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Scorecard

After a solid performance by their batsmen, Pakistan Under-19s turned in a superb bowling display to beat Sri Lanka Under-19s by 83 runs in the first match of the pre-World Cup tri-series in Colombo.After Sri Lanka elected to field, there were some initial jitters for Pakistan as Ahmed Shehzad and Umair Mir fell in quick succession to leave their team at 31 for 2. Umar Amin, who anchored the innings with a sedate 68, was then involved in a run-a-ball 70-run stand with Umar Akmal, who did the bulk of the scoring in the partnership. Akmal carted eight boundaries in his 40-ball 41 before being bowled by medium-pacer Ishara Jayaratne.A patient 42 from Ali Asad was followed by aggressive contributions from Usman Salahuddin (41 off 40) and captain Imad Wasim (21 off 16) as Pakistan finished on a competitive 256 for 5. Left-arm medium-pacer Chathura Peiris was the pick of the Sri Lankan bowlers taking 3 for 43 in his ten overs.The hosts’ chase received an early jolt when Dilshan Munaweera was bowled by Adil Raza in the first over. Pakistan struck at regular intervals and a 20-run stand for the fourth wicket was the highest Sri Lanka managed for their first eight wickets. By the 22nd over, they were reduced to a hopeless 79 for 8. Peiris, coming in at No. 10, then slammed a 52-ball 62 but it was to no avail as Sri Lanka were bundled out for 173 in the 40th over. Mohammad Rameez was the most effective Pakistan bowler and had excellent returns of 10-1-31-3.The tournament, also featuring England, sees each side take on the others twice before the final on February 1. Pakistan face England in the next match on Thursday.

South Africa 241 for 7 (Prince 62*, Smith 47) beat England 240 (Pietersen 116, Giles 41) by three wickets
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details

Three centuries in five innings, and not a victory to show for them. Kevin Pietersen kept his most extraordinary performance of an extraordinary series until the very end, but it was not enough to rescue England from a dire start to the seventh and final one-day international at Centurion. Pietersen made 116 from 110 balls – including 82 in a rollicking last 37 – to haul England back from the brink at 68 for 6 after 25 overs, but South Africa were always ahead of the rate. Despite a late clatter of wickets, Ashwell Prince scored his maiden one-day fifty to guide South Africa to a 4-1 series win.The match ultimately came down to the penultimate over, but at the mid-point of England’s innings, it didn’t seem as though things would last beyond the lunch break. Four South African bowlers – Shaun Pollock, Makhaya Ntini, Andre Nel and Nicky Boje – all struck in the opening over of their spells, as a succession of English batsmen came and went in a series of limp dismissals. Marcus Trescothick made a second-ball duck, Michael Vaughan was bowled by Ntini for 1, and when Paul Collingwood was run out while seeking a suicidal single to square leg, it was as if the team was already checking out the duty free at Johannesburg airport.Pietersen, however, remained steadfast throughout the collapse, hoping against hope that one of his colleagues would find the necessary resolve to stay with him. His faith paid off, however, as Ashley Giles proved once again what a staunch batsman he has become. He and Pietersen set about rebuilding the innings, adding 104 in 13 overs of increasingly assured strokeplay, and the platform was laid for Pietersen’s habitual late assault.The revival began slowly as Pietersen and Giles put mere survival ahead of any run-scoring intent, and by the start of the 35th over, England were still three short of reaching three figures. But Giles responded by clubbing a Pollock slower ball over midwicket for four, and when he followed up with a deft late-cut that also flew away to the boundary, that was the cue for Pietersen to cut loose at the other end as well.Up to that point, Pietersen had made 34 from 73 balls with just two fours to his name, but he then swept Boje over midwicket for six twice in three balls, and would have added a straight-driven four as well, had it not been for the stumps at the non-striker’s end. He brought up his half-century – his fourth in six innings – in the next over before driving Nel through the covers for four, and he had cleared the midwicket boundary on two more occasions before Ntini yorked Giles for 41 – his highest and timeliest one-day score – with his first ball of a new spell.That didn’t stop Pietersen’s fun, however. He cracked Ntini over long-on in the same over, before taking 11 runs from Jacques Kallis’s first over of the match, and six balls later he had reached his hundred – an Ntini full-toss was biffed for four, a length delivery was moosed over midwicket, and with one ball of the over remaining, Pietersen scampered through for a tight single, and celebrated his century with an undignified and unintended moon to the crowd, after an accidental collision with the retreating Ntini.

