Several of South Africa's leading batsmen spent some useful time in the middle ahead of next week's first Test against England as their tour match against Kent ended in a rain-affected draw on Sunday. 

After Saturday's second day of three at Canterbury, south-east of London, was washed out, the final result of this match was rarely in doubt. 

All the Proteas' top seven made double figure scores with both Hashim Amla (77) and Jacques Kallis (54) retiring after a third-wicket century stand before Jacques Rudolph's 50 helped take South Africa to 314 in reply to Kent's first innings 210. 

There was still time for young Kent openers Sam Northeast (54 not out) and Daniel Bell-Drummond (48 not out) to compile an unbroken partnership of 105 to follow their first innings stand of 81. 

Amla and Kallis showed their customary class and concentration ahead of the first Test at The Oval on a slow pitch offering occasional low bounce. 

Amla pulled Charlie Shreck and then cut him for successive boundaries to go to his 50 from 99 balls. 

And when off-spinner Adam Riley came on, Kallis drove him for three fours in his first over to complete a 66-ball fifty. 

Riley did though catch Rudolph off his own bowling. 

"I think it was good preparation, specifically from a batting point of view -- everybody got starts, got in," said Rudolph, who will be looking for more runs in the first Test at The Oval starting on Thursday. 

"It was a little difficult for the bowlers. The wicket didn't really give them any assistance. 

"But the way we've batted here as a unit was exceptional. 

"We're pleased with the work we've done, and I can promise you all the boys just want that first Test to start now." 

When Kent commenced their second innings, South Africa gave the new ball to Morne Morkel and Vernon Philander but neither could manage a breakthrough 

And when Kallis came on, Bell-Drummond struck him for three back-foot fours in the seam-bowling all-rounder's first over. 

Fast bowler Dale Steyn, South Africa's spearhead, was eventually brought into the attack only for Northeast to drive his first ball past cover. 

Any sort of series win for South Africa in the upcoming three-match series will see them replace England at number one in the International Cricket Council's world Test rankings.  

Australia have rested all rounder Shane Watson and quick bowler Ben Hilfenhaus and dropped batsman Peter Forrest from their squad to play a three-match one-day series against Pakistan in the United Arab Emirates starting next month. 

Watson was injured while Forrest and Hilfenhaus struggled in the recent 4-0 series loss to England and none was included in the 15-strong party, although Watson and Hilfenhaus were named in the Twenty20 squad that will play three matches in Dubai. 

The most surprising inclusion in both squads was little known 23-year-old all rounder Glenn Maxwell, who has played just 11 first class matches for Victoria since his debut last year. 

Mitchell Johnson was included in the squad after proving his fitness on the tour of England but his young fellow fast bowler Pat Cummins, who returned home injured from Britain, was included in the Twenty20 squad but not the one-day group. 

"The ODI squad has a strong development aspect to it," chief selector John Inverarity said in a media release. 

"Shane Watson and Ben Hilfenhaus have not been included and Brett Lee has retired." 

"This will provide development opportunities for others and allow Shane and Ben to complete a more thorough strength and conditioning programme before embarking on a very demanding schedule." 

The Twenty20 side will use the three-match series against Pakistan, which starts on Sept. 5, as part of their preparations for the World Cup and the squad was a "strong indicator" of the party likely to go on to Sri Lanka, Inverarity said. 

With Maxwell joining Brad Hogg and Xavier Doherty in the Twenty20 group, Australia will be able to play three spin bowlers in conditions that are likely to suit slow bowling. 

"Glenn Maxwell is a relatively inexperienced player," conceded Inverarity. "He's a versatile and lively off-spinning all-rounder and brilliant fieldsman that has caught the eye of the (selection panel). 

"Glenn will provide another spin bowler option on the slow, low, turning wickets in the UAE." 

The one-day series opens in Sharjah on Aug. 28, before a match in Abu Dhabi (Aug. 31) and the final encounter back in Sharjah (Sept. 3). 

