Victoria, nicknamed the Bushrangers, would be as guilty as Ned Kelly of daylight robbery if it makes this month’s Pura Cup cricket final.But two days of outstanding cricket have put it back into outside contention.Resuming at 2-313 on day two against Western Australia at the MCG, Victoria declared at 6-450 and then rolled the Warriors for 175.WA then slumped to 2-16 at stumps, still needing another 259 to make the Bushrangers bat again.It was easily Victoria’s best performance of the season so far, achieved without injured front-line pacemen Damien Fleming and Mathew Inness.But captain Matthew Elliott talked down his side’s final chances, stressing the need to focus on continuing the improvement and to forget about what must happen to other teams.”The worst thing we can do is focus on the other results because mathematically speaking we’re just about out,” he said.”We’ve got to get everything we can out of this game and then go to Brisbane and hopefully do the same thing.”Victoria is second-bottom with just two wins, eight points behind second-placed South Australia, and six behind third-placed WA.After this, Victoria will play Queensland in Brisbane to end its scheduled season.Apart from needing several other results in the next fortnight to go its way to reach the final, Victoria also must beat the Bulls at home for the first time since 1983.Provided the Bushrangers can maintain their form of today and yesterday for the rest of this match, they will have the ideal lead up to the Brisbane trip.Overnight batsmen Brad Hodge and Jon Moss took their third-wicket partnership to 168 before Moss was run out for 59 and Hodge went soon after for aninnings-high 131.Victoria then stalled briefly at 6-395, but Ian Harvey’s 61 from 56 balls meant a declaration soon after lunch and he started the WA top-order collapse in hisstand-in role as opening bowler.Matthew Mott took a great catch in the gully off Harvey to remove Mike Hussey for a duck, while young paceman Will Carr snared the crucial wicket of SimonKatich, caught behind for five.Mick Lewis took two wickets and the Warriors were 4-40, with a 77-run partnership between Chris Rogers (26) and Ryan Campbell stalling the collapse.Young leg-spinner Bryce McGain then had Rogers stumped and he also caught Campbell off Moss for a top-score of 63.Brad Hogg made 30, while Lewis finished with 3-40 and McGain took 3-46.Elliott said it was difficult to pinpoint how the last two days happened.”But the group has really clicked together and is working well,” he said.”Will Carr has just been fantastic, to come into the side and take wickets with the new ball.”We’re backing ourselves a little bit more to take chances; if we can keep doing that, we’ll really find some big improvements in the team.”Scott Meuleman fell to Carr on the fourth ball of the second innings for a duck and nightwatchman Jo Angel did not want to go after falling lbw to Harvey.Hussey (nine) and Katich (no score) will face a mammoth task tomorrow to rescue the match.Meanwhile, Victoria reported Fleming’s shoulder surgery yesterday was successful.He underwent an arthroscopy and it revealed a cartilage tear and tendonitis of the shoulder, according to team doctor Trefor (Trefor) James.

England’s comprehensive victory in their last encounter with Australia at the SCG – in the final Test of the Ashes series two and a half weeks ago – gives them their best cause for optimism when the two sides meet again there in the first of the best-of-three VB series finals tomorrow.Australia, as well as winning seven of their eight matches in the triangular series so far, have beaten England 11 times in a row in one-day internationals, but England’s captain, Nasser Hussain, is refusing to be over-awed by that figure.”I think both sides know that England can beat Australia in one-day cricket on a given day,” Hussain said today. “Our record isn’t very good against them recently but let’s be fair.”Look at what injuries have done to Australia, because we’ve been plagued by them. If we can put all parts of our game together we can beat Australia, definitely.”England could recall left-arm spinner Ashley Giles to the side following his recovery from a wrist injury, on a pitch that is often receptive to spin.”Obviously, with it being Sydney it’s nice to have the main spinner here,” said Hussain. “He’s got a chance. He is fit to play but whether he’s stiff in the morning – because it’s two months since he’s played – is what we will check.Hussain added that next month’s World Cup in southern Africa was providing plenty of motivation.”I’m a little bit mentally jaded but these are big games now. Winning the tournament here is important. It would be a boost, beating Australia out here but obviously how we go into the World Cup is more important.””There’s a lot of talent flying around in that competition and it’s really going to be similar to the last World Cup, who peaks at the right times and who wins the important games,” he said.Meanwhile Australia’s opening batsman, Adam Gilchrist, says he has reserved a big score for tomorrow’s match. Gilchrist has made eight centuries in 150 one-day internationals, including 124 from 104 balls against England in Melbourne last month.”I’m saving them up, saving them for the big ones,” Gilchrist said. “Don’t waste them in the preliminary games. That’s what I’m hoping anyway.””If you look at our past two games, they have been much closer affairs than the first two games we played them in the series. With that in mind obviously they’re showing some improvement. We’ve definitely shown some improvement with names like Hogg and Watson, they’ve stepped up.”If we’re improving and they’re getting closer that must mean they’re on the way up to so we’ll expect a tough encounter.”Australia are poised to recall leg-spinner Shane Warne after a month-long break with a shoulder injury which was followed by today’s announcement that he is to quit one-day internationals after the World Cup.”He’s been telling us all that he feels good and he’s bowling well, so we’re looking forward to having him back on the park as soon as we can,” Australia one-day captain Ricky Ponting said.Australia’s pace bowlers Glenn McGrath, Jason Gillespie and Andy Bichel are also hoping to be in contention following injuries.