Two more fours and a sixth six followed as the runs continued to pour, although Andrew Hall eventually removed his off stump with 14 balls of the innings remaining. The Centurion crowd put aside the controversies and stood as one to acknowledge his phenomenal efforts, and though Hall cleaned up with two wickets in three balls, a total of 240 was perhaps 100 runs beyond England’s wildest expectations.South Africa made a measured response – given England’s early travails, they hardly needed to blast out of the blocks – as Smith and Hall added 46 for the first wicket without a great deal of hassle. In the absence of Darren Gough, who was suffering from a virus, England opened with Alex Wharf and the recalled Steve Harmison, who bowled with pace and looked as threatening as he has done all tour. He, at least, seemed inspired by the prospect of a flight home, and demonstrated this with a fantastic low catch at fine leg to remove Hall for 23.With yet more of Centurion’s notorious bad weather lingering, both sides had an eye on the Duckworth-Lewis calculations – and South Africa were easing in front by the 20-over mark, the point at which a result may be calculated. An unforced error from Smith, however, opened the door again for England, as he chipped Giles to mid-on for 47. Harmison immediately returned to the attack and trapped Herschelle Gibbs for a second-ball duck, but he was unable to make any further impressions, as Prince fended him off with skill and style in the gloomy conditions.Harmison’s eventual figures of 1 for 55 didn’t do his efforts justice, but they did reflect the fact that South Africa were firmly in command. That remained the case, even when Jacques Kallis inexplicably holed out to long-on, to give a gobsmacked Vaughan a wicket from his very first ball of the match. It was the start of an impressive spell from Vaughan, whose slow loopy deliveries proved tricky to get off the square, but Mark Boucher chipped in with a punchy 44 from 40 balls to fend off England’s advances.Boucher was run out in a mix-up over a second run, and Justin Kemp and Shaun Pollock fell cheaply, but with Prince in command, the victory was a formality. Which, after reducing England to 68 for 6 after 25 overs, was always likely to be the case, Pietersen’s heroics notwithstanding.

Sri Lanka 239 (Gunawardene 73, Khuram 4-32) bt UAE 123 (Rai 39, Chandana 4-22, Muralitharan 3-21) by 116 runs
Scorecard

It was a rout, but it need not have been. The United Arab Emirates bowled with a maturity far beyond their experience to take regular wickets after Sri Lanka chose to bat first, but the one man they couldn’t stop was Avishka Gunawardene, whose fine 73 helped Sri Lanka to 239. That was enough for the win, and UAE’s batsmen were easily dismissed for 123 in 47.5 overs.Gunawardene came in to bat in the eighth over of the day, and was aggressive right from the start – but not in an irresponsible manner, as he sometimes has been in the past. He was severe on anything pitched outside off, and repeatedly pumped Syed Maqsood and Ali Asad through the off side, favouring the region between mid-off and cover. He batted at a run-a-ball pace for the first half of his innings, but played more watchfully in the middle overs, when the spinners bowled with some guile and a lot of discipline. Wickets fell around him as he stood firm, until he finally decided that the time had come to seize the momentum, and hoicked Khuram Khan to deep midwicket, where Sameer Zia took a beautifully judged diving catch. Sri Lanka were 190 for 7 then, well out of trouble.Many of the Sri Lankan batsmen spent time at the crease, settled in well, but could not capitalise on their effort. Saman Jayantha (18), Sanath Jayasuriya (21), Kumar Sangakkara (17), Mahela Jayawardene (26) and Upul Chandana (21) all promised, and deceived. Sangakkara could at least complain that he was at the wrong end of a bad umpiring decision, but the others had no-one but themselves to blame.Jayawardene, captaining in place of Marvan Atapattu, who decided to skip this game along with Chaminda Vaas, began the day by winning the toss and choosing to bat. Asad was impressive at the start of the innings, as he had been yesterday. Asim Saeed, the left-armer, also seemed to be getting into his rhythm when Peter Parker, the umpire, not Spiderman, got into his way. Saeed, while beginning his third over, brushed against Parker’s shoulder and, unable to keep his balance, fell over, clearly spraining a muscle somewhere as a result. He was assisted off the field, and when he did bat later in the day, needed a runner.Maqsood came on to bowl in Saeed’s place, and struck early, getting a ball to pitch outside off and nip back in to hit the off stump of Jayantha, who played inside the line (39 for 1). Shortly afterwards, Jayasuriya was trapped lbw to a ball from Asad that pitched on middle and straightened (41 for 2).Sangakkara then added 64 with Gunawardene, but his confident innings came to an end when he was the victim of a shocking decision, adjudged lbw to a ball from Zia that pitched well outside leg stump (105 for 3). Jayawardene began with a lovely late cut, and hit a run-a-ball 26, an innings of class and finesse, before he was run out following a mix-up (143 for 4).The spinners dominated the next ten overs. First, Khuram bowled Dilshan Tillekeratne (6) with a lovely ball that pitched just outside off and snaked past Dilshan’s outside edge to kiss the off stump (151 for 5). Then, Thilina Kandamby (4) chipped Khuram to Maqsood at midwicket (161 for 6). The weight on Gunawardene’s shoulders got heavier with each wicket, until he too was out, with Sri Lanka in sight of 200.Chandana played a sprightly cameo, but was bowled trying to slog Asad (214 for 8). Nuwan Zoysa, with 21, played a useful innings at the end, but holed out off the last ball of the innings – which made this the first time in an ODI that UAE had bowled a side out. Khuram ended with 4 for 32, and showed that given the opportunity, UAE’s bowlers could shine on the world stage.But not so their batsmen. Zoysa got the early wickets of Arshad Ali and Fahad Usman, after which a battle began – not between the two sides, though, but between Sri Lanka and the weather. Apparently thinking that it might rain, Jayawardene brought his spinners on from the eighth over in order to finish 25 overs quickly, so the game could not be rained out. The batsmen did not try to delay them much by taking a lot of runs, playing with the circumspection of Geoff Boycott on sedatives.Ramveer Rai was the top-scorer of the innings, with a dour 39, off 124 balls – he was going at a strike-rate of 10 at one point, with 5 off his first 50. Preparing, no doubt, for the harsh environs of Test cricket, Rai defended stoutly, as wickets fell around him. It took a jaffa to get him out, an unplayable ball from Chandana that pitched outside leg and spun back to hit off – much like that famous Warne-Gatting collaboration. He was the eighth man out, with the score on 99, and although UAE did reach three figures, they could not achieve their pre-match objective of surviving 50 overs. But Sri Lanka didn’t keep all their wickets intact either, and that should be enough cause for cheer for UAE, who now catch a long flight home.Amit Varma is managing editor of Wisden Cricinfo in India.

