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Having finally chalked up one in the win column, Rahul Dravid was in a muchmore relaxed frame of mind going into Friday’s DLF Cup match againstAustralia, a semi-final in all but name given that West Indies havealready sealed a place in Sunday’s final. And though India have been atthe receiving end of some real beating from the Australians in recentyears, most notably in the 2003 World Cup final, Dravid reckoned that hisplayers wouldn’t be intimidated going into the match.”A lot of the young guys haven’t played against Australia, so they don’thave that experience of losing to them,” he said, referring to playerslike Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Munaf Patel, Suresh Raina and Sreesanth.”Australia have done really well over the last few years. Their recordagainst any team in the world is good, not just against India. Having saidthat, it’s a great opportunity and challenge for us. I thought we did wellin the first 50 overs of the last game against them, and we do believethat if we play well, we can get the right result.”For Ricky Ponting, who comes back into the side after sitting out the lastgame, the tournament has been as much about assessing the bench strengthas it has been about preparing for the Champions Trophy. Admitting thatAustralia were expected to win every match and that there would be noexcuses if they missed out on the final, Ponting looked to return tobusiness as usual against India. “Every time you put on the green andgold, you should be able to give your best,” he said. “I wasn’t surprisedby the result yesterday, India had everything to play for and the WestIndies had nothing. Tomorrow happens to be a really big game for bothteams, and the sides should have their skills at a better level than atthe start of the tournament.”While the Australia XI had been decided much earlier, with the in-formMichael Clarke and Shane Watson sitting out, India could gamble on playingfive bowlers once again. Ajit Agarkar and Yuvraj Singh were feelingslightly unwell on Thursday, but both were expected to figure in thematch.Dravid said that his team composition would be dictated by the nature ofthe pitch. “Ideally I’d love to be able to five bowlers, but that’s whenall your batsmen have had a lot of batting and are coming into thetournament in good form. That’s where Irfan was doing a great job for uswhen he was bowling well and batting well through Sri Lanka and Englandand Pakistan. But you can’t go in with a set formula. You have to keepweighing it depending on the kind of personnel you have, the kind of formthey are in, and be flexible.”Ponting was bullish when asked about Stuart Clark, who’s being persistedwith despite going for 87 from seven overs against West Indies. “He had areally good workout yesterday and got some rhythm, that’s what he thoughtwas lacking the other night,” he said. “He knows his game very well and isexperienced. I expect him to bounce back.”The rotation policy employed by the selectors for this tournament also hadPonting’s full support. “There could be a lot of positives to come outfrom the experiments,” he said. “We’ve seen that Mitchell Johnson was afine force, and Shane Watson at the top of the order could be one morething that could happen at some stage down the track. It’s good to get alook at guys in different positions; otherwise you bring your squad of 13or 14 guys and don’t look at the younger ones. When the World Cup comesaround, if you have a few injuries, you’d be going into the tournamentwith inexperienced players.”For Dravid, most of the concerns were to do with the batting. SachinTendulkar has scores of 141 not out and 65, but there have been few othersizeable contributions. “Two matches back, we had made 309,” said Dravid.”We definitely want to do better, we know that. The top six or seven mustmake runs and bat out the full 50 overs.”His own lack of runs at the top of the order has made it hard to judge thesuitability of the decision to open with Tendulkar. “It would be nice toscore some runs,” he said. “But then, I am desperate to score every time Igo out to bat, irrespective of whether I have scored in the previous gameor not.”India’s batting frailty had certainly caught Ponting’s eye. “The Indianswill worry about their batting, but we could be worried about it as well,”he said. “We know they are all good players, a lot of them exceptionalone-day players. If we can put them under pressure for long periods oftime, then I think everything should be coming our way.”That pressure was bound to be applied from the start, with Glenn McGrathand Brett Lee slated to share the new ball. Dravid, though, refused tofocus only on those two, harking back to the debacle against West Indieson Wednesday. “I don’t think we can focus on just McGrath or Lee,” hesaid. “They have got a quality bowling attack, so we will have to playwell right through the 50 overs.”That showed yesterday with someone like Dwayne Smith bowling really well.You wouldn’t have thought of him being one of their strike bowlers whocould remove four of the top order, but he did that. It just shows that ifyou bowl in the right areas, anyone can be a threat.”Though being rolled over for 162 had dismayed him, Dravid was satisfiedwith the manner of the riposte which sealed that elusive first win of theseason. “To come back strongly the way we did showed a lot of resilienceand character,” he said. That’s a good sign. It also showed that there areareas of the game that we can work on. But it’s just been the first fullgame of the season for us. We have been on the road quite a bit and tohave had just one full game is quite strange.”Ponting suggested that he would analyse the previous games and the pitchconditions before deciding whether or not to bat first once again. He alsosaid that the pitches at the Kinrara Oval had been challenging for thebatsmen. “I think it’s hard work starting on that wicket, particularlywith the new ball when it is up and down. But once you get set, you canaccelerate. We’ve seen some batsmen get on and make big scores. It’s about15 or 20 balls that you have to get through, and make adjustments.”The team that adjusts best will extend their preparation for the ChampionsTrophy by one more game. For the losers, early flights home beckon, not tomention the disappointment of dropping a game in a rivalry that hascaptured the imagination like few others over the past decade.

