With just over three weeks to go before India’s first Test against New Zealand, question-marks continue to hang over the fitness levels of Ashish Nehra. While Nehra himself is confident that he will recover completely from the ankle injury which has forced him out of action since the World Cup, the Indian board officials are not so sure.Speaking to rediff.com, Nehra insisted: “We will have to watch how my injury heals, but I am sure to be fit for the series against New Zealand.” SK Nair, the BCCI secretary, however, stated that Nehra remained a doubt for the Test series, and might only regain full fitness before the triangular one-day tournament, which also features Australia and starts on October 23. Nair and Brijesh Patel, the chairman of the selection committee, quoted Andrew Leipus, the team physiotherapist, as saying that Nehra would not be ready for the Tests. “According to Leipus, Nehra is not fit to take part in the Test series against New Zealand,” said Patel.Nehra underwent surgery on his ankle in April, and has only recently started bowling in the nets.
If Nehra is indeed ruled out, it will surely be a blow to India’s seam attack, but the Indian team management would be well advised to take a conservative approach with his fitness. More than the home series against New Zealand, it is vital that Nehra be part of the Indian line-up for the tour of Australia. Running in on the hard surfaces of Australia will surely put plenty of strain on the ankle, and it is easy to visualise a half-fit Nehra breaking down again. Easing him back with a few one-dayers and some domestic games could well be in the best interest both of Nehra and the Indian team.

ScorecardSri Lanka A began their tour of South Africa on a sour note, losing to Pretoria University, the Club Championship winners, by five wickets at Willowmoore Park in Benoni.After winning the toss, Sri Lanka chose to bat and made a reasonable start until Avishka Gunawardena was trapped lbw by Tiens Lange for 17 (42 for 1).Jehan Mubarak and Michael Vandort then flayed the attack, adding a second-wicket stand of 192 before Vandort was dismissed for 108. Mubarak then followed him shortly to the pavilion for 104 as Sri Lanka ended on a healthy 276 for 4.Pretoria, not fazed by the daunting task ahead of them, opened with Jacques Rudolph and AB de Villiers, who put on 67 for the opening wicket before Rudolph departed for 24. De Villiers made 67.But the big partnership came between Kruger van Wyk, the captain, and Hein Malan. They added 121 and took Pretoria to a memorable win. Malan was out for 81 and Van Wyk finished unbeaten on 56 as they reached their target with eight balls to spare.Sri Lanka face South Africa A in a day-night match at The Potchefstroom Oval on Friday.

ScorecardAfter competing hard throughout the series it was disappointing that Bangladesh ended it with an indisciplined batting performance which saw them bowled out inside three hours and slide to a 329-run defeat. England’s overnight declaration left them chasing a target almost 300 runs higher than their previous second-innings best in Tests, an impossible task, but two needless run-outs and some poor batting made for a woefully one-sided day.So much of the progress Bangladesh have made in recent months, and especially during this series, was forgotten as their top-order batsmen perished playing expansive shots or through schoolboy running. They were never going to win this game, but they had a chance to bat for long periods with relatively little pressure. They prefered to treat the innings as if it was part of a one-day international.They got off to a poor start when they lost Hannan Sarkar in the second over of the day. As he had done yesterday morning, Richard Johnson got extra bounce which surprised Sarkar who fended the ball away from his body and Chris Read, the wicketkeeper, took an acrobatic one-handed catch diving down the leg side, the first of five catches for him (5 for 1).Habibul Bashar then took the attack to the bowlers before he was run-out in a dreadful mix-up for which Javed Omar was to blame. Bashar turned for a tight third run, Omar was guilty of ball-watching and by the time he looked up Bashar was committed to the run. Martin Saggers’s pin-point return from the square-leg boundary left him stranded, and Bangladesh’s best batsman was needlessly gone for 19 (33 for 2).Omar didn’t last that much longer himself, aiming to cut a ball from Saggers that was never there for the shot and only sending the ball in a gentle arc to Read (51 for 3) and then Mushfiqur Rahman became the second run-out victim. Rajin Saleh pushed the ball into the covers and called for an improbable single, Michael Vaughan swooped and his return left the diving Rahman a foot short. It was a crazy run at the best of times; facing a target of over 400, it was inexcusable.It got worse. A pale Rikki Clarke, who had spent most of yesterday confined to his hotel bed, took to the field long enough to bowl one over, and with his sixth delivery Rajin Saleh aimed an expansive drive and the outside edge gave Read his third catch of the day (70 for 5). Clarke left the field ahead of the departing Saleh and didn’t reappear.

