The Indians’ tour of South Africa got off to an embarrassing start earlier this week when they were forced to set off without any official tour kit, and it hardly got any better when they lost their tour warm-up, going down to a Rest of South Africa side by 37 runs at Benoni.While the loss only three days before the opening match of the five-ODI series was not the ideal start, the real concern was the manner of the defeat. Only a face-saving seventh-wicket stand of 82 from 105 balls between Rahul Dravid and Irfan Pathan saved India from humiliation as they slid to 82 for 6 in reply to the home side’s 255 for 8.The damage was done by Dale Steyn, a fast bowler who the Indians are likely to see much more of before the tour is out, who took 5 for 22. Although he is earmarked as a Test specialist, he bowled at up to 150kph and sent a clear message to the selectors. In his first spell he removed Sachin Tendulkar and Wasim Jaffer – Jaffer only played in place of Virender Sehwag, who needed stitches in a hand after misjudging a catch in fielding practice shortly before the game.In his second two-over spell Steyn dimissed MS Dhoni and Suresh Raina in three balls and his pace was too much for both. He softened up Dhoni with a short ball then trapped him leg-before with a fuller delivery before Raina could only fend a lifting delivery to short leg. In his final spell Steyn bowled Dravid, who was ninth man out after a solid 99-ball 79.Steyn has played in only four one-day internationals and was dropped after the tour of Australia last season because he was too expensive. However, he conceded only 12 runs off the bat, with seven wides and three no-balls making up the rest of the runs against him.Apart from Dravid’s innings, there was encouragement for the Indians in the form of Anil Kumble and Zaheer Khan on their returns to the one-day team. Both were easily the most impressive Indian bowlers. Zaheer, whose most recent one-day international was against Pakistan in February, took 3 for 44 in ten overs. Kumble, who has been out of one-day international cricket since playing for Asia against Africa in South Africa in August 2005, took 2 for 31.
He grabbed two wickets with successive balls as the Rest slipped to 116 for 6 in the 31st over before Jacques Rudolph (72*) and Albie Morkel (57) lashed 96 off 100 balls for the seventh wicket. Morkel skied a catch off Zaheer, but Rudolph carried on hitting out as another 43 runs were scored off the final 19 balls of the innings.Morkel had been due to be 12th man for the Rest but got his chance to play when it was agreed before the match that both sides could use a dozen players, although only 11 could bat or be on the field at any time. The decision enabled the Indians to field an extra player to get match practice ahead of the ODI series. It meant that the match would not have official List A limited-overs status – and also enabled the home side to finish with a much better total than might have been the case.The Indian bowlers took some heavy punishment in the closing overs with Munaf Patel conceding 36 runs off his last two overs and Sreesanth being hit for 44 off his final four.Steyn ensured that India were never in with a realistic chance of winning, even though Dravid and Pathan gave them a glimmer of hope.”There are areas where we can get better,” Dravid said afterwards. “We’re a pretty young side. Some of the young batsmen and bowlers are learning. It’s not an easy place to play cricket, especially if you come straight from India. It is just the start of the tour and there will be better performances as the tour goes on.”Ashwell Prince, who led the Rest of South Africa, was delighted. “We wanted to give them a tough game,” he said. “They have found it tough touring here in the past and we wanted to make sure we didn’t give them any freebies early in the tour.”
