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The Antigua Cricket Association Inc. (ACA) has vowed to participate as a separate entity in this year’s Red Stripe Bowl Competition. This, despite a recent resolution of the Leeward Islands Cricket Association (LICA) that would require them to participate as part of a combined Leewards team.During the LICA regular general meeting held on Saturday, 18th August, in Anguilla a motion was passed “not to allow Antigua to accept the invitation from the West Indies Cricket Board Inc. (WICB), to field a separate team in the Red Stripe Bowl.” Instead, LICA voted for two teams (i) Leewards East (Antigua, Montserrat, and Combined Virgin Islands) and (ii) Leewards West (St. Kitts, Nevis and Anguilla), both representing LICA in the competition. However, the ACA representatives – John Maginley and Zorol Barthley – voted in favour of the ACA accepting the said invitation from the WICB. Enoch Lewis, the ACA’s president was also in attendance as LICA’s representative to the WICB.Communication to this effect was today sent to the WICB and the matter is now being considered (again), and a final decision on this delicate matter is expected tomorrow. Meanwhile, ACA today confirmed that they are still going ahead with plans for their solo participation in this year’s Red Stripe Bowl. A 24-man squad has already been called up for training.The WICB’s Chief Cricket Operations Officer – Michael Hall – weighed in on this latest controversy. Hall indicated that at the WICB’s meeting of 21st July, the LICA representatives (Enoch Lewis and Carlisle Powell), advised that the winner of the Leeward Islands one day tournament – Antigua – would be the “individual” team and a “rest” team will compete in the Red Stripe Bowl 2001.Hall stressed that the WICB is committed to expanding the Red Stripe Bowl competition, but are not able to go through with the desired expansion plans “primarily for financial reasons.” He also confirmed that the WICB at its 21st July meeting in Barbados had “no prior indication that the Leewards participation was in jeopardy”. The Board accepted the proposal as put forward by the two LICA representatives and only learned of the situation today.According to Hall, “the Windward Islands could not devise a mechanism by which they could transparently select an individual island”. For this reason, special dispensation has been made in which there will be a “Windwards North” and a “Windwards South” team for the competition. Hall stressed that this is a “one off” situation.The WICB will make a ruling on this latest controversy in West Indies cricket tomorrow.

Surrey, the defending title-holders, crushed Leicestershire by an innings and178 runs in their championship match at Oakham School and moved to the head of Division One.Off-spinner Saqlain Mustaq completed the rout with 5-35 in 15 overs. The lastthree wickets fell in 11 deliveries as Surrey applied the coup de grace just before the skies opened. Leicestershire began the morning at 134-9 and added only 9 more runs before they were following on 362 runs behind. The home county’s hopes until the weather intervened were frustrated as they lost four batsmen for 42 by lunch.Darren Maddy, caught at the wicket to the first ball, started the trend which Vince Wells, Iain Sutcliffe and Aftab Habib followed. Although Alex Tudor could not bowl because of a side strain, Surrey did not require his services. There still seemed to be runs in the pitch, but Leicestershire batted like a side fore-doomed to failure. Darren Stevens (68) with 11 fours in 80 balls was the one exception.Chris Lewis seemed to help him extend his former county – then after putting on62 runs for the sixth-wicket he, too, was caught at the wicket by Batty.Saqlain spun out the lower-order without much further ado.

A second round of interviews will be undertaken before the appointment of a coach for the CLEAR Black Caps is announced.The board of New Zealand Cricket at its meeting today was briefed about the short-listed candidates and was advised the New Zealand team manager Jeff Crowe will also be involved in the process.He was not available for the first round of interviews due to an overseas commitment.New Zealand Cricket’s operations manager John Reid said today: “The inclusion of Jeff Crowe in a second round of interviews with the leading candidates will add an important team management perspective and is crucial to the decision-making process.”It was expected an appointment might be made today by the board, and annnounced next week.However, the board said there was no urgency in the appointment and they wanted to make sure the decision was right.The position will be made in time for the successful candidate to be able to join the New Zealand team on its tour of Pakistan in September.

