Bangladeshis 136 for 7 (Habibul Bashar 47) beat WICB XI 135 (R Hinds 48, Manjural 4-9) by 3 wickets
ScorecardThe Bangladeshis began their tour of the West Indies with a morale-boosting three-wicket win against the West Indies Cricket Board XI. In a low-scoring match in St Vincent, the Board XI, with six international players in their ranks, won the toss and chose to bat on an easy-paced pitch, but were soon undone by the Bangladesh attack and were bowled out for just 135 in 45.3 overs. Bangladesh themselves stumbled in their run-chase, but Habibul Bashar, their captain, scored 47, while the lower order chipped in with some useful runs to ensure a victory with nine overs to spare.Batting at his customary No. 3 position, Bashar consolidated the innings after Bangladesh had lost an early wicket. However, there was little support from the rest of the top order, and at 82 for 6, the Board XI had an opportunity to sneak a win. Mushfiqur Rahman and Khaled Mashud scotched those hopes with a 50-run stand that took the Bangladeshis to the brink of victory. Mashud was dismissed for 17, but Mushfiqur remained unbeaten on 25 to take his side home.Earlier, Manjural Islam Rana, the left-arm spinner, and the former captain Khaled Mahmud combined to bundle the Board XI out cheaply. Mahmud (3 for 33) did the early damage, dismissing three of the top four batsmen, while Manjural wrapped up the tail to finish with the remarkable figures of 4 for 9 from 9.3 overs. Ryan Hinds was the only batsman to offer any resistance, making 48, the highest score of the match.This was Bangladesh’s only warm-up game before the one-day series, which starts with back-to-back matches here in St Vincent over the weekend.

Lawyers representing the Zimbabwe Cricket Union and the players sacked by the board have resumed talks, in an attempt to resolve the conflict that led to Zimbabwe’s temporary loss of Test status. The AFP agency reports that Alwyn Pichanick, for the ZCU, and Chris Venturas, for the players, are in talks following an International Cricket Council directive instructing the Zimbabwean board to make another attempt to resolve the crisis.The ICC gave the ZCU 14 days from June 30 to agree on a mechanism to solve the dispute, that began with the sacking of Heath Streak as captain.If an agreement is not reached on the process within this timeframe, Ehsan Mani, the president of the ICC, announced that he and Percy Sonn, the vice-president, will make a ruling on the applicability of the ICC’s own Disputes Resolution Process.The ICC’s legal advice is that this process can be applied in this case. This is a position not supported by the ZCU. Speaking after the ICC’s Executive Board meeting last week, Mani said, “We recognise that this is a Zimbabwean dispute and our clear preference is to have it resolved in Zimbabwe by Zimbabweans.””If there is no agreement on the process, the newly elected ICC Vice-President, Percy Sonn, and I will make a final decision on application of the ICC’s Disputes Resolution Process after this 14-day period. The ZCU is firmly of the view that this system has no jurisdiction but the ICC’s legal advice is clear in saying that it does.”

New Zealand Women 232 for 7 (Watson 115*, McDonald 3-29) beat Ireland 155 (Milliken 3-39) by 77 runs
ScorecardHelen Watson’s whirlwind unbeaten 115 was the highlight of the day for New Zealand as they romped to a 77-run win against Ireland to complete a clean sweep in the three-match one-day series. After winning the toss and opting to bat at Dublin, New Zealand were rescued by Watson’s 114-ball knock, which lifted the total to 232. Ireland could only muster 155 in response.Watson came in to bat when New Zealand were stuttering at 55 for 3, and immediately set about repairing the innings, putting together 73 for the fourth wicket with Haidee Tiffen (32). Watson’s previous-highest score for New Zealand was just 24, but here she made almost five times as many, tonking Ireland’s bowlers around for 14 fours – the rest of the New Zealand team together managed only seven.Ireland’s run-chase never took off, as Louise Milliken came up with a superb new-ball spell, taking three early wickets as Ireland slumped to 59 for 4. Cecelia Joyce laboured her way to 33 off 99 balls before being run-out, but the greatest contribution to the innings came from the extras column – there were 51 of them, including 43 wides. Despite such generosity from New Zealand’s bowlers, Ireland were never in the hunt, and fell well short of their targetWith their first leg of the tour done, New Zealand will travel to England to play a Twenty20 match, five one-dayers and a Test. The series starts with the Twenty20 game on August 5 at Hove.

