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An unbeaten fourth wicket partnership of 126 between skipper John Crawley and John Francis lifted Hampshire Hawks into second place in the National Cricket League Division Two table, bypassing the Scottish Saltires by seven wickets at the Rose Bowl.Crawley, showing a distinct return to form hit an excellent 83 (88 balls) while Francis kept him in good company to the tune of 62 from 75 balls, which included one immaculate straight six and five boundaries as they led the Hawks to victory with an over to spare.Hampshire won the toss and, noting their chasing exploits the previous day in beating bottom-of-the-table Sussex Sharks, asked the Saltires to bat first and the captain saw instant results as debutante Chaminda Vaas trapped Dougie Lockhart lbw for 2 while Gregg Williamson followed him for the same tally nine runs later.Ryan Watson and Rahul Dravid rebuilt the innings after the early setbacks but it was the partnership between the Indian batsman and South African all-rounder Jon Kent which was the main focus of the visitors’ eventual 225-5.Dravid scored 81 while Kent followed his century at Hove with an unbeaten 78 as they added 103 for the fourth wicket.Shaun Udal picked up two wickets, but Vaas was the pick, showing all his experience in taking 1-31 from his nine overs of left-arm seam.As seems to be the way in Hampshire’s innings, James Hamblin and Simon Katich made a good start in the reply, posting 55 on the board but two wickets in successive balls to Saltires skipper Craig Wright set the Hawks back a step.Hamblin was bowled attempting a straight drive and Derek Kenway shuffled across to his first delivery and was lbw. Much relied on Katich but he also fell to Wright for a 66-ball 45.However, the day was set for Crawley, who is timing the ball as sweetly as he has for some time and his left-handed accomplice Francis, recording his highest league score of the season to take the Hawks home.

The South Australian Cricket Association has announced that Woodville batsman Daniel Harris, has been flown to Brisbane to take part in the Pura Cup clash against the Queensland Bulls, starting today (January 19).Harris replaces Jeff Vaughan, who injured his left foot in Brisbane yesterday. Vaughan was hit on the foot while batting in the nets, and sustained severe bruising.Fast-bowler Paul Rofe, who dislocated and cut his finger during the ING Cup game on Friday, has been declared fit for the Pura Cup clash.The Redbacks team to face the Bulls is:

Greg Blewett (c)
Mark Cleary
Mark Cosgrove
John Davison
Shane Deitz
David Fitzgerald
Daniel Harris
Mark Harrity
Ben Higgins
Ben Johnson
Paul Rofe
Shaun Tait

Indian captain Sourav Ganguly was left lamenting the fact his batsmen had not been able to score another 40-50 in their runs to shut New Zealand out of the second National Bank Test in Hamilton yesterday.New Zealand got home by four wickets today in their quest for 160.The result had been very disappointing, he said.But those extra runs would have made them competitive.He had been disappointed that more batsmen could not stay with Rahul Dravid to get those extra runs but he didn’t blame his lower-order players as he doubted they had the techniques to get by in the conditions.Ganguly said he didn’t want to make any excuses but there had been two 50s from the Indian batsmen and one from the New Zealanders in four innings for each side in the series.”That would show that it was not an easy time for the batsmen,” he said.Indian coach John Wright said in his experience, when playing in New Zealand, the Basin Reserve wicket had been something like those in the series, but today’s pitch had been a good one for Test cricket.”What was interesting from my point of view was that both the wickets were watered three or four days before both Test matches. The one in Wellington had been watered the day we turned up for training two days before the Test match, covered with scrim the day before the Test match and this one was watered before we arrived because the groundsman had said he was worried it would dry out too quickly and obviously the weather before the Test match probably delayed the pitch recipe or preparation.”Today was about right for a good Test wicket,” he said.The formula appeared to be one that was working for New Zealand from the way they picked their side and it was successful and he congratulated them on their success because India hadn’t been good enough to win on either occasion.While more runs were needed in the second innings, he had been very pleased with the way the side competed in the match, especially in the field. To get New Zealand out for a score less than their own in the first innings had been a good effort.Batting conditions today had probably been the best in the match but his players had stuck at it very well.”We had no complaints. We could make some observations but we are certainly not complaining,” he said.Ganguly explained the reason Virender Sehwag was dropped down the order in the second innings with Parthiv Patel opening.Patel had shown good technique in the first innings and it was thought if Sehwag could come in later he might be able to score 50 or more runs that could be useful. But, unfortunately, for India he got out before he could give them what might have been a winning advantage.Wright looked ahead to the one-day series and hoped that good wickets would be available for the series.”I think it is very important for both sides heading into the World Cup that they go in there with batsmen in form. From what I understand the wickets in South Africa are going to be very flat and so the preparation and for the sake of a good series I hope the wickets are really batsmen friendly, which will suit us.”But if you are going to win a World Cup you’ve got to put big scores on the board so from that point of view I imagine the New Zealanders perhaps will be thinking along the same sorts of lines,” he said.India were looking forward to the one-day series and he remained hopeful that the New Zealand public would yet see his batsmen in full cry.

