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Gauteng 145 for 4 beat Zimbabwe Provinces 144 (das Neves 4-24) by six wickets
ScorecardGauteng punished Zimbabwe Provinces for a shambolic batting display with a six-wicket victory at Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo. Zimbabwe did not bat their full allotment of overs and were bundled out for 144 with more than 12 overs remaining and Gauteng cruised home with plenty of time in hand.Zimbabwe lost their first wicket in the second over, the under-the spotlight Tino Mawoyo top edging Brian Mathebula to fine leg. A second-wicket stand of 50 runs between wicketkeeper Regis Chakabva and Alester Maregwede gave Zimbabwe some hope but Johnson Mafa took two wickets in his first over and Zimbabwe slid from there on in.Maregwede who was caught behind by wicketkeeper Dale Vilas for 29 and three balls later Steven Nyamuzinga was taken at first slip by Dumisa Makalima for a three-ball duck. Zimbabwe lost another three wickets without adding a run with the score on 103 and only a last-wicket partnership of 31 between Graeme Cremer and Tafadzwa Kamungozi boosted to the score to anything remotely defendable.Gauteng romped to a comfortable victory with runs coming from Warren Swan, who top scored with 44, while opener Williams Motaung chipped in with 32.

The Jamaican leg of India’s tour to the West Indies later this year might be scrapped or switched to another venue after fears that the ground at Sabina Park, Kingston, currently being spruced up for the 2007 World Cup, might not be ready to host the matches.India are scheduled to play two one-day internationals there on May 18 and 20, and the fourth Test from June 30 to July 4. However, cement shortage in Jamaica has meant that the US$29 million renovation project at the venue is behind schedule by at least two weeks, according to a report in . Robert Bryan, the chief executive officer of Jamaica Cricket 2007, indicated that a final decision on the matches will be taken soon. “We are at an advanced stage of evaluating and as soon as a decision is taken, an announcement will be made in short order,” Bryan was quoted as saying by the daily.Paul Campbell, the vice-president of the Jamaica Cricket Association, also indicated that getting the venue ready for the Indians will be tough. “As we speak there is no final decision, [but] it was brought to our attention last week [by the Sabina venue development team] that under the current circumstances meeting the deadlines will be really, really tight.”The focus is World Cup 2007. That’s the big picture,” said Campbell. “What is being assessed is whether hosting international games in the short term will impact negatively on our hosting the World Cup next year. How will it affect our delivery of the venue on time? That’s the question.” A decision on the matter could be taken as early as Tuesday (April 11).Sabina Park will host seven World Cup matches, including the first game and a semi-final, but work on the ground has been hit first by labour problems, and then by the cement crisis. The problem was further exacerbated when batches of cement were recalled as they were of substandard quality.

The former West Indies and Kent cricketer, Hartley Alleyne, an acclaimed coach at St Edmund’s School in Canterbury, faces deportation within 28 days after being refused a work permit by the Home Office.Alleyne, who completed an NVQ in sports coaching to satisfy immigration officials, is being backed in his bid to stay in the country by Canterbury’s MP, Julian Brazier, who has branded the decision “appalling”. Brazier is demanding for an urgent meeting with Immigration Minister, Liam Byrne.”It is utter madness,” Brazier told The Kentish Gazette. “Here is a man who has given a great deal to this country and particularly young people and is unique in the experience he provides.”How can we turn down his application for a work permit when the Government is letting foreign criminals stay in this country and handing out permits to thousands of others who shouldn’t be here?”The decision can be overturned by Mr Byrne and I hope to persuade him to do the right thing.”The school has stood by Mr Alleyne during his appeal, and its staff and pupils are said to be devastated by his impending deportation. He has lived in the UK for 29 years and has an English wife and three children.”To me England is my home,” he told the website, “and Barbados is a place that I return to every now and again for a holiday. I have given so much of myself to this country and have helped to teach kids cricket and help them make a good start in life.”

Carlton Baugh, the wicketkeeper-batsman, has been dropped from the WestIndian one-day squad for five-match series against Pakistan startingDecember 5. The selectors have decided to retain Denesh Ramdin, who is partof the Test team, instead.The other players to miss out are Fidel Edwards, the fast bowler and WavellHinds, the opening batsman. Hinds had failed to make the Test squad, whileEdwards, had yielded his Test spot to Daren Powell in the second Test.Powell has made to the one-day squad as well.Lendl Simmons, the 21-year old opening batsman from Trinidad, is the onlynew face in the 14-member squad. Simmons was part of the Test squad and scored 40 in a tour match against the PCB Patron’s XI. Dave Mohammed, the chinaman bowler, whobowled creditably in the second Test is the lone specialist spinner.ODI squad
Brian Lara (captain), Ramnaresh Sarwan (vice-captain), Chris Gayle,Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Runako Morton, Marlon Samuels, Dwane Bravo, DwayneSmith, Lendl Simmons, Denesh Ramdin (wicketkeeper), Ian Bradshaw, Dave Mohammed, DarenPowell and Jerome Taylor

Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
Powered by some lusty hitting by Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Suresh Raina, Rajasthan Cricket Association President’s XI chased down the 297-run target in the last over. All the Indian batsmen, except Mohammad Kaif, had a useful outing. As for the bowlers, however, only Munaf Patel and Harbhajan Singh came away with their honours intact. Interestingly, none of the Rajasthan batsmen were given a chance to bat.In a game where the focus was clearly to get some practice – Dhoni and Kaif batted for both teams, Raina batted and bowled in the same innings, and India XI only had one regular bowler in RP Singh – the three chief disappointments were Irfan Pathan, Kaif and RP Singh. While Pathan bled 83 runs, Kaif, despite getting two chances to bat, totalled all of eight runs and RP Singh was carted for 83 in 8.5 overs.If Pathan went into the match hoping to salvage his reputation as a strike bowler, he was to be disappointed. Maybe, even shattered, as he was destroyed by Virender Sehwag and Sachin Tendulkar. He bled in fours and sixes as the duo went after him with gusto. Pathan, as he has been doing in recent times, sought relief with his bat.Given the onslaught at the other end, Munaf’s was a creditable performance.While the openers were indulging themselves on Pathan’s offerings, they were forced to deal in singles and twos against the economical Patel. He picked up the wicket of Tendulkar before coming back for a second spell to curtail a promising knock from Yuvraj Singh. Ajit Agarkar, although not as expensive as Pathan, leaked 62 runs in his 10 overs.Sehwag made merry with a 91-ball 107 that was studded with 13 fours and two sixes before retiring hurt to make way for the other batsmen. Tendulkar gave him good company with a 45-ball 39. After Kaif was run out, Yuvraj and Rahul Dravid stitched together a fine partnership to push the score along. Dhoni retired hurt after making 17 – he was to return to wallop the India XI bowlers – and Dinesh Mongia did not get much time in the middle.The RCA XI were given a rollicking start by Dhoni and Raina who tore apart RP Singh. Interestingly, the Rajasthani bowlers, Mathur and Gehlot, were not that profligate. Both the openers retired but Kaif could not make use of his second opportunity with the bat, falling to Yuvraj. Pathan, however, made a well-compiled 42. He shared useful partnerships with Agarkar and Harbhajan to steer his side close to the victory. Though Pathan fell in the last over, with still five runs needed in four balls, Harbhajan and Ramesh Powar took RCA XI home.

Aushim Khetrapal, an Indian sports promoter, has denied that he offered New Zealand’s captain Fleming £200,000 (approx US$370,000) to join a match-fixing syndicate during the 1999 World Cup.Fleming claims in his new book, Balance of Power, that he was approached by Khetrapal in the bar of a hotel in Leicester, and offered the chance to earn “real money” as part of an international betting syndicate. Fleming claims he was offered £200,000 straight away, and a further £100,000 in a year’s time, but refused the offer instantly.But, speaking to the BBC, Khetrapal has denied the claims, adding that he is considering legal action. “My passport shows that I was in England from July 30 until August 3, 1999,” he said, “whereas the World Cup was held in June the same year.”Khetrapal is alleged to be an associate of Sanjeev Chawla, the Indian bookmaker whose taped phone-calls with Hansie Cronje blew the lid off the match-fixing scandal in 2000. He does concede that he did meet Fleming, but at a different time, and under very different circumstances.”I did meet Fleming in a hotel in Leicester where he was playing a county match,” Khetrapal, who runs a sports management company in Mumbai, told the BBC. “He said he wanted agents in India and he was offered US$250,000 [£135,000] for modelling assignments. A contract was also signed by him regarding this.”

ScorecardRain washed out yet another fixture of the Top End series, as the one-day match between Queensland XI and Pakistan A was abandoned at Cairns. After frequent rain interruptions, the umpires called off play 19 overs into the Queensland innings, with the hosts at 3 for 108.The start was delayed by three hours due to wet conditions, as play finally got underway at 12.30pm local time, with the match reduced to 34 overs per side. However, showers forced the players off the field almost immediately, reducing another three overs. When play resumed, the Queensland openers feasted on some wayward bowling, scoring at more than five an over. Another interruption followed, reducing the game to 28 overs per side. Wasim Khan pulled things back with the wicket of Ryan Broad, who spooned a catch straight to Hasan Raza at covers. Khan struck again soon after, sending Clinton Perren’s off stump cartwheeling towards the wicketkeeper.Martin Love and Brendan Nash had a good partnership, scoring boundaries at will. Love was dismissed soon after reaching his half-century, driving uppishly to Misbah-ul-Haq at cover point off Mohammad Hafeez. Rain intervened again just as Chris Hatley walked out to bat. There were chances of a resumption when the sun came out, but the umpires officially called it off after deeming the ground unfit for play, particularly due to the wet patches on the bowlers’ run-ups.This is the fifth consecutive match at Cairns to be affected by the weather. This includes the four-day match between Pakistan A and New Zealand A, two one-day matches between the two sides, and the final day of the four-day match between India A and Australia A.

