Initial commit

README.md

@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+# COMP20008 2021 Semester 1 Assignment 1
+Readme file

cricket/001.txt

@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+JDKC-105M
+Second one-day international, Christchurch Australia 314-6 (50 overs) beat New Zealand 208 (40.4 overs) by 106 runs
+
+Ricky Ponting (53) and Damien Martyn (58) provided the main support for Hayden, who hit two sixes and 12 fours. They eventually totalled 314-6 and the game was as good as over when New Zealand slumped to 73-6 in reply, with Adam Gilchrist taking five catches. Daniel Vettori made a rapid 83 but they were all out for 208 in the 41st over. New Zealand must now win all three remaining matches to take the series, but such a turn-round looked a remote possibility at Jade Stadium. Skipepr Stephen Fleming chose to put Australia in after winning the toss, with former rugby star Jeff Wilson included in the New Zealand team for his first one-day international since March 1993. He was taught a harsh lesson as his six overs cost 57 runs, with only left-arm spinner Vettori (0-31 from 10) able to exercise any measure of control over the Australian batsmen.
+
+Gilchrist was caught behind off Daryl Tuffey from the second ball of the match but Hayden and Ponting set about putting things right with a stand of 99 for the second wicket. Ponting cleared the ropes twice as he raced to 50 off 51 balls, but only added three more before he was run out by Hamish Marshall. By then, Hayden was into his stride and he and Martyn added 133, although it took them 24 overs. Martyn was run out off the final ball of the 41st over, but the final nine cost the Kiwis 82 runs as Australia raised the tempo. Hayden's century came up off 110 balls but he eventually fell to a catch by Wilson off Kyle Mills, leaving Michael Clarke to add 23 off 13 balls and Mike Hussey 32 not out off 20 as the total mounted past 300.
+
+The new ball pairing of Brett Lee and Glenn McGrath made short work of New Zealand's top order, claiming two wickets each - all of them catches behind the wicket by Gilchrist. He claimed another when Andrew Symonds found the edge of Craig McMillan's bat and when Chris Cairns followed for 22, caught by Hayden, the home side were in danger of being embarrassed. Vettori and Brendon McCullum (20) halted their decline by sharing a stand of 62 before McCullum gave a return catch to Symonds, who finished with 3-41. Wilson made 22 in an eighth wicket stand of 62 but the end came quickly once he was caught by Ponting off Jason Gillespie. Having passed fifty for the first time in a limited overs international, Vettori was denied a century when he was caught at deep square leg off Gillespie after hitting 10 fours in his 77-ball knock. Mills was last to go, run out by Clarke, after setting off for a quick single and being sent back by Tuffey.
+
+S P Fleming, N J Astle, M S Sinclair, J Wilson, C D McMillan, H J H Marshall, C L Cairns, B B McCullum, K D Mills, D L Vettori, D R Tuffey
+
+M L Hayden, A C Gilchrist, R T Ponting, D R Martyn, A Symonds, M J Clarke, M E K Hussey, G B Hogg, B Lee, J Gillespie, G D McGrath

cricket/002.txt

@@ -0,0 +1,112 @@
+Pietersen gives England a chance
+
+Lunch: England 240 all out (49.5 overs)
+
+His innings of 116 came after the rest of the batsmen had failed dismally to be 68-6 at the mid-innings point. Pietersen, who blasted 10 fours and six sixes off 110 deliveries, added 104 runs for the seventh wicket with Ashley Giles (41). Darren Gough was ruled out with a cold and was replaced by Steve Harmison.
+
+Hall bowls Harmison for a duck.
+
+Hall bowls Ali off his pads.
+
+Ali hits a boundary off Nel as fine leg misfields. And he middles another down to long off.
+
+Hall finally has his revenge by bowling Pietersen.
+
+Hall returns to the fray and is deposited for a straight six by Pietersen. The next ball is steered down to the vacant third man area for four.
+
+Pietersen clobbers Nel between square leg and midwicket for four.
+
+Ali and Pietersen each hit fours before Ntini is deposited high over long on as the Hampshire batsman reaches 99. A scrambled single gives him his third century of the series.
+
+Pietersen drives a Kallis full toss for four and nicks another ball wide of Boucher for a second boundary.
+
+Pietersen drives Ntini wide of mid-off for four. Ntini, starting his third spell, yorks Giles.
+
+In this over, Giles reaches his best score, and Pietersen brings up the 100 partnership with a six off Hall.
+
+Pietersen launches Nel over long-on for another six. Giles then drives him through extra cover for four.
+
+A boundary for each batsman off Hall underlines the quality of this Centurion pitch.
+
+Pietersen drives Nel wide of mid-off for four and Giles then plays him behind square on the leg-side for another four.
+
+Boje finishes off with 1-34.
+
+Pietersen collectes his third one-day fifty with a single as Pollock finishes off with 1-36.
+
+Pietersen slog sweeps Boje for two massive sixes over cow corner.
+
+Giles thumps Pollock over mid-on for four to bring up England's 100 and adds another boundary by slashing over gully.
+
+The batsmen continue to trade in singles.
+
+A few more singles come off Pollock and a respite from the tedium of this partnership comes as drinks are brought on.
+
+Just 17 overs remain and at 89-6, England are merely hoping they can bat out the overs.
+
+Pollock returns to the attack and again England can only trade in singles.
+
+Five dots balls from Boje, then a single for Giles.
+
+England can only take two singles off Ntini.
+PUQK-674Boje concedes two runs off the bat and a single wide.
+
+Ntini goes for six runs in his first over of a new spell.
+
+Pietersen garners a solitary single off Boje's fourth over.
+
+With Giles and Pietersen batting together, England have a mountain to climb.
+
+Collingwood is given run out by the third umpire after a misunderstanding with Pietersen.
+
+Collingwood takes three runs off Hall.
+
+Four singles come off Boje's second over.
+
+A cover-drive from Collingwood off Nel brings the batsman four runs.
+
+In Boje's first over, Solanki contrives to top-edge a sweep to short fine leg.
+
+Nel gets through another good over.
+
+A Pietersen single brings up the England team half-century but he will have to perform some more heroics to set a challenging total.
+
+Pietersen pulls a Nel long-hop for four.
+
+Pietersen whips a straight ball from Hall wide of mid-on for four.
+
+Jones top-edges a pull shot off Nel and gives a dolly catch to Kemp at square leg.
+
+Hall bowls a maiden at Pietersen.
+
+Nel allows just a single from his second over.
+
+Hall is able to get through an economical first over.
+
+Nel strikes in his first over as Strauss gets an under-edge trying to attack a short ball with a pull shot.
+
+Strauss plays a smart leg-glance off Pollock for four.
+
+Strauss has his first boundary as he pulls Ntini for four.
+
+After 15 dots balls, Jones square-cuts Pollock for four.
+
+Ntini gets through his second maiden as England's run rate declines to desparate proportions.
+
+Boje misses a golden opportunity to run out Strauss after the non-striker is sold a dummy by Jones.
+
+Strauss is dropped by Kemp at gully.
+
+Just two more singles come off Pollock, with Strauss and Jones playing watchful cricket.
+
+Ntini bowls a maiden at Strauss.
+
+Pollock's second over costs just two.
+
+Jones flicks Ntini high over square leg for four. Vaughan loses his middle and leg stumps as he is beaten for pace by Ntini.
+
+Trescothick plays a flat-footed drive at a Pollock half-volley which goes strsight to gully.
+
+G Smith (capt), N Boje, J Kallis, H Gibbs, A Prince, J Kemp, M Boucher (wkt), S Pollock, M Ntini, A Nel, A Hall.
+
+M Vaughan (capt), M Trescothick, G Jones (wkt), A Strauss, K Pietersen, I Bell, V Solanki, P Collingwood, A Giles, Kabir Ali, S Harmison, A Wharf.

cricket/003.txt

@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+South Africa far too strong again
+
+Second one-day international, Durban South Africa 329-6 beat Zimbabwe 198-7 by 131 runs
+
+South Africa lead three-match series 2-0
+
+VPBC-005
+The same bowler struck soon afterwards as Rogers clipped a fullish delivery to wide mid-on. Nicky Boje and Adam Bacher each took a brace of wickets as the middle order simply played for pride. And it was telling that Bacher, whose military medium pace was not even experimented with against England, finished with 2-36 off a full allotment of 10 overs. Zimbabwe had won the toss at the start of the day and did well with the ball early on, reducing the South Africans to 67-3 in the 15th over. But Smith and Gibbs, who so often form a powerful partnership in both Tests and one-day internationals, were not backwards in coming forward, launching a barrage of boundaries off the spinners. Zimbabwe were hampered when strike bowler Tinashe Panyangara left the field in his fourth over with a back strain.
+
+The spinners had to do plenty of work as a result and one of them, Prosper Utseya, went for 60 in six overs. Gibbs took a particular liking to him before eventually falling to Rogers for 75 off 73 balls. Seam bowler Christopher Mpofu took 3-59 in his nine overs. He was impressive in the main but had to bowl the final over of the innings, which disappeared for 17 as Justin Kemp equalled the fastest half-century by a South African. He hit two fours and five towering sixes in a brutal display of hitting. Afterwards, Kemp said he knew nothing about the record. "I had no idea," he admitted. "I was just thinking about smashing every ball for six."
+
+Graeme Smith (captain), Adam Bacher, Jacques Rudolph, Herschelle Gibbs, Ashwell Prince, Justin Kemp, Mark Boucher, Albie Morkel, Nicky Boje, Andrew Hall, Charl Langeveldt.
+
+Stuart Matsikenyeri, Barney Rogers, Hamilton Masakadza, Alester Maregwede, Brendan Taylor, Tatenda Taibu (captain), Gavin Ewing, Sean Williams, Tinashe Panyangara, Prosper Utseya, Christopher Mpofu.

cricket/004.txt

@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+Pakistan on revenge mission
+
+Pakistan's cricketers depart for Delhi on Monday with captain Inzamam-ul-Haq beseeching his side to make up for the 2004 defeat to India on home soil.
+YWCE-738India outplayed Pakistan 12 months ago, beating them 2-1 in the Tests and 3-2 in the one-day internationals. Inzamam said ahead of Pakistan's first full tour of India for six years: "We want to make amends for last year. "The Australian tour was a big learning experience and I think we are in a position to reap benefits in India." Series between India and Pakistan are always eagerly awaited, largely because politics often restrict the amount of cricket the two teams can play against each other. This particular engagement, which will include three Tests and six one-dayers, was twice threatened. The schedule has already been put back four days over a dispute which centred on Pakistan's refusal to play the second Test in Ahmedabad.
+
+The first Test in Mohali will now get under way on 8 March. Then, following a protracted row over television rights, the Madras High Court issued interim orders to ensure the matches would be broadcast live by state=owned channel Doordarshan. After the 2004 series between the two sides, Pakistan sacked their coach Javed Miandad. Inzamam believes his replacement, Bob Woolmer, has improved the side even if a string of positive results have not yet come. He said: "A lot has changed since that series. Woolmer has helped change the attitude of the boys which is more positive and professional and I think they can take the pressure of playing in India." Pakistan will be without strike bowler Shoaib Akhtar (hamstring), leaving recalled off-spinner Arshad Khan and leg-spinner Danish Kaneria with much work to do. Inzamam said: "Shoaib's absence will be felt. But our strength is playing as a unit. "[Khan and Kaneria] have a big role to play in India. They are the ones on whom we will be depending a lot in the Test matches. "We are expecting slow, turning tracks and we have been practicing for such conditions." Pakistan's first match is a three-day warm-up against the Indian Board President's XI in Dharamsala from March 3.
+
+Salman Butt, Yasir Hameed, Taufeeq Umar, Younis Khan, Inzamam-ul-Haq (captain), Yousuf Youhana, Asim Kamal, Kamran Akmal (wkt), Abdul Razzaq, Shoaib Malik, Shahid Afridi, Arshad Khan, Danish Kaneria, Muhammad Sami, Rana Naved, Muhammad Khalil.

cricket/005.txt

@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+Russell to instruct keeper Jones
+
+Former England and Gloucestershire wicket-keeper Jack Russell has been called in to give coaching to current national team gloveman Geraint Jones.
+
+Jones did not have the best of tours in South Africa, dropping catches and conceding too many byes. Now England coach Duncan Fletcher has sought out the 54-Test veteran. Russell told the Daily Express: "Duncan and captain Michael Vaughan have asked me to build a relationship with Geraint and give him whatever help he needs." The pair have already worked closely but Russell will be heavily involved as the countdown to the Ashes begins. He said: "Geraint has got the ability to play 100 Tests for England. He has the right attitude.
+
+GHXO-669P

cricket/006.txt

@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+England A roll to second victory
+
+One-day tour match, Sharjah: England A v UAE
+KAWQ-187JPrior top-scored with 84 as a stand of 100 helped England A to 280 for eight in Sharjah with Solanki making 55 and Michael Powell 42. Glamorgan's David Harrison struck early to leave UAE reeling on 22 for two. Usman Saleem restored some respectability with 50 but UAE ran out of steam to close on 219 for nine. The tourists won Saturday's first game by 42 runs.
+
+Rashid Khan, Amjad Javed, Usman Saleem Naeemuddin Aslam, Khuram Khan (Capt), Ahmed Nadeem, Fahad Usman Sameer Zia, Mohammad Taskeen (Wkt), Ali Asad, Rizwan Latif.
+
+V S Solanki, M J Prior (Wkt), I R Bell (Capt), O A Shah M J Powell, A P R Gidman, G P Swann, P J Franks, R K J Dawson D S Harrison, J Lewis.
+
+Iftikhar Ali and Tariq Butt

cricket/007.txt

@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+Kaif absence wrong - Azharuddin
+
+India were wrong to leave Mohammad Kaif out of their squad for the first Test against Pakistan, according to former captain Mohammad Azharuddin.
+
+Azharuddin, serving a life ban for match-fixing, feels the middle-order batsman deserves another chance. "Kaif batted very well against Australia on a tough wicket," Azharuddin told BBC Sport. "He's got a lot of talent and I am sure he cannot be held back. His omission is not good for his confidence." Kaif scored two fifties in last year's home series loss to the Aussies, while Yuvraj Singh failed badly against the same opponents yet was given a squad berth for the Mohali Test starting on 8 March.
+SOCR-012LAzharuddin reckons Vangipurappu Laxman should bat at first drop despite struggling for form. "Laxman has always played well when he has gone as number three," he said. "Lower down the order, a lot of pressure is on him and if I were the captain, I would have played him at number three." As well as spinners Harbhajan Singh and Anil Kumble, India have four pacemen to choose from after naming Ashish Nehra, Lakshmipathy Balaji, Irfan Pathan and Zaheer Khan in the 14-man squad. "All the four pace bowlers deserve to get into the team," Azharuddin added. Pakistan, minus injured paceman Shoaib Akhtar, are due to arrive in India on Monday ahead of their first warm-up match against the Indian Board President's XI starting on Thursday. "Shoaib Akhtar's absence in the Pakistani side is not going to make much of a difference," Azharuddin opined. "He may get a wicket or two but he has to be more consistent. Also, the Indian batting is very strong now."
+
+Azharuddin maintains his innocence despite his central involvement in the match-fixing scandal of 2000 which saw Pakistani Salim Malik and the late Hansie Cronje of South Africa also receive life bans. In 99 Tests for India from 1984 to 2000, Azharuddin scored 6,215 runs at an average of 45 with 22 centuries.

cricket/008.txt

@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+Bracewell worried by Lee
+
+New Zealand coach John Bracewell is furious that Australia paceman Brett Lee has bowled four beamers at his batsmen in the current one-day series.
+
+Brendon McCullum was struck on the arm by a waist-high full toss in Auckland on Sunday, a match Australia won. Bracewell said: "He's been apologetic every time he's done it. "He was apologetic when he did it to Chris Harris, and Paul Wiseman, and he's apologised twice to Brendon. That's a lot of apologies."
+
+Bracewell was also of the view that Lee had bowled a beamer at Pakistan's Abdul Razzaq during the VB Series. On Sunday, a furious McCullum confronted Lee mid-pitch after being struck on the arm, and while the incident was later resolved, Bracewell was not happy. Lee, who took 2-24 off seven overs on Saturday and also sent Michael Papps to hospital with a bouncer, was contrite afterwards.
+
+He said the heavy dew caused his feet to shift on delivery stride and he lost control against McCullum. "Unfortunately the ball came out and it hit him - thank God it didn't hurt him," said Lee. "I know when I was beamed accidently by Razzaq [also in the VB Series] your first impression is to go crazy. "[McCullum] lost it there for 15-20 seconds and I went up and apologised and said 'I would never mean to do that'." Australia captain Ricky Ponting refuses to admit there is animosity between the sides despite Bracewell's disquiet. "Teams have got on very well," Ponting said. " "We've been in each other's rooms after every game. Relations have been very good. "The only thing was the full-toss that Brett bowled, otherwise everything's been great. It's been a good series played in great spirit." In the laws of the game, a bowler is removed from the attack by the umpires for bowling two beamers in a match, whether accidental or not. Any delivery that passes the batsman at or above waist-height without bouncing is deemed a no-ball.
+KDHH-278R

cricket/009.txt

@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+Pakistan accept venues compromise
+
+The doubts surrounding Pakistan's tour of India have receded after the two boards agreed to move the second Test from Ahmedabad to Calcutta.
+
+In return for switching the Test, Pakistan have agreed to play an extra one-day international in Ahmedabad. "The tour may get delayed by three to four days," said Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Shaharyar Khan. Ahmedabad was the scene of religious riots in 2002 and Pakistan's cricketers had been wary of playing there. But a compromise solution was reached on Friday, a day after the tour schedule had been due to be confirmed. A sixth one-day international will be played in Ahmedabad to appease the Gujarat Cricket Association. The Pakistan Cricket Board initially suggested Mumbai as an alternative for the Ahmedabad Test, but it was agreed it would be played in Calcutta (Kolkata).
+
+Khan met India's external affairs minister Natwar Singh in Islamabad on Thursday and also held telephone talks with Jagmohan Dalmiya, patron of the Board of Control for Cricket in India. "We hope a final itinerary will be announced by the BCCI later on Friday," said Khan. "We are in constant touch with them so we can agree on the dates for the tour to start because they have a lot of work to do. "I am happy that the matter is resolved and the tour will get on smoothly."
+JLCK-314GThe first and third Tests will take place at Mohali and Bangalore, while Cochin, Vishakapatnam, Delhi, Jamshedpur and Kanpur will stage the other five one-day internationals. The Indian government has confirmed that 8,000 visas will be granted to Pakistan supporters who wish to attend the Mohali Test. The seven-week tour will be Pakistan's first to India in six years and their squad is due to be announced on Saturday. They were due to arrive in Delhi on 24 or 25 February and begin a three-day warm-up match on the 27th. However, TV rights have yet to be awarded, with a counter-petition from Zee due to be heard at the Madras High Court on Thursday. The BCCI backed out of a four-year deal with Zee last September after ESPN-Star Sports challenged it in court. Salim Altaf, the PCB's Director of Cricket Operations, has been appointed team manager for the tour. He replaces former Test batsman Haroon Rashid. "It's another big responsibility and considering the importance of the tour I will try to do my best," Altaf said.

cricket/010.txt

@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+Tuffey pays price for profligacy
+
+New Zealand have dropped seam bowler Daryl Tuffey following his woeful display in the third one-day international against Australia.
+
+QXYP-302
+Stephen Fleming (captain), Nathan Astle, Craig Cumming, Hamish Marshall, James Marshall, Craig McMillan, Chris Cairns, Brendon McCullum, Daniel Vettori, Jeff Wilson, Kyle Mills, Lance Hamilton.

cricket/011.txt

@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+Tendulkar eyes Test return
+KBIU-888Star batsman Sachin Tendulkar is hopeful he will be fit for India's home series against Pakistan next month.
+
+The 31-year-old is poised to make his return from a long-term elbow injury on Tuesday in a domestic four-day match. "I'm here to prepare myself in a particular way," said Tendulkar, who has not played competitively since the Bangladesh tour in December. "I have to see how I go in the match. Nobody knows what's going to happen but right now I feel fully fit." Tendulkar will captain West Zone against South Zone in the Duleep Trophy in Hyderabad. India paceman Irfan Pathan, who missed several domestic games this month due to a side strain, is also set to make his comeback in the same game. Tendulkar's injury problems has been attributed mainly to wear and tear caused by non-stop cricket since he emerged on the international scene in 1989 as a 16-year-old. Pakistan arrive in Delhi on 28 February for their first tour to India in six years, which includes three Tests and six one-day games.

cricket/012.txt

@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+Tudor given fresh start by Essex
+
+Former England paceman Alex Tudor has joined Essex on a one-year contract.
+
+The 27-year-old, who 10 Test caps, was released by Surrey at the end of last season after 10 years at The Oval. He only played one Championship game in 2004 because of a side injury and has agreed 'performance related' terms with Essex after treatment by a specialist. "I am determined to repay Essex for the faith they have shown in me. This is a new start for me and I am just itching to get out on the field," he said. "[Essex captain] Ronnie Irani phoned me up after he heard I'd been released by Surrey and said he wanted to get me fit. Even if I didn't sign he just wanted to get me back on the cricket field. "I've had a spinal problem and Essex put me in touch with some people in Germany and I owe them a lot," he added. Tudor is also a useful performer with the bat and became an overnight hero in 1999 when his innings of 99 not out against New Zealand saw England to a Test victory at Edgbaston. He last played for England on the 2002-03 Ashes tour when, ironically, he joined the squad as a replacement for new Essex team-mate Darren Gough. Irani described Tudor as a "world-class signing".
+AYEY-671He told the club's website: "He is a role model professional with a first-class attitude who will be a great asset to the team. "There has obviously been a question mark over Alex's fitness record of late but he has gone to extreme measures in order to get himself back on track. "If all goes well then hopefully we will be talking about Alex Tudor in the future as an Essex and England player." The signing was also welcomed by coach Graham Gooch, who was England manager on Tudor's first tour to Australia in 1998-99. "I had nothing other than praise for the way he conducted himself - both on the field where he performed well in all three disciplines and in the dressing room," said Gooch. "Alex is an international quality player and good team man who will be well motivated to prove his doubters wrong."

