Paul Weekes hit the second ball of the last over from Shane Warne to thelong-on boundary to bring Middlesex a four-wicket victory over Hampshire inthe Second Division of the National League and to bring to an end over acentury of county cricket at the United Services ground in Portsmouth.The result was in line with current form as Middlesex have now won five of tenmatches and Hampshire lost eight of nine. Bearing in mind that these same twoteams clash in the quarter-final of the NatWest Trophy at Lord’s on Tuesday,Justin Langer invited the home county to bat first when he won the toss infront of some 2,500 spectators.
At first all went well for the hosts as Giles White and John Stephenson added 58 for the first wicket, but even captain Robin Smith (42) could not inspire an increase in the scoring-rate. In the 36th over Smith pulled a hamstring and from the following delivery his runner, White, was run out. Hampshire managed to score just 190-9. The start of the Middlesex innings was similarly tepid with Andrew Strauss, David Alleyne and Richard Johnson out by the time the score reached 52.The tide was turned in a 82 run fourth-wicket partnership between MikeRoseberry and Mark Ramprakash. The former scored another ten runs afterbeing dropped on 44 ad his innings included a six and three fours. Ramprakash was more cautious in scoring only one boundary in his 46.Then quick bowler Peter Hartley seemed to regain the initiative for Hampshirewith 3-41 and Warne had his compatriot, Langer, caught spectacularly byDerek Kenway. Hampshire’s problems did not end with the end of the match:Smith could miss the NatWest Trophy match because of his hamstring troubleand White, who did not field, is having problems with a calf-strain.

New Zealand Academy had the better of the exchanges on the opening dayof their Buchi Babu pre-quarterfinal against Tamil Nadu Districts atthe MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai today. After inserting theDistricts side and rolling them over for 159 inside 78 overs, the NZAside had progressed to 34/1 at stumps.Left arm spinner Bruce Martin and leg spinner Aaron Redmond did mostof the damage with three wickets apiece. For Districts the firstwicket association of 40 between KN Riaz (24) and V Gautham (28)remained the most productive and after NZA captain, Jacob Oramdismissed the former in the 17th over of the innings, the last ninewickets tumbled for 119. P Muthupandian was the top scorer with 30 (66balls, 1 four).For the visitors, their only international bowler Andrew Penn, wasalso the only one of six bowlers used who went wicketless. SeamerDevendra Kumar despatched opener JAH Marshall for seven in the seventhover of NZA’s reply but Michael Papps (13) and Jarrod Englefield (12)ferried the visitors safely through to stumps.

With heavy storms in Colombo, NCC will be grateful that they were able to beat Matara SC with ease and secure a much needed two points. However, having already lost to CCC and with last weeks clash against Colts SC being abandoned, NCC still face a tough battle if they are to qualify for the semi finals of the Premier League Limited Overs tournament.They were too strong for a lackluster Matara side at Maitland Place today. The Southern Province side was bundled out for just 135 in 49.4 overs. In reply, NCC lost only two wickets and had 27.1 overs to spare.NCC won the toss and elected to field first, mindful of the threat of rain later in the day. Their decision was immediately rewarded with a wicket with Ravindra Pushakumara’s opening delivery of the match.Matara then rallied with a 52 run stand for the second wicket. Chandra Guruge led the way with 30 from 80 deliveries.However, just when NCC were getting somewhat concerned, they broke the partnership, and Matara’s middle order collapsed in a heap. They lost six wickets for 15 runs, including two run outs. Were it not for Ravin Nirmal, who scored an unbeaten 30, they would not have reached three figures.The NCC batsmen were rarely troubled in reply. Led by South African tour hopefuls, Kumar Sangakkara (57*) and Russel Arnold (35*), they cruised to victory with just enough time to avoid the torrential downpour.

Punjab beat Haryana by five wickets at the Harbax Singh Stadium at Delhi toclaim two points in the Ranji One-Day championship. Winning the toss andopting to bat first, Haryana saw their best laid plans go wrong. Able tomuster just 203 before they were all out in 48.3 overs, the Haryana sidecould not stop the rampaging Punjab side. All the Punjab bowlers were amongthe wickets, with Harbhajan Singh (3/29) returning the best figures.In response to the modest total, Punjab suffered an early loss as SandeepSharma was dismissed with the score on 43. Skipper Vikram Rathour (49) andstumper Pankaj Dharmani (55) then forged a 64 run partnership that putPunjab in the driver’s seat. Although a few more wickets were lost, all theremaining Punjab batsmen chipped in and saw their team through to victoryby five wickets with more than seven overs to spare.