John Bracewell’s New Zealand enter the most pivotal phase of project 2007 when they meet South Africa in the first of five one-dayers starting on Sunday. Since Bracewell took over the reins of New Zealand in 2003 he has made no secret of the fact that his goal was to develop a side capable of winning the World Cup in the West Indies. His focus has remained undeterred, even when it appeared Test results were suffering as a consequence – six wins, two each against Zimbabwe and Bangladesh, offset by nine losses and four draws.Contrast those rather miserable statistics with his 23-10 win-loss record in one-day cricket (two no results), including two tri-series victories, and you can see where Bracewell’s strength lies. As he showed at Gloucestershire, he builds good one-day units.He’ll have plenty of opportunity to work those strengths this southern hemisphere summer. New Zealand’s Test programme is positively anaemic, with just a three-match home series against West Indies interrupting a steady diet of ODIs.But it is not Bracewell’s team-building strength, but his chopping down of a legend that has caught the eye. While New Zealand will toil against the likes of Jacques Kallis, Graeme Smith and Shaun Pollock, the one player the South Africans truly fear will be playing club cricket on a variety of suburban parks in Christchurch, trying to prove he still has the hunger to play for New Zealand through to 2007.There has been some nonsense written and spoken since, particularly that this is somehow new selector Glenn Turner’s final twist of the knife in a bitter relationship that deteriorated when he was Black Caps coach and Chris Cairns was a wilful, and sometimes unwilling, star. If that was the case then what was Cairns’s one-time team-mate and friend Dion Nash doing at the selection meeting? Surely he would have been a counterweight in any argument over Cairns’s merits.The fact was Bracewell flagged this concern about Cairns’s lack of recent match practice some months ago. He turned up at Zimbabwe and was a self-confessed “liability”. Bracewell acted and it is now up to Cairns to prove whether this particular story has a World Cup epilogue or not.In South Africa Bracewell will turn to Jacob Oram, another allrounder, albeit one who is undergoing his first career slump. He has gone 15 ODI innings without posting a 50 and looked laboured at the bowling crease on the recent tour of Zimbabwe, despite taking four wickets in the final against India. He will need to step up in the absence of Cairns.Stephen Fleming and Craig McMillan have both scored centuries against South Africa A in warm-up matches but there will be concern over the continued struggles of Hamish Marshall. He has failed to pass 30 in his past six innings and failed to reach double figures in his last four. Perhaps, as reflected by his unflattering domestic record, Marshall appears hungrier for runs against the really good attacks. So South Africa away, where he made the unlikeliest of Test debuts close to five years ago, should provide the challenge he thrives on.His twin brother James, who has been in good form on the recent A tour to Sri Lanka, is another player with plenty to prove at the top level. There are doubts about whether his propensity to try and steer everything through gully will work against international new ball attacks. New Zealand know they can win ODIs at home. They are even starting to believe it can beat most teams away (except Australia). A series victory in South Africa might just start having them believe Bracewell’s 2007 goal is more than fantasy.
Sri Lanka are hopeful that Sanath Jayasuriya will recover in time for their opening second-round match in the Asia Cup on Wednesday after aggravating a side injury and pulling out of their clash against India on Sunday.Jayasuriya, Sri Lanka’s most experienced one-day player and their highestrun-scorer, first injured his left side during the first Test against Australiaat Darwin earlier in the month. The management had hoped his batting wouldbe unhindered.”Sanath [Jayasuriya] suffered the side strain in Darwin Test where he bowled30 overs,” Ajit Jayasekera, the team manager, told reporters on Sundayafternoon. “In Cairns [the second Test] it became sore.”He discovered the full extent of the injury while batting yesterday and wasfeeling uncomfortable when he played his square-cut. He nowneeds some rest but we feel he should be fit enough for Wednesday.”If Sri Lanka lose against India then they will face Bangladesh onWednesday at the Sinhalese Sports Club, a low-key game that Jayasuriya couldsit out to give the injury more time to heal.
Glamorgan have announced an unchanged team for their secondTwenty20 match against the Somerset Sabres at Sophia Gardens,Cardiff on 18th June, starting at 5.30pm:
There will be live ball-by-ball commentary of the game available via the BBC RadioWales website. To listen in click on the link at the top of theGlamorgan homepage.
