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Glamorgan maintained their unbeaten sequence in the National Leaguewith an emphatic 10 wicket victory over Gloucestershire in a contestthat was reduced initially to a 30 over game as a result of morningrain in South Wales.Robert Croft won an important toss and with rain clouds gathering, he hadno hesitation in inserting the opponents. Andrew Davies then reducedGloucestershire to 20-3 in a very impressive opening spellfrom the River End, as Davies took 3-4 in 9 balls.A short shower caused another interrruption and thegame was further reduced to a 26 overs contest, but when play resumed the Glamorgan bowlersremained on top with Alex Wharf taking 4-18 – his best ever figures in one daycricket and the best by a Glamorgan bowler against Gloucestershire in thecompetition.With Robert Croft making shrewd bowling changes, and his team fielding withgreat spirit, none of the Gloucestershire batsmen could come to terms withthe Glamorgan attack, and they closed their innings on a disappointing 133-9.After the Duckworth-Lewis calculations had been performed Glamorgan`s targetwas 133 in 26 overs, and Robert Croft and Ian Thomas then shared an unbrokenstand of 135 in 21.2 overs as Glamorgan cantered to only their third everwin the competition by 10 wickets, and their first since 1993.Ian Thomas was in imperious mood, hitting three huge sixes and six fours inhis unbeaten 71, whilst Croft`s 60 contained four fours and a six as they putall of the Gloucestershire bowlers to the sword and raced to their targetwith 28 balls to spare. This was Glamorgan`s first victory over Gloucestershire in the competition since 1996and their first in Wales since 1993.It was the Dragon`s third successive win in the League and equalled the club`s best everstart in the competition, achieved in1980 when Glamorgan defeated Lancashire, Essex and Nottinghamshire. The Dragons willbe looking to make it a record four out of four next Sunday when they travelto Headingley to play Yorkshire.

Kent captain Matthew Fleming – the distant cousin of James Bond creator Ian Fleming – was Spitfires’ man with the golden arm as the hosts pulled off a remarkable 43-run Norwich Union League win over relegation threatened Surrey Lions.Chasing Kent’s disappointing 42-over total of 207 all out, the basement Lions appeared to be coasting at 147 for three, but Kent’s fielding and Fleming’s incredibly accurate throwing turned the game on its head as Surrey conceded four run outs to the home skipper.Top-scorer Ian Ward, with 51 from 90 balls, started the rot when he chanced a single to backward point only to see Fleming throw down the stumps to spark a suicidal collapse that saw Surrey lose their last seven wickets for 17 runs in the space of 39 balls.Ben Hollioake suffered a seemingly ageless death when he was given out stumped after the fourth slow motion replay, then in the next over Nadeem Shahid edged a catch to Paul Nixon to lift a crowd of 7,500 – Kent’s biggest crowd for a county match since 1993.That was the cue for Fleming’s license to thrill as the Spitfires’ skipper sent back Jonathan Batty, Saqlain Mushtaq and Martin Bicknell with three direct hits in the space of four balls.It was left to Martin McCague, making his first league appearance of the summer, to polish the job off by plucking out the middle stump of Ed Giddins to re-ignite Kent’s title hopes.Spitfires had built their total around another steady one-day knock of 74 from 68-balls from overseas star Andrew Symonds.The Queenslander featured in a fourth-wicket stand of 93 with Rob Key (26), but otherwise no Kent batsman made it into the 20s in a disappointing display after winning the toss.The victory, Kent’s seventh in 11 starts, leaves the Hop county in second spot, two points behind leaders Leicestershire who have two games in hand.

