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Andrew Symonds could complete a remarkable comeback from injury when the team for Australia’s second World Cup match against The Netherlands is unveiled. Six weeks ago it was feared Symonds could miss the entire tournament after tearing the biceps in his right arm, but Ricky Ponting said the allrounder was now “seriously close” to full fitness.”He was saying on the bus he was ready to play today, but that’s just him saying that,” Ponting said in the aftermath of the 203-run win over Scotland. “We can’t afford to take him into that game if he’s only 75-80% fit, in case he hurts himself again. There’s been a well-thought-out process to get him back to where he is now, so we’ve just got to make sure he ticks all those boxes.”Symonds’ fitness is crucial to Australia’s prospects of defending their World Cup crown, not only for the explosiveness of his middle-order batting, but for the versatility of his spin and medium-pace bowling. On the slow, low pitches of the Caribbean he is sure to carry a major role at some stage of the tournament.”He’d play with one arm if he could but he’s getting seriously close,” Ponting said. “There will be some discussion about him playing against The Netherlands [on Sunday], because he’s rolling his arm over and doing a fair bit of throwing, and he’s comfortable with his batting. The next few days are crucial if he’s going to play against Holland.”Ponting said he would be having several lengthy discussions with Australia’s chairman of selectors, Andrew Hilditch, who is in St Kitts, before any decision is made. “We probably could play him as just a batsman, but he’s still got to field,” Ponting said. “There’s nowhere to hide in a one-day international, and the last thing we want is for him to hurt himself again.”In Symonds’ absence, Ponting used today’s match to test the depth of his spin options. Michael Clarke, the usual alternative, was overlooked, and instead Brad Hodge took 1 for 17 in a tidy six-over spell. “We wanted to give Hodge a good bowl today and he looked good,” Ponting said. “Clarke has played a fair bit and bowled a fair bit, and I know what I get from him.”Ponting said he had been satisfied with the performance of another key man in Australia’s strategy, Shaun Tait, who has stepped into Brett Lee’s shoes as the team’s out-and-out paceman and picked up 2 for 45. “He’s been pretty good,” Ponting said. “He’s done what was expected of him.”He’s a real impact bowler for us, and we’ll use him when we need a wicket or when a new batsman comes to the crease. Because of his extreme pace he’s going to go for a few boundaries, especially on these smaller grounds, but he’s going to be a real card for us in this World Cup.”

Chris Gayle has been retained as West Indies captain for the upcoming home series against Sri Lanka in March, which involves two Tests and three one-day internationals. Gayle has recovered from a hamstring injury and broken thumb that he sustained in South Africa and the selectors decided to name him as captain ahead of Ramnaresh Sarwan.Gayle was given the captaincy for the tour of South Africa in December 2007 because Sarwan was injured and he led West Indies to their first Test victory in South Africa in Port Elizabeth. However, he had to return home before the third Test because of a hamstring injury and a broken thumb and missed the one-day series that followed after the Tests.”I heard from Sarwan. He called me and congratulated me and we talked and so on,” Gayle told CMC Sports. “There is no noise between us or anything like that. This thing won’t affect us or get between us. But he did call me and I appreciate that.”Sri Lanka’s tour of the West Indies will be their first since 2003 when they lost the Tests 0-1 but won the ODIs 2-1. Australia are scheduled to tour the Caribbean in May, after Sri Lanka complete their tour.

