All posts by csb10.top

What a week it’s been for the cricket enthusiast with the game being highlighted in all facets of the media. We’ve seen the news on the West Indies against India with Sachin Tendulkar getting his first century at Eden Gardens and India wrapping up the series, the Supersport Series Final has been a game with many highs and lows. The Easterns men have fought against the odds right from the start and can be proud of their performance whether they win, draw or lose today. Western Province totally dominated the first morning and then somehow let the match tilt in favour of Easterns.The selection of the Test squad to play Sri Lanka will no doubt create much discussion but hopefully those selected will have earned their place through consistent performances and will do us all proud in the coming series against Sri Lanka which starts at the weekend. Sri Lanka have already played two matches and have failed to dominate both the SA "A" Team and the Rest of South Africa Team. While they have had good batting form they have not managed to place any ascendancy on opposing batsmen either through spin or seam bowling. We all know what Muralitharan is capable of and the Proteas will have taken a special interest in his performances to date. The captain, Sanith Jayasuria, has batted in the middle order of both matches so far and this is a clear indication of what their strategy will be. One thing is certain; they will not be as easy to beat as Bangladesh was. They are a kind of team that can beat anyone on their day.The most disappointing aspect of the entire week has been the fact that cricket has once again been in the media for the wrong reasons as well. The entire saga surrounding the Sports Minister and the UCB has created huge negativity for the man in the street. The sooner this issue is cleared up the better for all involved in the game. With the World Cup around the corner and so much at stake for the entire country, the last thing we need is any division between supporters.Something that has been very conspicuous in it’s absence has been the fact that the Players Association has not taken any public stand whatsoever. From all accounts in the media one of their members, Jacques Kallis, seems to have been isolated and sadly has been given absolutely no opportunity to express his emotions. Remember, all UCB contracted players cannot engage in any form of media interaction and I can only imagine how Kallis must have felt seeing his name associated with the alleged statements. It wasn’t long ago that we saw the Players Association taking a huge stand on the issue of contracts and I cannot help but thinking that they have missed a huge opportunity to use their influence to bring the whole matter to a head. Lets hope that Jacques Kallis and maybe even one or two other players don’t decide to pack their bags and play for someone else before the World Cup. It is certainly not beyond the realms of possibility. This Association was a much-needed one, but if it is toothless and is only interested in making noises when it comes to cash, its very existence will be at stake.The Ashes Series also starts on the coming weekend and with Mark Waugh having been axed, plenty of attention will be given to the performance of the Aussies. The Poms have an inexperienced team due to many injuries and should be no match for the Aussies at home. Steve Waugh will certainly want to end his Test career with another ashes victory. However, should the Aussies stumble and South Africa win against Sri Lanka the Aussies will then lose their number one ranking in Test cricket. Now wouldn’t that be fantastic!Over the last few seasons we’ve seen matches at both the Wanderers and Centurion being rain-affected and with unstable weather around at the moment, the pitch at the Wanderers for the coming Test is being watched with much trepidation. The Proteas certainly won’t want to see a pitch that doesn’t have good bounce.