The morning ended in spectacular fashion. In the penultimate over Alok Kapali hooked Saggers out of the ground, and drove the next ball back past the bowler for four. In the next over Kapali almost became the third run-out casualty, beating Saggers’s throw from the boundary by inches. It was the briefest of reprieves. Johnson banged one in, Kapali top-edged the hook and Saggers took a remarkable one-handed catch at backward square leg, diving backwards and clinging to the ball five yards in the from the ropes (91 for 6). Six wickets had gone down inside the first two hours.With the dreadfully out-of-sorts Ashley Giles restricted to five nondescript overs during the morning, England persevered with pace, and as the wickets tumbled the balls were pitched shorter and shorter. Khaled Mashud was given out caught behind for 15 off Johnson, although replays suggested that the ball had struck his armguard as he tried to get out of the way (108 for 7).Khaled Mahmud gave his side a scrap of self-respect with a breezy innings of 33 which included a big six off Matthew Hoggard, but it was simply delaying the inevitable, and with Mashrafe Mortaza incapacitated, when Johnson removed him 55 minutes into the afternoon it was all over.For the first time since 1978-79 England had won three Tests on the trot overseas. Then it was against a Packer-depleted Australian side, but with the exception of today, this Bangladesh side fought every bit as hard, if not harder, than the Australians had done against Mike Brearley’s side. Their abject second-innings performance should not overshadow that achievement.

The Pub Charity CCA Club Cricket Draw – November 8 2003MEN’S CRICKET:1st Grade Men:R3 – 1 & 8 Nov (2 Day)2nd day of 22nd Grade Men:R3 – 1 & 8 Nov (2 Day)2nd day of 23rd Grade Gold Men:R3 – 1 & 8 Nov (2 Day)2nd day if 23rd Grade Red:R3 – 8 Oct & 15 Nov (2-day)Christs College v Burnside HS CC 1,STAC v St. Thom STAC 1,St. Bedes v TBHS TBHS 1,SBHS v CBHS SBHS 1.3rd Grade Black (Grade has been redrawn):R3 – 25 Oct & 1 Nov (2-day)CBHS Blue v CC Straven 2,CBHS Red v STAC STAC 2,SBHS v CBHS Black Straven 1,Burn HS v St Bedes Burn HS 1,Ricc HS Bye.4th Grade Men:St.A A v BWU HC 3,LPW Yabbage v Mar Ensors 3,OC Cavs v Syd Muppets Elm 4,St.A B v ES Hooters Clare 1.5th Grade Men:Ricc Gold v LPW Yaks Wool 1,Ricc Hogs v BWU Gold HC 8,OC Gold v BWU Blue Ilam 1,Mar Green v St.A Ilam 2,BWU Maroon v BWU SNCC Burn 2.6th Grade Men:Mar Fozzie B’s v Pk Ilam 5,OC SGC v Syd Red Syd 4a,LPW v Mar Gold Ilam 6,St. A v Syd Blue HC 7,OC Tan v BWU Burn 3.President’s Men:Ricc+ v St. A Blue HC 9,Mar v St.A Gold Ilam 3,HSOB Gold v Syd Syd 3,LPW Red v ES Blue Burw 3,ES Gold v OC Elm 3,Hospital v BWU Ilam 4,LPW Gladiators v Sum Misfits Ensors 2.(+ Indicates G. Frampton Challenge Trophy holder)WOMEN’S CRICKET1st Grade Women:R4 – 8 Nov (1-day Cup)ES v OC-Country Burw 2,ST A v LPW Gar 2.1st Reserve Grade Women:R2 – 8 Nov (1-day)Ricc v BWU Burn 4,ES v St.A Avondale 1,OC-Country v Syd Malvern 1.2nd Grade Women:LPW v Syd Wool 2,Hare v OC-Country Red 2,St.A Bye.3rd Grade:St.A v BWU HSC,Horn v LPW Hansen Pk 1a,Syd v Ricc Polo 1a.4th Grade Primary Girls:Senior Trad:St A Grammar v OC Country Cath Grammar 2 (Nancy’s Corner),LPW v ES HC 3,Horn v St.A Gold HC 8.Junior Trad:St A v Nb HC 9.Junior Average:LPW v Cath Grammar HC 4,Syd v St.A HC 5,HSOB v Syd Selwyn House HC 6.

