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A major sponsor is about to be announced for the recently launched Hampshire Youth Development indoor cricket competition being staged at the Rose Bowl.League officials are on the verge of tieing up a lucrative deal with a national concern, details of which are expected to be announced before next Sunday’s third round of matches.Fair Oak’s youngsters emulated the opening week feat of BAT Sports by winning their first two matches.They edged home by two runs against Mudeford and then outscored Locks Heath to win by 37 runs.Paul Malone (27), James Scutt (25) and Tom Luff (19) did the spadework as Fair Oak (120-3) narrowly bettered Mudeford’s 118-3. Tom Gadd (29) and Lewis Baker (27) top scored for Mudeford, while Ed White bowled a tidy three-over spell for Fair Oak.Luff (27), Scutt (22) and Malone (16) were again to the fore as Fair Oak rattled up 141-3 against Locks Heath, who had the consolation of beating Mudeford in their final match.Nick Bampton (23), Daniel Copeman (21) and James King (21) ensured the young Heathens collected a batting bonus point at 104 all out.Hampshire Under-14 all-rounder Gareth Ransley starred in Locks Heath’s 15-run win over Mudeford, scoring an unbeaten 39 and then returning a useful spell of 1-15.With Ben Lewis (22) and King (14) offering support, Locks Heath reached 96-5 and then restricted the Christchurch club to 79-5 (Baker 20). Mudeford’s Nick Shaw (3-23) produced the best individual bowling performance so far, but finished a loser.Results –
Fair Oak (11) 120-3 (Malone 27, Scutt 27, Baker 2-12)
Mudeford (1) 118-3 (Gadd 29, Baker 27)
Fair Oak won by two runsFair Oak (12) 141-3 (Luff 27, Scutt 22)
Locks Heath (1) 104 (Bampton 23, King 21, Copeman 21, Rose 2-20)
Fair Oak won by 37 runsLocks Heath (10) 98-5 (Ransley 39, Lewis 22, Shaw 3-23)
Mudeford (0) 79-5 (Baker 20)
Locks Heath won by 17 runsSunday’s fixtures at the Rose Bowl:
6pm Havant v South Wilts, 7pm St Cross Symondians v Havant, 8pm South Wilts v St Cross Symondians

Ben Smith – innings determined outcome Photo © John Dawson

Leicestershire are unlikely to suffer the fate of Middlesex and have pointsdeducted for the state of their pitch after their Division One championshipmatch with Durham ended with a day to spare.With the visitors managing only 93 Leicestershire won by 217 runs. Phil Sharpe, a ECB liason officer, watched the game over the first two days as there had been concern over the pitch for two days before the game got underway. Vince Wells and Jack Birkenshaw, captain and manager of Leicestershire respectively,admitted that all was well with the pitch.Birkenshaw stated: “We don’t want pitches like this, but it was caused by circumstances.” The ball kept low throughout. Ben Smith’s fine first innings was exceptional in the circumstances and determined the outcome.After recent disappointments Leicestershire were encouraged by theirsuccess.

Following on from the recent January transfer window that saw Newcastle United spend a substantial amount of money and add a handful of new players to their squad, it seems as though rumours for the next summer transfer window have already begun.

According to a recent report from Tuttomercato, Newcastle are one of the clubs interested in making a summer move for Lille striker Jonathan David.

In 164 senior appearances for Lille and Gent combined, prior to the French club’s Champions League clash against Chelsea tonight, the 22-year-old has managed to rack up 66 goals and 20 assists along the way, showing that he certainly knows how to find the back of the net.

If Newcastle were able to secure the Canadian’s signature when the summer transfer window opens for business, this could give the Magpies the opportunity to get one of their current attacking players off their wage bill and out of the club.

Despite manager Eddie Howe claiming that he will have an important role at the club this season, Toon striker Dwight Gayle has only played eight minutes of Premier League action from two appearances since the Magpies appointed their new manager back in November.

