Bangladesh’s tour to India next year is still shrouded in doubt, according to Ali Asghar, Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) president. Following his return from the ICC meeting in Melbourne, Asghar revealed that he has not received confirmation from the Indian board.”Bangladesh’s tour of India is still on for sometime in next September-October. But we will get a definite response from India only after the approval of ICC’s next Future Tour Programme (FTP) which will be ratified in March next year,” Asghar told .Bangladesh’s inaugural Test was against India in 2000 and India played a full series against them in Bangladesh in 2004. However, the Indian board is yet to allow Bangladesh a return visit .Their tour to India was stalled twice but in the same period India played Pakistan at home. Saber Hossain Chowdhury, former BCB president, has criticized Ranbir Singh Mahendra, the BCCI president, on this issue.Asghar said that the Future Tour Programme is yet to be approved following objections from the Asian and African members, and was adamant that Bangladesh’s away series should be included in the ICC’s calendar. “The interests of the Asian and African Test countries didn’t reflect in the draft FTP, rather it hugely favoured Australia and England. We wanted to play at least two series at home in a year during the period because it would be our main source of income. We have desired to hold at least two triangular series involving India and Pakistan during the next six-year cycle.”India, Bangladesh, Pakistan and Sri Lanka all raised objections to the tour programme as it did not allegedly uphold the interests of the Asian countries. Asghar confirmed that the ICC is expected to announce a final Future Tour Programme in its next meeting, to be held in March 2006.
Six matches, six draws: the weather certainly came out on top in the latest round of matches in the Frizzell County Championship. There was a sniff of a result at Edgbaston, where Sussex declared at their overnight score with a lead of 136, and then reduced the leaders Warwickshire to 15 for 3. Mohammad Akram took two of those wickets, and later removed Michael Powell for 39 as well, but Sussex eventually ran out of time. Northants set Gloucestershire 290 in around 65 overs at Bristol, but they settled for 160 for 4 on the eve of their C&G Trophy defence at Lord’s. And there was never much prospect of a result at Old Trafford, where Kent skated to 92 for 3 in their second innings before a truce was called.In Division Two Dimitri Mascarenhas’s 104 rescued Hampshire, who had been 50 for 5 overnight, but Durham batted out time for the draw. For the third day out of four there was no play in the matches at Derby and Colwyn Bay.
County Championship Division One
Scorecard Day 1 report: Wessels to wield axe at Northants – The Daily Telegraph Day 2 report: Hussey returns to frustrate Northants – The Guardian Day 3 report: Bracken needed urgently – The Daily Telegraph
Scorecard Day 1 report: Gritty Brown rescues leaders – The Guardian Day 2 report: Montgomerie leads Sussex pursuit – The Times Day 3 report: Painstaking Prior holds up Warwickshire – The Independent
Scorecard Day 1: only 6.3 overs because of rain Day 2: no play because of rain Day 3 report: Red rose left in mire by Patel – The Guardian
County Championship Division Two
Scorecard Day 1: no play because of rain Day 2: no play because of rain Day 3 report: France a force to be reckoned with – The Daily Telegraph Day 4: no play because of rain
Scorecard Day 1: no play because of rain Day 2: no play because of rain Day 3 report: Toil and trouble for Hampshire – The Daily Telegraph
Scorecard Day 1: no play because of rain Day 2: no play because of rain Day 3 report: Glamorgan make a point after gentle persuasion – The Guardian Day 4: no play because of rain
National League Division One
August 25 Essex 135 for 5 (Jefferson 61*) v Surrey at Chelmsford – abandoned, no result Scorecard
National League Division Two
August 24 Middlesex 153 for 2 (Weekes 76*, Strauss 68) beat Somerset 179 (Betts 3-23) by 57 runs (Duckworth/Lewis method) Scorecard Report: Strauss composes victorious waltz – The Times Worcestershire 131 (Smith 50*, Yasir Arafat 4-22) beat Scotland 130 (Watson 44, Hall 3-26) by 1 run at Worcester Scorecard Report: Saltires throw away great chance – The Scotsman August 25 Nottinghamshire v Worcestershire at Trent Bridge – abandoned: this meant that Middlesex were confirmed as second-division champions August 26 Nottinghamshire 144 for 7 (Anurag Singh 67) beat Scotland 143 (Lockhart 46, MacGill 4-18) at Trent Bridge Scorecard Report: Misery keeps on coming as Saltires collapse again – The Herald, Glasgow
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James Hamblin cracked a superb century to help Hampshire II’s to their eighth straight one-day victory in the ECB Second Eleven Trophy, taking them through to the semi-final stage with a 100% record.Hamblin, recently dropped from the Sunday League first team, firmly pushed his case for an instant recall, as he backed up Monday’s 81 against Somerset, with a fine 114.He drove and cut strongly, and shared in a 94 run opening stand with Jimmy Adams (32), and then a 145 run partnership with Will Kendall, as Hampshire posted 297/4 on the excellent Bristol wicket.Kendall, also searching for form, looked to have found some and he batted faultlessly for his 93, before getting out in the final stages trying to launch the ball out of the ground.He was savage on the short ball, and his speed between the wickets really put pressure on the home team, who were a little lacklustre in the field.Gloucestershire took the fight to their opposition though, and were in with a shout of a brilliant victory, as Tim Hancock hit 112, but they ended just twelve runs short, on 286/8.Hancock and James Pearson (62) shared a 120 run stand for the second wicket, but some good bowling kept the required rate climbing, and Lawrence Prittipaul picked up Pearson’s wicket at a vital stage.Chris Tremlett showed his class again, grabbing 2/35, and bowling very well at the death to pile the pressure on, with good support from James Bruce (1/53) and the pacey James Tomlinson, whose 2/45 included the prize wicket of former England all-rounder Mark Alleyne.Hampshire have been runners up in this competition three times in the last four years, and will no doubt be looking to go one step further this year.