Queenstown will join New Zealand’s list of international venues by hosting a One-Day international against India next year, while a Super Max International will also feature on the tour.However, there will be no Boxing Day Test this summer. New Zealand Cricket released the tour schedule today.The only two Tests in New Zealand over the summer will be in Wellington and Hamilton before Christmas.New Zealand Cricket chief executive Martin Snedden said the decision on the Boxing Day Test was not a precedent for future seasons. It had been necessary because India needed to be home for the World Cup preparation by January 16 and to fit that in New Zealand felt it was best that both teams have seven ODIs in succession as part of their World Cup build-up rather than splitting the ODIs around the Tests.”We will go back to it next year,” Snedden said.He added that there were also financial reasons for not playing ODIs before Christmas.The two Test, seven ODI tour will start with a Max international being played at a venue still to be decided.The last time a Max international was played was for the opener of the West Indies tour at Christchurch in 1999/00.Queenstown which was the spectacular venue for the Otago team’s three-day match against England earlier this year, will host an ODI on January 4, the height of the holiday season in the summer resort.”The ideal situation for us is to ensure that every region gets an international game.”At that time of year there are no students in Dunedin and most people from Dunedin are in Central Otago so Carisbrook was not a viable option.”Alexandra is not easy to get up to the required standard and the Queenstown Events Centre are keen because it will take some effort to get it to standard but we are confident that can be done,” he said.”It is important that we get international cricket into the Otago region.”There is a fairly large holiday population in Central Otago then and it is a ground with a beautiful backdrop,” he said.Hamilton will host its first ODI under lights with the final game of the tour on January 14.”They’ve put a huge investment into the ground in Hamilton. We considered Taupo but it was Northern Districts’ wish that Hamilton be supported. All the reports are that the lights will be good for a night game,” he said.The State Shield has been timed to coincide with New Zealand’s departure to South Africa and most players will be involved in the domestic one-day series before leaving.The selectors also asked that Shield games be scheduled after the one-day series so they could assess any players who may have come into consideration during the first part of the State Shield.The first Test of the tour will be at the Basin Reserve in Wellington from December 12-16 and the second Test will be in Hamilton from December 19-23.The itinerary is:Super Max International at TBA, December 4; India v Central Districts at Napier, Dec 6-8; 1st Test at Wellington, Dec 12-16; 2nd Test at Hamilton, Dec 19-23; 1st ODI at Auckland (day/night), Dec 26; 2nd ODI at Napier, Dec 29; 3rd ODI at Christchurch (day/night), January 1; 4th ODI at Queenstown, Jan 4; 5th ODI at Wellington (day/night), Jan 8; 6th ODI at Auckland (day/night), Jan 11; 7th ODI at Hamilton (day/night), Jan 14.

Alex Tudor, whose omission from England’s 16-man Ashes squad was described as a “close call” by England’s chairman of selectors, is included in England’s winter academy squad.Tudor, 24, was man of the match in the win over Sri Lanka at Old Trafford, but since then he has suffered shin splints and he looked below par in the last two Tests of the series against India.

“Alex Tudor has been included in the academy squad rather than the Test squad because we have concerns about his strength and stamina and want him to concentrate on these areas this winter,” said Graveney.There is also a berth in the 15-man academy squad for Lancashire’s 20-year-old pace bowler Jimmy Anderson, who has taken 44 first-class wickets in 10 matches this season. But Warwickshire’s Ian Bell, widely tipped as a likely England selection at the start of the summer, misses out with a back injury.”Following discussions with both Warwickshire and Rod Marsh, Ian Bell has not been included in the academy squad to go to Australia,” Graveney said. “He has a stress fracture of the back and it is felt that he needs a rest after a long period of continuous cricket.”However, we will consider including Ian on the trip to Sri Lanka in the NewYear provided he makes a satisfactory recovery from injury,” he added.Academy squad: K Ali (Worcs), J Anderson (Lancs), G Batty (Worcs), I Blackwell(Somerset), R Clarke (Surrey), K Hogg (Lancs), G Muchall (Durham), M Panesar(Northants), C Read (Notts), D Stevens (Leics), C Tremlett (Hants), J Troughton(Warwicks), A Tudor (Surrey), G Wagg (Warwicks), M Wallace (Glam).

We recently announced our winter squads to prepare for next season. Traditionally this time of year is busy one for me and coming off my first season as a first-class coach I hadn’t realised just how busy it would be.The coaching process contains four very distinctive phases: Observation, Planning, Implementation and Review.When I first arrived in Hamilton to begin my new challenge, I met with a number of different people (including players, administrators, interested supporters and players from opposition teams) with a view to forming an objective opinion about what stage of development the Knights were at.I have been in the role now for nearly nine months and this time encompasses four months of actual play. In this period I have observed the players in competition, in training and as people generally. While it is a relatively simple task for a skilled coach to look at a player and gain a good feel for the technical abilities of the player, getting to know the make-up of people in terms of their personal philosophies and values about the game, can take significantly longer.It is important to me that I gain an understanding of:

• Why the players play the game (because this assists me to understand where the motivation drivers lie)
• What their ideal performance state is (in terms of arousal levels – psych up, not out)
• The player awareness of the skills they require to perform consistently (this is vital if you value the players having the ability to self-analyse)
• The player understanding of their strengths and weaknesses
• The quality of the personal planning of the player
• The player’s ability to make decisions (whether they have a process they follow)
• The player’s ability to analyse (what needs to be taken care of right now, then the ability to execute)

