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New Zealand 215 (McMillan 54, McCullum49) beat India 164 (Yadav 69, Pathan 50, Bond 6-19)by 51 runs
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details

Shane Bond blazed through India’s top order and later prised open a threatening partnership between Jai P Yadav and Irfan Pathan to take New Zealand to victory by 51 runs in the second match of the Videocon Cup in Bulawayo. The pair had put on 118 after Bond’s initial spell left India at 44 for 8 and, just as visions of an improbable victory arose, he returned to dash Indian hopes conclusively, ending with 6 for 19.In seven opening overs of super mayhem, Bond took 5 for 13, and demonstrated that for all the supersubs, powerplays and other hyperbolic terms added to rejuvenate the game, the sport – like other sports – is sustained by drama involving the participants; it should make for a good story. The first over was a tale by itself. Sourav Ganguly opened, and Bond had the new ball. The first ball, slanted across at great pace, looped up off a protective prod and fell between the two. The next, pitched short outside leg, climbed past Ganguly’s chest above off, barely giving him time to register the ball. The third, a similar delivery but pushed further up, was fended without conviction. The fourth, again short and cutting across, carried the threat of injury but Ganguly evaded it reflexively. Cricket at this pace had become all about adrenaline, bravery and instinct by the batsman. And one delivery after another, Bond was dissecting the batsman’s tools, laying him bare. Yet only four balls had gone by. The fifth was a repeat of the fourth. Even Bond’s run-up was intimidating now. The force with which he delivered the last ball was like a farewell explosion, aimed at the head, the edge, the batsman’s self-respect. Somehow Ganguly survived. His weaknesses were well-known; Bond hit all the right pressure points.The next over Bond picked him off with a short ball down leg which was gloved to the wicketkeeper. The next ball Venugopal Rao, the supersub, was late on a super-quick inswinging yorker that slammed into the stumps. Rahul Dravid then tried cutting a short incoming delivery and chopped it onto his stumps. Mohammad Kaif cut one as well, and it carried to the fielder at third man. Then Virender Sehwag, who had begun his innings with a pulled four, slashed one to point and found a sprawling Hamish Marshall in the way.For a while, when Yadav and Pathan batted, Bond’s effort could have been in danger. No other bowler appeared threatening; Andre Adam’s wickets came due to the pressure Bond applied as batsmen looked to lash out at the other end. Once Bond went off, Yadav and Pathan set about rebuilding and drawing India closer to 216. They crossed their fifties quickly, enjoying fair luck, but also striking calculated fours. Yadav swept Vettori powerfully and delicately, and swung him over midwicket for six, while Pathan preferred the lofts down the ground for his boundaries. On 50 he departed, flaying at a quick delivery from Bond that caught the edge and traveled to the keeper. That was more or less it for India. Three balls later, Yadav mis-hit one to mid-off to end it all.You wouldn’t have known it, but India started the day on top. Ashish Nehra stuck to a line outside off for the left-handers and slanted it across for the others. He curved the ball late and experimented with his length without offering room, and this had the effect of rooting the batsmen to the crease. Stephen Fleming nicked one. Nathan Astle, paralysed, was trapped lbw. Pathan trapped Lou Vincent in front and did Marshall and Scott Styris in as well. At 36 for 5, New Zealand were a few wickets away from a low total.But Agarkar was brought in and he provided width at a friendly pace. In three overs to Craig McMillan and Styris he conceded 17 runs and was taken off. The morning’s pressure slowly dissipated and just as gradually, the batsmen found their feet. Oram swung Harbhajan for large sixes over long-on and mid-off. McMillan took few risks after surviving an lbw shout on zero and then powerfully smote Yadav over long-on for six. After they parted Brendon McCullum and Cairns accelerated, combining deft touch with powerful blows over cover. But just as he got started, Cairns fell, lightly swinging a Yadav ball to Harbhajan at short fine-leg. However, McCullum went on, twice hitting Nehra through the off-side for fours in an over and taking two off Agarkar as well, before falling last man, to Agarkar, with seven overs remaining.India have been undone by quick bowlers before, but rarely have they been unable to place bat on ball this way. It was utterly demoralizing and, like Miandad’s last-ball six, could have lasting effects on a line-up unsure of itself.

Glenn McGrath has been fined 25 percent of his match fee, after breaching the ICC’s Code of Conduct with an audible obscenity. McGrath was reported to the match referee, Chris Broad, for a level 1 offence, after an lbw appeal against Sanath Jayasuriya was turned down. Jayasuriya later fell for 22, as the second Test against Sri Lanka at Cairns was drawn."It’s important that all players continue to observe ICC guidelines that protect the values, integrity and spirit of the game," said Broad. "The on-field umpires came to the defence of McGrath during the hearing given his exemplary behaviour prior to the offence. Evidence was brought to the hearing that Ricky Ponting approached McGrath and immediately took control of the situation, and we were satisfied that this was the appropriate course of action."Cricket Australia confirmed that no further action would be taken against McGrath under the players’ Spirit of Cricket Code.

