The number of countries represented at Trent Bridge’s Weekend of Legends has increased to nine with the introduction of Indian international wicket-keeper Nayan Mongia.The 31-year-old star has been drafted into the squad as a late replacement for South African Test stalwart Mark Boucher, who is unable to play after suffering a broken finger.Mongia will line up in the Superkings of Cricket match on June 30 when Sir Richard Hadlee and Sir Garfield Sobers manage teams of current world stars.This will be followed on Sunday July 1 by a World Cricket Masters challenge match between Graham Gooch¹s England and Allan Border¹s Australia.Mongia is a veteran of 140 One-Day Internationals and has been a regular in the Indian international set-up since taking over from Kiran More in the mid-90s.His inclusion adds another country to the list of those involved in the weekend which now includes; England, Australia, South Africa, Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, West Indies, New Zealand and Sri Lanka.Said event organiser Barbara Quinn: “We are delighted to have secured a replacement of the quality of Nayan to play in what promises to be a great match.”While Mark’s injury and subsequent late withdrawal was a blow, it is a measure of the event’s standing that Nayan was so quick to agree to play in his place.”Adult tickets allowing entry to both games are still available and can be purchased for as little as £20. Bookings can be made on the Ticket Hotline 0870 168 8888.

The Australian Cricket Board (ACB) today confirmed that it will host athree-match one-day international series between Australia and Indiaon 21, 23 and 26 September in Melbourne and Brisbane.The Melbourne fixtures will take place at the Colonial Stadium onFriday, September 21 and Sunday, September 23, and on Wednesday.September 26 at the Gabba in Brisbane.The series follows on from last year’s history making tournamentbetween Australia and South Africa, which saw international cricketplayed indoors for the first time.ACB Chief Executive Officer Malcolm Speed said that the series willbuild on the success of last year’s event.”The success of Super Challenge 2000 has paved the way for moreinternational cricket out of the traditional summer season. ColonialStadium is now a proven venue for cricket, while the warmer climate atthe Gabba in Queensland provides us with an alternative to take theseries to other parts of Australia.”Australia and India had a terrific battle in India earlier in theyear and Super Challenge 2001 will give Australian cricket followersthe chance to enjoy the rivalry between these two teams,” Speed said.Australian captain Steve Waugh said that he was looking forward to theseries.”It’s going to be great for the boys to play on home soil again aftertours to India and the UK and the event should prove an excellentstart to the new season.”Super Challenge 2000 was a superb and innovative event that was agreat experience to be involved in. The matches against India, both atthe Colonial Stadium and at the Gabba promise to be an equallyimpressive spectacle, especially after the high-quality and closelyfought cricket the two sides produced in India last autumn.”I know some of the players, like myself, have family commitmentsaround that time and that’s a difficult situation, but both sides, theACB and the players, understand the other’s point of view. I’m happywe’ve been able to reach an amicable solution that means Australiawill field the strongest side available,” Waugh said.In order to prepare Colonial Stadium for Super Challenge, the ACB willagain use a “drop-in” pitch to make the transition from an AFL groundto a surface suitable for international cricket. The pitch will bedeveloped off-site, using similar technology to last year’s event.The Brisbane Lions Australian Football Club, who play at the Gabbahave agreed to move any training session they have scheduled for theground, should it coincide with the Super Challenge event on September26. The Lions would only be training on this date should they winthrough to the AFL Grand Final.Speed said he was very appreciative of the Lions’ support. “I wouldlike to thank the Lions for their flexibility in allowing the ACB totake Super Challenge to the people of Queensland,” he said.The Nine Network will televise the series in Australia. Ticketingdetails, sponsorship and overseas television arrangements will beannounced in due course.