Australia’s selectors deferred the looming hard call on their batting order by adding Usman Khawaja to the squad for the Boxing Day Test, as it emerged that the captain Steven Smith will need to be managed carefully over the remainder of the summer due to hip and knee niggles.Picked to bat at No. 3 against New Zealand, Khawaja made sparkling hundreds in Brisbane and Perth before injuring his hamstring.In his absence, Shaun Marsh was recalled and promptly compiled a critical 49 in Adelaide before clouting the West Indies for 182 in Hobart.Marsh was thought to be the man to make way when Khawaja returned to full fitness, but his runs have left the selectors pondering how to deal with an unexpected batting logjam. Joe Burns, anointed as David Warner’s new opening partner following the retirement of Chris Rogers, has enjoyed a solid summer but has trailed off slightly in his past two matches. Smith stated his satisfaction with Marsh’s performance and also his preference to keep him in the middle order if possible.”I’m sure it gives the selectors a few headaches but I think that’s a great thing,” Smith said. “I thought Shaun played beautifully throughout this Test match. Him and [Adam] Voges certainly changed the course of the game. It was 3 for 120 and the game was in the balance. Those guys put on a terrific partnership and set the game up for us.”I’ve said that for a while now, I think he is best suited at five. He’s played some very good cricket at five. He did last summer as well. I was really impressed with the way he batted last week, he did well in tough conditions and tough circumstances, and again backing it up again this week with a big hundred. He’s batting really well.”Marsh will join Burns, Voges, Peter Nevill, Nathan Lyon and Nathan Coulter-Nile in being available for the opening two rounds of the Twenty20 Big Bash League, but Smith will not be joining them. Knee trouble he has been carrying since the back end of the Ashes tour of England flared up during the Hobart Test, and he also complained of a hip flexor problem to the team physio David Beakley.Smith has duly been ruled out of duty for the Sydney Sixers, along with Josh Hazlewood, Peter Siddle, James Pattinson (all rested) and David Warner (unsigned) in taking time out from the T20 tournament. In describing the niggles and how they affect him, Smith said they were easier to manage while playing Test cricket than shorter formats, so it is within the realm of possibility that he may need to sit out an ODI or two against India in the new year.”I’m experiencing a little bit of knee pain that I experienced before the first Test in Brisbane,” Smith said. “I landed on it yesterday and it sort of aggravated it a little bit, as well as a little bit of hip flexor soreness in my right leg as well. So I’m going to sit out the first two Big Bash games unfortunately. I think it’s just precautionary.”I don’t think I’ll be able to go at 100%, which is what you need to do in T20 cricket. I don’t want to do any further damage. I probably can’t run quite 100%, which I think in Test cricket you can hide that a little bit. Hopefully they improve over the next couple of weeks and I’ll be back to normal.”One issue that seems far less pertinent for Australia after their innings trouncing of the West Indies in Hobart is the matter of bowling workloads. Given a match that ran for less than half its scheduled duration, Hazlewood, Pattinson and Siddle can expect to be able to turn out in each of the Melbourne and Sydney Tests through the holiday period.”It was a clinical performance,” Smith said. “The game was in the balance and we were able to put on a big partnership that changed the course of the match. I thought the bowlers bowled terrifically. In the first innings Nathan Lyon really stepped up again and in the second innings it was nice to see James Pattinson back to his best and bowling fast.”He bowled extremely well. He wanted to go out and do it today, and enjoy it and I thought he bowled beautifully. I had a little word to him this morning actually and just said go out and enjoy it and have some fun and do what you do well – and that’s bowl fast. I think the ball came out a lot better today. He got the ball in the right areas and reaped the rewards from it.”In addition to recalling Khawaja, the selectors also included Steve O’Keefe in a 14-man squad for the SCG Test.