cricket/013.txt

@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+England slump to defeat
+
+Fourth one-day international, Cape Town: South Africa 291-5 (50 overs) beat England 183 all out (41.2 overs) by 108 runs
+
+The home side tallied a massive 291-5, with Gibbs making 100, Jacques Kallis 71 and Justin Kemp 57 from 36 balls. In reply, England were three wickets down inside eight overs, and bowled out for 183 in 41.2 overs. Kevin Pietersen smashed 75 from 85 balls but was caught in the deep trying to up the tempo. In all, 13 sixes were hit at a sun-baked Newlands, Kemp accounting for four of them with three each for Gibbs and Pietersen. Gibbs and Kallis, who both play for home side Western Province, set a new mark for the third wicket at this ground and beat their own record - set last week - for the third wicket against England with a stand of 143.
+
+They set an even pace, notching half-centuries from successive deliveries, but still looked under par when Kallis was run out by a brilliant direct throw from Paul Collingwood at point. However, Kemp helped add 98 in the last 10 overs of the South African innings, building brutally on that platform. Kemp's best six came off Darren Gough, a drive into the pavilion at long on, and Gough was actually hanging on to one of Gibbs' maximums, the momentum carrying him over the boundary rope. England looked like keeping pace only as far as the sixth over of their reply, when Geraint Jones edged Ntini behind with 32 on the board.
+
+Captain Michael Vaughan, who returned from illness and replaced Vikram Solanki in the line-up, followed for a duck in the next over, edging Shaun Pollock to slip. And Marcus Trescothick went four balls later, playing around an Ntini yorker which took out his middle stump. Andrew Strauss, who made 17, and Paul Collingwood, with 11, both settled but failed to move on. And Pietersen was left to stage his own firework display, falling to his third successive slog-sweep off spinner Nicky Boje after the first two had flown over the square-leg boundary.
+
+Pietersen, sporting a new hairstyle with a diagonal streak of bleached blond, took his series figures to 238 runs at an average of 119. Ntini had Ashley Giles caught at cover for 20 to finish with 3-29. Ignoring the fact that the team batting first has won 17 of the last 25 one-day internationals at the Cape Town ground, Vaughan had opted to put the home side in on winning the toss. He was forced into making changes early, though, as Steve Harmison struggled in his first match back from a calf injury. The pace bowler, who replaced Matthew Hoggard in the line-up, conceded 24 runs off his first three overs, including four wides.
+
+Although Darren Gough dismissed AB de Villiers lbw, he was also wayward early. And it took the arrival of Kabir Ali as the first-change bowler to apply the brakes. Ali, the hero of Wednesday's tie in Bloemfontein dismissed Graeme Smith, the hero of Friday's victory, lbw with a straight delivery that may have been a little too high. And with Collingwood in support his first six-over spell brought figures of 1-11. Ali's early figures were decimated, though, in the closing stages as Gibbs and Kemp blazed to put the match out of reach. The teams meet again in East London on Wednesday for the fifth instalment of the seven-match series.
+
+G C Smith (capt), A B de Villiers, J H Kallis, H H Gibbs, A G Prince, J M Kemp, M V Boucher (wkt), S M Pollock, N Boje, M Ntini, A Nel.
+
+MP Vaughan (capt), M E Trescothick, G O Jones, A J Strauss, K P Pietersen, I R Bell, P D Collingwood, A F Giles, Kabir Ali, D Gough, S Harmison.
+KKXQ-499

cricket/014.txt

@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+Streak ends Zim dispute
+
+Former captain Heath Streak has signed a contract to play for Zimbabwe after ending his 10-month dispute with the country's cricketing authorities.
+
+ZVCZ-635K

cricket/015.txt

@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+Aussie McGrath to take match off
+
+Third one-day international, Auckland: New Zealand v Australia
+
+Match begins 0100 GMT
+HRAM-828DOpener Matthew Hayden will also sit out the match because of a shoulder injury suffered in the second game on Tuesday. McGrath's place goes to Michael Kasprowicz while Simon Katich replaces Hayden, and will open the batting in preference to Michael Clarke. New Zealand trail 2-0 and need to win in Auckland to keep the five-match series alive. The Black Caps dropped batsman Mathew Sinclair after the opening two defeats, calling in opener Michael Papps and all-rounder Andre Adams. But Adams has been ruled out due to illness, adding to the home side's woes after Scott Styris injured his knee. Batsman James Marshall will make his international debut after acting as 12th man in the last game.
+
+Marshall is the identical twin of Hamish Marshall, New Zealand's best batsman in the first match. News that several batsmen had spent time with the team psychologist on Wednesday added to the air of desperation in the New Zealand camp. But captain Stephen Fleming played that down, and emphasised pride is at stake with three games left in the series. "We're pretty determined; we know the importance of the match to keep the series alive," he said. "But more importantly we want to play up to the standard we have over the last 12-24 months."
+
+Australia have now won 10 of their last 11 one-day matches against New Zealand. And captain Ricky Ponting was in no mood to loosen his side's grip on the series against their local rivals. "Sure we're in a great position and we've played some pretty good cricket but we still think we can keep improving," he said. "All we can do is keep trying to win and keep trying to improve, and if that means we get a psychological hold over New Zealand then well and good."
+
+S Fleming (Capt), N Astle, H Marshall, C McMillan, C Cairns, B McCullum (Wkt), D Vettori, J Wilson, K Mills, D Tuffey, M Papps, J Marshall.
+
+R Ponting (captain), A Gilchrist, S Katich, D Martyn, M Clarke, M Hussey, A Symonds, B Hogg, B Lee, J Gillespie, M Kasprowicz.

cricket/016.txt

@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+Batsman Van Jaarsveld joins Kent
+HHIF-616South African batsman Martin van Jaarsveld has ended his international career to sign a contract with Kent.
+
+The 30-year-old will move to England under the Kolpak ruling, meaning he is not classed as an overseas player. Kent chief executive Paul Millman refused to disclose the length of the deal but told BBC Sport that he would be joining for "at least two years". "We've been talking to him for some time but he was under contract so we had to stay silent," he continued. "Now he has released himself from that, we are very happy that he's joining us and has committed to playing for Kent."
+
+Van Jaarsveld played the last of his nine Tests for South Africa against England in December, but has since fallen down the pecking order. "You need continuity in the dressing room. We had five overseas players last year and he's freed himself up to be available for us for the whole season," Millman added. "When you see that there are tours going on around the world it's very difficult to pinpoint talent for a long period of time and this is the solution." Kent chairman of cricket Graham Johnson added: "While at present we do not plan to engage a second overseas player, the option remains available to us should we wish to do so on a short-term basis." Van Jaarsveld hit 484 runs in seven County Championship matches with Northamptonshire last year and said the opportunity to return to county cricket was too good to turn down. "Having understood that my future international prospects might be limited, I needed to weigh up my options and make a decision that was in the best interests of my long-term future," he explained. Van Jaarsveld's domestic side in South Africa, the Centurion-based Titans, said the batsman may play for them in future. However, he would have to be classed as an overseas player in the Republic.

cricket/017.txt

@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+Jayasuriya set to join Somerset
+
+MLGR-878X
+Chief executive Peter Anderson told BBC Sport that the club would release a statement on the matter at 1600 GMT. Jayasuriya will probably fill the place of Graeme Smith on a temporary basis as the South African is due to arrive in late May to captain the team. Jayasuriya, 35, had rejected an offer to play for the Scottish Saltires. Jayasuriya has played in 94 Tests, averaging 43.45 with the bat and taking 89 wickets with his left-arm spin. He has also played in more one-day internationals than all but three players in world cricket with 334 appearances. But the attack-minded left-hander has never played county cricket before. It is shaping up to be a golden summer for Sri Lankans in English domestic cricket, with Upul Chandana (Gloucestershire), Chaminda Vaas (Worcestershire) and Muttiah Muralitharan (Lancashire) all contracted. Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene are also reported to be looking for opportunities.

cricket/018.txt

@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+Streak happy with comeback
+NIXS-836Heath Streak was pleased with his performance on his Zimbabwe comeback, despite the defeat to South Africa.
+
+Streak made 68 bu the home side won the third and final one-day international by five wickets at Port Elizabeth. He said: "I was nervous, especially because of the situation when I came in. The important thing was to chip in. "I had to stay until the end and play each ball on merit. The important thing was to keep the ball on the ground and not play too many special shots." Thanks in the main to Streak, Zimbabwe recovered from 35-5 to post 206-8 in their 50 overs and then reduced the home side to 79-4.
+
+But Justin Kemp, who was lucky not to be adjudged caught behind first ball, and was then dropped twice, smashed an unbeaten 78 to steer South Africa to victory. Nicky Boje, standing in as South Africa captain in Graeme Smith's absence, praised the tourists, particularly Streak. "We made it hard for ourselves but the Zimbabweans came back well," he said. "Streaky is an old campaigner who knows how to play in those situations." Zimbabwe captain Tatenda Taibu said: "It was very important for us to fight hard and we'll carry on fighting in the Test series." The first of two back-to-back Tests begins in Cape Town on Friday.

cricket/019.txt

@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+Auckland set forTwenty20
+
+Twenty20 International, Auckland
+
+OESP-334
+The Black Caps will be without injured Daniel Vettori, though he is likely to play in Saturday's first match of the 50-over one-day series. Former rugby union international Jeff Wilson is included in the 12-man squad for the historic encounter. Australia were given a boost when Matthew Hayden overcame a pleurisy scare to be available for all matches. Double All Black Wilson, who returns to the international line up after a 12-year lay-off, said it was no secret Australia were viewed as being the toughest opponents the Black Caps could face. "The Aussies are the world's premier team, but we're a pretty accomplished one-day side too, and I'm looking forward to being a part of the challenge," said Wilson. "As a team, we are under no illusions about how tough it will be or how good they are, but it's simply a matter of playing consistently well against them and grabbing all our chances." Although the tour focus remains firmly fixed on the opening one-day international, New Zealand coach John Bracewell said the Twenty20 match was a good opportunity to have an early "sighter" of each other.
+
+"The Twenty20 match might be a chance to get first psychological points with a long series ahead," said Bracewell. Statistics may favour New Zealand, who have not lost a home series in four years, but statistics count for nothing compared to current form where Australia have an aura of invincibility. Australia, meanwhile, flew out of Sydney on Wednesday for the tour, dismissing suggestions they already have their minds on the Ashes series in England this summer. The tour is Australia's final workout ahead of the Ashes trip and while England are looming as a potentially greater threat, captain Ricky Ponting said his team were only worried about New Zealand. "I think a lot of the media are talking about the Ashes series, but we know that we have got this very big and vital series to play first," said Ponting. "New Zealand are a very good side and they are hard to beat in in Australia and a lot harder to beat over there."
+
+S Fleming (cpt). A Adams, N Astle, C Cairns, B McCullum (wkt), C McMillan, H Marshall, K Mills, M Sinclair, S Styris, D Tuffey, J Wilson
+
+R Ponting (cpt), A Gilchrist (wkt), M Hayden, D Martyn, A Symonds, M Clarke, S Katich, M Hussey, J Hopes, B Hogg, B Lee, J Gillespie, M Kasprowicz, G McGrath

cricket/020.txt

@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+Batting prospects excite Vaughan
+
+England skipper Michael Vaughan is excited over a potential middle-order allegiance between Andrew Flintoff and Kevin Pietersen this summer.
+MQHK-220Provided Flintoff is fully recovered from an ankle operation, he and Pietersen may pose a big threat to Australia in the Ashes Test series. "If those two get going there will be a need for helmets in the crowd," said Vaughan of the big-hitting duo. "They're destructive and can take the game to the opposition." Amazingly Flintoff is yet to play in a Test against Australia, but is progressing well in his recovery from the operation on his left ankle, having had the plaster cast surrounding the joint removed. The last few Ashes encounters have seen England decimated by injury, but Vaughan is hoping not to have this burden during the summer.
+
+Pietersen's three one-day centuries in South Africa recently have ushered him to the front of the queue for a batting place. But he would have to dislodge Rob Key and Mark Butcher from the waiting list, and Ian Bell has also staked a claim for a place. "When you play Australia you need character and a bit of arrogance about you and Kevin has those attributes," Vaughan continued. "But there is not only Kevin Pietersen available. "We have options in the batting department and players are going to be disappointed. We would rather disappoint a few players than not have enough." England will be buoyed up by the 2-1 Test series victory in South Africa, but Vaughan is pragmatic enough to know that Australia are the benchmark by how his side will be judged. Vaughan added: "It is a challenge I am really looking forward to because when you face the biggest challenges you have to relish it and I am sure the team will be thinking the same way."

cricket/021.txt

@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+Jayasuriya set to join Somerset
+
+Somerset are expected to announce later on Thursday that Sri Lankan batsman Sanath Jayasuriya will join the county for the start of the 2005 season.
+
+BWQF-732

cricket/022.txt

@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+Pakistan batsmen make edgy start
+
+Tour match, Dharamsala, day one (stumps) Pakistan 165-5 v Indian Board President's XI
+
+At stumps on day one of three, the tourists were 165-5 in Dharamsala, with only 45 overs possible because of rain. There was an important 72-run stand for the fifth wicket between Inzamam-ul-Haq and Asim Kamal after Pakistan had collapsed from 54-0 to 83-4. Kamal was still there at the close on 43 after captain Inzamam, on his 35th birthday, was dismissed for 35. Pakistan had been cruising early on through Salman Butt and Taufeeq Umar before losing four wickets for 29 runs in barely 10 overs of cricket. In the 11th over a misunderstanding with Umar about a second run resulted in his downfall - Gagandeep Singh hitting the stumps with a throw from fine leg. Gagandeep then did his job with the ball as Younis Khan was caught at second slip for a two-ball duck. Yousuf Youhana batted brightly but after hitting 18 off as many deliveries he fell soon after tea inside-edging a drive off Shib Paul to wicket-keeper Parthiv Patel. And moments later Umar was held at short midwicket off bat and pad to give Rudra Singh a wicket. With the pressure on, Inzamam and Kamal produced a dogged effort in the final session before venugopal Rao trapped the skipper lbw. It was the only wicket to fall to a spinner during the course of a chilly day in this city in the foothills of the Himalayas. The match is Pakistan's only warm-up game before the first of three Tests against India begins in Mohali on 8 March.
+
+Mohammad Kaif (capt), Dheeraj Jadhav, Satyajit Parab, Venugopala Rao, Suresh Raina, Parthiv Patel (wkt), Ramesh Powar, Gagandeep Singh, Shib Shankar Paul, Rudra Pratap Singh, Neeraj Patel.
+AOXA-744DInzamam-ul-Haq (capt), Salman Butt, Taufeeq Umar, Yousuf Youhana, Younis Khan, Asim Kamal, Abdul Razzaq, Kamran Akmal (wkt), Danish Kaneria, Mohammad Sami, Rana Naved-ul-Hasan.

cricket/023.txt

@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+Pakistan question warm-up venue
+
+Pakistan have voiced concern about the choice of Dharamshala to stage their only warm-up game in India.
+
+AMCX-238Z
+"We are here to play and do not want to go into the Test series short of match practice. "I wish the rain would go away," said Altaf. Meanwhile, chief selector Wasim Bari is hopeful that Shoaib Akhtar's absence can inspire Mohammad Sami to a new level on the tour. Akhtar will miss the Test series because of hamstring trouble, but is hoping to return for the one-dayers. "He'll be missed and every player needs 25% extra to overcome his loss, but one hopes with the responsibilty, the best in Sami will come out," Bari said.
+
+"They can spring a surprise in India, I think we have a talented side." Bari feels the team is capable of responding favourably to the disappointment of their tour to Australia, which saw them heavily beaten in all three-day Tests, and also lose the final of the triangular one-day series. "Obviously they made some mistakes on their last tour of Australia, but they must capitalise on the lessons they learnt," Bari observed. "Good results will pave the way for the young team to get on the right path and attain more maturity." The tour is Pakistan's first to India since 1999 and they are looking to atone for last year's home defeat by their arch-rivals. The Dalai Lama, who has lived in exile in Dharamshala since fleeing China in 1959, will not inaugurate Thursday's match as originally planned. There were reports that the Pakistan Cricket Board were concerned about his presence because of their country's good relations with China. "The decision has been taken by the Dalai Lama as he didn't want to cause inconvenience to anyone," said his spokesman, Tenzin Takla.

cricket/024.txt

@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+India's top six secure - Ganguly
+
+Captain Sourav Ganguly has revealed India will not be tempted into tinkering with their batting order for the first Test against Pakistan.
+ZRLB-963"Our batting order for the Tests is fixed. There are no changes from number three to six," Ganguly told BBC Sport. It means Rahul Dravid will remain at number three and VVS Laxman at six, despite the latter averaging 53.5 at first drop in Test cricket. "To be honest, Dravid has batted better than Laxman at three," Ganguly added. "If you ask any batsman, he would like to bat higher up, as it gives a greater opportunity to score. "While batting lower down the order, you have to play more with the tail." Ganguly gave his backing to Gautam Gambhir, banishing speculation Yuvraj Singh could be asked to open the batting again after a failed experiment against Australia last year.
+
+"I feel there is no born opener - the team has to find one," he stated. "Look at Justin Langer, he was not an opener, but how well the Aussies have groomed him. Virender Sehwag is a settled opener now both in Tests and one-dayers, and Gambhir is doing well. "In a year's time, we should have a settled opening pair." Sachin Tendulkar, who will bat at number four with Ganguly at five, also received the support of his skipper despite concerns over fitness and form. "When Sachin says he is 100 percent fit, he is, and nobody has a right to talk about the form of a man who has 70 international hundreds." With wicket-keeper Dinesh Karthik to come in at number seven, India are left with just four spots for bowlers - suggesting Yuvraj could miss out.
+
+Mohali, which will host the first Test starting on 8 March, is known as a seam-friendly pitch and India have included four pacemen in their 14-man squad. In addition to spinners Anil Kumble and Harbhajan Singh, India will be forced to choose from the pace quartet of Irfan Pathan, Zaheer Khan, Ashish Nehra and Lakshmipathy Balaji. "In Kumble and Harbhajan, we have two world class spinners and at the moment there is no place for a third one," Ganguly said. "Our seam attack had done particularly well during the Pakistan tour last year, and we will select the final eleven after having a look at the wickets in Mohali, which has had a record of a seaming track." Ganguly refused to get carried away with the fact Pakistan's pace attack has been depleted with the absence of Shoaib Akhtar through injury.
+
+"I feel Pakistan has a young and fit team, which is hungry for success. In my view they have done the right thing by bringing a fit team, rather than bringing injured players," he said. "It is better to have a fully fit team than having an injured Shoaib Akhtar or even Don Bradman for that matter. "I do not agree with those who say Pakistan's team is weak and has given India a walkover. "It will be a tough series and the next 50 days will be a treat for fans of both sides."

cricket/025.txt

@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+Harbhajan action given all-clear
+
+Indian spinner Harbhajan Singh's bowling action has been cleared under new regulations introduced by the International Cricket Council.
+ZJXS-236KA bowler's action is now deemed legal providing his arm straightens by no more than 15 degrees. An ICC statement said Harbhajan's orthodox off-break and doosra now fell "within the tolerance threshold". He was reported to the ICC by match referee Chris Broad after a Test in Bangladesh last December. As a result, he underwent tests supervised by biomechanics expert Bruce Elliott of the University of Western Australia last month, who reported back to a panel of experts set up by the Indian board. They passed his findings on to the ICC, who will now circulated them to all members of the elite panel of umpires and match referees. Harbhajan, whose action first came under scrutiny in 1998, has taken 189 Test wickets and claimed 117 victims in one-day internationals. Elliott said he was confident he had bowled with a similar intensity to that of Test matches during the camera test. "We can make a comparison to the video from the match when he was reported - things such as ball speed, arm rotation, position of the body and technique," he explained. "We had two arbiters in Daryl Foster and Harbhajan himself to give a ranking to each delivery so that we were confident they were quality deliveries."

cricket/026.txt

@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+Pakistan arrive for tour of India
+
+OGVB-726B
+The 16-man squad, along with coach Bob Woolmer and support staff, were met at the heavily guarded Indira Gandhi airport after a 45-minute flight. Armed guards kept vigil as the tourists were taken to their hotel along a six-mile route lined with security men. Hindu fundamentalists have threatened to protest over perceived Pakistani backing to militancy in Kashmir. "I am delighted to be back in India," captain Inzamam-ul-Haq said. "I have always enjoyed playing here because people are crazy about cricket. "I am not worried about security. My only concern is how my team plays on the tour." Series between India and Pakistan are always eagerly awaited, largely because politics often restrict the amount of cricket the two teams can play against each other.
+
+This particular engagement, which will include three Tests and six one-dayers, was twice threatened. The schedule has already been put back four days over a dispute which centred on Pakistan's refusal to play the second Test in Ahmedabad. The first Test in Mohali will now get under way on 8 March. Then, following a protracted row over television rights, the Madras High Court issued interim orders to ensure the matches would be broadcast live by state=owned channel Doordarshan. Inzamam beseeched his side to make up for the 2004 defeat to India on home soil, where they lost 2-1 in the Tests and 3-2 in the one-day internationals. He said: "We want to make amends for last year. "The Australian tour was a big learning experience and I think we are in a position to reap benefits in India." After the 2004 series, Pakistan sacked their coach Javed Miandad and replaced him with Woolmer. Inzamam believes Woolmer has improved the side even if a string of positive results have not yet come.
+
+He said: "A lot has changed since that series. Woolmer has helped change the attitude of the boys, which is more positive and professional and I think they can take the pressure of playing in India." Pakistan will be without strike bowler Shoaib Akhtar (hamstring), leaving recalled off-spinner Arshad Khan and leg-spinner Danish Kaneria with much work to do. Inzamam said: "Shoaib's absence will be felt. But our strength is playing as a unit. "[Khan and Kaneria] have a big role to play. They are the ones on whom we will be depending a lot in the Test matches. "We are expecting slow, turning tracks and we have been practicing for such conditions." Pakistan's first match is a three-day warm-up against the Indian Board President's XI in Dharamsala from March 3.
+
+Sourav Ganguly (captain), Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, VVS Laxman, Yuvraj Singh, Dinesh Karthik (wicketkeeper), Irfan Pathan, Anil Kumble, Harbhajan Singh, Zaheer Khan, Ashish Nehra, Lakshmipathy Balaji.
+
+Salman Butt, Yasir Hameed, Taufeeq Umar, Younis Khan, Inzamam-ul-Haq (captain), Yousuf Youhana, Asim Kamal, Kamran Akmal (wkt), Abdul Razzaq, Shoaib Malik, Shahid Afridi, Arshad Khan, Danish Kaneria, Muhammad Sami, Rana Naved, Muhammad Khalil.

cricket/027.txt

@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+South Africa crush Zimbabwe
+
+First one-day international, Johannesburg: South Africa 301-7 bt Zimbabwe 136 by 165 runs
+
+OTPT-625L
+GC Smith (capt), AM Bacher, JA Rudolph, HH Gibbs, AG Prince, JM Kemp, MV Boucher (wkt), JA Morkel, N Boje, AJ Hall, M Ntini.
+
+T Taibu (capt, wkt), S Matsikenyeri, BG Rogers, H Masakadza, BRM Taylor, A Maregwede, E Chigumbura, SC Williams, P Utseya, T Panyangara, CB Mpofu.

cricket/028.txt

@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+Hodge earns Aussie Test call
+
+Australia have named prolific batsman Brad Hodge in their 13-man squad for the Test series in New Zealand.
+
+DLOI-457S
+Chairman of selectors Trevor Hohns said: "He has presented an irresistible case to be part of this tour and if he gets the opportunity, we feel confident that he can do a good job for Australia. "We said during the Indian series, when he missed out on a spot in the Test XI, that he was still in line for national selection. His domestic form has ensured that this is the case." Hohns says the small size of the squad will not pose problems for the tourists, most of whom are already in New Zealand, where they have won the first four one-day internationals.
+
+Opening batsman Justin Langer and leg-spinner Shane Warne will join up with them on Monday 7 March. "We feel that this is a balanced squad and don't believe we have to extend the size of the touring party beyond 13 players," Hohns added. "We have plenty of options with both bat and ball and, given the close proximity of the two countries, we always have the option of flying players in as the series progresses." Pace bowler Brett Lee is hoping to play his first Test since January last year after impressing in the one-day game. But Hohns hinted he faces a tough task to displace Glenn McGrath, Jason Gillespie or Michael Kasprowicz, who took a combined total of 149 Test wickets in 2004. "Everyone's been singing their praises during that period and you only have to look at their results. "There's not too many sides who've scored many runs against that three-pronged attack."
+
+Ricky Ponting (capt), Adam Gilchrist, Michael Clarke, Jason Gillespie, Matthew Hayden, Brad Hodge, Michael Kasprowicz, Simon Katich, Justin Langer, Brett Lee, Damien Martyn, Glenn McGrath, Shane Warne.

