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Bennett: king of fielding © Getty Images

Bennett King, the West Indies coach, has brought a change in one vital area of his team’s game: fielding. King knows the importance of saving every run and never misses the opportunity to stress the importance that fact to his boys.On the eve of his team’s third game in the IndianOil tri-series in Dambulla, King was rounding off the practice session with the fielding drills. Hitting the ball low, he made the players dive forward to take the catches. Tino Best, always the livewire was in his own world when he failed to stop the ball and didn’t even attempt to show any intention to bend or dive forward. An infuriated King, unimpressed, shouted at the staring Best, “You can’t dive. Does that mean you will allow a four on the ground?” A man never short for words, this time Best was speechless. The arrogant pupil had been rapped on his knuckles and for the rest of the session an attentive Best made sure not to commit any further mistakes.King’s discipline was bearing fruits. It was seen on Saturday evening when the Windies fielders threw themselves at everything and managed to overwhelm the favourites Sri Lanka in the end. Omari Banks, though he dropped two catches, agreed that King’s fielding lessons were good. “Bennett has been working hard on the fielding aspect and expects us to give our best when we go out field so its good to see that the guys showed the same courage and commitment we show during practice.”Despite not having their regular captain Shivnarine Chanderpaul while defending their target, the young Caribbeans, led by their stand-in skipper Sylvester Joseph, showed enough passion to keep the pressure lid tight over the Lankans. The result was their first victory on this tour of Sri Lanka and also the first in the tri-series. This was a much-needed win for the depleted Caribbean side who had lost most of its top players in the endorsement imbroglio.Joseph, who top-scored for the Windies with 58 thought the people in the Caribbean would be happy for the efforts put into this victory. “It means a lot. We had been struggling with the top order throughout the tour. Our bowlers were doing the job but we were failing with the bat and we didn’t stick to our plan and didn’t have wickets in the end. We applied ourselves and it worked.”With the absence of the regular stars, people like Joseph knew they had enough opportunities to prove their worth. But time and again they fell way short of the mark. “The situation is very difficult when you play a second-string team and your top players, who have been doing well for the past few years, are not around and we miss them. But it is an opportunity for us to show that we are capable and we have shown that we have the potential and we continue to work hard we can become a good team to reckon with.”Joseph believed the change in the batting order was one of the most important catalysts in the top order clicking. West Indies top order had failed throughout this series, but today Chanderpaul opened the innings with Joseph and provided the much-required stability his young partners wanted. It worked. “He took control and took charge and we needed someone up there to really stick it out and he did that.”The Sri Lankan coach Tom Moody also acknowledged Chanderpaul’s contribution. “West Indies batted well early on especially Chanderpaul, though unwell, lead from the front and got the momentum going and the rest of the players got that going. We pulled them back as they were on target for 250 through some good bowling and some good fielding in the latter stages.”Both Moody and Mahela Jayawardene, the stand-in captain, gave credit to the opposition for their hardwork but at the same time felt that the Sri Lankans paid for their mistakes. “We made it difficult with the position we put ourselves into by losing early wickets” was Moody’s verdict while Jayawardene fell. “We were not complacent. West Indies bowled well especially Omari Banks but we created our own pressure by losing too many wickets.”Banks, who finished economically with figures of 2 for 24 in his 10 overs, said, “I was trying to just put the ball in the right areas and try and improve my length.” That effort was enough to earh him his first Man-of-the-Match reward.Alhough none of Sri Lanka’s fast bowlers managed to take a wicket, Moody didn’t seem worried. “The fast bowlers early on and beat the bat regularly and then we just lacked a little bit of consistency so its hard to maintain the pressure early on.” Instead Moody was focussing on the positives of his first loss after taking over as the coach of the Lankan team.”It’s a timely wake-up call. The team has had a successful run in the Tests and the one-dayers up to date and today we played below par. But you can look at it in the positive way. Our batting needs to be looked at, as there is a lot of inconsistency at the top order. If the top order clicks then it means we not relying on some excellent partnerships down the order. In one-day cricket most of the games are won by the top order doing the hard work.”The focus now shifts to the crucial game tomorrow, the last of the league games of the series where West Indies play India. West Indies need to win that match if they have to make the final against Sri Lanka on Tuesday, next week. But they are not looking that far ahead. They just want to carry on today’s good work to tomorrow. “We have worked really hard in the past weeks and it would be fitting if we can go out tomorrow and play positive and try to win to make to the final”, said Joseph who would be wishing that his captain gets back healthy in time for Sunday’s vital game.Chanderpaul suffered a viral infection two days ago, but thought he was fine for the game and so he batted. But his condition worsened and he couldn’t field. Windies’ media manager, Imran Khan, said the team was concerned. “We will monitor the situation through the night and the decision will be taken in the morning. But it’s a concern.”But the Windies can hope for the best and get some encouragement from Moody’s words of praise for them. “The Windies, despite not having their full-strength side, have shown a lot of spirit. A youthful side that shows a lot of spirit carries a lot of weight and that is what we saw this evening.”

