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ScorecardThe result didn’t matter – India have already qualified for the Asia Cup final. But their dream run in the Asia Cup continued as they registered their fourth successive win, beating Pakistan by a whopping 103-run margin in the final league match at Jaipur. In an inconsequential match for either team, Pakistan crawled to 141 for 8 in their chase of 245 after being restricted by the Indian spinners.Sunetra Paranjpe and Rumeli Dhar were the main contributors in India’s innings. Paranjpe got the team off to a good start, adding 83 with opener Sulakshana Naik. Paranjpe’s 52 came off 67 balls with ten fours before falling to Sana Mir, who picked up three wickets. Dhar, who scored 42, took control in the middle of the innings while a quickfire 31-ball 30 from Anjum Chopra lifted India to 244.Pakistan struggled in their chase after opener after Urooj Mumtaz was dismissed for 33 with the score on 62. The spinners – Rajeshwari Goel, Nooshin Al Khadeer and Preeti Dimri – came into play and put the brakes on the scoring. Goel was especially hard to get away, conceding just 12 runs off 10 overs, picking up two wickets in the process.India and Sri Lanka have already qualified for the finals, which will be played on the same venue on Thursday.

National Four-Day League

Rajshahi were in trouble from the start in Rajshahi after being put in by Khulna and lost their prolific duo Jahurul Islam and Farhad Hossain with 6 on the board. It didn’t get any better for them and despite opener Shakil Haider’s 61 they were all out for 188 after tea with Khulna’s quick bowlers and spinners all getting among the wickets. Khulna, now without captain Habibul Bashar who left for New Zealand to join the Test squad, also found batting difficult and ended day one on 21 for 2. Against the seam bowling of Delwar Hossain and the part-time spin of Farhad Hossain they crumbled before declaring at 151 for 9 to deny the home team the bowling bonus point. Rajshahi were firmly back in the match and with half centuries from Jahurul (61) and Anisur Rahman (64) and a plucky 48 from captain Khaled Mashud they set Khulna a challenging 322. The visitors required 266 on the final day and Mostafizur Rahman (57) and Jamaluddin (87) gave them hope before Saqlain Sajib, the left-arm spinner, ran through the order with 6 for 101 and ended a last-wicket stand that yielded 55 and pulled Khulna within 29 runs.Chittagong decided to bat in Chittagong and were ruing the decision at tea when they were bundled out for 98 by Dhaka. Paceman Mohammad Sharif took 3 for 11 and left-arm spinner Arafat Sunny returned 3 for 28 to usher the Chittagong collapse. But Dhaka had too many cameos and not enough substance for comfort from the top order and seemingly squandered the advantage when the struggled at 212 for 8. It took an uncharacteristically steady 95 not out from No. 9 Nazmul Hossain Milon, who comes with the reputation of a six-hitter, to carry Dhaka to 316. Chittagong looked dead and buried when they finished the second day on 26 for 3 in their second innings but day three was a different story. Opener Masumud Dowla reached his first hundred of the season just before stumps and was involved in a 140-run fourth-wicket stand with Nazimuddin (80) in a Chittagong effort of 259 for 4. The next day Dowla (118) and captain Ehsanul Haque (117) stretched their fifth-wicket partnership to 196 and left Dhaka with just under a session to get an improbable 219. Dhaka batted for 21.4 overs and made 130 for 4.In Bogra Barisal took the field without captain Shahariar Nafees and pace spearhead Sajedul Islam, both on national duty, and Sajedul’s new-ball partner Talha Jubair who also had to pull out but it mattered little as they swept to an-innings-and 34-run win against Sylhet. Put in on a rain-interrupted first day Sylhet were on the back foot at 149 for 8 by close. Sylhet limped to 183 and Barisal were in charge when they finished the second day on 118 for 2. It became even better for them as Nasiruddin Faruque (77), Hannan Sarker (70), Imran Ahmed (70 not out) and Abul Bashar (82 not out) dominated the poor Sylhet bowling before stand-in captain Imran declared on 383 for 5. In the six overs available on day three Sylhet had lost 2 for 4. Imtiaz Hossain and Golam Mabud both made 57 but Sylhet were blown away on the last day for 155 giving Barisal a resounding innings-and-34-run win.

