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Group B

Kuwait’s No. 9, Mohammad Ahsan, scored an unbeaten 91 and added 96 runs with last man Saad Khaliq, who stuck it out for 32 balls to score a run, to take them to an astonishing one-wicket win over Singapore at the Kinrara Academy Oval. Singapore had relied on half-centuries from Chetan Suryawanshi (65 off 68) and Monish Arora (62 off 124), and some generous bowling from Kuwait’s bowlers, who conceded 32 extras, to post 237 for 9. Kuwait stuttered to 70 for 5, but a 64-run stand between Hisham Mirza (47) and Mohammad Javed kept them in the hunt. Singapore then grabbed four wickets for eight runs to leave then just a wicket away from victory. But the late-order heroics from Ahsan, who smashed seven sixes and eight fours, took Kuwait to an unlikely triumph.Unbeaten half-centuries from Gyanendra Malla (76 not out) and Sharad Vesawkar (51 not out), and their 126-run stand, took Nepal to a comfortable seven-wicket win against Qatar at the Royal Military College ground. Choosing to bat, Qatar began slowly, making just 46 in the first 15 overs. Their captain, Omer Taj, made 48 off 77 balls, but did not receive much support from the middle order. Rusharat Ali, the wicketkeeper, struck an unbeaten 40 as Qatar were eventually bowled out for 171. Shakti Gauchan, a legspinner, and seamer Basata Negmi took three wickets each. A double-strike from Abbas Khan gave Nepal early jitters as they fell to 46 for 3, but Malla and Vesawkar combined to dash Qatar’s hopes.

Group A

UAE, led by a three-wicket haul from the legspinner Riaz Khaliq, bowled well to restrict Afghanistan to 214, a score they overhauled in 47.1 overs to register a three-wicket win at the Bayuemas Oval. Nowroz Mangal, the Afghanistan captain, led the way with a 67-ball 55, adding 74 runs for the first wicket with Karim Khan (33). Mohammad Nabi, the No. 5 batsman, also contributed with an aggressive 40. UAE suffered an early setback when they lost opener Mohammad Iqbal for 8, but Arshad Ali’s patient 127-ball 62, and a 61-ball 42 from Khurram Khan put them on track for victory. With wickets falling regularly toward the end, Mohammad Tauqir blitzed five fours in an unbeaten 24 to finish off the match.Bahrain built on Azeem-ul-Haq’s 79 and some telling contributions from the lower order to amass 335, before skittling out Saudi Arabia for just 137 in their crushing 198-run win at the Selangor Turf Club. Saudi Arabia’s decision to field first seemed to have worked when Bahrain collapsed to 77 for 3, but Imran Sajjad blasted 62 off 54 balls to reclaim the initiative. Bahrain kept up a good run rate, but they had lost half their side by the 27th over with 159 runs on the board. Azeem partnered Tahir Dar (35) and Akmal Malik (23) take them past 300. Saudi Arabia were completely undone in their chase, with the only resistance coming from Suhrab Kilsingatakam, who made 52. The pick of the Bahrain bowlers were Halal Abbasi and Fahad Sadeq, who took three wickets apiece.

SYDNEY, Nov 8 AAP – Brett Lee overcame a tentative start to spring back from his Test axing with five wickets, guiding New South Wales into a strong position on the opening day of the Pura Cup clash with Tasmania at the Sydney Cricket Ground today.The dumped Australian paceman combined with fellow Test discard Stuart MacGill to demolish the Tigers’ batting line-up for a paltry 171 runs before tea.At stumps, the Blues were 2-130 in reply with Michael Bevan unbeaten on 48 in his 100th first class match for NSW and Michael Clarke not out 44.After an erratic first session, in which he took 1-40 from nine overs, Lee, who turned 26 today, found his rhythm after the lunch break.Lee went into the match with something to prove after being sacked ahead of the Ashes opener in Brisbane.His first victim had been Tigers opener Michael DiVenuto (21), brilliantly caught behind by Brad Haddin. DiVenuto attempted to hook a rising short ball but it popped up into the air finding Haddin’s glove as he leapt high at full stretch to his right.After lunch, Lee then had Shane Watson (29) caught by Mark Waugh at second slip as the batsman drove at a ball outside off stump.In his following over, Lee trapped Damien Marsh and Graeme Cunningham lbw for ducks with successive balls.MacGill bowled five maidens on the trot before taking the first of his four wickets.The legspinner put paid to Michael Dighton’s lone attempt to show some fight for the Tigers when he had the former West Australian caught by Matthew Phelps for 62.MacGill struck again in his next over when he had Damien Wright out lbw for six not offering a shot, and Shannon Tubb sent a catch to Michael Clarke just behind point.Lee chimed in with his fifth wicket when he bowled Gerard Denton (two) and missed a chance to take a sixth when he spilled a difficult caught and bowled opportunity off Sean Clingeleffer with the Tigers 9-167, leaving him with figures of 5-63 off 18 overs.Clingeleffer did not add to his score and remained not out 13 while Lee took a catch off MacGill’s bowling to dismiss the last batsman, Shane Jurgensen (four).The Blues, fielding arguably their best side during a Test match for a long time, faltered in their chase when Michael Slater (15) was trapped lbw by Denton in the 10th over of the innings.Fellow opener Phelps followed, lbw for 14 on the last ball of Shane Watson’s first over.

