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Eagles 334 and 121 for 3 (van Wyk 61*, Beukes 42*, Symcox3-25) trail Dolphins 612 for 8 decl (Amla 249, Kent 120, Mall 66)by 157 runs
ScorecardThe Dolphins played themselves firmly into a commanding position on dayfour of the SuperSport Series final against the Eagles at Goodyear Parkin Bloemfontein.A maiden double-century from Hashim Amla and a first century of theseason for Jon Kent allowed the Dolphins to declare on 612 for 8, the16th-highest first-class total in South African cricket. The Dolphins kept the Eagles in the field for 14 hours before striking three times,Russell Symcox claiming the top three batsmen.Amla’s innings came to an end on 249 when he was run out after a mix-upwith Russell Symcox. His innings lasted five minutes short of 11 hours.Kent and Amla put on 296 for the fifth wicket, before Kent was caughtbehind off Cliff Deacon for 120. Symcox (9), Lance Klusener (13) andDuncan Brown (27*) found runs difficult to come by as the Eagles bowlersstruggled on, notching three runs an over. At the end, Andrew Tweedie flayeda quick 14 before the declaration came.The Eagles were left with a deficit of 278 to overhaul and four sessions to survive bat – and they started their reply in disastrous fashion, losing three wickets to Symcox in the space of 10 overs. Davey Jacobs was bowled withoutscoring, while Boeta Dippenaar (9) and Loots Bosman (0) edged to thekeeper.Jonathan Beukes (42) and Morne van Wyk (61) steered the innings back ontrack with an unbroken partnership of 92 as the Eagles finished on 121for 3, still 157 behind.A tense final day waits.

Sourav Ganguly, the deposed Indian captain, says he will treat his comeback to the Indian squad for the first Test against Sri Lanka, at Chennai on December 2, as if it was his first Test match.”If I get a chance against Sri Lanka, I will give my best as I did in my first Test, and try to do well,” Ganguly told a TV channell in what was his first reaction to being selected. “One is always happy at representing the country, be it your first Test, the 50th or 100th, as it is a great honour.”Ganguly also added that he was expecting to be named in the squad as he “had a good tour of Zimbabwe”. Admitting that his experience would be valuable while making a comeback, Ganguly, however, said one learns something new every day. “Even someone playing his 100th Test would say that he could still improve. We have new experiences every day and new results and situations confront us while batting and bowling.”Ganguly even admitted that playing domestic cricket had benefitted him. “Obviously, the more cricket one plays, the better one gets.”

Cullen Bailey, the 20-year-old legspinner, has been chosen for South Australia’s final Pura Cup match of the season against Tasmania at Adelaide, which begins on Thursday. Bailey has replaced Darren Lehmann in the 12-man squad after he decided to have surgery on his injured shoulder.A rookie-contracted player, Bailey is expected to make his debut in the match and has been in outstanding form for his club side Sturt, topping the A-grade wicket list with 44 at an average of 20.36. The combination of Bailey with the offspinner Daniel Cullen will be closely watched as the Redbacks attempt to stay ahead of their nearest rivals for the wooden spoon. Tasmania are on 10 points, two behind South Australia, who beat Western Australia at the weekend.South Australia Shane Deitz, Daniel Harris, Greg Blewett, Callum Ferguson, Nathan Adcock, Graham Manou (capt, wk), Cameron Borgas, Ryan Harris, Paul Rofe, Daniel Cullen, Shaun Tait, Cullen Bailey.

