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Justin Langer has surpassed the legendary Sir Donald Bradman and become Australia’s leading run-scorer in first-class cricket. Langer achieved the milestone while compiling his second century of the season, and 86th in total, during Somerset’s County Championship clash with Worcester at New Road.”I am very proud,” Langer said. “Bradman is obviously in a league of his own but to achieve this, given how many great players are on the list, is very special. It means I have been around a long while, but as John Buchanan always said, you only judge champions on longevity and not on flash-in-the-pan brilliance.”Langer resumed the day on 89 not out, just six runs shy of Bradman’s tally of 28,067 runs, which has stood for more than 60 years. He needed 20 minutes and nine deliveries to surpass the mark with a cover-drive off Matt Mason, and his century soon followed in 126 balls, from 165 minutes, before Mason dismissed him for 107.As Australia’s young opener, Phillip Hughes, struggles to make an impact in this summer’s Ashes, Langer’s achievement serves as a reminder of the class and experience that Australia have lost in recent seasons. He retired from Test cricket at the end of the Sydney Test in 2006-07, after helping to wrap up an Ashes whitewash, while he was Australia’s stand-out batsman in the 2005 series as well, top-scoring with 394 runs at 43.77 in five Tests.Although Bradman reached his mark in almost half the number of innings – 338 to 615 – Langer’s achievement is nevertheless testament to his remarkable durability. He made his first-class debut for Western Australia as a 21-year-old in 1991-92, and played the first of his 105 Tests against West Indies the following season, when he recovered from a withering blow to the helmet from Ian Bishop to make 54 in a gripping one-run defeat.He played just eight Tests in the next six years, but having reinvented himself as an opening batsman at the end of the 2001 Ashes, he went to forge a formidable partnership with Matthew Hayden – with his pugnacious scrapping style the perfect counterpoint to Hayden’s more aggressive, domineering approach.Hayden paid tribute to his long-time former Test opening partner. “It is very fitting that a man of Justin’s calibre takes this honour because when you break a record of one of the greatest individuals, that being Sir Donald Bradman, it has to be by a person of quality,” Hayden told .”He epitomises class, perseverance and persistence and the quality and culture of the baggy green and his work ethic is second to none. I’m very, very proud of Justin because these results are not a fluke. These qualities were the glue to our partnership.”

ScorecardThe 50-over format proved far more conducive to the Australian Institute of Sports’ liking than the Twenty20 yesterday as they drubbed New Zealand Emerging Players in Brisbane. The home side bounced back from a shoddy defeat to India at the same venue yesterday by defeating a New Zealand side that included internationals Peter Fulton and Tim Southee.New Zealand’s decision to field first came a cropper. Southee struck to have Australia 2 for 56 but the opener Rob Quiney (58) and Steven Smith ticked along. Quiney’s dismissal at 88 gave New Zealand little respite because Smith was joined by Matthew Wade and a 92-run alliance followed. Wade, the wicketkeeper, made a brisk 61 from 58 deliveries and Smith hit his maiden limited-overs century, finishing unbeaten on 125 from 114 balls. Southee bore the brunt of Smith’s late onslaught, finishing with 2 for 74. Neil Wagner and Tarun Nethula took one wicket each.A target of 301 was way out of New Zealand’s reach. Shaun Tait nabbed Fulton for 12 before Tasmanian allrounder James Faulkner ran through the middle order with splendid figures of 3 for 4 in five overs. Central Districts allrounder George Worker top-scored with 32 until he was last out, caught behind off Kane Richardson, as New Zealand were bowled out for 110 in the 31st over.
ScorecardSouth Africa Emerging Players downed India, after being kept to 214, to claim a ten-run win in their 50-overs match at the Fred Kratzman Oval in Brisbane.South Africa got off to a poor start after being put into bat, stumbling to 5 for 32 with Sudeep Tyagi, the right-arm seamer, accounting for all five wickets in a stunning opening spell. A recovery of sorts was launched by Farhaan Behardien (33 from 69 balls) and the wicketkeeper Heino Kuhn (46 from 58), who put on 75 for the sixth wicket. Then Daryn Smit and CJD de Villiers (39 not out) further lifted South Africa. Smit, after making 45 from 74 balls, became Tyagi’s sixth wicket. India did well to keep South Africa to 214 but conceded 19 extras, including 12 wides, which proved decisive to the eventual result.de Villiers dismissed the opener M Vijay for 0 and India suffered a double jolt with the score on 37, as Juan Theron got Ajinkya Rahane and Virat Kohli was run out first ball. S Badrinath (32) and Abhishek Nayar (33) added 78 for the fourth wicket but South Africa hit back through Thandi Tshabalala’s two wickets, the second of which cut off Wriddhiman Saha who threatened to pull off victory with 47 from 78 balls. Theron too returned at the death to take two wickets and finish with 3 for 49.

