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Close Australia 262 for 2 (Langer 115*, Ponting 52) v India
Scorecard

The best part of Sourav Ganguly’s day lasted for a few minutes, first thing in the morning. He won the toss and put Australia in. But winning the toss against Australia is about as useful as using an umbrella to keep dry under the Niagara Falls. Australia rattled up 262 for 2, on a rain-interrupted first day in which Justin Langer clattered 115, and the closest thing to batting failure was Matthew Hayden’s breezy 37.Langer’s innings formed the backbone of a strong Australian score, both literally and figuratively. He was gritty, solid, no-frills and vitally important for the stability of the innings. Around him there were batsmen of greater panache and ability who played dreamy drives and powerful thumps. But no runs look better than the ones on the scoreboard. The way Langer paced his innings put the Indians on the back foot, and kept them there all day.To begin with, Ashish Nehra and Zaheer Khan bowled too full, floating the ball into just the right place for Langer and Hayden to drive. And drive they did, in contrasting styles. Hayden stood tall and bludgeoned, Langer punched and pushed, almost apologetically. Hayden’s booming drives pinged the advertising hoardings, while Langer’s shots trickled over the ropes, often with a ragged Indian fielder in tow.When Akash Chopra caught Langer smartly at short square leg off a Nehra no-ball, and the Indian fielders had to rein in their delight, it set the tone for the day. Lady luck turned her face away from the carnage. The ball beat the bat more than once, when Zaheer bent his back and produced a good spell, but did not result in an edge. The ball tricked the bat and hit pad more than once, but did not result in an lbw.But, as they say, you make your own luck. Australia kept their run rate hovering around the four mark with unwavering certainty. Hayden reached 37 from 52 balls before flashing a delivery from Zaheer into VVS Laxman’s lap in the slip cordon (73 for 1).India needed to tighten the screws at this stage. They had to slip in a few quiet overs and put pressure on Ricky Ponting, the new batsman. Ajit Agarkar achieved the exact opposite, with a string of half-volleys that Ponting pummelled back down the ground for boundaries. Ganguly, frustrated and sheepish in equal measure, removed Agarkar from the attack after a first spell of 5-1-40-0.

Since pace clearly did not work, Gangly turned to Harbhajan Singh, his lone spinner. Harbhajan, picked ahead of Anil Kumble for this Test, was welcomed to the attack with a savage Langer cut that raced to the point fence. Ponting, who was dismissed no fewer than five times by Harbhajan when Australia last toured India, made a bold statement by coming down the track and smashing Harbhajan into the stands over long-on.Spin and pace had both failed in the face of the Langer-Ponting combination, which added 89 runs for the second wicket. Almost against the run of play, Ponting (52) then dismissed himself, when he top-edged a pull to Parthiv Patel behind the stumps (162 for 2). Zaheer allowed himself a smile, having taken Ponting’s wicket with the unlikeliest of deliveries, a short one.Damien Martyn began his pleasurable stay at the crease with a tickle down to the fine-leg boundary. He waited on the ball, was in no hurry, and built his innings. With Australia scoring as quickly as they were, Martyn didn’t need to take any risks. Playing his natural game, treating the bowling on merit, Martyn helped himself to 36 runs. Langer, unbeaten on 115 (175 balls, 16 fours), was happy to walk off the field when Steve Bucknor offered him the light. Although only 62 overs were bowled in the day, Australia scored quickly enough, at 4.22 runs per over, to reach 262.The Indians were also happy to walk off, as that was perhaps the only way they were going to get any respite from this onslaught. Ganguly walked off just behind Langer, applauding him as he crossed over the ropes to a waiting Hayden. That might be just about the shape of things to come for the Indians in the gruelling weeks ahead.

Victoria’s fast-bowling stocks have been bolstered with the recalls of Shane Harwood and Dirk Nannes for the Pura Cup match against the leaders New South Wales on Friday. The Blues hold a two-point advantage over the Bushrangers after four games, but the home team won the FR Cup match at the MCG on Wednesday night.”It’s a top-of-the-table clash and the Blues have obviously got some big names, but if you try to play the reputations, you’re already dead in the water,” Victoria’s Andrew McDonald said. “We’ve had some good wins of late so that gives us some confidence and hopefully we can put it together in this clash.”Harwood and Nannes, who took 3 for 28 on Wednesday, come in for Cameron White, the captain who has a broken foot, and Clint McKay, who has an ankle injury. Brad Hodge will lead the side again in White’s absence.New South Wales have been hit by the withdrawal of Phil Jaques, who has the mumps, while Brett Lee will miss the match to rest. Michael Clarke is also in some doubt due to hamstring soreness.Victoria squad Michael Klinger, Robert Quiney, Brad Hodge (capt), David Hussey, Nick Jewell, Andrew McDonald, Matthew Wade (wk), Gerard Denton, Shane Harwood, Allan Wise, Bryce McGain, Dirk Nannes.New South Wales squad Phillip Hughes, Peter Forrest, Simon Katich (capt), Michael Clarke, Dominic Thornely, Brad Haddin (wk), Grant Lambert, Matthew Nicholson, Nathan Bracken, Beau Casson, Stuart Clark, Doug Bollinger.

