Scotland 314 for 7 and 130 for 2 lead Netherlands 257 (Zuiderent 78, Watson 5-74) by 187 runs
ScorecardAt the close of play on the second day at Aberdeen, Scotland were 130 for 2 after bowling Holland out for 257. Scotland lost Steve Knox quickly, bowled by Edgar Schiferli in the first over for a fifth-ball duck (1 for 1), but Bruce Patterson and David Watts added 115 for the second wicket to cement Scotland’s advantage.Holland had been a healthy 209 for 4 at tea, but the tide turned soon afterwards as Ryan Watson and Paul Hoffman skittled their lower order. Hendrik-Jan Mol was the first to go, caught by Fraser Watts off Watson for 13 (230 for 5), and none of the lower order reached double figures. Adeel Raja departed for 3 (237 for 6), caught by Craig Wright off Hoffman, before Watson removed Jacob-Jan Esmeijer for 8 (246 for 7).Bas Zuiderent holed out to Majid Haq at deep midwicket for 78 (251 for 8), and Schiferli did not last long, trapped lbw by Hoffman for 4 (252 for 9). Watson returned to take his fifth wicket – Sebastiaan Gokke stumped by Colin Smith for 3 – and Holland had lost their last six wickets for 48, to hand Scotland an unexpected 57-run lead.Earlier, the afternoon session had belonged very much to Holland, as Zuiderent and van Troost (71) put on 137, before van Troost was dismissed by Wright just before tea. Wright’s allround contribution included the wickets of Tom de Grooth, lbw for 14, and Daan van Bunge, stumped by Smith for 19, as well as a catch and an unbeaten 88 in Scotland’s first innings.Earlier, some aggressive lower-order batting from Scotland boosted their total before the declaration came. Wright, Scotland’s captain, added 112 in partnership with Cedric English (65) before Gokke bowled English (255 for 6). Greig Williamson came in and played an aggressive cameo, batting for the declaration. He hit five fours in a 19-ball 26 before being caught by Gokke off the bowling of Schiferli. Scotland had started the second morning on 197 for 5 after a rain-affected opening day in which only 67 overs were bowled.The early wicket of Knox gave Holland some hope after their batting collapse, but Scotland go into the third day hoping to build a substantial lead.

He has barely been in Pakistan a week, but that has been enough time for some to start questioning how well the Bob Woolmer experiment will work. The new coach has rebutted claims that several senior Pakistani players had failed a fitness test he had devised with Murray Stevenson. A report in a local newspaper on Monday had quoted officials within the PCB as saying, “most of the senior players failed to come up to the required (fitness) standards” of Stevenson’s tests. Woolmer, speaking to Wisden Cricinfo, said, “We weren’t conducting tests so nobody failed. We were just trying to gauge the level of fitness of players now, and where we would like it to be later. To say that they failed is wrong.”Woolmer, who is due to fly out tonight to Cape Town – and not the UK as was erroneously reported – for a coaching assignment he had committed to prior to becoming coach of the Pakistan team, was satisfied with the start of a three-year tenure. “It has been fantastic to be here, I have come to Pakistan before but it has been great. The players have been very good throughout the camp, and there is clearly a lot of talent here. By their own admission the team needs to work on its fitness and fielding and that is what we have been looking at with Inzamam and Haroon [Rasheed, the team manager],” said Woolmer. He added, “Shoaib Akhtar is fit, otherwise he wouldn’t be bowling here and he is very much part of the set-up. It’s also been working out well with Inzamam; he is a quiet man, but very calm and controlled and a world-class player.”The 14-man Pakistan squad for the Asia Cup will be announced on Thursday, and Woolmer, with Inzamam-ul-Haq and Haroon, has given an idea of the team they would like to the selection committee headed by Wasim Bari. Refusing to shed any light on the composition of the team, Woolmer would go only as far as to reveal – not surprisingly – “it will have some batsmen, some bowlers and a keeper or two.”Since his arrival, Woolmer has insisted on meeting ex-players in Pakistan to discuss ideas about the team, and last night, he got his wish; a “working dinner” with the man he replaced, Javed Miandad. “I like to do things by committee and have tried to get as much input into selection as possible. I am new to the players here so it is natural that I ask around about them and try to find out more about them. Javed is a legend and he knows more than most about this team as well as Pakistan cricket, so we’ll be chatting about that.”Woolmer also shot down reports that communication between him and the players was problematic. Sourav Ganguly was the latest member of a group of players and coaches in Pakistan who questioned how effectively Woolmer would be able to communicate with his players. Ganguly, in an interview to the last week, said, “It would not be easy for Bob. Pakistan cricketers come from diverse backgrounds and are individualistic – it is difficult to mould them together.” He continued, “Communication is an art and an essential aspect of coaching – Woolmer would not find it easy to communicate what he wants with the players.”To this Woolmer replied, “I have had absolutely no problems in communicating with my players and I don’t foresee any problems in the future. Despite what Ganguly says or thinks, the whole process of communication has been very smooth so far, and you can tell him that.”Woolmer plans to meet up with the squad in Sri Lanka on July 13 – three days before the start of the competition. “The team is good enough to win the cup, there is enough talent here. But in ODI cricket, it literally is a matter of what happens on the day and who plays better on the day. But I am confident.”One week gone, and only a potential 150-odd weeks to go. Welcome to Pakistan, Bob.Osman Samiuddin is a freelance writer based in Karachi.

