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National League Division TwoDivision Two Table Hampshire 216 for 8 (Kenway 78) beat Northamptonshire 162 (Mascarenhas 4 for 22, Udal 4 for 40) by 54 runs
ScorecardDimitri Mascarenhas and Shaun Udal took advantage of The Rose Bowl lights as Hampshire bowled out the league leaders Northamptonshire for a meagre 162 and won by a comfortable 54 runs.While the Northants bowlers struggled to extract life from the pitch, Mascarenhas darted the ball around at will, and took the two big wickets of Mike Hussey and Phil Jaques early on, both trapped lbw with the ball swinging in to their pads. That left Northants on a stuttering 19 for 3 and two more wickets from Mascarenhas sank them in to further trouble at 50 for 5.David Sales provided some resistance with 73 from 115 balls, but while his team-mates continued to perish at regular intervals, he was fighting a lost cause. He was eventually last man out, bowled by Udal, who wrapped up the tail with 4 for 40 as Northants crashed to 162.For Hampshire, Derek Kenway held the innings together with 78 from 112 balls, and put on 75 for the second wicket with James Hamblin, who scored 32. It was Hampshire’s seventh win of the season and pushed them up to third spot of the second division.

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Sri Lanka v Zimbabwe:Sanath Jayasuriya (SL) needs 73 runs to complete 9000 ODI runs
Grant Flower (ZIM) needs 45 runs to complete 6000 ODI runs
Grant Flower (ZIM) needs 3 wickets to join the 100 ODI-wicket club
Marvan Atapattu (SL) needs 96 runs to complete 500 World Cup runs
Hashan Tillakaratne (SL) needs 117 runs to complete 500 World Cup runs
Grant Flower (ZIM) need 19 runs to complete 500 World Cup runs
Heath Streak (ZIM) needs 174 runs to complete 500 World Cup runs
Sanath Jayasuriya (SL) needs 10 wickets to join the 25 World Cup wicket-club
Heath Streak (ZIM) needs 5 wickets to join the 25 World Cup wicket-club
Aravinda De Silva (1028) needs 56 runs to become the second leading WorldCup run-getter, current second place record holder is Javed Miandad (1083)Australia v Kenya:Damien Martyn (AUS) needs 156 runs to complete 3000 ODI runs
Ricky Ponting (AUS) needs 165 runs to complete 6000 ODI runs
Andy Symonds (AUS) needs 36 runs to complete 1000 ODI runs
Hitesh Modi (KEN) needs 147 runs to complete 1000 ODI runs
Ricky Ponting (AUS) needs 162 runs to complete 1000 World Cup runs
Adam Gilchrist (AUS) needs 14 runs to complete 500 World Cup runs
Darren Lehmann (AUS) needs 178 runs to complete 500 World Cup runs
Steve Tikolo (KEN) needs 38 runs to complete 500 World Cup runs
Maurice Odumbe (KEN) needs 67 runs to complete 500 World Cup runs
Kennedy Otieno (KEN) needs 89 runs to complete 500 World Cup runs
Ravindu Shah (KEN) needs 128 runs to complete 500 World Cup runs
Thomas Odoyo (KEN) needs 192 runs to complete 500 World Cup runs
Glenn McGrath (AUS) needs 9 wickets to join the 50 World Cup wicket-club
Maurice Odumbe (KEN) needs 7 wickets to join the 25 World Cup wicket-club
Thomas Odoyo (KEN) needs 10 wickets to join the 25 World Cup wicket-club

