The West Indies Players Association (WIPA) and the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) have reached an agreement on player match fees for the upcoming tri-series in Singapore and Malaysia. The agreement ends the dispute between the two parties, which had earlier threatened West Indies’ participation in the tournament.The WIPA has agreed on a minimum fee of US$30,000 for the junior players and US$75,000 as the upper figure for senior players. Last week, the WIPA had demanded fees ranging from US$40,000 to $US95,000 per player, representing 40% of the net revenue which the WICB was to receive and almost double the premium on normal match fees, which the board considered “unacceptable”.The WICB then selected a squad of 14 players and issued tour contracts directly to the players, without consulting the WIPA. The players association were critical of the board,calling the board’s action “premature” and accusing them of trying to “divide and rule”.Brian Lara, the West Indies captain, urged both parties to settle their differences, stating that he was looking forward to leading a full strength squad for the tri-series. The parties reached a compromise on Sunday, at the best interests of the game.

Malcolm Speed, chief executive ICC, is heading to China next week, excited at the prospects for the game in a country where interest is growing rapidly. It will be Speed’s first visit to the world’s most populous country. He will be accompanied by Shaharyar Khan, chairman PCB, who has been appointed to chair a “Committee to Evaluate China.””This is my first visit to China as chief executive officer and it is an exciting prospect both personally and professionally,” said Speed. “I was given an insight into the China Cricket Associations plans during an Asian Cricket Council seminar in Kuala Lumpur in June and although those plans are still in their early stages they are still very impressive.”No one is under any illusions that the widespread development of the game in China will be something that takes place overnight. However, the enthusiasm for the game in China appears to be both tangible and growing rapidly and if that enthusiasm can be harnessed then that is great news for cricket not only there but on a worldwide basis.”China joined the Asian Cricket Council in 2004 and the ICC in 2005 and authorities there have drawn up a comprehensive development plan with coaching, funding and facilities in place to fast-track the one-day game. Shaharyar said he had already met with Chinese officials and was impressed by what he had heard.”I have been impressed by the rigour and the scale of their strategic thinking,” he said. “The opportunities they potentially offer their countrymen is immense, the potential they offer the cricket world is immense.”They will be in Beijing and Shanghai for five days, assessing the standard of play, coaching and facilities established so far and meeting Zhang Xiaoning , vice-chairman Beijing Olympic Games Organising Committee, among others.”We think this is a sport in which Chinese could do very well because this is a game that emphasises skills, tactics and team work,” said Zhang, who is also chairman of the Chinese Cricket Association. The CCA’s goal is to have 15,000 cricketers by 2009. These numbers are forecast to rise to 60,000 by 2012 and 150,000 by 2020.

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Points table

Worcestershire kept the pressure on at the top of division two after beating the rain at the Rose Bowl and winning under the Duckworth-Lewis method. On a bowler-friendly service they skittled Hampshire for 131 before begin well ahead of the rate when the late evening thunderstorms arrived.The Hampshire top order slumped to 49 for 4 against some fine seam bowling from Zaheer Khan, Matt Mason and Kabir Ali. Their position wasn’t helped when Shane Warne had to retire hurt with a nasty gash above his right eye. He went for a pull shot and the ball went straight between his visor and grille.Warne went off to hospital but was told the cut was too deep to stitch so returned to ground, ate a cheese roll, was patched up by the physio and returned at the fall of the eighth wicket. He didn’t last long before becoming Khan’s second victim while Gareth Batty bowled well for his three strikes.James Bruce replied with a fine opening burst, but despite his two wickets Worcestershire remained well ahead of the D/L target thanks to Lou Vincent’s 28-ball 32. They are now level on points with Gloucestershire at the top of the table and both teams have one match left.