cricket/029.txt

@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+Weather worry for Pakistan
+UGNG-987Pakistan have voiced concern about the choice of Dharamshala to stage their only warm-up game in India.
+
+Tuesday's practice session had to be cancelled because of rain and the forecast is gloomy until the weekend. They are also worried about a travel schedule which could disrupt practice in Mohali, venue for the first Test. "If we have to go back the same way we came, in two flights, we may not be able to practice on Sunday," said team manager Salim Altaf. "We will get only one day's nets in Mohali." Pakistan are due to begin a three-day game against an Indian Board President's XI at altitude at Dharamshala on Thursday. But the players could only watch the skies from their hotel after an hour-long drive from Kangra airport where they had arrived in two planes because of its short runway. "We are helpless before nature," said Anurag Thakur, president of the local Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association. "Everybody is keeping their fingers crossed," he added.
+
+"We are here to play and do not want to go into the Test series short of match practice. "I wish the rain would go away," said Altaf. Meanwhile, chief selector Wasim Bari is hopeful that Shoaib Akhtar's absence can inspire Mohammad Sami to a new level on the tour. Akhtar will miss the Test series because of hamstring trouble, but is hoping to return for the one-dayers. "He'll be missed and every player needs 25% extra to overcome his loss, but one hopes with the responsibilty, the best in Sami will come out," Bari said.
+
+"They can spring a surprise in India, I think we have a talented side." Bari feels the team is capable of responding favourably to the disappointment of their tour to Australia, which saw them heavily beaten in all three-day Tests, and also lose the final of the triangular one-day series. "Obviously they made some mistakes on their last tour of Australia, but they must capitalise on the lessons they learnt," Bari observed. "Good results will pave the way for the young team to get on the right path and attain more maturity." The tour is Pakistan's first to India since 1999 and they are looking to atone for last year's home defeat by their arch-rivals. The Dalai Lama, who has lived in exile in Dharamshala since fleeing China in 1959, will not inaugurate Thursday's match as originally planned. There were reports that the Pakistan Cricket Board were concerned about his presence because of their country's good relations with China. "The decision has been taken by the Dalai Lama as he didn't want to cause inconvenience to anyone," said his spokesman, Tenzin Takla.

cricket/030.txt

@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+Denness leads Luckhurst tributes
+
+Former Kent and England skipper Mike Denness has paid tribute to former team-mate Brian Luckhurst following his death from cancer at the age of 66.
+
+Luckhurst, who became Kent president last year, played for the club between 1958 and 1976. His international career consisted of 21 Tests and he scored two hundreds to help Ray Illingworth's England side win the Ashes in Australia in 1970-71. "He was a great buddy and a loyal servant," Denness told BBC Sport. "In cricketing terms, he probably didn't have a lot of natural gifts, but with the gifts he had, he worked so hard at it that he deserved to reach the top which he did by opening the batting for England."
+VLGL-512KKent chairman Carl Openshaw said Luckhurst had been "loved, admired and respected" by everyone at the club. "Brian Luckhurst has been at the heart of Kent Cricket for the past 50 years, firstly as an outstanding player, then in a variety of administrative capacities and finally as an immensely popular president. "Throughout that time, he was always caring, loyal and totally committed to Kent," he continued. Born in Sittingbourne, Luckhurst joined the staff at Canterbury at the age of 15 and during his first-class career made more than 22,000 first-class runs at an average of 38, including 48 centuries.
+
+He was a member of the Kent team which dominated county cricket in the 1970s when they won nine trophies outright and also shared the County Championship in 1977. Luckhurst was 31 when his chance to play for England came along in a home series against a Rest of the World XI in 1970. He was named in the Ashes squad the following winter and marked his official Test debut, as Geoff Boycott's opening partner, by scoring 74 and 20 not out in a draw against Australia in Brisbane. The following game in Perth saw him bat for almost six hours to score 131 and he also made 109 in the fifth Test at Melbourne as England took the series 2-0. "It was a terrific performance and he, along with Geoff Boycott and John Edrich, were the three who scored all the runs. "In one match, I think it was at Melbourne, he wouldn't take his glove off at the break because he thought he had damaged a knuckle. In fact, he had fractured the knuckle but he got a hundred," said Denness.
+
+Luckhurst made an unbeaten 108 in his first Test on English soil against Pakistan and added another century against India later in the 1971 season. Although he appeared in three one-day internationals, his style was better suited to Test cricket, but he lost his place after the 1974-75 tour to Australia when the pace and ferocity of Dennis Lillee and Jeff Thomson proved too much for England, who lost 4-1. "It was a torrid time for all of us," added Denness, who was England captain on that tour. "He was a great tourist, a great man to have [around] and a great performer. If you look at his Test record, it's a very good record."
+
+After retiring from the Kent first team, Luckhurst captained the second XI before moving into coaching and later had a spell as a sports centre manager. In 1985, he made an unexpected return to action when Kent suddenly found themselves with only 10 players against the touring Australians. In recent years he worked in the club's commercial department before taking on the presidency. But he was diagnosed with cancer in May 2004. "Over the last 50 years I have faced many challenges - this is going to be the biggest," he said at the time. Luckhurst's death was the third among the international cricket fraternity in the space of 24 hours following those of former West Indies batsman Allan Rae and ex-New Zealand wicket-keeper Ian Colquhoun.

cricket/031.txt

@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+Streak return could lift Zimbabwe
+
+One-day international, Port Elizabeth: South Africa v Zimbabwe - starts Wednesday 1230 GMT
+MEVF-928Trailing 2-0 in the one-day series, news of Streak's return has given the tourists a lift. But it is 12 months since his last international appearance and he will rely heavily on past experience. Boje leads South Africa in the absence of Graeme Smith, who is resting an ankle problem ahead of the Tests. The home side will also be without Jacques Kallis, Shaun Pollock, Makhaya Ntini and Andre Nel. Their absence offers Zimbabwe some hope of achieving only their third win in 21 one-day meetings between the two sides. The home side will give another opportunity to paceman Monde Zondeki, who took a wicket with his first ball in international cricket in December 2002, but has not been in favour since the following year's tour to England. He could share the new ball with Charl Langevedlt, with all-rounders Albie Morkel, Boje, Justin Kemp and Adam Bacher providing the bowling back-up.
+
+N Boje (capt), A Bacher, M Boucher (Wkt), AB de Villiers, H Gibbs, J Kemp, C Langeveldt, A Morkel, A Prince, J Rudolph, M Zondeki.
+
+T Taibu (capt, wkt), B Rogers, S Matsikenyeri, H Masakadza, B Taylor, S Williams, G Ewing, T Mupariwa, E Chigumbura, P Utseya, T Panyangara, D Hondo, C Mpofu, G Cremer, H Streak.

cricket/032.txt

@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+India's top six secure - Ganguly
+XTUU-890Captain Sourav Ganguly has revealed India will not be tempted into tinkering with their batting order for the first Test against Pakistan.
+
+"Our batting order for the Tests is fixed. There are no changes from number three to six," Ganguly told BBC Sport. It means Rahul Dravid will remain at number three and VVS Laxman at six, despite the latter averaging 53.5 at first drop in Test cricket. "To be honest, Dravid has batted better than Laxman at three," Ganguly added. "If you ask any batsman, he would like to bat higher up, as it gives a greater opportunity to score. "While batting lower down the order, you have to play more with the tail." Ganguly gave his backing to Gautam Gambhir, banishing speculation Yuvraj Singh could be asked to open the batting again after a failed experiment against Australia last year.
+
+"I feel there is no born opener - the team has to find one," he stated. "Look at Justin Langer, he was not an opener, but how well the Aussies have groomed him. Virender Sehwag is a settled opener now both in Tests and one-dayers, and Gambhir is doing well. "In a year's time, we should have a settled opening pair." Sachin Tendulkar, who will bat at number four with Ganguly at five, also received the support of his skipper despite concerns over fitness and form. "When Sachin says he is 100 percent fit, he is, and nobody has a right to talk about the form of a man who has 70 international hundreds." With wicket-keeper Dinesh Karthik to come in at number seven, India are left with just four spots for bowlers - suggesting Yuvraj could miss out.
+
+Mohali, which will host the first Test starting on 8 March, is known as a seam-friendly pitch and India have included four pacemen in their 14-man squad. In addition to spinners Anil Kumble and Harbhajan Singh, India will be forced to choose from the pace quartet of Irfan Pathan, Zaheer Khan, Ashish Nehra and Lakshmipathy Balaji. "In Kumble and Harbhajan, we have two world class spinners and at the moment there is no place for a third one," Ganguly said. "Our seam attack had done particularly well during the Pakistan tour last year, and we will select the final eleven after having a look at the wickets in Mohali, which has had a record of a seaming track." Ganguly refused to get carried away with the fact Pakistan's pace attack has been depleted with the absence of Shoaib Akhtar through injury.
+
+"I feel Pakistan has a young and fit team, which is hungry for success. In my view they have done the right thing by bringing a fit team, rather than bringing injured players," he said. "It is better to have a fully fit team than having an injured Shoaib Akhtar or even Don Bradman for that matter. "I do not agree with those who say Pakistan's team is weak and has given India a walkover. "It will be a tough series and the next 50 days will be a treat for fans of both sides."

cricket/033.txt

@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+Harbhajan action given all-clear
+
+Indian spinner Harbhajan Singh's bowling action has been cleared under new regulations introduced by the International Cricket Council.
+
+A bowler's action is now deemed legal providing his arm straightens by no more than 15 degrees. An ICC statement said Harbhajan's orthodox off-break and doosra now fell "within the tolerance threshold". He was reported to the ICC by match referee Chris Broad after a Test in Bangladesh last December. As a result, he underwent tests supervised by biomechanics expert Bruce Elliott of the University of Western Australia last month, who reported back to a panel of experts set up by the Indian board. They passed his findings on to the ICC, who will now circulated them to all members of the elite panel of umpires and match referees. Harbhajan, whose action first came under scrutiny in 1998, has taken 189 Test wickets and claimed 117 victims in one-day internationals. Elliott said he was confident he had bowled with a similar intensity to that of Test matches during the camera test. "We can make a comparison to the video from the match when he was reported - things such as ball speed, arm rotation, position of the body and technique," he explained. "We had two arbiters in Daryl Foster and Harbhajan himself to give a ranking to each delivery so that we were confident they were quality deliveries."
+LMFL-110

cricket/034.txt

@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+Pakistan promised tough warm-up
+
+Tour match, Dharamshala: Indian Board President's XI v Pakistan
+
+Match starts 0400 GMT Thursday
+
+Batsman Kaif will lead a Board President's XI in a three-day game at Dharamshala after being overlooked by India for next week's first Test. The ground is 1,300 feet above sea level but Pakistan do not expect conditions to be a problem. "We have played in Johannesburg, so altitude is not an issue," team manager Salim Altaf commented. Pakistan have a number of selection issues, but paln to field the same XI which plays against the President's XI in the first Test. Salman Butt, Yasir Hameed and Taufeeq Umar appear to be competing for two places at the top of the order. And there may only be room for two seamers from Mohammad Sami, Naved-ul-Hasan and Mohammad Khalil if Danish Kaneria and Arshad Khan are chosen to form a spin bowling partnership in Mohali. "We expect pitches to turn in India and our players will have to learn to adapt themselves, but we have a talented batting line-up. We have a good team in the making," said coach Bob Woolmer. "We have an effective spinner in Kaneria, who can become one of the best leg-spinners in world cricket. He has the potential as he is a different type of leg-spinner." The match is Pakistan's only warm-up before the start of the Test series but it could be disrupted by the weather. Tuesday's practice session was cancelled because of rain and further downpours are forecast until the weekend. Woolmer, has, meanwhile, been trying to take some of the pressure off his players ahead of the Tests. "Cricket is a game. Pressure can be alleviated if you can play and enjoy it," he said. "Essentially in cricket you create your own pressure."
+
+PIGH-858P
+Inzamam-ul-Haq (capt), Salman Butt, Yasir Hameed, Younis Khan, Yousuf Youhana, Shoaib Malik, Abdul Razzaq, Kamran Akmal, Rana Naved-ul-Hasan, Mohammad Sami, Danish Kaneria, Mohammad Khalil, Asim Kamal, Taufeeq Umar, Shahid Afridi, Arshad Khan.

cricket/035.txt

@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+West Indies opener Rae mourned
+
+Former West Indies Test batsman Allan Rae has died in Kingston, Jamaica, at the age of 82 after a long illness.
+RIZC-127Rae scored 1,016 runs in 15 Tests as an opener between 1948-1953, averaging 46.18 and making four centuries. He was part of the first Windies team to defeat England in a Test series in 1950, before quitting the first-class game to focus on his legal career. Rae then went on to become president of the West Indies Cricket Board, a position he held from 1981-1988. In his book, A History of West Indies Cricket, former Jamaican Prime Minister Michael Manley said Rae "brought to the presidency some of the most important characteristics of the finest administrative leaders, a deep sense of tradition with a mind always open to change". He praised Rae's behind the scenes work with Sir Don Bradman to bring the West Indies and Australia players involved in Kerry Packer's World Series back into the cricket establishment. During his time as president, a number of West Indies players were given life bans for going on unauthorised tours to South Africa. Rae's playing career began in 1946-47 and he soon earned a place in the West Indies team, marking his first series with centuries against India in Bombay (now Mumbai) and Madras (Chennai). Part of a strong opening partnership with Jeff Stollmeyer, he is best remembered for his part in the 1950 tour to England when he made 106 at Lord's and 109 at The Oval as West Indies won the series 3-1. He only played six Tests thereafter, his last against India at Port of Spain in February 1953. "Allan meant so much to our cricket, not only as a player, but also as a hard-working administrator," said Bryan Breese, chief executive of the Jamaica Cricket Association. "He even neglected his legal practice at times because of his dedication to cricket in Jamaica."

cricket/036.txt

@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+Streak set to make return
+
+Former Zimbabwe captain Heath Streak has been recalled to the national squad and is available for Wednesday's final one-day match against South Africa.
+
+YBHW-577V
+When Streak announced he had put aside his differences with ZC on Friday, the board's managing director Ozias Bvute announced: "Heath is immediately available for selection." Now, Streak says he will be happy to play under the new regime, with Taibu as captain. He said: "I've always played the best I can whether captain or not. I'll give as much as I can without stepping on Tatenda's toes. I'll be there for him to help and to lend the experience that I've gained." Meanwhile four other rebels - Stuart Carlisle, Trevor Gripper, Neil Ferreira and Charles Coventry - have decided to make themselves available for selection for the A team. A five-match one-day home series for Zimbabwe's second string against Bangladesh A starts on Thursday. Of the remaining rebels, Craig Wishart and Gary Brent have revealed they were not interested in returning, while Ray Price, Sean Ervine, Travis Friend and Grant Flower have opted for county cricket in England. The position of Richard Sims remains unclear.

cricket/037.txt

@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+India 'confident' of deal
+
+The president of the Indian board has insisted the home series against Pakistan will go ahead despite an ongoing legal wrangle over TV rights.
+
+"We are confident something will be worked out. As soon as we hear from the courts, we will work on a war footing," said Ranbir Singh Mahendra. Zee TV, who are challenging the board's decision to scrap a £241m right deal, have offered a compromise. They have offered to screen the series as a one-off. In a letter to the board, they wrote: "ZTL would do this entirely at its risks and costs and without any equity in its favour. "This shall also be without prejudice to the respective contentions of the parties before the Madras Court." Zee say they would only require to be paid "mutually agreed" production costs. The Pakistan Cricket Board, meanwhile, has expressed concern about earlier news reports that the series could be postponed again until the court case is resolved. Such a move would be "highly disappointing" as fans in both countries are "eagerly awaiting the series", read a PCB statement. "It would also lead to a severe loss of revenue for both boards and dislocation in logistics for a postponed tour.
+
+"Moreover, a further postponement of the tour would be difficult because Pakistan will be touring the West Indies in early May," the statement continued. The Pakistan squad is due to arrive in India on Monday to play three Tests and six one-day internationals. The tour has already been postponed once while the two boards revised the itinerary after Pakistan refused to play a Test in Ahmedabad because of security concerns. Losing the series would be a massive blow to the prestige of Mahendra, who replaced Jagmohan Dalmiya as BCCI president last September. But he told the Agence France Presse: "The tour will go ahead as scheduled. "Yes, there has been a delay on TV rights, but that is because the matter is in court." Zee was awarded a four-year contract last year but the Board tried to reopen the bidding process after ESPN-Star Sports and Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation challenged the original decision. ESPN and Indian state broadcaster Doordarshan are also talking to the Board in an attempt to ensure the series goes ahead.
+CRGU-326

cricket/038.txt

@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+Lara injury worry for West Indies
+
+VB Series, Perth, Match nine: West Indies v Pakistan
+
+Play starts Friday 0315 GMT
+
+Lara is expected to play in Perth despite a wrist injury, with the winners taking on hosts Australia. Pedro Collins (thigh strain) and Ramnesh Sarwan (bruised elbow) are also injury concerns for the Windies. Pakistan are without leading bastman Younis Khan, who has flown home following the death of his father. Their skipper Inzamam-ul-Haq believes the three-wicket victory over Australia in Perth on Sunday will give his side the upper hand. He said: "Definitely we have the advantage because we have played one Test match and played in Perth for 15 or 16 days before that. "This track is totally different and West Indies are playing for the first time here. "This win has definitely helped us for the coming games. Hopefully we will play the final and we will win," he added. Inzamam is wary of the in-form Lara after he belted 156 off 138 balls in a victory over Pakistan in Adelaide last Friday.
+EXMG-013BBut he said his team had bowled better against Australia and warned Lara would need to be on top of his game with medium-pace bowler Naved-ul-Hasan and all-rounder Abdul Razzaq showing better form. "I think he realises the bowling was not good in the last game. I think especially Naved and Razzaq have worked hard in the nets and they are good here." Lara conceded Pakistan may have the advantage but pointed out there were plenty of players within the West Indies squad, including himself, who had played at the Waca ground before. "We've got some batsmen that have played here and we know exactly what the track is doing," said Lara.
+
+"It is more a mental game than the physical side and who has had more experience at the Waca. "What I am worried about with Pakistan is that they are going to be playing three games in five days," he said. "Hopefully that can play on their mind and we will have a tired bunch."
+
+Inzamam-ul-Haq (captain), Shoaib Malik, Yousuf Youhana, Salman Butt, Kamran Akmal (wkt), Abdul Razzaq, Shahid Afridi, Naved-ul-Hasan, Yasir Hameed, Rao Iftikhar, Mohammad Khalil.
+
+C H Gayle, W W Hinds, R R Sarwan, B C Lara (Capt) S Chanderpaul, R L Powell, D J J Bravo, C O Browne (Wkt) I D R Bradshaw, R D King, P T Collins.

cricket/039.txt

@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+Bashar delighted after series win
+XBFV-441PBangladesh skipper Habibul Bashar was thrilled after the win in the decider against Zimbabwe gave his country their first-ever one-day series triumph.
+
+"Yes, our morale was down after losing the first two matches," he said, after the eight-wicket victory in Dhaka. "But we knew we could come back and win the series. "We worked hard and tried to rectify our mistakes and I am happy to have won the match chasing a target, which was not easy." Taibu's counterpart, Tatenda Taibu, was left to reflect on what might have been after losing the early initiative in the five-match series.
+
+"It was so near and yet so far for us," said the Zimbabwe captain. "I think we did not play spin well enough and lost wickets at crucial stages. They played well, but I think our boys did a good job. We worked hard and fought it out." Bangladesh have won only nine of their 106 matches since making their one-day debut in 1986 and clinched their maiden Test series against Zimbabwe earlier in January.

cricket/040.txt

@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+Injured Butcher out of tour
+
+Mark Butcher has been ruled out of the rest of England's tour of South Africa with a sprained left wrist.
+
+PTXN-906
+If Flintoff cannot bowl, England could call seamer James Anderson into the XI at the expense of spinner Ashley Giles, or include Paul Collingwood, a batsman who bowls medium-pace. That could mean Robert Key, who replaced Butcher for the third Test, missing out. England had two days off in Cape Town after the 196-run defeat, their first Test reverse since December 2003, before flying to Johannesburg on Sunday. Meanwhile Michael Vaughan has revealed he is considering sending another member of the team to the pre-match coin toss. Vaughan has won just six of 22 tosses as skipper. "I can designate someone else to go out there if I want to," said Vaughan. "I'm giving it some thought because no-one can do worse than me."

cricket/041.txt

@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+World XI win Tsunami match
+
+Tsunami Appeal match, Melbourne: ICC World XI 344-8 beat Asian 232 XI by 111 runs
+
+Ricky Ponting hit 115 in a massive total of 344-8 after electing to bat first in front of a crowd of 70,101. Rahul Dravid top-scored with 75 not out in the Asian XI reply, after Virender Sehwag's brisk 45. Daniel Vettori took 3-58 while England's Darren Gough took a wicket and a catch. Shane Warne had 2-27. The game, broadcast in 122 countries to an estimated global television audience of one billion, began with a minute's silence for the victims of the tsunami.
+
+Australian Prime Minister John Howard tossed a coin to start the match. And afterwards the International Cricket Council chief executive, Malcolm Speed, paid tribute to the players for taking part. He said: "This signifies the game's compassion and commitment to provide as a much help as possible to enable the survivors of the Tsunami to rebuild their lives so far as this is possible." Ponting entertained the fans early on by hitting some big shots off Anil Kumble and Abdul Razzaq and the World XI's run rate was soon ticking along at a healthy rate. Chris Cairns (69) and Brian Lara (52) enjoyed themselves as a middle order packed with stars delivered the goods.
+
+And there was plenty of time for the unorthodox - Australia tailender Glenn McGrath batted at number six, where he fell for a golden duck. Muttiah Muralitharan captured his wicket in overall figures of 3-59. It was a welcome comeback performance from the Sri Lankan who had been out injured for five months and who was almost caught up in the 26 December tragedy. Sehwag gave the Asian XI a good start as they reached 59-0 in the 10th over. But wickets regularly tumbled once he fell to a catch in the deep trying to hit Warne's second ball for six.
+
+Vettori got stuck into the middle order where Dravid played a lone hand with only Kumar Sangakkara - Gough's sole victim - providing any meaningful support. The World XI were further boosted by the presence of Steve Waugh as a substitute fielder towards the end of the match. It was all wrapped up in the 40th over with the run out of Murali for a duck. Man of the match Ponting said: "The whole day has been very, very special. "It's great that the cricket community around the world can play a huge part to raise some money to put a smile on some faces around the world." Asian XI captain Sourav Ganguly said: "I hope we have contributed in whatever way we can to help the people who have suffered this disaster."
+
+Sourav Ganguly (Ind/capt), Sanath Jayasuriya (SL), Virender Sehwag (Ind), Rahul Dravid (Ind), Yousuf Youhana (Pak), Kumar Sangakkara (SL), Abdul Razzaq (Pak), Chaminda Vaas (SL), Zaheer Khan (Ind), Anil Kumble (Ind), Muttiah Muralitharan (SL). Alok Kapali (Ban) 12th man, Sachin Tendulkar (Ind) 13th man.
+AJUO-808Ricky Ponting (Aus/capt), Matthew Hayden (Aus), Adam Gilchrist (Aus), Stephen Fleming (NZ), Brian Lara (WI), Chris Gayle (WI), Chris Cairns (NZ), Shane Warne (Aus), Glenn McGrath (Aus), Darren Gough (Eng), Daniel Vettori (NZ). Dwayne Bravo (WI) 12th man.
+
+Rudi Koertzen (SA), Billy Bowden (NZ)

cricket/042.txt

@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+Flintoff fit to bowl at Wanderers
+
+Fourth Test, Wanderers: South Africa v England
+
+FZHV-289W
+The fourth Test begins at the Wanderers on Thursday. Trescothick said: "We're allowed the odd blip here and there. "You don't win eight in a row without being something special as a team." England's main concern continues to be the fitness of Andrew Flintoff, who is recovering from a torn side muscle and may not be able to bowl in the Test. Trescothick said England had appreciated having two days off in Cape Town "to chill out and relax" in what is otherwise the most intense tour the players have ever experienced. But he voiced concern about Flintoff. "Side strains can be quite difficult because it's such a big area [for fast bowlers] to generate pace when they're bowling," he said.
+
+"He's had six days off but he's not sure how it's going to react. We'll see how he goes in the nets and hopefully he'll come through unscathed. "Any time you lose one of your bowlers it's difficult but when it's an all-rounder it creates a bit of a gap in the team so hopefully we are not going to get to that situation." The form of pace spearhead Steve Harmison is another concern. Trescothick said: "Steve's been fine throughout. [The ball's] just not been coming out so well. "Everyone goes through dips in form - it just depends how quickly pepole come back from those. But he'll come back from that, we're just waiting for it to happen. "The guys are generally in good spirits, they needed the time off."
+
+Graeme Smith (capt), Nicky Boje, Mark Boucher, Hashim Amla, AB de Villiers, Boeta Dippenaar, Herschelle Gibbs, Andrew Hall, Jacques Kallis, Charl Langeveldt, Makhaya Ntini, Shaun Pollock, Jacques Rudolph, Dale Steyn.
+
+England: Marcus Trescothick, Andrew Strauss, Robert Key, Michael Vaughan (capt), Graham Thorpe, Andrew Flintoff, Geraint Jones (wkt), Ashley Giles, Simon Jones, Matthew Hoggard, Steve Harmison, Paul Collingwood, Gareth Batty, James Anderson, Chris Read, Ian Bell.

