Category Uncategorized

South Africa have named an unchanged 13-man squad for their fourth Test against West Indies, which starts on January 16 at Supersport Park in Centurion. Announcing the squad, Omar Henry, convenor of selectors, said: “There was little need for change, the squad has been working very well together over the last month. The performances in the series so far have been very impressive, both individually and as a unit. We are aware of certain areas that need attention and feel that the positive, confident environment of this squad will benefit those needing to work on their games.”South Africa are assured of a series win, having already won the first two Tests. The third match, at Cape Town, ended in a draw.Squad Graeme Smith (capt), Herschelle Gibbs, Jacques Rudolph, Jacques Kallis, Gary Kirsten, Neil McKenzie, Martin van Jaarsveld, Mark Boucher (wk), Andrew Hall, Shaun Pollock, Andre Nel, Paul Adams, Makhaya Ntini

Northern Districts beat Canterbury by three wickets with a ball to spare in a thrilling State Shield finish at Taupo today.A magnificent innings of 91 not out by Scott Styris sealed the victory.With 14 needed from the last over it seemed that ND’s chance had gone. The return of opening bowlers Chris Martin and Stephen Cunis had strangled the revival of the ND innings brought about by Styris and skipper Robbie Hart in a seventh wicket partnership of 76, an ND one-day record against Canterbury.Styris was in strike at the start of the final over. He sent the first two balls soaring onto the embankment for six, over wide long-on and the sightscreen respectively. A single levelled the scores with three balls to spare, leaving Graeme Aldridge to face.The field came in, forming a tight circle. Aldridge blocked his first ball. The second was hit straight to Paul Wiseman at mid-off. The batsman set off for a single, expecting a run out, but ensuring that Styris would face the final ball.But an aghast Wiseman let the ball through his legs to give victory to ND. The fielder walked off the park rehearsing the throw that should have kept his team in the match.On a day when the impending selection of the TelstraClear Black Caps World Cup squad was on everybody’s minds, Styris has done his chances nothing but good. He displayed immaculate technique, he can keep the scoreboard ticking over by working the ball around the field and his judgment of which delivery to hit out at is utterly reliable.Most important of all, he keeps an ice-cool head in a crisis, a quality that a side needs in World Cup matches. He also took two for 32 from eight overs.If Styris is selected it could be at the expense of Craig McMillan, who must have deeply regretted making the short journey from the Black Caps’ hotel in Napier to play in this game in a quest for some sort of form.He scratched around with uncharacteristic diffidence for a 16-ball two before falling leg before wicket to Joseph Yovich.Of the other contenders, Chris Harris also had a good day. He top scored for Canterbury with 45 from 75 balls, an innings the quality of which was evident only when it became clear how difficult scoring was for the batsmen of both sides.Harris also showed that he is still the king of change of pace, capturing two more caught and bowleds off batsman bamboozled into thinking that the ball was somewhere that it was not. He took two for 29 from his 10 overs.Canterbury chose to bat first on the pitch that did not deliver what it promised in terms of batting quality.Their scoring rate in the first few overs was as high as at any point of the innings, largely due to problems with Yovich’s bowling radar. His first over consisted of 11 deliveries and there were 23 wides in a total of 31 extras, the third-highest score in the Canterbury total of 196.At the halfway stage the visitors seemed set for a score well in excess of 200, but the left-arm spin combination of Matthew Hart and Bruce Martin imposed a stranglehold from which Canterbury never recovered. They conceded only 66 runs from their combined 18 overs, all bowled in the second half of the innings.The ND innings failed to get momentum as first the opening attack of Cunis and Martin, and then the slow combination of Wiseman and Harris, bowled with accuracy and intelligence.At 107 for six it seemed all over for ND, but it was then that Robbie Hart and Styris began to work the ball around, scampering singles, turning ones into twos and mixing in the odd boundary hit. Styris faced 105 balls and hit four fours and four sixes.Northern Districts coach Bruce Blair told CricInfo that Styris had played a fantastic one-day innings.”It had tempo and pace. For a long time we were behind the asking rate, but he kept things ticking over and hung in there,” he said. “It was important that one of the top four stayed there, which is what Scotty did.”Blair suggested that the vital role played by Robbie Hart in supporting Styris could be repeated at international level.”Robbie plays so well under pressure. People dismiss his one-day ability, but he has a lot of skills with the bat. He can work the ball around, he can pick up singles and he can hit the ball, he said.Blair praised the role of spinners Bruce Martin and Matthew Hart in containing the Canterbury batsmen.”They both bowled really well. Matthew Hart also bowled exceptionally well in the last game in Auckland with good change of pace on a slow pitch. In tandem they really put the brakes on today,” he said.The win puts ND level on points with CD on top of the State Shield table. Canterbury are on the bottom, with two defeats from two games.ND play Wellington at the Basin Reserve on January 2 while Canterbury play Auckland at Eden Park Outer Oval.

