Opening batsman Khalid Latif hit an unbeaten 101 as Karachi Dolphins defeated Karachi Zebras by seven wickets in their first-round Gold League match of the 2006-07 ABN-AMRO Cup at the United Bank Limited Sports Complex.Khalid scored the second hundred of his List A career. He faced 135 balls and hit five fours and three sixes, as the Dolphins chased the Zebras’ 203 with 19 balls to spare.With Wajihuddin, Khalid gave his team a 98-run start in 25 overs. Wajihuddin scored 54 off 83 balls with seven fours. Fawad Alam contributed an unbeaten 23 off 27 to an unbroken 74-run stand for the fourth wicket with Khalid.Earlier, offspinner Atif Maqbool had the Zebras down at 89 for 5 in the 27th over after they had decided to bat. Saeed Bin Nasir, with 84 runs off 132 balls with seven fours and a six, steadied the innings.Karachi Zebras will now play their second-round match against Rawalpindi Rams at the Asghar Ali Shah Stadium on Wednesday. The Dolphins will return to action in the third round on Friday.Last season’s runners-up Lahore Eagles registered a comfortable 79-run win over Rawalpindi Rams in their Gold League match at the National Bank of Pakistan Sports Complex Stadium.Lahore prospered after being put in and scored 270 for 9. Rawalpindi were bowled out for 191 in 40.4 overs. Lahore’s innings was powered by strong top-order contributions. Arsalan Mir hammered a 42-ball 60 at number seven with eight fours and two sixes. Earlier, Aamer Sajjad had scored 61 off 82 balls with five boundaries.Kamran Sajid contributed 44 off 58 balls with two fours while opener Nasir Jamshed took just 41 balls to make 36. After a 54-run second-wicket stand between Babar Naeem and Mohammad Wasim, the captain, Rawalpindi lost wickets at regular intervals and were dismissed well short of the target.Naved Ashraf, who came in at 75 for 3 in the 13th over, stayed till the end scoring an unbeaten 64 off 73 balls with four fours and two sixes. Lahore’s fast bowler Junaid Zia stood out with figures of 3 for 36 in his 10 overs.Although they lost six wickets while chasing a target of 207, Sialkot Stallions completed a four-wicket win over Peshawar Panthers without fuss at the National Stadium. Peshawar were asked to bat first and Sialkot restricted them to a score of 206 for 7. Sialkot achieved the target in 46.1 overs.Former Test batsman Qaiser Abbas set the tone for Sialkot’s chase. He top-scored with 69 off 106 balls with seven fours. The rest of the batsmen made useful contributions till the end.Earlier in the day, Peshawar had slumped to 72 for 5 in the first 25 overs. It took a 71-run sixth-wicket stand to help them recover. Wicketkeeper Zulfiqar Jan hammered 76 off 78 balls with six fours and three sixes. Mohammad Fayyaz made 48 off 58 deliveries with three fours and a six.Sialkot Stallions will now meet Lahore Eagles at the National Bank of Pakistan Sports Complex Stadium in a second-round match on Wednesday. On the same day, Peshawar Panthers will play defending champions Faisalabad Wolves here at the National Stadium.

