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Heavy rain that swept through the country on Monday put a stop to Hampshire 2nd XI’s good start in the ECB Second XI Trophy Final against their Kent counterparts on Monday at the Rose Bowl.Asked to bat first under dull and overcast skies and on a damp outfield from the morning showers, Hampshire rose to the challenge, courtesy of a spirited innings from Alex Morris, who hit 38 in just 31 balls.But he became the first of James Hibberd’s two wickets in successive deliveries as Morris was bowled going for an expansive drive, and then Lawrence Prittipaul edged his first delivery to first slip.Hibberd, a Southampton born all-rounder who still plays local club cricket for Southern Electric Premier League side Calmore Sports is one who perhaps has slipped the Hampshire net, after playing twice in the Under 19 Championship winning side of 1999.Earlier, skipper Jason Laney was dismissed after making just four but James Adams and Morris ensured Hampshire got off to a good start nonetheless, and they will be looking to advance when play, weather permitting, resumes in the morning at 11:00am.

England are facing an innings defeat in the second Test at Adelaide after Australia’s bowlers ripped out three of their top batsmen for just 36 runs in the final session of the third day. It followed Steve Waugh’s declaration on 552 for nine, a lead of 210 runs.A partnership of 242 between Ricky Ponting and Damien Martyn set up a commanding position for Australia. They started the day watchfully to build on the foundations laid by openers Matthew Hayden and Justin Langer. Ponting crafted a magnificent 154 to put Australia into the lead, and in doing so proved how mature a batsman he has become. His innings up until his century included just four boundaries against accurate bowling.The two batted through the first session, putting on 94 runs. Martyn played a supporting role, until just five runs short of century he got a short one from Stephen Harmison which flicked his gloves and went via his thigh into the waiting hands of Nasser Hussain. It gave Harmison his first Ashes wicket and England the breakthrough they needed. The right-hander had been troubled with the short ball all day. Andrew Caddick had hit him on the helmet and Harmison struck him twice on the upper body.His departure brought Steve Waugh to the crease. The Aussie captain started briskly at better than a run a ball, prompting Ponting to raise the tempo as well. Trying to match his captain, he fell victim to Craig White, who dug in the first ball of a new spell for Ponting to pull, finding Richard Dawson on the mid-wicket boundary. White then dismissed his brother-in-law, Darren Lehmann, the hometown hero who was looking to justify his position at number six. The left-hander slashed to Andrew Flintoff, who was subbing for Hussain, in the slips. He juggled the ball before claiming the catch.Waugh, after making 35 off 39 balls, mistimed a cut for Mark Butcher to take a great catch in the gully. Adam Gilchrist and Shane Warne then survived until tea. Warne made 25 before he tried to drive Dawson and the 22-year-old off-spinner caught him in his follow through. Andrew Bichel, hoping to keep his place over Brett Lee for the next Test, crafted a decent 48 with some magnificent shots off both the front and back foot, giving Gilchrist good support. Eventually, trying to push a Matthew Hoggard delivery to leg, he edged the ball back on to his stumps. His dismissal gave Hoggard his first wicket of the series after toiling hard through Brisbane and Adelaide.Jason Gillespie came out to a thunderous roar but Gilchrist, trying to force the pace, was immediately caught behind off Harmison, prompting the declaration.Showing signs of tiredness after a day’s fielding, Marcus Trescothick was trapped lbw by a Gillespie special without scoring. It was the seventh time the 27-year-old had fallen to Gillespie, and the bowler’s 50th Test wicket in Australia. Glenn McGrath then snared Butcher, plumb lbw for four. McGrath was so confident of the wicket, he did not even turn to see Steve Bucknor’s decision.As he had done on day one, Waugh called up Bichel to bowl the last over of the day. After beating Hussain with his first ball, he dismissed the England captain with his second, a beauty which clipped the top of the off stump. Michael Vaughan remains unbeaten on 17. Rain is forecast overnight and for tomorrow, but with two days of the match remaining England’s chances of survival look slim indeed.

