Rajshahi secured their first domestic one-day title with a 140-run victory over Barisal in the ninth round of the National Cricket League at Barisal Stadium. The win gave them 16 points, and with second-placed Sylhet’s match against Khulna being abandoned, that was enough.Rajshahi, who have won eight games in succession after losing their opening match, were always in control after posting 280 for 9, Moniruzzaman and Raqibul Hasan putting them on their way with an opening stand of 80 in under 12 overs, and then Anisur Rahman anchored the middle of the innings with a 90-ball 75. A fourth-wicket stand of 113 between Anisur and Mushfiqur Rahman ended the match as a contest. Barisal were never in the hunt after a poor start, and they did well to recover from 38 for 6. Mushfiqur won the Man-of-the-Match award for his 48 and 4 for 33.Dhaka remained in third position despite slipping to a second straight defeat against Chittagong at the Fatullah Stadium. Dhaka struggled to build any momentum and were held to 193 for 9 after winning the toss, with Ahsanullah Hasan (4 for 36) ripping through the middle order. Gazi Salahuddin cracked an excellent 90 to set Chittagong on their way to a four-wicket win – only their second win in the competition – and Shabbir Khan saw them home with a well-paced 61 not out.Dhaka will have a chance to make amends when the penultimate round of the four-day Nation Cricket League starts on Wednesday. They need four more points from their remaining two games to retain their title.

The proposed series of matches between an Asian XI and a World XI in Houston have hit another snag as several Pakistani players have said they have yet to receive visas to travel. “I still haven’t got a visa to fly to Houston so I don’t know whether they are having the matches or not,” Shoaib Akhtar, who is currently playing for Worcestershire, told .Shoaib and several others were originally slated to turn out for the Asian XI. Inzamam-ul-Haq, Younis Khan, Shahid Afridi and Abdul Razzaq were also awaiting visas that would allow them to travel to Houston and play in this series. However, the report indicates that the players were likely to be issued visas in Islamabad over the next few days and that they would fly to America on the 13th or 14th. The one person who has no problems in this case is Yousuf Youhana, who already has a five-year multiple-entry visa to America.Meanwhile, several promising Pakistani fast bowlers are set to travel to India to train at the MRF Pace Foundation in Chennai. The Foundation has been a finishing school to cricketers from around the world, and has been preferred to other similar schools thanks to Dennis Lillee’s active involvement over the years.”There is no doubt that when it comes to talent, Pakistan pacers are much higher placed than that of India,” a Pakistan Cricket Board official is quoted as saying in . “However, what they need is proper coaching and guidance from a renowned coach and expert in the field. If we consider this aspect then there is no better place around than the academy run by Lillee in India.” The report names Mohammad Asif, Najaf Shah, Mohammad Irshad, Mohammad Khalil and Wahab Riaz as likely candidates to be selected for the training programme.

Queensland have promoted Clinton Perren to the top of the order for the first Pura Cup match of the season against New South Wales at the Gabba, starting on Friday.Perren, who made 721 runs at 37.95 in 2003-04, will partner Jimmy Maher, the captain, as he continues to make the transition from attacking middle-order batsman to reliable opener.Queensland’s selectors have made one change to the team that defeated New South Wales by two wickets in yesterday’s ING Cup match, with the pace bowler Joe Dawes coming into the twelve for Craig Philipson.New South Wales have named Jason Krejza, the uncapped offspinner who was a surprise consideration for the India tour, in the squad behind the No.1 spinner Stuart MacGill, who became the leading wicket-taker in the ING Cup yesterday.Queensland Jimmy Maher (c), Martin Love, Andrew Symonds, Clinton Perren, Aaron Nye, James Hopes, Wade Seccombe, Chris Simpson, Andy Bichel, Ashley Noffke, Shane Jurgensen, Joe Dawes (12th man to be named).New South Wales Brad Haddin (c), Nathan Bracken, Stuart Clark, Phil Jaques, Jason Krejza, Grant Lambert, Greg Mail, Stuart MacGill, Matthew Nicholson, Aaron O’Brien, Matthew Phelps, Dominic Thornely (12th man to be named).

The Bangladesh selectors have included two new faces in a 13-man squad for the first Test against England, which starts on October 21 at Dhaka. Aftab Ahmed, a 19-year-old middle-order batsman, and Enamul Haq, a left-arm spinner, were the only new inclusions as the selectors decided – not surprisingly – to stick to the line-up which performed so impressively on the tour to Pakistan. Both Aftab and Enamul played for the Bangladesh Board President’s team in the tour match against the England XI. Aftab made 45 in the second innings, while Haq took four wickets in England’s first innings, and finished with five in the match.The selectors, however, ignored the claims of Nafis Iqbal, the opener who scored an impressive 118 for the A team against England in the second warm-up match.Squad
Hannan Sarker, Javed Omar, Habibul Bashar, Rajin Saleh, Alok Kapali, Khaled Mashud (wk), Khaled Mahmud (capt), Mohammad Rafique, Mashrafee Bin Murtaza, Tapash Baisya, Mushfiqur Rahman, Aftab Ahmed, Enamul Haq.

