Fine bowling by medium pacer Robin Singh helped Delhi to gain a firstinnings lead of 32 runs on the second day of their North Zone RanjiTrophy league match against Services at the Ferozeshah Kotla in NewDelhi on Tuesday.Resuming at 24 for one in reply to Delhi’s 256, Services despite apatient 46 by opener H Bhaskar who batted 229 minutes, faced 130 ballsand had four boundary hits, lost wickets at regular intervals. RobinSingh, a former India bowler, caused the early damage as Servicesslumped to 70 for six. But S Ghag, coming in at No 8, turned theinnings around with a bright 62 off 46 balls. He hit 13 fours and asix. S Javed at No 10 contributed a valuable unbeaten 25 beforeServices were all out for 224. Robin Singh finished with five for 61.By stumps Delhi had consolidated their position by scoring 91 for onein 26 overs. After Ashu Dani (2) fell at four, P Chawla (57) and AChopra (25) added 87 runs for the unrboken second wicket. By closeChawla, much the dominant partner, had faced 75 balls and hit eightfours.

England forced Pakistan to follow-on in the first test match of the current series at Lord’s and went on to win convincingly by an innings and 9 runs. It was the tenth instance of either team following-on in an England-Pakistan test. In fact, England have forced Pakistan to follow-on seven times, including the recently concluded test at Lord’s, and have won five of these matches. Pakistan, on the other hand, have recorded victory in only one of the three test matches in which they enforced England to follow-on. Incidentally, none of the above-mentioned events of following-on have occurred in Pakistan. The chronological details of these matches are:PAKISTAN

ENGLAND

KwaZulu-Natal woke up with a jolt after a painstaking first session atKingsmead, having been put in to bat by visitors Border on Friday, to end the first day in sight of a third batting bonus point on 231 for seven.They had reached that mark when bad light forced an early close after 92 overs, 12 short of the day’s complement, which means the Dolphins, who must take at least 15 points from the match to overhaul Eastern Province and secure a spot in the Super Eight phase of the competition, have another eight overs to add the extra 19 for a third point. Anything less than victory, though, means they’d be set to join last season’s champions, the Highveld Strikers, in the ranks of the also-rans.Mark Bruyns and Doug Watson opened the home side’s innings with a tortuous display, putting on just 31 runs off 29 overs before rain mercifully ended the morning session 20 minutes early. After lunch, left-armer Liam Graham snapped both up quickly, Bruyns having made 12 from 97 balls and Watson 14 from 98, before the Dolphins upped the tempo.Jon Kent lasted just five balls before Vasbert Drakes bowled him for a duck, but Ashraf Mall finally got the boundaries flowing – none were hit before lunch – with four fours in his 36 and, once he was out, captain Dale Benkenstein, who top-scored with 86, and wicketkeeper Errol Stewart (29) fashioned a stand of 107 in 93 minutes for the fifth wicket. The partnership took only 181 deliveries.With Wade Wingfield finishing unbeaten on 25 – Eldine Baptiste is hispartner on a single – the Dolphins had just about got themselves out of the hole by the end of the day, but there is plenty of work ahead against a formidable Border side.

Ben Smith’s maiden CricInfo Championship century of the summer helped put Leicestershire in command on the opening day of their clash with Kent in Canterbury.Batting first on a sublime pitch, Leicestershire and Smith in particular took advantage of unusually short St Lawrence boundaries and some mediocre Kent bowling to post 296 for four come the close.Prodigal son Trevor Ward, the former Kent opener who graced Canterbury for 14 years before his switch to the East Midland two years ago, suffered a disappointing return when he went to the second ball of the day.Pushing forward to a lifting leg-cutter he edged to Paul Nixon to become the first of three victims for Martin Saggers.That bought together Iain Sutcliffe and Smith for a second wicket stand worth 190 in 75 overs – a new record for the Foxes against Kent beating Laurie Potter and James Whitaker’s 176 in Folkestone back in 1989.Smith scored his ton in 246 minutes and with 13 fours and Sutcliffe reached his half-century from the next delivery from 184-balls and with six boundaries.Their stand came to an end three balls after tea when Smith aimed to drive at Saggers but lifted the ball enough for Matthew Walker to claim the catch at cover.Sutcliffe’s vigil ended when he risked a single to Min Patel at cover, only to be sent back by Daniel Marsh and lose the race to re-gain his ground when Nixon whipped off the bails.Marsh made amends, however, lifting the tempo and the spirit of the innings with a chirpy 72 with 12 fours before falling in the final over of the day after being undone by the extra bounce of the new ball.