* Pakistan plans tight security for Indian cricket team’s visitTight security will be in place when the Indian cricket team travel toPakistan for an ice breaking Test match in September, Pakistan CricketBoard (PCB) chief Lieutenant General Tauqir Zia said in Karachi onSunday.”We have planned special tight security during the Lahore Test inSeptember this year,” Zia told reporters, adding that he hoped theBoard of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) would be given the allclear by the Indian government for the visit. India is scheduled toplay their first Test in Pakistan for 12 years when they feature in anAsian Test Championship match from September 12-16.When India played their last Test series in Pakistan in 1989-90, areligious party activist attacked then-Indian captain KrishnamachariSrikanth during the Karachi Test. Srikkanth though was unscathed assecurity personnel arrested the attacker.* Baroda, Mumbai to play triangular series in KenyaRanji Trophy champions Baroda and former champions Mumbai will play atriangular limited overs cricket tournament in Kenya, with the hostteam being the third team, from September 10 to 24.The Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) joint secretary Mayank Khandwalatold PTI in Mumbai on Monday that the Mumbai team will play Baroda andKenya three times each in the league phase. The final is slated forSeptember 24. Mumbai will also play a three-day match against Kenya.Kenya had invited Mumbai last year as well but the tour was cancelleddue to non-availability of star batsman Sachin Tendulkar, who was busywith the Indian team’s conditioning camp for the International CricketCouncil’s (ICC) Mini WorldCup.* Manoj Prabhakar’s remand extendedA court in Bhawali has extended judicial remand of the former Indiancricketer Manoj Prabhakar till August 3 in the chit fund case, policesaid in Dehra Dun on Sunday. The judicial magistrate Devraj Prasadissued orders to this effect after visiting the private nursing homein Haldwani, where Prabhakar has been admitted to enquire about hiscondition on Saturday evening, the assistant director general ofpolice Anil Raturi told PTI in Dehra Dun.Prabhakar was admitted to the hospital on July 3 following suspectedbrain stroke and doctors attending on him have stated his condition tobe stable.

Tasmania and South Australia are the two states with the smallest populations in Australia and they’re also often depicted as possessing two of the more unfancied teams among the six that are drawn together in Pura Cup competition.Yet, as they watched the Tigers defiantly plot their way to a mark of 5/236 by stumps, the few people on hand at the Bellerive Oval in Hobart for the opening day of this match could barely have wished for a more earnest struggle.The South Australians started well, securing an important victory at the toss and gaining first use of a green-tinged pitch that offered plenty of assistance to the bowlers. They claimed their first wicket just three deliveries into the match and there were another four to come before the total had even surpassed 122.But Tasmania, having started far more slowly, finished far more impressively.Without their three front-line members in Jason Gillespie, Paul Wilson and Brett Swain, it has to be said that the Redbacks’ attack produced a manful performance.Left armer Mark Harrity (2/50) was especially impressive early, even looking like the uncompromising firebrand of a few years ago when he peppered former state teammate Daniel Marsh (26) with a brace of superbly aimed short deliveries after lunch. And fellow paceman Paul Rofe (1/58) also bowled well, albeit that his end-of-day figures didn’t entirely reflect the consistency of his line and length.It was Harrity who made the opening breakthrough by dispatching Dene Hills (0), and he later claimed the most prized Tasmanian wicket of all when he tempted Jamie Cox (35) into mistiming a leg glance and feathering a catch to wicketkeeper Graham Manou.He was also a prime factor in consigning Tasmania to potentially desperate peril at 2/10, by which point Hills and Michael Dighton (6) had already edged deliveries into the slips.Cox, Shane Watson (32) and Marsh worked grimly to restore the situation on a pitch offering the variability in bounce and consistent seam movement that its green hue had suggested it might.But the innings then threatened to unravel for a second time when the trio perished in relatively quick succession in the middle session.Such an outlook didn’t figure on a sterling unbeaten association of 114 runs for the sixth wicket between two left handers of differing builds and at differing ends of their careers, though. Shaun Young (66*) and Sean Clingeleffer (55*) were joined shortly before tea but were still unparted by stumps, having based their liaison upon sensible accumulation, discerning punishment of bad deliveries and equally prudent running between the wickets.Young is already an adept hand at foiling opposition attacks and Clingeleffer, a wicketkeeper-batsman of such immense promise that his future Test prospects are already being talked up in Tasmania, showed he is rapidly coming to grips with the same art. Accordingly, theirs was a partnership that provided gross frustration for the Redbacks.More insult was added by the notion that an already lengthy South Australian injury list was extended to include a new casualty in Ryan Harris. After bowling less than ten overs on his first-class debut, Harris (2/26) strained a pectoral muscle and was forced from the field. Doubt already surrounds his capacity to bowl again tomorrow.

