October 27 marks 500 days until the opening ceremony for the 2007 World Cup on Sunday March 11, 2007, and it’s a landmark that event officials and stakeholders should be keenly aware of, explained Donald Lockerbie, the venue development director.Currently in the midst of preparing for a venue summit happening next week in Barbados, he noted: “500 days is a significant milestone. The next 365 days are really most important because the end of October 2006 is the time all host venues have contracted to have the permanent sections of their stadiums completed.” The remainder of the time will be spent outfitting each tournament venue – to ICC specifications – to host the biggest and most spectacular matches in international cricket.”That leaves us with 135 days to get stadiums event-ready. These 500 days will therefore be the busiest as far as venue development is concerned. It will be very exciting for the region,” added Lockerbie, who is also chief operating officer at the tournament.Staff at the World Cup offices in Kingston, Jamaica, celebrated the occasion with photographs at their headquarters on St. Lucia Avenue and in CWC Park – a green space adopted by ICC CWC WI 2007 Inc. – on the opposite side of the road. Flags of all nine host venue nations, the 16 participating teams in the 2007 tournament and the ICC were recently raised outside the premises. The tournament logo and a mascot, Mello, have also been erected on the exterior of the building.

The BBC attempted to reach a deal with the ECB for live Test match coverage, on a “dip in dip out” basis before deciding not to bid for the contract which was awarded to Sky Sports.In an ongoing saga which refuses to die down, it was reported yesterday by Dominic Coles, the BBC director of sports rights and finance, that the BBC’s proposal was to “dip in and out” of the cricket by showing shortened portions of the day’s play – the odd two-hour session of a Test match, for example – allowing Sky to retain their ball-by-ball live coverage. The corporation held 15 meetings with the ECB in talks which Coles described as “fruitful” – but it will be another four years, though, until the BBC can bid again for the rights.Speaking to the , he said the discussions had included “all permutations” to reach a more flexible arrangement. But, as of next summer, the only cricket available on terrestrial television will be highlights on channel Five. Despite being outbid by Channel 4 in 1999, Roger Mosey, the BBC’s director of sport, confirmed the corporation’s pledge to bring cricket back to terrestrial free-to-air television. “We have an obligation to licence fee payers to secure some of the rights,” he told today. “We will look very hard at the schedules…Sky wants to drive subscriptions and pays a premium because it is pay-TV.”In response to their all encompassing coverage for the next four years, Sky today have offered several deals and discounts to members of first-class counties, minor counties and MCC. However, despite this offering, it remains to be seen whether members will be prepared for the increased cost of watching live Test cricket.MPs are to hold an enquiry into the ECB’s decision to sell the broadcasting rights to satellite television at Westminster on November 29.

ScorecardWellington bowled themselves into a position of complete control against Canterbury at the Village Green, Christchurch. After day two was wrecked by rain and a late start on day three, Wellington took their score through to 512 before dismissing Canterbury for a paltry 181. Only Nixon McLean impressed, scoring an unbeaten half century (53 not out) on his Canterbury debut. Mark Gillespie (3 for 53), Iain O’Brien (3 for 34) and Grant Elliott (3 for 45) were the pick of the bowlers. Canterbury were 0 for 0 following on.
ScorecardOtago will be hoping to return to Harry Barker Reserve tomorrow to perform last rites on an outclassed Northern Districts side. Already leading by 219 on the first innings, Otago had Northern in all sorts of trouble at stumps on the third day at 104 for 5. By close of play Daniel Flynn (28 not out) and Joseph Yovich (23 not out) were attempting a salvage job but the odds were stacked against them. The only disappointing factor for Otago was Aaron Redmond failed in his bid for a century. Stranded on 99 not out overnight, he was trapped in front by Graeme Aldridge, a national prospect, without adding to his score. Northern’s batsmen could get no change from Otago’s seam attack and for the second time in the match suffered a top-order collapse. Both David Sewell and Warren McSkimming picked up two wickets
ScorecardA draw looks the most likely option in the Central Districts-Auckland match at McLean Park. Facing a 103-run deficit on the first innings, Central had batted themselves into a position of some comfort at 200 for 3 at stumps. Mathew Sinclair, the New Zealand discard, made an accomplished 61, before Peter Ingram (55) and Geoff Barnett (61 not out) joined in a stand of 95 for the third wicket. Kerry Walmsley has two of the three wickets to fall. Auckland should have been in a much better position but batted so slowly yesterday that an outright victory is now no more than a long shot. Its 327 was scored in 130 overs with Michael Mason taking 3 for 42 off 29 overs and Brendon Diamanti 5 for 82 off 30 overs.

