Pakistan paceman Mohammad Sami struggled again as National Bank scored a four-wicket victory over Rawalpindi in their NBP One-day Patron’s Cup Pool ‘C’ match at KRL Stadium on Tuesday.Sami was hammered for 60 runs off his 10 overs in which he could get just one wicket as Rawalpindi posted a fighting 223 for seven in 50 after being asked to bat first.Sohail Nasir struck 45 and Junaid Zia boosted the total with a useful 33.Sami was hammered for 77 runs by KRL batsmen on Sunday.Another NBP bowler punished was Shabbir Ahmed who conceded 56 runs while taking one wicket. The pick of the lot was slow left-armer Qaiser Abbas who snared three for 26 while Pakistan captain Waqar Younis returned impressive figures of one for 20 off his quota of 10 overs.National Bank, in reply, were home in 43.4 overs. Discarded Pakistan opener Imran Nazir led the chase with a solid 85 while Qaiser chipped in with a fine unbeaten 45.Junaid claimed two for 26.ScoreboardRAWALPINDI:Sohail Nasir c Imran Javed b Qaiser 45Babar Naeem lbw b Waqar 14Junaid Zia c and b Qaiser 33Shiraz Khalid c Kamran b M. Javed 12Nauman Aman b Sami 27Pervez Aziz c Imran Nazir b Qaiser 15Zia-ul-Haq Sr not out 26Ajmal Shah c Kamran b Shabbir 10Mohammad Zubair not out 16EXTRAS (B-1, LB-4, W-9, NB-11) 25TOTAL (for seven wkts, 50 overs) 223FALL OF WKTS: 1-33, 2-94, 3-119, 4-119, 5-145, 6-176, 7-196.BOWLING: Waqar Younis 10-0-20-1; Shabbir Ahmed 10-0-56-1 ; Mohammad Sami 10-0-60-1; Qaiser Abbas 10-2-26-3; Mohammad Javed 9-04-7-1; Imran Javed 1-0-9-0.NATIONAL BANK:Imran Nazir b Babar 85Kamran Akmal lbw b Fayyaz 4Salman Butt c Zubair b Akram 11Naumanullah c Zubair b Junaid 9Akhtar Sarfraz c Zubair b Ajmal 9Qaiser Abbas not out 45Mohammad Javed b Junaid 11Imran Javed not out 13EXTRAS (LB-12, W-18, NB-9) 39TOTAL (for six wkts, 43.4 overs) 226FALL OF WKTS: 1-14, 2-36, 3-66, 4-107, 5-170, 6-197.BOWLING: Mohammad Akram 10-0-56-1; Mohammad Fayyaz 9-0-47-1 ; Ajmal Shah 8-0-24-1; Junaid Zia 7-1-26-2; Shiraz Khalid 2-0-10-0 ; Pervez Aziz 2-0-12-0; Babar Naeem 5.4-0-39-1.RESULT: National Bank won by four wickets.Results of other Pool ‘C’ matches:*At Arbab Niaz Stadium, Peshawar:KRL beat Peshawar by 77 runs.KRL 339-6 in 50 overs (Ali Naqvi 115 not out, Saeed Anwar Jr 69 , Mohammad Ramzan 57, Misbah-ul-Haq 24, Yasir Arafat 21; Nauman Habib 2-72);PESHAWAR 262-9 in 50 overs (Asmatullah 59, Aftab Khan 45 , M. Bilal Marwat 42; Yasir Arafat 3-38, Shoaib Akhtar 2-27).*At Saga Ground, Sialkot:Sialkot beat Faisalabad by 96 runs.SIALKOT 278-7 in 50 overs (Shaiman Butt 96, Adeel Malik 47 not out , Shahid Yousuf 42, Owais Malik 20 not out; Javed Iqbal 2-49);FAISALABAD 182 in 32 overs (Mohammad Saleem 47, Mohammad Salman 26 , Sami-ul-Haq 24; Shaiman Butt 2-27, Owais Malik 2-32, Tahir Mughal 2-43)