Squads: 

ODI - Michael Clarke (captain), David Warner, George Bailey, Dan Christian, Xavier Doherty, Callum Ferguson, David Hussey, Michael Hussey, Mitchell Johnson, Glenn Maxwell, Clint McKay, James Pattinson, Steven Smith, Mitchell Starc, Matthew Wade. 

Twenty20 - George Bailey (captain), Shane Watson, Dan Christian, Pat Cummins, Xavier Doherty, Ben Hilfenhaus, Brad Hogg, David Hussey, Michael Hussey, Glenn Maxwell, Clint McKay, Mitchell Starc, Matthew Wade, David Warner, Cameron White  

Australia batsmen Usman Khawaja and Simon Katich both played match-winning innings as their respective English counties enjoyed 40-over League success on Sunday. 

Khawaja'a maiden one-day century for Derbyshire helped the Midlands club to a 35-run win over the Unicorns, the England Amateur side, at Chesterfield. 

He made 104 from 109 balls and shared a century opening stand with Chesney Hughes. 

Katich guided Hampshire to a four-wicket win over Durham at Southampton with an unbeaten 59 as the southern county got home with 10 balls to spare in chasing down a victory target of 201.  

The celebrations in the Windies camp at the fall of Tim Southee's wicket showed as to how much the series win meant for Darren Sammy and his boys. This was Sammy's first ODI series win since taking over as the West Indies captain and his nation's first success since April, 2008. With the series in their bag, the hosts can afford some experimentation while the visitors will look to redeem some pride by winning the final ODI.

West Indies: The hosts have smelt the sweet success of victory and will look to end the series in an emphatic fashion. Saturday's win was more creditable considering the fact that Chris Gayle, their star batsmen failed and yet the team managed to get a decent score on the board. The hosts have found new heroes with the bat in almost every match but it is the all-round efforts that must please the team management. Andre Russell has batted as low as No. 9 and might be considered for a promotion in the batting order. 

The bowling has remained consistent right throughout the series. Tino Best made a winning return in the 4th ODI while Sunil Narine has been difficult to get away with. Throw in the all-rounders, West Indies boasts of a wonderful varied attack suitable for all conditions. 

New Zealand: The visitors will know that they lost a superb opportunity to draw level when they allowed West Indies to recover from a shaky start and then failed to support their skipper, Ross Taylor in the batting department. Rob Nicol has looked in fine nick before throwing it away while Martin Guptill has failed to get going. The top-order failures have put a lot of pressure on the batsmen to follow and that has resulted in the couple of close losses. 

The bowling has been patchy with only Tim Southee and Jacob Oram managing to keep the hosts under leash. With the series gone, John Wright will hope that the team can pull itself up ahead of the 2-match Test series. 

Team News: With the series in bag, West Indies might go for some experimentation in both the team as well as the batting order. Lendl Simmons might get a go ahead of Chris Gayle. 

Tarun Nethula might get a go for the visitors. 

Quotes: 

We talked a lot about partnerships and we didn't get that. There were a couple of soft dismissals - Ross Taylor dissects the mistakes that led to the loss on Saturday. 

"Normally, when I go onto the field I look at the scoreboard and see what is required of me - Sunil Narine is humble about his bowling performances. 

In an apparent renewal of relationships between the two nations, India is set to host Pakistan in 3 ODIs and 2 T20 internationals in late December and early January. India will host their volatile neighbors during the 15 day window that is available in between the Test and ODI series against England. 

The decision was taken during the Working committee meeting of the BCCI on Monday. Rajiv Shukla, Vice-President, BCCI mentioned that the 3 ODIs will be played in Chennai, Kolkata and Delhi while Bangalore and Ahmedabad will host the T20I matches. 

A BCCI Media release stated that the scheduling will be worked out on a later date. "It was decided to resume cricketing ties with Pakistan by inviting the Pakistan cricket team for a short series in December 2012 - January 2013. The modalities will be worked out shortly." 