Sri Lanka’s selectors have named Sanath Jayasuriya, the centre of a selection controversy in recent weeks, in a 16-man squad for Sri Lanka’s forthcoming four-match ODI series in New Zealand. His inclusion, though, is “subject to fitness” according to a Sri Lanka cricket media release.Jayasuriya’s surprise sacking from the Sri Lanka Test team for their now-completed tour to India created a storm of protest and media criticism. The selectors first justified their decision on the grounds of form and fitness and then changed the rationale to simply fitness as criticism snowballed.After Sri Lanka’s new president ordered a government probe into the decision, a quick Jayasuriya return was always on the cards, especially as he rediscovered some form playing domestic cricket for Bloomfield, his local club in Colombo.The selectors made several changes following Sri Lanka’s 6-1 drubbing by India in November, axing Upul Chandana, Nuwan Zoysa, Thilan Samaraweera and Dilhara Lokuhettige. Their replacements included Malinga Bandara, Lasith Malinga, Ruchira Perera and Jehan Mubarak.Further selection controversy is likely to be sparked by the omission of Chandana and Zoysa, both of whom starred last year for the one-day team sharing 67 wickets between them. Chandana chipped in with a bat during several crucial run chases and was also Sri Lanka’s highest wicket-taker in 2004.The selectors instead opted for the promising Malinga Bandara, now 25, who performed reasonably well during the recent three-match Test series against India. Perera, a 29-year-old fast bowler with a Bad Boy image due to frequent run-ins with officials and opponents, is Zoysa’s replacement.Mubarak, 24, included in place of Samaraweera, secured a place in the team despite a disappointing Test series against India with scores of 29 not out, 3, 13 and 18. His one-day record is also shaky with 68 runs at 9.71 in his seven previous matches.Sri Lanka’s players will spend Christmas weekend at home before leaving for New Zealand on Tuesday. The four-match series, which starts on December 31 at Queenstown, is a continuation of the unfinished five-match series abandoned last Christmas due to the Asian tsunami.Squad:Marvan Atapattu (captain), Chaminda Vaas (vice-captain), Sanath Jayasuriya, Mahela Jayawardene, Kumar Sangakkara, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Upul Tharanga, Farveez Maharoof, Muttiah Muralitharan, Avishka Gunawardene, Lasith Malinga, Malinga Bandara, Jehan Mubarak, Russel Arnold, Ruchira Perera, Dilhara Fernando

TRAINS to Tunbridge Wells can usually be joined at Charing Crossor London Bridge, although this is not always the case. Theformer is advisable currently due to the extensive building workat the latter due to the extension of the London Underground.Rail travel information is available from Tonbridge (01732770111) It is strongly advised that the availability of trains isconfirmed, especially at weekends. The ground is beyond walkingdistance for all but the most determined. A taxi or bus isadvisable. The taxi rank is directly outside the station doors;most buses in Tunbridge Wells stop in the vicinity of thestation.MOTORISTS from outside the county should travel via the M25and/or A21 to Tunbridge Wells. It is easier if one remains onthe A21 past the first turning for Tunbridge Wells andSouthborough, leaving the road instead at the Tunbridge Wells andPembury exit a few miles further on. Then, head towardsTunbridge Wells along Pembury Road. The road will, after about 3miles, descend towards a set of traffic lights. Turn left atthese and head towards Hawkenbury. On Kent first XI match days,a park and ride bus service is employed to ease congestion in thevillage and this will be signposted as appropriate. Busesshuttle to and from the ground frequently and the score isdisplayed in the car park for latecomers.(price: 1 pound per person, single or return, as of 1996).Those actually heading for the ground itself should continue ontowards Hawkenbury and turn right into Warwick Park, shortlyafter passing the closest pub to the ground, the Spread Eagle.Those motorists using the Dartford Tunnel please note the toll isnow 1 pound.ACCOMMODATION in Tunbridge Wells can sometimes be in shortsupply; advance bookings are recommended. Accommodation guidescan be obtained by writing to the Tunbridge Wells TouristInfromation Centre at The Old Fish Market, The Pantiles,Tunbridge Wells, Kent TN2 5TN. Accommodation bookings can alsobe made through Tourist Information Centres.