Ed Joyce, who starred for Ireland when they qualified for the World Cup, hopes his inside knowledge of the team will give England an edge when they meet Ireland on Friday. Joyce said Ireland were a better all-round unit than some people gave them credit for but England should win by “keeping it simple”.Joyce made two centuries for Ireland in the 2005 ICC Trophy, ensuring the team’s place in the Caribbean. He is now in strong form for England, having made 66 and 75 in the last two group matches against Canada and Kenya.Joyce said his familiarity with England’s next opponents could come in handy. “I have told team analyst Mark Garaway a little bit,” he said on . “I know 11 or 12 of the Irish guys pretty well but there are couple who have come in who I haven’t seen very much of.”I will be able to help out with a few tips but you have to keep things pretty basic against most teams whether you are playing against Australia or against Ireland so I think we’re going to be keeping it pretty simple. Ireland play as a unit very well, they field very well, they bowl as a unit and they’ve got a lot of medium-pacers and spinners who bowl very straight. They bat all the way down to number 10.”Joyce was pleased at Ireland’s success – they made it to the Super Eights with a win over Pakistan and a tie with Zimbabwe – but hoped any further progress would not be at England’s expense. “You want to peak at the right time in these tournaments and we’d like to think we are getting there after the first match,” Joyce said.Adrian Birrell, the Ireland coach, said Joyce had been a great servant of Irish cricket but his history with the two teams would not give England too large an advantage. “We owe a big thank to Joyce for helping us through to the World Cup and look forward to playing against him,” Birrell said.”I am sure he knows all our players, but we also know their players and other players from all the countries. I think with a lot of video available on all teams it’s not a huge advantage, it certainly does help.”Birrell said his side had nothing to lose now they had reaching the Super Eights. “We know all the pressure is on England, they need to beat us to get to the semis,” he said. “They are not carrying any points and if they don’t pick two against us then they are under pressure.”

Following New Zealand’s exit from the World Cup semi-final, Stephen Fleming, the Test captain, is hopeful their coach John Bracewell will stay on after his contract expires next month. “I think Braces should stay on, I think he’s a fine coach, he’s worked well with this side,” Fleming said in The Press.Bracewell, who is expected to submit a detailed performance appraisal of the squad to New Zealand Cricket (NZC), said a review of the World Cup campaign would determine his future. He was recently under-fire from Martin Crowe, the former New Zealand captain, who suggested that he should resign.However, Bracewell hasn’t given any indication he would join the mass exodus of international coaches and said the priority would be to sort out the player contracts for the forthcoming season. “Once we’ve gone through that review process I’ll make that decision on whether to continue, or that decision will be made for me,” Bracewell told .”Ric Charlesworth [the NZC high performance manager] has a lot of things on the table when we get back in terms of the development plan. We have a month of hard cricket ahead of us, not in terms of playing, but players’ contracts have to be sorted out. There’s a lot of work to do.”New Zealand impressed through the group stages but faltered towards the end of the event. They were exposed in all departments in the semi-final against Sri Lanka, raising questions about their ability to lift their performance in knock-out games. This was their fifth semi-final loss in World Cup history.Though NZC were non committal on Bracewell’s future, Justin Vaughan, the newly-appointed chief executive, was also hopeful that he would continue. He said the off-season would be ideal time for the players to reflect on their performances. “They have been going at it since the series against Sri Lanka in December so they deserve the chance to sit back and reflect on things,” Vaughan said.Reflecting on his side’s showing in the tournament, Bracewell said they had performed above expectations, but admitted they were completely undone by a far superior side in the semi-final. “We were as well prepared as any side that’s has been put together,” he said. “We really have to put our hands up and say we didn’t perform on the day. A good dose of Test cricket will do us the world of good – players like Ross Taylor and Peter Fulton need it to continue their development.”

