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National League Division One
TableSurrey 198 for 9 beat Glamorgan 190 by eight runs at Cardiff
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They may have blown the Championship, but Surrey were today crowned the National League champions after beating last year’s winners Glamorgan by eight runs in a low-scoring match. It wasn’t a vintage performance, but it was another allround team display which won them this match, and the title. Mark Ramprakash (53) and Adam Hollioake (51) held Surrey’s innings together after they had stumbled to 61 to 4. Hollioake clubbed five fours and two sixes and gave Surrey some oomph, while Ramprakash dug in to help them up to a respectable 198 for 9. All the bowlers then chipped in with a wicket or two each, but it was Rikki Clarke, England’s newest allrounder, who was the pick of the bunch. Michael Powell top-scored with 40, and Robert Croft and Mike Kasprowicz, who both scored 20, threatened to spoil Surrey’s party, but Clarke kept his cool. He grabbed 2 for 19 and signalled the win when he clean bowled David Harrison to start the celebrations. After the game, a relieved Hollioake said: “We have played some good cricket in the Sunday League this year and we are very happy to come away with it. We are limping over the line as we are on our last legs and to get this side together today was hard work.” He added: “I would like to pay credit to what they have done here. They have stuck to it and got their rewards.” It followed their Twenty20 Cup win earlier this season, but the only strange sight was of Ian Ward, who this morning announced he is to leave Surrey at the end of the season, watching all the fun from the commentary box, well away from the celebrations. Kent 101 for 2 beat Leicestershire 98 by eight wickets at Leicester
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Leicestershire slipped down another slot in the table after they were skittled for only 98 and duly hammered by Kent. Amjad Khan took the first four wickets in quick succession to leave Leicestershire in trouble at 37 for 4 and Kent didn’t look back. Mark Ealham then matched Khan with four wickets as only Paul Nixon put up a fight. Nixon was last man out for a dogged 32, but the fact that he was only one of three to make it to double figures tells its own story. With only 99 to get, Kent made light work of their easy challenge as Rob Key (44*) and Andrew Symonds (45*) got them home in just over 19 overs.National League Division Two
Table Sussex 128 for 1 beat Lancashire 125 by nine wickets at Old Trafford
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Just as Lancashire spoiled Sussex’s Championship celebrations earlier this week, Sussex got their revenge in the National League with a thumping nine-wicket win. A win for Lancashire would have ensured their position as division winners, but Billy Taylor and Mark Davis made sure they will have to wait a little longer. Taylor took the early wickets of Mal Loye and Stuart Law as Lancashire slipped to 39 for 3. Mark Chilton (43) and Chris Schofield (32) then started the rescue act, but after adding 61 to push the score to 101-4, the last six wickets fell for only 24 runs. Most of that was down to Davis, who took 4-14 in a nine-over spell. Chasing 126, Richard Montgomerie (66*) and Murray Goodwin (59) didn’t hang around as Sussex romped to a comfortable win, and only their sixth of the season. Middlesex 278 for 4 beat Hampshire 277 for 7 by six wickets at Lord’s
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Paul Weekes starred for Middlesex with bat and ball as they squeezed past Hampshire with only one delivery left. After being asked to bat, Hampshire rattled up 277 with Nic Pothas and Simon Katich blasting an opening stand of 144. Pothas scored 78 from 77 balls, while Katich creamed 106, including 13 fours. Katich was eventually bowled by Weekes, who went on to take 4 for 45, and then provide the platform for Middlesex’s superb victory. He scored 104, and shared crucial partnerships with Andy Strauss, Chad Keegan and Owais Shah to keep them flowing with the tide. Needing nine runs to win off the final over, Shah hit a six, but was out the next ball. However, Ed Joyce and Jamie Dalrymple kept their nerve to steer Middlesex home.Nottinghamshire 185 for 3 beat Scotland 183 by seven wickets at Trent Bridge
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After such an unexpectedly bright start to their first season in the National League, Scotland’s rapid demise was capped off with another defeat in the final match of their campaign. Nottinghamshire haven’t had a great summer either, but at least Chris Cairns took out some of their frustration with a booming 76, featuring three sixes, in their comfortable win. Cairns earlier grabbed two wickets, and Stuart MacGill three, as Scotland were bowled out for 183, James Brinkley top-scoring with 67. Kevin Pietersen, who could well be leaving at the end of the season, hit a quick 20 before Jason Gallian (43*) and Cairns clubbed together 111 in Notts’ seven-wicket win. Derbyshire 249 for 8 beat Somerset 243 for 9 by two wickets at Taunton
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Derbyshire, led by Michael Di Venuto, hung on to pull off an impressive run-chase against Somerset, sneaking home by two wickets and with one ball to spare. After Ian Blackwell (60 from 47) and Matthew Wood (58) helped Somerset to 243 for 9, Di Venuto played a well-paced knock of 113 to keep Derbyshire in touch. He received support from Andrew Gait, Steve Stubbings and Dominic Hewson, all of whom scored in the 20s, but after Di Venuto was caught off Nixon McLean, Derbyshire still needed 20 to win. Up stepped Nathan Dumelow (28*) to take the responsibility and he made sure of the victory by smashing Simon Francis for six to win the game in style.