Andrew Caddick has requested to be allowed to join the England Academy tour to Malaysia and India at the end of January in a bid to prove his fitness for the main tour of the West Indies in March. Caddick is reported to be recovering well from an operation to remove a bone spur on his back after sustaining a stress fracture.”I’m feeling good and am stepping up my schedule slowly,” said Caddick. “But I don’t want to make predictions. The tour is still a long way off. I’m on a gruelling regime and I will be fit. Anyone who knows me knows I mean it. I want to play at least for another year.”But Peter Gregory, the ECB’s chief medical officer, sounded a note of caution which appeared to make Caddick’s participation in the Academy tour unlikely. "Andrew is nowhere near being able to bowl again, " he said. "He will not be for perhaps another six weeks."Gregory was more upbeat about the rehabilitation of England’s other sidelined fast bowlers. "Simon Jones has done fantastically well. He is fitter than ever and will go on the Academy tour. Steve Harmison’s recent progress has been very encouraging and he’s nearly there. Low back injuries like his are hard to pin down but he should be fit if he is picked for the Caribbean."

Wavell Hinds’s groin injury, which cut short his tour of South Africa, may force him to miss the forthcoming Test series against England as well.Hinds picked up the injury during the third Test at Cape Town, and wassent home with orders to rest it for 6-12 weeks. But, talking to the last night following his return from South Africa, Hinds wasn’t very optimistic. He said: “After six weeks we will assess it because at that point in time it will be better to say if I will be ready for the English tour.”Hinds insisted, however, that his groin problem did not contribute to his poor form in the South Africa series. Hinds mustered only 59 runs in six innings, and was moved down to No. 5 for the third Test. “I was out of sorts – I wouldn’t put it down to the injury,” he said. “I have played on those wickets before. I’ve played in Australia, which is just as bouncy, or even bouncier. It was just a matter of not moving accordingly and being out of co-ordination. I think that’s something I have to adjust in the near future.”The opening Test of the England tour starts in Jamaica on March 11.

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India won their second match of the Under-19 World Cup with what was, in the end, a comfortable 69-run win against New Zealand. Sunny Singh kept India A on track after a shaky start to help them post 215 before New Zealand slumped to 146 all out in their doomed run chase.The New Zealand bowlers began brightly as Brent Findlay ripped away India’s top-middle order to reduce them to 86 for 5. But Singh, who was dropped three times, came to India’s rescue with a well-paced 68 not out, including seven fours. He added 66 with Gaurav Dhiman, who made a brisk 38.New Zealand’s reply never got going, despite a steady 55 from the captain Bradley-John Watling. Wickets were shared around by the Indian bowlers, and as the batsmen fell at regular intervals, the New Zealand lower order failed to cope with the pressure. The last six wickets fell for only 14 runs as India went top of Group C.Robin Singh, India’s coach, said afterwards that he believes his side can still improve. “The team could have scored 260 to 270 runs. The pitch was a good batting strip but the batsmen played too many loose shots,” he said. “The bowlers bowled well, but there is still scope for improvement – the spinners bowled too fast.”Singh, who was named Man of the Match, said, “I was lucky, I was given two or three lives. I capitalized on the dropped chances and initially concentrated on taking singles. I was pleased with the final result.”