The State Central Hinds team to play State Auckland Hearts at Melville Park at the weekend is:Aimee Mason (captain), Abby Burrows, Sarah Duffill, Cindy Forsyth, Erin McDonald, Sara McGlashan, Zara McWilliams, Elizabeth Perry, Kelly Sutherland, Nicole Thessman, Donna Trow, Kelly Winkley.Kate Pulford is injured and not available for selection.Kelly Winkley will make her debut for the State Central Hinds.

ANDY BLIGNAUT IN ONE-DAY INTERNATIONALSComplete to 31 March 2003

Abbreviations:A = Australia N = NamibiaB = Bangladesh NZ = New ZealandE = England P = PakistanH = Holland SA = South AfricaI = India SL = Sri LankaK = Kenya WI = West IndiesOpponents (Venue) No. How out Runs (Balls) Ct (No) O M R W1999/2000, TRIANGULAR TOURNAMENT IN SINGAPORE; 2, 4 Sept 19991 WI (Singapore) L (6) c +R D Jacobs b R D King 1 (3) – (7) 3.4 0 26 02 I (Singapore) L (9) b A R Kumble 0 (6) 1 (3) 6 0 35 21999/2000, TRIANGULAR TOURNAMENT IN KENYA; 2 Sept3 K (Nairobi Gym) L (8) c H S Modi b S O Tikolo 0 (2) – (4) 1 0 5 01999/2000, v AUSTRALIA (home); 21, 23, 24 Oct4 A (Queens SC) L (8) c M E Waugh b A Symonds 27 (15) – (3) 10 0 60 15 A (Harare SC) L (8) not out 21* (32) – (3) 6 0 24 16 A (Harare SC) L (7) c M G Bevan b S K Warne 1 (9) – (3) 6 1 25 01999/2000, v WEST INDIES (away); 15 April 20007 WI (St George’s) L (6) b Abdur Razzaq 3 (7) – (2) 7 0 37 12000/01, v BANGLADESH (home); 7, 8, 11 April 20018 B (Harare SC) W did not bat – – (3) 10 1 24 29 B (Harare SC) W (4) c Mohammad Rafique b Monjurul Islam 13 (11) – (3) 8 0 28 210 B (Queens SC) W did not bat – 1 (3) 10 0 41 22000/01, in ZIMBABWE (Triangular Tournament); 23, 24, 27 June, 1 July11 WI (Harare SC) L (5) run out (C E Cuffy) 25 (27) – (1) 10 0 53 112 I (Harare SC) L (8) c Harbhajan Singh b S C Ganguly 13 (36) – (4) 6 0 36 013 I (Queens SC) L (7) c Harbhajan Singh b A B Agarkar 11 (9) – (1) 10 0 41 014 WI (Queens SC) L (7) not out 12* (10) 1 (3) 10 1 50 02002/03, v PAKISTAN (home); 23 Nov 200215 P (Queens SC) L (7) c Shahid Afridi b Shoaib Akhtar 55 (39) 1 (1) 10 0 52 02002/03, v KENYA (home); 15 Dec16 K (Queens SC) W (3) not out 63* (43) – (1) 6 0 29 22002/03, WORLD CUP IN ZIMBABWE AND SOUTH AFRICA; 19, 24, 28 Feb, 4, 8, 12, 15 March 200317 I (Harare SC) L (6) c D B Mongia b S C Ganguly 2 (5) – (2) 10 0 54 118 A (Queens SC) L (8) c and b B Lee 54 (28) – (2) 10 0 53 019 H (Queens SC) W (6) c J F Kloppenburg b E Schiferli 58 (38) 1 (1) 10 1 30 020 P (Queens SC) D did not bat – – –21 NZ (Bloemfontein) L (7) run out (B B McCullum) 4 (5) – (3) 10 0 41 222 K (Bloemfontein) L (7) run out (M O Odumbe) 4 (8) – (2) 9 1 36 123 SL (East London) L (7) c P A de Silva b C R D Fernando 1 (5) – (2) 8 0 40 0ANDY BLIGNAUT’S WICKETS IN ONE-DAY INTERNATIONALSODI no. and venue Wkt no., batsman no. and dismissal (* = World Cup)1999/20002 v India (Singapore) 1 (3) R S Dravid c N C Johnson 122 (5) A R Khurasiya c +A Flower 54 v Australia (Queens SC) 3 (7) A Symonds c G W Flower 15 v Australia (Harare SC)) 4 (1) A C Gilchrist c N C Johnson 187 v Pakistan (St George’s) 5 (2) Shahid Afridi c D P Viljoen 192000/018 v Bangladesh (Harare SC) 6 (8) Mushfique Rahman c H H Streak 317 (5) Akram Khan bowled 359 v Bangladesh (Harare SC) 8 (4) Mehrab Hossain c +A Flower 119 (7) Khaled Mashud c H H Streak 310 v Bangladesh (Queens SC) 10 (2) Mehrab Hossain