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Centuries from Gloucestershire opener Phil Weston and South African batsman Jonty Rhodes ensured that this Frizzell County Championship Division Two clash went into the fourth day as Hampshire toiled in the hot Sunday sunshine.The visitors still required 95 to make Hampshire bat again overnight and had already lost Craig Spearman and nightwatchman Mike Smith in the process so many thought that the game – and a win for Hampshire – would be wrapped up with a day to spare.However, the West Countrymen knew that they had a good two days to bat out and negotiated the first to close with a lead of 237 and the forecast very possibly on their side for Monday.Weston, carrying on from his steady 39 in the first innings, played patiently alongside Chris Taylor as the pair added 62 for the third wicket which edged them close to lunch. Taylor was snapped up by the persevering Udal, caught Robin Smith at short leg for 31.But this only brought in Rhodes to record his highest score for his adopted county and his highest since his unbeaten 57 against Hampshire at Bristol some six weeks ago. He had not been in the best of forms of late – but made serious amends against a Hampshire attack which was to lose Alan Mullally to a hamstring strain.The injury will see him miss the four-day trip to spinner-friendly Northampton starting on Wednesday.Weston went to his first century for Gloucestershire – he moved from Worcestershire in the closed season – but perished just two balls later when he nibbled an edge to Pothas off Ed Giddins.Gloucestershire were working in good partnerships throughout as Hampshire tried to eke out every wicket on a pitch which seems to have improved in its trustworthiness as the game has progressed.Weston and Rhodes added 96, Rhodes and Windows 75, Rhodes’ stand with Gidman and Harvey both realised 31 while his partnership with Ball posted 27. It was hard work for Hampshire’s bowlers in dislodging the resistance.But it was Rhodes with a delightful innings of 134 not out, coming from 251 balls and including 12 fours and three sixes – one of which, off Giddins, took some seven minutes for the ball to be found!The needless run out of wicket-keeper Stephen Pope helped Hampshire finish off the day on a high, but chasing down approximately 250 will be a challenge on a wicket which could be freshened up a bit by some forecast heavy overnight rain and thunder.

BRISBANE, March 14 AAP – Queensland paceman Joe Dawes knocked over NSW’s batting kingpins tonight to ensure the Bulls survived one of the best centuries of Michael Slater’s career in the Pura Cup final at the Gabba.The Blues should have been cruising at stumps on the first day after Slater scored 100 and Simon Katich supplied 82 but they ended up scurrying from the ground when bad light stopped play at 6-223 in their first innings.It was still an impressive scorecard given the challenging batting conditions, not helped by a 95-minute rain delay, but it could have been so much better for NSW if not for Dawes (3-41).The former police officer claimed 3-0 in nine balls, removing Test captain Steve Waugh (nine), Michael Clarke (zero) and Brad Haddin (one) with pinpoint LBW decisions.With Michael Kasprowicz (2-79) removing Katich, the Blues were paddling during a collapse of 4-2 which had always threatened after Queensland captain Martin Love won the toss on a juicy wicket.But Slater’s good work ensured the Blues were still fighting on level terms, with the chance to edge ahead with Mark Waugh (one not out) at the crease for tomorrow’s first session.Slater’s 36th first-class century wasn’t one of his typically ruthless knocks. It was all patience and placement because the conditions wouldn’t allow anything else.The 33-year-old kissed the NSW crest on his helmet when he reached his century, repeating the gesture that became his trademark after his 14 Test tons.”That’s the first time I’ve kissed the NSW crest, but it was quite symbolic of how I felt,” Slater said.”That hundred goes down as one of the most satisfying of my career. I take a lot from it because it’s been a tough couple of years.”I’ve always regarded myself as someone who enjoys the big occasion and the big matches and I wanted to contribute heavily in this game.”On a pitch like this, runs on the board are everything. It’s the sort of deck where (the team) could be rolled for 100 or 90.”NSW started poorly when opener Greg Mail fell for two to Adam Dale (1-15) but Slater and Katich then unleashed a 191-run stand which could mean plenty when this match ends.Katich batted for almost 30 minutes longer than Slater and their heavy partnership was vital for the Blues because batting wasn’t easy for new batsmen.”It was very lively and when it seamed, it seamed a long way so it was very hard batting against that,” Slater said.”It wasn’t dangerous, it was sporting, and you had to concentrate on every ball.”That (collapse) could have happened for us a lot earlier than it did so that’s why it was crucial that we got a good partnership.”If we can go on and get 300 it would be superb because I can’t see the pitch getting much better.”Queensland had its problems before the toss when allrounder James Hopes was ruled out with a virus.He was replaced by teenage batsman Nick Kruger, who arrived at the ground not knowing he was about to make his first-class debut.The 19-year-old is expected to open the batting for the Bulls, who have the confidence of making 349 against Victoria in similar conditions last month.