Zaheer Khan and Anil Kumble are showing positive signs of returning to full fitness. Zaheer bowled in a practice match at MIG Club in Mumbai while Kumble expressed satisfaction with his rehabilitation program.The Secretary of the BCCI, Mr SK Nair, has said that Zaheer is fit. “I have come to know,” Nair told PTI reporters, “that Zaheer has recovered from the hamstring injury, though he has not sent his fitness certificates so far.”Zaheer, who pulled out of the Australian tour due to a hamstring injury, was a bit more circumspect. He told Times News Network: “I don’t have anything more to say from what I have already said at the MRF Pace Foundation last week. I want to follow the proper procedure and will speak to the press at the right moment.” He will have to prove his fitness to Andrew Leipus and the selectors before the team is announced on March 3.The practice match that Zaheer was involved in was between Mumbai Police and Maharashtra. Paras Mhambrey, the Maharashtra coach and former Indian bowler, said, “Zaheer looked okay. But he will need matches to get back into the groove.” Dennis Lillie had earlier told Zaheer to cut down on his leap as that would make hm less injury-prone.Kumble had strained his shoulder during the VB Series and has undergone a rehabilitation programs since his return. Kumble said, “I’m doing some shoulder-specific exercises at the gym. I will bowl in a couple of days to see the results. As of now, I don’t see the problem to my bowling shoulder. I should also be submitting my fitness certificate soon after turning my arm at the nets. There’s still time for me to do so.”

West Indies 311 for 9 (Smith 108, Hinds 84) v England
Scorecard

In recent years, England have earned a reputation for being slow off the mark in crucial Test series, but at Sabina Park today, they fought toe-to-toe with West Indies in an enthralling opening gambit.England started and finished the day strongly. In the morning session, their pace attack struck hard and fast, grabbing all four of West Indies’ experienced batsmen inside the first session and a half, and later returned to make efficient inroads into the tail. But in between whiles they were beaten back by a fifth-wicket stand of 122 between Devon Smith and Ryan Hinds, two batsmen making their return to the team after lengthy absences, as West Indies closed on 311 for 9.Smith, in his first match since that world-record run-chase of 418 against Australia in Antigua last May, rode out the early storm to make a fine 108, his maiden Test century. It was a gritty effort laced with occasional panache. He took his fair share of blows as Andrew Flintoff cracked him on the shoulder blade and Steve Harmison on the helmet and box, but Smith responded with a litany of defiant boundaries, including several slashes over the covers with a keen eye and the minimum of footwork.He was eventually stumped by Chris Read after a lapse of judgment, as he swept at Ashley Giles and left his back foot trailing just outside his crease. It was a careless end to a superb knock, but Giles – who bounced back well after being milked for 20 runs in his first two overs – soon struck again to remove Hinds, whose bullish approach had been paying rich dividends, He was all set for a century of his own, when he chipped a tame sweep to Mark Butcher at short fine leg. Hinds was gone for 84, and West Indies had slipped to 281 for 6.Nonetheless, it was a position of strength when compared to their perilous start to the innings. On winning the toss, Lara had little hesitation in choosing to bat first, on a hard-baked but green-tinged track that was a far cry from the corrugated minefield that greeted England on their last trip to the Caribbean in 1997-98. He admitted at the time that the first hour would be crucial, and Matthew Hoggard and Steve Harmison exploited the early-morning conditions to good effect, each picking up a wicket inside the first 40 minutes.

