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ADELAIDE, Nov 2 AAP – Mark Waugh today shrugged off the disappointment of his Test axing to top-score for New South Wales with a typically free-flowing innings and be named man of the match in a three-wicket ING Cup victory over South Australia at Adelaide Oval.In reply to SA’s 8-246 from its 50 overs, the Blues scored 7-248 from 49.2 overs, with Waugh, who opened the innings, scoring 76 from 87 balls, including 10 boundaries, in his first outing since he announced his retirement from international cricket after being left out of the Australian Test side on Monday.”It was just the usual,” a laidback Waugh told reporters after the game, when asked if he felt under any less pressure batting in the wake of his international retirement.”I played a game, I always enjoy playing for New South Wales in one-dayers. They’re good fun.”We won the game and I made a few runs, so it’s always good fun when that happens.”Waugh’s innings was very nearly over before he faced a ball, when he slipped while attempting to return to his crease after starting a second run, and was almost run out, when fellow opener Corey Richards glanced the opening ball of the match to fine leg.The third umpire ruled him not out after television replays showed he just managed to dive back and just put his bat over the crease.His innings was laced with trademark elegant boundaries off his pads and through the covers, but ended in a soft fashion, backing away to the legside and attempting a cross-bat slog off Jason Gillespie, which only resulted in a simple catch for Ben Johnson at mid-on.But Waugh said he was unconcerned about failing to reach a century.”Not really. It would have been nice to get 100, but the main thing is we won and I hit the ball pretty well,” he said.The other major contributors with the bat for NSW were exciting youngster Michael Clarke, who scored a quickfire 48 from 43 balls, Steve Waugh, who made 47 and Michael Bevan, who scored 46.The Blues looked like cruising to victory at 4-237 in the 47th over, but had to endure some nervous final overs after losing three wickets in the space of eight balls without scoring to slump to 7-237 after 48 overs, before Simon Katich (16 not out) and Stuart MacGill (four not out) steered NSW home.Earlier, Mark Waugh’s replacement in the Australian team, SA skipper Darren Lehmann, was just as impressive, top-scoring with 83 from 99 balls for the Redbacks, eventually being dismissed in the final over of SA’s innings caught in the deep.Former New South Welshman Mark Higgs was SA’s next best batsman with 45 from 38 balls.Nathan Bracken finished with the best bowling figures for the Blues with 3-49, while Glenn McGrath was in typically economical form with 1-28 from 10 overs.Ex-Victorian swing bowler Damien Fleming took 2-41 in his first match for SA, after overcoming a shoulder injury which kept him out of the opening matches of the season.Test paceman Jason Gillespie took 1-36 from 10 overs, but more importantly came through the match untroubled after missing Australia’s past two Tests with a calf strain.”Dizzy looked good,” Lehmann said of Gillespie.”He bowled one poor over, but apart from that he was excellent and came through with flying colours and Fleming did the job we know he can do, get us a wicket with the new ball, which is what we’re after.”Lehmann said he was also happy to get a decent score in his last innings before the opening Ashes Test, starting on Thursday at the Gabba.

