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“Graft, block, scratch, poke and prod” was New Zealand batsman Mark Richardson’s summation of his batting style after a continued batting throughout his side’s innings as it struggled to get in front of India in the first National Bank Test in Wellington today.Richardson was 83 not out at stumps and easily the most compelling of the home side’s batsmen against an Indian attack which plugged away relentlessly in less than perfect conditions.India did cause a mild panic amongst the New Zealanders as three middle-order wickets fell for five runs but a Richardson partnership with Robbie Hart at least allowed the home side the chance to have another attempt to widen their lead tomorrow.It will be important because India are unlikely to fail twice in succession with the strength of their batting line-up.Strength was what Richardson offered New Zealand. He went into the Test, his 21st, with an average of 47 and it was easy to see why. He said it had been a long time since he spent a significant period of time in the middle which was when New Zealand were in the West Indies in June.That was behind his frustration after offering the solitary chance of his innings when on 63. An edge flew low to second slip where V V S Laxman failed to hold it. The next ball Richardson unleashed a superb off drive which looked as if it might pull up short of the boundary.At that point, Richardson played a shot in frustration at the bowler’s end, only to see the bat go sailing through the air.He explained: “I’d lost a little fluency and the guys had bowled pretty well and I was struggling mentally and I sort of cocked up and then hit the next ball how I wanted to hit the one I nicked. Inside I was boiling and went to flash the bat and forgot I’d been batting a while and the gloves were sweaty.”It was the best shot I played all day.”Richardson said he was impressed with the Indian bowling and enjoyed facing a quality spinner in Harbhajan Singh while the Indian medium pacers, who clearly don’t get the sort of conditions they struck in Wellington at home, stuck to their task well. They had bowled immaculate line and length.New Zealand coach Denis Aberhart said the side would have liked more runs and to have more wickets in hand at the end of the day and there was disappointment a couple of partnerships hadn’t quite kicked on.”The more runs we can get the better,” he said.The new ball would still do something on the pitch, because the old ball was still doing things just before stumps this evening.There would be a winner at the end of the match and New Zealand would be doing their best to ensure it was them.Richardson said he wouldn’t be surprised if the wicket flattened out more, although he felt New Zealand’s left-arm spinner Daniel Vettori could yet be a factor in the match.

The C&G Trophy semi-final between Yorkshire and Surrey is heading for a bowl-out. Torrential overnight rain has further saturated an already sodden Headingley, and even a 10 overs-a-side match between the two sides looks unlikely.With heavy rain sweeping the north of the country, chances of play at Headingley are diminishing. Severe flood warnings have been issued, while services from Leeds railway station were disrupted by the deluge, as a month’s worth of rain has now fallen in 12 hours in some parts of Yorkshire.Negotiations to move the game to a neutral venue are continuing. Yorkshireyesterday objected a move to Taunton, because they have to be back at Headingley on Saturday. The only viable option is a dry club ground in WestYorkshire, which will not be easy to find.Cricket’s equivalent of the penalty shoot-out follows the same principles. Five bowlers from each side bowl two deliveries at a set of stumps. If the total number of hits remains level, the bowl-out goes to sudden death.With reserve days now allocated, bowl-outs are rendered almost obsolete, even in England.Yorkshire skipper Darren Lehmann is not looking forward to the prospect. “We’d like to settle it on the field if that’s possible. You don’t want players getting hurt on the outfield or anything like that, but at the same time I’m sure both sides would prefer to play a game of cricket to having a bowl-out.”Meanwhile, Adam Hollioake and the Surrey team have been working on tactics. “None of the bowlers seem to fancy it, but the wicketkeeper and batsmen are all putting their hands up. There are tactics to this and it seems to be the short people who don’t get much bounce who are the best for it and we have plenty of short people in our team.””We’re absolutely wetting ourselves at the thought of it,” Hollioake conceded.

