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Scorecard and ball-by-ball commentary
How they were out – England
How they were out – South Africa

A superb, even 100 from Kevin Pietersen, his first century as England captain, provided the mainstay of England’s 316 on the second day against South Africa at The Oval. Yet with England’s brittle middle-order again struggling – Makhaya Ntini took five wickets for the first time in 17 Tests – it was left to none other than Steve Harmison and the tail to extend their lead from a thrifty fifty to a challenging 122. James Anderson then capped a solid day for England by removing Graeme Smith for a duck to put the hosts firmly on top.In helpful bowling conditions, the momentum swung wildly throughout the day. After Pietersen fell for his hundred, soon followed by Tim Ambrose and Andrew Flintoff, the onus fell on Paul Collingwood to chivvy the tailenders. But he too fell to Jacques Kallis, who bowled a nagging line all day, as England slipped to a precarious 248 for 7. A collapse was on the cards, but Harmison – clearly relishing his return – cracked his highest first-class score, falling one short of a maiden fifty, to lift England’s lead and alter the whole feeling of the day.An enigma with the ball during his career, Harmison is pleasingly uncomplicated with the bat. He stood tall to Ntini, punching him elegantly off the back foot before smudging another four over midwicket. A couple of fortunate swipes off the struggling Morne Morkel further deflated South Africa before he unleashed an exquisite cut to beat his previous best of 42. At the other end, Anderson was his muted partner but blocked and nurdled his way to a 34-ball 13 in the pair’s crowd-lifting ninth-wicket stand of 53. A fifty for Harmison on his comeback to the England side, perhaps? Sadly not, as Monty Panesar was ball-watching for what was a tight single, but Harmison had already done the damage.And Anderson made good England’s tail-wagging with a brilliant set-up to dismiss Smith. Much as he did to Kallis in the first innings, two outswingers gave the batsman a sighter before he bent back a killer inswinger, trapping Smith bang in front. Anderson and Harmison couldn’t break Hashim Amla, however, who looked in fine touch with five crisp late-evening fours.If it was a day for the bowlers, then more power to Pietersen’s elbow for his hundred. Ian Bell, promoted to the No.3 position which he yearns to cement, fell to the fourth ball of the day, and although Alastair Cook hung around for 102 balls, his 39 lacked fluency and confidence. Rather inevitably, he fell to a loose slap outside off. Yet the predicament England found themselves in didn’t affect Pietersen. Rather, it – and the added responsibility of the captaincy – seemed to spur him on. There was no discernible difference in his extravagant method at the crease, picking Ntini over midwicket with one-legged flair of Desmond Haynes and taking advantage of Smith’s heavy off-side field – an odd oversight to a player so strong on the leg-side, from a captain usually so aware of players strengths. Pietersen’s driving off Kallis – indeed all the seamers – down the ground was at its imperious best.Nevertheless, he wasn’t faultless and offered a chance on 52 when he top-edged Morkel into the deep, where Paul Harris was dozing. Ntini made a good effort to snaffle it, as he did again when Pietersen mis-hooked Andre Nel from around the wicket, but all the luck was falling England’s way. Collingwood, meanwhile, was fed with leg-side gifts aplenty, working and nudging through midwicket with ease, but he was no less strong through the covers when given the chance. A fierce cut scorched through extra cover as England took the lead and South Africa struggled to maintain the run-rate.Pietersen’s 15th four was flicked from outside the off stump through midwicket to bring up his hundred – a trademark stroke from a man writing his own script – as the crowd honoured him with a long standing ovation. But two balls later, he nudged a wide teaser from Ntini straight to Kallis at third slip; captain or not, it seems unlikely he will ever change his batting style. Nor should he.Collingwood forced his way to another fifty, on the back of his magnificent hundred at Edgbaston, and though England suffered a middle-order collapse of 5 for 44, South Africa’s slight complacency allowed Harmison off the hook during his trailblazing hour of fun. The momentum slipped away from South Africa with each four, and though Amla played with pleasing freedom in an extended final session, England remained in control in Pietersen’s first Test of his tenure.