Floodlit cricket returns to Canterbury on Tuesday 30 July when Kent Spitfires play the Warwickshire Bears in Division One of the Norwich Union League. Preparations are already well under way at the St Lawrence Ground, the first outward signs of which will be the testing of the lights on Sunday 28 July and Monday 29 July and the arrival of the Sky television crew ahead of the game.A bumper crowd is expected, with play commencing at 4.10 p.m. on the day. Gates will open at 2.00 p.m. and, in order to cope with the expected high volume of traffic, the Police are to implement a one-way system along the Old Dover Road. Extra parking has been arranged at the nearby Simon Langton School.The match is to be televised and there will be an array of events throughout the evening including bands, a free-fall parachute display and many other activities. Warwickshire currently lead the table and can expect a tough challenge from Kent ahead of their Cheltenham and Gloucester Trophy Semi Final at Taunton on 1 August.

A young Somerset team scored a memorable victory over Gloucestershire Seconds at Bristol University in a three-day match.Batting first Gloucestershire scored 235, with Wes Durston taking four for 29 for the visitors.In reply Somerset scored 315, with Arul Suppiah making 69, Wes Durston 61 and Richard Timms 59.Batting in their second innings Gloucestershire declared at 302 for five, and the Cidermen’s young hopefuls reached their target for the loss of seven wickets, thanks again to Wes Durston who made 59 to round off a very good all-round match for him, and Arul Suppiah who made 54.After the game Somerset second eleven coach Mark Garaway told me: "This was a very pleasing all round performance."

Five years ago, when the West Indies snatched victory from the jaws of defeat against India at Kensington Oval, Mervyn Dillon didn’t bowl a single ball on the final day."Brian Lara was the captain and he obviously had a plan," Dillon said.India had been given only 120 to win the match and Lara relied exclusively on Courtney Walsh, Ian Bishop and Franklyn Rose to conjure up some magic that sent India rolling over for 81."He [Lara] said to me the night before, I did my part in the match already when I scored 21 valuable runs," Dillon explained."Things went [according] to plan and I didn’t have to bowl. I didn’t mind. We went on to win the match and the series."At the time, Dillon 22 years old, raw, inexperienced and playing only his second Test match.In the past 12 months, however, he has emerged as the West Indies’ pace spearhead and it was perhaps most fitting that he was the one who played the most significant role by a bowler in the West Indies’ victory over India in the third Test of the current Cable & Wireless series.Dillon took the first and last wickets of the match in which he bowled splendidly and caught brilliantly, his eight wickets and two catches earning him the Man-Of-The-Match award.In was, in his words, "definitely the best" of his 24 Tests.It was a match in which he enjoyed the rare distinction of capturing a wicket with the first ball of the game.It was also a match in which he removed top India batsman Sachin Tendulkar.Sort of player"Everybody knows the sort of player he is. He is the No. 1 batsman in the world right now. To get his wicket was definitely a high moment in the match."Dillon claimed four wickets in both innings, but is still to add to his solitary five-wicket haul which was achieved in 1997 against Pakistan in his third Test."It’s not worrying. Once I keep bowling the way I’ve been doing, it’s going to come," he said.Dillon has also moved to within ten scalps of 100 Test wickets and he has the chance to complete the landmark in the remaining two matches against India."I am not in a hurry to get to a hundred. I am in a hurry to go 2-1 up in the series," he said.While almost everyone acknowledges Dillon as the leading West Indies pacer at the moment, he does not see himself in that role."I don’t see myself as the No. 1 fast bowler," he said. "I see myself as just one of four bowlers out there in the middle. My goal is simply to help West Indies start winning matches more often."Dillon has often been criticised for his inconsistency and he had been dropped four times by the time he had played seven Tests.But the fact that he has been able to command a settled place in the team in the last 12 months has helped a lot."I’ve been playing for a while, and that’s what you want – to be in the team and not having to worry too much about whether you are going to be in this match and out the next match," he said."It’s really comforting. It has helped in my improvement towards Test cricket."One of the things that also assisted him is the guidance provided by two West Indies fast bowlers from the glorious days of the 70s and 80s.Andy Roberts, he said, had been very helpful during recent West Indies pre-series camps, while Michael Holding, a now television commentator, has been giving him advice almost on a daily basis.Dillon might never be another Roberts or Holding, but for now he’s the No. 1 West Indies fast bowler, whether he wants to acknowledge or not.

