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Twenty20 may not yet have a presence in New Zealand, but four Black Caps took the chance to hone their skills in cricket’s latest craze in England on Tuesday. East Grinstead Sports Club’s picturesque oval played host to the county side Sussex and a Lashings World XI containing Chris Cairns, Chris Harris and the Marshall twins, James and Hamish.Only one Twenty20 match has been played in New Zealand, which was the inaugural international against Australia in February, and Harris said after that game he believed there was a place for it back home with 5pm starts. Cairns, the Man of the Match, was in fine touch, hitting a brisk 37 with two towering sixes down the ground, and delivering a tight spell that included a wicket with his third ball.Harris was stumped cheaply after a typically scratchy start but, significantly, showed no ill-effects of the shoulder injury he suffered in December when he bowled, and rattled Sussex’s Carl Hopkinson with a change of pace. Harris is not able to throw, but said he expected to be ready in two to three months. New Zealand’s one-day tri-series in Zimbabwe is less than three months away.James Marshall had some reason to feel hard done by after Hamish not only got to bat ahead of him, but had a bowl as well. James was given regular overs last season for his province Northern Districts, but it was Hamish’s action at training that caused Richie Richardson, the Lashings captain, to ask why he did not get a go for New Zealand.With his very first delivery, Hamish had Luke Wright caught at deep mid-on by James. If Hamish can develop his medium pacers it would be an asset to New Zealand with Harris and Nathan Astle in the twilight of their careers.The Lashings XI was a mix of past and present internationals. Herschelle Gibbs and Greg Blewett were at the top of the order, VVS Laxman and Rashid Latif batted in the middle and Javagal Srinath and Vasbert Drakes took the new ball. The Lashings total of 144 was good enough for an eight-run victory and the ominous six boundaries taken by Ian Ward and Murray Goodwin off the first two overs of Sussex’s chase counted for little at the end.

Given the tough opposition and their recent divisive problems, the West Indies will suffer for the lack of “a father figure” to lead them on their forthcoming tour of Australia, Ian Chappell, the former Australian captain, cautioned on Thursday.”They really need someone like Clive Lloyd at this time, a father figure who can hold the team together and get the best out of them,” Chappell said. Based on what he saw of the West Indies team on the tour of Sri Lanka in July and August, Chappell did not believe Shivnarine Chanderpaul, the West Indies captain, could provide that kind of leadership. “Chanderpaul was predictable and reactive in Sri Lanka,” he said. “The only time you felt there would be a wicket was if there was a good ball or the pitch did something, not from anything creative from the captain.”Chappell noted the difference when Sylvester Joseph took over in Chanderpaul’s absence in the one-day series. “Things started to happen because Joseph was proactive,” he said. “The players aren’t stupid. They know when the captain has ideas and is confident enough to put them into practice. It’s a pity he isn’t a good enough batsman to be in the team because he was always looking to make something happen.”Chanderpaul, who was played 88 Tests, took over as captain when Brian Lara opted out of the team before the first Test of the home series against South Africa last April in solidarity with six players who were omitted because they held personal endorsement contracts with former sponsors Cable & Wireless, direct competitors of the new sponsors, Digicel.He led a team of mainly replacement players when ten of the originally chosen 13 refused to tour Sri Lanka because of the ongoing row over tour contracts between the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) and the West Indies Players Association (WIPA). The return of most of those players, Lara and Ramnaresh Sarwan, the reappointed vice-captain, among them, is a potential flashpoint that would test Chanderpaul’s leadership qualities.Chappell acknowledged that the reunification of the West Indies team after the split caused by Kerry Packer’s World Series Cricket (WICB) almost 30 years ago was different to the present case in many respects. But he maintained that Lloyd’s captaincy was a major factor in ensuring that there were no residual problems and that the team developed into one of the strongest the game has known.”The West Indies at present don’t have that kind of experience and class and they’re coming up against an Australian team that has regained its confidence after the defeat in the Ashes series and haven’t lost a series at home in ages,” Chappell said. “They need strong leadership more than ever.”

