Fletcher poised to sign new contract

Duncan Fletcher, England's coach, will go home to South Africa with an extension to his contract almost finalised after lengthy negotiations with Tim Lamb, the England and Wales Cricket Board's chief executive, in Colombo yesterday.

Lamb said: "It is just a matter of dotting the i's and crossing the t's."

Fletcher, who is going home for a holiday after England's ICC Champions Trophy exit against India on Sunday, will return to England next month, two days before the side leaves for the Ashes tour, and is expected to sign the new deal then.

The former captain of Zimbabwe and coach of Western Province has been coaching England since the autumn of 1999, having been headhunted and chosen in preference to the former England batsman and then South Africa coach Bob Woolmer.

Peter Anderson, Somerset CC's chief executive, has written a letter of apology to all members of the county for the team's poor form this season, which has seen relegation in both the championship and Norwich Union competition.

"Too many of our performances lacked enthusiasm, urgency and the requisite application expected of professional players," he wrote.

"Every coach and player will be interviewed and left in no uncertain terms as to what is expected next year. They got us down, now they must get us up."