Match scorecardDay 1
Bulletin Taibu and Matsikenyeri turn the tide Zimbabwe’s wayDay 2
Bulletin Streak’s maiden century lifts Zimbabwe past 500Day 3
Bulletin Price makes life uneasy for West Indies
News Freak accident delays the start of playDay 4
Bulletin Rain on Zimbabwe’s paradeDay 5
Bulletin Jacobs denies brave Zimbabwe

Tamil Nadu 110 for 2 and 188 (Paul 7-44) trail Bengal 400 (Haldipur 100, Sanyal 89) by 102 runs
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Shib Sankar Paul, the Bengal medium pacer, forced Tamil Nadu to follow-on on the third day of the Elite B match at Tirunelveli. Paul, who has been Bengal’s bowling hero this season, took seven wickets as Tamil Nadu caved in for a mere 188. Without three of their main batsmen, Tamil Nadu struggled, with only S Badrinath (86) averting a complete disaster. However, they put up a better show while following on by losing only two wickets for 110, with Badrinath still unbeaten at stumps.Rajasthan 53 for 4 and 168 trail Karnataka 350 (Rowland 81, Arunkumar 58, Bharadwaj 50) and 145 by 275 runs
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Karnataka wrested the initiative with a good batting display on the third day of the match against Rajasthan. Barrington Rowland and Vijay Bharadwaj hit fine half-centuries as Karnataka set a victory target of 328. Rowland, carrying on his rich vein of form, hit seven boundaries in his 81. Rajasthan had their backs to the wall at the end of the day when Dodda Ganesh and Venkatesh Prasad reduced them to 53 for 4 and set Karnataka up for their first victory of the season.Uttar Pradesh 22 for 1 and 205 trail Mumbai 332 (Morris 93*, Thakkar 71) by 105 runs
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At one point Mumbai were 258 for 8 and UP had done a good job in restricting their lead. But Robin Morris hit a breezy 93, and ensured that Mumbai finished with lead of 127 runs. Morris’s 120-ball innings included five sixes and six fours, and he put on 74 runs for the last two wickets. Earlier, Bhavin Thakkar also chipped in with 71 to prop up the total. Praveen Gupta, the left-arm spinner, was the most successful bowler for UP with 4 for 79. In their second innings, UP lost the wicket of S Shukla early and will have to battle all day tomorrow if they are to deny Mumbai an outright victory.Delhi 198 for 6 (Dahiya 61) and 195 lead Railways 234 by 159 runs
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In a low scoring game, Railways gained a small lead, but Vijay Dahiya and Pradeep Chawla played valuable innings for Delhi and set up a fascinating final day at the Karnail Singh Stadium. Dahiya struck 61 and Chawla remained unbeaten on 48 as Delhi went ahead by 159 runs for the loss of six wickets. Harvinder Singh picked up three wickets and finished as the most successful bowler for Railways.Hyderabad 199 for 4 (Anirudh 68, Vinay 53) trail Assam 537 (Sathish 133*, Sukhvinder 112) by 338 runs
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After being battered on the first two days by the Assam batsmen, Hyderabad made a sedate start to their innings, compiling 199 runs on the third day. Anirudh Singh and Vinay Kumar hit fifties, but Hyderabad lost four wickets and were still 338 runs adrift at stumps. Assam may have batted for too long to force an outright win, but first-innings points are almost assured.Punjab 323 for 8 (Dharmani 98, Sodhi 66, Mongia 60) trail Baroda 369 (Martin 149, R Parab 54) by 46 runs
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Both teams jostled for the first-innings lead as Punjab finished the third day still 46 runs behind with only two wickets standing. Pankaj Dharmani marginally missed out on a hundred and Reetinder Singh Sodhi hit 66 as Punjab inched towards the Baroda total. Earlier Dinesh Mongia had also hit a fine 60. Rakesh Patel picked up four wickets and Baroda will look to polish off the tail and pick up first-innings honours.Plate Championship First Round
Vidarbha 52 for 2 and 287 (Gawande 60) lead Tripura 337 (Sachdev 110, Jaiswal 76, Acharya 6-65) by 2 runs
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198 runs were scored on the third day as both teams lost wickets at regular intervals. Tripura gained a vital 49 runs first-innings lead, with Chetan Sachdev scoring a stroke-filled 110. But by the end of the day, Vidarbha erased the deficit, losing two top-order batsmen in the process. Madhusudan Acharya, the offspinner, enhanced his burgeoning reputation by adding three wickets, including Sachdev, to end with career-best figures of 6 for 65. Tripura gained the first-innings bonus points and will look to their spinners to get them an outright win tomorrow.Goa 41 for 1 and 235 (Swapnil 126, Mohanty 5-44) trail Orissa 466 (Mullick 134, Mohapatra 83, Behara 87, Jakati 5-99) by 190 runs
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Pravanjan Mullick blasted 134 off just 163 balls and Orissa stamped their authority over Goa on the third day. Biswa Mohapatra and S Behera, the openers, hit eighties and Orissa finished their first innings at 466. Shadab Jakati was the most successful bowler ending with a five-wicket haul. Goa suffered a setback in their second innings as AA Swapnil, the first-innings centurion, was forced to retire hurt – something that may prove vital in the ultimate outcome.Jammu and Kashmir 226 for 5 and 96 (Vashisht 6-32) trail Haryana 304 (Shafiq 71, Snny 66, Ganda 57) by 21 runs
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Jammu and Kashmir 229 for 5 and 96 (Vashisht 6-32) lead Haryana 304 by 21 runs.After dominating Jammu & Kashmir for the better part of three days, Haryana would have expected a quick finish today. But J&K improved on their first-innings total of 96 to reach 229 for 5. J&K were tottering at 159 for 5, but Dhruv Mahajan, the captain, and Manzoor Dar steadied the innings with an unbeaten 70-run partnership and were on 42 and 30 respectively at stumps. Services 79 for 2 and 233 lead Himachal Pradesh 291 (Virender Sharma 134, Fazil 5-73) by 22 runs
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Virender Sharma led the way on the third day, as Himachal Pradesh gained a first-innings lead of 58 over Services. It took a run-out to end Sharma’s impressive 134, and with it, the Himachal innings for 291. Fazil Mohammed and Arun Sharma claimed the bowling honours to finish with 5 for 73 and 4 for 90 respectively. Services began their second innings cautiously, reaching 79 for 2 at close, with an overall lead of 22.