Simon Jones has been passed fit after recovering from a stomach bug, and is certain to play in the second Test at Durban, which starts on Boxing Day. Jones had withdrawn from practice at Kingsmead on Friday morning, complaining of a bug which struck overnight, but he made a rapid recovery on Saturday.The news was the perfect birthday present for Jones, who turned 26 today. It was Jones who sparked England’s recovery on the fourth day at Port Elizabeth, first grabbing a spectacular outfield catch to dismiss Graeme Smith, then taking four important wickets when he bowled.Probable England line-up for second Test
1 Marcus Trescothick, 2 Andrew Strauss, 3 Mark Butcher, 4 Michael Vaughan (capt), 5 Graham Thorpe, 6 Andrew Flintoff, 7 Geraint Jones (wk), 8 Ashley Giles, 9 Matthew Hoggard, 10 Simon Jones, 11 Stephen Harmison.South African squad
Graeme Smith (capt), Herschelle Gibbs, AB de Villiers, Jacques Rudolph, Jacques Kallis, Boeta Dippenaar, Hashim Amla, Andrew Hall, Shaun Pollock, Charl Langeveldt, Thami Tsolekile (wk), Nicky Boje, Makhaya Ntini, Dale Steyn.

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Sachin Tendulkar emulated Inzamam-ul-Haq’s Karachi heroics with a dazzling 141, but it wasn’t enough to inspire India to an improbable victory after they were set 330 to win by Pakistan at Rawalpindi. Shoaib Akhtar, playing his 100th one-day international in front of his home crowd, winkled out India’s lower order as they fell 12 runs short at the finish.As long as Tendulkar was at the crease, India were favourites to pull it off. He batted magnificently, passing 13,000 runs along the way, and adding 105 with Rahul Dravid to set the game up for India. The slow bowlers were cut, swept and paddle-swept deftly, while the pace bowlers were creamed through the covers, and lofted over midwicket with ease.Ironically, it was that shot that proved his downfall, when he slog-swept Shoaib Malik down to Abdul Razzaq at deep midwicket (245 for 4). His 141 took just 135 deliveries, and gave the remaining batsmen the perfect platform to make a charge.Dravid eased to 36 before some extra pace from Mohammad Sami bowled him (260 for 5). And Yuvraj Singh then reeled off 19 in quick time before striking a Shahid Afridi delivery straight to Shabbir Ahmed at deep midwicket (282 for 6).With Shoaib back into the attack, Mohammad Kaif scooped one to point (284 for 7) and Zaheer Khan was trapped leg before first ball to leave Pakistan on the verge of victory. But Ramesh Power, the debutant, and L Balaji gave them a real fright, smashing 30 from just 15 balls to set up a thrilling climax. When Balaji was run out, and Ashish Nehra bowled by Sami, it was all over, with eight balls still to be bowled. The gallant Powar, unbeaten on 18, could only watch in frustration.Virender Sehwag and Tendulkar had started the pursuit by treating Shoaib with some respect, while going after Shabbir, who had come into the team to replace Naved-ul-Hasan. Sehwag went after him first, tonking one over midwicket and then smacking him over cover for four more.By then, Tendulkar had his eye in, as he proved when he cut Shoaib over point,before flicking him past the square-leg fielder. Shabbir then pitched one in the slot, and Tendulkar played a glorious cover-drive, following up with a clever glance off his pads for four more.