People say that cricket is played 90% in the head and 10% in the hands, so for me it does not make sense to spend 90% of my coaching time on developing the 10%.Coaches should not feel that they have to have all the knowledge because we don’t and, in my case, working with elite players I know that each of them has a personal style which has been developed over a long period of time. They know far more about themselves than I do. The challenge for me is to develop this understanding. I would do them a major disservice if I looked to clone them technically.I believe it is important to understand how much the player thinks about, knows and is able to verbalise about themselves in all aspects of their game.Smart coaches get the players to teach them about themselves.What I know is not as important as me knowing how much the player knows. Once I ascertain these things from the player I am better placed to assist them in the development process and therefore motivate, and develop, the tools that will release their maximum potential.It can be daunting for coaches sometimes. I know I have felt intimidated when working with players who have exceptional skills, or a high level of understanding of the game’s skills, because you feel that they know more than you. But that’s OK, as long as someone knows.Your role just shifts in its function.The less aware technically and tactically the player is, the more leadership you are required to provide. At the other end of the scale with the high achievers/performers your role becomes one of challenging the player to think about the mechanics and tactics of their game – they are working if they are thinking. The other significant benefit in this approach is that you also develop your learning about the player which, after all, is paramount.Over April and May I have been preparing my player reports on the State Northern Knights and also conducting the major component of my winter planning. It was quieter watching I can assure you.There were some very positive performances through the season in both competitions for the State Northern Knights and as the result of the recent elevation of Robbie Hart, Ian Butler, Scott Styris and Matthew Hart to join Daniel Vettori and Daryl Tuffey in the Black Caps, things are looking promising for next season.I feel we have made significant progress in our pursuit of creating an environment where the players are challenged, and encouraged, to be the best they can be.Our primary objective is to develop the players and an outcome of that, if we are successful, is that we will be without players for our domestic competitions which will provide us with some interesting challenges and opportunities for an exciting crop of young players who seek to earn a Knights cap – roll on next summer.

St Lucia has hosted several outstanding Jazz Festivals in the past but it has never been the venue for the type of electrifying atmosphere that was generated at its new state-of-the-art Beausejour Stadium yesterday.International cricket’s newest venue was bursting at the seams to celebrate an enthralling six-wicket West Indies victory over New Zealand.It was set up by yet another outstanding contribution from Mr Can Do No Wrong Shivnarine Chanderpaul and equally vital input from Ramnaresh Sarwan and captain Carl Hooper.And significantly, it was achieved without anything noteworthy from their champion but now struggling world record-holder, Brian Lara.He made way for Hooper and Ridley Jacobs before he came in to end a successful run-chase in pursuit of a challenging 249.It was attained for the loss of four wickets with five balls in reserve when Lara spanked a boundary through extra-cover to trigger wild scenes.When Hooper emerged from the pavilion in Lara’s accustomed No. 4 position, the West Indies still required another 108 from 100 balls to take a 1-0 lead in the series that has now been reduced to four matches.By then, Chanderpaul, opening the batting in a One-Day International for the first time in a year, was firmly entrenched after sharing successive stands of 55 with Chris Gayle and 86 with Sarwan.For the remainder of the evening, the 10 000 fans in the stands screamed themselves hoarse with patois chants and did the Mexican Wave over and over as Chanderpaul and Hooper increased the tempo when it was so vitally needed.The unstoppable Chanderpaul remained to the end, unbeaten on 108 off 135 balls his fourth century of the season in both forms of the game.Hooper provided even more excitement with some scintillating strokes in a run-a-ball 47 before he was pacer Paul Hitchcock’s third victim in the 46th over.By then the West Indies had done enough to bring down an asking rate that stood at 7.40 after 42 overs to a more manageable 24 from 25 balls.This was a good victory. What made it good was the manner in which we chased, Hooper said.It wasn’t exactly a small total to get, even though the wicket was good and the outfield wasn’t huge, but the manner in which we got the runs; I was very pleased.It had been proposed more than once in recent matches that the in-form Chanderpaul would move up from No. 6 and it finally came to fruition yesterday.At the start, he allowed Gayle to do the bulk of the scoring, but he blossomed to play some enterprising strokes, none more memorable than a six over extra-cover off Daniel Vetorri’s left-arm spin.The left-handed Chanderpaul also counted eight fours on the way to his third hundred in limited-overs internationals in the identical position where he made his previous two.We have been thinking about Shiv opening for a while. Today was an opportune time to do it, Hooper said.He seemed pretty keen on opening. Batting through the innings is important and I thought it worked well for us.In contrast, Lara has been a shadow of himself since returning to the game with a bothersome elbow, but there were some who felt that he would never have been demoted from his accustomed slot.Brian has been struggling for form all during the Indian series and I’d like to say that the coach and Brian thought it best if I was promoted ahead of him, Hooper said.New Zealand’s total was clearly a lot more than the West Indies bargained for after Pedro Collins sliced through the Black Caps’ top half by snatching three scalps in five balls inside his first two overs.A position of 55 for four represented immense strife for New Zealand, but they recovered admirably after Collins removed Chris Nevin (to an irresponsible slash to a wide ball), Craig McMillan (bowled from a forcing back foot stroke) and Chris Harris (lbw shuffling across his stumps).Before those were gone, Mervyn Dillon enjoyed the distinction of claiming the first international wicket on the ground with the finest ball of the match, which cut back sharply and cut Nathan Astle in half.The noisy crowd, including many visitors from neighboring islands, might have anticipated an even lower total than New Zealand’s 176 in their opening abandoned match, but there was a splendid recovery in two significant partnerships that involved captain Stephen Fleming.Very early in the piece, he was showing bold aggression and the use of his feet against the faster bowlers, but as New Zealand lost wickets frequently, he changed to a lower gear and played responsibly for his 89 off 116 balls.The first phase of the fightback was in association with Lou Vincent the pair adding 57, but the more meaningful stand was one of 81 in 18.4 overs with Scott Styris.Styris, a big-hitter who specialises in the abbreviated version of the game, launched a calculated assault, especially in the closing stages when he clouted three sixes, including two off Dillon.His 85 off 83 balls, which also included eight fours, ensured that New Zealand raised 76 for the last ten overs, in which Dillon suffered badly. After the fast bowler’s first five overs went for 17, his second quota yielded 43 runs.With the runs flowing freely at the death, it was surprising that Collins, the West Indies’ best bowler on the day, was not utilised for his full ten overs, while the part-time spinners Gayle and Ryan Hinds did so.Still, it did not matter in the end.