As sponsorship arrangements go, the connection between Shell and cricket has been one of the more enduring relationships in New Zealand sport.But the connection that first began, in a small way with the sponsorship of the New Zealand Cricket Almanack in 1965, and was extended significantly in 1975/76 with the support for the Shell Series, is over.At the time the sponsorship for New Zealand’s domestic competition was in its infancy, limited overs cricket was a new phenomenon, and two rounds of first-class games were unheard of.The introduction of the new competition format was timely.New Zealand was in the middle of the advance from second-rate cricket nation to genuine international force. It was only a few years away from starting the run that saw it go unbeaten in Test series at home in the 1980s.Glenn Turner had become a significant force on the county scene in England and players like Geoff Howarth, John Wright and Richard Hadlee were soon plying their trade in that environment.Earlier, in the late 1960s and early 1970s the New Zealand team had regularly taken part in the Australian domestic one-day competition, several times winning the knockout competition.One-day cricket was still a novelty, and certainly nothing compared with the force it has become on the world scene now. New Zealand had made the semi-finals of the first World Cup in 1975, being beaten by the eventual winners, the West Indies.Since 1974 the country was also receiving an international team every year.The time was ripe for the greatest increase in New Zealand’s domestic programme in its history.The adoption of the Shell Series in 1975/76, which involved the abolition of the Plunket Shield – the prize for the first-class cricket champions since it was first awarded in 1921/22, involved a full round of games between teams for the Shell Cup, then a second round of knockout games which ended with a final.This programme continued until the 1979/80 season when the Shell Cup became the sole preserve of the one-day competition.In the meantime the Packer Revolution occurred in Australia and changed forever the shape of the domestic game around the world.Intense television coverage made the limited overs game much more appealing and one-day games became part of the staple diet of teams all around the world.For New Zealanders though, the increase in domestic cricket opportunities improved standards immeasurably.This carried through to the international scene where New Zealand enjoyed the greatest period of its history until that time. Much of that was bolstered by the increasing exposure of New Zealand players to English conditions during the winter. Martin Crowe joined the more established players on the county scene while countless others have played league cricket.It has all decreased the education time required for New Zealand players to be best equipped for international play.While alterations have occurred in the domestic programme, depending on whatever the motivation is for the time, it cannot be argued that the Shell involvement has gone hand in hand with the greatest advancement of the New Zealand game.The second great era of the game is underway with a group of players who have now become regular internationals on the basis of their upbringing in the Shell environment.The record books are now full of players who have made significant marks during this time and the best of these are listed in the statistical details listed below.There were many highlights to savour:

• Martin Crowe’s golden summer for Central Districts in 1986/87 when he scored 1348 runs at an average of 103.69 has never been matched. He hit six centuries in the season for CD and did the ground work for an amazing year in 1987 during which he hit more than 4000 runs.
• Canterbury’s outstanding consistency in the 1990s when the side won three Shell Trophies and seven Shell Cups. They started out with older hands like Paul McEwan and Rod Latham providing the leadership and performance as newcomers like Stephen Fleming, Nathan Astle, Chris Harris and Craig McMillan complemented the arrival of Chris Cairns in the region and set up the latest dynasty in New Zealand’s first-class game.
• Chris Harris’ outstanding summer of 1996/97 when he did everything possible to decry the accepted view of the time that he couldn’t be considered as a batsman. He scored two double centuries, including a 251 not out, the highest score for Canterbury, a 206, a 198 and a 93 to end the Trophy season with an average of 139.16.
• The phenomenal post-Test retirement run scoring of Wellington’s Bruce Edgar in the late 1980s. Claiming he was more relaxed in his batting, Edgar “loosened up” to the point where in successive seasons he scored: 676 (1987/88), 762 (1988/89) and 720 (1989/90) while in the 1988/89 season he shared in two 300-run opening partnerships. The highest was 333 with Andrew Jones against Auckland, and the second 310 with Robert Vance against Northern Districts, also at Wellington.
• The two golden Northern Districts summers of 1987/88 and 1988/89 when Graeme Hick paid an outstanding dividend for the association. He may have played only two seasons but in 17 matches he scored 2055 runs at 79.03, including 10 centuries, the most by an ND player, and his 211 not out against Auckland in 1988/89 was one of the great innings of Shell Trophy history.
• Then there was the amazing Canterbury-Wellington game of 1994/95 when 1945 runs were scored for the loss of only 18 wickets as Wellington won the game by six wickets. The aggregate was a world record for a four-day match, and it was the fourth highest in world first-class cricket history. The seven centuries scored equalled a record set in 1923/24. Wellington’s successful chase for 475 to win the game was a New Zealand record.
• The same two teams also played what still ranks as the greatest domestic one-day game in the final of the 1991/92 Shell Cup.
• The extended season when introduced proved a boon for New Zealand’s slow bowlers. Otago off spinner Peter Petherick was the first to show out in the first summer in 1975/76 with 42 wickets at 20.16. In the third summer of the new format in 1977/78 the slow bowlers were showing the benefits of their longer exposure at the bowling crease. Stephen Boock (then playing for Canterbury) 56 wickets at 15.66, David O’Sullivan (Central Districts) 44 at 20.22, Peter Petherick (Otago) 45 at 17.15. In 1978/79 Boock took 54 at 18.51 and in 1979/80 Cliff Dickeson 39 at 19.35.

