the leading scorer last year and we were happy to have him back,” Harper said. “However, we are extremely delighted in getting a world-class replacement in Babar Azam. He is one of the most exciting batsmen in the world and we are sure that he will be a huge success for us at Hero CPL 2017.”Seamer Hasan Ali, who will be taking Powell’s place, claimed 3 for 19 in the Champions Trophy final, and was the leading wicket-taker in the tournament with 13 scalps at 14.69. Powell is set to miss the tournament to play the Test series in England, which coincides with the CPL schedule.With Cutting out injured since the IPL in April, Mohammad Hafeez will be back in the CPL, already having had a two-season stint with Warriors in 2013-14. The experienced Hafeez had made 57 not out as his team beat India by 180 runs in the Champions trophy final.Patriots CEO Richard Berridge, said: “We have been fortunate to get such high-quality replacements that more than cover those players that we have lost. The Patriots management team feel this is the best squad that we have had going into a Hero CPL season.”

Rob Keogh was influential in Northants’ win [file picture]•Getty Images

Northamptonshire ended Leicestershire’s 100 per cent record in this year’s NatWest T20 Blast with a two-run Duckworth/Lewis win at Grace Road.The Foxes, batting second, had only themselves to blame, having been ahead of the D/L calculation for much of their reply after the Steelbacks had scored 165 for 8 on a hard and true pitch.Northants were indebted to a partnership of 75 between captain Alex Wakely and Rob Keogh, who came together after Richard Levi was well caught low down at deep square-leg by Dieter Klein off Gavin Griffiths for 41, leaving the score at 68 for 4 in the 10th over.But Wakely and Keogh kept the scoreboard moving, the former hitting consecutive boundaries off Klein before 21 came from the 17th over, bowled by Mat Pillans.Both bowlers came back strongly, Pillans knocking back Wakely’s leg stump as he stepped to the offside and tried to lift the ball over short fine-leg, and then Klein picking up the wickets of Steven Crook and Rory Kleinveldt with consecutive deliveries to restrict the Foxes’ target to under 170.They were given a good start by Luke Ronchi and Cameron Delport, who added 45 for the first wicket before the New Zealander steered Ben Sanderson to backward point, where Ben Duckett took a smart two-handed catch.Off-spinner Keogh bowled Delport for 30, but Mark Cosgrove, who was particularly severe on left-arm spinner Tabraiz Shamsi, hit 41 off just 26 balls to leave the Foxes in control.Leicestershire were still ahead on D/L when the Australian was bowled swinging across the line at Kleinveldt.But neither Colin Ackermann and Mark Pettini were able to get the ball to the boundary before umpires Steve O’Shaughnessy and Ian Blackwell took the players from the field, with the home team having fallen fractionally behind the required rate.

ScorecardIt seems a pretty safe bet to assume that neither Haseeb Hameed or Jos Buttler will be in the England squad for the first Test against South Africa when it is named at 9am on Saturday.Both were in the side the last time England played a Test series – December in India, though Hameed missed the final Test through injury – but, for various reasons, it seems neither will retain their place.Haseeb Hameed has simply not scored enough runs. In 15 first-class innings this season, he has failed to make a 50 and only reached 25three times. He’s been out for a duck four times.By the time the India series finished, it seemed unthinkable that Hameed would not be retained for England’s next Test. But, whetherit’s a case of county bowlers learning how to bowl at him after a successful first season in the game, or whether he is strugglingmentally with the new levels of expectation with which he is confronted, is hard to say. His balance at the crease might also be a factor; his movements certainly don’t seem as sharp as they did in India with a prop onto the front foot perhaps leaving him exposed whenhe has to play back.Butter was promoted to open in the second innings here. It was a tactical decision based upon the hope that he might enjoy the pace ofthe harder ball and also soften it more quickly. Worcestershire enjoyed success with similar tactics against Durham.It was selfless of Buttler to agree to such a ploy. But whether it’s what he needs at this stage of his career is debatable. Rather thanbringing his undisputed white ball skills to play in red (or pink) ball cricket, he might be better served developing his long-form skills.He hasn’t had much chance to do that. Since the end of the 2014 season, he has played just two Championship games and scored 45Championship runs. He has played 15 Tests, it is true, but few learn their trade at the top level without an apprenticeship. It is asking alot of him to do so.It would be understandable if Buttler didn’t continue to pursue a future as a red ball player. He doesn’t need to: his status as a whiteball player – and his earning potential – is strong. If he helps England win a World Cup, he can retire with a proud record.He has always said, however, that he is keen to make it as a Test player and he clearly has the raw ability to do so. But, as JohnLennon put it, life is what happens to you while you’re busy making other plans. And the down side of England’s new prioritisation ofwhite ball cricket – the decision to play in the IPL rather than County Championship; the decision to allocate a window in prime summerto a new-team T20 competition – is that there is simply no time for players like Buttler to learn their red-ball trade. It’s no-one’s fault, it’s just a reflection of the modern world.Haseeb Hameed has done nothing to retain his England place•Getty Images