Division One

Jacques Rudolph flogged an imperious 191 from 267 balls – his second score in the 190s this season alone – as Yorkshire piled on the runs after winning an important toss against Somerset at Taunton. Rudolph, who made 198 against Worcestershire in April, cracked 29 fours before being bowled by David Stiff midway through the afternoon session, and such was his dominance that none of his team-mates got a look-in. The next highest score in the innings was Anthony McGrath’s 40, although he endured a nasty moment when he was struck flush in the visor by an Alfonso Thomas bouncer. Thomas, with 3 for 50, was the pick of the attack, as Yorkshire closed on 375 for 7.Click here for John Ward’s report from the first day between Durham and Worcestershire at Chester-le-StreetClick here for Jon Culley’s report from the first day at Trent Bridge between Northamptonshire and Lancashire

Division Two

Jim Allenby was run-out four runs short of a deserved hundred, and James Taylor cracked an unbeaten 86, as Leicestershire dominated the first day against Derbyshire at Derby. The visitors were reduced to 25 for 2 as Graham Wagg and Ian Hunter each struck early blows. Boeta Dippenaar (38) and HD Ackerman (49) put on a stabilising 90 for the third wicket before Hunter removed the pair in quick succession. But Leicestershire’s middle-order held firm, with Allenby and Taylor notching a fifth-wicket stand of 177 – Allenby the quicker of the two, cracking 11 fours in his 133-ball 96. Though he fell towards the end of the day, Leicestershire went to stumps content on 341 for 5 with Taylor 14 short of a hundred.Owais Shah, the forgotten man of England’s middle-order, fired a timely reminder of his abilities with a superb 159 from 252 balls, to single-handedly keep Middlesex in a position of strength against their London rivals, Surrey, at Lord’s. Though he fell shortly before the close to give Andre Nel a richly deserved second wicket in 21 overs of sweaty toil, Shah’s innings ensured Middlesex reached the close well place on 269 for 5, a position that might have been even more promising but for the dismissal of the nightwatchman, Steven Finn, to the last ball of the day. Shah aside, none of Middlesex’s batsmen was really able to make hay while the sun shone. Billy Godleman was run out for 48 from 200 balls, having been very much Shah’s junior partner in a second-wicket stand of 157.Vikram Banerjee claimed 3 for 58 with his left-arm spin as Gloucestershire restricted Kent to 231 at Beckenham before shipping two wickets of their own in the 19 overs remaining before the close. In a cagey day’s cricket, no one batsman was able to take command, with Martin van Jaarsveld’s 53 from 81 balls the best on show. Kent won the toss and chose to bat, but from a comfortable 75 for 1 they began to ship wickets as Gloucestershire’s bowlers shared the spoils. Steve Kirby extracted the key pair of Geraint Jones (46) and van Jaarsveld, while James Franklin added Darren Stevens to his earlier dismissal of Sam Northeast. In reply, Gloucestershire closed on 69 for 2, with Kadeer Ali and Alex Gidman both 18 not out.

