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Scorecard
A spirited performance from England Lions’ gave them the edge going into the final day of their match against Central Zone. Chasing a stiff 296 for victory, they reached a confident 146 for 1 by stumps in Vadodara.Joe Denly was the only Lions’ wicket to fall, trapped in front by left-arm spinner Praveen Gupta for 15. Michael Carberry and captain Michael Yardy then forged an unbroken 116-run stand for the second wicket to lead the Lions’ pursuit. Needing to score the highest total of the match to win, Carberry and Yardy both played patient knocks to ensure there was no repeat of the second day’s batting collapse. Carberry, who made 35 in the first innings, didn’t throw away his start this time, finishing on an unbeaten 71, including 12 fours and a six. The experienced Yardy had reached 57 by stumps.Central had started the day in control after gaining a 115-run first-innings lead but were kept down to a moderate 180 in their second. With a top-order collapse seeing them at a parlous 39 for 4, Mohammad Kaif, the captain, tried to salvage the situation, top scoring with 42. The tail also resisted with a 60-run partnership for the seventh wicket between Jalaj Saxena (27) and Sanjib Sanyal (37).All the Lions’ bowlers chipped in, with Graham Onions being the most successful, taking three wickets. Monty Panesar was expensive but got the big wicket of the in-form Kaif while legspinner Adil Rashid made short work of the last two wickets.

With the rumour mills working overtime, India’s next captain will, it seems, be decided by either a straight shoot-out between Sachin Tendulkar and Mahendra Singh Dhoni or a split between the two. With Tendulkar, the question is whether or not he wants the job for the shorter version of the game. With Dhoni it’s a question of whether he is ready for the job just now. Either way, with no other real candidate presenting themselves, it seems that the selectors will have to go with someone who is reluctant, or someone on whom the job is thrust before his time.A reluctant leader is usually not a good one and Tendulkar’s stance on one-day cricket has been pretty clear in the recent past. In a widely reproduced interview to the , London, a fortnight ago, Tendulkar had spoken in some detail about how difficult it was for him to recover between one-day matches. It is learned that Tendulkar has spoken to Dilip Vengsarkar, the chairman of the national selection committee, about these problems, and asking if there was a chance he could be used a bit more sparingly in the shorter version of the game. Vengsarkar would not confirm this.However, with India playing 12 ODIs at home in the next two months, seven against Australia and five against Pakistan, there was every chance Tendulkar would have been rested at some point. This was the scenario before Rahul Dravid stepped down from the top job.Whether this has changed or not is anyone’s guess. If Tendulkar thought he wasn’t keen on playing every ODI that India played, it’s tough to see him accepting the additional responsibility of captaincy. However, the lure of reclaiming a job that was once his, in the evening of his career, might just be too much to resist.If not Tendulkar, the selectors are almost certain to go with Dhoni. This could well result in a scenario where the Indian captaincy is split for the first time. For the moment, the selectors have to decide merely on the captain for the ODIs against Australia, which gives them some breathing space. They’ll need to pick a Test captain soon enough, though, with Pakistan arriving in India in early November for a Test and ODI series.Cricinfo has learned the selectors could well persuade one of the seniors – and Tendulkar is the leading candidate here – to “hold the fort” as far as the Test captaincy is concerned while Dhoni grows into the job leading the team in ODIs. The serious concern over handing Dhoni the captaincy in both forms of the game is that the next two Test series India plays are its most demanding, against Pakistan and in Australia. The Australians’ reputation of targeting captains for special treatment adds to the selectors’ concerns, and they don’t want to throw Dhoni in at the deep end.If they do decide to split the captaincy and are forced to look beyond Tendulkar, two well-qualified fringe candidates emerge in VVS Laxman and Anil Kumble. Both have leadership experience, and both command the respect of their peers. The only problem in this case is that neither is a 100% certainty to play all Tests. When India have tinkered with their combinations – playing an extra seamer or an extra bowler – Kumble, and more so Laxman, have been left out.With Harbhajan out of the mix at the moment, though, Kumble’s place in the Test side, both home and away, is set. In Laxman’s case, the likelihood of India playing six batsmen against Pakistan and Australia, makes him a sure starter.Kumble’s obvious advantage is that he has won more matches for India single-handedly than anyone else in this squad, and commands respect. He has always considered it an honour to lead the team, and it’s only a mixture of timing and circumstance that has meant that this thinking cricketer has never been captain. What’s more, Kumble is sure to be a non-parochial captain, non-controversial, non-confrontational (off the field) captain, and this will make things smooth for the selectors and the board.What’s more, if either Kumble or Laxman is given the job, it will clearly be only on an interim basis. They will merely be warming the chair for Dhoni, who can take up the job when India are faced with smaller mountains to climb. Giving the reins to a Tendulkar or a Ganguly might make that transition that much more difficult. Ganguly has already had his run as captain and achieved more than anyone else has in the job. At the moment he is enjoying his batting, and producing results, and might not even want the job, if it’s offered to him.From the outside, it seems like a rather complex choice before the selectors. But that’s only because it’s unclear whom they have sounded out and what the responses have been. When they meet in Mumbai on Tuesday, they might just buy themselves some time by appointing Dhoni for the one-dayers, and leaving the larger decision till later.