Australian cricket selectors have named a predictable 12-man squad forthe opening two matches of the triangular one-day series against Englandand Sri Lanka.Ricky Ponting will captain a team which features only two omissions fromthe 14-man squad which played at the ICC Champions Trophy in September,leaving out Queenslanders Jimmy Maher and Nathan Hauritz.Tasmanian Shane Watson held on to the allrounder’s role despite a mixeddomestic season.The settled squad is a sign that selectors are happy with the progressof the Australian team leading into February’s World Cup in Africa.”We have only picked 12 players in the VB Series squad because there isa week-long gap between our second and third matches and that gap givesus the opportunity to re-assess our options as the series movesforward,” chairman of selectors Trevor Hohns said.The triangular series begins with matches between Australia and Englandat the SCG on December 13 and the MCG two days later.Australia: Ricky Ponting (captain), Adam Gilchrist, Michael Bevan,Andrew Bichel, Jason Gillespie, Matthew Hayden, Brett Lee, DarrenLehmann, Damien Martyn, Glenn McGrath, Shane Warne, Shane Watson.Australia A: Justin Langer (captain), Jimmy Maher, Greg Blewett, NathanBracken, Stuart Clark, Michael Clarke, Ryan Campbell, Nathan Hauritz,Brad Hogg, Michael Hussey, Ashley Noffke, Andrew Symonds, Brad Williams.Australia A will play matches against England on December 8 in Sydneyand Sri Lanka on December 14 in Brisbane.

New Zealand fast bowler Shane Bond was among the wickets overnight as his Warwickshire side pummelled Kent in their county championship match at Edgbaston.Warwickshire had scored 565 when batting first, and with Bond picking up four for 68 from his 16 overs, Kent were reeling at 191/8 at stumps.Meanwhile, on Gloucestershire’s first day of their match with Northamptonshire, Craig Spearman scored 71 off 100 balls in Gloucestershire’s total of 422 at Bristol.Northants were 15/0 at stumps.Spearman has now scored 923 runs at 46.15 in the championship and has hit three centuries and four half-centuries.He is returning to New Zealand to play for Central Districts in the new summer.In cricket in the Netherlands, former New Zealand Test bowler Simon Doull is having a significant input for his HCC club, particularly in the last month.At the weekend his side had two games. On Saturday they played Jinnah and Doull took four for 25 off 8.3 overs as they were all out for 116 while Doull opened the batting and scored 55 as HCC reached 117/3 to win by seven wickets.On Sunday, against VCC, who scored 208, he took one for 24 off 9.5 overs and then hit 64 in HCC’s 212/6.Doull starred in another double-header a fortnight previous. Against Rood & Wit, for whom Canterbury’s Jarrod Englefield scored 59 of their 167 runs, Doull took one for 34 off eight overs and scored 40 in HCC’s 168/9.Earlier, HBS scored 108, in which Doull had the sensationally economical figures of 9.4 overs, one wicket for 10 runs. He then contributed 27 in his side’s 109/1.In a match between Quick Haag and VRA, Darren Reekers hit 67 for Quick in their 211/5 while in VRA’s reply former New Zealand opener Darrin Murray scored 90 in their 217/7.