Sri Lanka have made two changes to their Test squad for a two-match series against South Africa, recalling Muttiah Muralitharan, who boycotted the Australia tour, and including Ian Daniel, a 22-year-old uncapped opener who has just returned from Sri Lanka A’s tour of England.Daniel, a compact and technically correct right-hander who was earmarked as a future Test player after excelling for the Under-19 team, forced his way into the squad with a productive run in England where he contributed in all three first-class matches, top-scoring with 72 against the West Indians.Dilhara Fernando, who bagged three first-innings wickets against the South Africans in their recent practice game, but has slipped down the fast bowling pecking order behind Lasith Malinga and Nuwan Zoysa, has been dropped to make room for Muralitharan.Russel Arnold, another who impressed for the Board President’s XI at the Colombo Cricket Club, scoring 83 from 187 balls, is the other player to have been axed in a 15-man squad.Sri Lanka’s selectors have indicated a desire to see Kumar Sangakkara play as a specialist batsman, which should mean Romesh Kaluwitharana will retain the gloves, but the unique conditions at Galle, where the ball can spin at right-angles, could prompt a rethink to make room for three specialist spinners.The first Test starts at Galle on Wednesday, just two days after the Asia Cup final. It will be followed by one Test at the Sinhalese Sports Club immediately after and then five one-dayers.Sri Lanka squad
Marvan Atapattu (capt), Sanath Jayasuriya, Kumar Sangakkara, Mahela Jayawardene, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Upul Chandana, Chaminda Vaas, Farveez Maharoof, Lasith Malinga, Muttiah Muralitharan, Nuwan Zoysa, Thilan Samaraweera, Rangana Herath, Romesh Kaluwitharana (wk), Ian Daniel.

Rob Smyth assesses the legacy of Nasser Hussain.

An emotional Nasser Hussain faces the media for the final time as captain

So, four years on, Nasser Hussain left England pretty much where he found them – in Birmingham, as an upper mid-table side capable of competing with anyone except Australia. He started with a bang – a spectacular two-and-a-half-day victory over New Zealand after England had been 45 for 7 – and ended with a whimper in a dreary final session today.But that doesn’t tell half the story. Within two months of that New Zealand win England were unofficially the worst team in the world; Hussain himself was roundly booed by the crowd at The Oval. At that stage the extent of England’s ambition was a first-innings lead – they didn’t have one for two years – but bit by bit, kicking and screaming, he dragged them up the ICC Test Championship table.The zenith came early: four series wins in a row in 2000 and 2001. Zimbabwe and a declining West Indies were there for the taking, but to win twice in the subcontinent in one winter was outrageous, an achievement beyond even Australia. England hadn’t played a Test there for eight years, and hadn’t won one for 16. March 17, 2001, when a woozy Graham Thorpe guided England to an unforgettable victory in Colombo, was the undisputed pinnacle.It was in keeping with Hussain’s reign that, while his team were sweeping all before them, he couldn’t buy a run. When England won the Wisden Trophy for the first time in 31 years, on an emotional day at The Oval in 2000, Hussain’s joy was tempered by the fact that he had just bagged a pair; that his highest Test score all summer was 25. He looked exhausted.