New Zealand and South Africa’s Academy sides played out a draw on a slow pitch in Townsville yesterday.New Zealand chose to bat first and struggled to get any momentum to their innings. In the 25 overs to lunch on day one they had scored 51/1 and the wicket lost was an unforced error when Jesse Ryder attempted a second run on a fielder’s error.Shanan Stewart did get some scoring going but Jordan Sheed took 59 balls to get off the mark. Stewart finally succumbed when on 41, attempting to hook South African paceman Alan Kruger only to be bowled off a bottom edge. His innings latest two and a half hours.Rob Nicol tried to fire things up and hit two boundaries early in his innings but when off-spinner Imraan Khan was introduced Nicol attempted to hit a full toss through the off-side only to be caught at point.At tea, New Zealand were 124/3 off 51 overs. Sheed was on 21 and Jamie How nine.Sheed departed just after the interval, for 22, having been bowled by South African captain and medium-pacer Alviro Pieterson.With Joseph Yovich joining How, some short singles and better placement of the ball into gaps finally occurred and they added 55 before Yovich attempted to run the ball past the slip field and played the ball onto his stumps.How took 100 balls and 119 minutes to achieve his half-century but saw Kyle Mills fall leg before wicket to Hashim Amla in the same over. The new ball proved a reviver as How attacked and by stumps he and Stu Mills had added 52 for the seventh wicket.However, day two saw play revert to a slower pace as batsmen attempted to get back in synch with the pitch. How and Mills spent 25 minutes tried to get their partnership going but eventually Kruger denied How his century when he edged a ball to wicket-keeper Thando Bula with his score on 89, his overnight score.Kruger also trapped Iain Robertson leg before wicket in what was definitely a much-tighter bowling line adopted by the South Africans on the second day.By lunch, New Zealand were 319/8 with Mills and Gareth Shaw having added 58 for the ninth wicket.After lunch the pair capitalised on the tiring South African bowlers and achieved an unbroken stand of 124 for the ninth wicket when the declaration was made at 385/8.Amazingly, New Zealand were required to open their bowling with an old ball as no new ball was available. That didn’t deter Kyle Mills however, as he induced an edge from Gerhard Strydom which was taken by How in the slips.By tea South Africa were 52/1 after 15 overs. However, after tea off-spinner Jeetan Patel had Pieterson caught at mid-off.Khan faced a fiery spell from Mark Gillespie but survived and after 25 overs New Zealand asked to change the old ball. Khan played with much more confidence and posted a half century off 96 balls but the 102-run partnership with James Schorn was ended when Schorn was leg before wicket for 44 by Gillespie and then Khan’s choice of a second run off a leg bye proved fatal when he couldn’t beat How’s throw. He was run out for 86 scored off 140 balls.By stumps on day two, Amla and Davey Jacobs had taken the side to 180/4.Conditions were perfect on the third day, a fact appreciated by the two batsmen who had as their immediate target avoiding the follow-on mark of 235. Jacobs was especially effective when hitting Patel to the long-on boundary or pulling the pace bowlers in and over square leg.However, when they had added 52, Amla attempted a cut shot against Patel and was caught by wicket-keeper Stu Mills.Jacobs was undaunted and after he brought up his half-century off 62 balls, the South Africans declared 142 runs behind. Eighty overs minimum remained to be bowled.New Zealand went out aggressively with Ryder thriving on the challenge. Forty runs were scored off eight overs but Stewart was caught at mid-wicket off Kruger and just before lunch Ryder was caught at mid-on having his 43 off 33 balls. New Zealand were 73/2.How scored a half-century off 52 balls before ending his run-a-minute innings when suffering a communication error with Nicol and was run out. Nicol and Sheed batted through until a declaration was made leaving South Africa 297 to score off 50 overs.The South African chase didn’t start well as both openers were gone after only seven balls had been bowled. Schorn drove at Yovich but merely edged to How in the slips while Strydom offered a leg-side chance to Mills from Kyle Mills’ bowling.Mills also picked up Amla to have South Africa struggling at 26/3 after nine overs.New Zealand dangled the bait and Pieterson and Jacobs attacked and scored half-centuries as they scored at run-a-ball pace. But Mills came back and removed both of them with Jacobs caught at mid-off and Pieterson trapped leg before wicket. He scored 85 off 91 balls while Jacobs scored 52 off 55.Ryan McLaren fell to a full toss from Patel and was the sixth wicket down when trapped leg before wicket but the lower order batted out for the draw with South Africa 41 runs short of their target.Mills did best of the New Zealand bowlers taking four for 44 from his 10 overs.

