Of course there is dampness lurking beneath, which in fact gives a slower wicket than the Essex groundsman hoped for, but the crust is hard, flat and not over-grassed. In fact this verdict was confirmed by the ECB's pitch liaison officer, Tony Brown, in Ilford on a flying visit. Then it was Anderson's day.The collapse undermined the foundation laid down, not without discomfort, by Adrian Rollins and Matthew Hayden. They were assisted by a reckless quota of extras, and Rollins used his pads more than his bat, but the opening pair clawed their way to 53 before they departed to successive balls. Hayden was lbw to Anderson, and the becalmed Rollins sliced a very smart catch to Paul Grayson at point. Once Mal Loye and David Sales had also been dismissed to the sixth ball of one over and the first of the next, just before lunch, the procession of hapless batsmen had begun.In the evening, the home side spent just three wickets in establishing a first-innings lead, achieved in their 43rd over. Grayson contributed a graceful 47 before falling victim to Cousins, Northamptonshire's only successful bowler, and the more pragmatic Darren Robinson supported him.With Ronnie Irani, Stuart Law spent the last session confirming Essex's advantage.

Northamptonshire's captain, Hayden, permutated six bowlers without adding to Cousin's inroads, and while the late batting rarely looked fluent, the Essex top order had consolidated Anderson's sterling efforts earlier on.. The South African commission into match-fixing would be willing to travel to India tolisten to tapes being held as evidence in a case against the former captain Hansie Cronje. The South African commission into match-fixing would be willing to travel to India tolisten to tapes being held as evidence in a case against the former captain Hansie Cronje. "We need to be able to listen to the tapes or at least to properly authenticated copies of them," the Commission secretary John Bacon said yesterday. "If that means we have to go to India, then we'll do that."The South African government has made a formal request to its Indian counterpart for access to the recordings, but as yet it has not been granted.The tapes are central to the charges laid by Indian police on 7 April which implicated Cronje, Herschelle Gibbs, Nicky Boje and Pieter Strydom in match-fixing. The recordings are purportedly of converations between Cronje and a bookmaker.The Australian Cricket Board said yesterday that is was aware of speculation of a possible rival tour being formed in Asia but said it was confident Australian players would not be tempted by it.The group reportedly considering the rebel competition move is the Indian pay television channel Zee TV, which is bidding for the rights to the 2003 and 2007 World Cups. Zee TV, one of three bidders for the rights, said its offer was the biggest of the three, valued at more than US$600m (£394m) with internet and merchandising rights.

The International Cricket Council is due to give a decision on the rights at its meeting on 21-22 June.Sky Sport launch their interactive service for England's second Test against Zimbabwe at Trent Bridge today. Viewers will be offered several different camera angles, highlights to catch up on key moments, a scoreboard updated ball by ball and up-to-date statistics at the press of a button on the Sky Sports Extra channel offered to digital customers.The interactive service will be extended to all domestic cricket Sky show this season and there are also plans to develop the statistics service to include a greater historical base.. A fighting 70 by the former England all-rounder Phil DeFreitas lifted Leicestershire to 296 in their top-of-the-table First Division County Championship game against a weakened Yorkshire at Headingley yesterday. A fighting 70 by the former England all-rounder Phil DeFreitas lifted Leicestershire to 296 in their top-of-the-table First Division County Championship game against a weakened Yorkshire at Headingley yesterday. The first-placed Foxes could not have expected such riches against a side in second place after slumping to 196 for 8 but, with DeFreitas in control, the last two wickets added 100 runs.DeFreitas, who hit eight boundaries from 111 balls, had good support from James Ormond. The ninth-wicket pair put on 61 in 15 overs, though Ormond was lucky on three when he was 'bowled' by a Matthew Hoggard no-ball.After Ormond had been bowled for 20 by off-spinner James Middlebrook there was further resistance from Scott Boswell, who made an un-beaten dozen.Opener Darren Maddy gave Leicestershire a flying start with 63 from 98 balls, including 10 fours, before being caught at slip off Middlebrook.By then Trevor Ward, who had shared in a brisk opening stand of 84, had fallen to Gavin Hamilton and after lunch Leicestershire collapsed.They went from 113 for 2 to 196 for 8, debutante Chris Elstub claiming his first wicket when Darren Stevens was caught at midwicket from a mis-timed pull.Yorkshire's ground fielding was sharp and Darren Lehmann took a superb catch at short midwicket to dismiss Aftab Habib for six.Middlebrook, finding some slow turn, finished with 3 for 39 from 22 overs while left-arm seamer Paul Hutchison recovered from a poor opening spell to claim 3 for 62.In the other First Division game Kent struggled to post a decent first-innings total against Durham at Tunbridge Wells. With three wickets John Wood took most advantage on a day when none of the home batsmen managed to get set. Captain Matthew Fleming with an unbeaten 37 provided most resistance in a total of 171 for 8.In the Second Division the hard-working Adrian Dale (75) and up-and-coming Michael Powell (46) were the main contributors for Glamorgan, who totalled 185 against Sussex at Hove.Sussex wasted little time in reply as openers Richard Montgomerie and Toby Peirce progressed to 62 by the close..

Why Linda Evangelista should prefer to live in Monaco rather than Manchester has some Lancashire members mystified, but they were pleased to hear that the junior club over the road had managed to secure France's goalkeeper. They are less amiable about the increasing demands of international cricket which, for this fixture, has deprived them of three England players and their overseas professional, India's captain Sourav Ganguly. Why Linda Evangelista should prefer to live in Monaco rather than Manchester has some Lancashire members mystified, but they were pleased to hear that the junior club over the road had managed to secure France's goalkeeper. They are less amiable about the increasing demands of international cricket which, for this fixture, has deprived them of three England players and their overseas professional, India's captain Sourav Ganguly. Add the injured Neil Fairbrother to the list and you will see the members are watching virtually the second team So, too, are Yorkshire's members. How long the 25,000 members of the two clubs are prepared to pay full subscriptions to watch second-class cricket is a question that may be answered next year.Derbyshire have no such excuses but their aim, like Southampton's, is to cling on to premier division status. So it was they took 81 overs to score 171 runs on a pitch of slow turn and, just occasionally, at the Warwick Road end, a little variation in the bounce.Lancashire did not bowl above workmanlike, fielded below that - failing with three run-out attempts, missing two slip catches - and were substantially aided by batting that allowed Gary Keedy a spell of 22-8-30-1. A second spell brought him a wicket in five overs without conceding a run.Two Derbyshire batsmen were unlucky.