The five ODIs to be played between India and Pakistan, starting from February 6 at Peshawar, will be available to millions of viewers on Doordarshan. This follows an agreement reached before the Supreme Court between Ten Sports, which has the exclusive telecast rights for the series, and Prasar Bharati, the state-run broadcaster.A division bench comprising of Justices Ashok Bhan and Tarun Chatterjee today directed Prasar Bharati to deposit with the Supreme Court a sum of Rs.15 crore (US$3,398,278 approx ) by February 9, which Ten Sports shall receive as the full and final settlement for sharing an “uninterrupted feed” for the five ODIs.According to the agreement, Prasar Bharati will not run any advertisements during the terrestrial transmission and will have to restrict the range of its satellite so that the signal does not spill over to the neighbouring countries.KS Sarma, Prasar Bharati’s CEO, said: “We will obey the order of the honourable Supreme Court and deposit Rs.15 crore. We will get a feed for all the five one-day internationals without running our own advertisements,” he told PTI after emerging from the court.The Supreme Court transferred a petition pending in the Bombay High Court and said henceforth all matters relating to the dispute shall be heard by a three-judge bench of the apex court. The petition filed by Taj Television Ltd, owner of Ten Sports, had sought a stay of the government guidelines which make it mandatory for sports channels to share feeds of sporting events of national importance with Prasar Bharati.

John Buchanan says Damien Martyn has the ability to handle the No. 3 spot if he replaces the injured Ricky Ponting for the next two matches against South Africa. Martyn has been shuffled from opener into the middle order since returning from a broken finger for the VB Series and he stepped in at first-drop after Ponting pulled out of the opening game on Sunday with a stomach injury.Ponting and Andrew Symonds [hip] did not train on Wednesday due to their problems and they are unlikely to appear in Friday’s second match at Cape Town. Phil Jaques, who is covering for both players, has been touted as an option at No. 3, which would allow Martyn, Clarke and Hussey to fill spots four to six, but Buchanan offered more praise to Martyn for the vital position.”Damien is a very skilful player,” Buchanan told . “He’s played a lot of cricket at three in Test cricket or early in his career and certainly for Western Australia. So I think he’s got the ability to handle that position.”Jaques has batted successfully in the middle order for the English counties Yorkshire and Northamptonshire, but Buchanan doubted he would be employed lower down the list. “I expect the selectors would view him very much as a top-order player,” he said, “particularly an opening batsman.”While Buchanan did not rave about Jaques’s prospects, he did compliment his fielding, which was given as a reason for him missing the original touring party. “He’s one of the best short-legs I’ve ever seen,” Buchanan said. “So he’s not quite the rabbit that everyone makes him out to be. But there are issues like a bit of movement around the field.”Buchanan also said the bowlers were working on strategies to smother Graeme Smith, who scored a match-winning century in the first ODI, but AB de Villiers said Australia would have a battle to stay in the five-match contest. “They are obviously going to fight back real hard,” he said, “but we are not going to allow them to get back in the series.”

Jason Mohammed produced an innings-saving maiden first-class century and Amit Jaggernauth chipped in with a record last-wicket support to pull Trinidad & Tobago back from the precipice on the first day of the Carib Beer International Challenge semi-final against the Windward Islands at Guaracara Park yesterday. In their team’s hour of greatest need – 171 for 9 – the pair fashioned a new last-wicket T&T regional record of 84 runs to give their side a final, fighting total of 255. The effort bettered, by 23, the 61 made by Ian Bishop and Mukesh Persad against Barbados back in 1997.In reply, the Windwards lost Rommel Cuurency, Craig Emmanuel and most crucially Devon Smith in the day’s last over – to the combination of Richard Kelly and Dave Mohammed – as they stumbled to 37 for 4 in their quest for first innings points. Undoubtedly, Jaggernauth’s responsible 33 was one of the highlights of the day for a reasonable but unspectacular Guaracara audience.But the day was Mohammed’s. Taking the spot, if not the slot, in the order Brian Lara would normally have filled, 19-year-old Mohammed, in only his second game and third innings at regional level, came up with Lara-like runs in circumstances in which the watchers would have expected the Windies master to excel. Dropped three times in his unbeaten 124, Mohammed nevertheless showed the confidence and poise that made him a certainty for the West Indies Under-19s at the recent World Cup in Sri Lanka.The work of Jaggernauth and himself, and earlier he and Kelly, also helped to spare Daren Ganga, their captain, further blushes. More than the greenish look of the strip, Guaracara’s good batting record would have influenced his decision to bat first. But by lunch – 72 for 5 – Ganga had been made to look less than astute. Ganga himself was one of three batsmen out without scoring in the session as Deighton Butler (11-1-44-2), and Jean Paul (13-1-51-2) made good use of the early moisture in the pitch and the movement it yielded.It was dramatic stuff from the time Sherwin Ganga snicked a Butler ball that left him to Junior Murray, the wicketkeeper, who then effected a tumbling left-handed take. The score was just 11. Next ball, Butler placed himself on a hat-trick when the elder Ganga was also adjudged by umpire Vincent Bullen to have edged to Murray. Dwayne Bravo survived the hat-trick ball. But, with five runs added to the total, he was a hapless bystander in his dismissal. A firm Lendl Simmons straight drive deflected off bowler Paul’s outstretched right hand and struck the stumps with Bravo, backing up, well short of his ground. The end of the game’s first hour found T&T in bad shape at 25 for 3. And things got much worse before they got better. At 42, there was more wobbling. Simmons, patient in getting to 15, succumbed to a low catch to Devon Smith in the slips off Paul, who had replaced Butler at the northern end.Thirty-six minutes were still left before lunch when Denesh Ramdin replaced him. But before Simmons had stripped off his pads, Ramdin was coming his way, too, the second first-ball victim of the morning. Defeated by extra bounce, he gave his counterpart Murray his third catch of the morning. Mohammed, having been given his first life the ball prior to Simmons’ dismissal, would have been forgiven for feeling overwhelmed by the swift decline. But uncertainty was not apparent in his play. Not unlike Ramdin, his former WI under-19 skipper, he seems to believe greatly in his ability. Primarily an on-side player despite his liking for the cut shot, he chanced his hand several times with lofted attempts over the mid-on region. But because of his general composure, which had been evident even in his debut game against Jamaica back in January, he and Kelly took their side to lunch on 72 for 5.It was hardly a position of safety. But after the interval, the precocious youngster and the ambitious, progressing all rounder improved the situation greatly. Kelly, measuring his play but still finding the boundary ten times in his knock of 58 with his clean, left-handed hitting and some fine driving, eventually added a vital 124 for the sixth wicket with Mohammed.They showed that batting was a relatively easy task on a pitch which had dried out under the sun. The problem was that there were no specialists left to support their effort. So when Kelly, losing concentration after getting to his third half-century of the season, tamely hit a Darren Sammy delivery into Rawl Lewis’ hands at short extra cover, T&T lost control again, with Kelly’s one of four wickets falling for just five runs.

