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Musical chairs at the top
“We have many openers in our team,” Shoaib Malik said at the toss. “Today we’ll go with Salman Butt and Imran Nazir.” With that Malik confirmed Pakistan were giving Butt his fourth opening partner in five one-dayers; Kamran Akmal, Shahid Afridi and Malik being the first three. It was Nazir’s first opportunity of the series and he shelved his reckless approach and scored a subdued 20 off 40 balls. The end result was an opening stand of 65: Pakistan’s highest of the series.Maiden maiden-over
If Praveen Kumar had any nerves when Mahendra Singh Dhoni gave him the new ball on his ODI debut, he did a spectacular job of concealing them. His first two balls were left alone by Butt; the third beat the bat with a hint of swing away from the left-hander; the fourth should have been put away but Rohit Sharma’s sharp fielding at midwicket prevented any runs; the fifth was defended back to the bowler; and Butt left the final ball alone to allow Kumar to complete a maiden maiden-over.Done in by legspin
Sreesanth had bowled a poor opening spell, conceding 20 off his first three overs. Dhoni changed his end for his second spell and Sreesanth looked a different bowler. He picked up Butt and Yasir Hameed in consecutive overs to top up his confidence levels and then slipped in a clever legcutter to Nazir, who wound up to give it an almighty thump. He played the shot too early and although he made firm contact, the ball went straight to Sreesanth who took a sharp return catch. It was his 50th wicket in ODIs.Generous with extras
Perhaps it was because three leading bowlers – Zaheer Khan, RP Singh and Harbhajan Singh – were missing, or due to the lack of intensity in a dead rubber, but India’s bowlers gave away 18 runs in wides after conceding only two in Gwalior. Yuvraj and Sreesanth were the most lax, bowling four wides each, and one of Yuvraj’s leg-side indiscretions beat Dhoni and went to the boundary.An exercise in futility … and marketing
The drinks trolley for this series is shaped like an oversized soft-drink can and you can’t help but feel for the people lugging it on to the field at every drinks break. They wheel it to the middle and open it up to reveal the refreshments inside only to be ignored by both sets of players. The Pakistan batsmen had their own drinks brought to them by the reserves while a golf cart sped out, carrying the Indians’ energy drinks and supplements. The drinks trolley was a futile exercise … unless you’re an marketing person.An endangered species
The introduction of the free-hit has made it a criminal offence to bowl a front foot no-ball. Bowlers are extra careful about measuring their run-ups and the no-ball has become so rare – there were none in Gwalior – that, when it occurs, you sit up and wait in anticipation for the free-hit that follows. Kumar overstepped the crease for the first time today in the 48th over. The umpire called no-ball and then twirled his hand above his head signalling the free-hit. Fawad Alam took his time, eyeing the vacant spots in the outfield. The crowd waited eagerly as Kumar ran in and bowled a full ball. Alam connected well and sent the ball racing towards long-off for a double. It was a bit of an anti-climax.First time lucky, second time …
Robin Uthappa was promoted up the order because he had hardly got an opportunity to play a substantial innings in the first four games. He scored one run off seven balls before edging his eighth, off Rao Iftikhar Anjum, straight to Misbah-ul-Haq at first slip. It was a simple chance but the ball went right in, and out, of Misbah’s hands. Two balls later Uthappa gave Misbah a chance to redeem himself, edging another regulation catch in his directionp. This time he was headed to the dressing room while all was forgiven between Anjum and Misbah. A few overs later, Misbah watched an edge from Tendulkar fly past him at gully, before taking the next one that flew to him the very next ball.Hey Mr DJ
The spectators at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium were kept entertained by the Hindi dance numbers that played over the PA system. They got to their feet between every over to move to the beats of popular Bollywood music. The procession of Hindi songs was suddenly interrupted by a remixed version of Pink Floyd’s . The crowd fell relatively silent but perked up once again after normal service quickly resumed.