Celebrations ran long into the night after BAT Sports clinched the Southern Electric ECB Premier League championship with a 15-run victory over near neighbours Calmore Sports at Loperwood Park.It was BAT’s 11th successive win – their victorious sequence began in early June – and one that ensured they finished 16 points ahead of Havant, last year’s winners, who were runners-up.”It’s a marvellous feeling to win the league,” enthused BAT skipper Dave Banks, desperately dodging a champagne soaking on the clubhouse patio.”What is so impressive about our success is that we lost two of the opening five games – and then put together 11 wins in a row, seven of them in the all-day cricket, where it can be much harder to win.”We’ve played some pretty good cricket throughout the side for the past three months and, quite honestly, we’ve so well we’ve not really been pushed that hard.”BAT, needing four points at the start of play to be certain of edging Havant out of the contest, had the title neatly buttoned up by the tea break.Conscious that Havant had rattled up a mammoth 288-3 – they eventually beat Burridge by 138 runs – BAT got the batting bonus points they needed by scoring 222-5 in the afternoon session.They subsequently pegged a gallant Calmore response to 207-8 to complete their 15-run win.BAT’s victory owed much to Richard Kenway (99) and Banks (78) himself – the pair sharing a second-wicket stand of 134 – and some quite unbelievable Calmore fielding howlers.The game might have taken a different course had Australian Glen Motchall not dropped a ‘dolly’ return catch off Damian Shirazi.And Banks not survived two almost equally astonishing dropped catches by Clive Surry and the South Wilts bound Paul Draper.Motchall’s gaff – he allowed a simple fifth-over playground catch to slip through his fingers – was relatively inexpensive, with Shirazi (21) bowled at 60-1.But, by then, BAT had got a start and though Dave Carson (3) was neatly stumped by Stu Bailey trying to charge John Shepherd’s left-arm spin, Calmore looked set for a long afternoon in the sun.Watched by an admiring younger brother Derek, the Hampshire opening batsman, Kenway batted beautifully, punishing anything loose but being equally respectful to the good delivery.He got to 50 as BAT reached 100-2, but then allowed Banks to take centre stage.The BAT skipper rode his luck but struck some glorious shots, burying Shepherd into the foliage overhanging Cooks Lane and thumping Motchall for a crisp straight six.Banks eventually departed at 203-3, leaving Kenway the task of scoring 11 runs off James Hibberd’s final over to bring up a richly deserved century.An exhausted Kenway got to 99, but drove Hibberd’s penultimate ball to extra-cover and was run out at 222-5 by Tom Pegler.”My century was immaterial. I was looking to get 225 on the board and get us another batting point,” confessed the unselfish Kenway.It took Calmore a while before they got any realistic challenge underway – Mark Page (2-43) removing the openersLeft-hander Jez Goode (54) piloted the reply to 104-2, but when Pegler (31) departed at 135-5, it appeared as though the Calmore challnge might peter out.Not so – Motchall, eager to redeem himself, applied the long handle, striking four sixes in a free-scoring 38 which, with the support of Hibberd (32 not out) lifted Calmore’s spirits.But the ultimate challenge of scoring 40 runs off the last four overs and 27 from the final two disappeared when Motchall holed out in the deep.Calmore closed 15 runs adrift at a commendable 207-8 … leaving themselves to rue those dropped catches earlier in the day.Those slips possibly cost Calmore third place in the final table – a position taken by Bashley (Rydal), who won by six wickets at Liphook & Ripsley.Former Ventnor off-spinner Chris Sketchley (4-24) bowled well and Andy Neal (2-30) produced tidy figures as Liphook reached 192-9 – youngster Michael Smyth (51) scoring a well-constructed half-century.But with only one wicket, Matt King missed out on beating BAT’s 38-victim Dan Goldstraw to the Premier League bowling award.Bashley lost four wickets in securing third spot – Neil Thurgood (57) and Richard Knowles (46 not out) producing the key partnership before Neal completed a six-wicket win with an unbeaten 28.Western Australian import Shawn Gillies hit a maiden century for Havant, who ran up a massive 281-3 before dismissing dogged Burridge for 143.Gillies, who hopes to return to Havant next summer, hit an unbeaten 102 after Andy Perry (52) and Richard Hindley had put on 83 for the second wicket.Hindley went on to make 96 – he was caught trying to bring up his century with a straight boundary – and share a third-wicket stand of 138 with Gillies, the Melville man reaching his hundred after a frantic run burst leading up to tea.Havant experienced some difficulty in digging Burridge out – skipper Paul Ancell (38), in particular – but eventually did so for 143 (Phil Loat 3-20) after the ex-champions had used eight bowlers.Bournemouth recovered from an uncertain 31-3 to reach a winning 276-8 against relegated Hungerford at Chapel Gate.When Michael Spence (3-52) hurried Tom Webley, Matt Swarbrick and Martin Miller back to the pavilion in quick succession, Bournemouth were in some disarray.But Northants hopeful Chris Park (46) added a crucial 89 with Julian Cassell (77) before Geoff Warrington (54) and Peter Waite (25) hit out to send the Bournemouth total rocketing to 276-8.Hungerford, who expect some ex-players to return for next year’s 50-over tussles in Premier Division 2, lurched to 8-2 and later 60-5 against Joe Wilson (3-22) and David Kidner (2-24).Spence (37) gave their reply some substance before the left-arm spin of Webley (3-43) closed the Hungerford innings at 128.South Wilts beat Andover by five wickets after pegging the North Hampshire side to 175-9.