The sight of empty stands at a limited overs match in India, played underlights, in Mumbai, thought to be the spiritual home of Indian cricket, wasa first. Yuvraj Singh, Harbhajan Singh and Robin Uthappa were up against each other, in coloured clothing, and apart from a few Cricket Club of India members and their enthusiastic grandchildren, one match observer, some officials and a handful ofjournalists, there was no one watching a game specifically designed todraw audiences to cricket.It was a bit of a first to see Yuvraj, arguably the best fielder in thecountry, fielding at third-man instead of his customary position at pointor cover, but then Twenty20 is different. The strokes batsmen play aredifferent, the intentions of the bowlers, their plans to take wickets, aredifferent from what you see in 50-over cricket. But what even more of afirst was someone in the pavilion yelling out to Yuvraj, asking who wasplaying. “Punjab against Karnataka,” he yelled back, “Punjab are fielding.”The matter of the show-cause notice has been declared closedby the board but Yuvraj was still wary about talking to anyone from themedia. He did, though, share a few thoughts about this new form of the game.”It is a big challenge. You have to go out there and score quickly, but,like one-day cricket, it’s not just about slogging the ball. It’s not aseasy as it looks,” said Yuvraj. “Playing here will helpus acclimatise for the Twenty20 World Championship. This is a format whereallrounders and utility cricketers will have a bigger role to play.”Barring a few of India’s big names, who’ve played domestic cricket at ahigh level in England, Twenty20 cricket is new to most. And given that this is thefirst edition of the tournament, there’s bound to be a fewstatisticians in business, recording the time somethinghas occurred in this form of the game in India.Indeed, there was a first of a different kind on April 7 at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.Indian cricket saw its first bowl out when the match between Gujarat and Saurashtra ended with the scores level. For most of the players, the bowl out – where bowlers attempt to hit the stumps off a normal delivery with no batsman there toprotect them – was a new concept. You would think that men whocan swing the ball and cut it, flight it and spin it, beat batsmen withvariation and guile, should find the job of hitting unprotected stumps relatively easy. Yet it’s not so.Parthiv Patel, captain of the Gujarat team, though, had seen it before. “Iwas playing for a Combined XI in England in 2005 in a competition that had the champion Twenty20 sides from Pakistan, Sri Lanka, South Africa, besides England,” said Patel, after the event. “”Itwas a rained-out encounter and had to be decided by a bowl out. Unlikeagainst Saurashtra when only five bowlers were given a go, we had 10bowlers, and we won.”Of course, the team Patel was playing for in England was a far moreaccomplished one than the Gujarat side that took the field againstSaurashtra. “My side was quite an experienced side with New Zealand’sStephen Fleming, Phil de Freitas, the former England seamer, our ownRobin Singh and Rohan Gavaskar playing.”And Patel was happy to pass on to his teammates, before the bowl out, what he had learned from his first experience. “I just toldthem not to swing the ball and to try and make things simple. It is not aseasy as it looks from outside. The pressure is high in a bowl-out,” Patelsaid.There are bound to be many more firsts, of various kinds, cricketing andotherwise, but one can only hope that this phenomenon of cricket beingplayed without television coverage or people in the stands watching, isnot a first but a last.

