On Sunday, the last day of the North Zone Ranji Trophy tie betweenServices and Haryana at the Air Force Station Ground in New Delhi, thefinal result was a draw in spite of a stunning batting display byHaryana captain Parinder Sharma.Services started the day on 312/9 in their first innings trailingbehind Haryana’s first innings score of 389. In the fourth over of themorning Services were all out for 327 giving Haryana a lead of 62.Haryana wanted to force an outright victory and went on the offensive.Their second innings was a kamikaze effort. Captain Parinder Sharmahit a whirlwind unbeaten 103 off 72 balls including 12 fours and asix. Wickets fell at the other end like nine pins but Parinder Sharmawas riding his luck to glory.S Dalal (20) and Jasvir Singh (25) were the only batsmen to giveParinder some kind of support. As soon as Parinder reached his centuryHaryana declared their second innings on 176/8 in 26.2 overs.Services had their task cut out. They were set 239 in 56 overs for awin. The match was poised for a close finish. So it did. At closeServices were 152/7 clinging on to dear life. Haryana tried their bestto force the issue through Pankaj Thakur 2/45 and Amit Mishra 3/69.Services owe their three points to Harish Bhaskar (30) and SarabjitSingh (51). Haryana collected five points thanks to their firstinnings lead.

The Zimbabwean tourists began their first-class programme with an aggressive bowling performance against Canterbury at Jade Stadium today. Canterbury closed on 185 for 4 in 90 overs, making for a slow, inconclusive start.Stand in skipper Guy Whittall put the home side in after Heath Streak withdrew ill before the start. What always promised to be a long day’s fielding practice began with Robbie Frew and season debutant, Harley James seeing off the new ball, surprisingly taken by 33 year old Zimbabwe newcomer, Angus Mackay.When James, who hit a 50 on his previous first class outing against the same opposition 2 seasons ago, eventually fell, 75 had been added in slow, but steady fashion. Henry Olonga, much the fastest of the Zimbabwean bowlers, had him lbw, during a lively spell, following an erratic mixture of bouncers and no balls.At lunch, on 78-1 Canterbury’s internationals still had not been seen. Astle, whom the national selectors had persuaded Canterbury to play, did not reach the crease until 48 minutes from the close, while Gary Stead, unwanted by his country, batted at six rather than the opening position where he has been so successful this season. Canterbury coach, Garry MacDonald, used his authority to play Stead in the best position for the team. Despite this, it was odd that Hamish Barton and Marcel McKenzie, both playing for their cricketing lives, were left without a senior partner.Leg spinner Brian Murphy bowled a long containing spell, complimented by Mackay’s endless stream of short pitchers from the Hadlee Stand end, which gave Barton a bit of a work over. Frew had gone not long after a rain delayed resumption, tamely giving left armer Bryan Strang a return catch after a neat 44.Barton batted for 150 balls, hitting nine fours and 12 singles in his 48. Both he and McKenzie, after adding 71 for the third wicket in 34 overs before and after tea, fell to the new ball, taken by the fiery Olonga and steady Strang. Olonga found the edge with his extra pace with the very first delivery after Whittall took the cherry, right on 80 overs. McKenzie fell on the same score.Astle and Stead batted out the day, finally adding some class to what had been a grind for the meagre crowd, enlivened only by the Zimbabwean zest of Olonga and Mackay.