ScorecardMichael Lumb sweeps during his 100 as Hampshire piled up the runs•Getty Images

A powerful batting display from Hampshire, led by Michael Lumb’s 100, propelled them into the Friends Provident Trophy semi-finals as they proved too good for a Middlesex team missing key players. Lumb and Jimmy Adams added an opening stand of 154, while there was a strong finish from Liam Dawson as Hampshire reached an imposing 310. The visitors’ inexperience batting line-up couldn’t keep up the chase.It was a commendable effort by Middlesex to hunt down a huge target without the services of Phil Hughes (back in Australia), Owais Shah and Eoin Morgan (both on England duty) after each of that trio had played key innings at various times in the qualifying stage. Without them, Middlesex had to draft in Billy Godleman, who had previously lost his one-day place, and 19-year-old Sam Robson.Godleman fell early in the chase, but Robson combined with Neil Dexter to give Middlesex a chance. They added 89 for the third wicket and kept the asking rate within reasonable bounds. However, Robson fell when he tried to cut Dawson and the middle order lost momentum. The normally free-flowing Dawid Malan laboured for 19 off 39 balls and three quick wickets then put paid to any slim hopes of success.Malan was removed by Billy Taylor and shortly after Dexter picked out midwicket against Imran Tahir for 78. Taylor showed all his experience when he bowled Shaun Udal and Hampshire were home and dryUdal, the Middlesex captain, made a surprise move by opening the bowling on a dry surface after Hampshire batted first. However, that experiment lasted just one over before the quicks took over and the Hampshire openers began to make hay. The run rate was soon above a run-a-ball and the visitors missed the experience of Tim Murtagh.Steven Finn made the breakthrough when he bowled Adams but Hampshire eased past 200 as Lumb reached his century off 97 balls. However, when he was stumped next ball off Malan the pace slowed a little as Udal picked up two quick wickets. But there was a final flourish from the home side as Michael Carberry and Dawson added 90 for the fifth wicket. Dawson again caught the eye with 51 off 37 balls and it was an innings that proved vital.

Bangladesh have included two uncapped players, Shamsur Rahman and Mithun Ali, in their 15-man squad, led by Mohammad Ashraful, for the World Twenty20 beginning on June 5 in England. Bangladesh also included Abdur Razzak in the squad. Razzak had been suspended in December 2008 for a suspect bowling action and was cleared only in March.”Shamsur has been batting tremendously in recent years,” Bangladesh’s chief selector Rafiqul Alam told AFP. “He can bat at number three which has been a weak link in our batting. He is also a brilliant fielder. Mithun also scored heavily in the leagues. He is a hard-hitting batsman and can also double up as wicketkeeper.”Rahman is a 20-year-old batsman who has represented Bangladesh at the Under-19 level. He averages nearly 29 and has one century and ten fifties from 28 first-class matches. Mithun, a wicketkeeper, is 19 and has played only 13 first-class games, averaging 22 with a hundred and two half-centuries. His List A record is more impressive, an average of 35 and a strike-rate of 104.”If you look at the side we have picked you’ll find that this is a nice blend of experience and youth. This is a good fielding unit with some explosive batsmen and proven slow bowlers,” Alam said. “The best thing is that the boys have played together for a long time at different levels and form the nucleus of the national team that has also performed creditably against New Zealand, Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe. We made it to the Super Eight in the last World Twenty20 competition and the initial target will be to repeat that and I am very hopeful that we’ll play some quality cricket in England.”Bangladesh have been placed in Group A along with India and Ireland and will play their group matches at Trent Bridge on June 6 and 8.Squad: Mohammad Ashraful (capt), Mashrafe Mortaza, Tamim Iqbal, Junaid Siddique, Raqibul Hasan, Shakib Al Hasan, Mushfiqur Rahim (wk), Naeem Islam, Abdur Razzak, Shahadat Hossain, Syed Rasel, Mahmudullah, Rubel Hossain, Shamsur Rahman, Mithun Ali.

