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Asif Mujtaba, Pakistan’s former left-handed all-rounder, scored the 49th century of his first-class career, as Pakistan International Airlines‘ (PIA) four-day, Group A, first-round Patron’s Trophy Cricket Championship match against Habib Bank came to an end as a predictable draw at the United Bank Limited (UBL) Sports Complex Ground No.1 on Tuesday.Habib Bank spent more than two days while compiling a massive first innings total of 681 runs for eight wickets before applying closure. Habib Bank needed to make 531 to avert a follow-on. Eventually, they didn’t manage to reach that target but the match was already coming to an end by then. Having resumed at their overnight 202 for four, still needing another 329 runs to make Habib Bank bat again, PIA were all out for 395 in their first innings. They still finished 286 runs in deficit but Habib Bank decided to bat again for nine overs till the final draw of stumps, making 38 for one wicket.The highlight of the final day’s play was a 154 runs fifth-wicket stand between Faisal Iqbal, the captain, and Asif Mujtaba. The latter, now 38 years old and making his 285th appearance in a first-class match, scored 105. Faisal reached 82 before getting dismissed and thus finished just a few runs short of making his 11th hundred in first-class cricket. Asif then found an able partner in Ahmed Zeeshan, the wicketkeeper, (31) as the two added 91 runs for the sixth wicket.Mainly due to the leg-spin of double century-maker Imran Farhat (3-33) and Hasan Raza’s off-breaks (2-11), PIA lost their last five wickets for the addition of just 14 runs.Habib Bank, record seven-time winners of the Patron’s Trophy title, got the three points, however. They had to share the title last season with PIA after the final was abandoned due to rain. PIA have never won the competition outright since its introduction in 1972-73.After Sarfraz Ahmed, Sialkot’s hero of their Quaid-e-Azam Trophy Cricket Championship Gold League triumph, took six wickets to set up the win prospects the Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) beat Zarai Taraqiati Bank Limited (ZTBL) by eight wickets, on the final day of their four-day, Group B, first-round Patron’s Trophy Cricket Championship match at the Sheikhupura Stadium on Tuesday.Four-time champions ZTBL were bowled out for just 171 runs in their second innings, which meant that after having surrendered a first innings lead of 45 they finished only 126 runs ahead of WAPDA, who had ended as runners-up behind them in the 2003-04 competition. WAPDA resumed yesterday morning at their overnight 51-0 and eventually reached 127 for two to win. Adil Nisar, the captain, followed his first innings 73 with another worthy knock of 79, made off 113 balls with 13 fours.In the end, it was easy for Pakistan Customs as they defeated Khan Research Laboratories (KRL) by seven wickets , on the final day of their four-day, Group A first-round Patron’s Trophy Cricket Championship match at the National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) Sports Complex on Tuesday.KRL resumed yesterday morning at 171-9 in their second innings, with an overall lead of just 225 runs. Mohammad Wasim’s unbeaten 104 was thus of no avail as their last wicket fell at 183, leaving Customs a target of 238. Wasim, the captain and a former Pakistan opening batsman, carried his bat through the innings, his 104 not out coming off 175 balls with the help of 10 fours. He had made 62 runs in the first innings. Customs were off to a 74-run start between Kashif Siddiq (41) and Hanif Malik, the wicketkeeper, (32). Azhar Shafiq, the captain, (87 not out off 91 balls with 11 fours and two sixes) and Afsar Nawaz (40) then added 97 runs for the third wicket.Needing only a further 127 runs to win, Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL) reached 204 for three, on the final day of their four-day, Group A, first-round Patron’s Trophy Cricket Championship match and thus beat Service Industries by seven wickets at the Iqbal Stadium on Tuesday.All their batsmen scored useful runs, Ashar Zaidi and Usman Tariq, the left-hand openers, both getting into the 30s. Eventually, it was the unbroken 79 runs fourth-wicket partnership that took them beyond the victory target. Of these runs, Shahzad Malik hit an enterprising 58 not out off just 45 balls with nine fours and two sixes. Aamer Bashir, the captain, remained unbeaten with 42 runs which saw him negotiate 88 deliveries and hit seven fours. As PTCL had earlier surrendered a 50 runs first innings lead to Service Industries, they collected only six points instead of the full nine.

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.

