The Leicestershire seamer Stuart Broad has been called up to the England squad for the CB Series finals. Jon Lewis and Chris Tremlett are returning to the UK with injuries and Broad will be available for the first final, at Melbourne, on Friday.He has been at the MRF pace academy in Chennai, where the England A pace bowlers are preparing for their tour of Bangladesh. Broad made his ODI debut against Pakistan in August and played all five matches in the drawn series.Despite limited success, collecting five wickets, he impressed many judges but was overlooked for the Champions Trophy squad and Ashes tour. Instead he joined the Academy squad during their stint in Perth as they provided back-up for the main party.England’s injury concerns surround Lewis’s Achilles, which forced him to miss the last four qualifying matches, and Tremlett who has developed a back problem. They join Kevin Pietersen (broken rib) and James Anderson (back) who have previously flown home from the CB Series.”Chris Tremlett has a back injury and he would be in some pain if he took part in any of the finals,” Duncan Fletcher explained. “Jon Lewis is one of those injuries that we are not prepared to risk so he is going to go back to the UK.”It is difficult to say exactly what his injury is. It is around the Achilles area, but they will have a good look at it.”Other replacements England have called on have been Ravi Bopara, the Essex allrounder, and Mal Loye the Lancashire opening batsman. The final World Cup squad has to be named by February 13.

June 14
Peter Philips, the Jamaican security minister has ordered a review of the investigations into the death of Woolmer.June 13
Dr Ere Seshaiah, the pathologist who conducted the post mortem on Woolmer, defends his findings. “I am sticking to my findings,” he says. “He was murdered. Woolmer is not a first for me, I have been doing autopsies here [in Jamaica] since 1995.”June 12
The Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) end weeks of speculation by confirming that Bob Woolmer died of natural causes on March 18 and was not murdered. South African and Canadian pathologists had concurred with a finding by a British forensics expert that “Mr Woolmer died of natural causes,” Lucius Thomas, the police commissioner, says. In further toxicology tests, “no substance was found to indicate that Bob Woolmer was poisoned”.The Pakistan board expresses relief at the news. Nasim Ashraf, chairman of the board, tells Cricinfo that it is now time to move on and that there are unlikely to be any legal ramifications from this.Paul Condon, the head of the ICC’s corruption-busting force, says said that people who linked Woolmer’s death to match-fixing should now “shut up.”June 4
Pressure is growing on the pathologist whose post mortem led Jamaican police to launch a murder investigation to resign. And Mark Shields, the deputy commissioner of police, has slightly distanced himself from his findings. “Usually we investigate a murder and we look for suspects but on this occasion, because of the lack of evidence to support the pathologist what we’ve done is gone out to prove it’s not a murder,” he told The Times. “We have to go with what the pathologist gives, and if I’d ignored it and it had turned out to be true I would have been lambasted for not treating it seriously.”June 3
Jamaican police decline to comment as it is widely reported they are set to make an embarrassing climbdown and admit that Woolmer died of natural causes. It is revealed that his family were told last month that there was uncertainty over how he died.June 2
According to reports in , Scotland Yard detectives have told Jamaican police that Woolmer was not murdered but died of natural causes. Police are expected to announce the findings later this week.May 23
The BBC dismisses a claim by Ehsan Qureshi, a Pakistani journalist, that its Panorama programme implied he was connected with the death of Woolmer. A spokesman said it was “preposterous to suggest that anything in this a programme is defamatory of Mr Qureshi or has damaged his reputation in any way at all.”May 20
Today’s said that police in Jamaica have privately admitted that Dr Ere Seshaiah, the Kingston pathologist, was wrong to say that Woolmer had been strangled. But Seshaiah told the paper that he stood by his diagnosis that Woolmer was killed by “asphyxia as a result of manual strangulation”. Nevertheless, the future of the investigation now seems to centre on the results of toxicology tests.May 14
As reports continue to circulate that the investigation will decide that Woolmer was not murdered, the Jamaica police again dismiss speculation as “unhelpful”, adding that they were still undertaking a murder investigation : “That will remain our position until such time as the results of the investigation are known; including the forensic and pathology analysis.”May 13