Andrew Flintoff, who was bought by the Chennai Super Kings for US$1.5 million in the second auction, believes the IPL will help him reach his peak for a busy summer. Flintoff has signed on for two weeks with Chennai and intends to absorb as much as he can from team-mates and opposition in a bid to aid England in the World Twenty20 at home in June.”It’s been frustrating with the hip injury, thigh injury and getting hit on the thumb just before the end of the tour of the West Indies and I think the IPL will be good for me,” said Flintoff, who had earlier expressed disappointment at not being able to play the tournament in India. “There are a few people putting it down but keeping playing should help me out a lot. When I stop and start is when my body is at its most vulnerable.”I know I’m only bowling four overs a game, but it will give me a chance to work on my game in between games going into a Test series and I will be working with top facilities out in South Africa.”England’s hectic summer includes Test and one-day series against West Indies, the World Twenty20, the Ashes and a seven-match one-day series against Australia. The other leading England players in the IPL include Kevin Pietersen, Paul Collingwood, Owais Shah and Ravi Bopara, all of whom will report back to England by May 1.”It is a long schedule and everyone is looking forward to the Ashes and making sure everyone is fit for that but I’ve stressed all along that we have to perform in all the games we’re playing,” Flintoff said. “From my point of view, although it’s been frustrating I’ve had four or five weeks when I’ve not played because I’ve been injured so I’m probably fresher than a lot of the lads. If I’m asked whether I’m jaded in September I’ll probably be on my knees but at this moment in time I’m looking forward to getting on with it.”During the IPL Flintoff will play alongside Matthew Hayden, MS Dhoni and Muttiah Muralitharan for Chennai and he hoped it would give him clues about preparation techniques and the strengths and weaknesses of opposition in the World Twenty20. “The Twenty20 World Cup is going to be huge and international Twenty20 cricket is going to become bigger and bigger,” Flintoff said. “While I’m out there I’ll be watching the likes of Dhoni, who has played a lot of it, and Hayden who had a good IPL last year. I will be speaking to a few of the Indian guys and see if I can pick their brains.”I think you’ll find players helping each other out and talking to each other, but the flip side of that is that other sides have England team-mates so you have to be a bit cautious about what you’re saying. Ultimately, it’s all about playing for England and by passing on a bit of information about one of your players could be to the detriment of this team and that’s something you can’t do.”Flintoff will play his first IPL match against the Mumbai Indians in Cape Town on April 18 before facing Pietersen’s Bangalore Royal Challengers in Port Elizabeth two days later. He can play up to seven IPL games before returning to England.

Where’s Dhoni?
It was surprising to see Virender Sehwag come out in a slightly loose blue blazer as the teams trained around him this morning. MS Dhoni had strained his back, and Sehwag was walking out for the toss. Daniel Vettori won it, talked to Mark Richardson about his line-up, and then walked away. Richardson then turned towards Sehwag and asked a legendary question. “What are you doing here, mate? You’re not supposed to be here.”Greg Chappell is so lucky
After the “Haddin is a cheat” banners in Christchurch, there was some relief for the Aussies in Napier. Seen in the scant crowd was a beige t-shirt which showed a man bowling underarm. Its print read: “1981. Forgiven. Forgotten.”Munaf dives, the rest applaud
When Munaf Patel dived to his left to save a boundary off a drive from Ross Taylor, the applause from his team-mates lasted longer than usual. Harbhajan Singh, from cover, went right up to Munaf to slap his back, and VVS Laxman kept clapping until the bowler was ready to deliver the next ball. It was not an elegant dive, with Munaf landing gingerly on his left shoulder, but anything athletic from him is bound to evoke such a response.Finally a bowl
Yuvraj Singh has replaced Sehwag as Dhoni’s go-to partnership-breaker. As a result, Sehwag has often found himself being used only after Yuvraj has been tried. Today, he was in charge, and Sehwag brought himself on at the first opportunity.The wide-brimmed hat is back
India broke with tradition by arriving at a Test venue half a day before the toss, but they appeared keen on reviving another one – the wide-brimmed hat. Usually only four to six players wear it but with the sun out, Gautam Gambhir made it seven Indians under wide-brimmed hats. The wicketkeeper Dinesh Karthik, Rahul Dravid, VVS Laxman and Yuvraj Singh were the only ones wearing caps.Nervous 99
When Ross Taylor was on 99, Sehwag brought all the fielders in to save the single. Taylor almost pulled Zaheer Khan on to the stumps, edged the next ball short of slip, and fortunately for him that was the end of the over. In the next one, Jesse Ryder took a single off the first ball, and Taylor played out the next five edgily. He almost ran Ryder out off the next ball he faced by calling him for a single that wasn’t there and then backtracking. Finally, and fittingly, the century came off a thick edge past gully.