The forthcoming series between Pakistan and Australia will not be played at a neutral venue or in Australia as a last resort, the Pakistan board has reiterated., quoting an unnamed official, recently reported that the PCB would consider shifting the series – to be held in March-April 2008 – to Australia in a “worst-case scenario” in which conditions in Pakistan were not conducive to hosting the series. But Nasim Ashraf, chairman PCB, denied the report, stressing that the series will be played, as scheduled, in Pakistan.”The PCB has only one position on this series,” Ashraf told reporters in Hyderabad. “Australia will play in Pakistan as per their commitment in March-April 2008. There is no question of it being played at a neutral venue or swapping venues and playing in Australia at this time.”We have a visit to Australia at the end of 2009 and we will fulfill that as well. But the current series against Zimbabwe has shown that cricket is not affected by such things.”Pakistan has been rocked by a particularly turbulent year of political unrest and violence, which culminated with the assassination of Benazir Bhutto, the former prime minister, at the end of December last year. General elections were due to be held in the country on January 8, but have now been postponed to February 18.Several Australian players have voiced their concerns about touring Pakistan, but Cricket Australia’s stance on the issue has always been firm: any final decision on the tour will be made after a security delegation has assessed the on-ground situation in Pakistan. The visit is expected to take place soon after elections.”They are coming and the tour is on as far as we know,” said Ashraf. “We have given every assurance to the Australian High Commission. I am surprised but those statements [in the Australian press] were not made by any PCB official.”

Somerset needed to score at 5 runs per over to win this game but throughsome disciplined and aggressive bowling from the Leicestershire attack theywere always behind the asking rate.Jimmy Ormond once again was the pick of the bowlers and picked up his firstwicket in only the second over of the innings. Bowler edged a ball to secondslip to give Darren Maddy an easy catch. The ball previous saw Maddy drop achance given by Lathwell also at second slip.It wasn’t too long before Lathwell became Ormonds second victim when hefollowed a wide delivery which found the edge through to the wicket keeper.At this point Somerset were only scoring at 2 runs per over and the pressurewas beginning to show. Burns unable to pierce the in field then set off for a risky single which resulted in a run out.You felt that as long as Jamie Cox was at the crease there was always achance for Somerset but when Scott Boswell picked up his prize wicket inonly his second over, Somerset’s chances of victory were diminishing. He wasbrilliantly caught by the diving wicket keeper Neil Burns.Parsons tried to continue the fight and looked in good form. He struck themedium pace of Billy Stelling for a huge six over mid off giving impetous tothe innings. However, Stelling fought back by clean bowling Parsons in the29th over. By this time Somerset’s chances were almost gone and continued tolose their wickets consistantly.Leicestershire thoroughly deserved this win and they now can look forward toplaying once again in the top division.

Despite staring at a clean sweep of losses, West Indies have retained faith in their 13-man squad for the final two one-day matches against South Africa in Trinidad over the weekend. South Africa sealed the series with their dramatic one-run victory in the third match in Barbados on Wednesday, and Joey Carew, West Indies’ convenor of selectors, blamed the loss on “some bad cricket towards the end”.Carew said there was also some “bad luck” when two runs were not credited to thescore during the innings. “Nevertheless,” he said, “we go in with same squad and we are confident that we will win both games in Trinidad this weekend.”West Indies Chris Gayle, Xavier Marshall, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Brian LaraDwayne Smith, Runako Morton, Shivnarine Chanderpaul (capt), Dwayne Bravo, Courtney Browne (wk), Corey Collymore, Daren Powell, Fidel Edwards, Ian Bradshaw.

Yorkshire 246 and 27 for 1 trail India A 336 for 8 dec by 63 runs at HeadingleyA fine maiden first-class century from Parthiv Patel was the highlight of the second day of this tour match. Patel, still only 18, thumped 22 fours, and faced just 146 balls in an impressive 129. Wasim Jaffer had earlier hit 67, with a high ratio of 15 boundaries, but soon after Patel came in India A were in some trouble at 113 for 4, still only halfway to Yorkshire’s score. But Patel shared handy stands with Rohan Gavaskar (16) and Murali Kartik (13), then piled on 69 for the seventh wicket with Amit Mishra, who clonked 52 not out.SS Das eventually declared with a lead of 90, and was rewarded when the opener Chris Taylor flicked him a catch off Amit Bhandari with the total on 5. Yorkshire had grafted to 27 without further loss by the close, and an exciting final day beckons.

