The Indian cricketers will play just two side games (both threedayers) apart from three Test matches during their two-month tour ofSouth Africa starting on October 1.The Indians will play a three-day game against President’s XI atKimberley from October 29-31 before the first Test at Bloemfontein(November 3-7) and against South Africa A at East London from November10 to 12, according to BCCI sources in Mumbai on Saturday.The visitors will play the other two Test matches at Port Elizabeth(Nov 16-20) and Centurion Park (Nov 24-28).The Indians will commence their campaign with a one-day match againstthe Nicky Oppenheimer XI at Randjedfontein on October 1 and atriangular series, with Kenya as the third team, will start on October5 with a day-night match between India and South Africa atJohannesburg, sources added.The Indian team’s itinerary:Oct 1 vs Nicky Oppenheimer XI at Randjedfontein.Oct 3 vs South Africa A (D/N) at Benoni.Oct 5: India vs South Africa (D/N) at Johannesburg.Oct 7: Kenya vs South Africa (day) at Benoni.Oct 10: India vs South Africa (D/N) at Centurion Park.Oct 12: India vs Kenya (D/N) at Bloemfontein.Oct 14: South Africa vs Kenya (day) at Kimberley.Oct 17: India vs Kenya (D/N) at Port Elizabeth.Oct 19: India vs South Africa (D/N) at East London.Oct 22: South Africa vs Kenya (D/N) at Cape Town.Oct 24: India vs Kenya (D/N) at Paarl.Oct 27: Final and Oct 28 reserve day.Oct 29-31: India vs President’s XI at Kimberley.Nov 3-7: First Test at Bloemfontein.Nov 10-12: India vs South Africa A at East London.Nov 16-20: Second Test at Port Elizabeth.Nov 24-28: Third and final Test at Centurion Park.

In Durban last December fast bowler Randi Dilhara Fernando announced his rawpotential to the cricketing world with a five-wicket haul against SouthAfrica. Today, in Galle, he confirmed his exciting talent with one of themost lethal new ball bursts by a Sri Lankan fast bowler in modern times.It started late last evening as a golden sun hugged the horizon. India’sbatsmen had played doggedly throughout the day, scoring at less than tworuns per over. Nevertheless, with the score on 155, India had lost onlythree wickets all day having been put into bat on a green wicket and theylooked certain to end the day on top.Sri Lanka captain Sanath Jaysuriya decided to make one final assault beforethe eminent close. It worked. Fernando, pounding in to bowl with thecrumbling ramparts of the Old Dutch Fort as a dramatic backdrop, burstthrough the defenses of Mohammad Kaif, who had been batting solidly foralmost three hours. Hemang Bandani sparred at a wide delivery in Fernando’snext over and India were 161 for five.In the morning he continued where he had left off the night before, cuttingthrough the Indian lower order with sheer pace, disconcerting bounce andaggression. He took three further wickets in a five over burst and even hadthe gall to rap the oppositions main strike bowler on the gloves, forcingJavagal Srinath to retire hurt. In all, he had taken five for 18 in adevastating seven over spell with the new ball that had changed the courseof the game.Fernando, a shy, friendly man and a strong catholic, was delighted with hisperformance, but does not rate it as his best: “I think my best bowling wasagainst South Africa because the wickets I got there were against betterplayers of fast bowling.””I had no pressure because Chaminda (Vaas), Ruchira (Perera) and Suresh(Perera) all bowled well,” he said. Before adding modestly: “I concentratedon bowling a good line and waited for the wickets to come.”Fernando played for Sri Lanka Under 19 in 1997 and Sri Lanka A againstZimbabwe last year before making his international debut against Pakistan atthe Sinhalese Sports Club last year, when he was far from the finishedarticle and often speared the ball down the leg side.However, he had natural pace, a rare commodity in Sri Lanka’s recent past.The selectors picked him for the South Africa tour, where he was impressive,but expensive, and against England, when he rarely bowled because of thedustbowl pitches. His rate of improvement has been nothing short ofremarkable and in the recent tri-series he commanded a regular place afteran injury to Nuwan Zoysa.He was given a chance with the new ball: “I was asked whether I can bowlwith the new ball in place Nuwan Zoysa, who was injured. I told them I hadnot previously bowled with the new ball because I did not have enoughconfidence in myself, but I would love to open bowling.”The rapid progress was undoubtedly aided by the confidence shown in him bythe team management, the selectors and Chaminda Vaas, who he is full ofpraise for, but owes a great deal to Sri Lankan fast bowling coach RumeshRatnayake, who has been working hard with him during the past 12 months.Ratnayake is confident that we have not yet seen him at his best: “We firstsaw Dilhara (Fernando) hit it off in South Africa. He only had firepowerthen, but he has now improved his accuracy, has a superb slower one and canreverse swing the ball. I also believe that he can bowl a yard faster thanhe is at the moment and should average about 93-4 mph in two years time.””After the England tour we have been fine tuning his action,” he revealed.”Speed is a rare natural talent, so we did not want to make drastic changes,but we felt that he could improve his performance levels by 40 per cent ifwe straightened his lines – he was losing pace and accuracy by falling overat the point of delivery.””He has done tremendously well since then, but I feel that a 20 per centimprovement can still be made through further fine tuning to his front armand run-up and that he will then be a fully fledged fast bowler in the classof McGrath and Gillespie,” he said.Ratnayake, currently working with an impressive squad of young bowlers inthe Fast Bowling Academy, is now getting excited. He realises the knock oninfluence that the unassuming Fernando could have on Sri Lankan cricket:”Chaminda Vaas was our first fast bowling icon and now Dilhara can be a rolemodel for our youngsters to emulate.”Fernando, a genuine all rounder at De Mazenod College, has set simple goalsfor the future: “I want to contribute more with the bat and take as manywickets at possible.” If he carries on bowling with the pace and verve thathe displayed here, then that is a forgone conclusion.