bowled 1311 (5) Akram Khan c A D R Campbell 2511 v West Indies (Harare SC) 12 (4) S Chanderpaul c T J Friend 512002/0316 v Kenya (Queens SC) 13 (2) R D Shah c +T Taibu 014 (3) B J Patel c C B Wishart 817 v India* (Harare SC) 15 (4) S C Ganguly c H H Streak 2421 v New Zealand* (Bloemfontein) 16 (2) S P Fleming lbw 4617 (4) S B Styris c sub (T J Friend) 1322 v Kenya* (Bloemfontein) 18 (3) S O Tikolo c H H Streak 2RESULTS OF ONE-DAY INTERNATIONALS PLAYED INPlayed 23 Won 5 Lost 17 Tied 0 Drawn 1(105 possible since debut)MOST CONSECUTIVE ODIs PLAYED7, in 2000/01 and in 2002/03MOST CONSECUTIVE ODIs MISSED31, from 2000 to 2000/01ONE-DAY INTERNATIONAL CAREER RECORDRECORD FOR EACH SEASONM I NO Runs HS Av. Balls R/Ov 100 50 Ct O M R W Av. Best R/Ov1999/00 7 7 1 53 27 8.83 74 4.29 – – 1 39.4 1 212 5 42.40 2/35 5.342000/01 7 5 1 74 25 18.50 93 4.77 – – 2 64 2 273 7 39.00 2/24 4.262001/02 -2002/03+ 9 8 1 241 63* 34.42 171 8.45 – 4 2 73 2 335 6 55.83 2/29 4.5823 20 3 368 63* 21.64 338 6.53 – 4 5 176.4 5 820 18 45.55 2/24 4.64(+ still in progress)WORLD CUP RECORDM I NO Runs HS Av. Balls R/Ov 100 50 Ct O M R W Av. Best R/Ov2002/03 7 6 0 123 58 20.50 89 8.29 – 2 1 57 2 254 4 63.50 2/41 4.45RECORD AGAINST EACH COUNTRYM I NO Runs HS Av. Balls R/Ov 100 50 Ct O M R W Av. Best R/OvEng -Aust 4 4 1 103 54 34.33 84 7.36 – 1 – 32 1 162 2 81.00 1/24 5.06SA -WI 3 3 1 38 25 19.00 40 5.70 – – 1 13.4 0 79 1 79.00 1/53 5.89NZ 1 1 0 4 4 4.00 5 4.80 – – – 10 0 41 2 20.50 2/41 4.10Ind 4 4 0 26 13 6.50 56 2.79 – – 1 42 1 216 3 72.00 2/35 5.14Pak 3 2 0 58 55 29.00 46 7.57 – 1 1 17 0 89 1 89.00 1/37 5.23SL 1 1 0 1 1 1.00 5 1.20 – – – 8 0 40 0 — — 5.00Bang 3 1 0 13 13 13.00 11 7.09 – – 1 28 1 93 6 15.50 2/24 3.32Ken 3 3 1 67 63* 33.50 53 7.58 – 1 – 16 1 70 3 23.33 2/29 4.37Holl 1 1 0 58 58 58.00 38 9.15 – 1 1 10 1 30 0 — — 3.0023 20 3 368 63* 21.64 338 6.53 – 4 5 176.4 5 820 18 45.55 2/24 4.64RECORD IN EACH COUNTRYM I NO Runs HS Av. Balls R/Ov 100 50 Ct O M R W Av. Best R/OvZim 16 13 3 355 63* 35.50 302 7.05 – 4 4 132 4 600 12 50.00 2/24 4.54Eng -Aust -SA 3 3 0 9 4 3.00 18 3.00 – – – 27 1 117 3 39.00 2/41 4.33WI 1 1 0 3 3 3.00 7 2.57 – – – 7 0 37 1 37.00 1/37 5.28NZ -Ind -Pak -SL -Bang -Ken 1 1 0 0 0 0.00 2 0.00 – – – 1 0 5 0 — — 5.00Shar -Sing 2 2 0 1 1 1.00 9 0.66 – – 1 9.4 0 61 2 30.50 2/35 6.3123 20 3 368 63* 21.64 338 6.53 – 4 5 176.4 5 820 18 45.55 2/24 4.64RECORD PER RESULTM I NO Runs HS Av. Balls R/Ov 100 50 Ct O M R W Av. Best R/OvWon 5 3 1 134 63* 67.00 92 8.74 – 2 2 44 2 152 8 19.00 2/24 3.45Lost 17 17 2 234 55 15.60 246 5.70 – 2 3 132.4 3 668 10 66.80 2/35 5.03Tied -Drawn 1 – – — — — — — – – – –23 20 3 368 63* 21.64 338 6.53 – 4 5 176.4 5 820 18 45.55 2/24 4.64RECORD IN EACH POSITION IN THE BATTING ORDERI NO Runs HS Av. Balls R/Ov 100 50No 3 1 1 63 63* — 43 8.79 – 1No 4 1 0 13 13 13.00 11 7.09 – -No 5 1 0 25 25 25.00 27 5.56 – -No 6 4 0 64 58 16.00 53 7.25 – 1No 7 7 1 88 55 14.66 85 6.21 – 1No 8 5 1 115 54 28.75 113 6.11 – 1No 9 1 0 0 0 0.00 6 0.00 – -20 3 368 63* 21.64 338 6.53 – 4RECORD ON DIFFERENT GROUNDSM I NO Runs HS Av. Balls R/Ov 100 50 Ct O M R W Av. Best R/OvIn Zimbabwe:Harare SC 7 6 1 75 25 15.00 120 3.75 – – – 56 2 244 7 34.86 2/24 4.35Queens 9 7 2 280 63* 56.00 182 9.23 – 4 4 76 2 356 5 71.20 2/29 4.6816 13 3 355 63* 35.50 302 7.05 – 4 4 132 4 600 12 50.00 