cricket/043.txt

@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+Flintoff fit to bowl at Wanderers
+
+Fourth Test, Wanderers: South Africa v England
+
+Plays starts Thursday, 0830 GMT
+
+There had been concerns his rib muscle injury would restrict him to playing as a specialist batsman in the match. Captain Michael Vaughan said: "He's had a bowl and came out fine so he is fully fit to play as an all-rounder. "We will see how he bowls. In Cape Town I thought he was our best bowler and in Durban probably our second best." Flintoff sent down around 20 deliveries at three-quarter pace during Wednesday's practice session. The 27-year-old incurred a side strain during the 196-run defeat in Cape Townlast week and did not bowl again until the eve of the Johannesburg Test. Vaughan said he would not necessarily shield Flintoff from bowling the same heavy workload he endured in the first three Tests. The skipper commented: "We will just have to judge who is bowling well on any given day and on the given surface to see how much we use him.
+
+"But as a far as we're concerned he is available to play any role required." Opening batsman Marcus Trescothick said the team remained confident despite the defeat in Cape Town which left the series evenly poised at 1-1 with two to play. He said: "We're allowed the odd blip here and there. You don't win eight in a row without being something special. "The guys are generally in good spirits, they needed the time off." With Flintoff happily fit to play and England thus likely to by unchanged, the form of pace spearhead Steve Harmison is the main concern. Trescothick said: "Steve's been fine throughout. [The ball's] just not been coming out so well. "Everyone goes through dips in form - it just depends how quickly people come back from those. But he'll come back from that, we're just waiting for it to happen.
+
+Graeme Smith (capt), Nicky Boje, Mark Boucher, Hashim Amla, AB de Villiers, Boeta Dippenaar, Herschelle Gibbs, Andrew Hall, Jacques Kallis, Charl Langeveldt, Makhaya Ntini, Shaun Pollock, Jacques Rudolph, Dale Steyn.
+
+IFWQ-428L

cricket/044.txt

@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+Australia build imposing lead
+
+Third Test, Nagpur, day three (stumps): 
+Australia 202-3 & 398 v India 185
+
+India were bowled out for just 185 in the morning session, with paceman Gillespie returning 5-56 - his eighth five-wicket haul in Test cricket. Katich then made 99 as the Aussies established an intimidating 415-run lead in reaching 202-3 at stumps. It places Australia on the brink of a first series win in India for 35 years. Murali Kartik showed some spirit with two wickets in the evening, but with Damien Martyn (41) and Michael Clarke (10) at the crease and batting still to come Australia look set to push on come Friday. India's tail fared no better than the top order on Nagpur's lively pitch, losing five wickets for 39 in the morning after resuming play on 146-5.
+GFIB-810NEight balls into the day, Shane Warne claimed his 539th Test victim when fading one away from Parthiv Patel and taking the edge en route to slip. Skipper Adam Gilchrist delayed taking the new ball for a few overs, but was rewarded almost instantly when he did. Firstly, Gillespie gave Clarke the first of two catches at third slip to get rid of Agit Agarkar. And soon India's last line of defence was dismantled when Glenn McGrath and first slip Warne combined to oust Kaif for 55 - a second successive Test match fifty. India were nine down when Kartik fell to Gillespie - one of eight to perish to catches off the edge of the bat - and all that remained was for the paceman to bag his first five-wicket haul against India with the dismissal of last man Zaheer. With plenty of time left in the Test and an opportunity to rest his attack presenting itself, Gilchrist chose not to enforce the follow-on despite Australia's 213-run first-innings lead.
+
+The early loss of Matthew Hayden aside - bowled during an excellent Zaheer Khan spell - it proved a sensible decision. It was largely one-way traffic once Australia had negotiated a tough, run-free 40-minute period after lunch, with Justin Langer surviving a couple of close lbw appeals to put on 80 for the second wicket with Katich. Langer's scratchy stay came to an end just after tea when trying to hit Kartik out of the park but succeeding only in holing out at deep mid-wicket. Another meaningful partnership was in the offing, however, and Katich and the in-form Martyn upped the scoring rate in a deflating period for India. Katich was supreme against the spinners, playing patiently square of the wicket and using his feet to move into the 90s with sucessive on-driven boundaries off the hugely disappointing Anil Kumble (0-62). But fate - and Kartik - conspired against Katich, who stepped back in his crease and was plumb lbw to register the 74th score of 99 in Test cricket history. Martyn and Clarke were untroubled in the closing overs against a tiring attack, the latter announcing his arrival at the crease with two glorious boundaries in one Kumble over.

cricket/045.txt

@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+LNQR-256
+Third Test, Nagpur, day two (stumps):
+Australia 398 v India 146-5
+
+The home side closed on 146-5, 252 runs in arrears and still 53 short of avoiding the follow-on. Glenn McGrath, playing in his 100th Test, took 2-18 in 20 overs as Mohammad Kaif (47 not out) propped up an innings that crawled at two runs per over. Australia were earlier dismissed for 398, with Michael Clarke falling to Zaheer Khan (4-95) nine short of a ton. India did not take long in wrapping up Australia's innings at the start of the day, claiming the three remaining overnight wickets for 36 runs. Jason Gillespie, lbw to Zaheer, and Kasprowicz, bowled by Agit Agarkar, both fell cheaply, leaving McGrath as Clarke's last hope of a second Test century. The veteran enjoyed his stay at the crease with two hooked boundaries, and in the end it was he who remained unbeaten when Clarke edged behind to end an entertaining knock that included 13 boundaries.
+
+India were given a typically blustery start by Virender Sehwag, who took four boundaries off Gillespie's first over. It forced skipper Adam Gilchrist to protect the boundary with a sweeper after just five overs, but having forced Australia on the defensive Sehwag soon gave his wicket away. Flashing hard at McGrath, the opener became the Aussie paceman's 447th victim when edging into the gloves of the athletic Gilchrist, diving high to his right. Gillespie, belted out of the attack by Sehwag, returned from the other end and struck immediately to have Aakash Chopra caught by Warne at slip for eight.
+
+It left India 35-2 at lunch, and a very quiet period followed the interval as Rahul Dravid and the returning Sachin Tendulkar tried to block India to parity. The pair put on 15 runs in one ball shy of 13 dawdling overs before Tendulkar was trapped in front of stumps by Gillespie (2-47) for eight. The grassy Nagpur pitch meant Shane Warne's introduction was delayed until the 36th over, but two balls were all it took for the Test cricket's leading wicket-taker to add to his tally. In having VVS Laxman caught by Clarke in gully, Warne ousted him for the third time this series and reduced India to a perilous 75-4 in the process. Dravid's stay at the crease was a lengthy one but largely unproductive, and after consuming 140 balls for 21 runs he edged McGrath to slip. It was a predictable end after the veteran paceman had worked India's stand-in skipper over with an array of balls which leapt off the seam on a pitch more akin to Australian grounds.
+
+At 103-5 India looked vulnerable, but Kaif and Parthiv Patel - fresh from their century stand in the second Test - showed heart in the fading light. It was not plain sailing for Kaif - a spurned run-out chance and a catch off a no-ball offered two reprieves - but he grew into his task and even managed a six off Warne over long-off. Although India's sixth wicket offered the home side hope, Australia were in a strong position to push for the victory that would award them a first series victory in India for 35 years.
+
+A Chopra, V Sehwag, R Dravid (Capt), S R Tendulkar V V S Laxman, M Kaif, P A Patel (Wkt), A B Agarkar, A Kumble M Kartik, Z Khan.
+
+M L Hayden, J L Langer, S M Katich, D R Martyn D S Lehmann, M J Clarke, A C Gilchrist (Capt, Wkt), S K Warne M S Kasprowicz, J N Gillespie, G D McGrath.
+
+Aleem Dar, D R Shepherd.

cricket/046.txt

@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+Aussies unhappy with pitch
+
+Australian skipper Ricky Ponting was still able to raise a smile despite his side's 13-run defeat by India in the fourth Test at Mumbai.
+
+They had already done enough to win the Border-Gavaskar Trophy with victories at Bangalore and Nagpur, their first series success in India since 1969-70. "I said I thought it would be one of the all-time great series and the first three Tests turned out that way. "This was nowhere near a Test pitch. It was terribly disappointing." He was less than thrilled, however, with a pitch in Mumbai which saw 38 wickets fall on the second and third days to bring the match to an early resolution.
+PVYR-593XAustralia only needed 107 in the final innings but were bowled out for 93 in just 30.5 overs as the Indian spinners made the most of conditions. "It was definitely gettable, but I don't think we played at our best with the bat today. "Full credit to India though. They batted well in tough conditions and when the game was there to be won with the ball, they did what they had to do." Groundsman Polly Umrigar defended his pitch, saying: "My verdict is that the batsmen did not apply themselves, "The wicket was not as difficult as it is being made out to be. Batsmen willing to play shots got ample opportunities." Ponting also paid tribute to vice-captain Adam Gilchrist, who led the side in the first three Tests while he was recuperating from a broken thumb. "When you look back through the series, everyone has contributed in one way or another. That's a pleasing thing - it's what you need in a good side," he added.
+
+"It's been a great tour. I've only been here a short time but we've certainly enjoyed ourselves - I think all of the players really enjoy touring India. "It's a place we've been to quite a lot over the last few years. Every time we come back we enjoy it more and more and it certainly helps when you win as well." Michael Clarke took 6-9 on the final day and also contributed 400 runs in his first Test series. But the Man of the Series award went to team-mate Damien Martyn, who made 444 runs at an average of 55, although he ended it with a duck. "I'd have liked 10 more runs in the second innings today," Martyn joked. "We came over here to win and fight hard. It was a bit disappointing to finish off that way but we've won [the series] and the guiys have made a fantastic effort in the last month. "We always know it's going to be hard over here. It's always a true test for a batsman."

cricket/047.txt

@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+Boycott slams 'chucking' plan
+
+Geoff Boycott has condemned the International Cricket Council's proposal to relax rules on chucking.
+
+The former England batsman said the move was made to benefit Sri Lanka spinner Muttiah Muralitharan, whose "doosra" ball could soon be legal. "I think it's been brought in through pressure from Sri Lanka and Murali's supporters," Boycott told BBC Sport. "It's a sad day for cricket that this pressure can allow Muralitharan to bowl whatever he wants." A 15-degree flexing of the arm will be permitted following an extensive research programme conducted by biomechanics experts. Previously, only 10 degrees for fast bowlers and five degrees for spinners were permitted. Murali's arm was measured at 14 degrees while bowling his "doosra" prior to the delivery's banning.
+
+Sri Lanka Cricket said such accusations were wide of the mark, and that the rule change would be made to benefit all bowlers. "It is a bit unfair," a spokesman told BBC Sport. "We have always said that many things need to be considered but we have never pressured the ICC and the decision is not only for Murali - it is for all." "We are very happy about it as it means Murali will be able bowl his 'doosra'. "Sri Lanka Cricket appreciates it very much and we thank the ICC for making such a decision." The ICC Executive will be asked to ratify the recommendations made by a panel comprising Aravinda de Silva, Angus Fraser, Michael Holding, Tony Lewis, Tim May and the ICC's own David Richardson. The panel met in Dubai and studied video evidence of bowlers as well as hearing the opinions of the three biomechanical experts.
+
+CXWG-362

cricket/048.txt

@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+Vaughan ready for South Africa
+
+Skipper Michael Vaughan is relieved England's tour of Zimbabwe passed off without major incident and is now relishing the prospect of South Africa.
+
+AVVP-372N
+The remainder of the party will link up with the other members of the Test squad in Johannesburg, in preparation for the first Test, starting in Port Elizabeth on 17 December. Meanwhile Vaughan admitted he was disappointed, "baffled and saddened" by the absence of the Zimbabwe rebels from the controversial series. "When you see Heath Streak sitting watching you in the stands it is disappointing Zimbabwe aren't putting their best team on the field," Vaughan said. "I'd like to have played against the Flower brothers (Andy and Grant), Heath Streak, and Stuart Carlisle, all of those guys." Streak said he felt Zimbabwean cricket would have been in better shape if the rebels were still involved. "There are some talented players in this team and we could have formed a strong combination with them. You don't enjoy watching your country lose badly," he said. "I still have a lot of friends in the changing room, I don't have any issues with the players. "My issues are with Zimbabwe Cricket and the behaviour of some of the board members." Zimbabwe captain Tatenda Taibu admitted: "We are not quite there yet. We need a bit of experience and the more games we play the better we become. "We are just getting individual performances on the day but we have to play good cricket for 100 overs and we have to get it together in a game and we really haven't done that and really have to work on that. "I'm very lucky that I have a bunch of young guys who really want to play for their country and give their best."

cricket/049.txt

@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+Wilson back in Kiwi cricket squad
+
+Former All Blacks winger Jeff Wilson is back in the New Zealand cricket squad after a 12-year absence.
+
+Wilson has been included by the Kiwis to face a World XI in a one-day series in aid of the tsunami victims. His last outing for the national team was in 1993 when he gave up cricket to concentrate on his rugby union career, which came to an end in 2002. "Now that I have this chance I am looking forward to getting in there and making the most of it," said Wilson. Wilson had set his sights on returning to the New Zealand side after resuming domestic first class cricket and team coach John Bracewell has said the one-day matches are a chance for the ex-All Blacks winger to re-establish himself.
+
+"His match turning ability is undoubted and we just need to see if he can step up to this level again," said NZ coach Bracewell. "The selectors have watched Jeff and have no doubt that he is a dynamic cricketer." In March 1993, Wilson played four one day international matches against Australia. He scored a match-winning 44 not out in the final game of the series before concentrating on rugby union after making his debut for the All Blacks later that year. Wilson takes the place of fast bowler Ian Butler, who is suffering from a bulging disc in his back. The limited-overs series against a World XI side being led by Australian leg spinner Shane Warne begins in Christchurch on 22 January with the two other matches taking place in Wellington on 24 January and Hamilton on 26 January. More than 9,000 tickets were sold on the first day of them being made available. "Given the very limited lead-time for these matches, we obviously need the public to respond quickly and today has given us a good start," said New Zealand Cricket marketing manager Peter Dwan.
+HIKP-557Stephen Fleming (captain), Nathan Astle, Chris Cairns, Hamish Marshall, Brendon McCullum, Kyle Mills, Jacob Oram, Mathew Sinclair, Scott Styris, Daryl Tuffey, Daniel Vettori, Jeff Wilson.

cricket/050.txt

@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+England stutter to Zimbabwe win
+
+JMGH-608I
+After choosing to bowl, they dismissed the home side for 195, Darren Gough with 3-34, Elton Chigumbura making 52. The 18-year-old shared a stand of 82 in 13.3 overs with Dion Ebrahim (45). Michael Vaughan made an attractive 56 and debutant Ian Bell 77 but late wickets created tension before victory was sealed with 14 balls left.
+
+Vaughan chose to open his attack with Gough and James Anderson, but both found it difficult to attain a good line in the early stages. Anderson conceded three wides in the eighth over and both openers had recorded boundaries when, in the ninth over, a slower ball from Gough accounted for Stuart Matsikenyeri with the score on 36. Two overs later Alex Wharf picked up a fortuitous wicket with his fifth delivery when Brendan Taylor dragged a wide one onto the timbers.
+
+A far more dangerous delivery accounted for Vusi Sibanda, who was unable to keep out a rising ball. The hosts had a brief period of consolidation only to ruin it with a run-out as Mark Vermeulen was left short of his ground by a direct throw from Andrew Strauss. When Tatenda Taibu became the third batsmen to drag on, something special was required, and briefly it came from Chigumbura. The lissome right-hander launched a series of clean, straight-bladed shots, hammering six fours and a magnificent straight six off Wharf in his 56-minute innings. Ebrahim was beaten in the flight by Ashley Giles, then in the next over Chigumbura went for one lofted drive too many and was caught deep in the covers.
+
+A crowd of around 3,000 had been delighted with his efforts, but when he departed at 172-7 there was little else from the tail, Gough wrapping up the innings with a yorker in the final over. England's reply began smoothly until Vikram Solanki mis-timed a drive that looped to mid-off for seven. Vaughan gradually unveiled some trademark strokes of classic nature in a 75-ball innings featuring five fours and a six. He departed in the 30th over with 64 still needed, caught at deep midwicket by Chigumbura, who in the same position had spilled a chance offered by Bell four overs earlier. Andrew Strauss was soon back in the pavilion, offering a simple return catch to Matsikenyeri to leave England 146-3.
+
+Having seemed set to guide his team home, Bell's composed innings ended 26 runs short of the victory target when he edged his 115th delivery to Taibu. Paul Collingwood needlessly pressed for a second run and fell to sharp throw from Utseya at leg gully, then next ball Geraint Jones almost joined him after hesitation with Kevin Pietersen. The debutant was content to edge England home in conservative fashion, but won it with his only boundary straight down the ground, as the tourists finally secured their ninth successive win over Zimbabwe.
+

cricket/051.txt

@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+Scotland take small step into the big time
+
+There was no winner's cheque on offer and no increase in status, just a trip to Sharjah, a shiny trophy and the prestige of being considered the 11th-best team in world cricket.
+
+But Scotland were still celebrating heartily after winning the ICC Intercontinental Cup, beating Kenya and Canada in the final stages in the United Arab Emirates. Men in suits can talk for as long as they like about infrastructure and development pathways, but sport is about winning, and Scotland came through where it mattered. Pace bowler John Blain, who was man of the match in the final after taking seven wickets, fully realised the importance of an innings victory over Canada. "We've been moving on for a number of years now, narrowly missing out on the World Cup but this is the next-best thing," he told BBC Sport. "We've always been confident of what ability we have but it's about getting results." The victory means more than some silverware for the cabinet, however, for a team that appeared in the 1999 World Cup but has not made highlight reels since. The majority of the side are still amateurs and, as Blain pointed out: "It's very difficult for guys to go from the World Cup back to their jobs and keep the standard up."
+
+The International Cricket Council is keen to improve the strength and depth behind the 10 Test-playing nations, and this is just a part of its development programme. Five associate member countries will appear in the 2007 World Cup and the authorities are keen they should provide more than a second-round bye for the bigger sides. Senior coach Bob Woolmer suggested that the three-day format would help hone skills for the limited-overs game. Blain gives the idea the thumbs-up but also believes Scotland's exposure to English county cricket's National League (NCL) has helped. "The guys have come here and played the cricket that they've been playing the last couple of years in the NCL but in a longer version of the game," he said. "They've learned how to be ruthless and go for the victory." With some controversy, this tournament was given first-class status, although only a handful of players - including Blain and Durham's Gavin Hamilton - normally play at that level.
+
+With Kenya lacking 13 players because of a pay dispute and Canada losing World Cup star John Davison to Australian domestic duty, the standard was below county level. However, Blain argued: "I've had seven-wicket hauls in county cricket but this must rate among them - it's international cricket and it's the top of the tree." This win will help strengthen Scotland's claim for full-time one-day international status, saving them from the qualification process. They will have to prove themselves again next April when the ICC Trophy in Ireland will act as a World Cup qualifier but Blain believes consistency is building. "Results are now starting to show. We have a squad of boys who can compete," he continued. "We've got more exposure now and the standard has moved on fantastically, which will stand us in good stead when we go on to the qualifiers." The Intercontinental Cup is not an end in itself but a significant milestone along the way.
+RZIA-145G

cricket/052.txt

@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+South Africa recall Boje
+IBKV-251KSouth Africa have recalled spinner Nicky Boje for the first Test against England, which begins on 17 December.
+
+Boje missed the recent tour of India because of fears he would be called in for questioning by Indian police over match-fixing allegations. Pace bowler Dale Steyn and opening batsmen AB de Villiers are new faces in a 13-man squad. Despite suffering poor form in India, new wicket-keeper Thami Tsolekile has been preferred to Mark Boucher. There is no place for opener Herschelle Gibbs, who has been struggling with a finger injury after missing the India trip, and spin all-rounder Justin Ontong has been dropped. Nicky Boje, who underwent minor surgery to remove a growth in his neck, will have to pass a fitness test before the match. Port Elizabeth, where the first Test is being held, is South Africa's most spin-friendly venue.
+
+Graeme Smith (Capt), Nicky Boje, Hashim Amla, Zander de Bruyn, AB de Villiers, Boeta Dippenaar, Andrew Hall, Jacques Kallis, Makhaya Ntini, Shaun Pollock, Jacques Rudolph, Dale Steyn, Thami Tsolekile (Wkt).

cricket/053.txt

@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+South Africa recall spinner Boje
+
+South Africa have recalled spinner Nicky Boje for the first Test against England, which begins on 17 December.
+KTUL-361Boje missed the recent tour of India because of fears he would be called in for questioning by Indian police over match-fixing allegations. Pace bowler Dale Steyn and opening batsmen AB de Villiers are new faces in a 13-man squad. Despite suffering poor form in India, new wicket-keeper Thami Tsolekile has been preferred to Mark Boucher. There is no place for opener Herschelle Gibbs, who has been struggling with a finger injury after missing the India trip, and spin all-rounder Justin Ontong has been dropped. Nicky Boje, who underwent minor surgery to remove a growth in his neck, will have to pass a fitness test before the match. Port Elizabeth, where the first Test is being held, is South Africa's most spin-friendly venue.
+
+Graeme Smith (Capt), Nicky Boje, Hashim Amla, Zander de Bruyn, AB de Villiers, Boeta Dippenaar, Andrew Hall, Jacques Kallis, Makhaya Ntini, Shaun Pollock, Jacques Rudolph, Dale Steyn, Thami Tsolekile (Wkt).