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Moin Khan produced a Test-best 137 at a time when Pakistan needed it, and took his team out of the woods in the first Test against New Zealand. After Moin led his team to 463, New Zealand faced two overs and were 4 for 0 at stumps on the fourth day. Play will start half an hour early, at 10.30am, on the final day, to make up for time lost because of rain.Moin came to the wicket when Inzamam-ul-Haq fell to the new ball. And despite losing Abdul Razzaq soon after, Moin found a staunch, if unlikely, ally in Mohammad Sami to see Pakistan past the follow-on mark of 364.The day had been cut short because of overnight rain and only half an hour’s play was possible before lunch. Fourteen tentative runs were added in that time, after Inzamam survived a first-ball chance when Lou Vincent dropped a catch in the gully region off Chris Cairns’s bowling.Inzamam scored his 34th half-century but then fell to Daryl Tuffey, clearlyNew Zealand’s best bowler. Tuffey, operating with the new ball, beat Inzamamwith successive balls that slipped past the bat, and then got one inside itthat trapped him leg-before. Razzaq had demonstrated some of the touches that made him such a fearless hitter at the death in the recent one-day series against New Zealand, and was on 48 when he nicked a rare leg-side ball from Tuffey and Robbie Hart took the chance low down.Pakistan still required 79 runs to avoid the follow-on, and Moin and Sami had to contend with an improved New Zealand bowling approach. Chris Cairns and IanButler found better rhythm. Butler was especially unlucky in having goodyorker balls take the inside edge, miss the stumps and go for boundaries onseveral occasions. He hit Moin once when he ducked into a shorterone, but in a show of the type of mood he was in, Moin clouted the nextball back down the pitch for four.Moin survived a close call for a run-out when taking on Cairns’s arm fromthe outfield. It took a long look at video evidence before Tony Hill, the third umpire, was able to rule that he had just made his ground.Moin brought up his 50 off 75 balls, and then freed up once the follow-onmark had been passed, using some more innovative shots. He brought up hisfourth Test century by hitting a boundary, a six and another boundary offsuccessive balls from Daniel Vettori. He and Sami shared the only centurypartnership of Pakistan’s innings, adding 152 before Vettori finallyhad Sami caught at the wicket 25 (437 for 7). Soon after Jacob Oram trapped Moinleg-before for 137 and Pakistan were 453 for 8.