ADELAIDE, Oct 19 AAP – A suicide run by South Australian opener David Fitzgerald and three quick wickets to Mathew Inness sparked a stunning collapse by the Redbacks in their ING Cup match against Victoria at Adelaide Oval today.SA was dismissed for 192 in 44 overs, after looking likely to amass a huge total earlier in the innings.SA, sent in to bat, looked on track for a total near 300 when openers Fitzgerald and Greg Blewett comfortably put on a free-scoring partnership of 107 inside the first 20 overs.But the openers then strangely attempted several foolish singles and both were fortunate to survive near misses before Fitzgerald was run out for 54.That started an amazing turnaround, with SA losing 10-85 in 24 overs.Inness had Ben Johnson caught behind for 16 in his fifth over, bowled Blewett for 67 in his sixth, and had Mark Higgs caught for one in his seventh over, to take the score to 4-155 in the 31st over.Michael Miller was run out for five in the 37th over.Then Ian Hewett further compounded SA’s problems in the 38th over, his 10th, trapping Nathan Adcock and Graham Manou lbw in successive balls, both for golden ducks, to make the score 7-172.In the following over, Hewett took a miraculous low left-handed catch at point to dismiss Ryan Harris for a duck, off a slashing Harris drive from Andrew McDonald’s bowling, before Shane Harwood bowled tailenders John Davison (eight) and Paul Rofe (none) to complete the rout.

A Hall of Fame for US Junior Cricket, a project that has been on the drawing board for two years, could be ready to welcome visitors when the International Junior Tournament for Under-15 and Under-11 teams is held in the Bay Area during the Independence Day weekend in July 2008.The Hall of Fame is sponsored by the Mayor and the city council of Cupertino in Northern California, which is providing space for the exhibit. Officials from other cities in the area, such as San Jose and Foster City, have also expressed interest and promised their support.The Hall of Fame is expected to house dozens of sterling silver cups and trophies and souvenirs from Cricket Academy tournaments, as well as those earned from overseas tours. Photographs of past tournament winners, a cricket bat donated by Ricky Ponting and signed by the members of the Australian team that won the World Cup, and framed congratulatory messages from Sachin Tendulkar and other figures of distinction in world cricket, will also be displayed. Also available will be newspaper clippings from the USA and overseas, featuring the exploits of the junior squads.This is the right time for inaugurating for the Hall of Fame, according to Hemant Buch, co-founder and President of the California Cricket Academy. Junior cricketers from all over the world, as well as their siblings and parents, are expected to be at the International Junior Tournament, and opening the Hall of Fame would be a fitting inaugural event.

A lot will be expected of the Somerset batsmen when they resume their innings in the morningThe first target for the not out batsmen Mike Burns (51) and Keith Parsons (13)will be 458 to avoid the follow on, but knowing that they will be without the services of paceman Simon Francis for the Surrey second innings they will be hoping for a lot more.Early on this morning Mark Ramprakash brought up his double century, before he was out to Steffan Jones after giving an impressive demonstration of his batting talents, that had spread over four sessions of play.Ricky Clarke and Ed Giddins then took the Surrey score onto 608 for 6 until just before lunchtime, skipper Adam Hollioake called it a day to post a massive challenge to the Somerset batsmen. At the declaration Clarke had made an unbeaten 153, his maiden century in the championship.During the morning Somerset had lost the services of paceman Simon Francis, who damaged a finger fielding a shot from Ricky Clarke off his own bowling. Anx-ray of his injury has revealed that he has broken his finger and will be out for three weeks.In reply the Cidermen’s openers Piran Holloway and Matthew Wood made a superb start and put on 202 for the first wicket, with the Devon youngster scoring the second championship century of his career, before being bowled by Jimmy Ormond for 106.The opening partnership was a new Somerset record against Surrey at the County Ground beating the previous record of 184 that was set in 1925 by Jack MacBryan (109) and Tom Young (71).The diminutive Cornishman Holloway also demonstrated an array of attacking shots to announce his arrival back on the first class scene this season, before he too became another victim of Ormond’s when with the score on 271 he was caught at slip by Hollioake for 77.By the close of play the ever dependable pairing of Mike Burns and Keith Parsons had taken Somerset onto 304 for 3 wickets, but there is still a lot of hard work needed from them on Friday.After the game Kevin Shine told me: “I’m very pleased with the way that things went for us today.We made a great fightback. Going in on a good wicket chasing a big total I’ve seen it all go downhill, but we batted very professionally.”He continued: “Piran Holloway and Matthew Wood set us off really well, and Woody’s century was excellent. He seems to bat better everytime that he goes to the wicket.”Regarding Simon Francis he told me: “He is incredibly unlucky to get an injury. Even this morning he was still beating Mark Ramprakash and was showing his real potential. He is the real thing, and then this happens, we don’t need that kind of luck.”