cricket/054.txt

@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+Butt provides boost for Pakistan
+
+Tour match, Perth: Pakistan 256-9 (50 overs) v Cricket Australia Chairman's XI
+
+PUZZ-195H
+J Langer (capt), B casson, T Dodemaide, B Edmondson, M Goodwin, M Hussey, G Lawson, M North, C Rogers, L Ronchi, D Thornely, P Worthington.
+
+Inzamam-ul-Haq (capt), Imran Farhat, Salman Butt, Yasir Hameed, Younis Khan,Yousuf Youhana, Shahid Afridi, Karan Akmal, Naved-ul-Hasan, Mohammad Khalil, Danish Kaneria.

cricket/055.txt

@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+Murali to miss one-dayers in NZ
+
+Sri Lanka have put back plans to take spinner Muttiah Muralitharan on the one-day leg of their New Zealand tour.
+
+RSHE-829

cricket/056.txt

@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+Australia return to winning ways
+
+Second one-day international, Sydney: Australia 261-7 (50 overs) beat New Zealand 244 (47.1 overs) by 17 runs
+
+Adam Gilchrist (60) and Darren Lehmann (52) played the leading roles as the home side totalled 261-7. New Zealand crumbled to 86-6 in reply but Chris Cairns hit 50 off 40 balls and Kyle Mills and Daniel Vettori put on 70 to keep their side in the hunt. But they were eventually all out for 244 and the three-match series will now be decided in Brisbane on Friday. The game came to an end at the start of the 48th over when Chris Harris, who bravely came out to bat in his 250th one-day game despite a shoulder injury, was bowled by a yorker from Glenn McGrath. Mills was left high and dry on 44 not out after a magnificent 26-ball innings, featuring four big sixes. There were plenty of anxious faces among the Australian fans during his ninth wicket stand with Vettori (33), who was finally run out by Ricky Ponting's underarm throw. Home skipper Ponting had earlier chosen to bat after winning the toss and was rewarded as Adam Gilchrist took the attack to the New Zealand seamers. He struck a six and eight fours to reach his half century off only 37 deliveries, before perishing for 60 in cavalier fashion as a pull shot off Scott Styris was caught by Nathan Astle at deep square leg.
+
+Ponting maintained the tempo with a quickfire 32 but his exit, caught at mid-off from the bowling of Mills, sparked a slump which saw Australia decline from 140-2 to 161-6. Matthew Hayden (43) was run out by Mathew Sinclair, Damien Martyn was lbw to Mills for five and Andrew Symonds faced only two balls before he was trapped in front by Vettori. Michael Clarke was next to go for six when he edged a ball from Chris Cairns to keeper Brendon McCullum. But Darren Lehmann and Brad Hogg prevented the innings from going into freefall, adding 74 in 17 overs for the seventh wicket. Lehmann was run out, leaving Hogg (41 not out) and Brett Lee (10 not out) to see the total past 250 to leave the Kiwis facing a tough target.
+
+They made a poor start as Astle was caught behind off Brett Lee for 11 and Sinclair fell victim to Jason Gillespie for 17, with Matthew Hayden taking the catch. Captain Stephen Fleming fell lbw for 34 to left-arm spinner Hogg, who proved the most successful Australian bowler with figures of 3-45. The middle order followed in quick succession and it looked like the home side would wrap things up in double quick time. Cairns counter attacked with two sixes and four fours before Gillespie brought his innings to an end, leaving Mills and Vettori to try and secure an unlikely victory. The required rate came down to a run per ball thanks to Mills' big-hitting exploits, but Harris was greeted by a short-pitched ball aimed at his chest and a ferocious full toss from Lee after Vettori had been dismissed. The veteran, whose suffered a torn rotator cuff while fielding earlier in the game, collected four singles but his gallantry was in vain as McGrath produced the perfect delivery to bring the game to an end.
+
+BTAR-174V
+S Fleming (capt), N Astle, M Sinclair, S Styris, H Marshall, J Oram, C Cairns, C Harris, B McCullum (wkt), D Vettori, K Mills.

cricket/057.txt

@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+Ganguly plays down fears
+
+India captain Sourav Ganguly has attempted to play down safety fears over their tour to Bangladesh.
+
+The Indian squad arrived in Dhaka on Wednesday for a 19-day tour featuring two Tests and three one-day matches. The first Test has already been put back a day to Friday after the Indian embassy received threats purporting to come from Islamic militants. "Security is an important factor but we as a team are concentrating on cricket and nothing else," Ganguly insisted. A hand-written fax allegedly sent by the Harkat-ul-Zihad group threatened to kill Indian cricketers, but has been dismissed as a hoax by the Bangladesh authorities. They are suspected of carrying out the assasination of poet Shamsur Rahman six years ago. The group's hostility towards India stems from riots in the western state of Gujarat in 2002, which left 2,000 people dead, many of them muslims. The Board of Control for Cricket in India is leaving nothing to chance and are sending security experts to assess the situation in Chittagong, where the second Test is due to start on 16 December.
+
+TSAM-385Q

cricket/058.txt

@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+India clear for Chittagong games
+
+Indian cricket officials have given clearance for the national team to play in Chittagong during their tour to Bangladesh, which began on Wednesday.
+
+The team received alleged death threats from a radical Muslim group. But the foreign ministry were satisfied with security arrangements in Dhaka, where the first Test begins on Friday. And the team have now given the green light for the games scheduled for Chittagong, which will stage the second Test and first one-day international. "We have now received assessment of the Indian security team that went to Chittagong. "They made a full assessment of the security arrangements, in consultation with the Bangladesh authorities. "On the basis of security team's report, the government is advising BCCI to go ahead with the matches in Chittagong," said foreign ministry spokesman Navtej Sarna.
+RSYY-734The inspection covered the venue, hotel and other areas where the Indian cricket team will be present. Specific recommendations for tightening security arrangements and these have been accepted by the Bangladesh authorities. A letter, apparently from a previously unknown Islamic group Harkat-ul-Jihad, arrived at the Indian embassy last Thursday. It threatened to kill the players in revenge for the riots in Gujarat in India three years ago which left many Muslims dead. However, the Bangladesh high commission said the threats were a hoax. Explosions and other attacks are not uncommon in Bangladesh - more than 20 people were killed when grenades were thrown at an opposition rally in August. There have also been blasts at cinemas. Few arrests have been made, but Islamic extremists are widely blamed. Indian cricketers have visited Bangladesh several times, most recently in 2003 for a triangular tournament that also involved South Africa.

cricket/059.txt

@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+Hayden ruled out of Kiwi showdown
+
+SSUD-401
+Match starts 0315 GMT Friday
+
+The left-hander has failed to recover from a hamstring strain suffered in Sydney, when Australia won by 17 runs to level the series at 1-1. The Kiwis have added all-rounder Tama Canning to their squad as a replacement for veteran Chris Harris. The 27-year-old made three one-day appearances in Pakistan a year ago. He has been in good form with both bat and ball in domestic cricket, making his highest first-class score of 115 and taking eight wickets in the game as Auckland beat Northern Districts in the State Championship. New Zealand breathed a sigh of relief when Brendon McCullum and Scott Styris were cleared of code of conduct charges on Thursday.
+
+But they will not finalise their line-up until shortly before the game because of persistent bad weather in Brisbane which forced Gabba groundsman Kev Mitchell to change the pitch to be used for the game. More rain is forecast for Friday, which could mean Duckworth-Lewis calculations having a big say in the outcome. "We are keeping our options open and won't be rushing to name our side until we are confident with the knowledge we have on the wicket we are going to play on," coach John Bracewell commented. They did well to run Australia close in Sydney after being reduced to 86-6, with Chris Cairns, Kyle Milss and Daniel Vettori showing the depth of their batting talent. "I thought we showed considerable guts and determination," Bracewell added. Simon Katich is the likely replacement for Hayden in the Australian team, but they face a dilemma over who should open with Adam Gilchrist. Katich went in first in a one-day game against India at the start of the year but prefers the middle order and they could opt to promote Darren Lehmann instead. Lehmann has only opened four times in 110 limited overs internationals, but his last three scores in that role have been 92 not out, 50 not out and 119. The state of the pitch will also be a major factor in deciding the make-up of their attack. Michael Kasprowicz could return in place of spinner Brad Hogg as part of a four-pronged pace attack. But that would be tough on Hogg, who made 41 not out and took three wickets in the last match, and would also leave the hosts with a long tail.
+
+R Ponting (capt), A Gilchrist (wkt), D Martyn, D Lehmann, S Katich, M Clarke, A Symonds, B Hogg, B Lee, S Watson, J Gillespie, G McGrath, M Kasprowicz.
+
+S Fleming (capt), N Astle, M Sinclair, S Styris, H Marshall, C McMillan, J Oram, C Cairns, B McCullum (wkt), D Vettori, A Adams, T Canning, K Mills, I Butler.

cricket/060.txt

@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+Kumble breaks Kapil's record
+
+First Test, Dhaka, day one (stumps): Bangladesh 184 all out v India
+
+Kumble overtook the mark set by Kapil Dev when he had Mohammad Rafique lbw. And he followed up with a wicket next ball before Bangladesh were bowled out for 184 in 58 overs in Dhaka. After the first session was lost to rain, Irfan Pathan took five wickets to reduce the hosts to 106-7 before Mohammad Ashraful dug in. Ashraful ended unbeaten on 60, having hit six fours and faced 135 balls. Kumble had a chance of a hat-trick after removing Tapash Baisya via a catch at first slip but Mashrafe Mortaza safely defended the fifth ball of his 12th over. But a run out ended the innings not long afterwards.
+
+SBAC-693P
+Habibul Bashar (capt), Nafis Iqbal, Javed Omar, Mohammad Ashraful, Rajin Saleh, Khaled Mashud (wkt), Mushfiqur Rahman, Mohammad Rafique, Tapash Baisya, Mashrafe bin Mortaza, Manjurul Islam Rana.
+
+S Ganguly (capt), V Sehwag, G Gambhir, S Tendulkar, R Dravid, M Kaif, D Karthik (wkt), I Pathan, A Kumble, Harbhajan Singh, Z Khan.

cricket/061.txt

@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+LFWR-772Y
+First Test, Dhaka, day one (stumps): Bangladesh 184 all out v India
+
+Kumble overtook the mark set by Kapil Dev when he had Mohammad Rafique lbw. And he followed up with a wicket next ball before Bangladesh were bowled out for 184 in 58 overs in Dhaka. After the first session was lost to rain, Irfan Pathan took five wickets to reduce the hosts to 106-7 before Mohammad Ashraful dug in. Ashraful ended unbeaten on 60, having hit six fours and faced 135 balls. Kumble had a chance of a hat-trick after removing Tapash Baisya via a catch at first slip but Mashrafe Mortaza safely defended the fifth ball of his 12th over. But a run out ended the innings not long afterwards.
+
+India did not get chance to begin their reply as openers Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir were immediately offered the light on stepping to the wicket. India won the toss and Pathan soon got stuck into the top order, dismissing Javed Omar lbw in his second over with one that nipped back. Nafis Iqbal and Rajin Saleh were also ajudged lbw by umpire Jeremy Lloyds off consecutive balls in Pathan's fifth over. Captain Habibul Bashar then pulled Zaheer Khan straight to square leg and when the same bowler had Khaled Mashud caught behind, Bangladesh were 50-5 after just 16 overs. Ashraful, largely in partnership with Rafique (47), did his best to build a recovery but India will expect to amass a huge lead on Saturday. Kumble is now fifth in the all-time list. Aged 34, he may still be able to reach the 500-mark, passed by only three men. Fellow leg-spinner Shane Warne tops the list with 552 wickets.
+
+Habibul Bashar (capt), Nafis Iqbal, Javed Omar, Mohammad Ashraful, Rajin Saleh, Khaled Mashud (wkt), Mushfiqur Rahman, Mohammad Rafique, Tapash Baisya, Mashrafe bin Mortaza, Manjurul Islam Rana.
+
+S Ganguly (capt), V Sehwag, G Gambhir, S Tendulkar, R Dravid, M Kaif, D Karthik (wkt), I Pathan, A Kumble, Harbhajan Singh, Z Khan.

cricket/062.txt

@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+Australia unchanged for Pakistan
+
+Australia have named an unchanged squad for the first Test against Pakistan in Perth next Friday.
+
+TSBI-281
+Ricky Ponting (captain), Adam Gilchrist, Justin Langer, Matthew Hayden, Damien Martyn, Darren Lehmann, Michael Clarke, Shane Warne, Jason Gillespie, Michael Kasprowicz, Glenn McGrath, Brett Lee.

cricket/063.txt

@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+Rain holds up England
+
+Fifth Test, Centurion. South Africa v England
+
+Start delayed, rain
+
+England lead the series 2-1 with just this final Test remaining so South Africa desperately need to win. The officials had hoped play could get under way at noon local time but a further downpour led to an early lunch being taken by the players. For England, Simon Jones is expected to replace James Anderson while the hosts play both Andrew Hall and Andre Nel, with batsman Boeta Dippenaar dropped. Dale Steyn had already been released from the squad for Centurion and it means South Africa go in with five seamers and one spin bowler.
+
+RINK-392
+Middlesex opener Andrew Strauss, with a stunning aggregate of 612 runs in the four Tests played to date, said South Africa had every incentive to throw caution to the wind. He said: "It's been a great series for me. It's been very satisfying. "But I think we all realise that this last game is very important and we can't afford to take our foot off the pedal now. "Sometimes when you've got a lead it's quite hard to keep yourself motivated.
+
+"We are pretty sure that the South Africans will come back hard at us. They have a lot of motivation to do well against us this week." South Africa captain Graeme Smith said the colour of the pitch was probably misleading. He said: "The pitch has played pretty well all year. It might look a bit juicy but will probably play pretty good." He added that his team had the capability of bouncing back. "We came back in New Zealand from 1-0 down to level the series in Wellington so we've been in this situation before. "We've just got to play some really good cricket for four to five days. We've had had a lot of iffy performances so far. "With a bit of luck here or there or playing some better cricket at certain times it could have easily been the other way round. "It's been that sort of series, ebb and flow, and I'm sure it's going to be that way again."
+
+Graeme Smith (capt.), Herschelle Gibbs, Jacques Rudolph, Jacques Kallis, AB de Villiers, Mark Boucher (wkt), Andrew Hall, Nicky Boje, Shaun Pollock, Makhaya Ntini, Andre Nel.
+
+Marcus Trescothick, Andrew Strauss, Robert Key, Michael Vaughan (capt.), Graham Thorpe, Andrew Flintoff, Geraint Jones (wkt), Ashley Giles, Matthew Hoggard, Steve Harmison, Simon Jones.

cricket/064.txt

@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+England on brink of defeat
+
+ETZD-846
+After Martin van Jaarsveld was removed for a duck in the first over, Andrew Puttick made 45 with seven fours. But he and Justin Ontong, who hit four fours in 23, fell in consecutive overs after a break for lightning, and with 34 needed to win, heavy rain arrived. England were dismissed for 190, adding 36, Michael Vaughan ninth out after two more fours and a six en route to 100. With the home side moving serenely at 70-1, faint hopes of an escape for England arrived in the form of a violent clap of thunder, which took the players off the field. Lightning struck a field next to the ground, but there was no rain and play resumed within 10 minutes. It did have a beneficial effect for the tourists as two wickets fell within six balls.
+
+Puttick was caught behind and Ontong hooked Steve Harmison to the fine-leg boundary, where Ashley Giles took an impressive running catch to his left. Vaughan began the day on 82 not out, his team 98 ahead with three wickets intact. He signalled his intentions in the very first over with a four through mid-on and a six over long-on from the spin of Ontong. Hopes of a long partnership with county colleague Matthew Hoggard were ended in the fourth over of the morning when the seamer was caught at second slip, having failed to add to his overnight three. Having pulled Charl Willoughby through mid-wicket for four and clipped him away to reach three figures, Vaughan chased a wide one from the left-armer end edged to keeper Mark Boucher. He spent 226 minutes at the crease and faced 151 balls.
+
+ME Trescothick, MP Vaughan (Capt), AJ Strauss, MA Butcher, GP Thorpe, A Flintoff, GO Jones (Wkt), AF Giles, SP Jones, SJ Harmison, MJ Hoggard.
+
+Ashwell Prince (Capt), Justin Ontong, Mark Boucher (Wkt), JP Duminy, Charl Langeveldt, Ethy Mbhalati, Albie Morkel, Andrew Puttick, Alfonso Thomas, Martin van Jaarsveld, Charl Willoughby.

cricket/065.txt

@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+India wrap up victory in Dhaka
+
+First Test, Dhaka: Bangladesh 184 & 202 v India 526
+
+India win by an innings and 140 runs
+
+Left-arm paceman Irfan Pathan removed Tapash Baisya for 29 to finish with figures of 6-51, and 11-96 overall. Zaheer Khan claimed the final wicket when he had the diligent Manjural Islam Rana caught behind for 69. The home side, 170-8 overnight, subsided for 202 to slump to defeat by an innings and 140 runs. Bangladesh were left with a daunting task after Sachin Tendulkar's record unbeaten 248 helped India to a total of 526, a lead of 342.
+
+Only Nafis Iqbal (54) and Islam Rana offered any real resistance as the hosts were routed in double-quick time. In their 33 Tests since 2000, Bangladesh have now accumulated 30 defeats, with only three draws to their credit. The second and final Test of the series starts in Chittagong on Friday.
+
+GQMX-983
+S Ganguly (capt), V Sehwag, G Gambhir, S Tendulkar, R Dravid, M Kaif, D Karthik (wkt), I Pathan, A Kumble, Harbhajan Singh, Z Khan.

cricket/066.txt

@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+GGJQ-271
+New Zealand batsman Mark Richardson bowed out of from all forms of cricket at the age of 33 just short of 10,000 first-class runs.
+
+Richardson needed 41 runs for Auckland against Canterbury to reach the milestone, but finished on 9,994. He made 35 in his side's first innings but did not bat again when Auckland won by an innings and 60 runs. Opener Richardson only made his debut in 2000 but played in 38 Tests, scoring 2776 runs at an average of 44.77. But after impressing against England, making a century at Lord's, he has struggled of late, with just 48 runs in two Test defeats in Australia. He announced his retirement last week, saying: "I feel I left something out on the park at Lord's and have lost the drive to play the Richardson way. "I'm hanging my boots up for good. Since last year's South African series I've started to struggle with the game emotionally and mentally." Richardson began his career as a spin bowler but gained a reputation as a patient accumulator of runs, scoring four Test centuries.
+
+His highest score of 145 came against India in Chandigarh in October 2003. New Zealand's recent tour of Bangladesh saw Richardson complete the set of visits to all 10 Test-playing nations. However, his batting approach and fielding ability did not suit the one-day game and he played in just four internationals. Nicknamed 'Rigor Mortis' because of his slowness in the field, Richardson established a tradition of racing the slowest member of the opposition teams in recent seasons. "Have you seen the color of my hair and the big bald spot on the top of my head?" he quipped. "I'm 33 but I've got the agility of about a 55-year-old." The Auckland native, who has written a regular column for BBC Sport for the last three years, intends to pursue a career in the media. New Zealand captain Stephen Fleming says Michael Papps is favourite to take Richardson's place in the forthcoming series against Sri Lanka and Australia.

cricket/067.txt

@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+England require extra 'intensity'
+
+Batsman Graham Thorpe has acknowledged that England need to raise their game ahead of the first Test against South Africa, which starts on Friday.
+
+The team have arrived in Port Elizabeth after being given a wake-up call in a seven-wicket loss to South Africa A. "We lacked intensity and we need to rise to the level South Africa will be at," Thorpe commented. "We're a fraction short of where we need to be and some of us will need to scrap really hard in the first Test." Former England seam bowler Angus Fraser has criticised an itinerary which gave the team just a single first-class match ahead of the Test series, even though most of the team had not played since September. "In an ideal world, the batsmen would have liked to have spent more time at the crease, but it's important that we don't get down on ourselves. "We're going to have dig deep into the memory banks and remember the times we've done well against them," said Thorpe, who faced just 13 balls in Potchefstroom in making 0 and 11.
+
+"The good thing about not spending too long at the crease is that I don't know whether I'm in bad form or not." The Surrey left-hander, England's most experienced player with 93 Tests, says the team must keep their nerve. "The key is not to panic too much and find the right balance between enjoyment and wanting to win. "You need to put your state of mind into a position where you're going to enjoy the match, but you're going to be competitive." "You have to be able to enjoy the challenge because it's not always a bed of roses out there. "You're not always creaming it around so part of it is enjoying the challenge of maybe feeling a little bit more under pressure and wanting to perform."
+PHYU-165South Africa, meanwhile, have seen their preparations disrupted by a clutch of illnesses and injury problems.
+
+Skipper Graeme Smith, batsman Boeta Dippenaar and all-rounders Andrew Hall and Zander de Bruyn have been suffering from stomach problems since the recent tour to India and wicket-keeper Thami Tsolekile has been trying to shake off a throat infection. More worrying, however, is the fitness of spin bowler Nicky Boje who recently underwent surgery to remove a tumour from his neck. They are likely to give him as long as possible to recover before finalising their Test XI. "We're still working with him, it's a day-by-day process," said team physio Shane Jabaar.

