Former Harrow School prodigy Northeast was only included in the starting XI for his County Championship debut after Joe Denly went down with a migraine during the pre-match warm-up.

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Scotland's A team also played for the first time in the English County 2nd XI Championship.

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In the summer of 2008, further trials will see the pink ball used in county second XI and university matches.

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He began his comeback for his county's second XI at the end of last season and is now part of the England Academy squad this winter.

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Xi Chengyong, a shoemaker from the leveled county of Beichuan living in a prefabricated housing camp, said quake survivors were struggling.

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However, selection for the Lions XI has been limited to players not already involved in county cricket that weekend.

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Xi spent six years at an agricultural commune in Yanchuan County, Shaanxi before being accepted into the prestigious Tsinghua University in 1975.

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He had already featured on the staff at New Road way back in 2003, when he made three second XI appearances, featuring alongside Stephen Moore, Steven Davies and future county skipper Daryl Mitchell.

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They claim that fast bowler Kabir Ali had already played for the Worcestershire Board XI in an earlier round and the rules of the competition mean he cannot also play for the senior county side.

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