“It is going to be a tough tour,” began Indian captain Sourav Ganguly,stating the obvious. “New Zealand and Sri Lanka are both especiallygood One-Day sides and we have to play well to beat them,” hecontinued, in the same vein, talking to pressmen at the ‘Le Meredien’hotel in Chennai. Shortly before the team departed for Sri Lanka, thecaptain, coach and manager held a joint press conference on Monday.As expected, the fact that Sachin Tendulkar would not be with the teamfor the first part of the tour held more attention than anything else.”Obviously we’ll miss Tendulkar. A player of his class is tough toreplace, but at least I’m happy he’ll be back by the middle of thetour,” said Ganguly. Talking about the injury, Ganguly went on to add,”these things happen in cricket and there’s nothing you can do aboutit. One has to learn to play without any player, whether it’sTendulkar or someone else. That’s the challenge.”The fact that Tendulkar played the final of the Coca-Cola Cup inZimbabwe and soon after announced his injury raised a few eyebrows.Why was the injury not disclosed earlier, asked a few people. “He justscored a century in the game before the final and felt confidentenough to play. Tendulkar is an experienced player and he felt goodenough to play despite his niggling injury,” answered Ganguly.If Tendulkar’s omission was a hot topic, his replacement AmayKhurasiya was another talking point. The flashy Madhya Pradeshsouthpaw makes a return to the team almost out of the blue. Gangulyhowever did not see things that way. “He’s been doing very well indomestic cricket. Moreover I feel he’s a more attacking player thaneither Shiv Sunder Das or Sadagoppan Ramesh and that is what you needin the One-Dayers,” explained Ganguly. At the same time, Ganguly had aword of praise for Hemang Badani, “He’s a good player and a brightprospect for Indian cricket. A great future investment for the team,”said the skipper of his ward.After taking over as the coach of the Indian team, John Wright will beup against his home side New Zealand for the first time in theforthcoming Coca-Cola Cup in Sri Lanka. For the former Kiwi openerhowever, it was business as usual. “I don’t think playing New Zealandwill be any different from playing someone else. I’m more interestedin seeing India beat New Zealand and Sri Lanka,” said the coach.”After all, it’s my job to help India win,” ended Wright. When it wassuggested that the Indian team lacked consistency, Wright was quick toreply. “I don’t think you should look too much at individualperformances. If the team keeps winning, then that’s the mostimportant thing. I don’t really accept the statement that the Indianteam is inconsistent,” said Wright, putting an end to that line ofquestioning.On the whole, the press conference was a routine affair, with captainand coach answering questions in a matter of fact way and withoutcontroversy. The one factor that gave the whole affair a formal airand even tension was the large number of policemen uniformed andotherwise hovering about the Indian captain. Ganguly, who was recentlygiven Z-category security after threats from a militant group wasescorted everywhere he went. With walkie-talkies buzzing and metaldetectors all over the place one wondered if the security arrangementsput additional pressure on the leader of the Indian side. “I’m underno pressure at all on account of the threats to my life,” said Gangulyfirmly. With Tendulkar out of action and Ganguly showing a glimmer ofhis old self, one certainly hopes he’s right.

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.