A powerful start to the new national cricket competition at The Rose Bowl!This week’s announcement (w/c 11th March, 2003) that npower is to sponsor the new Twenty20 Cup competition reinforces the expectation of some electrifying and powerful cricket at The Rose Bowl this summer.With Hampshire being selected for the prestigious inaugural match on Friday, 13th June, this all-action, twenty-over competition is precisely half the length of the previous shortest game in this country.With only an hour and a quarter to pile up match-winning runs, the pressure will be on Hampshire’s batsmen for some high run-rate cricket that is likely to have spectators on the edge of their seats as the ball is smashed around The Rose Bowl.Guaranteed live television coverage on Sky Sports will ensure that the eyes of the cricket world will be on The Rose Bowl as the two-week summer competition is launched with Hampshire clashing with Sussex in a mouth-watering South Coast derby.As smoke (the Twenty20 Cup replaces the old Benson & Hedges Cup) gives way to modern power (npower is one of the UK’s largest energy providers), the competition looks set to attract a new and younger spectator audience, particularly as off-field entertainment will include live bands, replay screens, BBQ zones and karaoke machines.”With npower’s sponsorship now confirmed, the atmosphere at the Rose Bowl is definitely going to be electric this summer.” said Nick Pike, The Rose Bowl’s managing director. “With no time for a batsman to play himself in and players throwing themselves about in the field, it’ll be powerful action all the way and a hectic evening for players and spectators alike!”Editor’s Note:The Twenty20 Cup splits the 18 First-Class Counties into three groups of six teams, the 45 group matches will be played over a 12 day period in June (13th – 24th June). The winners of the three groups and the best runner-up will progress to the finals day on Saturday, 19th July.Issued by: Hampshire CricketPress Contacts: Jane Kerr 07976 549705John Hughes 07973 705773

It is that time of the year again, when there is a brief lull in India’s international itinerary and the Challenger Trophy takes place. This year’s edition will be played at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore from the 10th to the 13th of January. As has been the format, three teams will participate – India Seniors, led by Sourav Ganguly, India ‘A’ under Rahul Dravid, and India ‘B’ skippered by Anil Kumble. The limited-overs fest loses some of its gloss, with Sachin Tendulkar and Javagal Srinath not taking part; the pair will enjoy a well-deserved rest. There is some doubt too about Dravid, who has been troubled by a shoulder injury.The India Seniors side boasts a strong line-up, with 10 of the 13 members coming from the squad that took on England in the recent three-Test series. Tamil Nadu batsman Hemang Badani makes a return, as do Sunil Joshi and Debashish Mohanty.Following India’s return from South Africa, the fast bowling department was revamped, with Iqbal Siddiqui, Tinu Yohannan and Sanjay Bangar being drafted into the side. The Challenger Trophy gives the bowlers who were dropped – Ajit Agarkar, Zaheer Khan and Ashish Nehra – a chance to force their way back into the team. The chairman of selectors, Chandu Borde, was present at Bangalore and fielded a host of questions. As ever, there was disagreement on various selections and omissions. As ever, Borde said that the selectors “have an open mind” towards all players, and no one was permanently ruled out of selection.He further stressed on the need to plan for the 2003 World Cup, thereby almost ruling out the chances of a comeback for either Robin Singh or Nayan Mongia.Borde further added, “The form of Ganguly is worrying the selectors. But this kind of bad patch happens to all cricketers. It is just that Ganguly is going through a prolonged bad patch. We all know he is a talented batsman and will bounce back soon.”The squads:India Seniors: Sourav Ganguly (captain), Shiv Sunder Das, VVS Laxman, Virender Sehwag, Hemang Badani, Sanjay Bangar, Deep Dasgupta, Harbhajan Singh, Sunil Joshi, Tinu Yohannan, Iqbal Siddiqui, Debashish Mohanty, Jacob MartinIndia ‘A’: Rahul Dravid (captain), Connor Williams, Daniel Manohar, Rohan Gavaskar, Sangram Singh, Yuvraj Singh, Ajay Ratra, Reetinder Singh Sodhi, Murali Kartik, Zaheer Khan, Ajit Agarkar, Sarandeep Singh, Sitanshu Kotak.India ‘B’: Anil Kumble (captain), Mohammad Kaif, Sridharan Sriram, Dinesh Mongia, Hrishikesh Kanitkar, Arjun Yadav, Zakaria Zuffri, Vijay Bharadwaj, Pankaj Dharmani, Ashish Nehra, Sanjay Pandey, Amit Bhandari, Devendra Bundela

