MELBOURNE, Dec 28: Matthew Hayden became Australia’s greatest run-getter in a calendar Year was dismissed in the 90s for the eighth time as Australia took the second cricket test against South Africa by the throat here today...........more

Kiwis dominate cricket
minnows Bangladesh

WELLINGTON, Dec 28: New Zealand were headed for their third home test win in a row after dominating cricket minnows Bangladesh on day three of their second test here today. The Kiwis look set to finish the job tomorrow with Bangladesh 67 for five in their second innings at close of play today......more

Cuttack to stage additional one-dayer against England

KOLKATA, Dec 28: The Barabati Stadium in Cuttack will stage the additional one-day international match in the limited overs series against England as per an agreement between the Indian and England.............more

Graveney to complain
about Gavaskar to ICC

LONDON, Dec 28: Stung by the remarks of legendary cricketer Sunil Gavaskar, David Graveney, as chief executive of Professional Cricketers’ Association (PCA).......more

Excelsior Sports Correspondent

JAMMU, Dec 28: The problem ridden host Jammu and Kashmir team has failed to qualify their pool......more

Demonstration for beginners today
Bankim Chander lifts
Open Chess trophy
* State Sports Council offers separate room to encourage Chess

Excelsior Sports Correspondent

JAMMU, Dec 28: With five wins in his pocket in as many matches, Bankim Chander was today declared as winner of the Open Chess Championship....more

Offenders of Council rules
will not be spared: Fazal

Excelsior Sports Correspondent

JAMMU, Dec 28: Exerting the powers vested with him, Secretary, State Sports Council, Sheikh Fazal Ahmed....more

State Roller Skating
Tourney begins

Excelsior Sports Correspondent

JAMMU, Dec 28: The 16th State Roller Skating Championship, organised by the Amateur Roller .....more

Sweet and sour for Hayden and Waugh
as Australia pummel SA

MELBOURNE, Dec 28: Matthew Hayden became Australia’s greatest run-getter in a calendar Year was dismissed in the 90s for the eighth time as Australia took the second cricket test against South Africa by the throat here today.

The Australians, emphatically stating their case as test cricket’s premier team, rammed home their advantage on a long and demoralising day in the field for the South Africans with the test and series all but out of sight.

At stumps on the third day, Australia held a massive 210-run lead at 487 for nine with Adam Gilchrist on 30 and Glenn McGrath yet to score.

On the way to his 138, Hayden broke Bob Simpson’s 37-year record of 1,381 runs for an Australian batsman in a calendar year. He swelled his annual tally to 1,388 runs at 66.09.

But while reinvigorated Hayden was toasting his sixth test century, Waugh was cursing his eighth dismissal in the nervous nineties with his 28th test century beckoning but whisked away by a run out off a throw by Herschelle Gibbs for 90.

Waugh, playing his best innings of the summer after scoring just 78 in four innings against New Zealand, had two lives on 24 and 39, dropped both times by a diving Boeta Dippenaar at short-leg off Allan Donald.

But just when it appeared Waugh would realise three-figures he was run out as Damien Martyn scampered for an ambitious single and Gibbs threw down the wicket from point. Australian umpire Darrell hair promptly raised his finger, declining to go to the tv umpire for adjudication, and Waugh hung around at the crease appearing to confer with hair before walking.

There was some doubt whether South African wicketkeeper Mark Boucher had hit the stumps with his gloves and not the Gibbs’ throw. There were suggestions that hair may have erred in not consulting with the third umpire in the stands.

Waugh has something in common with Indian batting maestro Sachin Tendulkar, who last week was out for the same score against England in Bangalore as he was on the verge of his 28th test hundred.

Australia, comprehensive 246-run winners in the first Adelaide test, are heading for an equally-punishing victory over Shaun Pollock’s out-gunned team, highlighting the yawning gap that exists between Australia and South Africa at the Summi resuming at 126 without loss in reply to South Africa’s laboured 277, Hayden and Justin Langer strolled to their third double-century partnership in six weeks to put Australia in command from the outset.

Hayden and Langer had put on 202 when Langer hooked Donald next ball to Lance Klusener at square leg for 85.

