Sri Lankan captain Sanath Jayasuriya said there was no cause for alarm after the team’s five-wicket defeat to Pakistan in the Sharjah final on Sunday.Sri Lanka were gunning for their third successive Sharjah triumph, but Jayasuriya maintained that the side were entitled to their odd bad day."It was an off day for us," he admitted. "But everyday the players can’t perform and go on to score 270. The batting let us down in the final, but apart from that I thought we did really well.""We had been batting well throughout the series and only failed in the last game. The players all realise what went wrong."Pakistan stacked their side with fast bowlers in the final and bowled out Sri Lanka for their lowest score of the tournament."They have got a very good bowling attack and Wasim (Akram) was outstanding throughout the series," said Jayasuriya. "I think they were the best bowling side throughout the series."Sri Lanka bravely picked two rookie pacemen in their squad and when Dilhara Fernando was ruled out because of a back injury they were left with an inexperienced bowling attack.Jayasuriya, however, paid tribute to both Prabath Nissanka and Charitha Buddhika, who picked up five wickets on his debut against Zimbabwe."We played two young fast bowlers and they did pretty well," he said. "We have to groom them for the future and when they get the experience it will be for the good of Sri Lanka’s cricket."Charitha (Buddhika) has been in the fast bowlers clinic for sometime now and having worked with Champika (Ramanayake) he knows what to do.""Prabath (Nissanka) is one of the quickest bowlers we have in Sri Lanka with Dilhara (Fernando). He has a couple of things to correct and on times he bowled both sides of the wicket, but he clearly has a good future."Sri Lanka’s injury list is a concern for the management, with serious injuries to wicket-keeper Romesh Kaluwitharana and fast bowler Fernando."Dilhara (Fernando) is out with a hairline fracture in his back and Romesh (Kaluwitharana) has a fractured finger. It is a problem for the team and as a captain I miss them. But it is part of the game and we have to go with what we have."Perhaps of greater concern is the news that champion off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan is suffering from a persistent shoulder injury."Murali has being having this problem (sore shoulder) for quite a while," he revealed. "Day-by-day he is getting better and we didn’t want to risk him for the finals so we rested him."

Australia demonstrated what everyone knew when turning back New Zealand’s first day-last session challenge in the first Test on a rain interrupted second day at the Gabba in Brisbane.Only 134 minutes of play were possible as drizzle drifted across the grounds several times. But that was sufficient for Adam Gilchrist (88 not out) and Brett Lee (60 not out) to put Australia firmly in control of this match at 7/435.The depth of batting talent in the side serves it on occasions such as New Zealand managed to achieve on the first evening when claiming six wickets.And while they picked up a seventh, Shane Warne, early on the second morning, caught at gully by Mathew Sinclair from Chris Cairns’ bowling, that was to be their only success on a frustrating day.Instead, they had to take a back seat and watch as the world champion home team demonstrated why they are such a quality side, when able to extricate themselves from the trickiest positions.Gilchrist was outstanding and ended the day in sight of his fourth Test century.The bald facts of his innings were that he had faced 123 balls but since passing his 50 in 86 balls, he has been scoring at a run a ball as he led the New Zealand bowlers a merry dance. He’s hit 13 fours and one six.Already gone in the record-breaking department is his previous highest score against New Zealand of 75 while he and Lee have achieved a record eighth wicket partnership for Australia against New Zealand of 133 runs. They rubbed Kerry O’Keefe and Gary Gilmour’s 1976/77 stand of 93 at Eden Park out of the books.What was especially frustrating for the New Zealanders was the run rate of 5.05 the pair achieved.Lee, in his 13th Test, looked like he had realised the rare chance available to do something about moving into the all-rounder category. He’s three runs short of achieving his highest score and made light of the attack in reaching his half century off 69 balls, with seven fours and a six.While the ineffectual bowling made life easier for the batsmen, they still had to contend with the frustration caused by the breaks for the rain. But rather than let it get on top of their concentration, they decided to put the pressure back on the bowlers, who were already having to cope with a ball dampened by the wet outfield.Despite that, however, there was much to admire in the sheer nature of Gilchrist’s attack.He battled during the early part of the day, but once finding his equilibrium there was no stopping him. While he warmed up with some traditionally hefty pull shots, seemingly fed up to him as part of a regular diet, especially by Dion Nash, he soon flowed into a series of drives and sweetly-timed late cut shots.The New Zealanders were to find fielding positions to halt the onslaught. The innovative field placings of last night were not reproduced and the plans in force against the middle-order did not seem to have been worked out