KARACHI, Aug 17: Temperamental and controversial fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar was named Saturday in Pakistan squads for the Kenyan three-nation and ICC Champions Trophy tournaments.Off-spinner Saqlain Mushtaq, however, was not considered for the events in Nairobi and Colombo at his own request for family reasons.Shoaib, who was instrumental in Pakistan’s stunning 2-1 win over world champions Australia in June, chose to skip the ongoing Morocco Cup and instead committed himself to club cricket in England. However, given his unpredictable mannerism and the fact that he is the favourite player of Pakistan Cricket Board, it is hardly a surprise to find Shoaib Akhtar back in the side.Shoaib, ironically, replaces Saqlain in the only change to the squad now playing in Tangiers. But batsman Misbah-ul-Haq has been omitted for the Champions Trophy in Colombo because the tournament rules require teams to have squads of 14 players each.The Pakistan team flies straight from Tangiers to Nairobi where the tournament starts Aug 29 with Waqar Younis’ men taking on Kenya. All matches in the double league tournament will be played at Gymkhana Club Ground.Kenya not only stepped in to host the tournament on behalf of the PCB after Australia opted against playing in Pakistan for security reasons but also accepted the invitation after New Zealand pulled out of the event.After the final on Sept 7, all three participating teams depart for Colombo for the Champions Trophy.The 12-nation championship opens with Pakistan playing hosts Sri Lanka at the Premadasa Stadium on Sept 12.Pakistan then play Holland in their final Pool One tie at the SSC Ground nine days later (Sept 21).Only the four pool winners qualify for the semifinals on Sept 25 and 27 respectively. The final is slated for Sept 29.Squad for Nairobi: Waqar Younis (captain), Inzamam-ul-Haq (vice-captain), Saeed Anwar, Imran Nazir, Yousuf Youhana, Younis Khan, Abdul Razzaq, Shahid Afridi, Rashid Latif, Wasim Akram, Azhar Mahmood, Shoaib Akhtar, Shoaib Malik, Mohammad Sami, Misbah-ul-Haq.Squad for Champions Trophy: Waqar Younis (captain), Inzamam-ul-Haq (vice-captain), Saeed Anwar, Imran Nazir, Yousuf Youhana, Younis Khan, Abdul Razzaq, Shahid Afridi, Rashid Latif, Wasim Akram, Azhar Mahmood, Shoaib Akhtar, Shoaib Malik, Mohammad Sami.Tri-Nation schedule:Aug 29: Pakistan v Kenya.Aug 30: Pakistan v Australia.Sept 1: Pakistan v Kenya.Sept 2: Australia v Kenya.Sept 4: Pakistan v Australia.Sept 5: Australia v Kenya.Sept 7: Final.

Somerset all rounder Ian Blackwell who made such an impact against India in the ICC Trophy at the end of September is currently out in Australia where he is spending time with the England Academy in Adelaide, before joining the full international squad for the triangular series later in the year.Now into his second full week with the Academy he told me earlier today: "Things have really started well, and the weather has been perfect, up until the last few days, with the temperature in the mid twentiesjust perfect weather for golf which we played on Sunday afternoon just as light relief !"He continued: "The training is quite tiring and the days are long, with everyday starting at 6.30am with either a beach run or a swim. The days are pretty full with a variety of fitness training activities including sessions with `Crouchy’ who is a retired boxer who takes us for hard gym sessions and tough boxing drills that certainly get the blood going!"`Blackie’ is also devoting time to basic drills in batting and bowling which are videoed and analysed, weight lifting, speed training , yoga, relaxing and stretching sessions, Pilates, Swiss ball and Core stability work and of course net practice.”He concluded: "Our programme out here is pretty varied from the really strenuous to light relaxation sessions. All in all the programme is a good and balanced one which so far has been hard work but really enjoyable."One thing that ‘Blackie’ was keen to know was when he would be playing against his former county Derbyshire.He won’t have very long to wait because the Cidermen travel to Derby for a four day game on April 30th, but before then all of his supporters back at home will be hoping that ‘Blackie’ can establish himself as a regular member of the England side.

Hampshire have left many options open for their Cheltenham & Gloucester match v Somerset at Taunton on Wednesday, taking a squad of 14 to the West country.The main problem for Hampshire is Robin Smith’s back injury, and he will face a late fitness test before deciding whether to lead Hampshire out. Will Kendall would captain the side.Lawrence Prittipaul and Jason Laney will be vying for the vacant spot should the captain be unable to play.Hampshire from: Derek Kenway, Will Kendall, John Crawley, Robin Smith (Captain), Neil Johnson, Giles White, Nic Pothas (wicket-keeper), Shaun Udal, Dimitri Mascarenhas, Chris Tremlett, Alan Mullally, Jason Laney, Lawrence Prittipaul, James Hamblin.