Jimmy Taylor struck his second century inside six days to guide Winchester KS to the top of the Southern Electric Southern Premier League Division 3 table.Taylor, who stroked WKS into the regional ECB Club Championship semi-final with an undefeated hundred at Andover last Sunday, hit 102 to take his side to a seven-wicket win at Hook & Newnham Basics.He hit a six and 12 fours as Winchester coasted past Hook’s 219 (Kaminski 40).Deposed leaders Havant kept their unbeaten record intact when they scrambled a dramatic last-ball win over Gosport Borough.Lee Wateridge struck an unbeaten 100 and John Adams a slick 51 not out as Gosport reached 217-2.Despite Simon Hole’s half-century, Havant didn’t appear to have a prayer at 151-8, but Ollie Jones (55) and Graham Benton (33) produced an unbroken ninth wicket stand of 67 to give Havant victory off the final ball.Michael Heffernan struck a best-yet 98 not out as Alton remained in touch at the top with a six-wicket win over Lymington II.A half-century from Graham Barrett helped St Cross Symondians win by four wickets at Waterlooville, while Jamie Scott weighed in with 5-12 as Portsmouth II routed Paultons for 88.Left-arm spinner John Dolman took 5-28 in New Milton’s thumping 169-run victory over struggling Leckford.Rowledge won by 47 runs at United Services – but eight players had wallets and mobile phones stolen as thieves ransacked the visitors changing rooms for the econd consecutive week at Burnaby Road.Purbrook are gradually picking themselves up after an undistinguished start. The comfortably beat Flamingos, with Colin Pay and Mike Hennessy each notching half-centuries.Flamingos, who finished at 150-8, again batted poorly, with Ian Hitchings (46 not out) sparing their blushes in the closing stages.John Harris top scored with 47 and Sandeep Halder grabbed three early wickets as Hursley Park inflicted a fourth successive defeat on Bashley (Rydal).

Northamptonshire had built a solid platform in their bid to avoid the follow-on at the end of day two of the CricInfo Championship clash with Glamorgan at Cardiff.Australian Mike Hussey and Mal Loye helped Northamptonshire to 116-1 by the close needing a further 291 to avoid batting again after Glamorgan had declared their first inning on 556-7.All six of the top order scored half-centuries as Glamorgan strengthened their position after they had dominated the first day.Glamorgan eventually declared their first innings 20 minutes before tea when Robert Croft holed out just seven short of what would have been his second championship 100.Croft was the sixth Glamorgan batsman to 50 or more – equalling the feat that first happened in 1951 against Derbyshire at Cardiff Arms Park.Glamorgan had resumed this morning on 370-3 losing only the wicket ofAdrian Dale in the first session.After lunch Mike Powell perished 14 short of what would have been his second century against Northamptonshire this season, while Mark Wallace was run out and Croft was caught on the mid-wicket boundary.Northamptonshire negotiated a tricky seven overs before tea but shortly afterwards they lost Adrian Rollins, in his first championship game of the summer, trapped lbw sweeping to Croft.Spin could play a crucial factor in a wearing Sophia Gardens pitch butHussey and Loye did a good job in nullifying the threat of both Croft and Dean Cosker to both register half-centuries before the close.

Canada opened up its 2001 ICC Trophy campaign with an impressive nine-wicket victory over Singapore at the Toronto Cricket, Skating and Curling Club today.The host side made early inroads into the Singapore top order after being asked to field first, removing captain Johann Peiris (3) and Narayanan Balasubbramanian (0) from consecutive balls in the second over.When young middle order batsman Josh Dearing (77) was joined at the crease by Zubin Schroff (27) with the score at 3/48 in the nineteenth over, it looked as though a short contest was on the cards. However the pair put together a partnership of increasing confidence and momentum, adding 67 off 108 deliveries.It took a quicker delivery from tidy left arm orthodox spinner Barry Seebaran (2/24 from ten overs) to break the stand, inducing an edge to wicketkeeper Ashish Bagai to dismiss Schroff.Dearing, the dominant scorer of the innings, reached his half-century on his maiden ICC Trophy appearance from 71 balls, a display which by that stage had already included three fours and two wonderful sixes down the ground. With the total at 132, he became the sixth Singapore batsman to be removed, by a skidding ball from fast medium bowler Sanjay Thuraisingham (2/20 off ten overs).His departure signalled the beginning of the end for the Singaporeans, with the final seven wickets falling for just 54 runs to bring an end to the innings at 169, three deliveries short of their full allotment.Thuraisingham, who showed an ability to generate handy pace despite a short stature and stocky build, and Seebaran were the most effective Canadian bowlers.Two players with influence from major cricketing countries were the other wicket-takers, with Australian John Davison and New Zealander Ian Billcliff, who took a sensational return catch to dismiss Sandeep Seth (5), snaring one apiece.A light sprinkling of rain during the lunch break briefly threatened to ruin what had been a wonderfully warm but humid day up until that point, but play resumed on time with no adjustments required.Openers Nicholas Degroot and Ishwar Maraj set about the target with real intent, particularly the left-handed Maraj who attacked with unorthodox menace, playing some effective lofted horizontal bat shots down the ground.The pair racked up an even hundred in just 19 overs together before Dearing wrecked Maraj’s castle with his score on 58, an innings which spanned just 56 balls and included eight boundaries.Degroot immediately boosted his scoring rate, and in tandem with Muneeb Diwan (22), wiped off the remaining 70 runs smartly to ensure an efficient win with 94 balls to spare.Degroot finished up with a polished 82 off 108 balls including nine fours, an innings which contained as many rasping drives as delicate late cuts to toy with the Singapore field.

