NEW DELHI, Mar 8: While Indian skipper Saurav Ganguly failed to get the much-needed match.....more

Anwar ordered to fly home
with Wasim and Mahmood

AUCKLAND, Mar 8: Injured opening batsman Saeed Anwar has been ordered to fly home from New ..........more

Hussain leads England
fightback with ninth
test century

KANDY, Mar 8: England captain Nasser Hussain led his team’s fightback on the second day of the ....more

Police strengthening
security as India
taking on Aussies

KOLKATA, Mar 8: Police is strengthening security as this cricket-crazy city gears up for a test match.....more

GEORGETOWN (Guyana), Mar 8: West Indian cricket has explored new depths of despair in the ........more

No split in world
game as breakaway
plans are scrapped

LONDON, Mar 8: A split in world snooker has been averted after the group planning a breakaway.....more

East Bengal hold
clear edge over
Mahindra United

MUMBAI, Mar 8: Kolkata giants East Bengal, who are topping the points table, hold a clear edge .....more

Nitesh of Andhra shocks top
seed Joshi in National Pool

BANGALORE, Mar 8: V Nitesh of Andhra Pradesh shocked top seed Devendra Joshi of Andhra.......more

Aussies grab what Ganguly failed to

NEW DELHI, Mar 8: While Indian skipper Saurav Ganguly failed to get the much-needed match practice before the crucial second test at Kolkata, his Australian counterpart could not have asked for a better preparation as the visitors amassed 461 for seven in their second knock in the three-day cricket match which ended in a tame draw here today.

With only academic interest left in the game after the Australians decided against enforcing a follow-on yesterday, the visitors made the maximum use of the opportunity with Mark Waugh hitting a scintillating 164 and Ricky Ponting (unbeaten 102) scoring his second ton of the match.

The Aussie total today was an improvement of ten runs over their first innings score of 451 after which they dismissed the Board XI for just 221.

Opting to play here after a dismal performance last week in Mumbai where he scored nine runs in all, Ganguly made a patchy 40 in the only innings the Board XI got.

On the other hand, leg spinner Narendra Hirwani, who was left out for the Kolkata test without being played in Mumbai, did prove a point with a five-wicket haul to take his match tally to an impressive eight wickets.

But that was hardly any consolation for the Board XI who compounded their miseries with some sloppy fielding and dropped catches.

Not surprisingly, Sharandeep Singh, who got the selectors’ nod for Kolkata, was not bowled at all today despite having bagged five wickets in the first innings.

It was total annihilation of the bowling attack by the Aussies as Ponting and Damien Martyn (54) joined Waugh in the run feast and stroked boundaries at will.

Waugh treated every bowler with equal contempt and smashed 17 fours and seven sixes in his 181-ball 164. He hoisted Hirwani for three sixes in one over and later blasted Sriram for two sixes and a four in another.

Martyn also indulged in the hammering, hitting eight fours in his 82-ball 54 as he added 142 runs for the fourth wicket stand before Hirwani’s fourth victim when he was caught by substitute Gautam Gambhir at silly point.

Waugh reached his 100 off 134 balls and took only 24 balls for his next fifty. He added 113 runs for the fifth wicket with Ponting in just 16.2 overs before being caught by wicket-keeper Vijay Dahiya off Rakesh Patel immediately after tea.

Ponting, who was out for nought in the only Australian innings in the Mumbai test, followed his 102 in the first innings here with a similar, but unbeaten, score.

The Australians lost two more wickets, that of wicket-keeper Brad Haddin (8) and Colin Miller (1), but Michael Kasprowicz played a cameo unbeaten knock of 32 to dash any Board President’s XI hopes of bowling them out. (PTI)

SCOREBOARD

Australia first innings 451

Board President’s XI first innings 221 Australia second innings (overnight 53 for one)

Matthew Hayden c Dahiya b Hirwani 26

Michael Slater c Mongia b Hirwani 26

Justin Langer c Mongia b Hirwani 15

Mark Waugh c Dahiya b Patel 164

Damien Martyn c Gambhir (sub) b Hirwani 54

Ricky Ponting not out 102

Brad Haddin b Patel 8

Collin Miller c Powar (sub) b Hirwani 1

M Kasprowicz not out 32

Extras (b-1, lb-6, nb-21, w-5) 33

Total (for 7 in 93 overs) 461

Fall of wickets 1/50, 2/60, 3/90, 4/232 ,5/345, 6/384, 7/393

Bowling: Rakesh Patel 22-3-113-2; Surinder Singh 15-1-68-0; Narendra Hirwani 38-3-168-5; Sharandeep Singh 3-0-10-0; S Sriram 10-0-61-0; Dinesh Mongia 5-0-34-0. (UNI)

Anwar ordered to fly home with Wasim and Mahmood

AUCKLAND, Mar 8: Injured opening batsman Saeed Anwar has been ordered to fly home from New Zealand following directives given to the tour management by the Pakistan Cricket Board today.