Speaking to reporters, Rajiv Shukla said: "The BCCI was firm that no India-Pakistan series will be held at a neutral venue so it was decided to invite them after December 22 when the England team leaves after playing the Twenty20 Internationals. 

"This was the slot where the tour could have been accommodated and we did that accordingly. I have spoken to the home minister and he has said his ministry has no objection. The Ministry of External Affairs has also agreed to this tour," he said. 

PCB chief Zaka Ashraf called BCCI's decision as a positive move. 

It's a positive move by the BCCI. It's been six months since I have been discussing with the BCCI about the possible revival of ties and the final breakthrough came during the IPL final. Ultimately, we have received the invite from the BCCI and now we will sit to discuss the modalities of the series." Ashraf told reporters at the Gaddafi Stadium. 

Speaking to NDTV India, former Pakistan great Javed Miandad expressed his happiness at the likely resumption of ties between the two nations. He said that he would like to congratulate both the boards on this decision. He said that sports is the only way to ease the tension between both countries. He also called on both nations to leave the bitter past behind and start the relationship afresh. 

The last time the two nations met in a bilateral series was in 2007 when India hosted their rivals for a series of 3 Tests and 5 ODIs. India won both the Test as well as ODI series. Last year, the two teams were involved in an emotional World Cup semi final at Mohali with India winning the highly anticipated match to storm into the final. The match was watched at the stadium by the heads of both nations. 

There were talks of a bilateral series between the two nations floating along ever since then, but the packed schedule of either teams prevented any step forward. Recently, Pakistan offered India to either host the two teams in any of the two nations or even proposed a neutral venue as an attempt to resume cricketing ties. The 3 match series can act as an appetizer ahead of a full series between two of cricket's long time rivals. 

The change in attitude was also reflected in the decision to allow the domestic T20 champions from Pakistan, Sialkot Stallions to participate in the Champions League T20 tournament where the BCCI holds a 50% stake while the remaining is equally shared by Australia and South Africa. 

The BCCI on Monday granted amnesty to former India wicket-keeper Kiran More, paving the way for his return to the fold of the parent cricket body and making him eligible for the one-time benefit payment. 

More, who had joined rebel Indian Cricket League (ICL), back in 2007 along with former India captain Kapil Dev and several others, was banned by the BCCI with immediate effect. 

The decision to grant More amnesty was taken at BCCI's Working Committee here. 

"More's amnesty application has been accepted," Senior BCCI official Rajiv Shukla told reporters . 

Prior to the fifth edition of the IPL, More had written to the BCCI seeking amnesty, having rejected the same offer in 2009. He was a chief selector before joining now defunct ICL. 

As far as the benefit scheme goes, More who has played 49 Tests and 94 ODIs will be eligible for a payment of Rs. 60 lakh. 

Along with it his pension, which had been freezed, will also be restored and all arrears are likely to be cleared. 

BCCI in all likelihood will also soon be granting amnesty to Kapil Dev as the former Indian captain is all set to write to the cricket board on this issue. 

It is learnt that BCCI president N Srinivasan has taken personal initiative in bringing the 1983 World Cup winning captain back in the BCCI fold. Kapil has finally relented on applying for amnesty after "fruitful discussions with the BCCI president." 

"Although this was not on the agenda, the president (Srinivasan) informed the members that there has been fruitful discussions with Kapil Dev and the latter has agreed to seek amnesty. The formalities will be worked out soon," a senior working committee member preferring anonymity said. 

Kapil, who joined as the chairman of the executive board of Indian Cricket League back in 2007, has never sought amnesty from the BCCI but he has been invited for some of the functions organised by Cricket Board lately. 

"The content of the application letter will be such that it doesn't hurt the dignity of a player of Kapil's stature but also at the same time maintain BCCI's position of being the parent body and guardian of the game in the country," the official further added. 

If Kapil gets amnesty, he will be entitled to Rs 1 crore as a part of BCCI's one-time benefit scheme and he will also start receiving pension once again. His arrears will also be cleared.  

Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar today criticized the BCCI's decision to revive the Indo-Pak bilateral cricket ties as he felt Pakistan was not cooperating in the Mumbai terror attacks probe. 