Reports in The Sunday Telegraph say that the last email sent by Woolmer to the PCB could well be a fake as the language used was not consistent with his style. The Jamaica Gleaner carries a report which claims that there is evidence that Woolmer was not murdered.May 10
According to Pervez Mir, Pakistan’s media manager during the World Cup, the two champagne bottles found in Woolmer’s room were passed on to him by Mushtaq Ahmed, Pakistan’s assistant coach, who had left them in his hotel roomMay 9
Jamaican police insist that they have credible evidence to suggest Woolmer was murdered as against reports of Pakistani investigators stating otherwise.May 8
A Pakistani investigator point to lack of evidence suggesting that Woolmer was murdered.May 7
A report in London’s Sunday Times claims that there is evidence Woolmer was poisoned using weedkiller.May 5
The team of Pakistani investigators have finished their report on Woolmer’s murder, the results of which are due to be presented today.May 4
Woolmer is cremated in a private ceremony, attended by his family, near to his home in Cape Town.April 30
A BBC TV investigation claims toxicology reports prove Woolmer was drugged. It also reveals that there were deep religious divides within the squad.April 29
Woolmer’s body arrives in Cape Town.April 26
Police rule out suggestions that snake venom was used on Woolmer, while Mark Shields hits out at “wild” rumours which he says are “causing a lot of distress” to the family. Woolmer’s body leaves Jamaica en route to South Africa.April 23
Jamaican government officials give permission for Woolmer’s body to be released and taken back to his family in South Africa. Shields and the Kingston coroner Patrick Murphy agree to the move, according to a statement from the ministry of national security.April 22
A report in the Mail on Sunday quotes the Woolmer family as saying they have been told that police believe he was poisoned using a natural substance and that body tissue tests, which are the only way to establish that, are being undertaken in England.April 21
Pakistan Cricket Board officials deny receiving a request from police in Jamaica to send any Pakistani player there in connection with investigations. Indian TV had reported that players, including Inzamam-ul-Haq and Mushtaq Ahmed, had been summoned to Kingston.April 20
“New and significant developments” in the investigation delay the inquest that was due to start on Monday. A statement from the Jamaican justice ministry says the hearing will be postponed following advice from the coroner. “The coroner wishes that these new and significant developments be pursued with the utmost urgency.”April 19
Ireland’s players end their World Cup adventure by giving statements, fingerprints and DNA samples to Jamaican police. “These tests were carried out with a view to eliminating the Ireland squad from their enquiries,” a team spokesman says. On the night Woolmer was murdered none of the Ireland squad was in the Pegasus Hotel in Jamaica. The players were celebrating St Patrick’s Day and the victory over Pakistan in Ocho Rios, which is “some 50 miles away”.April 17
Speculation that Woolmer was poisoned is resurrected by local newspapers in the Caribbean claiming to quote the toxicology report which states that samples taken from his blood, stomach and urine have shown the presence of a foreign substance. An unnamed government source says that this substance could have been poison.April 16
It is reported that police officers from Jamaica will visit Pakistan to quiz players over “inconsistencies” in statements.April 15
A report in the UK Sunday Times quotes police sources as saying that Woolmer was poisoned before being strangled. Mark Shields announces he will fly to South Africa to meet with Woolmer’s family.April 12
Jamaican police announce that CCTV footage from the Pegasus Hotel has been sent to Scotland Yard in London for further analysis.April 12
Jamaican police announce that CCTV footage from the Pegasus Hotel has been sent to Scotland Yard in London for further analysis.April 11
It is reported in Kingston that the coroner’s inquest into Woolmer’s death will start on April 23. Sources say that Patrick Murphy, the coroner for Kingston, will hold a full hearing, complete with live testimony from as many as a dozen witnesses who were in the process of being summoned to appear.April 9
Inzamam-ul-Haq said the World Cup would have been stopped if Woolmer’s death had happened in any other country. The replacements for Woolmer and Inzamam as coach and captain will be discussed on Tuesday when the Pakistan Cricket Board’s ad-hoc committee meets in Lahore. Inzamam told a parliamentary committee the World Cup defeats were part of cricket and he was “hurt” by match-fixing allegations.April 8