At a time when players are reportedly unhappy with the non-stop schedules imposed on them by their boards, it might seem out of place to moan about the gap between matches, but South Africa and New Zealand start the second Test at Cape Town on Thursday after eight days of doing nothing.New Zealand might have expected to play a tour match in that time, but the itinerary has left them with nothing more strenuous than the occasional net and plenty of time off. That hasn’t stopped them losing Shane Bond, who failed a gentle fitness test on his knee on Tuesday and will return home, hobbling out of the tour and of his summer commitments with Gloucestershire.Hamish Marshall has also been ruled out with a rib injury, although at least their third doubt, Nathan Astle, has been passed fit to play despite bone chips in his left knee. New Zealand have given Michael Papps a chance to restate his claim at the top of the order, although he has failed to impress against short-pitched bowling in the past and is sure to be tested here. “The openers are an area of concern,” admitted Stephen Fleming, New Zealand’s captain. ” We’ve got to wait until someone comes along that has good statistics behind them and is a good opening bat. At the moment our best batsmen are on tour and it’s a case of finding a position for them.”.South Africa have no such worries, with just one self-imposed change. Hashim Amla is likely to take the No.3 slot in the batting line-up after Herschelle Gibbs was left out. Amla has much to prove after a very disappointing time against England in 2004-05, making 36 runs in four innings, with serious questions being raised about his technique. Boeta Dippenaar is likely to replace Gibbs as opener.The pitch is something of a mystery as Newlands has never staged a major match this late in the year. The hard-pressed groundsman admitted that he had struggled with heavy rain taking longer to dry than it would in a conventional season, and that will mean any moisture in the pitch will linger well into the day. The general consensus is that it will give variable bounce to the seamers, as well as help to the spinners earlier than might otherwise be expected.Early-morning dew could make the first hour of the day even more tricky for the batsmen. Both teams have postponed their practice sessions from 9.30am to 10.30am to avoid the wetness. The Test itself starts at 10am.If the pitch does turn, it has to help New Zealand, for Daniel Vettori is the one class spinner in the match. If it really looks likely to break up then New Zealand might even contemplate drafting in a second spinner – Jeetan Patel – but that would leave their attack dangerously imbalanced if they were to lose the toss and bowl first.South Africa (probable) 1 Graeme Smith (capt), 2 Boeta Dippenaar, 3, Hashim Amla, 4 Jacques Kallis, 5 Ashwell Prince, 6 AB de Villers 7 Mark Boucher (wk), 8 Sean Pollock, 9 Nicky Boje, 10 Dale Steyn, 11 Makhaya Ntini.New Zealand (probable) 1 Peter Fulton, 2 Michael Papps, 3 Stephen Fleming (capt), 4 Scott Styris, 5 Nathan Astle, 6 Jacob Oram, 7 Brendon McCullum (wk), 8 Daniel Vettori, 9 James Franklin, 10 Kyle Mills, 11 Chris Martin.

Scorecard

A century to Michael Klinger gave Victoria every chance of pulling off a remarkable win before New South Wales bounced back with late wickets on a wearing SCG pitch. Klinger helped the Bushrangers rein in the target of 360 but fell late in the day and at the close the visitors were 5 for 241, needing a further 119 for victory with David Hussey looming as the key.Klinger, who has been in outstanding limited-overs form but was playing his first Pura Cup game for the season, reached his second first-class hundred before Stuart MacGill drew an edge to slip when he was on 102. That dismissal proved a catalyst for New South Wales, who went on to claim Jon Moss and Andrew McDonald without scoring. The chase will rely heavily on Hussey, Victoria’s stand-in captain, who was unbeaten on 62, and Adam Crosthwaite (1 not out).Hussey, who made 212 when Victoria chased down a record 455 at Newcastle in 2003-04, again frustrated the Blues in a 114-run partnership with Klinger after Nick Jewell (57) helped with the strong start. A Victoria win looked unlikely as New South Wales built a substantial lead thanks to Dominic Thornely and the lower order.Thornely made 89 and received vital support from Beau Casson, Matthew Nicholson and MacGill as they pushed the score to 299. Bryce McGain did his best with 6 for 112 – his best first-class figures – but Shane Harwood (3 for 95) was the only other bowler to make a dent in the Blues’ line-up. McGain, playing just his fourth Pura Cup game in a career spanning six seasons, removed Thornely for 89 but received a hiding from MacGill, whose 15-ball 33 included three sixes.