One of Hussain’s finest hours as captain: he holds the Wisden Trophy aloft at The Oval in 2000 after England had beaten West Indies for the first time in 31 years

He learned to juggle the two eventually, and in the last couple of years Hussain’s calling card was the tone-setting performance in the first innings of a series: 64 against Pakistan in 2001, 85 in India and a tremendous 106 against New Zealand the following winter, 57 and 155 against Sri Lanka and India last summer, and 51 in Australia. Each time the captain setting the agenda, infusing his side with momentum.England had momentum two summers ago alright. Four series wins in a row for the first time since the late-1970s – it would have been five but for a dodgy run and some uncalled no-balls – meant that everything was building to a crescendo ahead of the Ashes. But Hussain went into the series without two of his main conductors: Michael Vaughan – amazing to think that it didn’t seem big a loss then – and Graham Thorpe. Then Hussain’s poppadom fingers let him down in the first Test. By the time he was back at the helm, the Ashes were gone, the dream blown mercilessly apart.It was the end of an era. England’s four-in-a-row side never played together again, but Hussain ushered in a new era as seamlessly as could be expected. With the core of that side – Atherton, Thorpe, Stewart, White, Gough, Caddick – unavailable for varying lengths of time, Hussain became England’s father figure, unflinchingly protecting his own. His Dad’s Army had metamorphosed into The Young Ones.He won a moral victory in India, and his ruthless employment of leg-theory tactics to Sachin Tendulkar showed that he didn’t give a stuff what anyone thought. This was his strength and his weakness. He gained untold respect in New Zealand for the dignity with which he handled Ben Hollioake’s death, led the rout of a Sri Lankan side that came to England on the back of nine Test wins in a row, and just about kept his hand on the controls as a staggering number of injuries beset England against India.But the job was beginning to tire Hussain, and the winter from hell broke even his will. The Zimbabwe imbroglio overshadowed the World Cup, yet the real business was Hussain’s last crack at the Ashes – something that ended the moment he put Australia in after winning the toss at Brisbane. Ashes failure will be his biggest regret: Hussain was a confirmed Aussiephile; his desperation to beat them join them was etched all over his face.The desire to earn respect from the Aussies was one of the defining features of his reign. The others? Desperate pleas for raw pace (answered eventually) and mystery spin (more elusive than ever); spectacular off days – of the 15 defeats under Hussain, nine were by an innings; and interesting press conferences – a rarity among recent England captains. Brains, too: Hussain’s predilection to rant and rave sometimes obscured how good he could be at fashioning a silk purse in the field, never more so than when England, with a second-string attack, thrashed India in Indian conditions at Lord’s last summer.Hussain’s overall record – P45 W17 D13 L15 – suggests a pretty dull,run-of-the-mill reign. Not a bit of it. English cricket has a harder nose and a keener mind than it did four years ago. It has lost its best captain since Brearley.Hussain resigns as England captain