Holland claimed the ICC Trophy with a thrilling last ball victory bytwo wicket over Namibia here at the Toronto Cricket Curling andSkating Club Sunday (partly reported in Monday’s edition).Both Holland and Namibia have already qualified for the 2003 World Cupwith the third spot for the South frican tournament to be decided whenScotland face hosts Canada in the all-important qualifying finalTuesday.On Sunday, though, Holland won the battle of the giants in the nerveshattering, fate-fluctuating final. The Dutchmen relied on the battingof Jacob Jan Esmeijer and Klaas-Jan van Noortwijk, who both struckhalf centuries as Holland reached 196 for eight.Noortwijk scored exactly 50 with the help of five boundaries beforebeing bowled by B. Kotze, Man-of-the-Match Jacob Jan Esmeijer, who isbetter known as JJ, cracked unbeaten 58 off 51 balls.Esmeijer came to the crease when the chips were down. Six wickets hadgone with 106 runs on the board and the Namibians had every reason tobe hopeful of victory. But JJ changed the whole complexion of the gamescoring runs on each and every ball to keep the scoreboard moving. Hehit two towering sixes and as many boundaries to help his team toreach victory spot.”We never thought the fight in the ICC Trophy final will be so tough,”Roland Lefebvre, Holland skipper, said after the match.”At one stag, we needed something very special and JJ certainly gaveus something very special,” he said. “Towards the end of the game,both teams were under great pressure.”Lefebvre noted the Namibians were more nervous and as a result therewere a lot of misfields, a lot of fumbles, a lot of twos which theygave away. “I think we capitalized on that, kept going, and playedquite cleverly. JJ hit a couple of big ones but there was a lot oftwos and quick singles taken to get us close to the target.”

England spent a frustrating day battling with disruptions and distractions to give Australia the upper hand at the end of the first day of the Second npower Test Match at Lord’s.Bad light, rain and long-standing appointments with HM The Queen all played their part in challenging the batsmen’s ability to hold their concentration and the bowlers skill in maintaining their rhythm but by the close, England were 121 for four, three of the wickets falling after 5pm.Graham Thorpe showed what England had lacked in the middle order in the last Test at Edgbaston by making an unbeaten 16 including seven scampered threes, ruling out any doubts over the fitness troubles that have kept him out of cricket for two months.The Surrey left-hander was batting with his county colleague Alec Stewart when bad light forced the players off for the last time at 6.50pm having seen another county colleague Mark Ramprakash depart five balls earlier for 14.After a comfortable start Ramprakash, who was recalled as cover for the injured Nasser Hussain and Michael Vaughan, was bowled by a superb Brett Lee inswinger which had him completely bamboozled. On his old home track, Ramprakash played confidently, helping a scratchy looking Thorpe, who had not played Test cricket since the Second Test against Pakistan, find his feet.But his loss meant Australia took the honours on a day that fell 50 overs short of a normal playing day. Had England finished day one with only Marcus Trescothick, Mark Butcher and Mike Atherton back in the pavilion, those honours would probably have gone to England who had played the fiery Australian bowlers with confidence.Trescothick was the first to go in the 12th over with the score on 33 when he was caught behind off Jason Gillespie in the only dismissal of the day which was down to poor batting rather than good bowling.An edge from Butcher gave Mark Waugh his 157th Test catch which put him at the top of the table, equal with his former Australian colleague and captain Mark Taylor. It was not one of his most spectacular catches but it was a milestone, which pegged England back on 75 for two.After being at the crease for more than two and a half hours, Atherton was leg before to Glenn McGrath offering no shot having made a typically gritty 37 though he looked at the start to be setting out his stall in the first over of the morning by pulling McGrath cheekily to the square leg boundary.There were five boundaries in his innings and England would have been in a stronger position in the morning had he been able to overcome the bad light and rain disruptions. It was the 15th time McGrath had seen off Atherton and his wicket gave him figures of 2-29 for the day. Gillespie, quick but occasional wayward, finished with 1-43