The Dolphins made the most of winning the toss and a good pitch to reach 308 for 3 by the close on the first day of their match against Cape Cobras at Paarl. Hashim Amla (118*) and Ahmed Amla led the way with a third-wicket stand of 205, ended shortly before the close when Ahmed Amla fell to Paul Adams, missing out on his fourth first-class hundred by two runs.The Eagles found the going tough after batting first against the Lions at Potchefstroom, Andrew Hall’s 5 for 39 doing much of the damage as they were bowled out for 181. The Lions made a solid reply, but two late wickets by Thandi Tshabalala gave the Eagles renewed hope as the Lions closed on 124 for 4.The Warriors closed on 277 for 5 against the Titans at East London, with half centuries from Mark Bruyns and Carl Bradfield underpinning their innings. Albie Morkel and Dale Steyn kept the Warriors in check with two wickets apiece.

Andrew Symonds loves playing for Australia but believes his heavy one-day load threatens his chances of another Test call-up. A fixture in the limited-overs side, Symonds misses the opportunity for regular first-class action that could help or hinder his case for a third match in the baggy green.”That is the difficult part of playing one-day cricket for Australia only,” Symonds said in the Sydney Morning Herald. “You don’t get to play domestic cricket and try and score big hundreds. It’s not the worst position to be in. I’m happy earning a crust the way I am. It’d be nice to play a bit more four-day cricket.”The Test squad for New Zealand will be named next week and Symonds is an outside chance if Darren Lehmann is dropped for good and Shane Watson remains unavailable with a side strain. “I’d love to have another crack at Test cricket and I feel as though I could do a good job,” he said. “Hopefully I can score a few more runs before this series is out and try and throw my name up there.”Symonds, who has played 113 matches, will have to rely on his one-day form to boost him into contention. Picked ahead of Simon Katich, he played two Tests in Sri Lanka last year and scored 53 runs and took one wicket. Katich is favoured to make the squad while Mike Hussey and Brad Hodge will also be discussed.Some New Zealand batsmen spoke to Gilbert Enoka, the team psychologist, on Wednesday following the two losses and Symonds said the move was worth trying. “Psychologically I’d rather be in our position than theirs, but by no means have we backed off the gas,” he said. “Whatever it takes to win. If they call a psychologist and they knock us over 3-2, it will be the greatest move of all time.”The third match is at Eden Park on Saturday and an Australia win will seal the series.

The legspinner, Stuart MacGill, has emerged as a contender for Australia’s make-or-break fifth Test at The Oval next week, as their coach, John Buchanan, sized up the options available to his team. Australia need a victory to secure a 2-2 share of the series and retain the Ashes for the ninth series in a row.MacGill, 34, has taken 160 wickets in 33 Tests since making his debut in 1998, but the pre-eminence of Shane Warne has restricted him to a walk-on role in the Australian squad. Nevertheless, against England, MacGill has a remarkable tally of 39 wickets in just six Tests, and he could be called upon to replace the ineffectual Michael Kasprowicz, and shore up an attack that has relied too heavily on Shane Warne and Brett Lee.”The Oval historically provides bounce and it provides turn,” Buchanan told AFP. “That aids both pace bowlers who hit the deck and spin bowlers because they actually get bounce with some turn. Therefore, I am sure [chairman of selectors] Trevor Hohns would say, Stuart MacGill is very much in the equation.”Buchanan would not be drawn on any other possible changes, which might include the replacing of Matthew Hayden at the top of the order. Until recently, Hayden was ranked as the No. 1 batsman in the world with an average in excess of 58, but he has failed to pass 70 in his last 30 innings, and has been badly found out by England’s pace attack this summer.Buchanan himself is under some pressure as well. His contract as national coach comes up for renewal in October, and though he wishes to carry on in a role he has held since 1999, the prospect of Ashes defeat will not please his employers, Cricket Australia, who might want to consider a change of direction.”I’m not even thinking about that, it’s not a factor,” Buchanan told AFP, as Australia prepared for their two-day warm-up match against Essex, which starts on Saturday. “My consideration is to simply try and make sure we go into this game in the best possible shape and give ourselves the best possible chance to win it.”The match against Essex is Australia’s last chance for practice ahead of next week’s climatic fifth Test, and Buchanan could not help but acknowledge the possibility of the unthinkable. “If we don’t win it well then obviously there are other decisions to be made after that,” he conceded. “But that’s not an issue for me at the moment. We’ll finish this, and then we’ll sit down with Cricket Australia (CA) and work through that process.”