The Greeks would sympathise. There has been something Athenian about the doubts and delays that have dogged England’s preparation for the ICC Champions Trophy, which gets underway at Edgbaston and The Oval on Friday. While the Zimbabwe crisis was raging, there was a genuine threat that the tournament would be whisked away to India, and as for the venues – neither The Oval, which is midway through its long-overdue facelift, nor the Rose Bowl, with its recently laid pitches, looked as if they could possibly be ready for such a high-profile event.Factor in all those other peripheral matters, such as the wisdom of staging such a jamboree so late in the English season, sluggish ticket sales, and the blink-and-you-miss-it format, which seemed tailormade for another embarrassingly early exit for the hosts, and there were all the makings of cricket’s dampest squib since … well, the opening ceremony of the 1999 World Cup at a rainy Lord’s.But then again, it is not every day that you get all the world’s top players (give or take a Tendulkar or Muralitharan) gathered together in one place, and it is not every day that English cricket finds itself on a roll of quite such staggering proportions. So far, touch wood, even the weather looks as if it might play along. Far from being a tournament too many, the coming fortnight has all the makings of a celebration of cricket – and, assuming they don’t fall at the first hurdle, a celebration of England’s remarkable season as well.That factor could be the clincher. With apologies to Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka, it is not being unduly one-eyed to suggest that the tournament’s best hope of capturing the public’s imagination is for England to progress beyond the group stage – for the first time in the competition’s history. The whole show will be done and dusted in 15 manic days, which is a far cry from the bloated, seven-week slog everyone endured at the last World Cup. The longer the host nation is involved, the better.Given the disparity between the competing teams, the four groups of three could hardly be better balanced. There is little prospect of an upset from any of the four underdogs (and in the case of USA v Australia, those of a weak constitution ought to look away now). In fact, the only side that might conceivably fancy their chances are Bangladesh, the best of the rest, who have been drawn alongside those two faltering powers, South Africa and West Indies.The tasty ties, however, are Australia v New Zealand in Pool A, and India v Pakistan in Pool C. Quite apart from the local rivalries involved, each throws up the prospect of a clear challenge to the established pecking order. Australia, as they showed against Pakistan at Lord’s on Saturday, retain an uncanny ability to wriggle out of any tight corner, but both they and India have shown signs of vulnerability in their recent performances.As for India, their victory over a Flintoff-free England in the last match of the NatWest Challenge was hailed in some quarters as the turning of a corner. That might be over-egging the game’s significance slightly – the mere fact that England selected Anthony McGrath as Flintoff’s stand-in was ample proof that England have, to borrow Brian Lara’s phrase, no Plan B, not when it comes to their one-day side, anyway. It is time for Duncan Fletcher to cross his fingers and pray that his first XI can come through four more matches unscathed.There is, of course, one potential match-up lurking around the corner that could conceivably shunt even Wayne Rooney and Graeme Souness off the back pages of the British tabloids for a day or two. If England can see off a Murali-less Sri Lanka at the Rose Bowl, and Australia send everything pear-shaped for the Kiwis at The Oval, then the big two will square up at Edgbaston on September 21. It will give England a chance to lay the ghost of that two-wicket defeat at last year’s World Cup, not to mention a marker or two for next summer’s Ashes.It’s not all going to be fun and frolics, however. The ICC has seen to that with their absurdly draconian stance on spectators’ picnics (never mind British Rail suffering from the wrong sort of snow; to be apprehended for the wrong sort of cheesy nibbles really takes the, er, biscuit). And all the while, the climate threatens to jeopardise the entertainment. Never mind the threat of rain, the real fear is that too many matches will be decided by the toss of a coin, as fielding sides take the chance to exploit the moist conditions that will prevail early in the morning.But all such doubts remain, at this stage, mere speculation. A global audience of millions will be tuning in over the next fortnight; there is prizemoney of US$1.15million at stake, and new stump-microphone technology has been introduced to aid the umpires in adjudicating on caught-behind decisions. All of this and more goes to show how high-profile this tournament is intended to be. It’s time to put the cynicism to one side, and let the games begin.Andrew Miller is assistant editor of Wisden Cricinfo.

The trial of Mark Vermeulen, the former Zimbabwe Test player charged with arson attacks on the Zimbabwe cricket association’s boardroom and training academy, has been adjourned after the prosecution failed to produce vital video evidence.Vermeulen, 27, who played the last of his eight Test matches in 2004, is charged with two counts of arson and if convicted faces 25 years in prison. He is accused of first trying to torch the association’s boardroom at the Harare Sports Club in late October and then burning down the pavilion at the training academy the following day.His trial is now set for February 7 after his defence lawyer, David Dhumbura, outlined the problems in a letter to the court. He wrote: “To date we still have not received a copy of the video footage on indications made by [the] client.”He went onto say that the delay had meant they had been unable to prepare the defence case in time for the December 6 hearing. “This is a serious and sensitive matter, we cannot afford ill-preparation. The liberty of our client is at immense risk.”Dhumbura said Vermeulen required expert medical examination and added: “We will be seeking a medical report from Australia which will describe the effects of a serious skull fracture which our client sustained in January 2004 [during the VB series].”Vermeulen was also examined by a local psychiatrist and a psycho-analyst who had both indicated they would only be able to provide comprehensive reports after December 8.Dhumbura applied for Vermeulen to be allowed to play cricket at any venue other than Harare Sports Club or Country club. The Magistrate William Bhila deferred the trial to next year and relaxed Vermeulen’s bail conditions from reporting daily to the police to once a week.