Whilst the Somerset batsmen were out in the middle securing a draw from their match against Surrey Peter Anderson looked ahead to the vital games that his side are facing in the next few days.He told me: "Clearly a priority is to bolster our position in Division One of both the County Championship and the NUL National League, which has not been helped by the number of bowling injuries that we have attracted over the last few weeks."He continued: "We hope to have Andrew Caddick available for the Cheltenham and Gloucester Trophy match against Worcester on July 17th, and after Duncan Fletcher has told him that he needs to get a Somerset game under his belt there is also a chance that he might be available for the championship match against Sussex starting on July 19th, but how fit he will be we just don’t know."The chief continued: "We also hope to have Johnson back for the C and G game, but once again how fit he will be we don’t’ know. With Simon Francis breaking his finger and being out for a month, and Tucker and Trego both injured, once again we will be relying upon the old trooper Graham Rose."

The last thing beleaguered Zimbabweans are wanting in these turbulent times is to be stabbed in the back by those who claim to be on our side. Yet many are thinking that is exactly what the Australian government and their cricket Board of Control have done by cancelling the tour.It is impossible to guarantee total security for any team on any tour, but all we can honestly say in Zimbabwe is that conditions for the visiting Australians are scarcely more dangerous than they have ever been for any tourists. They would never have gone near any of the problem areas in the country, and the chances of any danger to any of them were absolutely minimal.This is scarcely the place to talk politics, but I am willing to give my personal views of the situation to readers outside the country, should they wish to contact me personally.On the other hand, the effects of the cancellation can only be to the detriment of Zimbabwe cricket. In this current difficult situation, people need something to distract their attention, to provide another side of life, and what better than following a tour by the best team in the world? Now this is denied them.A number of players are probably considering emigration. Apart from the local situation, they could make more money playing elsewhere, as Murray Goodwin and Neil Johnson have done. Now their chances of representing their country have been brutally reduced, especially at home, the temptation will be greater. We noted not so long ago a number of good players just outside the Test team who have already done that.Financially the loss is very serious. We rely more than any other country on television revenue, and this season we have only had short tours by South Africa and England. How can cricket in this country develop without money? The Australians were a major attraction, and whatever the results their tour would have been a massive financial success for Zimbabwe.The reaction of the ICC is deeply disappointing. It appears they have not even troubled to investigate the situation, but merely accepted the Australian refusal that throws their five-year plan into further disarray.It is difficult enough in normal circumstances to build a team from this small country. When the present troubles are over, will Zimbabwe still have the resources to compete at international level at all? If Australia and the ICC are content to have this tour cancelled – and their lead may well be followed by others – are they content to see cricket in Zimbabwe wither as a consequence?**********In this issue we have, unexpectedly, two interviews with Stuart Carlisle, one by Trishna Bose conducted while he was in India, and one by Larry Moyo who contacted him on his return for his views on that tour.We also continue with biographies of the Academy players, this week’s being opening batsman and leg-spinner Neeten Chouhan, and we update the biography of former Academy and current Matabeleland all-rounder Mathew Townshend. More players were interviewed, but our busy schedule during the last week means they well have to be held over for the present. At least the postponement of the two Harare Logan Cup matches scheduled for this weekend (until 19 April) will give us a chance to catch up on the backlog.

The sons of both Bradmans – white and black – decided against playing cricket for a career. But while Sir Don’s son even changed his surname to eliminate any public scrutiny, Linsworth Headley, George Headley’s eldest son, kept his, even as he excelled in a different field. Linsworth Headley finished sixth in the 1964 Tokyo Olympic Games in the 100m and fourth in the 4x100m relay.His father accumulated 2190 runs in 22 Tests at an average of 60.83, notching up a startling 10 hundreds in those matches. George Headley played for the West Indies between 1921 and 1948 with a consistency comparable only to Bradman’s, but, even though arguably the Caribbean’s greatest ever batsman, he was not honoured with a knighthood.”Had he gotten it, he would have been happier,” says Linsworth Headley. “You see, he got nothing while he was alive. We now have his statue at Sabina Park, a road here is named after him – but he could not see these things. He didn’t know how to drive, and he had no car. But whenever he was out of the house, within five minutes he was picked up by a car. He was known as the People’s Champion.”The West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) seems to have been lax in preserving Headley’s heritage. His house was destroyed completely in a flood, along with any memorabilia it may have contained.His son now stays at one of the posher areas of Bridgetown, Barbados. Sabina Park may have honoured his father with a statue, but Linsworth is not sent any complimentary tickets by the Bridgetown Board for Test matches at the Kensington Oval.”I have to buy tickets to see the match. But entering the ground gives me a pleasure that cannot be compared to any other, since I watch the matches in my father’s stand and feel really proud of him,” says Linsworth.That the media dubbed his father the Black Bradman hardly gets under his skin. “I have heard that another section of the media named Sir Don as the White Headley,” he says. “I am not a great follower of cricket, but I heard that Sir Don had problems when he played on wet wickets, and my dad had no such problems.””My dad was never after material gain,” he continues. “That is why we couldn’t even find his bat, pads or gloves in our house. But the respect he receives even now is a real honour for a sportsman who gave everything for the betterment of his country’s cricket.”George Headley married twice, with Linsworth being the son from his first wife, Reena. Reena is now 87 and stays at an old-age home in Bridgetown, her memory almost gone.”Dad sent me to university,” says Linsworth. “I got a degree in business administration. Following my success in the Olympics and studies at university, Dad was happy that his son had done something. And I’m honoured to be his son too.”

