Dunedin’s Albion Cricket Club has done it again.Is there a better annual report produced by any sports club in New Zealand?Meeting the needs of their members by producing an annual statement is one of the chores of amateur sports administration in this country, but Albion have decided to have some fun with their report.The result is an entertaining, and thorough, account of a year which, while recording the on-field results, does not leave the obvious off-field sense of club out of the report.Among the various snippets included in a special section of the report are details of the brother of the club’s former patron, life member, president, treasurer and senior scorer Dave Waddell. A fascinating portrait of Lieutenant James Waddell, one of the most highly-decorated soldiers in the French Army in the Second World War, is typical of the diversity which makes the Albion club report so interesting.Another is an article contributed by the former Professor of Economics at the University of Otago, John Howells, who is also a member of the Otago Cricket Eccentrics, a club which has its home at the Albion Cricket Club.This is a fascinating, thought-provoking piece under the heading, “Lies, Damn Lies, and Batting Averages.”

Vijay Malalasekera, Interim Committee Chairman of the Board of Control for Cricket in Sri Lanka (BCCSL), said on Tuesday that the West Indies tour of Sri Lanka was very much on and that there was no cause for concern over it.”Based on various newspaper reports, we got in touch with the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) and they indicated to us that there was no concern with regard to the Sri Lanka tour,” said Malalasekera.Cricket Board chief executive Anura Tennekoon confirmed that he had spoken to the WICB cricket operations manager Michael Hold who confirmed the tour was on.The West Indies are due to arrive on the first week of November and play a series of three Tests and participate in a one-day international triangular with Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe.Officially, however, the WICB have deferred making a "final decision” until its representatives meet Sri Lankan and Pakistani officials at the ICC meeting in Kuala Lumpur October 16-19.West Indies are scheduled to tour Pakistan from January 29-March 4 next year.

Judgement in Hansie Cronje’s appeal against his life ban from cricket will be handed down in the Pretoria High Court on Wednesday by Justice Frank Kirk-Cohen.Cronje was banned by the United Cricket Board following his admissions in April and June last year that he had been involved with Indian bookmakers during his captaincy for a number of years and that he had offered team-mates Herschelle Gibbs and Henry Williams money to underperform in a One-Day International in India.As a result of these admissions, Gibbs and Williams served six-month bans from international cricket.Cronje based his appeal on the argument that he was not given a fair hearing by the UCB before his banning was announced and that the ban prevented him from earning a living.

This morning the Honourable Mr Justice Kirk-Cohen dismissed an applicationby Hansie Cronje to have a life ban imposed by the UCB overturned. Hence, MrCronje remains banned for life from all activities of the UCB and itsaffiliates.As far as the interdicts sought by Mr Cronje are concerned, the effect ofthe order is that:* Mr Cronje was not entitled to an order restraining the UCBfrom instructing its employees not to engage in personal, private or socialcommunications with Mr Cronje. The UCB has never instructed and does notintend to instruct its employees not to engage in personal, private orsocial communication with Mr Cronje.* Mr Cronje was not entitled to an order preventing the UCBfrom taking any steps to prevent Mr Cronje from coaching, sponsoring,promoting or otherwise participating in the game of cricket where he does sowithout remuneration or for charitable purposes. The UCB has not taken stepsand does not intend taking steps to prevent Mr Cronje from doing so beyondthe activities of the UCB and its affiliates.* Mr Cronje may not coach cricket at schools which areaffiliates of the UCB or which fall under the control of UCB affiliates. Hemay, however, not be prevented from doing so at other schools, provided hehas the authority of the governing body of the schools concerned.* Mr Cronje may not be prevented from seeking employment withany person other than the UCB or its affiliates.* Mr Cronje may not be prevented from gaining access tocricket grounds under the auspices of the UCB or its affiliates as ajournalist. However, he remains banned from the press boxes/broadcastingfacilities at those grounds; he is also banned from interviewing players andofficials at these grounds.* Should Mr Cronje apply for accreditation to use the mediafacilities of the UCB or its affiliates, it is at the sole discretion of theUCB to relax the ban from these facilities – either on an ad hoc basis orgenerally.Mr Cronje has been ordered to pay half the costs incurred by the UCB inopposing his application.The UCB is disappointed that this matter had to be resolved in a court oflaw, particularly as it had clarified the issues relating to the ban priorto the court date.The UCB is hopeful that this matter has now been put behind us. We willcontinue to commit all our resources and energies towards growing the gameof cricket in a positive manner and to eradicate corruption from cricket.