A Sri Lanka side without any big names overcame the Shane Warne-led All Stars to win the 2007 edition of the Hong Kong Sixes.Sri Lanka, captained by Indika de Saram, triumphed for the first time in the tournament – held since 1992. They remained unbeaten through the two days, and were the only team that managed to upset the All Stars in the six-a-side event.Batting first, Sri Lanka rattled up an imposing 127 for 3 in the final, the tournament’s highest, off five eight-ball overs (instead of the usual six-ball overs for the other matches). de Saram starred with an unbeaten 40, the best individual score of the tournament and was well-supported by Kaushalya Weeraratne, who retired after going past 30, in keeping with the tournament rules.Warne, who conceded only seven runs in the fifth over of the semi-final against Pakistan, came in for heavy punishment in the final, giving away 30 runs, including a few wides (costing two runs apiece) after Ranga Dias blasted the first three deliveries in the over for 6, 4 and 6.The All Stars were up against the tide from the first ball of their chase, with Craig McMillan – who was named Player of the Tournament – out for a golden duck. It was the first time that McMillan had been dismissed, but he earned a consolation in winning the Ben Hollioake Trophy for his 148 runs.Brian Lara’s spirited effort of 34 was cut short due to the retirement rule, but Geraint Jones came in and blasted three successive sixes. Jones, the England wicketkeeper during the 2005 Ashes, did exceptionally well with bat, ball and in the field in place of Glenn McGrath, who missed the final two matches due to a dislocated finger.Jones finished the tournament with a six, but his 36 was not enough to deny Sri Lanka the trophy.”The Hong Kong Sixes is a great tournament and I think the fans at home will take this as a very good thing,” Jeewantha Kulatunga, who scored 28 in the final, said. “This week was so special to play against players like Warne, Lara and McGrath, so I think it was a great honour to play against them and the fans will feel great.”Cricket is a funny old game. We did not have that much pressure on us, so we did our best and went for the win and that was what we did,” he said. “Because it was an eight-ball game, even if you miss one or two, you do not need to panic. You have to keep clam and do your best.”

Warne felt his bowlers erred in the final. “The eight-ball overs made a lot of difference in the final,” he said. “The part-time bowlers having to bowl a couple of extra deliveries made a difference, but all credit to Sri Lanka. They played extremely well and deserved to win.”Losing Craig McMillan cost us a fair bit. He had not being out for the whole tournament and then gets out first ball of the final.”The All Stars also pledged their runners-up cheque for US$45,000 for the development of junior cricket in Hong Kong.Earlier in the day, the All Stars posted easy victories over the two four-time winners – England and Pakistan – in the quarter and semi-finals while Sri Lanka got the better of New Zealand and defending champions South Africa in the knockout games.New Zealand and Pakistan shared third place, while positions five to eight were taken by South Africa, England, Bangladesh and Australia, on the basis of net run-rate. India and Hong Kong finished a lowly ninth.However, it was the All Stars that caught the eye of the sold-out stands at the Kowloon Cricket Club. “It is the first time that I have played over here in the Sixes and I have thoroughly enjoyed it,” Warne said. “Everyone has been very hospitable and has made us feel very welcome. It has been a really good fun weekend. We did not disgrace ourselves us old , so it was great.”