The Indian Premier League may have eased several restrictions on media coverage for the forthcoming event but the Editors Guild of India has condemned the clause that prevents news agencies from supplying pictures to cricket-specific websites.The Guild has also come down hard on the limitations imposed on television news channels, one that has prompted all the outlets to put their coverage on hold.”[The Guild] regrets that the news agencies have been barred from supplying pictures to one set of subscribers, namely standalone specialised websites, as the news agencies should have the total freedom to supply news and pictures to all their subscribers,” KS Sachidananda Murthy, the Guild secretary-general, said in a release. “The Guild notes that the news agencies are in negotiation with the IPL organisers to remove this clause also from the terms and conditions.”Similarly the sole telecast rights license has put new conditions on giving feed to news television channels. These are not acceptable, and the Guild fully supports the stand taken by the News Broadcasters Association.”Meanwhile the News Media Corporation, which reacted to the fresh guidelines on Tuesday, is set to discuss the issue on Wednesday evening. As of now, though, they feel the restrictions are unacceptable. “As the Guild has said, the terms remain unacceptable,” Barry Parker, the South Asia bureau chief of Agence France-Presse (AFP), said.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India may be in for a four-fold increase in revenues. It has announced that bids for the television rights of India’s home matches for the next three years will be accepted till August 14.The bid includes rights for bilateral one-day and Test series played at home and tournaments approved by the International Cricket Council, and runs from September 2004 to August 2007, reports Press Trust of India. This will include the rights for domestic matches conducted by the BCCI, but excludes special events like the Platinum Jubilee celebrations.Prasar Bharati was the successful bidder last time around, and they paid Rs230 crore for the privilege. This time, the figure is likely to go up significantly, a fact which was confirmed by Jagmohan Dalmiya, the board president. “We expect substantial jump over the existing cricket telecasting right,” he told The Times of India. “This time the figure should be close to Rs1000 crore (approx US$217million).”The BCCI made it clear that the bidding will be restricted to broadcasters who have their own existing in-house production, telecasting units and channel network, and have successfully telecast live and delayed international cricket events of international standard for at least two years (not as a licensee). The BCCI also drew attention to a clause that reads, “BCCI reserves the right in its discretion to cancel or amend the entire bidding process at any stage and to reject any or all bids without assigning any reason.”The forthcoming season has a spate of high-profile matches, starting with visits by Australia and South Africa in 2004, and followed by Pakistan in 2005.