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Scotland finally recorded their first victory of the season at the eighth time of asking, as Colin Smith and Cedric English combined to sink Durham in a rain-delayed encounter at The Grange.After being asked to bat first, Durham were restricted to 189 for 7 in their allotted 41 overs. Gary Pratt top-scored with a steady 48, while there were two wickets apiece for Yasir Arafat and Asim Butt.In reply, Scotland made a dreadful start, slumping to 44 for 4 after Shoaib Akhtar had terrorised the top-order, but English and Smith combined with a cool 146-run partnership, to guide Scotland home with 10 balls to spare. Smith was the aggressor, thumping 10 fours in his 83-ball 79, while English dropped anchor to excellent effect, with 53 not out from 91.It was Durham’s second defeat at the hands of Scotland – they also succumbed at Scotland’s very first attempt in May 2003 – but it was an untimely setback this season, as victory would have carried them to the top of the table. Instead Yorkshire and Middlesex share top spot on 20 points, with Durham slipping back to fourth.

Cricket Australia’s National Selection Panel (NSP) has named the Australia-A squad, that will play against the Indians, in a three-day game beginning at Hobart, on December 19.Michael Hussey, a Western Australian batsman, will captain the side, which includes representatives from each state, and three Australia A debutants – Paul Rofe and Shaun Tait, from South Australia, and Cameron White, from Victoria.Trevor Hohns, chairman of the NSP, said the team represented a blend of experience and emerging young talent. “With the Australian side being so successful in recent years, it’s difficult for those players on the cusp of selection to break into the national team. The side represents a good mix of senior experience and young talent, and reflects our approach of developing players capable of performing at the international level.”Hohns also added that the selection of Hussey as captain was testament to his impressive start in domestic competitions. He said, “Michael’s a highly thought-of player who has demonstrated outstanding leadership abilities with Western Australia in recent months. He’s an experienced and talented performer, and is widely respected by his playing peers around the country. He’ll no doubt play a role in helping point some of the younger guys in the right direction.”Meanwhile, Cricket Australia has announced that the NSP has reviewed its selection criteria for Australia A’s limited-overs engagements against India and Zimbabwe in January. The selectors have chosen to adopt a youth policy for the two limited-overs games, with a greater emphasis on developing players for the future.Squad
1 Michael Hussey (capt), 2 Michael Clarke, 3 Chris Rogers, 4 Martin Love, 5 Brad Hodge, 6 Cameron White, 7 Wade Seccombe, 8 Matthew Nicholson, 9 Damien Wright, 10 Paul Rofe, 11 Shaun Tait

Victoria 259 and 455 for 7 (Hussey 212*) beat New South Wales 317 and 396 (Thornely 143, Katich 126) by three wickets
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A masterful unbeaten double-century from David Hussey – brother of Michael – led Victoria to a stunning outright win over New South Wales at Newcastle. Victoria had been set a massive 455 for victory – the second largest final-innings run-chase in Sheffield Shield and Pura Cup history. But Hussey galloped to 212 from 218 balls, and secured victory with three wickets and 14 overs to spare.His five-hour exhibition of controlled aggression earned the approval of no less an onlooker than Steve Waugh, who was powerless to prevent NSW’s defeat. “Exceptional,” said Waugh. “He’s got to come into contention for national selection, I would have thought, in both forms of the game, the way he played there.”New South Wales had assumed that the points were in the bag, after Dominic Thornely’s maiden first-class century on Sunday, and when Thornely followed up with two wickets in four balls late in the day, Victoria were 383 for 6, and facing an heroic failure.But Hussey, who had run out Waugh with a direct hit on the previous day, powered on to his first double-century in first-class cricket. The equation came down to Victoria needing 37 runs off the last 21 overs with four wickets left. Peter Roach was trapped lbw by Nicholson for 18 (422 for 7), but Hussey launched a succession of boundaries off MacGill to secure victory.Victoria had been in trouble early on, when Jason Arnberger was bowled by Don Nash for 4 inside the first half-an-hour. Matthew Elliott was then trapped lbw by paceman Matthew Nicholson for 19 (37 for 2), before Brad Hodge played all round a full toss from Stuart MacGill. But Jon Moss (76) and Hussey steadied the ship with a 176-run partnership, to set up the victory.

