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Group A

Afghanistan finished on top of Group A in Asian Cricket Council Elite Trophy by beating Bahrain by seven runs in their final group match at the Bayuemas Oval in Kuala Lumpur. Asghar Stankzai scored 102 off 110 balls and Mohammad Nabi and Shafiqullah contributed half-centuries to lead Afghanistan to 293 for 9 in 50 overs after they were struggling at 166 for 6 at one stage. Bahrain used as many as eight bowlers all of whom picked up a wicket with the exception of Mirza Yaqoob. Opener Ashraf Mughal led Bahrain’s chase, scoring a run-a-ball 81. However, they found it hard to recover from a top-order collapse that resulted in them slipping from 53 for 0 to 88 for 4. Abdul Waheed scored 51 off 55 balls at No. 8 to bring Bahrain close but they fell short by seven runs finished fourth in the group.Twin hundreds from Rakesh Madhavan and Suhan Alagaratnam helped Malaysia crush Saudi Arabia by 193 runs at the Kinrara Academy Oval and finish third in Group A. Malaysia had lost two wickets on 89 in the 15th over when Madhavan and Alagaratnam began their partnership and by the time they were separated Malaysia had piled up 259 in the 44th over. Madhavan made 101 off 137 balls and Alagaratnam hit four sixes during his 83-ball hundred. The target of 317 proved to be beyond Saudi Arabia’s means and they folded for 123 with captain Sarfraz Ahmed top-scoring with 44. Priyankara Wickramasinghe’s 3 for 8 were the best figures for Malaysia. Saudi Arabia finished bottom of Group A.

Group B

Nepal chased down the target of 104 in 29 overs to record a seven-wicket win against Kuwait at the Selangor Turf Club and finish on top of Group B. Nepal’s new-ball bowler Mahaboob Alam reduced Kuwait to 17 for 3 during his opening spell while Shakti Gauchan picked up 3 for 5 in eight overs. Kuwait were dismissed for 103 in the 39th over. Nepal lost their first three wickets for 54 runs during the run-chase but Sharad Vesawkar and Paras Khadka remained unbeaten until victory was sealed.Zain Abbas and Skhawat Ali helped Hong Kong overcome a disastrous start and beat Singapore by 93 runs at the Royal Military College. Hong Kong’s total of 255 for 9 seemed improbable after they were reduced to 2 for 3 and then 25 for 4 but Abbas and Ali, who struck 80 and 83 respectively, added 158 for the fifth wicket. Singapore’s Mohammad Ali chipped away at the middle-order to finish with figures of 5 for 45 in nine overs. Singapore’s run-chase never took off and they were crippled by wickets falling frequently. They were dismissed for 162 in the 37th over. The victory gave Hong Kong second spot in Group B while Singapore finished third.

Somerset went some way towards silencing those who have criticised their championship form when they reached 403 for 9 against Warwickshire by close of play at the County Ground in Taunton.One of the loudest cheers of the day was saved for Matt Bulbeck who edged the fourth ball of the penultimate over of the day bowled by Graham Wagg past the wicket-keeper to the boundary to bring up the 400 and gain what could be a vital fifth batting point for the Cidermen.Earlier Mike Burns had been unfortunate to miss out on what would have been a thoroughly-deserved century against his old county when he fell to a dazzling catch for 95, and there was a typical gutsy 110 from Ian Blackwell.Blackwell’s knock met with the approval of the large crowd who enjoyed the entertainment as he smote his way to his century off 86 balls, which included two enormous sixes and sixteen fours.On the way to his century `Blackie’ shared in a sixth wicket partnership of 115 with Rob Turner who continued his run of good form with a well struck 35.At the end of the day Somerset captain Jamie Cox, who earlier had scored 29 told me: “We played some good cricket today. Perhaps we were a bit disappointed when we lost those wickets after Blackie was out, but to post 400 runs in a day, and to score quickly now gives us the chance to win the game.”Mike Burns told me: “To get 400 is not a bad effort, and if we field and bowl well then we are in with a chance of getting on top. We have been on the back foot for a while so it’s nice to get on top for a change.”Somerset coach Kevin Shine told me: “This was a much better day for us. There were some excellent contributions from some of the lads, especially Ian Blackwell.”We got five batting points which we haven’t done for a while which gives us something to bowl at. If we can push our score up to 450 tomorrow that will be a bonus.”