Tuffey was outstanding. He secured his sixth five-wicket bag in Tests andwas consistent in his line on or about off stump. He was tireless and hiswork was rewarded. Ian Butler polished off the last two wickets and Pakistanwere all out for 463.There was still some excitement left in the day when New Zealand batted out a small passsage of play. Mark Richardson hit a four off the first ball of the second innings, and then at the end of the over appeared to have a disagreement with Mohammad Sami, who had bowled his most fiery over of the match.

Bob Simpson, the former captain and coach of Australia, has slammed the International Cricket Council for its lax attitude towards bowlers with suspect actions.”While bowlers with illegal actions have been with us since bowling actions went upright, I have never seen so many bowlers infringe as they do today,” Simpson wrote in his column in India’s Sportstar magazine. “Why should bowlers who don’t conform to the laws be handled with kid gloves while fair bowlers and batsmen have to abide by the laws of cricket?”Simpson’s comments have more clout as he was a member of the ICC committee charged with assessing bowlers’ actions. And coming on the eve of the series between Sri Lanka and Australia, with all the history that involves, his remarks are sure to stir up anger in certain quarters.Simpson was especially critical of the ICC’s method of dealing with bowlers whose actions are reported which he described as “hopelessly flawed”. He also accused match referees and umpires of being willing to report lesser-known players but of bottling it when big names are involved.”Unfortunately some of our most high-profile and successful bowlers have actions which, to say the least, are less than doubtful,” he continued. “Little wonder we have so many bowlers around the world with actions which do not conform to the laws of the game.”This is hardly surprising as players have always copied their heroes. Unfortunately cricket’s governing bodies are doing very little to help the situation. I still visit quite a few countries and do a lot of coaching around the world and doubtful actions are reaching almost epidemic proportions.”

The Tasmanian Selectors have today announced that Adam Griffith has been omitted from the Cascade Tasmanian Tigers squad of thirteen announced on January 29th to play the Western Warriors in the ING Cup Twighlight match at the NTCA Ground in Launceston on Sunday, 1st February 2004.Despite rain ground staff have been working constantly on the NTCA Ground in Launceston and the match will go ahead as scheduled with play commencing at 12 noon with gates open at 10.30am.

Match abandoned due to rain
ScorecardRain stopped barking and finally took a bite out of the series, with the fourth one-dayer in Dunedin being called off, and a replay scheduled for the next day. The replayed game will be a day game that begins at 12pm local time (11pm GMT).Play looked likely for a while when Graeme Smith won the toss yet again and put New Zealand in to bat. But rain washed the ground minutes before play was to begin. South Africa had their fourth success with the coin, but the rain ensured that there would be another toss tomorrow.South Africa’s inability to use the conditions – and the form of a rejuvenated New Zealand side – has resulted in two losses on the go. New Zealand’s victory in the third ODI came after the bowlers pegged back South Africa during the middle overs, and even inspired batting by Shaun Pollock could only take his team to the precipice of victory. An injury sustained during the game kept him out of today’s team, and Lance Klusener was his replacement.For New Zealand, the third match was an eye-opener. Michael Papps showed everyone what the fuss was about when he scored his first fifty and played a vital role in giving his team its first significant start of the series. And then their bowlers caged the batsmen. South Africa’s bowlers, barring Pollock, were made ineffectual and they failed to live up to the reputation that preceded them to New Zealand. It was a U-turn from previous expectations.