In the wake of concerns being expressed by the ICC over his proposed multi-million dollar Twenty20 International Super Series next June, Allen Stanford suggested last week that he has an alternative to channel his US$20 million should the showpiece tournament be stumped by the authorities.That plan, as he explained, was to establish a fully professional regional competition featuring 21 teams. Given that his direct investments in the game so far have focused on the new popular hybrid of one-day cricket, I suppose the Antigua-based Texan billionaire was thinking in terms of broadening the Stanford Twenty20 beyond the limited scope of the one-month tournament that is scheduled to have its second edition early next year.However, in the context of what West Indies cricket really needs to get back on a sound footing in the longer, traditional form of the game – a form that is still considered by the vast majority of players and fans as the true standard of cricketing excellence – wouldn’t it be more beneficial in the long term for Stanford to pump his millions into the regional first-class competition, if, as he has stated many times, his primary aim is to contribute to the revival of the West Indies as a world power?There are a number of challenges to be overcome if such a proposal is to ever become a reality, not least the apparent reluctance of the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) to be seen as relinquishing control to a Kerry Packer-type tycoon. Yet their very existence is supposed to be to ensure both the prosperity and viability of the Caribbean game, two fundamental objectives in which they have failed miserably over the past decade (it has taken the revenues of the World Cup to pull them out of a deep financial hole), so you would think that the big men in those positions of influence would be prepared to sacrifice their parochial interests if a workable relationship could be established with the investment banker.Some may want to suggest that the success of the regional side in the Twenty20 matches and ODIs at the end of the tour of England and Ireland indicates that the team is well on the way to turning things around. Hopefully, that is not the view of anyone in any critical position at the WICB, for everyone knows only too well that as much as we are capable of beating the world in the abbreviated versions, our performances in Test cricket continue to be abysmal.Being a man who has made his fortune through wise investments, Stanford should certainly appreciate that supporting first-class cricket, as dull and unattractive as it is when compared to the calculated vupping of Twenty20, will not bring immediate returns, but through perseverance, consistency and an insistence on the very highest standards, can eventually reap dividends at the top level.It really takes a certain amount of vision and appreciation of the inherent value of the longer form of the game for any business enterprise to want to associate with first-class cricket. Everywhere in the world, from England to Australia to the cricket-crazy environment of the Indian sub-continent, first-class matches are played day after day, year after year to a mere scattering of spectators. Even in the halcyon days of West Indies cricket in the 1970s and 1980s, Shell Shield matches struggled to attract decent crowds, while the prospect of seeing Andy Roberts bowling to Viv Richards wasn’t enough of an attraction to fill English county grounds at Hampshire or Somerset when these great men were in their prime.Yet despite being associated with long periods of boredom in empty stadiums, private companies have been persuaded to identify with first-class cricket, not so much on the basis of the visibility of their brand to a massive audience, but as a true supporter of the game by ensuring the viability of a level of competition that essentially determines how strong a country will be in Test cricket.And that’s why Stanford, his advisory board of 14 outstanding former West Indies cricketers and officials of the WICB should seriously consider working out an arrangement that will essentially guarantee the viability of first-class cricket in the region for many years to come. As with anything else these days, it won’t be a case of money for nothing, as everyone – administrators, team officials and players – must be held to a higher standard if the remuneration is greater.Of course, this could very well prove to be easier said than done, especially as Stanford himself seems more inclined towards the instant gratification, gimmickry and excitable crowds of Twenty20 to ensure that his name, and therefore his associated business interests, becomes increasingly identifiable to a large segment of the Caribbean populace.But just think about the two options: a one-week festival of Twenty20 action featuring the very best teams and players in the world, all straining every sinew for the US$20 million jackpot, or a properly structured, well-financed regional first-class competition for at least the next ten years.It’s like choosing between fast food and farming. One looks good but is of little value, while the other is tedious and unattractive but ultimately much more rewarding.Stanford has chosen already, however it would be encouraging to think he can be persuaded to plant the cricketing land instead of ordering another burger and fries.