For the second day running, West Indies dominated India at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata. Opener Wavell Hinds scored a ton while his partner Chris Gayle reached 80, as the pair put on a commanding opening partnership of 172 and took West Indies to 189/3 in response to India’s 358. The hosts only managed their eventual score thanks to some lusty late-in-the-order scoring from Parthiv Patel and Javagal Srinath. If that spell of cricket early in the day brought fans to their feet, the assault of the West Indian openers drove home the point of the day -­ the West Indies are in control.The day clearly belonged to the twenty-six-year-old Wavell Hinds. The young southpaw notched up the first West Indian century of this series and made the Indian bowlers toil hard. Put together with alacrity, the partnership for the first wicket easily went past the former record mark for the wicket at the ground which was set by Gordon Greenidge and Desmond Haynes. Sitting in the pavilion and watching the game, chairman of selectors Sir Vivian Richards would have allowed himself a smile at the way West Indies went from strength to strength.At one stage, with the scoreboard reading 172/0 it looked as though West Indies would go through the whole day without losing a wicket. It was, then, that Harbhajan Singh struck, completely against the grain of play. Pulling the offie, Hinds could only watch in dismay as the ball hurtled straight to Sourav Ganguly at square leg. Hinds’ even 100 (200 balls, 16 fours) put West Indies in a strong position.Ramnaresh Sarwan, coming in to bat in the fading light, did not last long, making just two, before a smart bit of wicket-keeping by Parthiv Patel saw the young middle-order batsman stumped off Harbhajan.Merv Dillon was sent in as nightwatchman, a move that backfired on theWest Indies. Clean bowled for a duck off the second ball he faced, Dillon was back in the hut as quickly as he had come out. Shivnarine Chanderpaul, then, saw off five deliveries before play was called off due to bad light.All the while, Gayle has batted responsibly and patiently. Never shy to put away the loose deliveries – 14 of these reached the ropes while onewent all the way -­ Gayle was cautious against good deliveries. He left afair share of deliveries alone and also used his pad effectively againstthe spinners.Earlier in the day, some shoddy bowling by West Indies let India off thehook. From the overnight score of 275/6 with the tail exposed, West Indies would have hoped to knock over the last four wickets giving away as few runs as possible. But Parthiv Patel (47) came close to scoring his maiden Test half-century and Javagal Srinath with 46 gave the batting depth as India went on to post a respectable first innings score.Seventeen-year old young wicketkeeper Patel was clearly overawed when he first graduated to the highest stage. Facing bowlers of a different level both in terms of speed and skill, Patel seemed out of his depth. None of that in this match. Batting sensibly, the youngster managed six boundaries in his 89-ball 47.Srinath too proved that he is no slouch, carting the ball to all parts in his 40-ball stay at the wicket. The veteran Karnataka medium-pacer went after the bowlers, striking seven boundaries and one six in his knock of 46. The partnership of 73 for the eighth wicket was instrumental in getting India to its eventual total of 358.Having put the runs on the board, though, India were stunned by the manner in which West Indies fought back. While the batting line-up had succumbed meekly in the recent past, the young pair of Jamaican openers showed that there is still hope for the men from the Caribbean.Uncomplicated batting, matched with an equal measure of caution, was all it took to keep the Indian bowlers at bay on a wicket that was good for batting. Suddenly, Srinath looked a tired medium-pacer past his prime, Ashish Nehra reminded one of how much Zaheer Khan is missed and the spinners looked for a spot of luck to get them a wicket.It is still not beyond West Indies to collapse on the third day and handIndia the initiative on a platter. Harbhajan has 3/43 to his name, andeveryone knows he’s a rhythm bowler. If he strikes early tomorrow, allthe visitors’ good work will come undone.