Nathan Astle was in no doubt about the significance of New Zealand’s six-wicket win over Zimbabwe, although he insisted that his team still had little margin for error despite his match-winning century.The win lifted New Zealand into fourth place in the Super Six table, with gamesagainst the top two sides Australia and India to come.”It was a big game,” Astle said. “We knew we had to win two out of the three. We were probably chasing a little more than we would have liked in the end, but I just thought if it was a good wicket and the longer I stayed in there, it would get better if we could get a partnership going. Cairnsy provided that partnership and it worked out nicely.”Kiwi skipper Stephen Fleming, who himself hit a fluent 46, said: “In the end it was comfortable but at half-time it was 50-50. I was disappointed with the way we finished. Sixty from three overs is not ideal and we have got work on that.”On his own form he added: “It is going well. I would have liked to score a few more whilst batting so well but hopefully it will continue.”Zimbabwe captain Heath Streak, who had kept his side in the game with an unbeaten 72, conceded that they had been second best on the day.”We had a bit of a bad start,” he admitted. “We started slowly and lost a few wickets. We fought back an got a total that we tried to defend but we were probably 30 runs shy. In the end we didn’t have enough runs on the scoreboard. We were beaten by the better team on the day.”

Hampshire v Glamorgan, Cardiff ScorecardCaptains past and present, Robin Smith and John Crawley, added 123 for thesecond wicket as Hampshire enjoyed the better of the first day at Cardiff.Crawley’s share was 65, and though Smith eventually fell eight runs short ofhis 62nd first-class century, Nic Pothas ensured his good work was notwasted by reaching the close on 81 not out. Alex Wharf was the pick of abeleaguered Glamorgan attack, finishing with two wickets.Northamptonshire v Gloucestershire, Wantage Road ScorecardNorthants survived a trial by spin to close on a creditable 338 for 8 atWantage Road, a considerable improvement on their woeful efforts againstYorkshire last week. Gloucestershire’s pair of Martyn Ball and Ian Fisherbowled a staggering 73 overs between them, and picked up but one of theeight wickets to fall. But they were thwarted by regular contributions alldown the order. Mark Powell and David Paynter put on 126 for the firstwicket, David Sales added a gritty 59, and the ninth-wicket pair of TobyBailey and Andre Nel reached the close unbeaten after a 63-run stand.Somerset v Durham, Taunton ScorecardFifteen wickets fell on the first day at Taunton, as Durham and Somersettraded blow for blow. Jon Lewis scored a composed 78 and Marcus Trescothickresponded in kind with 60 from 81 balls, but overall it was a day for thebowlers. Richard Johnson was the pick for Somerset, with figures of 5 for64, although Vince Wells struck two vital blows in the final over of theday, as five Somerset wickets fell for 35 runs.Kent v Leicestershire, Canterbury ScorecardKent made a stuttering start to their Championship campaign, as they werebundled out for 245 after winning the toss at Canterbury. Greg Blewett andMichael Carberry picked up a brace of fifties, but three wickets for CharlieDagnell made the difference. When their turn came, Leicestershire slumped to48 for 3, with Mark Ealham, the stand-in Kent captain, grabbing two wickets,but Darren Maddy, and the returning Paul Nixon stood firm to the close.Lancashire v Nottinghamshire, Old Trafford ScorecardMal Loye made history as the first batsman to score centuries in each of hisfirst two innings for Lancashire, but Nottinghamshire fought backimpressively in the evening session. Loye, who signed from Northants in thesummer, scored 113 and added 137 for the fifth wicket with Andrew Flintoff(97). With a few overs of the day remaining, Lancashire were cruising at 340for 5, but Steve Elworthy (5 for 71) and Greg Smith (3 for 50) ripped outthe last five wickets for 14 runs.Middlesex v Sussex, Lord’s ScorecardJason Lewry and James Kirtley were Sussex’s heroes with bat and ball, on aday of fluctuating fortunes at Lord’s. Middlesex had the upper hand earlyon, with Joe Dawes and Paul Weekes taking three wickets apiece to reduceSussex to 172 for 9. But Lewry clubbed a run-a-ball 45, and Kirtley kept hisend up for 55 deliveries in a vital last-wicket stand of 67. They followedup by each grabbing an early wicket, as Middlesex closed on 79 for 4.Warwickshire v Essex, Edgbaston ScorecardJim Troughton and Dougie Brown picked up a pair of centuries as Essex weregiven the run-around on a day of high-scoring at Edgbaston. Troughton (107not out) and Brown (120) added 201 for the sixth wicket after Scott Branthad kept the top-order in check with three early wickets. Ronnie Iranigrabbed two wickets as well, including his England team-mate Nick Knight,and though Brown fell before the close, Troughton will resume in themorning.