cricket/068.txt

@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+England claim historic series win
+
+Fifth Test, Centurion, day five: South Africa 247 & 296-6d drew with England 359 & 73-4
+
+England win five-match series 2-1
+
+Centuries from Jacques Kallis and AB de Villiers allowed South Africa to declare on 296-6, setting England a target of 185 to win from 44 overs. The tourists chose not to chase the runs, however, finishing on 73-4. There were plenty of nervous moments when they lost early wickets but captain Michael Vaughan held firm to secure a 2-1 series triumph. Though the usually brilliant Andrew Strauss scored a duck, only Denis Compton had ever scored more runs in a series against South Africa and he won the man-of-the-series award for his three centuries. Kallis and man-of-the-match de Villiers were in occupation of the crease when the day started, with South Africa still trailing by 53 runs. By the time they had been parted, they had added 227 for the third wicket. The scoring rate was never sensational, however, as Vaughan declined to set over-attacking fields and the batsman refused to take undue risks.
+
+It took more than an hour for the lead to be wiped off, as De Villiers hit arguably the shot of the day - a pull off Matthew Hoggard that went all the way for six. The remaining hour-and-a-half of an extended morning session saw a further 100 runs added. The two right-handers were quick to pull and drive when the opportunities presented themselves. Kallis was twice lucky to survive. At one point he edged Hoggard inches short of Marcus Trescothick at slip and then, on 76, looked lucky to survive an lbw appeal against Simon Jones. De Villiers reached his half-century with a square drive off Ashley Giles for four, and he continued to play the spinner with great certainty. In the afternoon session, it was widely assumed South Africa would throw the bat at almost everything. First, however, both batsmen needed to reach their centuries.
+
+Kallis got there first, cutting Jones for four - it was his fifth Test ton against England and 20th in all. The 20-year-old de Villiers became the third youngest South African to hit a Test century with a boundary in the same area off the same bowler. But he then perished when holing out to third man off Jones. He had made 109 off 169 balls. Oddly, Kallis took stock for a while before launching a few more boundaries shortly before the declaration, finally finishing unbeaten on 136. In the hunt for quick runs, Graeme Smith, Jacques Rudolph and Mark Boucher all perished for single figure scores. A grateful Steve Harmison took his first two wickets since Cape Town and Hoggard added a single victim to finish with 26 in the series. Set 185 from 44 overs, England were never in position to go for the target once Strauss had been caught behind in Ntini's first over.
+
+HLNI-938D
+Graeme Smith (capt.), Herschelle Gibbs, Jacques Rudolph, Jacques Kallis, AB de Villiers, Mark Boucher (wkt), Andrew Hall, Nicky Boje, Shaun Pollock, Makhaya Ntini, Andre Nel.
+
+Marcus Trescothick, Andrew Strauss, Robert Key, Michael Vaughan (capt.), Graham Thorpe, Andrew Flintoff, Geraint Jones (wkt), Ashley Giles, Matthew Hoggard, Steve Harmison, Simon Jones.
+
+SA Bucknor (WI), Aleem Dar (Pkn)

cricket/069.txt

@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+BSkyB lands England deal
+
+Live coverage of England's home Test matches will no longer be available on terrestrial TV from 2006 onwards.
+
+The England and Wales Cricket Board has awarded an exclusive four-year contract to BSkyB, which will run until 2009. Highlights of each day's play in the Test matches will, however, be screened on Five, which replaces Channel 4 as cricket's sole terrestrial broadcaster. The BBC has retained the exclusive rights for radio coverage of home Tests and one-day internationals. England and Wales Cricket Board chairman David Morgan said the various deals would be worth £220m, a 10% real terms increase on the previous agreements for 2002-2005. "We understand that the decision to place all live cricket coverage on satellite and cable television is an emotive issue for some people," he continued. "We have made an agreement that will offer the highlights package to a peaktime audience. "Five will broadcast highlights from 7.15-8.00pm, a time which is the most popular slot for TV viewing for children and a time when an average of 21m people watch television." BSkyB's package also covers one-day, Twenty20 and women's internationals as well as county cricket.
+
+Channel 4 has screened England's home Test matches since 1999, when they ended the BBC's 61-year tenure. And the decision to prevent cricket from being seen live by a terrestrial TV audience is a calculated gamble by the ECB.
+PIMH-385UFormer England captain Alec Stewart, speaking on Tuesday, said: "Young girls and boys should be able to see cricket without having to pay for it. "The ECB have to look at the whole picture. They may be getting a big cheque but long-term, English cricket will suffer." And Morgan's predecessor, Lord MacLaurin, had also called for "balance" between satellite and terrestrial TV. "I think there is a big danger....of depriving an awful lot of people of watching Test cricket," he commented.
+
+But the ECB believes a strong financial base is essential to the game's well-being.
+
+"The bids we accepted allow us to invest even more in the development of the England team and grass roots cricket. "Other proposals included live coverage of some international cricket on terrestrial TV but, if accepted, they would have resulted in a significant financial shortfall for the game and it was decided that this was not in the best interest of the sport," explained Morgan. "This is a very good deal for cricket as it guarantees wide accessibility to watch or listen to the action and secures the future development of the game from playground to Test arena." Commenting on the BBC's renewed agreement with the ECB, Director of Sport, Peter Salmon, said: "With the England team on top form, we are pleased to provide listeners with the most comprehensive radio coverage on Test Match Special." The BBC will also have non-exclusive rights to cover the C&G Trophy and Twenty20 Cup - the later shared with the Wireless Group, which owns Talksport Radio.
+
+
+ - Test series covered by the new contract: 
+ - 2006 v Sri Lanka and Pakistan 
+ - 2007 v West Indies and India 
+ - 2008 v Zimbabwe and South Africa 
+ - 2009 v New Zealand and Australia

cricket/070.txt

@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+Langer century deflates Pakistan
+
+First Test, Perth, day one (stumps): Australia 357-8 v Pakistan
+
+The local opener steered Australia to 357-8 with 181 not out, a 264-ball knock which included 17 boundaries and three sixes. Langer put on 152 runs for the sixth wicket with Adam Gilchrist (69) after the hosts had slumped to 78-5. Shoaib Akhtar revelled on the pacy pitch to return figures of 4-89. Shoaib and fellow paceman Mohammad Sami (2-94) held sway early on after Pakistan won the toss and inserted Australia. But Langer stood firm throughout the day to wrest back the initiative, displaying rare flair in his 21st Test century and fourth against Pakistan. When he reached 41, Langer passed West Indies skipper Brian Lara (1,178 runs) to become the leading Test run-scorer in 2004. Should he remain unbeaten when Australia's innings finishes on Friday, he will become the 42nd batsman in Test history to carry his bat.
+
+Shoaib claimed an early victim by trapping Matthew Hayden lbw for four with a rapid, overpitched inswinger. Skipper Ricky Ponting and Langer then put on 50 before Ponting fell to Sami, bowled through the gate playing an expansive off-drive. Sami struck again in his next over to have Damien Martyn caught behind, and when Shoaib removed Darren Lehmann (bowled) and Michael Clarke (caught) cheaply Australia were reeling on 78-5. But Langer found an able ally in vice captain Gilchrist, who took the long handle to the hosts' predicament. Gilchrist struck 10 boundaries in his 78-ball stay, helping Australia along to 230 before his stumps were levelled by all-rounder Abdul Razzaq. Razzaq soon accounted for Shane Warne (caught), bringing Jason Gillespie to the crease in what marked the start of another deflating period for Pakistan.
+
+LWEW-582E
+Ricky Ponting (c), Justin Langer, Matthew Hayden, Damien Martyn, Darren Lehmann, Michael Clarke, Adam Gilchrist, Shane Warne, Jason Gillespie, Michael Kasprowicz, Glenn McGrath. 12th man: Brett Lee.
+
+Inzamam-ul-Haq, Imran Farhat, Salman Butt, Younis Khan, Yousuf Youhanna, Abdul Razzaq, Kamran Akmal, Shoaib Akhtar, Danish Kaneria, Mohammad Sami, Mohammad Khalil. 12th man: Yasir Hameed.

cricket/071.txt

@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+BTCD-438F
+First Test, Port Elizabeth: South Africa v England
+
+Match starts at 0830 GMT
+
+After whitewashes against New Zealand and West Indies, the tourists will attempt to put last week's seven-wicket defeat by South A behind them. "The guys are mentally aware of what's required," coach Duncan Fletcher said. Mark Butcher is likely to pip Robert Key at number three while Simon Jones and James Anderson contest seam duties. The South Africans, who have dropped from second to sixth in the Test rankings in less than a year, are without spinner Nicky Boje. He is still recovering from surgery to remove a growth on his neck two weeks ago. Fast bowler Dale Steyn is poised to make his Test debut, but all-rounder Jacques Kallis is still troubled by an ankle injury and is expected to play as a batsman only. Opener AB de Villiers is also expected to make his debut, in place of the injured Herschelle Gibbs.
+
+England coach Duncan Fletcher has used his contacts in South Africa to study the new players and study flaws. "Duncan lives in Cape Town and he has had his ear to ground about a lot of their players," said captain Michael Vaughan. "With the amount of technology around these days you generally know quite a lot about the opposition. But video replay is not ideal and Vaughan warned: "We don't know how they're going to react on the pitch." Home skipper Graeme Smith believes his team may have an advantage by being in action more recently than England, on a tour to India in November and December. "The more cricket you play the more battle hardened you become, the more aware and better technically," he said. Smith feels England could have benefitted from an additional warm-up game, but will still provide a strong test for his team. "We did the same thing (only one warm-up match) in Sri Lanka and paid the price in that series," he said. "England, even though they lost the A game, come here with a lot of confidence and have some key performers. "I really believe they have one of their strongest sides ever. The South Africans are certain to have plans to combat England's most influential players, Andrew Flintoff and Steve Harmison.
+
+Smith said: "Harmison, with his pace and height, has always had potential. "He's a confidence bowler and it's important we put him under pressure." The Durham bowler was not at his best when the teams last met in England in 2003, taking nine wickets at 45.88 in four matches. Flintoff, by contrast, scored three fifties and a magnificent 142 and weighed in with 10 wickets, leaving Smith in no doubts about his capability. "Freddie's pulverised a few attacks but we've got a few ideas for him. "I'm looking forward to him bringing out the best in our two all-rounders Kallis and Pollock."
+
+G Smith (captain), AB de Villiers, J Rudolph, J Kallis, H Amla, Z de Bruyn, A Hall, S Pollock, T Tsolekile, M Ntini, D Steyn, B Dippenaar.
+
+M Vaughan (captain), M Trescothick, A Strauss, M Butcher, R Key, G Thorpe, A Flintoff, G Jones, A Giles, S Jones, M Hoggard, S Harmison, J Anderson.

cricket/072.txt

@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+Kiwis recall Tuffey for Sri Lanka
+
+New Zealand have recalled seam bowler Daryl Tuffey to their squad for their one-day series with Sri Lanka.
+
+Tuffey, who missed the recent tours of Bangladesh and Australia with a leg injury, is fully fit according to Kiwis' coach John Bracewell. Middle-order batsman Craig McMillan has been dropped, along with change bowlers Andre Adams and Tama Canning. The first match of the series is on December 26, and the teams also play a two-match test series in January. The squad has been reduced to 12 for the first three games of the one-day series to allow as many players as possible to play in domestic first class competition.
+
+EJFC-205
+Stephen Fleming (captain), Nathan Astle, Mathew Sinclair, Hamish Marshall, Scott Styris, Chris Cairns, Jacob Oram, Brendon McCullum, Daniel Vettori, Kyle Mills, Ian Butler, Daryl Tuffey.

cricket/073.txt

@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+Strauss ton boosts England
+
+First Test, Port Elizabeth (day two, close): South Africa 337; England 227-1
+
+Strauss was 120 not out after two days in Port Elizabeth as England closed inexorably on the hosts' 337 all out. He put on 152 for the first wicket with Marcus Trescothick and added more runs with Mark Butcher with no England batsman prepared to miss out. Earlier, Boeta Dippenaar converted his overnight 79 into a century of his own. The day began with South Africa 273-7 and hoping to reach at least 350 with Dippenaar and Thami Tsolekile batting together. Tsolekile initially looked uncomfortable against some short-pitched Andrew Flintoff bowling. But Steve Harmison's radar was awry and though runs came slowly, there was little penetration from England's seamers.
+
+XWBA-608
+It was a big mistake, though. Slogging across the line and against the spin, he skewed the ball up into the covers for Andrew Flintoff to run round from slip to take the catch. Giles removed the last man, Dale Steyn, and from 324-7 South Africa had tumbled to 337 all out. Strauss and Trescothick had a potentially awkward four overs before lunch to negotiate. But having managed that, they rarely looked troubled in the second session of the day.
+
+Strauss, with a series of cuts and pulls, was the more attacking partner, while Trescothick was seeking to play himself into some form. South Africa were severely limited by having five right-arm seamers at their disposal and no spinner and when the score rattled along to 152-0 shortly after tea they looked in deep trouble. But debutant Steyn, who had bowled a rash of no-balls in a nervous first spell, suddenly found some extra pace and a bit of reverse swing to bowl Trescothick for 47, the ball crashing into middle stump. Shaun Pollock also got the ball to reverse in the air, as the runs dried up with Mark Butcher trying to find his feet and Strauss worrying about a possible century. But once Strauss drove Ntini immaculately down the ground for four to reach three figures, Butcher cashed in with two crisp cover-drives of his own for boundaries off Andrew Hall. It was a weary South African fielding side who marched off the park at stumps.
+
+G Smith (captain), AB de Villiers, J Rudolph, J Kallis, B Dippenaar, Z de Bruyn, A Hall, S Pollock, T Tsolekile (wk), M Ntini, D Steyn.
+
+M Vaughan (captain), M Trescothick, A Strauss, M Butcher, G Thorpe, A Flintoff, G Jones (wk), A Giles, S Jones, M Hoggard, S Harmison.

cricket/074.txt

@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+Aussies tighten grip
+UGXI-811First Test, Perth, day three: Australia 381 & 361-5 dec; Pakistan 179 & 18-1 (close)
+
+The home side declared their second innings on 361-5, a lead of 563, and Pakistan were 18-1 at the close. Martyn made no mistake after Ricky Ponting was stumped for 98 and Justin Langer bowled by Abdul Razzaq for 97. Left to survive six overs before the close, Pakistan lost Imran Farhat, who was lbw to Glenn McGrath for one. Pakistan's cause was not helped by the absence of skipper Inzamam-ul-Haq and paceman Shoaib Akhtar for most of the afternoon. Inzamam stayed in the dressing room suffering from a stomach upset, while Shoaib hurt his left shoulder while trying to make a diving save in the field.
+
+He had taken the only wicket to fall during the morning, bowling Matthew Hayden for 10 with an inswinger as Australia advanced their score from 15-0 to 110-1. Langer's fifty arrived off 84 balls and he struck 14 fours as he and Ponting shared a second wicket stand of 163. It looked odds on that he would become the first man ever to make a hundred in each innings of a Test at the Waca when Razzaq found a way through as he attempted to drive.
+
+But Langer, who made 191 in the first innings, is now the highest run scorer in Tests in 2004 with 1,426, including five centuries. Ponting was on 92 at the tea interval and well set to reach three figures for the first time this year. He was denied, however, when he missed an attempted sweep of Danish Kaneria and keeper Kamran Akmal whipped off the bails - a dismissal confirmed by the TV umpire. Darren Lehmann was bowled by Kaneria for five, but Michael Clarke joined Martyn in a stand of 79 for the fifth wicket before he was caught by the revived Inzamam off Mohammad Sami for 27. Martyn reached three figures in the next over, a 121-ball knock featuring 11 boundaries, and Ponting immediately made the declaration. The Pakistan openers walked to the middle under intense pressure and it proved too much for Farhat, who shouldered arms to an inswinging delivery from McGrath. But partner Salman Butt survived to reach stumps on eight not out and Younis Khan drove the day's penultimate delivery from Jason Gillespie through extra cover for four to finish on seven.
+
+Ricky Ponting (c), Justin Langer, Matthew Hayden, Damien Martyn, Darren Lehmann, Michael Clarke, Adam Gilchrist, Shane Warne, Jason Gillespie, Michael Kasprowicz, Glenn McGrath. 12th man: Brett Lee.
+
+Inzamam-ul-Haq, Imran Farhat, Salman Butt, Younis Khan, Yousuf Youhanna, Abdul Razzaq, Kamran Akmal, Shoaib Akhtar, Danish Kaneria, Mohammad Sami, Mohammad Khalil. 12th man: Yasir Hameed.

cricket/075.txt

@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+South Africa back in contention
+
+First Test, Port Elizabeth, day three (stumps): South Africa 337 & 99-2 v England 425
+
+England, who resumed play on 227-1, were bowled out for 425 after losing three wickets for 29 runs and four for 12 in two separate mini-collapses. Makhaya Ntini took three wickets in four balls before returning 3-75. South Africa then lost AB de Villiers and Jacques Rudolph before closing on 99-2, a lead of 11 runs. The hosts emerged for the day's play with renewed zeal after their listless display in the field on Saturday. Andrew Strauss could add only six to his overnight score of 120 before cutting Shaun Pollock on the up and picking out de Villiers at point.
+
+Michael Vaughan, fresh from his run-hungry deeds against Zimbabwe and South Africa A, broadcast his levels of confidence with a six over third man off Andrew Hall. But it was to prove a false dawn as two balls later the England captain dallied outside the off-stump to a fuller delivery and was caught at slip. Graham Thorpe was unimpressive in 45 minutes in the middle, scoring just four before being bowled around his legs sweeping at Graeme Smith's amateur off-breaks.
+
+Although three strikes in the morning was a good return for the hosts, Butcher was keeping the score ticking over with an array of pulled and cut boundaries, and they were doing themselves no favours by continually no-balling. In the entire innings, South Africa conceded a national record 57 extras, including 35 no-balls. Debutant Dale Steyn was the chief culprit, overstepping 16 times. Butcher and Andrew Flintoff built a promising 79-run stand either side of lunch, and the former's 12th boundary midway through the afternoon took the recovering visitors into the lead. Ntini, unthreatening to this point, then turned the game on its head with three wickets in four balls to orchestrate a one-time familiar middle-order collapse. Butcher's demise - a faint edge through to impressive keeper Thami Tsolekile - was a soft way to end a 23rd Test fifty that looked like becoming his ninth ton.
+
+If his departure was unthinking, Flintoff's was plain mindless. The powerful all-rounder had ridden a difficult period to move to 35, but threw his wicket away when despatching a deliberate short ball down the throat of Rudolph at deep square. Geraint Jones misread the sluggishness of the pitch to be caught at short extra cover next ball, and though Matthew Hoggard kept out the hat-trick ball he soon fell to Hall for a duck to reduce his team to 358-8. Ashley Giles emphasized his worth down the order with a brisk 26, putting on 36 with Simon Jones before edging Pollock to slip. Another 31 runs were added for the final wicket, during which time Steve Harmison was dropped twice and caught off a Steyn no-ball.
+
+Steyn kept his foot behind the popping crease to eventually get rid of Jones for 24 and end England's first innings. Hoggard, so industrious with the ball in the first innings, again served his team well when snatching a wonderful, low-down catch off his own bowling to remove de Villiers for 14. A sizeable first-innings deficit still hung over the hosts on 26-1, but with Hoggard seemingly straining his side and Harmison (0-29 off six overs) way off colour England did not fully cash in. It took the introduction of Giles to oust Rudolph (caught at slip) for a nicely crafted 29, but Smith (33) and Jacques Kallis (10) comfortably saw South Africa out of the red and to the safety of stumps. The day belonged to the home side, but they will need to repeat the dose on Monday to ensure they cannot be beaten in the series' opener.
+
+FICA-623T
+M Vaughan (captain), M Trescothick, A Strauss, M Butcher, G Thorpe, A Flintoff, G Jones (wk), A Giles, S Jones, M Hoggard, S Harmison.

cricket/076.txt

@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+England 'could win Ashes'
+
+Former England stalwart Alec Stewart believes Michael Vaughan's team is capable of beating Australia next year.
+
+AWMI-088K
+Stewart also feels that South Africa have problems, both on and off the field, as they bid to come from 1-0 down in the five-match series. "I played over there twice and they were always tough to play against, but they didn't look like the South Africa of old," he said. "They are not picking their best side, without a doubt I'd make sure Mark Boucher comes back in, he's a world class cricketer. England move to Durban on Wednesday to prepare for the second Test, which begins on Boxing Day.
+
+"England didn't allow them to play at their best," Stewart said of the first Test, which the tourists won by seven wickets. "England have to play as they have and keep improving, Michael Vaughan will be driving that home to the players. "At the start of the series I thought there would only be one Test in it but now I think we can win by more than that."

cricket/077.txt

@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+Kaif shines in India win
+
+First one-day international, Chittagong: India 245-8 (50 overs) v Bangladesh 234-8 (50 overs) by 11 runs
+
+Mohammad Kaif (80) and Rahul Dravid (53) shared a stand of 128 as the tourists posted a total of 245-8. Skipper Habibul Bashar kept Bangladesh in the hunt with 65, but his departure left them with too much to do. Khaled Mashud hit an unbeaten 50 but Sridharan Sriram took 3-43 as the home side were restricted to 234-8. After winning the Test series 2-0, India took the opportunity to rest batsman Virender Sehwag and fast bowler Zaheer Khan and give debuts to wicket-keeper Mahendra Dhoni and seamer Joginder Sharma. But skipper Sourav Ganguly lost the toss and opposite number Bashar's decision to put them in paid off initially as India were reduced to 45-3. Ganguly was bowled for nought by the second ball of the match from Tapash Baisya and 17-year-old Nazmul Hossain then claimed the prized scalp of Sachin Tendulkar, who was caught behind for 19.
+
+Mushfiqur Rahman trapped Yuvraj Singh lbw for 21, but Kaif and Dravid steadied the innings and Bangladesh had to wait 28 overs for their next success. Both batsmen reached their half centuries off 74 balls, but Dravid edged a catch to the keeper off Khaled Mahmud soon after and Sriram was stumped for three off spinner Mohammad Rafique. Dhoni's first innings for India lasted one delivery as he was run out for nought and when Kaif gave a return catch to Nazmul in the 47th over, the total had only just passed 200. But Ajit Agarkar made 25 and Irfan Pathan hit two sixes in his 21 not out off 11 balls, runs which ultimately made all the difference.
+
+Bangladesh were soon in trouble in reply as Rafique (eight), Nafis Iqbal (nine) and Mohammad Ashraful (two) all failed - the latter becoming Sharma's first international victim when he was caught by Ganguly. Bashar and Aftab Ahmed put on 64 in 14 overs before both fell victim to Sriram's left-arm spin, along with Rajin Saleh (14), as the home side slumped from 108-3 to 156-6. Mushfique was lbw to Agarkar for two but Mashud and Mahmud did their best to revive their side, adding 40 for the eighth wicket in six overs. The target was out of reach, however, and Mahmud perished for 21 to a catch by Man of the Match Kaif as Bangladesh's hopes were finally extinguished. Mashud had the consolation of reaching his fifth one-day half century before Baisya drove the final ball of the game to extra cover for four, but it was too late for Bangladesh.
+
+Nafis Iqbal, Habibul Bashar (Capt), Mohammad Ashraful Aftab Ahmed, Khaled Mashud (Wkt), Mushfiqur Rahman, Khaled Mahmud Manjural Islam Rana, Mohammad Rafique, Tapash Baisya Nazmul Hossain.
+
+S Sriram, S R Tendulkar, S C Ganguly (Capt), R Dravid Yuvraj Singh, M Kaif, M S Dhoni (Wkt), I K Pathan, Harbhajan Singh J Sharma, A B Agarkar.
+YSNS-697PAleem Dar and Mahbubur Rahman

cricket/078.txt

@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+Windies Australia tour to proceed
+YZJY-617PWest Indies are set to tour Australia after a row over sponsorship deals for individual players neared resolution.
+
+The dispute began because of conflicts between West Indies Cricket Board sponsor Digicel and Cable & Wireless, who endorse a number of the players. Both sides have accepted a ruling on whether players can have their own deals, but that has not been disclosed. "We are convinced we will have a resolution that allows the tour to proceed," arbiter Keith Mitchell said. Mitchell, the Prime Minister of Grenada, appointed judge Adrian Saunders to make a binding ruling on the issue, but he refused to reveal what the ruling was. The impasse has delayed the announcement of West Indies' 14-man squad to play in the limited-overs tournament with Australia and Pakistan. It will be the first competition they have taken part in since winning the ICC Champions Trophy in England three months ago. They are due to play their first warm-up match against Victoria on 5 January.

cricket/079.txt

@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+England hopeful over Jones
+
+England are hopeful that Simon Jones will be fit for the Boxing Day Test against South Africa despite going down with a stomach bug.
+
+The Glamorgan paceman left Friday's practice session early to return to the team hotel. "He's got a slight bug but he had a little bit of a bowl, and I am sure he will be fine for the Test," captain Michael Vaughan commented. Jones took 4-39 in the first Test to help England to a seven-wicket victory. And coach Duncan Fletcher hopes he will return to bowling at express pace after a lengthy rehabilitation from a knee injury. Jones has bowled with reduced speed since tearing a cruciate ligament at the start of the 2002/03 Ashes tour. "Now he's got this confidence he can probably up the speed a little bit," Fletcher told BBC Sport. "And if he can do that we've got a strong bowling unit there."
+XFXG-118The Welshman showed glimpses of his former self during the recent one-day series in Zimbabwe. "There were a few balls he got over 140 [kph - 87.5 mph] where he was just trying himself out," Fletcher continued. "And if he can get back up there he'll be back to being that shock bowler. "He's hardly played any first-class cricket - he's hardly played any games for Glamorgan, he's only played a few Tests for us." Should Jones fail to recover in time for the second Test, Lancashire's James Anderson would be the obvious replacement.

