Scorecard

Another magnificent century by Jacques Kallis led South Africa to a dramatic four-wicket victory against West Indies at the Wanderers. After Chris Gayle helped his side to an impressive 304 for 2 with an unbeaten 152, South Africa sneaked home with only two balls to spare to take the series 3-1.The climatic ending was set-up by a wonderful penultimate over by Ravi Rampaul – in which he dismissed Kallis and conceded only one run. South Africa still required eight runs off the final six balls, but eased home, helped by some dreadful West Indian fielding. They will now fly home sick of the sight of Kallis, who hit six centuries against them on the tour.Kallis stroked 139 from 142 balls, his highest one-day score, including 11 fours and three sixes. His innings was an imperious mixture of orthodox strokes and savage blows, including one towering smack off Ryan Hurley, which landed 10 rows back beyond the longest boundary.Kallis paced the recovery to near perfection after West Indies were in the ascendancy, especially once Graeme Smith fell for an entertaining 58 off 60 balls. He was bowled trying to cut Gayle (133 for 2), ending a sprightly 102-run partnership with Kallis after the pair had come together following Herschelle Gibbs’s early exit (31 for 1). Boeta Dippenaar and Kallis were forced to consolidate and the required run rate rose towards eight an over.Yet the departure of Dippenaar, caught in the deep by Rampaul off Hurley (187 for 3), sparked a South African revival, led by Jacques Rudolph. He cracked three early boundaries and, crucially, was dropped on 20 by Merv Dillon at mid-off, from a Corey Collymore over that went for 12 runs.The tide was turning South Africa’s way and Kallis made hay, racing to a century – his 12th in one-dayers – off 115 balls. He accelerated further, heaping punishment on Hurley and Rampaul in particular, just as he had done to Collymore earlier in his innings. When Rudolph fell for 35, off only 28 balls, he and Kallis had put on 90 runs in little over ten overs (277 for 4).By then the required rate was down to a run a ball and victory was South Africa’s for the taking. However, a sensational catch by Brian Lara at midwicket dismissed Lance Klusener for only 4 (285 for 5), and two overs later Rampaul, who bowled well throughout, produced his marvellous late effort, during which Kallis holed out to Shivnarine Chanderpaul in the deep (296 for 6).

Gayle was charged with bowling the last over, only for his fielders to let him down. Shaun Pollock’s blast through the off-side should have yielded two runs at the very most, but Hurley comically slipped on the dewy surface and conceded a precious four. Next ball, Dillon contrived to turn a one into a two, allowing Pollock to smash a six over mid-off to clinch the match – and the series. All in all, as so often on the tour, West Indies’ fielding let them down when it mattered.Their loss was especially sickening for Gayle, who earlier lit the Wanderers up with his swash-buckling innings. He broke West Indies’ highest one-day individual score against South Africa, including 12 fours and three eye-catching sixes.Chanderpaul, who scored 85, offered deft support in a record-breaking opening stand of 193, before Ricardo Powell upped the ante in the last 10 overs, notching a searing 49 not out off only 24 balls.Lara would have been confident that a score of over 300 was enough to steal a draw in the series, especially after his comments that teams bowling second under the lights have an unfair advantage. However, rather than serving as a confidence booster ahead of the England series, this result capped a disappointing and ultimately forgetful tour.

Pakistan v India – buy your tickets here

As India prepare to tour Pakistan for the first time in 14 years, the Pakistan Cricket Board has responded to the massive demand for tickets by launching an online service for customers all round the world, and already it has generated a massive response.The initiative, in partnership with Wisden Cricinfo, resulted in 700 sales on the first night alone, with fans preparing to fly in from Britain and the USA, as well as more exotic locations such as Hong Kong and the United Arab Emirates.The Pakistan Cricket Board intends to allocate a fifth of all stadium seats to Indian supporters, but they do not intend to segregate the fans and their online service is open to allcomers. The first of five one-day internationals kicks off in Karachi on March 13, and will be followed by three Tests at Lahore, Rawalpindi and Multan.To order your tickets online, click here.