NCL One-Day

With Rajshahi already securing the title the only interest remaining was with who would finish second. The champions elected to bat at Rajshahi but found Khulna too hot to handle as Ziaur Rahman (4 for 39), Monjurul Islam (2 for 32) and Robiul Islam (4 for 7) ripped through their batting order. Rajshahi were bundled out for 79 and Khulna eased home in 23 overs with six wickets in hand.Dhaka joined Khulna on 10 points after an exciting one-run victory against Chittagong in Chittagong. Sent in Dhaka managed 248 for 8 with No. 3 Mosharaf Hossain making 51 and useful contributions coming from Mahmudullah Riyad (45), Anwar Hossain (41) and Nadif Chowdhury (39). Chittagong were cruising towards the target with Nazimuddin (51) and Faisal Hossain leading the way before Mohammad Sharif (4 for 44) decided to step in. With Chittagong on 232 for 4 in 46 overs Sharif removed Dhiman Ghosh with the first ball of the 47th over. In his next over Sharif bowled Faisal for 86 and had Rezaul Karim lbw off successive deliveries before running out Mohammad Younus off the penultimate ball of the match.Alok Kapali’s 80 was the only innings of note in Sylhet’s 207 against Barisal at Bogra. Raquibul Hasan’s 78 and Arafat Salahuddin’s 57 kept Barisal on track before they made a hash of the chase and lost the last three wickets on 195.Player of the week – Arafat Salahuddin (Barisal)In the four-dayer Arafat’s bowling was instrumental in his team’s thumping win against Sylhet. Bowling his outswingers with great control he returned match figures of 8 for 92. Arafat was even more influential in the one-dayer where he took three wickets and then made a battling 57 albeit in a lost cause.

Former India batsman VVS Laxman believes the ODI side is one batsman short for their upcoming limited-overs tour of Australia. India’s ODI squad to Australia has only five specialist batsmen after the selectors dropped Suresh Raina, following a poor series against South Africa.Laxman, who was at a promotional event in Delhi, said the decision was harsh on Raina, but would make the batsman hungrier for success in the future, should he make the cut.”I think we are one batsman short. I still feel it was harsh on Suresh Raina. He did really well in the World Cup. He had a tough series against South Africa. Coming at No. 6, when the asking rate is 8 or 10 and with the change in the new rules, the conditions against South Africa were not ideal to play the big shots straightaway,” Laxman said at a Star Sports event to promote India’s limited-overs tour of Australia.”It’s always a pressure situation whenever he walks out to bat. This is also good for him. Raina is probably a very important member if India has to win the T20 World Cup. This will hurt him, but also make him hungrier.”Laxman also urged India’s pacers to refrain from bowling short-pitched deliveries at the Australia batsmen in the series. He brought up India’s World Cup 2015 semi-final against Australia in March this year as an example of why a short-ball strategy would hurt India. Led by Steven Smith’s 105, Australia rattled up 328 for 7 in the semi-final after opting to bat, and India could only muster 233 in reply.”You can bowl short to other teams, which are not used to playing in Australian conditions,” Laxman said. “But if you bowl short to the Australians they will cut and pull you. That is what happened during the semi-final.”Warner is most dangerous batsman in the line-up and you cannot bowl defensive lines to him. There is a formula to get him out and I am sure Ishant Sharma knows that because when he was in (Hyderabad) Sunrisers, we realised what shots he likes to play and what he doesn’t. It is important to make him play the cover drive, and once you do that you always have a chance to dismiss him early on. But don’t bowl short deliveries to him, because he will cut and pull.”Kapil Dev, who was also at the event, said that India would need to focus on getting early wickets in the first 15 overs, even if it came at the cost of a few runs. It was the only way, he said, India could keep Australia from making a strong comeback.”In Australia or even South Africa, the ball does something even after 35 overs. There is bounce and nip for a fast bowler,” Dev said. “I think that is the best part. After 35 overs, I hit the deck and the wicketkeeper holds it up very nicely. So if the batsman loses concentration you can get a wicket.”Somebody who can bowl close to 140 kph will be a success in Australia. At the same time, if you want to do well in Australia, it’s important for you to pick up wickets. Get three wickets in the first 15 overs, even if you have conceded 90 runs. Because then you still have a chance to make a comeback. But if you don’t take wickets and give away 45 runs, they can always make a comeback. Don’t concentrate on bowling maidens overs, think about getting wickets only.”Stating that the top four batsmen in the line-up would have to absorb most of the responsibility, Laxman stressed on the importance of playing with an angled bat in Australian conditions. He said that batters could not play with a straight bat off the back foot.”In Australia, you cannot afford to play on the back foot with a straight bat. The bat face has to be pointing down. Otherwise, it will straight away go to the slip owing to the extra bounce and pace,” Laxman said. “It’s important to play with an angled bat. Also the general mistake that a young batsman tends to make is that he will get out to the back of the length delivery. But then, it is the fuller delivery, which gets the batsman out. The challenge is not to lose wickets early on. There will be a lot of responsibility on the top four.”