Scorecard
Victoria face an uphill battle to avoid defeat after their injury-depleted attack struggled to capitalise on a deteriorating MCG pitch against Queensland. Without their strike bowler Gerard Denton, who left the field with a leg injury, the Bushrangers were unable to provoke one of the major batting collapses that have dominated the game as the Bulls worked their way to 9 for 293 declared and a lead of 312. Victoria are 0 for 6 at stumps and will need to score the highest innings total of the game on the final day to secure their second Pura Cup win of the season.The Bushrangers had the sniff of an easier run-chase when Queensland were 8 for 230 but once again they failed to skittle the tail. Chris Hartley batted for 144 minutes for 29 not out and put on a valuable unbeaten 38 for the last wicket with Daniel Doran, the No.11. Doran (24 not out) rubbed salt into Victoria’s wounds, smashing Cameron White for two sixes in the last over before Queensland declared.Lachlan Stevens and Martin Love defied the bowler-friendly trend of the match, adding 82 to Queensland’s overnight total of 1 for 51 before Jon Moss exploited the pitch’s variable bounce and trapped Stevens lbw for 61 to a ball that kept low. Two overs later Adam Crosthwaite took a sharp chance standing up to the stumps from Moss’s bowling to dismiss Love for 63.When Andrew Symonds had a brain-fade in the next over and was bowled for 8 attempting to slog White over midwicket, leaving Clinton Perren and James Hopes both yet to score at lunch, another middle-order collapse was on the cards. But without Denton to negotiate, the pair steadied the Bulls with a 52-run partnership until Perren (22), the man whose direct hit from third-man on Saturday ran out Clinton McKay, became the victim of a run-out.On a day when a little-known substitute fielder caught Andrew Strauss in the Test match at the Gabba, another ring-in ended Perren’s innings. Tom Stray, a former member of Australia’s Under-19s team, was fielding instead of the 12th man Robert Quiney who was playing club cricket, when he ran Perren out from point. Hopes was bowled by a Shane Harwood skidder in the first over after tea for 46 and when Andy Bichel (4) and Ashley Noffke (0) fell the Bushrangers had hopes of wrapping up the tail cheaply.Victoria’s fast-bowling situation went from bad to worse when Denton hurt his leg in the morning session. Denton, whose 6 for 62 in the first innings was his second six-wicket haul in the Pura Cup this season, could miss two to three weeks depending on the result of scans on Monday. Victoria are already without Mick Lewis, Allan Wise, Dirk Nannes, Rob Cassell and Peter Siddle through injuries and have only just regained Harwood from a side strain.

Having won the presidential race for the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) against heavy odds, Jagmohan Dalmiya today threw the gauntlet at the Indian board (BCCI), asserting that its efforts to malign him would not go ‘unchallenged’.”I don’t believe in witch-hunting, but a lot of wrong has been done to me [by the BCCI]. This is not cricket. I can only say that whatever they do will not go unchallenged,” Dalmiya told a media meet after defeating challenger Prasun Mukherjee, the Kolkata Police Commissioner.”I will prove the truth. I needed a platform to bring truth to the fore. That is why I chose to fight the elections despite the chief minister’s [Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee] advice not to contest.”Pointing out that the board had suspended him from attending its meetings, slapped two show cause notices and even filed an FIR against him, Dalmiya said “I won’t be vindictive. But it has to come out who is the real culprit.”Asked how he proposed to utilise the CAB platform to fight the BCCI, Dalmiya said, “I myself don’t know. How we deal will not be in my hand. It is so confidential that I would like to keep it with me.”Dalmiya evaded a question whether he would appear before the BCCI Disciplinary Committee in the near future. “Leave the matter to me and my legal advisers. I was contemplating retirement from the cricket administration, but the peculiar way things turned out, I was forced to fight the CAB elections as I needed a platform.”On receiving cooperation from the Kolkata Police, “Why won’t I? Such apprehension should not be there. It is a democratic election and it is now over.”Questioned if he had anything to say against West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, who had publicly asked him not to contest the CAB election, Dalmiya said “I respect the chief minister. We need the support of the government to run the game and I have no apprehension.”

Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were out

Rajasthan Royals strolled to the top of the table with an eight-wicket win over Deccan Chargers, who offered little resistance in a match that was effectively decided in the first innings. Deccan posted a below-par 140 and looked listless as Rajasthan’s efficient batting chased the target with four overs to spare.After their batsmen collapsed in spectacular fashion following Adam Gilchrist’s dismissal, Deccan’s fielders, perhaps hindered by the dust storm blowing across the stadium, failed to save runs and apply any pressure on Rajasthan. Deccan have now lost six matches out of eight and, with six games to play, their chances of making the semi-finals look dim.It all looked very different at the start. Gilchrist, the stand-in captain, said his batsmen had the challenge of putting up a total that his bowlers could defend. He led the way, starting off the evening with a cover drive off the first ball and following it with a cut to backward point as Sohail Tanvir went for eight runs in the opening over. Shane Watson was flicked for a massive six to square leg when he sent down a half-volley and Munaf Patel was glanced for a four to fine leg.Herschelle Gibbs joined the fun by lifting Watson for four over cover soon after he was dropped by Graeme Smith when attempting the same shot. Gibbs struggled to pick Shane Warne and was nearly stumped off Warne’s first delivery – his foot was in the air and Mahesh Rawat removed the bails just as he brought it down to the ground. Gilchrist had no trouble negotiating Warne, but fans eager to watch a contest between the legspinner and the man who kept wickets for him, were to be disappointed for Gilchrist only faced four balls from Warne; he took singles from each.Only after he reached his fifty did Gilchrist, dropped on 52 by Siddharth Trivedi, start throwing his bat at nearly every delivery. He was dismissed when, in reaching for a wide one off Trivedi, he edged the ball to the keeper.At the end of ten overs, Deccan were at 74 for 1. When Gilchrist was dismissed, four overs later, they were 97 for 3. In the next three overs they lost three wickets for five runs – Shahid Afridi, who charged down the track to Warne and edged to third man, Rohit Sharma, run out by a direct throw from Warne, and Sanjay Bangar, who edged Watson to the keeper.