Star off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan will miss Sri Lanka’s crucial VB Series clash against England on Friday after pulling a thigh muscle.Muralitharan, who took four wickets for 27 during Sri Lanka’s four-wicket defeat against Australia on Wednesday, pulled the muscle whilst fielding.The off-spinner returned to the field to complete his final two overs, picking up the wicket of Shane Watson, but did so from a shortened run-up.Muralitharan will miss Sri Lanka’s two remaining group games in the triangular series but should be fit for the finals should Sri Lanka qualify, according to team manager Ajit Jayasekera.”Murali has pulled a muscle and will be out of action for approximately a week to 10 days,” said Jayasekera.Jayasekera confirmed that Muralitharan had insisted on returning to the field and completing his spell despite being in discomfort.Sri Lanka have 13 points and need to beat England, who have 14, if they are to qualify for the three-match finals.Meanwhile, match referee Clive Lloyd fined the Sri Lanka team 15% of their match fee for a slow overate.

Queensland dished out another Brisbane hiding to New South Wales today but the Blues still left the Gabba believing they were sneaking up on Australian cricket’s best domestic team.The eight-wicket win in less than three days flipped Queensland back to the top of the Pura Cup points table and left the Blues with another Gabba disaster to paste into their scrapbooks.The Blues haven’t taken a point from Brisbane in eight seasons and they were always in trouble today when their second innings total of 222 left the Bulls with just 133 runs for their second outright win of the season.Jimmy Maher (61) and Martin Love (65no) made short work of the run chase on a drying wicket, steering the defending champions to 2-133 and leaving no doubtthey were the favourites for a third successive title.The Bulls were simply smarter on a greentop, with Michael Kasprowicz taking nine wickets, Ashley Noffke claiming four and Andrew Symonds scooping six withhis dangerous medium pace.But NSW captain Shane Lee wasn’t wincing at the scorecard as he contemplated three days of dropped catches and near misses for the Blues.”New South Wales have been up here plenty of times and been absolutely thumped on a wicket like that,” Lee said.”If we had managed to get 200 or 250 ahead, it would have been a totally different game with Queensland chasing on a wicket still doing a bit.”But losing wickets in clumps really cost us in the end and the catches that went down made the difference.”Lee was the main catching culprit, spilling Wade Seccombe yesterday just 14 runs into a 109-run partnership with captain Stuart Law which gave Queensland amatch-winning plank.Even Law wasn’t glowing about Queensland’s performance, admitting NSW quick Stuart Clark (4-61 and 2-34) was the pick of the bowlers from both teams.Law said the Blues “outbowled” his team and declared some of his batsmen were lucky to get away with shots that would normally cause their downfalls.But the Blues failed to take their chances, especially late yeasterday when they reached a healthy 2-142 before the wheels fell off.Brisbane is becoming a barren battleground for the Blues, who are joining Victoria as non-winners at the ground, and Law said the conditions might worry the visitors.”They don’t like to walk out there and see grass on that wicket,” Law said.”That’s the way it used to be and you see the other guys walking up and looking at it and they just don’t want to get out there and play on it.”(The wicket) does a bit more than anywhere else in the country and it’s an advantage we’ve got but we’re going to have to play better cricket if we want to beat teams.”New South Wales had their opportunities here but we probably outbatted them in the end.”The teams return to the Gabba on Friday afternoon for an ING Cup one-day match.