It wasn’t a day for good news, with Mark Shields, the chief investigator, saying it may take another eight weeks to get the results of Woolmer’s toxicology tests. The reports are crucial to proving whether Woolmer was poisoned or drugged and the delay means a quick end to the investigation is unlikely. “It’s in everyone’s interest to know exactly when he died and how,” Shields said. “But frustrating as it may be, science goes at a certain pace.” Apparently Woolmer’s last meal was lasagne.April 7
Gill Woolmer has given permission for the publication of his book which will be published in September.April 6
Gill Woolmer says her husband did not mention match-fixing or being scared in his final emails. Mrs Woolmer, who did not want him to take the coaching position with Pakistan, thought the police were doing a “good job” but she wanted a “speedy conclusion” to the investigation. Woolmer was keeping a World Cup diary and planning to write a book about his time with Pakistan, but Mrs Woolmer said “it is best if that book never appears now”. “If it is going to cause upset, it is not worth publishing.”April 5
No major developments in the case have emerged a day after the memorial service for Woolmer in Cape Town. Ian Chappell writes that Woolmer’s murder ended any chance of his brother Greg continuing his role as India’s coach. “Such an ugly incident is sure to focus your concentration on life’s priorities. Greg is probably better off without all the angst that comes with one of the most demanding jobs in cricket.”April 4
Allan Donald says Woolmer “lived for the game and succumbed to the game” during a memorial service for his former coach in Cape Town. Donald also read a statement from Woolmer’s widow Gill and her two sons while Tim Noakes, who co-authored a book with Woolmer, described him as a “cricket missionary”. The Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Nasim Ashraf attended the service at the Wynberg high school and said: “We in Pakistan loved Bob.” Woolmer’s body is still in Jamaica and there are reports it has been embalmed, which could make a second post-mortem difficult.April 3
Four Scotland Yard detectives were due in Jamaica on Tuesday and they should be joined by a high-profile Pakistani policeman in a growing list of assistants. Mir Zubair Mahmood, who successfully led the investigation into the murder of the US reporter Daniel Pearl, is due to travel to Jamaica with another Pakistan security official on Wednesday. “It’s a big, big responsibility on our shoulders and I hope we will be able to live up to the expectations,” Zubair said. Interpol’s Dr Susan Hitchen, a forensic expert in DNA analysis, has also arrived in Kingston to help the local police.April 2
Mark Shields, the chief investigator, says there is a possibility a poison was used to incapacitate Woolmer before his death. “I have said from the beginning that if he was manually strangled, there are certain aspects that don’t quite add up,” Shields told AFP. Shields did not comment directly on a report that aconite had been used to kill Woolmer and said it was pointless speculating before the toxicology reports returned. In there are concerns Jamaican bureaucracy will hold up the inquiry into Woolmer’s death.Meanwhile Nasim Ashraf, the chairman of the Pakistan board, has confirmed that the Pakistani policeman who led the probe into the murder of US reporter Daniel Pearl will travel to Jamaica to help police investigating the death of cricket coach Woolmer

April 1
A memorial service is held for Woolmer in Lahore and Inzamam-ul-Haq was there with six of his team-mates. Four hundred mourners attended and they hear Woolmer was like a “second father” to the squad. “After Woolmer’s family, the Pakistan team was the most aggrieved by his death,” Inzamam says during the hour-long service. The Jamaica Gleaner says a blood-stained pillow was found in Woolmer’s room, but Mark Shields, the chief investigator, does not confirm the report. Media speculation intensifies with reports in some papers claiming he was poisoned with the herb aconite.March 31
More official cavalry is arriving in Jamaica with a team from Scotland Yard due to land in the next week after a request for help from the local police. Three detectives and a scenes of crime officer will make the trip to review the investigation into Woolmer’s death. There will be even more foreign assistance in trying to track down the killers after Nasim Ashraf, the PCB chairman, says two Pakistan police officers will also travel to Kingston. Ashraf, who says no players were involved in the crime, will attend Woolmer’s memorial service in South Africa on Wednesday. He also says the next coach will be a Pakistani and announces the players’ contracts would be suspended.March 30