Less than 48 hours after it was revealed that Bryan Strang had been banned from playing domestic cricket by the Zimbabwe Cricket Union (ZCU), it has emerged that Paul, his older brother, has also been overlooked by his provincial side in rather strange circumstances.Paul Strang played 24 Tests and 95 one-dayers for Zimbabwe between 1994 and 2001. Although Manicaland gave no reason for his being dropped last season, he has little doubt what was behind their decision.”I wasn’t given a reason, but when I was head of the players’ association I had been very vocal about various aspects of the game I believed to be wrong, including the quotas system," he told BBC Sport. “It seems you have to be a ‘yes man’ and be a puppet on a string to play for the ZCU. They don’t seem to apply the normal parameters for selection, but use other things than a player’s statistics."Former Zimbabwe fast bowler Henry Olonga, who now lives in the UK after fleeing his homeland following his black-armband protest during last year’s World Cup, agreed with Strang’s view. “According to the ZCU, they are an apolitical organisation, but the way they deal with any players who have shown any form of dissent is not consistent with that,” he explained to BBC Sport. "I made my comments and I got censured. All sorts of things happened to me after I took my stance. Many players who have had the freedom to speak their minds about what’s happened in Zimbabwe very often find themselves ostracised.”The Zimbabwe Cricket Union has declined to comment on the situation regarding the Strangs.

ScorecardOnly 50.2 overs were possible in the New Zealander’s match against Worcestershire at New Road. In that time, Ben Smith, Worcestershire’s captain, scored 72 not out to help his side to 163 for 3.Smith chose to bat, and when play finally got underway, Worcestershire were in early bother at 29 for 2 after Daryl Tuffey took two wickets in four balls. However, Smith came to the rescue, and put on a stand of 69 with Graeme Hick, who scored 36, and an unbroken partnership of 65 with Kadeer Ali, who was 26 not out.For New Zealand, Shane Bond, who is on his way back from a back injury, bowled only nine overs, for 38 runs. It was Tuffey who impressed, though, making the first breakthrough when Stephen Moore was caught behind driving, and then Stephen Peters, spooned a simple catch to Mark Richardson at midwicket.Daniel Vettori then removed Hick later in the day when Bond clung on to an difficult chance at mid-off. However, Smith and Ali played out till bad light forced an early finish.

Freed from the constraints of his ECB contract, Nasser Hussain has launched his career as a Sky TV commentator with a stinging attack on the ICC for their handling of the Zimbabwe crisis. His words are sure to have an impact on his former team-mates’ decisions, when they are asked later this year to tour the country.Hussain, who resigned the one-day captaincy after last year’s World Cup before throwing in the towel completely two months’ later, has described the ICC’s actions during the World Cup as "diabolical", adding that it was “a low point for world cricket, the ICC and the ECB”.”I can’t see how any side, Test or one-day, could possibly go to Zimbabwe and play cricket now,” he said during an interview on Sky. “There are a multitude of reasons – from the moral down to the fact that you’re not playing against their best side. And that’s just about selection of their team, let alone everything else that’s going on behind the scenes in the country.”At the height of England’s World Cup crisis last year, Hussain had an angry confrontation with Malcolm Speed, the ICC’s chief executive, whom he accused of "hanging his team out to dry". An apology was subsequently offered by the ECB, but without Hussain’s knowledge, which merely infuriated him even further.”People would come into our room and say ‘whatever happens you’re going to Zimbabwe, it doesn’t matter what’s happening or what you think, we’re taking you there’," said Hussain. "The way they went about it and their attitude since about the whole thing has been very poor. I think if you go round asking people in general about what they think about it, they would agree.”

Yuvraj Singh, almost a certainty to open in Tests next season, has revealed that he wished to follow the same route as Virender Sehwag.Yuvraj, who is currently at the training camp in Bangalore, spoke about how Sehwag had blazed a trail with regard to opening the batting. “He has done tremendously in the opener’s slot,” Yuvraj said. “So, if I can do the same and be as successful as Sehwag, it would be good for the team.”Having had a successful time as an opener with Punjab last season, Yuvraj was optimistic about his new role. “I think it’s an advantage because if one sees through the new ball, one can also score big runs. So, I am looking forward to the challenge.”In the last domestic season, Yuvraj opened in all the three matches that he played for Punjab. He found the transition very smooth and the report card included 138 against Delhi, 80 against Railways and 38 in a low-scoring game against Andhra Pradesh.When asked if he will return to the middle order if he did not succeed as an opener, he said: “When you play cricket at international level, you don’t think about ifs and don’ts. Whatever the situation, you have to go through it, and be positive about it.”

