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Cricinfo has learned that the new USA Cricket Association constitution has been approved by 74% of clubs which voted, although the turnout was disappointingly small.Only 180 of the 677 clubs who could have voted did so, despite the deadline being extended. Of the votes received, more than a quarter, surprisingly high number, were rejected for a variety of technicalities. Of the ballots accepted, 97 voted yes and 34 no.This now means that fresh elections have to be held within 30 days, although critics of the board are certain to be unhappy with way that the USACA has handled the process, especially the inordinate delay in announcing the results of a poll of less than 200 votes. Oddly, although Dehring released the results to the USACA, they were not immediately announced, as he requested, because Paul DaSilva, the secretary, wanted approval from his executive before he released them.The news means that Chris Dehring, appointed by the ICC as an independent third party, has been able to hand over a democratically-approved constitution which will provide the basis of a new platform for the USACA to operate under. No more could have been asked of him.It is, however, unlikely to be the end of the bitter rows which have blighted US cricket for several years. The low turnout will be used by critics of the current board to show the level of apathy among stakeholders and that, in effect, the approval came from less than 14% of the total clubs.

The Western Province Cricket Association mourns the passing on 1 April 2002 at the age of 54, of one of its brightest luminaries, Gavin Pfuhl.Not only did he represent Western Province with great distinction as a wicket keeper-batsman in the 1960’s and 1970’s, but once his playing days had ended, he continued, for many years to serve the game and his Province as an administrator in various capacities: He was a Provincial Selector for many years, acting as Convenor of the panel for much of that period, while he served on the Executive Committee of the WPCA during the time of the Unity process and for some years thereafter. He will also be remembered for his intimate involvement in the planning and financing of the new pavilions at the Newlands Cricket Stadium in the early 1990’s, while in recent years his voice became well-known as an articulate and knowledgeable Supersport cricket commentator.Gavin will be affectionately remembered and sorely missed in Western Province Cricket circles. Our thoughts are with his family, to whom go our deep condolences.

John Crawley wiil have a fitness test on the morning of the second Ashes Test before England name their team.Crawley is an uncertain starter at the Adelaide Oval tomorrow after he struggled through practice today with a bruised hip.”He’s not looking too good,” confirmed coach Duncan Fletcher. “He got thatknock on the leg in Hobart and it doesn’t look too promising for him – he’s gota bit of a problem with bruising that doesn’t seem to be getting better.”He was uncomfortable yesterday and he noticed that after he practised it gotworse and he struggled again in the nets as soon as he tried to apply anypressure on to that leg.”Kent batsman Robert Key is the obvious replacement after his unbeaten 174 which enabled England to salvage a draw against Australia A at Hobart.Meanwhile Ashley Giles will fly home today with a view to returning for the final two Tests in Melbourne and Sydney over Christmas and New Year if his fractured wrist has recovered by then.”I’m very down about things at the moment, but it will be good going home andseeing my wife and children again which is something to look forward to,” saidGiles.”I’m going home because all the exercises I can do back home and I’d only getdown being around the lads for the next six weeks without being able to do whatthey can do.”Australia will also delay naming their final XI until shortly before the start tomorrow to give fast bowler Jason Gillespie, who has been struggling with calf trouble, an extra day’s rest.

Only 44 overs were possible on the first day of this three-day Minor CountiesChampionship game at Lamphey, Pembrokeshire, as the rains came in mid-afternoon and ended play for the day with Wales on 185-5 wickets.David Lovell and Owen Hopkins added 92 for the third wicket, but Berkshire did not help their cause by dropping three catches and conceding 27 extras, mainly through some wayward bowling. Nick Denning with 4-48 from 16 overs was the pick of the bowlers.