He may only have been deputising, and it may be a while before there’s another opportunity to do it, but Marcus Trescothick’s debut as England captain could hardly have gone better. The toss won, a typically positive half century to give England a flying start, and a comprehensive, 70-run win.If anyone had put put it to the Somerset left-hander, 18 months or so ago, that he would spend today captaining England, he might well have doubted their sanity. But such has been the impression Trescothick has made on the team, that he was being touted for the role after the first Ashes Test last summer, less than a year after his first England appearance.In those daunting circumstances (England were already one down against the best side in the world) the selectors were right to opt for the experience of Michael Atherton. Here, though, the situation could hardly have been more different. A series won, weakened opponents, and seniority among the squad’s fully fit members. It was the right time to give it a go, and it worked out handsomely. So after such an encouraging start, does Trescothick want to do it again?”Somewhere down the line I may possibly be interested,” he said. “People have been tipping me for a while that I might take over when Nasser’s gone, but this was just an opportunity to gain experience.”If Nasser is going to carry on for a few years then someone behind him hasto come along and fill the job — but who knows who that is going to be?”It was pretty tough and I didn’t get much sleep last night because I wasgoing over things in my head about how I was going to operate.”But it was good to get the first toss out of the way because we’ve had anightmare with tosses.”Trescothick was also enthusiastic about the performances of some of the younger mebers of the team.”It’s a good time for a few of the younger guys to express themselves,” he said.”That was the whole point of this tour, to give experience to the guys whohave been playing for a bit and also for the young guys who haven’t reallyplayed to get that experience in.”There are pressures in international cricket and you never quite know what’sgoing to come around the corner and we were tested at various points, but therewere some key performances in that.”To win 5-0 is important. We set our stall out to win the series when we camehere but now we’re 4-0 up we’re gunning to win 5-0.”They’re obviously quite down at the moment after losing 11 on the bounce andwe’re on a winning streak and that’s when you have to nail it.”It will be a great encouragement to the England camp that should anyone need to deputise for Nasser Hussain again, they now have someone in the ranks with an emphatic win under his belt.
West Ham will still be monitoring January targets Darwin Nunez and Duvan Zapata as they look to bring in a centre-forward in the summer, according to transfer insider Pete O’Rourke.
The Lowdown: January bids
Hammers fans endured a disappointing wineter transfer window after the east London club failed to sign a single player in January. This was exacerbated by their need for an attacker, with Michail Antonio being the only senior striker at David Moyes’ disposal.
As reported by The Evening Standard, the Irons had a club-record £60m bid rejected by Benfica for Nunez. It was claimed that the 22-year-old was waiting on a move to a Champions League club, thus making it difficult to entice him to the London Stadium.
After their failed Nunez bid, West Ham made a last-ditch attempt to sign Atalanta striker Duvan Zapata on deadline day. It was reported that the Hammers submitted a deal sheet to the Premier League, but they failed to get the loan move over the line before the transfer window shut.
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The Latest: O’Rourke’s update
Despite their unsuccessful transfer attempts in January, O’Rourke has claimed that West Ham will still be monitoring the pair ahead of the summer window.
Speaking to GiveMeSport, he said: “They tried to sign both players in the January transfer window but just ran out of time to try and get those deals done and were maybe priced out of it by the respective two clubs of Benfica and Atalanta.
“So, I’m sure they still remain on West Ham’s radar, and they’ll be continuing to keep tabs on them.”