Chaos reigned supreme at Bangalore’s Chinnaswamy Stadium on Monday. The day before the Afro-Asia Twenty20 game there were few signs of an impending intercontinental battle; the promised press conference got cancelled; half of the Asian team haven’t arrived yet and one look at the African team sheet indicated they could be lambs thrown to the wolves.On paper it’s a major mismatch: A bunch of eager-eyed, almost anonymous Africans face up to a team of Asian giants starring Shahid Afridi, among others. However, the nature of the Twenty20 game offers hope. So believes Gulam Bodi, the vice-captain of the African squad. “It’s Twenty20 cricket after all and funny things happen there,” Bodi told Cricinfo. “To be honest, we are playing as men against men. We are not playing any names. We will go out there and put our ability to the best utility.”His bullishness is shared by Morne Morkel, the tall fast bowler from South Africa who ripped apart the Indian line-up in a tour game in Potchefstroom last year. “Yes, there are big players like Afridi but the basics of the game still remain the same. If we can get it in the right areas, anything can happen.”Morkel can also take heart from the pitch, which from the grassy surface looks as if it will offer bounce and pace. The KSCA have roped in the services of curators Blair Christiansen and Bede O’Connell, from the New Zealand Turf Institute, to oversee the preparation of the two pitches.Christiansen, who was approached a month ago by the authorities, has been at work here for the past 11 days. “We have changed the soil type from the traditional mixture of red soil and local soil”, he said while explaining the work done. “We have changed it to high clay content and put more grass on the track to allow the pace to come off the grass rather than the soil.”Given that it’s a virgin track, will it be a disadvantage? “Yes, a little”, he conceded. “But then there has always to be a first. I don’t see any major hiccups. The pitch should play to expectations.”Pitch apart, the Africans could benefit from any sign of complacency or overconfidence among their opponents. Whether it’s the the chaotic organizing process or general laxity many of the squad hadn’t landed in Bangalore till Monday evening. They will have a nets session on the match-day morning and head straight into the game. Roger Binny, the coach of the Asian team, appeared relaxed. “It’s just a one-off Twenty-20 game”, he said, “the real thing is the one-day internationals after that.”His offhand statement mirrored the enthusiasm – or lack of it – among Bangalore’s cricket-loving public. The turnout for tomorrow’s match isn’t expected to break any records – not even after the KSCA’s offer of a free ticket along with every one bought for Wednesday’s one-day international.Bodi sees more stakes in it than that. “It’s not about going out there and having a blast. We have played a lot of Twenty20 back home. The basics still remain the same. There is no use going bang-bang-bang. The first six-seven overs you play around, keeping wickets in hand and then you hit the accelerator. A score of even 180 is possible.”Bodi, who was born in Gujarat before emigrating to South Africa 17 years ago, spoke of the pride among his team-mates. “There is a good vibe in the team, it’s a great honour and privilege for us to be here. We just landed this morning and the boys are tired but they are still very enthusiastic about playing the big stars.”They have a point to prove, they are eager to play in front of the big crowds and take this great experience back home. There are a few youngsters in the team but they aren’t daunted. All of us are just looking to go out there and play our best cricket.”It’s that basic instinct that offers the best shot at a competitive game tomorrow. The weather could be a problem – this is the time of evening showers – and the curators are concerned. “We have covered the pitch and rain has done no damage so far. We can only hope we won’t have any further rain”, said Christiansen. At every level, this match operates on a wing and a prayer.

Muttiah Muralitharan, Chaminda Vaas, and Kumar Sangakkara, currently playing county cricket in England, will be available for selection for the home Test series against Bangladesh.Ashantha de Mel, Sri Lanka Cricket’s chairman of selectors, said the selectors wanted to look at every angle before they decided on the squad. The availability of the three senior players, de Mel said, meant that Sri Lanka would have a well-balanced squad for the series. Murali, playing for Lancashire, Vaas for Middlesex, and Sangakkara for Warwickshire, will miss the Afro-Asia Cup, hosted by India in early June, due to their county commitments.Meanwhile,the venue for the first Test in Colombo, starting June 25, has been moved from R Premadasa Stadium to the Sinhalese Sports Club Ground. The second Test will be played at the P Saravanamuttu Stadium in Colombo from July 3 to 7 and the third at Kandy’s Asgiriya Stadium from July 11 to 15.

Sri Lanka are eyeing Jonty Rhodes and Greg Blewett as assistant coach to newly appointed head coach Trevor Bayliss.Rumesh Ratnayake, the former fast bowler, was offered the position but turned it down citing personal reasons, thus sparking the search for another name.”We were looking up to Rumesh with the future in mind, but now that he is unavailable we have to weigh our options,” a Sri Lanka Cricket spokesman was reported as saying by . “Rhodes and Blewett are two names that will be approached because we want someone whose speciality was fielding.”Rhodes was regarded as one of the world’s best fielders during his 11-year career that ended in 2003 after 52 Tests and 245 one-day internationals. He worked briefly with Pakistan last year and has been working with the South African national side since.Blewett played 46 Tests and 32 one-dayers for Australia from 1995 to 2000 before retiring from first-class cricket last month.Bayliss, former New South Wales coach, is due to take over as Sri Lanka coach from August, after Tom Moody decided not to stay on and return to Western Australia. Trevor Penney, Moody’s assistant, is in temporary charge of the side before he too goes to Western Australia.