As a rampant Sri Lankan side romped to a predictable series win against Zimbabwe, captain Sanath Jayasuriya warned of tougher challenges ahead in 2002."Performing overseas is very important for us and we now have some tough series coming up against England and South Africa," he warned. "There is now a big responsibility on all of us to continue are success there.""You never know when the side will have a bad day but at the moment the team is on the way up, heading in the right direction and performing well," he added.Coach Dav Whatmore was delighted with the team’s newly found consistency: "We have always had the ability to be as good as anyone in the world, but in the past we would throw away Test matches with bad sessions and days."It’s reassuring, for the players and the Sri Lankan public, that we are now putting together consistent performances," he said."Admittedly, all seven wins have been made at home, but you can only beat the opposition put in front of you."Life is good at the moment and the players have the right to enjoy this victory.""Nevertheless, the players now that there are some greater examinations to come and their feet are firmly on the ground."We have set the objective of being in the top three Test teams and by an large we have achieved that – we now need to maintain it."Muttiah Muralitharan, the man of the match after his 13 for 115 match-haul, believes that the side can now be successful overseas."At home I think we are second only to Australia now, but we have to prove ourselves in England and South Africa," he said."I think we can seriously think of winning overseas because the side is playing as a team and a number of good fast bowlers are now coming through."Stuart Carlisle was also impressed by Sri Lanka, though he had reservations as to how they will fare overseas."They are a really good unit and have a balanced young side," said Carlisle. "However, it’s not easy to place them because all seven wins have been at home, where they are extremely hard to beat."The big test will be when they go overseas. In England and Australia where the ball moves around a bit off the seam I think they could be in a bit of trouble."He wished he had someone of the caliber of Muralitharan in his side."Murali is a world-class bowler," he said. "There are plenty of strategies about how to counter him, but at the end of the day he is very hard to play."I wonder what would have been the result if we had him in our side. He is a real asset for Sri Lanka and they should be really proud of him."Carlisle admitted it was difficult captaining a losing side and didn’t hide his disappointment with the team’s performance."It was very disappointing. There were a couple of careless shots but on the whole I think we were a bit too tentative and sometimes negative."In the bowling department we have got to learn from Sri Lanka. They bowled to a plan, were tight and got the ball to reverse swing. In contrast, we bowled far too many four balls."But I do think the talent is there. We have the players but not the self-belief."We now have to use the final Test as preparation for our tour to India and try to put together a decent first innings score."Jayasuriya appeared reluctant to make changes for the final Test."We need back-up players but we cant make any big changes because there is only one Test match left at home and we need to give the players as much confidence of possible," he said.He expects Muralitharan to be fit: "Murali didn’t have any problems in the second innings. In fact, he was troubled more with his spinning finger than the dislocated one. He now has a chance to take 400 in Galle and he will play."

POTCHEFSTROOM, South Africa, Feb 3 AAP – Steve Waugh’s absence is regrettable.He’s left the team without a motto.What is Ricky Ponting doing?Australia always had a motto when Waugh was captain.Most times, anyway. They were great.He came up with ‘No Regrets’ for the 1999 World Cup.Other expeditions were filed under catchy little phrases like ‘Never Satisfied’.Waugh spent an entire Ashes series mumbling “never satisfied, lads” from gully.And now?Nothing.A rumour spread this morning about the use of ‘No Excuses’.Perfect, perfect. Nods of approval everywhere.But then it was revealed ‘No Excuses’ was not the motto for this tour and even more alarmingly, there was to be no motto at all.Tragic.Australia needs a motto and it’s not too late to get one.The first game is still a week away.’No Excuses’ really would be would be perfect, reflecting the players’ belief that all things being equal, they should win this tournament.If they lose, they will have no-one to blame but themselves.No excuses.Going through unbeaten is not beyond the realms of possibility.They have wicket-taking and economical bowlers, run-hungry batsmen capable of dominating or dabbing, fieldsmen happy to throw themselves all over the place, a spinner who is out of this world, an aura of invincibility and an aggressive, progressive leader.Even if he can’t find a motto.South Africa has jumped on the motto bandwagon, adopting one that sounds vaguely familiar: `No Regrets’.Waugh should have put it under copyright.Surely the hosts could have been more imaginative.”Don’t Choke’ would have been good.Other nations are believed to be considering the following:India – No Quicks.Zimbabwe – No Matches.England – No Hope.New Zealand – Please, No.Sri Lanka – No Ball.