When the Asian Cricket Council was created in 1983, its objectives were to ensure co-operation, harmony and other gooey stuff between Asian cricket-playing nations. The founders decided that the Asia Cup would be an ideal vehicle for this goodwill, and it would be hosted by a different council member every two years. Anticlimactically, the first edition was held in Sharjah, where the council’s offices were based, “so foreign exchange problems would not arise there,” according to a prominent member of the organisation. Since then, the tournament has been scrapped, resurrected, affected by politically motivated decisions … and has generally been a barometer of the deep-running emotions in South Asia, for when it comes to the Asia Cup, not all games are played on the field.1984
On Friday, April 6, 1984, Mohsin Khan strapped on his pads and strode out to a large green ground where cricket had been played before – but never on this scale. Saadat Ali was beside him, and both took guard after Duleep Mendis asked Pakistan to bat at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium. The weather had influenced Mendis’s decision, for the rains that had hit Sharjah were the city’s first in four years; Dickie Bird, who stood at the bowler’s end, had woken up one morning to the soothing sound of a rising water level in his hotel room.Mohsin and Saadat handled the bowling well while they lasted, but after a 59-run partnership, barring Zaheer Abbas, Pakistan simply collapsed. Sri Lanka, riding on Roy Dias’s half-century, chased down the teeny target with overs to spare. They had won their first game in the Asia Cup, but the celebrations wouldn’t last long. Two days later, they were stifled by Manoj Prabhakar and Madan Lal, and survived 41 overs to score just 96. India didn’t break a sweat on their way to the target.The following Friday, in the last match of the tournament, Pakistan and India met each other. While the match was played in good spirit, the animosity between rival crowds – which became a hallmark of most India-Pakistan matches in Sharjah – created an unpleasant atmosphere. India’s NKP Salve, then the president of the ACC, who had worked to build understanding between India and Pakistan, watched as the spectators bickered. “At one stage,” he said, “I thought it was creating unnecessary bitterness between the Pakistanis and the Indians.” India got off to a sure start, before Sandeep Patil and Sunil Gavaskar took India to 188, a run more than Sri Lanka conceded to Pakistan. Mohsin provided a rock-solid foundation to the run-chase, but Ravi Shastri and Roger Binny – and four run-outs – ended Pakistan’s innings at 134. India had won the first Asia Cup, and it would be four years till they played their next one.1986
The tournament moved on to Sri Lanka, but the spark of hosting their first multi-nation series was missing. The previous year, India had toured Sri Lanka at a time when political tensions overshadowed the cricket, and inevitably, the problems spilled onto the field. Sri Lanka ended up winning their first Test in a match which was marred by umpiring controversy. The Indians left in a huff, but not before a frustrated Kapil Dev indignantly declared, “Sri Lanka will never win a Test match abroad.” So with political and sporting relations not too cheery, India pulled out of the second Asia Cup. New Zealand were brought in at the last minute, and an alternative tournament was hastily arranged to accommodate them. So, in April 1986, you had the spectacle of Sri Lanka starting one tournament on the 5th, and playing the final of another on the 6th.In the middle of this logistical nightmare, Sri Lanka ran all over Pakistan in the Asia Cup final, as Aravinda de Silva and Arjuna Ranatunga scored fifties after a nervous start to their run-chase. They reached the target of 192 with five wickets and three overs remaining. It was a disappointing end for Pakistan, who were firm tournament favourites a week before. In their opening match they scored only 197, but still managed to beat Sri Lanka by 81 runs, as five of the top six scored next to nothing.Shrugging off the fatigue, Wasim Akram went on the rampage the next morning, and Bangladesh lasted only 35 overs on their first outing in international cricket. Almost needlessly, Pakistan made heavy weather getting to 98. Bangladesh survived for the full 45 overs in their next game, putting up a respectable score. Sri Lanka eventually overwhelmed them by seven wickets and, at a time when batsmen were given match awards for scoring forties, Asanka Gurusinha was named Man of the Match. As for the tournament involving New Zealand, Pakistan won it on run rate.1988
Pakistan and India were smarting from their defeats in the previous year’s World Cup, but had done enough since then – you could argue that Sri Lanka and Bangladesh hadn’t done much at all – to become favourites for the final of the third Asia Cup. Bangladesh, the hosts, had last played in 1986, while Sri Lanka came into the series with seven straight losses. Ultimately though, India did reach the finals, but they weren’t the favourites. Far from it. Led by Ranjan Madugalle, Sri Lanka swept through the preliminary round, inflicting heavy defeats on Pakistan and Bangladesh, and coming up trumps against India after scoring 271 in 45 overs, an innings where de Silva and Ranatunga flung their bats at everything Narendra Hirwani and Mohinder Amarnath tossed up. India’s rapid start was frittered away, and they lost only narrowly. The supreme manner in which Sri Lanka stormed through the series revealed a growing realisation of their own ability.Elsewhere that day, Pakistan ransacked Bangladesh. Boosted by Ijaz Ahmed’s unbeaten century – at a strike rate of 142 – Pakistan ran up a massive score. As good as out of the tournament by now, Bangladesh pottered around for their entire innings, and lost by 173 runs. They lost their last match, against Sri Lanka, by the same margin as their first: nine wickets. It all meant that Pakistan had to play India for a place in the final.When Pakistan put on 62 for the first wicket, India’s decision to field first seemed unwise. Then, out of nowhere, Arshad Ayub struck with five wickets to send Pakistan tumbling. But restricting the score, as India soon found out, was a job only half done. With 70-odd runs on the board, they were certain favourites to overhaul Pakistan’s 142. Just then, Abdul Qadir claimed Srikkanth and Dilip Vengsarkar, and later added Kapil Dev to his hit list. Wasim grabbed two and, suddenly, India were 116 with six wickets down. Amarnath killed the suspense with a storm-weathering 74.Boosted by the victory, a more resolved India turned up in the final. Sri Lanka stuttered and sputtered to 176, and Navjot Sidhu (76) and a round 50 by Vengsarkar took India to 180, and their second cup victory in three tournaments.1990-91