The interim report of the International Cricket Council’s Anti-Corruption Unit has said only India made whole-hearted effortsto curb match-fixing while all other cricket-playing countriesdragged their feet despite evidence about the involvement of theirplayers, a Pakistani newspaper has reported.The interim report of the ACU, headed Paul Condon, which was handedover to Lord Griffiths, Chairman of ICC’s Code of Conduct Commissiontwo days ago, said only India has been seen making wholeheartedefforts to curb match-fixing, the ‘Dawn’ newspaper said.A number of countries including South Africa, Sri Lanka, New Zealandand the West Indies have been dragging their feet despite increasingevidence that some of their leading players were involved inmisconduct, it said.The ‘Dawn’ however, did not disclose how it got the report nor didit attribute the report to any source. The ACU report would be madepublic on May 23, to make ICC members to pay more attention (to theproblem), it said.The report is said to have revealed that match-fixing is still rifein international cricket despite a year of allegations, admissions,inquiries and punishments. It is being whispered that the Condon panelhas found that match-fixing occurred as recently as in the one-dayseries featuring Pakistan in New Zealand in March and April, it said.Sacked coach Javed Miandad had also alleged match-fixing in the serieswhich he later denied.Condon and his team of former police officers are said to haveconcluded that some players, umpires and officials are so deeplyinvolved with the criminal element they cannot stop co-operating forfear of their lives and property, the newspaper report said.The ACU has reportedly not mentioned any player by name although ituncovered a great deal of evidence, particularly concerning SouthAfrica and Pakistan, it said. Sir Paul may also ask for wider powersof investigation when the ICC Executive Board meets in London in Juneso that the ACU can take action against individual players, it said.