A fighting unbeaten 90 by S Raza Ali went in vainas Railways lost to Uttar Pradesh by 17 runs inthe Central Zone Ranji Trophy one day match at theKarnail Singh stadium in New Delhi on Friday.Batting first, UP after losing Jyoti Yadav (5) at23, recovered with the other opener Nazir Ali (57)and M Kaif (77) adding 74 runs for the secondwicket off 17 overs. Nazir Ali was then out afterfacing 67 balls and hitting eight fours. Kaif andR Shamshad (26) maintained the momentum with athird wicket partnership of 54 runs off 12 overs.The innings received further impetus when Kaif andskipper GK Pandey added 84 runs for the fourthwicket off just 10.5 overs. Kaif, who was run out,faced 113 balls and hit four of them to the ropes.Finally Pandey and M Saif (14) slapped on 49 runsfor the unbroken fifth wicket off just 4.5 oversas UP closed at an imposing 284 for four in 50overs. Pandey faced only 59 balls for his breezyunbeaten 86. He hit eight fours and five sixes.Railways were off to a bad start but to theircredit they never gave up and went down by anarrow margin. They lost half the side for 128despite a fine knock by opener Amit Pagnis who hit46 off 49 balls with six hits to the fence. RazaAli and S Sahu (36) initiated a recovery processby figuring in a sixth wicket stand of 66 runs off16 overs. The tail tried their best to stay withRaza Ali but their efforts were not enough.Ultimately Raza Ali was left high and dry asRailways were all out for 267 in 48.4 overs. RazaAli faced 94 balls and hit three fours and a six.Kaif (3 for 50) and Dorai (3 for 48) did the mostto restrict Railways.

Bangladesh fast bowler Taskin Ahmed has said that he is fit for the ODI and T20 series against Zimbabwe next month. He bowled in the Bangladesh nets at full pelt, leaving him quietly confident of returning to the senior side for the first time since June 21. Taskin is one of the 18 players in the preliminary squad for the Zimbabwe series starting on November 7.Eleven of the players turned up for training on Thursday since six will travel back to the country from South Africa on Friday as part of the A side and Shakib Al Hasan is expected to arrive from the USA on Saturday evening.Taskin suffered a tear on his left side during Bangladesh’s second ODI against India in June. He recovered and was sent to India with the Bangladesh A squad but after five overs in the first game on September 16, suffered the same injury and returned home from Bangalore the next day.”There aren’t any problems now,” Taskin said. “I bowled with full effort on Wednesday and today so I am hoping there won’t be any problems ahead too. I could bowl with my usual pace. I didn’t complain to the physio. I will be more confident if I can bowl like this in the next couple of days.”I am confident that since I am free of injury and I don’t feel pain while bowling, I will do well if I get an opportunity to play.”He may, however, be chosen for only one of the formats against Zimbabwe, so as to not put pressure on his body, which has been susceptible to major injuries in the past.Taskin felt he had hurried his return from the side injury in June, which caused a relapse in India.”I didn’t recover fully and had put myself under pressure. But now I have worked hard on my rehabilitation in the past five weeks. I have found rhythm in my bowling too.”

Haryana

Haryana will hope their new captain will lift their spirits and results•Associated Press