Anwar, who strained his groin while fielding during Pakistan’s loss to New Zealand a at Christchurch, was ruled out of the series-opening test but was expected to be fit in time for the second test.

But according to team manager Fakir Aizazuddin, the 52-test veteran has been told to quit the tour immediately.

"We have been asked by our board to send saeed home. They want him to come home, rest and be fit for a heavy international commitment we have over the next few months," fakir told AP.

Anwar joins a list of other casualties from the tour, with allrounders Wasim Akram and Azhar Mahmood leaving New Zealand today.

Also ruled out of the tour was fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar with strained quadriceps on his left thigh. (AP)

Hussain leads England fightback with ninth test century

KANDY, Mar 8: England captain Nasser Hussain led his team’s fightback on the second day of the second cricket test against Sri Lanka with a superb century here today.

Hussain made 109 with three sixes and 12 fours to leave england trailing by only 48 runs to overhaul Sri Lanka’s first innings total of 297. England ended the day at 249 for five.

With Graham Thorpe, who scored a determined 59 in 203 minutes, Hussain put on 167 runs for the third wicket which was a record for England against Sri Lanka for any wicket.

The previous highest was 139 for the second wicket between Graham Gooch and Alec Stewart at Lord’s in 1991.

Hussain and Thorpe came together after England, resuming at one for no loss, had lost openers Michael Atherton (7) and Marcus Trescothick (23) with only 37 runs on the board.

The third wicket pair resurrected the England innings with some positive batting against the spinners.

Hussain in particular was not afraid to use his feet coming down the pitch once too often to hit danger man Muttiah Muralitharan for two sixes, one of which brought up his half-century off 133 balls.

The England captain, who went through a torrid year 2000 with a combination of injuries and bad umpiring decisions, was lucky on this occasion.

He made maximum use of some poor umpiring decisions by Sri Lanka’s Bulathsinghalage Cooray who negatived two clear bat-pad chances off Muralitharan to complete his ninth test century off 241 balls with 10 fours and three sixes.

It was Hussain’s first century for England since he scored an unbeaten 146 against South Africa at Durban in Christmas 1999. He had gone through 21 test innings crossing the 50 mark only once before today’s innings.

Hussain’s Glee when he reached his century was quite evident as he lifted his arms in the air and pointed his bat at the England dressing room.

He was dropped by Mahela Jayawardene at slip off Sanath Jayasuriya at 109, but finally succumbed to Muralitharan without adding to that score when he attempted a big sweep and was bowled.

Muralitharan, wicketless for 30 overs before he dismissed Hussain, struck again when he trapped Graeme Hick lbw without scoring. Hick had earlier survived a caught-and-bowl chance to Muralitharan which umpire Cooray negatived much to the surprise of the bowler and the fielders.

Thorpe and Hussain deprived Sri Lanka of a wicket by batting out the entire afternoon session. Thorpe completed his 27th test 50 before being dismissed for 59 when he was caught off bat and pad by Tillekeratne Dilshan off Jayasuriya.

Thorpe batted for 298 minutes and faced 153 balls, hitting six fours.

Alec Stewart and Craig white saw the day through on a pitch offering bounce and turn. Stewart was on 16 after 93 minutes at the wicket and White on six. (AFP)

Police strengthening security as India taking on Aussies

KOLKATA, Mar 8: Police is strengthening security as this cricket-crazy city gears up for a test match after a gap of two years with India taking on Australia in their second encounter of the series at the historic Eden Gardens from March 11.

Police have banned carrying water or soft drink bottles inside the stadium. Instead, water in small pouches would be supplied.

It was mainly because of throwing of plastic bottles from the spectators’ stand that the 1996 World Cup semi-final between India and Sri Lanka here got jeopardised. The match was completed after all the spectators had been herded out. Later, the India-Pakistan test match was also marred by ‘bottle-missiles’ and violence. This match too was completed after police chased the spectators from the galleries.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (Headquarters) Raj Kanojia said that they had chalked out elaborate security measures in the city during the forthcoming test. "We have looked into every detail and hope problems, if any, would be solved soon."

