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ScorecardMedium-pacer Hardik Pandya’s maiden first-class five-for and a four-wicket haul from left-arm spinner Swapnil Singh bundled Railways out for a paltry 166 in Vadodara. In reply, led by opener Kedar Devdhar’s unbeaten 69, the home side reached a promising total of 118 for 1 by close of play.Pandya took four of the first five wickets to fall to leave Railways leaving at 45 for 5 in the 16th over. It took a lower-order rally led by Karn Sharma’s 51 to lift the side from 89 for 7 to 166 all out.In response, Baroda lost opener Hitesh Solanki early but recovered through an 87-run unbeaten partnership for the second wicket between Devdhar and captain Aditya Waghmode.
ScorecardFile photo – Parthiv Patel’s 22nd first-class century lifted Gujarat on an otherwise middling day•K Sivaraman

Parthiv Patel’s 122 was the standout performance for Gujarat on the opening day of their second round match against Andhra, taking them to a position of relative safety after a top-order failure.DP Vijaykumar early strikes reduced Gujarat to 14 for 2 after they were put in to bat. Parthiv, who walked in at No. 4, then guided the innings through a 55-run partnership with Bhargav Merai for the third wicket and a 105-run fourth-wicket stand with Venugopal Rao. He also took on the bulk of scoring in those stands, as no other Gujarat batsman crossed a score of 40 on the opening day. Parthiv was the last Gujarat wicket for the day, falling on 122 off 176 balls with 18 fours. Vijaykumar finished the day with three scalps, while D Sivakumar took 2 for 33.
ScorecardFifties from B Aparajith and R Prasanna anchored Tamil Nadu on the opening day of their match against Madhya Pradesh in Indore, but the home side chipped away at the wickets to ensure they did not concede a significant advantage.MP won the toss and opted to field and Puneet Datey provided them with a breakthrough in the fourth over by bowling opener K Bharath Shankar out. B Aparajith’s 133-ball 56 helped them rebuild from there. But MP struck with the dismissal of Abhinav Mukund and once Aparajith and Dinesh Karthik fell in quick succession, Tamil Nadu found themselves at a shaky 115 for 4. Another rebuilding act, in the form of an 86-run, fifth-wicket partnership between B Indrajith and Prasanna took them past the 200-run mark. Prasanna finished the day unbeaten at 51, after Indrajit became medium-pacer Udit Birla’s second wicket of the day.Mumbai v Punjab report: Pacers, Iyer help Mumbai grab early advantage

	Albie Morkel swung it around for Chennai © Getty Images (file photo)

Six, six, six
Chennai, chasing 188, had lost two wickets in the space of five balls and the required rate was hovering near nine an over. Sixteen deliveries without a boundary wasn’t helping their cause, but the big-hitting Albie Morkel swung Chennai back by plundering 23 runs off the 14th over, bowled by Virender Sehwag. The first ball was heaved over midwicket for a massive six, the second biffed dead straight for the same result, and the hat-trick followed with another clout over midwicket. That spectacular comeback from Morkel made the difference when push came to shove.AB pulls off a blinder
Mahendra Singh Dhoni was threatening to finish the match himself, batting sensibly as wickets fell around him, but a stunning catch from AB de Villiers cut him short. Sehwag called back Vijaykumar Yo Mahesh to bowl the penultimate over and Dhoni skipped down to drill a full delivery towards long-on. The ball was dipping on de Villiers, harrying in from the boundary, but he dived forward and cupped it off the ground, refreshing memories of Ajay Jadeja’s similar stunner to dismiss Allan Border in the 1992 World Cup.Chamara surprise
Chennai seemed to have just four overseas players in their squad but everyone was caught on the wrong foot when Chamara Kapugedera, the Sri Lankan batsman, was named in the XI. Apparently he signed over the weekend and sneaked ahead of Makhaya Ntini, who hadn’t managed to get a wicket in three games. He didn’t have a great start, though: going for 15 runs in his only over. Things weren’t much better when he batted though his presence did play a part in Chennai moving towards the target.