Rahul DravidOn his team’s approach to the game
We’re really happy with the way we played at Multan. But we can’t afford to relax now. They will try and come back very strongly, and we have to be ready for that.On the build-up to the second Test
We have concentrated on our preparation. The pitch looks very firm, and there should be good bounce and carry. But it’s going to be the same for both teams. If the conditions suit their quick bowlers, chances are that our seamers will also do well, provided they bowl in the right areas.On the likely composition of the team, and especially the bowling component
We have selected a squad of 13, and will finalise the 11 only tomorrow. Ashish Nehra is in for Zaheer Khan, and we’re very happy with the way Ajit [Agarkar] has bowled over the past few days. One reason we didn’t pick him for Multan was because we felt he hadn’t had enough bowling hours. Balaji and Irfan [Pathan] have also been bowling well. Nehra is a quality performer on tracks that help him.On the team’s injury woes
Injuries are part and parcel of international cricket now. You can work very hard on your fitness, but you need luck too. Ashish’s injury, the split webbing, that had nothing to do with lack of fitness, it was just bad luck.On the absence of crowds for the Test series
It’s always nice to play in front of packed stadiums, and we had that for the one-day series. But I guess the Tests don’t attract the same following.On how India could take advantage of Pakistan’s nervousness to establish a firm grip on the match
If we can have a good first day, with bat or ball, like we did at Multan, they will be under real pressure.On the significance of the toss
We won the toss at Multan and made it count. Otherwise, it’s not really a factor. Just winning the toss doesn’t win you games.Inzamam-ul-HaqAbout the pressure on his side
We are playing a home series, so there is a lot of pressure. We didn’t play well in the opening game, and we know we have to do better here.On whether he was allowed a look at the pitch – a reference to his perceived tiff with Andy Atkinson, who is supervising preparation of the pitches used in this series
They showed me the pitch (laughing). It’s a sporting one, and will help our fast bowlers.On the bowlers, who bowled so poorly in Multan
They didn’t bowl to their potential, and they know that. The Indian bowlers bowled a good line and length, and on the stumps.On the importance of the toss
There will be some initial movement, but I don’t think it will affect the final result. Test matches have to be won over four or five days.On whether his batsmen too need to take extra responsibility after a poor second-innings showing in Multan
Look, a Test match is a team effort. Batsmen or bowlers alone can’t win you games.On what he has said to his side ahead of the match
We know we have a tough task to come back. But we’re looking ahead. Looking back will only have a negative effect on the team.On Kamran Akmal, who replaces the injured Moin Khan
He has played both Tests and ODIs before. He’s a very talented young player, and we hope he will take his chance.On Imran Nazir, who is part of the squad
He has performed well in the first-class games, and I’m in favour of giving chances to such people.On why his bowlers haven’t been getting the ball to reverse swing
I think it’s just a question of our bowlers having one good session.On his statement that Pakistan’s bowlers weren’t world class
Look, what I meant was that former greats like Wasim [Akram], Imran [Khan] and Waqar [Younis] have in the region of 400 wickets each. These bowlers need time and performances to reach that level.

Sourav Ganguly has suggested that the ICC implement a two-tier system to preserve the sanctity of Test cricket. Reacting to the news that the ICC was planning to offer full membership to six more countries before the 2007 World Cup, Ganguly said: "If the standard of the game has to be preserved, it would be better to have a two-tier system." Such a system would ensure that the top teams only play each other, leaving the bottom-rung teams to battle among themselves.The clamour over maintaining the standards of Test cricket comes in the wake of some hopelessly one-sided series over the last few years. Bangladesh have struggled since being granted Test status, losing 26 out of 28 matches, while the Zimbabweans – missing almost all their top players – have looked completely out of depth: they have been thrashed by the Sri Lankans in the current series, but an even more fearful mauling is in prospect in the upcoming series against Australia.Ganguly also admitted that the while the Australians were still the best team in the world, the Indians were gradually closing in. “We have to match Australia in consistency. Australia have played good cricket over a period of time to become the number one team. We have played well and done well against them in Tests but in one-day cricket they have had the better of us. [But] doing well in the coming series will definitely close the gap.”On the issue of retaining John Wright as the coach, Ganguly said: “It depends on lot of issues. John has been a very good coach. But whether to retain him or otherwise depends on a lot of issues. He also has to decide. He has a family and he has been travelling widely for the last few years.”

Zimbabwe have announced a 14-man squad for the three one-day internationals against Australia, at Harare on May 25, 27 and 29. The ODIs were brought forward after the cancellation of the two scheduled Test matches.Tatenda Taibu continues to lead a weakened team in the absence of the so-called rebel players, who originally made themselves available for selection for the one-day games, but were today sacked – again – by the Zimbabwe Cricket Union.The ZCU press release announcing the side stated: “The squad does not include the contracted players who have been refusing to play and have further breached their contracts by making themselves available for selection conditionally, in breach of Paragraph 4.1.1 of their contracts, which requires them to play representative cricket for Zimbabwe in any match for which any of them are selected. The players have also contravened Paragraph 4.1.13 of their contracts which prohibits them from making public statements without the prior consent of the Zimbabwe Cricket Union.”Zimbabwe squad
Dion Ebrahim, Stuart Matsikenyeri, Brendan Taylor, Vusumuzi Sibanda, Mark Vermeulen, Elton Chigumbura, Tatenda Taibu (capt and wk), Alester Maregwede, Tinashe Panyangara, Tawanda Mupariwa, Mluleki Nkala, Douglas Hondo, Edward Rainsford, Waddington Mwayenga.