The most famous sparrow in cricket is to feature in “The Grand House Sparrow Exhibition” at the Natural History Museum of Rotterdam in the Netherlands.The bird was hit by a ball during a match between MCC and Cambridge University in 1936, as chronicled by Wisden. “TN Pearce, the batsman, managed to play the ball and the bird fell against the stumps without dislodging a bail.” It was subsequently stuffed and mounted on the ball which caused its fate.Dave van der Wal from the TV station accompanied Kees Moeliker who travelled to the Lord’s museum, and produced a short video of the journey with some misty-eyed music accompaniment.There’s more information on the bird’s flight at the Lord’s website.

In a statement that is likely to have a large bearing on the immediate future of Indian cricket, Sachin Tendulkar has revealed that India’s cricketers would be most disappointed with Greg Chappell, the coach, if he questioned their attitude.In a rare public outburst, Tendulkar, not known to air his views on controversial issues, expressed his anguish. ” (Things have gone a bit too far to keep quiet). I’ve given my heart and my soul for 17 years. No coach had mentioned even in passing that my attitude was not correct,” Tendulkar told . “Cricket has been my life for all these years and will always be.”His statements come in the wake of reports that many members in the team have rallied together against Chappell and Dravid and want Tendulkar to take up their case to the board. Cricinfo had reported on the crisis in the team , one largely owing to the rift between Chappell and the senior players, and Tendulkar’s statements reinforce the players’ stance.”Tell me, the world has gone on talking about all this [our defeat and exit] but has anybody spared a thought for us?,” asked an emotional Tendulkar. “Did they try to find out what we have been going through?

“I am shattered beyond words and I feel helpless. I’ve never felt so bad in my entire career.” he said. “No matter how many Tests or one-day series you win, nothing else even comes close to a World Cup triumph. The World Cup was our passion, our collective goal, our dream and that has been shattered. And we all are terribly disappointed over it.”Tendulkar took responsibility for the World Cup debacle but responded to what he perceived as a slight to his commitment. “Again, it’s not that we are defending ourselves. We do realise that we played badly and, as a team, we take full responsibility for that. But what hurt us most is if the coach has questioned our attitude.”The Indian board’s working committee meets on April 7, following the meeting of the review committee the day before. It is expected that Chappell’s report, due to be submitted to the board before April 6, will be scathing in its criticism of the attitude of the senior players including Sourav Ganguly, Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag and Harbhajan Singh. The working committee meeting will be attended by BCCI’s office-bearers and seven former captains, including Sunil Gavaskar, Kapil Dev, Ravi Shastri and S Venkatraghavan.

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.

The international career of Kennedy Otieno, the Kenya wicketkeeper, appears to be over after Cricket Kenya failed to offer him a new contract. Otieno, 35, announced on Tuesday that he would return to Australia to play for Caboolture, a club in Queensland which he represented for six months last year.”If I was offered a contract I would not have gone to Australia,” Otieno said. “It is a polite way of telling me that I am not needed. I would have loved to continue playing for Kenya but I have to look elsewhere for a livelihood.”Otieno first headed to Australia last year, but his unavailability for Kenya’s training camp ruled him out of the World Cup in the Caribbean. Now he has been overlooked for Kenya’s series against India A and Sri Lanka A next week.After two three-day matches between Kenya and India A, the teams will play a triangular one-day series from August 14-20.

Click here to let us know your viewsThe ICC has dismissed suggestions by Matthew Engel in Wisden Cricketers’ Almanack that it is putting money ahead of other considerations.Referring to the recent challenge to authority of the ICC by the Indian board, Engel wrote that it was time someone stepped up as “the ICC’s entrepreneurialrole is damaging its regulatory one. There was a crucial symbolic change when its web address switched from .org to .com. It constantly now has to refer to its own financial interests – exacerbated by the fraught TV deal with the Global Cricket Corporation, which expires in 2007 – rather than the good of cricket, which should be its only concern.”But Brian Murgatroyd, the ICC’s media manager, told the BBC that the ICC was not a profit-making organisation and plouged income back into its 96 member countries, but he admitted it still needed to be careful. “There’s always a balance to be found between on the one hand making sure we safeguard the future of the game, while at the same time ensuring we look after that future by maximising revenue.”We’re acutely conscious of the need to protect the heritage of the game, but we have to ensure any events we put on earn revenue, which we’re able to pass on to our members. That’s our rationale – to ensure the health of the game worldwide.”Murgatroyd also defended an attack on the Champions Trophy, which Engel described as “yet another ugly-looking [tournament], to the delight only of TV channels with more airtime than content.”He said that the competition was being altered. “It’s gone through a few facelifts and we feel we’re getting closer to an appropriate format. The profits that the ICC make from that tournament are going to be ploughed back into the game – it benefits cricket for that tournament to take place. It’s a very worthy event.”