India let slip a golden opportunity to write a new chapter in theircricketing history at Bloemfontein. Sachin Tendulkar and VirenderSehwag’s glorious fight back on the first day saw India recovering topost 379 on the board in the first innings. But from there we failedto fire ourselves onwards to the victory podium. What we ended up withwas a sorry capitulation before the end of even the fourth day. Truly,a ridiculous defeat.This Test has proved yet again that India cannot to deliver in alienconditions even against an attack made up of only one excellentbowler. Shaun Pollock, the South African captain, almost singlehandedly fashioned his side’s victory with his first ten-wicket haulin Tests. All the Indian batsmen cut a sorry figure against him in theIndian second innings. It was another gutless, spineless show by amajority of the Indian willow-wielders and once Sachin Tendulkar gotout we knew which flag would be flying at the end of the day.Sourav Ganguly now will have to do a lot of thinking both as abatsman and a captain. It is common knowledge in international cricketthat Sourav is a sitting duck to the rising delivery. The SouthAfrican bowlers exploited his failing to the hilt and he was out in analmost identical fashion in both innings. It was Clive Lloyd whofashioned the use of the short ball as a demon delivery with which tocow the opposing captain. Sourav’s weakness has meant that the shortdelivery has once again become a popular option with almost everycaptain facing him, even those with attacks which could never beclassed with the fabulous West Indies pace battery of the lateseventies and early eighties. Unless Sourav, the batsman, irons outthis glaring technical deficiency he will have trouble leading fromthe front in Tests.

The Indian skipper will also have to tell almost all his batsmen topull up their socks and deliver a much better display in the nextTest. In Bloemfontein, only Sachin and Sehwag delivered, and despitetheir magnificence, the Indian batting in the two innings put togethercould not even last two days. No team can win a Test after such apathetic display.Let me also say that I am no fan of the idea of opening the battingwith Rahul Dravid. Rahul has probably been our best batsman on foreignsoil and it makes no sense to waste him in the opening slot in theTests. Sourav might keep saying that Rahul had volunteered to open theinnings but from what I have seen the latter seems most uncomfortableat the top of the order. In my opinion, Rahul would rather make agreat No 5, a position he adorned so splendidly at Eden Gardensagainst Australia. It would, for instance, be a much better idea toopen with an ultra-aggressive Sourav than with Rahul.

As for the bowling, I felt that both the left-arm pacers were belowpar. It might have a lot to do with the fact that they lacked anymatch-practice. But it was here that the team management should haveapplied their collective mind and probably brought in someone likeVenkatesh Prasad, who has toured South Africa previously. I only wishthat the thinktank hopefully plays Prasad in the second Test. Fastbowlers, as they say, hunt in pairs and the Srinath-Prasad pair hasbeen one of our finest. Also to be remembered is the fact that Prasadhad done well in the previous tour of South Africa.I would also like to see Harbhajan Singh recovering and returning forthe next Test. His variety and skill makes him a bowler who can makethings happen. He will definitely be helped by that the fact that theSouth Africans have found it almost impossible to read him. This meansthat he can always be trusted to flummox the home team batsmen and, ifall goes well, possibly spin them to their doom.The Indian team, collectively, then will have to put up a much betterdisplay in the next Test due to start at Port Elizabeth on November16. The pitch there, according to accounts from South Africa, is alsoexpected to be friendly to batsmen and slower bowlers. The Indians sowill have to use the period leading up to the Test to regroup andchalk a plan that will help them win the Test and level the series.For if they don’t and South Africa do, it might definitely lead to yetanother forgettable whitewash for the Indians in the series. And thatcertainly is something the Indians can do without.

Nathan Astle is out of the second National Bank Test match against Bangladesh.He is replaced by Matthew Horne.Astle has a hairline fracture on a bone in the back of his right hand. It is expected to to be healed in a week.It is the only change to the side for the second Test.No decision has been made on where Horne will bat, although it is likely he will open allowing Lou Vincent to drop down into Astle’s position at No 5 in the order.An initial X-ray of Astle’s hand had shown only bruising but this morning he complained it was still sore.He had an MRI scan and it revealed the hairline crack.