Guided by the good form their batsmen found themselves in, Uttar Pradesh stamped their supremacy in the Under-16 category by winning the Madhavrao Scindia Trophy by virtue of their 163 run first innings lead over Rest of India at the Kamla Club ground in Kanpur on Tuesday.Opting to bat first on the opening day, Uttar Pradesh amassed 455 for 7 on the board. The UP skipper Rahat Ilahi (122) was the top scorer. He drew able support from A Alam (88) with whom he shared a 89 run stand for the fourth wicket. This was followed by a 141 run stand with S Raina (63). Rahul Arora (2 for 33) and SA Pai (2 for 27) were the pick of the bowlers for the Rest of India side. During a three and a quarter hour stay at the crease, Ilahi faced 271 balls and hit just four boundaries and two sixes.In response, Rest of India who batted for the rest of the second day and the third were all out for 292. The top scorer was the Rest of India skipper Rahul Arora with 55. K Vasudeva Das (45), opener SO Kukreja (43) and SA Pai (46) made useful contributions. Praveen Gupta (5 for 61) was the most successful bowler for UP.

The country reacted with anger and disgust over Sherwin Campbell’somission from a West Indies training squad from which the team to tourZimbabwe and Kenya will be chosen. But the man at the centre of thefurore remained upbeat.Obviously, there is a chance that my days could be numbered, a modestCampbell told NATIONSPORT yesterday.I’m not the oldest guy, but I’ve got to be positive and realistic, the30-year-old opening batman added.I have to stay positive all the time and always feel there is a chanceand never give up.The squad of 22 for the pre-tour training camp in Trinidad from May 28to June 8 includes three specialist opening batsmen Chris Gayle, LeonGarrick and Daren Ganga along with Wavell Hinds, a regular No 3 whowas asked to go in first in four Tests in the recent series againstSouth Africa.At no stage did any of them emphatically make a statement withconsistent heavy scoring against the South Africans.But they were preferred to a batsman whose fighting qualities are wellknown and who has been the West Indies’ most reliable opener sinceDesmond Haynes left the international arena in 1995.I am a little disappointed, but that’s life and that’s how things go,said Campbell, whose 51 Tests brought him 2 856 runs (ave. 32.82) andfour centuries.I’ve got to put it behind me and think about the future and thinkabout ways and means of getting back into the team.I don’t think you can kill yourself over it. Of course I amdisappointed, like anyone else, but it’s not the end of the world.Two-and-a-half years ago when Campbell was not picked for the WestIndies’ tour to South Africa, he responded with a prolific run in the1999 Busta Cup and was immediately recalled.You have to focus on getting back into the team and doing well toprove the selectors wrong, Campbell said.That is my main goal to focus on my performance and think about mygame some more and focus on getting scores consistently.The Barbados captain does not feel that the pressure is on him to theextent that he has to come back and prove a point.I just think I have to get out there and score runs and be consistent,he said.Campbell recently returned from New York where he visited Dr AnsworthAllen for an opinion on a shoulder injury he first sustained duringlast October’s Red Stripe Bowl.When I throw from the deep it affects me a little bit, but from closein and when I’m batting, it’s fine, Campbell said.When I throw from the deep it is not as strong as I would like it tobe.It is an injury which requires an operation and in view of his noninclusion in the West Indies training squad, he hopes to have thesurgery as soon as possible.I have not set a date as yet, but hopefully it will be very soon, hesaid.

South Wilts will face Havant in the ECB Club Championship regional finals – but no one knows when or where!The tie is due to be played at Lower Bemerton next Sunday, but Wiltshire are playing a Minor Counties Championship match against Devon on South Wilts’ ground.South Wilts, who scored 166-8 to beat Andover (124) by 42 runs in their zone semi-final, may have to concede ground advantage and play at Havant.Havant beat Basingstoke & North Hants by 33 runs after piled up 217-5 – Richard Hindley (75), Paul Gover (51) and Dominic Carson (28) top scoring.Hindley and Mark Copping each took three wickets as Basingstoke were dismissed for 184 (Giles 36).

