A fine spell of spin bowling by left armer Sreekumar Nair (4 for 27)and Chandrashekara (3 for 18) saw Kerala score a 3 run win over Goa inthe South Zone Ranji Trophy One day tournament match at the SouthernRailway Ground in Chennai on Tuesday.With the match being reduced to 35 overs a side due to wet groundconditions, Goa were set a target of 145. The Kerala seamer TinuYouhanan bowling a good line had opener A Amonkar (12) caught by Nairin his second over. This brought in Tanveer Jabbar (55) in to themiddle and with Kolambkar (19) took the score to 61. The Goa skipperPreveen Amre who replaced Kolambkar failed to impress, holding out toTinu Youhanan at Long on giving Sreekumar his first wicket.Jabbar at the other end was looking as compact as ever. Jabbar carriedon inspite of losing his partners at regular intervals. He was theseventh batsman to be dismissed with the score on 114. The fact thatGoa were running out of overs and wickets made Jabbar attempt aextravagant shot off Nair. Trying to step out and lift the bowler, hewas beaten and lost his off stump. Then K Angle tried valiantly torevive the Goan Innings. With eight to be scored of the last over thematch was heading to the wire. But an excellent final over by TinuYouhanan was Kerala scrape through.Earlier the match started as late as 12 noon after three inspectionsby the umpires. Kerala who were put into bat managed to put up 144 for7 on the board thanks to a 66 run fourth wicket partnership betweenopener MP Sorab (53) and skipper Sunil Oasis (36). Sorab, Oasis andKudua (11) none of the other batsmen managed to reach double figures.

Somerset Second XI recorded their first Championship victory of the season at the County Ground last week when they beat a strong Surrey team.Somerset batted first and made 234 of which Michael Coles, who plays club cricket for Bridgwater, contributed 60 and Ian Flanagan 49.In reply Surrey scored 338, with Nadeem Shahid making 170. For Somerset fast bowler Joe Tucker took 6 for 107.Batting for a second time Somerset amassed 406, Ian Blackwell making 84, Coles 74, Wes Durston 56 and Matthew Wood 49.Chasing 302 to win Surrey were dismissed for 143 giving Somerset victory by 159 runs. Tucker completed a good game by taking 6 for 46 to give him match figures of 12 for 153.Somerset take 18 points from their victory whilst Surrey take 8.Somerset Seconds start a three day Championship match against Northamptonshire at The County Ground on Wednesday June 6th.

Some of England’s old habits returned to haunt them at Old Trafford that would have had any watching Australian chortling with glee. A spectacular collapse, which saw England lose their last eight wickets for just 75 runs, handed back an initiative to Pakistan that they could scarcely have expected.It had all been so simple and straightforward in the morning session as Graham Thorpe and Michael Vaughan cruised along like a galleon in full sail. Thorpe hammered Waqar Younis off the back foot to bring up his ninth Test century and his second against Pakistan. Just as Vaughan was exuding his first signs of anxiety as he moved into the nineties, he was bizarrely gifted a maiden Test century thanks to Wasim Akram. Poor fielding allowed Vaughan to turn for a second run and then a wild throw sped past Rashid Latif to the boundary and Vaughan was catapulted to the magical three figures.Then England literally ran themselves into trouble. Thorpe and Vaughan had run superbly, stealing singles hither and thither with the Pakistanis caught on their heels time and time again. Next, though, Thorpe attempted another one to go one past his career best of 138. Akram rolled back the years with a panther-like reaction, a quick turn and throw, the stumps shattered and Thorpe didn’t bother to wait for the third umpire’s verdict.A partnership of 267 was over and, as often happens, Vaughan departed six balls later, touching a quick lifter from Waqar to Latif. England’s lunch was now less palatable at 298 for four.The all Surrey duo of Ward and Stewart resumed in the afternoon. This time it was Ward who took on Azhar’s throw and again was woefully short. Stewart then had to stand and watch bemused as Saqlain Mushtaq and Abdur Razzaq folded England up neatly for 357, conceding a lead of 46. The stand-in captain remained alone on the burning deck with 39 not out.There had been cause for umpire Shepherd to intervene in a sledging incident involving Caddick during his innings. This seemed to affect the Somerset seamer who was slammed for 19 runs in his first two overs, as Pakistan again set about the England attack.Gough, although expensive, had been unlucky. He caused Saeed Anwar real alarm, an inside edge and a fend both going to the boundary but another short one was steered to Thorpe in the gully. Razzaq was firing on all cylinders but he attempted one shot to many and mis-hooked Hoggard to Cork at mid off. Caddick returned, bowled much better and was rewarded with the wicket of Faisal Iqbal. Things finally slowed down, England defended, Pakistan were calmer and bad light robbed a good crowd of eight overs with Pakistan holding a lead of 133.