With the heat of the battle over, Glenn McGrath and Ramnaresh Sarwan have kissed and made up after their ugly confrontation in the fourth Test in Antigua. Speaking on an Australian radio station, Sarwan said he and McGrath had cleared the air over their mid-pitch altercation during the fourth day’s play, and insisted there were no hard feelings.Sarwan, whose 105 helped steer the West Indies to a record-breaking win, would not reveal what was said between the two players in the heated clash which caused umpire David Shepherd to step in and cool things down.

However, according to the Sydney Morning Herald, McGrath was seen to say: “If you ever f—ing mention my wife again, I will f—ing rip your f—ing throat out.” But, rather confusingly, Sarwan had made no reference to McGrath’s wife, and McGrath was said to be embarrassed about his over-reaction.That, however, cut no ice with Australia’s most famous cricket fan. The Prime Minister, John Howard – a self-confessed “cricket tragic” – waded into the debate during an interview with a Melbourne radio station, describing McGrath’s furious reaction as “a very Australian thing to do”.While admitting he didn’t know the exact sequence of events, Howard said: “Well, I’ve read, I mean if somebody did say something about his wife then I would understand fully his reaction. There seems to be some debate as to who started [it] and who said what but anybody who says something about somebody’s wife who’s had cancer, that’s pretty bad and I can understand a man defending his wife. I would, I’m sure you would, and it’s a very natural Australian thing todo.”Despite their war of words, Sarwan insisted they are now on friendly terms: “Both of us have apologised to each other and it’s good to knowthat both of us did that in the good context of the game, and what took place in the series and this game. It’s good to know that we have apologised to each other and appreciate each other’s friendship.”When quizzed on the issue of the Australian’s reputation as the world leader in sledging, Sarwan played it down by saying, “I’m not sure about that, who’s the leader of that [sledging], but obviously players have things to say on the field and it’s up to the individual or a team if you want to take it personal but, really and truly, we don’t have a problem with each other.”Steve Waugh attempted to play down the incident as well. “I don’t think there’s anything wrong with exchanging a few words on the field. But we know it’s going to be replayed 10 or 20 times. It’s going to be seen over and over again and kids are going to see it as well.”Referring to McGrath’s fury, Waugh said: “He [McGrath] probably misinterpreted it. Ramnaresh Sarwan hasn’t got a mean bone in his body. He’s a great guy. It’s a moment all the players regret, we wish it hadn’t happened but it did.”Meanwhile, Mike Procter, the match referee, clarified that no action would be taken against the two players. “It got pretty serious out there for a time. Fortunately, Dave Shepherd stepped in at the right time.” Procter saw nothing wrong with Australia’s brand of aggression on the cricket field. “Australia has always played pretty tough cricket, I don’t think anyone wants them to change the way they play,” he said. “Sometimes, people like to knock the people at the top. They are a wonderful side and play in the spirit of the game.”