Harmison, back in the side after the back problems that scuppered his pre-Christmas trip to the subcontinent, was the first to strike. After feeling his way back into a decent rhythm, he produced an excellent full-length heavy ball that bounced more than Chris Gayle had expected and cannoned off his bat into the base of his middle stump. Three overs later, Hoggard – with a good line and inducking length – trapped Ramnaresh Sarwan lbw for an 11-ball duck, as he played all round a straight delivery that would have taken out middle-and-leg (22 for 2).The entire hopes of the Caribbean transferred to Lara’s shoulders, and he made an uneasy start to his innings, twice fencing Harmison through the slips for four. But Smith was growing in confidence at the other end, and the pair had added 51 for the third wicket when Simon Jones popped up to produce the golden moment of the day.With his 13th delivery, Jones forced Lara fence uncertainly at another well-directed ball, and Andrew Flintoff at second slip pouched the most effortless of catches. Jones’s celebration was exultant and heart-felt, and he looked close to tears as he hugged Flintoff. It has been a long and painful road to recovery, and he could not have wished for a more rewarding wicket.Soon after lunch, Chanderpaul prodded loosely at a wide delivery from Hoggard and inside-edged onto his leg stump (101 for 4), and Harmison roughed up Smith in a top-notch spell of aggression that demonstrated his eagerness for the task. But just as the floodgates seemed ready to be cranked open, Smith and Hinds carried the fight back to England’s bowlers, as West Indies regained the upper hand.But once Giles had made the breakthroughs, Jones struck for a second time to remove Ridley Jacobs, who had played well within himself for his 37. Thereafter, the new ball took over. Tino Best refused to go down without a fight, belting Giles for a straight six and swinging Hoggard for four behind square, but he was adjudged lbw to a Harmison yorker that might have missed leg, after Adam Sanford had been caught at first slip off Flintoff.England were unable to prise apart the last pair, although Harmison gave Fidel Edwards a shock when he slipped out a brutal beamer in the penultimate over of the day. It was totally accidental and Harmison apologized immediately, but he might not be relishing the prospect of batting too much after that.

Zimbabwe A 294 (Ervine 75) and 28 for 1 trail Sri Lankans 461 (M Jayawardene 113, Samaraweera 97, Sangakkara 95) by 139 runs
ScorecardThilan Samaraweera laid the foundations, and Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene applied the flourish, as the Sri Lankans took command on the second day of their tour match against Zimbabwe A in Harare. In reply to the Zimbabwean first-innings total of 294, Sri Lanka were eventually bowled out for 461 with contributions all down the order. By the close, Stuart Matsikenyeri had failed for the second time in the match, as Zimbabwe A limped to 28 for 1 in 12 overs.Even the presence of five of Zimbabwe’s so-called rebels could not change their fortunes, as the Sri Lankans’ engine-room of Samaraweera, Sangakkara and Jayawardene took control from the word go. Sangakkara, as is his custom, was the principal aggressor in the morning session, picking up from his unbeaten 41 to motor towards a richly deserved century. But he was eventually caught behind off Sean Ervine for 95, after cracking 16 fours and two sixes in his 93-ball innings (152 for 3).Samaraweera had been content to drop anchor and let the fun go on at the other end, and he duly performed the same role for Jayawardene, who is standing in as captain for this match. There was an air of inevitability about his innings, but he too fell just short of his hundred – caught by Elton Chigumbura off Heath Streak for a 200-ball 97 (290 for 4).Jayawardene made no mistake, however, and had raced to 113 from 106 balls, with 17 fours and a six, before falling lbw to Trevor Gripper. Gripper then accounted for Upul Chandana and Thilina Kandamby, both caught and bowled, although Kandamby didn’t depart the stage until he had blitzed his way to a remarkable 52 from 41 balls – it was an innings that did not involve a single non-boundary, as it contained 10 fours and two sixes.Prasanna Jayawardene, the reserve wicketkeeper, and Farveez Maharoof continued to enjoy themselves at the Zimbabwe bowlers’ expense, before Chigumbura chipped in with both wickets and Ervine returned to wrap up the tail. Zimbabwe A trailed by 167 runs on first innings, and face a tricky task on the final day if they are to avoid defeat.