With India ahead of the asking rate, Shoaib struck with a beautiful delivery. It was full, and knocked back the off stump when Sehwag played around it (56 for 1).Soon after, India were rocked again, when VVS Laxman, who made just 4, was trapped leg before by Sami, as he tried to shuffle across the crease (71 for 2). Ganguly then enjoyed a reprieve, when Shoaib put down a sitter at mid-off after he had given Shabbir the charge.His luck didn’t last though, and when he gave Afridi the charge after a patchy 15, he was stumped by yards (140 for 3). That got Tendulkar and Dravid together. Singles and twos were scampered, despite Tendulkar appearing to suffer from fatigue, and fours plundered when the bowlers erred in line or length.Pakistan’s own run feast was the result of a stunning opening partnership. With Afridi back in the side, and back to his wood-cutting best, the new-ball pairing of Balaji and Zaheer were given a pummelling. Afridi started with an inside-edged four off Balaji, but then calibrated his sights to smash some splendid strokes straight down the ground and through midwicket.Yasir Hameed’s approach was more orthodox, with a couple of gorgeous cover-drives giving the Indians plenty to chew on. Only Nehra, who came on as first change, kept the runs down, as Ganguly was compelled to call on his slow bowlers.Sehwag, though, was targetted for special treatment, with Afridi slamming sixes over midwicket and long-off. Powar wasn’t scared to flight the ball, and he got appreciable turn at times. As for Yuvraj, he made an impact with just his second delivery, inducing a reckless heave across the line from Afridi, whose rollicking 80 had taken just 58 balls (138 for 1).Yousuf Youhana compiled an elegant 24 before Yuvraj struck again. Youhana played outside the line, and edged one back on to his stumps (191 for 2). But Inzamam came in next, and thumped Powar for a straight six, as Pakistan appeared on course for a huge total.The next break came courtesy some calamitous running. Hameed, who made 86, played one to short third man, and by the time he responded to Inzamam’s call, Nehra’s throw to Yuvraj had beaten him (225 for 3).That set the stage for Nehra. Included only after a late fitness test, the first ball of his new spell bowled Inzamam (28) off a thin edge, and the next trapped Moin Khan in front for 0. Malik jammed down on a superb yorker to ensure that there would be no hat-trick.Nehra’s intervention proved only a temporary respite as Younis Khan – who made 28 before tickling a catch behind off Nehra – Malik and Razzaq, the consummate finisher, took Pakistan past 320 with aggressive running, cleverly placed shots, and a little help from Indian fumbles in the field. It proved to be just about enough, despite an unforgettable knock from Tendulkar.

Post-match press conferences, at the best times, are a good study in contrast, the winners on the day beaming away, chattering excitedly, and the vanquished, heads down, answering in as few words as possible. But the second game of the Champions Trophy saw a particularly bad mismatch, on and off the field. Handed a sound thrashing, the Zimbabwe captain, Prosper Utseya, who might well consider a name change if he stays in his current profession, could only say, “We didn’t apply ourselves when we were batting. We tried to play too many shots early on. And at the same time there was some poor shot selection.”Brian Lara, of course, was meeting questions with a booming bat. “We came here to win this game emphatically, and we did that,” he said. “The bowlers had to get a run and they got five-six overs under the belt and performed well. We did well in the field too. It doesn’t matter what the opposition got – we went out and batted with purpose, which was important.”Lara didn’t have much work to do, only 16 minutes at the crease, but even in that he managed one classy square-drive, and put the last nails in the coffin with two big sixes. “I asked [Ramnaresh] Sarwan if I could have a knock, because I didn’t play in the practice game. I just wanted to hit a few balls with the middle of the bat, and I was happy to do that,” insisting that he didn’t come out to bat planning to finish the game off in style. “It just happened. I just thought I should play each ball on its merit. I took the field into consideration as well. Yes I could have gone out there and blocked a few. But I get more confidence from my innings if I approach it the way I did.”At the same time, Lara was not ungracious in defeat. He did concede that “something like 200-plus was definitely on the cards for a team like Zimbabwe,” on this pitch, but would not be drawn into suggesting that one-sided matches like this took the sheen off this tournament. “I think it’s very important to encourage the likes of Zimbabwe and Bangladesh and other lower-ranked teams. They want to get out there and play against the best teams in the world and it’s an opportunity for them to spring a surprise on anybody,” he said. “If Zimbabwe was not here for this tournament you might say Bangladesh shouldn’t be here as well, but they’ve beaten Pakistan and Australia and you have to give them the opportunity. It’s good for cricket on the whole and we just have to accept that.”Sandwiched between the strident Lara and the crestfallen Utseya was a jocular Chris Gayle, the Man-of-the-Match for his breezy 41. “I was feeling a bit weak so I started slowly, and later I tried to be a bit more positive and get it over as quickly as possible,” he said, not trying to be politically correct. When asked why he went for the third big hit, and was caught, despite being dropped twice, he choked down a chuckle and said, “It was a bit entertaining as well. You know Chris Gayle already. I like to entertain and be positive and play a few shots. I wasn’t taking anything for granted, though, just playing each ball on its merits.”But there was little merit in Zimbabwe’s cricket on the day, and Utseya was resigned to this. “It is quite difficult because the morale and the confidence of guys goes down,” he said. “To be honest we didn’t play to the best of our ability today. I’m sure we can do better in the matches to come.”