ScorecardAfter skittling out Services for 91 to gain a first-innings lead of 72, Vidarbha added 237 for the loss of four wickets in their second, to end the day with a lead in a commanding position.Tottering at 37 for 5 at close on day one, Services lost another wicket on 39 before their innings was propped up by Jasvir Singh and Ashish Mohanty. The two added 44 runs before Mohammad Hashim struck, dismissing Jasvir, Mohanty and Arun Sharma to bag career-best figures of 7 for 26, also the best in the Plate League so far this year.Vidarbha seized the advantage in the second innings, with Faiz Fazal and Amit Paunikar putting on 168 for the first wicket. Fazal was first to fall for 80, while debutant Paunikar went on to score 102. Left-armer Rakesh Kumar took all four wickets to fall, to go with the three he took in the first innings.Gujarat 154 and 2 for no loss trail Kerala 340 (Prem 124, Vinan Nair 61, Chandran 61*, Parmar 5-77) by 184 runs
ScorecardPreambhastn Prem’s patient 124 helped Kerala take control of the game in Surat as they piled up 340 in reply to Gujarat’s first-innings total of 154. Prem put on 82 runs for the fifth wicket with Vinan Nair, who made a breezy 61 to gain the vital first-innings lead. Kerala then suffered a mini-collapse which saw them reduced to 206 for 9.Prasanth Chandran, the No. 11, stuck it out with Prem to add 134 for the last wicket, a Kerala record for the tenth wicket, surpassing the 95 runs that Satheesan Thampuran and P Mackey added against Hyderabad in 1974-75. Mackey’s 59 was the record for a Kerala No. 11 batsman, before Chandran’s unbeaten 61 today, which came off 89 balls, including 11 boundaries.Gujarat offspinner Mohnish Parmar added three to his overnight tally of two wickets, and ended the innings with figures of 5 for 77. Gujarat’s openers then safely played out the only over they were left to negotiate.Madhya Pradesh 109 for 4 (Ojha 45, Mishra 2-17) trail Haryana 302 (Lavasa 76, Vishwanathan 63, Pandey 3-58) by 193 runs
ScorecardResuming on 268 for 7, Haryana added 34 runs on the second day before picking up four Madhya Pradesh wickets to seize the advantage in Rohtak. Sunil Viswanathan, overnight on 47, was the last man out for the hosts, finishing on 63. Madhya Pradesh offspinner Sunil Dholpure ensured Vishwanathan got little support at the other end, dismissing two lower-order batsmen.Madhya Pradesh were off to a shaky start in their innings, with Sachin Rana trapping Jalaj Saxena leg-before in the second over. Amit Mishra, the legspinner who has represented India in one-dayers, then struck with the wickets of Jatin Saxena and Devendra Bundela, before offspinner Gaurav Vashisht removed opener Naman Ojha, who made a sedate 129-ball 45. Rahul Bakshi and Brijesh Tomar ensured there was no further damage, as the visitors ended the day at 109 for 4.Goa 104 for 4 (Joglekar 24*, Ratra 29*, Sharma 3-29) trail Jammu and Kashmir 147 (Bhatt 31, Bandekar 5-49, D’Souza 3-32) by 43 runs
ScorecardGoa were poised to take the first-innings lead against Jammu and Kashmir, finishing the day at 104 for 4 in reply to the hosts’ 147 in Jammu.Saurabh Bandekar and Robin D’Souza shared the final two wickets for Goa, Bandekar finishing with his second five-for in first-class cricket. Goa were soon in trouble as Vivek Sharma grabbed three wickets to reduce them to 42 for 4. Manoj Joglekar and Ajay Ratra, the former India wicketkeeper, then put on an unbroken 62-run stand to take the visitors to a position of ascendency at stumps on day two.Assam 68 for 1 (Palash Das 35*) trail Tripura 460 (Shetty 165, Chanda 72, Tushar Saha 73*, Kushaljit Das 5-140) by 392 runs
ScorecardTripura consolidated on their overnight 285 for 4 to make 460 in the first innings in Guwahati. Nishit Shetty added only one to his 164 on day one, but Timir Chanda and No. 9 Tushar Saha scored seventies. Saha had 11 fours and a six in his 72, and added 82 runs for the final wicket with Jayanta Debnath, who made 36. Debutant Kushaljit Das took a five-for for the hosts, conceding 140 runs in his 37.1 overs.Assam then played out 30 overs before stumps, crawling to 68 for 1. Opener Palash Das remained unbeaten on 35.Railways 217 for 2 (Bangar 77*, Rawle 73*) lead Jharkhand 183 by 34 runs
ScorecardSanjay Bangar followed up his four wickets on the first day with an unbeaten 77 on the second, to give Railways a lead of 34 runs over Jharkhand, with eight wickets still remaining in their first innings.Railways lost their first two wickets for 61, but Bangar, whose knock included 13 fours, added 156 runs with Harshad Rawle to guide their team to 217 at close. Rawle was also unbeaten at stumps, having scored 73.

