Close England 374 for 7 (Vaughan 156, Pretorius 4-107) trail South Africa 594 for 5 dec (Smith 277, Gibbs 179) by 220 runs
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Michael Vaughan stroked his way to a sublime 156, his ninth Test century and his eighth in 15 matches, to lead England’s fightback on a fascinating fourth day’s play at Edgbaston. By the close, England had reached 374 for 7, needing just 21 to avoid the follow-on – and all but save the match.Despite his heroics Down Under during last winter’s Ashes series, this was a performance that Vaughan later rated as his best Test innings, and given the uncompromising circumstances in which it began, it would be hard to disagree. Glenn McGrath may have been left behind for now, but in Shaun Pollock, Vaughan had an adversary every bit as tenacious.Seaming and swinging the ball both ways at will, Pollock opened the day with a tireless spell of wicket-to-wicket thriftiness that Vaughan could barely lay a bat on. He did manage a brace of cover-driven boundaries in one over – a sign of things to come – but Pollock responded by ripping through his defences with a booming inswinger that all but clipped the off stump. Somehow Vaughan survived to reach 49 not out at the break – and with the foundations of his innings firmly in place, there was no looking back.He went to his fifty with his first ball of the afternoon, an effortless pull off Makhaya Ntini, whom he launched over midwicket for six in the same over, before guiding Pollock through third man for his sixth boundary in 13 balls. But not everything was swinging England’s way. Ntini, who had already accounted for the injured Marcus Trescothick, then trapped Mark Butcher lbw for 13, as he offered no stroke to one that curved back on him. When Nasser Hussain (1) made a similar mistake in Pollock’s very next over, England were 133 for 3 and wobbling.But Anthony McGrath, who got off the mark with a welcome clip to fine leg, was just the ballast the situation required, and while he was at the crease Vaughan was once again free to play his strokes. In particular, he took full toll of Dewald Pretorius and Charl Willoughby, who are effectively competing for a solitary place when Jacques Kallis returns later in the series. As each strived to outdo the other, Vaughan whistled into the nineties with series of cut shots and clips through the leg side.Vaughan was briefly halted on 99 by the spin of Robin Peterson, whom he had slapped for 14 in his solitary over before lunch, but eventually he pushed for two through the covers and took the plaudits of an extremely grateful Edgbaston crowd. But McGrath soon departed, after getting himself into a hopeless tangle to a short ball from Pretorius, and spooning a simple catch to Jacques Rudolph in the gully (222 for 4).After reaching tea on 131 not out, Vaughan was in a more watchful mood in the evening session, as Pollock and Ntini returned with the new ball. This caution didn’t quite extend to his running between the wickets, however, and he suffered a huge scare straight after the break, when he sauntered out of his crease after a tight lbw shout, and was all but run out by the fielder’s shy from gully.All the same, Vaughan was as eager to latch onto the loose delivery as ever, and when Ntini served up a pair of half-volleys with the new ball, he was rifled through the covers for a pair of fours, the second of which brought up his fifth score of 150-plus in six attempts.One day, Vaughan is sure to convert one of these innings in a double-century. Not today however, as Pretorius found an extra gear in the final overs to keep South Africa sniffing the follow-on. Vaughan’s magnificent innings finally ended at 156, when he failed to get his feet fully to the pitch of a full-length inswinger, and nibbled a catch to Mark Boucher behind the stumps. Despite his effort, he was livid with himself, knowing that, with England still 88 runs from saving the follow-on, his job was far from done.Alec Stewart, batting with the mobility of your average 40-year-old after ricocheting an attempted pull into the side of his knee, soon justified Vaughan’s concerns, when he had his stumps – and his feet – ripped off the turf by a devastating yorker from Pretorius. And, on the stroke of stumps, Pretorius produced a shooter to end a determined innings from Andrew Flintoff, to ensure that England would face one or two flutters in the first hour tomorrow.But, thanks to another masterclass from Vaughan, England ought to reconvene at Lord’s later this week with honours more or less even.Click here for today’s Wisden Verdict