Cricket has a rare tradition of allowing players to judge those whopronounce verdicts on them. During the domestic season in India,captains of both teams, and the match referee, submit a report assessingthe umpires and expectedly, not all the comments are flattering. Theirreports of the 2003-04 season, a copy of which is available withWisden Cricinfo, make for remarkable reading.The most interesting case concerns the fourth round Ranji Trophy matchbetween Andhra Pradeshand Mumbai. Sairaj Bahutule, the Mumbai captain, was scathing in hisreport. In his report on the first day, he wrote, “It was a flat wicket. [The Umpire]did not have much work to do throughout the day but at the end of theday Mr. Gomes made very silly mistakes. This gives an impression that hecame under pressure . Bad judgment of light. After stopping the game,within 2 minutes [of] the time [that the] batsmen reached the boundary line theumpires asked them to start the game. I am surprised the light improvedin two minutes – what a judgment – 2 balls later he again stopped and welost a wicket. Such kind of umpires’ eyesight should be checked.”As the days progressed, the reports got worse. “I think this kind ofumpires are spoiling the games all over India,” wrote Bahutule.”Naturally the game is not going to improve. We understand that one canmake [a] mistake, but not [that] one does not know ABCD of the game.”I do not know whether my report is going to be considered, but Iam doing my duty as a captain to inform the board,” wrote Bahutule ofFrancis Gomes, one of the umpires standing in the match. “It is a pity,I have been playing for a long time and see many umpires on the fielddespite their getting bad reports.”But, in case you think the traffic was one-way, have a look at what theumpires report said of the players for the same game. “The behaviour ofMumbai players, particularly Sairaj Bahutule and Robin Morris, was veryrude. They used abusive language and advanced towards the opponents andumpires in aggressive manner. Chandra Kant Pundit [sic, Mumbai’s coach] shouted at thetop of his voice. The captain threatened to spoil the umpires report andgive zero mark.”And then the match referee weighed in with his comments. “At the end ofthe game I had received a complaint from the umpires. The attitude ofMumbai players was not up to the mark. For Ranji Champions they weretrying to pressurise the umpires unduly for getting first-innings leadin close match.” Close match? Mumbai made 504 for 6 declared and Andhraresponded with 298 all out. Does Rahul Sapru, the match referee,genuinely believe that is a close match?While this match drew the juiciest comments, there were several othersin a similar vein. Mandar Phadke, the Goa captain, had this to say in oneof his reports. “Three lbw decisions were not up to the mark. Thesedecisions showed the lack of knowledge of both umpires regarding [the] lbw law.Too many controversial decisions given. Mr. Choudhury has absolutely noknowledge regarding lbw rule. The knowledge of both umpires regardingdecision making is absolutely zero. Both umpires were not able to handlepressure. Such umpires should not be allowed to officiate in RanjiTrophy matches.”But it’s not just Ranji Trophy matches that have come under thescanner. Anil Kumble made his views quite clear when he filled out hisreport after leading India A in a Challenger Trophy match. “Poorstandard of umpiring in such an important and high profile tournament.”The umpires in question were Narendra Menon and SP Gupta. Sourav Gangulytoo did not mince words. “The umpires were too ordinary,” he wrote,after leading Rest of India in the Zal Irani Cup match against Mumbai.For international flavour there is the report filled out by Lanka deSilva, captain of the Sri Lanka A team which played against India A.Umpire BA Jamula was the man in question. “Fast bowler Lasith Malingawas warned “not to hit the batsman” when he was bowling. With all duerespect it is up to the batsman to avoid being hit, especially a middle-order batsman (40 not out). The umpire cannot ask the bowler not to hitthe batsman unless it is deliberately and continuous initimidatorybowling which it clearly was not.”How much weight these reports carry when it comes to postings umpiresreceive is not entirely clear. Umpire K Parthasarathi, for example,clearly did not think they meant much. During the Services v HimachalPradesh match he left the ground with 20 overs remaining in the day, andreturned in civvies, abandoning his shoes and umpire’s uniform. When oneof the players complained, he is alleged to have told them they couldreport the matter to the BCCI for all he cared.At the end of the year, the board has a thick file full of reports onumpires written out by players and match referees. If you speak to theumpires, they tell you that the captains report is simply a device bywhich captains let off steam and lash out at umpires for their own poorperformances. The players say it’s the only way they can complain abouta panel of umpires that is badly trained and worse motivated. The truthlies somewhere in between.Anand Vasu is assistant editor of Wisden Cricinfo.