9.5
Anil Kumble
With twenty wickets in four Tests, 179 gritty runs, and a calm demeanour that helped India wade through a crisis, Kumble was India’s most vital member. Beginning with a five-wicket haul on the opening day in Melbourne, he led the attack manfully and fittingly notched up his 600th wicket in Perth, a Test he termed was his “best win”. He batted with gumption, shepherding the tail in crucial moments, and led with a statesman-like authority, guiding along a side through a turbulent phase.9
Sachin Tendulkar
Statistically he enjoyed his finest tour to Australia, averaging in excess of 70 with two hundreds and two fifties. He adapted brilliantly: attacking in Melbourne, accumulating in Sydney, and innovating in Perth, before rounding off with a complete innings in Adelaide, on Don Bradman’s homeground. He was accorded rousing ovations each time he walked out and showed that, at 34, was still India’s most consistent batsman.8.5
RP Singh
Leading the attack in Zaheer Khan’s absence, RP Singh rose to the challenge. Swinging the ball at a lively pace, he troubled the Australians with his awkward angles. He expertly used the old ball and didn’t flag in searing conditions. He tore through the top order on the first day in Sydney and mopped up the lower order within no time in Perth. He missed the final part of the Adelaide Test, a blow that was a big setback to India’s series-levelling prospects.8
Ishant Sharma
Undoubtedly the find of the tour, Ishant was feted by Steve Waugh as the “next best thing” in Indian cricket. Despite going wicket-less in Sydney, he did enough to suggest immense potential and his double-strike against Ricky Ponting in Perth played a big part in the victory. He moved the ball both ways and, displayed a great ability to lift himself when the conditions were most demanding.8
VVS Laxman
Opened up the Sydney Test with an awe-inspiring hundred before producing a guarded, eventually match-winning, half-century in Perth. He showed his ability to change his game according to the situation and proved, once again, that he reserved his best for Australia. He was an important member of the slip cordon and did a fine job when standing close-in for the spinners too.7.5
Virender Sehwag
Made an impact in all the four opportunities he was given, none more so than the polished 151 in Adelaide, a match-saving effort. Even when he didn’t go on to a big one he made confident starts to set a good platform, allowing the middle order to prosper. He made some good contributions with his offspin, including two vital wickets on the final day in Perth.7
Irfan Pathan
A fairytale comeback at Perth ended in a Man-of-the-Match award in one of the most memorable Indian wins in recent times. He did well with the bat but it was particularly heartening to see him generate alarming swing with the ball. He struggled on the flat deck in Adelaide but snapped up his 100th wicket in the same venue where he picked up his first, a good four years ago.