Even though he has been described as a “weapon” in the past by Noel Whelan in terms of his attacking capabilities, it seems as though the 32-year-old has been surplus to requirements this season.

With that in mind, the upcoming summer transfer window could give Newcastle a great opportunity to finally get rid of Gayle and free up a space in their squad for someone like David, who has been described as a “phenomenon” by Hein Vanhaezebrouck, to come in and fight for a spot in the team.

Given how much younger the Lille star is than the current Magpies attacker and his clear knack for scoring goals, he could be a great investment from the Tyneside club, especially if he can be their long-term consistent goalscorer for the foreseeable future.

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However, while Howe’s side are currently out of the relegation zone at the moment, they are not fully out of the woods yet in terms of securing their league safety for next season, which should be the club’s main focus before any transfer plans get put into place for the summer.

In other news: Ashworth can seal instant masterclass with NUFC swoop for 24y/o “on par with Van Dijk” – opinion

After being ineffective for most of the day, Dale Steyn was menacing with the second new-ball © Getty Images

Two wickets in quick succession at three critical periods of the opening day of the second Test here yesterday undermined stout West Indies resistance to the anticipated South African response to their shock defeat in the first in Port Elizabeth last week.A total of 240 for eight at the close was obviously not the target set after Chris Gayle won the toss and chose to bat on a pitch with a reputation as a batsman’s friend but it did not represent the whole story.Its value was appreciably diminished by an outfield so heavily grassed as to be unsuitable for the game at this level, especially on a day when the celebrated, retired Archbishop Desmond Tutu rededicated the Newlands ground before play to mark the 200th anniversary of the first cricket match played there.Shots that headed for certain boundaries repeatedly pulled up short like a speeding motorist braking at a red light. While the opening day of the first Test produced 43 fours from 84 overs, there were only 21 off 89 overs yesterday.A fungus reportedly attacked the grass last year and the ground clearly hasn’t recovered, as is evident from the ugly bare patches that cover wide areas. South Africa will also have to cope with such a handicap but it did deny a crowd of 11,600 full value for their money.The contest was intense rather than exciting throughout, the balance shifting one way and then the next until South Africa secured the advantage with six wickets for 57 in the last hour and 50 minutes. The fluctuations began with the fall of Runako Morton and Chris Gayle within six runs and 4.2 overs of each other just before lunch that ended a burgeoning second- wicket partnership of 59.It continued through a third-wicket stand of 106 between Shivnarine Chanderpaul, who compiled his eighth half-century in nine Test innings to be 64 at stumps, and the born-again batsman, Marlon Samuels, who followed his 94 and 40 in Port Elizabeth with another disciplined performance for 51.Just when they appeared to have gained the upper hand, the dismissals of Samuels and the struggling Dwayne Bravo in successive overs from Makaya Ntini checked their advance.The most critical strikes were made by Dale Steyn with the second new ball. He dispatched Denesh Ramdin, after a promising 21, and the returning Rawl Lewis with successive deliveries in the third over and completed a satisfying day for the home team with a lobbed catch off his bowling that accounted for Jerome Taylor.Daren Ganga, Gayle, Samuels and Bravo were all caught from edged strokes, evidence of movement off the seam on a surface not quite as benign as usual.Once the West Indies fast bowlers find the right lines and lengths, and given the condition of the outfield, runs should be no easier for South Africa’s batsmen to come by. It is unlikely that any of them will waste their hand as Morton did. Entering in the fifth over after Steyn found Ganga’s searching edge, Morton was offering comforting support to his captain. He accumulated 23 runs in just over an hour, mainly with his trademark drive down the ground, and watched Gayle hoist Ntini for a straight six and pull him over square-leg for another. Then, for no good reason, he drove Jacques Kallis’ fifth ball into Ntini’s lap at mid-off. It was the stroke of a coach offering pre-play catching practice.There were alarms over Gayle’s hamstring when he hobbled through his 24th run and, although he had physiotherapy during the drinks break, he did not seem unduly bothered as he continued.He was four short of 50 when Andre Nel made one leave him on pitching and Neil McKenzie celebrated his first Test in four years with a sharp catch to his right at gully.Chanderpaul, as a matter of course, and Samuels set things right again with their carefully constructed stand that occupied three hours, five minutes and 40.2 overs. Chanderpaul was laid flat on his backside four times by bouncers, an indignity that would have brought the mandatory eight count in boxing. But the dogged left-hander was unfazed and, with Samuels once more displaying the “stickability” demanded by Clive Lloyd, they batted through the second session with few alarms.They were so careful, the first hour after lunch brought only 27 runs off 14 overs until they changed a gear to add 50 off the remaining hour to tea.It took a new spell from Ntini to shift the balance once more. He found the outside edge of tentative bats to account for Samuels and Bravo in his first and second over back, intensifying the pressure on Chanderpaul to shepherd the remainder of the innings.First Samuels fell to a keeper’s catch for 51, his stay of three hours, 24 minutes and 144 balls confirming the changed attitude evident in his equally diligent 94 and 40 in the first Test.Bravo, clearly and woefully short of confidence at the moment, diverted his fourth ball low to Kallis at second slip without scoring.Steyn then landed the three final blows over the last half-hour. Once again basically unthreatening until then, he was energised by the hard, shiny cherry. Delivering a fast, full length, he ended Denesh Ramdin’s promising stay of just over an hour for 21 with an lbw decision and then conjured up an outswinging yorker that was too much for Rawl Lewis.Chosen instead of his Windward Islands’ colleague, Darren Sammy, presumably after a look at a straw-coloured pitch, it was an embarrassing return for the legspinning allrounder, appearing in his fifth Test in his fifth series.Steyn secured his fourth victim six minutes to the end, Taylor popping back a return catch.Through it all, Chanderpaul remained unflappable but, with only Daren Powell and Fidel Edwards to come, even he is unlikely to build the total by much. In what is already shaping as a low scoring contest, anything would be welcome.

