Delhi opener Akash Chopra struck a forceful unbeaten 105 that gave North Zone an easy win over Central Zone in their Deodhar Trophy match at the Panjim Gymkhana Grounds in Goa on Thursday.A wet wicket meant that play started an hour late, and each side’s quota was reduced to 47 overs. North Zone skipper Reetinder Singh Sodhi invited his rival to bat first, and Sodhi’s bowlers did not let him down. Apart from opener Gagan Khoda, who made 80 (109b. 6x), no other batsman was allowed to capitalise on a start, and although TP Singh made 45, Central ultimately reached 216 for nine in their 47 overs.Chasing 217 was never going to be too much of a problem for North’s strong line-up, but Chopra’s century made the job even easier. The batsman’s 105 came off 136 balls, with 11 fours, a sedate counterpart to Gautam Gambhir’s quickfire 43 off 39 balls (8×4).North reached their target in just 44.2 overs with seven wickets still in hand, picking up four points from the encounter.

Thursday, February 6, 2003:::
Lessons From Kiwiland
Mark Waugh feels that despite the failure in New Zealand, the Indian batting would be able to hold their own at the upcoming World Cup.
Source:Outlook, India.
Pakistan, the most unpredictable outfit
Dilip Vengsarkar is of the opinion that Pakistan’s bowling will be its strong suit in the upcoming World Cup.
Source:The New Indian Express, India
Monday, February 3, 2003:::
Aussies – Fit hai toh fine hai
Ian Chappell analyzes the Australian team, who he feels have a very good chance of retaining the World Cup if both Glenn McGrath and Shane Warne regain full fitness.
Source:Mid-Day, India
Nagging accuracy is McGrath’s hallmark
Former India opener Woorkheri Raman on the strengths of Glenn McGrath, Australia’s leading strike bowler and one of the greatest of all time.
Source:The New Indian Express, India

As preparation for the two-Test Ashes series we played Australia Youth in a two-day match at the Allan Border fields in Brisbane. This was a chance for us to get used to the longer form of the game.Scoring rates were slow, I think due to their disciplined tactic of playing with 7-2 off-side fields and bowling in a wide channel outside off stump. Batting first we put on 202 on the first day. Lydia Greenway, flown intoBrisbane to join the squad after a successful U19 tour, batted with composure for her 88 in her first match with the full England side.On the second day we bowled out the Youth side for 131, Laura Harper taking 5-30 from 19 overs helped by some good catching in the ring. Another victory and our first against an Australian team in a long time.The first Test was played at the Gabba, Brisbane and was a special match for us. This was the first time England had bowled Australia out for under 100since 1951 and it was an amazing feeling to be out there on the pitch.Lucy Pearson and Laura Newton took full advantage of the bowling conditions and all the plans for the Aussie batsmen that we’d talked about worked. We were disappointed not to build a defendable total in our second innings and Australia were able to reach the winning runs late on the third day. But even in defeat we’d learnt that we could compete with the Australians and get their leading batsmen out cheaply.We spent the next day (supposedly the fourth day) doing individual training. Personally I had been disappointed with my batting over the two-day game and the Test match and needed to work on striking the ball. When you’re in a bad patch it’s very difficult to keep confidence in the simple things, backswing, hand speed and so on. So I spent nearly two hours on a bowling machine just hitting the ball.We’d really enjoyed our time in Brisbane; the city centre is compact and we stayed in lovely apartments on the Brisbane River about 10 minutes walk fromthe shops, restaurants and cafes of the CBD. Next stop on the tour was Sydney, a real contrast from a touring point of view. We were playing at the Bankstown Oval, the home of the Waugh brothers and several current and former Australian Women players.We stayed in the local sports club, a hotel which supported a lot of the local sports teams, making its money mainly from gambling. The hotel has fake jungle areas throughout the lower floors and we ate breakfast to tinned shrieks, grunts and screams of the plastic jungle creatures.Back to the cricket and the 2nd Test. On a rain-affected first day we won the toss and put Australia in to bat. After a disappointing first over (going for nine), Lucy Pearson adjusted her length, got the ball swinging and the wickets started falling. She ended up taking 7-51, a career best in Test cricket and her first five-wicket haul. Harper took the prize wicket of Rolton for nought and the tail was sewn up by Leng with her leg breaks.We batted well to see out the day on 21 for one with Fitzpatrick dangerous in the gathering gloom. The start of day two was also rain-affected and we went out to try and build an innings lead. After some good batting from Edwards and a unbroken partnership of 81 between myself and Greenway we finished the shortened day on 151 for four. The third day started brighter in weather but darker for us. Twinning bowled well and we lost our remaining six wickets for only a further 36 runs.53 runs in arrears, the Australians needed a good total to put us ot of thematch. At 49 for four we were in a strong position but a 136-run partnership between Sthalekar and Blackwell got Australia out of trouble. They declared at lunch on the 4th day to leave us 206 for the victory.It was always going to be hard with a required scoring rate in excess of anything seen in either Test by either team. We drew the match, Laura Newton and I playing out the final over from Fitzpatrick.Overall this has been a good tour for the team. We’ve moved up the one-dayrankings to 3rd and we’ve competed with the Australians in the Test series.Some of the younger players have played some composed innings and Lucy’s bowling has been excellent joining the best of women’s Test bowlers with an 11-wicket haul in the second Test.The squad was then due to split up, half returning home to go back to jobs and families and the remainder staying in either Australia or New Zealand until the start of the English summer season. The last day was spent hanging out in Sydney, buying last minute presents and saying our goodbyes.I’ve been spending the last two weeks in Sydney getting over the tour; ‘Active Recovery’ as the physiologists call it. A process which is supposed to prepare my body for the next set of training and tour time in the summer. It involves stretching, swimming, cycling and walking – all low impact activities to give my joints a rest. During that time I’ve been over to the Blue Mountains (which I can confirm look blue!) and up the Eastern coast of NSW as far as Cape Byron. The east coast trip was spent relaxing on beaches, walking in rain forests, talking cricket with Lottie Edwards and avoiding dodgy backpackers after one of us caught a mite infestation in Byron Bay.One last stop before home for me will be a trip to Melbourne. I’ve got to discuss with the Victorian Women’s cricket association the possibilities ofplaying club cricket there next winter and then go to the Department of Immigration to discuss visa requirements. After the debacle of the visasituation at the start of this winter I want to make sure I understand exactly what sort of visa I’ll need and what I need to do to get it.I’ve had a great trip abroad to play cricket and I’ve learnt a lot. It’s time now to get home and meet up with my coach to plan the next 6 months of club, county and international cricket.