Alton are within 10 points of the Southern Electric Premier League, Division 3 championship after a comfortable six-wicket win over Rowledge, which clinches promotion for the North Hampshire club.Their task was simplified by Trojans’ 14-run win at second-placed Ventnor, who must win their last two matches against Leckford and Southsea to finish runners-up.Alton, who have spent the past three seasons in SPL3 after being relegated in 2000, will surely wrap up the title formalities at Portsmouth next Saturday.They will return to Division 2 with the nucleus of that relegated side."But we will be back much wiser and with a lot more experience under our belts," predicts captain Julian Ballinger, whose 5-29 return against Rowledge confirmed the Alton off-spinner as this season’s current Division 3 leading wicket-taker.Ballinger and New Zealander Ben Jansen certainly called the tune against Rowledge who, despite starting the day in third place, are not as strong as the side which reached last season’s National Village Championship semi-finals."We’re probably about three or four players missing from that side and, Simon Bonser apart, it’s fair to say we’ve not been able to replace them," confirmed skipper Dave Booton.Rowledge, who have steadily climbed the Hampshire recreational pyramid since 1986, never really imposed themselves at Alton’s plesaant tree-fringed Jubilee Ground, nestled beneath the Watercress railway line.They were on the back foot directly Jeremy Pang-Kessler (2-21) removed Cardiff UCCE all-rounder Chris Yates and teenager Chris Brinsden in consecutive deliveries at 16-2.Nick Morant (18), struggling hard to recapture last season’s batting form, got his head down, leaving run-rich Queenslander Justin Larrescy to accelerate the score.Predictably, the Australian’s sweet timing and clean hitting caught the eye,.He hit several crisp straight drives, but twice rode his luck – once when he mis-pulled only to be dropped at mid-on and shortly afterwards when he spooned a return catch off a `no-ball’ to Ballinger.Morant departed at 76-3 – the first of eight wickets to fall to the Jansen-Ballinger spin combination.Larrescy (52) and David Lloyd took the total on to 113 but when the Beenleigh-Logan Grade batsman picked out Bruce Oliphant at deep backward square-leg, Rowledge completely lost their way.The last six wickets fell for 28 runs, with Jansen finishing with 3-27 and Ballinger his 34th wicket of the season.Alton, now within sight of a 14-match winning clean sweep, suffered two early setbacks against the pacey Chris Yates (2-39).Richie Morgan (25) took the total on to 49-3 as Alton gradually extracted the venom out of the Rowledge attack.Howard Gadsby, relishing up-order responsibility, hit a fine 41 and set the stage for the slightly unorthodox Huw Ross (31 not out) and Oliphant (36 not out) to clinch a pretty comprehensive win.It was Alton’s 12th successive victory.One more will clinch the championship – but, if Alton are to compete and survive at the higher level, they may have to equip themselves with stronger pace bowling options than they currently possess.

Everybody remembers Sachin Tendulkar’s spectacular assault on Pakistan’s pace bowlers at the last World Cup, but not many are aware what went on behind it. In an interview published in the latest issue of Wisden Asia Cricket, Tendulkar reveals how his anxiety about the match kept him awake for nights.”Frankly, everyone was talking about the India-Pakistan game, literally 10 to 12 months before the World Cup started,” says Tendulkar. “The build-up had reached such a level that when we got to South Africa, we kept getting phone calls telling us that, come what may, we had to win that game. All of us were very keyed up for it as a result. I spent sleepless nights before that – a sign of the pressure, and also a way of getting ready for the game.”I do like it, because it’s part of my preparation for a game. For 12 to 13 nights, I just kept tossing and turning in my bed, thinking of the match. As it got closer, it became worse, and I just wanted to go to the middle and bat.”Tendulkar scored a sizzling 98 in that World Cup Pool A match at Centurion Park, helping India overhaul Pakistan’s sizeable total of 272. His counterattack on Shoaib Akhtar was particularly breathtaking. In one sensational over, the second of the Indian innings, Akhtar went for 18 runs, including a fierce slash that sailed over the backward-point fence.Tendulkar, however, was categorical that he had no score to settle with Akhtar who had bowled him for a first-ball duck in their previous encounter in a Test match in Kolkata in 1999. “I remember journalists coming up to me and saying `Shoaib has said this’ or `Caddick has said that’. I have never reacted to that. It¹s not my nature – I’ve always maintained that I should just get to the middle and do my job, rather than playing all those psychological games.”He remembers the impact that the Australian tour of 1991-92 had on hiscareer. “That first tour of Australia was the turning point in myinternational career – scoring a century at Sydney and then another in the fifth Test at Perth. Those two innings changed me as a player, especially from a confidence aspect.”For a player of such natural greatness, many often take the blood and sweat of practice for granted. “I practice differently before every series, looking at the strengths and weaknesses of the opposition. But there are times when you can sit in the room, and work on your game. That’s an important aspect of preparation, something I’ve learnt in recent years. But if I felt I needed to spend time in the nets, I’d do that too.”He then talks about his private life, or lack of it. “Obviously, I can’t roam around like everyone else, and given a choice, I’d love to do normal things. It’s hard to tell you because I’ve not seen the other side.” Yet he immediately turns around and says, “I could say that I didn’t get to do all those things that a normal teenager would do, but then again, not many people get the opportunity to do what I do [smiles].”He ends by speaking about his efforts at charity. “I’d like to mention Apnalaya, an organisation that works with underprivileged children. It helps them to cope with modern-day life, sending them to school, teaching them how important education is when it comes to becoming respectable citizens.”He mentions a particularly poignant moment “when a handicapped, spasticchild came on stage as Sachin Tendulkar, and tried to imitate me. It was a very emotional moment, and I cried, which is not something I usually do.”Subscribe to Wisden Asia Cricket
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Craig McMillan, back from India with the New Zealand team but unavailable for the tour of Pakistan, will captain the Canterbury XI to play Auckland in a two-day match at Lincoln starting on Monday.The team is:Craig McMillan (capt), Michael Papps, Shanan Stewart, Peter Fulton, Gary Stead, Neil Broom, Aaron Redmond, Paul Wiseman, Shane Bond, Warren Wisneski, Chris Martin, Wade Cornelius.