cricket/080.txt

@@ -0,0 +1,170 @@
+England left in tatters in Durban
+
+Tea, day one: England: 125-8
+
+Graham Thorpe was trapped lbw, Andrew Flintoff looped a catch to square-leg, Michael Vaughan fell plumb lbw and Geraint Jones hooked into the deep. Marcus Trescothick was the first to go after England lost the toss, caught behind off Makhaya Ntini (3-41). Mark Butcher then played on and Andrew Strauss was caught at mid-off for 25.
+
+Pollock is given the task of capturing the final two England wickets.
+
+England 125-8
+
+An authentic boundary next ball, lashed over cover for four more.
+
+Next ball Jones tries to duck a bouncer and the ball barely gets above stump height, glancing the top of his head and bringing four leg byes.
+
+Jones stands up to Steyn and pushes through the gap at mid-off for two.
+
+Boje tosses one up from over the wicket and Jones has a dart at it, not finding the middle of the bat but smearing through a vacant mid-on for a single.
+
+After the pace barrage, Boje returns and Hoggard finds a single to leave new man Simon Jones on strike.
+
+The Giles vigil ends in disappointing fashion as, severely hampered, he hooks at Steyn and the man at deep square-leg does not have to move.
+
+Favouring the back foot as Steyn continues to steam in, Hoggard is glad to see one of fullish length that he can push out for a single.
+
+After a single is scrambled, Hoggard moves into the firing line and just manages to avoid a rapidly rising bouncer.
+
+Another part of unprotected Giles anatomy is battered at 85mph, Steyn's skidding short one catching him in the armpit.
+
+Hoggard jabs down at the final moment to keep out a yorker from Kallis that was destined for the timbers.
+
+An appeal begun only by the keeper for caught behind against Giles down the legside increases a little in volume, but Darrel Hair is not impressed.
+
+Hoggard does not know too much about a full and fast delivery, which he inside edges to fine-leg for a single.
+
+: Giles hooks uncomfortably again with one hand off the bat, but the single gives him temporary reprieve from the hostile Steyn.
+
+The return of Kallis is warmly greeted by Giles, who clips a loosener neatly off his pads for four.
+
+Matthew Hoggard is the latest casualty, another short one from the aggressive Steyn thwacking into his arm guard.
+
+The next ball is also short and Giles plays an unconvincing hook, with one hand coming off the bat, but some contact is made and Giles is grateful to stutter through for a single.
+
+Giles is thumped again by another short one.
+
+Giles ducks into a brutal low bouncer from Steyn, the ball crashes into his elbow and loops over the slip for four leg byes.
+
+Steyn returns for Pollock as South Africa look to wrap up the innings.
+
+The hook proves to be the undoing of Jones, who picks out Rudolph in the deep off Ntini.
+
+Jones edges low through a gap where fourth slip would have been, bringing four urgently needed runs for England.
+
+Another hook goes high into the space in front of square, but determined fielding from Rudolph restricts Jones to two.
+
+Persisting with the hook shot, Jones is fully in control but can only get a single to deep square-leg off Pollock.
+
+Jones hooks uppishly at Ntini and is within 10 yards of carrying to the fielder on the fine-leg boundary.
+
+Aiming an expansive drive into the off-side he gets an inside edge and escapes with a single.
+
+Jones pummels a cut shot off Pollock into the boards for his second four.
+
+Vaughan is rapped on the pads bang in front by a skidding delivery from Ntini and umpire Taufel confirms his worst fears.
+
+Pollock unsettles Vaughan with a bouncer that follows him and catches the glove.
+
+A controlled thick edge from Jones finds the gap between third slip and gully and races for four.
+
+Ntini returns, his first delivery down the legside and easily turned for a single by Vaughan.
+
+Geraint Jones picks up a short one from Pollock and the ball soars over the ropes for the maximum to open the wicketkeeper's account in emphatic fashion.
+
+Vaughan rocks back to guide a forcing shot for a much needed boundary off Boje.
+
+Flintoff is beaten for pace by Pollock and his hook shot loops up tamely off the splice to square leg to leave his team in turmoil.
+
+Vaughan appears to lose sight of a short one from Pollock, and having planned to leave it fends it awkwardly with the glove, before scrambling through for a risky single.
+
+Vaughan is able to pinch a single as his gentle push on the off side defeats the fielder on the bounce.
+
+Thorpe is trapped plumb in front by the metronomic Pollock.
+
+Boje resumes after the interval, Vaughan crashes one into Jacques Rudolph at silly point but slices the next ball through gully for four.
+
+England 58-3
+
+Vaughan and Thorpe get through safely to lunch but know that much more will be required this afternoon.
+
+Vaughan, badly needing to play a major innings, strikes a fluent boundary off Boje.
+
+Kallis switches ends and produces a maiden as England look towards the safety of the luncheon interval.
+
+New man Graham Thorpe clips a single from the final ball of the over.
+
+The single proves effective as key man Strauss takes the strike and lofts a catch to extra cover, where Ntini swoops low to cap a fine morning for the home side.
+
+Boje finds some early spin with his third delivery and catches the edge of Vaughan's bat as the England captain pushes forward, but De Villiers spills the chance and the ball falls to safety.
+
+Kallis is replaced after two overs and the spin of Nicky Boje is tried 13 minutes before lunch.
+
+There is nothing to stop a Strauss cut shot which brings up the England 50 in the 24th over.
+
+Strauss is denied a certain boundary when his pull shot strikes square-leg umpire Simon Taufel.
+
+Kallis escapes with a maiden as a sumptuous looking drive from Vaughan goes straight to the ubiquitous Amla in the covers.
+
+Strauss strokes the next ball gloriously down the ground for his fourth boundary.
+
+Vaughan pirouettes to pull Steyn stylishly but only for a single as the distinctive figure of Amla fields on the square-leg fence.
+
+Strauss eases the pressure a little by bisecting the field with a trademark drive to the boundary, as Kallis struggles to find his rhythm early on.
+
+Jacques Kallis is introduced, having been unable to bowl in the first Test or in India, his first delivery is easily clipped into the legside for Vaughan's first run.
+
+More conviction in this pull shot from Strauss, and Steyn is dispatched to the boundary.
+
+Just a single from the over, a hook from Strauss, who moves to nine.
+
+Michael Vaughan is given a bouncer first up and survives an optimistic shout for lbw.
+
+An inside edge onto the stumps off Steyn ends Butcher's innings in disappointing fashion again.
+
+A nicely timed cover drive brings Butcher three runs, with the intrepid Amla cutting the ball off a yard inside the ropes.
+
+Ntini replaces Pollock, who is left to fume in the outfield, his face a light shade of crimson.
+
+Steyn completes his second maiden, restricting Butcher with an accurate off-stump line.
+
+Pollock hurls the ball back at Strauss and throws in a few choice words for good measure.
+
+The extra bounce of Durban provides some uncertainty for Strauss, an attempted cut and hook bouncing too high for him.
+
+Dale Steyn is brought into the attack and Herschelle Gibbs provides him with a maiden with an agile diving stop in the gully.
+
+Butcher has to scamper through as he attempts a quick single to Amla, who is quicker than perhaps the left-hander gives him credit for, luckily for him the throw is a fraction high.
+
+An elegant drive on the tips of his toes from Strauss through mid-off gives him his first boundary.
+AEBA-345HMark Butcher nudges Ntini into the legside to open his account.
+
+Pollock maintains the South Africa stranglehold with another over offering no easy runs.
+
+A stunning one-handed catch by De Villiers off an inside edge ends Trescothick's bright innings.
+
+Strauss gets down to Ntini's end and is happy to receive a ball on the pads which he clips neatly away through square-leg for three.
+
+Trescothick slashes a wide one from Ntini not quite out of the middle, but there is enough on it to clear Nicky Boje in the gully and race for four.
+
+Strauss looks for a single after driving to the right of Hashim Amla, but the fielder gets across well and ensures another maiden.
+
+The wild Ntini produces a maiden, the final ball of the over keeping low and bouncing in front of wicketkeeper AB de Villiers.
+
+Strauss, keen to get off the mark, attempts a drive at Pollock outside off-stump but misses and it is another maiden.
+
+Ntini asks the question of Darrell Hair but Trescothick is a long way forward, he clips the next ball off his pads for two more.
+
+Another probing maiden from Pollock, with Strauss content to remain on nought and leave them outside his off-stump.
+
+Trescothick thumps the final ball of Ntini's over through the covers into the boundary boards.
+
+Pollock maintains a tidy line outside off-stump to Strauss, who is yet to get off the mark.
+
+Trescothick picks the gap at mid-off, punching Ntini for the day's first boundary.
+
+Ntini, bowling over the wicket, angles a short ball across Trescothick, who does not take the bait.
+
+Pollock overpitches as Trescothick gets the scoring under way for England with an off-drive for three runs.
+
+Graeme Smith (captain), Herschelle Gibbs, Jacques Rudolph, Jacques Kallis, Martin van Jaarsveld, Hashim Amla, AB de Villiers, Shaun Pollock, Nicky Boje, Makhaya Ntini, Dale Steyn.
+
+Marcus Trescothick, Andrew Strauss, Mark Butcher, Michael Vaughan (captain), Graham Thorpe, Andrew Flintoff, Geraint Jones, Ashley Giles, Matthew Hoggard, Simon Jones, Stephen Harmison. Umpires: D Hair, S Taufel (Aus).

cricket/081.txt

@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+Lee runs through Windies
+SDNM-432VB Series match 6, Adelaide: Australia 269-8 beat West Indies 196 by 73 runs
+
+Paceman Pedro Collins took his first one-day five-wicket haul but Australia wriggled out of trouble to post a healthy 269-8 in Adelaide. Then paceman Brett Lee twice took wickets off consecutive deliveries for figures of 4-38 as West Indies folded for 196 in the 45th over. Collins (5-43) removed four top-order batsmen before the Aussies recovered. Simon Katich's 76 off 86 balls began the fightback. But the turning-point really came when Jason Gillespie (44) and Brett Lee (38) put on 73 runs, unbroken, for the ninth wicket in less than 12 overs. Gillespie, who scored his maiden Test fifty this Australian summer, registered his highest one-day score off just 42 balls, striking two fours and a six.
+
+Katich and Gillespie were two of three changes to the Aussie side, with Brad Hogg joining them at the expense of Shane Watson, Michael Kasprowicz and Damien Martyn. The West Indies stuck with the side that nearly beat Australia last Friday in Brisbane until rain stopped play. Collins struck twice in the third over after the home side had won the toss under a hot and humid sky on Australia Day. The left-armer had out-of-sorts opener Matthew Hayden caught behind off a bottom edge before ousting skipper Ricky Ponting (caught) for a duck to reduce them to 24-2. Michael Clarke blasted his way to 21 off 15 balls before he misjudged a drive and was clean bowled by Collins, and Darren Lehmann perished in the paceman's next over to a catch behind the stumps. Andrew Symonds, promoted to number four after five ducks from his previous six digs, helped Australia recover from 38-4 but was caught behind off Wavell Hinds for 31 off 49 balls.
+
+The Windies were on top with the middle-order exposed, but Katich and Brad Haddin made sure they failed to push home the advantage. The pair put on 82 in 14 overs before Haddin was bowled by Dwayne Bravo (2-71), but it was not until Lee and Gillespie were brought together by Collins' removal of Katich in the 39th over that Australia really got on top. Losing both openers inside the first 13 balls of their reply, West Indies were never in control of their run chase. Lee struck with the last ball of his first over and the first ball of his second thanks to catches behind the wicket by Haddin, the second one a brilliant one-handed take. Ramanaresh Sarwan and Shivnarine Chanderpaul then added 92 for the third wicket in 22 overs. But Sarwan feathered an edge off Hogg before a brilliant direct hit from Clarke ran out Chanderpaul for 55.
+
+The momentum had gone and the wickets tumbled as Marlon Samuels drilled Lehmann to extra cover, Brian Lara gave Lee a catch off his own bowling and Courtney Browne fell lbw to the same bowler. Gillespie mopped up the tail as West Indies left the Adelaide Oval still hunting their first win after four VB Series matches. Afterwards, Lee said: "I always try to make sure that I'm fully fit so that if I get the opportunity I can give my best and hopefully I've done that. "I've done a lot of bowling in the nets with my training partner Andrew Symonds, working on different balls. "I've felt that with every game I've got a bit better."
+
+Ricky Ponting, Matthew Hayden, Michael Clarke, Darren Lehmann, Andrew Symonds, Simon Katich, Brad Haddin, Brad Hogg, Brett Lee, Jason Gillespie, Glenn McGrath.
+
+Brian Lara, Chris Gayle, Wavell Hinds, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Marlon Samuels, Dwayne Bravo, Courtney Browne, Ian Bradshaw, Mervyn Dillon, Pedro Collins

cricket/082.txt

@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+Youhana leads from front
+
+Second Test, Melbourne, day one (close): Pakistan 318-6 v Australia
+
+Stand-in captain Yousuf Youhana led the way in Melbourne, smashing a superb ton and putting on 192 with Younis Khan. But the Australians hit back late when Youhana missed a Shane Warne full toss and was stumped for 111. Jason Gillespie, the pick of the bowlers with 3-72, then ousted Younis and Shoaib Malik in quick succession. Younis was caught behind by Adam Gilchrist off Gillespie's first delivery with the second new ball for 87.
+
+FZHJ-523
+Michael Kasprowicz claimed the only wicket to fall before lunch when he had Farhat brilliantly caught by Ponting at slip for 20. But the hosts struck straight after the interval when Yasir Hameed was trapped leg before by Gillespie for two. Butt's brave knock came to an end when he was run out by a superb throw from Michael Clarke going for a second run. The opener had made 70 and his dismissal left Pakistan struggling on 94-3. but Youhana, filling in as captain for the injured Inzamam-ul-Haq, and Younis steadied the ship. Australia, who were lifted before the start of play by news that in-form opener Justin Langer was fit enough to take his place in the side, won the first Test in Perth by 491 runs. Overall, Pakistan have only won four times in 27 Tests played in Australia, although two of those successes came at the MCG.
+
+J L Langer, M L Hayden, R T Ponting (capt), D R Martyn D S Lehmann, M J Clarke, A C Gilchrist (wkt), S K Warne J N Gillespie, M S Kasprowicz, G D McGrath.
+
+Salman Butt, Imran Farhat, Younis Khan Yousuf Youhana (Capt), Yasir Hameed, Shoaib Malik, Abdul Razzaq Kamran Akmal (Wkt), Mohammad Sami, Shoaib Akhtar, Danish Kaneria.
+
+R E Koertzen and J W Lloyds

cricket/083.txt

@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+England duo hit centuries
+
+MEYM-146
+Both hit 132 - Strauss was unbeaten - as England finished day three 88 ahead on 281-1, having started it 163 behind. It was the 16th 200-run opening stand in England's history, and by the time Trescothick was bowled by Shaun Pollock it was the country's fifth best ever. Mark Butcher was Strauss's partner at stumps in Durban, unbeaten on one. Trescothick bludgeoned 20 fours and two sixes in his 261-ball innings, with Strauss hitting 16 boundaries from 272 balls faced. It was the duo's fourth stand of 150 or more and their best return in nine Tests together, bettering the 190 they shared against New Zealand at Lord's this summer. In what had been a low-scoring game, England started the day on 30-0 and seemingly with a mountain to climb. But, allied to some loose bowling, the vagaries of the pitch which had hindered them on day one had disappeared to make life easier for England.
+
+The first-wicket pair was circumspect in the opening 30 minutes of play, but soon feasted on the tripe served up by Dale Steyn, whose three-over spell cost 31 runs. The rookie paceman bowled short and wide, inviting Strauss to hook at will and Trescothick to take him for three successive boundaries through the off-side. The transformation of England - and indeed the pitch - was illustrated by their lunch score of 137-0, just two runs fewer than their entire first-innings effort. South Africa looked seriously bereft of options in the afternoon, with skipper Graeme Smith fruitlessly turning to himself, Steyn returning to the attack and Nicky Boje failing to threaten.
+
+Pollock was the only one to bother England's rampant openers, beating the outside edge of both batsmen. But there was to be no moving the batsmen as they rose through the ranks of England's greatest first-wicket stands. England's previous best in Durban - 160 by Wally Hammond and Bob Wyatt 73 years ago - fell away, and 31 runs later a new record for all teams at the ground was set. When the 200-run mark was passed, it was the first time England's opening wicket had done so since Graeme Gooch and Mike Atherton against Australia in 1991.
+
+The openers reached triple figures within moments of each other, Trescothick for the ninth time and Strauss for the fourth - and second in two Tests. Both carried on in the same vein after tea, with Trescothick hoicking Boje over mid-wicket for six and Strauss striking successive fours in the same over. South Africa's only hope looked to be the new ball, and the dependable Pollock finally gave the hosts something to cheer when Trescothick edged a simple catch behind late on. Strauss, chanceless all day, next over gave South Africa a sniff when edging Ntini low down to second slip, where Martin van Jaarsveld spilled a tough one-handed chance. Bad light ceased play 11 overs ahead of schedule, and play will start 30 minutes early on day four.
+
+Graeme Smith (captain), Herschelle Gibbs, Jacques Rudolph, Jacques Kallis, Martin van Jaarsveld, Hashim Amla, AB de Villiers, Shaun Pollock, Nicky Boje, Makhaya Ntini, Dale Steyn.
+
+Marcus Trescothick, Andrew Strauss, Mark Butcher, Michael Vaughan (captain), Graham Thorpe, Andrew Flintoff, Geraint Jones, Ashley Giles, Matthew Hoggard, Simon Jones, Stephen Harmison.
+
+D Hair, S Taufel.

cricket/084.txt

@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+England eye win after Thorpe ton
+
+Second Test, Durban, day four (close): England: 139 & 570-7d v South Africa 332 & 21-1
+ELPI-149Thorpe shared in stands of 114 with Andrew Flintoff (60) and 132 with Geraint Jones (73) after England had lost three for 21 in the morning. The left-hander's 16th Test ton came off 209 balls and included 15 fours. The hosts fell to 21-1 at stumps, with Matthew Hoggard trapping home skipper Graeme Smith lbw for five. To win, South Africa will have to break their own chasing record at the ground, which they set in 2002 when scoring 340 to beat Australia. On day three South Africa waited all day for a wicket, but three came along at once when play resumed on the fourth. Makhaya Ntini was the man to ignite the flame, tempting Andrew Strauss into a dalliance outside the off-stump which was pouched by Martin van Jaarsveld at third slip.
+
+The prolific opener had added only four runs to his overnight 132 when departing. Ntini followed up with the wicket of Michael Vaughan, whose poor run continued when he was cramped up by a short ball and gloved behind for 10, taking his four-innings aggregate this series to 53. Shaun Pollock was doing a fine job tying up his end, and England soon fell to 314-4 when Jacques Kallis put an end to Mark Butcher's painful 70-ball 13. It left the visitors' leading by just 121 with the middle-order exposed, but the lack of depth in South Africa's attack gave England the chance to stabilise. With Graeme Smith forced to rely on support acts Dale Steyn (1-122) and Nicky Boje (1-163), England reasserted thanks to Thorpe and his partnerships with Flintoff and Jones. Flintoff, careful to avoid a pair of ducks, was indecisive early on, edging streakily for four and being struck on the shoulder in one Steyn over. But the all-rounder ended the first session with a full-blooded cover-drive that sent Steyn to the fence, and he carried on in similar vein after the interval. A six off Pollock over long-on was followed by two more off Ntini over square-leg, and Flintoff emulated Thorpe by reaching 50 with a boundary. South Africa's only strike of the afternoon came when Smith offered a long-hop to Flintoff and enticed an edge, which AB de Villiers gloved behind the stumps. England's scoring rate increased when Jones came to the crease, and he complemented Thorpe's grafting approach with some abrasive strokeplay. The keeper blazed 73 off 82 balls, with 10 fours and two sixes, as England chased quick runs prior to the declaration, joining Thorpe in top-edging the hapless Steyn over the keeper's head on numerous occasions. South Africa were forced to place a fielder at long-stop, but the runs continued to flow until Jones holed out at long-on to give Boje his sole strike. Ashley Giles, who will be fit to bowl in day five after suffering back spasms, came out to bat, but his swift removal by Steyn prompted the declaration.
+
+Graeme Smith (captain), Herschelle Gibbs, Jacques Rudolph, Jacques Kallis, Martin van Jaarsveld, Hashim Amla, AB de Villiers, Shaun Pollock, Nicky Boje, Makhaya Ntini, Dale Steyn.
+
+Marcus Trescothick, Andrew Strauss, Mark Butcher, Michael Vaughan (captain), Graham Thorpe, Andrew Flintoff, Geraint Jones, Ashley Giles, Matthew Hoggard, Simon Jones, Stephen Harmison.
+
+D Hair, S Taufel.

cricket/085.txt

@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+Sri Lanka cancel tour
+
+Sri Lanka have cancelled their cricket tour of New Zealand following the tsunami disaster that has ravaged the country, it has been confirmed.
+
+The tour had been put on hold after the first one-day international game was played on 26 December, the same day the tidal wave struck the island country. Sri Lanka Cricket initially said it would postpone the tour but on Wednesday decided to pull out. "We fully understand the decision," said ICC chief executive Malcolm Speed. The latest death toll for Sri Lankans caught up in the disaster stands at 22,000. A statement from Sri Lanka Cricket stated: "The Sri Lankan cricketers have always stood by the people of this country in good times and bad times. "The cancellation of this tour will enable the cricketers to help the board assist victims of the disaster." Speed said: "The impact of the tsunami on Sri Lanka has been devastating. "In this situation where two of our members have agreed to postpone the series there is no issue of fines or compensation. "The Sri Lankan players will now be able to return to their families and the series will be replayed at a date in the future to be confirmed." The tour, comprising one-day internationals and Test matches, will now be rescheduled by both cricket boards by mutual agreement.
+
+None of the Sri Lanka squad lost family members in the disaster, but the mothers of Sanath Jayasuriya and Upul Chandana are believed to have been injured. Star spin bowler Muttiah Muralitharan, meanwhile, came within minutes of being caught up in the huge tidal waves which swept across the Sri Lankan coastline at Galle. "I missed the wave by 20 minutes. I had only just left Galle so I am very lucky to be alive," he said, having had to miss the early part of the tour due to injury. New Zealand Cricket chief executive Martin Snedden said: "We will now give the Sri Lankan cricket team every assistance to return home as soon as possible. "As the magnitude of the recent events in Sri Lanka has unfolded it has become more difficult for the Sri Lankan team to remain in New Zealand."
+USJW-494

cricket/086.txt

@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+Australia take control
+
+Third Test, Sydney, day three (close): Australia 568; Pakistan 304 & 67-1
+OJIB-671DThey put on 153 for the fifth wicket before Gilchrist fell to spinner Danish Kaneria for 113, a 120-ball innings which included five sixes. Ponting was bowled by Naved-ul-Hasan soon after and Kaneria worked his way through the tail for figures of 7-188. Australia were all out for 568, a lead of 264, with Pakistan 67-1 at stumps. The home side were anxious to make up for lost time after rain prevented any play during the morning session. Ponting resumed on 155, but was content to play second fiddle to Gilchrist, who set about the bowling in his customary forthright manner. He passed 4,000 Test runs as Australia added 169 during the afternoon and reached his 13th century in spectacular style with two sixes off Mohammad Asif to reach 92 and then two successive fours off Shahid Afridi. His captain, meanwhile, registered the highest score by an Australian batsman at the Sydney Cricket Ground when he passed Greg Chappell's 182 and was 196 not out at tea. He had lost Gilchrist by then, one of three stumping victims for Kamran Akmal, but newcomer Shane Watson looked solid in his first Test innings as they added 58. Ponting's 200 arrived off 311 balls with a boundary off Naved, but the bowler gained his revenge when the Australian skipper chopped a ball into his stumps.
+
+He is now one of only 13 batsmen in history to score four or more double centuries in Tests - and only the third Australian after Sir Don Bradman and Chappell. His departure heralded a rush of five wickets in nine overs with Watson caught for 31 off Kaneria, who ended the innings with the wicket of Shane Warne for 16. It was the third time the 24-year-old leg-spinner had taken seven wickets in a Test innings. Facing such a sizeable deficit, Pakistan needed a good start to their second innings and Yasir Hameed and Salman Butt began with a flurry of boundaries. They put on 46 in nine overs, but the introduction of spin led to Butt's undoing as he flashed at a wide ball from Stuart MacGill and was caught at slip by Warne for 21. Hameed progressed to 40 not out off 46 balls, and new partner Younis Khan made five, before an offer of bad light from the umpires brought play to an end.
+
+Matthew Hayden, Justin Langer, Ricky Ponting (capt), Damien Martyn, Michael Clarke, Shane Watson, Adam Gilchrist (wkt), Shane Warne, Jason Gillespie, Glenn McGrath, Stuart MacGill.
+
+Salman Butt, Imran Farhat, Yasir Hameed, Younis Khan, Yousuf Youhana (capt), Asim Kamal, Kamran Akmal (wkt), Mohammad Asif Shoaib Akhtar, Naved-ul-Hasan, Danish Kaneria. Umpires: B Bowden (NZ), D Shepherd (Eng).