Match facts

Sunday, March 8, 2009
Start time 14.00 local (01.00 GMT)

The Big Picture

Both India and New Zealand have entertainers in their batting line-ups but the rainy weather in Napier and Wellington ensured that their performances were curtailed. The first ODI was a one-sided 28-over game, which India won by 53 runs, and the second got no further than 28.4 overs. Sunday’s forecast says there’s a 20% chance of precipitation in Christchurch. Hopefully it will leave enough time to squeeze in a 50-over contest.India opened their tour with a Twenty20 international at the AMI Stadium, and their batsmen perished as they tried to take advantage of the short square boundaries. However, their approach in the one-day games has been more methodical and it is their intent which will worry New Zealand. Before the second ODI was ruined by rain, Sachin Tendulkar merely rotated strike while Virender Sehwag attacked viciously. However, Tendulkar seamlessly shifted to a higher gear and bore the responsibility of scoring quickly after Sehwag’s dismissal. India have also kept New Zealand guessing about the No. 3 position: they sent in Gautam Gambhir in Wellington after Mahendra Singh Dhoni had been promoted in Napier.New Zealand’s best bowler has been their captain Daniel Vettori but he’s had to perform damage control because the fast bowlers have bowled without consistency and conceded too many. Ian Butler was the best of the fast bowlers in Wellington, bowling short of a length on middle and off stump. Kyle Mills, however, was yet to find his direction while Jacob Oram was steady. Their bowling unit needs to perform collectively to restrict a powerful Indian line-up. The plan is to adopt a fuller line but whether it will work remains to be seen.

ODI form guide

(last five matches, most recent first)
India – NWLWW
New Zealand – NLNLL

Watch out for …

Martin Guptill: He blasted 41 off 28 balls in the series opener and has scores of 10 (given lbw despite an inside edge) and 64 since then. Guptill is a fierce puller and the short square boundaries at the AMI Stadium will be to his liking.Yuvraj Singh: He’s got going only in one innings so far, scoring 50 off 34 balls while falling in single digits the other three times. If he can overcome his troubles against spin and lateral movement, Yuvraj could cause serious damage in Christchurch.

Team news

Brendon McCullum has not recovered completely from a thumb injury and so New Zealand are likely to field the same XI as in Wellington, with Peter McGlashan as wicketkeeper.New Zealand: 1 Jesse Ryder, 2 Brendon McCullum, 3 Martin Guptill, 4 Ross Taylor, 5 Jacob Oram, 6 Peter McGlashan (wk), 7 Grant Elliott, 8 Daniel Vettori (capt), 9 Kyle Mills, 10 Ian Butler, 11 Iain O’BrienIndia are unlikely to rush Ishant Sharma, who missed the first two games with a shoulder injury, either. “He [Ishant] bowled a bit but I think he will take a few more days of rest, at least two more days,” Dhoni said yesterday. “It will be quite tight for the Christchurch game as of now.”India: 1 Virender Sehwag, 2 Sachin Tendulkar, 3 Gautam Gambhir, 4 Yuvraj Singh, 5 Suresh Raina, 6 Mahendra Singh Dhoni (capt & wk), 7 Yusuf Pathan, 8 Praveen Kumar, 9 Harbhajan Singh, 10 Munaf Patel, 11 Zaheer Khan.

Pitch & conditions

A total of 24 sixes were hit in the first Twenty20 international at the AMI Stadium. There may not be as many on Sunday but if the weather stays clear the runs should flow because of the small boundaries. The trick, however, will be trying to steal ones, twos and threes on a small field. The weather on the eve of the match was warm and sunny but there is a 20% chance of rain on Sunday.

Stats and trivia

• New Zealand have played 43 ODIs in Christchurch, winning 25 and losing 18. Since 2000, they’ve won 12 and lost three.
• India have a poor record at the venue, losing all their five games here. New Zealand average 30.40 runs per wicket at the AMI Stadium, while India average 19.19.

Quotes

“You have to hang in there for a while, not just go out and play your shots. You have to select your bowler, read the circumstances, your areas, sort out your game plan and what you are doing on the field. It is really important to do proper preparation before the game.”
.”After the rained-out game we’ve got to win, Dan’s told us it’s a must-win game. We’ve been in the situation before with West Indies, and we’ve come out winning the must-win games, so hopefully the pressure we can put ourselves under will work in our favour.”