* Tendulkar, Kumble invited to BCCI panel meetingLeg spinner Anil Kumble and batting maestro Sachin Tendulkar, alongwith two other former Test stars, have been invited to attend theBoard of Control for Cricket in India’s (BCCI) technical committeemeeting at Baroda on August 11.The meeting, to be chaired by former Indian skipper Sunil Gavaskar,who wants to involve past and present cricketers while discussing thenew format of the Ranji Trophy and Duleep Trophy tournaments will alsohave his former opening partner K Srikkanth and former player turnedcommentator Arun Lal, according to a BCCI official on Friday.The meeting will also be attended by its members Raj Singh Dungarpur,who is also the chairman of the National Cricket Academy, MP Pandove(Punjab), Dr Bharghava (Madhya Pradesh), Prof Rathod (Rajasthan) andformer India stumper Kiran More (Baroda), the official added.* Shewag gets Rs one lakh from his employersVirender Shewag, for obvious reasons, is currently the most talkedabout cricketer in the land. His 100 off 69 balls, the seventh fastestcentury in One Day Internationals and the second fastest by an Indianhas elevated his status to almost that of a super star. Messages ofcongratulations have poured in and the one that he cherishes most isone from Sachin Tendulkar.And that is not all. The 22-year-old Delhi batsman has been awarded Rsone lakh by his employers the Oil and Natural Gas Corporatioon (ONGC).Shewag, who is an administrative officer with ONGC in the capital,plays regularly for them in various tournaments around the country.* Kenyan Association invites Mumbai teamThe Mumbai cricket team has been invited by the Kenyan CricketAssociation (KCA) to participate in a triangular tournament betweenMumbai, Baroda and Kenya from September 10 to 25, according to a pressrelease from Mayank Khandwala, joint secretary, Mumbai CricketAssociation.In the tournament, the Mumbai team will play three one day matchesagainst the two other teams. The top two teams will meet in the final.Mumbai will also play a three day match after the completion of thetriangular tournament against the Kenyan team. The tour is on areciprocal arrangement with the KCA which sent a team to play a fewmatches in Mumbai and elsewhere in Maharashtra last year.

West Indies have beaten Kenya by 106 runs in the First One-Day International of the series in Nairobi.The day began well for Kenyan captain Maurice Odumbe, as he won the toss and inserted the visitors. But it was to be the only moment of joy for the hosts as the West Indies openers compiled an opening stand of 174.Daren Ganga weighed in with a robust 68, but it was Chris Gayle who dominated. He was particularly severe on anything short or wide and hit 17 fours and three sixes in his 150-ball stay.Ganga was dropped twice early on, and survived a missed stumping but Gayle’s was a chanceless knock.Odumbe was obliged to juggle his eight bowlers in a vain attempt to stem the tide of runs, but could not prevent the tourists scoring at eight an over for the second half of the innings.West Indies did wobble when Ganga played around a straight one from Tikolo, and Hinds and Hopper perished in the search for quick runs. But Gayle was not to be denied as he passed his previous ODI best of 76 to take the score to 256 before he was surprisingly bowled by Odoyo, for 152.Gayle became one of a select group of West Indians to have scored 150 or more in a one-day international. Desmond Haynes, Brian Lara, Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Viv Richards (who passed 150 three times including a best of 189 against England) are the only previous West Indians to have achieved the feat.Sarwan – 32 in just 16 balls – and Chanderpaul with a run-a-ball 32, ensured that the good start was not wasted as the West Indies reached 311-4 in their 50 overs.Kenya never threatened to reach their imposing target. Corey Collymore and Colin Stuart effectively ended the game as a conquest in reducing Kenya to 26-3, including the key wicket of Steve Tikolo, trapped by an in-cutter, lbw for a duck.Thomas Odoyo resisted bravely, but at 63-6 a rout was on the cards. But the lower order showed some determination and 42 were added for the seventh wicket, with Odoyo bringing up the 100 with a six over long on off McGarrell.But in attempting to repeat the shot of Collymore he skied a catch. But Otieno joined Tony Suji to add 47 for the eighth before Suji edged to Hooper and Jimmy Kamande and Josephat Ababu added 44 for the tenth wicket as Kenya were finally dismissed in the final over for a respectable 205.Stuart finished with an ODI best 5-44, and Gayle capped his wonderful day by taking the final wicket, Ababu, caught at mid off.