All reigning domestic Twenty20 champions from around the world will take part in a six-team tournament at Leicester between September 15 and 17. Pakistan’s Faisalabad Wolves and Sri Lanka’s Chilaw Marians will both participate in the inaugural International Club ChampionshipOrganisers are pleased with the levels of interest in the event, and the aim of getting all the major club sides appears to have been fulfilled. In addition to the Pakistan and Sri Lankan sides, two other domestic champions – Somerset (England) and Titans (South Africa) – will be taking part.The number will be made up by Leicestershire and a PCA Masters XI which will feature a number of England players, both past and present.In the first round group stage teams will be awarded two points for a win and one for a tie with the top two teams in each group going through to the semi-finals.

Phil Russell will begin a second stint at KwaZulu-Natal’s coach in2004-05, it was announced today.Russell, who played 170 matches for Derbyshire and also coached them,takes over from the West Indian Eldine Baptiste, who became anincreasingly unpopular figure with the players over the course of histhree seasons in charge. Baptiste’s tenure was preceded by Russell’sfirst – two-season – period as coach, in which he led the Dolphins fromeighth place in the first-class SuperSport Series in 1998-99 to theone-day Standard Bank Cup title in 2000-01. Russell was widely creditedwith laying the foundations for KwaZulu-Natal’s triumph in both theone-day and first-class competitions in 2001-02.Graham Ford,the former South African national coach, was widely tippedto get the job, but his insistence on continuing to run his privatecoaching academy was unacceptable to the KwaZulu-Natal Cricket Union(KZNCU). “We were willing for him to retain ownership of his academy,with a manager in place,” said Sathie Govender, the KZNCU president, whoadmitted that Ford had been the union’s first choice. “Unfortunately heneeded this to be a part-time position. The coach of the Dolphins is animportant position, and we can’t afford for it to be a part-time one.”Russell spent most of June in England on holiday, and returned homethis week to a pleasant surprise. “I’m quite excited, actually,” Russellsaid. “They’ve given me a new lease on life. When I went on holiday toEngland, it seemed that Fordie was going to get it. When I came back,circumstances had changed.”The president [Govender] asked me if I would do it, and I thoughtabout it for half a second.”Russell, who has served KwaZulu-Natal cricket as groundsman, directorof playing affairs and academy manager, has signed a two-year deal, andwill bring a far lighter touch than Baptiste, whose perceivedinflexibility cost him his job. KwaZulu-Natal reached the SuperSportSeries final in 2003-04, but were thrashed by 108 runs by WesternProvince. They finished eighth in the Standard Bank Cup, and fifth inthe inaugural Standard Bank Pro20 Series.That record prompted Dale Benkenstein to resign the captaincy aftereight years in charge. He has been replaced by 21-year-old Hashim Amla.”I’m ecstatic about that,” Amla said of Russell’s appointment. “He hasso much experience, and I’m really looking forward to working with him.I have the highest admiration and respect for him, and I’m quite surehe’ll do a great job.”