The ongoing controversy over the venues for England’s tour of Pakistanlater this year has taken another twist with the England & Wales CricketBoard (ECB) asking for the right to refuse to play at a venue even at amoment’s notice. Citing unnamed sources, Pakistan’s claimsthat the ECB have stuck a clause into the tour MOU that allows the team topetition a change of venue while in the middle of the tour itself.”The ECB has informed the PCB that the association representing theEnglish players has expressed certain reservations citing security andsafety concerns over playing in Pakistan,” the source was quoted assaying. “Some of the players have apparently told their board to have anunderstanding with the Pakistan Board that would allow them to refuse toplay at any venue if they have any concerns about playing there.”What this means is that the English team can pull out of a game at the11th hour citing security concerns. This would cause immense inconvenienceto the organisers and the TV broadcasters, and most importantly, thepaying public. The clause was inserted after Richard Bevan, the players’association representative, and John Carr, ECB Director of Operations, separately met PCB officials in Pakistan.Apart from the security, Bevan was also concerned about England playershaving enough things to do while in Pakistan, the report added. The sourcewas cited as saying that Bevan was “assured by the PCB that there wasplenty to do for the English players like playing golf even at smallercentres like Multan and Faisalabad.”

South Africa 231 for 2 (Smith 88, Gibbs 80) v New Zealand
Scorecard

Graeme Smith (88) and Herschelle Gibbs (80) threatened to take the game away with a punishing 177-run first-wicket partnership, but two wickets on either side of tea and some disciplined bowling in the final session enabled New Zealand to stay in touch in the second Test at Auckland.Yet, the bowlers were guilty of throwing away a great chance in the morning. New Zealand included Chris Martin, the medium-pacer, for Paul Wiseman and sent South Africa in on a pitch that assisted seam movement. Martin, though, sprayed it all around and hardly made the batsmen play. Daryl Tuffey, normally a handful on a bowler-friendly wicket, lacked the spring in his stride and didn’t cause the batsmen too many alarms. In fact, out of the 85 balls bowled in the first hour, 31 were left alone by the batsmen and New Zealand’s frustration mounted.That caused them to err in length as well, and a barrage of short balls followed. Smith, however, took them on with readiness. His pulls were executed with complete control, most of them all along the ground, but he did summon the strength to unleash one over square leg.After the first drinks break Gibbs, who was circumspect to begin with, displayed his range. He carted Cairns for a huge six over midwicket in the 20th over. Three more fours followed and the run-rate, which was the only thing in New Zealand’s control, took on healthy proportions.After lunch, they switched to cruise mode. Smith gobbled up some generous offerings on leg stump as he tucked into them neatly. The errant line bowled to Smith was illustrated by the fact that he scored 70 out of 89 on the on side. With the inconsistent line that was bowled, singles were always on offer, and both rotated the strike admirably.In between these singles, there were some gorgeous shots that lit up Eden Park. Gibbs drove, punched, and pulled with complete economy of footwork. Smith, who stroked eight fours and a six, showed his brute force with his pull shots and smacked the half-volleys with equal force.

New Zealand had two great chances just before tea. A run-out opportunity to dismiss Smith – a direct hit would have had him short of the crease – and an uppish flash from Gibbs that went perilously close to Jacob Oram at point. Both were squandered. But Cairns gave them the breakthrough they desperately needed. A good-length ball seamed away after pitching, and beat the outside of Gibbs’s bat to clip the top of off stump (177 for 1). Gibbs smashed 13 fours and a six in his innings.Martin then trapped Smith lbw off the first ball after the tea break – though the ball appeared to have pitched just outside leg – and New Zealand were sneaking back into it (177 for 2).The rest of the day was about some disciplined bowling, which they could have dearly done with in the morning. Jacques Kallis began in imperious fashion, pulling and driving with élan, but the runs were gradually reduced to a trickle. Cairns and Styris plugged their ends and a number of edgy moments ensued. Only 54 were scored in the last session and Jacques Rudolph took an age to even get off the mark. He managed a painstaking 14 off 87 balls at the end.Oram nearly had Kallis (39 not out) in the 78th over with a snorter that fizzed off a good length and took the glove, but the ball fell in no-man’s land. The new ball also posed a few problems, but both Jacques managed to survive a few nervy moments.Yet, for all the pressure that New Zealand applied, South Africa still had a great day. The Smith-and-Gibbs show provided the thrills and Kallis, who will chase Bradman’s record of six hundreds in as many Tests tomorrow, was still unbeaten. A few wickets in the morning will tilt the scales. For that, New Zealand’s bowlers will need some discipline.