Ewen Thompson, the 21-year-old Central Districts left-arm bowler, joined the small ranks of one-armed cricketers when he batted one-handed against Auckland on the third day of their State Championship four-day match on the Eden Park Outer Oval today.Thompson suffered a broken bone in his right forearm when batting on Monday, and the forecast seemed to be that while he might bowl again in the match batting was out of the question.As the Central Districts second innings wickets fell steadily today Thompson sat on the sideline, feeling more than one kind of pain.”Then I decided I owed it to the team to try and get some runs at the end,” said Thompson, “so I had a go.”I felt a bit awkward, but managed to get some runs (in fact 18 from 14 balls in a 26-run last-wicket stand with Michael Mason).”Thompson even managed two fours and a sweetly timed one-handed reverse sweep to the leg-spin bowling of Brooke Walker. He confessed that even batted one-handed gave him twinges of pain.However, later in the day, Thompson joined the CD bowling as they tried to slow Auckland’s growingly confident pursuit of 210 runs for victory, but could not bear the pain.”It really hurt, and I could not really get my right arm up in its normal bowling position, so it was not much use.”Thompson managed only three overs and is now facing four weeks with the arm in plaster, and perhaps some coaching work in Wairarapa, before he can consider re-starting his cricketing heroics.

Women’s cricket tends to struggle for a profile around the world, especially when compared to the male variety of the game, but in Pakistan there is action aplenty as three parties battle for control of the women’s game.The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB – men’s cricket) would like to have control, and decided last year that it should. But it has fallen into a legal minefield.The women’s game in Pakistan had struggled along for some years on its own without any notable assistance from men’s cricket.But the women were factionalised even then between the Pakistan Women’s Cricket Control Association (PWCCA), the body which gained the support of the International Women’s Cricket Council (IWCC), and a rival, the Pakistan Women’s Cricket Association (PWCA).Legal action has been pursued by the PWCCA over the PCB stance, and all that is missing to lift the squabble into prime entertainment class are the skills of Messrs Gilbert and Sullivan or their Urdu equivalents.Sadly, the effect of it all on the women who want to play only lends credence to the old African saying: “When elephants fight it is the grass that suffers.”The story so far goes something like this:The two women’s associations did their own thing for some years. Under Islamic tradition many parents will only allow their daughters to play cricket if no men are involved in its organisation.However, with the merging of the interests of men’s and women’s cricket occurring at national association level around the world, with the increasing likelihood of an international merger, the PCB entered the fray.With no common ground among the participating parties in sight, the High Court in Lahore directed the PCB to set up a scrutiny committee in July last year to decide which association should represent Pakistan.The PCB went to the International Cricket Council (ICC) for advice, while the PWCCA contacted Australia, England and New Zealand about their respective amalgamation models.Problems occurred when the scrutiny committee didn’t make a decision over which women’s association should run the game.It decided instead that the PCB should run the women’s game!But, according to reports, it didn’t advise the High Court of its decision.As a result, the PWCCA sought legal action to remedy the situation.The matter is vital for two reasons.Most notably because women’s cricket is likely to come under the control of the ICC from next year.While no final decision has been made on a merger, it will be discussed when the IWCC board of management reports to the full council of the IWCC at Voorshoten, near The Hague, on July 24.Only then will there be discussion on the merger proposal that has been under consideration with the ICC.At the same meeting, the PCB request for membership of the IWCC will be considered. Given the ICC’s controversies of late, it is a given that no merger will proceed while the Pakistan question is unresolved.But more immediately, the Women’s World Cup qualifying tournament is to be held in the Netherlands soon.Clearly this is a prestigious event for Pakistan, so prestigious that the PCB went ahead and held trials. This despite the fact that no official decision had been made over who should be running the women’s game.The PWCCA complained long and hard but the PCB ignored the situation. Finally, the point of embarrassment was reached when the PWCCA obtained a Stay Order from the High Court which prevented the PCB from selecting a side.The PCB went to the ICC who in turn sent the PCB to the IWCC who informed them the PWCCA was the only body capable of having a team at the tournament.Not surprisingly, the women’s world body which also has as one of its requirements, the fostering of the women’s game around the world, wants to see some resolution to the situation.The IWCC have called for all the interested parties to get around the table to discuss the issues under the arbitrary eye of a respected and independent figure in cricket in Pakistan.IWCC president, Christine Brierley, of Australia, said today: “The IWCC has informed the PCB that it has a responsibility to act fairly with its members, and any change to the status of an existing member body must be made in accordance with the IWCC rules, and the rules of natural justice.”The IWCC position regarding Pakistan is that we, with the ICC, encourage a comprehensive development programme and structure for women’s cricket. However, in saying that, we are also mindful of the complexities of the situation, which are political, and additionally complicated by the vested interests of the various parties involved and set against their own cultural requirements as in religious constraints.”There should be an interesting couple of months leading up to the event.