The Yorkshire Phoenix completed the double over Lancashire Lightning in the Norwich Union National League with an emphatic nine-wicket victory. The match was over by 7.15 when the players should have been enjoying their mid innings break.After winning the toss and electing to bat the Lightning were blitzed by some explosive bowling from the Phoenix. Matthew Hoggard made the breakthrough when he bowled John Crawley for three in the fourth over. The next three deliveries he forced Flintoff to play and miss each time. Two overs later the Lightning lost their second wicket. Sourav Ganguly turned Hoggard off his legs and straight into the hands of Vic Craven at square leg.The stage looked set for Neil Fairbrother to play another of his one day match winning innings against the Phoenix but he only scored six when he was back in the changing rooms. He hit Hoggard to Gough at third man and set off for two runs. He turned blind for the second run and was run out by accurate throw from Gough.Only nine overs had gone and the Lightning were 21 for three. Next man Graham Lloyd fell to the first ball from Craig White when he was caught behind by Blakey. Two balls later and White bowled Scuderi for a duck. In the next over Flintoff edged Hoggard just wide off McGrath at second slip.Warren Hegg pushed White’s slower ball straight to Lehmann at short mid-off and the Lightning were now 40 for six with 30 of their 45 overs left. Ian Austin playing his second match since returning from injury was dropped by Vaughan at first slip off White but the drop was not expensive for he was bowled by Hoggard for two in the next over.Glen Chapple was anther run out victim in a mix up with Flintoff. Flintoff with the score at 47 for eight decided to attack the Phoenix bowlers. He hit Hamilton for two successive fours. One was a cross-batted slog and the other was a top edge, which went over the slips heads. However he became White’s fourth victim when he was bowled for 28 off 44 balls. His innings included four fours.When Gary Yates pulled Hamilton straight to Vaughan at square leg the Lightning’s innings was over for 68 in just in 23.3 overs. White ended with four wickets for 14 in his six overs, while Hoggard bowled his nine overs straight through with four maidens and took three wickets for 15 runs. Lancashire Lightning’s score was their lowest ever in the competition.The Phoenix only needed 53 minutes to knock off the 69 required to win and a ball under 14 overs. To stand a chance of making the match a close one, the Lightning needed to take early wickets and bowl tight. They did get an early breakthrough when Fairbrother caught Craven at point of Austin in the second over. Acting captain Darren Lehmann came in and he was in no mood to take his time to get the runs. When he and Vaughan put on fifty Vaughan had only scored seven of them while Lehmann had hit 40.Lehmann’s hit seven fours in his fifty and he ended the match with a four over square leg. He was unbeaten on 54 with Vaughan not out on 11. It was the third time this season that Yorkshire had beaten Lancashire in a one-day competition. The other victory being in the Benson and Hedges.
Celtic have reportedly started talks with Lennoxtown coach Gavin Strachan over a new deal and all parties are confident an agreement will be reached.
The Lowdown: Strachan impressing at Celtic
Strachan has spent a two-year period at Parkhead now, initially coming in as a coach with Neil Lennon but remaining at the club when Ange Postecoglou arrived.
The current Celtic boss has described his co-worker as ‘excellent’ in the past and he has seemingly always been highly thought of by those high up at Celtic.
Now, a positive update has emerged regarding Strachan, who is the son of former Hoops boss Gordon Strachan.