Much of this was, however, down to Rajasthan’s bowlers and fielders, who kept their cool while Gilchrist was batting and put the brakes on the scoring after his dismissal. Watson and Tanvir went for 20 and 16 respectively in their first two overs but they came back for their second spells determined to make amends. In his third over Watson picked up Bangar’s wicket and after Venugopal Rao hit Tanvir for successive fours, the bowler countered with skidding yorkers to slow Deccan.Deccan appeared uninspired by their low score and their lack of confidence may have worked to Rajasthan’s advantage as Smith and Yusuf Pathan edged and slogged their way to a 109-run opening stand. Yusuf lifted a good-length delivery off Scott Styris for six just after he was nearly stumped by Gilchrist. He then targeted Pragyan Ojha, hitting him for 17 runs in one over where he pulled a short ball for six, slog-swept to mid-off for four and then had a two converted to four after Rohit Sharma touched the boundary rope with his foot while fielding the ball.There was little answer to the attack. Gilchrist spent a lot of time talking to his bowlers – six were used in the first ten overs – and fielders but nothing seemed to work. Their spirit – or lack of it – was best summed up in the life given to Yusuf at 30. He top-edged a delivery from Afridi to midwicket and DP Vijaykumar ran uncertainly towards it and slowed down just as the ball fell in front of him.Deccan now lie just above the Bangalore Royal Challengers at the bottom of the points table and winning this game would have eased a little pressure in their bid to avoid elimination. They now face three tough games – two at home, against the resurgent Kolkata Knight Riders and Mumbai Indians and one in Delhi against the Daredevils.

Shaun Pollock is likely to be dropped from the South Africa team for the first Test against Pakistan after the team management decided to rely on faster bowlers for matches on the subcontinental wickets.”We have been speaking to Polly about bowling less on the subcontinent since we were in Ireland in June,” Mickey Arthur, the South Africa coach, told . “We feel the faster bowlers will get more assistance [from the wicket].”Pollock averages 130kph to 135kph while Dale Steyn consistently bowls at speeds above 140kph and Makhaya Ntini also clocks 135kph and more. Between 1997, when he first toured the subcontinent, and 2006, Pollock has played 17 matches in the region and taken 60 wickets at 23.18 against the four sides – India (13), Pakistan (18), Bangladesh (7) and Sri Lanka (22). In comparison, Ntini has taken 28 wickets from 11 Tests at 39.42 between 2000 and 2006.Paul Harris, the left-arm spinner and Morné Morkel look certain to make the XI. “We will then select two of Ntini, André Nel and Steyn to complete the team,” Arthur said. “It’s a chance for Dale and Morné to show what they can do. It will also help strengthen our depth in bowling.”He [Pollock] is a proud player and he still believes he has a role to play in the team,” Arthur said.Pollock, who is South Africa’s highest Test wicket-taker with 416 wickets in 107 Tests, has been excluded from the team for the ongoing warm-up match against Patron’s XI.The first Test of the two-match series starts on October 1 in Karachi.