The man widely acknowledged as the Caribbean’s best umpire has given ahuge vote of confidence to three of his West Indian colleagues.Steve Bucknor, one of international cricket’s most capped umpires,believes Eddie Nicholls, Billy Doctrove and Basil Morgan can comparefavourably with any of the officials on the International CricketCouncil’s (ICC) National Grid panel.I think our top umpires are as good as any anywhere, Bucknor saidahead of the seventh One-Day International between West Indies andSouth Africa at the Arnos Vale Playing Field yesterday.I’ve seen umpiring around the world and it is my opinion that they areas good as any in the world.As an experienced umpire who has stood in three successive World Cupfinals, 56 Tests and 90 One-Day Internationals in each of the tenTest-playing nations, Bucknor has had the benefit of officiating withseveral other umpires.When the ICC moves to introduce an elite panel of about a dozenumpires which will serve in all Test matches, the 54-year-old Jamaicanis certain to be among that group.And he feels Nicholls, the second of the West Indies representativeson the ICC panel, should also be in the line-up.Once the system is implemented, the current policy in which an umpirefrom the host country is automatically appointed will be eliminated.In my opinion, Nicholls is within the top ten quite easily, Bucknorsaid of the Guyanese police assistant superintendent who has stood in15 Tests and 26 One-Day Internationals.With this new system coming maybe next year, it is possible that hecould get into the new panel that is going to be made up of about ten,12 umpires who will do all of Test cricket.Dominican Doctrove and Morgan, of Montserrat, are not members of theNational Grid panel which is made up of 20 umpires four from Englandand two from each of the other Test-playing countries with theexception of Bangladesh.I have seen Test umpires who are not half as good as Doctrove andMorgan, Bucknor said.They are better than some I have seen on the circuit but because thesystem says two from each country, the best umpires are notnecessarily within the top 20. I hope there is a place for themsometime soon.Outside of the main group of the dozen top umpires, there is expectedto be a secondary panel of about 25 umpires.On this panel, I think budding umpires should come through, saidBucknor.

