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How they were out

Kumar Sangakkara helped himself to another hundred against Pakistan © AFP

Sri Lanka, thrust by an immense 185 from Kumar Sangakkara and a twirling late afternoon special from Muttiah Muralitharan, edged closer to a memorable victory against Pakistan at the SSC in Colombo. Sangakkara’s ninth Test hundred, third against Pakistan and second in successive Tests against them, had earlier helped Sri Lanka set Pakistan a target of 458. Having tiptoed to 59 without loss, Pakistan lost two quick wickets to Muralitharan to end the day a little forlorn at 89 for 2.The enormity of Pakistan’s task – both in terms of time and runs – was mostly the result of Sangakkara’s hundred, one which contained enough struggle, changes in tempo and pure strokeplay to warrant consideration for epic status. Certainly, it encompassed a vast enough span of play – 109 overs – for it to be considered and relative to yesterday, his touch was gold from the very start.The first two balls of the day were effortlessly thwacked straight to cover for no run, evidence of what was to come. Pakistan’s opening bowlers carried the flatness of souls waiting for a new ball, though when it came, Sangakkara, rather than the bowlers, was revitalised. The fourth over of the new ball, 11th of the day, from Razzaq brought an edged boundary through the slips, sandwiched by easy, fluid drives through mid-on and wide mid-off, the latter on left knee. That brought him to 99 and though he lost Mahela Jayawardene and a 158-run partnership in the next over – yet another top-edged hook dismissal- he brought up his hundred soon after.The real blitz arrived after lunch. Four overs into the second session, Mohammad Asif was pulled, driven and pulled again in successive balls. As Pakistan meandered, Sangakkara brought up his 150; his century had come in 209 balls and he needed only 71 more for the next 50.It wasn’t in isolation as Thilan Samaraweera offered robust support in a 144-run partnership. He quickly settled after a cautious start in the face of spirited bowling from Mohammad Asif, but a square drive brought up 300 halfway through the morning and some comfort. When the spinners arrived, he unveiled a succession of cover drives and after lunch, he harried bowlers, late cutting Danish Kaneria and then gliding down the pitch to drive him straight down the ground. That was his seventh four and his fifty – off 104 balls – came a few overs later. By this time, bowling had become a token form of protest against the bat.In search of quicker runs, Sangakkara went sweeping and Samaraweera driving, a futile confirmation that when one wicket in a big partnership falls, another does soon after. Predictably, Pakistan’s attack suffered; Asif and Danish Kaneria had willed themselves through the morning, but as the afternoon wore on, were understandably spent. Kaneria, in particular, bowled without luck, a situation that warrants calling up Harbhajan Singh, if only to ask how to deal with a situation where good bowling brings no luck. The others were jaded and a pitch, quickly easing up, made them seem more so, reliant on the smaller victories of a maiden over here and there.The turn and bounce that Kaneria got, Muralitharan also enjoyed later. Imran Farhat’s contribution to Pakistan’s controlled start, was partly some pleasant drives and partly in a mental note to himself that balls a foot outside off-stump don’t always have to be chased. Farveez Maharoof did his post-cricket credentials as a police interrogator no harm, relentlessly probing away outside his off-stump, but with little success. It was finally the master interrogator, Muralitharan who lured Farhat forward with some dip before sharp spin away caught his edge and gave Jayawardene his 100th catch.Shoaib Malik, unbeaten on a precarious 31, must have felt that the requisite quota of fortune any individual requires in an endeavour as massive as this, has probably been used up. Sangakkara’s only blemish was to drop him off Lasith Malinga when he was on 14, another edge fell just short and two leg-before appeals appeared more out than not. He did survive Muralitharan and all the mischievous changes in flight, pace, angle and degrees of spin that brings for over two hours, which in itself is some achievement. It was an examination that Younis Khan didn’t survive. Tomorrow a day of trial by Muralitharan and a gaggle of cackling close fielders – Sri Lankan cricket’s enduring image of the age – awaits Pakistan. Not many have passed it.How they were outSri LankaMahela Jayawardene c Razzaq b Asif 82 (285 for 3)
Kumar Sangakkara c Inzamam b Malik 185 (433-3)
Thilan Samaraweera c Farhat b Afridi 64 (438-5)
PakistanImran Farhat c Jayawardene b Muralitharan 34 (59 for 1)
Younis Khan b Muralitharan 8 (71 for 2)

Scorecard

Habibul Bashar: valuable time in the middle on the final day at Fenner’s © Getty Images