COLOMBO, Oct 3 AAP – Test cricket doesn’t pull huge crowds in Sri Lanka, but a day at the cricket still beats a day in jail.Just ask few dozen inmates of Welikada Prison, who were given bright yellow t-shirts and drafted in to help move the sight screens at Colombo Oval.After predictions there would be a sparse crowd at the neutral Test between Australia and Pakistan, there were actually a fair few gathered in the shady recesses of the Sathi Coomaraswamy Stand at Colombo Oval.The prisoners, wearing the yellow t-shirts provided by sponsor Janashakti (it means ‘power to humanity’), were here as helpers, some manning the sight screens but most just sitting around and enjoying a day out.Tony Price Todd – “I was born in Scotland,” he explained – said he was having a “four month holiday” for what sounds like drunk and disorderly behaviour.Today, he was sitting on his canvas mat near a fire truck on a piece of ground which used to be a grassy bank but which has been levelled for a new grandstand at Sri Lanka’s oldest ground.Perhaps for the cameras, the skinny little horses which usually graced this famous ground, had been removed for the match.They were here the other day when Australia trained but now only their droppings remain and Tony Price Todd and his fellow inmates had to be careful where they sat.It’s a far cry from the day Don Bradman batted here in 1948.Bradman played at this ground when his Invincibles side stopped in Ceylon en route to London for the Ashes tour.A one-day match was arranged against a Ceylon XI and 20,000 turned out to see the Don.Bradman, in an act designed to please the locals, came out to bat wearing a pith helmet – the customary colonial headware in tropical climates.The game’s greatest player made only 20 in a match which was eventually rained out.And 20 was an appropriate score on a pitch only 20 yards long.Bradman, after making his ground to avoid being run-out, commented that the pitch was too short because he was certain he shouldn’t have made his crease.The pitch was remeasured after the game and found to be two yards short.Pakistan would probably wish it was a tad short today after Australia went to lunch at 1-138 with Ricky Ponting and Justin Langer seeming to have plenty of time to play their shots in a dynamic opening session.

TANGIERS-It went down the wire, but it was South Africa who held their nerve to defend a most modest total of 196, in the end winning by eight runs, with nine deliveries remaining unconsumed.With this second defeat on the trot, Pakistan’s dream of making it to the Morocco Cup 2002 final lay in tatters, and Sri Lanka and South Africa stood qualified with one league match still to go.Led by Allan Donald (4 for 43) and Lance Klusener (2 for 21), the Proteas never gave up hope and kept coming back to take wicket after wicket, until they ensured the narrow victory which never seemed possible when Shahid Afridi was tearing into them with unalloyed aggression.Pakistan was off to a bad start, with Imran Nazir gone in the first over, and Shoaib Malik following him after a stand of 49 for the second wicket with Afridi. That turned out to be the best partnership of the match.After Shahid Afridi’s (62, off 40 deliveries, 6 fours, 4 sixes) whirlwind knock helped overcome the early jitters, Pakistan somehow managed to bat themselves out of the match.With 92 runs on the board for the loss of two wickets when Afridi was going great guns, Pakistan was scoring at around five runs an over till the 19th over, and reaching the target of 197 inside 40 overs to earn a bonus point looked probable. From this position of enormous strength, they lost eight wickets to be snatch defeat from the jaws of victory by some rank inept batting.The South Africans bowled