Wellington produced an outstanding comeback to avoid following on against Canterbury in their State Championship match at the Basin Reserve in Wellington. Led by Chris Nevin, who was unbeaten on 143 when the innings ended, Wellington finished only 106 runs behind Canterbury on the first innings.That was largely due to an eighth-wicket stand of 160 between Nevin and Matthew Walker, who scored 68. While they didn’t complete the follow-on mission, they ensured there would be no hiccups, and it was Andrew Penn who joined Nevin to see Wellington to safety.The day was unusual in more ways than one. Play was held up for nearly an hour as a result of the southern sightscreen having blown over during strong overnight winds, and also because one of the umpires, Neil Mallender, who is to stand in the first Test between New Zealand and Pakistan, reporting ill.Few of the Canterbury bowlers could make any impression on Wellington’s pair, although the pick of them was Paul Wiseman who took 5 for 67 from 26 overs. He was included in New Zealand’s Test squad announced during the day.Canterbury did not have a good start to their second innings, losing Brendon McCullum and Michael Papps by the time 21 runs had been scored. Gary Stead, a first-innings century maker, like Papps, was also out at 54. But Peter Fulton and Craig McMillan took Canterbury to stumps at 103 for 3, Fulton being 48 not out and McMillan 18 not out. James Franklin had 2 for 21.

Western Australia 378 for 6 (Goodwin 156, Rogers 94) v Queensland
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On the day that Zimbabwe’s batting folded against Australia at Sydney, Murray Goodwin provided more indelible evidence of how much they are missing his influence, as he strolled to an effortless century against Queensland.Goodwin’s 156 scorched the Bulls’ attack on a boiling opening day, as Western Australia added 104 runs in the final session alone, to reach the close on 378 for 6. Queensland did rally in the final hour, however, as they nipped in with three wickets. Goodwin has now scored 753 first-class runs this summer at 83.66, including three Pura Cup centuries, although Western Australia has not taken 20 wickets in a match all season.The first two sessions belonged to Chris Rogers, who fell just before tea, six runs short of his second century in three days. Rogers had his fair share of luck – Mike Kasprowicz eventually had him caught-behind, but not before he had been dropped on 65, by Jimmy Maher at short cover. Maher had to leave the field for treatment, but was only suffering from bruising.Goodwin cut loose in the last session, and had lives on 120 and 142 before Wade Seccombe completed a neat stumping off Nathan Hauritz. WA lost three wickets for 10 runs in the final hour, after Marcus North’s 67 ended abruptly with a direct hit from Clinton Perren in the deep.Kasprowicz, who had to leave the field with a leg injury, was Queensland’s best bowler. He had Justin Langer caught at gully for 20, and deserved better luck.

