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At the Central Districts’ Under-15 tournament (eight District teams) held in Masterton December 9-12 Nelson won the Graham Morrison Cup.Morrison has been a junior cricket administrator for some time prior to joining the CD Board. Farming duties have forced a premature retirement from administration but he should return in the future.The following teams will represent Central Districts at the zonal tournaments in January.Central Districts A to play in North Island tournament with Auckland, ND and Wellington in Rotorua from January 12-17 is: Michael Coman (Nelson), Daniel Cooper (Nelson), Scott Davidson (Taranaki), Jason Domdroski (Taranaki), Bryce Grant (Manawatu), Martin Kain (Nelson), Chad Law (Manawatu), Hamish Malcolm (Nelson), Ryan O’Sullivan (Hawke’s Bay), Michael Taiaroa (Hawke’s Bay), Christopher Taylor (Hawke’s Bay), Joseph Wheeler (Marlborough). Coach: Jamie Watkins. Manager: Alan Manton.Central Districts B to play Wellington B at Wellington from January 13-16 is: Max Carroll (Wanganui), Israel Dagg (Hawke’s Bay), Shane Eglinton (Horowhenua Kapiti), David Hughes (Taranaki), Ted Jefferd (Wanganui), Sam Kinross-White (Hawke’s Bay), Sean Lance (Wanganui), Andrew Mason (Taranaki), Daniel Norman (Manawatu), Cody Parker (Wairarapa), Hadleigh Parkes (Manawatu), Chris Ryan (Hawke’s Bay). Coach: Lincoln Doull. Manager: Chris Dear.

Inzamam-ul-Haq is the latest big name to sign up for the Hong Kong Sixes tournament. Inzamam, the former Pakistan captain, has confirmed he will take part in the annual showpiece on November 8-9.Inzamam, 38, will appear alongside Australia’s Damien Martyn and ex-New Zealand captain Stephen Fleming in the All-Stars team. “I’m delighted to be taking part in the Hong Kong Cricket Sixes and I’m looking forward to what promises to be a great weekend,” Inzamam said.”As far as cricketers are concerned, the Hong Kong event is without doubt the premier sixes tournament in world cricket and the one we all want to be involved in.”Last year’s tournament featured such luminaries as Shane Warne, Brian Lara, Glenn McGrath and Anil Kumble. The lucrative new Sixes World Series was unveiled last month. The tournament features all nine Test-playing nations, with US$ 1 million going to the winners. The first leg is in Singapore in July.

Durham have signed South African fast bowler Dewald Pretorius as their second overseas player for 2003.24-year-old Pretorius, who made his Test debut for South Africa against Australia in 2001/02, currently plays for South North in the ECB North EastPremier League. He joins Australian Martin Love as the Club’s second overseas professionals.Dewald is looking forward to returning to the North East next year. He said: “This is a great opportunity for me to make a name for myself on theCounty Circuit and I will be giving Durham 110%”.Durham Chairman Bill Midgley is delighted to have secured the Club’s twooverseas professionals before the end of the season. He said: “We aredelighted that Dewald has joined us, he will bring much needed experience tothe team and his professional attitude and outlook will be a great help inthe development of our young squad”.

Dewald Pretorius – StatisticsBorn: 6 December 1977, Pretoria, TransvaalMajor Teams: Free State, South AfricaBatting Style: Right Hand BatBowling Style: Right Arm Fast

Dewald and Club Chairman, Bill Midgley, will be available for one on oneinterviews between 2.30 & 3.30. Please contact James Bailey on 07768 552649 to arrange an appointment.