As the fourth edition of the Asia Cup kicked off in India, the sombre mood prevalent had yet to dissolve. Once again, sectarian violence and differences disrupted the tournament and this time it was Pakistan who were not playing. But while India, as a country, was affected outside the ground, their performance against Bangladesh followed a familiar trend: bowl first, restrict score, knock off runs. India waltzed past the paltry target. Sri Lanka, though, were a different matter. Minor contributions from the top five, climaxing with Ranatunga’s fifty, meant India had to chase a smallish target of 215. They never got there, for the bowlers achieved constant breakthroughs and allowed no-one to settle; the assuredness of the previous game deserted them, and they fell behind by 36 runs.Yet again, Sri Lanka had the upper hand going into the final. But there was the small matter of getting past Bangladesh first. It was indeed a small matter, as Bangladesh lost by yet another large margin after de Silva – at his bloodthirsty best – crunched 89 off 60 balls.However, Sri Lanka’s traumatic run in finals against India continued at Eden Gardens after they scored 204, with Kapil running through the lower-middle order. India chased another small Sri Lankan total, but with success this time, as Sanjay Manjrekar, Sachin Tendulkar and Mohammad Azharuddin led the charge to victory. India’s hold over the Asia Cup continued.1995
The Asia Cup was back on familiar territory. Sharjah’s stadium had been revamped considerably since 1984, but the jingoism remained. In the first two matches of the tournament, Bangladesh were beaten by India and Sri Lanka, and the stands, otherwise almost empty, spilled over on the Friday when Pakistan took on India.Since Miandad’s famous last-ball six at Sharjah in 1986, Pakistan had enjoyed the edge in their meetings, but Indian supporters believed that things would be different this time. Why? Well, this time they had Tendulkar, and he was in the form of his life. In the previous game, Tendulkar had scored an imperious 48 before boredom – officially an inside edge – did him in. Here, chasing Pakistan’s large score of 266, he was knocked on the helmet by Wasim Akram, to the delight of many in the crowd. “Make a cushion out of shorty,” a voice – Pakistani, naturally – in the stands screamed. Barely an over later, Tendulkar’s propensity to attack had him edging Aaqib Javed behind. Many heads rose and many others slumped as they realised the effect his dismissal would have on the team. Pakistan’s score, raised on the back of powerful knocks by Inzamam-ul-Haq and Wasim, now looked truly impregnable. Aaqib, who dismissed both openers, ran through the middle order and ended with five. The next day, Bangladesh were swept aside by six wickets, and Pakistan were all but through to the final. But in the finals, six days later, not a single green flag waved in the stands.What happened was this: India routed Sri Lanka in the preliminary round, overhauling a target of 206 within 34 overs. Tendulkar’s fast-paced century boosted India’s overall run rate. And when Pakistan lost to Sri Lanka, all three teams ended on equal points. Cruelly, Pakistan had the lowest run rate of the three.Sri Lanka and India met in a final yet again, and Gurusinha led the charge with 85. But on a wicket where 250 was barely safe, Sri Lanka’s 230 was clearly not enough. Even as the day went by, the pitch flattened, and after Tendulkar’s mandatory manic burst at the start, Sidhu and Azharuddin clinched the final with plenty to spare. However, Sri Lanka’s bad run in finals wouldn’t last much longer.1997
As the sixth Asia Cup began, the healthy respect Sri Lanka had enjoyed in previous years turned into outright fear. The same batsmen, maddeningly inconsistent earlier, had galvanised themselves in Australia before taking the ’96 World Cup by storm. At the top of the order, Sanath Jayasuriya, a butcher in his own right, punished the ball no matter where you put it: and if he got out, the next four batsmen didn’t let up. It was a golden period for Sri Lanka, and the Asia Cup was in the middle of it.Sri Lanka warmed up with a narrow victory over Pakistan. Jayasuriya’s fine all-round effort prevented Pakistan from reaching a target of 240 on the slow Premadasa wicket. But against Bangladesh a little later, Pakistan found redemption in the form of a 109-run victory.Like Pakistan, India’s start against Sri Lanka wasn’t joyful. The bowlers and fielders dried up runs, restricting India to a total not challenging enough for the confident Sri Lankan batting order. There was a glimmer of hope for India when Jayasuriya was dismissed off the first ball, but Ranatunga went on the attack with an unbeaten century. However, in their next game, India had Pakistan on the mat at 30 for 5 when rains caused the game to be abandoned. It left Pakistan at India’s mercy, for if India beat Bangladesh convincingly, they, not Pakistan, would enter the finals. Meanwhile, Jayasuriya went on the rampage against Bangladesh with an 83-ball 108. Sri Lanka completely ravaged them, and soon after, India had a go as well.On the morning of the final, Tendulkar won the toss and opted to bat, believing the pitch would disintegrate later on. Even more surprisingly, India entered the game with only three front-line bowlers. It played right into Ranatunga’s hands – he preferred chasing in finals. India were never allowed to get away, and their score of 239 was surpassed with laughable ease after Jayasuriya and Atapattu put on 137 before a wicket fell. After five unsuccessful tries, Sri Lanka had finally broken the jinx.2000
Twelve years before, in Bangladesh, Sri Lanka had romped through the league stages before losing the finals. In this edition, it was Pakistan’s turn to run riot, but they didn’t falter at the last hurdle. In the space of six days, Pakistan were done and dusted with the tournament as first Bangladesh, then India, followed by Sri Lanka (twice), were brushed aside without mercy. Bangladesh were hammered by 233 runs, India by 44, and Sri Lanka by seven wickets and then 39 runs. Pakistan’s batsmen regularly ran up large totals, and then let the bowlers take over. Abdul Razzaq picked up eight wickets in three games, and only three times in the tournament did a Pakistan bowler concede more than 50 runs in a spell. They were disciplined and efficient, and they played to their potential consistently. Frightening stuff.Bangladesh were clobbered in every game they played, while Sri Lanka did enough to get into the finals, exposing India’s tendency to freeze when the going got tough, with a 71-run victory. And it was tough going indeed, as Jayasuriya struck another century in Sri Lanka’s 276. Tendulkar’s 93 was the only real resistance, for the others crumpled in a heap. After the Asia Cup, Azharuddin, Ajay Jadeja and a few others were suspended after a match-fixing inquiry, and cricket would take a good hard look at itself. South Asia, in particular, would come under severe scrutiny, and the next Asia Cup will almost certainly be monitored closely for anything remotely shady.But with the 2000 edition, the founders of the ACC were finally seeing results: with three different winners in the last three tournaments, the Asia Cup was now changing hands every two years.