Division One

Hampshire fought back well against Durham after Michael di Venuto and Will Smith’s century opening stand put them on the back foot at the Rose Bowl. Resuming on 160 for 5, Hampshire lost their last five wickets for 72 today and then watched di Venuto pile up a century, as he and Smith (28) added 116, then Gordon Muchall (58) joined him to add a further 94. But di Venuto’s dismissal, for 124, heralded something of a collapse, with Durham falling from 210 for 2 to 247 for 7.Brad Hodge’s 46th first-class hundred put Lancashire firmly in the driving seat against Kent at Old Trafford. Hodge helped the runs to pile up, assisted by half-centuries from Iain Sutcliffe, Mal Loye and Stuart Law and they reached 451 for 5 before declaring. Kent were 14 without loss by the close.Warwickshire managed to boost their total from 86 for 4 to 343 at Edgbaston, thanks to the efforts of Jim Troughton, who hit his 13th first-class century. Worcestershire lost just Phil Jaques before the close, reaching 77 for 1.The leaders Yorkshire were given a thorough working over by the champions Sussex after play finally got underway on the second day at Headingley. Jason Lewry and Rana Naved-ul-Hasan proved virtually unplayable as they combined to reduce the top order to 26 for 5. Robin Martin-Jenkins and Mushtaq Ahmed did further damage as Yorkshire slid to 139 all out. A rare bright point was the 32 not out made by Ajmal Shahzad in just his second first-class match this season. 21-year-old Shahzad shared in two stands, for the ninth and final wicket, which boosted Yorkshire from 85 for 8 to 139. But Sussex have an early glimmer of leapfrogging Yorkshire to the top.

Division Two

Essex’s seamers took three quick wickets to leave Middlesex struggling on 74 for 3 – trailing by 302 – on a curtailed second day at Lord’s. Essex’s lower order was quickly wrapped up – bowled out for 376 – but Alex Tudor made the most of the swinging conditions to remove Billy Godleman and Owais Shah, while Martin Saggers dismissed Nick Compton. Heavy rain ended the day early.Somerset continued to boss proceedings in a way to make Alan Sugar proud – with gritty authority – at Bristol, dismissing Gloucestershire for 121. But Andrew Caddick’s performance was from no apprentice – he took 7 for 30 from 18.5 overs. Marcus Trescothick took five of those catches, although he was later to lament a duck. With conditions favouring quicker bowlers, Justin Langer used just four bowlers; Charl Willoughby claiming two and Peter Trego the other. Langer was Somerset’s other faller as Neil Edwards and James Hildreth quickly erased the deficit and ended up with unbeaten half-centuries.Leicestershire piled on the misery for Northamptonshire on another truncated day at Northampton. Resuming on 53 for 3, they struggled to 105 for 6, before David Sales (72*) and Steven Crook (32*) put together the first meaningful partnership of the innings. They added an unbeaten 66 before an early stumps, with David Masters now having three wickets to his name.A ball has still yet to be bowled between Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire at Nottingham.

Somerset are hoping to speak to Ricky Ponting and Graeme Smith in a bid to get one of them to play next summer.Ponting’s brief spell at Taunton in 2004 coincided with a marked upturn in Somerset’s performances, while Smith led the county for part of 2005, guiding them to victory in the Twenty20 Cup.”We will be talking to the connections of both players,” Brian Rose, Somerset’s director of cricket, Was quoted as saying by the official website. “But we won’t commit ourselves unless either can play for a meaningful period. It could all come down to how long their respective cricket boards are willing to let them play county cricket for next season.”Ponting is due to lead Australia in Bangladesh at the start of the 2006 season and Zimbabwe at the end of the summer, while Smith and South Africa should be in Zimbabwe in August.