Bengal, last year’s Ranji Trophy runners-up, might start the Indian domestic season as one of the favourites but none of their league matches will be telecast.Two teams – Bengal and Karnataka – were conspicuously absent in the schedule that the Indian board unveiled in Mumbai yesterday, announcing 70 days of live telecast of domestic games. According to the board “logistical” issues demanded that two teams would always miss out but a number of people have felt there was a political angle to the whole issue.It’s no secret that cricket associations from Bengal and Karnataka have traditionally opposed the Sharad Pawar lobby. The fact that the announcement was made just two days before the board’s Annual General Body meeting also gives an impression that it was an exercise to garner a few vital votes.Though Niranjan Shah, the secretary of the board, wasn’t aware of the “exact” reason, he insisted that there weren’t any political intentions. “We’ve discussed it with Nimbus and maybe they had some logistical problems,” he told Cricinfo. “Maybe there was not much time for the television crew to be moved to those venues etc. This is just the plan for the first year and there is still a chance of making changes to this also. So let’s see what can be done.”However, that explanation is not holding too much water. Goutam Dasgupta, the Cricket Association of Bengal’s representative at the board’s annual general body meeting, has already said it’s “not cricket” while Brijesh Patel, the secretary of the Karnataka Cricket Association, simply said, “Ask those in the board. They must know the reason for this.”Considering that they were part of the Plate division last season, it is highly unlikely that Saurashtra and Rajasthan – respectively, the home associations of Shah and Lalit Modi, the board’s vice-president, and whose matches will be telecast live – will match the quality of cricket expected from Karnataka and Bengal.The board has also struck out two world-class venues – Eden Gardens and Chinnaswamy Stadium – in their television schedule for the season.

The Ashes could slip through Australia’s fingers unless the team’s catching improves, according to the former national coach Bob Simpson. The reported Australia put down 17 chances during last year’s Ashes series, despite the team’s reputation for high-class fielding.”Since 2002, the Australian team has been dropping too many – a number in the slips – but has been able to mask the problem because the strength of their bowling and the weakness of the opposition allowed them to create more opportunities after the misses,” Simpson said in the paper. “But this wasn’t possible against England in 2005. There have been a few factors involved, such as wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist standing too deep and thus upsetting the alignment of the cordon. This said, it is not a problem that is confined to the Aussies.”In his new book , Simpson said Australia’s current slips cordon did not compare with line-ups of the past and the team had struggled to replace the reliable Mark Taylor and Mark Waugh. “Right now, I believe only Shane Warne has the technique and skills to be considered alongside the outstanding slip fieldsmen of earlier decades.”

Capacity 41,000
Record Tests 17, Australia 8, England 5, Drawn 4
Weather
Cricket coincides with the storm season in Queensland. The thunder and lightning are spectacular but the heat means things dry out very quickly. A remarkable electrical storm prematurely ended the Test in 1998-99 and in 1992-93 Dean Jones, Australia’s 12th man, wore a helmet to protect himself from hailstones.What to expect
Traditionally, this is a fast-bowlers’ pitch although under Kevin Mitchell junior, the second-generation curator, it has become one of the fairest in the world. The fast men get a good chance on the first day, the batsmen enjoy the flat surface on days two to four, and Shane Warne loves the extra bounce.What they players think
Matthew Hayden – “The pitch is great and it’s been passed through generations of curators, from Kevin Mitchell senior to Kevin Mitchell junior. It’s the thing I enjoy about the ground because it is the same – everything else about the ground has changed since I first started playing.”Devon Malcolm – “This is my favourite place in Australia. But the best part of it is not the Test ground but the Gold Coast, south of Brisbane. In 1990-91, we played in Carrara – when David Gower had his Tiger Moth ‘buzz the ground’ moment: it is beautiful, the beach stretches for miles, there are nice places to eat and drink – it was a pity we had to play cricket! As for the Gabba, it is a good place to play. They have extended the changing rooms – the last time I was there we had 16 players plus management stuck in a corner. There is usually a big crowd and, as in most places in Australia, if you do well and compete, the crowd are more generous. I can’t remember going to a place in Brisbane that I didn’t like. It was a clean city, with good places to eat. There was freshly-cooked Chinese food on the street outside our hotel. I roomed with Chris Lewis who eats irregularly – he’d have a sleep, then at 11.30pm pop downstairs and have fresh Chinese food. It was great.”