Damien Martyn continued his golden run of form as Australia left Somersetwith an unlikely 417 for victory in the Vodafone Challenge match at Taunton.Martyn, dropped on nought by Jason Kerr at gully, progressed without furthertrouble to an unbeaten 176 in a total of 335-4 declared.It was his fifth century of the tour, one of which came in the limited-overs friendly with Northants, ­and his 231-ball innings included 25 fours.Guest player Shoaib Akhtar was comfortably the most potent of the homeside’s attack, but he only bowled seven overs before departing the fieldwith cramp in both legs.Akhtar’s new ball burst of 6-2-9-2 had removed Simon Katich, caught behindby Rob Turner for three, and Justin Langer, lbw for ten.But Martyn and Wade Seccombe instigated a recovery from 15-2 with a third-wicket stand of 156 and then Ashley Noffke and Mark Waugh shared partnerships of 42 and 142 with Martyn.Left-arm spinner Ian Blackwell claimed the other two wickets to fall when hehad Seccombe caught by Piran Holloway at mid-wicket for 76 and took a returncatch to dismiss Noffke for 22.Somerset were soon in trouble when they batted again as Piran Hollowaydeparted for seven to a fine catch by acting captain Ricky Ponting at thirdslip, from paceman Noffke.But Aamir Sohail and Mike Burns then put on 45 as Somerset closed the day on52-1, requiring a further 365 to win.Off the field, Australia have injury worries about openers Michael Slaterand Matthew Hayden and pace ace Brett Lee ahead of Thursday’s Second AshesTest at Lord’s.Neither Slater, who has a bruised left wrist after being struck by an Akhtardelivery, nor Hayden, whose right knee locked while fielding on Saturday,played any part in today’s proceedings.Australia expect both to be ready for the Test, but there is a bit moreconcern about Lee’s injured ribs which forced his late withdrawal from thismatch.

Zimbabwe cricket seems to suffer one blow after another, and the latest has been the news that national team coach Carl Rackemann is to leave his job shortly. The burly former Australian pace bowler’s one-year contract had been due to expire at the end of August, but by general agreement he has done so well in the job that it was hoped he would be able to stay on for longer.Rackemann’s reasons for leaving, he says, are simply “commitments back home, especially my farm”. He feels he has spent too much time away from it, but adds that he hopes to stay involved with the Zimbabwe team in the future in one role or another.There will be those who suggest that the current unrest between players and administrators in Zimbabwe cricket has been responsible for his decision, but Rackemann denies it. He has told the Zimbabwe Cricket Union that he will still be available for the visits by South Africa and England in September and October if they wish to use him.Rackemann’s first contact with the national side was in 1999 when he assisted Dave Houghton, then national coach, as a specialist bowling coach. He was so effective that he was invited back as often as he could make it, and when Houghton resigned last year, for one rare occasion the Zimbabwe Cricket Union and the players were in agreement: Rackemann was the best man to take over.During his time, Rackemann feels that the team has recorded some ‘terrific achievements’; he names the recent victory in the Second Test against India and the one-day series win in New Zealand, Zimbabwe’s first away from home, as two outstanding highlights on the field of play.With individuals, he notes that there is a long list of batsmen who during the past year have recorded their highest scores, most notably in the Test against India at Nagpur. Here Grant Flower fought back with a century after recording a ‘pair’ in Delhi, Alistair Campbell hit his first Test century, and Andy Flower hit his wonderful 232 not out. Rackemann also recalls the 70 scored by the late Trevor Madondo in Wellington, “batting beautifully for it”.The third One-Day International win in New Zealand was a major highlight, coming as it did against all expectations, with a magnificent innings by Heath Streak, and the recent Test win against India was achieved largely through the efforts of Streak and Andy Blignaut, who “bowled so well”. This was largely the result of bowling to a plan, bowling consistently just outside the line of the off stump to the Indian batsmen, and Rackemann rightly feels that one of his achievements has been to have his bowlers bowl a more consistent line and bowl to a plan. Zimbabwe’s bowlers also used to be plagued by problems with wides and no-balls, and he feels he has managed to reduce these to a minimum.Highlights can also be achieved off the field, he believes, mentioning that he has had individual sessions with players, even in the nets, when they have achieved a breakthrough in developing some area of their game successfully. ‘Discipline’ and ‘consistency’ are two words that he mentions often, and he believes he has seen these achieved to a greater degree in many Zimbabwean players.It is not just in the technical areas that he has enjoyed success. He has aimed to add mental strength to the players, “to simplify their thoughts and attitudes, to get them to believe in themselves and have the objectives of results”.”I talk a lot to the team about having more consistency. With each individual playing better cricket more often, then the team will play a higher quality of cricket more often. That doesn’t mean that they will win or be in a winning position every time they take the field, but just that they will play better cricket more often.”The players have a tremendous respect for Rackemann. Andy Flower, always one to tell it straight, says: “I think Carl has added a tremendous amount to Zimbabwe cricket, especially in the area of bringing to a naïve country the Australian influence and all that comes with it.”I think he’s brought a positive but relaxed atmosphere to the changing room and has also shown some positive results since the moment he first started working with our bowlers. Equally, although he is not a specialist batting coach, he has focused the batsmen’s minds on the basics, the consequence of which has been a number of career-best performances from some of them. I’ve loved working with him.”Carl Rackemann has been very good for Zimbabwe cricket, and it is unlikely that his influence will be lost forever. He has managed to identify with the team so greatly that, even when they play Australia, he is able to support them unequivocally. Hopefully he will be back, even if only in his old role as bowling coach, and there will always be room for him among Zimbabwe’s grateful players. In the meantime, the ZCU has the problem with its limited finance of finding a replacement worthy to wear the great Australian’s mantle.