Wasim Akram, superbly supported by Shoaib Akhtar and Shahid Afridi, had handed the second match of the Super Challenge, to Pakistan on a silver platter. Australia had been bowled out for 167 and Pakistan, had it chosen, could have got these runs in singles.Instead it made an unholy mess of its batting and the match went to the wire and Pakistan scraped through by the skin of its teeth.In the first match Pakistan had been blown away and we rationalized that the team had not adjusted to the extra bounce of the Australian wickets, the batsmen had no clue where their off stump was and hung out their bats, as one hangs out the laundry and the bowlers bowled too short and gave too much width. The bowlers had learnt from the first match. Not so the batsmen. Clearly much work needs to be done to bring some discipline in the batting.A gutsy innings from Younis Khan saw Pakistan home but he had his share of luck because the Australians were not so sharp in the field, off-season blues, as one commentator described it.Pakistan lost Saeed Anwar in the first over, run out when he backed up too far and was a little lazy in getting back. To our consternation, Azhar Mahmood was sent in next. It made no sense to change the batting order and if the order had to be changed Shahid Afridi who is an opening batsman, should have been sent.To no one’s surprise Azhar had only a walk-on role to play and with Imran Nazir, out of sorts and all at sea, Pakistan was soon on the back foot. Inzamam did not look fit and was limping and he was out to a wild shot.I was surprised that he had not asked for a runner unless he brought his injury to the match which should raise some eye-brows. I raise the question once more about Pakistan getting itself a fitness trainer. The trainer need not necessarily come from abroad.In the seventies when Geoff Hunt ruled the squash world, we discovered that what separated him from a bevy of Pakistani champions was his supreme fitness. If we had to dethrone him, we could have to match his fitness.Nur Khan arranged for a fitness trainer from the PAF. I still remember him as a very tall man, ramrod-straight and a no-nonsense man. I had nicknamed him ‘Commando’. He put the players through their paces and they howled in protest. He was too strict. But there was no let-up, no relaxation. Came the Irish Open in Dublin, Geoff Hunt was beaten and from then on, Pakistan reigned supreme in the squash world.I don’t ascribe all their success to the fitness-training. The Pakistanis were superb players but they had also become extremely fit.Mark Waugh who has turned commentator rated Australia and Pakistan as the two best teams in the world. According to him, Australia had the edge in fielding and running-between-wickets. It seems a fair evaluation.I think Pakistan was ‘unlucky’ with the umpiring in the second match. Damien Martyn was caught by Waqar Younis and Waqar claimed the catch. Darrel Hair who was standing only ten meters away and was in a position to judge himself whether it was a clean catch or not, chose to ask the third umpire. The moment this is done, some doubts are created in the minds of the third umpire and its almost a certainty that the benefit of doubt will go to the batsman.I don’t think umpires should abdicate their responsibilities merely because technology is available. In the good, old days, a fielder’s word was enough whether he had caught the ball cleanly or not.Martyn should have asked Waqar. But these are not the good, old days.Still, Pakistan go to Brisbane, one-all. This match will be played under open skies and Pakistan will have to brave the elements which includes the Australian winter. The ball seams a lot on the Brisbane (GABA) tracks.I have fond memories of Brisbane which is one of the most beautiful cities in Australia. The going will be tough for Pakistan but Pakistan has the bowling to make life difficult for Australia.It is the batting that is a matter of concern. Saeed Anwar has yet to face a ball in the Super Challenge. It would be great if he could get some big runs on his come-back and give Pakistan the start it hasn’t had so far.

Glamorgan lost their Benson and Hedges Cup match against Gloucestershire at Cardifftoday by eight wickets. The Welsh county suffered another blow when Matthew Maynard broke a bonein his right hand, and is likely to be on the sidelines for up to eight weeks.Maynard sustained the injury when facing the bowling of visiting skipperMark Alleyne. Maynard had just a single run to his name when he was rapped on his right gloveby Alleyne. The former Glamorgan captain subsequently retired hurt and went to hospital foran x-ray which revealed that he had broken a bone.