Shell Series Statistics, 1975/76-2000/01Most runs

6202 Robert Vance (W) 1976/77-1990/916197 Bruce Edgar (W) 1975/76-1989/905870 Rod Latham (C) 1980/81-1994/955854 Paul McEwan (C) 1977/78-1990/915559 John Wright (ND/C/A) 1975/76-1992/935377 Martin Crowe (A/CD/W) 1980/81-1994/955235 Bruce Blair (O/ND) 1977/78-1989/905161 Mark Greatbatch (A/CD) 1982/83-1997/984789 Ken Rutherford (O) 1982/83-1993/94

Most wickets

482 Stephen Boock (C/O) 1975/76-1989/90345 Evan Gray (W) 1975/76-1990/91333 David O’Sullivan (CD) 1975/76-1984/85325 Ewen Chatfield (W) 1975/76-1989/90287 Mark Priest (C) 1987/88-1998/99262 Neil Mallender (O) 1983/84-1992/93249 John Bracewell (O/A) 1978/79-1989/90240 Cliff Dickeson (ND) 1975/76-1985/86234 Richard Hadlee (C) 1975/76-1989/90223 Gary Robertson (CD) 1979/80-1989/90

Highest scores

254* Robert Vance W v ND Wellington 1988/89251* Chris Harris C v CD Rangiora 1996/97242 Martin Crowe CD v O New Plymouth 1989/90241 Matt Horne O v A Auckland 1997/98237* Rod Latham C v ND Rotorua 1990/91222 Ian Rutherford O v CD New Plymouth 1978/79219 Matthew Bell W v ND Hamilton 1998/99216 Matthew Bell W v A Auckland 1997/98212* David Kelly CD v C Blenheim 2000/01211* Graeme Hick ND v A Auckland 1988/89

Best bowling

9-48 Alex Tait ND v A Hamilton 1996/979-93 Peter Petherick O v ND Dunedin 1975/769-95 Mark Priest C v O Dunedin 1989/908-24 Ewen Chatfield W v ND Lower Hutt 1979/808-27 Justin Vaughan A v O Alexandra 1996/978-31 David Sewell O v CD Invercargill 1996/978-37 Evan Gray W v C Lower Hutt 1985/868-46 Lance Cairns O v W Invercargill 1978/798-57 Stephen Boock O v A Dunedin 1989/908-59 Stephen Boock O v W Invercargill 1978/79

Partnership records

1st 333 Bruce Edgar & Andrew Jones W v A Wellington2nd 317 Ron Hart & Scott Briasco CD v C New Plymouth3rd 394* Peter Kennedy & Rod Latham C v ND Rotorua4th 280 Jeff Crowe & Dipak Patel A v ND Auckland5th 341 Gavin Larsen & Ervin McSweeney W v CD Levin6th 226 Evan Gray & Ross Ormiston W v CD Wellington7th 241 Nathan Astle & Mark Priest C v W Christchurch8th 180 Roger Twose & Matthew Goodson W v O Dunedin9th 188 Neal Parlane & Daryl Tuffey ND v W Wellington10th 160 Lee Germon & Warren Wisneski C v ND Rangiora