Former office bearers of the Indian board moved the Bombay High Court seeking anticipatory bail in a case registered against them and Jagmohan Dalmiya, the former president, for alleged mis-appropriation of funds to the tune of Indian Rs.2174 million (approx US$49000) pertaining to 1996 World Cup accounts.SK Nair, the former secretary of the board, and former treasurers, Kishore Rungta and Jyoti Bajpai, filed a petition in the High Court claiming they apprehended arrest in this case. According to an FIR lodged by the board with the Marine Drive police station in south Mumbai, all three of them had not placed accounts before the BCCI working committee, and had connived with Dalmiya to siphon-off funds.Lawyers Sayaji Nangre and Satish Maneshinde raised the matter before Justice VM Kanade who decided to hear the petition in the post-lunch session. The court had yesterday granted interim protection from arrest to Dalmiya who had also sought anticipatory bail. The court will hear Dalmiya’s plea on March 23.

Steve Bucknor, a member of the ICC’s elite panel of umpires, has complained that television production companies are misusing technology to make umpires look bad and key players look good.Bucknor has revealed he has encountered instances of TV personnel maneuvering images to influence the flow and outcome of matches. “It has been known to happen where the technology has been used to make umpires look bad,” he told reporters on Friday. “Mats [the line graphic used to adjudge lbw decisions] have been moved, balls have disappeared, ball hitting the bat and only coming up into the fielder’s hands, but between the bat and the hand, no ball is found and you are told, ‘Sorry, we don’t have that clip, we can’t show it’.Bucknor, who has stood in a world record 111 Tests and four World Cup finals, as well as officiated 139 one-day internationals, noted he was speaking from personal experience. “It has happened; I’ve been in a game when it has happened,” he said. “Sometimes nothing is shown because the batsman was a key batsman and getting out at that stage would have made life very difficult for that team. It all depends on who is operating the technology. I’ve been told that this ball is the one with which the batsman got out, but the one that is being shown is not the same one he got out with. It has been known to happen. When these things are happening, it makes life extremely difficult for the umpires. Who do you trust from there on you don’t know.”Although he admits that there is a place for technology in the game and would like to see “a little bit more”, Bucknor said the misuse of the technology is eroding the trust between umpires and players. “In the beginning of my career, umpires were trusted. When umpires said not out, the man was trusted, so they would say he is a good umpire and nobody questioned him. Today, the technology shows up his mistakes, and makes life a little bit difficult for umpires, especially when it has been known to happen that technology has been used to make umpires look bad.”Bucknor was also disappointed that umpires were not consulted about the ICC Cricket Committee’s recommendation to allow players a certain number of appeals per innings to the TV replay umpire, if they feel a decision made by the on-field umpire may be incorrect. “I’d been happy been to be part of this change, but these things happen and we know about them happening rather than for us to say this is what we want. We’ll have to live by them. Whatever they say, we’ll just have to live by.”The ability of players to appeal against decisons made by on-field umpires were the main recommendations made by the ICC’s cricket committee during its two-day meeting in Dubai.