Leicestershire lost their unbeaten record in the Norwich Union League when they fell one run short of Somerset’s 263-7 at Taunton.Peter Bowler had been the mainstay of Somerset’s total with 104, butLeicestershire looked on course for victory after another explosive innings from Shahid Afridi.The Pakistan batsman, who cracked 95 against Lancashire in the C&G Trophy semi-final on Monday, struck 68 from 30 deliveries, with 12 fours and three sixes.He was dropped on 22 and 55, but his luck ran out when Mike Burns held a deep midwicket catch off Jason Kerr at the second attempt.Leicestershire then slumped to 145-6 before Aftab Habib and Neil Burns rebuilt their innings. Habib was caught in the deep for 44, but Burns nearly engineered an amazing win.Sixteen were needed off the last over, bowled by Kerr, and Burns struck a four and a six off the fourth and fifth deliveries.But he could only take two to midwicket from the last ball as their hopes of a 14th successive one-day win were dashed.Earlier, after home skipper Jamie Cox had won the toss, Bowler and IanBlackwell put on 163 in 26 overs for the opening wicket with some superb strokeplay.Both players finished with 12 fours and a six and, while Blackwell fell for 86, Bowler advanced to the sixth limited overs century of his career and his second against Leicestershire this season, following his 138 not out in the CricInfo Championship match at Grace Road.Blackwell, promoted to open, looked set for his maiden one-day hundred until he was caught behind off James Ormond.But there was no denying Bowler, who reached his hundred with a four to fine leg off Darren Maddy.If the C&G final between the counties is anything like this, it should be quite a contest.

Somerset Sabres came back to earth with a jolt when they were soundly beaten by Warwickshire Bears on their return to action in the white ball game at The County Ground today.Saturday’s “Man of the Match” winner Keith Parsons said after the game “We were very disappointed at the result today. We needed to win to be certain of staying up in the top flight. Now we have put more pressure on ourselves for the lst game against Northants here on September 16th.”The local hero went on,”It was hard work batting out there this morning, and we thought that 190 was enough, but as it turned out it was an awful lot short.”Somerset skipper Jamie Cox said,” I thought that 190 was a good score on the wicket this morning, but as the day went on it obviously was’nt.” He went on,”to be honest we haven’t played consistently well enough this season to guarantee that we stay up.”

Lancashire’s relegation worries deepened as rain ruined the first day oftheir Cricinfo Championship match against Kent at Old Trafford.Kent reached 117 for three after being put in before rain forced an earlylunch, and continued all afternoon with play abandoned at 4pm.Lancashire therefore took a single bowling bonus point while relegationrivals Northants, five points behind them at start of play, piled on theruns against Somerset at Taunton.The day had started well for Lancashire with Glen Chapple trapping DavidFulton lbw for a duck and having Ed Smith brilliantly caught by Mark Chiltonat short leg for seven to leave Kent on 12 for two.But Robert Key and Andrew Symonds responded with a third-wicket stand of77.Muttiah Muralitharan, who Lancashire flew back from Sri Lanka especiallyfor this game and was bowling by the 12th over, then took a sharp returncatch to dismiss Symonds for an entertaining 50-ball 43, which included fiveboundaries.But Key moved on to 42 and was joined by Matthew Walker to take the totalto 117 for three when the rain set in at 12.30.Lancashire were missing Peter Martin because of a shin injury and therewas no Mike Atherton, who changed his mind about making an Old Traffordfarewell because of his ongoing back problems.