England v Pakistan, NatWest Challenge, Match 3, Lord’s

So, England have won the inaugural NatWest Challenge, and today’sdecider at Lord’s was a fitting finale to an uplifting trio of matches. First and foremost, it’s a memorable start to Michael Vaughan’s reign – he may not have contributed much with the bat, but his attacking approach and calm authority in the field were pivotal to his team’s efforts, and he deservedly becomes the first England captain to win his first series in charge since Adam Hollioake in Sharjah in 1997-98.Nine balls separated England and Pakistan at the end, but in truth, the difference between the sides was much, much less. For if Pakistan had fielded half as well as they bowled, then it would surely have been Rashid Latif lifting the trophy.At this stage of their redevelopments, however, results are less important than resolve. Both sides are rebuilding and inexperienced, which was one of the main reasons why this short series was such fun to watch. Each match had more crash, bang and wallop than a Tom and Jerry cartoon, and it was that very youthful exuberance which brought the games to life. Australia are the only side in the world with a team of grown-ups who have been there, done that and won the trophy: everyone else has to do the best with what they’ve got.England’s victory was an especially sweet moment for Marcus Trescothick and Chris Read, who not only carried England home, but laid their Lord’s ghosts to rest in the process. Trescothick’s 108 was his third century in four ODI innings at Lord’s – but the first time he had ended up on the winning side. For Read, this was his first innings back since that embarrassing infamous blunder against Chris Cairns’s slower ball, two post-World-Cup-reshuffles ago in 1999.But while those two lead England’s celebrations at the start of a new era, you have to feel sorry for Latif. As captain he has restored spirit and unity to the Pakistani cause since the World Cup, and he captained and kept admirably in this series. It was Latif who defused a potentially unpleasant situation by informing the umpires that a slip catch off Jim Troughton had not carried, and it was he who sparked England’s mid-innings collapse with two smart dismissals in quick succession.So it was unfortunate that it was Latif, of all people, who arguably lost the game – and the series – for Pakistan when he spilled a crucial chance off Trescothick late in the piece. But it just goes to show that even the most experienced member of the team can make mistakes. So here’s to youthful exuberance – it’s certainly the way forward. Just ask that spring chicken Darren Gough.Click here for today’s Wisden Bulletin

We have been down this road before – one nil up with two Test matchesto play after an emphatic victory in Galle. Against South Africa lastyear and England in March, however, our form dipped in Kandy and wefailed to capitalise on series winning opportunities. This time wehave to be more ruthless.Quite simply, we have waited too long – it’s been 16 years sinceDuleep Mendis’ side won a Test series against India. We have to followthe lead of the single-minded Australians: be extremely positive andgo for the jugular.We are well aware of what happened against England and South Africa.However, to make sure it doesn’t happen again, we will not be focusingon those results but on the processes that will lead towards successthis time round. If the players concentrate on their specific rolesand responsibilities, then the right result should follow.The 10-wicket win in Galle was very pleasing because, right from theoutset, we were positive, both in terms of the pitch surface, whichhad a generous covering of grass, and in the unprecedented selectionof four fast bowlers.The pitch itself was actually quite dry underneath and, although therewas some extra grass and a little more bounce, it was fairly sluggishin pace. Nevertheless, though we could have batted first, it was anatural decision to bowl first.The bowling itself on the first day was pretty good. On occasions wemay have bowled a little wide of off stump, but we made them strugglefor runs. At lunch they had only scored 16 from 20 overs and at teathey had crawled to 95 for one from 56 overs. This low scoringreflected the good line and length that we bowled.India’s slow progress was crucial because, although we may not havebeen taking as many wickets as we would have liked, we always knewthat a couple of breakthroughs would put them under tremendouspressure. In fact, that’s exactly what happened in the final session,when we nipped out four wickets to end the first day well placed.The second new ball was crucial and the bowling of Dilhara Fernandowas exceptional. In a short space of time he has emphatically provedhis potential. He has tightened his line without compromising on paceand is always going to be dangerous when he gets the ball in the rightareas.There is no doubt that his two wickets at the end of the first daywere crucial and allowed us to spring into action on day two. Then, toget the prize wicket of Sourav Ganguly early on, with an absolutebrute of a delivery, was a real bonus that paved the way for usdismissing them for 187, a total which we were confident ofoverhauling.The batting was a tale of two halves. Runs flowed right from thestart, as the Indian bowlers didn’t help themselves by bowling twosides of the wicket. Crucially, Sanath Jayasuriya capitalised on thatand made them pay dearly.After the dismissal of Sanath the Indian bowlers started to bowlbetter and that made life harder for Kumar Sangakkara. He played andmissed a few times at the start, but he worked really hard and graftedfor his runs, clearly showing that he not only has the talent but alsothe temperament. It’s a good sign when you see a player competing whenhe is not in the best of form and that’s exactly what Kumar did.Having built up a useful lead of 175, we were naturally confident, butalso aware that India had comeback from an even worse situationagainst Australia and had gone on to win.Murali though came into the game more that evening. During the firstinnings he played second fiddle, but in their second dig he used theconditions superbly and was a real handful. Wickets started to fall -seven in fact during the last session, as the pressure snowballed.When you build up such a strong momentum, it is very difficult to stopand I thought we were unlucky to wrap the game up that evening.Kandy should also offer help to the fast bowlers. The Asgiriya squareholds together well and there is some bounce. We will, however, haveto have a good look at the wicket before we decide on the final side.Whatever that is though the key will be carrying on from where we leftoff in Galle by playing positive cricket.