Former Test slow-left-armer Nadeem Khan produced a match-winning spell as Pak Gymkhana defeated Total Energy by 19 runs in the Aga Khan Gymkhana Ramazan Cricket Festival at AKG Ground here Wednesday.Nadeem, who was declared Man-of-the-Match, captured four for 17 in 4.3 overs as Total Energy were bowled out for 129 in 23.3 overs.Mahmood Hamid, who played a One-day International, provided good support with three for 20 with his off-spinners.Opener Faisal Mirza top-scored for Total Energy with 41.Earlier, Sohail Jaffar (46) and Irfan Ali (37) helped Pak Gymkhana score 148 for nine in 25 overs. Slow left-armer Arif Mahmood claimed four for 28.Summarised scores:PAK GYMKHANA 148-9 in 25 overs (Sohail Jaffar 46, Irfan Ali 37, Mohammad Naved 25; Arif Mahmood 4-28, Haaris Ayaz 3-23);TOTAL ENERGY 129 in 23.3 overs (Faisal Mirza 41, Mansoor Khan 23; Nadeem Khan 4-17, Mahmood Hamid 3-20).Thursday’s fixture: Tapal CC v Pakistan CC at 1.00pm.

India completed their second victory in two days to go top of the table in the NatWest triangular series, beating Sri Lanka by five wickets with four overs to spare at the AMP Oval. Amid flag-waving, whistling and horn-blowing, a 60-run partnership between Yuvraj Singh and Mohammad Kaif took India from the doubtful position of 135 for five to a position where victory was certain.Set what by the standards of the series so far was a moderate target at four runs an over, India got under way fortuitously with an inside edge for four by Sourav Ganguly off Chaminda Vaas in the first over. Virender Sehwag began much as he left off at Lord’s, with pulls to mid-wicket off both Vaas and Nuwan Zoysa. But it was Vaas who made the much-needed breakthrough, winning an lbw call against Ganguly from a ball that cut back at him from outside the off stump. When Sehwag was caught at cover, driving at Vaas, India were 26 for two, and Sri Lanka sensed that they just might be back in business. Enter Sachin Tendulkar, who opened his account with a cover drive of typically immaculate timing. After being beaten by Zoysa with some late movement, he glanced another boundary when offered room on his pads.As Zoysa dropped short, Mongia hooked him imperiously for six to hoist India’s 50. On the “anything you can do, I can do better” basis, Tendulkar then hooked Dilhara Fernando, Zoysa’s pace bowling partner at the other end, out of the ground. The other Fernando, Buddika, replaced Zoysa but the runs continue to flow with Mongia cracking another four through mid-wicket, putting India back on course. A misfield by Arnold at extra cover gifted Mongia two more as events took on a certain air of inevitability.After just two overs from Buddika, Upul Chandana’s leg-spin was introduced at the Vauxhall end but that too was punished, Mongia driving straight for four. But the left-hander perished in the next over, hooking once too often at Dilhara Fernando to see Vaas running round from long leg, judging a steepler to perfection. There was a delay when a square cut from Tendulkar hit a pigeon on the outfield. The unfortunate bird was removed from the arena, but happily it later recovered.Chandana took his first wicket when Dravid leaving his crease to drive, got an inside edge on to his off stump via his boot. Zoysa, returning at the PavilionEnd, was immediately square cut to the fence by Tendulkar. However, eight balls later, a little extra lift from Zoysa was enough to snare India’s maestro, the ball brushing his glove on the way through to Kaluwitharana.With India teetering on the edge of trouble, Kaif pulled Zoysa nervelessly for four, and Yuvraj Singh played much as he did at Lord’s yesterday, mixing watchful defence with the ferocious dispatch of the bad ball. By the time he was out, when the substitute Silva caught a skier at mid-wicket off Dilhara, India had effectively won the game. It was left to Kaif to finish it, with a pushed single to square leg.Earlier, a three-wicket burst from Man-of-the-Match Ajit Agarkar took the wind out of Sri Lanka’s sails after Jayasuriya, on his 33rd birthday, had raised expectations of a batting carnival. Zaheer Khan was hit for 13 in his first over, six of them cut over third man by Jayasuriya – a remarkable stroke. But Kaluwitharana, missed behind the stumps by Dravid off Nehra, edged Agarkar’s first ball for Dravid to make no mistake.Jayasuriya, on 36, edged an attempted cut to be well caught by Dravid, two-handed at full stretch to his left. Without addition to the total Khan, switched from the Vauxhall to the Pavilion End, found a way through Atapattu’s defences via inside edge and pad to hit his off stump. Arnold, sporting the revolutionary new Woodworm bat, looked confident as he hooked Agarkar for four, but was then caught behind sparring at the same bowler.In the circumstances, Jayawardene and Nawaz were forced to play themselves in cautiously, with the inevitable result of a drop in the scoring rate. Nawaz, after a streaky boundary to third man off Ganguly, was caught at slip next ball attempting to steer the ball in the same direction. With boundaries scarce, Jayawardene exchanged ones and twos with Chandana until the former, given width outside the off stump by Ganguly, drove him sweetly to the rope at cover.Nehra’s return gave India the additional breakthrough they wanted, as Chandana tried to pull a short ball from outside his off stump, got a leading edge and Kaif took a fine catch, scooping the ball up as he dived forward at extra cover.Agarkar’s return was expensive, as Jayawardene showed his class with a straight-driven boundary, and reached his fifty in less orthodox manner, edging four more to third man. His patient but invaluable knock ended rather tamely, when he pushed indecisively at Khan to present an easy return catch. Zoysa played an injudicious swish to be caught at square leg, and Sri Lanka’s eventual total of 202 for eight never really looked adequate.