Eyes on the prize © AFP

It has fallen upon this final at the great venue of Kensington Oval, Barbados, not just to deliver a champion of the world but to save face for the game on its biggest stage. For all its supposed wonderful health, the tripe dished out over the past two months has been an embarrassment. All the proper players in the world plus a few others were put in the most evocative of destinations and look what they came up with. It was hoped the last week might rescue the tournament. Nothing of the sort. Two one-sided romps and fans asking each other when?In lovely St Lucia on Wednesday the occasion failed to feel like a World Cup semi-final. In inviting bids that covered a wide range of requirements the organisers may have been trying to do the fair thing. But what price a cricket culture?As absent as it was in St Lucia, so unmissable it is in Barbados. Cricket sprouts out of the very earth of Barbados. More than any other Caribbean territory, and by extension any place in the world, cricket has been its making, it has described its society, its culture, its life, its times. Whether or not there will be local flavour at the ground – even in Barbados it is not uncommon to be told they’d just sit this one out thank you, and be back when regular cricket comes around – the ethos of cricket is in the air. This thing matters, it is reassuring to feel.Two teams have shone in the ninth World Cup and their anticipated match-up is the closest fans have been able to come to a wet dream in the tournament. Australia and Sri Lanka do their thing and at their best they have between them all of cricket covered. Mahela Jayawardene, in whom captaincy has brought out the player of the calibre observers had detected from an early age, has spoken again and again about Sri Lanka needing to play their own brand of cricket. There is a defiance to this. We do not need to be Australia to beat ’em. South Africa tried it and failed, he said.What it means is that Australia’s power can be deflected rather than met head-on. It is relevant in the nature of the general vibe, and it is certainly in the batting – the Lankans prefer twirling to belting – but in the most vital aspect these two teams are more similar to each other than any other.Each has the kind of bowling line-ups usually found on paper, where specifications can be constructed to fancy. The first over is bowled by a slyly tormenting pin-point left-arm swinger at 125kph. His new-ball partner is normally a firebrand slingshot of terrible pace and inexplicable method. Each has a wrist-spinner of mystery who has had a superb tournament.Hereabouts Sri Lanka have the edge, for no matter the excellence of the Australian trio, there is something more to be said for the greatness of Chaminda Vaas and especially Muttiah Muralitharan. The difference is in the other specialist bowler. Australia have Glenn McGrath.And McGrath it is who will enjoy this Barbados pitch more than any bowler in contemporary cricket, especially if he should get to use it first. He certainly did a fortnight ago with three wickets in his opening spell in the rout of Ireland. McGrath has never really needed more than an off stump and an outside edge to aim at. Giving him bounce is presenting him nail, hammer and coffin. He is hoping it will do for Sanath Jayasuriya as it has done several times down under.

Ricky Ponting and Mahela Jayawardene prepare to make history © Getty Images

If a weakness must be found in Australia it is that they haven’t been fully tested, though if it was any other way it would have been undoubtedly played up as proof of their vulnerability. So dominant have they been that, for instance, Michael Hussey has got just two hits in the last six games, and he didn’t get past nine runs in the first four, mostly because he came in so late. Moreover, as Jayawardene says: “They are human.””This game doesn’t get any bigger,” Ricky Ponting, the finest batsman and leader of the best team in the world, said. “For guys who have been around quite a while like myself this is the reason you still play the game.”A Sri Lankan win will be the bigger story, for it will be as much a case of winning against the odds of the system as Australia’s would be direct product of theirs. Whenever Jayawardene has been asked about the ’96 World Cup he has answered within a historical context which suggests an awareness of both what the game means to the country and what it means to be good at the game. From amateurism to world champions in such a short time was one of the remarkable stories of the game, and if Jayawardene’s men can rise to this success from the pit of power-mongering and chaos that is the administration of Sri Lankan cricket then it may be almost comparable. And even as the team arose this morning in the Caribbean, back home the international airport at Colombo was closed for fear of an LTTE strike. In times of trouble citizens turn to sport for hope and those of Sri Lanka could use some now.Let us hope for a glistening, fabulous, luminous match, a match that brings forward the finest, most varied skills of the game in the most challenging of circumstances in the most stirring of ambiences: a match which does the sport proud, a match which leaves a shining gloss on this long and largely despondent affair.Likely teams
Australia – 1 Matthew Hayden, 2 Adam Gilchrist (wk), 3 Ricky Ponting (capt), 4 Michael Clarke, 5 Andrew Symonds, 6 Michael Hussey, 7 Shane Watson, 8 Brag Hogg, 9 Shaun Tait, 10 Nathan Bracken, 11 Glenn McGrath.Sri Lanka – 1 Sanath Jayasuriya, 2 Upul Tharanga, 3 Kumar Sangakkara (wk), 4 Mahela Jayawardene (capt), 5 Dilshan Tillakaratne, 6 Chamara Silva, 7 Russel Arnold, 8 Dilhara Fernando, 9 Chaminda Vaas, 10 Lasith Malinga, 11 Muttiah Muralitharan.