Seasonal individual centuries and top scorers

100s HS1975/76 16 177* Glenn Turner O v W1976/77 15 177* Glenn Turner ND v CD1977/78 14 133 Ian Rutherford CD v C1978/79 13 222 Ian Rutherford O v CD1979/80 13 152* Bruce Edgar W v CD1980/81 21 193* David Stead C v CD1981/82 11 150 Martin Crowe A v CD1982/83 21 179 Ross Ormiston W v CD1983/84 21 167* Ron Hart CD v C1984/85 18 181 Trevor Franklin A v ND1985/86 25 209* David White ND v CD1986/87 33 192 John Wright C v CD1987/88 32 205* Ervin McSweeney W v CD1988/89 37 254* Robert Vance W v ND1989/90 29 242 Martin Crowe CD v O1990/91 33 237* Rod Latham C v ND1991/92 39 204 Dipak Patel A v ND1992/93 18 167 Shane Thomson ND v CD1993/94 13 202 Michael Austen W v CD1994/95 28 193* Martin Crowe W v C1995/96 23 202 Mark Greatbatch CD v ND1996/97 24 251* Chris Harris C v CD1997/98 15 241 Matt Horne O v A1998/99 19 219 Matthew Bell W v ND1999/00 18 167 Blair Pocock A v W2000/01 39 212* David Kelly CD v C

Season five wicket innings hauls and best bowling

5wi BB1975/76 25 9-93 Peter Petherick O v ND1976/77 16 7-62 Dennis Kay CD v C1977/78 24 7-46 Peter Petherick O v C1978/79 29 8-46 Lance Cairns O v W1979/80 22 8-24 Ewen Chatfield W v ND1980/81 22 7-79 Cliff Dickeson ND v CD1981/82 22 7-9 John Bracewell O v C1982/83 19 7-28 Vaughan Brown C v W1983/84 18 7-40 Peter Visser CD v A1984/85 24 7-17 Steve Maguiness W v C1985/86 18 8-37 Evan Gray W v C1986/87 32 8-83 Ewen Chatfield W v O1987/88 18 7-52 Michael Holding C v O1988/89 17 7-97 Grant Cederwall W v ND1989/90 26 9-95 Mark Priest C v O1990/91 29 7-39 Chris Cairns C v CD1991/92 27 7-34 Chris Cairns C v CD1992/93 17 7-50 Richard de Groen ND v O1993/94 24 7-56 Chris Pringle A v O1994/95 19 7-34 Justin Vaughan A v CD1995/96 14 7-50 Paul Wiseman O v W1996/97 37 9-48 Alex Tait ND v A1997/98 16 8-107 Brooke Walker A v C1998/99 15 6-49 Chris Drum A v C1999/00 20 7-33 Bruce Martin ND v A2000/01 28 7-12 Daryl Tuffey ND v W

Seasonal century partnerships and highest stands

100s Best1975/76 17 165 Glenn Turner & Warren Lees O v W1976/77 20 173 Ian Rutherford & Warren Lees O v A1977/78 12 178 John Parker & John Wright ND v CD1978/79 24 179 Barry Hadlee & Murray Parker C v A1979/80 15 176 Robert Vance & Richard Reid W v CD1980/81 15 237 Grant Gibson & Chris Kuggeleijn ND v C1981/82 27 226 Evan Gray & Ross Ormiston W v CD1982/83 19 220 Matthew Toynbee & Ian Smith CD v A1983/84 24 317 Ron Hart & Scott Briasco CD v C1984/85 22 211* Kevin Burns & Andrew Jones O v W1985/86 40 278 Trevor Franklin & Dipak Patel A v C1986/87 38 276* Martin Crowe & Scott Briasco CD v C1987/88 31 341 Gavin Larsen & Ervin McSweeney W v CD1988/89 47 333 Bruce Edgar & Andrew Jones W v A1989/90 43 199 Martin Crowe & Mark Douglas CD v ND1990/91 44 394* Peter Kennedy & Rod Latham C v ND1991/92 40 346 Graham Burnett & Ross Verry W v ND1992/93 23 211 David White & Bryan Young ND v A1993/94 23 316 Michael Austen & Ron Hart W v CD1994/95 31 287 Blair Hartland & Gary Stead C v W1995/96 30 305 Robbie Lawson & Martyn Croy O v CD1996/97 35 290 Chris Harris & Gary Stead C v CD1997/98 27 287 Matthew Bell & Jason Wells W v A1998/99 18 244 Craig Spearman & Mathew Sinclair CD v ND1999/00 26 188 Neal Parlane & Daryl Tuffey ND v W2000/01 56 274 Richard Jones & Stephen Mather W v O