Adam Gilchrist refused to wave the white flag, but admitted that Australia would need a monumental effort to ensure that Steve Waugh’s farewell Test isn’t remembered as an ignominious defeat. “We never give up hope,” he said with a wry smile. “And we always give it our best shot.”Gilchrist reckoned that Australia, who have set the standards for everyone else to match in recent seasons, would need to emulate India to stand any chance of salvaging something from the game. “When we do get the chance to bat, we need to learn from the way they batted … very patiently and watching the ball closely.”Despite acknowledging that the team had been physically and mentally taxed, Gilchrist said that there was no dearth of spirit in the team. “We’ve stuck to our task, but have been undone by some outstanding batting,” he said. “And a few catches have gone down, which has been one thing that’s let us down this series. I’ve been as responsible as anyone else.”He rated the Indians as the toughest opponents that he had faced. “It’s been the toughest home series I’ve played in. It’s been a real challenge to find ways to get these guys out. It’s one of the best batting line-ups in the world, going back a long way.”Asked what India had done differently to other sides, he said, “What they’ve done is been able to bat for long periods against us. You could point to the absence of McGrath and Warne, and also to their exceptional batting. I think it’s been a bit of both. [Virender] Sehwag and [Akash] Chopra have also done a great job opening the batting.”As for the two men who meted out the punishment today, Gilchrist didn’t hold back on the superlatives. “VVS seems extraordinary each time we play him. We can’t work out why he then goes away, and is left out of the team [for the 2003 World Cup]. As for Tendulkar, it was inevitable that he was going to come good. He looked a bit tentative yesterday, but was back in the groove today. He looked like the class act that he is.”There was some disappointment at the booing directed at Stuart MacGill after he dropped both Tendulkar and Laxman during the course of the day’s play. “I can understand that there’s a lot of frustration at not being part of a fairytale, after all the hype going into the game. But it’s the soft option to boo, the cheap option.”Gilchrist played one of the all-time great Test innings, 204 not out, at Johannesburg two seasons ago, to set up what Waugh termed two days ago as the most impressive victory of his tenure. A reprise is needed tomorrow, or the day after, depending on when India close their innings, if Australia – and Steve Waugh – are to leave the SCG with anything more than tears and regrets.

National League Division OneDivision One TableGlamorgan 273 for 2 beat Essex 267 for 6 by 8 wickets at Sophia Gardens
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Jimmy Maher belted a magnificent 142 from 113 balls, inclusive of 18 fours and 4 sixes, as Glamorgan sauntered home with 6.5 overs to spare. Essex’s total had been inspired by Nasser Hussain’s superb 144 and Ronnie Irani’s 63. But Maher, and Robert Croft who made 64, made light of the stiff target on a day when bowlers on both sides took some fearful hammer.Leicestershire 295 for 7 beat Worcestershire 219 by 76 runs at Oakham School
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A comfortable victory for Leicestershire. Trevor Ward, with 68, and Virender Sehwag – who slammed three sixes in a blistering 59-ball 76 – gave Leicestershire the perfect start, while Darren Maddy provided the late innings-momentum with 58. Stephen Peters anchored the reply with 82, but Worcestershire were never on the ball as Jeremy Snape and David Brignull both finished with three wickets.Warwickshire 244 for 4 beat Surrey 242 for 9 by six wickets at Edgbaston
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Ian Bell (59*) and Mike Powell (26*) led Warwickshire to an ultimately facile victory after Nick Knight (74) had given the run chase the perfect start. Waqar Younis, who finished with 4 for 35, did the damage early on, before Collins Obuya – with 3 for 65 – mopped up the lower order. Mark Ramprakash held the innings together with 57, but it wasn’t enough against a Warwickshire team that was never behind the eight-ball.National League Division TwoDivision Two TableNorthamptonshire 215 for 7 beat Durham 166 by 49 runs at Chester-le-Street
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Another match, another Australian having a party. Mike Hussey carried his bat for a superb 112, before Ben Phillips and Ricaldo Anderson ripped through the fragile Durham batting. As for Shoaib Akhtar, his 9 overs cost 48 runs, for one wicket. Not quite his day, and certainly not Durham’s.Middlesex 337 for 5 beat Somerset 305 for 9 by 32 runs at Southgate
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Middlesex triumphed in a run-fest at Southgate. Owais Shah and Andrew Strauss both made 74 in quick time, but it was Abdul Razzaq, who slammed 5 sixes in a 49-ball 79, who provided the impetus as Middlesex cruised past 300. Keith Dutch (65) and Ian Blackwell (64) gave Somerset a chance, but Jamie Dalrymple and Chad Keegan did enough to ensure that Middlesex prevailed. Nottinghamshire 212 for 5 beat Hampshire 208 for 7 by five wickets at The Rose Bowl