BRISBANE, Oct 19 AAP – Queensland captain Jimmy Maher tucked into the New South Wales bowling attack as the Pura Cup match headed for a draw at the Gabba today.At tea on the final day, the Bulls were 1-114 in their second innings – a lead of 178 – with Maher hitting 60 from 71 balls before he was caught at first slip by Simon Katich off the bowling of Nathan Bracken (1-9).Maher raced to his half-century with nine consecutive fours before Bracken found a regulation edge.Brendan Nash, following his 176 in the first innings, was unbeaten on 35 with Martin Love on six.Blues rookie Doug Bollinger was out of luck in his first-class debut, bowling Nash from a no-ball which clipped the off-stump and raced to the boundary.Earlier, the Bulls claimed valuable first-innings points when they dismissed the Blues for 443.

The Western Australian Cricket Association (WACA) is pleased to formally announce that Rob Langer has been appointed to the new position of High Performance Manager.Langer, a former West Australian cricketer and uncle of Australian Test batsman Justin Langer, will commence duties at the WACA in the next few weeks.As the WACA’s High Performance Manager, Langer will be responsible for:

• Overseeing Western Warriors activities including; Player Contracts; Player Code of Behaviour; and Selection Policy implementation;
• Implementation of a career management and player welfare program.
• Liaising with the Australian Cricket Board on WACA Ground fixturing.
• Effective management of game related activities at the WACA Ground, including requirements for the Western Warriors and visiting national and international teams.

Langer will also be required to work closely with State Coach Michael Veletta to oversee and manage required aspects of representative teams, including responsibility for resources and staff within the high performance unit of the WACA’s cricket department.During his career, Langer played 44 games for WA, scoring 2 756 runs at an average of 43.06, with five centuries and 18 half-centuries. Langer also played World Series Cricket (WSC) for Australia from 1977-78 to 1978-79 and like nephew Justin batted left-handed and filled the number three position.Langer’s most recent employment has been as a Senior Consultant and from 1999-2001 was Chief Executive Officer of the Western Australian Speedway Commission.The WACA is also pleased to formerly announce that Kim Hagdorn has been appointed the new Manager of Communications.Hagdorn was selected from a high quality field of national and international applicants to assume the responsibility of managing communications for the Western Warriors and the WACA.Speaking on the appointments, WACA CEO Kath White said,”We’re pleased to have both Rob and Kim on board our team at the WACA. They are quality people with the right experience and ability, and we re looking forward to their contribution.”

England batsman Marcus Trescothick may miss the rest of the season with a multiple fracture of his thumb. The Somerset opener had to leave the field during the Cheltenham & Gloucester quarter-final match against Worcestershire.Trescothick suffered the injury as he stopped a fierce cover drive fromGraeme Hick. Somerset physio Darren Veness confirmed the injury will keep him out for at least six to eight weeks, with a return for the ICC Champions Trophy in September his target.”You would have to say now you are looking at the rest of the domestic season,” Veness confirmed. “It is just not realistic to get him back before then. Our own specialist is monitoring it, and it is certainly starting to look as if it will not need surgery.”In that case they will try to keep everything intact under anaesthetic and then plaster-cast it. But obviously he is a contracted player (for England), and England may want someone else to have a look at the injury.”Trescothick immediately ran off clutching his hand after the injury, having saved a certain four. His team-mate Keith Dutch saw the impact at close quarters and said he knew instantly Trescothick was in trouble.”I could see as soon as it happened that it was bad,” Dutch said. “Straightaway when it hit him I could see his reaction. It bounced awkwardly on him, and he closed his hands a bit too quickly on it.”Given Trescothick’s magnificent form this summer (he scored a century in Saturday’s NatWest final against India) his injury is a huge blow to the England selectors. Mark Butcher, who is recovering from knee surgery but is expected to be available for next week’s first npower Test against India at Lord’s, would be the obvious candidate to open the innings in Trescothick’s place.John Crawley, who has featured in England Test squads this summer and remains in good form, might then fill the vacancy at number three.Trescothick’s Somerset team-mate, Andrew Caddick is also unlikely to play in the Lord’s Test after he was ruled out of today’s quarter-final. Caddick, who sustained a side strain during the third Test victory over Sri Lanka at Old Trafford last month, failed a fitness test this morning.The England squad for the first Test is announced tomorrow, but Somerset coach Kevin Shine doesn’t believe Caddick will make it.”He had a fitness test and didn’t come through it too well,” said Shine. “He still has a couple of weeks of rehab to do. There are four Tests left and maybe he can get in a couple at the end.”He had a bowl on Sunday, and it looks like the reaction took place on Sundaynight. By Monday it was not right. I would be amazed if he was fit for the first Test and I have spoken to Duncan Fletcher and told him the situation.”The thing with Caddy is that he is a quick healer. He is desperate to get back and play and he was desperately disappointed when this happened.”Rib injuries are always a dodgy area, and until you play your first game youare not going to know if it is right. You cannot afford to come back too early from a rib injury – if you do then you could be in real trouble.”