Zimbabwe won the one-day series today at BNS defeating Bangladesh by a fair margin of 42 runs in a high scoring match. The visitors won the toss and sent their opponents to field first.The decision to bat first in a dry wicket like that in BNS was a very wise decision and Zimbabweans took full advantage of it. After an early loss of Grant Flower clean bowled by Manjurul Islam, Carlisle and Dion Ebrahim built a partnership of 108 runs in the second wicket. The sloppy fielding by Bangladeshis allowed them plenty of gaps to score runs frequently.Carlisle departed managing 44 runs before he was run out. The crowd at BNS was utterly jubilant to watch Andy Flower leaving the crease with just 10 runs in his bag. Khaled Mahmud grabbed his wicket assisted by Al-Sahariar who took the catch.But that did not stop the flow of runs as Craig Wishart and Ebrahim were running the run-feast with quite ease. Wishart played his natural knock, a stroke filled innings that included three massive sixes. He and Ebrahim added 124 runs in the fourth wicket to take the tally to 269. Wishart made 68 before Mashrafe clean bowled him. Javed Belim sent back Ebrahim by a superb throw that broke the stumps before the batsman was in. Ebrahim score 121 and struck 11 fours.Zimbabwe ended their innings in style taking 22 runs off Rafique from the final over. Streak whacked two huge sixes and a boundary. The Zimbabwean totals reached 309 after full 50 overs, but match adjudicator reduced 5 runs from their total as a penalty as Wishart obstructed a Bangladeshi fielder while he was picking the ball. So, Bangladesh got a target of 305 to win the match. Mashrafe captured 2 wickets for 48.Al-Sahariar and Javed Belim made a dream start hammering eight boundaries in their 46-run partnership. It was Al-Sahariar to go first tragically when Belim summoned him to take a risky improbable single. Garry Brent himself clipped the bails off before Al-Sahariar could touch the line. A remorseful Javed Belim departed soon after his mate edging a lollypop catch to Andy Flower. He made 27.Little Ashraful was dismissed before he could set at the crease when the score was 76, clean bowled by Travis Friend, who was erratic at his first spell. Bashar, the most successful among the hosts, and Sanwar Hossain started playing rather prudently. They remained inseparable for 24.2 overs to manage 115. Bashar like his other golden days notched up a sparkling 66 before he missed an Ervine delivery that displaced his stumps.Sanwar Hossain, though batted judiciously, spent too many balls to get his fifty. Marillier’s direct throw returned him bagging 52 valuable runs that contained a solitary boundary.Khaled Mahmud (50) hammered Brent for a six and a deafening applaud welcomed his endeavor. He hit several dazzling boundaries all around on his way. He reached his half-century, the third one in Bangladeshi innings, playing only 37 balls. He was caught at extra cover off Friend soon after he got that fifty.Bangladesh managed 262 runs from their stipulated overs. Brent took 2 wickets for 40 and Streak captured 2 for 45. Dion Ebrahim was unquestionably adjudged the man-of-the-match.

