Railways, who resumed on their overnight score of 381 for four againstMadhya Pradesh on day two, lost their last six wickets for theaddition of just 115 runs.Right-arm medium-pacer Sanjay Pandey, was the wrecker-in-chief,returning career-best figures of 8-132. Tejinder Pal Singh, theRailways top-scorer with a career-best 186, was his first scalp on aday that saw Pandey claim five wickets.Openers Devendrasingh Bundela and Chandra Prakash Sahu, by putting on90, ensured that Madhya Pradesh made a sound start but three quickwickets including the all-important one of Amay Khurasiya meant thatRailways were well on their way towards securing a healthy firstinnings lead.

New Zealand’s women won the first game of their abbreviated tour of Australia when beating Queensland women by 76 runs at Allan Border Field yesterday.New Zealand batted first and scored 198/9 in their 50 overs. Anna O’Leary scored 51 off 95 balls and featured in a 43-run partnership with Rebecca Rolls at the top of the order. Rolls scored 18 while skipper Emily Drumm scored 28 off 38 balls.Haidee Tiffen scored 20 and Paula Flannery 19 in the middle order while at the bottom of the order Rachel Pullar scored 14.Queensland scoring details were not available but they were dismissed for 122 to give New Zealand the victory. Their next game is tomorrow at the Gabba.

Tinu Yohannan is the complete athlete; faster, higher and stronger allput together. He is also the first player from the state of Kerala to beincluded in the Indian cricket squad. The 22-year-old tall fast bowlermight very well play his first Test on Monday at Mohali against England.Yohannan had earlier impressed the selectors with his bowling in theIrani Trophy match against Baroda, where he charged in and bowled atgood pace even at the fag end of the day, prompting one of the selectorsto say that India needs players with such commitment.Yohannan took to high-jump as a young boy and won gold at the stateschool level and also silver at the junior state level. The genes havebeen passed from his father TC Yohannan, gold-medal winner in long jumpin the 1974 Asian Games and the first Asian to cross the eight-metremark.Yohannan is from the small hamlet of Edapally near Kochi, the queen ofArabian Sea, in Kerala. He represented his school – Bhavan’s VidyaMandir Elamakkara – in the state CBSE championships and won gold in highjump. It was during the summer vacation after his tenth-gradeexaminations that Yohannan went over to the MRF Pace Academy to learnfast bowling. Yohannan had earlier talked to the head coach at MRF, TASekhar, over the phone. The selection trials were all over and yetSekhar called him in to the nets to have a bowl along with othertrainees, a decision that makes Sekhar that much more proud today.Talking over the phone with CricInfo, the usually shy lad couldn’t hidehis happiness. “I am really happy to be selected for the Indian team. Iam really thankful to the Kerala Cricket Association and the MRF PaceAcademy for helping me through to make it thus far. I will always beindebted to Dennis Lillee and TA Sekhar for their guidance and support.I am proud to be an Indian and I will give more than my best for theteam.”In his eight Ranji Trophy appearances for Kerala, Yohannan has pickedonly 24 first-class wickets. Clearly, the selectors have gone in fortalent and work ethic than the number of wickets. Yohannan played forthe Board President’s XI against England in Hyderabad and, soon afterthe match, he spoke about his career and ambitions in an exclusiveinterview to CricInfo. “If I know anything about fast bowling, it is allbecause of my guru Dennis Lillee. The four years that I spent withSekhar at the MRF academy have taught me a lot about fast bowling.”Here is a player who believes in plain hard work. He has two five-wickethauls in the Ranji Trophy so far and reckons that being selected for theIrani Trophy was a pivotal moment in his career. “I just wanted to give100 percent and wait for the results,” says Yohannan about his approachto the Irani Trophy match. When asked about his playing against aninternational side for the first time, which was incidentally againstEngland at Hyderabad last week, Yohannan said, “I was very happy to hearabout the selection, which I came to know about through the morningnewspaper. I was nursing some hope of making it into the team.”Yohannan bowled 11 overs in four different spells in the first inningsand struggled to find his rhythm. But the young man took it as anopportunity and a learning experience to be bowling at the foreignplayers. It was a determined Yohannan who charged in to bowl at theEnglish batsmen in their second essay. Madan Lal, who was the teammanager, had advised him to bowl stump-to-stump on a docile track. Theadvice from the former Indian opening bowler and the current nationalselector did the trick; Yohannan bowled with a lot of fire to surprise afew Englishmen.The young fast bowler was very much impressed by Nasser Hussain’sdriving on the rise and the back-foot play of Michael Vaughan. Thechampagne moment of the three-day match was when Yohannan shattered thestumps of Vaughan, who was shaping to play at a really quick deliverythat cut back in a shade. The off and middle stumps went flying in aspectacular manner. Perhaps that was the one ball that changed the lifeof this soft-spoken youngster.Yohannan was looking forward to playing in the four Ranji Trophy matchesfor Kerala. Talking about the goals that he has set for the season,Yohannan said, “I want Kerala to qualify for the knock-out stage. I haveto give my best, bowl aggressively and retain my fitness to achievethat.” His mates would not mind missing him from the Ranji team; it isindeed an honour for the small state of Kerala that one of their boyscould well be playing in a Test match on Monday.