Jenny Thompson looks back at the week in county cricket
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Younis Khan: looking forward to leading the side in the first Test © Getty Images

With the one-day series safely in the bag, Pakistan are now eyeing victory in the Test series against West Indies. Speaking to the media after Pakistan’s comfortable 40-run win the second match in St Lucia, Younis Khan, who led the team in the field after Inzmam-ul-Haq was injured during batting, said: “We’ve never won a Test series here, so it’s my golden chance. We are playing our best cricket for a while.” Younis will captain the side in the first Test, as Inzamam will be serving a one-match suspension.Younis also said that the tours of Australia and India had helped toughen the team. “I think the tough tours to Australia and India have helped us gel as a team and believe in ourselves,” the BBC website quoted him as saying. “Those tours were a turning point for us.”Shoaib Malik, who won the Man-of-the-Match award for scoring 51 and bowling ten overs of tidy offspin, reckoned that Pakistan’s total of 258 was below par. “In my opinion, the score was a little short – it was a 270-plus [wicket] – but if you work hard in bowling, then you can manage.” Pakistan, who came back from a 2-0 deficit to beat India 4-2 in the ODI series last month, have now won six one-dayers in a row.For West Indies, on the other hand, it was another disappointing defeat, their eighth consecutive one, which equalled their worst run – they had been beaten eight times in a row in 1999-2000, when they lost three matches in Sharjah and then five in New Zealand. (click here for more details.) Shivnarine Chanderpaul, their captain, blamed the defeat on the batsmen. “Obviously the batting has been letting us down in most of the games and we need to pick it up,” he said. “Our experienced batsmen need to take on the responsibility and do the job.”He was encouraged, though, by the presence of David Scott, the performance-enhancement specialist who has come down to see the last two matches of the series. “It gives us an opportunity to talk to him and see if there is anything he can provide to help us approach the mental side of cricket.”West Indies play the last match of the series at the same venue today (Sunday, May 22), after which the two teams will be involved in a two-Test series.

Dear Member,The AGM of The Members’ Club of Hampshire Cricket takes place at 5.30pm on April 14th in the atrium at The Rose Bowl . The agenda is shown below and attendance is limited to those showing a 2004 season membership card.The format will be similar to last year, as after the AGM at 6.45pm, there will be a Forum which will provide you with an opportunity to put your questions to the following panel:-

Kevan James – Radio Solent (Forum Chairman)Nick Pike – Managing Director, Rose Bowl PlcTim Tremlett – Director of CricketPaul Terry – First Eleven ManagerShane Warne – First Eleven Captain