Give away a bonus point, offer a team a berth in a finals series, and evidently media criticism, a small crowd, and an eight wicket hiding is all that New Zealand receives by way of thanks. Or at least that’s the way it seems after South Africa’s batsmen, bowlers and fielders all savaged the Black Caps to open up a 1-0 lead in the best-of-three VB Series deciders in Melbourne tonight.It had lost three of its four previous matches against South Africa in the series and won only one of its last 16 games against the Proteas overall.And, today, New Zealand never really looked in the game either.Lopsided as the contest may have been, though, there was plenty to appreciate in the performances of a number of the South Africans. The bowlingof Makhaya Ntini (5/31) was outstanding; Shaun Pollock (1/30) and Lance Klusener (2/27) were also consistently threatening; and then BoetaDippenaar (79*) and Jacques Kallis (59*) led not so much a chase of a victory target of 191 as a saunter.The New Zealanders (the targets of criticism on both sides of the Tasman over recent days for their decision to give away a bonus point to SouthAfrica in their previous match) had the opportunity to tilt the scales their way when captain Stephen Fleming enjoyed a victory at the toss.But, while that outcome killed any prospect that they would be forced to chase another big South African total, it only hastened the emergence offurther problems at the top of the New Zealand batting order.Even before falling to early catches behind the wicket in the midst of Ntini’s sizzling opening spell, openers Nathan Astle (9) and Lou Vincent (7)played with uncertainty. Only 15 runs were added in a first wicket partnership that extended a dismal run for the New Zealanders at the top of theorder across the series as a whole.Craig McMillan (73) and Fleming (50) rebuilt the innings with a partnership of 109 runs for the third wicket. But their stand was blessed more bypatience than by power and there was never a real flow about New Zealand’s exhibition.As the strain of needing to accelerate the run scoring rate eventually impacted upon them, the Black Caps lost their way. Fleming, Andre Adams(13), Dion Nash (9) and Chris Cairns (0) all hit catches into the leg side while ambitiously attacking; McMillan and Shane Bond (1) badly misjudgedsingles to be run out; and Chris Harris (9) and Adam Parore (2) feathered from outside edges to the ‘keeper.Ntini rattled batsmen into error at both ends of the innings; Klusener collected two wickets in an over; and Pollock’s trademark awareness ofnear-perfect line and length meant he was always at the batsmen.Nevertheless, there was no great venom in the pitch and a number of the New Zealanders’ wounds were self-inflicted.They would have learnt a lesson about measured batting if they had closely watched Gary Kirsten (25) and Herschelle Gibbs (24) assemble theirthird half-century stand of the series in reply. Or Dippenaar and Kallis in their unbroken, risk-averse union of 139 runs.Once the two openers had weathered the new ball threat posed by Bond (0/21) and seen Nash (0/6) succumb to an abdominal muscle strain after only oneover, the result was never in doubt.Kirsten fell to a run out verdict that was unlucky on two counts – given that it was caused by a deflection back on to the stumps from bowlerMcMillan and that several replays were needed before it could be assumed that the veteran left hander’s bat had merely reached rather thantraversed the line of his crease as a bail was lifted.But Dippenaar then looked contrastingly lucky to survive a caught behind decision as he drove inside the line of a Cairns (1/27) leg cutter with hisscore at just 6. With the New Zealanders needing even so much as half-chances to translate themselves into wickets, it was a decision thateliminated even the last signs of activity from a flickering pulse.Dippenaar, who has been due good fortune all tour, was later dropped in the gully when he aimed a powerful cut toward Fleming with his total at40. He capitalised on the two reprieves with magnificent driving to both sides of the wicket and disdainful punishment of short deliveries with someglorious horizontal-bat strokes.Kallis, ever-composed, assisted in the cause in no small measure at the other end.A crowd of only 20671 arrived all the while, producing the spectacle of vast banks of empty seats on a fine and sunny day and at least challengingthe contention that sports-loving Melburnians will turn up in their droves to watch any international game.With no bonus points on offer to help spark a contest, what the patrons saw was a remorseless performance.

Eight thousand news seats will be available at Jade Stadium for New Zealand’s international cricket matches against England.The massive western stand at the ground is well on the way to achieving its completion date of March 26.While New Zealand’s internationals are in late-February and early March, the bottom half of the new stand will be handed over on January 7 at which time seating contractors will place the 8000 available seats.The $43.9million stand still has another level to be added to it but is already an imposing structure on the site of the long standing but little lamented concrete terrace.Jade Stadium chief executive Bryn McGoldrick said the construction was on time and on budget.While the Red and Black Trust’s sale of 12-seater reserves had proven very popular, only one-third of the Victory Park Trust allocation and seven of the 31 suites had been sold. The suites are valued at between $40,000 and $50,000 per year.When the job is completed the ground will have just over 50 suites.McGoldrick was in no doubt that if support could be given to repeating the complex on the other side of the ground, replacing the existing stands, it could be started in March when the western stand is finished, and completed in time for the Rugby World Cup in 2003.Because it would merely be a case of turning the plans around, the cost of doing the eastern side of the ground would be considerably less than for the new stand.