Nothing is like it should be at the Sydney Cricket Ground.On another baking Sydney day ahead of the third Test between Australia and South Africa, the ground was swathed in smoke from the NSW bush fires, the pitchwas uncharacteristically green and a player who could have “come from another planet” was set to celebrate the 10th anniversary of an inauspicious debut here.Australian captain Steve Waugh said the smoke today reminded him of being on the Indian subcontinent.”Coming out to practice this morning it was like we were playing at New Delhi with the haze over the ground,” Waugh said.”It wasn’t as bad as it was two days ago when it was pretty choking but the bush fires are forecast to get worse.”Waugh said his team felt an obligation to play entertaining and winning cricket to provide some distraction for those who have suffered from the fury of the fires.Part of that entertainment package could be the use of two leg spinners – Shane Warne and Stuart MacGill – against a South African side seemingly mesmerised byspin bowling. Whether MacGill plays or not depends on the pitch, which Waugh said was not a traditional Sydney strip of dirt.”The pitch is certainly not the same as you come to expect from the SCG – it’s got a lot of grass and it’s pretty hard,” Waugh said.”But there’s a good chance Stuart MacGill will play. It’s 50-50 at the moment depending on how the wicket comes up tomorrow.”Stuart deserves a chance. He’s a proven performer at this level – he’s a big match performer and I know he won’t let us down. I know he’ll take wickets if he plays – it’s just a matter of getting the balance right and whether the conditions will suit him more than a quick bowler.”With Australia having wrapped up the series 2-0 with two crushing wins in Adelaide and Melbourne, Waugh said it was the best opportunity to experiment with two leg spinners at their peak.For Warne, tomorrow’s Test marks the 10th anniversary of his debut here against India, when he gave no indication of what was in store over the subsequentdecade.Waugh today recalled the first time he saw, or rather heard, Warne bowl on a development tour of Zimbabwe.”I just remember hearing the ball actually coming out of his fingers.”It was like he’d come from another planet almost, the way the ball was coming out so well and turning so far – I couldn’t believe he wasn’t already playing first-class cricket.”He was always going to be special.”Australia’s dominance in the series has taken a huge toll on South Africa, with Proteas allrounder Lance Klusener quitting the tour and the tourists contemplating rushing in left arm spinner Nicky Boje.Klusener went home to Durban to have some time with his wife after his confidence was wrecked by a horror tour, which included a first-ball duck in Melbourne.Waugh, while feeling for Klusener, said it was a sign Australia had flattened the Proteas.”He’s one of their impact players and in the past he’s one of the guys who has said a lot on the field.”For him to say he’s not playing well enough and feels intimidated and didn’t know where he was scoring the next run from – that shows we’re doing something right.”South African captain Shaun Pollock, admitting his team had been too uptight earlier in the tour, said the Proteas would perform better now the series was lost.”The pressure is obviously off, we’ve lost the Test series and .. from that perspective the series is over.”Maybe the guys have been a bit uptight and this is the ideal opportunity to play with a bit more freedom.”Pollock said 20-year-old Jacques Rudolph was expected to take Klusener’s place.Boje was originally supposed to be on this tour but was forced out with a knee strain just a week before the team departed.He is South Africa’s best spin bowler but has played only two Tests since April after undergoing knee and shoulder surgery. Pollock was uncertain whether Bojeshould be rushed in.Teams:Australia (two to be omitted): Steve Waugh (capt), Matthew Hayden, Justin Langer, Ricky Ponting, Mark Waugh, Damien Martyn, Adam Gilchrist, Shane Warne,Brett Lee, Andy Bichel, Glenn McGrath, Brad Williams, Stuart MacGill.South Africa (two to be omitted): Shaun Pollock (capt), Gary Kirsten, Herschelle Gibbs, Boeta Dippenaar, Jacques Kallis, Jacques Rudolph, Neil McKenzie, MarkBoucher, Nicky Boje, Claude Henderson, Allan Donald, Nantie Hayward, Justin Ontong.

