The England & Wales Cricket Board XI has won the 2004 ECC European Championship in Holland, finishing at the top of the table with eight points after beating every other side in the tournament. Ireland finished in second place with just one loss – to the ECB XI in a `bowl-out’ after the first game was abandoned because of rain – and were impressive throughout, with morale-boosting wins over both Scotland and Holland.Holland will have been disappointed after finishing third despite their home advantage, but their two defeats, to the ECB and Ireland, were both very close. They will be pleased, though, by the performance of Daan van Bunge in the tournament. Van Bunge, fresh from a record-breaking century for MCC last month, scored 142 runs in four innings on pitches that usually suited the bowlers.Scotland are stuck in something of a rut, losing three out of their four games, with their only win coming against Denmark. However, they will be pleased by the performances of Fraser Watts, Colin Smith and, in particular, Ryan Watson in the middle order. This tournament was a platform to decide rankings for the ICC Trophy in Ireland next summer, from which five teams will progress to the World Cup in the Caribbean, but Craig Wright, Scotland’s captain, insists that unless Scotland show a massive improvement now their world cup dreams will be put off for another four years."The bottom line is that won’t make any difference who we meet in the qualifiers unless we get our act together," he said. "I don’t think the European Championship will have much bearing on the ICC Trophy. To progress in any tournament you have to prove yourself good enough to beat all the best sides and we haven’t managed to do that for a while."

Sunil Gavaskar, the chairman of the ICC’s playing committee, has said that South Africa might be the first country to test the experimental one-day rules that the playing committee had suggested during their last meeting. The Times of India reported Gavaskar as saying that the rules would be implemented in first-class cricket before they could be applied to international matches.”It has to be seen at the domestic level,” Gavaskar said. “The ICC had requested various national associations to start with this experiment. I think South Africa has decided to adopt the format.”The suggestions made by the committee included keeping the ball ‘live’ after a batsman is out, thus making it possible for two batsmen to be out off the same ball. Also, one-day games could feature 12 players, of who 11 bat and 11 field. Another recommendation was that the 15 overs fielding restrictions in one-day games could be implemented whenever the batting team desired.Gavaskar denied that this would give the batting side an unfair advantage. “The original suggestion was that itself. But then, the thought came up that if a side which is bowling first bowls out the opposition in the first 35 overs without opting for fielding restrictions, it may become unfair for a side batting first. By giving this option to the batting captain, both captains will come into play.”

It began as a club season with obscure Little Stoke in the Staffordshire League, and transformed itself into a glorious Lancastrian summer. Dinesh Mongia’s season seemed to have reached its zenith when he was one of the front-runners to replace Sachin Tendulkar in the Champions Trophy squad and, for a few moments, believed he had actually been picked. But, then, he hit rock bottom.The selectors had indeed initially chosen Mongia as the replacement, and he was asked to join the team at their London hotel on September 6. Minutes later, however, they rang him back and told him that there had been a mistake.A crestfallen Mongia told Wisden Cricinfo it was a “communication gap”, and wasn’t willing to delve too much into the gory details. “I wouldn’t want to say anything about that,” he dead-batted. And asked about where he sees his career going from here, he was equally concise: “I can just do my bit, keep working hard and hope that the good times will come.”And there have been good times aplenty this season. Playing for Staffordshire against Lancashire early on, he not only impressed with the bat but also with his left-arm spin, including a caught-and-bowled dismissal of Stuart Law. Both Law and Carl Hooper, Lancashire’s overseas players, then suffered injuries and Mongia was called up to fill in.With some cracking performances in the County Championship and the Twenty20 Cup, in which he finished as the tournament’s most economical bowler, Mongia made a significant impact. “It’s been fantastic,” he said. “It’s a great feeling to play for such a big county and make such a difference. Unlike in India, we play almost six days a week. There is so much cricket to be played and you are always on your toes.”Mongia acknowledged the effect that Mike Watkinson, Lancashire’s coach, has had on his bowling. “He really helped me out in that aspect. I have improved as a bowler now.” He was also very flexible about his batting position: “I have done well at [both] the top and the middle order. I am willing to adapt to any situation. I see myself as more of an allrounder now.”Mongia’s thrills spilled beyond the cricket when he was invited as a chief guest to the launch of a Indian restaurant, as he was a huge draw for Indians resident in England.On March 8 this year, Mongia captained North Zone to a Duleep Trophy triumph and was considering the possibility of playing league cricket in England. Next week, he will return to India after his final game in Staffordshire. The six months in between turned out to be a heady period, but he certainly could have done without the Indian selectors’ momentary lapse.