The bilateral cricketing ties had been snapped after the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks and there have been several attempts by the Pakistan Cricket Board in recent months to convince the BCCI to resume it. 

"Being a Mumbaikar I feel what is the urgency when there is no co-operation from the other side," said Gavaskar. 

Gavaskar also felt that India is playing a lot of cricket in the upcoming season and any other series would only put pressure on the cricketers. 

England is scheduled to arrive in India for a four-match Test series followed by two Twenty20 Internationals before going home for Christmas. They would be back to play five One-day Internationals, scheduled to place from January 11. 

"Well, my first reaction is that the time the players have between the England series, it is not going to be there. 

They are playing England in November-December but now they are not going to get the breather," Gavaskar said. 

"Players need the time to look after their injuries and get better," he added. 

BCCI Vice President, Rajiv Shukla refused to respond to Gavaskar's jibes saying that he was entitled to his views. "I don't want to react to individual opinion. Everyone is entitled to have one. " 

Meanwhile, former Pakistan player, Zaheer Abbas expressed happiness at the resumption of ties, saying that it will be good for Indo-Pak relationship. 

"The best remedy is to play. At least the country will be busy watching cricket. It will be good for cricket and Indo-Pak relationship. Both countries should be playing cricket every year. It is a very good sign," said Abbas. 

"People in Pakistan are very happy. India are becoming a great power in cricket. Playing with India we can improve our cricket also," he said. 

Another former captain Bishan Singh Bedi, however, welcomed the proposed series and said that it was a step in the right direction. 

"It will be interesting Pakistan is playing their home series in India. It will mean a lot in the two nations. 

And the amount of interest and the goodwill it will generate will be huge. Lots of positives will come out of it and it is a step in the right direction," Bedi said. 

"I am not interested much in a Pakistan team being invited in the Champions League Twenty20. I am more interested in the two countries playing against each other," he added. 

Bedi felt that the Indian cricketers could be a tiring lot against Pakistan as they were also to play against Australia and England before the Indo-Pak series. 

"India-Pakistan matches are much more intense than Australia playing England. My only apprehension is that the Indian boys may be a bit taxing. England and Australia are coming and to take out another series, though short, against arch-rivals Pakistan could be taxing on the Indian players," said the spin great.  

South Africa captain Graeme Smith believes England batsman Kevin Pietersen's retirement from international limited-overs cricket will leave "a big hole in his life". 

South Africa-born Pietersen quit white ball internationals after team management refused him his wish to appear in Twenty20 matches while opting out of 50-over games. 

"It's impossible to know what you're giving up, and how hard it will hit you, until it's gone," Smith, who has had plenty of run-ins with Pietersen in the past, told online magazine Wisden EXTRA on Monday. 

"One-day cricket has been a big part of his life for a very long time and, right now, he thinks he can just walk away from it. 

"Maybe he can. But I think he'll quickly find there's a big hole in his life which isn't as easy to cope with as he may think. 

Pietersen suggested last week he would be willing to come back to one-dayers if something could be done about making sure he wasn't burnt out by England's packed schedule. 

But the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) are holding firm to their stance that players cannot "pick and choose" which limited overs matches they play in. 

Pietersen, however, is still set to feature in this week's first Test against South Africa at The Oval. 

Smith added: "I don't have any inside information at all, so I'm just looking from the outside, but if there's any truth that his decision was partly based on the disagreements he had with the ECB and the way they treated him, then I believe he'll find it even harder to come to terms with the way his one-day career has ended. 

"He just seemed to be back to his aggressive, attacking best, too. Very strange that he should give it away." 

Smith gave up the South African one-day captaincy after last year's World Cup, but has no plans to follow Pietersen into limited overs retirement. 

"He's just turned 32, only a bit older than me, but I reckon my best ODI form is ahead of me, not behind me. I'm very keen to play limited-overs cricket and I'm still very ambitious." 