The prospects for England’s tour to India in November are not as bleak as a number of scare stories appearing in the press over the weekend might portray. There is a meeting between the selected players and the ECB at Lord’s tomorrow (Tuesday) but it is not a crisis meeting. The purpose is to allow an exchange of information and to enable the players and their representatives to hear the very latest on the security situation from the British High Commissioner in New Delhi, Sir Rob Young.A number of players have expressed concerns about the safety of the touring party, especially in light of advice from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office that reads: “We are advising all British interests in India to take precautions against possible terrorist retaliation. All British nationals are strongly advised to keep a low profile, maintain a high level of vigilance, avoid situations where there might be tension and stay in touch with fast moving events.” The fact that the same advice is offered to such notorious trouble spots as New Zealand and Switzerland does put that statement in to perspective!To make a better evaluation of the situation, chief executive of the ECB, Tim Lamb, and director of corporate affairs, John Read, went to the FCO on Friday where officials made it very clear that they saw no reason why the tour should not proceed. They received some specific advice about the situation in India at the present time as it will affect the English cricket team. That was supportive.Looking ahead to the briefing with the players, John Read told CricInfo: ” This meeting is all about reassuring the players that the decision to proceed with the tour has been based on a lot of thought, discussion and research about the situation in India and the very decisive advice from the High Commission in Delhi. We are getting direct advice from the people on the ground who really know what the situation is.”Sir Rob Young, the High Commissioner in Delhi, has agreed to interrupt a very hectic programme to go to Lord’s to address the players personally and allay any fears they might have. Read added: “Hopefully, at the end of the meeting, the players will be more assured about the situation in India and, as far as the Foreign Office is concerned, why they are giving advice that the tour should go ahead.”While the ECB admits that it is unable to force anybody to get on the plane if they do not want to go, they are hopeful that by providing hard evidence from an authoritative source, individuals will make up their own minds that it is safe to go.Read added: “We cannot ever say there are no risks associated with going to India or anywhere else for that matter because no tour is absolutely risk-free. But we are trying to put the situation into perspective so they can have an informed and balanced understanding of the situation that prevails in India at the moment.”He stressed “Players’ safety and the safety of the whole touring party remains paramount. There is no way we would send a team into an area where there are serious security concerns.”Read refused to get drawn into comment on an admittedly hypothetical situation whereby individuals decided against going. Chelsea Football Club recently left the decision about travelling to Israel for a European tie to individuals and six senior players opted out. All he would say is “We want to send our strongest possible team to India. We have announced our party and we hope that every single one of those players will go.”Duncan Fletcher, the England coach who only left the country to visit South Africa last week, has returned to London for the meeting. Also there will be cricket manager Phil Neale, John Carr, the director of cricket operations, along with chairman of the ECB, Lord MacLaurin, and Tim Lamb. As well as all the players, Richard Bevan from the Professional Cricketers’ Association has been invited, as had David Graveney in his dual role as chief executive of the PCA and chairman of selectors. With Sir Rob Young will be the senior official responsible for South-East Asia at the FCO, Kevin Brind.

North Zone

An unbeaten 68 from Gautam Gambhir helped Delhi beat Punjab by six wickets in Gurgaon. Chasing a target of 161, Gambhir and Virender Sehwag got Delhi off to a good start. Sehwag, playing his first match after being dropped from the Indian side, scored 36, while Puneet Bisht, too, chipped in with 32. Earlier, Punjab, who chose to bat, put up a score of 160 for 7. Gurkeerat Singh top-scored with 57, while Chandan Madan and Mayank Sidhana also played useful knocks.Haryana held their nerve for a close, four-run win over Himachal Pradesh in a second successive low-scoring encounter in Rohtak. Haryana put up 110 for 8 in their 20 overs as the Himachal Pradesh bowlers, led by Vikramjeet Malik, stifled them. Malik conceded 15 runs for two wickets in his four overs. In reply, Himachal got off to a strong start but floundered after Amit Mishra picked up two consecutive wickets with the score at 59 for 4. Himachal struggled to recover and eventually finished at 106 for 6.Nakul Verma (39*) led Services to a five-wicket win against Jammu & Kashmir in Rohtak. Even though Shubham Khajuria scored 61 off 60 out of J&K’s total of 108 for 7, Abhishek Sakuja and Irfan Khan took two wickets each to not let anyone else settle down. Services lost five wickets in the chase but Verma, along with Rajat Paliwal and Soumya Swain, made sure they chased the target with four balls to spare.