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Jagadeesh Arunkumar, the Assam captain, resurrected his side from 5 for 3 with a most scintillating hundred and sealed a five-wicket win over Orissa at Cuttack. In just 147 deliveries, Arunkumar slammed 154 not out, and added an unbeaten 144 with Zakaria Zuffri, the wicketkeeper, who contributed a vital 95-ball 54. Niranjan Behera (90) and Subit Biswal (56) steered Orissa to 253 for 4, and Debasis Mohanty grabbed two quick wickets for nothing, but it was Arunkumar’s day all the way.
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Barring Rowland hit a second consecutive unbeaten century and Bharat Chipli shrugged off a first-ball duck yesterday to slam a rapid ton of his own as Karnataka surged to an eight-wicket win over Goa in Secunderabad. Just a day after Rowland hit 101 not out in another easy run chase, against Kerala, he was back to business as Karnataka overhauled a total of 224 in 32.4 overs. Vinay Kumar, B Akhil and Sunil Joshi accounted for nine batsmen to dismiss Goa cheaply, despite fifties from Robin D’Souza and Shadab Jakati, before Chipli and Rowland added 174 at over seven an over to complete a big win.
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Fluent half-centuries from opener Srikkanth Anirudha and veteran Hemang Badani carried Tamil Nadu to their second success in as many days as they eased to an eight-wicket win over Hyderabad at Uppal. VVS Laxman stroked his second consecutive half-century to prop Hyderabad to 188 for 8, but it was a total that proved too easy for the tourists. Anirudha, 19, collected 13 boundaries in a career-best 74 off 67 balls, while Badani remained unbeaten on 67 as the tourists got home in the 37th over. TN collected five points from this victory to put them right on top of the points table.
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PV Manikandan, the hard-hitting batsman, took 23 off one over in a brutal 50-ball 76 to help Kerala clinch a three-wicket win over Andhra in Secunderabad. Set 239 to win after the spin combo of Sreekumar Nair and Sadanandan Anish pegged back a good top-order offensive, Kerala overcame a shaky start. Somasetty Suresh hit a patient 71 and Nair 44 from 72, but it was Manikandan’s brutal attack down the order, and a breezy 26-run eighth wicket stand, that took Kerala across the finish line.
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Jharkhand got their East Zone campaign off to a winning start by defeating Tripura by 68 runs at Bhubaneshwar. Put into bat, Jharkand made 221 for 9 with Manish Vardhan getting a round 50 at the top and Santosh Lal his maiden limited-overs fifty lower down. Vineet Jain, the veteran right-arm medium-pacer, had fine figures of 4 for 25 from his ten overs. The Jharkhand left-arm spin combo of Shahbaz Nadeem and Arun Vidyarthi then shared six wickets between themselves to bowl Tripura out for 153 in 40.5 overs, with no batsman crossing 24.The bad news continued for fans in Kanpur, as for the second consecutive day, two matches – Rajasthan v Railways and Uttar Pradesh v Vidarbha – were abandoned without a ball being bowled owing to the severe cold rains lashing across north India.