Hemang Badani will lead India A in all one-day games on their tour of England. The team left Mumbai for England on the early hours of Sunday. Shiv Sunder Das, who was earlier named captain of the team, will now lead the side in all the other matches. Brijesh Patel, chairman of selectors, told The Hindu, “Badani is a one-day prospect and also is an experienced player. We (the selectors) thought he is the better candidate to lead the side while Das has only a limited role in one-dayers.”India A will play four one-dayers, one four-day match and six three-day games in their 45-day tour of England. After kicking off their tour against a young British Universities side, India A face off against increasingly tougher opponents.Interestingly, they come up against Yuvraj Singh (versus Yorkshire) and Mohammad Kaif (versus Leicestershire) before playing against the touring South Africans at Arundel from July 19 to 21.India A squad
SS Das (capt), Wasim Jaffer, Gautam Gambhir, Satyajit Parab, Hemang Badani (ODI capt), Sridharan Sriram, Ambati Rayudu, Rohan Gavaskar, Vijay Bharadwaj, Parthiv Patel (wk), L Balaji, Aavishkar Salvi, Amit Bhandari, Irfan Pathan Jr, Murali Kartik, Amit Mishra.

Several changes have been made to the international and domestic programsfor Australian cricket next summer, and India will benefit during their tour with an extra match, Cricket Australia said today. They will play a Queensland XI in a three-day match at Allan Border Field from November 29-December 1.As a result of the inclusion of this match, the Indian three-day gameagainst Victoria in Melbourne will now start two days earlier on November25. The one-day match against the Prime Minister’s XI in Canberra has beentransferred from December 1 to January 28. India¹s other tour match, athree-day clash against Australia A in Hobart (December 19-21), remainsunchanged.

A record number of tickets have been sold for Tuesday’s NatWest Series match between England and South Africa at Edgbaston. A grand total of 20,260 tickets have been snapped up for the day-night game – the most ever at the ground. It beats the next highest of 19,223 for the England v Pakistan match in 2001, and the 18,319 for England against New Zealand in 1994.Dennis Amiss, Warwickshire’s chief executive, said: “We are delighted that Edgbaston is sold out for the one-day international on Tuesday. It promises to be a great encounter and the atmosphere at a packed Edgbaston is always memorable. We hope that this success will be mirrored for the Test match later in the month and I am sure that all those who buy tickets for that will witness a fantastic sporting encounter.”Stuart Robertson, who has recently been appointed head of marketing at Warwickshire, added: “Edgbaston is second only to Lord’s in terms of capacity and it will be great to see the ground full to the rafters during the NatWest Series match. Although we are not yet sold out for the npower Test match, we expect to see some huge crowds for that match as well. With big crowds at the recent Twenty20 matches cricket in the West Midlands is very much alive and kicking.”The Test match between England and South Africa takes place from July 24 to 28, and although tickets are available for all five days, they are selling out fast. They can be purchased by calling 0121 446 5506. Discounts are available for groups, schools and families, information about which can be found on that number.For further information, call Warwickshire’s marketing department on 0121 446 4777.

Ray Bright, the former Australian left-arm spinner, will conduct a three-day training programme with some of Tasmania’s young slow bowlers. The sessions will commence from Friday, August 1, in the Indoor Centre at Bellerive Oval, Hobart. Among the items on the agenda for Bright is a two-hour session – from 10am to 12 noon on August 1 – spent exclusively with Xavier Doherty, a promising left-arm spinner.Bright’s international career lasted 10 years, during which time he played 25 Tests and 11 one-day internationals. He was also in the Australian team that took part in the first World Series against West Indies and the Rest of the World. Bright played 184 first-class matches for Victoria, taking 471 wickets at 32.08.