Cricket Wellington suffered a $64,000 loss last year.Presenting the annual directors’ report for presentation on Wednesday, September 5, the chairman of the board of Cricket Wellington, John Hunn said the result was disappointing.”The budget provided for a surplus of $40,000 after financing the appointments of a cricket operations manager, a new marketing manager and three development staff.”The operating loss for the year was $64,000. This was primarily attributable to a reduction this year of $100,000 in our share of New Zealand Cricket’s international gate revenue, together with a lower than budgeted return from sponsorship, marketing and members’ revenues as the international programme hosted by Cricket Wellington did not have nearly the same appeal as the 1999/2000 season,” Hunn said.Contributing to the overall position were:the increased expenditure on junior cricket which totalled $100,000, supplemented by a $45,000 grant from NZC;the first year’s operating results from the Academies;an increase in marketing activities providing an additional contribution of $51,000;an increase in administration expenses of $55,000 which was largely the result of the appointment of an operations manager.Included among the debtors to the association are five clubs who have failed to pay a total of $40,000 in affiliation fees.This attitude among clubs has resulted in the application of a tougher stance by Cricket Wellington.”Management have been very co-operative in allowing clubs time to meet their liabilities over the season, however, the board has now decided that in fairness to all other clubs and in order to preserve our financial position a stronger stance must now be taken,” Hunn said.A new policy will be considered before the start of the new season.In another move to reduce costs, the Association will move out of its existing offices and into the Easts clubrooms at the Basin Reserve. These will be extended to provide for all Wellington’s accommodation needs.Cricket Wellington has also sought a review of its funding arrangements with NZC as it believes the existing business model forces Cricket Wellington to share in the trading risks of NZC each season to a degree which inhibits sound long term planning and prudent financial management and over which it has no control.”In such a volatile and uncertain environment the casualty must be the more optional expenditure areas, particularly our development areas,” he said.

Next week, the Sri Lankan cricket board will unveil a new-look first-classtournament, which they hope will revitalise domestic cricket in Sri Lanka.