Since pairing for the first time in the fifth Ashes test against England last August, they have scored 899 runs together and are averaging 112 each time they open the innings, statistically far and away the best Australian opening pair in test history. (AFP)

SCORE BOARD

South Africa 1st innings 277

Australia 1st innings

J Langer c Klusener b Donald 85

M Hayden c Donald b Henderson 138

R Ponting c Kallis b Hayward 22

M Waugh b Donald 34

S Waugh run out (Gibbs) 90

D Martyn c Kallis b Pollock 52

A Gilchrist not out 30

S Warne c Kirsten b Donald 1

B Lee c McKenzie b Hayward 3

A Bichel c Boucher b Pollock 5

G McGrath not out 0

Extras (lb-17, w-1, nb-9) 27

Total (for 9 wkts, 138 overs) 487

Fall of wickets: 1-202, 2-267, 3-267, 4-348, 5-429, 6-462, 7-463, 8-470, 9-475

Bowling: Donald 29-5-103-3, Pollock 30-2-84-2, Hayward 26-1-109-2, Kallis 17-3-55-0, Henderson 29-3-108-1, Klusener 7-1-11-0. (AFP)

Kiwis dominate cricket minnows Bangladesh

WELLINGTON, Dec 28: New Zealand were headed for their third home test win in a row after dominating cricket minnows Bangladesh on day three of their second test here today.

The Kiwis look set to finish the job tomorrow with Bangladesh 67 for five in their second innings at close of play today, still 142 short of making New Zealand bat again at the basin reserve.

The win will continue a dominant run at home for New Zealand, following an innings and 185-run thrashing of Pakistan in March and last week’s innings and 52 run win over Bangladesh in Hamilton.

After day two was washed out yesterday, and 90 minutes were lost this morning due to rain, New Zealand’s batsmen racked up 341 for six declared at 3.9 runs an over for a 209-run first innings lead.

They then did enough damage with the ball in 24 overs to all but finish the match. Paceman Shane Bond was the star, knocking over the first three creasebound batsmen to end with three for 13 off seven overs while Daniel Vettori and Chris Drum chimed in with a wicket each.

New Zealand’s top seven batsmen all made a start to set up the likely innings win, but none carried on to the magical three figures.

Opener Mark Richardson led the way with 83 to boost his average to 54.4 in 14 tests. The left-hander was never troubled by the Bangladeshis and perished of his own doing when poised to convert his 8th test half-century into his third ton.

After 210 confident minutes, he played his first false stroke, a mistimed pull off Hasibul Hossain which lobbed to mid-on. The New Zealand innings finished with two entertaining partnerships, 130 off 149 balls between Stephen Fleming and Craig McMillan and another of 56 between Chris Cairns and Mathew Sinclair.

McMillan blazed away for 70 off 71 balls after registering his 15th test half-century off 42 balls. He even adopted a bizarre front-on stance to try and further unsettle spinner Aminul Islam after smashing him for three fours in an over.

Fleming cruised to 61 in slower time and was dismissed for the 32nd time between 50 and 100 after edging to the wicketkeeper.

Cairns took over then, hammering three sixes over the mid-wicket region and nearly flattening umpire Brent Bowden with a straight hit four off Bangladesh’s best bowler, Monjurul Islam. His 36 came off 31 balls before he skied a catch, leading to fleming declaring the innings.

Left-armer Monjurul was again the pick of an average bowling attack, sending down 29 overs to take three for 99, scalping useful ones in horne, Fleming and Cairns.

The rest were barely up to New Zealand first-class standard, with paceman Mortaza hobbling in while Hasibul Hossain and Khaled Mahmud were too slow and too loose to cause any problems. (AFP)

Cuttack to stage additional one-dayer against England

KOLKATA, Dec 28: The Barabati Stadium in Cuttack will stage the additional one-day international match in the limited overs series against England as per an agreement between the Indian and England cricket boards. " England has confirmed to play an additional one-day International and Cuttack has been chosen as the venue. The match will be played on January 22', the cricket board president, Jagmohan Dalmiya told a press conference here today. A heads of agreement was signed last evening between Dalmiya and Lord Ian Maclaurin, the chairman of England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) to finalise the tour arrangements between the two countries. Dalmiya said that the Indian team that will tour England in the summer of 2002 will play four test matches and a triangular series featuring India, England and Sri Lanka. He said that the additional match had necessitated a revision in the one-day international series itinerary with the Kolkata one-dayer being preponed by three days.

The day and night match at the Eden Gardens, which was scheduled on January 22, will now be played on January 19 followed by the Cuttack one-dayer Whiore).

Dalmiya said that the ECB has agreed to compensate for the Indian team’s participation in additional matches in the 2002 tour.

The England team will play four tests and five one-day internationals during its tour of India in 2006 or three tests and a Triangular series that may feature seven one-day internationals.

He said that the arrangements for tours after 2006 will be discussed between BCCI and ECB at a later stage.