Again Radio Solent will be broadcasting live most of this Forum and a proportion of the audience will be Radio Solent listeners.Your committee are keen to promote opportunities for members to meet with the players and officials, so following the Forum at around 8.00pm, there will be a Members’ and Players’ reception to be held upstairs in the Long Room. Entrance will cost £10 and be by ticket only. Wine, soft drinks and a light buffet will be included. This will provide a excellent opportunity to welcome our new captain, Shane Warne.We need to know numbers for the Forum and/or Players’ reception, so please complete the tear-off slip which will be posted to you shortly. We look forward to seeing you at this scene setter for the 2004 season.Roger Treherne, March 2004Chairman – Hampshire Cricket Members’ Committee
The Annual General Meeting of the Members’ Club will be held in the Atrium at The Rose Bowl, Botley Road, West End, Southampton on Wednesday April 14th 2004 at 5.30pm – to be followed by a Members’ Forum

AGENDA
1.   Minutes of the 2003 Annual General Meeting2    Matters arising from the 2003 Annual General Meeting3.   Chairman’s address including naming The Derek Shackleton Members’ Bar& The Arthur Holt Pavilion4.   To adopt amendment to the Rules of the Club5.   To elect the following*    Patron*    President*    Vice Presidents6.   To announce the names of members elected to the committee followingthe postal ballot7.   Hampshire County Cricket Youth Trust – 2004 “Howzat” Appeal – PeterTowler8.   Rose Bowl update for 2004 – Nick Pike9.   Presentation of Robin Smith’s testimonial cheque10.  Any other Business

Note: The minutes of the 2003 Annual General Meeting will be available for inspection at The Rose Bowl during normal office hours from March 17th until April 8th and for 1 hour prior to the start of this meeting

The England and Wales Cricket Board is to ask the World Cup technical committee to reschedule England’s World Cup match against Zimbabwe.A statement confirming the move was released by the ECB this afternoon. The six-man technical committee has taken responsibility for the matches from the world governing body, and will make a decision on the ECB’s request later this week.The ECB stament added: “The England captain, head coach and the Professional Cricketers Association are fully aware, and supportive of, the ECB’s intentions to ask for the match to be moved.”The ECB’s director of corporate affairs John Read added: “We’ve always said we’ll closely monitor the situation in Zimbabwe and we feel in the last couple of days there has been a deterioration there.”It leads us to believe there are real security concerns. The important thing to emphasise is the players and the Professional Cricketers’ Association, who we have been working closely with, are fully appreciative of the steps we’ve taken today.”The International Cricket Council has confirmed that it has been informed of the request. The ICC’s chief executive, Malcolm Speed, said that it is the first time that a country has sought such a review.”Prior to this request from the ECB, no country has sought a review of the ICC decision to stage games in Zimbabwe,” said Mr Speed.The ECB request is provisionally scheduled to be heard by the ICC Cricket World Cup Technical Committee in Cape Town on Thursday, 6 February.The ECB has asked for the hearing to proceed as a matter of urgency, and the ICC is establishing the availability of the Committee members.

Sports Minister Richard Caborn has stepped in to attempt to prevent any repetition of the events that have marred the NatWest Series games at Edgbaston and Headingley.”I will be speaking to the Home Secretary David Blunkett, and I have asked my officials to look to see what can be done immediately,” Caborn told the Press Association. “It is not just an English issue – it is an international one and we will have to work with the ICC.”We have to make sure we have good protection for both the players and officials,” Caborn said, reacting to a plea for help from Notts chief executive David Collier.In Australia spectators can receive fines of several thousand dollars for running onto the pitch and in South Africa police patrol the boundary with dogs. Unlike the situation at football matches in Britain, spectators running onto the field of play during cricket matches can expect to remain unpunished, often because it has been perceived as harmless over-exuberance. But in the aftermath of a steward receiving serious injuries during the Headingley debacle this view is being reappraised.”One hoped this would never happen in English cricket,” Lord MacLaurin commented, “but we’ve got it and it has happened twice now. We’ve got to do something about these mindless people otherwise we could do what they do in South Africa, where they have stewards every 10 metres with snarling dogs and if anyone goes on the field they let the dogs go.”