It was always known that Hampshire would have a new captain this season, but now it has been confirmed that John Crawley will be the man to do the job. Originally, Hampshire had hoped to have Shane Warne as their captain, but the Australian’s one-year ban for a drugs offence left the county without a captain until Crawley’s appointment.Crawley, a 31-year-old who joined Hampshire for last season after an acrimonious departure from Lancashire, captained Lancashire from 1999 until 2001, leading the county to the National League title in his first year. Now he takes over from Robin Smith who retired from the post after five years in charge.Looking back at his previous time as a county captain, Crawley said: “I had three great years as Lancashire captain, except the last few weeks when it all went wrong. I am sure I have learned from that.”Crawley has scored nearly 18,000 runs in first-class cricket at an average of 47.41. He has played 37 Tests for England, the most recent being the successful fifth Test against Australia at Sydney on the recent Ashes tour when he featured in a vital 92-run stand for the sixth wicket with Alec Stewart. He then marshalled the tail to finish with an important 35 not out.He will not have an official vice-captain. With former captain Smith in his side and his deputy, Will Kendall, still around, there is no shortage of experienced players to offer Crawley advice and fill in for him should the need arise.

The fragility of the English weather was further enhanced when, after a perfect spring day on the opening day of the Frizzell Championship match between Glamorgan and Hampshire, rain delayed the game until after lunch, with 38 overs taken off the days tally.Hampshire soon made up for lost time, losing the in form Nic Pothas to the sixth ball of the day brought together Dimitri Mascarenhas and Wasim Akram, and together they compiled 39 runs in quick time.Wasim was out for a smart 23, and then Mascarenhas took charge. With Shaun Udal as his partner he flayed the Glamorgan bowlers to all parts. He was particularly cruel to Robert Croft hitting him for four large sixes, one which cleared the pavilion area. The pair put on an unbeaten 105 runs in just 16 overs. Mascarenhas completed a magnificent century in 76 balls, his second fifty taking just 20 deliveries.The century marked John Crawley’s declaration, the tally of 531 for 7 declared was the largest Innings total for Hampshire against the Welsh county.Hampshire claimed two wickets in 46 overs when Glamorgan batted, but they created more chances, some which were dropped, which should have put them into a stronger position.Chris Tremlett took the early wicket of Adrian Dale, and Hemp was spectacularly caught by Will Kendall in the gully from Mascarenhas.With the weather forecast against the match, Paul Terry’s side will be hoping they will get enough time to make inroads into the home batters.