Trevor Bayliss, Sri Lanka’s new coach, believes that his teams attacking style of cricket would suit them in the upcoming Twenty20 World Championship in South Africa.”Sri Lanka hasn’t played a lot of Twenty20 cricket. But the style of cricket they play can be suited to the Twenty20 game. Sri Lanka is a team that plays an attacking style of the game. With a bit of experience and playing a few practice games, I am hoping the players can learn fairly quickly. I’m confident that we can give a good showing.”Bayliss who coached New South Wales before taking up the Sri Lanka job, had his first session with the national team today.”They are a bright bunch of guys and very friendly people. Before we came here everyone was telling us how good these guys were, lovely people, hard trainers and hard workers. Certainly that’s what we got this morning. I am looking forward to working with them.””The opportunity to coach an international team and also a very successful one at that, was no contest. It’s a dream, I suppose, where you can reach the top in whatever endeavours that you try. I am very happy and honoured that I’ve been given the opportunity to coach the Sri Lankan cricket team,” Bayliss said.Bayliss admitted that he had spoken to Tom Moody, whom he succeeded as coach, on several occasions. “We have got a fairly similar views on the way cricket should be played and the way it should be taken forward. Not a lot will change in the process. Sri Lanka has been very successful in their last 18 months. I don’t want to change too much but continue along those lines. If one or two small things come up we will make the appropriate changes”.”Tom’s opinion of the team was that they were a bunch of guys, very talented, easy to work with and easy to talk to. They play an attacking style of cricket similar to Australia. From that point of view and coming from Australia, there won’t be a big change in the way we are going,” Bayliss said, adding that he would be quite happy for the selectors to select the team and for him to coach it.”Before the match starts, Mahela (Jayawardene) and I will be able to give our views. The attitude I had in New South Wales when I was coaching was the same thing. I didn’t actually have a vote on the selections, but the one rule we put in place for the players was that there should be no whinging. Whatever you have been dealt, just get on with it.”Along with Bayliss, assistant coach Paul Farbrace and trainer Jade Roberts also had an interaction with the media.Bayliss, who had a hand in the appointment of Farbrace, said: “Paul is a coach who knows his stuff and is a very hard worker. He is also a guy whom I will be able to get on with. He’s probably got a similar personality and similar views on the way the game should be played. I think it is important that the two of us should work together.”Farbrace, who was the coaching director at Kent before joining the Sri Lanka team, was upbeat about his new job. “To work with Trevor and the other guys here, it really wasn’t a contest. It’s an exciting opportunity. You don’t very often get the chance to work with exciting teams who are playing good cricket.””Normally in sport you go with things like ‘perhaps I am doing well’ but that’s when things change. This time it is an opportunity to handle a side and an excellent set up. I really want to get into and get stuck in.”Roberts, who is also a dietician, said he would rely on the players to be professional. “I’ve talked to the guys and my opinion is they are a very professional outfit. It’s really upto them.”The three newcomers will join physio Tommy Simsek in the support staff. Simsek is the only remaining member of the Sri Lanka coaching staff from the 2007 World Cup.

What were we thinking? A photo of Graeme Smith on the back of a Harley-Davidson was, we thought, innocent enough. But clearly we underestimated the talents, for want of a better word, of our venerable readership.Of the hundreds of entries, we had a difficult time choosing the winners. It was equally tricky finding those we could publish, too, but fortunately found three from Martin Morrey, Navneeth Santhanam and Stewart Robertson (see below).Navneeth Santhanam
Martin Morrey
Congratulations to all three. Copies of Harry Thompson’s and Lawrence Booth’s will be winging their way to you shortly.