Bangladesh enjoyed a third consecutive day of ideal acclimatization at Fenner’s. First, their 18-year-old seamer, Shahadat Hossain, bowled himself into contention for the first Test at Lord’s with figures of 4 for 33, and then, with a lead of 143, all five of Bangladesh’s top-order enjoyed valuable time in the middle, as the match petered out to a draw.After resuming on their overnight 190 for 5, Luke Parker and Josh Knappett extended their sixth-wicket stand to 134, before Parker was caught behind for 65 off Mashrafe Mortaza. That signalled the end of British Universities’ resistance, as Shadahat – the quickest of Bangladesh’s bowlers – got stuck into the tail. The final five wickets tumbled for 22, with Shahadat removing both Amit Suman and Monty Panesar for ducks.With more than two sessions of the day still remaining, the Bangladeshis could have contemplated a shot at a morale-boosting victory, but that was never in their gameplan. Javed Omar, fresh from a career-best 167 in the first innings, put his head down for a solid 39 and Nafees Iqbal chipped in with 46 – a breezier innings from a flashier player, but a mature performance nonetheless.Shahriar Nafees, the young left-handed opener who is seen as an outside bet for the Tests, then made an important half-century to atone for his first-innings duck, and shared in an 80-run stand with his captain, Habibul Bashar, whose 75 from 86 balls was the most authoritative innings of the day.Shahriar was run out shortly after completing his fifty, but before the close, there was just time for Rajin Saleh to familiarise himself with the conditions, as he finished unbeaten on 30. Bangladesh now travel down to Hove for the second of their three three-day warm-ups, with their spirits high and runs and wickets in the bank.

The forgotten princes
In many ways, Rajkot is the unlikeliest city to have a thriving cricket culture. It is prohibitively hot throughout the year, boasts no thriving tourist attractions and is pretty much a dustbowl. In many ways, though, the city has been linked with cricket in the most curious ways.Not a long way from the Madhavrao Scindia Stadium is the little-known Rajkumar College. A misnomer to start off, for it is a school, the college was once the exclusive domain of the princes. The most famous of them all, Kumar Shri Ranjitsinhji, Ranji to the cricket-viewing public, studied here. More recently, Ajay Jadeja, a descendant of the big man, has been linked with the college.If too many people are not aware of the cricket history of Rajkot, the Saurashtra Cricket Association must shoulder some of the blame. There lives in the city Vijay Singh Nakum, son of the once-feared fast bowler Amar Singh. Famous for his exploits bowling alongside Mohammad Nissar in the 1932-33 tour of England, Amar Singh has since passed away. His son, hale and hearty, is very much around. Sadly, though, the Saurashtra Cricket Association seems to have forgotten about his existence. Every time a match comes to Rajkot, Vijay waits for tickets, complimentary passes or some gesture from the association.It came as a pleasant surprise when Raj Singh Dungarpur sent Vijay an invitation to attend a felicitation function at Mumbai. The Cricket Club of India is honouring Indian cricketers who have taken five wickets or scored hundred runs at Lord’s. Vijay will be in Mumbai on September 19, accepting a piece of Lord’s turf on behalf of his father. Small compensation, but something is certainly better than nothing, and perhaps this will serve as a wake-up call to associations who forget people who have rendered yeoman service to state or country.Rajkot meets Bradman
One person who has put Rajkot on the Indian-cricket map, and retains a solid sense of history is Niranjan Rasiklal Shah. Most people know him as the former secretary of the Board of Control for Cricket in India, but he has worn many more hats. A first-class cricketer himself, Shah was a batsman and former captain of Saurashtra.The fact that he played just 12 first-class matches hardly rankles him. “At that time the selection process was not so organized. We had to also think about academics and a career outside cricket. You hardly got three or four matches a year,” he began. “I have no regrets at all about how much I played. That time we were just playing for the fun of it. We wanted to enjoy ourselves. That was a different time. I had played with Sunil Gavaskar, Farrukh Engineer, Chandu Borde and other greats from West Zone. At that time West Zone was ruling Indian cricket. So I have no regrets at all.”When you go to Shah’s office, though, you realize immediately that this is a man who knows his history. Behind his desk is a large framed photo of himself with Sir Don Bradman. Meeting Bradman is an experience Shah can never forget. “He is a legend. I had heard and read so much about him. At that time there was no television so you read a lot more in newspapers and things like that. You hardly got a glimpse of what great cricketers were like. It was the second or third day of the Test match at Adelaide. We were all sitting around a lunch table and I had the chance to ask him some questions.”One wonders what the two spoke about, but Shah prefers to keep that memory to himself. “Oh, this and that,” he says, with a twinkle in his eye.More Roving Reporter
From a watery mess to dry heat