As England prepare for the deciding game of the Ashes next week, Ian Bell, England’s No. 4, has said his side will not be concerned if Glenn McGrath returns from injury. McGrath, 35, has missed two of the four Ashes Tests this summer, including the last match at Trent Bridge. Such is England’s buoyant confidence after brilliant performances in the Tests since Lord’s that they are hoping to prove a point or two to their decade-long nemesis.”I believe that’s the feeling in the changing room,” Bell told . “It doesn’t matter what XI is on the park, and in a way it would be nice to see Glenn McGrath playing at The Oval.”Errol Alcott, the Australia physio, told the he was unable to predict whether McGrath’s injured elbow would last the Test even if he was passed fit. “It’s very hard to imitate those stresses,” he told the paper. “Unless you can put them into first-class cricket to play a game and subject them to similar forces out in the middle, it’s very hard to know with any certainty.”Alcott said McGrath’s condition was improving and he wasn’t feeling much pain in everyday activities. “Now we just need to step up to the next level of stress and that’s out in the middle,” he said.England sides of the 1990s might have wilted under pressure at the prospect of McGrath returning for such a crucial match, but Bell says this team will be inspired by his presence. “If we can regain the Ashes and their best team is on the park that’s the best thing for us. That would be fantastic. Whichever XI is out on the field we’ll go and out play good cricket like we have done all series.”The bullish talk is indicative of an England side who now expect to perform well against Australia. Bell, 23, said he has revelled in his first taste of Ashes cricket. “Playing in this Ashes has made me realise what I need to do to become a better player. I’ve enjoyed every minute of this and I’m looking forward to having a good game at The Oval to finish it off. You are testing [yourself] under pressure, more mentally really rather than technically.”Indeed, it was McGrath who reminded Bell of his brilliance at Lord’s, bowling him for just 6 in a remarkable spell which reduced England to 21 for 5. He struggled in England’s win at Edgbaston too, but two patient fifties in the third Test at Old Trafford boosted his confidence.”That’s what I’ve learnt in this series: every ball is going at 100mph and you’ve got to be switched on all the time. In future I hope – because of this experience – to play situations in a slightly better way.”Bell has been released by England to play in Warwickshire’s C&G final on Saturday against Hampshire at Lord’s as he and England gear themselves up for one final fling at Australia. “I wouldn’t argue if it rained all week but I’m pretty sure, the way these last three Test matches have gone, there’s something else in store,” said Bell. “I’m pretty sure it will be a nail-biter again.”

Encouraged by the popularity of twenty-over cricket in England and South Africa last season, the Adelaide Turf Cricket Association (ATCA) has announced South Australia’s first such tournament, which will be held on Sunday, December 5. Thirty community-based sides will battle it out in eight locations around Adelaide in a tournament which has been termed the Turf Twenties.In a media release, Andrew Ramsay, the ATCA’s general manager, looked forward to the tournament: “We’re really pleased with the response from our clubs to the Turf Twenties competition. This is something new for all of us and to have 30 teams register in its first year is just fantastic. Apart from being new and fun, twenty-over cricket doesn’t take up the whole day and this is something that our members are attracted to.”We don’t see twenty-over cricket replacing our Saturday formats, but it is a great option for our Sunday tournament. Looking to the future, we hope to open up the tournament to teams from other community associations so that we can all get together, have some fun and build the camaraderie between our organisations.”Responding to the criticism that this format would trivialise the game, Ramsay argued that it could, in fact, help develop certain aspects of batting, bowling and fielding. “There is no doubt that twenty-over cricket will encourage some questionable shot selections, but it will force batsmen to bat positively, to look for runs everywhere and to develop their running between wickets. For the bowlers, they will have to bowl a really tight line and length and the fielding will have to be first rate.”

The Hong Kong women’s team will tour Bangladesh for eight days starting next week. Between 20 and 29 March the side will play four one-day matches against the Bangladesh women’s team.The Bangladesh Cricket Board has selected 14 players for the training camp ahead of the tour, while there will also be four reserves.Bangladesh women Shathira Zakir Jessy, Shukhtara, Ayesha Akhter, Salma Khatun, Irin Sultana, Chamily Khatun, Rumana Akhter, Panna Ghosh, Shamima Akhter Pinky, Jahanara Alam, Lily Rani, Tithi Rani, Papiya Haque Babu, Mina Khatun.Reserves Fatematuz Zahora, Rifat Ara, Mahmuda Khan, Lata Mondal.