Greg Chappell has warned of a regimented approach taking hold of cricket and stifling natural instinct. He identified scientists and academics with little playing experience as a threat, and said that strong-minded people with a sense of the game could counter it.Describing them in gangland terms, Chappell said they were a “mafia” that had complicated training and squeezed players’ enjoyment and understanding of the game, according to the . He said he felt that the world was following the Australian way, but didn’t realise that the present players had reached the national team because of older systems.”These new methods are not the methods that got us to where we are,” Chappell said. “They have come in subsequent to the development of most of the players in the present Australian team.” He highlighted the Australian Academy as a case in point. “I worked in my last few years with South Australia with the first generation who have come through this new system and they’re lost. They don’t understand the game, they don’t have an intrinsic love for it because they’ve never been emotionally involved. They don’t watch any cricket, they don’t know where the game has come from and they are confused.”What they needed, Chappell believed, was a firm guiding hand, an ability to broaden their horizons, and play positively. That’s what the great West Indians had in common. “Garry Sobers, Viv Richards, Dessie Haynes, all your great players, didn’t know what made them play the cover-drive or the hook the way they did, but could they ever play them!” said Chappell. “To try to explain to them the biomechanics of it all would just confuse them. The more structure you get at an early age, the more it messes you up.”Chappell suggested that the monotonous regularity of a bowling machine could not prepare batsmen for a match situation, where bowlers had different ball-release times, and were sometimes, in the case of Wes Hall – and Paul Adams of more recent vintage – a flurry of movements. “When Wes Hall was bowling, all arms and legs, the important part of batting was to time your movements with his movements. You don’t get that with a bowling machine. Bowling machines don’t replicate what a bowler does.”Chappell said that changing times had brought new methods, and though he wasn’t one for sticking to the past, to dismiss old methods as outdated was missing the point. “Society has changed and the game has changed with it. We can’t go backwards and I don’t propose that we do.”But we’ve got to look at the things that made us great, not reject them out of hand and replace them with new approaches like biomechanics that are not yet proven to be workable and that, in other sports like swimming and athletics, have been tried and discarded.”

A depressed Shane Warne considered leaving Australia in the wake of his drug ban, and qualifying to play for England instead, according to a report in today’s London Sunday Times. Apparently Warne thought hard about settling in Hampshire after he was sent home from the World Cup and banned from cricket for a year. But the bad news for England’s batsmen is that Warne eventually decided to stay put, and try to regain his Australian Test spot.Ivo Tennant wrote: “The expectations on him [Warne], the adulation and pressure on his marriage were so great that he contemplated settling in Hampshire, the county he will return to captain next summer. Warne spent several weeks in a hideaway in Europe to escape from media and supporters alike after his ban for the use of diuretics. At the age of 33, he would have had to spend four years qualifying to play for England. Finally he decided this would have shortened his Test career too much, and he was too wedded to his native country.”Until recently Warne would have had to spend even longer before he could have played for England, but the ICC recently reduced the qualification period to four years (it took Graeme Hick seven years to qualify for England after he decided to leave his native Zimbabwe). But still Warne could not have swapped the baggy green for the tight blue until 2008. As it is, he will be eligible for Australian selection again in February next year, after serving his 12-month ban.Warne, 34, is keen to add to his impressive tally of 491 wickets in 107 Tests.