Shell Trophy winners

1975/76 Canterbury (Shell Cup for first round: Canterbury)1976/77 Otago (Northern Districts)1977/78 Auckland (Canterbury)1978/79 Otago (Otago)1979/80 Northern Districts1980/81 Auckland1981/82 Wellington1982/83 Wellington1983/84 Canterbury1984/85 Wellington1985/86 Otago1986/87 Central Districts1987/88 Otago1988/89 Auckland1989/90 Wellington1990/91 Auckland1991/92 Central Districts and Northern Districts1992/93 Northern Districts1993/94 Canterbury1994/95 Auckland1995/96 Auckland1996/97 Canterbury1997/98 Canterbury1998/99 Central Districts1999/00 Northern Districts2000/01 Wellington

Shell Cup winners

1980/81 Auckland1981/82 Wellington1982/83 Auckland1983/84 Auckland1984/85 Central Districts1985/86 Canterbury1986/87 Auckland1987/88 Otago1988/89 Wellington1989/90 Auckland1990/91 Wellington1991/92 Canterbury1992/93 Canterbury1993/94 Canterbury1994/95 Northern Districts1995/96 Canterbury1996/97 Canterbury1997/98 Northern Districts1998/99 Canterbury1999/00 Canterbury2000/01 Central Districts

Influential West Ham midfielder Tomas Soucek won’t discuss a new deal at the London Stadium until the summer, according to a fresh update.

The Lowdown: Soucek a key figure

The Czech Republic international has been a superb signing for Hammers since arriving from Slavia Prague in 2020, proving to be one of David Moyes’ most important players.

Soucek has continued to be a prominent figure for West Ham this year, scoring four goals in 28 Premier League starts and shining alongside Declan Rice in the middle of the park, even if not finding the back of the net as much as last season.

The 27-year-old is out of contract in the summer of 2024 though, so the club are surely desperate to nail down his future in the coming months.

The Latest: No deal until the summer

According to 90min, contract talks have now been put on hold until the end of the season, having reportedly got underway in January initially.

There is no indication that Soucek’s West Ham future is in doubt, although drifting into the final two years of his current deal does feel a little more precarious.

The Verdict: No-brainer for Hammers

Soucek arguably hasn’t been quite as formidable in 2021/22 as he was last season, in terms of his overall impact – he has averaged fractionally fewer tackles per game  – but there is still no denying that is a key part of Moyes’ setup.

At 27, the Czech Republic international is in and around the peak of his powers and should remain that way for the next four or five years, having been hailed as ‘unbelievable’ by friend and colleague Vladimir Coufal.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

With Rice’s future up in the air, the idea of losing both him and Soucek in the same transfer window doesn’t bear thinking about and it would be a huge shock if that happened.

In other news, one player has been linked with a return to West Ham this summer. Find out who it is here.

	Kane Williamson will lead the New Zealand Under-19s in Malaysia © Getty Images

Central Districts batsman Andrew Dodd has been drafted into New Zealand’s squad for the ICC Under-19 World Cup in Malaysia as a replacement for Jeet Raval.A captain wasn’t named when the squad was announced a fortnight ago, but as expected Kane Williamson has been picked for the task. Williamson scored an unbeaten 47 off 56 balls for Northern Districts against the touring Bangladeshis in a rain-affected match in December.Besides Williamson, there are four other players with first-class experience. The squad includes Corey Anderson, Greg Morgan, Tim Southee and Trent Boult, who along with Williamson, were selected for New Zealand A’s three-week winter training camp in Darwin in 2007. Southee has been called up for New Zealand’s two Twenty20 internationals against England, and will join the U-19 team later. The side also includes Michael Bracewell, nephew of former Test players John and Brendon Bracewell, and Hamish Rutherford, son of former New Zealand captain Ken.The New Zealand team leaves for Australia on Saturday for a week-long camp in Queensland before heading to Malaysia, where they are drawn in the same pool as Pakistan, Zimbabwe and the hosts. New Zealand’s first fixture is against Zimbabwe on February 18, the second day of the tournament.Squad Kane Williamson (capt), Corey Anderson, Nick Beard, Harry Boam, Trent Boult, Michael Bracewell, Tamati Clarke, Fraser Colson, Michael Guptill-Bunce, Greg Morgan, Andrew Dodd, Hamish Rutherford, Tim Southee, Anurag Verma, George Worker.