Perhaps the most famous spectacle-wearer ever to have stalked the covers, Clive Lloyd was one of the great captains of all time. With his hulking six-foot frame and a slight air of professorial detachment, he was the natural leader of the great West Indian side of the late 1970s and early 1980s and, in 1975, his century at Lord’s secured victory in the inaugural World Cup. And yet, Lloyd’s career might have been ended before it began, when his eyesight began to deteriorate in his early teens.At the age of 12, Lloyd was already a budding schoolboy cricketer, when he was poked in the eye with a ruler while breaking up a fight between two younger boys. At first he took no real notice of it, but before long he was unable to read the blackboard in the classroom, and he had to squint to make out the score while batting in cricket matches. But most importantly of all, he was failing to sight the ball properly. “I was getting out lbw far too frequently,” he wrote in his autobiography. “The umpire couldn’t have been wrong every time.”So out came the spectacles, and a legend was born. Lloyd’s prowess as a fielder was ample proof of the benefits they provided to his game, while in a 22-year career, they enabled him to score more than 30,000 runs, with 79 centuries.

Andhra 116 and 133 for 4 (Pathak 59*, Kulkarni 4-32) trail Mumbai 515 by 266 runs
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Andhra hurtled towards defeat as Nilesh Kulkarni helped Mumbai into a strong position at the end of the third day’s play. Andhra were 133 for 4, following on, and were still 266 runs adrift of Mumbai’s first-innings score. Kulkarni, the left-arm spinner, picked up all four second-innings wickets. Andhra began their second innings well, with Amit Pathak and LNP Reddy defying the bowlers. Pathak was unbeaten on 59, while Reddy made 33, the only other meaningful contribution of the innings. But an outright loss was still the strongest possibility for Andhra, who have one more day to bat out just to secure the draw.Madhya Pradesh 296 for 4 (Dholpure 107) trail Karnataka 619 for 5 dec by 323 runs
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Sachin Dholpure’s century kept Madhya Pradesh’s hopes up at the Chinnnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore. At the close of the third day, Madhya Pradesh had reached 296 for 4 in response to Karnataka’s mammoth 619 for 5 declared. While Amay Khurasiya, the captain, fell to Chandrashekar Raghu without adding to his overnight score of 45, Dholpure cashed in. He scored 107 with 18 fours before being caught behind off Stuart Binny. With one day to play, the game is heading for a draw, and all honours go to Karnataka.Uttar Pradesh 132 and 163 for 2 (Raina 89*, Yadav 51) beat Assam 184 and 107 by 8 wickets
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Uttar Pradesh completed an 8-wicket win over Assam at the Kamla Club ground in Kanpur. They began the day on 77 for 1 needing a further 82 runs to secure victory. In the end Suresh Raina ensured that there were no hiccups. He scored 89 not out with 15 fours and 1 six off 11 balls in the company of Jyoti P Yadav (61) and steered Uttar Pradesh to a comfortable win.Bengal 161 for 3 (Gavaskar 68*) and 298 lead Gujarat 361 by 98 runs
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Having conceded the crucial first-innings lead to Gujarat at the Kanchanjungwa Krirangan ground in Siliguri, Bengal restored some pride with a healthy second-innings reply. They reached 161 for 3, and have an overall lead of 98 runs. Rohan Gavaskar did the bulk of the scoring, reaching 68 not out batting at No. 4. Deep Dasgupta kept him company on 36.Hyderabad 231 and 170 (Sanclecha 5-46) beat Maharashtra 83 and 233 (Jadhav 124, Singh 6-87) by 85 runs
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Hyderabad clinched an 85-run win against Maharashtra inside three days. After they were skittled out for just 83 in the first innings Maharashtra struggled to catch up. A fighting 124 by Dheeraj Jadhav, the left-handed opening batsman, delayed the inevitable, but was not enough to stave off defeat. Narender Pal Singh, the medium-pacer, was the most effective bowler claiming 6 for 87.Delhi 216 and 101 for 1 (Dhawan 55) lead Railways 201 by 116 runs
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Delhi’s bowlers did a fine job in bowling out Railways for just 201, thereby taking a slender 15-run first-innings lead. Railways, who began the third day on 147 for 5, were in with a good chance of overhauling Delhi’s poor score of 216. However, Amit Bhandari (3 for 55) and Sanjay Gill (3 for 48) bowled well enough to knock Railways over for just 201. Then, Delhi piled on the agony, reaching 101 for 1 at close.Punjab 175 and 370 for 4 (Mongia 108, Dharmani 92*, Kakkar 90*) lead Baroda 155 by 390 runs
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Punjab rode on the high of securing the first-innings lead and clattered 370 for 4 in their second dig. The Baroda bowlers were first sent on a leather hunt by Dinesh Mongia who scored 108. Pankaj Dharmani (92*) and Ankur Kakkar (90*) were both on the verge of reaching three figures when the day’s play ended. Punjab now have a big lead of 390 runs with one day to play.