2/24 4.54Abroad: 7 7 0 13 4 1.85 36 2.16 – – 1 44.4 1 220 6 36.66 2/35 4.92In South Africa:Bloemfontein 2 2 0 8 4 4.00 13 3.69 – – – 19 1 77 3 25.66 2/41 4.05East London 1 1 0 1 1 1.00 5 1.20 – – – 8 0 40 0 — — 5.00In West Indies:St George’s 1 1 0 3 3 3.00 7 2.57 – – – 7 0 37 1 37.00 1/37 5.28In Kenya:Nairobi Gym 1 1 0 0 0 0.00 2 0.00 – – – 1 0 5 0 — — 5.00In Singapore:Singapore 2 2 0 1 1 1.00 9 0.66 – – 1 9.4 0 61 2 30.50 2/35 6.3123 20 3 368 63* 21.64 338 6.53 – 4 5 176.4 5 820 18 45.55 2/24 4.64The following bowlers have captured Andy Blignaut’s wicket in one-day internationals:2 – S C Ganguly (I)1 – Abdur Razzaq (P), A B Agarkar (I), C R D Fernando (SL), R D King (WI), A R Kumble (I),B Lee (A), Monjurul Islam (B), E Schiferli (H), Shoaib Akhtar (P), A Symonds (A),S O Tikolo (K), S K Warne (A),Details of dismissals:bowled 2 11.77lbw – 0.00caught 10 58.82caught by wicketkeeper 1 5.88caught and bowled 1 5.88stumped – 0.00run out 3 17.65TOTAL 17 100.00%BREAKDOWN OF INNINGSScore Out Not out0 2 -1-9 7 -10-19 3 120-29 2 130-39 – -40-49 – -50-59 3 -60-70 – 1HIGHEST SCORE63* v Kenya Queens Sports Club 2002/03HIGHEST SCORES AGAINST EACH COUNTRYv England -v Australia 54 Queens Sports Club* 2002/03v South Africa -v West Indies 25 Harare Sports Club 2000/01v New Zealand 4 Bloemfontein* 2002/03v India 13 Harare Sports Club 2000/01v Pakistan 55 Queens Sports Club 2002/03v Sri Lanka 1 East London* 2002/03v Bangladesh 13 Harare Sports Club 2000/01v Kenya 63* Queens Sports Club 2002/03v Holland 58 Queens Sports Club* 2002/03LONGEST INNINGS43 balls (63*) v Kenya Queens Sports Club 2002/03CENTURY PARTNERSHIPS130* for 2nd M A Vermeulen (62*)/A M Blignaut (63*), v Kenya (Queens Sports Club) 2002/03BOWLINGFOUR WICKETS IN AN INNINGSNo instances. Best figures:10 – 1 – 24 – 2 v Bangladesh Harare Sports Club 2002/03MOST ECONOMICAL ANALYSES10 – 1 – 24 – 2 v Bangladesh Harare Sports Club 2002/03MOST EXPENSIVE ANALYSES10 – 0 – 60 – 1 v Australia Queens Sports Club 1999/2000Andy Blignaut has dismissed the following batsmen in one-day internationals:2 – Akram Khan (B), Mehrab Hossain (B)1 – S Chanderpaul (WI), R S Dravid (I), S P Fleming (NZ), S C Ganguly (I), A C Gilchrist (A),Khaled Mashud (B), A R Khurasiya (I), B J Patel (K), Mushfique Rahman (B), R D Shah (K),Shahid Afridi (P), S B Styris (NZ), A Symonds (A), S O Tikolo (K)Details of Dismissals:bowled 2 11.11lbw 1 5.56caught 12 66.67caught by wicket-keeper 3 16.67caught and bowled – 0.00TOTAL 18 100.00%Catches have been taken by the following players off Andy Blignaut’s bowling:4 – H H Streak2 – A Flower (as wicket-keeper), T J Friend (1 as substitute), N C Johnson1 – A D R Campbell, G W Flower, T Taibu (as wicket-keeper), D P Viljoen, C B WishartFIELDING2 OR MORE CATCHES IN AN INNINGSNo instances.His 5 catches have dismissed the following batsmen (* indicates a caught and bowled):1 – N Chopra (I), C H Gayle (WI), Inzamam-ul-Haq (P), Khaled Mashud (B), R H Scholte (H)