Batting allrounder Milinda Siriwardana and 20-year-old wicketkeeper-batsman Kusal Mendis have been named in Sri Lanka’s squad for the two-Test series against West Indies.Siriwardana had been expected to make an appearance in the squad, having made an encouraging start to his international career in the limited-overs formats, in addition to top-scoring in the most recent first-class season. Mendis’ selection is something of a surprise, however. He had led Sri Lanka’s Under-19 team in last year’s Youth World Cup, but has only hit one hundred and one fifty in 16 first-class innings so far. Both Mendis and Siriwardana are playing in the ongoing three-day practice match against the West Indians.Mendis’ recent performances in the Moin-ud-Dowlah tournament in India, where he captained the Sri Lanka Development XI, had helped push him into Test contention, chief selector Kapila Wijegunawardana said. Mendis hit 156, 52 and 47 in his three innings in the tournament.”Kusal Mendis has been on our radar for a while,” Wijegunawardana said. “We felt that he earned a spot in the Test squad with the way he has been batting, and the way he batted on the recent tour to India. All the selectors have assessed his skill levels to be quite good and are backing him.”Mendis and Siriwardana displace two more experienced batsmen from the squad. Upul Tharanga has been dropped despite a decent home record in the past two years. Jehan Mubarak has also been replaced, after making the squad for the two recent series against Pakistan and India.The remainder of the squad holds few surprises. Tharindu Kaushal retains his position after having had his doosra banned recently – but he was always expected to remain in the side on the strength of this offbreaks. Rangana Herath and Dilruwan Perera are the other frontline spin options.Sri Lanka’s top order looks unlikely to undergo drastic change, though each of the top six is likely to be under 30 years of age. Lahiru Thirimanne retains his position in the squad and remains vice-captain although he has only averaged 21.09 in the home Test season. Dimuth Karunaratne and Kaushal Silva look set to rejoin each other at the top of the order after a brief break from opening together in the last Test against India. Kusal Perera’s impressive Test debut, in which he hit two valuable fifties, will likely see him claim a place in the XI as well.Seamer Suranga Lakmal has regained fitness after missing the series against India due to a side strain, and joins Dhammika Prasad, Nuwan Pradeep and Dushmantha Chameera in the squad. Shaminda Eranga remains unavailable after picking up his third major injury this year, in his groin. There is no place for left-armer Vishwa Fernando, who was in the squad for the India series.Sri Lanka will have to decide whether Kusal takes the gloves or whether Dinesh Chandimal keeps. In the most recent Test, Chandimal had been sent up the order and relieved of the gloves, while Kusal put in an underwhelming performance behind the stumps.The first Test begins in Galle on October 14, before the teams move to the P Sara Oval for the second encounter.Sri Lanka Test squad Angelo Mathews (capt), Lahiru Thirimanne (vice-capt), Kaushal Silva, Dimuth Karunaratne, Dinesh Chandimal, Kusal Perera, Milinda Siriwardana, Kusal Perera, Kusal Mendis, Rangana Herath, Dilruwan Perera, Tharindu Kaushal, Dhammika Prasad, Nuwan Pradeep, Suranga Lakmal, Dushmantha Chameera

The Goa middle order put up a brave fight but there was preciouslittle substance in the rest of the batting and Andhra took firstinnings points as their rain affected three day KSCA Coca Cola Trophymatch ended in a draw in Bangalore on Tuesday.Andhra declared at the overnight total of 285 for five. Goa’s toporder made a mess of things and at 65 for four, they were down in thedumps. However Amit Jadav and Gaurish Phadte initiated the recoveryprocess by adding 77 runs off 34.1 overs. Phadte’s 42 was scored off116 balls and was inclusive of six boundary hits. Jadav and S Misquinthen kept the momentum going with a sixth wicket partnership of 36runs off 12 overs before Jadhav was out for a gallant 50. He faced 160balls and hit three fours and two sixes. Once Jadhav was sixth out at178, the tail offered little resistance. Misquin made a valuable 34off 60 balls with four fours and two sixes but Goa were all out for204 off 86.4 overs. Balaji Krishna Singh was the most successfulbowler with four for 51. Due to dampness of the pitch, play started 50minutes late. Andhra got five points and Goa three.