Former International Cricket Council President, Jagmohan Dalmiya on Wednesday said the apex body’s anti-corruption unit chief Paul Condon’s report on match fixing was "merely cosmetic" and had no real substance."The report does not really throw much light on the match fixing issue. It does not say anything new. Just making references to some events does not help in solving the issue," Dalmiya told a press conference in Kolkata.Dalmiya said that the report had not gone into the match fixing issue in depth though Condon had studied the reports of various other agencies and commissions probing the matter.Dalmiya said that Condon had also questioned the credibility of the India and New Zealand semi-final match during the ICC Knock Out tournament in Kenya but had not mentioned any specific wrong-doing."He has made a passing mention to that match. The New Zealand Board have been quick to defend their players. I don’t know whether the Indian Board has defended their players since I was out of the country", Dalmiya said.On Condon’s view that the present structure of the ICC was inadequate to run international cricket and manage large sums of money, Dalmiya said the ICC’s executive Board will meet at Lord’s on June 18 and Condon’s recommendations will be discussed in detail."

Dominic Cork was taken to hospital for a precautionary x-ray after being hit on the finger while batting in the nets.The England all-rounder was hit by a beamer from a local net bowler on his left index finger, and was taken to hospital after a inspection from the team physio, Dean Conway.”Everything seemed pretty straight but you never know about these things, there could be a hairline fracture so we sent him off for an x-ray,” Conway explained.”We will have to check on it tomorrow before the game but we are hopeful it is only bruising and he will be able to play.”England will be awaiting news of Cork’s finger anxiously. They already have several injury worries with just two weeks to go before the start of the Ashes series.Conway also revealed the current situation with Graham Thorpe, Nasser Hussain, Ashley Giles and Craig White.”He’s continuing with his treatment and slowly rehabilitating and he will not be fit for Thursday,” Conway said about Thorpe. “With the start of the Ashes so close we’re looking at him to get enough cricket in before the first Test but we will have to review that on a day-to-day basis. We are trying to be careful with him so he doesn’t do too much too soon and suffer a setback."Of Hussain Conway said: “He’s practised and fielded and the plan is for him to carry on with that when he joins up with Essex at Old Trafford.”Hussain batted in the nets today. “He’s had one or two throw-downs and one very easy net so far but this was his first proper practice against top-class bowling,” Conway explained. “He’s progressing really well but we’re also trying to hold him back a little so he doesn’t do too much too soon.”Conway described White and Giles as “progressing nicely” and stated that: “we are hopeful of having a fully-fit squad to choose from when we assemble for the first Test.”

New Zealand’s cricketers who have wintered at home go into a pre-tour camp at Lincoln University this week before flying to Sri Lanka on Saturday for a tri-series with Sri Lanka and India.Recently in England, Sir Richard Hadlee spoke to CricInfo during the Weekend of Legends at Nottingham. He reflected on a year as New Zealand’s chairman of selectors.”We have a high degree of optimism in our game,” Hadlee said. He and his fellow selectors Ross Dykes, Brian McKechnie and coach David Trist, “took the positive step to look to the future with the 2003 World Cup coming up, so we picked four or five players, in effect, from nowhere.”These are the men who will carry the CLEAR Black Cap hopes in Sri Lanka from July 18­ to August 5 in the triangular one-day tournament made up by India.On his fellow selectors, Hadlee emphasised, “We work well as a panel and we’ve been severely tested both on and off the field, probably more so in the media with the direction we¹re taking.”The selectors’ hands were rather forced in their decisions, for last year 31 players were picked for the Black Caps, but 18 were unavailable, through illness or injury, at some stage or another.The men pinpointed by Hadlee for their development over the last six months include James Franklin, Daryl Tuffey, Chris Martin, Lou Vincent and Jacob Oram – “all previously unknown players.””Mark Richardson’s been the greatest find,” he continued. “We believe that over the next few months, and certainly the next few years, we will get the results that everyone wants.”On captain Stephen Fleming, Hadlee said, “I think he’ll come back a better player technically and mentally and that’s going to help New Zealand cricket.””He’s had a tough time as a captain and a player. Virtually every game he didn’t know what XI he was taking onto the field because of the injury crisis.””He is the only player in New Zealand who can captain the side. He’s got the job for seven or eight or ten years if he wants it.”The downside of English county cricket is the injuries so much play can cause. Chris Cairns, the man Sri Lanka captain Sanath Jayasuriya most fears in the New Zealand set-up, was due to play for Nottinghamshire this year, before chronic long-term injuries caught up with him. On Dion Nash, who first wrecked his back with Middlesex in the mid-1990s, Hadlee said, ” He has a huge effect on the side. We need him back.”Although Hadlee will not be going to Sri Lanka, there is no doubt his increasingly sure influence as a selector will be felt in the improving New Zealand international team.