The contents of reports compiled for the UCBSA by the FitnessTrainer and Psychologist of the South African cricket team whichcompeted in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2003 have appeared inthe media today.Members of team management and specialists routinely compilereports after tours and tournaments to assist in assessing andimproving the team’s performance and preparation. Their reportsare regarded as confidential and are circulated only to membersof the relevant committees of the UCBSA. These reports werereceived after the World Cup and – in particular that of FitnessTrainer Andrew Gray – have been discussed at the meeting onApril 15 of the UCBSA’s Medical Committee. They are also due tobe discussed at the next meeting of the National CricketCommittee scheduled for the end of this month.”We are concerned about the issues mentioned in Andrew Gray’sreport in particular and they are being addressed as part of anongoing process to improve the team’s performance. Andrew’sown work with the team is also ongoing and we receive regularreports from him. He has already raised some of these concernsin a verbal report to the NCC at its last meeting on 27 March2003. Following that verbal report, the NCC recommended to theGeneral Council on 29 March 2003 that all player contractsshould stipulate specific fitness requirements and this will beaddressed by the Board of Directors of Cricket SA (Pty) Ltdwhich governs professional cricket,” said UCBSA CEO GeraldMajola.”In addition, certain players missed out on selection for theteam’s current tour because they did not reach the requiredfitness level. Other players were put on strict fitness regimes onAndrew Gray’s advice,” Majola said.”Andrew’s written report and the details contained in it are stillto be discussed by the NCC. Our discussions are informed by arange of documents and opinions, including the teammanagement and specialist reports, and are aimed at ensuring afrank and honest assessment of our squad’s strengths andweaknesses. We will obviously also be looking at building on thecurrent tour to Bangladesh, one of the hallmarks of which hasbeen the new spirit which has begun to emerge in the side,”Majola added.”I am concerned that reports containing confidential medicalinformation about players have been leaked to the media,particularly as they have not yet been fully discussed by theUCB,” Majola stated.Fitness Trainer Andrew Gray, who is currently with the team inBangladesh, said: “My observations about diet and lifestylementioned in my report were not made in the immediate run-upto the World Cup. I made observations through 2002 and thoseobservations were contained in letters to each player when theWorld Cup squad was announced at the end of December 2002.All the players in the squad reached their required fitness levelsin advance of the World Cup.”Media Enquiries:Bronwyn WilkinsonCommunications Director083-212-8255

Although the English media welcomed the innings victory in the first Test against Zimbabwe at Lord’s, they were united in their disappointment at the weakness of the opposition. The win, which came inside three days, was tempered with the knowledge that it had been achieved against what more than one correspondent described as the worst side to have toured England for many years … if not of all time. This is how the newspapers reviewed Zimbabwe’s performance:”There was a familiar feel to the cricket for those of us who wintered in the Antipodes, namely a dull inevitability about the outcome. But this time, for Australia read England and for England read Zimbabwe. The gulf between the two sides is as wide as the one we