Asked whether the England team will land in Kolkata first during the second leg of its tour, Dalmiya said that their travel plans and logistics were being worked and it will be known in a few days.

On whether the one-day tournament against England will be played with coloured clothing, Dalmiya said that the indian board had not taken a final decision yet. "But since three of the six matches will be day and night affairs, it could be a possibility".

Following is the revised one-day itinerary :

Jan 19 : Kolkata (day & night), Jan 22 : Cuttack (day), Jan 25 : Chennai (day and night), Jan 28: Kanpur (day), Jan 31: Delhi (day) and Feb 3: Mumbai (day and night). (PTI)

Graveney to complain about Gavaskar to ICC

LONDON, Dec 28: Stung by the remarks of legendary cricketer Sunil Gavaskar, David Graveney, as chief executive of Professional Cricketers’ Association (PCA), will write to the International Cricket Council pointing out that Gavaskar’s criticisms conflict with his standing in the ICC.

"This was a remarkable outburst from someone who has an important role to play in the ICC. I shall be writing to Malcolm Speed, ICC chief executive, registering our observations," Graveney, also chairman of selectors, said yesterday.

Gavaskar, former Indian captain-turned-media pundit and chairman of the cricket playing committee of the ICC, had little positive to say about England after their three-test series against India.

Delivering a parting broadside to England in his column in an Indian newspaper yesterday, Gavaskar wrote: "At the end of the third test, the overwhelming feeling was one of relief’’.

"Thank God it was a three-test series and not a five-test one for Indian cricket would have lost a great number of spectators seeing the fare dished out’’.

"Why is our cricket board keen on having a five-test series when England visit India next is beyond comprehension, for without the slightest doubt they are the most unattractive and boring side to have played cricket in India."

Gavaskar did not stop at that. "Have a look at all previous series when England played here. Except for 1993 contest that India won 3-0, the others have been battles of attrition full of dull cricket from both sides - mainly initiated by England - and have been good only for people suffering from insomnia," he wrote. (PTI)

47th National School Games
Host J&K out of the race as QFs line-up drawn in Soccer

Excelsior Sports Correspondent

JAMMU, Dec 28: The problem ridden host Jammu and Kashmir team has failed to qualify their pool as the quarter-finals position has been cleared in the ongoing 47th National School Games U-19 in Football, here today.

However, except the Madhya Pradesh, all the last years’s semi-finalist states have made it into the knock out round of the quarter-finals. These team are defending champion, Assam, runners-up Punjab, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Delhi, West Bengal, KVS and Chatisgarh.

Now, in the quarter-finals, which will be played tomorrow, the pool-A topper Assam will be playing against the KVS, while in the second quarter-finals, Maharashtra will meet Gujarat. At the same time, West Bengal will face Delhi and Punjab will take on Chatisgarh to advance into the semi-finals.

The semi-finals will follow the quarter-finals in the second session to decide the fate of two finalists.

Hosts, who could not make it into the second knock-out round, however, won their last league match today against Rajasthan beating latter by a solitary goal. The only goal was scored by Showkat Wadoo in the 20th minute of the first half.

In their last two league matches, West Bengal defeated Andhra Pradesh and Himachal Pradesh. Andhra Pradesh lost by a solitary goal, which was scored by Sukanta Roy in the very 10th minute of the first half. In the second match, West Bengal defeated Himachal again by a solitary goal. This time the only goal was scored by Jibban Krishan in the 40th minute.

Another quarter-finalist side, Gujarat, also played two matches today against Uttar Pradesh and Sikkim. Against UP, Gujarat won by two goals to one. Santosh Pal netted the ball for the first goal in the 10th minute, while Rajinder Kumar struck in the 45th minute. In the second match Gujarat beat Sikkim by a solitary goal.

Other results of the day: Kerala beat Karnataka 4-1; Punjab beat UP 5-0; JNVS beat Rajasthan 3-0; KVS beat MP 1-0 1-0; Assam got walkover Goa; Maharashtra beat JNVS 2-1.

Tomorrow’s fixture

Quarter-finals round: Assam V/s KVS at 9 am at Mini-Stadium, Parade; Maharashtra V/s Gujarat at 9 am a Science College; West Bengal V/s Delhi at 9 am at University of Jammu; Punjab V/s Chatisgarh at 10.30 at University of Jammu.

Semi-finals: The first semi-finals will take place at 3 pm at Mini-Stadium, Parade, while the second semi-finals will be held at 3.30 pm at University of Jammu grounds.