Scorecard

The South Africans may have made a bright start to their tour of Sri Lanka with the ball, but their batting didn’t quite go to plan today. They were all out for 226 in their first innings against the Sri Lanka Cricket President’s XI in Colombo, with Jacques Rudolph top-scoring with 49. The President’s XI then closed on 123 for 1, with Michael Vandort racing to 73 not out.The loss of Graeme Smith and Andrew Puttick late last night didn’t help the South Africans’ cause, but, resuming at 34 for 2, the rest of the innings never really got going. Jacques Kallis was caught by Vandort off Rangana Herath for 18 before Rudolph and Martin van Jaarsveld put on 58 together.However, just as the innings was starting to build some momentum, Tharanga Lakshitha had van Jaarsveld caught for 41. Dilhara Fernando and Thilan Samaraweera later picked up the scalps of Rudolph and Mark Boucher to peg the South Africans back.Boeta Dippenaar and Shaun Pollock then clubbed together a recovery of sorts, putting on 67 before Pollock became Lakshitha’s second victim, caught behind for 39. Lakshitha then bowled Lance Klusener for a duck, and Samaraweera polished off the tail.Starting their second innings with a lead of 25, the President’s XI had an early setback when Nishad Tharanga was dismissed by Nantie Hayward for 2, but it didn’t deter Vandort. He clubbed ten fours and a six, and put on an unbroken stand of 107 with Russel Arnold to leave the South Africans trailing by 148 runs.

Warwickshire have been crowned as the 2004 County Champions, after Sussex – the previous title-holders and the only team that could have caught them – slumped to defeat in a topsy-turvy encounter against Middlesex.Victory was the last thing on Middlesex’s minds, after they had been bundled out for 135 in their first innings, but although Sussex helped themselves to a useful 142-run lead, they were powerless second-time around, and themselves slipped to 141 all out, after losing two wickets for no runs in the first over.Mushtaq Ahmed, the man whose 100-wicket haul sealed the Championship last year, did his utmost to salvage the situation. He smacked 49 not out from No. 9, and followed up with three wickets, but Middlesex powered to victory, thanks to a century from their former captain, Owais Shah, and 50 not out from Paul Weekes.It was an important win for Middlesex, who have eased their relegation fears, while plunging Sussex right back into the mire. They now face a crucial battle against Gloucestershire, while Worcestershire – who currently occupy the third relegation spot – take on Lancashire, who are seemingly doomed.Elsewhere, Northamptonshire moved ever closer to the drop, as their dismal season continued with a 194-run defeat against Kent at Canterbury. Needing an improbable 582 for victory, they put up a fight through the efforts of Jeff Cook (114) and David Sales, who made 92 as the tail folded around him. Kent’s star bowler was their Under-19 international, Simon Cusden, who took four wickets.In the second division, Somerset completed a convincing rout of Nottinghamshire, who were off the boil for a change, having already secured their return to the top flight. It was left to a man who might have been featuring in the Champions Trophy, Ian Blackwell, to apply the coup de grace, picking up 7 for 90.