SHARJAH-Shoaib Akhtar and Abdur Razzaq carved up the West Indian batting with venomous pace, to rustle up a comprehensive victory for Pakistan by 170 runs. It was Pakistan’s fifth consecutive win under Waqar Younis, the first in this sequence being their Old Trafford triumph against England last year.The second and last Test of this truncated rubber will be played on an adjacent wicket from Thursday. With an emphatic victory under their belt, the Pakistanis are not going to relent and the ‘visitors’, to their further dismay, may find out that even the neutrality of the venue is no help in restoring their fortunes.Set a daunting target of 342, and 318 in arrears at the start of the day, the West Indians were never likely to win. But at 115 for one with two sessions to go they must have harboured hopes of some reprieve by ensuring a draw. That was not to be, as Shoaib tore into the upper order and then came back to annihilate the tail, returning his career-best figures of five for 24, improving on his 5 for 43 against South Africa in Durban in 1997-98. In between, Razzaq struck some telling blows, to take four wickets from the other end for 25.The duo wrought such havoc that the last nine West Indian wickets could add only 56, the last seven, a mere 25. For their part, the West Indies may have cause to grumble about a decision or two – in particular the run out of Sherwin Campbell. They would argue, with some merit, that the benefit of doubt should have gone to the batsman. But the third umpire in front of the television screen felt convinced that Campbell had failed to reach his crease. Despite that point of contention, the fact is that the West Indies batsman had no answer to the sheer pace of Akhtar and Razzaq, who either bowled or trapped leg before seven of the batsmen. It was high-quality stuff, on a wicket not conducive to pace bowling, and the West Indies had no answer to that. They simply disintegrated, much as they had only recently against Muralitharan and in one of the Tests against Chaminda Vaas.The day had started on a brighter note for Carl Hooper’s charges, as Chris Gayle and Darren Ganga held the fort with considerable confidence – the former obviously more adventurous than the latter.The first hour saw the Pakistani bowlers other than Akhtar hit for runs, 49 from 12 overs, 19 of these from Danish Kaneria’s first over, Gayle thumping him for four boundaries. Ganga’s fall, to an express Shoaib delivery, didn’t stop Gayle from going after the bowling and the West Indies reached the lunch break very comfortably placed at 111-1, Gayle’s contribution an impressive 62.At that point, the Pakistanis must have felt desperate. They shouldn’t have been overly concerned. Shoaib struck two telling blows after lunch. Gayle was castled, his stroke-filled 66 including 15 boundaries. Next over Shoaib’s rising delivery took Wavell Hinds’ gloves and Rashid Latif doesn’t miss anything these days. It was his 100th victim behind the stumps, in his 28th Test – a really memorable one for him as he reached two other major milestones: his maiden hundred which also took him past 1,000 Test runs in style. Great comeback this, and Rashid deserves it.Campbell was adjudged run out, and from here on Razzaq took over; his three wickets in one over took the wind out of the Caribbean sails. The first ball of his first over, Razzaq had Shivnarine Chanderpaul caught behind, and the fifth and sixth deliveries trapped Hooper and Ridley Jacobs in front of the wicket. At seven for 150, the slide was irreversible.Razzaq was not to get his second hat-trick in Test cricket, and Shoaib too was denied the honour after he clean-bowled Mervyn Dillon and Cameron Cuffy. Ryan Hinds and Pedro Collins defied Shoaib and Razzaq for a while, putting together 16 runs in a brave last-wicket stand, but then Razzaq put this to an end by clean bowling Collins. Pakistan has drawn first blood, and they are hungry for more.

A change in attitude – not the end of selection rotation – was the key factor in Australia’s form reversal in the cricket tri series, batsman Mark Waugh said today.Australia’s comprehensive victory over South Africa in Sydney last night, its second in three days, came from an improved mental approach, not the change inplaying personnel, Waugh told reporters in Adelaide today.”We didn’t lost the first three games because of the rotation, we lost because our attitude wasn’t quite right,” Waugh said.”We didn’t do the basics right, rotation or not, you’ve got to do the basics right.”Selectors opted to go with Australia’s best batting line-up for last night’s match after deciding to end the system of rotating the squad of 14 players through the side for the first four matches of the series.Waugh said Australia’s one-day side had rotated regularly and without any problems for the past 26 matches.But he said the turnaround in attitude should be enough for Australia to carry its improved form through to the tri-series finals after climbing past South Africa (8 points) with a bonus point last night to be on nine points, behind New Zealand (12).”I think we’ve turned the corner, our attitude’s been spot-on the last couple of games, guys have got a bit more confidence back and hopefully we can keep thatgoing,” he said.”We can’t afford too many slip-ups or we won’t be in the finals but I’m confident that we’ll keep winning now.”Waugh said his own improvement in making 55 not out last night was more to do with a change in luck than a return to form.”I wouldn’t say I’m in great form, I had a bit of luck last night, I haven’t had much luck all summer, so it was nice to get a few chances and post a 50,” he said.Waugh had made scores of one, nought and 15 in his three previous innings in the series and there was speculation he would be dropped from the side with theprolific Darren Lehmann touted as a replacement.But the 36-year-old veteran said he had not felt any added pressure.”I suppose when you get older people don’t want to give you as many chances,” he said.”Every time there’s a couple of failures there’s always pressure on but I’m pretty used to it now, I’ve got to keep scoring runs, that’s the name of the game, so that’s what I hope to keep doing.”