Rain foreshortened the fourth day of the five-day game between South Africa and India at Centurion on Monday, raising the possibility that this contentious match – and the 2001 tour by India – could reach a soggy finale on Tuesday. In the circumstances, it is difficult to think of a more appropriate conclusion to one of international cricket’s most unhappy episodes.When the drizzle of the early afternoon hardened into rain around tea time, India were 118 for two in their second innings. South Africa had declared before the start of play at the overnight 566 for eight, leaving the touring side to score 334 to avoid an innings defeat. Depending on the weather – and widespread rain over southern African is forecast for Tuesday – India may well save this match. How much honour is salvaged from this affair, however, is entirely another question.In all India batted for 46 overs on the fourth day. On a pitch that has flattened out nicely for batting and with the South Africans struggling to find a consistent line, Shiv Das and Connor Williams were able to build a first-wicket stand that eventually yielded 92.They were unable, however, to take it through to lunch after an extended morning session with Williams eventually falling to Lance Klusener as Jacques Kallis held a waist-high catch at second slip. Williams made 42, the chief significance of which is that he finally reached double figures on South African soil after arriving in the country ahead of the first Test a month ago.Williams was down to play in the matches against the President’s XI and a South African A team, both of which were abandoned without a ball bowled, and made 5 in the Indian first innings. That he had a bat at all in what is currently not a Test match will, no doubt, intrigue collectors of cricket trivia in the year to come.India took lunch at 104 for one and returned for 25 minutes before the first break for drizzle. The players returned after 50 minutes, played out another 11 overs – during which time Das was bowled by Shaun Pollock for 48 as the South African captain came in off five paces – and that was it for the day.For India, there was one more bit of bad news. Fast bowler Javagal Srinath, struck on the left hand while batting in the first innings, has a broken finger and will be out of action until December 6. He will miss the first Test against England in Mohali as a result.

Sri Lanka’s attorney-general has ordered the arrest of Thilanga Sumathipala, the cricket-board president and the chairman of Sri Lanka Telecom, for alleged passport fraud, according to newspaper reports on Saturday.According to The Island newspaper, the attorney-general’s order, issued on Thursday night, follows a criminal investigation into Sumathipala’s involvement with an underworld gang leader called Dhammika Amarasinghe.The CID investigation was prompted by a series of newspaper articles during recent weeks published by another newspaper, the Sunday Leader, which alleged that Sumathipala had helped Amarasinghe obtain a fake passport.Sumathipala was also alleged by the newspaper, which passed on evidence to the police, to have authorised the use of cricket-board funds to help finance Amarasinghe’s trip to the UK to watch the 1999 World Cup.Sumathipala has strenously denied any involvement with Amarasinghe, claiming that the allegations are merely a cynical and malicious attempt to smear his reputation. Amarasinghe, currently being held in remand, stands accused of several contract killings and attempted assassinations, including the attempted murder of the Sunday Leader‘s editor Lasantha Wickramatunge in 1998.The attorney-general’s decision to issue a warrant for Sumathipala’s arrest followed the receipt of a CID report last week. Detectives visited his residence at midnight on Thursday but his whereabouts remained unknown on Friday night.Sumathipala was elected as board president for a third term in June, after winning landslide support among the member clubs that make up the board.

Ireland have announced a squad of 13 for their opening fixture in the Friends Provident Trophy against Nottinghamshire at Clontarf this Sunday (April 27).As expected, William Porterfield has been confirmed as captain for the game, taking over from Trent Johnston. Nineteen-year-old James Hall makes his first appearance in the squad, while 17-year-old opener Paul Stirling retains his place, giving the line up a youthful look.Ireland haven’t named an overseas player for the match, and coach Phil Simmons explained: “It’s been difficult to get the right player because of the IPL. I hope however to be in a position to confirm a signing on Tuesday, and he will be available for the seven other games in the competition.”It’s hard when you lose players of the calibre of Trent Johnston and Dave Langford-Smith, but it does give some of the other players a chance to make a name for themselves, and cement a place in the team. It’s a new era, and captain, William Porterfield will be able to assert his style on the team.”Ireland squad William Porterfield (capt), Andre Botha, Alex Cusack, Phil Eaglestone, Thinus Fourie, James Hall, Gary Kidd, Kyle McCallan, Kevin O’Brien, Paul Stirling, Reinhardt Strydom, Andrew White, Gary Wilson.

