Former England paceman Devon Malcolm is playing at Knebworth Park Cricket Club next week. Malcolm is playing for an MCC XI against the Japan national side next Tuesday (May 20). The match, which begins at 11am, will provide the Japan players with match pr

Former England paceman Devon Malcolm is playing at Knebworth Park Cricket Club next week.

Malcolm is playing for an MCC XI against the Japan national side next Tuesday (May 20).

The match, which begins at 11am, will provide the Japan players with match practice ahead of the ICC tournament that is taking place in Jersey where the visitors are hoping to advance their status up the world rankings.

This has been arranged by Tim O'Gorman, the former Derbyshire opening batsman, whose son Joe plays in the club's colts.

All the MCC XI have experienced cricket in Japan.

The full MCC team is: Devon Malcolm (Derbyshire, Northants, Leics and England); Jon Coles; Dominic Ralfs (Cambridgeshire CCC); Simon Birtwistle (Durham CCC); Adam Tarrant (Surrey 2nd X1); Ed Home (Shropshire CCC); Steve Livermore (Norfolk CCC); Chris Hollins (Oxford University CC); Patrick Goodwin; Jarrod Shearer (wkt); Tim O'Gorman (Derbyshire CCC).

It is part of the countdown to the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 which begins later this month with the staging of the ICC World Cricket League Division Five in Jersey from May 23-31.

Herts were on the wrong end of a last-over thriller at a sun-kissed Welwyn Garden City on Sunday in the Minor Counties one-day trophy.

They lost to a strong Suffolk team by three wickets with two balls of a gripping game.

Herts won the toss and batted first on a beautiful morning, with 19-year-old Gary Brown, of Stevenage, and 20-year-old Steve Gale from Potters Bar forming one of the county's youngest-ever opening partnerships.

Gale (78) and Brown (19) put on 52 for the first wicket before Ben Frazer thumped five sixes and four fours in his 76 as Herts closed on 274-7.

Suffolk's experienced opening pair of Tom Huggins and Andrew Mawson put on 164 before Mawson fell in the 34th over.

Herts fought back strongly and wickets then fell steadily before the target was reached in the last over.

It was the second defeat for Herts in the tournament, and now face a formidable task this Sunday in going to Leek and in trying to beat Staffordshire.

Their final group game will be at Long Marston against Northumberland on Sunday, June 1.

Herts: S Gale (Potters Bar), G Brown (Stevenage), N Lamb (WGC), D Ward (Whigiftians), A Laraman (WGC, capt), B Frazer (WGC), F Walker (West Herts), S White (WGC), T Jenkins (Radlett, wkt), M Smith (West Herts), S Coleman (Bishop's Stortford).

Henlow threw away the chance of a double success in the Beds League on Sunday.

The firsts looked set fair after bowling out hosts Kempston Hammers for 129 in their Division One match, skipper Krish Canagasabey taking four wickets, Merrick Baltruschat three and Scott Spicer two.

But Henlow were hustled out for just 94 inside 31 overs despite a bright start, Baltruschat top scoring with 21.

Chasing 213 to win against their Southill counterparts, Mike Fernando fell one short of a half century for Henlow seconds.

Then despite Joel Boorman's quickfire 41, Henlow slumped late on to 180 all out.

Openers Wayne Goldsmith (84) and Wayne Bilcock (53) steered Henlow to an eight-wicket win over Blunham seconds in Millman Three on Saturday. Bilcock (3-37) and Scott Spicer (5-29) had restricted Blunham to 152 all out.