for Gilchrist and Lee.It may have been that the bowlers were unable to bowl with the required control, and certainly their efforts did not have the same thought about them.It is little wonder that Lee enjoyed a batting average of 21.75 going into the Test.Cairns came in for some punishment, especially from Lee, who at one stage rocked onto his back foot and cut a ball over the third man boundary for a superbly-timed six. In the same over he unleashed a fierce pull shot to the mid-wicket boundary to bring up his half century.It is tough for Cairns, straight back from injury and already being used as the team’s work horse, moreso after left-armer Shayne O’Connor was taken to hospital for a precautionary x-ray on his knee after lunch. Off 31 overs Cairns has three for 123.The moisture on the ball always meant it was going to be difficult for Daniel Vettori to bowl effectively and his figures of none for 65 from 13.4 overs tell their own story.Craig McMillan was also brought back to reality after climbing the heady heights on the first evening and he ended with three for 47 from his 12 overs.Nash has been too inconsistent. He bowled some tremendous deliveries, akin to those when at the peak of his career, but they were too often interspersed with balls short and wide of the required mark.The pain is not over for the Kiwis and they could still find themselves up against it for an hour or two on the third day with its extended hours. Play will start at 9.30am tomorrow.

Part IV: High Drama Down UnderIn any Indian fan’s list of famous triumphs, the unexpected victory atMelbourne in February 1981 will rank very high ­ and for good reason.A win abroad, against strong opposition, achieved against all odds,with the Indian side crippled by injuries to key bowlers, and afterbeing in arrears by 182 runs in the first innings ­ this is the stuffof which fiction and film scripts are made. But even this scenario wasmade more surreal by one more dramatic event that marked the twistsand turns over five days at the Melbourne Cricket Ground ­ a nearwalkout by the Indian captain Sunil Gavaskar after he had furiouslydisagreed with an lbw decision against him.

It is true that India had won two successive Tests in Australia in1977-78 against a sub-standard Australian side, denuded of the Packerplayers, and had come close to winning the series. But against fullstrength Australian teams on two previous visits, they had lost eightout of nine Tests played. And, in 1980-81, Australia were the secondbest team in the world, behind West Indies, with a particularly goodrecord at home. Prior to the series with India, Australia had beatenNew Zealand in a three-match series 2-0.Things moved as expected when Australia wrapped up the first Testagainst India at Sydney by an innings in three days. The home teamthen had the better of a drawn second Test at Adelaide. So India couldstill level the series by winning the final Test at Melbourne, but forlong this seemed an impossible task. In spite of a gallant 114 byGundappa Viswanath, India could only get to a modest 237 in the firstinnings. Allan Border (124), with good support from Greg Chappell (76)and Doug Walters (78), saw Australia reply with 419 midway through thethird day.As Gavaskar and Chetan Chauhan opened the Indian second innings, theodds predictably were on Australia completing a 2-0 triumph. Gavaskarhad been woefully out of touch, struggling to get 48 runs in fiveinnings, but this time he settled down, and the pair led India’sfight-back with their ninth three-figure partnership in Tests.On the fourth morning, after the pair had put on 165, Gavaskar wasadjudged lbw to Dennis Lillee for 70. He disagreed with the decision,stood his ground, and alternated between pleading and arguing with theumpire and the Australian players. Then Lillee came near him, pointedto his pad, and said something to him. Already upset, Gavaskar by nowwas furious. He stormed off the field, pulling a reluctant Chauhanalong with him.The Indian manager, Wing Commander Salim Durrani, met the agitatedGavaskar near the boundary line, asked Chauhan to stay on the field,and instructed Dilip Vengsarkar to go in. The manager’s timely actionsaved a potentially embarrassing situation, but in the meantime, Indiahad to continue their fight to save the match. Chauhan top-scored with85, and there were good supporting knocks from Vengsarkar (41),Viswanath (30) and Sandip Patil (36). A total of 324, however, meantthat Australia had to get only 143 runs for victory.The wicket was showing some signs of wear and tear, but it seemed toosmall a target to cause the Australians, with their formidable arrayof batsmen, any trouble. Moreover, by now the Indians had major injuryproblems. Kapil Dev had pulled a thigh muscle and was unable to openthe bowling; in fact, he had batted with a runner in the secondinnings. Dilip Doshi had a fractured instep, but was just about in acondition to bowl. Shivlal Yadav, while batting in the first innings,had sustained a hairline fracture on his toe thanks to a Len Pascoeyorker. He had bowled 32 overs in the Australian innings, retiredmidway through, was not in a position to bat in the second innings andwas thus out of the action for the rest of the Test.So India were left with one fit (Karsan Ghavri) and two half-fitbowlers, and this weakened trio were to bowl Australia out for lessthan 142. It seemed