6.5
Rahul Dravid
Dravid struggled to strike the high notes through the series. Thrust into the opening slot for the first two Tests, he endured a mighty tough period. Often not able to get the ball off the square, he notched up dot ball after dot ball, never seeming like the run-machine that had come to these shores four years ago. His 93 was vital for the victory in Perth but, just when he appeared to be finding his groove, struggled again in Adelaide.6
Sourav Ganguly
Enjoyed a fine start to the tour but saw it fizzle out towards the end. He was undone by a couple of poor umpiring decisions but couldn’t match the consistency he had shown ever since his return in December last 2006. He fell to left-armers on seven of the eight occasions with Brad Hogg troubling him more often than one would have expected. His fielding didn’t inspire much confidence, a factor that went into his ouster from the one-day squad.6
MS Dhoni
It was a mixed series for Dhoni as a fine phase with the gloves coincided with an average one with the bat. His restrained knocks in Sydney and Perth were vital in the context of the match but Dhoni never really lived up to his reputation as an electrifying batsman. His wicketkeeping, though, improved with each match and displayed expert reflexes when standing up to the spinners.5
Harbhajan Singh
He ended the series as a better batsman than bowler. With two half-centuries in Sydney and Adelaide, he proved his ability as a lower-order batsman, capable of irritating the daylights out of the opposition. His bowling, though, was a disappointment. Apart from having Ricky Ponting’s number for the first two Tests, he was largely ineffective through the series. He will be forever associated with the tour, though, having been at the centre of the storm during the Sydney furore.4
Zaheer Khan
Played only one Test and had to return home with a heel injury. He contributed in Melbourne, though, hustling out batsmen on a flat pitch.2
Wasim Jaffer
Having cruised through 2007, Jaffer hit the ground with a mighty thud, managing just 49 runs in three Tests. He didn’t have an answer to Brett Lee’s pacy out-swingers and had lost his spot by the end of the series.1
Yuvraj Singh
With just 17 runs in two games and a string of poor fielding efforts, Yuvraj didn’t inspire much confidence through the series. He injured himself during practice in Perth and was side-lined for at least two weeks, putting his one-day chances in doubt as well.

Warwickshire’s failure to beat Worcestershire at Edgbaston has put them under stronger pressure in their bid for promotion.They now need to win their last two games to put themselves in contention, while Worcestershire need to win their last game of the season against Northants at New Road to move into the First Division.Poor weather prevented either team making a bid for victory at Edgbaston.Warwickshire moved to maximum batting points when they declared at 407-7 giving them a first innings lead of 144.Pace man Glenn McGrath demonstrated his skill with impressive figures of 6-90 after picking up three cheap wickets for ten runs on the Edgbaston wicket which was never very helpful to bowlers.The result was that Worcestershire were reduced to just surviving for the rest of the game.This was not difficult on a dead wicket and for the first time this season their openers, Philip Weston and Elliott Wilson, produced a second half century stand.Wilson was the more dominant player as Weston was quite happy to play the anchor role.Wilson was the first to be dismissed for 51, which included six fours, following a wild sweep at Neil Smith which enabled Allan Donald to mark his final championship appearance at Edgbaston with a catch at backward square leg.Vikram Solanki took full advantage of some gentle bowling and during his innings recorded 1000 runs in championship games this season.He raced to his 50 in 63 minutes after facing only 57 balls. At the close Worcestershire were 181-1 with the patient Weston 58 and Solanki 57.