Groundsman Roy McLaren’s last Championship match at New Road appeared to be in danger of folding in two days as Gloucestershire crashed to 21 for 5 in their second innings.But McLaren, who is retiring after 18 years in the job, was spared an abrupt send-off when the West Country side rallied for long enough in a partnership of 35 by Jeremy Snape and Jack Russell.Kabir Ali came back to nail Snape for 25 and finished with a career-best 5 for 22 as the visitors were dismissed for 87. In two overs before the close Worcestershire safely made 14 towards a victory requirement of 70.Gloucestershire’s top-order collapse was the work of Andy Bichel and Kabir in exploiting a seaming pitch of uneven bounce. The new-ball pair bombed out the first five wickets in 39 deliveries, starting with a leading edge by Kim Barnett and peaking with two in successive balls for Bichel.Mark Alleyne became a first-ball victim for Bichel for the second day in a row and the Australian went on to take 4 for 32 for a match return of 10 for 86.Alleyne had some compensation for his “king pair” after claiming 4 for 30 when Worcestershire were dismissed for 240 after starting the day in an unbroken stand of 84 by openers Philip Weston and Anurag Singh.Ian Harvey had danger man Graeme Hick caught at slip in a morning spell of 10-7-12-2, but the other wicket-takers, James Averis and Ben Gannon, were much more expensive.Worcestershire finally scrambled a lead of 18 thanks to 45 by Paul Pollard in his first innings for a month and a rapid 25 by Kabir.

The County Ground was under siege on Saturday morning as members of the public tried to get their tickets for the Cheltenham and Gloucester Trophy semi-final between Somerset and Warwickshire on August 11th.There was a large numbers of personal callers, and four members of staff manning the telephones were hardly enough to cope with the volume of the demand.Chief executive Peter Anderson told me: “Tickets are going very quickly, and if they are not all sold today the remainder will be snapped up early next week.”This is the biggest match that we have hosted at Taunton since we beat Surrey in the Nat West semi two years ago, and we are expecting to win. People who are coming to the game are advised that no alcohol will be allowed inside the ground. Special parking arrangements are in the process of being finalised, and a press announcement will be made regarding this during the week. The advice to everyone is to get to the ground in plenty of time.”In front of the Ondaatje Pavilion, a temporary stand was being erected which is expected to increase the ground capacity for the match by an additional 1,000.The stand will be used mainly by the travelling Warwickshire supporters on the day.