It was a not-so-small step for a man, but a giant leap forward for blackcricket in Zimbabwe. Hamilton Masakadza, already Zimbabwe’s youngest (andfirst black) first-class centurion and youngest Test player, became theyoungest batsman at 17 years and 354 days to score a century on his Testdebut.Saleem Malik was the previous holder of this record, and for Zimbabwe, Masakadza follows in the footsteps of Dave Houghton – who at almost exactly twice Masakadza’s age remains the oldest player to score a century on Test debut!Overall Zimbabwe produced a major surprise for West Indies on the third dayof the Test Match at Harare Sports Club. After doing their best to throwaway the game on the first day, Zimbabwe’s batsmen regrouped so effectivelythat by the close they were 324 for four, 108 runs ahead of West Indies withsix wickets left. They began this morning wondering if they could lastout the day. They will start tomorrow believing they can win.West Indies bowled without inspiration and missed several crucial chances in the field. Zimbabwe’s top order, to their credit, exploited these lapses to the full, but if they do manage to pull off an amazing victory, the West Indianfielders will be primarily to blame.Masakadza, replacing Dion Ebrahim after the latter’s controversial dismissal the previous evening, showed his intentions early by hitting the second ball of the day for a beautifully timed on-driven four. He and Alistair Campbell played the West Indian pacemen quite confidently and competently, but Neil McGarrell, when he came on, found turn, occasionally vicious spin, from the pitch.Without forcing the pace, a confident partnership developed at a rate ofabout four runs an over, with Campbell playing the leading role butMasakadza impressing with his good sense and maturity. The usual large andlively crowd of township children was in attendance, as well as a couple ofhundred adult spectators.Campbell reached his fifty with an effortless flick for four over theleg-side field off McGarrell, and both batsmen, perhaps recognising thethreat he posed, seemed determined to seize every possible scoringopportunity off him. A century partnership was in the offing when, with thetotal on 118, Campbell (65) played indeterminately at Carl Hooper to be caughtat slip off the keeper’s gloves.McGarrell missed a hard return catch when Masakadza had 29, while CraigWishart, determined to be aggressive, escaped a possible stumping on 14.Masakadza’s only problems appeared to come when Colin Stuart reverse-swungthe ball in late to him from a full length. The West Indian bowling was notvery impressive, and Wishart hit Hooper for a huge six over the press box,only to survive a hard chance at silly point in the next over, fromMcGarrell.Masakadza ran to his fifty off 108 balls, looking more impressive all thetime. Wishart has perhaps never before given the appearance of suchconfidence at Test level, and a powerful if mistimed drive struck sillymid-off Daren Ganga a sickening blow by the eye, possibly ending hisparticipation in the match.A powerful pull for four by Wishart off Stuart brought up the batsman’sfirst Test fifty, in limited opportunities, since India’s visit three yearsago; it came off 91 balls. The century partnership came up and Zimbabwe took the lead with only two wickets down. Hooper’s leadership, so impressive when his team was on top, now began to appear rather limited.Wishart passed his previous Test best of 63 and caught Masakadza just beforetea, when both were on 81; without addition after tea, Wishart againbenefited from a botched stumping by Courtney Browne. The scoring slowed asboth batsmen approached centuries and West Indies took the second new ball.Wishart will forever rue his run-out for 93. He top-edged a ball almost tothe third man fielder and then appeared to stop in mid-pitch to expressrelief at his escape instead of completing his single; Browne lobbed theball to hit the bowler’s stumps as Wishart realised his aberration all toolate. The pair had added 170, the second-highest for Zimbabwe’s thirdwicket in Test cricket.Masakadza was then on 91, but he did not appear to let the dismissal affecthis concentration. He moved to 97 and played through a maiden fromMcGarrell, not without an unwise flirtation or two, before lashing Reon Kingthrough the covers for four to write his name into the history books.Shortly afterwards, perhaps battling physical and mental exhaustion, heoffered a simple catch to square leg that was dropped.Again Zimbabwe lost a wicket to the last ball of the day, this time withless doubt, as Guy Whittall was trapped lbw on the back foot by McGarrell’sarm ball for 14. Masakadza, on 115, lived to fight another day.

Indian batting star Sachin Tendulkar, who pulled out of the threematch Test series in Sri Lanka because of a toe injury, will notattend the Indian Cricket Board’s (BCCI) Technical Committee meetingto be held at Baroda on Saturday.BCCI Executive Secretary, Sharad Diwadkar, told PTI here today thatTendulkar decided not to attend the meeting as he wanted to rest hisinjured toe. Tendulkar was one of the invitees along with leg spinnerAnil Kumble and former Test stars Krishnamachari Srikkanth and ArunLal.The meeting, to be chaired by former Indian skipper Sunil Gavaskar,will discuss the Ranji Trophy and Duleep Trophy formats.