The Standard Bank Pro20 innings of the season was played by AB de Villiers scoring 91 not out with seven sixes and five fours coming off 52 balls as the Titans beat the Lions by six wickets in a high-scoring gameat the SuperSport Park in Centurion.Winning the toss and batting first, the Lions put together a decent total of 179 for 4 in their 20 overs. Adam Bacher got the innings off on the right foot, scoring 52 from 37 but when he was brilliantly caught at extra cover by Aaron Phangiso one felt that the Gods were smiling on theTitans. Neil McKenzie got off to a slow start but once in his stride, was very strong on the leg side in his 66 off 48. Vaughn van Jaarsveld was aggressive in his 35 off 18 as they put on 83 in seven overs. Brendon Reddy was the pick of the Titans bowlers, getting rid of both van Jaarsveldand McKenzie in consecutive balls.The Titans innings could not have started any better with de Villiers launching the first ball of the innings into the crowd. The fourth ball received the same treatment and the home spectators sensed something special. And special it was; the second highest score in the South African competition with shots going to all parts of the ground. A square drive for six will long be remembered. One wonders why he is not in Australia with the Proteas. With a willing partner in Goolam Bodi (36 off 33) they put on 93 for the first wicket. It was, however the class ofde Villiers and the aggression of Gerald Dros (24 off 11) that put the Titans into a winning position with eight balls to spare and assuring them a home semi-final.The Dolphins won their first match in the Standard Bank PRO20 Series by defeating the Warriors by 11 runs at Kingsmead in Durban. Batting first, Doug Watson got the Dolphins off to a solid start as he struck nine boundaries and a six in a 23 ball 48. A 46 off 30 balls from Ahmed Amla, that included six fours and a six, saw the Dolphins getting to hundred in just 57 balls. Unable to sustain the run rate and wickets falling, the Dolphins could only score 65 in the final 11 overs, and finished on 165 for 7. Some good bowling at the end of the innings contributed to the Dolphins decline with Robin Petersen taking 2 for 23 and Justin Kreusch, 3 for 24.Some tight bowling by Yusuf Abdulla (2 for 20) and Andrew Tweedie (2 for 31) at the start of the Warriors innings put the batsmen under a lot of pressure. With the loss of Tyron Henderson (38) and Arno Jacobs (36), the game had slipped away from the Warriors, who ended on 154 for 6 and now prop up the bottom of the table.