witnessed in Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth last year – maybe wider. But here some of the tourists have looked overawed, others out of their depth.” Vic Marks, The Observer“The batting is woeful and the bowling short on experience and length, the former irreparable, the latter needing more than a single match against Middlesex to rectify. Only their ground fielding, which was superb in execution and commitment throughout the England innings, can have lent any satisfaction. It stands to reason they should be able to take wickets and make runs against a side that would languish somewhere in the lower reaches of the Second Division of the County Championship. Goodness knows what the Australians would do to them.” Mike Selvey, The Guardian“Not so much a new dawn for England, real or false, as another dark day for Zimbabwe. Their young cricket team lived up to their label of being the worst batting side to tour England as they were overwhelmed. Zimbabwe were there for the taking. With their quirky techniques, dominated by the bottom hand, they were sorely troubled by the outswing even of Mark Butcher, who started the day with the grand total of ten Test wickets, and Anthony McGrath, who had none.” Scyld Berry, The Sunday Telegraph“It sounds an awful thing to say, but they cannot have a worse game. They will look at their performance, work hard, and aim to move forward from the wreckage.” Andy Flower, The Daily Telegraph“The fact, however, that Zimbabwe allowed two occasional medium-pacers to take eight wickets in the day between them put matters into a truer perspective. Mark Butcher had a Midas touch throughout the match and McGrath justified his selection as a part-time bowler no less than he had as a batsman. Good luck to them both, but even they will know it was a case of making hay while the sun shone.” Christopher Martin-Jenkins, The Times“The figures from Lord’s so far in this match obviously do not tell much of a story for Zimbabwe, but, nonetheless, they have shown that there is plenty to hope for. If the present group of players can keep the game going until times change and prosperity returns to Zimbabwe, they will have ensured that there will then be a solid and presentable base to build upon.” Henry Blofeld, The Independent on Sunday

Seven members of the Pakistan women’s cricket team who were dismissed from the national training camp have claimed that their removal was down to management bias and not cricket reasons. The camp is being run by the Pakistan Cricket Board ahead of next month’s World Cup qualifying tournament in the Netherlands.The seven called a press conference to express their unhappiness at what they saw as an unfair decision. The initial venue for the conference was the team’s hotel, but it was cancelled after the PCB allegedly put pressure on the hotel manager not to allow it to proceed. The seven instead issued written statements which alleged that they were removed not because of their performance but to allow girls from another region to be included.But an official denied the allegations, explaining that the seven were not good enough to play international cricket. He added that only one girl had been brought in to the squad, and that the overall number at the camp had been trimmed from 44 to 30.