The Stroud and Swindon Building Society West of England Premier League XI to play against Somerset CCC on Monday April 8th at the County Ground in Taunton has just been named.Captained by Ryan Jamieson of Optimists and Clifton CC, the rest of the players are, Chris Budd, Damien Forder and Neil Pritchard (all Thornbury CC), Kevin Sedgebeer (Taunton St Andrew’s) Ben Staunton and Paul Thorburn (both Bath CC), Richard Trotman, Paul Redwood and James Whitby-Coles (all Optimists and Clifton CC), and Peter Baxter (Cheltenham CC).The match on Monday will be 45 overs per side and play gets underway at 10.30 am. Entry is free and all spectators will be made very welcome. The bar in the Colin Atkinson Pavilion will be open to serve refreshments.One special spectator who is expected to be present on Monday is D.A. (David) Allen, the former England and Gloucestershire off spinner who is the President of the West of England Premier League

Winchester’s Paul Marks faces a late check on a back injury before the Hampshire Cricket Board’s 50-over warm-up match against Hampshire 2nd XI at the Rose Bowl Nursery ground on Sunday, 11am.Marks injured his back playing soccer last weekend and did not play in Sunday’s HCB indoor finals.County 2nd XI coach Tony Middleton is expected to field several of his prospective Academy XI in the match.Hampshire Board XI: Paul Gover (Havant – captain), Paul Marks, Dave Greatham (Winchester KS), Daniel Peacock (Lymington), David Banks, Damian Shirazi, Kirk Stewart (BAT Sports), Neil Randall, Chris Wright (Liphook & Ripsley), Roger Miller, Matt Hooper (Andover).