There should be plenty of variety in store as far as the pitches are concerned © Andrew Miller

Andy Roberts, the former West Indies fast bowler who is now a pitch consultant for the World Cup, has predicted that the pitches in the tournament may not necessarily be slow turners, contrary to general expectations. With several pitches being relaid and a few new surfaces being tried out, Roberts expects the pitches to offer enough assistance to both batsmen and bowlers.”A lot of people will be surprised by the 22 yards on offer,” Roberts told . “We won’t get the slow pitches that people are anticipating.” Roberts, also the chief curator of the Antigua Recreation Ground, cited the India-West Indies practice match at the Trelawny Stadium last week as an example. West Indies were bundled out for just 85 on a pitch which offered plenty of seam movement.”What you will find is a lot of brand new pitches,” he said. “For the first game or so they may be slow. That will not be the case right through. At some venues it will have even bounce, some will also have a lot of carry.”Roberts has been busy supervising the preparation of pitches all over the Caribbean for the World Cup, coordinating with Andy Atkinson, the ICC’s pitch consultant. When asked for his impression of the relaid wickets, Roberts said that the surfaces in the Kensington Oval in Barbados and the Sir Viv Richards Stadium in Antigua were sporting in nature. However, he expressed caution over the new surface in Guyana, given its location in the South American mainland.”The wicket in Barbados has been playing fairly well in the practice games,” he said. “There have been lots of runs. The bounce and carry has been good. Antigua too has a new pitch and if it has been prepared according to the specifications then you might see the same thing there. The only one I am worried about is Guyana. It doesn’t have the same type of clay as other countries. It may surprise us because it is a new pitch.”Pitches in the West Indies have slowed down over the years, offering plenty of assistance to the slower bowlers as India observed last year during their tour. However, Roberts felt that the region had come for some unfair criticism. “In the Champions Trophy too you had some bad pitches,” Roberts said. “Most pitches around the world have slowed down.”But Kent Crafton, the groundsman at Beausejour Stadium in St Lucia, said teams should not expect the pitch there to be overly slow. “One thing we’ve tried to do is put more compaction into the clay to increase the pace and bounce,” Crafton told . “That will aid in the ball probably coming in with some more pace, not expressly, but just a little bit more than normal, which will aid in more runs being scored.”It will be good wicket, I would not say it will be an exceptionally fast pitch but the ball will come off nicely. We’ve had very good opening partnerships here. The wicket will not change much from during the morning until the afternoon. I don’t believe the toss will matter so much. If it’s cloudy, maybe you’d want to bowl first.”

Ajay Jadeja’s unbeaten 77 helped Rajasthan to a nailbiting one-wicket win in a cracker of a contest against Jammu & Kashmir at Jhalwar. Needing 77 at the start of the day with five wickets in hand, Rajasthan were guided by Jadeja’s experienced hand all through the final phase. Abid Nabi, the 19-year-old medium-pacer, snapped up all the four wickets to fall today and threatened to pull it off for J&K but Sanjay Gill and Pankaj Singh provided Jadeja with valuable support. Mohammad Aslam, the No.11, walked in with 10 still needed but his 28-minute stay in the middle was all that Jadeja needed to seal the issue.
A captain’s knock from Rajiv Kumar, and plucky contributions from the middle order, propelled Jharkhand to a thrilling two-wicket win over Assam at Jamshedpur. Needing an imposing 301 more runs on the final day, Jharkhand were propped up by Kumar’s patient 70. Forties from Manish Kumar and Mohan Jha got them close and despite a lower-order stutter, a critical 28 from Shanbaz Nadeem, the bowling hero from the second innings, settled the game.
Naman Ojha’s rollicking double-hundred, punctuated with 19 fours and a staggering 11 sixes, and Sachin Dholpure’s century were the highlights of a run-filled final day of a drawn encounter between Madhya Pradesh and Kerala at Indore. Having gained first-innings honours on the third day, MP gained some valuable batting practice with their openers in a gluttonous mood, plundering a mammoth 337 for the first wicket. Having made his reputation as a good wicketkeeper, Ojha raced to his maiden first-class hundred and went on to make it a memorable double by the end of the day.
Amit Deshpande, the opener, and Samir Khare (49 not out) led Vidarbha to a convincing seven-wicket win over Saurashtra at Rajkot. Needing 104 on the final day, Vidarbha lost just two more wickets in pursuit of the target with both Alind Naidu and Swaroop Srivastava making handy contributions. Sandip Maniar, the opening bowler, dismissed both Deshpande and Naidu, to add to the one wicket he grabbed last evening, but Khare cracked six fours and a six in a breezy knock and took them home.
Niranjan Behera’s vital 67 gave Orissa the first-innings honours at the end of their clash against Tripura at Cuttack. Resuming on 214 for 6, needing 20 more runs to gain the lead, Behera guided the lower order and achieved the objective. Orissa went on to reach 277, and with the draw a certainty, Tripura, led by Rajesh Bainik, who made a fighting 67, batted out the rest of the day.