With the upcoming tour to Sri Lanka by the West Indies cricket teamless than two weeks away, and with concerns in the Caribbean high overthe safety of the West Indian players, assurances have been receivedby the sport’s governing body in the West Indies. These assuranceshave come from the Chairman of the Board of Control for Cricket in SriLanka (BCCSL), the Chairman of BCCSL Mr. Vijaya Malalasekera.The BCCSL Chairman gave those assurances to the president of the WestIndies Cricket Board (WICB), Rev Wes Hall. The officials of bothcricket boards held bilateral discussions while attending the recentlyconcluded International Cricket Council (ICC) meeting in Kuala Lumpur,Malaysia. As a result of these discussions, the BCCSL chairman saidthat the BCCSL and the people of Sri Lanka will undertake measures toguarantee the safety and comfort of the West Indies cricket teamduring its tour to Sri Lanka scheduled for November to December 2001.The BCCSL officials have also informed the WICB that nationalelections have been announced for 5 December,2001, and, if required,match fixtures will be adjusted marginally to avoid interference withthe elections.Meanwhile, during joint discussions, President of the Zimbabwe CricketUnion (ZCU), Mr. Peter Chingoka, has assured the WICB that the ZCU issatisfied with the arrangements in place for team safety and the ZCUwill be participating in the Tri Nations One-Day Internationaltournament between Zimbabwe, West Indies and host country Sri Lanka,scheduled for December.The three countries will continue to liaise with each other to ensurethat player safety remains assured.

Somerset Chief Executive was relieved at the news that the problems surrounding to the forthcoming Test series against India had been resloved and the first Test match will get underway as planned on Monday December 3rd.Earlier this morning Mr Anderson had expressed his concerns over the retaliatory action that would inevitably follow any decision by England to pull out of the tour should the Indians select Virender Sehwag.The Chief told me, “the Somerset finances rely on 53% of what we need to run the club coming from the proceeds of international cricket. If there was to be no international cricket in England in 2002 the financial implications for the club would be serious.”Mr Anderson went on, “We are also waiting to see whether or not Richard Johnson has overtaken Jimmy Ormond and is selected for the first Test.”He continued,”Player availability and putting a competitive team into the field are issues that could arise should Richard Johnson establish himself in the England team. If he does then all to his credit, and we wouldn’t want to prevent that, but if it means Johnson and Caddick missing regularly then on paper our opening attack could look threadbare.”He went on, “that said it provides opportunity for Matt Bulbeck, Joe Tucker, Peter Trego and Simon Francis to stake a claim for a place which they must grab with both hands. Youngsters are always complaining about the lack of opportunity, now here is there chance.”The Chief Executive concluded, “if Ormond suddenly says that he is joining Somerset that will be a bonus, but that is looking increasingly unlikely.”

Just two days after the Delhi High Court allowed him to play domestic cricket again, Ajay Jadeja won two minor battles both on and off the field. Playing for Air Sahara in his comeback match in a local day-night tournament in New Delhi, Jadeja slammed 45 and a 78-ball 101 in consecutive games over the weekend.There was more good news for Jadeja today, when the Supreme Court declined the Indian board’s request to stay the High Court order and prevent Jadeja from appearing in any more domestic matches.The 1000 fans who turned up to watch Jadeja’s comeback were treated to some entertaining batting, as Jadeja belted eight fours and six sixes in his century on Sunday.Expectedly, Jadeja was pleased with his weekend’s effort. “It’s great to be back. I still dream of playing for India again. Cricket remains my first love. I just want to play.”Jadeja had been banned by the Indian board (BCCI) for five years for alleged links with bookmakers, but the decision was overturned by the Delhi High Court after Jadeja appealed against the ruling. The court, however, stated that Jadeja’s return to international cricket remained the prerogative of the BCCI and the selection committee. Despite an encouraging return, Jadeja is a long way from achieving that goal.