FULL NAME: Patrick Kudzayi Gada
BORN: 5 May 1978, at Harare
MAJOR TEAMS: CFX Academy (1998/99), Manicaland (1999/2000-2000/01),Mashonaland (2001/02). Present club side: Takashinga
KNOWN AS: Patrick/Paddy Gada.
BATTING STYLE: Right Hand Bat
BOWLING STYLE: Right Arm Medium Fast
OCCUPATION: Professional cricketer
FIRST-CLASS DEBUT: CFX Academy v Australian Cricket Academy, at AlexandraSports Club, 27-29 March 1999
TEST DEBUT: Still awaited
ODI DEBUT: Still awaitedBIOGRAPHY (updated March 2002)Patrick Gada, Academy student in 1999, is one of the most promising young all-rounders in Zimbabwe. He is highly rated for his attitude and self-discipline. He is a non-smoker and does not drink alcohol; from a young age he practised hard and worked on his fitness. He is a pleasant and quietly-spoken young man who deserves to go far in the game.Like most black players at the present, Patrick has no family background in cricket, although his family has always been very enthusiastic about soccer. His interest in cricket began at Chengu Primary School in Highfield, a high-density suburb of Harare, and he well remembers the times when Dave Houghton used to come and coach. Later on Lazarus Zizhou and Dave Levy took over, and both had much to do with developing Patrick’s interests and skills. Patrick has always been first and foremost a batsman, but he has kept up his medium-paced bowling and occasionally bowls useful off-spin as well. He opened both batting and bowling from a young age.His first match, as far as he remembers, took place when he was about ten years of age. Once he scored 125 in a thirty-over game, when he was captaining his team, and won the Willards Trophy for his school. He took part in the national primary schools cricket week, captaining the Harare South team and being selected for the national B team.He progressed to Prince Edward High School, having been offered a place there by the Zimbabwe Cricket Union because of his cricketing potential. He had also been offered a place at Chinhoyi High School, but preferred Prince Edward mainly because of the better sporting and academic opportunities it provided. He was immediately appointed as captain of the Under-13 team and progressed up the school year by year. He remembers his best scores when he reached the first team as being 90 against St John’s and 78 against Eaglesvale, batting at number four. He used to bowl regularly as well, opening the bowling at times and taking useful wickets, with seven in an innings being his best performance. In 1995 he went on tour to England with the school team. He names the late `Bunny’ Brereton as the high-school coach who helped him the most.At school Patrick was also an athlete, notably in triple jump and long jump. He played rugby and soccer as well, but cricket remained his premier sport. He played his first club match in 1992, for Bionics Cricket Club, which became in turn Hungwe, Winstonians and now Takashinga.In 1993 Patrick was selected for the Mashonaland Under-15 team, where he did well and was a reserve for the national side; he progressed to the Mashonaland Under-19 team along with such players as Brian Murphy, Gavin Rennie, Darlington and Everton Matambanadzo and Gary Brent. Even at the age of 16 he made some good scores, but just missed selection for the national side. He left high school after gaining his O-Levels in Form Four, but hopes to improve his academic qualifications at some time in the future.He followed his cricket interests, doing some coaching privately in the high-density areas and assisting the Zimbabwe Cricket Union and the Mashonaland Cricket Association on a private, part-time basis. In 1995/96 he began to play for Old Hararians Sports Club, coaching and practising in Highfield and at Harare Sports Club during the off season. His best club performance has been 96 not out against Kwekwe in 2001/02. In 1998 he was encouraged by the Old Hararians captain Trevor Penney to apply for the Zimbabwe Cricket Academy, and he was accepted for the 1999 season.His main memory of that year, along with many other students, was the visit of the Australian Cricket Academy team, which completely outclassed the local academy, mainly due to the express pace of Brett Lee who terrorized the locals and caused Patrick himself much concern. "It was a great turning point for all the Academy guys," he says.From 1999 Patrick played and coached in England. It was a good experience, although he found the pitches too