Pakistan has offered to send a three-person team to Jamaica to help with the investigation, following reports of dissatisfaction within Pakistan over how the case is proceeding. If approved by the Jamaican authorities, the group would likely include one PCB official, one diplomat and one senior investigative officer. A report in the also indicates the Jamaica police have requested a group of Scotland Yard detectives fly to Kingston to review the inquiry. Plans for a memorial service in Cape Town next Wednesday were also announced, with speakers to include Allan Donald.March 29
The time of Woolmer’s death is still in doubt, but Mark Shields, the chief investigator, is certain he was murdered. He confirms again that Woolmer died due to manual strangulation, possibly with a towel. CCTV has revealed all the people who were on the 12th floor of the Pegasus Hotel, but police have to wait for an exact time of death before Shields can “tie down when we should be looking at the tape”. Dr Ere Seshaiah, the pathologist who carried out the autopsy, is confident of his findings, despite questions arising about the manner of the death. In Pakistan a report from says the team was ordered to play the final group game against Zimbabwe or they would have been handed severe fines.March 28
Jamaica police dismiss speculation that there will be a second autopsy on Woolmer’s body in a bid to quash media speculation that he might have died after hitting his head on the bathroom sink rather than have been murdered; that follows comments from an unnamed Pakistan board official who said: “We believe that the autopsy by the pathologist may have had error counts and [the police] are now considering having a second autopsy to confirm the cause of death”.March 27
Jamaican police are reported to be searching for three mystery fans who they want to question; they also say that an examination of Woolmer’s laptop shows no evidence of anything to do with match-fixing; Mark Shields, the deputy police commissioner, explains that the meal Woolmer had in his room is also being examined. “We are looking at whether his food was drugged, the meal was thrown away after he put the tray outside his room, but we are conducting toxicology and tissue tests.” Pakistan are officially eliminated from the police investigation into the murder.March 26
Pakistan start their long journey home, but not before police had again questioned three members of the group. A Pakistan official complains that the team have been kept in the dark over the investigation.March 25
As investigations continue, reports that the murder was related to match-fixing continue, Lord MacLaurin, the former head of the England board, launches a stinging attack on the way the ICC is run.
Shaharyar M Khan – A gentle man, a superb coach
News – Inzamam controlled the team, not WoolmerMarch 24
The police order an inquest. It emerges that Woolmer was preparing to write a book on his time as Pakistan coach, in addition to one he had just completed on coaching in general. A clearly emotional Pakistan side play their final match, beating Zimbabwe.
News – Bob’s loss hurts more than elimination – Inzamam
March 23
Speculation abounds, with match-fixing groups widely rumoured to be involved in the murder. There are calls for the “World Cup to be cancelled, while others suggest the tournament is played in Woolmer’s honour. The PCB reveal Woolmer had sent an email shortly before he died resigning as coach. The Pakistan side are questioned and undergo DNA testing as part of the routine enquiries. Officials deny the squad have been asked to stay on in Jamaica after their final game. Michael Vaughan, England’s captain, admits he has a “gut feeling” that there is still corruption in the game.
News – Woolmer had decided to retire
News – Academy to be built in Woolmer’s honour
News – Musharraf honours Woolmer
March 22
Police confirm that they have launched a murder investigation. “The pathologist’s report states that Mr Woolmer’s death was due to asphyxiation as a result of manual strangulation,” Karl Angell, a police spokesman, says. “In these circumstances, the matter … is now being treated by the Jamaica police as a case of murder.”March 21
Shields reveals that Woolmer’s death is now being treated as “suspicious” although he refuses to go further. Two Jamaican newspapers run headline stories claiming that a senior police source says Woolmer was murdered.
News – Bob was more than a coach – Rhodes
March 20
The first autopsy is inconclusive and the pathologist asks for more tests before the cause of death can be identified. The police refuse to be drawn on rumblings in the media that there is more to the death than meets the eye: “Any sudden death is treated as suspicious till we can say otherwise,” says Mark Shields, Jamaica’s deputy police commissioner.March 18
News filters through that Woolmer has been found unconscious in his hotel room, within hours it is confirmed that he has died. Tributes pour in from across the world.