Bermuda coach Gus Logie believes the island can still qualify for the next World Cup – despite a run of results that has seen his side plummet down the world rankings.In an extensive post tour Q&A with the Bermuda Sun, Logie vented about lack of training facilities, lack of home fixtures, the inability of players to attend training and the regression of players at club level.But he remains optimistic that when Bermuda return to Dubai in 2009 for the ICC Trophy they will have improved sufficiently to reach the top six and qualify for World Cup 2011.”We have been able to achieve a hell of a lot but it’s been in spite of [the obstacles]. We still expect a lot from our players but you have a situation where there is no national team in training. You can’t have a national set up when you have four guys here and five guys there.”He added that part of the solution lay with the clubs and encouraged them to get their houses in order.”We need people on the ground to do their part. They can’t just point fingers at the national team. The national team comes from where? There has to be a bigger effort from the clubs – that’s the academy. The clubs and the community are the ones that are producing the players. We can’t have people doing the wrong things in the community and at the clubs and expect them to be eradicated at the national level.”He added that it was tough for national coaches to have an impact when they were required to work with skeleton squads in school hall gymnasiums while their opponents trained 24/7 on proper cricket fields.Despite his misgivings about the state of Bermuda’s infrastructure Logie insisted qualification for the World Cup in 2011 was still on the cards.After defeats against unfancied Associate sides like Uganda and Denmark, Bermuda are now ranked 14th among the non-Test-playing nations in CricketEurope’s unofficial standings – behind the likes of Jersey and the Cayman Islands. But anything is possible, says the coach.”It’s not going to be easy, but at the end of the day if you want something bad enough you can overcome the obstacles and achieve it. I’m quite optimistic about this group of guys and the young players we have at present.”This article first appeared in the Bermuda Sun

The highlights of Michael Clarke’s debut series in India had been limited to news bulletins and pay television, so most Australians were getting their first real look at the boy wonder. And in one shot Clarke united grandstands and lounge rooms when he pulled a four from the final ball before lunch to bring up a magical century. What an introduction.Eleven minutes earlier he had been 16 short, straining to go for it but running out of seconds. With one over to go he needed 11 and the mark was surely impossible. But he followed a four through cover off Chris Martin with a three to mid-on, Adam Gilchrist got off strike and Clarke had one ball to move off 96.Stephen Fleming posted two men in the deep at fine and square leg. Knowing the batsman was in the mood for risk, Chris Martin wanted a short ball rising to shoulder height or more above off stump. He delivered it. Clarke rocked back and slapped it in front of square, punching out his celebration like a Cup-winning jockey.Gilchrist, one of the game’s finest shot-makers, had been left behind and clapped in amazement as Clarke slobbered on his helmet, belted the Australia crest on his shirt with his bat and walked off to the appropriate backing music of Alex Lloyd’s ‘Amazing’. It was almost Doug Walters versus Bob Willis at the WACA in 1974-75.Walters trotted off for a beer; Clarke deserved a few breaths to settle down. It was a wild ride that had pulled him more history. Clarke had registered centuries on debut at home and away, joining Kepler Wessels at the Gabba and Kandy in 1982-83 and Harry Graham at Lord’s in 1893 and Sydney in 1894-95. It took Clarke, 23, less than seven weeks.Starting the morning on 31, Clarke was in a hurry and hit Kyle Mills through midwicket in the same over he hooked him for four. As he passed fifty his innings became a sprint and the lunch break hovered. Drives went on both sides to passthrough the 60s, fiercely timed pulls and back foot cover drives got him to the 80s. There were also surges of youthful, unrefined adrenalin that forced an inside edge and some minor miscues.Gilchrist had been Clarke’s Sherpa during his hundred at Bangalore and was again trying to be a calming influence. His message was there was no need to rush. Clarke was listening, but thankfully – and spectacularly – ignored the request for caution.

Haryana right arm medium pacer Nitin Aggarwal (5 for 16) and legspinner Amit Mishra (5 for 10) reaped a rich harvest of wickets asHimachal Pradesh collapsed to 52 allout in their first innings on theopening day of their North Zone Cooch Behar Trophy cricket match atMaharaja Aggarsain Stadium here on Sunday.Put into bat, Himachal Pradesh made a disastrous start. None of theHimachal batsmen looked in touch as both Aggarwal and Mishra ranthrough the side. Their domination was so complete that five of thebatsmen failed to score. Only Shashi Kumar (13) could reach the doublefigure mark. Himachal innings’s folded in just 25.5 overs.In reply, Haryana made a solid reply in the remaining 240 minutes toscore 230 runs for the loss of one wicket including an unbeatencentury by opener Manvinder Bisla. Bisla (143 not out, 205 balls 214s, two 6s) in the company of Bhuvanesh Sharma (62) put Haryana incommand with a 158-run opening stand in 49 overs. After a 163 minutestay Bhuvanesh departed, falling leg before to Shashi. Then IshanGandha (16 not out) joined Bisla to and the two remained unbeaten tillstumps.