Sri Lanka’s captain Hashan Tillakaratne and coach Duleep Mendislamented their side’s poor fielding in the opening Test but praised the effortsof the bowlers and batsmen.”I am very impressed with the batters how they came out and stuck to theirgame plan and managed to save this Test match,” said Tillakaratne, whoscored 144 in the first innings. “Everyone chipped in with big scores.””I am also impressed with the way that the bowlers bowled on a placidbatting track,” he said. “It is just that we need to improve on our fieldingand catching. We made a few mistakes in this Test and we want to rectifythem and come back strongly in the second Test.”Mendis was particularly disappointed with the catching: “Without any doubtit was the catching that let us down in this Test. Maybe things would havebeen different if we had held on to our catches but it was a placid track.””We dropped so many catches that at one stage I was thinking what was reallygoing wrong because we had been doing a lot of fielding practice. I think itwas the fitness levels. Even before the Test match, Alex (Kontouri) saidthat because the fitness levels were down we couldn’t concentrate for longhours. It is something we got to improve and we’ve got to do it fast,” he said.

So, the new era of Twenty20 cricket has begun. We were promised a new form of fast, fun and funky cricket to attract a new crowd to the game – and the first round of games didn’t disappoint.After much hype and expectation, the journey into the unexpected started with a bang. Perhaps launching the tournament on Friday 13 wasn’t a good omen, but the cricketing gods showed mercy on the ECB, who would have been as pleased as punch after a breathless first round of games excited packed crowds across the country in glorious evening sunshine.We all knew about the crazy, madcap antics off the pitch such as pop concerts, karaoke, jacuzzis and jazz-bands, but no-one was quite sure what to expect on it. How would the players adapt? Would it just be a huge slog-a-thon or more a calculated variation of tip and run?Well, it was a bit of both. One of the things going for this format is that, barring rain, the games are never going to be dull, whatever happens. If you look back to the World Cup, only a handful of games early on in the tournament were memorable as the tournament dragged on to an inevitable conclusion. Once upon a time, one-day internationals were the new cool thing needed to spice cricket up after all those boring Test matches. But now the majority of the endless glut of ODIs are becoming all too predictable: Hit over the top in the first 15, then knock it about a bit for the middle 20 overs, then have a dash for the last 15.However, there’s no need to sneak off and come back for the climax of the innings in Twenty20, because the final assault or the run-chase start straight away. That may not be an ideal way to hone a high straight elbow and immaculate front-foot defensive, but cricket’s not just about that anymore. It’s about entertainment.At the Rose Bowl this evening, a near full stadium revelled in the sunshine while watching a close, entertaining game. When was the last time the Hampshire locals roared with such gusto when their county hit a six or took a wicket? And when was the last time they stayed behind to give their team a lap of honour?Ok, so maybe it’s just because this was the first day of the tournament and once the novelty has died down, the interest and backing will fizzle out. But if you take the Twenty20 Cup for what it is and what it’s trying to do, then so far, so good.

The Professional Cricketers’ Association (PCA) has unveiled its flagship events for 2003 with the PCA Masters taking on South Africa on 6th August and the return of Zone6 City Cricket on 8th August.

• The Masters, an all-star team of international players assembled by the PCA, challenges the current South African touring side on Wednesday 6th August at Shenley Cricket Centre in Hertfordshire, with a 2pm start.
• Zone6 City Cricket is a fast-paced one-day tournament with star players representing six cities. Teams include Cape Town, Colombo and London. It will take place on Friday 8th August at the County Ground in Hove, Sussex, with a 1pm start.

Allan Donald, the ex-South African fast bowler, will captain the PCA Masters against his former teammates and will also lead the Cape Town side in Zone6 City Cricket.Heavy emphasis is placed on entertainment at both events, which are sponsored by leading insurance broker Hill House Hammond Insurance Services.”The Masters are going to become the Barbarians of cricket,” said Richard Bevan, group chief executive of the PCA. “The team brings together some of the best players in the world and then asks them to entertain. It is very rare that so many famous names from the sport are gathered on the same pitch so we’re expecting a tremendous match.”Zone6 City Cricket is a very fast-paced version of the game which is designed to attract new fans. There will be plenty of big names and we will be providing tremendous family entertainment. We pioneered Zone6 two years ago and it has become a highlight of the cricketing calendar.”Donald, nicknamed ‘White Lightning’, played 72 tests and took 330 wickets before retiring from international cricket in March. His Masters’ team-mates will include two former England heroes – Mike Gatting, who played 79 tests and captained his country, and Angus Fraser, who has 46 test caps and is now The Independent’s cricket correspondent. The South African XI will be selected from their 2003 touring squad, which includes stars such as Jacques Kallis, Shaun Pollock and Herschelle Gibbs.The PCA Masters game will be a fast-flowing version of the traditional one-day format with both sides bating twice and each innings limited to 20 overs.Former Sri Lankan batsman Aravinda De Silva will captain Colombo in the Zone6 event and also play for the Masters against South Africa. Current Sri Lanka test players, including batsman Mahela Jayawardene, fast bowler Chaminda Vaas and wicketkeeper Kumar Sangakkara, will also be representing Colombo.Zone6 City Cricket, which will be televised on Sky Sports, includes revised cricketing rules to provide greater entertainment with parts of the boundary divided into ‘zones’ where a traditional four scores eight, a traditional six scores 12. Each innings is limited to eight overs. Selected players will be equipped with mini-microphones and earpieces to provide insight while the game is in progress.Proceeds from both matches will go towards the PCA’s benevolent fund. BBC 5 Live sports reporter John Roder will supply ball-by-ball commentary at both games.The Shenley Cricket Centre is located on Radlett Lane, in Shenley, which can be easily reached from both the M1 and M25 motorways.The County Ground is located on Eaton Road in Hove, East Sussex. It is 10 minutes walk from Brighton rail station.More information about the events will be posted on the PCA’s website www.cricnet.comTickets for both events – available from Ticketzone on 08705 321 3231 or on the gate on the day – cost £10 for adults and £5 for under-16s and OAPs. Corporate hospitality packages are also available at £99 per person plus VAT and anyone interested should call Lee Atkins at the PCA on 0207 544 8670