Tamil Nadu emerged worthy winners of the MJ Gopalan Trophy 2001after they got better of Colombo Districts Cricket Association(CDCA) XI by virtue of their 199 runs first innings lead. Onthe fourth and final day of the match at the MA ChidambaramStadium, Chepauk in Chennai, on Monday, play was called offafter eight mandatory overs were bowled. CDCA XI had moved onto 206/4 in their second innings with Ian Daniel unbeaten on77, giving him company was skipper Samaraweera on 4*.Earlier in the day, resuming on 154/3, Tamil Nadu lost theenterprising Sridharan Sriram (81), he had added just two moreruns to his overnight score. Sriram was caught well in thedeep by Dinusha Fernando off the bowling of Samaraweera,looking for quick runs. After batting for eight overs in themorning, Tamil Nadu skipper Robin Singh declared the innings closedon 178/4, setting CDCA XI a target of 378 to win. Sharath(20*) and Arasu (6*) were at the crease at that stage.CDCA XI were in for an early shock, Jehan Mubarak (7) nicked aball from Balaji into the safe gloves of Arasu. The Tamil Naduwicketkeeper is better known as ‘Evander Hollyfield’ for thestriking semblance to the great boxing star.Michael Vandort once again threatened to play a big knock butfailed after making 28 runs off 37 balls with the help of fourboundaries and a six. He was caught by Madanagopal off thebowling of Ashish Kapoor. Tillakaratne Dilshan continued inthe same form he showed in the limited over matches, to score56 runs off 83 balls. He fell to the left arm spin ofRamkumar.Wishvanath Jaywardene made a slow 16 runs off 55 balls andalong with Daniel, ensured that Tamil Nadu did not sneak inan outright win. MR Shrinivas who was generating good pace andbounce claimed the wicket of Jayawardene, caught by Balaji. Bythen both the teams had closed shop and the players wentthrough the motions.Winning the MJ Gopalan Trophy must have been a tonic to theTamil Nadu team led by Robin Singh; they are to start theirRanji campaign very shortly. The highlight of the match wasthe bowling of the young fast bowler Balaji and the battingexploits of Sriram (100 and 81).

Thursday, March 6, 2003:::
“I was able to get hold of a copy of the Duckworth-Lewis printout and, having seen them so often, I knew we had to better the par score printed on that. So we were all shouting at Mark Boucher to take a single off the last ball, but to no avail. I have no idea why the team didn’t realise they needed to do better than 229, except that the pressure of the situation maybe went to their heads.” Former South African coach Graham Ford
Source: The Natal Witness, South Africa”We committed schoolboy errors and the team’s management has to take a hard look at itself. What happened out there was unacceptable.” Former South African off-spinner and current national selector Pat Symcox
Source: The Independent, South Africa”I think a strong character like Hollioake in the middle order would be very good and they need a captain who has been successful. Neither Vaughan nor Trescothick have County Championship captaincy experience although Trescothick has captained a bit for England. Vaughan is the favourite but personally, I would like to see Adam Hollioake.” Former England spinner John Emburey, on Nasser Hussain’s successor as English one-day captain
Source: This is Cornwall, UK”A (banned) athlete can go and practise running around an oval if he is a sprinter or a hurdler or a shot-put thrower, so why shouldn’t Shane Warne be able to practise his craft against the best players?” Victoria coach David Hookes, on Warne practising during his ban against first-class opposition
Source: The Sunday Times, AustraliaMonday, March 3, 2003:::
“A game against Australia requires some special performances, but we don’t need that against Sri Lanka. We don’t need anything special, just the basics. We mustn’t drop catches, mustn’t get run out and need to keep things tight. We just need simple, percentage cricket.” Former South African fast-bowler Fanie de Villiers
Source: The Star, South Africa”I know he would be disappointed because he felt we stood a chance, as everyone else felt we stood a chance. But these things happen in sport and I think it’s important having dialogue with him to see where we go from here.” Former West Indian skipper Viv Richards, on captain Carl Hooper’s World Cup
Source: CaribbeanCricket.com”There’s probably one or two players who have hung on a bit too long. I know Australia has over the last four years pretty much been moving guys out and bringing new guys in. So far it’s proving to be a good decision for them. But I’m not quite sure that South Africa is blessed with the riches of talent that they (Australia) are, so it’s a little bit more difficult.” Former South African cricketer Kepler Wessels, on South Africa’s current team
Source: The Age, Australia