As one who has worn many hats in Barbados’ and West Indies’ cricket, David Holford appreciates the importance of the junior coaching programmes at some of the island’s clubs.At the senior level we have to compete with people who are all coached, said the former Barbados captain, West Indies all-rounder, team manager and chief selector and current Spartan Club president and chairman of the Barbados Cricket Association’s Cricket Development Committee.In Australia, England, South Africa, the kids are coached from an early age and they become more technically proficient than our guys, who tend to be natural players.They, through the well-structured coaching programmes, are able to develop players who don’t have the natural talent that we do, but they end up with the discipline that comes from the coaching programme.It is important for us, if we are going to compete at the highest level, to make sure that we equip our players technically to deal with all the different situations that they may encounter.That’s why clubs like Spartan are providing the opportunities for young children between ages five and 14 to have the benefit of quality coaching from some of the island’s eminent coaches.Alvin Greenidge, Ezra Moseley, Roddy Estwick, Dexter Toppin, all highly rated by many observers, are among those involved in Spartan’s programme. Second vice-president Ron Greenidge, Teddy Foster and Sylvan Stoute also lend a hand and from time to time, there is assistance from Philo Wallace and Livy Puckerin, two of the club’s current players.But it was George Linton and Jeffrey Mascoll who were instrumental in getting things going in 1999.Neither is available today because of other commitments, but they laid the groundwork for the success of the programme which was reorganised in 2000 to include the addition of the professional coaches.Holford also mentioned two characteristics which were also spoken of when we featured Wanderers and Richard Straker’s Northern Cricketers high interest in participation and lack of adequate facilities.After about a year, we started getting a lot of kids, the Spartan president said.From a start-up number of 50, the register rose to about 200 at one point. About 150 are now active, but the average session would have about 80 to 90 boys.Like other programmes, Spartan have had to turn back people and inevitably, there are challenges in managing it.It is fairly difficult. One of the things lacking in Barbados is cricket facilities. We do the best we can with what’s available here in Queen’s Park, Holford said.The club, however, is trying to develop some practice pitches in the north-eastern corner of the ground.We need some more facilities. There really is not enough room, not enough wickets to cater to that number of boys. They keep coming all the time and it’s difficult to refuse them.As Holford spoke, there were four sets in sessions taking place on the field. The one on the main pitch was supervised by Wallace.A lot has been said about players not putting back anything into cricket, said the experienced Spartan and Barbados opening batsman. I am one of those players who is prepared once I have the time to come out and put in a big effort in terms of developing the cricket. There is no better age than to do it at this junior age.Wallace also spoke of the enthusiasm he saw among the kids.It’s nice to see that you are asking players to do something and you can see them trying to do it. That is very pleasing, he said. People are saying that our cricket is dying and the talent is not there, but there is loads of talent at this junior level. All we need to do is harness it some more and try to develop that talent.In the north-eastern corner, there was another group, under the guidance of Estwick. Among them were Jason Simmons and Shane Dowrich, two ten-year-olds from West Terrace Primary.I love cricket, Simmons said when he was asked why he joined the programme. When I came here two years ago I was throwing, but now I can bowl.The confident Dowrich, who claims to be a batsman, bowler and wicket-keeper, has big goals.I want to be like Martin Nurse. I want to play cricket for Barbados at the age of 16, he said.Holford has a suggestion that will help those like Simmons and Dowrich improve even more: a competition among those clubs with these programmes.In the past, Spartan played matches against Wanderers and Windward on an informal basis.What is lacking now is a competition for the youngsters. That is what we need to fit into the whole structure, Holford added.It’s one thing to show guys how to play and it’s another to need a platform where they can go and exhibit what they have learnt and learn more from the game situation.

A One-Day International championship table appears to be set to emerge from the International Cricket Council meeting in London next week.A committee of the ICC has been working on the table and a report is expected to be put before the meeting that could see the table in place before this year’s ICC Champions Trophy tournament in Sri Lanka.Because of the rapidly-changing nature of teams involved in one-day matches the system is likely to be based on the results of the last two years, and not reaching as far back as the Test table does.Another important issue to be discussed is how the future tours programme can cater for cancelled tours, especially those where reasons for withdrawal are not as clear cut as those which have faced New Zealand in Pakistan recently, and Australia in Zimbabwe before that.It is understood the ICC will be looking to try and set in place rules which do not allow countries to pull out of tours that they shouldn’t.Some guidelines for use of independent and neutral venues, such as that recently completed in Tangiers in Morocco, will also be discussed.Code of conduct issues relating from the Condon Report on Corruption are expected to be implemented by the meeting.A video to educate players on corruption is being prepared while issues relating to regional security managers, the minimum requirements for access to players’ areas and contractual clauses in player contracts will also be discussed.Security issues which have long been sought by the players are also expected to be implemented with minimum standards applying to all countries. As part of this there will also be discussion of the use of video screens at grounds and their ability to upset spectators and put players at risk from spectator over-reaction.A discussion paper on the procedures relating to the reporting of players with unfair bowling actions is also likely to produce some debate as the result of dissatisfaction having been expressed about the process as it stands at the moment.The after-effects of what are described as quite revolutionary technology changes being implemented for the ICC Champions Trophy tournament will be discussed along with what might happen after the tournament where the changes are successful or otherwise.Bonus points as they apply in One-Day International series will also be on the agenda.