Despite a defiant knock of 120 by wicket-keeper Kamran Akmal, Lahore Whites were unable to prevent Peshawar scoring a five-wicket victory in the Quaid Trophy Grade-I match at LCCA Ground Wednesday.Set to score 97 in 15 mandatory overs, Peshawar reached their target with one over to spare and thereby gained maximum 12 points in a match that only started on day two after the furore over the pitch.Earlier, Lahore Whites resumed their second innings at 44 for one and were bowled out for 265 in 75.5 overs. The overnight pair of Kamran Akmal and Adnan Usman extended their second wicket stand to 87. After Adnan’s departure Rao Usman (54) joined hands with Kamran in a third wicket partnership that produced 106 runs in 119 minutes. But with the departure of Rao Usman, the middle-order caved in without a fight as the last five wickets fell for the addition of 39 runs.However, Kamran played outstandingly to slam 22 fours during his 137-ball innings in 220 minutes.For Peshawar, Test discards Fazle Akbar and Arshad Khan claimed three wickets each for 74 and 70 runs, respectively.

New Zealand could take part in a tri-series with Pakistan and Australia in Pakistan in August this year.New Zealand are already touring Pakistan for a Test and one-day series tour in April-May but NZC chief executive Martin Snedden has offered New Zealand to Pakistan for a pre-ICC Knockout tournament.Pakistan are considering New Zealand’s offer at the moment.In return, New Zealand’s tour in April-May may be reduced by one Test match with Snedden offering to catch-up the days missed with the one-day series in August-September, or before their scheduled tour of Sri Lanka in 2003.The ICC Knockout has not been confirmed for Sri Lanka yet but it is anticipated the tournament will be played between September 13-30 this year.”We would be going in cold to that tournament and we need some time somewhere in Asia,” Snedden said.The idea of a three-way tournament with Australia was possible because Australia are to tour Pakistan around that time.No formal invitation to a tri-series has been sent to Australia yet and Pakistan Cricket Board officials are understood to be checking weather patterns in the region for August to see where such a tournament could be played.Pakistan are to celebrate their Test cricket Golden Jubilee next summer and the tri-series is seen as a potentially key part of the celebrations.