Ground history
The city’s second Test ground – the Exhibition Ground was used until 1928-29 – it is situated in the Brisbane suburb of Woolloongabba – it’s shortened to the Gabba – and has gone through some drastic redevelopment during the last decade. The grassy banks, Moreton Bay figs and dogtrack have been replaced with modern, concrete stands, which may have removed some charm, but mean the ground offers superb facilities for the players and public. However, the most famous moment on the ground is one firmly from the past. The image of the deciding run-out in the tied Test of 1960-61, between Australia and West Indies, is one of the best known cricketing images of all time. In more recent times it has become a favourite haunt of Shane Warne, with the extra bounce from the often excellent wickets helping his legspin. In early 2006 a record crowd of 38,894 watched the first Twenty20 international in the country. This mark was promptly beaten six days later when Australia played South Africa in a full ODI. If everyone who has bought tickets turns up, the record aggregate attendance of 92,863 for England’s 1932-33 Test, will be surpassed on the third day.Ashes momentsAlthough traditionally home to the first Test of the series, Brisbane’s inaugural Test was the fourth in the 1932-33 Bodyline series – England secured the Ashes in a tight match notable for Eddie Paynter rising off his hospital bed to score 83 and rescue his side from a crisis. The 1946-47 series got off to a controversial start when England claimed Don Bradman was caught at slip when he had made a scratchy 28 – he stood his ground, the umpire gave him the benefit, and he went on the to score a big hundred and Australia won by an innings. In 1974-75 a beach bum called Jeff Thomson blew England away with some ferocious fast bowling, and in 2002-03 Nasser Hussain stunned a nation when he inserted Australia and watched his bowlers flogged into submission.Ashes stats
In both 1954-55 and 2002-03 England captains – Len Hutton and Hussain – won the toss, sent in Australia and lived to regret it. England’s last win – in 1986-87 – came when Australia stuck them in and ended up losing by seven wickets. So win the toss and bat seems to be the mantra.Where to go after play?
Matthew Hayden – “The Queensland boys enjoy going to the Story Bridge Hotel. There’s a good publican there and the Bulls popped in after their last Pura Cup victory.”

James Anderson is a man of few words at the best of times. Given that these are the worst of times for England’s cricketers, it is hardly surprising to learn that he was at a loss to explain his side’s latest meltdown. Paraded in front of the media as a pyrrhic success with figures of 3 for 98, he could do little more than shrug at the futility of it all.”It’s hard to put your finger on it,” he said, when asked how England had let a position of apparent parity in morning session slide away to a position of ignominy. Australia were 260 for 6 and then 318 for 7, before a tail inspired by Shane Warne’s 71 added 75 match-turning runs.”We thought at the time we had a good chance to get three quick wickets, but obviously there were a few play-and-misses,” added Anderson. “If we bowled wide of the stumps he missed it, but if it was on the stumps he hit it.”You just have to bowl more or less as you do to any other batter, really. With Shane you always think you’ve got a chance, because there will be a few mistimed shots, but that’s just the way he plays. He hasn’t played differently to how he has normally.”Anderson did at least have three wickets to ease the pain of impending defeat, and he added that he hadn’t been surprised to be entrusted with the new ball, despite his late call-up. “I learned on the morning of the game,” he said, “but I’m not really surprised. Steve [Harmison] has not taken it for a while. I replaced Hoggy and I consider myself a new-ball bowler, so I was more than happy to take it.”Anderson was the weakest link in England’s attack in the first two Tests at Brisbane and Adelaide, but he felt he had improved throughout the tour, citing the two-day warm-up match at Perth as his best performance. The same could not be said of England’s tail-end batting, however. On this occasion their last five batsmen made four runs between them.”Obviously we need to put up a good fight tomorrow,” Anderson added. “We need our tail to wag like theirs did, and if Kevin [Pietersen] stays there for a while, hopefully we can do a similar job. We have nets like any other batters, and throw-downs as much as we want. We need to sort it out like Clark and Warne and get a few runs. That was the difference between a 30-run lead and a 100 lead.”