Central Districts, perennial whipping boys in domestic cricket over the years, turned giant killers at Jade Stadium in Christchurch today and won a famous victory over Canterbury to claim the Shell Cup for only the second time in their history.The marvellous rags to riches story of CD this season which went into the last stages of the Cup without three key members of their attack from last summer, Andrew Penn (now with Wellington), Lance Hamilton and Michael Mason (both injured) was achieved on the back of some outstanding bowling by five bowlers who worked their skills to the maximum.Brent Hefford was awarded the man of the finals series after today’s game and he typified the CD approach which saw he, Ewen Thompson and Andrew Schwass come out of the back blocks of the game in New Zealand to a level of prominence they could not have imagined at the start of the season.Add to them the greater role played by off spinner Glen Sulzberger and the increasing bowling contribution from Jacob Oram and the mixture is all the more phenomenal.They held Canterbury to 176/8 in their 50 overs and then relaxed as Mathew Sinclair and Craig Spearman hit CD out of any trouble at all in the best batting display of the finals to ensure their side victory, and a trip to the southern hemisphere tournament in Perth in late March.Spearman was 71 not out at the end off 89 balls with six fours and three sixes. Sinclair was run out for 54, off 82 balls with seven fours and one six. When Ben Smith hit 44 off 47 balls with nine fours the win was sealed.The cricket through the finals was not of the highest quality, there were too many batting faults for that to apply. But the CD grit after losing the first game made it a memorable win.As captain Jacob Oram said: “After being one-nil down it was a big challenge to come down here and win two out of two.”I can’t say enough about our bowlers. For six games in a row they’ve handled the pressure. They’ve been very basic, straight, the back of a length and to bowl Canterbury out for under 200 three times in a row, on top of the 73 and 67 we had in the last two rounds of the Cup was outstanding.”The players had been disappointed in losing the first final in Napier, not so much just for the loss, but for the way they had lost.”We knew we hadn’t played to our full potential. And I’m really happy that it was our batting that was the one to fire,” he said.Oram thought the bubble had burst for the Cantabrians when Glen Sulzberger dismissed Nathan Astle and Gary Stead with successive balls.Astle and Craig McMillan had added 75 for the second wicket and looked set to give the CD bowlers the greatest test.But once the two wickets were lost, the nature of the requirements for McMillan changed.”We knew Macca [McMillan] had to go on and bat through. At that stage they were still only scoring three and a halves and if we did well from there they could score between 220-250.”But even if they got that I still had confidence in our batters,” he said.Oram also acknowledged a four-day camp the team held at the Rugby Academy in Palmerston North as important in the development of the season.”That was huge. Normally we had only a two-day camp before the start of the season and so much was coming at you that it tended to go in one ear and out the other.”But this time we had four good days and we built a culture and feeling with everyone in the team wanting to play for each other, and that was seen this weekend. It is so important for us because we come from everywhere,” he said.Sulzberger’s effort was crucial with his second three-wicket haul in two days, his first three-wicket hauls. He took 3-27 from 10 overs and he could take special satisfaction from the success after his effort with the bat which ensured in the second final that CD got to a defendable total.”I was a little bit worried the way things started. I knew they would come a little bit harder at me, especially with nine wickets in hand, at the start of my spell. But that fifth over changed things for us.”There was a lot of determination to win and to win well. Their 170 was less than they might have got and there were a lot of nerves but Craig and Skippy [Sinclair] played some beautiful cricket,” he said.

Sports Minister Uma Bharti today proposed introduction of code ofconduct and bringing sports under concurrent list to free it frompolitical and other interference and promote games in the country.Replying to supplementaries during question hour in the Rajya Sabha,she said her ministry was confronted with the problem of politicalinterference in sports and the code of conduct was aimed at removingsuch irritants.On concerns expressed by Ram Jethmalani over inadequate preparationfor the Afro-Asian Games to be held in India, Bharti said the gameswould be held from November three and a meeting had already been heldby her ministry to prepare for the games. Of the total Rs 70 croreexpenditure for the games, the central government would allocate Rs 35crore and the Indian Olympic Association Rs 20 crore. The rest wouldbe generated internally, she said.On the general poor performance by Indian sportspersons, Bharti askedHuman Resource Development Minister Murli Manohar Joshi to allocate 10per cent of the funds provided for education.”Give me 10 per cent of the funds allocated for the Education Ministryand I can assure you India will be the top sporting nation within thetext 10 years”, she said. In reply, Joshi quipped “I have heard you”,amidst laughter in the House. She also asked members to contribute aportion from the MPLAD scheme for sports development. On bringingsports sector under concurrent list, she said this proposal had foundacceptance in some quarters.

Play was abandoned for the day without a ball being bowled in the Somerset Second XI game that was due to start at North Perrott CC today.After heavy rain overnight followed by showers during the morning there was no prospect of any play, and after an early lunch the umpires called the game off for the day.Following the announcement that Andrew Caddick and Marcus Trescothick were returning to the first team for the match against Surrey on Friday, Somerset named a strong team to face Northants at North Perrott, and will be hoping that there will be play tomorrow so that they will be able to continue their winning ways.However the overnight forecast is not very good and unless the ground dries out considerably the prospects for any play on Thursday are not very bright.The Somerset Second XI team is: Matt Wood, Piran Holloway, Tom Webley, Pete Trego, Graham Rose, Carl Gazzard, Paul James, Michael Dobson, Joe Tucker, Steve Jacques and Michael Munday.Paul James is a right hand bat and off break bowler who is currently at Exeter University, Michael Dobson is a triallist from Northamptonshire, Steve Jacques is a right arm bowler from Cornwall, and Michael Munday is a leg break bowler who is currently attending the Somerset Academy.