The rain arrived about an hour too late to save Victoria here today as New South Wales scored outright points in their Pura Cup cricket match at Punt Rd.The Blues finished on 3-117, chasing 115, thanks to a brisk 76-run stand between Test opener Michael Slater (58no) and Mark Higgs (32no) which rescued themfrom a shaky 3-41.Higgs scored the winning boundary under grey skies, about an hour before steady showers again returned.It was NSW’s second outright win of the summer, while the result left Victoria with no wins from three four-day and four one-day games so far this season andbottom place on the two competition tables.”I thought it (the weather) might have played a bit more of a part this afternoon, I was expecting a couple more showers,” said NSW captain Shane Lee.”We just had to go out there and try to play positively, but not too aggressively and throw too many wickets away – I was happy with the way it turned out.”More than an hour’s play was lost earlier today because of the rain, which caused several stoppages through the weekend.The grey weather matched the mood in the Victorian changerooms, where captain Matthew Elliott offered no excuses for his side’s poor form.He praised NSW, saying the Blues had out-bowled and out-batted his lineup, and added “you don’t need to be Einstein” to work out the Bushrangers needed somematch points quickly.But Elliott also stressed there was no point in last season’s Pura Cup runner-up panicking, saying the side had to concentrate on ball-by-ball play rather than trying to win again.In particular, he said Victoria had to hold more catches – Slater’s let-off when he was three today was a particularly costly miss.”I don’t know how much longer you can keep saying you’re on the verge of it (good form) if it doesn’t happen for you,” he said.”We have played a bit of cricket (this season) and guys have really got to stand up….we just don’t seem to have the spark we had in past years.”Victoria resumed on 4-69 this morning and reached 193, with Ian Harvey making 48 and Elliott, batting at No.7 because of a stomach virus over the last three days, reaching a top score of 50.Once again, no Victorian could build a big score after making a start.Opening bowler Stuart Clark snared 5-47, his second five-wicket bag of the season, while Stuart MacGill’s 4-54 gave him 8-125 for the match.Damien Fleming (3-34) gave Victoria a sniff of at least holding NSW until the rain returned when he picked up first-innings century makers Michael Bevan (10) and man-of-the-match Michael Clarke (second-ball duck) within three balls of his ninth over.But Slater and Higgs then combined to take the match to the fairest conclusion, given the Blues’ domination over the four days.

Despite frequent interruptions for rain England manoeuvred themselves into a dominating position on the second day, only to find themselves once again dragged back into the mire by their old tormenter-in-chief Shane Warne.Five wickets for Warne, four of them late in the day, plus another high-quality all-round performance from Adam Gilchrist ensured that the Australians weren’t about to surrender their initiative in the series without a fight.At the close of the second day the home side, in their second innings, were on 144-6, leading overall by 139 runs, with 4 wickets in hand.Marcus Trescothick and Michael Atherton gave their side a solid platform by putting together a stand of 57 at the start of England’s second innings but then Warne struck in unusual fashion. Trescothick, on 31, struck the spinner firmly to leg but unluckily saw it rebound off the shin-pads of the close-in fielder Matthew Hayden. ‘Keeper Gilchrist threw himself forward to scoop up the catch.Mark Butcher made only one before Brett Lee trapped him lbw and the same bowler then had Mark Ramprakash caught behind off a no-ball. Lee, in a fiery burst, had earlier struck the grille on Atherton’s helmet with a delivery clocked at 91.8mph. Atherton also looked fortunate to survive a shout for lbw from Glenn McGrath, whose premature celebration took him beyond the striker.In the evening gloom Atherton and Ramprakash took their stand to 50, from 93 balls, with both batsmen hammering delightful shots through the offside from the bowling of Jason Gillespie. Atherton’s own half-century came with a push through the covers off Warne. On 51, though, it appeared as if he was given out incorrectly for the second time in the match. Replays seemed to indicate that he clipped his pad as he pushed forward to Warne but umpire Venkat gave him out caught behind.Having been very much on the ropes Australia bounced back with another wicket in Warne’s next over, as Alec Stewart chopped his second delivery onto his stumps.Ramprakash, still with something to prove at this level, had moved competently to 26 but then a rush of blood persuaded him to charge at Warne and Gilchrist completed the most routine of stumpings. The leggie had picked up 3-5 in nine balls and he collected yet another five-wicket haul in the final over as Steve Waugh dived to hold a bat-pad catch off Craig White.During the morning session Australia were again indebted to Adam Gilchrist, whose 54 ensured that the visitors picked up a narrow first innings lead. Bowling honours went to Alex Tudor who collected the last three wickets to fall, to finish with figures of 5-44, his first five-wicket haul in Tests.