VUSI SIBANDA — BIOGRAPHYFULL NAME: Vusimuzi Sibanda
BORN: At Highfields, Harare, 10 October 1983
MAJOR TEAMS: CFX Academy (2001/02). Present club side: Takashinga
KNOWN AS: Vusi Sibanda. Nickname: Sibs
BATTING STYLE: Right Hand Bat
BOWLING STYLE: Right Arm Medium Pace
OCCUPATION: CFX Academy studentFIRST-CLASS DEBUT: 15-17 February 2002, CFX Academy v Manicaland, at MutareSports Club
TEST DEBUT: Still awaited
ODI DEBUT: Still awaitedBIOGRAPHY (March 2002)Vusi Sibanda comes from a sporting family but, like most other young black players in Zimbabwe, he has no family background in cricket. "I am the only one who plays cricket," he says, although he has an older brother who is a good football player in Bulawayo.Vusi’s interest began in Grade Three at Chipemberi Primary School in Highfields, a black township in Harare. ZCU coach Stephen Mangongo, the man who has inspired so many black players in Harare, introduced cricket to the pupils at the school and Vusi attended. He did have a year, in Grade Five and Six when he lost interest, but then returned with his enthusiasm renewed.Chipemberi had a very successful year when Vusi was in Grade Seven, his final year, and won all their matches. His best performance was against Hellenic School, after his team was all out for 36. He opened the bowling and took eight wickets for four runs, winning the match for his team. He was later selected for a Zimbabwe Development team tour to South Africa.He progressed to Churchill High School on the ZCU scholarship scheme, after successfully taking part in trials at Harare Sports Club; he was one out of only four out of 50 applicants to succeed, the other three being Hamilton Masakadza, Tatenda Taibu and Stuart Matsikenyeri. He forced his way into the school first team in Form Three. He remembers a great match at Under-16 level against Eaglesvale School, after the opposition scored 240; he batted at number three and scored 95, sharing in a good partnership with Masakadza to win the match,In the meantime he had represented Mashonaland at Under-14, Under-16 and Under-19 levels, but without great success, thus failing to gain selection for the national side at those levels. He joined Takashinga to play club cricket, his best performance being 68 not out as opener to guide his side to victory.Vusi left school in 1999, to supplement his O-levels for a year. At that time he played for and captained a Harare development side. He `took a chance’, as he says, in applying for the CFX Academy for 2002, encouraged by Stephen Mangongo, and was selected.Vusi’s highest score in any class of cricket was 123 for Churchill at Under-14 level, but he doesn’t consider it to be his best performance. He is strong on the pull and drive, and likes to bat at number three or four, but is willing to open if it benefits the team.The eight wickets he took for Chipemberi against Hellenic at junior school remains his best bowling performance. Nowadays he moves the ball away from the bat, in the air and off the pitch, but the Academy have not yet used his bowling. He likes to field in the slips or gully area.He names, as expected, Stephen Mangongo as the coach who has helped him the most, and Stephen remains his personal coach.Cricket heroes: Andy Flower – "I like the way he bats."Toughest opponents: "Although I haven’t played outside Zimbabwe, I can say Henry Olonga."Proudest achievement so far: "To make it into the Academy side."Best friends in cricket: Arnold Rushambwa, Hamilton Masakadza.Other qualifications: None.Other sports: Rugby and athletics (javelin, high jump, long jump) at school.Outside interests: Running.