South Zone

Half-centuries from Manish Pandey and KL Rahul set up Karnataka‘s 83-run win over Kerala. Pandey scored his second consecutive fifty, while Rahul scored a pacy 62 off 37 balls, as Karnataka piled up 185 for 5 in their 20 overs. The Karnataka bowlers then contributed their share to the win, restricting Kerala to 102 for 9 in their 20 overs.A collective batting effort helped Andhra chase a challenging total of 162 to beat Hyderabad by five wickets. Srikar Bharat, Prasanth Kumar and AG Pradeep hit useful 30s with support from KR Sreekanth and Gnaneswara Rao. Hyderabad looked good for a big total after a 108-run partnership between Akshath Reddy and T Suman took them to 120 for 2 in the 16th over. However, T Atchuta Rao struck with four wickets to restrict them to 161 for 5.Tamil Nadu handed Goa a decisive rout, beating them by eight wickets in Shimoga. Chasing a comfortable target of 123, Abhinav Mukund and S Badrinath shared an unbeaten stand of 78 runs for the third wicket to take Tamil Nadu to victory with three overs to spare. Earlier, Goa were restricted to 122 for 7. Medium-pacer Sunil Sam was the pick of the Tamil Nadu bowlers, taking 2 for 14 in his four overs. L Balaji and Suresh Kumar also picked up two wickets each.

East Zone

Arup Das’ hat-trick was the standout performance in Assam‘s seven-wicket win over Odisha in a rain-affected match. The medium-pacer took three wickets in the 17th over as Odisha scored 140 for 7 in their allotted 17 overs. In reply, Pritam Debnath scored 69 off 45 balls as Assam reached their target with four balls to spare.A poor batting performance from Tripura resulted in an eight-wicket loss to Jharkhand. Tripura folded for a paltry 103, losing four wickets to run-outs, even as Jharkhand bowlers Shabaaz Nadeem and Prakash Seet picked up five wickets between them. In reply, Jharkhand scored the required runs in the 16th over, with Ishank Jaggi scoring an unbeaten 50 off 38 balls.

West Zone

Gujarat kept Mumbai to 173 for 6 to register a 20-run win in Ahmedabad. Mumbai’s confident chase stuttered when they lost four wickets for 31 runs going from 103 for 2 to 134 for 6. Left-arm spinner Jesal Karia picked up three wickets for 21 runs. Earlier, an unbeaten 71 from Manprit Juneja and 51 from Niraj Patel helped Gujarat pile up 193 for 5 in their 20 overs. Juneja’s 71 came off 38 balls and included nine fours and two sixes.Saurashtra beat Maharashtra by 15 runs in Ahmedabad to register their first points in the tournament. None of the top and middle order were able to capitalize on their starts as they were at a precarious 76 for 5 near the halfway stage, largely due to the bowling of Ganesh Gaikwad, who picked up three wickets. Kuldeep Raval’s 33 off 29 balls helped push their total to 130 for 6 at the end of their allotted overs. Saurashtra’s seamers kept Maharashtra in check throughout their innings, with Jaidev Unadkat picking up 3 for 19. Contributions from Rohit Motwani (35), Nikhil Naik (25), and Prayag Bhati (25), were not enough as they fell 15 runs short of the target.

Central Zone

Ashok Menaria led Rajasthan to a seven-wicket win over Railways with an all-round performance. Bowling first, Menaria picked up two wickets as Railways were restricted to 127 for 6. He then guided Rajasthan’s reply, scoring an unbeaten 46 off 25 balls, with three fours and four sixes, to take Rajasthan home with 17 balls to spare.Vidarbha comprehensively beat Madhya Pradesh by 37 runs in Nagpur. Despite losing their openers for 11 on the board, Faiz Fazal’s 66 anchored the innings, and contributions from Amol Ubarhande (25), Shalabh Shrivastava (17), and Apoorv Wankhade (14*), gave them a fighting total of 136 for 6. Their bowlers restricted Madhya Pradesh in their chase, with only Jalaj Saxena and Anand Bias providing any resistance. Shrivastava picked up best figures of 3 for 13.

Leeds could be hit with a transfer ban if ‘things don’t go right for them’ at their Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) hearing, sports journalist Pete O’Rourke has warned.

The lowdown

The Whites are locked in a dispute with Bundesliga outfit RB Leipzig over the transfer of Jean-Kevin Augustin in January 2020.