Australian batsman Martin Love has pledged his future to Durham by signing acontract for his third consecutive season as the Club’s overseasprofessional.Love has been forced to return to Australia this season because of a bad break to a little finger, which he suffered in June. But he will return for season 2003 when the Club will be allowed two overseas professionals for the first time.He says: “I am thrilled to be coming back next year where I can pick up where I left off, I just hope the injuries are kinder to me.”Durham Chairman Bill Midgley added: “We are delighted that Martin will be rejoining us next year. He is a fantastic batsman and his professional attitude provides our younger players with an ideal role model.”

LAHORE, April 27: The chairman of Pakistan cricket selectors, Wasim Bari, confirmed Saturday that Saeed Anwar would not be selected for the two-Test series against New Zealand but hinted the inclusion of wrist spinner Danish Kaneria.”Saeed is not match fit. He needs more time and probably more matches to regain his form and earn match fitness,” Bari said.Saeed, who suffered a wrist fracture during October’s Sharjah Cup, has played just one Test and two One-day Internationals in the last 13 months. Last week Saeed declared himself fit and keen to play against the Kiwis in Test series.The selectors meet at Gaddafi Stadium Sunday to pick the first Test squad. Bari said he would submit the team to the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) in the afternoon. But the former skipper hinted that Kaneria would be recalled after being ignored after the home series against the West Indies in Sharjah.”I am not naming anyone but two spinners will be named in the side and most probably will be picked in the starting lineup. Needless to say that when you opt to play two spinners, you go for variety rather than selecting bowlers of same variety,” he said.Kaneria has 35 wickets in seven Tests but bulk of his wickets are against Test minnows Bangladesh against whom he has played three Tests.The PCB, later in the evening, issued a press statement on Saeed Anwar that said:”Saeed Anwar has recovered from the injury and has started training from March 22. However, PCB’s medical panel has opined that he needs to train regularly for a period of three to four weeks before achieving the form and fitness required to play at international level.”He has to play in few local or domestic matches to gain match practice. His fitness level will be assessed by the medical panel through a fitness test after the above period.”

There are victories, and there are notable triumphs. These aregenerally in the nature of historic wins ­ the first victory inTest cricket, the first victory over a particular country, thefirst rubber triumph, the first win overseas, and so on. But insuch a plethora of historic firsts, an event that took place onMarch 10 1971 is remembered even today by Indian cricket fanswith noticeable fondness. For old-timers, it serves as a tripdown memory lane, while for a later generation, it is a reminderof a great event.