County Championship Division One

Middlesex 135 and 285 for 5 (Shah 108, Weekes 50*) beat Sussex 277 and 141 by five wickets
Scorecard
Kent 414 for 8 dec and 318 for 5 dec (Smith 156) beat Northamptonshire 151 and 387 (Cook 114, Sales 92) by 194 runs at Canterbury
Scorecard
Day 1 report: Key century leads Kent run-feast – The Times

County Championship Division Two

Somerset 654 for 8 dec (Cox 250, Wood 113, Hildreth 108) and 1 for 0 beat Nottinghamshire 337 and 317 (Bicknell 142, Blackwell 7-90) by 10 wickets at Trent Bridge
Scorecard
Day 1 report: Ealham keeps Notts on course – The Times

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West Indies 269 for 3 (Gayle 99, Hinds 82) beat Bangladesh 131 (Khaled Mahmud 34*, Dillon 5-29) by 138 runs
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details

Another day, another mismatch. The good news is that the minnow element has now been fished out of the Champions Trophy: the bad news is that another paltry crowd watched another one-sided encounter at the Rose Bowl today. West Indies, put in, overcame a lively pitch to score 269 for 3, but Bangladesh had more difficulty. Only some tailend resistance took them into three figures, and West Indies coasted home by 138 runs in the end.It was a second chastening experience for Bangladesh, who were rolled over for 93 by South Africa in their first match. They were never in the hunt today, after a combination of bad luck and shoddy fielding let Chris Gayle and Wavell Hinds pile on 192 for West Indies’ first wicket.Gayle became the 22nd player to be dismissed for 99 in an ODI, while Hinds fired 82 on his return from injury. Their stand, a record for any wicket against Bangladesh in ODIs, started with a bang – they reached 50 in the first 10 overs. Hinds smacked Mohammad Rafique for two big sixes, but Gayle was uncharacteristically restrained – he hit only six fours in all – but applied himself well on the testing Rose Bowl pitch.Both openers could count themselves lucky to survive early on, as Bangladesh spurned chance after chance. And when Khaled Mashud, the wicketkeeper, finally did hold on to one – a clear edge from Hinds off Khaled Mahmud – a confident appeal was surprisingly rejected by Jeremy Lloyds, whose new earpiece to the stump mike presumably let him down.The hapless Mahmud, though, only had himself to blame with the next chance, when Gayle smashed a full-blooded straight-drive back into his shins. Gayle also survived a stumping chance, when he danced down the track and whiffled a big drive which he completely missed. But Mashud, who never looked comfortable, fluffed this opportunity as well, and then put down a healthy outside edge, this time from Hinds off Mahmud. He floored another one, late on, when Shivnarine Chanderpaul tested him with a difficult edge.Bangladesh eventually broke the deadlock in the 40th over, as Hinds came down the wicket to Tapash Baisya but failed to clear Nazmul Hossain at long-off (192 for 1). Gayle fell shortly afterwards. He was frustrated at times: there were only three fours in his half-century. But it wasn’t for want of trying – he had tried to bludgeon as usual but failed to connect properly. The ultimate frustration came when he edged Tapash, to be stranded one short of his 10th ODI century (201 for 2).

An explosive cameo from Brian Lara, who fired 20 from seven balls before he was run out, propelled West Indies towards a handy total of 269. Bangladesh desperately needed a good start – but Merv Dillon made sure they didn’t get one. He exploited some extra bounce, and Bangladesh crumpled to 24 for 5.Javed Omar (2) was the first to go, when Dillon angled in a good-length delivery which squared him up, and he could only fend it limply to gully, where Darren Sammy pulled off a tremendous catch, diving full stretch to his left, and knocking the ball up with his fingertips before finally clinging on (13 for 1).Ian Bradshaw struck at the other end as Mohammad Ashraful pulled straight to Dillon on the fine-leg boundary. Dillon continued his bowling demolition: another well-pitched-up one moved off the seam and shatter Nafis Iqbal’s stumps. The captain, Rajin Saleh, pitched in with 7, before Dillon removed his off stump (24 for 4).Khaled Mashud, before he had scored, edged a regulation catch to first slip for what should have been Dillon’s fourth wicket. Gayle floored that one, but Mahmud’s luck ran out just one ball later as Sammy made no mistake in the covers. Bangladesh had lost three wickets for three runs, and were floundering again.Aftab Ahmed and Mushfiqur Rahman, who both made 21, repaired some of the damage with a stand of 45, but the game was as good as over. Dillon returned to claim his third wicket, as Rafique provided Sammy with a third catch (94 for 8). Mahmud hung around for 34 not out from 51 balls, but Gayle rounded off a good day – and wrapped up the Man of the Match award – with the last two wickets as Bangladesh folded for 131, less than halfway to West Indies’ total.And so Bangladesh’s Tigers slunk off to lick their wounds again. But this West Indies team – with Hinds and Dillon back, and a new wicketkeeper – were a different proposition to the sad bunch who slumped to four straight Test defeats in England. They have their tails up for their winner-takes-all clash against South Africa at The Oval on Saturday.Jenny Thompson is assistant editor of Wisden Cricinfo.