The board, though, has stopped short of introducing the two-divisionstructure championed by some, in favour of a hybrid format that balances thetwin objectives of increasing competitiveness and protecting the health ofoutstation clubs.According to Sidath Wettimuny, Interim Committee member with overallresponsibility for cricketing matters, the clubs, who had been considered apotential barrier to change, have “enthusiastically accepted” the blueprint.The future of the Premier League has long been the source of intense debate.Last year 18 teams and 404 players participated in the tournament. Matcheswere too frequently one-sided, low-key affairs that failed to adequatelyprepare players for the harsher, high-pressure environs of internationalcricket.This year the number of teams has been trimmed to 16 and the competition hasbeen spilt into three separate stages: a first round in which teams seekqualification for a Super League, a ten-team Super League from which the topfour teams proceed to a semi-final and then final.The top four sides in last years tournament – NCC, BRC, Colts, SSC – form a”Super Group” that automatically qualify for the Super League. The remainingtwelve teams are spilt into two groups of six. Each team play the others inits group and the top three in each qualify for the Super League.Whilst the qualification process is in full swing the four “Super Group”teams play each other, the result and points from which they then carrythrough to the Super League. Qualifiers will also carry through the pointsgained against their fellow group members, who they will not play again inthe Super League itself.The new format means that the best teams (the Super Group) will no longerplay hopelessly one-sided matches against the weakest teams. Excluding thesemi-finals and final the “Super Group” sides will play nine matches and theother Super League qualifiers will play 11 compared to the 12-15 played lastyear.It is hoped that the introduction of a knockout finale will further increasethe competitiveness of Super League by keeping all the teams in the huntright up to the end.Crucially, the matches are being also being scheduled to ensure theparticipation of the Sri Lankan national players. The first stage will startat the end October and finish before the West Indies and Zimbabwe tour,during which time the clubs will play the Premier League Limited OversTournament. When the Asian Test Championship is completed (early February)the Super League will commence.Wettimuny, speaking to CricInfo, said: “We wanted to play less matches andmake those more meaningful. The better teams will now play the better sidesand there will be a maximum of 11 matches.”With the introduction of the semi-final and final clubs will be in the raceright up until the end which will ensure that at the end of the day thechances are that you will have the rightful winner.”The format will be criticised in some quarters for being overly complicated.The simpler option would appear to have been two divisions with eight sides,which would reduce the amount of cricket even more. This, though, would bepolitically unacceptable to the clubs.Wettimuny argued: “We can’t afford to reduce the number of sides at thisstage. We would kill cricket in the outstations unless we combined some ofthe clubs. You must remember that out top players are now coming from theseareas.”Indeed, the health of outstation cricket is considered so vital that thecricket board has been trying to persuade the clubs to accept a radicalplayer re-distribution plan.The board has proposed that it centrally contract high profiles players, whowill then play for some of the lesser-known clubs in the outstation areas.It is hoped that this would stimulate greater interest in the clubs, arrestthe present migration of talent into Colombo and, ultimately, increase thecompetitiveness of the outstation clubs and the tournament itself.Although apparently acceptable to the players themselves, who would anywaybe selectively contracted to clubs close to their family roots, the clubshave voiced concerns and the plan is likely to be postponed until next year.Wettimuny remained realistic: “We have now, at least, have come up with agood tournament. They are other things to be done, but we have to take itone step at a time.”According to Wettimuny the new tournament is also commercially moreattractive. The BCCSL is already speaking to potential sponsors and tointerested television broadcasters about a daily highlights programme.In truth, further change is needed to the Premier League, such as animprovement in the pitches, practice facilities, greater financial supportfor the non-international players. There is no doubt, however, that theproposed changes represent an important step forward.

Bob Woolmer, ICC High Performance Consultant will be visiting Canada, Holland, Kenya and Namibia in short order to start work with these countries on their World Cup preparation.Bob is currently scheduled to hold meetings in Canada with senior and junior team officials and team captains and to discuss a programme of activities including proposed tours, academy visits and training regimens.The U-19 World Cup takes place in New Zealand in January 2002. A squad will be finalized shortly.The Senior World Cup will be held in South Africa starting in February 2003.Proposed preparation includes Academy visits, tours to the West Indies including the Red Stripe 2002, and Emerging Nations Tournaments including a visit to Namibia in April 2002. Discussion at the CCA and the ICC Development and High Performance will also include other possible tours to Kenya in December 2001.Canada, as defending Americas cricket champions, is also scheduled to participate in the Americas Championships in Argentina in March/April 2001.CCA General Secretary has requested applications and professional resumes of those interested and experienced as Managers and Coaches for Canadian junior and senior teams. Deadline for those applications is October 18th, 2001. Knowledge of and adherence to CCA and ICC guidelines and procedures will be of paramount importance.Qualified and interested applicants should immediately contact Mr. Clarke. He can be contacted by e-mail on [email protected] or by fax on +416 496 9786.

For the second day running no play was possible in India’s four-day game against the South African A team at Buffalo Park in East London on Sunday, bringing the total number of days lost either to the elements or the conditions by the Indians in the past two weeks to five.All three days in the tourists’ match against a President’s XI in Chatsworth were abandoned because of a waterlogged outfield and now in East London the Indians have encountered similar circumstances during a tour that has been dogged by ill luck.Overnight rain in East London delayed the start on Sunday and a light drizzle later in the morning eventually persuaded the umpires that there was no possibility of play. An attempt to start the game will be made at 9.45am on Monday.For players from both teams the lack of play has proved frustrating. Connor Williams, for instance, has been in South Africa for more than two weeks, but has yet to get out onto the field and with the loss of each day’s play, his chances of forcing his way into the Test side have receded. He may well go through his entire South African tour without setting foot on a field.Daryll Cullinan, meanwhile, had hoped to persuade the South African selectors that he offers a solution to their middle order batting concerns, but he too, like Jacques Rudolph, has had to kick his heels. Like Williams, Rudolph was also due to play in the President’s XI match, but found himself with more spare time than he might have wanted.