The Queensland selectors have rushed axed Australian One Day playerAndrew Symonds into the XXXX Queensland Bulls team for tomorrow night’sING Cup clash with the Victorian Bushrangers at the Gabba.Symonds will replace Lee Carseldine in the Bulls team following theAustralian selectors’ decision to replace the Queensland allrounder withSouthern Redbacks batsman Darren Lehmann for Sunday’s VB Series match inPerth.Symonds trained with the Bulls yesterday afternoon following his returnfrom Melbourne along with Australian teammate Andy Bichel.Bichel has been retained in the national squad for Sunday’s matchagainst South Africa which Australia must win.The Bulls can extend their lead at the top of the ING Cup ladder and layclaims to hosting the Final on February 24 if they can defeat theBushrangers tomorrow.However with three games left, including next Friday’s day/night matchagainst the Redbacks at the Gabba, the Bulls must continue winning to bein with chance of hosting the Final at the Gabba.Tomorrow’s match starts at 2.30pm.XXXX QUEENSLAND BULLS v Victorian Bushrangers, ING Cup, Friday, 2.30pm,The Gabba: Jimmy Maher (c), Matthew Hayden, Martin Love, Clinton Perren,Andrew Symonds, Brendan Nash, James Hopes, Wade Seccombe, NathanHauritz, Damien Mackenzie, Scott Muller, Joe Dawes (all 12 to play).Victoria Bushrangers: Matthew Elliott (c), Rob Bartlett, Brad Hodge,Michael Klinger, Nick Jewell, Jon Moss, Andrew McDonald, Darren Berry,Ian Hewett, Damien Fleming, Michael Lewis, Mathew Inness.

New Zealand completed its preparation for the CricInfo Women’s World Cup, starting next week, in Timaru today with its second convincing win of three in its clean sweep over England.The eight wicket margin fairly demonstrated the difference between the two sides on the day.England, who batted first, should have made more of the good start they made to their innings. But just when they needed batsmen to build on the positive start, the middle and lower order faltered in the face of some quality New Zealand bowling.It was as if a tourniquet had been applied to stop the flow of runs. As the runs dried up the panic level in the England batting increased and it was dismissed in the 41st over for only 109, its lowest total of the series.Katrina Keenan polished off the lower order to finish with 3-15 as the last seven England wickets fell for 29 runs.Earlier, Rachel Pullar took 2-21 from seven overs while most encouragingly for New Zealand, given her return to the side after nearly two years out of the game, Clare Nicholson bowled eight overs and took 1-12.Catherine Campbell continued her quest for the world record for most wickets in ODIs. She took two wickets in the series to finish on 71 wickets, two behind Australian slow left-armer Lynette Fullston.Chasing her for the honour however, are Australia’s Cathryn Fitzpatrick and Charmaine Mason with 61, England’s Clare Taylor 59, New Zealand’s Keenan 58 and Zoe Goss of Australia on 57.New Zealand made a superb start to its chase and was quickly in front of what had been a lively England assault.Rebecca Rolls was belligerent at the start and while out for 13, it was in the third over. Anna O’Leary took the chance to play a longer innings than in the first game in Oamaru when she scored eight.She chanced her arm and got reward as the ball flew at good speed over fieldsmen in the gully area and her six from Laura Harper’s bowling was a sweetly-timed shot, the only six of the series.While offering a chance on 29, she went on to score 40 in an 80-run partnership with skipper Emily Drumm.Drumm, after the disappointment of her dismissal for 10 on Tuesday, was unbeaten on 43 at the end and had the satisfaction of scoring the winning runs.”There was no way today they were going to get me,” she said. “My downfall is often because I don’t value my wicket enough.”But she was in full control and was delighted with the series win.”Today’s game was the best chase out of the eight games we have played against England this year. And we have played better against England in this series than we did earlier in the year,” she said.England captain Clare Connor said that as a stand alone series the 3-0 series loss to New Zealand was very disappointing but as preparation for a big tournament it had been useful.”There have been several positive things to come out of it. Some of our bowlers are bowling better than they ever have before. It is disappointing the way we are approaching our batting.”We showed aggressive intent early on.”It is a case of everyone believing in what we have been practising all year,” she said.She was delighted with the side’s effort in the second game when defending 134.”It was fantastic and showed fantastic spirit and we showed some heart and soul. It took a big commitment and it is that which will pull us through the tournament and into the semi-finals,” she said.Both teams have a few days off now. The New Zealanders are going to their respective homes until reassembling on Sunday while England will be doing some sightseeing.