The Latest: New deal imminent?
According to Football Insider’s Celtic source, talks are underway over a new deal for the 42-year-old and all parties are ‘hopeful’ that it will be agreed in the near future.
Strachan took charge of two Celtic matches last season due to Postecoglou being absent through Covid-19, and Hoops sources have told FI that the Aussie saw it as a ‘huge boost’ when Strachan declined the chance to move to Hartlepool United.
While Postecoglou is ultimately the key to Celtic’s current success, being surrounded by top coaches is also imperative and Strachan has proved to be that in the last couple of years.
For that reason, retaining his services and ensuring he isn’t snapped up by someone else makes perfect sense, with the Scot still relatively young and surely improving all the time.
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Strachan rejecting the manager job at Hartlepool United last year suggests that he is more committed to Celtic than ever, so a new deal is just the icing on the cake of a brilliant week for the Parkhead faithful.
In other news, Ange Postecoglou has dropped a positive Celtic injury claim. Read more here.
Surrey have signed Usman Afzaal on a three-year contract. Ufzaal, 30, left Northamptonshire by mutual consent last week.Afzaal started his career at Nottinghamshire, making three England appearances during the 2001 Ashes. He moved to Northamptonshire in 2004 where he was consistent, and this season he scored 570 runs at 35.62 in eight Championship matches.”I want to continue to learn more about myself and my game and feel a new challenge, in a new environment will help me achieve this,” Afzaal said. “To learn from and play with the likes of Alan and Mark Butcher and Mark Ramprakash will be an honour and something I’m looking forward to.”My dream is to play more cricket for England and I see this move to Surrey – where I will be under pressure to prove myself in a quality side – as a stepping stone to being recognised by the English selectors once more.”Alan Butcher, Surrey’s cricket manager, welcomed the addition to his squad. “With some of our top batsmen nearing the end of their careers, it was important for us to acquire a proven and experienced player approaching his prime. I believe Usman to be ambitious, both for himself and for the club and think that he has vital parts to play as the rebuilding of the team continues.”
The Professional Cricketers’ Association, the body that supports players in England, is continuing to push for a reduction in the number of overs bowled in Championship matches.Players have given their full backing to the proposal to cut the amount of play in a Championship day from 104 to 96 overs, which would also reduce the length of playing time from six and half to six hours. There is also a move to allow the new ball to be taken at 80 overs, bringing the domestic game in line with Test cricket.These proposals have been discussed throughout the season and again at the PCA’s AGM, held at the Belfry on Monday.The standard of second eleven cricket was also debated and the players acknowledged that it was a vital part of the domestic game, providing a feeder system into the first-class arena. However, there is a serious concern about the level and standard of the matches with many second team games played on poor pitches and small outgrounds.Amongst other topics discussed were general employment concerns with regard to minimum wage levels and the implementation of a standard appraisal policy across all counties.A statement added: “The PCA will be working closely with the ECB on the future structure of our domestic game prior to the next broadcasting agreement, and all stakeholders on the issues discussed, to ensure our game continues to move forward positively and in order that our national team remain at the forefront of world cricket in all formats.”
A fighting century by Asim Ijaz prevented an early finish to the National Junior (Under-19) Grade-I Cricket Championship final between Lahore Blues and Karachi Whites at Multan Cricket Stadium here Thursday.Asim’s gallant 107 helped Lahore Blues recover from 106 for five to 288 all out in their second innings on the penultimate day of the four-day clash.Speedster Tabish Khan was the day’s other hero. He captured six for 82 in 32 overs and a match haul of eight for 130.Karachi Whites, needing 155 for an outright victory, were 12 for no loss at stumps.Having already conceded a first innings lead of 134 Wednesday, Lahore Blues ran into early trouble this morning after resuming at 54 for two. They lost three wickets for the addition of 52 runs to Tabish.But then a resilient sixth-wicket stand between Asim and Shahnawaz produced 75 runs with the latter contributing 45.Asim found another useful ally in Azhar Ali, top-scorer in the first innings, who helped him put on 54 for the seventh wicket. Azhar made 23.