Pakistan’s selectors have left out Moin Khan and Rashid Latif from the 25-man preliminary squad for the forthcoming tour of Australia. The news seems to signal the end of both men’s international careers.Neither player, both of whom have previously captained the side, was included in the group that will meet in Lahore for fitness trials before the final squad is announced. Only one specialist keeper, Kamran Akmal, was included in the list, although a board spokesman said that others could be drafted in if the need arose. Akmal replaced Moin for the second Test against Sri Lanka last month.”Akmal will be the only wicketkeeper on the Australian tour because Inzamam-ul-Haq is satisfied with his performance,” Wasim Bari, the chief selector, told reporters. “Since we are looking to the future we must try him on this tough tour.”Three uncapped players – batsman Aamir Bashir, opener Ashar Zaidi and left-arm fast bowler Mohammad Khalil – were included.And Bari added that six promising fast bowlers – Wasim Khan, Mohammad Irshad, Iftikhar Anjum, Mohammad Asif, Yasir Ali and Abdul Rauf – would join the squad to give them more experience.Pakistan squad: Salman Butt, Taufiq Umar, Imran Farhat, Shoaib Malik, Yousuf Youhana, Inzamam-ul-Haq (capt), Abdul Razzaq, Kamran Akmal (wk), Danish Kaneria, Shabbir Ahmed, Shoaib Akhtar, Mohammad Sami, Rana Naved, Shahid Afridi, Asim Kamal, Aamer Bashir, Riaz Afridi, Bazid Khan, Misbah-ul-Haq, Faisal Iqbal, Ashar Zaidi, Yasir Hameed, Younis Khan, Faisal Athar, Mohammad Khalil.

ScorecardChris Gaffaney has long promised big scores for Otago, and when it came it was well worth the wait, as Auckland found to their dismay after putting Otago in at the Outer Oval today. Gaffaney, playing his 80th domestic one-day game, put together 145 for the first wicket with Craig Cumming, a record opening partnership for Otago.The pitch for this match was the same one used for the one-day international against Sri Lanka on Boxing Day. It had been taken from the main ground and dropped into the Outer Oval, and it provided a superb batting surface.Gaffaney and Cumming scored consistently at five runs an over through their stand and gave their side a fine foundation. Cumming scored 73, before falling victim to Tama Canning, who threatened an Auckland revival by then removing Gareth Hopkins first ball. Hopkins was out to the last ball of the over, which meant that Canning had to wait to attempt a hat-trick, but in the meantime, Otago lost Aaron Redmond to a run-out in the next over. Canning failed to gethis hat-trick, but he did add Mohammad Wasim to his list of scalps.But just when Auckland thought they were back in the game, Jeff Wilson struck 50 off 33 balls. With Gaffaney still going strong to finish on 101, Otago ended with their highest one-day score of 295 for 7. Gaffaney made his highest score as well, going past his previous best of 79 not out.James McMillan then rocked Auckland’s batsmen from theoutset, before Wilson joined in with the ball. Both took three wickets each to have Auckland struggling at 67 for 7. They finally limped to 143 all out.
ScorecardBoth Canterbury and Wellington were bolstered by the return of their international stars, but Stephen Fleming couldn’t do much for Wellington’s cause as they were thrashed by 92 runs at Timaru’s Aorangi Park. Nathan Astle’s presence helped Michael Papps play his way out of a form slump, as he registered his second one-day century for Canterbury, finishing on an unbeaten 129 not out.Stephen Fleming asked Canterbury to bat first, but he must have had immediate doubts about his decision when Astle and Papps launched into an assault. They had put on 168 before Astle was prised out, when a top-edged pull shot flew to midwicket. Their stand was a Canterbury record for the first wicket, beating the 151 Papps shared with Shanan Stewart last year.Craig McMillan then blasted 30 off 24 balls, and Brendon McCullum, coming in after Chris Cairns was dismissed for a first-ball duck by Ash Turner, hit 43 off 24 balls. Canterbury finished on 307 for 3.Wellington struggled in reply, losing Fleming to a stunning catch by McMillan for 5. Chris Nevin attempted to provide the anchor Wellington so sorely needed, but he was out for 45, by which time none of the batsmen with him had been able to dig in. James Franklin made 46, but with no one to support him, Wellington went down tamely in the end.
ScorecardThis rain-affected match provided far more drama than would have been expected after Northern Districts were dismissed for only 100 at Taupo. Andrew Schwass, playing his 36th one-day match for Central Districts, took 5 for 22 in 5.4overs, his career-best figures. Jacob Oram took 2 for 10from the five overs he bowled while Ewen Thompson, who wasforced to leave the field due a hamstring strain, took 2 for 7 from 5.1 overs.Daryl Tuffey then produced another of his first-over tricks by having Jamie How out third ball and with Craig Spearman and Jarrod Englefield following quickly, CD were 6 for 3. Jacob Oram and Glen Sulzberger battled through raininterruptions and a recalculation of the target under theDuckworth/Lewis system, to give some solidity to the effort.Sulzberger scored a patient 29 off 63 balls and was thepenultimate wicket to fall, with one run needed.The combined impetus by Thomson, who hit 15 off 19 balls, and Michael Mason, who scored 18 off 32, allowed CD to squeak through in the second thriller that these two sides have played out in the last fortnight.