Obituary – Woolmer: a creative and adventurous coach
Tributes – ‘He gave his life to cricket and died for it’
Osman Samiuddin – Thanks Bob, you did make a big difference
Comment – The price of passion
Kamran Abbasi – The tragedy of Bob Woolmer
Audio – ‘Woolmer changed the way we played’ – Cullinan
Audio – Cricket world poorer with the passing of Woolmer
Timeline – An eventful life, a premature end
Gallery – A life in pictures
Archive – Wisden Cricketer of the Year – 1976

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

South Africa buried West Indies and with it the ghosts of their shock defeat to Bangladesh. A batting performance, at once clinical and brutal, helped them amass a huge 356 and left the West Indian bowlers battered, the captain bewildered, and their fans devastated; the hosts had been all but unceremoniously evicted from their own party, as South Africa sealed a 67-run win.The game might be remembered most for the flurry of sixes in the final quarter of the South African innings, but it was made possible by a maiden century from AB de Villiers, grinning impishly as he almost apologetically took apart the West Indian bowlers on one good leg, and an uncharacteristically purposeful and authoritative innings from Jacques Kallis. These two built the platform whereon Mark Boucher and Herschelle Gibbs took off with relish.The game will also be remembered for some surprising choices from Brian Lara. Jerome Taylor continued to miss out, Marlon Samuels warmed the bench and Kieron Pollard made his ODI debut in a high-stakes game. Devon Smith, the local boy, got his first match of the tournament. If those changes didn’t stump you, then the fact that Ian Bradshaw, who has bowled so well with the new ball in the recent past, was kept for the death, and believe it or not, the third powerplay was taken from overs 45-49.But the way the game began gave little indication of what was to follow. Lara chose to field, another debatable decision, and after 9 overs, with South Africa on 27 for 1, there seemed to be some merit in his choice at the toss. But Kallis soon cleared that debate. He signalled his intentions early on, picking three fours and a six off a single Dwayne Bravo over, creating the opportunities to play big shots by shuffling across the crease or making room. Kallis had come out to make a point, and there was little West Indies’ attack – a modest one with no real pace, swing or spin, that was having an ordinary day – could do about it.de Villiers hits the ball so well and so long, runs so hard between the wickets, and is such a fluent allround batsman that it was only a matter of time before he played a defining innings. Whether he chose the day, or the day chose him, is irrelevant. When he was batting normally, attacking only when he could and defending when he should, the runs still came easily – 50 off 58 balls. It’s slightly odd to say so, but the 170-run partnership between Kallis and de Villiers broke at just the right time for South Africa.

Kallis (81) was bowled trying to carve Chris Gayle over the off-side, and as he hobbled off with a turned ankle that had hampered him, the fresh legs of Herschelle Gibbs joined de Villiers, who himself was soon to be severely impacted by a combination of cramps and hamstring hassles. The injury to de Villiers brought no respite. If anything, it made life more miserable for West Indies, as even the pretence of running between the wickets was dropped, and de Villiers dealt in boundaries. The schoolboy smile was replaced by a grimace, and it was near farcical as he clutched his hamstring in obvious pain after almost every ball, having just carted the ball over midwicket or threaded it through cover, down on one knee.de Villiers finally fell, trying to be a bit too cute, lapping the ball round the corner to be caught at short fine-leg, but by then had rattled off 146 (129 balls, 12 fours, 5 sixes) and taken South Africa to 261 for 3 with almost seven overs left to play. Gibbs, who would end the day completely overshadowed, despite biffing 61 off only 41 balls, and Boucher, watched almost in disbelief as the third Powerplay was taken in the 45th over. For the powerful pair the task proved simpler than picking off tranquilised ducks at low range with a double-barrelled shotgun. Seventy seven runs came from five overs, almost everything disappearing either into the stands, or at any rate to the fence after beating the infield as South Africa ended on 356, helped well along by 14 sixes and 24 fours.Although taller scores have been chased down in recent times in one-day cricket, not once has it been done by a confused team in disarray. West Indies needed to score at more than seven per over from the word go, and when the top three were dismissed with a mere 69 on the board, only a blinder from Lara could even keep them in the hunt. For a time Lara threatened, lithely striking the ball both sides of point to keep the run-rate up, but when he dragged an offcutter from Kallis back onto his stumps the writing was on the wall – he was gone for 21, and West Indies were reeling at 119 for 4.Ramnaresh Sarwan did what he could, playing some classy shots in a typically good, if lonely, performance in the course of his 92, but that was not enough. And that was the story of the day for West Indies – nothing they did was quite enough. Daren Powell, who averaged 2.66 before this game, and had scored 24 runs from 21 matches, gleefully bashed the ball around at the end for 48, but all that did was reduce the margin of defeat to 67 runs.