A trust has been created to fund a number of projects in South Africa, including a training academy, in memory of Bob Woolmer, the former Pakistan coach who was murdered last Sunday.The money raised will fund the creation of a Bob Woolmer Cricket Academy outside Nelspruit in the eastern Mpumalanga province, and to ensure his book on the art and science of cricket gets published.”The Academy is for the benefit of world cricket not just South African cricket and will be run as a not-for-profit organisation,” read a statement. “One of the objectives is that children from underprivileged communities in South Africa will benefit in both a sporting and academic way.”The trust would also aim to provide financial security for his widow Gill, and sons Dale and Russell. Jonty Rhodes, the former South African batsman, was named as one of the trustees.”Bob Woolmer was one of world cricket’s most recognisable characters and servants of the game. Being one of the top coaches in world cricket did not stop him from sharing his skills and philosophies with the emerging cricketers of the world.”The investigation into Woolmer’s murder continues.

India 157 for 5 (Gambhir 75, Gul 3-28) beat Pakistan 152 (Misbah-ul-Haq 43, Pathan 3-16, RP Singh 3-23) by 5 runs
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were out

Ten days earlier, India and Pakistan couldn’t be separated in Durban. Infront of a frenzied crowd at the Wanderers on Monday, they played outperhaps the best final ever seen in a major tournament. Once again, theice-cool Misbah-ul-Haq threatened to drag Pakistan back from the brink,but the Indians just about held their nerve to clinch a five-run victoryand the inaugural ICC World Twenty20.After scrapping hard to get to 157 for 5 in the face of some tigerishbowling and fielding, India were inspired with the ball, and Pakistanappeared to be well out of contention with 54 needed from 24 balls andjust three wickets in hand. But when Misbah thumped Harbhajan Singh forthree sixes and Sohail Tanvir chipped in with a four-ball 12, theimprobable became possible.With Misbah on strike, Pakistan needed 13 from the final over. After agreat deal of thought, Mahendra Singh Dhoni gambled on the inexperiencedJoginder Sharma. When he started with a wide, Indian fans groaned, and thesituation became even more desperate when Misbah pummelled a full tossmiles over long-off for six. But with victory in his grasp, his judgementfailed him. Moving across his stumps, he went for the scoop down to fineleg. He didn’t connect cleanly, and millions on the subcontinent heldtheir breath as Sreesanth came under the ball at short fine leg. When heheld it, the stadium erupted.The architects of the Indian triumph were the two left-armers, RudraPratap Singh and Irfan Pathan, both of whom scalped three wickets toscupper the chase. Singh struck in both his opening overs, having MohammadHafeez caught at slip and knocking Kamran Akmal’s off stump out of theground, but Imran Nazir played a blinder at the other end to keep his sideahead of the asking rate.Two sixes and two fours came in Sreesanth’s opening over, as Nazir cut andpulled with immense power. Sreesanth redeemed himself with a maiden toYounis Khan, but India still needed wickets as they sought to defend amiddling total. The inspiration came from Robin Uthappa, whose unerringthrow from mid-off to the keeper’s end ended Nazir’s blistering 14-ball33.Joginder’s lack of pace provided the next breakthrough, with Younismiscuing one to mid-on, and the onus was on Shoaib Malik to see his sidehome. But with Irfan bowling a impeccable line and length and the Indianvoices in the crowd growing louder, something had to give. And it wasMalik that cracked, dragging a long hop to midwicket.Pathan was euphoric, and moments later he and his team-mates were beyondthe clouds. Shahid Afridi came to the crease with a boom-boom reputation,but left with a whimper after a heads-up heave that found Sreesanth atlong-off. With the scoreboard showing 77 for 6, the match had seeminglyswung inexorably India’s way.But Misbah, supported brilliantly by Yasir Arafat and Tanvir, had otherideas. And even though Irfan, Sreesanth and RP Singh produced magnificentyorkers to take India to the brink, no one breathed easy until Misbahfluffed his final line.Gautam Gambhir and Umar Gul had shared the limelight in the Indianinnings, with Gul taking 3 for 28 in a splendid spell where he bowledyorkers almost at will. Gambhir’s scintillating 75 held the Indian inningstogether, and a late 30-run cameo from Rohit Sharma gave India them hope.India’s plans for the game had been rocked by the groin injury to VirenderSehwag, and his replacement, Yusuf Pathan, was nearly run out afterdawdling for the first one. Otherwise known as Irfan’s older brother,Yusuf came into prominence in domestic Twenty20, and he quicklydemonstrated his ability with a straight six off Mohammad Asif.With Asif bowling well below his normal pace, Yusuf then carved onethrough point for four before an ambitious pull landed in Malik’s hands atmid-on. That stemmed the early tide, and India were reliant mainly onsingles to up the scoring rate. Uthappa endeavoured to inject somemomentum into the innings, but his attempt to go over extra-cover landedtamely in the hands of the fielder.