The three-day match at the Lal Bahadur Shastri Stadium has given the Indian and English selectors a lot to think about. For the five Indian selectors who were in Hyderabad throughout the recently concluded three-dayer, it must have been heartening to see Murali Kartik, Sarandeep Singh, Sridharan Sriram and Sanjay Bangar press their claims for a place in the national squad. In contrast the English think tank will be a worried lot; except for Mark Ramprakash and Martyn Ball, no one from the visiting side did anything of note.England coach Duncan Fletcher had to watch his batsmen fail in the second innings against the Board President’s XI in Hyderabad on Saturday. The most worrying aspect for the coach would be the fact that of the nine English wickets that fell in the second innings, seven went to medium-pacers. A clear lack of application could be attributed to the batting collapse.Talking to the media after the game, Fletcher said, “It has undoubtedly been a learning experience. But how much the players have acquired will be visible only after they play against India ‘A’.”The English coach was more critical of his bowlers, “Our bowlers did not bowl that well. They should be more disciplined on tracks like this and bowl a consistent line and length as Sanjay Bangar did today. We have a very inexperienced attack and the boys are learning.”The failure of Michael Vaughan as an opener in the game has meanwhile meant that Fletcher has no other options but to rely on the specialist openers he has in the side. “Our normal opening pair is Butcher and Trescothick. Butcher has struggled with the lack of pace on the wicket and hopefully will get used to that in the next game. He has shown that he is a quality opener.”Martyn Ball, on his first tour with the English side, bowled well on Saturday to claim three wickets. He has impressed the most important man, Duncan Fletcher, who said, “He has bowled well in this match and he is in the learning process, so is Richard Dawson. We are going to have a look at the them in the Jaipur match.”Ashley Giles is reputed to be the best spinner in his country. Fletcher reckons that Giles’ chances of playing the next match are 50-50, “I don’t want to be too positive, he has progressed much better than we expected to. At this stage there is a consideration that he might play (in Jaipur), but we are not going to say whether he will or he will not.”

Great to be in Dunedin and get the season underway with a four-day match against the State Volts.Arriving on Sunday to a cloudy but warm day, the Knights were quickly into stride with an afternoon fielding session at Carisbrook.The ground is looking a picture and the quality of the outfield is superb which bears testament to the great job being done by the ground staff, especially given the fact that they have hosted 55 games of rugby in the preceding months.At the conclusion of the fielding session we headed off to the Edgar (indoor) Centre for some batting and bowling skill work.The boys had an adjustment to make in terms of slightly cooler weather but the hospitality at this end of the country is always good.As I write at the end of day two we find ourselves well placed in the match. Our performance to date as a team has been commendable and the players continue to prepare well. The bowling effort on day one was good with Joey Yovich and Bruce Martin standout performers well supported in the field.To reach 303 in our first innings was pleasing. The Volts bowlers bowled well to have us 128 for seven. The Marshalls both contributing well with 54 and 32.The last three wickets put on 180 runs and skipper Robbie Hart led from the front with what was one of the better captain’s innings I have seen. He was well supported by ‘G’ (Graeme Aldridge) with 22, and ‘Bucko’ (Martin) 45.Rookie Ian Butler also showed maturity arriving at the wicket in his first first-class match, having the team nine down, batting against the new ball, and the skipper 91 not out!The Volts started impressively with Brendon McCullum and Robbie Lawson but the introduction of Aldridge and Scott Styris saw three quick wickets fall.Martin capturing the wicket of danger man Andrew Hore was a real bonus. Let’s hope we can get a result and the rain stays away.