Mission: Impossible until Ghavri dismissed JohnDyson and Chappell with successive deliveries to leave Australia at 11for two. Super-fast work by Syed Kirmani stumped Graeme Wood off Doshiat 18, and with the Australians teetering at 24 for three by the closeof play, the match had suddenly come to life. However, Australia werestill the firm favourites as the target was within reachable limits,and Kim Hughes, Doug Walters, Allan Border and Rod Marsh were stillaround.On the final morning, Kapil Dev put aside his discomfort and, with theaid of pain-killers, took the field. He and Doshi now bowledunchanged, the left-arm spinner taking the crucial wicket of the inform Hughes. Thereafter, it was all Kapil. Bowling with fire in hiseyes, the Indian spearhead maintained a perfect line and length, madethe batsmen play at every ball, and gave nothing away.In a trice, the strong Australian batting line-up crumbled before hisinspired spell. With Gavaskar, still smarting from what had happenedthe previous day, egging his team on, the home side were shot out for83, leaving India winners by 59 runs. Not one batsman got to even 20,and Kapil finished with five for 28. Of course, the roles played byGhavri (two for 10) and Doshi (two for 33) were also vital in shapingone of the most dramatic victories in Indian cricket history.

A mountainous third wicket stand of 265 runs by Matt Horne (178) and Aaron Barnes (95) all but squeezed the life out of the Bangladesh bowlers on the second day of their four-day game against Auckland on the Eden Park outer oval today.Auckland, who started the day at 79 for two (in reply to Bangladesh’s modest 120 yesterday), batted through the day to 404 for five wickets, with the 20-year-old Nick Horsley, in his first big season, poised on 57 not out to do some more damage to the beleaguered Bangladeshis tomorrow.During a day which started an hour late for rain and did not end until 7pm, Auckland scored 325 runs for the loss of three wickets from the 89 overs the long-suffering tour bowlers delivered.Some of the few hundred spectators might have expected Auckland to close their second innings last evening, 200-plus ahead and with two days to arrange some excitement tomorrow and on Saturday.However, Brooke Walker, the Auckland skipper, took the more logical step to bat on for many of his players are short of batting practice and Horsley, especially, deserved the chance to show more of his batting riches tomorrow.Also, there is no guarantee that the Auckland bowlers who destroyed the tourists’ batting on the bowler-friendly pitch yesterday, will have similar quick success when the Bangladeshis bat again.In fact the pitch by then might be so lifeless, slow of pace and low of bounce that the Bangladesh batsmen might think they have received an early Christmas present of the lifeless slabs on which they play so much of their home cricket.Even before today’s play Horne, then 34 not out, lamented that early-summer pitches in New Zealand seldom had the accurate and predictable bounce and ample speed that batsmen in other countries, and especially Australia, enjoy.It might be possible to survive for long periods of time on December pitches in New Zealand, but Horne maintained that they did not encourage batting strokes and, once the early life had gone, they could not be regarded as the bowlers’ friends, either.But, being such a painstaking and sensible batsman, Horne (who found at the end of his marvellous innings that the unchanged New Zealand team for the first Test did not include him) built a most imposing innings, a concentrated mixture of tight defence and strokes as free and frequent as the pitch and persistent bowling would allow.The pity is that the national selectors decided to pick their team before Horne batted, rather than name it while he was in full flight. The selectors may have a case that a big century against such a modest attack might not be rated A1 in Lloyd’s quality, but Horne still offered some penetrating evidence that he is not far from his Test-class best.This was his 19th first-class century, it took him 372 minutes and 277 balls (including 23 fours and four sixes) and the pity of it was that toward the end he lost Barnes as his faithful partner through a dreadful out mixup.Barnes, normally a bit of a swashbuckler, did more buckling than swashing as he played straight and prudently kept the ball on the ground. His 95 followed his 57 not out against Central Districts in November and the 292-minute search for solid runs suggests Barnes’ youthful promise is on the point of bearing promise.The best thing that could be said was that the Bangladesh bowlers stuck gamely to the task of trying to keep the Aucklanders in check. Their principal seam bowlers Mohammad Sharif and the left-arm Manjural Islam were quite nippy with the new ball, but they could not carry all the burden.Khaled Mahmud, a medium-pacer, was a workaday trier, but not exactly in Test class. Enamul Haque, the senior left-arm spinner had some good moments, when he seemed to get turn and sometimes an awkward bounce. But the pitch gave him little help, and one got the impression that Enamul might lose some of his gloss under heavy-hitting pressure.Mohammad Ashraful, who looks like he is playing hookey from jockey apprentice school, had three costly overs of leg-spin, and his Test-match quality may be somewhere in the future.