The loan deal included an obligation to buy if the Whites won promotion to the Premier League. Marcelo Bielsa’s side did win the Championship, but only after a pandemic-enforced suspension.

Leeds believe that the delay freed them of their obligation and argued that ‘financial restrictions caused by the pandemic meant they could not meet the fee’ (via BBC Sport).

FIFA ruled in Leipzig’s favour last summer, demanding that the Yorkshire outfit pay the £18m sum, but Leeds have appealed.

CAS heard the case in Switzerland last week, with a verdict expected in ‘several weeks’.

The latest

Speaking to GiveMeSport, O’Rourke pointed out that £18m could represent a sizeable chunk of Leeds’ transfer budget, but worse still, he suggested that Jesse Marsch’s side may even be prevented from doing any business at all.

He warned: “If things don’t go right for them at this Court of Arbitration hearing over the Augustin thing, it could really bite into their transfer budget for next season or there could even be a transfer embargo, which would be a disaster for Leeds United.”

The verdict

Leeds are currently 16th in the Premier League, so it’s not difficult to imagine the potential consequences of such an embargo.

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If their rivals are able to strengthen through recruitment and the Whites aren’t, that could hamper their chances of top-flight survival, assuming they stay up by the end of the current campaign.

One source of frustration for Leeds and Marsch will be that, considering all the hassle over the court case, Augustin barely made an impact at Elland Road. He played just 48 minutes across three Championship appearances, failing to score in his brief stay at the club.

In other news, Leeds are ‘confident’ of striking a new deal for this Elland Road maestro

	Singapore’s Chris Janik on his way to 5 for 9 off just 3.2 overs © Cricketeurope

The form book was well and truly thrown out of the window in the fourth round of the ICC World Cricket League Division Five as Singapore blew Group B wide open with a 69-run win over Afghanistan. With Jersey, USA and Nepal booking their semi-final places, it left Afghanistan and Singapore battling for the remaining spot.Afghanistan had been expected to maintain their unbeaten record against Singapore and, in a 30-over match, they appeared to be on course when they bowled Singapore out for 145. But in reply Afghanistan were skittled for 76, Chris Janik producing outstanding figures of 5 for 9 off just 3.2 overs.”It feels great, although it is all about the team. Afghanistan don’t lose every single game so it is a great win for us, especially since the game yesterday was rained off” Janik said adding “for a small country like Singapore with four million people it would be absolutely fantastic for us [to reach WCL Division Four]”.Taj Malik, coach of the Afghanistan team was extremely disappointed with the performance and believed the damp Jersey conditions were unfavourable to his side. “The weather has caused a lot of problems for us. We are never sure when we will start and whether the matches are reduced in overs,” said Malik. “The weather is the enemy of the Afghanistan cricket team.”But he still believes that his side is capable of qualifying for the semi-finals, although they will face a massive test against Jersey tomorrow knowing that even a win will not guarantee them a place in the top four. “I have told the guys they are still in the tournament and if we want to get a place in the semi-final then tomorrow is do or die.”The equation is further complicated by the washout of Singapore’s game against Japan on Sunday which might be replayed on Thursday, the official rest day.In other matches today, USA skipper Steve Massiah helped his side into the semi-finals of the competition with a solid all-round performance. Massiah was in excellent form with both bat and ball in a comprehensive six-wicket win over Germany to ensure that his side remains unbeaten at this event. Bowling first USA dismissed Germany for 104, with Massiah taking 2 for 11, before they reached their target with 4.5 overs to spare in a 33-over per side game.Nepal joined the USA in ensuring a top two place in Group A with a comfortable 137-run win over Vanuatu, although once again it may have been slightly disappointed with its batting performance. Mahesh Chhetri made 65 and Mahaboob Alam scored 34 as Nepal struggled to reach 220 for 9 in 46 overs in another game which had been reduced due to a delayed start. But once again Nepal’s bowling helped them recover and they never looked in any trouble as they bowled out Vanuatu for 83, with Paras Khadka the pick of the bowlers with 3 for 26. Nepal play the USA tomorrow to decide who finishes top of Group A.In Group B, Ryan Driver and Peter Gough were the heroes for Jersey as they coasted to a seven-wicket win over Botswana. “Four out of four … I couldn’t ask for anything more. We’ve got Afghanistan next so I hope we keep our winning run going and make it five from five,” said skipper Matt Hague. Another disciplined bowling performance, which saw Ryan Driver (3 for 10), Tony Carlyon (2 for 12) and Andy Dewhurst (2 for 19) share the wickets, dismissed Botswana for 66. And although Jersey didn’t look entirely comfortable, Peter Gough’s outstanding run with the bat continued as he made an unbeaten 39 not out.Hague admitted that he was looking forward to the challenge of taking on Afghanistan but believed his side had nothing to be afraid of. “We haven’t looked at them that much but looking at their scores they seem to quite go quite hard, but we fear nobody at the moment,” he said.There was a thrilling tie between Japan and Bahamas in another game which was reduced overs due to bad weather, with Japan narrowly failing to reach their target of 116 with a run out off the final ball of the match as they desperately tried to gain the second run that would have sealed the win.Mozambique registered an outstanding win over Norway by three wickets to gain their first victory of the tournament.