The Christchurch Junior Cricket Association draw for Saturday is:(All matches to start at 9am)Senior Traditional Two-day:Section 1:Bwu1 v Nb1 Raw2,Hals1 v Oc1 Elm4,Stac1 v Es1 Stac3,Es2 v Med1 Med1.Section 2:Hare1 v Hh1 Red1,Es3 v Oc2 Ilam5,Stac2 v Cagr1 Cagr1,Syd1 v Hals2 Halsd1.Senior Traditional One-day:Section 1:Bwu2 v Es5 Cla1,Pk4 v Sum1 Bar1,Med2 v Hsob1 Hgsc,Syd5 v Oc3 Cash1,Oc4 v Bwu3 Burn7,Horn1 v Es4 Burw3.Section 2:Bwu4 v Syd6 Burn5,Syd7 v Stac3 Stac4a,Med3 v Nb2 Ilam2,Hals3 v Horn2 Halsd2,Stc1 v Cagr2 Stc3,Sum2 v Lpw2 Bar2,Syd2 v Sum3 Syd4.Section 3:Bwu5 v Oc8 Burn10,Lpw4 v Oc5 Ens2,Upr1 v Mp1 Emc1,Bwu7 v Med4 Burn9,Oc6 v Bwu6 Ilam1,Syd8 v Med6 Syd2,Es6 v Med5 Stal1,Stc2 v Oc7 Stc4.Junior Traditional One-day:Section 1:Oc15 v Pk5 Fns1a,Oc10 v Es10 Stal2,Syd14 v Med7 Cash2a,Hals4 v Es11 Halsd3,Oc11 v Oc12 Ilam4.Section 2:Bwu9 v Syd15 Ilam3,Syd17 v Sum4 Lind1,Nb3 v Hare2 Stal3,Lpw5 v Horn3 Han1a,Oc13 v Hals5 Halsd4,Es12 v Cagr3 Cagr3.Section 3:Heath1 v Oc16 Hd1,Oc14 v Upr2 Rd1,Upr3 v Lpw6 Ens3,Syd18 v Hals6 Beck2,Stac4 v Pk6 Stac5,Bwu8 v Nb4 Burn8.Junior Modified:Zone 1:Bwu11 v Hals8 West1a,Hsob3 v Bwu10 Kirk1a,Oc21 v Sum5 Polo3a,Oc24 v Oc22 Polo1a,Oc20 v Med8 Polo4a,Hals7 v Oc23 Halss1a.Zone 2:Es14 v Nb4 Sis1a,Es16 v Mp2 Polo2a,Mp3 v Es15 Bow1a,Syd21 v Syd22 Thor1a,Syd20 Bye.Junior Average:Zone 1:Sum7 v Heath2 Brgn1,Lpw9 v Lpw8 Brgn2,Hals9 v Sum6 Brgn3,Hals11 v Syd34 Brgn4,Syd30 v Syd32 Brgn5,Syd33 v Hals12 Brgn6,Syd35 v Hals10 Brgn7,Hh2 v Syd31 Brgn8.Zone2:Nb5 v Cagr4 Walt6,Stac6 v Nb6 Walt7,Cagr5 v Stac5 Walt8,Es23 v Oc34 BurwN1,Es25 v Syd36 Brgn9,Syd37 v Es24 Brgn10,Oc35 v Pk7 BurwN2,Oc36 v Hare3 Walt9.Zone 3:Med10 v Horn4 Jel2,Ricc1 v Med9 Jel3,Mp5 v Oc37 Jel4,Oc31 v Oc32 Jel5,Oc33 v Oc30 Jel6,Hare4 v Mp4 Jel7,Hsob4 Bye.Kiwi:Zone 1:Lpw10 v Heath3 Brad1,Syd41 v Hals14 Brad2,Syd43 v Sum9 Brad3,Hals13 v Syd42 Brad4,Syd40 v Hh3 Brad5,Sum8 v Syd44 Brad6.Zone 2:Cagr7 v Nb7 Walt1,Nb8 v Cagr6 Walt2,Med11 v Stac7 Walt3.Zone3:Pk9 v Horn6 Walt5,Oc40 v Pk8 Walt4,Ricc2 v Oc45 Jel1,Oc41 v Mp6 Elm7,Oc42 v Mp7 Elm8,Oc46 v Oc43 Elm5,Oc44 v Upr4 Elm6,Horn5 v Tait1 Jel8.