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Shahid Afridi’s second-innings century for Habib Bank Limited (HBL) helped set Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) a target of 393 runs to chase in a little over two days of their Patrons Trophy Quadrangular stage match at the National Bank of Pakistan Sports Complex Stadium in KarachiOn the first day Afridi helped his team raise a first-innings score of 125 with his 55-ball 51. Then as WAPDA were skittled out for 72 he held two catches in the field and got 3 for 18 with his legbreak bowling.HBL resumed day two at 80 for 2 and Afridi got to his hundred from 91 balls with nine fours and five sixes. Coming to the wicket after Khaqan Arsal (87) and Asim Kamal (30) had added 87 for the third wicket Afridi had a crucial 66-run eighth-wicket partnership with Kamran Hussain (32).Chasing this rather steep target of 393 WAPDA had lost four wickets for 107 runs by the end of the day, with Afridi adding another wicket in the four overs he bowled. Mushtaq Ahmed, the former Pakistan legspinner and WAPDA captain, picked up five wickets for 125 runs in his 25.5 overs. His team, however, still requires another 286 runs to win this game with only six wickets in hand.
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Zulfiqar Jan and Saeed Anwar jnr cracked brilliant centuries as Khan Research Laboratories (KRL) posted 407 runs in their first innings, on day two of their Quadrangular Stage Patron’s Trophy Cricket Championship match against Zarai Taraqiati Bank Limited (ZTBL) at the United Bank Limited Sports Complex Ground in.ZTBL in reply were 131 for 3 in their first innings. Afaq Raheem, the ZTBL opener, was batting at 68 and Faisal Naved with eight were at the crease at the close of day two.While Zulfiqar took four and a half hours to reach his third first-class century Anwar made 130 off 219 balls in their 206-run partnership for the third wicket. Yasir Arafat then hit 51 off 80 balls with four fours and a six. Imran Sabir, right-arm fast-medium bowler, picked up four wickets for ZT

ScorecardChris Harris’s ton went in vain as Canterbury went down by 15 runs in a high-scoring encounter against Auckland at Christchurch. Harris fell for an exact 100, off 52 balls as Canterbury gave the opposition some anxious moments in their chase of 198.Auckland won the toss and batted first and the innings was dominated by an opening stand of 98 between Lou Vincent (47) and Paul Hitchcock (77). Rob Nicol’s 47 off 25 balls lifted the total close to the 200-run mark. In reply, Harris and Michael Papps (53) made a push for the target with a stand of 66 for the third wicket. However, the batsmen failed to keep pace with the required rate after the partnership was broken. Harris’s knock, the first Twenty20 ton of the season, included eight fours and six sixes and was dismissed in the final over.

New South Wales will regain Simon Katich, their captain, for the Pura Cup final against Tasmania starting next Monday. Katich has recovered from an injured thumb and takes back the leadership from Dominic Thornely for the Hobart match.The Blues will hope Katich, who has averaged 74.77 this season, can add some stability to a batting line-up that collapsed for 53 against the Tigers last week. Matthew Nicholson, the veteran fast bowler, also returns to the squad having missed their last game as he and his partner prepared for the birth of twins.Beau Casson, whose seven Pura Cup games in 2006-07 have yielded a disappointing seven wickets at 72, makes way for Nathan Hauritz. Although Stuart MacGill has again been consistent, the Blues have struggled to draw results from their back-up spinners – Hauritz has three wickets at 58.66.Ben Rohrer, the batsman who made 163 on debut last week, retained his place in the 13-man outfit. Peter Forrest, who impressed in his first two matches, is also in the squad but could be the unlucky batsman to make way for Katich in the starting line-up.New South Wales squad Phil Jaques, Ed Cowan, Simon Katich (capt), Dominic Thornely, Ben Rohrer, Peter Forrest, Daniel Smith (wk), Grant Lambert, Moises Henriques, Nathan Hauritz, Matthew Nicholson, Doug Bollinger, Stuart MacGill.