Sir Clyde Walcott, the legendary West Indian captain and batsman, has died in a Barbados hospital. He was 80.Standing 6’2″ with a broadness to match, Walcott was one of the three Ws – Everton Weekes and Sir Frank Worrell were the others – who did so much to make West Indies a real force in world cricket in the decade after the Second World War.Despite his size he was agile enough to stand in as wicketkeeper when the occasion demanded. He was a powerful batsman with a crouching stance, a savage driver and cutter, and merciless on anything pitched short which he invariably pulled with real savagery through midwicket. But he also possessed a solid defence when the need demanded. He was also a useful fast-medium change bowler too.He first played for Barbados while a 16-year-old schoolboy, and in 1946-47 he added 574 for the fourth wicket with his schoolmate, Frank Worrell, for Barbados against Trinidad. Walcott’s share was 314. It remains the record West Indian stand for any wicket and stamped both their marks on the game.He made his international debut against England in 1947-48 where only his wicketkeeping kept him in the side, but he really came of age in India in 1948-49 where he made 452 runs in the Tests. He continued that form on the historic 1950 tour of England, hitting seven hundreds in the summer including 168 not out at Lord’s.He struggled – as many did – against the Australian attack of Lindwall and Miller, but between 1953 and 1955 he had no equals. Against Australia he scored a then-record West Indian aggregate of 827 runs in a series, including a record five centuries, and 698 runs against England.In England in 1957 he started brightly but sustained an injury in the first Test on his way to 90 and never regained his best form. He was, however, back to his imperious best for his final full Test series when Pakistan visited the Caribbean the following year.But he retired from international cricket at the top when still a comparative young man. CLR James touched on the reasons in Beyond A Boundary, hinting that the politics of the region had left him exasperated and that he was upset by the board’s insistance that a white player lead the side. Walcott himself insisted he quit for financial reasons after the board forced him to play for no fee after he took a paid coaching job in British Guiana.In 44 Tests Walcott struck 15 hundreds, and made 3798 runs at an average of 56.68.He also played first-class cricket for British Guiana between 1954 and 1964 and is widely credited with helping to expand the game to the sugar estates in Berbice. He also made a mark in the Lancashire Leagues.Walcott went on to manage several West Indian teams, and became a commentator and coach in his native Barbados. He was president of the West Indian Board before, in 1993, he succeeded Sir Colin Cowdrey as chairman of ICC. He was himself knighted in 1994.He led the ICC for six years, doing much to set in place the procedures aimed at investigating and stamping out match-fixing. He was once asked why he continued to work so hard as an administrator and replied: “Cricket has done so much for me that I can’t do enough for cricket.”The revival of Caribbean cricket had always been close to Walcott’s heart. “In recent years the game has changed considerably and I must admit we in the West Indies have done little to change our approach to this glorious game,” he said in a statement recently to promote the World Vintage Cricket Carnival to be held in Barbados in October 2006.However, Walcott hoped that soon there would be a turnaround. “I do hope that by 2007 when the World Cup is with us, our cricket will have improved so dramatically that we will be alive in the cricketing sense, once again.”

England have turned down a proposal to play an extra one-day international in Karachi during their tour of Pakistan, scheduled for November and December this year, according to reports.The Pakistan Cricket Board wanted a second ODI in Karachi because it won’t be hosting a Test. Shaharyar Khan, the PCB chairman, has been in London in an attempt to convince the ECB to play extra matches in Karachi.Abbas Zaidi, a PCB spokesman, told : “They have security concerns about playing in Karachi which are tangible and we can’t pressurise them on this issue. What is confirmed is they will only play one match in Karachi.”The tour itinerary is due to be finalised next week with the three Tests likely to be played in Lahore, Multan and Faisalabad. The five-match one-day series is set to include two matches in Lahore and Rawalpindi plus the single game in Karachi.

Titans 176 for 2 (Rudolph 71, Hall 59) beat WPBOL 162for 4 (Kallis 50, Johnson 44) by 14 runs
ScorecardJacques Rudolph and Andrew Hall shared a 130-run opening partnership in 16 overs, to set Titans on the way to victory against Western Province Boland. No bowler was spared in the onslaught, as Rudolph top-scored with 71 from 50 balls, including 10 fours to all parts of the ground and a six over midwicket. Meanwhile Hall, back in cricket after undergoing back surgery, scored 59 off 51 deliveries, including six fours and a six. With a licence to hit out in the final overs, Justin Kemp and Gerald Dros then added 31 off 13 deliveries.Neil Johnson and Jacques Kallis kept WPBOL in the game with a 95-run partnership from 69 balls, but when Johnson fell for 44 and Kallis for 50, the game hung in the balance. Jean-Paul Duminy and Henry Davids made a valiant effort but the 23 runs required off the last over proved to be out of their reach.Eastern Cape Cricket 116 for 5 (Boucher 44) beat Eagles114 for 7 (Jacobs 47) by 5 wickets
ScorecardDavey Jacobs and Nicky Boje were the only two Eagles batsmen to offer any resistance, as Eastern Cape Cricket bundled them out for 116 en route to a five-wicket victory. The Eagles were always on the back foot and continually lost wickets as they stuttered to 114 for 7 in their 20 overs. Jacobs scored 47 and Boje 25, but playing on a slow rain-affected pitch, one that had seen a lot of rain in the past week, proved too much for the Eagles.Chasing 114 should have been an easy task, but ECC made heavy weather of it. It took some heavy hitting from Mark Boucher to relieve the pressure, although they only managed to win with three balls to spare.