Group A

Team	Mat	Won	Lost	Tied	N/R	Pts
Nepal	4	4	0	0	0	8
U.S.A.	4	4	0	0	0	8
Germany	4	2	2	0	0	4
Norway	4	1	3	0	0	2
Mozambique	4	1	3	0	0	2
Vanuatu	4	0	4	0	0	0

Group B

Team	Mat	Won	Lost	Tied	N/R	Pts
Jersey	4	4	0	0	0	8
Afghanistan	4	3	1	0	0	6
Singapore	3	2	1	0	0	4
Botswana	4	1	3	0	0	2
Japan	3	0	2	1	0	1
Bahamas	4	0	3	1	0	1

Chris Dougherty struck a blistering hundred for Ireland, and Calum MacLeod took four wickets for Scotland, as the arch-rivals set up a must-win match in the European Under-19 World Cup qualifier in Belfast yesterday.Dougherty hit a fine 131 to help Ireland beat Denmark by 174 runs at Osborne Park while MacLeod picked up 4 for 36 at a crucial stage to bowl Scotland to a tense 26-run victory over Netherlands at Stormont.The results mean that Ireland and Scotland, with two wins each from as many games, will now meet on Thursday with the winner qualifying for the Under-19 World Cup next year.Dougherty stroked 16 fours in his 137-ball knock to steer Ireland to 301 for 8 after they had won the toss. Dougherty, who came into this tournament after scoring more than 600 runs in senior club cricket, featured in two big partnerships. Opening the innings with Paul Stirling (42 off 48 balls with five fours), he put on 94 runs, and 113 for the second wicket with Graham McDonnell.Ireland then reduced Denmark to 34 for 4, a position from which they couldn’t recover with James Hall picking up 4 for 22 as they were bowled out for 127.The tricky batting conditions at Osborne Park were matched at Stormont where Scotland held their nerve to beat Netherlands by 26 runs. Scotland’s 208 for 4 was compiled thanks to Ryan Flannigan’s dogged 56 and a late-order burst from MacLeod (21 off 12).Netherlands looked dead and buried when they slumped to 69 for 6 but Stijn Aleema and Tim Gruijters lifted the spirits with a seventh-wicket partnership of 69. MacLeod then returned for his second spell and took three quick wickets to end Netherlands’ innings for 182 in 48.4 overs. MacLeod finished as the pick of Scotland bowlers with 4 for 36 while Charles Legget took 2 for 39.