In a well contested game, Gujarat defeated Saurashtra by 24 runs inthe West Zone Ranji Trophy one day match at the GSFC ground in Barodaon Friday.Put in to bat, Gujarat thanks to valuable knocks by opener AmrishKotecha (42), Kiran Damani (45) and Bhavin Mehta (38) scored 218before being all out in 49.4 overs. Wickets fell at regular intervalsthanks in the main to some good bowling by Niraj Odedra who took fourfor 50 off ten overs.Saurashtra started well and were 55 for one in the 14th over. ButLalit Patel and Tejas Varsani caused a collapse and Saurashtra were107 for six. A seventh wicket partnership of 64 runs off 11.4 oversbetween Hitesh Parsana (39) and Sudip Mehta (42) revived Saurashtra’shopes but the late order succumbed meekly and Saurashtra were all outfor 194 in 47 overs. Lalit Patel (3 for 35 off ten overs) and Varsani(2 for 26 off nine overs) caused the main damage.

Dr Ali Bacher, Executive Director of Cricket World Cup 2003, promised cricket lovers worldwide that the opening ceremony at Newlands in Cape Town would be the biggest event in the history of cricket and the largest production ever staged in South Africa.Some were sceptical, but once again he was true to his promise with 25,000 spectators and an estimated 1.4 billion television viewers enthralled and entertained in a two hour live spectacular.With extravagant costumes and dance routines the ceremony, hosted by comedian Marc Lottering, opened with scenes from a safari with guinea fowl, zebras, meer-cats, and a host of animals flowing into a colourful routine depicting the unity of the "Rainbow Nation" and its people.The humour of life in the townships swept into the tides of the oceans that surround South Africa. Seven scenes in total, a celebration of the continent, the country and Cape Town.Local artists accompanied the dancers in ethnic song, displaying the diverse cultures of the country brought together into unity as one nation and maybe closer than ever by the holding of the 2003 World Cup on home soil.Malcolm Gray, President of the ICC, thanked the people of southern Africa for embracing the tournament with such enthusiasm."It is the largest sports event in Africa’s history and the biggest cricket tournament that has ever been staged. The eyes of the world will be on Africa as you embrace the game and the players, mingling in a strange harmony of contrasts," he said.Each team was warmly embraced by the spectators at the ground, with South Africa, looking to become the first winner on home soil, receiving tumultuous applause as they moved around the boundary before the South African President, Thabo Mbeki officially declared the ICC 2003 World Cup opened.

v Somerset 18-21 April (Bristol)
v Northants 23-26 April (Northants)
v Durham 30 Apr to 3 May (Durham)

Spearman HardingesWeston RussellHancock FisherRhodes BallWindows SillenceTaylor SmithAlleyne Lewis

Director of Cricket, John Bracewell advises, “the rationale behind selecting a squad for 3 games is for both those selected and those no picked to have clearly defined goals for the period and to establish themselves or to make readjustments to in order to be considered for selection. Further, breaking the season into bite sized chunks helps us to stay focused, to apply more of an `event’ philosophy rather than just react to a long list of fixtures. We have a really competitive squad and we want to keep it that way.”Team v Somerset

Spearman WestonHancock RhodesWindows AlleyneRussell FisherSillence LewisSmith

Northamptonshire recorded a double over Hampshire in the Frizzell County Championship Division Two match at the Rose Bowl today, when they reached their set target of 330 with some twelve overs to spare.In the hot sun, the Hampshire bowlers toiled, and did not find the wicket quite as bowler friendly as they did the previous day.Mike Hussey, Northamptonshire’s Australian captain and David Sales shared a 159-run partnership, this after Tim Roberts has been dismissed off Chris Tremlett’s first ball of the morning and Phil Jaques was well caught at forward-short-leg by John Francis.Although both batsmen were out just before the tea interval, Hussey, who compiled exactly 100 and hit 13 fours and Sales, a 125-ball score of 75 with 11 fours and a six, the partnership had set up the remaining batsmen towards victory.Mike Powell and Rob White then took their side to within twelve runs of the win. Shaun Udal took the burden of the overs, bowling 34 as he tried everything in his armory to dislodge the visiting batsmen.Simon Katich, the bowling hero of the first innings, found life much more difficult. His ten overs going for 56 runs. James Bruce took two wickets and showed some guts as he bravely battled, but all was in vein.The mutterings around the Rose Bowl were of whether John Crawley had declared too soon the previous evening. But in fairness, Northamptonshire batted soundly and deserved their victory.