Kanojia said 500 cops, equipped with modern wireless sets, would be posted within various galleries. Another 800 security personnel would be deployed outside the stadium. Besides, 14 senior police officers, in the rank of Deputy Commissioner, would be inside the stadium during the match.

A special control room with three closed circuit televisionsd would be set up inside the club house.

For better and faster movement, a total of 550 seats have been redduced in various blocks, particularly from where the earlier trouble started.

Kanojia said that detectives and intelligence branch personnel in plainclothes would be cordoning off the hotel where the teams would stay.

Cops have also been deployed along all access routes to the hotel and the stadium while armed commandos would maintain vigil on the players’ buses. Police personnel would be provided with special wireless sets to contact their seniors, Kanojia said adding that metal detectors have also been placed at the entry points to the stadium. (UNI)

New look West Indies braced for South African trial

GEORGETOWN (Guyana), Mar 8: West Indian cricket has explored new depths of despair in the last three years and the prospect of facing South Africa in five tests, beginning at the Bourda ground tomorrow, has sent some supporters scurrying for cover before a ball has been bowled.

Where there is no hope, however, there is only hope. Carl Hooper returns from his self-imposed exile as captain while Shivnarine Chanderpaul is back to bolster the middle order and provide Brian Lara with some much-needed support.

Although four fast bowlers have been picked in the 13-man squad, Nixon McLean is likely to carry the drinks while the Busta Cup’s leading wicket-taker, Dinanath Ramnarine, gets the chance to bowl his leg breaks.

Yet another new opening pair in Wavell Hinds and Chris Gayle, a bolstered middle order, a balanced bowling attack on the Caribbean’s best batting strip — hope springs eternal and once again the optimists are saying: "maybe this time..."

Recent results, though, tell a different story.

Just over two years ago South Africa whitewashed Brian Lara’s fragmented team 5-0 at home and the expected light relief in New Zealand ended up as another whitewash, this time 2-0.

Lara was sacked and Jimmy Adams stepped in for the Australian tour — 5-0 again.

That, however, is only half the story. Every member of the South African squad repeats, mantra style, that the West Indies have lost just one series on home soil in 25 years, against Mark Taylor’s 1995 Australians.

"That’s an incredible record and it hasn’t happened by accident — there are plenty of good reasons for it. I know what people are expecting but it isn’t going to be like that. If we win it will take a hell of an effort," South African coach Graham Ford said.

South Africa’s greatest problem, it seems, is not the lack of suitable practice facilities to indulge their passion for hard work, the vocal crowds, the heat or even the distraction of the palm-lined beaches, but the weight of expectation. An unjust expectation, in their opinion.

"Every side lifts themselves in familiar conditions and every side is psychologically stronger at home. The West Indies are no different. Like Australia, there is always that strong, psychologi-cal approach — on and off the field — that many teams can’t deal with," said veteran Gary Kirsten.

"It will be a great effort to win the series people expect us to win because we are a good team, and we expect to win too, but it’s going to be a lot harder than a lot of people think."

Not since the captaincy of Clive Lloyd have the islands of the Caribbean United for a common cause, and the early signs are that Carl Hooper will be another to try but fail.

The all-rounder’s decision to walk out on the team two years ago has left many sceptical about his motives now and former fast bowling great Michael Holding has even refused to commentate on television while Hooper is in charge.

Some things never change, although South African cricket players visiting Guyana is one thing that has.

In 1981 England’s tour of the West Indies was almost cancelled because seam bowler Robin Jackman’s connections with South Africa were unacceptable to the Guyanese Government.

This time, Shaun Pollock’s team have been welcomed with open arms. And Jackman will be back, too taking holding’s place in the commentary box.

Teams:

West Indies (from): Chris Gayle, Wavell Hinds, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Brian Lara, Carl Hooper (Captain), Marlon Samuels, Ridley Jacobs, Dinanath Ramnarine, Mervyn Dillon, Reon King, Courtney Walsh, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Nixon McLean.

South Africa: Gary Kirsten, Herschelle Gibbs, Jacques Kallis, Daryll Cullinan, Neil McKenzie, Mark Boucher, Lance Klusener, Nicky Boje, Shaun Pollock (Captain), Allan Donald, Makhaya Ntini. (REUTERS)