New Zealand’s batsmen have made no significant advances on the latest PriceWaterhouseCoopers Test rankings but Chris Cairns has leapt four places on the bowling list into sixth place.Australia’s Glenn McGrath heads the bowlers, followed by Shaun Pollock (South Africa), Muttiah Muralitharan (Sri Lanka), Allan Donald (South Africa) and Darren Gough (England).Interestingly, given some of his bowling for Australia during the recent Test series with New Zealand, Jason Gillespie is listed one behind Cairns, while Shane Warne is two spots behind.Pakistan’s Waqar Younis and Sri Lanka’s Chaminda Vaas round out the top 10.The next highest New Zealand is Daniel Vettori, who slumped two places to 21st. Dion Nash is ranked 23rd, Chris Martin 31 equal, Shayne O’Connor 33rd.Shane Bond is the biggest mover on the table by advancing 29 places to 67th but clearly with a bullet.Mark Richardson is the highest-placed New Zealand batsman in 13th place, having dropped one place. Next is Craig McMillan in 17th equal while Cairns is 25th equal. Nathan Astle is 29th, one ahead of Stephen Fleming. Mathew Sinclair is in 41st position.On the all-rounders’ table, Cairns is still ranked third behind the South Africans Pollock and Jacques Kallis.

In the least likely of all scenarios, South Africa and New Zealand share top spot on the VB series log with four points apiece after two matches in the tournament. Australia, hosts, World Cup champions and outright favourites, have still to break their duck after slipping to their second defeat in three days, this time by four wickets to South Africa at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Sunday.As was the case when Australia went down to New Zealand on Friday, the home team’s batting failed to spark. On this occasion they were bowled out for 198 in 48.5 overs, a total just about big enough to keep their bowlers interested, but surely insufficient to seriously challenge a confident chasing side.But by no stretch of the imagination could South Africa be regarded as a confident team after their dismal form in the Test series. Shaun Pollock’s side desperately needed someone or something to kick-start their tour and it duly arrived in the shape of Jonty Rhodes.Rhodes missed the Test matches by his own choice, sticking to a decision to spend more time with his family. It might seem impolite to point out the obvious, but the Rhodes family’s gain was quite clearly South Africa’s loss.He started the match a little edgily, missing a square drive from Matthew Hayden early on and then dropping the left-hander at backward point off the last ball of Allan Donald’s first over. From there on in, however, he barely put a foot wrong and his contribution to the South African batting effectively won the match for his side.He has made higher scores than his 43 not out, but the great value of his innings was his reading of the situation and his calmness as the pressure gradually built on the South Africans. He shared a 65-run fourth wicket stand with Neil McKenzie (34) that prevented Australia capitalising on a mini-collapse which saw the chasers slip from 51 for none to 71 for three and stayed there until the end, the winning runs coming by way of four leg byes off his elbow.As well as Rhodes played, though, Australia will feel they didn’t do themselves anything approach justice. They lost Adam Gilchrist to the first ball of the match, rebuilt through Ricky Ponting (51) and Steve Waugh (62) and then lost their last six wickets for 34 from the 40th over onwards.South Africa, it must be said, bowled and fielded with far greater purpose and commitment than they had shown at any stage of the Test series. And again, you have to wonder whether the presence of Rhodes made the difference.Still, South Africa had to make 199 before winning and they were given a respectable start by Herschelle Gibbs and Gary Kirsten who put on 51 for the first wicket. Of course, Australia will wonder what difference Glenn McGrath might have made, but their three quick men, Brett Lee, Jason Gillespie and Andy Bichel, all bowled decently enough.Gibbs, who made a 38 which included eight boundaries, never entirely settled, mixing carelessness with a number of handsome strokes, but it was through the McKenzie-Rhodes partnership that South Africa managed to get on top.The South Africans were watchfulness personified