Vusi Sibanda has urged Cricket Australia to honour its commitment to Zimbabwe in fulfilling its scheduled three-match ODI tour in September. Sibanda, the Zimbabwe opening batsman, said Zimbabwe can ill-afford Australia to withdraw from their tour even though they appreciate the sensitive political situation CA is confronting.Sibanda, who is based in Sydney, asked Australia’s players to tour in order to assist the development of the game in his homeland. Sibanda told the newspaper: “The players obviously have no control, so it would be pretty sad if the Australians didn’t come, I certainly hope that they do play. We need to challenge ourselves against the best in the world if we are to improve, and the Australians are the best there is.”Following the exodus of Heath Streak, Tatenda Taibu, Andy Blignaut and the Flower brothers in recent years, Sibanda, although only 23, is seen as one of Zimbabwe’s senior players.Australia’s foreign minister Alexander Downer is scheduled to meet senior CA officials on Thursday to discuss whether the country has a moral obligation to tour. Earlier this week, he said: “Normally, I’m not a great fan of bringing politics into sport, But in this particular case I think it is appropriate we should take a very (tough) stand against Mugabe’s regime and do our best to stop the cricketers.”The Australian government and board officials will meet John Howard, the prime minister, on Thursday to discuss the tour. Howard is a strong critic of the regime of Zimbabwe’s president Robert Mugabe and he has said in recent times that his government is prepared to pay fines which are likely to be imposed by the ICC should Australia decide not to go ahead with the tour.There remains confusion over Sibanda’s future. After going on record as saying he would not play for Zimbabwe again, he has recently contradicted this. There is, however, speculation this may be connected with the fact he has not paid his World Cup money yet by the Zimbabwe board.

Wasim Akram has proposed setting up a fast-bowling fund as a way of continuing to contribute to Pakistan’s fast-bowling future. Akram, along with Aaqib Javed and Mudassar Nazar, is currently overseeing a PCB-organised camp for the country’s most promising fast bowlers and opening batsmen at Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore.The experience has already spurred him to consider broadening his role in the future. A more regular, involved position was all but ruled out given his media and business commitments, but he is keen to make some kind of contribution.”It’s too early to say right now about a permanent role as it depends on my timings,” Akram told Cricinfo. “I have media commitments and I’m away from Pakistan a lot. But I think whenever I have time, a week or two off, I could come back and help out.”But my idea really is to set up a kind of fund, a Wasim Akram fast-bowling fund. Depending on how much time I can give, instead of payments, the money can go into this fund. From this, we can then send, say two bowlers and cover their costs at the academy in Pakistan or an academy in Australia to hone their fast-bowling talent. I have given the idea to the chairman and he liked it, so it could be a regular thing.”Akram, regarded by many to be the best left-arm fast bowler ever and one of the best outright, has often offered informal, impromptu help to Indian and Pakistani fast bowlers, since he retired from the game in 2003. Often it has had telling effect, but this is his first official involvement of any kind and it came about on his own prompting.”It just came up like that,” he said. “I think this much I owe to Pakistan cricket that when I have time and I am in the country, I can work with some younger bowlers, give them some advice, some help, pass on some things I learnt.”