In harmony with the look of a construction site that the Bellerive Oval has adopted of late, there has been the sense that something has been building all summer in Tasmanian cricket. It peaked at a crescendo today as the Tigers used irresistible confidence, a Shane Jurgensen hat-trick, and a near-record catching exhibition by Daniel Marsh in the slips, to crush New South Wales by ten wickets in their Pura Cup match here in Hobart.Jurgensen’s moment of glory came in mid-afternoon, affirming New South Wales’ slide toward a second innings total of 238 after it had trailed by only one run less than that mark on the first. Michael Clarke (20) was trapped in front of his stumps by an off cutter; debutant Vaughan Williams (0) suffered exactly the same fate; and Brad Haddin (0) then edged a late-tailing outswinger to first slip.It was only the second hat-trick in Tasmanian first-class history; it was the first of its type at Bellerive; and it culminated in the sight of the remainder of the Tigers’ players leaping, cavorting and wrapping themselves around their paceman as if they were trying to bust a dam wall.Even twelfth man Shannon Tubb, bearing drinks for his teammates, sprinted on to the field at pace that might have shaded Carl Lewis in his heyday.”I was in a daze,” said Jurgensen of his reaction to the achievement.”It was just amazing; there were blokes everywhere just jumping. I thought, for sure, that I’d get a spike in the foot or something.”In the process of his destruction, Jurgensen (6/65) – the journeyman who was crisscrossed from Queensland to Western Australia and now Tasmania in the search for a regular first-class position – had also all but ensured that his new team will play his native state in the 2001-02 Pura Cup Final.”I just can’t believe it, really. It’s been an amazing turnaround for us since Christmas. We’ve done extremely well and we’ve just got one week to go now.”The next week’s more important than anything. It’s an excellent, really exciting time for everyone involved in Tasmanian cricket.”The Tigers were made to wait for 90 minutes to resume their charge toward just the third finals match in the state’s first-class history as light drizzle delayed the day’s start. When they returned to the middle, they wasted little time in securing their passage into the decider.Veteran paceman David Saker (1/71) made the crucial opening breakthrough when he found an edge from the bat of Matthew Phelps (41) after only ten minutes. Diving hard to his right at slip, Marsh took an outstanding catch that became the first of four for the innings. He finished with six for the match – a mark bettered only once by a non-wicketkeeper in the entirety of his state’s first-class experience.When New South Wales captain Michael Slater (7) edged a Jurgensen ball of impeccable length to Marsh only two minutes before the scheduled lunch break, the Tigers’ joy reached a new zenith.All-rounder Grant Lambert (45*) completed a determined match when he produced a plucky innings during the game’s dying hours. Resistance in the face of the near-inevitable was also offered by Phil Jaques (23), Nathan Bracken (22) and Stuart Clark (18) for a Blues team that fought hard in spite of the fact that it had little for which to play.But the momentum was overwhelmingly with Tasmania – as it concluded a remarkable post-Christmas revival that has yielded four resounding wins in the space of five appearances. The fifth was denied by bucketing rain in Melbourne.Jurgensen ultimately re-arranged his career-best figures for the second time in the match, pairing a haul of six wickets with his five from the first innings. It was an effort made all the more meritorious in that his team had lost fellow fast bowler Damien Wright to injury and that he was forced to work into a headwind for all of the 16 overs that he bowled in an outstanding sustained spell.Not even a last-wicket stand of 43 runs between Lambert and Clark could head off Tasmania’s victory march for long. Nor rearrange its quotient sufficiently to give third-placed Western Australia any hope of knocking the island staters out of their appointment with Queensland in Brisbane next Friday.The Tigers ultimately required only one second innings delivery to complete their victory, sealing their place in the Final when captain Jamie Cox symbolically thrashed an outswinger from Clark through the covers.It’s doubtful that their rallying call – an anthemic adaptation of the Richmond Football Club’s official song – has ever been performed with more gusto in the Tasmanian dressing room.

DLF Ltd, India’s largest real estate firm, has decided not to renew its title sponsorship of the IPL, ending its five-year association with the tournament. The company had the first right of refusal on a new contract, but was considered unlikely to sign up a second time given the slump in the real estate market and the decline in the IPL’s television ratings over the last two years.”Sponsoring IPL over the last five years was a strategic decision wherein we wanted to establish our brand presence across India as the leading real estate player,” Rajeev Talwar, DLF Group Executive Director told . “Our IPO came in 2007, a year before the IPL started. We were very aggressive pan-India then. We had good presence in all big cities.” The company is now concentrating on those cities where its core strengths lie.According to Talwar, DLF spent Rs 250 crore (US$ 44.96 million) on the IPL over the five years of its contract. While it has pulled out of the Twenty20 league, it still has plans to promote other sports, though Talwar ruled out owning a franchise or a team. He also said the amount of money the company would spend “will be less than Rs 50 crore ($9 million) a year that we spent in IPL.”The company’s decision not to renew their deal with the BCCI is also another indication of the value of the IPL taking a hit over the last couple of years as TV ratings have flattened. Ratings for IPL 5 were just about in line with 2011. The overall tournament rating was 3.45, compared to 3.51 a year ago, according to Tam Sports, a division of TAM Research, the leading television ratings agency in India. In contrast, the 2010 tournament had an average TVR of 5.51.In April, Talwar told the that renewing the contract “depends on how do they [the BCCI] perceive the value.” The BCCI had indicated any new sponsorship agreement would be for a higher value than the original agreement. DLF was obviously not willing to meet the board’s asking price. In a climate where the general economic situation is worsening – revenues for Multi-Screen Media, the tournament’s broadcaster, dropped this year as companies cut back on advertising – means the board could have a tough time finding a replacement sponsor at the price that they desire.DLF is the third title sponsor to pull out of a BCCI backed tournament in the last two years. Airtel pulled out as title sponsors of the Champions League T20 in 2011 while their replacement, Nokia, pulled out earlier this year. DLF is already involved in golf and tennis. It provides prize money of about Rs 1 crore ($179,000) to the winner of the annual DLF Masters and is one of the sponsors of this year’s Davis Cup, on which they will be spending Rs 2 crore, according to Talwar.