exceptionally well, especially Donald, Klusener and Pollock. But it was the Pakistani batsmen who kept throwing their wickets away. The most crucial of these were that of Yousuf Youhana, who needlessly played one down the throat of Nicky Boje at square-leg after Inzamam-ul-Haq had been dropped by Donald in the last over. That started the rout that could not be stemmed.Younis Khan followed next ball, leg before to Klusener. Abdul Razzaq was bowled in the next over by Boje on a spinning delivery. From the excellent position of 92 for three, Pakistan was reduced to six for 119 to give South Africa the vision of a victory.Sensing that Pakistan had hit a trough, the South Africans never let go from here as Donald bowled Rashid Latif and Inzamam smote Justin Ontong for a six but in the process stepped on his wicket. At eight for 163, Wasim Akram and Azhar tried to make a fist of it. But Donald got Akram bowled middle stump, and soon it was all over as skipper Waqar Younis holed out to long-on off Allan Donald with Graeme Smith pouching the catch to bring Pakistan’s innings to a close.Pakistan attack restricts Proteas to under 196:
Earlier, another excellent bowling performance by the Pakistan attack, especially by the new-ball duo of Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis – the two of them sharing five wickets, four of them taken inside first 8 overs — restricted South Africa to 196 for eight.Probably acknowledging that it was desperate times which required desperate measures, both sides strengthened their batting, making two changes apiece. To the extent that for South Africa Pollock came at No 10, while Akram had a similar position in the order for Pakistan.Strengthening the batting, however, didn’t work for the Proteas, in the main because they lost too many wickets too early in the match, starting with the first ball dismissal of Herschelle Gibbs.From five down for 49, they recovered enough, though — because of good hands by Boetta Dippenaar (55, 89 balls, 8 fours), Mark Boucher (57, 99 balls, 5 fours) and a much-restrained Lance Klusener (28, off 42 deliveries).Wasim Akram struck a major blow first ball, as Herschelle Gibbs chased a wide one outside off-stump, guiding it into Rashid Latif’s safe hands. Younis got Jacques Kallis on a fuller delivery next over, and the two most experienced batsmen in the top half of the order were gone. Akram had Smith leg before two balls later, plumb in front playing too far back to an incutter. Justin Ontong took boundaries off Akram and Younis, and was the first to double figures, but Younis had him caught and bowled off a miscued drive. At 29 for four, the South Africans were in deep trouble.After rewarding first spells, Akram (2 for 13 in 5 overs) and Younis (2 for 27 in 6 overs) gave way to Azhar and Razzaq. A 20-run stand between Boeta Dippenaar, who seemed to be the best of the Proteas, and Jonty Rhodes steadied the innings somewhat but Azhar removed Rhodes to put it back on the rocks.From here on, Dippenaar and Boucher quite considerably revived their team’s fortunes with a stand of 78 for the sixth wicket and were getting more adventurous when Azhar Mahmood’s throw from deep square-leg got the former a couple of feet out of his crease. The breakthrough got Pakistan amongst the wickets again. Boucher soldiered on, taking fours off Razzaq, Younis and Azhar, but Azhar got him in his last over, the waist high full hitting the top of middle and leg stumps.Despite the hard-hitters packed in the tail, the late charge never came; only 50 runs came in the last 10 overs for the loss Boucher and Boje. The Pakistani bowlers remained in control throughout the innings; only 4 fours were conceded in the last 10 overs, and just one in the last six.