Even as Prime Minister Indira Gandhi was being swept back intopower with a huge majority, not all eyes were on events in NewDelhi. It was a watershed election in the history of the nation,but some 10,000 miles away, halfway around the globe, anotherwatershed event was taking place, one that held the interest ofnot just cricket followers in this country. India had won a Testagainst the West Indies at the Queen’s Park Oval in Port ofSpain. To some of today’s generation, not familiar with Indiancricket history, the reaction could well be, “So what is the bigdeal?” On the contrary, it was a triumph worth going gaga over,as I shall try and explain.Before the Indian team embarked on the Caribbean tour in February1971, the two countries had played 23 Tests dating back to 1948.The record read – West Indies won 12, drawn 11. As if this wasnot bad enough from an Indian viewpoint, the startling fact wasthat not once in all those matches did India even take a firstinnings lead! India had beaten England, Australia, Pakistan andNew Zealand, had scored rubber triumphs over three of thoseopponents, and had even registered three victories outside thesub-continent. But when it came to playing the West Indies, theIndians seemed to suffer some kind of mental block.Over the years, batsmen like Everton Weekes, Clyde Walcott, FrankWorrell, Rohan Kanhai, Gary Sobers, Basil Butcher and Clive Lloydhad annihilated the bowlers, while the Indian batsmen came up acropper while facing up to the fiery pace of Wesley Hall, RoyGilchrist and Charlie Griffith, and even the spin of AlfValentine, Lance Gibbs and Sobers.This then was the background to the tour. Even though the WestIndies were going through a rebuilding process following theretirement of some stalwarts, even though the Indian team had anew look about it, including a new captain in Ajit Wadekar, noone gave the Indians any chance of even stretching the WestIndies, who still had Sobers, Kanhai, Lloyd and Gibbs in theirranks. Winning the rubber was of course out of the question.And yet, in the first Test at Kingston, India not only took thefirst-innings lead but also forced the West Indies to follow on.Dilip Sardesai, with his now-legendary innings of 212, was verymuch the star. The shock had been registered, but the home teamput up a much better show in the second innings to save the matchcomfortably. Following the dramatic events, there wasconsiderable interest in the second Test.Could India pull off something similar again, or was the SabinaPark performance just a fluke? When the West Indies weredismissed for 214 on the opening day, it was obvious that thenew-look Indian side meant business. Sardesai again lead the wayagain with 112, and with useful contributions from Ashok Mankad(44), Eknath Solkar (55) and an exciting debutant in 21-year-oldSunil Gavaskar (65), India managed to take a lead of 138, despitethe gallant effort of Jack Noreiga’s nine for 95 in only hissecond Test. At the close of play on the third day, West Indieswere 150 for one, and the pattern of play seemed to be followingthat of the first Test.But there was a dramatic change in the script on the fourth day,Wednesday, March 10. The Indian bowling attack was not even atfull strength, with Erapalli Prasanna injured. But SrinivasVenkatraghavan rose to the occasion, bagging five wickets for 95runs. That wayward genius, Salim Durrani, chipped in with thewickets of Lloyd and Sobers in successive overs ­ the latter fora duck. Ere long, West Indies were all out for 261, leaving Indiawith a modest victory target of 124.About the only interest inherent now was whether India wouldfinish it off on the fourth evening or whether the match would goto a fifth day. With Gavaskar (67 not out) leading the way, Indiawere home with a day to spare, the debutant completing amemorable debut by hitting the winning boundary. Fittinglyenough, it was the 25th Test between the two countries, and withthe remaining three Tests being drawn, the victory enabled Indiato win a rubber against the West Indies for the first time. Thewin at the Queen’s Park Oval was a definitive turning point inIndian cricket history, as future events proved.Little wonder, then, that the mention of March 10 1971 to anyold-timer will have his eyes sparkling with delight in a moment,and he will be “off” on that trip down memory lane again.