Glamorgan recorded their third Championship win of the season as theydefeated Somerset by 110 runs at Sophia Gardens – a win that elevates the Welshcounty into fourth place in Division Two and maintains their bid for promotion.Resuming on 129/3 in their bid to score 424, Somerset were dealt an early blowwhen, after only 15 runs had been added in the morning, Jamie Cox was caught at cover pointby Matthew Maynard off Alex Wharf. Twenty runs later Wharf struck again as he clean bowledIan Blackwell, and it looked as if the match might be all over before lunch.However, Michael Burns, the visiting cptain, had other ideas, and together with Aaron Laraman,the pair took the score to 217-5 at the end of the morning session. Burns played freely all aroundthe wicket and after the interval he duly reached his first Championship hundred of the season, afterhaving batted for a shade over 3 hours, and having hit 17 fours.But by the time Burns had reached this landmark, inroads had been made at the other end, afterRobert Croft opted to take the new ball. Laraman was caught behind by Mark Wallace to give Alex Wharf histhird wicket, and then the young wicket-keeper took a superb catch diving low one-handed, to catchan edge by Rob Turner off the bowling of Michael Kasprowicz.Burns was then run-out by Adrian Dale after a mix-up with Keith Dutch, and despite a few defiant blows byKeith Dutch, the end finally came a quarter of an hour before tea as Dutch chipped a ball from Croftinto the hands of Dale at mid-wicket, as Somerset were bowled out for 313.Alex Wharf ended with figures of 4/90, whilst Michael Kasprowicz took 2/91 from 35 overs, and the seamerswholehearted efforts were singled out for praise afterwards by captain Robert Croft. “This was ahard fought victory, and a lot of credit must go to the seam bowlers for always being prepared to run in hardand to hit the wicket all day, which was no mean feat in this heat.”

West Indies’ women’s cricket team will arrive in Sri Lanka on January 18 nextyear for a 13-day tour.During their stay in Sri Lanka the Caribbean women will play a four-day TestMatch and three One-Day Internationals with the Sri Lankan women’s team.The West Indian side will play its only four-day match at the ColtsCricket Ground, Colombo from January 20-23 before travelling to Kandy forthe first of three One-Day Internationals at the Asgiriya Internationalcricket stadium on January 26.They’ll be back in Colombo for the second and the third one-dayers onJanuary 28 and 30 at the Colts Ground. They will travel to Pakistan after the tour.The Sri Lankan contingent is already hard at practice at the SinhaleseSports Club grounds. The pool of 20, coached by Vanessa Bowen, will bepruned to 14 by mid-November

Federal Areas made a solid start in their reply to Baluchistan’s 353 on a curtailed second day at the Lahore City Cricket Association Ground. Only 39.2 overs were possible in the day, and Federal Areas finished 135 for 2, leaving them 218 runs behind Baluchistan’s first-innings score. Baluchistan’s No. 10 Zulfiqar Babar added some quick runs at the start of the day to increase his side’s overnight total of 320 for 9. Federal Areas then lost a couple of wickets early, with fast bowlers Abdur Rauf and Nazar Hussain taking a scalp each. Opener Raheel Majeed stayed steady at one end to finish on 67 not out, and he put together an unbroken 79-run partnership with Umar Amin.Not much play was possible at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore either, where Punjab’s batsmen continued to dominate the Sind bowlers. Starting on 347 for 3, Punjab added another 124 runs in the 37 overs bowled on the second day, to finish at 471 for 4. Overnight centurion Mohammad Ayub went on to make 140 before he was bowled by Sohail Khan. That dismissal did not stop the runs however, as Usman Salahuddin helped himself to an unbeaten half-century, and Kamran Sajid scored 42 not out. Punjab may have to consider declaring early on the third day if they want to force a result from the game.