The City v Country match at Barooga in southern NSW – involving players in the SpeedBlitz Blues squad – has been cancelled because of wet weather.The game was originally scheduled for today – Wednesday October 1st. It was postponed until Thursday October 2nd because of rain but the forecast of continuing wet weather has forced the game to be abandoned.The SpeedBlitz Blues have enjoyed a shortened pre-season camp and will return to Sydney from Albury on Thursday. The players will take part in Sydney Grade Cricket matches this weekend.Steve Waugh, Stuart MacGill and Michael Clarke have left the squad to fly to Perth for the Australian Squad Training camp prior to the first 3 Test against Zimbabwe.

Two years, eight months, and two days have passed since that moment, one destined to have a special place in the cricket histories of both India and Australia. On March 15, 2001, Harbhajan Singh and Sachin Tendulkar completed the most improbable comeback in Test history, riding the crest of a wave created by VVS Laxman’s imperious 281, and Rahul Dravid’s flint-hard 180. Tomorrow, Ricky Ponting, Adam Gilchrist and Matthew Hayden will revisit the scene of cricket’s biggest heist, hoping to leave the Eden Gardens with those Ides of March just a distant, aberrant memory.Logic will tell you that Australia are the favourites, but there’s something about Kolkata and a 100,000-strong crowd that is the exemplar of sporting fanaticism that can intimidate even the most confident side. India started the TVS Cup well enough, beating Australia with a measure of comfort in Gwalior, but subsequent drubbings at Mumbai and Bangalore means that they go into a home final occupying the underdog’s kennel.It shouldn’t bother them. The Titan Cup in 1996 had followed a similar script with South Africa utterly dominant in the group stages, only for India – Australia were the odd men out – to romp home in the final. With the toss and the varied conditions under lights making one-day cricket such a lottery, only a fool would stake his gold on the basis of previous form, given that the best team doesn’t always prevail as in Test cricket.India will be in a much better frame of mind after that 145-run thumping of New Zealand. Tendulkar orchestrated matters, and the other batsmen played along sweetly to ensure that there would be no danger of the hosts missing their party. A similar effort will be needed against an Australian bowling attack that has made considerable strides in three weeks, with Nathan Bracken and Brad Williams to the fore.They will most likely make the one change, bringing in Harbhajan Singh for Murali Kartik, sure to be disheartened after narrowly missing out on the tour to Australia. On the pitch where he earned the Turbanator nickname, Harbhajan would do well to prove that his bowling is a work in progress, rather than an abandoned project as has appeared the case in recent months.There is another opportunity for Ajit Agarkar to add substance to his new-ball ambitions, while Zaheer Khan must perform to salvage an iota of comfort from an otherwise dreadful home season. Rest assured, Gilchrist and Hayden will be locking their sights the moment he walks to his bowling mark.Ponting’s big-hitting century at Bangalore ironed out the last crease in Australia’s own batting, though Hayden has still to bat like the colossus we know he can be. The bowlers they have faced so far haven’t been accurate, or good enough, to exploit their tentativeness against high-quality spin. Medium-pace is rare steak and a few kegs of beer for those boys, so unless Harbhajan and Kumble step up in a big way, it could be yet another trophy in the cabinet for an Australian team that seems to win games as easily as Mike Tyson won bouts way back in his heyday. Perhaps it’s time for India to do a James “Buster” Douglas …Probable teams
India 1 Virender Sehwag, 2 Sachin Tendulkar, 3 Sourav Ganguly (capt), 4 VVS Laxman, 5 Rahul Dravid (wk), 6 Yuvraj Singh, 7 Mohammad Kaif, 8 Ajit Agarkar, 9 Anil Kumble, 10 Harbhajan Singh, 11 Zaheer Khan.Australia 1 Matthew Hayden, 2 Adam Gilchrist (wk), 3 Ricky Ponting (capt), 4 Damien Martyn, 5 Andrew Symonds, 6 Michael Bevan, 7 Michael Clarke, 8 Ian Harvey, 9 Andrew Bichel, 10 Brad Williams, 11 Nathan Bracken.Dileep Premachandran is assistant editor of Wisden Cricinfo in India.