slow, sub-standard and uncovered. He did learn to adapt to the various pitches, both good and bad. In the years 2000 and 2001 he played for Preston Nomads in Sussex, enjoying both seasons with bat and ball. "It is always good fun and experience playing in the UK," he says.After leaving the Academy, Patrick went to Manicaland for the remaining two years of his Academy contract. He opened the batting for them in the Logan Cup and played some useful innings, gradually finding the confidence to play his strokes more readily at that level.In September and October 2001, after the English season, he also visited the United States of America and played in Florida and Hartford, Connecticut. He came across some good players, especially from the West Indies, and had a good time both on and off the field. On his return, having completed his three-year contract with the Zimbabwe Cricket Union, he decided to return from Manicaland to Mashonaland, especially as he had family responsibilities after the death of his mother. He signed a new contract and returned to Takashinga, who are now based in his home town of Highfield. He enjoyed a good all-round season in the national league, and expected to finish with the most wickets and the best bowling average for the league season.As a batsman his main attribute, he feels, is his concentration and the ability to bat for long periods of time, while as yet he is not fully fluent with his strokes at the top level. He is a strong back-foot player, scoring the majority of his runs on the on side and square of the wicket, while he also cuts well. He admits to having difficulty with the moving ball outside the off stump but is working on the problem. He is happy to open the innings, but given the choice feels he would prefer number four or five. He usually fields in the middle distance or in the gully. He has a very safe pair of hands and enjoys fielding, and is fairly quick to the ball.Cricket heroes: Viv Richards, Richie Richardson and Graham Gooch.Toughest opponents: "Brett Lee still sticks out in my mind, no doubt about that, for his express pace! I would love to face him again sometime, hopefully take him on, but if not to stick around for a long period."Future ambitions: "I hope to stay in the game and keep working on my game all the time. It will take time, but I hope to keep improving. I would like to play cricket at the highest possible level, and do well. I also want to assist youngsters as we keep trying to build up Zimbabwean cricket. My biggest wish at the moment is to represent Zimbabwe in the coming World Cup as we host all our home games."Biggest influences: "My late mother, my dad in Highfield, my family and good friends all around the world."Proudest achievement: "I remember when I was captain of Harare South and my junior school in Highfield, the England A side came over, including Michael Atherton, Neil Fairbrother, Derek Pringle and `Sid’ Lawrence, in 1989/90, and I got an autographed bat from them. Then I was rated High Glen Best Junior Batsman, in 1990. Also when I was awarded my cricket colours at Prince Edward High School in 1994 for the most outstanding performance and service. Also meeting the master King Viv Richards at the Malcolm Marshall Memorial match in London in 2000, and again in America in 2001, in Hartford, Connecticut."Best friends in cricket: "Amos Maungwa – he’s always out there, he tries very hard and we play and practise together for Takashinga. All those who love the game and always think positively. My late mother and all my remaining family for all their trust, love and encouragement; Devon Malcolm, the Hopkins family and Mr John Smith, all in Sussex, England."Other interests: "I like reading, especially cricket magazines and current information. I like fitness training; every time I’m free I go out and work on my fitness. I also like listening to music and watching cricket on television or on tape."Personal views: "I would like to help juniors coming up and offer a helping hand from the knowledge I’ve gained from the game so far. I can’t wait to see Zimbabwe get on top of world cricket and dominate more than West Indies did and more than Australia will ever do. My young players for the future are team-mates Tatenda Taibu, Stuart Matsikenyeri, Hamilton Masakadza, and Joe Gatting (son of Mike) who plays for Preston Nomads and Sussex CCC juniors. My motto in life is to respect and learn from others, and above all give thanks to the Almighty."