Yorkshire 246 and 27 for 1 trail India A 336 for 8 dec by 63 runs at HeadingleyA fine maiden first-class century from Parthiv Patel was the highlight of the second day of this tour match. Patel, still only 18, thumped 22 fours, and faced just 146 balls in an impressive 129. Wasim Jaffer had earlier hit 67, with a high ratio of 15 boundaries, but soon after Patel came in India A were in some trouble at 113 for 4, still only halfway to Yorkshire’s score. But Patel shared handy stands with Rohan Gavaskar (16) and Murali Kartik (13), then piled on 69 for the seventh wicket with Amit Mishra, who clonked 52 not out.SS Das eventually declared with a lead of 90, and was rewarded when the opener Chris Taylor flicked him a catch off Amit Bhandari with the total on 5. Yorkshire had grafted to 27 without further loss by the close, and an exciting final day beckons.

Rashid Latif has dismissed criticism of his captaincy style, amid demands that he resigns as Pakistan captain.Returning to Karachi after a month’s holiday with his family, Latif was adamant that he has no intention of quitting. “I have read the criticism aimed at my style of captaincy, my age and performance and demands for appointing a new captain,” he told the International News. “I just want to make it clear I have no intention of either stepping down as captain or quitting international cricket just now.”On one hand they are demanding the recall of some senior players. On the other hand they want the board to appoint a young and new captain for the future as they feel Rashid is old,” he continued. “Pakistan cricket will go nowhere if you have an inexperienced and young captain. One has to groom a captain for a long-term future.”I will continue to play as long as I feel I am fit and am contributing to the team. I have no injury problems. I am mentally stronger and ready to play Test cricket again. I can stand the rigours of both forms of cricket. Age is not really an issue with me but it is made an issue in Pakistan. But I think if you are holding onto your place in the team on merit and through performances, you deserve to play on.”Latif then dropped a hint that some of the discarded older players might be in line for a recall. “I have in mind roles for some of the senior players in the coming matches. But it is something that has to be discussed with the national selectors. There is no doubt some of the players who served us well in the one-day tournaments will find it difficult to get places in a Test squad.”Latif went on to warn against complacency in the forthcoming three-Test, five-ODI series against Bangladesh which starts on August 13. “Don’t write them off,” he said. “Their record until now is not exactly impressive. But after playing against Australia I think they will be a changed and improved side.”

Plans have been submitted for a major refurbishment to the Walker Cricket Ground in Southgate, Middlesex’s second home in recent years. The main clubhouse and neighbouring squash courts would be demolished and replaced with a purpose-built two-storey facility.”The plans are all about trying to secure the future of the ground," Chris Sexton, the Walker Ground’s administration director, told the Barnet & Potters Bar Times. "It has been here for over 150 years and we want to see it carry on. "It’s very expensive to maintain the cricket ground, so if we don’t improve facilities we may not be able to make ends meet.”Middlesex have increasingly regarded Southgate as their second home, and with fewer matches staged at Lord’s in recent seasons they have increased the numbers of games held there. Sexton would like to host even more Middlesex games.”One of the problems we have here is that although Middlesex like coming here, and enjoy the excellent pitch, the players have to sit in a tent to watch the game as we have no viewing facilities,” Sexton explained. “We have to cordon off their changing rooms from the public as well, which is not ideal for county cricket. We want them to continue to play here and this development will certainly help in that respect.”