Pakistan’s captain, Inzamam-ul-Haq, arrives in India© Getty Images

The Pakistan cricket team has finally arrived in India, ahead of their first Test and one-day series in the country for six years. The players touched down in New Delhi at 1430 hours on a PIA flight amid tight security arrangements. Pakistan are due to play three Tests and six one-day internationals with the first Test at Mohali on March 8.The tour had been delayed by a week because of a disagreement over TV rights, but there was no bad blood in evidence at Indira Gandhi airport, where the players, dressed in green blazers and most of them sporting sunglasses, were given a warm welcome from airport staff and wellwishers.The players were greeted by senior officials from the BCCI, including the vice-president Rajiv Shukla, and were adorned with traditional garlands. Then it was into a coach and off to a five-star hotel on the southern outskirts of Delhi.Pakistan’s last visit to India was in 1998-99, when they tied the two-Test series at 1-1, before going on to win the opening fixture of the Asian Test Championship at Kolkata. It is their seventh tour of India since 1952-53.

West Indies 197 for 2 (Gayle 112*, Lara 41) beat Zimbabwe 196 (Vermeulen 36, Gayle 4-24) by 8 wickets, and won series 3-2
Scorecard

Chris Gayle: a hundred … and four wickets too © Wisden Cricinfo

Capitulation under pressure: it was a familiar old story for Zimbabwe, whohave done much to regain international respect during this series, except in this one area. First the West Indian spinners cut through the middleorder like a knife through butter, and then their batsmen hammered their way to victory with almost half their overs to spare. The dominant figure for West Indies was once again Chris Gayle, the Man of the Series, who took 4 for 24 and then blasted yet another century off his favourite opponents. West Indies thus took the series by three victories to two.After Zimbabwe were shot out for an under-par 196, West Indies’ policy was to reach their target by dominating rather than accumulating. Gayle and Wavell Hinds survived a couple of good overs from Heath Streak and Andy Blignaut before going into overdrive. Lady Luck was with them, presumably having turned her back on Zimbabwe in disgust: Hinds, when 11, survived a high catch that Tatenda Taibu was too short to pull in, and several other lofted shots just evaded the fielders. Hinds’s luck eventually ran out as a shorter, faster ball from Blignaut took him by surprise and he skyed a catch to mid-on for 13 (43 for 1).But by now Zimbabwe’s bowlers had lost their control, and Gayle raced to another fifty in just 39 balls. He then speeded up, and reached his second century of this series off just 69 deliveries. Meanwhile Brian Lara targeted Ray Price again, driving his second and third balls for six. It became a massacre, in which even Lara was overshadowed by the rampant Gayle.Zimbabwe’s fielders were mere bystanders against such brilliance, and itcame as a shock when Sean Ervine surprised Lara with a yorker and extracted his leg stump for 41 (180 for 2). If Lara has a weakness, this is it – but he does score a few runs in between. It took Gayle and Ricardo Powell only two more overs to finish the match, and the series, in a flurry of boundaries.It had been an overcast morning in Harare and much rain was predicted for later in the day – but in the event it held off until the match was over. Streak won the toss again and decided to bat, no doubt wary of fielding again after the events of the previous day. West Indies fielded an unchanged team, but Zimbabwe gave a debut to Alester Maregwede, a batsman, in place of Stuart Matsikenyeri.The left-handed Barney Rogers, tall with bushy fair hair, played a handsome innings, standing tall and driving with authority, while Edwards was scarcely recognisable as the same bowler who had caused such havoc the day before, and bowled five early overs for 37. The openers put on 39, and enjoyed some of the luck that had helped West Indies 24 hours earlier, with Vusi Sibanda dropped off a straightforward chance to second slip when 5. But Sibanda ran himself out for 8, calling for a riskyleg-bye.Rogers made 34 before Mervyn Dillon returned for a second spell and had him caught at the wicket off a ball moving away off the pitch (57 for 2). But generally the bowlers found little swing or seam, and the inexperienced Ravi Rampaul, apart from the occasional wide, was the most consistent of the seamers.It was when the spinners came on that Zimbabwe fell over themselves to give it away. Craig Wishart played what many might term a typical innings,playing some class strokes, including a six off Rampaul into the westernstand, but he had made only 16 when he cut Gayle and was caught off a thick edge by Ridley Jacobs (107 for 3). Gayle struck twice more in the next two overs, removing the debutant Maregwede without scoring and Vermeulen for 36, both caught at midwicket, and both soft dismissals (111 for 5).Yet again Zimbabwe were proving that they cannot handle pressure, especially when batting. Streak never looked in touch during his laborious 30, but Taibu and Blignaut both looked briefly capable of sharing a rescuing partnership, only to surrender their wickets weakly after doing the hard work. Powell took two wickets and three catches, including a brilliant one to remove Ervine. Zimbabwe’s 196 was never likely to be enough in good batting conditions, and so it proved.West Indies thus move on to South Africa with their tails up after narrow victories in both the Test (1-0) and one-day (3-2) series. There have been many encouraging signs for Zimbabwe, too – but their batsmen have to learn how to handle the pressure-cooker of international cricket better.