Jimmy Maher has laid his name before Australia’s selectors again and hit Queensland closer to another first-class final to boot with a dominant display of batting on the opening day of the Pura Cup match against New South Wales here in Sydney today. The prolific left handed opener led a run-feast, piloting the Bulls to the imposing scoreline of 1/325 by stumps.In combining brilliantly with fellow upper order players Martin Love (101*) and Brendan Nash (60), Maher (151*) made it a horror day for the home team, which requires points from each of its last two matches to retain any hope of making the competition final.And his 17th first-class century also couldn’t have harmed his chances of being elevated into the Australian one-day squad – expected to be named on Sunday – which will shortly tour South Africa.”I’d love to play for Australia; that’s what we all play for and I know that I am batting very well at the moment,” said the 28-year-old after play.”I feel good about the way I’m playing (and) the way I’m hitting the ball.”When Queensland captain Stuart Law won the toss at the start of the day and decided that his side would bat first on a benign pitch, it gave Maher the perfect opportunity to demonstrate his talents. Albeit that he survived at least three anxious moments, and never really felt for his own part that he was completely settled at the crease.”It was hard work, it was a real battle today (and) I never felt 100% in at any stage,” said Maher.Maher’s resilience, over 283 deliveries and 348 minutes, brought him the milestone of 1000 first-class runs for the season and assisted him in surpassing his previous highest score (of 44) at the Sydney Cricket Ground. And, more importantly for the Bulls, it also helped produce partnerships of 134 runs for the first wicket with Nash and an unbroken 191 for the second with Love.The latter stand was Queensland’s all-time best for the second wicket at the SCG.With Nash, the left handed Maher started the innings relatively slowly against accurate bowling from Nathan Bracken (0/51) and the luckless Stuart Clark (0/70).Maher even survived a huge caught behind appeal on 1 and was then dropped at both 7 and 29 when tough chances in the slips were spilt by Corey Richards and Michael Clarke respectively.But it wasn’t too long before a change came over the game, with both batsmen growing in confidence as soon as they started to score their first boundaries of the day.A lapse in concentration ultimately accounted for Nash in the middle session – as he spooned a drive to Shane Lee at mid on from the bowling of namesake Don Nash (1/45).But Maher continued to play impeccably even after that setback. The ever-elegant Love helped him compound the punishment for the New South Wales bowlers and fielders with some outstanding strokeplay of his own.Maher struck a nervous patch in the nineties, remaining marooned on the mark of 97 for as many as 16 deliveries at one point before scampering through for an expertly judged single. He also hovered on 99 for a time in the lead-up to a misfield by Nash at mid on that permitted another single in the last over before tea.But he found little else acting to slow his progress, and a near-perfect day for the Bulls – only an outright victory away from guaranteeing themselves a home final in three weeks’ time – was then sealed when Maher registered his 150 and Love his century in the closing minutes.

A fine display of South African pace bowling has all but won the first Castle Lager/MTN Test at Kingsmead with Pakistan leading by 11 runs with two wickets in hand.With the new ball due at the start of play on day four South Africa will not be put under too much pressure to take a 1-0 lead in the two match series, and take a step closer in heading the ICC Test Championship table.Asked to follow on after being bowled out for 161, still 207 runs behind, Pakistan once again made a solid start with a patient but much-needed 50-run opening partnership in 28 overs between Taufeeq Umar and Saleem Elahi. They protected the remaining batsmen from the new ball, but once set should have gone on to bigger things.With the departure of Elahi on 18, edging Makhaya Ntini to third slip, wickets fell regularly with no one able to build on a good start.Umar on reaching 39, the same score he made in the first innings, might count himself unlucky to be given out leg before to Nicky Boje, but he was partly to blame having gone back to a ball that he should have been well forward to.Younis Khan batted with some purpose to score 30, but with his team in trouble he should never have been chasing a Jacques Kallis bouncer well above his head.Inzamam-ul-Haq was just starting to free his arms when he scooped Boje into the covers.Yousuf Youhana showed glimpses of the form he displayed in Zimbabwe but could not resist the short-pitched balls. Having twice mistimed pulls into the gaps, he fell cutting a high, wide delivery down the throat of third man. Having reached 42 he should have made sure of a big score.Faisal Iqbal looked out of his depth, and it was only a matter of time before heplayed down the wrong line for Kallis to uproot his leg stump for 17.Abdur Razzaq, having gone through to 1,000 Test runs, showed signs of class but once Youhana had gone he played one aggressive shot too many, pulling at another short ball from Mornantau Hayward. He may have the fleeting satisfaction of putting Hayward over square leg for six, but he should have shown more determination in fighting his teams’ cause.Saqlain, not picked for his batting abilities, fell in failing light to Shaun Pollock leaving Kamran Akmal (21) and Waqar Younis (2) to hold out until the close.The South African bowlers once again held a good line and length. Having made quick work of bowling Pakistan out in the first innings they stuck to their task, taking ten wickets in the day’s play.Ntini was unlucky not to pick up five in the first innings, as both Akmal and Waqar were dropped off his bowling while Hayward picked up his first 5-fer in wrapping up the tail.Ntini again engineered the breakthrough that started the regular fall ofwickets in the second innings, but left the field late in the afternoon withwhat is thought to be a muscle strain.Hayward, Boje and Kallis took two wickets apiece with Kallis the most impressive of the three, taking 2-30 from 17 overs. Barring any rain South Africa should have this one in the bag.