The scene of the three match unofficial Test series between Sri Lanka A andKenya now moves to the coastal town of Matara where the visitors will bestriving hard to win the second four-day match and keep their chances ofwinning the series alive. But the home team, meanwhile, will be lookingforward to executing the knock out blow, to seal the series at the UyanwattaCricket Stadium, Matara.Batting made all the difference between the two sides in the firstunofficial Test Match in Colombo. While most of the frontline Sri Lankanbatsmen notched up half centuries, the Kenyan camp failed to provide thegoods with big names like Steve Tikolo and Maurice Odumbe failing with thebat.”Our batting failed in the match in Colombo. Myself, Steve (Tikolo) and theother front line batsmen really didn’t get going,” admits Kenyan skipperMaurice Odumbe.He continues,” It’s even disappointing when you analyse the way we’ve beengetting out. We’ve been getting out going for our shots,”However Odumbe feels that his side can bounce back, “We can pickourselvesup. We know what we are doing wrong. We are going for too many shots veryearly in the innings. So we got to cut down on our shots and got to occupythe crease and bat on,””Occupying the crease,” is the answer to square the series Odumbe feels. TheAfrican nation seems to be ill at ease with the four-day game being moreused to playing one-day games. But this tour is to learn and with noquestion on their ability the visitors might spring up a surprise by doingthe essentials right.Meanwhile Sri Lanka A coach Roshan Mahanama commended his side for a goodperformance with the bat in Colombo, but expects them to start afreshtomorrow.”When the top five make runs it’s a good sign and that eases the burden onthe bowlers, but on the other hand I told the boys that one of them shouldhave gone on and made a big hundred which they didn’t do. So here in Matarathey’ve got an opportunity,” says Mahanama.This is the first real challenge that has come Mahanama’s way from the timethat he took on the post of coach cum manager of the Sri Lanka A team inlast September. He believes in the young guns that have been entrusted tohim and expects a series win here from them.”In Colombo the boys bounced back after a bad start on the first day to winthe match against odds like rain and if they continue the good form we canwin the series here,” believes Mahanama.Both the sides are to decide on the final eleven on the morning of thematch. However it’s felt that the Kenyans will play 25-year-old mediumpaceman Peter Ochieng instead of fellow paceman Lameck Onyango who had arelatively bad game in Colombo.The Sri Lankans have dropped Kaushalya Weeraratne from the side that playedin the Colombo match and have brought in Pulasti Gunaratne.The Uyanwatta Stadium pitch looks a good batting track with a bit of grassthat should help the seamers early on.But if the grass on the track is further pruned on the final day morning itlooks as if Sri Lanka will go with a three men spin attack with RanganaHerath coming in to support skipper Upul Chandana andMutumudalige Pushpakumara.The teamsKenya (from):Maurice Odumbe (capt), Steve Tikolo, Ravindu Shah,Kennedy Otieno, Hitesh Modi, Thomas Odoyo, MartinSuji, Otieno Ondik, Lameck Onyango, Sorongo Ababu,Brijal Patel, David Obuya, Joseph Angara, PeterOgondo,Collins Obuya, Muhammed Sheikh.Sri Lanka A (from):Avishka Gunawardene, Ian Daniel, Michal Vandort,Chamara Silva, T.M. Dilshan, Upul Chandana, PrasannaJayawardene, Muttumudalige Pushpakumara, PrabathNissanka, Ruchira Perera, Rangana Herath, UpekaFernando, Gayan Wijekoon, Pulasti Gunaratne.

The young cricketers who are part of the Academy at the County Ground in Taunton may have been away for a few days over the Christmas period, but during their time away will most certainly have kept in touch with coaches Mark Garaway and Kevin Shine.Thanks to the generosity of the Somerset Wyverns each of the eleven young players now has the use of a hand held computer.For sometime now the Wyverns have donated funds to the club to help with the development of young players, but this year their money has been used specifically to fund the Personal Data Assistants that each of the Academy members have been given to use.Academy Director Mark Garaway told: "We are very grateful to the Somerset Wyverns for their generosity. Both Kevin Shine and myself have worked with these hand help computers for a while now and they do make a difference and they will most certainly help the young players."He continued: "We can put all the information that we want the players to have into the computers and it’s there for them as and when they need to use it, as well as us being able to keep in touch easily."Somerset coach Kevin Shine told me: "These computers have an infra-red capability. Each session that we have with the players we can put the information onto their computers rather than just tell them and it’s there for them to use."The coach continued: "We can also monitor their progress and keep in regular touch so that we can all be clear about what we are doing."