Thirsting for revenge for the shock defeat sustained in the World Cupin England in the summer, the West Indies came over to India in1983-84 with a definite plan – to mow India down with an incessantdose of pace bowling. That they succeeded in their mission is borneout by the results – a 3-0 victory in the six-match Test series and aclean sweep of all the five one-day internationals.

The West Indies were very much the top team in world cricket in theeighties and they came to India in the midst of their world record -going 27 Tests without defeat. They were indeed a formidable side,probably the strongest ever from the Caribbean to visit India.

The batting started with Gordon Greenidge and Desmond Haynes andcontinued with Vivian Richards, Clive Lloyd and Larry Gomes. In JeffDujon, they had arguably the best wicket-keeper batsman in West Indiancricket history. And this was backed up by a menacing quintet of fastbowlers in Malcolm Marshall, Michael Holding, Andy Roberts WinstonDavis and Wayne Daniel.Earlier in the year, West Indies had beaten India 2-0 in a five-matchseries at home. And any hopes that India would do better at home weresquashed by West Indies winning the first Test by an innings and 83runs just after lunch on the fourth day. It was a meek surrender bythe Indians and a quick demolition job by the visitors, and but forthe odd match or two or some sporadic gallant batting and bowlingperformances by the likes of Sunil Gavaskar, Dilip Vengsarkar andKapil Dev, the stage was set for the rest of the series.Even as the West Indies were on the rampage in the Tests, it was hopedthat India would at least do well in the one-day games. But this was aWest Indian side that had come with certain objectives. And armed tothe teeth, they wasted little time in working out their strategy toperfection.First the batsmen performed according to reputation. Lloyd (2),Greenidge and Richards got hundreds while Dujon, the best player ofspin bowling in the side, came up with some timely knocks. Such washis improvement that after starting the series at No 7, he was by theend of the contest, walking out at No 5, ahead of Lloyd. And whilethere was no really big total – the highest was 454 compiled in thefirst Test – the batting never really disappointed. They gave enoughruns for the bowlers to work on.The pacemen, headed by Marshall, time and again ripped through theIndian batting. Marshall was easily the player of the series. Hisawesome pace and bounce proved to be disconcerting for the leadingIndian batsmen and he even caused problems for Gavaskar. He finishedthe series with 33 wickets and his comrade-in-arms Holding was notvery far behind, with 30 wickets. All in all, there little doubt atthe end of the series that India had lost to a far superior all-roundside, shrewdly led by the benign figure of Lloyd.The Indians might have finished on the losing side but they did havetheir few moments in the sunshine. The batting in the three Tests atNew Delhi, Bombay and Madras, all of which were drawn, was of a highorder, symbolised by totals of 464, 463 and 451 for eight declared.Unfortunately at the other end of the pendulum were totals of 164, 103and 90 at Kanpur, Ahmedabad and Calcutta.Gavaskar despite having to endure the rare sight of Marshall knockingthe bat out of his hands with a super-fast delivery at Kanpur, thehumiliation of some low scores and a couple of ducks , includingfalling to the first ball of a Test match for the second time,recovered to tally 505 runs in the series.During it, he set numerous records passing Geoff Boycott’s aggregateand becoming the top run-getter in Tests, equaling and then surpassingDon Bradman’s long-standing record of 29 hundreds, becoming the firstto score either 13 hundreds or three double centuries against WestIndies. And his score of 236 not out in the final Test at Madras wasthe highest score for India in Test cricket, surpassing another longstanding record standing in the name of Vinoo Mankad, who got 231against New Zealand in 1955-56, also at Madras but at the Corporationstadium.Vengsarkar got two hundreds while Roger Binny, Ravi Shastri and SyedKirmani came up with timely contributions. But the batting lackedconsistency and this was responsible for the three heavy defeats, theothers being sustained at Ahmedabad (by 138 runs) and Calcutta (by aninnings and 46 runs), both with more than a day to spare.Another problem was the bowling. It hinged too much on Kapil Dev andthe captain performed heroically to take 29 wickets. But he receivedlittle support, though, Maninder Singh, at the end of only his firstyear in international cricket, showed some promise. Kapil had a spellof nine for 83 in the second innings at Ahmedabad, making him thethird Indian bowler after Subhash Gupte and Jasu Patel to take ninewickets in a Test.

Group 2:Ashford:
Kent 228-6 (LN Morgan 82)
Channel Islands 173 (M Hague 52, R Minter 4-40).
Kent won by 55 runsGroup 3:Chelmsford: Essex 221 (A Akram 62).
Cambridgeshire 159.
Essex won by 62 runs.Group 6:Alvaston & Boulton:
Staffordshire 378-4 (Archer 134, Dean 79, Franklin 55).
Derbyshire 241 (Smit 57)Kimbolton: Huntingdonshire 268-9 (50 overs) (R Rollins 98).
Leicestershire 261 (49.2 overs) (I Sutcliffe 54)
Huntingdonshire win by 7 runs.Chester Road:Hereford 269-8 (P Lazenbury 87, C Boroughs 88, G Williams 2-46, N Round 2-61)
Worcestershire 270-2 (N Round NO 113, G Kandola NO 88).
Worcestershire won by 8 wickets.

The tributes paid to him when he passed away three years agotoday (July 6) were notable for their warmth and sincerity. “Hehad style, elegance and grace not only as a batsman but also as aman,” said the then president of the Board of Control for Cricketin India Raj Singh Dungarpur. Former Indian captain Lala Amarnathcalled him “a gem of a person.” Throughout the length and breadthof India, the tributes poured in from those whose lives he hadinfluenced. And Motganhalli Laxminarasu Jaisimha did touchnumerous lives in India and abroad even though he was only 60when he breathed his last following a long fight against lungcancer.

