Ravi Bopara and Grant Flower hit half-centuries as Essex comfortably beat Middlesex by seven wickets at Chelmsford to keep alive their hopes of reaching the Clydesdale Bank 40 semi-finals.

The International Cricket Council has charged and provisionally suspended Pakistan players Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Aamer with various offences under its Anti-Corruption Code.

Hampshire, led by Jimmy Adams' second successive century, are making Lancashire fight hard to wrap up victory going into the final day in the LV= County Championship match at Liverpool.

LV= County Champions-elect Nottinghamshire face an intriguing final day, with Durham leading by 308 runs with five wickets standing following Gordan Muchall's timely second century of the season.

Pakistan overcame setbacks on and off the field to beat Somerset by eight runs in their limited-overs warm-up match in Taunton, though Zander de Bruyn's unbeaten 122 challenged them all the way.

On the evening of Tuesday August 24 the ACO welcomed the arrival of the first neutral Test officials to be officiating at Lord’s from the same nationality: Tony Hill, Steve Davis and Billy Bowden were all at Lord’s to speak to and entertain ACO members.

Matt Mason has signed a new one-year contract with Worcestershire that will see him continue to combine the roles of experienced seamer and bowling coach. "The club has a big future," he said.

This weekend's semi-finals in the ECB 50+ County Championship will see Somerset take on Middlesex and Oxfordshire face Kent.

Chris Woakes completed a brilliant all-round display as Warwickshire saw off relegation rivals Kent inside three days in a vital LV= County Championship Division One clash at Edgbaston.

The ECB has announced that Durham and England bowler Graham Onions will have surgery next week in a bid to overcome a longstanding back injury.

Glamorgan have rewarded wicketkeeper Chris Cooke for his excellent second XI form with a two-year deal. The Johannesburg-born man has hit over 500 runs for the second string this year.

Kevin Pietersen is aiming to use his brief stint with Surrey to help him “discover where I used to be”. He has a maximum of five innings left to impress ahead of England's trip to Australia for the Ashes.

ECB chairman Giles Clarke has welcomed the announcement of the Pakistan squad - with Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Aamer omitted - for the T20 and one-day series.

Teenage paceman Josh Hazlewood is a shock inclusion in the Australia Test squad for next month's tour of India, alongside Peter George.

Kevin Pietersen’s Surrey debut attracted a crowd of almost 8,000 to the Brit Insurance Oval, but his comeback to domestic cricket ended in a 90-run Clydesdale Bank 40 defeat to Worcestershire.

Allegations against Pakistan overshadow the npower Test Series victory for England - Andrew Strauss gives his views after the win at Lord's, Stuart Broad talks about his maiden Test century, and we hear from National Selector Geoff Miller on the squad selection for the NatWest ODIs; plus Netherlands skipper Peter Borren on Clydesdale Bank 40, and Durham captain Phil Mustard.

Title-chasing Nottinghamshire were facing the prospect of conceding a first-innings deficit in their LV= County Championship clash with Durham.

Chris Woakes' contributions with bat and ball boosted Warwickshire's chances of avoiding relegation as 22 wickets tumbled on a dramatic second day against fellow strugglers Kent.

Lancashire are on course for their fifth LV= County Championship win of the season after taking charge against Hampshire at Liverpool on day two - thanks largely to Kyle Hogg's 81 from number nine.

Derbyshire recovered from being bowled out for 44 in the first innings to beat Gloucestershire, one of the most astonishing wins in County Championship history. Chesney Hughes hit a crucial unbeaten 96.