against Shane Warne, but Andrew Symonds had clearly been identified as the weak link in the attack and while Warne barely conceded two runs an over through his first nine-over spell, Symonds’ first six overs went at a run a ball.And then Waugh found himself having to pick between Symonds and Michael Bevan to bowl two of the final three overs; this after the 47th over had been a maiden-wicket from Lee.Ultimately Australia had given themselves too much to do and Rhodes was able to take South Africa home with more than an over to spare. What effect this win will have on the remainder of South Africa’s tour remains to be seen, but their relief at breaking a losing habit was almost palpable.

Players competing in the ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup in New Zealand were given a traditional welcome at the formal opening ceremony held in Christchurch today.All 16 participating teams gathered in the city for the function before taking up residence at the three venues in Auckland, Christchurch and Dunedin for the tournament which has its first game on Saturday.The function was held at the Christchurch Convention Centre and before entering the auditorium for the opening function, teams walked through a specially constructed representation of New Zealand’s geographical background which featured glow-worm caves, the famed pink and white terraces which were buried beneath a volcanic eruption in the 19th Century, boiling mud pools, rain forest and rolling farmlands.They were greeted by a formal Maori welcome before all team captains and visiting dignitaries completed the hongi, the traditional Maori greeting where local Maori rub noses with the visitors.New Zealand Cricket’s chief executive Martin Snedden said NZC was “proud and privileged” to be hosting the World Cup.”This World Cup represents the most diverse assemblage of nations ever to gather for a cricket competition in New Zealand,” he said.Hosting the tournament was a welcome opportunity for New Zealand because of the work being done here to grow and foster the game at junior level.”This Under-19 World Cup delivers a unique opportunity to showcase the game to a new generation of aspiring athletes, and to demonstrate to them the skill, the commitment, the athleticism and the energy that combine to make cricket such a complete sport,” he said.The president of the ICC, Malcolm Gray, had two congratulations to deliver to New Zealand, the first for its victory in the VB Series opening game over Australia on Friday, and the second for its organisation of the tournament.The ICC was extremely grateful for the willing and enthusiastic way NZC had gone about organising the event.”It is a wonderful opportunity for players to make it a stepping stone to full international cricket,” he said.Cricket had recently provided some fantastic incentives to be involved in the game – the third Australia-New Zealand Test in Perth and the deciding of the ICC Test Championship between the heavyweights Australia and South Africa recently.He asked players in the tournament to enjoy not only the cricket but the companionship of their opponents.Gray reiterated the stand the ICC was taking to lift the spirit of cricket and reinforced to team captains in the youth tournament that much of the onus for protecting that spirit lay with them and he asked them to consider their responsibilities.The deputy Prime Minister, Jim Anderton, in opening the tournament, recalled some of his own cricket experiences including facing former New Zealand fast bowler Gary Bartlett, regarded as the fastest bowler New Zealand has produced, during a Hawke Cup challenge match while Anderton represented Wanganui.Having to come to the wicket second ball, after the first batsman was bowled first ball, Anderton said he saw Bartlett start to run in, move his shoulders and saw nothing until he turned to see the ball in the wicket-keeper’s gloves.”I never saw the ball, but I have not been scared of anything since that day,” he said.Anderton said sport in New Zealand had the ability to swell or diminish the national morale.”You will come to know the pride and pressure of representing your country,” he said.Anderton hoped the players would remember the spirit of cricket during the tournament and that it would bring the countries competing closer together in the way that only sport can achieve.