Apart from staging the hottest ever Test match, with temperatures in excess of 38 degrees Centigrade (100 degree Fahrenheit) on each day, the recently concluded first test match of Asian Test Championship established four unique test records that have gone unnoticed by cricket statisticians. The following are the four unique records:1. Pakistan’s record equalling five centuries were made out of a total of 546-3 declared. This total is the lowest ever to include 4 centuries, let alone 5. The previous record was West Indies’ 550 v India at St John’s in 1982-83 – that total included 4 centuries.2. The Pakistan v Bangladesh test match saw the first ever instance of both left-handed opening batsmen scoring centuries in the same innings. Saeed Anwar and Taufeeq Umar provided the 39th instance of both openers scoring centuries in the same test innings, but the first ever by a left handed opening pair.3. For the second time in Test history two separate century partnerships for the same wicket in the same innings were recorded. Inzamam-ul-Haq and Yousuf Youhana added 123 (unbroken) for the fourth wicket and then Yousuf Youhana and Abdur Razzaq added 165 (unbroken) for the fourth wicket. The first such instance was for the West Indies against England at Kingston in 1959-60. E.D.A.S.McMorris and G.S.Sobers put on 133 (unbroken) for the 3rd wicket. McMorris then retired hurt and then G.S.Sobers and S.M.Nurse put on 110 for the same wicket for West Indies v England at Kingston in 1959-60. However, Pakistan’s achievement is unique in that both century partnerships were unbroken.4. The Pakistan v Bangladesh and the concurrent Sri Lanka v India (3rd Test at Colombo) test matches provided the unique feat of centuries on test debuts on successive days in two separate test matches. Never before has there been such a feat. Taufeeq Umar of Pakistan scored 104 on 30th August, and on the next day, i.e. 31st August, T.T.Samaraweera of Sri Lanka scored an unbeaten 103.CricInfo readers will be interested to note that B.H.Valentine (136) of England and L.Amarnath (118) of India provide the only instance of two batsmen scoring centuries in their debut tests on the same day in the same test match. This rare feat occurred during the 1st Test between India and England in 1933-34. The match was the only test match ever played at the Gymkhana Ground in Bombay. On 17th December 1933, i.e. the third day of this test match, B.H.Valentine resumed on his overnight 79 and went on to score 136 in England’s innings of 438. Later in the day, India batted, and by the close of play, were 159-2 with L.Amarnath unbeaten on 102.

At Universals Sports Club. Old Hararians 197 (R E Butterworth 65, S M Ervine 64) beat Universals 69 (D T Mutendera 14, N B Mahwire 14; S M Ervine 3-6, N Chari 3-40) by 128 runs.At Eaglesvale High School. Harare Sports Club 313 (T R Gripper 119, G M Croxford 75, Taylor 68) beat Takashinga (formerly Winstonians) 169 (T Taibu 60, T R Gripper 4-20, G Johnstone-Robertson 3-16) by 144 runs.At Old Georgians Sports Club. Old Georgians 268/5 (C N Evans 100, A J C Neethling 97) beat Alexandra Sports Club 267/6 (D A Marillier 131*, R Liddell 84) by 5 wickets.Defending champions Old Georgians opened their defence of the MashonalandVigne Cup First League title with a five-wicket win over last season’s runners-up Alexandra Sports Club at Old Georgians. Elsewhere Old Hararians and Harare Sports Club posted crushing victories over Universals and Takashinga.Alex batted first at Old Georgians and enjoyed a solid opening partnership of Douglas Marillier and Ross Liddell before the latter was dismissed for 84, caught by Gus Mackay off the bowling of Ian Coulson. Marillier, who has had stints with the national team, was unbeaten on 131 as Alex made 267 for the loss of six wickets off their allotted 50 overs.There were no significant figures from the Old Georgians bowlers. Iain Coulson took two wickets for 38 off 10 overs while Mackay finished with 2/57 off nine overs.In reply Old Georgians reached their victory target for the loss of five wickets with an over remaining. Craig Evans led the scoring with 100 whileAndre Neethling weighed in with 97.National league champions Old Hararians beat Universals by 128 runs in the second match at Universals. Old Hararians, who finished at the bottom of last season’s Vigne Cup, batted first and were dismissed for 197 after 48.5 overs. Opener Ryan Butterworth top-scored for OH with 65 runs, while Sean Ervine was the second best scorer with 64.Shiraz Adam led the Universals attack with four wickets for 35 off nine overs. Ali Shah took three for 32 off 8.5 overs.Universals were dismissed for a mere 69 in just 22 overs. Sean Ervine took three wickets for six runs off four overs. Nyasha Chari also took three wickets but was more expensive conceding 40 runs, 20 of them wides, off eight overs. There were only two batsmen from Universals to score double figures, DavidMutendera and Blessing Mahwire, who both scored 14 batting at number two and three.The last match, between Harare Sports Club and Takashinga (formerly OldWinstonians), initially set for Harare Sports Club, was moved to EaglesvaleHigh School because of some upgrading work at the national ground. Young wicketkeeper Tatenda Taibu left Bulawayo on Friday evening having gonethere with the national team but his presence could not save Takashinga froma crushing 144-run defeat.Harare Sports Club piled up 313 runs for the loss of just four wickets in 50 overs as the inexperienced Takashinga attack failed to trouble the HSC batting. Opener Trevor Gripper was the HSC top scorer with 119 while Guy Croxford added 75 runs.Facing a required run rate of over six an over, Takashinga were bundled out for 169 in 40.3 overs. Gripper came back to haunt Takashinga with the ball, taking four wickets for 20 off seven overs.Taibu was the only successful batsman for Takashinga, scoring 60 runs. Harare Sports Club also fielded Brighton Watambwa who withdrew from the Zimbabwe team for the first Test against South Africa a week ago because of a knee injury. He bowled 10 overs, conceding 35 runs (six no-balls) without taking a wicket.