The Verdict: A striker is essential
Whilst Antonio has been in fine form at certain points this season, having scored four goals in the Hammers’ opening three Premier League games, he has also seemed fatigued, which is understandable due to his lack of rotation.
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As a result, the 31-year-old has been unable to find the net in his last eight league games. This has not come at a good time for the Irons, as a top-four finish is slowly slipping from Moyes’ grasp, with a lack of goals partially to blame for their recent drop-off.
Therefore, it is essential that GSB secure at least one striker in the summer; if they can get either (or even both) of Zapata or Nunez in at the London Stadium, it should greatly reduce the over-reliance on Antonio to score consistently.
In other news: Roshane Thomas has revealed details of a fresh injury setback for West Ham
Several of Australia’s Test cricketers will be made available for Big Bash League matches between the first and second Tests against West Indies, Cricket Australia has confirmed.The BBL begins on December 17 and some of Australia’s Test cricketers will be available for at least the first four days of the Twenty20 tournament, given the lengthy gap between Tests. The first Test against West Indies will be played in Hobart from December 10 to 14, and there is then a 10-day break before the Boxing Day Test at the MCG.However, the Test fast bowlers will not take part in the BBL matches and opening batsman David Warner, who is yet to sign with a team for this season, will sit out to spend time with his pregnant wife Candice. Allrounder Mitchell Marsh’s availability is yet to be decided, with his workload in the coming Tests likely to determine if he will play in the BBL during that period.Steven Smith, Joe Burns, Peter Nevill, Nathan Lyon and, fitness pending, Usman Khawaja, will be available from December 17 to 20. There is also a possibility the Perth Scorchers players in the Test squad – Adam Voges, Shaun Marsh and Mitchell Marsh – will be made available for their team’s first game on December 21.The Test players will gather in Melbourne on December 22 ahead of the Boxing Day Test.
Shane Warne is considering applying for a German passport so he can play county cricket as a non-overseas player next year. Warne’s mother was born in Germany and he is planning to investigate the matter further during the English winter.If Warne was to follow the German route he would probably have to lose his Australian passport as dual citizenship is not allowed under German law. Next season counties will be allowed a single overseas player instead of two.”My Mum was German,” Warne told the . “She came over to Australia when she was, I think, four or five. With only one overseas [player] next year, it’s something we’re looking at.””I’ve sat down with Shane and had a long discussion with him and he went away from the meeting quite happy with the idea,” the Hampshire chairman Rod Bransgrove told the . “It is theoretically possible once Shane receives his German passport that we would then register him as a local, and not an import, allowing my county to recruit in effect a second overseas player.”He’s given me and my county board an undertaking that he will pursue the matter over the winter. But rest assured even when he gets it, you’ll never be able to take the Australian out of Shane Warne.”However, a spokesman for Warne told the : “It is a bit of a joke. Shane is very, very, very, happy as an Australian. In all seriousness, I have never had a conversation with him before about becoming a German.”
Sussex surged to their second Championship title before lunch on the third day at Trent Bridge, led by Mushtaq Ahmed’s magic career-best haul of 9 for 48 which carried him past the 100-wicket mark. For a moment Mushtaq threatened to take all ten, but that was about the only honour that eluded a Sussex player.Mushtaq, though, was quick to turn the attention away from his performance: “It’s not an individual game it’s a team game and you can’t win things on your own. We are a united team and credit goes to everyone.”The bowling and batting has been so good, Jason Lewry has taken wickets, James Kirtley has bowled well. I can name everyone from the management point of view to the supporters – this is a family club and everyone plays for each other.”We had good plans and we had belief and it paid off. I would like to thank the Sussex staff and all my team-mates, they are about me like a family.Chris Adams praised his side’s efforts over a long season and said the title was nothing less than they deserved. “It’s a magnificent feeling to do the double. 2006 is Sussex’s year, we’ve won it because we were the best team.”It was hard because it has come down to the wire. Notts are a good side and to break them down was tough. In the end it came down to a good toss, which we won, the Richard Montgomerie and Michael Yardy battled brilliantly on the first day when we were nervous then Mushtaq did the rest.”Bad light and drizzle delayed the start by 45 minutes, but there was so much time remaining that all it did was keep the champagne on ice for a few moments longer. Once play started, the ball went straight to Mushtaq, although he took a few overs to crank his weary body into gear. The end of the season has been a battle of mind of matter for Mushtaq.He was helped along the way by some shocking stokeplay from a disinterested homeside. David Hussey failed to pick a googly – certainly not the first – but Samit Patel’s slog across the line was an insult to his tag of professional cricketer.Mushtaq had six wickets in six overs and the prospect of a 10-for was looming. James Kirtley put an end to that dream when he brought one back into Paul Franks.No one, though, was going to deny Mushtaq a century and when Ryan Sidebottom missed a sweep the Sussex team converged to celebrate the masterful legspinner. It is the second time in four seasons he has taken 100 wickets, following his haul in the previous Championship-winning campaign of 2003.Mushtaq duly wrapped up the tail by trapping Mark Ealham and Andy Harris in front to spark the celebrations. Sussex closed for a team huddle before Mushtaq lead them off, arms aloft.Moments before getting his hands on the trophy, Adams made special mention of their coach Mark Robinson: “The team go out there and get the trophies and medals, but there are a huge number of people working off the field to help us and they deserve it just as much.”