MIDLANDSMidlands general manager Ken Connelly must secretly be hoping that Zimbabwe will not make the final at Sharjah – as they are not expected to do. For if they do, he will have five players missing from the Logan Cup match against Matabeleland scheduled to start in Kwekwe on Friday 11 April, and will experience great difficulty in raising a second team to play their B Division match in Masvingo at all.Since the first three rounds of matches, played in October, Midlands have lost several players. Among them are two former CFX Academy graduates. John Vaughan-Davies resigned and emigrated to South Africa, while Innocent Chinyoka had his contract with the Zimbabwe Cricket Union terminated for disciplinary reasons.Coach Don Campbell is calling for squad practices starting on Monday 7 April, and they will wait to see what happens in Sharjah before announcing a team. If Zimbabwe, as expected with Pakistan and Sri Lanka as opponents, are knocked out, they expect their international players to be back just in time to play Logan Cup.MATABELELANDOn the administrative side, Matabeleland have appointed Norman Dube as assistant general manager to Neil Todd.Board member Terry Nicolle says that Matabeleland intend to rest their international players, even if they do return from Sharjah theoretically in time to play their match against Midlands in Kwekwe. They will also be without Mark Vermeulen, who is still suffering from the injury he suffered in the nets during the World Cup Super Sixes in South Africa and may need an operation on the bone above his eye, and Pommie Mbangwa, commentating in Sharjah. Mbangwa has played little league cricket for Queens Sports Club this season either, which may well prejudice his chances for a national recall for the England tour.They are looking at a likely batting line-up of Charles Coventry, Ryan King, Barney Rogers (captain), Andre Hoffman, Gavin Ewing, Greg Strydom, Wisdom Siziba (wicket-keeper), Piet Rinke, Jordane Nicolle, Keith Dabengwa and Norman Mukondiwa. All have first-class experience.According to Mr Nicolle, Rogers is batting exceptionally well at the moment, while Jordane Nicolle has recovered from his injury problems and is bowling with genuine pace and hostility. Ewing and Strydom will be looking to recover their form, which has been rather disappointing this season. Strydom will be attending the CFX Academy, as will Mukondiwa, who has had a reasonable club season despite frequent problems with no-balls.MANICALANDThe big interest for Manicaland cricket at present is their appearance in the National League final against Takashinga on Sunday 6 April, according to Alan Walsh. The Mutare Sports Club team finished top of the league and won their semi-final against Kwekwe, so they hope to wrap up the double this coming weekend.The news is not so encouraging for the final three rounds of the Logan Cup. They have lost both Alistair Campbell and Henry Olonga, and Neil Ferreira, the third captain this season, takes over the reins. Kudzai Taibu, brother of Tatenda, has been promoted to the first-team squad. Only Stuart Matsikenyeri of their team is currently playing in Sharjah.Stephen Mangongo has been appointed cricket coach for the province. He will shortly move down from Harare to take up residence in Mutare.The local Manicaland league was badly disrupted by the World Cup and the cyclone, which brought little but rain for two weeks. Fortunately the new covers at Mutare Sports Club did their job and the pitch was well protected.MASHONALANDMashonaland could not provide any news. They are waiting to see when the national side are returning from Sharjah before naming a team.