Stuart Broad has been rested from the one-day series against South Africa ahead of the World Twenty20 where he will be captain.Broad, whose lack of pace during the Test series was highlighted although he finished as England’s leading wicket-taker, will return to lead the team in the three-match Twenty20 series against South Africa before the squad departs for Sri Lanka.He is the only notable absentee from the one-day squad – Kevin Pietersen’s continued exclusion was not a surprise – which beat Australia 4-0 earlier in the season, a result which helped England to the top of the ODI rankings.Chris Woakes, the Warwickshire allrounder who has been around numerous squads this season, will hope that Broad’s absence will open the way for him.Ravi Bopara is back in the England set-up after pulling out of the Test series against South Africa due to personal issues. He returned for Essex at the weekend, making 1 against Netherlands in the CB40, and an agreement has been reached for him to play for Gloucestershire against the South Africans in a 50-over match at Bristol on Wednesday to help him prepare for the series.Geoff Miller, the national selector, said: “We are grateful to both Essex and Gloucestershire for agreeing to allow Ravi Bopara to play for Gloucestershire against South Africa on Wednesday. Ravi has had some time away from the game and we feel that he will benefit from some extra cricket ahead of the start of the NatWest Series and with no games for Essex before we begin our preparations for the first match this is an ideal opportunity for him.”All players in the 14-man NatWest ODI Series squad were involved in the recent series victory against Australia. We will be looking for this side to build on the recent success we have had and to show further signs of improvement against a strong South Africa side.”Squad Alastair Cook (capt) James Anderson, Jonny Bairstow, Ian Bell, Ravi Bopara, Tim Bresnan, Jade Dernbach, Steven Finn, Craig Kieswetter, Eoin Morgan, Samit Patel, Graeme Swann, Jonathan Trott, Chris Woakes

Day 2 close of play: CFX Academy 222 and 117/8 (Soma 16*, Chari 0*); Manicaland250.Accurate Manicaland bowling tilted the match against the CFX Academy by the close of the second day. After taking a first innings lead of 28, their bowlers seized the initiative by working steadily through a rather submissive batting order, and they should be left with not too difficult a target on the third morning.Patrick Gada and Gary Brent continued to build steadily on Manicaland’sovernight score of 122 for four, in reply to CFX Academy’s total of 222.Gada, 67 overnight and with a century obviously preying on his mind, wasfortunate to survive an easy chance to mid-off when on 71. He did not livelong to enjoy it, being caught at silly point a few minutes later withoutadding to his score; his four runs of the day took more than 40 minutes.Brent played a positive innings of 61 before being surprised andcontroversially given run out by a fine throw from Guy Croxford whenattempting a run off a push by his partner to mid on. He did not receivemuch help from the later batsmen, though, until a determined ninth-wicketpartnership between Andre Soma and Terry Denyer took Manicaland into thelead.After lunch the promising 17-year-old Soma opened his shoulders to goodeffect, but Academy brother Leon broke the annoying stand by bowling Denyerwith a low full toss for 12 and then finishing the innings by having hisbrother caught at mid-on for 22. Manicaland were all out for 250, a lead of28.The Academy second innings never looked confident. Under heavy skies, thebatsmen seemed to find trouble in getting the ball away and wickets fellsteadily against determined and accurate Manicaland seam bowling. GuyCroxford was the only batsman who looked capable of carrying the attack backto the bowlers, but by tea the Academy had lost four wickets and were only20 runs ahead.After the break the batsmen again got bogged down and Croxford added onlythree runs in 25 minutes before being caught off an uppish cut. For afurther hour it seemed as if the team was to subside slowly without spirit,but then Blessing Mahwire discovered that it was possible after all to scoreruns against these bowlers.A good partnership was developing between Mahwire and Leon Soma before they inexplicably seemed to go into their shells again, only for Mahwire (29) to be dismissed lbw just before the close after a 35-run partnership.Unless rain intervenes – which so far it has not – the Academy will have abig task in their attempt to snatch an unlikely victory on the finalmorning.