Ian Harvey has been named in Victoria’s 13-man squad for the Pura Cup match against Western Australia at the Junction Oval from December 1. Harvey, who has recovered from his groin strain, is one of four inclusions to the side which thrashed New South Wales last week – Jason Arnberger, Bryce McGain and Shane Harwood are the other three. Andrew McDonald, who will undergo a surgery for a finger injury, Brendan Joseland and Brad Knowles have been omitted.Squad Cameron White (capt), Jason Arnberger, Matthew Elliott, Shane Harwood, Ian Harvey, Brad Hodge, David Hussey, Mathew Inness, Bryce Mcgain, Jonathan Moss, Peter Roach, Graeme Rummans, Allan Wise.

Jonty Rhodes, the former South Africa Test player, has turned down an offer from India’s National Cricket Academy to be a fielding consultant, according to the Press Trust of India.Rhodes, 35, who was one of the world’s most exciting fielders during his 11-year international career, had been asked to take up a two-week coaching assignment, but declined. Rhodes’s priority after retiring have been his family – he has two young children – and he is currently working for a bank in South Africa. But Rhodes did admit that cricket was his first love, and that he may become a coach later on.

Let the contest resume. In an era of Australian domination any chink or blink is gleefully greeted, and New Zealand carried the necessary tools in December. The world wants them toppled by any teams or means – but at the very least under the gazes of stress-free umpires – and privately many Down Under agree. Cheering steamrollers has become tiring. There is a bump of hope in the Land of the Long White Cloud.Australia have wandered lonely on top over two World Cups, but New Zealand have always rumbled them. A day of Brisbane showers drained a thrilling conclusion to the inaugural Chappell-Hadlee Trophy after the opening two matches were shared, and Australia were under as much pressure as they apparently give the on-field officials. The washout heightened expectations for the five-match series against the world’s top-ranked teams starting at Wellington tomorrow.The two countries share much besides enthusiasm for this rivalry, and both understood Stephen Fleming when he succinctly predicted a “ripper”. When Australia’s players haven’t been talking about the Ashes they have discussed their prospects carefully. Ricky Ponting used “big” and “vital” in between mentions of England before jetting to Auckland. Perhaps looking ahead is easier than contemplating a tribe of Kiwis even though Australia haven’t lost a one-day series across the ditch.Before Australia ran over Pakistan – umpiring not-outs permitting – in the VB Series, Fleming’s side was a chance of overtaking their Trans-Tasman neighbours for three matches against the Rest of the World in October. With the Chappell-Hadlee Trophy safely stored in neutral territory until the end of the year, this series has been stripped of its glitter. The glitz came and went in a couple of hours of Twenty20; the serious glares begin at Westpac Stadium in search of top-table glory.New Zealand’s recent home one-day record is as proud as the All Blacks’ tight five. Their rise to No. 2 was as calculated as Fleming’s rotation of his side’s mid-over bowling and late-order hitting. Since Pakistan toured in 2000-01, New Zealand have lost only eight matches in their green fields and claimed six series in a row if the abbreviated one against Sri Lanka, disrupted after a match by the Boxing Day tsunami, is included. Australia must adjust quickly to the conditions and rectangular grounds or face a recovery more difficult than the middle-order collapses of 4 for 10 at Telstra Stadium and 5 for 21 at the SCG against them in December.Both times Darren Lehmann was the saviour with half-centuries, but he did not stay afloat after the VB Series. Lehmann was not alone as the battling wobbled – only Michael Clarke (68.5) and Damien Martyn (60) averaged more than 30 in the tournament – while Brett Lee and Glenn McGrath heaved them to victory. Matthew Hayden, who was dropped for the finals, and Andrew Symonds have form to re-find quickly against the niggly Kyle Mills, Daryl Tuffey and Jeff Wilson.Wilson, the former All Black, knows about opposing great Australia teams, having lined up against the Wallabies in 14 Tests between 1994 and 2001, winning eight and losing six. Four ODIs in 1992-93 sit on his round-ball resume, but the born-again Black Cap has done something seemingly impossible by overshadowing the opening round of the Super 12 rugby competition. Marketing and novelty may have been behind his selection for the FICA World XI matches, but any chance against Australia will be deserved, and his performances will be scrutinised to a similar degree as Twenty20.The flexing of Chris Cairns has scared Australia for more than a decade and Fleming’s improved batting at the head of the order also worries Ponting. For the rest of the world it gives hope for another thrilling contest, and one that leads to a cut-and-dry conclusion.Peter English is Australasian editor of Cricinfo.