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Chris Cairns and Chris Read saw Nottinghamshire home in a thrilling finish with a 55-run partnership. Cairns made 57 from 58 balls, while Read chipped in with an unbeaten 33 after Jason Gallian had nurdled 60 at the top of the order. Hampshire’s modest total owed much to Simon Katich’s sedate 56, and an unbeaten 45 from South Africa’s Nick Pothas. Derbyshire 235 for 4 beat Sussex 232 for 6 by six wickets at Arundel Castle
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A game of two centuries, with Christopher Bassano’s being the decisive contribution, as Derbyshire made it past the target with 20 balls remaining. Mohammad Kaif cobbled together 44, and Dominic Hewson – who had earlier snared 4 for 40 – made 34 in support of Bassano’s brilliant 126. Murray Goodwin was Sussex’s batting hero with a classy 129.

National League Division One
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Surrey 297 for 6 beat Gloucestershire 231 by 66 runs at The Oval
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Surrey stamped their authority on their title rivals Gloucestershire, as they secured a vital 66-run win to regain top spot in the National League. Surrey, who won the toss and batted first, were in a rampant mood, racking up a huge 297 for 6 in their 45 overs. Ally Brown launched the innings with a ferocious 84 from 61 balls, and Mark Ramprakash brought up the rear with a scarcely more sedate 83 from 102. Graham Thorpe and Rikki Clarke each made handy contributions, and Gloucestershire were up against it from the offset of their innings. Craig Spearman and Phil Weston brought up the first 50 in 29 balls to keep their hopes alive, but five run-outs effectively sealed the match. Spearman went on to make a brave 85, but when he clipped a Clarke full-toss to deep square-leg, that was that.Essex 298 for 5 beat Glamorgan 153 by 145 runs at Chelmsford
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Nasser Hussain launched a thrilling riposte to all those who doubt his continued hunger, by smashing an unbeaten 161 – his highest score in limited-overs cricket – to defeat Glamorgan singlehandedly at Cheltenham. Hussain batted right through a lopsided innings, in which Dean Cosker took all five wickets to fall. Andy Flower added 176 for the first wicket, and Jon Dakin lamped 40 for 23 balls in the closing overs, but other than them, no-one else exceeded 11. Glamorgan, though, needed an unlikely 299 for victory, and when Robert Croft and Michael Powell fell in the same over from Antonio Palladino, they gave up the ghost. Matthew Maynard made an even 50, but Glamorgan tumbled to 153 all out in 26.1 overs.Hampshire 250 for 6 beat Sussex 181 by 62 runs at Hove (D/L method)
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Sussex swapped one embarrassment for another, as a floodlight failure interrupted play just as Dmitri Mascarenhas was bowling Hampshire to a comprehensive victory. Play did eventually resume, and Sussex did eventually put up a fight, but the damage had been done at the top of the innings. Responding to Hampshire’s healthy total of 250 for 6, Sussex were reduced to 37 for 5 before a gutsy performance from the tail lifted them to 181 with ten of their allotted overs remaining. Mascarenhas finished with 4 for 24, and James Bruce chipped in with 3 for 45. Earlier, Hampshire’s innings had been based around a trio of fifties from James Hamblin, Simon Katich and John Crawley.National League Division Two
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Nottinghamshire 203 for 6 beat Durham 199 by four wickets at Chester-le-Street
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Kevin Pietersen rampaged to 72 from 57 balls to keep Nottinghamshire’s promotion hopes alive in their National League Division Two game against Durham at Chester-le-Street. Durham batted first and made an underwhelming 199, but that total looked to be plenty when Nottinghamshire slumped to 56 for 5. But Pietersen, who had made a cautious start, suddenly opened his shoulders and stormed from 20 to 72 in six overs. Graeme Bridge was slotted for three sixes in an over, and even Shoaib Akhtar came in for some tap, before getting his own back as Pietersen was caught at backward point. But the damage had been done, and Chris Read and Paul Franks steered Notts home with 6.3 overs to spare.Somerset 283 for 8 beat Middlesex 216 by 67 runs at Taunton
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Jamie Cox provided some long-overdue oomph to Somerset’s top-order, with a superb 130 from 120 balls to dent Middlesex’s promotion push at Taunton. Cox was at the forefront of an impressive team batting effort, as Somerset racked up 283 for 8 after winning the toss. Cox was dropped once on 85 by Tim Bloomfield, but otherwise was in complete control. He added 89 for the third wicket with Keith Parsons, and even though no other batsman exceeded 38, Somerset’s total was all too much for Middlesex, who were all out for 126 in 39.1 overs. Ed Joyce made 59, but Ian Blackwell took three wickets.