ScorecardKycia Knight and Kyshona Knight celebrate West Indies women’s dramatic win•WICB

A boundary from Kyshona Knight off the final ball of a Super Over sealed a thrilling win for West Indies Women against Pakistan Women in Grenada. Chasing a revised target of 78 from 17 overs, Pakistan were on course for victory at 57 for 3, but a dramatic collapse which included three wickets in the final over, meant that the visitors could only tie the score, allowing West Indies to win the resulting Super Over and seal the series 3-0.West Indies, after being inserted, began poorly, as the team folded for 88 in 19.5 overs. Kyshona’s twin sister Kycia top-scored with 49, but no other batsman was able to manage more than 8, as offspinner Sana Mir collected 4-14 to run through the line-up. Pakistan did not start their innings any better, losing three wickets inside six overs, but Bismah Maroof (30) and Mir (22) chipped in with handy knocks to leave Pakistan within sight of a consolation win. The team needed eight runs off the final over, and looked set to get them when Nida Dar hit the second ball of the over, bowled by Deandra Dottin, for four. However, three wickets off the last three balls, including two consecutive run-outs, helped West Indies force the tie.Pakistan could manage just 3 for 2 in their Super Over, but West Indies found it difficult to overhaul even that score, managing just 2 for 1 from their first five deliveries. However, with two needed for victory off the last ball, Kyshona swung the final ball of the match, from Mir, to the deep mid-wicket boundary to spark wild celebrations among her team-mates.