Sri Lankan left-arm seamer Chaminda Vaas is having talks today with Hampshire Cricket officials about becoming their overseas player as replacement for the departed Wasim Akram.First-team manager Paul Terry was keen to pick up another top quality new ball bowler and Vaas would fit the bill perfectly should he sign.A veteran of 68 Tests and a mammoth 227 one-day internationals, he is often the key to Sri Lanka’s success, alongside Muttiah Muralitharan. He has taken 216 Test wickets and 282 in the shortened version of the game.If he does join Hampshire, he will not be available for this weeks floodlit National League and Frizzell County Championship matches against Northamptonshire, starting on Wednesday.Vaas was thought to have been on Terry’s preferred list of players and said, “There are still some things to sort out but we hope to make an announcement later this week.”

Nasser Hussain began his captaincy with the press muttering that he was the least-liked player on the county circuit and a self-important brat. Through his obvious passion and his impressive early results he became "the man who put the steel back in English cricket". And by getting out when he did, most commentators agreed that he ended his reign with that reputation intact – just.From the day in 1988 when the England selectors knifed Mike Gatting ascaptain, to Margaret Thatcher’s tearful exit from Downing Street in 1991, Matthew Engel of The Guardian has seen plenty of sporting and political figures take their leave in inglorious style.While bringing characteristic perspective to Hussain’s resignation – "For sheer shock value, I can’t think of anything to match it since Harold Wilson walked out of Downing Street for no obvious reason 27 years ago" – he argues that Hussain got it just about right: "You have to hand it to Nasser. He got out when the going was, if not exactly good, then at least only mildly boggy. He could not leave in triumph – only Mike Brearley has managed that in the modern era – but he went on his own terms and in his own time."Christopher Martin-Jenkins agreed that Hussain’s reputation remained intact, admitting the effectiveness of his Jardine-like determination in The Times: "Hussain was a renowned street-fighter, not especially liked by his opponents, but that has never seemed to bother him. He has continued to give no quarter, missing few tricks on the field and being prepared to apply tactics that were more pragmatic than popular."He has succeeded in bringing to the dressing-room a bloody-mindeddetermination to give nothing away to any opposition. He has stopped the rot and the character that he has brought to a job that has exercised him severely on and off the field for the better part of five years won him an OBE last year."In The Independent, Gus Fraser, a former team-mate of Hussain’s,zeroed in on what he brought to the dressing room: "Through being honest and loyal to those who played under him and by being prepared to defend them and take the flak when it flew, Hussain won his players over."But not everyone thought Hussain had got out in time. For Mike Walters in The Mirror he had become an anachronism who clung on too long: "During his seven-week sabbatical in county cricket, Hussain had watched heir apparent Michael Vaughan plonk two limited-overs trophies on the Lord’s mantelpiece with a dynamic new leadership style of huddles and dressing-room democracy."And while South African openers Graeme Smith and Herschelle Gibbs wereleaving trails of scorched earth across Birmingham, Hussain’s last penny in the fruit machine dropped. His time had come and gone."Nor did everyone tip-toe around the abrasive streak in Hussain’s make up: "He captained his country much as he led his working life, a human volcano constantly on the verge of an eruption,” wrote Derek Pringle in The Daily Telegraph. “Walking away from the job he craved and had invested so much effort in was more painful than any of the broken bones he suffered in the line of duty."But it was perhaps the Financial Times who caught the general mood mostsuccinctly. “He brought passion and a flinty resolve to a team that crumbled too easily… He transformed his team into a tough and combative Test unit capable of vying with all but the untouchable Australians."