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Hampshire lost their final Frizzell County Championship match of the season, but not before giving the County Champions a long wait in the field. Surrey decided to declare overnight, after enough of the side had turned up before the start to field.Setting the home side the unlikely task of scoring 514 to win, they soon had Laney, Adams and Crawley back in the pavilion all to the seam of Martin Bicknell for 27, Crawley finishing his first-class season with a first-ball nought.When skipper Will Kendall fell to Bicknell’s 4th dismissal an early finish looked on the cards, but John Francis joined Neil Johnson in a stubborn partnership that took them to lunch without further mis-shap.John Francis fell soon after the interval to give Bicknell’s his fifth wicket and when Johnson was adjudged lbw to Salisbury for 86 (his highest first-class innings siunce the opening match of the season) it looked all up.Bicknell who had earlier left the field after one bowling spell in the morning, left again after his second, but this time was not to return for the remainder of the day.Nic Pothas who had suffered a moderate season with the bat, was joined by Dimitri Mascarenhas and the pair struck up an entertaining 98 run partnership, with Mascarenhas being particularly cruel on Ian Salisbury and Saqlain Mushtaq.Mascarenhas was finally out for 67, smiting 9 fours and three sixes, two of which were planter in Nursery Ground next door.Shaun Udal, probably Hampshire most consistent player in 2002 continued in this vain before playing on to Salisbury, and then Pothas passing his highest score for Hampshire was cruelly given out caught at slip for 99, when to all intents and purpose the ball came off the top of his arm.When the last wicket fell, Hampshire had lost, but they held their heads high as they posted their 6th highest fourth innings score in their 138 year history, and the match of 1,557 runs the second highest ever involving Hampshire, this on a wicket that a few weeks ago had been docked eight points by the ECB. Nigel Gray the head groundsman has to be congratulated on this superb turnaround.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

England saw their authority diminish in the fading light at Lord’s as YousufYouhana and Younis Khan claimed back some of Pakistan’s ground to finish thethird day of the First npower Test match trailing by 276 runs.England overcame the news that their captain Nasser Hussain would be out for three to four weeks after breaking his thumb while batting this morning by taking four early Pakistan wickets.Andrew Caddick caused tremors in the opening overs of Pakistan’s reply bytaking 3-26 in a first menacing spell that lasted ten gripping overs. At onepoint he had taken two wickets and conceded three runs in the space of 21balls to give England a dream start in the defence of their first inningstotal of 391.But with the score on 60 for four, Yousuf and Younis joined forces to calmtroubled waters and a change in bowling, with Yorkshire left-arm seamer RyanSidebottom and all-rounder Dominic Cork coming into the attack, allowedPakistan to recover some decorum.By the close, the pair had moved the score to 115 for four, having almostdoubled the total without any further loss and the stylish Yousuf finishedunbeaten on 26 while Younis dominated the bowling with 32 from 41 balls,including five well struck boundaries.Until that point, Caddick and Darren Gough were working hard at bringingPakistan down, well aware that the reduction of the match to four days, withone lost to rain, had made their job of enforcing the follow-on easier.Pakistan now needed at least 242 to avoid having to bat again straight awaybut when Inzamam-ul-Haq was caught behind off Caddick for 13, edging a ballthat moved off the seam, the writing was on the wall with Saeed Anwar andSaleem Elahi already back in the pavilion inside five overs.Saleem had succumbed by edging Caddick’s third ball to first slip where Mike Atherton made no mistake.Atherton was also in place with his hands at the ready when dangerman Saeed also guided the ball to the slips off Gough, having hit three boundaries to make 12 with the score 21 for two.All three were prized wickets with both openers having hit form in recentweeks and the brilliant and big-hitting Inzamam always a constant danger.The dazzling all-rounder Abdul Razzaq (22) went to the same combination ofStewart and Caddick with a shot that was not dissimilar to Inzamam’s andafter 18 overs of the innings, the Pakistanis were in deep trouble.But the removal of Caddick and Gough from the attack signalled easiertimes and when the umpires offered the batsmen bad light at 5.45pm, anyfurther play looking unlikely, the tourists were back on song but by nomeans out of danger.Hussain could only watch the proceedings from the balcony, nursing his broken thumb. Alec Stewart took over the role at Lord’s, but the selectors will keep their options open for the Second Test at Old Trafford.Hussain had resumed the day with his score on 53 but his partnership with nightwatchman Sidebottom lasted just another 13 balls before the shaggy-toppedYorkshireman was caught at first slip off Wasim Akram without adding to hisovernight total.Alec Stewart launched immediately into a run fest, getting off the mark witha well timed pull through mid-wicket for four. His aggression was met headon by Shoaib who responded with a series of bouncers aimed at the batsmen’shead and body.While his tactics failed to break up the partnership, it unnerved Hussainwho was struck hard on the hand by a short pitched delivery and within acouple of overs his wicket had been snapped by Azhar Mahmood, Pakistan’smost successful bowler.Stewart and Hussain added 53 for the sixth wicket but the seventh wicketfell four overs later when Stewart on 44 was plumb lbw to Shoaib,who had made a rapid recovery after falling awkwardly on his ankle.In the post-lunch session, England’s tailenders fought bravely to boost the total with Ian Ward, the Surrey batsman and England debutant, making an encouraging first impression with a solid and steady contribution of 39 from 81 balls.When he mistimed a pull shot off Waqar Younis that eventually fell into the hands of Abdur Razzaq at mid-wicket, England were nine runs short of 400 but 21 runs ahead of their record total against Pakistan at Lord’s.

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.