With Malik quickly bringing on Afridi and Hafeez, India needed someone tofind the gaps. Gambhir was the man, lacing some lovely drives through thecovers and pushing the singles as Yuvraj Singh played himself in. Gambhirwas ruthless with the loose delivery, heaving Afridi over midwicket forsix as runs started to come too quickly for Malik’s liking.His response was to call on Gul, Pakistan’s most effective pace bowler inthis competition. Gambhir cut him behind point en route to a 38-ball 50,but Gul’s round-the-wicket line was soon to earn its reward. Yuvraj, inresplendent batting form in previous big games, didn’t ever get going anda miscued pull landed straight back down in Gul’s hands.With the fielders showing tremendous commitment in the outfield and Gulmixing short-pitched deliveries with perfect yorkers, the batsmen grewincreasingly frustrated. The pressure finally told on Dhoni, whose swipemet only with air as Gul produced another fast-and-straight special.Gambhir tried to break free of the shackles, and a massive six thatthudded into the scoreboard at midwicket had the Indian fans dancing, butGul’s retribution was swift. An attempted flick-paddle went straight toAsif at short fine leg, and Gambhir’s splendid innings was finally over.Sharma had shone against South Africa in a crunch game, and he came to thefore again in the final two overs, taking Arafat for two fours before helofted a slower ball from Tanvir in the direction of long-on. Hafeez gotthere, but could only tip the ball over the rope. On such incidents arematches between these two great rivals won and lost. On an enthrallingafternoon at the Bullring though, there were no winners or losers, just aresounding success for a format that is undoubtedly here to stay.

Darren Lehmann has announced his retirement from first-class cricket, citing injury concerns and “other frustrations” as the reasons he is ending his 20-year career. Lehmann will make two farewell appearances for South Australia against Western Australia at the Adelaide Oval, in an FR Cup match on Wednesday and a Pura Cup game starting on Friday.Lehmann, 37, stepped down as the Redbacks captain at the end of last summer following the side’s disappointing Pura Cup campaign that resulted in only one win. Although he was keen to stay on as a player, he struggled with a persistent Achilles tendon injury during the off-season and hamstring problems have also kept him out of two Pura Cup games and one FR Cup match already this summer.”The past 12 months have not been easy,” Lehmann said. “Ongoing concerns and conjecture about whether I could remain injury free and finish the season as well as other frustrations have contributed to my decision to retire.”It was always my plan to retire while I was still performing well at first-class level. This goal was important to me and injuries aside I think I have been true to it.”While the injuries were his primary reason for quitting the game, there had also been reports that his frosty relationship with Rod Marsh, South Australia’s high performance director, had played a part. Lehmann did little to douse that speculation while announcing his decision.”Rod, as a player, was one of the guys I loved and idolised,” Lehmann said. “His views and I differ on the way to manage cricket teams and that’s probably all I’d like to say on that one.”Lehmann’s departure brings to an end of one of the most decorated careers in Australia’s domestic history. Since making his debut for South Australia at the age of 17 in 1987-88, Lehmann has become the highest run scorer of all-time in Sheffield Shield/Pura Cup matches, with 13,468 runs at 54.52. He was also a prolific scorer at Yorkshire and in total he made 25,628 first-class runs at 57.79.Although his Test career was limited to 27 appearances, during which he made 1798 runs at 44.95, Lehmann was a goliath of the Australian domestic scene. He was named the State Player of the Year in 2000, 2001 and 2002, and was also a Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 2001.He had the honour of striking the winning runs in Australia’s World Cup triumph at Lord’s in 1999 and helped the side defend that title four years later. Lehmann was a key member of South Australia’s Sheffield Shield-winning side in 1995-96, having also played a part in Victoria’s title in 1990-91 during his brief stint in Melbourne.