Canterbury Cricket is still on the lookout for the most suitable venue for its secondary venue for first-class matches.While Jade Stadium was still extremely important to Canterbury Cricket, and always would be, according to Canterbury Cricket Association chairman David Shackleton, a permanent secondary ground was necessary.That ground was not going to be the Village Green at QEII Park. While agreement has been reached with the Christchurch City Council over the provision of a permanent building at the Village Green, the Association was looking for another facility, including possibly somewhere at Hagley Park.”This will be given a great deal of focus over the next few months,” Shackleton said.While it had been disappointing not to reverse the trend of financial losses suffered by the Association over recent years, the fact that the meeting was being held at the new indoor facility and offices was a significant triumph for the Association and a landmark in its development.With all the issues that were facing the Association it had been fortunate to hold the loss to what it was at $54,231, he said.The Association was budgeting to breakeven next year but even if that was achieved it was still not good enough.Shackleton said the issue of finances of the Associations had been discussed after last weekend’s annual general meeting of New Zealand Cricket (NZC) and there had been a good deal of debate. NZC were concerned about the situation for the Associations and Shackleton said they would be holding a review once the World Cup had been completed next year.It was hoped that some of the share of income from the World Cup would be used to assist the Associations in stabilising their costs.Club delegate Peter Crowhen raised concerns over the Association’s cashflow situation and board member Steve Riddell said cashflow was a key issue for the board and the fact the new facility was up and running was one of the contributing factors to the cashflow, but a number of decisions made by the board had been with a view to the next four or five years.In the vote for two board positions resulting from Trevor Luke facing re-election by rotation and Anne Urlwin standing down, Luke was returned along with Mike Satterthwaite from Canterbury Country.Former New Zealand Cricket Council member Brian Adams was elected president after Brian Hastings completed his four year term of office.Riccarton Cricket Club delegate Tim Murdoch raised a constitutional point in general business when suggesting the constitution was at fault in not requiring the Association’s board selection panel to meet and interview potential board members before nominations were received.It was a weakness in the system of appointment and did not assist delegates to the annual meeting in making their selection.

The following will represent Zimbabwe A in a 3-day warm-up match against the touring Indian team, which arrives here on 25 May 2001. The match will be played from 28 to 30 May at Mutare Sports Club, Mutare

• GAVIN RENNIE (CAPTAIN)
• HAMILTON MASAKADZA
• DION EBRAHIM
• CRAIG WISHART
• CRAIG EVANS
• DIRK VILJOEN
• TATENDA TAIBU
• TRAVIS FRIEND
• BRIAN MURPHY
• DAVID MUTENDERA
• BRYAN STRANG
• STUART MATSIKENYIRE (12TH MAN)
• KISHORE GOKAL (MANAGER)
• BRADLEY ROBINSON (PHYSIOTHERAPIST)
  

In yet another demonstration of selectorial indecision, Graeme Smith has been called up to join a South African squad that now numbers 14 for the fourth Standard Bank one-day international against Australia in Bloemfontein on Saturday.The squad for Saturday’s game was originally due to be announced on Wednesday after the third ODI in Potchefstroom, a match that ended in a tie thus preserving Australia’s 2-0 lead in the seven-match series. This squad was also intended to serve for the remaining four games in the series.Instead the selectors have now added Smith to the original squad of 13, saying that it will be "re-assessed" after Bloemfontein for the last three games. The only conclusion to be drawn from all this is that at this point the selectors have no real idea of what is broken in the South African team and even less clue as how to fix it.In Potchefstroom South Africa dropped opener Gary Kirsten and fast bowler Roger Telemachus, bringing in all-rounder Andrew Hall and Neil McKenzie to bat at number four. The inclusion of McKenzie pushed Boeta Dippenaar, the only top or middle order to show any sort of form in the first two ODIs.Predictably enough Dippenaar failed in Potchefstroom as, for the third time, did Herschelle Gibbs. Smith, meanwhile, has opened the batting all season for Western Province and went in at three for South Africa in the second and third Test matches with Jacques Kallis dropping down to four.If Smith is to open in Bloemfontein in place of Gibbs then why, it has to be asked, has Gibbs (and Kirsten for that