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

All members will be entitled to a cricket tie or brooch

Fundraising get-togethers and the annual dinner provide a great way to meet Kenyans in the UK, including prominent personalities such as His Excellency the Kenyan High Commissioner

A regular newsletter will not only keep members in the picture as to how Friends of Kenya Cricket UK is helping to develop cricket in Kenya, but also provide up-to-date news from the general cricket scene in Kenya

Members will also be eligible to free entry to all international cricket matches played in Kenya, and will be accommodated in a select area of the groundVisit us on our website www.friendsofkenyacricket.org.uk and keep in touch with cricket in Kenya. Or simply download a membership application form.For supporters wishing to travel with the team on international tours and the ICC Cricket World Cup 2007, support the team by wearing merchandise bearing our flagship brand “Simbas on Safari” (Lions on Tour). Simbas on Safari will encourage support for Team Kenya, mainly on away tours where opposing fans can be rather nerve-wracking to play in front of – visit www.simbasonsafari.com for more details.

Daryl Tuffey will enjoy better days than that he experienced at Ahmedabad today, in fact he has enjoyed them, most notably against India in New Zealand last year. But the fine line between success and missed chances was never more apparent than on the first day of the series in India.It was always going to be toughest for the fast-medium brigade. That’s the way it has always been in India. Not having the shock value of Shane Bond compounded the situation. But Tuffey made his point. A player who in the past has been labelled a slow starter and less than effective in overseas conditions, he showed that with maturity has come consistency. He did his bit, and bowled to his plan in the first half of the day. But if he creates the chances, all he can do is hope that they go to hand.They didn’t today. Virender Sehwag dropped on the third man boundary by Craig McMillan with the ball going for six, Akash Chopra dropped by Robbie Hart. Fortunately for the offenders, neither lasted long enough to create problems and there was a catch-up when Sehwag was given out leg before wicket. But the man the Indians were keen to show could only perform on New Zealand wicket types like those of last summer, won his own battle to show that he was deserving of greater respect.Jacob Oram, too showed commendable adherence to the plan. The unity of purpose in the side’s attack was obvious. Stephen Fleming, the captain directing operations on the field, and having a fair say off, has become identifiable as one of those leaders who likes to work on his opponents – assessing, probing and executing. It can mean some field placements that test the descriptions provided in the MCC Coaching Manual, but it was only by mere fractions that New Zealand weren’t better placed by the end of the day.The last session was memorable for India as the New Zealand competitiveness waned in the heat and the patient batsmen had their reward. As it is so often when New Zealand meet India nowadays, it was Rahul Dravid who bridged the gap between the breakthrough, when Sehwag and Sachin Tendulkar were dismissed, and safety and security in an ongoing partnership of 115 runs with VVS Laxman. Dravid has scored 801 runs in eight Tests against New Zealand, with an average of 64.57 in New Zealand as opposed to 58.16 in India, although at the start of today’s Test his home average was 39.83. The same elegance that has been his trademark throughout his career was obvious again, never more than when he was caressing the ball through the off side en route to his fourth century against New Zealand.And while both were subjected to part of “the plan” and some concentrated shorter bowling, Laxman especially, they withstood it and turned the attack back on the bowlers in crisp and authoritative style. Laxman’s pull shots showed that he had emerged from the coaching lesson Craig McMillan appeared to be delivering during his ‘short’, if you’ll pardon the double entendre, spell all the better for the experience. Certainly he revealed no effects from the constant whiplash effect of jerking his head out of the way of the ball as it passed by.In recent times the grooming of the New Zealanders in Asian countries has taken a hammering, most notably the Number One hair cuts in Sri Lanka earlier in the year, but Craig McMillan this time has opted for more hair on his face with a handlebar moustache that left him looking like an atomised Merv Hughes, and a Mohawk haircut that could only be described as Beckhamesque in effect if not delivery.With Sourav Ganguly still to come and some capable lower-order batsmen, India have left New Zealand needing to take quick wickets on the second morning or be left facing a daunting batting target when they finally get their turn.The Wisden Bulletin
The Wisden Verdict: Planning’s not enough
Wisden Stats: How NZ missed a trick
Roving Reporter: Screaming for Sa-chin
Quotes

The recent India-England series outlined the differences in the thinking process between Sourav Ganguly and Nasser Hussain. The hosts were not unduly worried about the visiting team, since they were without their best players. Some of the leading English stars had pulled out of this tour due to personal reasons, and with Graham Thorpe returning to England after the first Test, Hussain’s team was further depleted. Mind you, their performance at Mohali was not encouraging, to say the least, but this is where Hussain, as a visiting captain, showed great enterprise in keeping his inexperienced side on track.