The fate of Ranbir Singh Mahendra, the president-elect of the Board of Control for Cricket in India, hung in the balance after a division bench of the Indian Supreme Court said that they would examine the propriety of the outgoing president holding two votes. Mahendra, yet to assume office pending litigation, was elected by the virtue of a casting vote in his favour from Jagmohan Dalmiya, who presided over the board elections held on September 29 this year.The bench, comprising justices N Santosh Hegde and SB Sinha, reserved its verdict on an appeal by the BCCI challenging a order from the Madras High Court on the conduct of the election, but observed that they would examine the rules of the board that allowed the outgoing president two votes. Mahendra was tied 15-15 with Sharad Pawar, a cabinet minister in the Indian government, with Dalmiya having already voted three times in his favour, in his various capacities as the BCCI president, president of the Cricket Association of Bengal and president of the National Cricket Club of India. Then, as laid out in the BCCI constitution, he exercised his casting vote to seal the matter in Mahendra’s favour.However, Dalmiya, who had been nominated as the first patron-in-chief of the BCCI, a decision which has also been challenged in the court, has continued to function as the BCCI president, since the board was unable to complete its annual general meeting.The counsels for the Netaji Cricket Club and Maharashtra Cricket Association argued that the court should order a fresh election under the supervision of a court-appointed authority considering the “unsavoury” manner in which the election had been conducted.

Scorecard

Bangladesh, the favourites, sealed their place in the final with a 59-run victory against Hong Kong at Johor Bahru. The result owed much to the guile of little 16-year old left-arm spinner Champa Chakma who took 3 for 16 with a variety of top-spinners, in-cutters and googlies that had all who faced her floundering.Bangladesh’s batting remains, by and large, bright and breezy and there’s always the feeling that a wicket could fall the moment they play an attacking shot. Singles aren’t fancied in case, thus the false economy of a hard hit is chosen. To generate power the players swing the bat hard; inevitably, more shots than not go in the air.Salma Khatun and Panna Ghosh are alone in being able to drive on the off on the front foot along the ground and look a class apart from their team-mates. Their partnership of 37 in a little over 10 overs for the fourth wicket did much to steady Bangladesh after they’d lost two wickets in two balls in the eighth over.When Khatun was out, flat-batting firmly to a terrific diving catch at cover by Samantha McIlwraith, Bangladesh were just about getting their noses in front. Three more wickets fell for 10 however, and Hong Kong were back in the game.Had Panna Ghosh been held at long-on when on 28 (one of three chances she offered) and two run-out chances taken, Bangladesh would have been struggling. Her partnership with the bustling Tithi Rani Sarker at the end of the innings ran Hong Kong ragged. Twenty runs were put on in the last four overs and Bangladesh managed to reach their pre-match target of 100.They thought it would be enough. One obstacle remained however, Hong Kong’s captain Neisha Pratt. Until she was out, Bangladesh couldn’t rest. Pratt came in at 4 so as to better negotiate the perceived spin-treat of Bangladesh and when she took guard with her team at 14 for 2, the innings rested on her shoulders. Ghosh’s pace was negotiated safely and one could sense that Pratt was just playing herself in, looking to build a platform for her side’s victory.Chakma’s second delivery fizzed past the edge, Pratt was out of her crease and the bails were whipped off. Even Bangladesh’s manager screamed with joy.If Chakma was too good for Pratt, she was way too good for the rest. Barely nudging four foot and from a part of Bangladesh (the Chittagong Hills) that didn’t know of cricket until the 21st century, Chakma possesses a repertoire of which Monty Panesar would be proud.The ball that did for Renee Montgomery would have foxed anyone and had even the umpire from her end, S. Chandrasekaran admiring it. He said after the match’s conclusion, “Through the air it looked like it was going to the off, and the batsman shaped to drive, on pitching it just darts in and takes leg-stump. She has one that bounces, one that moves away and one that moves in, there’s one that gets quicker off the pitch…..” Spinners took six of the Hong Kong wickets to fall.Chakma is pretty good and so is Hong Kong’s left-arm prodigy thirteen year-old Chan Sau Har. She gets prodigious bat-beating turn herself and has major star-quality. It wasn’t her or Hong Kong’s day today. Bangladesh were just too good.”It’s a learning curve for both teams,” said Hong Kong’s coach Lal Jayasinghe. “The gap between Bangladesh and the other Test-playing countries of Asia is like the gap between us and them, but take the best young players from both teams and give them every chance to improve, within a few years they’ll be a match for the rest.”Hong Kong captain Neisha Pratt said: “There are many positives we can draw from this tournament. Our young players really got stuck in and showed a lot of character especially in the bowling department.”Clearly our batting has been disappointing and we’ll be working hard on this area. We’ve now seen the level of competition in Asian women’s cricket and, with a lot of hard work from the squad and continuing provision of resources Hong Kong can be confident of competing successfully at this and higher levels moving forward.”Bangladesh will meet Nepal in the final on July 18 after they defeated China in the other semi final.