An overnight leak in the pitch covers, which delayed the start of play by three hours, looked for all the world like it had condemned this match to a draw. But, England have shown a propensity for tight finishes in recent months and they very nearly pulled of an unlikely victory this evening.The large Sunday crowd were treated to some tense cricket as the Sri Lanka board President’s XI, who trailed England by 165 runs when England declared on their overnight score of 418 for seven, collapsed from 139 for one from to 190 for seven.

With the seventh wicket falling with 21 overs still scheduled till the close and the President’s XI only having a lead of 25 runs, the possibility of a last minute victory opened up. Tillakaratne Dilshan had defied the English bowling all day, during the course of a brilliant century, his second in successive matches against England, and he kept them at bay as the evening drew to close. Both captains finally settled for a draw at 6pm with the President’s XI on 234 for seven.Speaking after the match, Hussain was delighted with the team’s performance: “Apart from a couple of niggles, everything has gone exactly to plan. We could not have asked for better opposition and have played on two good cricket wickets. We are very happy with where we are for the Test series.”England were also relieved that Ashley Giles was able to bowl 19 overs today without any adverse reaction to his Achilles tendon. They will now have their finger crossed that it doesn’t stiffen overnight.”We tested Ashley out today and we will test him out again before the Test match and everything looks fine at the moment,” Hussain said afterwards. “With fitness we cannot say definitely now as things can change overnight, but as they stand now both Hick and Giles are both fit.”Croft bowled his best spell of the tour today, picking up three wickets, earning praise from Hussain: “I thought that Robert Croft bowled as well as I have seen him bowl on the trip and Michael Vaughan bowled well. It would be nice if they were going for one or two an over, but that is the way they play spin here. We get our control from the seam bowlers.”The English spinners have not been helped by the fact that they have had to bowl to the wristy Tillakaratne Dilshan. His unbeaten 115 today from 161 balls was further confirmation that he is a class act and a delight to watch.He came to the wicket when Avishka Gunawardene was caught at second slip off a rhythmical Andrew Caddick. He was dropped by Michael Atherton at first slip when on 13, but was soon into his stride. Immediately after the tea interval, having by now played himself in, he decided to dominate the bowling and scored at will thereafter. Craig White was crashed for 15 in his solitary over of the day and the spinners were treated with mastery at times.Were it not for Dilshan then the President’s XI would surely have lost. Ruwin Peiris opened with a free flowing 41 before being caught at first slip off Croft, whilst trying to loft the off-spinner over extra-cover. Sunendra Peiris then added 30 runs with Dilshan before he was caught of the full face of the bat by Michael Vaughan at short-leg.His wicket started the slide as Hashan Tillakaratne was caught behind off Michael Vaughan, the first of three wickets for the off-spinner. Jeevantha Kulatunga waited just three balls before trying to launch Ashley Giles over the top and was easily stumped by Alec Stewart. Muthumudalige Pushpakumara shouldered arms to Vaughan to be bowled and Niroshan Bandaratilleke was caught at silly-point first ball.Dilshan at last found a stout partner in Dinusha Fernando and the pair remained to the close, adding 44 runs for eighth wicket.Astonishingly, Dilshan’s efforts have not guaranteed him a place in the Test side. The selectors have shown their hand for Galle and have apparently opted for six batsmen and three spinners, to ensure cover should Muralitharan break down. This being the case, Dilshan is competing with Aravinda de Silva for the final batting place.

MELBOURNE – Australian cricketers Colin Miller and Adam Gilchrist and coachJohn Buchanan were telephoned anonymously by someone seeking informationabout the third Test against India in March, the Australian Cricket Boardrevealed today.ACB chief executive Malcolm Speed said that Miller, Gilchrist and Buchanantook the calls in their hotel rooms in Chennai.The unidentified male caller was seeking information about the pitch, thestate of the match and the likely outcome.However he said no offers were made because the Australians ended theconversations quickly and immediately reported the incident to Australianteam manager Steve Bernard.

In the end, it didn’t matter that this match had no official sanction. Try telling that to the tens of thousands of people who thronged the National Stadium in Karachi. In the end, what counted was that an international XI, no matter how ragtag and rusty it was, had set foot on Pakistan soil, had safely played a game of cricket. A game, such as this, had not been played for close to four years in a nation where following for that game frequently crosses the line between passionate and fanatical. For the record, Pakistan All Star XI demolished International World XI who were led by the 43-year old Sanath Jayasuriya.Young batsmen Umar Akmal and Shahzaib Hasan made half-centuries at frenetic pace and were backed by handy contributions from the rest. Pakistan XI were set on their way by the pair of Shahzaib and Imran Nazir, who put on 83 by the time the field restrictions were lifted, at nearly 14 an over. The International XI fielders showed they were short on match practice by dropping numerous catches and fielding poorly on a ground where the ropes had been pulled in. Shahzaib was the first to fall for 54 off just 21 deliveries, which included six fours and four sixes.Akmal, coming in at No. 5, soon took over and blitzed ten boundaries on his way to an unbeaten 67 off 37 as Pakistan XI zoomed to 222 for 7. Thandi Tshabalala, the South Africa offspinner, picked up 3 for 20 while Shapoor Zadran, the Afghanistan fast bowler, took 2 for 38.Jayasuriya hit a six and a four in the first over of the chase but fell of its last delivery, caught by his counterpart Shahid Afridi. Facing such a tall target, International XI kept losing wickets regularly, and fast bowler Tabish Khan soon dealt the decisive blows. He bowled Ricardo Powell, Jermaine Lawson and Tshabalala off successive deliveries to take a hat-trick and reduce International XI to 52 for 6 in the seventh over.Zadran stuck around to make 42 along with Loots Bosman, who batted low at No. 9 due to an injury and remained unbeaten on 27. Pakistan used everyone but wicketkeeper Sarfraz Ahmed as bowlers. Afridi, who had lasted seven balls with the bat to club three boundaries, had Zadran stumped off the final delivery of the match as International XI managed 138 for 8.The second and final game in the series will be played tomorrow at the same venue.