Although Smith's two previous tours of England, have resulted in the resignation of opposing captains Nasser Hussain and Michael Vaughan, the opening batsman is not expecting to add Andrew Strauss to that list. 

"I could sense the pressure building on Strauss before the West Indies tour (of England) and I couldn't help putting two and two together," said Smith. 

"What if they had a bad series against the Windies and he didn't score many runs? But I'm pretty sure those two hundreds have made him safe now. 

"He (Strauss) is obviously a very strong personality with that quiet determination that sees him getting things done and achieving things with the minimum of fuss. He seems to keep an iron fist in a velvet glove." 

South Africa, the last visiting side to win a Test series in England when they triumphed 2-1 four years ago, will replace England at number one in the International Cricket Council Test rankings if they win this three-match series. 

"England are more disciplined, smarter and better prepared than four years ago, and all the players who are still around from the last series have got better," said Smith. 

"They are a very, very good team at home and deserve to be ranked No 1." 

However, he added: But we have also got better and we're also pretty useful in English conditions. They have home advantage and they're ranked ahead of us, but I'm not going to compete for underdog status! 

"If some people want to make us favourites then I'll take that as a compliment, not reject it."  

The Pakistan Cricket Board president Zaka Ashraf welcomed the initiative on the part of BCCI to resume bilateral cricket ties with a short limited overs series in India in December calling it as an "ice-breaker." 

PCB chairman Zaka Ashraf told reporters in Lahore that the BCCI President N Srinivasan had called him up to confirm about the three match ODI and two T20 Internationals." 

"The BCCI has said that they have a time slot available in December after Christmas and in early January as they are hosting England as well," Ashraf said. 

"We are delighted with this invitation and development and see it as a big ice-breaker in revival of bilateral ties between the two countries." 

"The series will also help improve relations between the two countries. The BCCI invitation today is the result of some really hard work put in by both boards in the last few months to resume bilateral ties and what is welcome is both governments have also supported revival of bilateral ties," Ashraf said. 

A smiling Ashraf who initiated a proactive campaign to convince the BCCI to resume ties soon after he took over as chairman in October 2011 said that his visits to India had proved very helpful in breaking the ice. 

"I realized we could make progress when the BCCI invited us to send our domestic T20 team for the Champions League this year," he said. 

India had frozen all bilateral cricket ties with Pakistan after the Mumbai terror attacks in November, 2008. The last time both countries played a bilateral series was in 2007 in India and since than although they have met in ICC events but not on bilateral level. 

"I am sure millions of cricket fans in both countries will be happy with this decision," Ashraf said and added "Indo-Pak cricket ties are also important for the promotion of the sport internationally."  

A superb bowling performance by Sunil Narine saw hosts West Indies to a 20 run win over New Zealand here on Monday in their fifth and final one day international. 

The 24-year-old took 5-28 as the Kiwis were bowled out for 221 in reply to the West Indies 241 all out and gave the hosts a 4-1 win in the series. 

The New Zealanders - who left out experienced all rounder Jacob Oram and were already without several experienced players who have been struck down with injury - saw several of their top order make a decent start before failing to move beyond 40. 

The only one to do so was Kane Williamson as the 21-year-old threatened to take them to victory with an impressive 69 and it took a superb catch by Gayle at mid wicket, off the bowling off Narine, to dismiss him. 

The West Indies had been teetering on 37-3 before a 60 run partnership between Marlon Samuels and Dwayne Bravo steadied the ship. 

Samuels fell when on 43, caught by Martin Guptill off Tim Southee, but Bravo played an unaccustomed patient innings to make his slowest ever half century before he fell for 53, caught by Brendon McCullum off Andrew Ellis. 

The hosts faltered again only for Andre Russell to come to their rescue batting at nine as he rattled off a stunning 59 not out to at least give his side a reasonable target to defend. 

Veteran New Zealand bowler Kyle Mills had something to celebrate as having become New Zealand's joint second highest wicket taker in this form of cricket when he had Chris Gayle caught for just five, he moved into second on his own with a further two in the innings.