The escalating furore over the West Indies Cricket Board’s decision to massively hike ticket prices for the forthcoming home series against England took a new turn with news that the Barmy Army – England’s loyal band of supporters – are set to boycott the Caribbean in protest.The Barmy Army have been unfaltering in their support of England overseas for more than a decade, never failing to travel to venues others – including some players – have feared to tread. But the WICB’s ploy to raise money for cricket in the region looks as if it is an obstacle too far.”They [the Barmies] don’t like being treated like idiots,” Katy Cooke, the secretary of the Barmy Army, told The Guardian. “They’re being asked to subsidise ground improvements in another country. No one who went to Bangladesh is going to the West Indies. I know lots of people who were going to take their families out there, but it just isn’t worth it now, especially as the accommodation is already expensive. There’s been absolute outrage.”If we’d told Zimbabweans at the Chester-le-Street Test last summer that they suddenly had to pay more than the England fans to get in so that the authorities could fund some new seats in Durham, we’d have been branded racist pigs.”And the view that staying at home is the preferred option is echoed by Phil Long, another ever-present Barmy. “I’ve been following England abroad since 1996,” he told the newspaper. “But the trip to the West Indies will be the first I’ve dismissed on the grounds of cost. In Bangladesh you could get by on £150 for the entire five-week trip. Now we’re being asked to pay more for the tickets alone. A lot of the boys are saying we’ll give this one a miss.What’s happening is a real shame, because we’re the best touring fans there are. I was in Calcutta for the one-day final recently between India and Australia, and there were only about 10 Aussie fans there. We’re being penalised for giving such good support.”New Century Marketing, the London-based firm in charge of selling the tickets, continues to insist that sales for the four-Test series which starts in March are good.

Star spinner Muttiah Muralitharan and middle order batsman Kumar Sangakkarahave been included in an amended squad for the forthcoming quadrangularseries at Sharjah.Both Muraliltharan and Sangakkara had been surprise omissions from a 15-mansquad selected last weekend that was rejected by Johnston Fernando, theMinistry of Sports.Fernando refused to ratify the squad until the appointment of three newselectors, including Aravinda de Silva, who retired from all cricket afterSri Lanka’s World Cup semi-final.The selectors met on Friday evening, agreeing with the bulk of the changes,but including Muralitharan, who has assured the five-man panel of hisfitness, and Sangakkara.All-rounders Hasantha Fernando and Thilan Samaraweera, the A team skipper,were the players to miss out from the original squad.Three players were axed from the World Cup squad, including middle order duoRussel Arnold and Mahela Jayawardene and fast bowler Pulasthi Gunaratne.The squad includes three players without One-Day International experience:batsman Michael Vandort, wicket-keeper Prasanna Jayawardene and leg-spinningall-rounder Kaushal Loukuarachchi.The squad is scheduled to depart for the four-nation tournament alsoincluding Kenya, Zimbabwe and Pakistan on Tuesday morning.Sri Lanka will play their first match against Pakistan on April 4.Squad:Sanath Jayasuriya (Capt), Marvan Atapattu, Hashan Tillakaratne, JehanMubarak, Avishka Gunawardene, Michael Vandort, Kumar Sangakkara, PrasanaJayawardene, Kumar Dharmasena, Kaushal Loukuarachchi, Chaminda Vaas, PrabathNissanka, Dilhara Fernando, Muttiah Muralitharan, Buddhika Fernando