England’s Twenty20 captain, Stuart Broad, envisaged his side playing the “perfect game” in this World Twenty20 after Luke Wright calmed the jitters about their top order in a six-wicket defeat of New Zealand with seven balls to spare in their Super Eights tie in Pallakele.Things change quickly in T20. Only New Zealand’s Brendon McCullum, as the match finished, was ahead of Wright in the leading run-makers for the tournament. After all the talk of their batting frailties, England had three batsmen – Eoin Morgan and Alex Hales also – in the top five.Broad, visibly uplifted after the torment of England’s misconceived batting displays against India and West Indies, said: “Today’s result means a lot. Although it wasn’t perfect we put in a lot of strong performances. I genuinely believe that we will get that perfect game and I think we will be pretty unstoppable when that happens.”That perfect game might have to happen on Monday. England face Sri Lanka at Pallakele and will have to win to be assured of a place in the semi-finals. “It will be an electric atmosphere for us on Monday and it will be important for us to keep our composure,” Broad said. “It will be loud, it will be hectic and there will be a lot of fans shouting for Sri Lanka but that will be exciting for us.”Wright paced his innings to perfection, stroking 16 from his first 16 balls but then scoring 60 from his next 27 with five sixes, including four in the space of seven balls faced. New Zealand’s emphasis upon spin, with Rob Nicol’s part-time offbreaks also called up for three overs, was logical enough in view of a dry pitch and England’s reputation, but it failed to bring dividends.The rate got up to nine an over midway through the innings and stubbornly remained there for quite a while. England needed 54 from the last six overs before Wright’s six-hitting spree settled the game, with Tim Southee also punished as he failed to hit his yorkers. Wright took the Man-of-the-Match award, suggested that Steven Finn’s three wickets should have won it, and praised Eoin Morgan’s influence at the non-striker’s end for the pacing of his innings.Stuart Broad believes England are close to playing to their full potential•ICC/Getty

“It is easy to start panicking then and sat in the dugout you look out to the middle and get a bit nervous but the guys showed a lot of calmness to get us over the line as they did,” Broad said. “If we can really keep our wickets intact you will see the power we have. The key for us is to express ourselves but also to have the skill to pack that last 10 overs full of batsmen.”Wright, who made 99 in the group stage against Afghanistan, banished the memory of his first-baller against West Indies, an attempted leave which he steered to slip, a shot that had added to the uncertainty surrounding England’s top order. Against New Zealand, he played naturally, not trying to be something he isn’t, a strong hitter who allowed himself time to get in and then reaped the benefit.”It was just nice to get past the first ball after the last innings,” he said. “After that I was able to chill out a little bit and build a partnership. In the last game I tried to leave it and I found myself out so it wasn’t as if I was going at it too hard. One thing you find is that if you do have a batter in, people can bat around you and it’s amazing how much you can catch up and score.”

The visiting South African under-19 cricketers showed they were well prepared in foreign conditions, when they lined up for their opening New Zealand tour match against an Otago under-19 side at Centennial Park in Oamaru.After the start was delayed by an hour due to overnight rain, the South Africans provided a most enjoyable day’s cricket by hitting the loose ball hard and, sometimes, even the good ball in the same manner.Sent in by the Otago captain Jordan Sheed, the South Africans found conditions difficult in the early stages. The bowling side benefited from a greenish pitch which produced quite a few awkward balls to negotiate.However the South Africans, in spite of losing opener Michael Price when the score was 25, battled hard and eventually his partner James Schorn scored a fine 94. He deserved a century but surely will manage that goal before the tour is over, given the talent evident within him.The South African captain Rivash Gobind scored an attractive 38, and Chad Baxter an excellent hard-hitting 70 before Imran Khan (not to be confused with the former Pakistani captain) and Gerhard de Bruin each got into the teens to take their side to 280/9 before declaring.The Otago wicket-keeper Matt George impressed with four catches as did the Otago fielding with some excellent returns from the deep.In the bowling department Johnathan Hodson (4-63 from 22 overs) deserved a five-wicket bag, which nearly came his way. In support Anthony Wilkinson, took a very tidy 1-21 from 16 overs and Matt Adair 2-54 from 15 overs, while Ben Ryan (1-52 from 15.3) and Jamie Murley (1-57 from 16) were the other wicket takers. Overall Otago bowled well but not outstandingly on a pitch which was good to bat on after initial life.The Otago openers Shaun Haig and Anthony Wilkinson had to bat an hour before stumps were drawn at 7pm, and faced a fiery spell from speedster Monde Zondeki who beat the bat many times. His partners were Gerhard De Bruin and South African vice-captain Johan Botha, who too provided a stern test for Haig and Wilkinson. But perserverance paid off and Otago reached 20 without loss at the close of play.