© CricInfo

Hussain was completely aware of his team’s strengths and weaknesses, and it would be fair to say that the weaknesses outweighed the strengths. Yet he was faced with the task of reviving morale and inspiring his team to do better than its best. The bowling looked thin without the likes of Darren Gough and Andrew Caddick, and the spinners – Ashley Giles and Richard Dawson – hardly lookied capable of running through a side. The top-order England batsmen too looked lost against spinners, especially on the dusty tracks in India. Apart from all these concerns, Hussain also had to formulate a game plan to put it across the hosts.The uncompromising toughness and individuality of Hussain landed him in trouble with the Essex management some years ago, but ironically those very attributes won him accolades on this tour. He always was in charge of proceedings and never allowed the game to drift. His bowlers were told to stick to his plans, and they were utilised in the best manner possible. Andrew Flintoff has come a long way as a bowler on this tour, and Matthew Hoggard looks a very good prospect for the future. Furthermore, Hussain simply did not bother to think about the prospect of being criticised for his tactics. The visiting captain may not have scored big runs, but this did not deter him from leading the team with an iron hand. It is at times when things are not going well that the character of a cricketer is severely tested and, based on what Hussain has done, he has passed with flying colours.

© CricInfo

On the other hand, Sourav Ganguly was definitely not in the best of form with the bat, and this resulted in him being slightly hesitant throughout the series. A captain has to keep track of a lot of issues, and when personal form is poor, there is every chance of haziness creeping into the mind. The spinners were expected to bowl the visitors out without too much fuss; they did that well enough, but the batsmen were the ones to be blamed. In a way, Ganguly’s gang was puzzled by Hussain’s tactics. Ganguly may not come out openly and say so, but one got the impression that he did not get his choice of medium pacers. Even so, it was a shame that the visitors were allowed to call the shots in the second and third Tests.The lesson to be learnt from this series is that Ganguly should try to utilise the resources on hand rather than brood over the absence of his choices. This is where Hussain showed that inexperienced bowlers can do the job as long as they enjoy the skipper’s confidence. This has not been Ganguly’s problem alone; the same mindset prevailed in the case of his predecessors as well. To add to his woes, the visiting team’s medium pacers zeroed in on Ganguly, and it was clear that he succumbed to pressures that were mounted on him from all directions. It just goes to show that, regardless of experience, pressure has a sinister knack of having the final say.

ScorecardNikita Miller’s match haul of 9 for 113 and an important knock of 39 in the second innings led Jamaica to a 30-run win over Windward Islands at Sabina Park. Miller, who took five wickets in the second innings, bowled Windward out for 145 in a chase of 176 and added to his first-innings returns of 4 for 67.With the bat, Miller rescued Jamaica from a score of 25 for 7, sharing a 76-run partnership with Damion Jacobs for the seventh wicket after Shane Shillingford and Mervin Matthew had cut through the batting. Both Shillingford and Matthew finished with five-fors. The partnership between Miller and Jacobs helped stretch Jamaica’s first-innings lead of 47 to 175, which proved too much for Windward.Jamaica posted 259 in their first innings, building around Andre McCarthy’s 92, while John Campbell and David Bernard chipped in with 43. Liam Sebastien was the pick of Windward bowlers with figures of 7 for 58. Windward managed 212 in response, the only noteable score being Sunil Ambris’ 89. Apart from Miller, Jacobs was also among the wickets in the first innings, taking 3 for 76.