Hampshire were made to endure an elongated session in the field on the warmest day of the season so far, and will have to work very hard if they are to gain anything from this Frizzell County Championship match against Warwickshire at Edgbaston.Alan Richardson, the Warwickshire seam-bowler and one of the real `bunnies’ in terms of batting on the county circuit, made his own team-mates and Hampshire’s bowlers look decidedly ordinary as he and his more exalted partner, Nick Knight continued to bat … and bat.Resuming on their overnight 274-9 and their tenth wicket partnership at a meagre 16, surely the plan was to dismiss the hosts for not much more and enjoy the bright sunshine and flattening wicket.Being without Mascarenhas, who remained off the field with a hamstring tear, should not have mattered but Richardson grew in stature as he continued to keep Knight company through 300. And then 350, while in doing so, passing his previous career best of just 17.The number 11, who has struck just 82 runs in his 31 first-class innings before this was producing some measured strokes against the variety of bowlers used by Robin Smith.Knight recorded the second double century of his career, while Richardson recorded his first ever half-century. From struggling overnight, Warwickshire were building a commanding first innings total.Then the records started to fall. The highest 10th wicket partnership against Hampshire was first, passing the 140* by Rodney Ontong and Robin Hobbs at Swansea in 1981. Then the best by Warwickshire, and the highest at Edgbaston.Richardson, with 10 fours and a six from a mammoth 199 balls, was finally dismissed for 91 by the occasional leg-spin of Giles White, swiftly stumped by Nic Pothas. He had broken the highest score for Warwickshire at number 11 and the highest against Hampshire in the same position in the process.It left Knight, unbeaten and carrying his bat through the innings on 255, the second best total for Warwickshire against Hampshire.The tenth wicket partnership had added 214 – the fifth best in County Championship history and a beleaguered Hampshire, who thought they would be bat in hand by at least 11.30am strode out four hours later than envisaged.It did not get much better, in losing Derek Kenway to Melvyn Betts’ second delivery in the second over.Will Kendall was well snapped up by Dougie Brown close to the wicket for a watchful 25 and Giles White’s 120-ball stay came to an end when he leg glanced a ball from England discard Ashley Giles into Ian Bell’s midriff for 36.Skipper Robin Smith and Neil Johnson safely saw Hampshire to the close at 89-3, still wanting another 234 runs to avoid the follow-on.Giles, who took both of the later wickets in the day, will be the lynchpin in Warwickshire’s hopes, as he is already finding plenty of turn.A DAY OF BROKEN RECORDS
Highest tenth wicket partnership for Warwickshire
(previous best – 141 AF Giles & TA Munton v Worcestershire at Worcester 1996)Highest tenth wicket partnership against Hampshire
(previous – 140* RC Ontong & RNS Hobbs for Glamorgan at Swansea 1981)Highest tenth wicket partnership at EdgbastonNick Knight’s career-best
(previous – 233 v Glamorgan at Edgbaston 2000)Alan Richardson’s career-best
(previous – 17* v Northamptonshire at Northampton 2000)Highest score by a number 11 for Warwickshire
(previous – 74 by Danny Mayer v Surrey at The Oval 1927)Highest score by a number 11 against Hampshire
(previous – 80* by George Hunt for Somerset at Taunton 1930)

The championship match at Derby was washed out shortly after tea on the final day, but the game was a significant one for Dominic Cork.The Derbyshire captain bowled for the first time since a back injury forced him to return from Pakistan in November, and he was pleased with the results.Cork sent down nine overs in two spells on the third day and said: “Everything is fine at the moment.”I am very pleased with the way it’s going. I feel I am 100 per cent fit and now it’s a case of getting match fit.”It’s a gentle progression at this stage. I have to keep building up my stamina and the number of overs I bowl.”The important thing is to make sure I am doing the right things like hitting the crease and getting my shape right.”There was no chance for Cork to get a few more overs under his belt despite the best efforts of the Derby groundstaff.Although a stiff breeze helped dry the outfield enough for the umpires to schedule a 4.30 start, more heavy rain left them with no alternative but to abandon a match in which play was only possible on the second and third days.