matter) been retained? By naming a squad of 14 just two days before a match the selectors appear to be saying that they’re still not sure of what 11 they intend to field on Saturday.The common sense approach, surely, would have been to name an 11 or, at most, a 12 and then, if necessary, "re-assess" for the last three games.With less than a year to go before the World Cup, it is clear that no long-term vision or plan has yet emerged. The only cause for optimism at the moment comes from the news this week that the original tenure granted to the selectors until after the World Cup has been rescinded and that a new panel will be elected at the United Cricket Board’s annual meeting in August.Whether that will be too late to make sense of the current confusion that surrounds the South African team remains to be seen.The squad is: Shaun Pollock, Nicky Boje, Mark Boucher, Boeta Dippenaar, Herschelle Gibbs, Andrew Hall, Jacques Kallis, Gary Kirsten, Lance Klusener, Neil McKenzie, Makhaya Ntini, Jonty Rhodes, Graeme Smith, Roger Telemachus.Smith has been replaced in the SA ‘A’ team to play India ‘A’ in Kimberley from March 30-Apirl 2 by Griqualand West batsman Loots Bosman. Bosman’s place as12th Man in that team has been taken by his Griqualand West team-mate ZahirAbrahim.

And so Mohd Azharuddin has finally come out with guns blazing. Therewere times, while he was batting, that fielders had to run helterskelter, unable to stop the fusillade of shots hit by the wristyHyderabadi artist. Now it would appear that is the turn of hisdetractors, officials and one time cricketing colleagues in the fieldto feel the heat of his sudden and vicious counter attack.The besieged former Indian captain, who turns 38 next month, wasobviously biding his time to strike back. Now, in his first interviewafter being slapped with a life ban by the Board of Control forCricket in India for his alleged role in the match fixing scandal,Azharuddin has hit out at cricketers like Sunil Gavaskar, Ravi Shastriand Vinod Kambli, who played alongside him through the eighties andnineties. According to him, cricketers from Mumbai – as indeed all thethree are – have been able to get away with wrongdoing without being”investigated properly.”Azharuddin has made certain specific charges. “Nobody talks of the Rs70 lakh in cash found in Sunil Gavaskar’s Gymkhana locker. What aboutRavi Shastri’s Ali Bagh farmhouse and other costly properties? How didVinod Kambli lose his money from a locker?” These are the allegationsthat he has made in the interview to a national news weekly.To an extent, he may have a point. Initially, when news filteredthrough about the huge sum of money in Gavaskar’s locker, eyebrowswere raised and the tremors were felt well beyond the club. But thensomehow there just did not appear to be much of a follow up on whatwas clearly a matter of some controversy. Then came news of Kambli’smoney stolen from a locker and there did not seem to be a satisfactoryexplanation about this too. Shastri’s farmhouse also went off theheadlines as quickly as it made them.But thereafter much of his aim has gone awry. He exhibits eitherignorance or arrogance. Accusing people of targeting him because theyare jealous of his achievements, making uncharitable comments aboutSachin Tendulkar (which are not true in any case), his initialreaction to the CBI report (“I took the report as any otherblackmailing tactic”), and his talk about a “malicious campaign”against him when he was made captain (“the present BCCI president ACMuthiah opposed my candidature”) are all counter allegations thatshow him to be unrepentant. This can win him no new converts and hemust remember that right now he does not have many friends in thecricketing world anyway.Azharuddin says he is still hopeful of starting his cricket academyand making a comeback to play his 100th Test. “But before steppingout into the public, I want to clear my name, as I have beenwronged,” he says. One wonders how many will buy this speciousargument.During his playing days, Azharuddin was equally dexterous playing offthe front and back foot. So off the field too he has decided to attackon two fronts. Even while going on the counter attack against hisfellow cricketers, he has decided to take on the BCCI and will soonchallenge in the Andhra Pradesh High Court the life ban imposed on himfor his alleged involvement in the match fixing scandal.His advocate HR Bhardwaj has said that the writ petition in thisregard, seeking quashing of the life ban has been finalised and wouldbe filed in the high court. According to him, the main ground to betaken before the court in the petition would be to question the legalvalue of the CBI report. “The CBI followed no established procedurewhile conducting the probe,” said Bhardwaj and added “the CBI reporton betting and match fixing was neither an