India received a further jolt at the end of the Old Trafford one-day international with news that Zaheer Khan had twisted his ankle while batting. It was a potential knockout blow for India after the three-wicket loss left them trailing the seven-match series 3-1.Zaheer, India’s bowling spearhead throughout the tour, suffered the injury to his left ankle during his cameo of 20 from 19 balls. He pushed the final ball of the 47th over to the off side but pulled up as he reached the other end. He did not show any signs of discomfort during his first bowling spell but struggled when he returned for his final three overs.”He came through fine and got through the game,” Rahul Dravid said about the injury. “Now it’s a question of waiting and watching, seeing how it is in the morning and putting some ice on it. We have got a couple of days [before the next match] and it’s a good sign for us that he went through the game and bowled. It might be a bit sore after the game.”Zaheer has put in the most number of overs (228.2) among the Indian bowlers so far on this tour. He had suffered a groin strain before the start of the tour but came through the Tests, ending it as the Man of the Series. He missed the second ODI at Bristol due to a bout of flu but recovered to take part in the next two games.There was also a minor concern over Yuvraj Singh, who top-scored with 71 and bowled two overs. He appeared in pain towards the end of the game and was well below his athletic best. He seemed to have recovered the next morning, with Rajeev Shukla, the administrative manager, saying, “He’s absolutely fine. There is no problem.”India are set to leave for Leeds on Friday afternoon. The fifth ODI is to be held at Headingley on Sunday, a match that they need to win to stay alive in the series.

Ahead of what has all the makings of a competitive one-day international between India and Australia, Adam Gilchrist believes his side are well prepared. Australia were knocked out of the ICC World Twenty20 by India in a tight semi-final but as Gilchrist put it, there was no excuse here.”We’re very excited about it, it’s great to be here and having some cricket under out belts. We feel like we’ll be ready to go tomorrow,” he said before Australia’s practice session at the Chinnaswamy Stadium. “We have enough preparation leading into this series. We were probably caught short at the T20 tournament but there’s no excuse now. We know the conditions well here and with the amount of networking we’ve done we should be good to go.”Australia are without Ricky Ponting, Michael Hussey, Shane Watson and Nathan Bracken due to injuries and personal leave. According to Gilchrist this was the time for Australia to fall back on their greatest strength – depth. “We definitely have to rely on the depth in our squad. We have six changes in this, our first ODI since the World Cup, owing to retirement and injuries and babies being born. We’ve got a few new faces which not a lot of people would have seen a lot of, and we’re confident about them.”Australia have often engaged in a war of words before tough series. Ponting has said that the pressure is right back on India and the return of Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly and Rahul Dravid might work in Australia’s favour as they’ve played against the three many times. Andrew Symonds too felt that there was too much celebration after India’s triumphant return from South Africa.Was this a deliberate plan? “No, it’s far from a plan to get verbal,” said Gilchrist. “There’s been a lot of focus on the fiery nature of the Indian players in that semi-final and I think they’re going to continue playing that like. And that’s fine; we expect that. If you don’t have a bit of fire in the belly as a fast bowler I think you’re already sort of half-knocked as a team. It doesn’t matter what you say, you’ve got to back it up with good cricket. And India did that throughout the T20 tournament. We’ve been doing that for the last ten years.”When questioned as to whether Australia saw any perceived threat from India, Gilchrist shot back his reply. “Definitely there’s plenty of threat. As you saw they knocked us out of the Twenty20 final,” he said. “They play with great passion and energy and they’ll be relying on all those same qualities in the next seven games. We’re expecting them to come out full of confidence and that’s a great challenge.”Gilchrist said he had a brief look at the surface and expected it to play out well for the batsmen and bowlers. “It has been a good track in the past. We’ve played Test and ODI cricket here and scored runs so we’ve got fond memories. It looks like it’ll come through nicely again.”If Australia are reading from their stand-in captain’s script, then its business as usual as the seven-match contest gets underway.