Left-arm quick S Vishnuvardhan claimed a career-best haul of 6-55 to propel Hyderabad to a thumping nine-wicket win over Railways in an Elite Group sixth round match that ended at Secunderabad on Monday.Railways, who after being asked to follow-on, were 71/0 at the end of the second day’s play found the task of saving the match too onerous on the third.The first to go was opener Shreyas Khanolkar, who had batted magnificently on Sunday. He added just two runs to his overnight score of 51 before falling to Vishnuvardhan. Tejinder Pal Singh, who came in next, put up a brief resistance in the company of the other opener, Amit Pagnis. But once the duo were dismissed – Singh for 36 and Pagnis for 31 – the Railways innings began to crumble.Murali Kartik (64) and Harvinder Singh (52) led a late-order fightback, but even their heroics could only gain Railways, who were dismissed for 290, a 66-run overall lead.Hyderabad, needing just 67 to complete the rout, went on to achieve the target with ease; opener Daniel Manohar scoring 46 of these of just 54 balls while remaining unbeaten.In another sixth round match at the Feroz Shah Kotla, Delhi, the hosts continued their impressive fightback, setting Bengal a victory target of 339.The hosts, who resumed at 198-1, lost overnight not out batsman Gautam Gambhir for 96 in the morning. It proved an uphil struggle for the rest of the batsmen from there on. But with No 3 Varun Kumar chipping in with 34 and Sarandeep Singh making 33, Delhi were able to declare their second innings at 343/7.For Bengal, R Basu and Utpal Chatterjee claimed three wickets each.Needing 339 to win, Bengal were 2/0 when stumps were drawn on the penultimate day.At the Nehru Stadium, Guwahati, Assam, who resumed on 77/1, reached 304/5 at the end of the third day of their match against Tamil Nadu. Kiran Powar, who made 96, SB Saikia, who made 63, and NH Bordoloi, who made 53, were the batting stars for Assam on the day. All is then set for an intriguing final day with Assam needing 205 runs with five wickets in hand to gain the first-inninings lead.

The International Cricket Council has ruled against switching England’s World Cup match against Zimbabwe away from Harare.The World Cup technical committee has awarded four points to Zimbabwe, deeming that effectively England have lost the game. The England and Wales Cricket Board must decide this morning whether to appeal against the decision.The committee ruled that the venue was safe despite the team’s security concerns.”It’s a decision that gives the committee no pleasure,” said the ICC chief executive Malcolm Speed.”I don’t expect a quick resolution, not before May or June and certainly not before the end of the World Cup.”An appeal would be the end of the process. If they (the ECB) wanted to bring it to a civil court they could do but that it is not something that concerns us.”ECB chief executive Tim Lamb said: “No decision has yet been made as to whether to lodge an appeal. This is a very important decision for us and we need to go and discuss this matter seriously.”The committee met yesterday afternoon to discuss the controversial fixture, which was originally scheduled to take place on February 13.During a seven-hour meeting in Johannesburg, Lamb and Mark Roper-Drimie, head of legal affairs at Lord’s, submitted new information.The match was called off by the ICC following weeks of wrangling with the ECB, who wanted to move the Group A game to South Africa because of safety concerns about playing in strife-torn Zimbabwe.Today’s decision means that England face a huge task to reach the second round of the tournament, after losing points from a match they were expected to win.