Hemang Badani scored a brilliant unbeaten 104 before his home crowd toturn possible defeat into glorious victory in the final of the HeroHonda NKP Salve Challenger Series at the floodlit MA Chidambaramstadium on Thursday.Replying to India A’s imposing total of 311 for six in 50 overs, IndiaSeniors were in a hopeless position at 96 for five in the 18th over.But then Virender Shewag joined Badani and the two changed thecomplexion of the game with some great running between wickets and alot of innovative strokeplay. They added 168 runs off 24.4 overs tohave the crowd on their feet before some fine work by RS Sodhi in thefield had Shewag just short of the crease. Shewag made 94 off 95 ballswith nine fours and two sixes.Sunil Joshi joined Badani and the two left handers hastened the pace.Badani kept his appointment with his century and he and Joshi sawIndia Seniors through to a remarkable victory with 1.5 overs to spare.Fittingly, Badani got the winning run to cap a great tournament forhim. In the two earlier games he scored 64 not out and 70. In all, the24-year-old Chennai born left hander faced only 87 balls hitting sixfours and three sixes. Joshi, for his unbeaten 22 faced only 18 ballshitting a six and a four.Earlier, Ajit Agarkar removed openers SS Das and Vikram Rathour with33 runs on the board. Skipper Sourav Ganguly scored a bright 34 off 24balls. But then in quick succession, Ganguly, VVS Laxman and YuvrajSingh left putting India Seniors in a precarious position at 96 forfive. Then came the grand recovery.Earlier, India A after a slow start, hit 153 runs in the last 20 oversto end up with a challenging score.Batting first on an extremely hot and humid afternoon, India Astruggled to score runs and after 15 overs, were 69/2. The two wicketsto fall caused some confusion and controversy, both of them caught byRathour off Srinath who bowled with a lot of fire and bounce on a deadChepauk pitch.Sriram was the first batsman to be dismissed for just four in thethird over. Sriram stood his ground as Rathour had taken the catch lowdown and close to the ground. The third umpire SC Gupta took a longlook at the TV replays before adjudging him caught behind.Ramesh played some awesome drives off Zaheer and Srinath and waslooking like getting back to his best. In the 11th over of theinnings, Srinath got one ball to move away from Ramesh and there was amuffled appeal by the bowler and close in fielders. The events thatfollowed might be crucial to Ramesh’s career.Ramesh (26 with 4 fours) was given out caught behind. A visibly upsetRamesh did himself no favour by standing his ground for a long timeand gesticulated at both the umpires that the ball had hit his pads.He kept on talking to the umpires and walked off the ground whennobody would listen to him. His miserable run with the bat continueswith the third failure of the series that could well ruin his chancesof a place in the national side. To add to his misery, all thishappened right in front of the selectors and the coach, who might notbe pleased by his indiscipline on the field.Dravid and Hrishikesh Kanitkar added 99 runs for the third wicket off18 overs to put the innings back on track. And the impetus wasmaintained with Dravid and Jacob Martin putting together 101 runs forthe fourth wicket off 15.5 overs.Dravid and Kanitkar played some sensible cricket, playing the ballinto the vacant spaces and building up the innings. Dravid who washampered by cramps moved along with the help of a runner, Sriram.Kanitkar was easily the more aggressive of the two batsmen, strikingeight boundaries in his innings. He did not hesitate in stepping outof his crease and lofting the ball on either side of the wicket,whenever the ball was given some air.Kanitkar was finally caught by Yuvraj Singh in the covers off thebowling of Shewag for 56. He faced 69 balls in his stay at the crease.Dravid who looked good for a big hundred, despite being visibly indiscomfort with cramps, was dismissed after making 88 runs off 105balls. He struck five boundaries in his stylish effort at the crease.When Javagal Srinath came in to bowl his second spell, Dravid playedone of the most stunning cover drives of the series. He stood thereand whacked it through the covers, striking it clean on the rise.Nobody moved an inch as the ball sped into the fence like a bullet.Dravid was dismissed going for the big shot, caught by Yuvraj at thesecond attempt in the 45th over off the bowling of Nehra. Jacob Martinand Dravid then came together. Martin was a revelation today, strikingthe ball as clean as a whistle to all parts of the ground. He made 61runs off 58 balls with the help of eight boundaries before being runout by a throw from SS Das to Rathour.Towards the end of the innings Agit Agarkar and RS Sodhi playedexplosively to carry the total past 300. Agarkar made 27 runs off amere 15 balls, striking a six and two boundaries, all off AshishNehra. Sodhi remained unbeaten on 22 off 13 balls with a six and afour. Saurav Ganguly who bowled the last over did a wonderful job,giving away just six singles.