Graeme Smith and AB de Villiers launched a fierce assault that led South Africa to an eight-wicket victory against tournament favourites Australia in a warm-up match at Centurion. Chasing 180, Smith remained unbeaten on 89 while de Villiers smashed 65 off 35 balls as South Africa overhauled the target with five balls to spare.Smith and Herschelle Gibbs raced off in pursuit of the target, adding 54 for the first wicket in 5.3 overs. Gibbs was bowled by Ben Hilfenhaus but South Africa only gained momentum once de Villiers joined Smith. They added 116 for the second wicket in 12.1 overs. Smith’s 89 took 61 balls and included 11 fours and two sixes while de Villiers smacked four fours and as many sixes. Australia used seven bowlers and Brett Lee – 0 for 14 off two overs – was the most economical of them all.Australia had got off to a poor start against New Zealand yesterday when Shane Bond dismissed Adam Gilchrist and Matthew Hayden in the first over and they struggled once again. Shaun Pollock bowled Gilchrist and Brad Haddin off successive deliveries in the third over to reduce them to 16 for 2. Wickets kept falling at regular intervals and it was left to Andrew Symonds – 45 off 26 balls – and the lower-order batsmen to take Australia to 179. Pollock finished with superb figures of 2 for 16 off three overs and was supported well by Makhaya Ntini who conceded just 17 off his three.An incredible spell from Daren Powell spearheaded West Indies’ 35-run victory against New Zealand in Benoni. Powell took 3 for 4 off four overs as New Zealand were bowled out for 115 in the 19th over while chasing 151 for victory.West Indies’ defence began superbly when Fidel Edwards had Brendon McCullum caught behind off the first ball of the innings. Edwards and Ravi Rampaul didn’t allow New Zealand to get off to a flier but it was Powell who had the decisive impact with his economy and wickets. He had Lou Vincent caught in the fifth over and then dismissed Ross Taylor and Scott Styris in successive overs. New Zealand were 44 for 4 and never recovered. Peter Fulton top scored with 51, and Daniel Vettori, who made 24, was the only other batsman to reach double figures.The West Indian batsmen also struggled earlier. Devon Smith was dismissed by Chris Martin in the second over and Chris Gayle had to retire hurt with the score on 7 after being hit on the side of his right knee by a delivery from Martin. Gayle had suffered a blow in the same area during practice on September 6. However, his going off was only a precautionary measure, and he is expected to be fit for the match against South Africa on Tuesday. Marlon Samuels and Dwayne Bravo also fell cheaply, effectively reducing West Indies to 22 for 4, although only three wickets had fallen. Dwayne Smith propped up the innings with 47 off 46 balls and received support from Narsingh Deonarine and Denesh Ramdin to take West Indies to 150.

A solid opening stand of 94 between Salman Butt and Mohammad Hafeez helped Pakistan ease to a five-wicket win against Sri Lanka at Centurion. Butt scored 51 and Hafeez 45 as Pakistan chased down the target of 163 with more than an over to spare.After being put in to bat, Sri Lanka were off to a good start with Sanath Jayasuriya and Upul Tharanga adding 45 in five overs. Mohammad Asif, who missed the warm-up against Zimbabwe due to a thigh injury, removed Tharanga for 30. Hafeez tied the batsmen down with his offbreaks, conceding 18 off his four overs and picking up two wickets. Sri Lanka lost their way a bit at 80 for 4, before Jehan Mubarak revived the innings, sharing stands of 36 and 41 with Kumar Sangakkara and Tillakaratne Dilshan respectively.Pakistan responded smoothly thanks to Hafeez and Butt as the seamers came in for a bit of stick. The Sri Lankans managed to pick up a few wickets but by then Pakistan were well on course to victory. Shoaib Malik steered his side home with an unbeaten 34.Kenya upset Bangladesh by six wickets with one ball to spare in the second round of warm-up matches in Benoni. A fantastic effort from Kenya’s bowlers dismissed Bangladesh for only 116 and their top order chipped in to achieve the target in the final over.Steve Tikolo’s decision to field paid off when Thomas Odoyo dismissed two of Bangladesh’s big hitters – Nazimuddin and Aftab Ahmed – cheaply. Tamim Iqbal offered resistance during his 56 off 41 balls that included one six, but he got no support from the other end. Aftab’s 17 was the second highest score in an innings where only three batsmen got to double figures. Odoyo’s spell of 2 for 21 swung the advantage Kenya’s way and he was well backed up by Nehemiah Odhiambo, who took 3 for 37, and Lameck Onyango’s 2 for 19.Kenya approached their small target sensibly with the Obuya brothers – David and Collins – adding 41 in eight overs for the first wicket. They kept abreast with the required run-rate and it was Steve Tikolo who provided the acceleration, during his 36 off 28 balls that helped Kenya over the finish line.Zimbabwe scored a five-wicket victory in their warm-up match against Scotland in Potchefstroom. Scotland scored 155 for 6 in their 20 overs and Zimbabwe chased it down with seven balls to spare.Scotland captain Ryan Watson top scored for his team, scoring 64 off 50 balls with five fours and two sixes. He received support from Navdeep Poonia, who scored 36 off 27 balls, and the pair added 83 for the second wicket. Zimbabwe used eight bowlers and Gary Brent returned the best figures with 1 for 20 off three overs.Vusi Sibanda and Chamu Chibhabha scored 42 and 43 respectively and laid a solid platform for Zimbabwe’s chase. They added 79 for the second wicket after Brendan Taylor had fallen cheaply. Stuart Matsikenyeri took Zimbabwe through to victory and remained unbeaten on 25 off 18 balls.