The Indian cricket board has finally announced the itinerary for this winter’s home Test series against Australia and South Africa. A four-Test series is scheduled to begin against Australia at Bangalore on October 6, with further matches scheduled for Chennai, Nagpur and Mumbai. Kanpur and Kolkata will host the two Tests against South Africa in late November.India’s Test series against Australia is widely being billed as one of the showcase match-ups of the past decade. On their previous visit in 2000-01, Australia led 1-0 in the three-match series and had forced India to follow-on at Kolkata, when VVS Laxman and Rahul Dravid turned the game – and the series – on its head with a wonderful 376-run partnership. Australia went on to lose 2-1, and have not won a series in India since 1969.The current evenness of the two teams was emphasised when they met again in Australia last winter for an eventful four-Test series that was drawn 1-1. The finale came at Sydney, where Steve Waugh bowed out as Australia’s captain, even though it had been his long-stated aim to be victorious on Indian soil.South Africa had been pencilled in for just a one-day series, because it had been feared there would be no time to complete a full tour. But in the end, they have opted for a two-Test stopover, with the one-day games deferred until next year.Australia tour
30 Sep – 2 Oct v Indian board president’s team, Hyderabad
6-10 Oct First Test, Bangalore
14-17 Oct Second Test, Madras
26-30 Oct Third Test, Nagpur
3-7 Nov Fourth Test, Bombay
South Africa tour
14-16 Nov v India A, Jaipur
20-24 Nov First Test, Kanpur
28 Nov – 2 Dec Second Test, Calcutta

Herschelle Gibbs
On how he felt before his innings
I was quite relaxed going in this morning. I had a pizza for the first time in a few months. I got the feel of the wicket. We knew that to use the first 15 overs would be important, as the wicket was just going to get slower. It’s the sort of wicket that you have to play straight on.On how last night’s pizza helped him
Maybe it helped with the balance this morning. It would get me a bit more firm on my feet. It made me sleep a bit better.Was it just pizza, or was there something else?
It was washed down with a bit of Jack Daniels!Brian Lara
On the toss
We had to make a decision and it seemed that the pitch looked a bit dry. It was a good track. The West Indies team, in the past, has been good at chasing rather than setting a total. Getting them out for 246 was a good effort from the guys. It’s more of a spinner’s track than anything else.On restricting South Africa to 246 after they had been 101 for 0
I thought it was a very special effort from the guys, especially the spinners. I am happy with the total.On Chris Gayle
Chris Gayle is a top allrounder. He can bowl in the middle overs and at the death. He is very, very important to the team. He’s an integral part of the team.

Andrew Leipus, India’s physiotherapist, has confirmed today that he will be standing down from his role after the forthcoming tour of Bangladesh. Leipus’s intentions were made public by Cricinfo at the beginning of November, but he has chosen not to confirm his decision until now. He now wishes to spend more time with his family, as well as pursue a professional course in sports physiotherapy.”I had asked the board to relieve me after India’s tour to Bangladesh,” Leipus told Cricinfo. “I want to take six months off for personal reasons. As for the future, we plan to sit down after six months and consider all options.”Leipus, who has been with the Indian team since late 1999, has become a hugely respected figure within the national set-up, and is widely credited for bringing the team’s levels of fitness up to the standards now expected of all international sportsmen. Both he and his sidekick, the fitness trainer Greg King, had been awarded contracts until 2007 – a period of time that was indicative of the respect they have earned – but Leipus now intends bowing out ahead of the visit of Pakistan in March.”After the Bangladesh tour, there is a decent break in play before Pakistan tours India,” Leipus told The Times of India. “The time is enough for the BCCI to finalise on another candidate.” In February, shortly before Pakistan arrive for their Test and one-day series, Leipus will begin a Masters course in sports physiotherapy at the University of Adelaide.In a letter to the Indian Board, Leipus suggested that John Gloster, the former Bangladesh physio, should be considered as a his replacement. Gloster, who has also worked with Surrey in the past, spent about two years as the physio of the Bangladesh team, but left them in October when his contract ran out.