Memories of Sri Lanka’s cricket in 2004 will fade quickly, though not because the year was uneventful. On the contrary it was an important and progressive year, but the tragic events on Boxing Day leave everything other than life and death seeming so meaningless. But if you can shake off your tsunami-inspired depression for a moment, you’ll look back on a year of more triumph than disappointment, and a team that has grown visibly in stature since Marvan Atapattu took full charge of the leadership.It all started badly, though, with Sri Lanka’s first-ever home whitewash, against Australia. The final 3-0 scoreline hid the true competitiveness between the two sides, but it also accurately reflected Sri Lanka’s weaknesses during crucial match-turning passages of play. Amazingly, Sri Lanka secured first-innings leads in all three games, but Australia’s spirit and resolve was far stronger, and they slowly but surely grasped control of each game and then ruthlessly applied the killer blow. At Kandy, powered by Sanath Jayasuriya at his adrenaline-fuelled best, Sri Lanka came within a whisker of levelling the series but were ultimately outsmarted on the final morning.The defeat left a bitter aftertaste, especially because Sri Lankans had expected their team to fare better after their rain-soaked series win in 1999 against Steve Waugh’s team. Knives were being sharpened and Hashan Tillakaratne, the Test captain, was the natural fall guy. He resigned at the press conference that followed the final game. The decision to appoint Tillakaratne as a caretaker leader proved as misguided at the end as it seemed at the outset. Although he was an extremely determined batsman (and at 37 he is still searching for one final comeback), Tillakaratne was an insecure and uninspiring leader and the team stagnated under his charge.So there was a silver lining to the humiliating whitewash. Atapattu’s accession to the throne could be delayed no longer, and the team started to rebuild in Zimbabwe. A new approach was agreed upon that encouraged players to take greater responsibility for their preparation. The Tillakaratne focus on results, particularly the avoidance of defeat, was reduced and a lighter, more relaxed mood was encouraged. Practice sessions, for example, were snappier but more intense.It took Atapattu just a handful of weeks, with back-up from his deputy Mahela Jayawardene, who gelled together the younger elements of the team well, and coach John Dyson, who was starting to win over those sceptical about his lack of top-class coaching experience, to pull together the team and reverse the decline. Atapattu may have developed a reputation for being shy and mild-mannered, but he proved to be a strong, clear-headed and straight-talking captain. There were no favourites in the dressing-room and all the players knew exactly what was required of them. A new togetherness soon became evident.

Zimbabwe, missing most of their senior players, provided predictably weak resistance and Sri Lanka duly held together their focus long enough to win the five one-dayers and two Tests with ease. But the tour will be remembered less for the quiet revival in the dressing-room, or the silverware won against schoolboys, and more for the chucking storm that had engulfed Muttiah Muralitharan and marred what should have been his proudest day, when he overtook Courtney Walsh’s 519-wicket world record.Chris Broad, the match referee, had waited for the last day of the last Test against Australia to report Murali’s doosra as suspect. The decision created a furore in Sri Lanka, where there was disbelief that a third chucking controversy was now threatening Murali’s career. The debate was emotional and, at times, regrettably racially tinged. But the biomechanical boffins at the University of Western Australia vindicated Broad’s decision in the end, discovering an elbow bend far in excess of the permitted levels of tolerance.But while Murali’s detractors gloated “I told you so” with some glee, the situation was not so clear-cut. Murali’s doosra may have been technically illegal, but there was a growing body of experts warning that the ICC’s permitted tolerance levels were flawed. As the ICC Champions Trophy was to reveal later in the year, Murali was one of many bowlers, including those previously believed to have pure textbook actions, who were exceeding tolerance levels. In fact, Murali turned out to be one of the lesser offenders. The emotional doosra debate rumbled on for months, and only started to calm when the ICC agreed to a thorough review of the current laws.Murali was so upset by the whole controversy, and so angered by the comments of Australia’s Prime Minister John Howard, who labelled him a chucker, that he opted out of a two-Test tour to Darwin and Cairns in northern Australia in July. Sri Lanka struggled in his absence in the first Test, mainly because of the green seamer-friendly surface at Darwin, which suited Australia. However, helped by some fiery bowling from rookie Lasith Malinga, who caused a sensation with his weird round-arm action, they fought bravely for a draw in the second Test, a match that proved to be a turning point for the team in the year.The Sri Lankans were forced to rush back quickly for the Asia Cup, the first such tournament for four years. The rapprochement between India and Pakistan created a window of opportunity for the Asian Cricket Council and a six-nation tournament was squeezed into an already congested summer. Thanks to a misconceived tournament structure the Sri Lankans were at least able to workout their jet-lag during a first round that mattered little. But after a rusty performance against an impressively spirited and well-organised UAE team, Sri Lanka hit a rich vein of form. India, the pre-tournament favourites, were struggling to regain their early-year form after a layoff and Sri Lanka seized the initiative. Murali had returned but his performances were overshadowed by the journeymen bowlers, Nuwan Zoysa and Upul Chandana, who helped Murali and Chaminda Vaas form a genuinely strong attack. With Sanath Jayasuriya finding one-day form after a lean run, Sri Lanka lifted the trophy.By now, all was rosy in the Sri Lanka camp. The atmosphere was open and upbeat and in complete contrast to the guarded and introverted feel of a few months earlier. Even the board was starting to recover from an embarrassing start to the year when its president, Thilanga Sumathipala, was thrown behind bars after becoming embroiled in an immigration-fraud case. The new provincial tournament had been a success, providing a solid basis for lifting the standards of domestic cricket, and a new super-intensive programme for the A team ensured more exposure for upcoming players. The board was also able to safeguard its financial future, which had been imperilled by an ongoing legal dispute with WSG Nimbus, when Taj Television signed a new four-year deal worth $50 million.