The repercussions of Pakistan’s loss to India may have started, if reports in a local newspaper are to be believed. The News reported on Thursday that the Pakistan Cricket Board wants Dav Whatmore to replace Javed Miandad as coach of the senior team.The report quoted sources within the PCB as saying, “Basically the situation with Miandad is that there is a feeling he has been given enough time to prove that the team has developed and improved under him. Secondly … he is not willing to accept responsibility for any shortcomings against India and is opposed to the introduction of modern technology in the team.”However, Whatmore has denied the possibility of a move at present. “Right now, my mind and energy belong to Bangladesh cricket and I want to give all my effort to the team,” Whatmore told a news agency. “I will not name any country that I would like to coach. My agreement with the Bangladesh Cricket Board will end on May 31, 2005 and I will think about my future right after that.”The views of the PCB came out in a meeting Miandad had with the PCB chairman Shaharyar Khan and Haroon Rashid, the manager, on Tuesday in Karachi. The source added, “Whatmore is regarded with great respect in Pakistan cricket circles and the talk is that he should be approached to end his contract with Bangladesh. Everything depends on whether he makes himself available or not.”Miandad and the PCB have been under pressure for some time now to instill some professionalism into the coaching set-up. The series loss against India, believe leading officials, ex-players and skipper Inzamam-ul-Haq, highlighted the need to embrace modernity and, if necessary, technology in coaching methods.It is believed that Shaharyar is keen to integrate a fulltime fitness trainer and a bowling coach into the team set-up. Wasim Akram has expressed his willingness to serve as a bowling coach, as has his old sparring partner Waqar Younis. Dennis Waight and Daryl Foster have also attracted the interest of the PCB – Waight, who came to prominence as West Indies’ fitness coach, worked with the Pakistan team during the 2003 World Cup.When asked about the possible changes by Wisden Cricinfo, a PCB spokesman said, “It is not our policy to comment on rumours and speculation.” Miandad also refused to comment on the news when contacted. “You will have to speak to the Board to ask them for a comment, I don’t want to say anything right now.”Meanwhile, the same report also predicts a bleak future for Shoaib Akhtar. The article reveals there is pressure from government circles to deal with the Rawalpindi Express severely, regardless of the results of a medical-commission investigation into his injury. Akhtar has asked for the commission to delay the inquiry which was due to be held on Sunday, as he has extended his stay in Mumbai.Whether or not the medical commission serves any tangible purpose or can produce evidence of injuries, the report suggests that Shoaib is likely to be banned for a number of matches. “There is pressure from people in government to take action against him … he has been given a free rein for too long and it was the final straw when he let the team down in the series against India.”