Scorecard and ball-by-ball details5:53

Arnold: Sarfraz ideal man to bat with tail

The discipline of Sri Lanka’s seamers bore down heavily upon Pakistan, and Sarfraz Ahmed was left conjuring another revival act after another collective batting failure. Rain interrupted play frequently, and 20 overs were lost despite play being extended till light faded, with Pakistan trailing by 69 runs, and last man Imran Khan standing with Sarfraz.Sri Lanka’s tail lasted only 3.5 overs into the morning, after which their seamers hit back with the wickets of the Pakistan openers, and the visitors slipped further with Younis Khan’s run-out at the stroke of lunch. From 45 for 3, Azhar Ali uncharacteristically countered with several boundaries to make 52, but Dhammika Prasad and Nuwan Pradeep never allowed a partnership to develop, three of them getting terminated in the 40s.The zip and movement available to Pakistan’s fast bowlers on day one was not quite there for Sri Lanka, but they made up for it with their perseverance. Prasad caused problems with his usual energetic effort combined with accuracy. Although he and Suranga Lakmal were taken for a few runs when they pitched it up, they also kept testing the batsmen, as did Nuwan Pradeep’s greater control and shorter lengths.It was the bustling Prasad who produced the breakthrough, hitting Shan Masood full on the boot in the ninth over, and appealing loud and long enough to convince umpire Ian Gould. Replays showed umpire’s call for both point of impact on the boot and on the stumps.With Lakmal hit for a few boundaries by Ahmed Shehzad, Pradeep was brought on and struck with his third delivery, his tight line confusing Shehzad, who edged behind in trying to leave one too late.Angelo Mathews then came on himself and squeezed the runs further, with only four coming in six overs after Shehzad’s fall. Younis was looking comfortable with his defence, but the lack of runs made him push for a tight single in the last over of the session, and Kaushal Silva found his mark from short midwicket.Runs came much quicker after the interval. Sri Lanka tried bowling full searching for swing. It wasn’t alarming movement, and Azhar picked up fours regularly through the off side. Mathews positioned deep point soon, but Azhar was able to place it wide of the fielder on occasion.The hosts then tried banging it short from round the stumps, especially to Asad Shafiq, but the pair survived till a 20-minute rain delay. Facing his first ball upon resumption from Prasad, Shafiq was caught on the crease to a length ball that came in.Azhar kept counter-attacking and Sarfraz was anyway going to play his shots, a top-edged hook falling safely behind square off Prasad, before another shower arrived and forced tea to be taken.Pradeep, who had bowled superbly without enough reward, got two in quick succession after tea. Azhar had prospered on the drive, and he fell by it, nicking Pradeep to second slip.It was a proper crisis by now at 135 for 5 and in walked Misbah-ul-Haq, batting down the order due to a groin strain. He lasted 17 balls, Pradeep suddenly going wide of the crease and angling one full to strike the pad.Yet again, it was Sarfraz who stepped up. He had been loose when he came in, but applied himself after tea. Of course, his style of batting meant the score kept moving. Calculated drives were hit through the off side, singles and twos were picked square both sides of the wicket. His confidence rubbed off on Yasir Shah, who hit some meaty strokes in an eighth-wicket stand of 45.There was not much of a role for the offspinner Tharindu Kaushal till later in the innings, when he nailed a couple of tailenders lbw.In the morning, Yasir Shah took his wicket-tally for the series to 22, and became only the second visiting bowler after Shane Warne to take three five-fors in a Test series in Sri Lanka, when he ended the hosts’ innings by trapping Pradeep lbw.

ScorecardA 21-ball blitz from Phil Mustard put Durham on course for a five-wicket win against Middlesex, which was eventually achieved with three balls to spare, in a match reduced to 19 overs per side by rain. Mustard sped to 49 with nine boundaries and Durham’s middle order kept up the required rate.Michael di Venuto fell to the first ball of Durham’s chase, trapped lbw by Chaminda Vaas, but this didn’t put Mustard off. He and Kyle Coetzer added 73 to bring the requirement down to a run-a-ball. Further heavy showers scudded across the ground to make life tough for the fielders, but the umpires stayed on throughout.Murali Kartik produced a tight four-over spell, removing Mustard, and kept Middlesex in the hunt while Tim Murtagh’s three scalps made Durham think. However, Gordon Muchall and Dale Benkenstein took their side most of the way.Middlesex’s innings fell away after a rollicking start from Eoin Morgan and Ed Smith. Morgan, the Ireland batsman, held his team together with a 46-ball 52, but Durham held their nerve with the ball and produced some electric fielding. The highlight was a stunning, running catch from Gary Park at long off to remove Murtagh.

Ashok Malhotra, the former Indian selector, has reacted to John Wright’s criticism of India’s selection policy by saying that he was a “spineless character”.In his book, , Wright had said, “The first six or seven selections were straightforward but when it got down to the marginal selections – those last three or four spots [which] determined the balance of our team and your ability to develop new players – the zonal factor kicked in and things would get interesting.”Malhotra said that Wright did not have his own opinion and would often tow the selectors’ line. “In the end we had to remind him that there were only 14 players and he had to suggest names,” Malhotra was quoted as saying by UNI . “Where do you think so many young players came from if the selectors were not doing their work? Virender Sehwag, Yuvraj Singh and their lot came in because of the selectors. He [Wright] knew 20 players but we knew 290 and so there would be a difference.””I am really sorry to say that these foreign coaches come to India to earn million dollars and go back to write books criticising the country. When they are here they tow the line, and only when they go back they find so many faults.”Pranab Roy, another former selector, said that if this was the situation then more than one player would have played from Bengal. “However, I would not like to comment anything regarding this matter further without reading the book.”