It may well be that rain, which devastated the opening weekend of fixtures of the 2nd Americas Cricket Championship being held in Buenos Aires, Argentina, will have the last laugh on the final day of scheduled fixtures.Already denied a final, organisers had revised the schedule to include a round-robin league in order to determine the champion team. With an exciting three-way tie a possibility, rain has delayed the start in all three games, with the prospect of any play looking less and less likely as time marches on.If no play is possible today, and all matches are declared no results, the United States will automatically be declared winners by virtue of their unbeaten record in the first four games and they currently stand two points clear at the top of the table.However, should play be possible (before the 14h15 cut-off time to ensure at least 25 overs per innings), it would take a Cayman Islands win over the United States, and a Canada win over the Bahamas, to create a three-way tie at the top of the table. With each team having beaten one of the other two, and all teams having won the same number of games, if that scenario eventuates, the winner will be decided by net run-rate.At present the net run-rate race is being led by the Caymans (1.48) followed by the USA (1.24) and Canada (0.42).Ironically, the one game which appears to have the most chance of perhaps getting under way after violent storms ravaged the Argentine capital through the night, is that at Belgrano (where the final would have taken place) between Argentina and Bermuda.Although this game, if played, would have no bearing on the fate of the championship, it is a direct shoot-out for fourth place, and the Argentines would surely love a chance to try and put the traumas of the past week behind them and attempt to leapfrog from 6th into 4th place on the log. Likewise, Bermuda, after a last ball thriller loss against the USA, and having being upstaged by the Caymans earlier in the week, would like to hold on to the fourth position.The Bahamas, ecstatic after their fine victory over Argentina, will no doubt be content with their current and very creditable fifth position.

Shakib Al Hasan voiced his frustration at Bangladesh’s early exit from the World T20s saying that the team should have taken the match against Pakistan to last five overs from “where it could [have gone] either way. But it seemed we were never in the game.” Shakib also added the team’s failure to do “elementary” things was annoying.Pakistan reached the target of 176 runs with eight balls to spare. A few overs earlier, in the 16th, they completed the progress to the Super-Eights when they crossed the 139-run mark that gave them a better net run-rate than Bangladesh.He explained how, while fielding, the basics went missing; the lack of commitment too peeved Shakib. “I didn’t like the way we lost. We should have been lively after scoring 175, saved around fifteen runs while fielding. I’m talking about elementary things like standing 10 yards inside the boundary on the larger side of the ground. This is just a matter of common sense,” he told Bangla daily in Kandy.”These things annoy me because neither the captain nor I can tell this every ball. Then the fielder doesn’t put in the dive as the ball nears the boundary line. The dive may not work but at least the action inspires another fielder. The others will run beside the ball, without diving, seeing this,”.”This is what I expected from the team when I was the captain and even now when I’m not the captain. I think I will expect these things all the time. If we had done everything properly and lost, I wouldn’t have felt so bad. I would have thought, ‘they are a better team on paper and on the field and as a result we lost’. The disappointment would have been two out of 10, now it is six.”Shakib’s criticism of the level of commitment is significant and though he has landed in hot water in the past for giving a forthright point of view, this time it is quiet justified. Bangladesh have now failed to qualify to the second stage in all of their last four appearances in global events starting from the 2009 World Twenty20s. They had a long build-up to this campaign but it amounted to nothing after they were struck down by Brendon McCullum’s second Twenty20 international century in their first group game before giving it away to Pakistan.Their point of inspiration should have been the way Shakib bounced back after a poor day against New Zealand. His 54-ball knock put him on top of individual scores made by a Bangladeshi in T20Is, beating Nazimuddin’s 81.”I don’t normally plan anything when I go out to bat in a T20 game. After the first game against New Zealand, I realised that if I bat naturally I can have a 110-120 strike rate. I didn’t have to force things. So against Pakistan when I had gathered enough confidence, I started playing my shots,” he said, adding that he only thought of going for the hundred in the final over of the Bangladesh innings. “From a personal point of view, I had a good day. But the disappointment was to see the game being given away.”