Anyway Buttler, having attempted a lavish swipe outside off stump, soon departed to a catch at mid-wicket as he tried to clip one throughthe leg side. And Hameed, who survived a strong leg before shout on 15, was then trapped by a little away swing as he shaped to playthrough mid-wicket and was beaten by one that looked as if it were heading on to his pads, but straightened towards middle and off.Both might have learned a thing or two from Andy Umeed’s innings. While both Hameed and Buttler paid for playing across the line, Umeed played resolutely straight and demonstrated remarkable patience in adding 100 for Warwickshire eighth-wicket with Jeetan Patel.It has emerged – courtesy of Robert Brooke, co-founder of the Association of Cricket Statisticians and Historians – that Umeed’scentury was the second slowest (in terms of minutes; records in terms of balls have only been reliably kept since about 1987) in the history of the County Championship after Jason Gallian’s 453 minute effort for Lancashire against Derbyshire at Blackpool in 1994. It took Umeed 429 minutes to reach three-figures, which was nine minutes slower than WH ‘Billy’ Denton’s 420-minutes century for Northants against Derbyshire in 1914.Warwickshire’s management have been asking for their batsmen to show some fight for a few weeks; in Umeed they found an old-fashioned battler. It is not a fashionable quality, but then nor are good manners or driving on the inside lane on a motorway and those things have value, too.The most fluent batting on day three of this game came from Alex Davies. Driving, cutting and pulling with more freedom than anyoneelse has managed all game, Davies helped Lancashire wipe off the first innings arrears of 48 and gain a lead of 130 going into the final day.But when he fell top-edging an attempted pull and Steven Croft laced another pull to mid-wicket where Umeed took an excellent catch – itseems he can move pretty fast when required – Warwickshire clawed their way into the game once more. If the weather holds, we might yethave a terrific finish here.

Scorecard<!–Aneurin Donald ensured Glamorgan reached safety•Getty Images

An unbroken fifth wicket partnership of 87 between Aneurin Donald and Chris Cooke ensured Glamorgan secured a draw after the visitors, asked to chase an unlikely 355 off 57 overs, had subsided to 57 for 4 on the final evening of the Specsavers county championship match at the Fischer County Ground.The early dismissals of first innings centurions Nick Selman, leg below to a Clint McKay delivery which kept low, and Colin Ingram, lbw to a Ben Raine in-swinger, gave the Foxes hope of securing the win.Their chances increased when Zak Chappell produced a brute of a delivery which Glamorgan skipper Jacques Rudolph could only glove to wicket-keeper Lewis Hill, and had Cameron Delport, diving forward from point, not dropped Donald at point when he fended off a Charlie Shreck bouncer with the score on just 65, Leicestershire might well have enforced the win.As it was, however, McKay and Raine were both forced to leave the field with injuries, and though Eckersley shuffled his pack, Donald and Cooke were able to see the game to a conclusion eight overs before the scheduled close.Earlier, an unbeaten century from Mark Pettini, his first for Leicestershire at the Fischer County Ground, had enabled Eckersely to declare after Glamorgan’s seamers initially controlled the scoring rate to impressive effect.Fast bowler Marchant De Lange made two early breakthroughs, finding the edge of Eckersley’s bat with his second delivery of the day, Selman taking a comfortable catch at second slip, before Delport failed to middle an attempted drive and gave Lukas Carey the simplest of catches at mid-off.Pettini and Hill were given few opportunities to accelerate, and only when the front-line bowlers were rested were the batsmen able to improve the run rate. Pettini reached his century off 163 balls, and Raine struck three huge sixes off De Lange before Eckersley – not before time in the opinion of a number of Leicestershire supporters – called his batsmen in.

Scorecard and ball-by-ball details1:33

‘Bavuma, de Kock saved SA from precarious position’