Calling Stuart MacGill one of Australia’s top spinners, Sourav Ganguly has expressed surprise at their plans to exclude him from the tour to India. He said that the Indians had not noticed other quality spinners in Australia, barring Cameron White, and claimed that playing MacGill and Shane Warne at the same time would be quite a challenge, according to the .Considering MacGill’s figures the last time the two teams clashed, Ganguly’s comments are unlikely to be taken seriously, and will be perceived as one of many pre-series mind games played out before the Australians arrive in India.”They must take MacGill. They’ll make a big mistake if they don’t take MacGill,” said Ganguly. “The wickets are going to turn, and he’s going to turn it a long way.” MacGill’s critics would say that taking him would be an equally big mistake, as he averages over 50 with the ball against India.Ganguly was convinced that Australia needed to pick their best side, even if they swung or turned the ball in the same direction. “I don’t understand … if you can have Glenn McGrath and Jason Gillespie both swinging the ball away, then why can’t you have two legspinners? You pick your four or five best bowlers.”Trevor Hohns had recently said that MacGill was not a certainty for the Indian tour, starting speculation about who the second spinner would be. In the past few series, Australia have opted to play one specialist spinner, and let part-timers turn their arm over.

The loss of five wickets for 227 notwithstanding, Graeme Smith soundedpositive at the post-day press conference, saying that his team had somebatting still to come, and that they needed to push on on day two. Smithinterpreted the success of Irfan Pathan and Zaheer Khan as a promisingsign for South Africa. “It’s good for us that the pacemen took wickets,”he said. “We only have the one spinner in Justin Ontong, and the rest ofit is an all-seam attack, so that could work to our advantage. We’veworked very hard on our preparations for this tour, and I think we aremuch better prepared than the last time we toured the sub-continent.”Smith also praised the contributions of Jacques Kallis and JacquesRudolph, and noted that Hashim Amla had made a confident start to his Testcareer, even if he had got only 24. “I was impressed by how calm he was,”he said. “Playing your first Test on the subcontinent is a daunting task.He came in when the ball was reverse-swinging and looked solid. I expecthe will be even more hungry in the second innings.”Irfan Pathan, India’s representative at the press conference, also evincedsatisfaction at how the day had gone, both personally and for the team. Hepointed out that the wicket was good for batting, and that India had donewell to take five wickets and also restrict South Africa to 227.Pathan said he was pleased that Zaheer Khan had bowled so well, observingthat it is always easier for a bowler when somebody is bowling well at theother end. “Often it happens that the bowler who bowls best ends up nottaking the most wickets, but he builds up pressure for the other bowlersto exploit. I think the whole attack bowled well today, even if thespinners didn’t take any wickets. We didn’t bowl too many loose balls andSouth Africa never got away.The morning session tomorrow is veryimportant, and we will be looking to get South Africa out as soon as possible.”

New Zealand v Australia
Live scorecard and ball-by-ball commentaryNew Zealand have two matches to make an impact in a series that has already escaped them. With the first Test a week away, they need to find some touch immediately, and were given the chance to re-discover some batting form when Adam Gilchrist won the toss and sent them in for the fourth match at Wellington’s Basin Reserve.Both sides were trying new line-ups in cloudy and cool conditions, but New Zealand’s changes were forced and Australia’s experimental. Following a head injury to Michael Papps and the horrible form of Daryl Tuffey, the Kiwis brought in the debutant Lance Hamilton, the batsman Craig Cumming and recalled Jeff Wilson.Australia swept to an unbeatable 3-0 lead at Auckland on Saturday and rearranged at the top and the bottom. Ricky Ponting was rested with a slight thigh strain, James Hopes was handed his first one-day international and a scary pace quartet was chosen. If Australia cleansweep the series they will push New Zealand’s World Cup seeding, which is determined in April, down a place to third.New Zealand 1 Stephen Fleming (capt), 2 Nathan Astle, 3 Hamish Marshall, 4 Craig McMillan, 5 James Marshall, 6 Craig Cumming, 7 Chris Cairns, 8 Brendon McCullum (wk), 9 Jeff Wilson, 10 Lance Hamilton, 11 Kyle Mills.Australia 1 Adam Gilchrist (capt, wk), 2 Simon Katich, 3 Damien Martyn, 4 Andrew Symonds, 5 Michael Clarke, 6 Mike Hussey, 7 James Hopes, 8 Brett Lee, 9 Jason Gillespie, 10 Michael Kasprowicz, 11 Glenn McGrath.