Scorecard

A groin injury robbed this match of a gladiatorial match-up between England’s brash new boy Kevin Pietersen and the discarded Graham Thorpe, but a record run-chase from Hampshire more than compensated. Surrey racked up 359 – which they considered ample – but Shane Watson hit a pulsating 132 from 105 balls in his first game as Shane Warne’s replacement to ensure Pietersen’s big-hitting wasn’t missed.An eighth-wicket stand of 63 between Watson and Shaun Udal forcibly dragged Hampshire from 279 for 7 to just 17 runs from victory before Udal and Chris Tremlett knocked off the remaining runs to book Hampshire’s place in the semi-finals for the first time since 2000. “That was just an astonishing game of cricket,” Udal said afterwards. “We always felt we had a chance – you have to think that. We had an astonishing innings from Shane Watson. We did well; we did it in a professional way, in a very accomplished fashion.”In the morning, Pietersen’s absence due to his injury meant the spotlight belonged to Thorpe. He was denied the chance to captain Surrey due to Mark Ramprakash’s return from a broken thumb, but he was bubbly while batting and while fielding, too. Thorpe hasn’t been this animated for some time – he clearly doesn’t want people to think he has reverted to his old head-hanging, brooding stereotype.He received the loudest applause of the day as he strode to the crease, purpose pumping visibly in his legs. The applause for his first run was almost as deafening. Fifty-nine runs later, Thorpe was welcomed back into the pavilion after a classy, composed 60. Yet, the scene from two years ago when he scored his magnificent hundred against South Africa in his comeback Test on the same ground was incomparable. Then he was the returning hero, today he returned as dispensable to England’s cause. How has this happened?His Test average since that hundred is 56.37 and he has scored 1,635 runs. He has seemed happier, more open in that time – more importantly, he appeared happy with himself. He had become the Graham Thorpe he wanted to be. Then he struggled in South Africa in the winter; his form this season hasn’t been encouraging, averaging 34.50 from 11 innings, which is only four runs shy of Pietersen’s season average, but the man with the bigger bouffant has the momentum behind him.Thorpe is the last of the breed from the 1990s, when England’s mentality was firmly set on losing. The chances of him playing for England again are slim; even with injuries, England are likely to go with a younger man. Yet, he hasn’t been allowed the send-offs afforded to Alec Stewart and Michael Atherton, nor has he gone out gloriously as his great mate Nasser Hussain did last summer, a centurion and match-winner at Lord’s. Instead, Thorpe’s last action as a Test batsman was a single off Bangladesh’s Aftab Ahmed, a 19-year-old occasional medium-pacer. A month ago, maybe even a day ago, he would have been justified in dreaming of hitting the runs that brought England the Ashes.So Thorpe didn’t have the chance to abdicate. Instead his strings were yanked from above by those who had brought him back so memorably at the Oval two years ago. So what now? Many had expected him to announce his retirement immediately after his rejection. On today’s evidence, he is very happy, and more than able, to play a full, vital part for Surrey this season. Their coach Steve Rixon has said Thorpe will reassess the situation at the end of the season, while Thorpe issued a statement saying he was “looking forward to playing a key role for Surrey.” So, Pietersen’s gain is also Surrey’s.What price a few boos if Pietersen had been passed fully fit for this match; what price him revelling in those boos? As it was, Watson’s ferocious hitting meant that England’s golden boy was forgotten for once. It could have been a much different story. Surrey’s openers James Benning’s and Jonathan Batty’s blistering start meant that a big run chase was on for Hampshire after just 10 overs – then they must have been cursing Pietersen’s absence. The partnership reached three figures in the 13th over, Tremlett, named yesterday in England’s Ashes squad, and Billy Taylor leaking 62 from their opening eight overs. Tremlett’s rhythm was badly disrupted by 22-year-old Benning; a handy hitter but no Matthew Hayden or Justin Langer.Udal, who has taken over captaincy responsibility from Warne, was forced to bring himself on as fifth change in only the 11th over. Surrey’s openers put on 142 – the kind of foundation that Pietersen will be hoping for from Strauss and Trescothick come next Thursday.Batty went on to an undefeated 158. His 115-run partnership with Thorpe was a mastermind in controlling the tempo; Thorpe’s contribution a typical mix of boundaries and singles. His ability to push the score along without having to go for the big shots was rare in the England team; Ian Bell, who seems to have inherited this role, has a lot to live up to. “We thought 350 was a fantastic score,” Ramprakash admitted on Sky Sports afterwards, “and Jonathan Batty played a fantastic knock, and we were very, very happy with that.”But it was Watson’s day. “It’s great to play well at the right time and get us over the line,” said Watson, who didn’t bowl owing to a leg injury. “It was a nice flat wicket to bat on and would have been a bit nasty to bowl on.” If Watson isn’t deemed good enough for a place in the Ashes squad, England will have reasons for concern.