India began the Super Sixes stage of the Women’s World Cup Qualifier with a comfortable 49-run win against South Africa in Colombo. Mithali Raj and Mona Meshram struck fifties to propel India’s score to 205. In reply, South Africa were bowled out for 156 as fast bowler Shikha Pandey and left-arm spinner Ekta Bisht combined for seven wickets.After India were inserted, opener Deepti Sharma was dismissed in the 12th over for 9 off 38 balls. Meshram and Raj then shared a 96-run stand to set a platform for the end overs. South Africa ensured they kept India in control by picking up regular wickets. India managed to score just 93 runs in the final 20 overs. South Africa were quickly reduced to 8 for 2 in the fifth over, and were always behind the asking rate thereon. Trisha Chetty top-scored with an 81-ball 52. Pandey returned figures of 4 for 34.Eshani Lokusuriyage’s 65 and contributions from the top order ensured Sri Lanka cruised past the target of 213 against Pakistan with five wickets in hand and 14 balls to spare. Nipuni Hansika (37) and Chamari Atapattu (35) set the tone with a 75-run opening stand, before Pakistan hit back with three wickets in the space of eight overs. Prasadani Weerakkody struck 45 off 71 balls and shared an 88-run partnership with Lokusuriyage.Pakistan were helped along to 212 with fifties from Nahida Khan (64) and Javeria Khan (63). The pair shared a 119-run stand off 171 balls. Pakistan, too, lost a cluster of wickets in the end overs, stalling the momentum from the innings. Inoka Ranaweera and Chamari Polgampola added two wickets apiece.File photo – Sharmin Akhter struck five fours during her fifty•IDI/Getty Images

Bangladesh Women skittled Ireland Women for 144 and cruised to a seven-wicket win in their first Super Six match at the Colombo Cricket Ground.Jahanara Alam led the way with figures of 3 for 21 after Bangladesh inserted Ireland. She removed Cecelia Joyce and Kim Garth in successive overs to reduce Ireland to 15 for 2 inside nine overs. Panna Ghosh, Rumana Ahmed, Khadija Tul Kubra proceeded to make further inroads into the Ireland line-up. Salma Khatun was also among the wickets as Ireland were bowled out in 47.1 overs. Their major source of resistance came from Clare Shillington and captain Laura Delany, who struck 37 each. Apart from them, only Isobel Joyce passed 20.The Sharmins – Sultana and Akhter – gave Bangladesh a solid start in their chase with a 40-run partnership. The stand ended when Gaby Lewis got rid of Sultana for 22 at the end of the 15th over. Sanjida Islam then fell cheaply, but Akhter ate into target with a half-century before exiting in the 30th over. Fargana Hoque and Rumana eventually sealed the win in the 40th over with an unbroken 39-run stand.

Manoj Tiwary could not wait to get that India cap but now the man who had refused to recognise pressure or fear will have to learn a new, perhaps tougher trait – patience. While he sits and ponders, he can reflect on what Ravi Shastri said in Kolkata when Rahul Dravid got injured in the nets. “Getting injured is a part of the enjoyment process. This is not a game of marbles; it is a sport and you are bound to get injured.” But so soon?At the preparatory camp in Kolkata, Tiwary had impressed both Dravid and Shastri with his eagerness and enthusiasm. Ironically, it is that same enthusiasm which cost him his debut. Watching the incident, at Tuesday’s outfielding practice drill, at close quarters, one could immediately sense that Tiwary had had a bad fall. Yuvraj Singh had twice taken it easy and hadn’t risked his braced knee by diving to save a similar boundary. Tiwary, though, too young and fast to contemplate the consequences of a false move, dived to save that ball as if four runs were required off the last ball of a match.He saved the four all right but as he fell things slowed down. Unsuspecting team-mates shouted, “Manoj, char ja raha hai!. (It’s going for four!)” Tiwary didn’t get up, and waited for John Gloster to come and attend to him. Initial applause for the effort was slowly replaced by concern. That boundary didn’t really matter. His tour, now, for all practical purposes, has ended, as Cricinfo reported yesterday and Dravid confirmed today. “He probably won’t be available for the series. It’s really disappointing and we feel for the youngster. It’s sad for a kid to be selected and to have an unfortunate injury like this. We feel for him.”Tiwary’s attitude during the domestic championships had been a breeze of fresh air; he had talked big, saying he did not fear anything; he enjoyed bowlers sledging him; he seemed to love the big challenge. His international debut, therefore, was much anticipated; this was his chance to walk his talk. But all he can do now is wait, as Dravid said, “He is in good hands [Gloster’s[. The board will be behind him and hopefully he can get through this and come back for more… He has a lot of cricket ahead of him.”