South Africa were taken from the potential of a significant deficit to a substantial lead by a rollicking seventh-wicket stand of 160 between Temba Bavuma and Quinton de Kock on the second day in Wellington. They transformed a pre-lunch position of 94 for 6 with the most dominant batting of the series to date and, although both fell short of hundreds, South Africa closed with a lead of 81 after the last-wicket pair added further frustration for New Zealand.While the South African pair batted superbly, New Zealand will ponder how things raced away at such a rate after they had managed to rumble the top order during the morning session. Colin de Grandhomme, who finished with 3 for 52, claimed the key duo of Hashim Amla and Faf du Plessis while Neil Wagner continued JP Duminy’s frustrating tour. From the lowest ebb of South Africa’s innings the last four wickets managed to amass 255 runs from 65 overs.Both first innings followed similar patters: New Zealand had recovered from 101 for 5 through a stand of 116 between Henry Nicholls and BJ Watling on the opening day. As the ball grew older, the bowlers struggled to keep control, knocked back by the aggression shown by de Kock who won his little duel with Jeetan Patel for first time on the tour. Crucially, Patel could not strike or provide control for Kane Williamson while South Africa recovered as he conceded five-an-over in his first 10 overs.The gamesmanship card had been played when de Kock arrived in the middle shortly before lunch as Patel was given the last over of the session to target the man he had removed in the previous four innings. This time, despite the occasional hairy moment as de Kock refused to be dominated, he came through either side of lunch and then started to cut loose against the quicks.He upper cut Tim Southee over the slips for six and hooked Wagner onto the grass banks. At one stage, as he negotiated Patel, de Kock had 17 off 33 balls but then skipped to his half-century from 55 deliveries as the mood of the day swung back to South Africa. The short-pitched approach did not fluster him – it was arguably over-done – and Kane Williamson was soon on the retreat – a packed slip cordon replaced by scouts on the boundary.Colin de Grandhomme removed Hashim Amla and Faf du Plessis in the morning session•Getty Images

When Patel returned for a second spell before tea, de Kock skipped down the pitch and deposited him straight down the ground. No doubt about the winner this time. He was nine away from a fourth Test hundred when he pushed out at a delivery from James Neesham, who produced a wholehearted burst shortly before the new ball, at a time when New Zealand were looking a little short of ideas.Bavuma took a backseat once de Kock found his stride after coming through an early trial from the short ball. He had one fortunate moment when he spliced a pull which lobbed over mid-on as de Grandhomme lost his footing. As the afternoon progressed, having batting in de Kock’s slipstream, he became far more assured and moved to his fifty from 88 balls.His off-side driving, off front and back foot, was especially eye-catching and a significant moment – a first overseas century – was on the horizon when he got underneath a pull and found deep square leg. But having come into the tour under a modicum of scrutiny, after a lean series against Sri Lanka, it has been a resounding response from Bavuma following his half-century in Dunedin. However, New Zealand could not wrap things up swiftly as Vernon Philander and Morne Morkel added an unbroken 47 for the last wicket, which included a concerning moment when Morkel took a blow on the helmet from Southee but he managed to finish nine short of his best Test score.How South Africa needed the recovery act. They had resumed on 24 for 2 with both openers already dismissed and Kagiso Rabada, the nightwatchman, soon joined them when Southee swung one through him in his first over. It did not take Wagner long to strengthen New Zealand’s position when, with his seventh ball of the day, and first to JP Duminy, he claimed him for the third time in the series courtesy of a loose flick which picked out midwicket.De Grandhomme then followed Southee after an eight-over spell with success coming almost immediately when Amla, still struggling to find his best form, could barely believe he had picked out midwicket against a delivery on his pads he would normally ease away for runs. Henry Nicholls, the star of the opening day for New Zealand, could not take the catch at the first attempt but was able to grab the rebound: when things run your way, make the most of them.Faf du Plessis appeared keen to try and wrestle back the situation with aggression – top-edging Wagner for six when he was not in control of the pull – and shortly before lunch inside-edged a drive against de Grandhomme with BJ Watling taking a low catch. At that stage even parity was a long way off, but in a series that has produced six days of counterpunches, South Africa threw the latest of them. It could be a decisive one.

Hosts England will open the Women’s World Cup against India in Derby on June 24, while defending champions Australia will begin two days later against World T20 champions West Indies in Taunton, with the ICC expecting “unprecedented” support for the tournament.New Zealand and Sri Lanka will also be in action on the opening day of the month-long tournament. A round-robin group stage will be followed by semi-finals in Bristol and Derby before the final at Lord’s on July 23. It will be the first time the final will be staged at Lord’s since 1993 when England beat New Zealand by 67 runs.There will be two weekend days when all eight teams will be in action. On Sunday, July 2, the four matches include the Trans-Tasman clash between Australia and New Zealand and India facing Pakistan. Saturday, July 15, will see all eight playing again as the round-robin stage comes to an end.Tickets for the group matches will go on sale at 12pm GMT on March 8 – International Women’s Day – with adult prices start at £10 and £5 for students (aged 17-23) and £2 for Under-16s. Tickets for the semi-finals start £15 for adults while the final begins at £30, with a silver band of tickets at £20 then students at £10 and Under-16s £5.”We are anticipating an exciting tournament and I know the players are looking forward to competing here in front of unprecedented levels of support,” David Richardson, the ICC chief executive, said. “We’ve already sold 9000 tickets for the final at Lord’s which bodes well for the rest of the event going on sale today. I know we can always count on the British sport loving public to support big events.”India, Pakistan, South Africa and Sri Lanka secured their places at the World Cup through the recent qualifying event in Sri Lanka.