Of the many factors that went into making the all-conquering West Indies team of the ’70s and ’80s, the contribution made by the support staff is often a mere footnote. Yet, speak to the players of that era and they will invariably mention the effect that Dennis Waight, the physical trainer, and Dr Rudi Webster, the sports psychologist, had on them. Waight played a part in ensuring that the side was supremely fit; Webster helped them win the mental battles, making them the ruthless force that they eventually became.Viv Richards confirms the same in his autobiography, adding bits about how beneficial Webster was to his improvement. Richards speaks about his second international tour, one that was a hard initiation in the battlefields of Australia. “I had problems early on and scored 0, 12 and 12 in my first three innings,” Richards wrote. “It created some doubts in my own mind as to my own abilities at this rarefied level; in fact, it was panic stations.”That’s when the Webster effect came into play. “We [Webster and Richards] discovered through discussions that I wasn’t concentrating the way I should have been when I reached a certain stage of my innings. Then it was a question of discussing how I could do so and taking it on to another level, going forward step by step.” Richards did take it to the next level – getting 30, 101, 50 and 98 in his next four knocks – and it was particularly satisfying because it was made against the fearsome duo of Dennis Lillee and Jeff Thomson.Two weeks may be a short time but the Indians will be hoping to gain as much as they can. They’ve had a chance to interact with Webster since May 25th and Greg Chappell briefly outlined the reasons for roping him in. “Dr. Webster is someone I’ve known for a long time,” he said after the first day of the warm-up game. “In my opinion, he’s one of the two best sports psychologists that I’ve experienced in all my years of playing [the other being Brisbane-based Phil Jouncey, who helps the Australian side once in a while].”He lives in Grenada, which is close by, and I thought it was a great chance to expose the players to him,” Chappell continued. “He’s been working one-on-one with the players and will continue to do so till Friday. He’s had a couple of sessions with the group. He’s very knowledgeable on West Indian cricket and on the conditions in the region. He’s too good a resource to let pass by and we approached the BCCI a few months back about using his services when we were here.”But have the results been forthcoming? “I think it is very beneficial,” Chappell added, “a number of the players have commented that they’ve found it helpful. The players are hearing the coach and the coaching staff all the time and we may or may not be saying what Dr. Webster is saying but coming from a different perspective, different voice would help the players. Sehwag spoke to Dr. Webster before the second game at Trinidad and I thought there were distinct signs that it was beneficial.”Chappell and the rest of the side will be hoping that Webster, or for that matter, anyone, can help Irfan Pathan rediscover his groove. “Pathan is struggling for confidence at the moment,” Chappell said after the Antigua batsmen had taken serious toll on Pathan. “He’s probably been trying a bit too hard, maybe he’s looking for pace. These are things you do when things are not going well. It’s important that he does the things that worked for him. On these wickets, you really don’t have any margin for error, you can’t afford to be too full or too short. You need to hit the right areas.”