Swashbuckling knocks from Abdur Razzaq and Rashid Latif put Pakistan in a commanding position, and Bangladesh effectively out of the game, on the second day of the Coca Cola Test series at Dhaka on Thursday. Resuming the game on their overnight total of 126/3, Pakistan batted patiently in the opening session and aggressively for the rest of day. At the close, the visitors had amassed 436/6, with centurion Razzaq and Inzamam-ul-Haq at the crease.The morning started inauspiciously for Bangladesh and Manjurul Islam, the left-arm seamer, when Habibul Bashar floored a simple chance at third slip off a mistimed Yousuf Youhana slash outside the off-stump. Youhana celebrated his luck by cutting the bowler to the deep point fence for four off the fifth ball.Left-arm spinner Enamul Haque got rid of night-watchman Saqlain Mushtaq, trapping him lbw for nine with the score on 162. Youhana continued to wax eloquent at the other end, treating each delivery on its merit and refusing to be drawn into unnecessarily risky shots. Fahim Muntasir and Enamul Haque got some early help from the pitch; their tight bowling, combined with a perky performance in the field, made for a not unsatisfactory morning session for Bangladesh.Youhana, who did not look like getting out through any indiscretion of his own, was the victim of an unfortunate run out on the way to his ninth Test ton. As he dashed down the pitch for a single, he was sent back just a tad too late by Razzaq; Mohammed Sharif, the bowler, clipped the bails off as Youhana was scurrying back to reach his own crease. The television replay sealed Youhana’s dismissal for 72, 28 runs short of what would have been a fine century.Inzamam, suffering from a severe cold, was pushed down the order, but Pakistan hardly noticed his absence as Rashid Latif took his place. The 32-year-old wicket-keeper, after some quiet moments initially, started to punish erratic bowling, lashing it to all parts of the field. Latif got his fifty off 67 balls, a knock studded with eight fours and a six.Inspired by his partner, Razzaq also exploded into action and struck two sixes. Both Enamul and Fahim were at the receiving end of belligerent strokeplay. Pakistan went in to tea at 346 for the loss of five wickets, with Razzaq on 77 and Latif 66. The last nine overs before tea had conceded 77 runs, a torrent even by one-day international standards.Without Mashrafe, the home side’s most successful strike bowler, the Bangladesh attack turned out to be toothless. None of the bowlers could make any impact on Pakistan until, after 116 overs, Bangladesh opted for the second new ball; soon after, they got the breakthrough at 396, after a 175-run stand for the sixth wicket.Mohammed Sharif, the least erratic bowler for Bangladesh on the day, finally removed Latif six short of his maiden Test hundred. He was beaten by a slower ball, skying it to Al-Sahariar at mid-on.Razzaq reached his third Test hundred by gently pushing Manjural Islam to short cover; his century featured 10 fours and two sixes. The burly Inzamam joined in with an entertaining cameo, and the fantastic reception from the crowd confirmed his popularity in Bangladesh.At stumps Pakistan were 436/6, with Razzaq on 114 and Inzamam on 22. Bangladesh face a deficit of 276 runs already, and they will have to fight long and valiantly to save this match, let alone win it.

At the club’s Annual General Meeting last week, Tim Tremlett, Hampshire’s Director of Cricket addressed members on the activities of the teams players during the winter months.All players who were offered contracts at the end of the 2001 season, or who were already under contract have now agreed terms for the new season.Neil Johnson has signed a further one-year contract as our Overseas player.You may have read in the press or on this web site, that Nic Pothas who is presently the overseas player for Gauteng in South Africa has signed a two year contract with the club.A batsman/wicket-keeper, Nic comes highly recommended by Jimmy Cook. He has represented South Africa three times in one-day internationals but qualifies as a non-overseas player as he has a Greek passport.The vast majority of the playing staff are spending the winter abroad.Iain Brunnschweiler, James Hamblin, James Schofield and Irfan Shah are all in Perth under the guidance of Paul Terry.Also based in Perth are Dimitri Mascarenhas, who is recovering from an ankle operation and Alan Mullally. Both are in full training.Lawrence Prittipaul is now in South Africa. Based in Johannesburg, Laurie will be practicing and training under the watchful eye of Jimmy Cook.Derek Kenway and Chris Tremlett are based in Adelaide with the England National Academy. They were introduced to an intensive and strict fitness regime before Christmas and have now embarked on a tour of Australia playing mainly against State 2nd XIs.Will Kendall, who was recently reappointed Hampshire’s vice-captain is to lead an MCC touring party to Kenya in late February and will be joined on the trip by Giles White.We currently have five of our contracted players at University. Charlie van der Gucht, who is making steady progress following his accident, John Francis, James Adams, Chris Benham and James Tomlinson.With the exception of Charlie, along with the other players who have remained in this country, they have been training and practising hard during the holiday period under the watchful eye of Tony Middleton.Tony has also supervised the five students we have in our Academy and assisted Raj Maru who is now responsible for the organisation of our School of Excellence, which is held in our new and very impressive Indoor School.