LONDON. There has been a lot of hue and cry about ‘mob rule’ in cricket, specifically related to the ongoing Triangular Series involving the contesting finalists, Pakistan and Australia and the bride’s maid, England, the host.None approved the unwarranted pitch invasions by over eager Pakistan supporters, and one and all were right in castigating their intrusions onto the field of play. But while each write-up and corresponding run-down of the errant was full of denouncements, none offered any worthwhile workable suggestion to stall such runs on the field in the future.Some did, like Christopher Martin Jenkins, who so wrote in the ‘The Times’ that dogs and horses should be let loose on the errant. Certainly an effective proposal yet one unthinkable in a civilised society, that serves as a role model to the world in behaviour and attitude. Not to mention what the horses would do to the turf.No, something else has to be done and the only hope one sees, is in the followers being ‘educated’ to the finer points of sports following. This education is not hard to come by. After all, the migrants, Asians or otherwise, do follow British traditions of line-up, waiting their turn, speaking in low tones and generally refraining from using vulgar or obscene language in public. And even in private, one to one interactions.Now, this all has been inculcated in the migrants through interaction, teachings and even sometimes through the threat and dread of punitive action. This can also be achieved in cricket grounds.But for that to happen, a concerted effort has to be made. And this relates to an appeal and approach to the migrants’ families, places of education and work. Here it should be brought to the notice of one and all that every society pays a very heavy price to provide sustainable conditions for its citizens to live comfortably and that a sports arena is as much as place in the society and as much one worth visiting and enjoying. Stressed must be the threat of them being denigrated and demeaned in their own social circles as ‘street brats’ and ‘scum of the earth’.This can be done, for while Pakistan’s next tour is years away, India and Sri Lanka are due in the coming year. This gives a lot of time to volunteers to go about educating the migrant supporters of the disgrace and harm they bring about on their countries’ of origin.This will certainly have a very salutary effect, and the writer has personal experience to support this.At the Trent Bridge, D/N encounter between Pakistan-Australia, the writer, accompanied by Kamran Abbasi of Wisden Monthly, went down to a vociferous, vibrant section of Pakistan supporters, teasing and taunting the stewards at the fence. The request to step back was heeded, though very reluctantly and accompanied by some very choice, unmentionable words but, obeyed it was. Encouraged, some other supporters joined in and that area was more or less cleared quickly.This is just an example. This was perhaps a stray on the spot initiative, but certainly indicative of being useful, if done properly in the future too. It is not difficult to communicate with these over-exuberant supporters who shout and ‘honk’ to vent away their pent up frustrations and emotions.Loudness is looked down upon in England and this, one feels, is another reason some of the Asian origin youth takes to howling and bawling. Conceded, they are part and parcel of a culture that emphasises quietness and serenity, yet it is in their genes to be loud and showy. Their forefathers may have been more ‘British’ than them, for different reasons in different conditions.Their elders were struggling, unsure persons, making a new life in a new land and that too, in a new culture. However, this present lot are sons of the soil and with equal rights. I believe it is this legal equality that is one reason for their boisterous, belligerent behaviour. And, here is where that suggested education would help. It must be brought to their notice and forced on them again and again: equality means contesting performance in given situations for better rewards.Equality does not mean taking turns in being boisterous at the cost of being a teasing pest for others. Equality must be shown to them as emerging moments of worthwhile vocations and comforts of life that the locals enjoy due disciplined hard work and consistent values of life. This has to be ingrained in them; this has to be taught that if they think they are the equals of the locals, then they should be as disciplined and consistent as they are on a cricket field.It is certainly ‘not cricket’ the way they invade the ground in a match. If they are all that keen on running, they should enlist in the London Marathon and run to their heart’s content