The West Indies Cricket Board (WICB), today confirmed that it suffered losses totalling in excess of US $500,000 from two investments made on the US Stock Market. The investments were made with Wall Street bank – Merrill Lynch & Co. – and were made without the board’s proper authority. The investments were made on behalf of the WICB by Chief Financial Officer, Richard Jodhan and Executive Secretary, Andrew Sealy. The second investment was made while the CFO was acting as CEO.In a detailed release on the two investments – one for US $496,000 in January, 2000 and the other of US $3 000 000 in September, 2000 – the WICB confirmed that both Messrs (Richard) Jodhan and (Andrew) Sealy did not have the “independent resolutions for making the investment which would have specifically given power and authority to the CFO and Executive Secretary to execute the final investment documents.”The Board’s release continued by saying “consultation with the Executive Committee was necessary based on the CFO’s own recommendation for full consideration of the investment options and details.”According to the WICB release, the initial investment (US $496,000) was not challenged until almost a year after the fact. On the matter of the second investment (US $3 000 000), the board said it “found that there was no independent Board resolution giving Messrs Jodhan and Sealy authority to make that specific investment of US$3 000 000, nor was there an independent resolution authorising the borrowing.”The WICB also said that Merrill Lynch “had not required a Board resolution for the investment but accepted the authorisation of Messrs Jodhan and Sealy (who were two of the four signatories to the Merrill Lynch account) as having the requisite power and authority.”According to the WICB, “The Board has investigated the matter thoroughly and obtained legal advice.” The release continued by saying that the Board is now “completely satisfied that there was no impropriety and specifically no evidence of falsification of Board resolutions and that Messrs. Jodhan and Sealy, while ill-advised were acting in good faith.”In accepting responsibility, the Board has mandated that a Financial Procedures Manual be developed as a matter of urgency. The Board also confirmed that the matter was “brought to the attention of the Board under Mr. Rousseau’s chairmanship but the Board had not considered any disciplinary action. Moreover, both Messrs Jodhan and Sealy for unrelated reasons were leaving the organisation.”News of these investments came shortly after former president, Pat Rousseau left office last month. Rousseau upon resigning, fired a few salvos and challenged the WICB to produce the Minutes from the Board meeting which gave the CFO permission to invest the funds on the stock market.

Australia’s Test players will be available for the Matador Cup one-day tournament and a red-ball camp will be held in mid-November to help preparations for the first Test of the home summer against New Zealand. The changes come after the cancellation of Australia’s Test tour of Bangladesh due to security concerns, which was confirmed on Thursday night.The Matador Cup begins on Monday next week and although all the squads had been named, there will now be changes due to the flow of Test players back into the state systems. There will also be an expected flow-on to the Cricket Australia XI squad, the seventh team introduced for this year’s Matador Cup made up of fringe players who did not make state squads.Importantly, the cancellation of the tour also means Australia’s Test players will have limited red-ball cricket before the first Test against New Zealand at the Gabba on November 5. However, a two-day red-ball preparation camp has been scheduled for October 13-14 at Hurstvill Oval in Sydney, with centre-wicket practice and net sessions for Australia’s Test cricketers.As a result of the camp, the first round of Sheffield Shield cricket, scheduled to be a day-night round, has been pushed back a day. The Shield competition will now start around Australia on October 28 to give players involved in the Matador Cup final an additional day’s preparation ahead of their first Shield game.”The tour of Bangladesh was going to be an important series for our relatively new-look Test team heading into the Australian summer, so we’re disappointed it won’t go ahead,” Pat Howard, Cricket Australia’s executive general manager team performance, Pat Howard, said.”Given the circumstances, it’s important we give our Test players the best preparation leading into the summer so they will now be available to play in the Matador BBQs One-Day Cup throughout October to get valuable match experience in Australian conditions.”We want the best players playing in the Matador Cup so we will manage the movements of the Australian players and the flow-on impact this will have on the new CA XI team. We will also hold a red-ball camp in Sydney to provide extra preparation for Australian players. We have scheduled this camp to fall in the quietest two-day period of the Matador Cup to limit player movement during the tournament.”While we believe the red-ball camp will provide solid preparation for the Australian players, the first Sheffield Shield round will provide a long-form match opportunity for those players. We have therefore pushed back the first Shield round to start a day later on the 28 October to give the Matador Cup finalists an extra day to prepare for their first Shield match.”Australian players will be made available for the first Shield round dependent on injury and workloads ahead of the first Test against New Zealand.”