Sri Lanka’s good run continued against South Africa despite a shoulder injury to Murali. Jayawardene piled on the pressure at Galle, batting magnificently, but with Murali obviously struggling with his injury, South Africa escaped. In Colombo, though, this time powered by a brilliant double-century from Kumar Sangakkara, Sri Lanka were more ruthless and South Africa folded. The momentum was retained during the five-match ODI series and by the time the ICC Champions Trophy arrived, Sri Lanka’s confidence was sky-high.But Sri Lanka have never been renowned for their prowess in the freezing cold, and when the English weather turned autumnal their odds lengthened. Had their catching held firm at the Rose Bowl they might well have still prospered. But Jayawardene, ironically Sri Lanka’s best slip catcher, grassed a simple chance off Andrew Flintoff early on, and Sri Lanka eventually lost control. Sri Lanka returned quickly to winning ways, stealing the PakTel Cup from Pakistan, the hosts, despite losses in the first round.Then followed the biggest selection controversy of the year as Ashantha de Mel, the new chairman of an unwieldy seven-man selection committee, shocked the team management with a public attack, accusing them of standing in the way of the development of young players. de Mel, determined that youngsters be blooded, axed Tillakaratne Dilshan from the squad. The move incensed Atapattu, and helped Pakistan level the Test series at Karachi. Ironically, it was the elder statesman, Jayasuriya, who dominated the series in what proved to be one of his best years (1130 runs at 56.5). Jayasuriya was Sri Lanka’s most successful Test batsman of the year, but Sangakkara (1114 runs at 55.7) was close behind, while Atapattu (966 runs at 48.3) and Jayawardene (861 runs at 45.32) also had good years.The curtain fell with a limp performance against New Zealand, but as the Kiwis knocked off a measly target with ease, the giant tsunami reached the east coast of Sri Lanka and circled around the south coast and up the west. Within the space of a few overs more people had been killed than during two decades of civil war. Cricket was suddenly irrelevant, and Sri Lanka’s players naturally wanted to return immediately to join the humanitarian effort. The year 2005 will be dominated by their contributions off the field.

The organisation was launched in September 2004 seeking to raise the profile of Kenyan Cricket worldwide by providing financial and skilled assistance to Kenyan cricket at all levels in readiness for Kenya to achieve Test status.Among the hundred or more guests at the function were Kenyan sporting heroes from the hockey and cricket teams, Indian cricket legend Farokh Engineer, the current Kenya cricket captain Hitesh Modi, Sam Ochieng of the Kenya Community Support Network, and a host of prominent Kenyan businessmen in the UK.Until Kenya becomes a Test-playing nation, it will not fully partake from the International “pot”. In spite of doing so well in the last World Cup, it does not enjoy sufficient financial support to help develop local cricket. To become a Test-playing nation, it needs a strong cricketing infrastructure. The development of grounds, umpires, scorers and facilities for spectators at grounds and the development of youth and women’s cricket – all need financing. It’s a “chicken-and-egg” situation.In 1999, Kenya played against some of the Lancashire League clubs in their warm-up matches before the World Cup in England. Thanks entirely to the efforts of Surinder Biant of Rochdale, the local Metropolitan Borough Council raised all the money necessary to finance Kenya’s nine-day programme. The idea that Kenya needed Friends overseas like him took root. Harilal Shah, the manager of the team at the time, carried this forward, and Kenya Cricket Association stalwarts Jimmy Rayani and Jasmer Singh supported the idea of forming a body called Friends of Kenya Cricket, to be set up in cricket-playing countries around the world.If you are passionate about cricket, and like the idea of supporting the Kenyan cricket team on tour, or simply want to volunteer your skills, then join Friends of Kenya Cricket UK, and help develop the game in Kenya … make a difference.Benefits