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For sheer excitement, edge-of-the-seat tension and high-quality cricket, few matches will come close to the Test between India and Pakistan at Chennai in early 1999. There was top-drawer fast bowling from Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis and Venkatesh Prasad. There was a pure-as-magic century from Sachin Tendulkar. And there was Saqlain Mushtaq’s fine exhibition of spin bowling.By the end of four days, the cauldron that is the MA Chidambaram Stadium was supercharged with emotion, and the ebb and flow of the game had taken such a toll that fans momentarily forgot their nationality, and climbed on chairs to give the Pakistan team a standing ovation as they did a victory lap after wrapping up the Test by 12 runs, the slimmest of margins.India began the Test well, getting on top of Pakistan thanks to another relentlessly accurate spell of bowling from Anil Kumble, who took 6 for 70 in Pakistan’s first innings 238. Even this score looked unlikely when Pakistan were reduced to 91 for 5, but Moin Khan’s gutsy 60 at No. 7 held up the Indians.India replied gloriously with Sadagoppan Ramesh, making his debut, and VVS Laxman, rattling off 48 runs from 8 overs in the fading light at the end of the first day. But things changed quite quickly on the 2nd day. Saqlain Mushtaq took his excellent one-day performance into the Test arena, scalping the first of four consecutive five-fors. Half-centuries from Rahul Dravid and Sourav Ganguly ensured that India were not totally swamped, and even managed a slender lead of 16 runs.Shahid Afridi, the ultimate manic dasher, knuckled down for an uncharacteristically dour innings at the top of the order, and gave Pakistan the backbone they so sorely lacked in their first dig. He blocked, pushed, and very occasionally biffed his way to 141 invaluable runs. Unfortunately for Pakistan, the only real support for Afridi came from Inzamam-ul-Haq, who made 51. Venkatesh Prasad was having one of those days. His 10.2 overs may have cost 33 runs, but they also yielded 6 wickets as Pakistan were dismissed for 286.This left India chasing 271 with one day and an hour left to play. Pakistan’s pros then got right in on the act. The breezy start that India got in the first innings was banished to distant memory as Waqar sent Ramesh and Laxman back with just 6 runs on the board. Somehow Dravid and Tendulkar saw off a tense passage of play, and India reached 40 for 2 with a day to play.It was not unreasonable to expect India to score the 231 runs needed on the final day, with 8 wickets in hand, to win the Test and take a 1-0 lead in the series. What followed was a day of cricket as richly layered as any you would hope to see. Akram dug deep – even taking injections for a troublesome knee in breaks – and produced ball after probing ball at India’s batsmen. Tendulkar answered all the questions asked of him, and was defiant even after India were shaken to 82 for 5. Tendulkar ploughed a lone furrow, battling a very painful back, attacked the spinner and kept out the pacemen to the tune of 136 runs, till he fell to a tired shot off Saqlain. India were 254 for 7 at that stage, needing just 17 runs from Anil Kumble, Javagal Srinath, Sunil Joshi and Venkatesh Prasad.Tendulkar reportedly wept in the dressing-room, flat on his back on the physio’s table, as Pakistan picked up the last three wickets for the addition of just 12 runs. Akram, who had lead Pakistan to victory on Indian soil, said, “I have long said that Tendulkar is the best batsman in the world and today we saw one of the best innings I have ever seen played. We never gave up but we knew the key was getting him out.” Tendulkar was so drained after his innings that he did not even come out to receive his Man-of-the-match award, and Azharuddin, who came in his place, was loudly jeered by the crowd. But the match will always be remembered as the day an Indian crowd stood on its feet as one and applauded the old enemy for winning a great game of cricket.

Darren Gough, who faces constant questions about his longevity, believes Australia’s ageing players could become a weakness for the world champions. As the Ashes tour approaches, Gough, 34, said the advancing years of England’s opponents were a bonus.”Some of their players are getting on age-wise, many of them are a similar age to me,” Gough said. “I played against quite a few for England under-19s so they’ve been around for a long while. That should be seen as a positive for England.”Gough, a one-day only bowler who hopes to reach the 2007 World Cup, said it was important not to underestimate Australia because they were a great side capable of destroying anyone. “They’ve just beaten New Zealand in a one-day series 5-0, we lost to New Zealand in England and they’ve also just beaten an experienced New Zealand 2-0 in a Test series – they can’t be under-estimated.”A regular bowling headache for Australia over the past decade, Gough said the lower-order batting would also be targeted. “They have a long tail now with Shane Warne coming into bat at No. 8 – and, with no disrespect to Warney, he can bat but he’s not probably a Test match No. 8, more like a No. 9,” he said.”Gough said all of England’s players needed to be in form by the start of the Test series in July. “We all believe we have got a chance but we all have to be at the very top of our games,” he said. “At the minute, we’re not.” Australia’s first match against England in the NatWest Series is on June 19 at Bristol and the opening Test starts at Lord’s on July 21.