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Darren Lehmann, who selflessly offered his Test place to Michael Clarke, is Cricketer of the Year. The award is recognition of Lehmann’s belated, unlikely and romantic international purple patch, which is currently on hold after he injured his hamstring in the third Test at Nagpur.The 2004-05 edition of , published today, is a history-making edition: the front image of a roaring Shane Warne is the first full-colour pictorial cover in 141-year history. mourns the modern trend towards “McCricket”, calling for a stop to “back-to-back Tests, whistlestop tours, two and four-Test series and all other dunderheaded attempts to jam Test cricket into a polystyrene carton and shove it down our throats as quickly as possible”. For its first 125 years, the five-Test series was cricket’s prestige forum. But Australia have played only one in the past three years and India one in the past seven. New Zealand last played a five-Test series 33 years ago, Pakistan 12 years ago and Sri Lanka have never played one. new editor Christian Ryan writes in his Editor’s Notes: “Only when Australia play England are we now assured the unique thrill of a five-Test series. And beware the hardheads: with their calculators for brains and cash registers for hearts, they are plotting to take even that away from us. Cricket tampers with its own crazy, bewitching rhythms at its peril.”The disappearance of the five-Test series is one of several troublesome issues confronted by a feistier, revamped edition. Cricket Australia (CA) comes in for the fiercest criticism. Of the board’s eagerness to play against a race-based Zimbabwean side, and its description of this year’s tour to Zimbabwe as “a tick in a box”, wonders: “Have Australian cricket administrators no heart, no moral existence at all?”Of the Sri Lankan offspinner Muttiah Muralitharan’s refusal to come to Australia last July, it says CA did not try hard enough to change his mind. “Anything, everything should have been done to make sure he felt comfortable … Australia is the only cricketing nation Murali has felt compelled to stay away from. History will judge us accordingly.”Kerry Packer’s Channel Nine network, the long-time broadcaster of Australian cricket, also comes under attack for televising its quiz show at the moment Shane Warne equalled the world bowling record in Darwin. It was Channel Nine, again because of rival scheduling commitments, who insisted on the bizarre 9.30am starts to this year’s Tests in Darwin and Cairns.”Packer’s priority has only ever been his own prosperity, not cricket’s,” it says. “But so long as the two went hand in hand, all was hunky-dory. In the past year, Packer has appeared happy to suck the game dry and give very little back … It makes you wonder whom cricket belongs to: Packer or the people. Maybe it’s time Cricket Australia reminded a certain billionaire who’s really Boss.”The 2004-05 edition of is at 976 pages the biggest ever and the first – in Australia or England – to incorporate balls faced and boundaries hit in Test scorecards. Among several innovations is a new section called “Farewells”, women’s player profiles, a beefed-up back half and two new tables listing the full career records of every Australian Test and one-day player in order of appearance.

Scorecard

Manchester’s weather in the last few days has been more akin to the bleak midwinter than the summer solstice that recently passed, and so it came as no surprise when today’s opening NatWest Series fixture was abandoned without a ball being bowled.”After last night’s battering of rain, we were hopeful that the skies would clear this morning,” said Peter Marron, Lancashire’s head groundsman. But further belts of bad weather swept in throughout the afternoon, and it would have taken at least two hours of clear conditions to enable the mopping-up operation to be completed.The umpires did attempt several inspections throughout the day, although the sight of Daryl Harper’s umbrella being blown inside-out was a apt commentary on the state of the conditions. The high winds would have been a factor later in the day as well, as the temporary floodlights around the ground would not have been allowed to be erected to their full height.On the plus side for England, Marcus Trescothick, who had been passed fit to play after overcoming a sprain in his left ankle, will be given a couple of extra days to fully recover, while the captain, Michael Vaughan, spoke for his squad when he admitted he wasn’t too disappointed at being freed up to watch the European Championships quarter-final against Portugal.In a masterful stroke of PR, the ECB had announced that the latest that play could have started was at 7.47pm, exactly two minutes after the start of that game, but in the end there was no conflict of interests for the smattering of spectators who remained to the end.For England’s one-day team, however, it is business as usual. They have been phenomenally unlucky with the weather ever since their pre-Christmas tour of Sri Lanka, and of their last nine scheduled one-day matches, five have been abandoned as washouts (four of them without a ball being bowled) and a sixth was restricted to 30 overs a side.This latest abandonment is particularly hard luck on Yorkshire’s Anthony McGrath, who has tagged along with the squad since the tour of Bangladesh, without once getting a game. Now, in the absence of Andrew Flintoff, he had been inked in to start, but once again, he has been left to watch and wait.