Former Celtic right-back Jeremie Frimpong is attracting significant interest ahead of the summer transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by German media outlet Sport1, who claim that both Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund, as well as some of the bigger clubs in England and Spain, are keeping a very close eye on the Bayer Leverkusen defender ahead of a potential move for the 21-year-old at the end of the season.

The report goes on to state that Leverkusen would demand a fee of at least €30m (£25m) in order to part with the Netherlands U21 international this summer, however, given the fact that Frimpong’s current deal at the BayArena runs until the summer of 2025, the Bundesliga side are not desperate to sell the defender.

Postecoglou will be ruing Frimpong’s sale

While hindsight is a wonderful thing, Peter Lawwell’s decision to sanction the £9.9m sale of Frimpong back in January of 2021 appears as if it is a call that Ange Postecoglou will currently be ruing.

Indeed, the £33m-rated dynamo has proven over his 23 Bundesliga appearances this season that he would have been a key player under the 56-year-old Bhoys boss – scoring one goal, registering six assists and creating three big chances for his teammates, as well as helping his side keep four clean sheets and making an average of 1.3 key passes per game.

Furthermore, while it has been rumoured that Celtic did include a sell-on clause in the £25k-per-week right-back’s transfer to Leverkusen – meaning the Hoops could be in line for a portion of the fee the German side receive for the Dutchman – should Lawwell have held fire on the sale of Frimpong until this coming summer, the Hoops could well have been in line for an injection of cash similar to the one received from the £25m departure of Kieran Tierney.

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As such, Postecoglou will undoubtedly be regretting the club’s decision to part with the 21-year-old – who Simon Rolfes claimed has “huge potential,” Rudi Voller dubbed “lively” and Neil Lennon claimed is “incredible” – prior to his arrival at Parkhead last summer, as not only has the Greek-Australian been deprived of working with an exceptionally talented player but also a potentially summer-defining sale.

In other news: “Massive blow”: Journalist drops concerning Celtic injury claim, fans will be worried

	Retired greats Shane Warne and Glenn McGrath are set to play in the IPL, which will be telecast live in Australia © Getty Images

Every Indian Premier League match will be broadcast live in Australia after the Ten Network bought the rights for five years. Ten is believed to have paid between $10 million and $15 million to show the games, which begin on April 18.The deal provides a challenge to Channel Nine, which has dominated cricket broadcasting in Australia for 30 years. “It is the biggest new cricket competition and the most revolutionary thing that’s happened in world cricket since Kerry Packer started the World Series in the mid-70s,” David White, the Ten Network’s general manager of sport, told the .It was originally anticipated that the IPL Twenty20 matches would be shown on pay television in Australia, if at all, but Ten’s decision means every match will be telecast free to air. The station intends to show the games live, with start times from 9.30pm to 1.30am [AEST] followed by repeats on its high-definition digital channel.Ten has been a long-time broadcaster of motor sports in Australia, and in more recent years Australian rules football, but its lack of cricket experience means it will need to build a commentary team from scratch. Grant Blackley, the network’s chief executive, kept his cards close to his chest when asked if he would attempt to poach any of Nine’s established callers.”You shouldn’t draw any conclusions at this point,” Blackley said. The participation of Australia’s current players in this year’s tournament is still unclear, with the in-doubt Test tour of Pakistan set to clash with the IPL. However, former stars such as Shane Warne, Glenn McGrath and the soon-to-be-retired Adam Gilchrist will take part.

India’s busy season after the World Cup kicks off with a short tour of Bangladesh as the Bangladesh Cricket Board released the itinerary, comprising two Tests and three one-dayers.Should India qualify for the World Cup final on April 28, they have a breather for just eight days before the the scheduled departure for Dhaka on May 7. The one-day series commences on May 10 at the Sher-e-Bangla Stadium in Dhaka, followed by the second match, at the same venue on May 12. Chittagong will host the third one-dayer three days later.India will stay back in Chittaong for the first Test from May 18 and will head back to Dhaka for the final Test, starting May 25. India last toured Bangladesh in 2004, winning the Test series 2-0 and the one-dayers 2-1. The reciprocal tour, however, is yet to happen.ItineraryMay 7 Arrival in Dhaka
May 10 1st ODI, Dhaka
May 12 2nd ODI, Dhaka
May 15 3rd ODI, Chittagong
May 18-22 1st Test, Chittagong
May 25-29 2nd Test, Dhaka