An unbroken last wicket stand of 109 in 39 overs between Martin Bicknell and Ian Salisbury, steered champions Surrey to one of the most remarkable results in their history at Grace Road.Set an improbable target of 536 to win their CricInfo Championship clash with Leicestershire, the visitors finished on 478 for nine – their highest ever fourth innings score in a first-class match.While a win was never really on the cards a draw seemed just as unlikely when Surrey were 190 for six in the 59th over on Friday evening and then 369 for nine in the 113th over.But Salisbury, who bravely volunteered to bat despite a suspected broken toe, joined Bicknell in a last-wicket partnership which denied the home side what had looked a certain win and extended Surrey’s unbeaten run in the Championship to 19 matches.Bicknell made a season’s best 85 off 133 balls with 12 fours and Salisbury 30 off 128 balls with two fours. With Alex Tudor and Gary Butcher having put on 128 for the seventh wicket, it meant that Leicestershire took only three wickets for 288 runs in the last 93 overs of the game.It was a memorable effort from the Surrey tail, but Leicestershire won’t have been happy with their bowling performance. Although the pitch became virtually lifeless and offered little assistance, too often the bowling was wayward in both length and direction.Three stoppages for rain also helped Surrey’s cause with 28 overs lost on the day. Even so Leicestershire should have done better than take only three wickets for 197 runs in the 68 overs that were bowled.Daniel Marsh bowled Butcher early on, Tudor had his off stump knocked back by Phil DeFreitas in the last over before lunch having made 86, and Devon Malcolm dismissed Jonathan Batty early in the afternoon.But Bicknell and Salisbury rarely looked in trouble after that. The only real drama came in the penultimate over when Darren Maddy held a catch at slip when Bicknell fenced at a ball from James Ormond. Leicestershire’s celebrations were cut short when umpire Vanburn Holder decided the batsman had been hit on the forearm rather than the glove.

The final of the PCB Instaphone Inter School Cricket tournament has been shifted to 30th July 2001 after torrential rains in Lahore on Tuesday washed out the match, which was in progress at the Gaddafi Stadium.Until then, City School, batting first, had scored 40 for 4, against Govt. Muslim Model School before the hostile weather took its toll.According to PCB sources, the final will now be played at Lahore Cricket Association Ground (LCA).There is also a slight change in the timings. While the match will start at 9:30 A.M., as previously, the prize distribution ceremony will now take place half-an-hour earlier, at 4:30 P.M.Mr. Timothy Bahrani, the Chief Operating Officer, Instaphone, will be the chief guest at the prize distribution ceremony.

Warwickshire tightened their hold on third place in the First Division of the Norwich Union League by taking swift and emphatic revenge for their C & G Trophy semi-final defeat at Taunton.Openers Nick Knight and Mark Wagh blasted the visitors out of the water with an unbroken century partnership to clinch a ten-wicket win with 25 overs to spare.Somerset suffered a pre-match blow with the absence of Mike Burns because of chickenpox and merely escalated the problem with their undistinguished demise for 120.Dougie Brown and Alan Richardson claimed three lbw dismissals in 11 overs and Warwickshire’s seamers became so dominant on an unreliable pitch that the innings included as many as a dozen maidens.Richardson flattened Keith Parsons’ middle stump and came back to bowl last man Jamie Grove for a league-best return of 3 for 17 in his first one-day game of the season.Matt Wood survived Somerset’s mishaps – which peaked when Rob Turner was sent back and run out by Trevor Penney – and made a resolute 29 before lapsing himself with a loose drive to short mid-wicket.His wicket went to off-spinner Neil Smith during a stint of 3 for 19 and, despite a useful 15 not out by Peter Trego, Somerset folded two balls short of completing their 43-over allowance.A short break for rain with the last pair together meant that Warwickshire were set a revised 119 for their sixth win of the season. This turned out to a cruise.Wagh, dismissed for nought in his three previous league innings, found his form with 15 fours in a one-day personal best of 70 and Knight reached 40 in his first appearance since he was struck on the head by a ball from Andy Caddick in the Trophy semi-final.

Indian medium pacer Zaheer Khan has been cleared of his ‘stressfracture’ and has been advised ‘one week’s rest’, according tonational selector TA Sekhar.Sekhar, who was authorised by the BCCI to get a bone scan done onZaheer’s problematic right shin, told PTI in Chennai on Tuesday thatthe doctors have ruled against any fracture on his leg. Zaheer wouldbe leaving for Colombo tonight to join the team.Sekhar said doctors at a private nursing home in Chennai haddiagnoised it as ‘compartment (calf muscle) syndrome’ and Zaheerrequired a week’s rest. "Zaheer would be his usual self before thefirst Test against Sri Lanka on August 14," he said.Zaheer had complained of pain on his right shin during the Coca-ColaCup tri-series in Colombo and was to come to Chennai for these testson August 1 but the team management retained him for the final whichIndia lost to Sri Lakna on August 5.