Group A

Mohammad Wasim and Ali Naqvi performed outstandingly with the bat and together with Junaid Khan’s astounding figures of 4-0-4-5 helped Khan Research Laboratories (KRL) beat bottom-placed Pakistan Customs at the Mirpur Cricket Stadium. The 320-run victory also put them temporarily on top of the group, ahead of NBP. Wasim and Naqvi picked up from they left off on the previous day, adding 154 for the fourth wicket. Naqvi fell for 82, hitting 16 boundaries in his 146-ball innings. Wasim went on to bring up his century and displayed outstanding technique. He exited on 165 off 233 balls, after stroking 26 fours. He was fourth victim of Farhan Ayub, who ended with 5 for 103. KRL declared on 370 for 8, setting Customs a stiff target of 400. However, in another dismal batting performance, Customs folded for 79 inside the 27th over.It was a field day for the National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) seamers as they helped their team grab first-innings points against Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited(SNGPL) at the Multan Cricket Stadium. The lead, more importantly, put NBP on course for a spot in the finals against Sialkot, with Khan Research Laboratories ahead at the top by three points. Continuing from 214 for 4 the previous day, Wahab Riaz, Moahmmad Aamer and Uzair-ul-Haq shared nine wickets among them to shoot out SNGPL for 292 after 30 overs on the third day. Wahab was the most successful with 4 for 74, while Aamer and Haq picked up three and two wickets respectively. NBP built on their lead of 34, as Naumanullah (35 not out) and captain Qaiser Abbas (27 not out) took them through to stumps at 143 for 3.Inam-ul-Haq’s 145 may have been the highlight on the third day of the clash between Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) and Zarai Taraqiati Bank Limited (ZTBL) at the Iqbal Stadium but five wickets between Ali Imran and Tahir Khan kept PIA in the hunt for first-innings points. Resuming on 142 for no loss, ZTBL lost Afaq Raheem early. But Haq continued undeterred, as he put on a 50-run partnership with Aamer Bashir for the third wicket. It was a confident innings of 145 from the right-handed Haq who stroked 13 boundaries in his 253-ball innings. His knock failed to inspire the middle order, who were rattled by Imran and Tahir. Imran picked up 3 for 62, while Tahir bagged 2 for 59 to leave ZTBL on 322 for 7, still 137 behind PIA’s first-innings score.Wajid Ali and Ahmed Zeeshan starred for Sui Southern Gas Corporation (SSGC) on a frustrating day for the Lahore Shalimar bowlers at Lahore City Cricket Association Ground. Wajid hit a composed century while Zeeshan stroked 91 off 177 balls, which included 12 fours. Though Asif Zakir fell early on the third day, the other overnight batsman, Wajid, played patiently and put on 164 with Zeeshan for the third wicket. He was eventually bowled by Sheraz Butt for 119, after having stroked 10 boundaries in his 177-ball innings. Captain Saeed Bin Nasir and Ashraf Ali saw them through to the end of play with the score on 308 for 4, still trailing Lahore by 148 runs.Abdur Rehman and Mohammad Aslam helped Habib Bank Limited (HBL) bowl out Water and Power Development Authority early on the third day at the Shiekhapura Stadium. Overnight batsman Nawaz Sardar reached his half-century but was bowled two runs later by Aslam, who ended with 3 for 58. Rehman ensured there was no late show after WAPDA resumed on 239 for 7, finishing with 4 for 75 as the opposition wetre shot out for 264. In response, HBL managed 148 for 4, anchored by Rehan Rafiq’s unbeaten 81.