As a batsman, Jaisimha provided a lot of entertainment to thespectators and that was why he was a surefire draw. Even in anera chock-full with colourful personalities -­ his contemporariesincluded the likes of Salim Durrani, Nawab of Pataudi Jnr,Farookh Engineer, Abbas Ali Baig and Budhi Kunderan ­- Jaisimhawas instantly recognisable. Silken elegance was the phrasegenerally used to describe Jaisimha’s batting style and I wouldnot want to change it. For, that is indeed the best way hisapproach could be described.On and off the field, Jaisimha was the personification ofelegance and charm. He could not do a mean thing or play a meanstroke even if he tried. Grace came naturally to him. There wassomething about him that made Jaisimha the darling of the masses.His slim figure, which he maintained till his last day, theboyish good looks, the inimitable gait, the trademark silk shirtand scarf, the sleeves buttoned at the wrist or the collar turnedup ­- all these attracted immediate attention. Indeed, he madecricket seem chic and his style and approach had a tremendousimpact on the teenage cricketers of his era, among them the youngSunil Gavaskar, for whom `Jai’ was a boyhood idol.When Jaisimha reached the crease, the attention then turned tohis wristy strokes, the manner in which he caressed the ball tothe boundary and the way he leapt out to play the lofted drive orpull. Off the field, he was an extrovert. Gregarious by nature,he was the life and soul of any party and enlivened theproceedings with in-jokes or naughty stories, always told withinthe realms of decency and in his impeccable English andinimitable style, complete with a good laugh at himself, if itwas a merry-Andrew situation.He brought all these extrovert qualities into his cricket andthus there was never a dull moment when he was around.Conservative thinking officials and selectors considered him tobe `flashy’ and he was frequently dropped down the order. But heachieved success at both positions and it is worth recalling thattwo of his three centuries in Tests were made as an openingbatsman.In truth, Jaisimha would have made good at the top or in themiddle-order for inside that extrovert lay a shrewd cricketingbrain. Tactically he was considered the best captain of his timein the country and it is well known that Pataudi and Ajit Wadekarconsulted him on matters of strategy while leading the country.As a batsman and captain, Jaisimha occupies an honoured place inIndian cricket. In 39 Tests from 1959 to 1971, he scored 2056runs at an average of 30.69. His name is associated with suchstorybook feats like being the first to bat on all five days of aTest match -­ while scoring 74 in 390 minutes in a famousrearguard action against Australia at Calcutta in 1959-60 -­ andhitting 74 and 101 in a Brisbane Test eight years later afterarriving two days before in Australia as a replacement.As a leader, he captained Hyderabad in the Ranji Trophy for 16consecutive seasons and South Zone in the Duleep Trophy foralmost a decade. His profound knowledge of pitches and the mannerin which he out-thought the opposing skipper made him theconnoisseur’s delight.After his playing days were over, Jaisimha kept in close touchwith the game he had adorned for so long. From 1977-78 to1980-81, he served four terms on the national selectioncommittee. He was a popular TV commentator who regaled audienceswith succinct comments and analyses. He managed the Indian teamto Sri Lanka in 1985. He was prominent among those whoencouraged the game at the schools level and was the cricketingambassador of many leading companies who sponsored suchprogrammes. A couple of years before he died he became the statecoach and handled the job with the same shrewdness and enthusiasmthat he showed during his playing career.Above all, Jaisimha will be remembered fondly for his qualitiesas a person. When he died, there was a sense of shock and a pallof gloom not only in Hyderabad but also among the cricketingfraternity all around the country. For many, it was a personalloss, for `Jai’, as he was popularly known, had touched numerouslives with his warmth and sincerity. This was reflected in thetributes that said it all on behalf of those who came in touchwith Jaisimha.

Eight members of a proposed 10-member interim committee, appointed to runthe affairs of the Board of Control for Cricket in Sri Lanka (BCCSL) earlierthis month, have formally accepted letters of appointment from SportsMinister Johnston Fernando.Roshan Mahanama, former Sri Lanka Test batsman and Sri Lanka A coach untilstanding down recently, is among those to have confirmed his participationin the committee despite being reported to having a strained relationshipwith Sidath Wettimuny and Michael Tissera.But although the interim committee have now held two meetings, and wereapparently appointed in the first week of April, there has still been noofficial confirmation from the Sports Ministry or the Chief Executive’soffice that a new interim has been appointed after the previous VijayaMalalsekera led committee stood down on March 31.The two members to not accept their letters of appointment are TrevorRajaratnam and Mohan de Silva, both former BCCSL Executive Committeemembers, who have legal cases pending against the BCCSL and are believed toseeking advice before deciding whether to accept Fernando’s invitation.The interim committee is headed by Hemaka Amarasuriya and has been asked toserve until the 2003 World Cup in South Africa. A press conference with thenew members is expected to be held in early May at the BCCSL headquarters.Full 10-member committee:Hemaka Amarasuriya (chairman), Nalin Ladduwahetty, Michael Tissera, SidatWettimuny, Mohan de Silva, Lawrance Amarasena, Trevor Rajaratnam, KushilGunasekera, Triphone Mirando, Roshan Mahanama.