Outstanding Test batsman Andy Flower has made historyby becoming the first Zimbabwean and the firstwicket-keeper ever to go on top of the Pricewaterhouseworld ratings after his heroics against South Africa.The left-handed wicket-keeper/batsman moved two placesup from number three to the top after his 341 runs intwo innings against South Africa, the second best teamon the International Cricket Council Testchampionship.Flower’s two century scores of 142 and 199 notout against the Proteas in the First Test which endedat Harare Sports Club on Tuesday lifted his points to895, 18 ahead of second placed Australia captain SteveWaugh. Flower is now averaging 55.18 points while Waughaverages 51.87.Long-time world number one Sachin Tendulkar of Indiais now ranked third on 866 points and an average of57.18.Only four batsmen, Waugh, Tendulkar, West Indies’Brian Lara and Pakistan’s Inzamam-ul-Haq (verybriefly) have been to the number one position over thelast six years.Asked how it felt to be named the world’s leadingbatsman at the moment, a humble Flower said thatalthough he felt flattered, he is looking forward tothe next match more than anything else.”I didn’t know about that. It’s nice and a bitflattering but to be honest what’s important is howyou play your next innings.”The recently ended Test saw Flower make all sorts ofrecords.On Sunday he became the first Zimbabwean batsman toscore a Test century against South Africa with his142.The following day he reached another century in thesecond innings to become the first wicket-keeper andsecond Zimbabwean to score two centuries in a TestMatch.His brother Grant is the only other Zimbabwean batsmanto have scored two centuries in a match with his 104and 151 against New Zealand at Harare Sports Club inthe 1997/98 season.Andy’s 142 in the first innings and the unbeaten 199in the second saw him reach 11 Test centuries in 53Tests. This is a record by a wicket-keeper ahead of formerEngland keeper Les Ames (8) and current English ‘keeperAlec Stewart (5).Andy Flower ran out of partners in the second inningsbut helped Zimbabwe avoid an innings defeat. He wasleft stranded on 199, one run short of becoming thesixth player in Test history to score a century and adouble century in one match.He however, became the second player to score morethan half of his side’s total in two innings afterSouth Africa’s James Sinclair (106 and 4) againstEngland way back in the 1898/99 season.Flower’s game has improved tremendously over thepast 18 months and he is, no doubt, a worthy newmember of the exclusive club of batsmen to grace thetop position.This year alone he has won four awards. In July he was named the Federation of International Cricketers Association/PwC international cricketer ofthe year beating seven other nominees. In the same month he was crowned the country’s Sportsman of the Year.He was also awarded the Nick Benator Floating trophyfor the best all-round performance in the 2000-01season at the Zimbabwe Cricket Union annualprize-giving ceremony in the capital.On Tuesday evening he received the Extra Cover Cricketerof the Season award at a function held at a localhotel in the capital. The awards were based on votes submitted by ExtraCover viewers for the period between April andSeptember.

Middlesex made one last effort to get back into the promotion shake-up with a headlong charge to wipe out Worcestershire’s first innings advantage of 85.Andrew Strauss and Robin Weston raced to 66 by the 10th over, when Weston was stumped off Matt Rawnsley, and the scoring rate held at five-an-over as they reached 152 for 2. Strauss completed his second half-century of the match in establishing a modest lead of 87With Warwickshire taking maximum bonus points at Derby, Middlesex can only try to set up some kind of target for Worcestershire on the last day – and then hope for the best.They were forced into this position by the home side’s determination not to waste a career-best 168 from opener Anurag Singh. The former Cambridge University captain resumed on 103 and passed 1,000 runs in a season for the first time before he was caught behind off Chad Keegan.There was just a glimmer of hope for Middlesex when Worcestershire’s newly-installed player of the year, Andy Bichel, sliced Keegan’s next ball to cover point, but teenager Kadeer Ali settled into a stand of 52 with Steve Rhodes.Kadeer, reaching double figures for the first time in 11 Championship innings, was caught at cover for 38 as Simon Cook and Tim Bloomfield shared the last four wickets but with more resistance from Matt Rawnsley and Chris Liptrot.Middlesex had a mixed morning. Bloomfield made a breakthrough by dismissing Graeme Hick and Vikram Solanki in three balls, but David Leatherdale joined the imperious Singh in a partnership of 83 in 19 overs.