Scott Styris has taken an unusual route to recovering his place in the CLEAR Black Caps one-day team.The Northern Districts all-rounder left today for Sydney where he will play the first five weeks of the Sydney grade competition for Gordon.ND operations manager Pat Malcon said today that the spot in Sydney had been arranged very quickly over the last week.”Scott thought Sydney’s competition starts a month before we start playing cricket in New Zealand and felt that if he wants to start the season firing he should take the chance,” he said.Former New Zealand coach Steve Rixon had helped set up the chance for Styris who is recovering from knee surgery to an injury which forced him out of the national side midway through last summer.”It is a unique way of preparing, but it will give him a good chance to try it out,” Malcon said.There is also a chance that long-serving ND bowler Alex Tait may have a delayed start to the summer.He is in with a chance of selection for the Northland golf team for the national amateur inter-provincial golf tournament, the Tower-sponsored event, which is played in late-November and if selected for the golf team he won’t be available for ND until the one-day series after Christmas.

Sixteen young English Test hopefuls have arrived in Adelaide to spend four months at the Australian Cricket Academy, and were given an early indication of what the future holds from Rod Marsh.The former Australia wicketkeeper, the first director of the English NationalAcademy after 11 successful years at the ACA, was appointed by the England and Wales Cricket Board to help develop players more effectively for international cricket.”They’re here to toughen up,” Marsh said. “If they don’t get tough they might as well catch the first plane out.”The pressure will be so intense that unless they perform at their absolute best they will never play for England,” Marsh told Channel Ten Sports News.Australia raised themselves from the cricketing doldrums to become world-beaters through their own academy, which has produced the likes of Shane Warneand Ricky Ponting.The 16 English players selected for the first academy, which has replaced the winter A tour, are in for a month of tough fitness training.There are barely any net sessions before their first game on November 22, against the Tasmania 2nd XI.Marsh has brought in two Australian coaches to help train the England prospects.The great fast bowler Dennis Lillee is joined by Terry Jenner, who nurtured Shane Warne and will advise England’s slow bowlers.Surrey’s Alex Tudor welcomed the news that former Australian captain Ian Chappell will also provide specialist coaching.”With men like Chappell around we can only get better,” said the 24-year-old, who made his Test debut in 1998 but has since been plagued by injury.