Sachin Tendulkar’s fifty was eclipsed by a typically violent knock from Shahid Afridi © Getty Images

Inzamam-ul-Haq and Shahid Afridi both struck powerful cameos as Pakistan beat an International XI side in a charity match at The Oval, despite 50 from Sachin Tendulkar. Rain and gloom reduced the Twenty20 clash to a ten-over-a-side encounter but a 20,000-plus crowd were entertained by the glittering array of stars on show and raised £250,000 for survivors of last October’s earthquake in Pakistan.On a wet and gloomy evening in south London, chasing 124, Afridi did what he does best and clobbered the bowling around the park. In the space of just 12 balls, he smashed 41 runs – 22 of which came from his first four balls. The unlucky victim was Zaheer Khan who, bowling in near darkness, was hit for three sixes and a four in typically violent manner.Inzamam then finished off Afridi’s work with a pugnacious 36 as Pakistan, needing 18 off the last over, sneaked home off the penultimate ball.Earlier, Tendulkar and Brian Lara put on 72 for the first wicket with Tendulkar bringing up his 50 from 26 balls with eight fours and a six. He might have been facing bowlers of international experience for the first time in close to four months but there was little to suggest any sort of discomfort. He fetched boundaries off three powerful pull shots – two fours against Shahid Nazir and a huge six off Waqar Younis – and appeared to have his shoulder worries under control.The free-flowing delight of Lara and Tendulkar was soon overshadowed by some brutal hitting from Mahendra Singh Dhoni. Not only did he crunch 35 from 13 balls, unleashing his characteristic hoicks, but also added to Pakistan’s woes in the bowling department. With Rana Naved-ul-Hasan ruled out of the series and Mohammad Asif doubtful for the first Test, starting in Lord’s on July 13, the last thing Pakistan would have wanted is a further denting of their bowlers’ confidence.Mohammad Sami was nowhere close to his best; Umar Gul, bowling with a high-arm action, got only one over; Shahid Nazir was carted to various corners and Abdul Razzaq , on today’s performance at least, won’t be sending too many shivers down too many batsmen’s spines.Of course, it was just a charity match; of course, the bowlers weren’t stretching themselves; and of course, it didn’t even matter to the eventual result. When you have a monster hitter like Afridi in your ranks, why sweat over minor trifles like your pace-bowling attack?

England women cricket’s leading batsman Claire Taylor is going to try her hand playing for Canterbury in the State League competition this summer.Taylor, one of the most consistent of England’s players over the last two years, and one of their best performers at the CricInfo Women’s World Cup at Lincoln University, has been named in a women’s trial to be played against Otago at Geraldine at Labour Weekend.Canterbury has lost more top players and coming on top of the loss of three of its stalwarts of recent history the year before, Debbie Hockley, Catherine Campbell and Katrina Keenan, it is facing another rebuilding year.Missing from the team, which will be led by new captain Haidee Tiffen, will be Paula Flannery, who has decided to stay overseas, Emily Travers who is taking a break, Delwyn Brownlee and Fiona Fraser, who has decided to stay in Wellington, her home town.Another English player, Mandie Godliman, a wicket-keeper, started the season in Christchurch but is going to try out for the Wellington team. She has played eight matches for England and along with Taylor, has been named in the side to play in the four-nations series in New Zealand in January, against Australia, New Zealand and India, and then to play in the Ashes series in Australia.England fast bowler Clare Taylor is to play for Otago again this season while Charlotte Edwards is to play here as well. She played for Northern Districts after the last Women’s World Cup.Tiffen, New Zealand’s leading all-rounder, had her position as Canterbury captain announced at tonight’s Canterbury season launch. Nicola Payne will be the vice-captain.Canterbury men’s coach Michael Sharpe outlined the work the State Wizards had been doing in the off-season and commented on the extensive back-up the side will have this year with input from New Zealand Cricket Academy personnel Warren Frost and Ashley Ross.Canterbury chief executive Richard Reid said he had received sign-off from clubs and districts in the province for a new form of competition next summer and said he hoped that people would embrace the system when it was put in place.He had been very pleased with the way a new points system had been accepted this season, along with new hours of play, and he was sure there would be a wide measure of satisfaction with the changes.All senior clubs were presented with an allocation of match balls at the opening function which was held at Canterbury Draught’s brewery, one of the Canterbury Association’s sponsors.