A superbly constructed 171-run partnership for the fourth wicket between Graeme Smith and Gary Kirsten completely swung the match South Africa’s way, as they levelled the series 1-1 with a convincing six-wicket win at Wellington. Needing 152 on the final day with seven wickets in hand, Smith led the way with an unbeaten 125, but Kirsten, in his last Test innings, played an equally crucial hand, battling his way to 76 before being dismissed in the last over before lunch.The story of the day was the matchwinning stand, but the most poignant moment came off the last ball of the morning session, when Kirsten left the field for the final time in Test cricket after being trapped in front by Scott Styris. Normally not given to emotion, Kirsten passionately kissed his helmet before walking off in tears, while all the New Zealand players stood aside and applauded the effort of the man who had – one last time – helped steer his team to the brink of victory.When play began on the final day, both sides had an equal chance of victory, but Smith and Kirsten shut New Zealand out with a nerveless batting display. Smith carried on from where he had left off on the fourth evening. Pilloried for everything from lack of mental toughness to lack of tactical acumen in the last month, he hit back in style. The feature of his knock was his leg-side batting, as he repeatedly took balls from around off stump and effortlessly clipped them to midwicket, a stroke which, fittingly, brought South Africa the winning run. It would normally be termed risky cricket, but so fluent was Smith that it seldom appeared so.Kirsten, on the other hand, was far more scratchy at the start – he mistimed drives, played and missed at a few, and generally struggled with footwork and timing. Hardly the sort of person to be bothered by it all, he just knuckled down, soaked up all the pressure, knocked around the singles, and gradually got back into the groove. By the end of his innings he was in excellent form, stroking drives through cover and back past the bowler, and even executing a couple of delightful late-cuts for four.With early wickets so crucial to their chances of victory, New Zealand started proceedings with Chris Martin and Jacob Oram. However, both began by straying towards leg stump, and were picked off for easy runs by Smith, who flicked fours off both bowlers to reach his half-century in style. Martin failed to get the swing that had made him such a potent force in this series, which meant that the deliveries which were supposed to pitch on leg and move late across the left-handers now became regulation runscoring opportunities.Twenty-four came off the first seven overs, but New Zealand gradually tightened their line, as Chris Cairns and Daniel Vettori were pressed into the attack. The next nine overs produced only ten runs, but both batsmen survived that period patiently, knowing that with plenty of time in hand, the onus would be on New Zealand to force the issue. Cairns, in possibly his last home Test, bowled with plenty of fire and tried every trick in his bag, bowling from round the wicket, teasing the batsmen with wide half-volleys and then with the short stuff, but today, he came off second-best.The highlight of the session was the way Smith and Kirsten neutralised the threat of Vettori. On a pitch that – despite some rough areas outside the left-handers’ off stump – was still an excellent one for batting, both used their feet regularly against him, not to tonk boundaries but to work him with the spin just wide of mid-on for ones. And when Vettori altered his length, the batsmen were waiting on the back foot to turn it away behind square for more singles. It was risk-free cricket, and it added to the frustration for Vettori and Stephen Fleming.After working their way through a critical runless phase, Smith and Kirsten slowly turned it on: Cairns was slashed through gully for four by Kirsten, ending a sequence of 19 consecutive singles by both batsmen, while Vettori was lofted for four over mid-on.The over that completely shifted the momentum was the 55th, Vettori’s tenth and last of the match. Smith creamed an on-drive and a flick for two fours, in between chopping one past slip for two, as 12 came from the over. Vettori went into the drinks break – the second of an extended morning session – completely demoralised; Smith and Kirsten went in for the breather with victory well in sight, and the target whittled down to 73.The personal landmarks for both batsmen came immediately after play resumed – Kirsten clipped one from Oram to square leg for three to bring up his 34th Test fifty, and next ball, Smith eased a four to midwicket for his seventh century. Kirsten’s wicket was a bit of a dampener, but he had done enough to ensure that his swansong would end in a memorable victory for South Africa.