Group B

Naved Arif’s five-wicket haul helped Sialkot book their place in the final with a 10-wicket win against Faisalabad at the Jinnah Stadium. Arif was well supported by Nayyer Abbas as they bowled out the visitors for 309. Sialkot openers Kamran Younis and captain Mohammad Younus then knocked off the required 53 runs in the 11th over to seal the win with a day to spare. Resuming on 174 for 1, Faisalabad lost wickets at regular intervals. Overnight centurion Imran Ali could add just 14 to his score as he was caught by Naeemuddin off Sarmad Anwar for 128. His 138-ball innings included 21 boundaries and two sixes. Arif removed the other unbeaten batsmen Mohammad Sharif for 47. Arif ended with 5 for 120, while Abbas picked up 3 for 73. Sialkot will be facing either Khan Research Laboratories or National Bank of Pakistan in the final which begins from Tuesday.A brilliant 193 from Kashif Naved and three more half-centuries powered Multan to a 217-run lead against Abbottabad at Okara. Kashif’s 255-ball effort comprised 28 fours and he was well supported by the other overnight batsman, Naved Yasin. Yasin ended with 80 off 182 balls, hitting 13 boundaries, and put on 223 for the third wicket with Kashif. Wicketkeeper Gulraiz Sadaf chipped in with 50 while Rizwan Haider hit a quick 69-ball 73 as Abbottabad declared on 550 for 6. Abdur Rauf then struck three blows to leave Abbottabad reeling at 51 for 4 at the end of play.Waqas Ahmed and Usman Malik took four wickets apiece to hand Lahore Ravi first-innings points against Islamabad at the Diamond Club Ground. Having completed their fifty-run stand, the overnight batsmen, Ali Sarfraz and wicketkeeper Naeem Anjum, were looking good for more but once Usman trapped Sarfraz leg-before for 72, a collapse followed. Both Waqas and Usman ensured the tail provided no support for Naeem during his 90-ball 44. Lahore’s second-innings revolved around Kashif Siddiq’s well-composed 117 off 146 balls, which comprised 12 boundaries and two sixes. The other batsmen did get starts but none went on to post big scores as Lahore ended the day on 287 for 7, with an overall lead of 410.Twin half-centuries from opener Azeem Ghumman and Aqeel Anjum boosted bottom-placed Hyderabad’s chances of registering their first win of the tournament against Karachi Blues at the Nawabshah Cricket Stadium. Once Karachi were bowled out, having added just one run to their overnight score of 205 for 9, the Hyderabad openers were off to a rousing start. Ghumman, in particular, looked confident during the opening stand of 116. He finally fell for 51 off 84 balls, hitting six boundaries en route. The baton was then handed over to Anjum who stroked a confident 157-ball 78, which included nine fours. Lal Kumar and Shoaib Laghari were batting at stumps, with Hyderabad on 232 for 5, ahead by 304.

Next week’s ICC executive meeting, scheduled for Perth, could face cancellation after the Australian government warned that Peter Chingoka, the Zimbabwe Cricket chairman, would require “very particular grounds” to be granted a visa to enter the country.”Australia’s sanctions are an important mechanism for applying pressure on the Mugabe regime,” a Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade spokesman told AAP. “They send a clear signal that the government holds the Mugabe regime and its closest supporters accountable for the tragedy occurring in Zimbabwe.”Less than a month ago Chingoka was named by the Australian government on a list of 254 people banned from entering the country because of his links with the Mugabe regime. However, last summer, in the light of Chingoka being made unwelcome by the UK authorities, the ICC executive took a decision that all members should be permitted to attend meetings.To that end, David Morgan, the ICC president, has been in regular contact with the Australian foreign office to try to persuade them to allow Chingoka into the country, just to attend the get-together. Sharad Pawar, who as well as being the ICC’s vice-president is also India’s agriculture minister, is also believed to have been leaning on the authorities.Chingoka, who is the longest-standing member of the executive by more than a decade, could offer to stay at home, freeing the way for the meeting to go ahead without him, but it is reported he is reluctant to do this. He already agreed not to attend next summer’s annual meeting at Lord’s to allow that to go ahead, but is said to be insistent that the issue of where he can and cannot go be resolved.If attempts to allow Chingoka into Australia fail then it will mean that the ICC executive cannot meet in Australia or England while he remains Zimbabwe’s representative. The same applies to the ICC chief executives’ committee while Ozias Bvute, ZC’s managing director, is in office. Sources in Australia, however, maintain that the Australian government would be left acutely embarrassed were they to back down so soon after declaring Chingoka, as well Bvute, persona non grata.The ICC on Thursday could not confirm whether Chingoka had applied for a visa to visit Australia, and attempts by the domestic news agency, Australian Associated Press (AAP), to contact ZC’s headquarters were unsuccessful. An ICC spokesman did, however, tell AFP that the meeting would go ahead regardless of his absence.Among other agenda items, the meeting is due to hear the results of the fact-finding trip to Zimbabwe headed by West Indies board chairman Julian Hunte in November.