Barring accidents, the question is not who but when.The answer should be: not yet Hussain will return next week refreshed. This is an increasingly rare state for a leading cricketer to find himself in, and a vital one for Nasser, whose intensity tends to leave him exhausted by the end of a series. After a break from the big stage and a spate of runs for Essex, he will be raring to run rings round Graeme Smith, whose every statement suggests he would have been a sound choice for the South African captaincy after the World Cup – in 2007.England are in the happy position of having two good captains. Australia have shown, first with Mark Taylor and Steve Waugh, now with Waugh and Ricky Ponting, how a team can gain from having two masters and a measured succession In terms of captaincy, England are now the Aussies’ equal. Just batting, bowling and fielding to go then.Tim de Lisle is editor of Wisden 2003timdelisle62 hotmail . Graeme Smith led from the front as South Africa shook off the disappointment of their NatWest Series final defeat by England to gain useful batting practice at Taunton ahead of the first Test a week on Thursday. His 152 took 214 balls and included 27 fours.Of those who did not feature in the NatWest Series, Gary Kirsten, who has retired from one-day cricket, marked his first appearance since the World Cup in March with a polished 66, while Neil McKenzie hardly played a false shot on his way to 66 not out.Somerset then reached 38 without loss against some lively pace bowling from Charl Willoughby and Dewald Pretorius, previously of Durham.All-rounder Dougie Brown scored a century batting at No 7 as Warwickshire reached 315 for 7 against Middlesex at Southgate.

His 113 came off 181 balls with 17 boundaries, and he put on 209 for the sixth wicket with wicketkeeper Tony Frost, who made 84.In Division Two, Anthony McGrath returned from England duty to score 86 as Yorkshire posted 340 for 6 against Durham at Chester-le-Street. Craig White, who may not get his place back in the England one-day set-up after the success of his captain, remained unbeaten on 82. With Andy Gray, who made 60 not out, he had forged an unbroken partnership of 143 by the close.Hampshire have released Wasim Akram with immediate effect, following problems associated with the Pakistan all-rounder’s health Wasim, 37, suffers from diabetes.. For a while it seemed that Mushtaq Ahmed, whose wickets have turned Sussex into unlikely contenders for the Championship, would run through Leicestershire with some ease, even on a batting track of midsummer friendliness. His ability to bamboozle batsmen remains wonderfully potent and 60 victims so far make him the leading wicket-taker in the Championship.Not for the first time, however, Leicestershire were dragged out of trouble by their captain, Phillip DeFreitas. In his 38th year, the former England all-rounder not only leads the side on to the field but does much of the bowling and appears lately to have become their most reliable batsman.On this occasion, he made a hundred, his first this season and the 10th of his career, taking on Mushtaq and winning.

Leicestershire finished with an unexpectedly respectable total, still short of what DeFreitas had in mind when he won the toss but at least providing a foothold in the game.Leicestershire are not bottom of the First Division without reason and Mushtaq exposed the frailty of their batting, weakened further by the absence because of a back injury of the Indian, Virender Sehwag.Critically, he removed both Darren Maddy and Darren Stevens before lunch and two more wickets immediately after the interval had Leicestershire in real trouble. A bat-pad catch held by a diving Richard Montgomerie at silly point to halt Brad Hodge’s progress left them six down. The loss of Jason Lewry from the Sussex attack because of a strain seemed incidental.But the fightback began when Jeremy Snape was joined by DeFreitas, who escaped a vivid appeal for a catch. He responded by pulling Mushtaq for four, the first of 15 in an innings that would cost almost three hours of sweat and toil but would amply illustrate the stature the one-time rebel now enjoys as one of the game’s elder statesmen.Snape and DeFreitas added 96 for the seventh wicket, after which the pace bowler, Charlie Dagnall, not known as a batsman of particular patience, played Mushtaq very well in helping his captain add another 69 for the ninth wicket.DeFreitas was visibly tired by the time he was bowled by Robin Martin-Jenkins but he had left Sussex, who are seeking to close a gap of 26 points between themselves and leaders Surrey, with something to do to get their noses in front They set themselves up nicely by reaching 51 without loss.. Ed Smith’s flashing blade may be Lancashire’s last memory as they sink into another season of chagrin. England’s withdrawal of Andrew Flintoff and Jimmy Anderson left the chairman, Jack Simmons, seething over Flintoff “I’m flabbergasted.

Freddie will go into back-to-back Tests next week without a first-class match for six weeks,” he said. “Where’s the common sense?”Where indeed? The amiable Flintoff spent the day giving interviews, signing autographs and gazing wistfully into the middle. Anderson, meanwhile, was rumoured to be playing in a charity match in Burnley.Ironically, what Sky TV screened and the 3,000 crowd appreciated was a classic innings by a thoroughly English batsman. Smith, of Tonbridge and Cambridge, has trained with the New York Mets and written a bestseller. Yesterday he hit his fourth century in five Championship innings.