Dilhara Fernando, Sri Lanka’s liveliest pace bowler and first-choice new-ball partner for Chaminda Vaas, will miss the forthcoming one-day series against Australia following another stress fracture in his lower back. Barring a miraculous recovery, Fernando is also a serious doubt for the three-match Test series, which starts on March 8 at Galle.Fernando, who had only just returned from another stress fracture to play a major hand in Sri Lanka’s series-clinching Test win against England in December, broke down after playing two domestic matches for Western Province.”Scans have shown that he has a stress fracture on the right-hand side of his lower back, and he will not be able to bowl for four weeks,” said Paul Klarenaar, the team physio. “He’ll have a CT scan next week which will reveal more, but the current prognosis is that he may be bowling again towards the end of the one-dayers.”The news is disappointing for Sri Lanka. The return of Fernando, in a country with limited fast-bowling resources, had added an extra cutting edge to the attack. The selectors, currently pondering the make-up of the one-day squad, will now have a difficult job searching for a replacement.Prabath Nissanka, another injury-prone, but exciting prospect, is making a slow but steady recovery from knee surgery. He’s targeting a return in time for the Sri Lanka A tour of New Zealand in March.Dinusha Fernando, who opened the bowling with limited success during the first two Tests against England, is now struggling for form, leaving the door ajar for the possible return of Nuwan Zoysa.

Day 2 of 4 Victoria 7 for 252 (Hodge 125, McDonald 51*) trail Tasmania 341 by 89 runs
ScorecardBrad Hodge scored a superb 125, but Tasmania’s bowlers struck at regular intervals at the other end to reduce Victoria to 7 for 252 at the Bellerive Oval, still 89 runs in the arrears. Hodge’s dismissal reduced Victoria to 7 for 199, but Andrew McDonald, with an unbeaten 51, and Darren Berry (22 not out), prevented Tasmania from gaining a huge first-innings lead.Full report follows …

Super Sixes – 2nd day
KwaZulu-Natal 178 and 144 for 6 (Watson 50) lead Border 236 (Bruyns 76, Tweedie 5-61) by 86 runs
ScorecardAn early finish is on the cards at Kingsmead, after 15 wickets tumbled on the second day. Border started the day in charge, at 101 for 1, but a good spell from Andrew Tweedie, KwaZulu-Natal’s fast-medium bowler, restricted the lead to 58. Mark Bruyns stroked 14 fours in his 76 before being bowled by Natal’s captain Dale Benkenstein – and when KwaZulu-Natal batted again, it was Benkenstein who held firm after an early collapse. He was still there with 38 not out at the close, but leaders Natal’s lead by then was a slender 86 runs.Free State 322 (Dippenaar 69, Deacon 59, Henderson 5-71) and 1 for 1 lead Western Province 202 (Tsolekile 56, van der Wath 4-35) by 121 runs
ScorecardFree State took charge at Bloemfontein, bowling out high-flying Western Province for 202, to claim a lead of 120. It could have been worse for WP: they were 69 for 7 before Thami Tsolekile, who top-scored with 56, put on 61 with Claude Henderson (42 to add to his five wickets) and 70 with Quinton Friend (28). Free State made a bad start to their second innings, losing Gerry Liebenberg to Charl Willoughby from what turned out to be the last ball of the day.North West 263 and 39 for 2 are level with Griqualand West 302 (Bossenger 71, Kruger 56)
ScorecardHonours were even at Kimberley – literally, as the teams ended the second day dead level. Griqualand West did well to reach 302, a lead of 39, after being 112 for 6, but then their wicketkeeper Wendell Bossenger made 71, and sparked good support knocks from Alan Kruger (56) and Charl Pietersen (45). North West knocked off the arrears by stumps, but lost both openers in doing so.Shield – 2nd day
Eastern Province 233 and 86 for 4 lead Northerns 128 (Dros 67, Kops 5-36) by 191 runs
ScorecardEastern Province took charge on the second day at Port Elizabeth, bowling Northerns out for 128. Only Gerald Dros, Northerns’ captain, offered much resistance: he made over half their total with 67, including 12 fours and a six. Left-armer Brent Kops polished off the innings with five wickets. EP had extended their lead to 191 by the close.Easterns 563 for 9 dec (Koenig 105, Seymore 51, Z de Bruyn 64, P de Bruyn 117, Cullinan 70, Toyana 73, Ontong 4-150) lead Boland 208 for 3 (Davids 54, Strydom 64, Ontong 59*) by 355 runs
ScorecardBoland made a spirited reply to Easterns’ massive total at Benoni, but the spectre of the follow-on still looms – they ended the day still 355 adrift. Earlier Daryll Cullinan and Geoffrey Toyana had hit out freely before Culllinan declared with 563 on the board. Boland’s captain, the Test allrounder, Justin Ontong added a gritty innings to a marathon bowling effort.

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