SHANE WARNE walked out of Old Trafford after Australia’s World Cup match with West Indies two years ago, convinced he would be returning there the following sum mer as a Lancashire player.The world’s greatest leg-spinner and most charismatic cricketer had made his mind up that he was going to spend the summer of 2000 playing in English county cricket, and it looked as though the Red Rose County had won the battle for the most prized autograph in cricket.”I had a meeting with Jack Simmonds at Lancashire during the World Cup against the West Indies at Old Trafford. I left Lancashire probably thinking I would play there,” reveals Warne.But he hadn’t banked on persuasive powers of Robin Smith.”I’d known Judgie for a long time. Not really close, but I’d rubbed up against him in opposition at various times.” Once Smith knew it was Warne’s intention to play county cricket, he set to work on him like a dripping tap.”I spoke to Robin a few times on the phone and he just kept chipping away, saying ‘give us a chance before you sign.'” There was the now legendary meetings at a Buckingham Palace garden party with former Hampshire chairman Brian Ford, but the groundwork had been done. Warne was hooked.”There were two counties chasing me for last summer and three or four when I first hinted I might come over in 1994.”In the end, I didn’t come over for various reasons; injuries, the international schedule, birth of children. There were a lot of factors that cameinto it but last year was the right time.”What struck me about Hampshire was that they were a county who hadn’t had much success, they had a good group of young players who wanted to achieve something, and I wanted to come to a club that hadn’t tasted much successand try and take them to the top.”Unfortunately for Warne, that didn’t quite panout last year as Hampshire were relegated from the top flight of the National League, not that he could have done much more about it personally. You could stick Zinedine Zindane in the Exeter City midfield, but he wouldn’t get them into the Premiership, and thus it was with Warne.”I was disappointed last year. I could have gone to a bigger county where I perhaps would have had a lot of success, but I might not have enjoyed it,” said Warne.”Statistically I did very well with the most wickets in the First Division and nearly 500 runs, but I was disappointed. “I thought I could have done better. And I thought as a team we could have played a lot better.”There’s a lot of talented cricketers at Hampshire, it’s just a matter of getting consistency in the team and finding that balance between switching off and having the disciplines and all those things.”I would like to have the opportunity again because I think we could all do it a lot better.”If last summer was an uplifting experience for Warne, it was an education for many of Hampshire players, not all of them younger ones. All will say that they learned off him. His professionalism and his approach to every game was a cricket classroom.”I would like to think that some of the guys learned a bit last year, and there’s a lot more to learn,” says Warne who is eager to pass it on.”If the club want me back, the more opportunity we have to have time together as a team, the more we could learn together and do a lot better.”The $64,000 question is whether Warne will be back in 2003. Australia’s Sardine-tin Test schedule over the next 18 months rules out a return next summer, but Warne is keen to come back in 2003. He’s already had informal talks and made itclear that Hampshire would be his first choice of county.”I’ve spoken to a lot of people. Obviously they’re pretty keen, if everything works out depending on international schedules. “They’re showing a little bit of interest. I’ve shown a lot of interest to them and it’s a matter of finding out the balance. It might not be the right time for Hamsphire and they might want to go in another direction. Who knows?” says Warne, who was keen to shoot down one story doing the rounds, that he was coming back to Hampshire in 2003 as captain.”That’s not quite right,” he points out. “I was asked the question if I came back to Hampshire would I captain or consider the captaincy and my answer was whatever was best for the club, best for the county and for myself.”I didn’t say I wanted to come back and captain Hampshire. I said would love the opportunity to play for Hampshire again. Hopefully I will have the opportunity to do that again some way down the track and if the captaincy was an option I would consider it, if it was the best thing for the club.” One potential stumbling block to Warne’s return could be his chance to carve his name in cricket history.Having passed the 400 Test wicket mark in the Ashes series, Australia’s crowded schedule of the next 18 months could push him towards the magical 500-mark.Courtney Walsh has already beaten him to that, but if Warne could go down in legend as the first spinner to reach it, wouldn’t the temptationto reach out for it deflect his desire for another dose of county cricket?”Milestones and statistics have never been a driving force for me, “What you do is all about enjoyment. If you enjoy what you’re doing then you keep going. If you’re not enjoying it, it’s time to do something else.”At the moment I’m enjoying my cricket, I’m bowling probably better than I ever have. I can’t bowl any better than I did in the second innings at The Oval and the second innings at Trent Bridge.”No matter if it was ’92, ’93 or whenever it was, I can’t bowl any better than that, so it suggests to me that perhaps the best is yet to come. If that’sthe case then hopefully I can take a lot more wickets.”