Where they finished last season
Second from bottom in Group BBig picture
Last season, only two Haryana batsmen averaged 30 or over in the Ranji Trophy. But six of their bowlers sent down 50 overs or more and averaged under 25. Such numbers come with the territory – in this case their home ground, the Bansi Lal Stadium in Lahli, which hosts the most seam-friendly pitches in India. The five matches Haryana played in Lahli last season produced three 200-plus totals in 17 innings.Results, as they tend to be on pitches of that nature, were a lottery, with Haryana winning two of their home games and losing one. There were two draws, but only because of poor weather that ruled out a fourth day against both Vidarbha and Delhi.Performances away from home, perhaps, were a better gauge of Haryana’s quality: they lost all three of their matches on the road, to Punjab, Gujarat, and bottom-placed Saurashtra.Given that Haryana begin their 2015-16 season with three away games, against three formidable opponents – Maharashtra (semi-finalists and finalists in the last two seasons), Delhi (who topped their group last season) and Karnataka (gunning for a hat-trick of titles) – they will have to find some way to compete in unfamiliar territory.Their task is made harder by the absence of Amit Mishra, Mohit Sharma – both part of India’s limited-overs squads for their series against South Africa – and Joginder Sharma. This will leave a bulk of the bowling burden to be borne by Harshal Patel and the spinners Jayant Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal.Batting is usually the bigger worry for Haryana, and the acquisition of Virender Sehwag – he will also captain them – will be accompanied by both excitement and anxiety. Over the last couple of years, there has been a perceptible dimming of his powers, but are they still at a level that can cause fear among domestic attacks? Almost 37, and with no realistic prospect of an international comeback, how much enthusiasm can he sustain over a domestic season with barely any breathing room?Surendra Bhave, their coach, isn’t too worried. “I don’t have to say what sort of impact [Sehwag] would have on any cricket team,” he says. “He has been wonderful so far. Every player he has spoken to personally. He’s a very good mentor also. He’s doing an excellent job. Coming from him, it makes a lot of difference, coming from a great achiever.”Players to watch
Yuzvendra Chahal recently earned a call-up to the India A T20 side against the South Africans thanks to his performances in the shortest format, particularly the IPL. But in a career that began in 2009, Chahal has only played 17 first-class matches (32 wickets at 40.06). If he gets an extended run in the Haryana side in the absence of Amit Mishra, can Chahal show that his legbreaks belong in the longest format as well?Himanshu Rana will only turn 17 on the day the Ranji season begins, but has already shown glimpses of what could be a special talent. His coach Surendra Bhave calls him a “cracking player”. On his debut last season, Rana made 80 against Delhi, and followed it up with a 149 that set up an innings win over Rajasthan. He topped Haryana’s batting averages last season, and his side will hope he can shore up their often brittle top order again.Preparation
Apart from a pre-season camp and practice matches in Lahli, Haryana also geared up for the season by playing the KSCA tournament (four-day matches) in Karnataka and the Buchi Babu tournament (two-day matches) in Chennai.Squad
Virender Sehwag (capt), Chaitanya Bishnoi, Sanjay Budhwar, Yuzvendra Chahal, Rahul Dagar, Rahul Dalal, Rahul Dewan, Ashish Hooda, Sanjay Pahal, Harshal Patel, Himanshu Rana, Sachin Rana, Nitin Saini (wk), Guntashveer Singh, Priyank Tehlan, Jayant Yadav.In their own words
“The data shows that teams which play well at home usually do very well in domestic cricket. But we would like to look at it in a thorough manner and start winning outside also, which is very crucial for us.”

Scorecard
Ranil Dhammika, the left-arm spinner, claimed career-best figures of 6 for 39 as Lankan Cricket Club beat Burgher Recreation Club by 113 runs to clinch the Tier B section of the Premier Limited Over Tournament, Sri Lanka’s main domestic List A tournament.Chasing 276 to win, Burgher were off to a solid start with Dilan Sandagirigoda being involved in a 60-run opening stand with Chamil Perera (28). But Burgher went downhill once an opening was found by Dammika, who caught Perera off his own bowling.Dhammika then wreaked havoc with the middle order, dismissing three more batsmen, including Sandagirigoda for 44. Wicketkeeper Mudhita Fernando made 15 before he was run out while Janaka Kumarage, the No 3 batsman, was trapped by Raju Gayashan as the pressure got to Burgher. When Sathira Fernando was dismissed by captain Suranjit Silva, Burgher had slumped to a precarious 116 for 7, having lost their first seven wickets for the addition of only 56 runs.The late-order delayed the inevitable, with Marlan Madusanka taking 31 balls for his unbeaten 11, before Dhammika returned to apply the finishing touches, trapping both Romesh Eranga (19) and Roshan Fernando as Burgher were bowled out for 162.Earlier, Lankan, who were put in by Burgher, were led by a run-a-ball 79 from Nuwan Shiroman on their way to 275. Shiroman, who struck seven fours and two sixes in his innings, was involved in 59-run stands with Chanaka Withanage (18) and Dammika Gunawardene (35) for the first and second wicket respectively.Gunawardene was dismissed by offspinner Thamara Abeyratne, but Shiroman and Rasika Priyadarshana (22) kept the runs coming. The duo, though, were dismissed within the space of three balls – Priyadarshana caught by Madusanka off Abeyratne, while Shiroman was run out.But wicketkeeper Upul Fernando, who smashed two sixes during his aggressive 40 and Dhammika, who made a boundary-less 26, made sure that Lankan set up an imposing target.