The Western Warriors have shot to the top of the Mercantile Mutual Cup standings following a seventy-three run win over New South Wales at the WACA Ground tonight, a result built on a mammoth third-wicket partnership.After winning the toss and electing to bat, the Warriors managed a record-equalling total of 5/325 thanks to the largest-ever third wicket partnership (257) in domestic one-day cricket in Australia, between Murray Goodwin (167) and Mike Hussey (94).In reply, the Blues were dismissed for 253 in the forty-seventh over, their inability to build a run chase around an impressive Brad Haddin (58) half-century handing the Warriors victory and the bonus point.While the Warriors’ bowling attack did well to limit scoring opportunities for the Blues, it was Goodwin’s record domestic one-day knock which spurred the win and saw the home side leapfrog South Australia into first place on the Cup ladder.Goodwin hit twenty-one boundaries in just over three hours at the crease, a hand later described by Hussey as the best and “the most unbelievable” one-day innings anyone could ever see.”Murray just hit the ball as well as I’ve seen anyone hit the ball ever – it was a fantastic innings,” Hussey said, adding he was pleased to make runs himself.”It was good to be involved in such a big partnership like that, and very important for the team to get the bonus point.”Until later informed, Goodwin was unaware of the fact that he had surpassed Rick McCosker’s score of 164 in the 1981-82 season to establish a new mark for the highest individual innings in Australian domestic one-day competition. He said that, while Hussey’s claim was a big one, he didn’t think he’d ever displayed better form with the bat. He also ventured that the secret to his huge knock was Hussey’s contribution opposite his own.”Huss hit the ball really, really well and we seemed to put the bowlers off a bit with the left-hand/right-hand combination,” the right-handed Goodwin said.”We ran pretty well between the wickets and, some days, they don’t bowl as well as they should.”Warriors captain Tom Moody may have been sweating early during his side’s innings as Ryan Campbell (13) and Justin Langer (20) fell victim to an expensive Simon Cook (2/72). But Goodwin, who looked comfortable in the middle even before Langer left, soon erased any worry that might have been lingering in his captain’s mind.The former Zimbabwean consistently took to the Blues’ bowlers, scoring to all parts of the ground as he registered his third half-century in five one-day innings this season.After managing his first fifty in fifty-five balls, Goodwin accelerated further and brought up his ton in just ninety deliveries. It was then Hussey’s turn to wow the crowd as he produced some splendid strokeplay of his own.Hussey was eventually removed six runs short of his century with just three overs remaining, spooning a return catch to spinner Mark Higgs (2/44). Meanwhile, Goodwin’s swashbuckling assault saw him reach 150 before he holed out to Blues captain Shane Lee in the deep nine balls later.In between the two crucial wickets, Higgs also claimed the scalp of Brendon Julian (1), leaving Moody (14*) to hit two quick boundaries in the final over and set the Blues their extremely daunting chase.Haddin’s impressive half-century kept the visitors in the contest early. But the signs were ominous once Darren Wates (1/45) had Michael Slater (19) caught by `keeper Campbell and then Haddin was run out by Marcus North shortly after.Lee (14) and Graeme Rummans (21) held things together for a short while, warding off the bowling attack rather than trying to throttle it for runs. But, after eight overs together and with the score on 149, Lee became the first of four victims for paceman Duncan Spencer (4/35) when caught by North.Spencer struck exactly two overs later to remove new batsmen Michael Clarke (4), another to be caught by Campbell. Seven balls later, Campbell had yet another catch, removing a confident Rummans from Moody’s (1/22) bowling.A half-century partnership between Shawn Bradstreet (33) and Phil Jaques (40) steadied the ship, but brought an unlikely victory no closer as the run rate ballooned. Warriors left-arm spinner Brad Hogg (2/37) soon had the former caught and bowled in the forty-third over to leave the Blues 7/237.Hogg (2/37) wasn’t finished there, however, and two balls later beat the willow of Jaques to hand Campbell an easy stumping just for good measure.Spencer finally wrapped up the match, snaring the last two wickets – Greg Mail (10) and Stuart Clark (0) – in the space of four deliveries.Hussey said that, although the Warriors performance was pleasing just over a month out from the one-day final, they could still improve by up to ten per cent and “take the competition by storm”.”We have to keep working hard and hopefully we’ll be able to consolidate a place in the Final,” he said.The Warriors now sit three points clear of the second-placed Redbacks with three matches remaining. New South Wales’ predicament suddenly looks far more forlorn; it is another three points back in third place and has just two more one-day fixtures to come.

The recently sacked Sri Lankan cricket board, headed by ThilangaSumathipala, received a set back in their fight to reinstate the Board ofControl for Cricket in Sri Lanka (BCCSL) yesterday when the Court of Appealpostponed their case until 22nd May.Mohan de Silva and Trevor Rajaratnam, the secretary and treasurer of theoutgoing board, filed a petition on the 4th April, which argued that thedissolution of the BCCSL by the Sports Minister and the subsequentappointment of an Interim Committee was unlawful according to the presentSports Law.The decision to postpone the case ensures that the uncertainty over thelegitimacy of the Interim Committee is to continue, but considering thewidespread political support for the dissolution, the Interim Committee isexpected to hold office until the 2003 World Cup.The Interim Committee unveiled it’s plans for the future at a recent pressgathering, which included a constitutional review, a corporate sector stylemanagement, the separation of financial management and policy making, andemployment of Barry Richards as a batting coach. Yesterday they revealed theappointment of several former players as committee members in the caretakeradministration.In a separate case, filed by Clifford Ratwatte, the uncle of the Sri LankanPresident and a former cricket board contestant, Sumathipala has been givenuntil the 12th June to file his objections. Ratwatte has argued thatSumathipala and eight other former members of the cricket board, violated aDistrict Court order, which had prevented them holding office.