On January 29, 2002 Australia defeated New Zealand by two wickets in the 10th match of the VB series at Melbourne Cricket Ground. The Aussies had lost their 6th wicket at the score of 82, leaving Bevan and the tail-enders to get another 164 runs. The majestic left-hander saw his team to victory from the jaws of defeat by smashing an unconquered 102.Australia’s victory was thus only the 25th by any side after having lost their 4th wicket with still 150 or more runs required to win. It was also the fourth best performance in all-time list. The best still remains Zimbabwe’s when they won the match after being 224 runs in deficit, at the fall of their 4th wicket with the score just 50.For the record, Australia’s victory was also the very first instance when a team won after losing their 6th wicket with 150 runs still required.For the interest of the readers here under are the details.Sides winning after losing 4th wicket with 150 or more runs still required (25)

For	Target	FOW	Deficit	Score	Vs	Venue	Date	Result
Zim	274	50/4	224	9/274	NZ	Auckland	07/01/2001	Zim won by1 wkt
SL	237	27/4	210	5/240	NZ	Colombo (RPS)	25/07/2001	SL won by5 wkts
Ind	302	101/4	201	7/302	SA	Kochin	09/03/2000	Ind won by3 wkts
Aus	246	53/4	193	8/248	NZ	Melbourne	29/01/2002	Aus won by2 wkts
SA	257	65/4	192	7/258	NZ	CapeTown	04/11/2000	SA won by3 wkts
WI	255	67/4	188	6/255	Ind	Singapore(Kall)	08/09/1999	WI won by4 wkts
Pak	210	23/4	187	6/210	Zim	Harare	25/02/1995	Pak won by4 wkts
SA	257	72/4	185	6/259	Zim	Johannesburg	31/01/1997	SA won by4 wkts
Zim	288	104/4	184	4/290	WI	Chester-le-Street	16/07/2000	Zim won by6 wkts
WI	267	84/4	183	9/267	Pak	Edgbaston	11/06/1975	WI won by1 wkt
Pak	274	93/4	181	9/274	Aus	Perth	02/01/1987	Pak won by1 wkt
SL	303	134/4	169	9/303	Eng	Adelaide	23/01/1999	SL won by1 wkt
NZ	242	73/4	169	6/244	SA	Brisbane	19/01/2002	NZ won by4 wkts
Ind	216	47/4	169	8/216	Aus	Bangalore	21/10/1996	Ind won by2 wkts
SA	212	43/4	169	5/212	Zim	Centurian	25/01/1997	SA won by5 wkts
NZ	239	71/4	168	6/239	WI	St. George’s	29/03/1996	NZ won by4 wkts
SA	221	55/4	166	7/221	Pak	Trent Bridge	05/06/1999	SA won by3 wkts
NZ	214	49/4	165	5/214	Aus	Cardiff	20/05/1999	NZ won by5 wkts
Ind	279	118/4	161	8/282	NZ	Baroda	17/12/1988	Ind won by2 wkts
NZ	235	75/4	160	8/238	Eng	Edgbaston	15/06/1983	NZ won by2 wkts
NZ	265	109/4	156	6/265	Ind	Nairobi (Gym)	15/10/2000	NZ won by4 wkts
NZ	212	56/4	156	7/215	SA	Dunedin	14/02/1999	NZ won by3 wkts
NZ	248	94/4	154	7/250	Aus	Hamilton	27/03/1993	NZ won by3 wkts
Ind	241	90/4	151	7/241	Eng	Nagpur	23/01/1985	Ind won by3 wkts
SL	229	78/4	151	6/232	Aus	Colombo (RPS)	30/08/1996	SL won by4 wkts

– All data updatedto 24-02-2002