The Second Test match at Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo unexpectedly sprang to life in the final session as South Africa, 100 runs ahead, caught Zimbabwe on a pitch that appeared suddenly to have crumbled at one end.However, determined batting by Hamilton Masakadza and Andy Flower saw Zimbabwe through to a draw against their neighbours for the first time, leaving Shaun Pollock’s team to rue their failure to pursue runs more vigorously.Probably both teams took the field with no real expectation of a meaningful day’s play, except in the matter of personal records, thanks to South Africa’s lack of drive on the fourth day that left them still 119 runs behind Zimbabwe at the start of play.Overnight batsmen Jacques Kallis and Neil McKenzie obviously had their eyes on centuries, and with Kallis on 81 and the faster-scoring McKenzie on 74 overnight, on the placid pitch against Zimbabwe’s pop-gun bowling attack, without the injured Paul Strang, it was largely a question of who would get there first.Kallis made all the early running, reaching the nineties by driving Raymond Price for a straight six, and then his century by hammering a short ball from the same bowler through the covers for four. He then opened out even more, but lost McKenzie for 88, trapped lbw by Travis Friend after a partnership of 181. South Africa were 343 for three.The loss of McKenzie quietened Kallis somewhat, and Zimbabwe believed they had him caught down the leg side off Guy Whittall on 118, but the appeal was rejected. Boeta Dippenaar (11) holed out in the covers trying to get after Price, while Lance Klusener showed little of his renowned aggression before lunch.The match meandered along aimlessly afterwards, with South Africa content to wait for the runs to come and Zimbabwe seemingly devoid of any ideas to take wickets. Klusener (27) did make one or two lusty blows before slicing Price to slip, and when Pollock took two off the first ball he faced, South Africa had finally taken the lead.While Kallis lumbered along, Pollock settled in and then began to hit out. Price bowled on, passing Paul Strang’s Zimbabwe record of 69 overs bowled in an innings, and took his fifth wicket when Pollock (41 off 57 balls) cut him for Stuart Carlisle at backward point to take a fine diving catch. Mark Boucher also batted positively for his 14 before being bowled by Friend, who in his next over bowled Claude Henderson (0).At this point Pollock declared, at 519 for eight, a lead of exactly 100, leaving Kallis stranded on 189, in almost ten hours, and Price stranded on 79 overs. Kallis did actually set a new world record of 1 028 minutes, during which he scored 388 runs, since he was last dismissed in a Test match – officially at least, as Zimbabweans still have memories of his being caught at the wicket in Harare and given not out, as well as an unconfirmed leg-side catch in this match.In Zimbabwe’s token innings, starting after tea, Pollock began with a spate of no-balls, but as soon as Henderson came on he produced a superbly flighted ball that just dislodged Dion Ebrahim’s off bail; he made 4, and Zimbabwe were 21 for one. At 38 Alistair Campbell (20), who had looked sound, was caught at short leg off Henderson, as South Africa began to apply pressure. On a turning pitch, Henderson was looking dangerous.Masakadza fought back with some positive, if sometimes nervy, strokes, as South Africa scuttled through their overs with Henderson and Klusener, bowling off-cutters, in tandem. Carlisle (4) top-edged a sweep off Henderson to be caught at long leg, and a few minutes later South Africa believed they had Masakadza caught at the wicket off another sweep.The runs now dried up as Zimbabwe concentrated on survival. Masakadza took Henderson while Andy Flower handled Klusener, declining to change ends and only awaiting the bad ball. When Masakadza (42 not out) swung Henderson for a six and four to square leg in one over, taking Zimbabwe to four runs of parity, South Africa accepted a draw.

Graeme Hick’s 113th first-class century took Worcestershire to the brink of wiping out Warwickshire’s first innings total of 277 at New Road.The former England batsman completed his hundred from only 101 balls and reached an unbeaten 116 before bad light and rain halted the home side at 273 for three in a 52-over rampage.If Hick’s innings was the centrepiece with 17 fours and two sixes, the impetus was provided by Philip Weston in launching the reply at six runs an over.The left-handed opener is not renowned as a free-scoring batsman, but an eye-catching performance included a six off Dougie Brown and three fours in Vasbert Drakes’ first over after lunch.In all, Weston plundered 58 of his 74 in boundaries while sharing in partnerships of 66 in 12 overs with Anurag Singh and 115 in 20 with Hick.Warwickshire’s bowling left much to be desired and their wickets came at a fearful cost. Melvyn Betts went for 70 runs in exchange for Singh’s edge to second slip and Weston’s dismissal at slip was Drakes’ only compensation for conceding 76.And so it went on. Vikram Solanki hit England’s fitness-seeking spinner, Ashley Giles, for a huge six in making 29 out of 81 with Hick before top-edging Brown to mid-on.Hick was equally dismissive of Giles with 19 runs in the left-armer’s two overs before lunch but he survived a chance at 100 when Dominic Ostler got both hands to a nick off Brown.The rapid scoring by the hosts devalued Keith Piper’s earlier efforts in batting on to make an unbeaten 92 for Warwickshire before Betts was last out after a stand of 61.