West Indies’ players have lashed out at allegations that they paid more attention to women that to cricket during the recent VB Series. These claims were made by Richard Nowell, the representative of Digicel, the team sponsor. reported that the West Indies Players Association (WIPA) has termed the accusations as “scandalous” and “unjustified”.The press release issued by Dinanath Ramnarine, the president of WIPA, stated: “Those comments contained unjustified imputations on the character and behaviour of West Indian players who are all members of WIPA.”Nowell’s leaked memorandum had also accused players of being hostile and not being co-operative for interviews and photo shoots arranged by Digicel. WIPA countered: “The players’ association and West Indies Cricket Board concluded negotiations on a tour contract before the departure of the West Indies team for the VB series in Australia. The players have fulfilled all their contractual obligations as specified in the tour contract.”Ramnarine further said that Digicel had made “unjustified demands” on the players during the tour – demands that were not covered by the agreement between the players’ association and the board. He added that the players’ association had asked the board to discourage Digicel from making such requests of their players while on tour.He said WIPA was concerned with being described as a “terrorist association”, and would be seeking legal advice on behalf of the players.In a separate media statement, Teddy Griffith, the president of the West Indies Board, said that he was “in communication on the matter with Digicel chairman, Denis O’Brien, and the issues surrounding that publication will be among items discussed at Sunday’s meeting in Barbados that will also consider tour reports from manager Tony Howard, head coach Bennett King and media liaison Imran Khan.”

Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were out

Virender Sehwag’s thrilling 173 gave India the ideal platform to bat Pakistan out of this Test match, but those that followed him showed a strange reluctance to put the boot in, as Pakistan’s bowlers – led most admirably by the tireless Danish Kaneria – fought to implement a damage-limitation plan. After an elongated first session produced 134 runs, 71 of them to Sehwag, India dawdled along for the rest of the day, adding only a further 129. All eyes were on Sachin Tendulkar, who got to within one big hit of a record-breaking 35th Test century before a loose stroke meant that the celebrations would have to be postponed to another day.Tendulkar’s was an innings in two parts. He had made just 8 when Rudi Koertzen reprieved him off Kaneria’s bowling, but thereafter, he was in sublime touch until lunch, driving, cutting and finessing the ball with a fluency that evoked memories of his halcyon years. But after the break, the fluid strokeplay was replaced by circumspection and excessive caution. And once Sehwag, with whom he added 118 in just 171 balls, departed, he and Sourav Ganguly – in dire form – struggled even to work the ball off the square for long periods.Besides their own lack of ambition, they were thwarted by the guile, variety and stomach for a fight that Kaneria displayed throughout the course of a marathon 32-over spell. Ganguly, usually so dismissive of slow bowling, scratched around painfully for a drab 21, while Tendulkar appeared content to tuck the bat behind the pad or tap away those deliveries that pitched in line. And when Kaneria went round the wicket, as Ashley Giles had done at Bangalore in December 2001, it gave the game of cat-and-mouse another dimension.For today, though, Ganguly was certainly the mouse to Kaneria’s cat, and a bat-pad catch to Salman Butt ended a miserable 74-ball struggle (382 for 4). Tendulkar, now joined by a subdued VVS Laxman, then eked his way into the nineties before the finest of paddle-sweeps – his first shot to the rope in 20 overs – took him to 94. But with Inzamam-ul-Haq finally opting for the new ball, 40 overs after it was due, that was as far as Tendulkar would get in attempting to go beyond the 34-ton stratosphere he now inhabits along with Sunil Gavaskar.Rana Naved-ul-Hasan, subjected to fearful punishment by Sehwag, pitched one on off stump, and Tendulkar’s waft went low to Asim Kamal’s right in the gully. The near-capacity crowd was stunned into silence for a few seconds, before they roused themselves for the standing ovation which they had hoped would come a few minutes later.Laxman stroked three classy fours off Naved as the sun descended from its lofty perch, but those were isolated splashes of colour in a grey afternoon canvas.It had been so different in the morning. Sehwag had rapidly completed the formalities of a ninth Test century in only his 32nd match, when he cut a delivery past point off Naved. It had taken him just 129 balls, and included yet another moment of good fortune when an edge off Naved didn’t carry to Younis Khan at slip.In general, Pakistan bowled with far greater purpose and discipline early on, with Mohammad Sami especially impressive. Rahul Dravid could never recapture the form of yesterday, and moments after he had scampered the single that took him to 50, he slashed a Sami delivery to Kamal at gully (216 for 2).It was Dravid’s dismissal that served as a spur for Sehwag to pick apart the bowling once more. Naved was contemptuously swatted for two fours past point, and when the next ball was edged between the keeper and slip, Inzamam’s broad shoulders dropped even more. And when the next one was clumsily squeezed out just short of a dozing forward short leg it merely reaffirmed his worst fears.The pivotal moment, however, came when Kaneria, who had to wait 90 minutes to get a bowl, finally faced up to Tendulkar. The master announced his intent with a gorgeous cover-drive that sped to the fence, but was then flummoxed by a beautiful delivery that appeared to take a thick inside edge onto the pad before being grabbed by Kamal at silly point. Despite an impassioned appeal, Koertzen was unmoved.The introduction of Abdul Razzaq, who bowled 17 straight overs either side of lunch, was the signal to accelerate, with Sehwag slamming an audacious low six off the first ball he bowled. While Sehwag focused on picking off Kaneria’s offerings with consummate ease, Tendulkar concentrated his energies on Razzaq, stroking two glorious straight-drives, and a couple of magnificent off-drives.A sweetly timed sweep for four off Kaneria took Sehwag to 150, and minutes later, another lofted sweep sailed over the head of Salman Butt, hopelessly out of position and flailing like a drowning man on the square-leg boundary. It was exhilarating stuff, until lunch induced a torpor that couldn’t be shaken off.How they were out:

Cut a ball that was too close to his body, for Asim Kamal to take a straightforward chance at gully.
Mistimed a pull to deep mid-on.
Didn’t read the one that turned away from him, which went off pad onto the splice, and then into the hands of silly point.
Played away from the body – sliced to gully where Kamal took a fine catch diving low to his right.
A nothing shot that looped up to short square leg for the simplest of catches.

Even accounting for the worst form of pessimism, Hamish Marshall would havehardly bargained for a four-year break after making an unbeaten 40 on debutat the Wanderers in 2000. With hindsight now, as Marshall rises to every newchallenge set by the New Zealand selectors, those four years seem amonumental waste.To look at it positively, timing is everything, and 2004-05 will beremebered as the Hamish Marshall’s season. Bare statistics tell the storyeffectively enough, but it is his temperament and style with the bat in handthat have signalled his arrival as a tremendous Test prospect.Marshall has had an infectious effect on the New Zealand side this season.In Bangladesh and Australia it was as an energetic squad member seeking tore-ignite his Test career after becoming a one-day regular in 2003-04. Butat home since Christmas, the vibe has stemmed from his stunning successsince moving up to assume the No. 3 position in both forms of the game. Inthe field, Marshall is set for a long rein at backward point, so long theterritory of Chris Harris.Unlike those of his teammates who’ve blown their chances when picked,Marshall made 69 on his Test return at Chittagong after surviving adead-straight lbw appeal. But luck has played a much lesser role in hissensational run since then.It was Marshall’s half-century in the white-hot atmosphere of his firstday-night ODI in Australia that put New Zealand in position to secure itsonly win in the 12 trans-Tasman battles this season. A maiden century in hisfirst Test against Australia put New Zealand in a competitive position forone of the few times this season and now, when a good start against SriLanka was vital, Marshall delivered another three-figure gem.No task seems too tough for Marshall. After batting at No. 3 in the one-dayteam last season, he slipped down to No.5 for Northern Districts after JohnBracewell, the New Zealand coach decided that the team needed him to workthe middle stages this season. Marshall assumed that spot for his province.But he soon found himself as the international No. 3, courtesy of MathewSinclair’s choke mid-way through the one-day series against Australia andStephen Fleming’s decision to open in the Tests.Ordinarily it would be a cause for alarm if a batsman refused net practice asMarshall does on most occasions. It’s not that he is shying away from doingthe hard yards. It’s just that he prefers to hone his batting skills withthrow-downs, a method every cricketer in the world can relate to. Staggering as it may seem, the beauty of Marshall’s game is that it is based on simple methods.

Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were out

AB de Villiers struck a career-best 178 as South Africa tightened their grip on the third Test – and the series – in Barbados. After a day of clinical accumulation, and despite a late flurry of wickets, they had a lead of 225 with two wickets still in hand. It was a slow day for all concerned as South Africa inched along at barely three runs an over, but they had their plan and they were sticking with it. An unassailable 2-0 lead is theirs for the taking.The day belonged to de Villiers, yet he barely offered a glimpse of his abundant talent. To call him patient would be an understatement: he took 23 balls to get off the mark in the morning session, and his runs were painstakingly, lovelessly eked out.In fact it was Boeta Dippenaar who had to take an unusually dominant role in a second-wicket stand of 143. Dippenaar certainly enjoyed himself in an unfamiliar situation: in accordance with South Africa’s unhurried game-plan, he took his time and waited for the rare bad ball. But when they came, he saw and he conquered, ensuring they were well and truly dispatched; the highlight was a gloriously effortless six back over Ryan Hinds’s head.West Indies bowled well, but on a pitch offering little assistance to the bowlers it took a direct hit to break the deadlock. Dippenaar called for a tight run and couldn’t scamper home in time. The stumps were shattered by the substitute fielder Dwayne Smith, on the field for another Dwayne, Bravo, who had to leave the field after parrying a ball into his face.He left the field clutching a towel to his bleeding left eye, but he returned to the field in the afternoon without the need for stitches. But it is his team’s bowling department who were searching for some added needle to prevent South Africa sewing up the series.Reon King answered the call, inducing de Villiers’s edge through to the wicketkeeper Courtney Browne (392 for 3). Or so it seemed: TV replays were inconclusive, suggesting that the noise may have been his bat thudding the ground. There was no doubt about Herschelle Gibbs’s dismissal soon after, however – his edge off Chris Gayle was smartly taken by Bravo at first slip.The deceptively dangerous Gayle struck again soon after when Ashwell Prince, who made 23, was magnificently caught by Bravo, diving and jerking his body backwards at first slip.All the while, Jacques Kallis rumbled on at the other end. His 78 was mechanical even by his standards – there were just four fours in his 156-ball innings – but though it was not pretty cricket, it looks set to be winning cricket.Kallis eventually fell to his unlikely nemesis, Wavell Hinds. Hinds has taken just 16 Test wickets – and that includes Kallis three times. His dismissal precipitated a mini-collapse, from 496 for 5 from 504 for 8: Mark Boucher, having hung around grimly in a boundary-free 28, chopped on Daren Powell’s second delivery with the second new ball, and Monde Zondeki toe-ended Powell to cover two overs later.South Africa had dithered over hitting the accelerator so much that they ended the day in reverse, with Fidel Edwards bounding in cockily and the batsmen struggling to get it off the square. But there was no doubt that they remained firmly in the driver’s seat.How they were out
South Africa
Graeme Smith c W Hinds b Gayle 104 (191 for 1)
Didn’t get to pitch, skewed to extra cover
Called for quick run and substitute shied down stumps
Appeared to edge through to keeper, replays inconclusive
Edged a regulation off-break to first slip for good catch
Edged one which turned away for stunning one-handed catch at slip
Fine catch by substitute Smith
Dragged leaden-footed forcing stroke back onto stumps
Slapped to cover