The International Cricket Council is considering a proposal to allow teams to appeal against three umpiring decisions per innings, giving captains the right to refer the decisions to the third umpire. The plan is likely to be discussed at the meeting of the ICC Cricket Committee next year.A similar system is already in place in the American National Football League, with teams allowed to `challenge’ two refereeing decisions per half. If it is approved, the proposal would probably go the same way as the ICC’s other recent innovations – the wiring up, via earpieces, of umpires to the stump microphone, and the adjudicating of no-balls by the third umpire – and be trialled in one-dayers. The Evening Standard, a London newspaper, quoted an unnamed source as saying the appeals proposal was “recognised as a serious option”.But some umpires are concerned that the increasing use of technology in making decisions will demote their role in the game. Simon Taufel, the ICC’s Umpire of the Year, told BBC Sport: “I wouldn’t say I’m anti-technology, but I’m cautious about it. Technology is all about replacing the skills of the umpire and I’d like to think I’ve worked my way up this far to employ those skills.”Why de-skill that part of the game just for the sake of an extra two or three correct decisions per game?” he added. “There are undoubtedly pluses, but we need to sit down and stack them against the minuses.”

Adam Gilchrist admits his batting was “too watchful and negative” at Old Trafford, but he was more upset with his sloppy wicketkeeping and has vowed to improve at Trent Bridge. Gilchrist’s quiet series has been costly for Australia and they must hope for a swift turnaround.”To be honest, in Test cricket what affects me more is an ordinary day with the gloves,” Gilchrist was reported by . “I struggled with my keeping at Old Trafford and, at the end of the day, keeping is my job. I am not disrespecting my batting but the keeping is what I am there for. I am the only one in the team.”Gilchrist missed a string of catching and stumping chances at Old Trafford, which were highlighted by his lack of runs in the series. Andrew Flintoff has dismissed him three times and continually attacked him from around the wicket, and he has scored only 120 runs at 24 in the first three matches.”There is no secret to the plan England have had for me and they have executed it better than I have executed my response,” he said in his column in the . “It is just a matter of doing the work and having faith in what has been successful for me in the past. I have done all the work I usually do and a little bit more, so hopefully that will produce results in at least one of the last two Tests.”Gilchrist’s batting uncertainty was particularly evident during the fourth innings at Manchester, where he scored 4 from 30 balls as Australia crept towards a draw. “On reflection, I think I was too focused on saving the game,” Gilchrist said. “I should have played naturally. I was too entrenched in a match-saving mindset. I was certainly too watchful and negative.” Australia will hope for the positive outlook to return as they attempt to stave off England’s unrelenting challenge.

Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were out

Another pulsating day ended with England in control of the third Test, although Australia fought back after being made to follow on shortly before lunch. Indeed, until Ricky Ponting was run out after tea, Australia were looking relatively untroubled, their battle to wipe off a first-innings deficit of 259 aided by the absence of Simon Jones with an ankle injury.But Ponting was soon followed by Damien Martyn, although Michael Clarke and Simon Katich avoided any further mishaps in the final hour. Australia hadn’t followed on for 17 years, but that moment came when Simon Jones finally removed a stubborn Brett Lee to claim his fifth wicket this innings, his fourth of the morning.Australia started the day in tatters, and they were further shredded by Jones who ripped through them in an action-packed 90 minutes that would give football a run for its money in the excitement stakes, and then some.But in this game, there was no half-time break for Australia who were relentlessly pursued by an England pack with an ebullient Jones at the helm. With the momentum with them, everything went their way – including Andrew Strauss’s wonder catch to remove Adam Gilchrist just as he was starting to fire. Gilchrist was Andrew Flintoff’s victim in a morning which otherwise belonged to Jones.He struck twice in two balls to rock Australia just as they were beginning to hit out, with Gilchrist and Simon Katich launching a daring counterattack in the first half hour, with an array of ambitious shots. Michael Vaughan turned to Jones hoping for some more of his first-over magic. And Jones did not disappoint: with just his second ball he conjured up Simon Katich’s wicket, who flashed a loose delivery to one of the two gullies. Shane Warne fell next ball, sending a leading edge to cover after being turned inside out.