Frizzell County Championship Division One
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Lancashire 450 for 6 dec beat Sussex 251 and 180 by an innings and 19 runs at Old Trafford
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If Sussex are to achieve a maiden championship title after 164 barren years, they are determined to do it the hard way. They resumed on a precarious 21 for 2 this morning and duly lost their last eight wickets for a further 159 runs, as Lancashire wrapped up an emphatic innings-and-19-run victory at Old Trafford. It was a result every bit as critical for Lancashire as for Sussex – they remain in position for a last-ditch raid on the title. Gary Keedy, mentioned in dispatches for England’s winter tour plans, was once again the destroyer. He spun through Sussex’s jittery resistance for his second five-wicket haul of the match. And likewise, Sussex’s main man was again Murray Goodwin, who battled bravely for 57, despite a nasty gash above his right eye – courtesy of a Peter Martin bouncer on Friday. On the positive side, Sussex remain in control of their own destiny – if they can take seven points from their final fixture, against the newly-relegated Leicestershire, they will be champions, regardless of how Lancashire fare at Trent Bridge.Nottinghamshire 361 and 407 for 5 dec drew with Middlesex 326 at Lord’s
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Russell Warren enlivened a dull final day against Middlesex, by becoming the first Nottinghamshire batsman to score a century in each innings at Lord’s. Rock-bottom and with nothing to play for, Notts batted all through the final day, with Warren adding an unbeaten 113 from 198 balls to his first-innings 123. Their captain Jason Gallian underpinned the tedium with a season’s best 116, and only Kevin Pietersen’s typically robust 68 from 57 balls attempted to lift the tempo. The result also suited Middlesex pretty well – unless Essex pull off an unlikely victory against Warwickshire, they should be guaranteed first division cricket next year.Warwickshire 456 for 7 and 61 for 1 beat Essex 256 and 302 by nine wickets at Chelmsford
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Essex became the third and final county to be relegated after they went down by nine wickets to Warwickshire. Waqar Younis blasted out five wickets in the morning session as Essex lost their last six batsmen for only 23 runs. Resuming on 257 for 4 and with a 10-run lead, Essex made a dreadful start whenthree wickets went down for two runs, including Mark Pettini for 78, caught by Nick Knight off Mark Wagh. Waqar (5-77) then wasted no time polishing off the tail, bowling Andy Clarke and Mohammad Akram, as Warwickshire were set only 56 to win. Akram removed Mike Powell early on for 10, but Knight and Wagh had no problems cruising home and Wagh rounded off a fine personal match with a towering six to send Essex tumbling down.Frizzell County Championship Division Two
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Somerset 409 and 214 beat Derbyshire 400 and 196 by 27 runs at Taunton
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Ian Blackwell followed up his breathtaking 247 not out in the first innings with a crafty spell of 4 for 65, as Derbyshire blew their golden opportunity to avoid the wooden spoon in the second division. Dominic Cork’s ten-wicket match haul had left Derby needing just 224 for their third victory of the season, and for a time they seemed to be cruising to victory on 178 for 4. But Blackwell, who had chiselled out two early wickets with his left-arm spin, found good support from Simon Francis and Gareth Andrew. Andrew dismissed Luke Sutton for 49 to spark a collapse of five wickets for 15 runs. It was Somerset’s fourth win of a disappointing season, but already they have their eyes on an upturn in fortunes next year, if the rumours surrounding Ricky Ponting and Rahul Dravid are to be believed.Northamptonshire 319 and 265 beat Glamorgan 203 and 361 by 20 runs at Cardiff
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David Hemp and Dean Cosker carried Glamorgan agonisingly close to victory with a tenth-wicket stand of 78, but in the end Northants recorded their ninth win in ten matches in a gripping final-day struggle at Cardiff. Chasing a target of 382, Hemp anchored the innings with an unbeaten 85, scored over four-and-a-half hours, while Matthew Maynard was equally watchful in his 78. At 271 for 5 with Robert Croft going well, Glamorgan were looking good for victory. But then Jeff Cook stepped in. He grabbed four wickets for seven runs in 11 balls, and suddenly Glamorgan’s last pair were together, with 98 still needed. A quick glance at Cosker’s first-class record suggested the game was up – in a seven-year career, he had managed 259 runs at an average of 8.09. But by the time he had moved onto his highest first-class score of 42, Northants were sweating. It couldn’t last, however, and Jason Brown eventually trapped Cosker lbw to end the resistance.Gloucestershire 374 and 288 for 7 dec beat Durham 218 and 318 by 126 runs at Bristol
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Gloucestershire’s left-arm spinner Ian Fisher completed a fine match haul of 10 for 123, to keep his side’s promotion push firmly on track at Bristol. Fisher took five key wickets in the second innings as Durham made a brave but futile pursuit of their victory target of 445. Most of Durham’s hopes had rested on their Australian import Martin Love, who was 49 not out overnight. He seemed firmly on course for a century, until he fell to Fisher for 97 – an especially cruel blow, seeing as he had made 98 in the first innings. Liam Plunkett hung around for a career-best 40 to delay the inevitable, but Gloucester now head for Headingley, for a promotion showdown with Yorkshire.Worcestershire 389 and 208 for 6 v Yorkshire 405 at New Road (Day 3)
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Two late wickets gave Yorkshire the edge in their intriguing tussle against Worcestershire, and kept alive their hopes of promotion. Resuming on 266 for 5, Craig White and Richard Dawson added 104 to help Yorkshire past 400. White struck six fours and a six in his 66, while Dawson’s 60 included nine fours. Yorkshire had a slender first-innings lead of 14 runs, but Chris Silverwood increased that advantage when he caught and bowled Stephen Peters for a duck. Graeme Hick and Ben Smith both scored 57 and ticked the score along to 155-4, but Yorkshire finished on a high. Anurag Singh, caught behind off Silverwood, and Justin Kemp, trapped lbw by Steve Kirby, fell in the dying overs to set up an interesting last day’s play.