Shoaib Akhtar has said the ghosts of Pakistan’s recent loss against India have been laid to rest and promised a barnstorming return in the Asia Cup. “I am always there to play for my country and have left all that happened in the India series behind me,” Shoaib told AFP after arriving in Pakistan from England.Shoaib, who has been in and out of cricket because of niggling injuries, cut short a stint with Durham to join the Pakistan team’s training camp at the Gaddafi stadium in Lahore. “The last two months were full of mental stress but through the well-wishes of my family, fans and supporters I have overcome all the problems,” said Akhtar, who earlier claimed he was not mentally ready to play. “I am duty-bound to play for my country but it was a tough decision after all the mental stress I had to go through.”Shoaib sustained a rib-cage injury during the final Test against India at Rawalpindi, but doubts arose about the severity of the injury when he played in England soon after. “I was really hurt, my integrity and commitment to the team and country was questioned but it was proved in tests in England that I was injured. I have never been short on commitment and will prove this in the coming Asia Cup. People alleged that I play county for money but I am returning home for national duty and do not care about financial losses.”Bob Woolmer, the newly-appointed coach of the Pakistan team, played a vital role in brokering an uneasy peace between Shoaib and the PCB, but he has warned that there would be no special treatment for Shoaib. “There is no secret that Akhtar has a difference of opinion with the PCB but if Akhtar wants to play for Pakistan he has to be here and join the bus. That is the bottom line.”

Saeed bin Nasir and Shahid Afridi hit impressive halfcenturies as Karachi Whites consolidated their grip overKarachi Blues in the Quaid-i-Azam Trophy Grade-I cricketmatch at KCCA Stadium here Friday.After taking a first innings of 33, the Whites closed thepenultimate day of the four-day clash on 212 for two intheir second knock.Saeed, who was tragically run out for 68 in the firstinnings, was batting with a fluent 73 off 115 balls in theunbroken third wicket stand of 86 with Test reject HasanRaza (36). Saeed has so far hit six fours and one six.Shahid Afridi, the Pakistan all-rounder, struck a typicallyswashbuckling 60 off 59 balls while dominating the openingpartnership of 80 with Ghulam Ali (37). He hit eight foursand a brace of sixes, the second clearing the ground by along way.Earlier, the Blues skipper Mohammad Javed was left strandedon 79 as his side managed 218 after resuming at 167 forseven. Javed’s 171-ball innings contained four boundaries.Pacer Tanvir Ahmed took two more wickets Friday to finishwith five for 64 in 25 overs.International umpire Afzaal Ahmed was unable to take hisplace Friday because of a back strain and was replaced byKhalid Mahmood.

Graham Thorpe has insisted he is prepared to wait for his England comeback. Thorpe was overlooked for the squad against South Africa, with Anthony McGrath keeping his place in the middle order.Talking to , Thorpe, who has not played for England since last summer, said: “What gives me hope is the discussions I’ve had in recent days with David Graveney and the coach, Duncan Fletcher. They’ve given me nothing but positive vibes.”Just because I haven’t made the team for Edgbaston, I’m not giving up hope of ever playing for England again. I don’t see this exclusion as the end of my England career or feel that the door has been firmly shut in my face.”He added: “Given the climate of English cricket and the way things can change quickly, I know I’ll have a good chance of being picked if a vacancy arises.”

Scorecard
Shivnarine Chanderpaul warmed up for Thursday’s first Test at Lord’s with an unbeaten hundred, as West Indies took the chance for some useful batting practice on the final day of their three-day match against Sri Lanka A at Shenley.By stumps, Chanderpaul was unbeaten on 104 from 146 balls, which represented a welcome return to form seeing as he had not topped 32 since the beginning of the NatWest Series. Sylvester Joseph also gave the selectors a nudge with his 68, to follow on from a first-innings 114, although he is less likely to feature at Lord’s.Omari Banks produced his second assured innings of the match, an unbeaten 29, as West Indies closed on a healthy 283 for 5. Earlier they had decided against enforcing the follow-on, despite securing a first-innings lead of 188, after bowling Sri Lanka out for 346. That effort owed much to Tino Best, who ripped out the tail to finish with 4 for 47 in his 11 overs.Sri Lanka’s wicketkeeper, Prasanna Jayawardene, was left stranded on 48 not out, as West Indies took control. But, on the plus side for the Sri Lankans, they at least preserved their unbeaten record, after sweeping to seven wins out of seven in the one-day leg of the tour. They now have two matches of their stop-over remaining, against Glamorgan and Somerset.