The New Zealand selectors and team management were reportedly unhappy with the fitness of two players – Jesse Ryder and Craig McMillan – during their tour of Australia last month. While McMillan was subsequently axed from New Zealand’s provisional 30-member squad for the ICC Champions Trophy in India owing to weight problems, Ryder got the nod.John Bracewell, the New Zealand coach, confirmed that he wasn’t pleased with Ryder’s fitness during the tour, but reasoned that his consistent scores made him an investment for the future.”That’s moderately fair but it’s a completely separate issue from Craig,” Bracewell told . “Jesse’s 20 [he’s 22] and has only just become involved in our A programme. He scored consistently through this series, whereas Craig had one score. I wouldn’t compare the two. They’re treated separately. Craig’s been on contract for near-on eight years and turned up for a tournament unfit. He should know better.”Ryder, a left-hand opening batsman, was one of the stand-out performers in the Emerging Players tournament in Brisbane, scoring 346 runs in seven matches. He then represented New Zealand A for two matches in the Top End series, scoring a century, and was included in the provisional squad on the strength of the Australian tour and a good domestic season with Wellington. Bracewell said that Ryder is currently undergoing an extensive fitness programme to be in better physical condition before the squad is trimmed down to 14.”We’re working with Jesse to try to get him fit and into some sort of competition condition. At 22 he doesn’t know better yet. Craig does.”On the other key players recovering from injuries, Bracewell stated that Shane Bond, the fast bowler, began his bowling programme two days back. “He (Bond) came through it very well. Jacob Oram and Kyle Mills have started their bowling programmes. Those guys look like they’ll be ready for tournament selection. We’re still not progressing as quickly as we’d like with Michael Mason but as far as those guys go, we’re mostly on target.”

Digicel, the current sponsors of the West Indies team, have expressed “concern and disappointment” over the leaked report recently prepared by Justice Anthony Lucky, the chairman of the sponsorship negotiations review committee. The report – which observed that the Digicel deal could be declared null and void – was handed over to Ken Gordon, the chairman of the board, and was not expected to be made public.Ben Atherton, Digicel’s group marketing director, said in a press release, “We feel that the release of such unofficial reviews and leaked information does not serve the best interest of West Indies cricket or the objectives of the West Indies Cricket Board [WICB] Sponsorship Negotiations Review Committee in helping to move West Indies cricket forward in a positive manner.”We have co-operated to the fullest extent with the Sponsorship Review Committee’s initiative established by the WICB and respectfully await the official review of the committee report by the president of the WICB Mr Ken Gordon and the full board of the WICB.”He added that Digicel had entered the agreement in “good faith”, reaffirming their commitment to support the development of the regional game.”Digicel entered its sponsorship contract with the WICB in good faith with a view to encourage the return of West Indies cricket to its true potential. We are committed to helping West Indies cricket move forward in a positive manner, a development which will be welcomed by all parties and we are offering our support to both the WICB and WIPA [West Indies Players Association].”The release also said that Digicel’s main focus was “providing the necessary resources and support for players and fans to enjoy all of the benefits of the game now and in the future.”

Blessing Mahwire has been left out of Zimbabwe’s side for the second Test against Sri Lanka. Mahwire was reported to the ICC for having a suspect bowling action in the first Test, which Zimbabwe lost by an innings and 240 runs.His place has been taken by Vusi Sibanda, who has played two Tests. That was the only change in the team for the second match, which starts at Bulayawo on May 14. Tatenda Taibu will again lead the side, depleted by the 15 rebel players, and another landslide Sri Lankan victory is expected.Zimbabwe 1 Tatenda Taibu (capt), 2 Dion Ebrahim, 3 Stuart Matsikenyeri, 4 Brendan Taylor 5 Alester Maregwede, 6 Prosper Utseya, 7 Mluleki Nkala, 8 Douglas Hondo, 9 Tinashe Panyangara, 10 Elton Chigumbura, 11 Vusumuzi Sibanda.