The level of celebration at Kensington Oval yesterday was not in keeping with the margin of victory.With almost every single team member parading his blue national cap for most of the day, Barbados completed the most crushing win in this season’s Busta Series, inside three days against West Indies ‘B’.Happenings at other grounds around the Caribbean, however, ensured the dethroned Cup champions would not advance to the semifinals of the International Shield.Barbados’ emphatic triumph, their third win of the season, carried them to 39 points, but they would have needed the Windward Islands to pick up first innings points against Trinidad and Tobago in a drawn match at Guaracara Park.The Windwards, in pursuit of an imposing 380, fought gallantly but were dismissed for 342 about an hour before Barbados recorded their victory. However, Barbados skipper Sherwin Campbell and the rest of the management team could take some satisfaction from the development of some of their newer players.Among them was fast bowler Tino Best, whose five-wicket haul rocked the West Indies ‘B’ team’s batting after lunch and paved the way for the win that was completed 27 minutes after tea.We didn’t win the tournament, but a number of the guys have come on. It is a good learning experience for the youngsters and I hope they can benefit from it, Campbell said.He identifed Best, Sulieman Benn, Kurt Wilkinson and Dwayne Smith among those who made strides. The last two, along with vice-captain Ryan Hinds, scored maiden first-class centuries in the last two matches.This is a good sign for Barbados’ cricket, Campbell said.Kurt has been knocking at the door for a hundred for a while. It is good to see that he ended the season with a hundred.Ryan Hinds has been playing for a while and it’s also good that he got a hundred at the end of the tournament.Having enforced the follow-on in the morning after gaining a massive first innings lead of 364, Barbados were just as efficient in rolling over the West Indies ‘B’ in their second innings in spite of a couple of missed chance towards the end.I am happy we have won the game. The guys played very well today. We came out and we bowled well, Campbell said.Best’s omission from the team for the previous two matches had triggered a huge outcry in certain quarters, largely because of the favourable impression he created in the early part of the season.Given his chance here only because of injury to Ian Bradshaw, he worked up a storm after lunch with an inspired spell in which he claimed five wickets in the space of 24 balls.He was, as usual, full of zest, constantly bounding in with purpose. He conceded 12 runs in the first over after lunch, but it made no difference to his spirit. Once he claimed his first scalp, Shane Jeffers, by way of a juggled return catch, there was no stopping the 20-year-old.Best was typically pacy, but, more importantly, his direction was impeccable and his length was mainly a fullish one. This led to the three successive lbw verdicts. Donovan Pagon gave the impression he might have snicked a ball which cannoned onto his boot, but there was no doubt about Patrick Browne and Roland Holder.Browne, a promising wicket-keeper/batsman, completed a miserable match with the bat when a break-back pinned him on the back foot, while Holder, for the second time in successive days, was victim to a cross-batted stroke.The West Indies ‘B’ team captain seemed stunned at umpire Billy Doctrove’s decision before walking off the ground for what might have been his last first-class innings.Holder went for a duck, the same score he made on his first-class debut at the ground 16 years ago.A fired-up Best then induced Vishal Arjune into snicking a low catch to the ‘keeper to leave the West Indies ‘B’ 58 for six. Half-hour earlier, they were 43 for one.There was brief resistance in a seventh-wicket stand that lasted an hour, but by then, it was obvious the match would end with ample time remaining on the penultimate day.Earlier, West Indies ‘B’ managed to prolong their first innings after resuming on 150 for nine, thanks to some aggression from Callitos Lopez and defiance from Reon Griffith.They survived for just under an hour and Barbados needed a direct throw from Best at mid-off to break the best partnership (43) of the innings.

Michael Muirhead, a management consultant, has been appointed CEO of the West Indies Cricket Board. Muirhead, a Jamaican, will replace Ernest Hilaire, who steps down on September 30 after completing a three-year term.Muirhead, 55, served as Executive Director of the Tourism Product Development Company of Jamaica from 2004 to 2006 and since then has been engaged as a management consultant with several high-level projects in the country. He was also with Price Waterhouse and served in senior management positions at the National Commercial Bank of Jamaica.”The Board is confident that the appointment of Mr. Muirhead will ensure that West Indies cricket remains resolutely on the path to structured development and progress and that he is most capable of continuing the process of overseeing the implementation of the WICB Strategic Plan 2011-2016,” Julian Hunte, the president of the WICB, said. “Michael brings a wealth of experience in a range of sectors in Jamaica. He is an accomplished, astute and measured executive on whom the Board will rely to execute its programmes and policies and further build capacity at the WICB secretariat.”The interview panel was most impressed with his resume, clarity of thought, broad understanding of the sport, communication skills and overall skills set, and specifically, his capacity for judicious management. Now that we are exiting the ‘season of fundamental change’ in West Indies cricket and approaching the road to sustained stability and steady progress, the Board believes that Michael is the ideal candidate to lead its administrative arm.”Muirhead said: “I am delighted at the confidence that the Board has placed in me and stand committed to advancing the implementation of the Strategic Plan and the policies of the Board.”West Indies cricket has been enjoying some recent successes and is now positioned to be a competitive force once again among the cricketing nations of the world. I will do my utmost to maintain and improve on what has already been put in place thus ensuring that we as West Indians can once again proudly hold our heads high.”