investigation nor a properinquiry.” Obviously if Azharuddin wants to commence a furious counterattack, he has found the right lawyer. When told that the BCCIdecision was handed down after the board anti corruption commissionerK Madhavan endorsed the findings of the CBI report, Bhardwaj is quotedto have said “Mr Madhavan was nobody to conduct the inquiry. He hadno jurisdiction to take up such a probe. It is only the cricket boardwhich is authorised to conduct the probe, hence the punishment givento Azharuddin is illegal.”The BCCI however has remained unfazed by such strong words. Boardofficials have said that they were not worried over the threat byAzharuddin to challenge the life ban in court. Board executivesecretary, Sharad Diwadkar, said on Friday that “BCCI is not worriedover the matter. We appointed Madhavan to look into the betting andmatch-fixing scam apart from hiring the services of a few advocatesand I think they will do the needful.”The irrepressible JY Lele is not to be left behind. “How can theplayers deny that they had no connections with bookmakers,” asked theBoard secretary. He added that the CBI report had proved there was anexus between the players and bookmakers. “The code of conductclearly states that there should be no connection between players andbookmakers. As the players have violated that code, we have slappedthe ban on them,” said Lele.The BCCI secretary also said that the BCCI had taken opinions fromlegal luminaries before proceeding with the decision to ban theplayers. “The attorney general of India was sitting next to Muthiah(Board president) when we took the decision and he had expressed theopinion that the ban cannot be challenged in any court.” And theBoard will undoubtedly be encouraged to know that some leading lawyersin Mumbai have expressed the view that it was well within the BCCI’sright to impose life ban on any cricketer if it feels that aparticular player has violated the terms of contract with them.There was those who thought that with the ban imposed by the BCCI onDecember 5, the dust had finally settled down on the controversy. Onthe contrary the “fun and games” may just be beginning. Watch thisspace for the next episode.

Despite a determined innings of 73 from captain Stephen Fleming, Middlesex were beaten by 71-runs to end their interest in this year’s competition.The New Zealand captain faced 108 deliveries and hit seven boundaries but found little support from his colleagues with the 22 from Paul Weekes being the chief contributor.The pair put on 55 for the fourth wicket in a watchful 18 overs before Weekes was stumped but thereon, Middlesex failed to provide any support for the impressive Fleming whose authority was the day’s highlight.Six wickets fell in 12 overs including that of Fleming whose one man effort ended when he gave a return catch off a leading edge to off-spinner Tim Mason and with his dismissal went his county’s hopes. Mason also claimed two further wickets to finish a commendable performance with 3-40.Earlier, the home side’s batsmen displayed a level of consistency throughout the order that Fleming would have desired. Although opening batsmen Darren Robinson had been dismissed for a duck for the second time in successive matches, six Essex batsmen weighed in with useful contributions.Stephen Peters, 48, acted as the backbone for his side, being involved in two valuable partnerships before being trapped lbw to end an eighth wicket partnership of 53 in eight overs with Ashley Cowan that gave the innings the required substance. Cowan made 45 runs from 47 balls in a breezy innings that bolstered Peters’ efforts, before being bowled by Chad Keegan off the final ball of the innings to give the bowler his third wicket.

Mark Greatbatch has been named the coach of the State Central Stags for the next two years.He replaces Dipak Patel who resigned at the end of the last season.Greatbatch takes up his new position on June 1. He was previously CD’s coaching director.A distinguished New Zealand batsman in his playing career, Greatbatch scored 2021 runs at 30.62 in his 41-Test career and 2206 runs in 84 One-Day Internationals.He has been CD’s coaching director since retiring at the end of the 1998 season. He has been coaching the CD Under-19 team and the CD Provincial ‘A’ team, while in the last year he had coached the New Zealand Under-19 team at the ICC Under-19 World Cup in New Zealand.With the position being full-time, Greatbatch is looking forward to working with the CD squad throughout the winter and then utilising his team strategy skills during the cricket season, CD chief executive Blair Furlong said.”Central Districts looks forward to next season with high expectations of success with Mark at the helm,” he said.With this appointment CD will immediately advertise to replace Greatbatch as coaching director.