MARK BUTCHER, scorer of a century against Australia in his last Test-match innings, could find himself out of the England line-up when they take on Zimbabwe next month because he cannot get a game with his county.

Butcher was left out of the Surrey side that played Lancashire last week in the first round of Frizzell County Championship fixtures and there is no guarantee that he will be included for the game against Warwickshire starting tomorrow.

The left-hander is seething and David Graveney, England’s chairman of selectors, said yesterday: “Mark needs to have played sufficient county cricket for him to be available for selection.”

With the first Test match beginning on May 22, Butcher has had forceful words with Keith Medlycott, the Surrey coach. “He told me they did not want to change the middle order,” Butcher said. “I did point out that I bat No 3 for England.”

Surrey enjoy the services of a host of international batsmen, but Butcher must be mystified — particularly after his dogged 124 helped England to victory in the final Test in Sydney during the winter — that he finds himself behind Ian Ward, Mark Ramprakash and Alistair Brown, all England discards, in the pecking order.

Medlycott said of the selection for the Warwickshire game: “We will probably pick from a squad of 14 and Mark will be in the mix along with everyone else.”

The ECB will announce Nasser Hussain’s successor as one-day captain a week today. Hussain retired from one-day international cricket after the recent World Cup to concentrate on his Test career.

Michael Vaughan, Marcus Trescothick and Adam Hollioake, the former one-day captain, are all thought to be in the running.

A draw looks inevitable in the first Test between Sri Lanka and New Zealand in Colombo after rain and a spectacular storm forced an early finish to the fourth day. Sri Lanka, with Hashan Tillekeratne, their new captain, unbeaten on 126, will begin the final day on 424 for six, 91 runs behind New Zealand with four first-innings wickets standing. More storms, though, are forecast.

The opening matches of the county championship season produced the biggest crowds for many years. Seven matches started on the Good Friday holiday, April 18, and each venue attracted a bigger audience than at the opening fixture of the 2002 season, with the average gate up by 24 per cent.

Nottinghamshire reported their biggest opening-day crowd for more than 40 years — 3,000 spectators — against Warwickshire.

Police in Pakistan said yesterday that they had registered a criminal case against Wasim Akram, the fast bowler standing in for Shane Warne as overseas player for Hampshire, after he was accused of failing to pay for a jeep he had purchased from a former friend.