Loots Bosman is a doubtful starter for the Twenty20 World Championship after hurting his lower back while attempting a catch in the second ODI against Zimbabwe at Harare on Saturday. Initial reports suggested Bosman might require surgery, but Mickey Arthur, the South Africa coach, indicated that the injury might not be so serious.”Loots has been examined by a specialist in Johannesburg and it seems it’s not as serious as we thought,” Arthur was quoted as saying by . “We will know later in the week what the position is.”Bosman suffered the injury when trying to catch Tatenda Taibu off Dale Steyn at the boundary. He failed in his attempt, and instead crashed into the advertising boards, hurting his back in the process. He was carried off the field in a lot of pain and didn’t bat later in the afternoon.Bosman hasn’t had a lot of success in one-day internationals so far, but he has been a star in the domestic Twenty20 matches, scoring 679 runs in 23 games at 32.33 and a phenomenal strike rate of 147.93, with a highest score of 104.

Pakistan allrounder Abdul Razzaq has joined Worcestershire for the remainder of the 2007 season as a replacement for Phil Jaques and Doug Bollinger who have returned to Australia for the A-team tour of Pakistan.Razzaq had announced his retirement from international cricket as a protest against his omission from Pakistan’s Twenty20 World Championship squad. He arrived in Worcester on Sunday and would join the squad for training before travelling to Canterbury for the Championship match against Kent starting on Tuesday.”It has been very difficult to find quality replacement overseas players because of the forthcoming Twenty20 World Championships and Abdul’s availability has come at just the right time,” Worcestershire chief executive Mark Newton said. “He has scored over 6500 runs and taken nearly 350 wickets at international level and will certainly give us the quality and experience we need during the last few weeks of the season, particularly in the Natwest Pro40 competition. We have received clearance from the Pakistan Cricket Board but still need to complete the registration procedures with the ECB.”

The touch, and the thwack
Jacob Oram is renowned for his ability to give the ball a mighty thump,but here he showed he could be subtle as well. Of the third ball he faced,and the last in Sanath Jayasuriya’s spell, Oram conjured up a delicatereverse-sweep, merely tapping the ball lightly and helping it on its wayto the third-man boundary. Soon, though, he was back at his furious best:when Lasith Malinga got an attempted yorker wrong and pitched it in thehitting zone, punishment was immediate – a huge straight hit, whichbounced just in front of the sightscreen.Fielding woes for Sanath
Sanath Jayasuriya had a great time with bat and ball, but in the field hehad a rather forgettable day. Fielding at short fine leg, he reprievedBrendon McCullum in the second over, getting both hands to the ball butfailing to latch on to a mistimed pull. That was nothing to theembarrassment he would have felt after the first ball of the 18th over,when Oram’s slog gained more height than distance. Jayasuriya tried to getunder the swirler, but was never in control, and eventually stumbled, felland never even got a hand on the ball.Bond dismantled
Shane Bond v Sanath Jayasuriya was always likely to be a key contest, andthere’s no doubt who took the honours there. Jayasuriya flayed two foursthrough the off side in the first over, and then cracked two more foursover mid-off and square leg in Bond’s second over. Bond’s figures took afurther beating when Upul Tharanga joined in the fun and pulled a superbsix over fine leg. And when he dropped a clanger from Jayasuriya soonafter – cupping the ball in his hands and then spilling it – his miserywas complete.