Inzamam terms Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s batting as ‘murderous’ © Getty Images

Inzamam-ul Haq, the Pakistan captain, today described Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s batting as “murderous” and reckoned that he was a player to be watched out for in the 2007 World Cup.The Indian wicketkeeper-batsman scored 219 runs in four innings at a stupendous strike rate of 137 in the just-conclude five-match ODI series, propelling him to number three in the latest ICC rankings among ODI batsmen. “He is [also] safe behind the wickets and can be compared with Adam Gilchrist though the Australian has proved himself as the best after years in commission”, Inzamam told PTI at Lahore.Despite the 4-1 loss to India, Inzamam believed that the Pakistan team has greatly improved over the past two years. “When India came here in 2004, our boys were young and inexperienced. They have since played a lot of cricket in other countries that has given them experience and confidence,” he said.He said that the atmosphere in the Pakistani dressing room too had definitely improved. “When you have confidence the atmosphere in the dressing room also improves”, he added. On venting frustrations in the field, he said, “I control my anger. If someone drops a catch and I get angry, will that catch come back to us? It won’t. Therefore it is better to be cool because that helps in better performance.”Looking back on the series, Inzamam said that India’s batting was undoubtedly their strength. On Suresh Raina, he said: “I did not get a chance to see him because the Indian top order did not let the pressure come on to Raina and the later batsmen. But I always believe that only the best players are picked to represent their countries and therefore Raina must be a good cricketer who will improve with every game. But consistency is the key and it applies to both, Raina as well as the selectors.” He felt Irfan Pathan was fast blossoming into the allrounder India so desperately needed to strike the right balance in one-day cricket.India’s bowlers, though, were quite inexperienced, he added. He also strongly backed Sachin Tendulkar. “He has shown by the way he batted that he is not on the decline. In my view, he is good enough for another four or five years.”He rated Tendulkar as one of the five best batsmen in the world along with Rahul Dravid, Ricky Ponting, Jacques Kallis and Brian Lara. On his own place in the pecking order – with an average of nearly 52 after 107 Tests and about 40 in 356 ODIs – he shrugged it off with a typically nonchalant, “Oh, Inzamam comes way behind them”.

Brian Lara lifts the Champions Trophy aloft in 2004© Getty Images

Ehsan Mani, the chairman of the ICC, suggested that the format of the Champions Trophy was likely to undergo changes in the near future to make the event more interesting. “Essentially, the name suggests what it is meant to be,” Mani said in an impromptu press conference at Eden Gardens, as India closed in on victory against Pakistan in the second Test.”Unfortunately, the last edition in England got diluted because too many weak sides played. We are looking at playing under a new format with only eight teams in the hunt so that we get to watch interesting cricket of a high quality. We are considering having the top five nations and the host nation making the grade directly, with two of the other four Test-playing nations coming through a qualifying competition.”The last tournament, held in late summer in England provided more one-sided matches than competitive ones, with teams such as USA getting thoroughly humiliated by the big guns.Mani also denied that the ICC was putting pressure on the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) with regard to tax exemption for next year’s Champions Trophy, currently allotted to India. “We have asked for tax exemption, there has been no threat from the ICC to the Indian Board,” Mani clarified. “Discussions are still going on with the Indian finance ministry. I met the finance minister too last month. In case there is a problem, Pakistan are ready to play hosts – Pakistan is definitely an alternative.”After the recent triangular series in Australia, Pakistan had made a request for neutral umpires to stand at both ends in one-day internationals, as is the case in Tests, but Mani said it was unlikely that request would be entertained at the moment. “The idea is to have the best umpires officiating. But having two neutral umpires in one-dayers will harm the chances of the domestic umpires coming up. That’s why we will persist with a domestic umpire too in one-day internationals.”Mani also defended umpires, who have come under some fire recently, and said that the ICC had proper systems in place in this regard. “We have remedial exams for umpires every year,” Mani replied. “There is no age limit for retirement for umpires, but we have fitness and other tests too for the umpires. Most importantly, we scrutinise all their decisions regularly. There’s a committee that twice a year checks to see if there is any specific problem with any umpire. That’s how we found that one Sri Lankan umpire repeatedly had problems picking the leg-stump line. We asked him to go back to domestic cricket and sort the issue out.”