Flintoff popped up for a quick cameo, helped by Strauss’s ace of a catch. With Gilchrist well set, something special was required to prise him out, and this arrived when he flashed hard to second slip where a diving acrobatic Strauss strained all his sinews and stretched out his left hand to cling on by his fingertips.Back to the main act and, for his next trick, Jones cleaned up Michael Kasprowicz with one which pitched on middle and swung away. Then came Lee’s assault – brief, but battling: he clattered 47 from 44 balls, including three sixes, as he and Shaun Tait put on 43 for the tenth wicket. But Jones had one last trick up his sleeve and he removed Lee at third man. After such a morning of ooh-and-aah inducing magic, England held all the aces.But a shell-shocked Australia pulled themselves together, with Langer and Hayden grinding out a gritty opening stand of 50, just their second half-century partnership this series. They played patiently and watchfully but after reaching 50 there was little time for celebration when Hayden flashed one off Flintoff – in the first over of a new spell – straight to Ashley Giles at gully. It was the only wicket to fall by tea in a period of consolidation for Australia. Hayden made 26.Flintoff could have had Langer, too, on 37 when the batsman flashed an edge hard to Strauss at second slip at chest height. But Strauss, who had already taken two decent catches, put down the sitter. It is so often the way.Langer went on to make 61 and his was a fighting knock, as he withstood a barrage from Steve Harmison in particular, who found swing and a troubling good length. His gutsy innings was played with courage with Australia firmly up against it. Shortly after tea, though, his battling stand came to an end when the ball brushed his glove and found Ian Bell at short leg off Ashley Giles.Ricky Ponting wasn’t for lying down, either, and he batted well with some convincing strokeplay and was in sight of his half-century when, on 48, he fell in the first over of another change in the bowling – although how he was out was not, perhaps, how England would have expected, as Damien Martyn pushed to cover and called for a quick single.

Ponting ran hard from the non-striker’s end, but the substitute Gary Pratt – on for the injured Simon Jones who had been taken to hospital – threw down the stumps from a tight angle. A frustrated Ponting stormed off and levelled some choice words at anyone and everyone in earshot.It was another huge wicket for England and they were to pick up another in Flintoff’s next over. Perhaps unsettled by the departure of Ponting, Martyn fished at a loose one outside his offstump and nibbled through to Geraint Jones. A miserable series for Martyn continued – and he can’t have been looking forward to facing Ponting in the dressing room after the run out – although he could not complain about this decision. It was a clear edge.England were looking for just one more wicket before the close to add the icing on a very sweet cake indeed. But it was butterfingers not buttercream that was to mark the last action of the day, when Geraint Jones missed an easy stumping off Michael Clarke with the batsman on 35. Clarke added four more before Australia unblinkingly took the light 20 minutes before the end.This could prove a costly miss with Australia 37 runs from wiping out their deficit and six wickets still in hand. England know they can never write Australia off, but they will be the happier of the two teams this evening.

Australia1st inningsMatthew Hayden lbw b Hoggard 7 (20 for 1)
Ricky Ponting lbw b S Jones 1 (21 for 2)
Damien Martyn lbw b Hoggard 1 (22 for 3)
Justin Langer c Bell b Hoggard 27 (58 for 4)
Michael Clarke lbw b Harmison 36 (99 for 5)
Simon Katich c Strauss b S Jones 45 (157 for 6)
Shane Warne c Bell b S Jones 0 (157 for 7)
Adam Gilchrist c Strauss b Flintoff 27 (163 for 8)
Michael Kasprowicz b S Jones 5 (175 for 9)
Brett Lee c Bell b S Jones 47 (218)
2nd innings
Matthew Hayden c Giles b Flintoff 26 (50 for 1)
Justin Langer c Bell b Giles 61 (129 for 2)
Ricky Ponting run out (sub G Pratt) 48 (155 for 3)
Damien Martyn c G Jones b Flintoff 13 (161 for 4)

The problems blighting Zimbabwe Cricket just won’t go away. A fortnight after the board’s controversial AGM in Bulawayo, it suffered another setback with the news that Tavengwa Mukuhlani, the Mashonaland Cricket Association chairman, has stepped down from his post and has effectively ceased to be a ZC board member.Mukuhlani was ousted by Mashonaland’s clubs at the end of last year after they claimed he did not represent their growing disenchantment with ZC. He was seen by many as being too closely linked to the board. In June 2004 he was embroiled in a row after hijacking the AGM of the Matabeleland Cricket Association.There are also reports, which are denied by ZC, that Clive Barnes has also stepped down from the board.The rumour mill is now in overdrive, with the ZC board said to be divided into two camps, one headed by Peter Chingoka and Ozias Bvute and the other by Ahmed and Macsood Ebrahim. While there appears to be little doubt that the two have fallen out, just how deep the rift is remains unclear.

The Asian Cricket Council looks set to take control of organising an international match to raise money for victims of the Asian earthquake.Although the plans are in the embryo stage, Shaharyar Khan, chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), said: “During a recent conversation with Jagmohan Dalmiya [ACC president], an ACC-sponsored relief match was considered. We agreed to examine possible dates for an international match in the next few days.”The ICC had considered organising a relief match for the Super Series in Sydney, but players from South Africa and New Zealand were unavailable and there wasn’t enough time to organise sponsorship and TV rights.The PCB and the England & Wales Cricket Board recently agreed to dedicate the entire gate receipts of the first ODI between the two countries at Lahore on December 10 to the relief fund.