Mutare Sports Club are national league champions for the first time after winning their final game of the season. Tied first with Old Georgians and Universals going into the last game, they finished on equal points with OGs (after both sides had won) – but went through on a higher run rate.Travelling to Old Hararians in Harare to meet Bulawayo Sports Club last weekend, they prevailed by nine wickets with time to spare. Managing only a disappointing 77 in 39 overs after winning the toss, BSC succumbed to disciplined Manica bowling with Sims collecting two for 10, Burmester two for 19 and Iain Coulson mopping the tail with three for 2.Neil Ferreira (40 not out) and Andy Flower (29 not out) knocked off the runs after the early loss of Tafadzwa Madondo – playing his last game for Manicaland prior to departure to New Zealand to start a professional rugby career. It’s not clear exactly how he is going to break in, but he is initially heading to Auckland to stay with family. He has been made to understand his prospects are good. He certainly won’t miss the black cricketers from Takashinga club. Batting against them a fortnight ago, they taunted with him unfavourable comparisons to his deceased Test-playing brother Trevor and his willingness to play for the enemy (Manicaland).Flower batted slowly, trying to get maximum time in the middle prior to his departure to India with the Zimbabwe team later this week. Alistair Campbell was missing from the Manicaland team having bruised a thumb, courtesy of a Henry Olonga lifter during a mid-week net practice. He too will be joining Flower in India, having finally finished a period of extended punishment for talking to the English media. He appears to have learnt his lesson. All friendly approaches by this journo last week attracted glacial reserve from this normally outgoing man.Takashinga return to Mutare Sports Club next Sunday to play Manicaland in an end-of-season knockout competition for the top four sides of the national league. Expect more sparks to fly. And this time Manicaland will be without their top guns – Flower and Campbell in India, Whittall and Sims in South Africa with Zimbabwe A. The other two teams in the competition are Old Georgians and Universals.Watching the antics of Takashinga two weeks ago was former Manicaland Secretary Graham Skidmore. Out from Taunton for a short holiday to visit his daughters, he remains an active umpire in the UK and spent much time pressing umpire test-questionnaires into the hands of bemused local umpires. He also gave news of Jeremy Barnes, former Mutare Boys High teacher of the late 70’s and Manicaland cricketer. After a long spell teaching in Johannesburg he is now a professor – married to an American GP – and raises corn and chickens in Texas.This Friday sees the start of Manicaland’s first class program with a four-day game against the CFX Academy at Mutare Sports Club. Making their first-class debuts will be Naeem Sheth and schoolboy’s Tino Mawoyo (16) and Adiel Kugotsi (17).

The day after taking two wickets and scoring 41 runs in England’s second defeat at the hands of the Australians, Somerset all rounder Ian Blackwell reflected on the situation in the VB one day series.He told me: "What a formidable side the Aussies are, they are world class and will be very hard to beat. We knew things would be tough, especially with the young squad we have. We spoke before the tournament and we all agreed that Sri Lanka would be our ticket into the finals. We now have two massive games against them tomorrow and on Thursday."Regarding his own form he told me: "I am very pleased with the way that I am bowling and batting at the moment. I have come on in very difficult situations in each of the games and have performed amicably in both which has given me confidence in playing at the higher level."He continued: " Sometimes you can’t do much when you get a first baller, maybe a few nerves creep in and you don’t execute the shot quite as you would if you had been in for a little while.But these things happen in cricket which is why we play the game."`Blackie’ concluded: " I have learned a lot playing in these conditions and against the best players in the world. Things will be hard from here on in, the challenge has been laid down and I’m keen to take it up."

Bushrangers captain Shane Warne is among four players flying to Hobart to be considered for selection for Sunday’s ING Cup clash against the Tasmanian Tigers at Bellerive Oval.Nick Jewell, Andrew McDonald and Rob Cassell join Warne in Hobart as additions to the twelve contesting the current Pura Cup match. The final twelve for Sunday will be selected at the completion of the Pura Cup match on Saturday.BushrangersShane Warne (c), Darren Berry (vc), Jason Arnberger, Rob Cassell, Matthew Elliott, Shane Harwood, Ian Harvey, Brad Hodge, Mathew Inness, Nick Jewell, Michael Klinger, Mick Lewis, Andrew McDonald, Jon Moss, Graeme Rummans, Cameron White