cricket/087.txt

@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+Australia complete sweep
+
+Third Test, Sydney, day four (result): Australia 568 & 62-1 bt Pakistan 304 & 325
+ANKW-165Pakistan, continuing on 67-1 overnight, posted 325 all out in their second innings and the home team quickly scored the 62 runs needed for victory. Asim Kamal top scored for the visitors with a well-made 87, but Australia were always in control after building a first-innings lead of 264. And on a turning wicket Shane Warne took 4-111 and Stuart MacGill 3-83. Australia took three wickets during the morning session to reduce Pakistan to 172-4, still 92 runs behind the home team's first-innings total. It seemed at one point as though stubborn resistance would limit the visitors to the loss of Yasir Hameed during the first session of the day. But with lunch approaching the Australians swung the balance of the session in their favour with two wickets in two balls. Yousef Youhana was bowled by MacGill for 30 before Younis Khan was trapped lbw to Shane Watson to become the all-rounder's first Test victim.
+
+After lunch Shahid Afridi was run out after a typically aggressive innings and his dimissal was sparked a fall of five wickets for 32 runs as the Pakistan lower order again threatened to capitulate. At one point they had been reduced to 270-9 after steadily losing wickets throughout the afternoon session. Shortly before the scheduled tea interval Australia claimed the extra half hour as they went in search of victory. But Asim Kamal, partnered by Mohammad Asif, who scored his first runs in Test cricket, put on 55 for the last wicket to set Australia a meagre target for victory. Jason Langer and Matthew Hayden wasted no time in setting about the victory target, thrashing a series of boundaries. With victory just four runs away Langer was bowled sweeping around his legs and new batsman Ricky Ponting smashed the next delivery to the boundary to seal victory.
+
+Matthew Hayden, Justin Langer, Ricky Ponting (capt), Damien Martyn, Michael Clarke, Shane Watson, Adam Gilchrist (wkt), Shane Warne, Jason Gillespie, Glenn McGrath, Stuart MacGill.
+
+Salman Butt, Imran Farhat, Yasir Hameed, Younis Khan,Yousuf Youhana (capt), Asim Kamal, Kamran Akmal (wkt), Mohammad AsifShoaib Akhtar, Naved-ul-Hasan, Danish Kaneria. Umpires: B Bowden (NZ), D Shepherd (Eng).

cricket/088.txt

@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+Australia complete series sweep
+
+Third Test, Sydney, day four (result): Australia 568 & 62-1 bt Pakistan 304 & 325
+
+EFHN-444
+After lunch Shahid Afridi was run out after a typically aggressive innings and his dimissal was sparked a fall of five wickets for 32 runs as the Pakistan lower order again threatened to capitulate. At one point they had been reduced to 270-9 after steadily losing wickets throughout the afternoon session. Shortly before the scheduled tea interval Australia claimed the extra half hour as they went in search of victory. But Asim Kamal, partnered by Mohammad Asif, who scored his first runs in Test cricket, put on 55 for the last wicket to set Australia a meagre target for victory. Jason Langer and Matthew Hayden wasted no time in setting about the victory target, thrashing a series of boundaries. With victory just four runs away Langer was bowled sweeping around his legs and new batsman Ricky Ponting smashed the next delivery to the boundary to seal victory.
+
+Matthew Hayden, Justin Langer, Ricky Ponting (capt), Damien Martyn, Michael Clarke, Shane Watson, Adam Gilchrist (wkt), Shane Warne, Jason Gillespie, Glenn McGrath, Stuart MacGill.
+
+Salman Butt, Imran Farhat, Yasir Hameed, Younis Khan,Yousuf Youhana (capt), Asim Kamal, Kamran Akmal (wkt), Mohammad AsifShoaib Akhtar, Naved-ul-Hasan, Danish Kaneria. Umpires: B Bowden (NZ), D Shepherd (Eng).

cricket/089.txt

@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+England pondering line-up
+
+First one-day international, Johannesburg South Africa v England
+
+MGOB-327W
+Ian Bell, Kevin Pietersen and Kabir Ali all performed so well in the warm-up win over South Africa A as to give captain Michael Vaughan some dilemmas. Vaughan admired Pietersen's 97 off 84 balls on Thursday. He said: "The players are still talking about his innings so it must have been special. "You certainly want any guy who can clear the ropes in your team." Vaughan, set to bat at four with Pietersen a spot lower in the order, added: "Kevin is a character, someone who is very confident and doesn't mind having a word. I like that. "But Sunday's a big selection to make because Ian Bell and Pietersen played so well in Kimberley, and Kabir Ali bowled well. "We will have a few new players on Sunday and it will be a big opportunity for them to try to establish themselves in the team. "It will also be a great experience for them as we build for the World Cup in a couple of years time."
+
+Bell anchored England's win in Kimberley with an accomplished unbeaten 87. His best chance of playing would perhaps be to dislodge Vikram Solanki and provide Marcus Trescothick with a new opening partner. But England have shown long-term patience with Solanki even though he has almost always been inconsistent. Kabir, who took 4-40 on Thursday, features in a squad rich in seam bowlers, with Matthew Hoggard and Simon Jones both rested for the warm-up. Vaughan predicted the seven-match one-day series would be tightly contested, even though South Africa have fallen to seventh in the ICC rankings. "It's going to be tough because they're a good team, especially at home, who bat very deep. They've got so many all-rounders. "But their record is not so great in the last year, so that's something for us to aim at."
+
+South Africa captain Graeme Smith defended his team's recent record, despite the fact they have won just two of their last 13 one-day internationals. He said: "It's been difficult, but we've been playing a lot in the sub-continent. In our own conditions we've got a good record in one-day cricket." The captain confirmed he would open the batting with Herschelle Gibbs. Smith said his team were "not too fussed" about the probable inclusion in the England team of batsman Kevin Pietersen, who was born in KwaZulu-Natal. "He enjoys the attention, but we will just have to knock him over early," said Smith. "It will be easier to have him sitting in the changing-room and then we will not get banned if we abuse him."
+
+M Vaughan (capt), Kabir Ali, J Anderson, G Batty, I Bell, P Collingwood, A Giles, D Gough, S Harmison, M Hoggard, G Jones (wkt), S Jones, K Pietersen, V Solanki, A Strauss, M Trescothick, A Wharf.
+
+G Smith (capt), A Bacher, N Boje, M Boucher (wkt), AB de Villiers, H Gibbs, A Hall, J Kallis, J Kemp, C Langeveldt, A Nel, M Ntini, A Prince, S Pollock, J Rudolph.

cricket/090.txt

@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+Bangladesh build platform
+
+First Test, Chittagong, day two (stumps): Bangladesh 488 v Zimbabwe 84-4
+
+They began by extending their overnight 280-4 by 208 in just over two sessions, for their highest Test total of 488. Rajin Saleh led the way with 89 and Mohammad Rafique hit four sixes in his 69, sharing stands of 69 and 62 with Khaled Mashud and Mashrafe bin Mortaza. Zimbabwe then lost four wickets inside 21 overs before a slight recovery. The home side had only passed 400 twice previously in 34 Tests, scoring 400 against India in their inaugural match in 2000 and 416 in the West Indies last year. They suffered an early setback when Aftab Ahmed was lbw to Christopher Mpofu for six in the third over of play.
+
+But Saleh, who was 60 not out overnight, progressed to his best score in Tests before departing with the total on 341. Mashud's innings was sedate in tempo, taking up 120 balls and featuring only six boundaries, and he was denied a half century when he became 18-year-old Graeme Cremer's first Test victim. Leg-spinner Cremer found the edge and Mluleki Nkala, the sole slip fielder, made no mistake. Mashud's departure signalled an end to the niceties as Rafique and Mortaza tore into tiring bowlers.
+
+In contrast to the opening session in which only 66 runs were scored, the duo went along at six an over before Rafique was caught behind off Mpofu. But Mortaza struck eight fours as he went past his previous best of 29, reaching 40 not out at tea. Mpofu bowled Tapash Baisya for six in the first over following the re-start, but Mortaza responded by hoisting Matsikenyeri over mid-wicket for six. The innings finally came to an end when Mortaza, on 48, cut a ball from Cremer into the hands of Vusi Sibanda at backward point. Mpofu finished with 4-109 for the Zimbabweans in his debut Test appearance. Matsikenyeri got Zimbabwe off to a fluent start, with five fours in his 28 from 30 balls before he was caught at slip in the eighth over. Vusimuzi Sibanda scored all of his 12 runs in boundaries before he was trapped by Mohammad Rafique, the left-arm spinner also snaring Cremer third ball for a duck. Opener Barney Rogers was more watchful, taking 28 deliveries to open his account, but he was run out at the non-striker's end when Enamul Haque diverted a ball onto the stumps. Hamilton Masakadza remained undefeated, with four fours in his 28, sharing an unbroken 25 with Brendon Taylor who hit two fours in his eight not out, as three boundaries came in the final two overs.
+
+Habibul Bashar (captain), Khaled Mashud, Nafis Iqbal, Javed Omar, Mohammed Ashraful, Rajin Saleh, Aftab Ahmed, Mohammed Rafique, Enamul Haque, Tapash Baishya and Mashrafe bin Mortaza.
+
+Tatenda Taibu (captain), Elton Chigumbura, Stuart Matsikenyeri, Barney Rogers, Vusimuzi Sibanda, Hamilton Masakadza, Brendan Taylor, Graeme Cremer, Christopher Mpofu, Douglas Hondo, Mluleki Nkala. Umpires: T Wijewardena (Sri), Asad Rauf (Pkn)
+WDCS-487

cricket/091.txt

@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+EALY-521Z
+Kenya Cricket Association president Sharad Ghai has obtained a court order preventing his dismissal by the government over financial allegations.
+
+Ghai was accused of failing to account for sponsorship money, resolve player disputes or hold regular elections. Sports Minister Ochillo Ayacko has appointed a caretaker committee, headed by Issac Kalua, to serve for three months before new elections take place. But the order prevents Kalua moving in for 21 days, pending a judicial review. Ghai insisted his committee had always submitted receipts and audited accounts of its expenditure.
+
+He has refused to hand over the office keys to Kalua and was angered when the interim committee broke into the building under police supervision. "What we are saying is that this should have been done ina dignified manner," he protested. "There was supposed to be a date and time set for office handover, and this is what is expected to happen in any civil society." It is not the first time the government has made accusations of financial mismanagement against the board. In 2002 they disbanded the committee, but a court reinstated the officials.

cricket/092.txt

@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+FRPL-275B
+The hefty fine imposed on England captain Michael Vaughan during the fourth Test against South Africa is to be challenged by his players' union.
+
+Vaughan lost his match fee of £5,500 after referee Clive Lloyd ruled he was wrong to complain about "inconsistent" umpiring on the second day. The captain felt the umpires erred over whether to play during poor light. PCA chief executive Richard Bevan said: "To impose a 100% fine is ridiculous and taken out of all proportion."
+
+Vaughan was charged with a breach of level two of the International Cricket Council's code of conduct. There are four levels of offences ranging from one to four with four being the most serious. Only those punished for level three or four offences have the opportunity to contest. "If they are going to impose the maximum fine they must allow an appeal procedure," Bevan continued. "We will be calling the ICC and if we don't receive some common sense we will consider legal action under European Laws." Vaughan made the comments after umpires Steve Bucknor and Aleem Dar ended the second day because of bad light, even though Vaughan, who was at the crease at the time, wanted to go on.
+
+"The ICC expect players to promote the game and talk to TV and the media and all Michael did was answer some questions honestly," Bevan explained. "He did not swear or abuse anyone, he politely suggested there had been some in consistent umpiring. He certainly did not bring cricket into disrepute. "It strikes me the umpires have had a poor Test both on and off the field all match." Bevan was due to meet the ECB on Monday to get their backing.

cricket/093.txt

@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+Vaughan endures day to forget
+
+This was England's worst day for a long time, and was capped by captain Michael Vaughan being fined 100% of his match fee.
+
+Match referee Clive Lloyd's decision followed criticism from Vaughan of the umpires' handling of the bad light decisions on the second day.
+
+The bowling throughout the day was awful and, two balls from the close, Geraint Jones dived directly in front of Marcus Trescothick at first slip and dropped Herschelle Gibbs on 136. Having declared, and sacrificed the possibility of reaching a century, Michael Vaughan must have been horrified by the manner in which his bowlers responded. Briefly the conditions were ideal, with low cloud hanging over the ground, and although this was soon replaced by clear blue sky which made batting easier, the direction of Steve Harmison in particular was woeful. His first eight overs conceded only nine runs, simply because the batsmen could not reach the ball. Far too many deliveries went down the leg-side and even Matthew Hoggard was below his best, four wickets notwithstanding.
+
+Understandably James Anderson was rusty having not played a match since 4 December but Harmison's day was made complete when he hobbled off with a calf strain. Graeme Smith and Gibbs got away to a flier but were separated in the 16th over when Smith was trapped lbw to Hoggard for 29. This has been a disappointing series so far for the South African captain and his demise was all the more embarrassing because he fell over and was flat on the ground when umpire Bucknor finally raised his painfully slow finger. The bowling was still erratic, but Hoggard struck again six overs later when Rudolph laced a wide half volley to gully where Ashley Giles took a stinging catch that dislocated his right thumb.
+
+FLZT-426

cricket/094.txt

@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+Sri Lankans cleared of misconduct
+
+Two Sri Lanka cricketers have been cleared of misconduct dating back to the ICC Champions Trophy in 2004.
+
+Avishka Gunawardene and Kaushal Lokuarachchi were both the subject of an official disciplinary inquiry after allegations of drunken misconduct. A Colombo newspaper had made the claims after a defeat against England in Southampton which led to Sri Lanka exiting the tournament early. But the disciplinary panel could find no evidence against the players. Sri Lanka Cricket chief executive Duleep Mendis said: "Nobody was prepared to give evidence and there was absolutely no evidence to substantiate the article's allegations." Gunawardene, 27, a hard-hitting opener, and Lokuarachchi, a 22-year-old leg-spinning all-rounder, were both dropped from the national squad after Sri Lanka's tour of Pakistan in October.
+CFQJ-830

cricket/095.txt

@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+Kallis keen on Glamorgan return
+SPIL-111South Africa's star batsman Jacques Kallis says he would relish a return to county cricket with Glamorgan.
+
+"I want a break after the West Indies tour, but in the future I want to return to county cricket and Glamorgan are my first choice," said Kallis. "I thoroughly enjoyed my time in Cardiff and hope to go back." The 29-year-old, rated the number-one batsman in the world after a stunning year, spent a successful season with the Welsh county in 1999. He has starred for South Africa in the series with England, averaging 60.85 with the bat, but knows he has a job to do with his side 2-1 down heading into the final Test in Pretoria. "We're under a lot more pressure than England, but we're determined to draw the series," Kallis told BBC Sport Wales. "England did it to us in the final Test of the last series between the sides, now it's our turn to come out and win the game. "Losing the last Test was very frustrating. The batting let us down, to get bowled out in two sessions on that type of wicket was not good enough. "We'd played good cricket until then and felt we'd had the chance to win the game." Despite his desire to return to county cricket in the future, Kallis admitted that the demands of the international game were taking its toll and called for a reassessment of the fixture calendar. He is keen to carry on with his bowling, though, and still sees his future as an all-rounder. "I enjoy my bowling," he said, "I've worked hard on it and hope to keep it going for a few years yet."

cricket/096.txt

@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+England victory tainted by history
+
+As England attempt to secure a series victory in South Africa, they will do so at the venue for a previous match which became the stuff of Test cricket folklore.
+
+South Africa's meeting with England at Centurion Park in January 2000 was thought to have been an enthralling spectacle, with the tourists claiming a remarkable win after three whole days were lost to bad weather. It took a few short months to reveal the unfortunate truth; that a bookmaker had given home skipper Hansie Cronje money - and a leather jacket - to influence the outcome of the match. Cronje, who was killed two years later in a plane crash, was subsequently found guilty of match-fixing and banned from Test cricket for life. Opening the bowling for England was Andy Caddick, who told BBC Sport: "They were 2-0 up in the series, we had a lot of English supporters there and South Africa just wanted to make a game of it. That's what I thought. "At the time you don't think anything of it but then afterwards you start to put two and two together, with events that happened afterwards." England captain Nasser Hussain put the South Africans in after winning the toss, and was given an early reward, of a purely cricketing nature, when Gary Kirsten edged Darren Gough to second slip for a duck in the first over.
+
+Cronje also fell to Gough for a duck as the home side closed the first day 155-6. The next three days were then wiped out competely due to a combination of rain and damp ground conditions before Cronje approached Hussain with a suggestion to manufacture a result. South Africa had already secured the series having won in Johannesburg and Cape Town, but Cronje (and his friends) wanted to create some interest in the final day at Centurion. The idea was for each side to forfeit an innings each, leaving the tourists with a run chase, so South Africa reached 248-8 on the final morning to set England 249 from 76 overs. Kirsten was one of several players opposed to the move, as he explained to BBC Sport. "Hansie came up to us in the changing room on the last day and said: 'I'm keen to forfeit the innings and set the total.'
+
+"He asked the team and there was a mixed reception. "Some of the guys felt we didn't want to give England a chance of winning - you don't mess around with Test matches - and some said nothing! "Hansie just decided, and maybe we know why in hindsight, to go for it but there was quite a bit of resistance and some of the guys didn't think it was a good idea at all." England's 12th man that day was Phil Tufnell, who recalled: "Everyone thought it was a very good gesture in the spirit of the game. "The game had meandered along and all of a sudden it was like an old fashioned three-day county game and we were having a chase." Whatever the reasons - later it emerged that Cronje's part had been simply to ensure against a draw - it led to a fascinating cricket match.
+
+HNRN-134B

cricket/097.txt

@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+UDND-112
+Australia great Rodney Marsh says it would do his country no harm if they were to return from England in September having lost the Ashes.
+
+"In the big picture, England need to be strong," said Marsh, who steps down as director of England's national academy in September. "So, it won't do Australia or the game any harm if they lose the Ashes. "If people back home cannot understand that, that's tough," he told the Daily Telegraph newspaper. Marsh flew out on Wednesday to Dubai as coach of the England A team for their tour of the United Arab Emirates and Sri Lanka. He has been employed by the England and Wales Cricket Board as academy director since 2001, and subsequently as a selector. "By the time I leave the ECB, I would like to think I had played a small part in making England more competitive, though the players are the ones who have done the work," he said. Australia have won the past eight Ashes series and are the world's top-ranked team. The five-Test Ashes series begins at Lord's on 21 July.

cricket/098.txt

@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+Pakistan have the edge - Mushtaq
+
+EZDK-705A
+Imran Khan was the last Pakistan captain to return home victorious, and India are favourites for the three-Test series starting on 8 March. But former Test spinner Mushtaq told BBC Sport: "Pakistan have the advantage because of the confidence they would have gained from playing Australia. "They showed in the one-day series they had learned from their mistakes." After losing the Test series 3-0, Pakistan improved throughout the triangular VB Series, beating Australia in a group game and advancinhg to the finals at the expense of Champions Trophy winners West Indies. "I know Pakistan didn't win," Mushtaq added. "But they had very good games. "The amount of cricket they played against the best team in the world will serve them well in India. "I think they will play with more freedom and I think they have a good chance."
+
+Mushtaq, who took 185 wickets in a 52-Test career for Pakistan, is not concerned about the absence of fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar, who pulled out of the tour with a hamstring injury. "Shoaib Akhtar is a match-winner for sure, but the other bowlers did a great job against Australia," he said. "I think Danish Kaneria will play a big role, as will Mohammad Sami. So, despite Shoaib not being there, I think the Pakistani team looks well balanced." It is a view not shared by former captain Mushtaq Mohammad, who told the Press Trust of India the squad is the "weakest-ever" Pakistan has produced. "The team that visited England in 1978-79 under Wasim Bari was definitely weak, but it was unavoidable as there was ban on cricketers who had signed for Kerry Packer," he said. "I am sorry to say that this Pakistan team looks like a club team to me. "Barring a couple of them, there are no quality batsmen in the side. They have faulty techniques, are too flashy, have no footwork, no temperament and consequently they are inconsistent. "I desperately want my country to do well in India and win the Test series because this series means a lot to the people of Pakistan. "But sadly, cricket is not played with emotions. It is played with talent and skill. "I hope my assessment about the team is incorrect and if they prove me wrong, I will be the happiest man on this planet."

cricket/099.txt

@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+JJWD-835
+New Zealand cricket officials are to review security after Australia players were hit by missiles during Saturday's opening one-day international.
+
+The match was stopped several times after Australian fielders complained they had been hit by plastic bottles. New Zealand Cricket chief executive Martin Snedden labelled the missile throwing "unacceptable". "It wasn't the number of security guards, it was the fact they needed to be more proactive," he said. Australia captain Ricky Ponting complained immediately after his side's 10-run win. "Someone's going to get hurt. You have to have more security guys around the players on the boundary," he said. However, Kiwi coach John Bracewell accused Australia of using the crowd as a delaying tactic.
+
+He claimed the missile-throwing was no different to the treatment his players got in Australia. Former Australia skipper Steve Waugh threatened to take his players off the field after similar crowd disturbances in New Zealand five years ago. "I think the tactical awareness as learned by Steve Waugh has been passed on," Bracewell said. Despite being hit by a missile at one point, Aussie bowler Glenn McGrath was the star of the show, returning figures of 4-16. "Glenn was outstanding and we just did enough to win," Ponting said. "It's a very hard place to win over here and we found that out tonight." New Zealand skipper Stephen Fleming praised Hamish Marshall, whose 76 almost rescued the match. "We were out of it, came back really well - Hamish was outstanding - but we just lost our way towards the end."