Struggling first to bowl Haryana out early, Services then compoundedtheir bad performance by collapsing to 219/6 by the close of play onDay Two of their Ranji Trophy league match at Faridabad.Resuming at 275/8, their overnight score, Haryana added 72 vital runsfor the loss of the last two wickets, finally being bowled out for347. Services started off strongly, with PMS Reddy (77) and K Chawda(33) put on 103 runs for the first wicket.Haryana came back into the game with the help of twin strikes from SVidyut as he removed first Chawda and Reddy. Amit Mishra and Vidyuttook two and three wickets respectively, destroying Services’ toporder.By stumps, Services were down six wickets for only 219, with onlySarabjit Singh contributing substantially. CD Thomson and SachinNadkarni were unbeaten on 13 and 12 respectively.

Speculation that Michael Atherton would make an imminent decision on his international future has been refuted by the England opener.The 33-year-old denied reports that he would announce a decision this weekend and reaffirmed that he would take his time before deciding on whether to continue his England career.In his column for The Sunday Telegraph, Atherton said: “There is obviously alot of speculation around at the moment as to my immediate internationalfuture.”Unfortunately some sections of the media cannot seem to comprehend the factthat when I say I will make a decision at the end of the season, then I will betrue to my word.”I believe that while you are under contract to the England team, you seethat contract through and then, only then, if there are any decisions to bemade, you make them.”As I said last year, the end of this season marks a natural watershed forme.”It is unlikely that I will face Australia again after the current tour and,since most of our international calendar builds up to the Ashes, it is naturalthat this should be so.”The former England captain has suffered with a long-term back injury and said that his continuing fitness battle may influence his decision.He said: “There are other considerations for me too; it is no secret that Ihave had some fitness problems with my back and I need to see how that isshaping up at the end of this year. The time for cortisone injections is near an end.”I have also been playing constant international cricket now for 13 years. Itdemands absolute commitment. Since I do not have children it is easy for me tosay, but I believe you either play or don’t play.”So, if I were to be available to tour this winter it would be for both toursand again it would be a long commitment.”I need to ask myself whether I still have the drive and whether thecompetitive instinct remains as strong as ever.”These decisions, I believe, can only be made with a clear head and certainlynot in the middle of two very important Test Matches.”I have played in games where players have announced their retirementsbeforehand and it can be a distraction to the rest of the team.”So while it would no doubt make a nice story I am afraid that if, and when,I retire I will do so in a low-key manner.”For a player, the timing of retirement is the most important decision hewill have to make. Once made there is no going back and therefore I intend togive myself a little time to make the right choice.”