Nottinghamshire 336 beat Gloucestershire 103 (Kadeer Ali 55*, Ealham 5-31) and 169 (Lewis 55, Ealham 4-44) by an innings and 64 runs Scorecard Points Table
Gloucestershire produced one of the truly abject performances of the summer, losing 20 wickets in 72 overs and gifting title-chasing Nottinghamshire an innings victory inside two days. Their relegation confirmed last week, Gloucestershire did not even appear to be able to play for pride. Their misery was completed when they were docked 1.5 points for a slow over-rate.Mark Ealham did most of the damage, grabbing 5 for 31 before lunch and adding another four second time round, taking him past 50 wickets in a season for the first time. Only Kadeer Ali offered anything other than token resistence in the morning, carrying his bat for a dogged 55, and as the last rites were being read, Jon Lewis smacked 55 off 26 balls.A deflated Mark Alleyne, Gloucestershire’s coach, said: “As much as you try and motivate yourself and the players, it doesn’t work like that. People need something more precious to play for than pride and it wasn’t enough.”Nottinghamshire extended their lead at the top of Division One to 24 points, but they have a hard run-in with games at Kent and, in what could be a title decider, second-placed Hampshire.”We’ve got the only two teams who have beaten us left to play,” said Mick Newell, Nottinghamshire’s director of cricket. “But we’re in front and so we’ll be happy if it rains now for two weeks.”
Sourav Ganguly took heart from the fact that India hadn’t played to their strengths, and yet managed to reach the Asia Cup final, as he looked ahead to tomorrow’s decisive encounter against Sri Lanka. “This tournament hasn’t seen the best of us,” he admitted, adding that he preferred to play to India’s strengths rather than focus on any perceived Sri Lankan frailty.India’s only reverse in an Asia Cup final came against Sri Lanka seven years ago, on this very ground, and that’s a piece of history that Ganguly and his men won’t want to recreate on Sunday. As it is, doubts linger about this talented team’s ability to deliver when it matters, with 13 defeats and only a solitary victory (NatWest Trophy, 2002) in the last 18 finals that they have contested. “It’s a new game tomorrow,” said Ganguly. “Sri Lanka are hard to beat at home, but we won the last game, and we’ve also won here before. The conditions are pretty similar to what we’re used to.”To be fair, the four most recent losses in grand finals have come against an Australian team that continues to set new standards in the one-day game. But with one-day cricket being a batsman’s game, and India possessing such an awesome line-up, it has to be asked why potential hasn’t always translated itself into performance.Things haven’t really fallen into place here either. Ganguly put it down to early-season rust. “Sehwag, myself and Yuvraj all made big contributions the other day,” he said. “It will happen that not all the batsmen score runs in a given match. It’s up to the two or three that get in to go on and make big runs.”And though most teams have treated this as a curtain-raiser for their season, there’s plenty at stake in this final. After being outmanoeuvred and outplayed by Arjuna Ranatunga’s brilliant side in the latter half of the `90s, India have recently reasserted themselves in this rivalry, winning seven of the last 12 games. Most of those victories have been engineered by the batsmen, who have made light of the experience and ability of Muttiah Muralitharan and Chaminda Vaas to post some mammoth totals.With the toss sure to be vital – teams batting first have won 25 times in 39 games played under lights at the Premadasa – it could once again be a direct tussle between India’s batsmen and Sri Lanka’s bowlers. Though Sri Lanka have some talented batsmen of their own, there is a perception, somewhat justified by recent performances, that they rely too much on Sanath Jayasuriya’s explosive ability at the top of the order.Ganguly hinted that the team would be prepared for Jayasuriya’s assault. “He scores runs against us, but if we get him out, their run-rate is usually not as good,” he said. “In the last game, he survived a close lbw appeal against Zaheer, and I also made the mistake of taking the slips out early.”But while the Indians respected Jayasuriya’s ability as a game-breaker, Ganguly wasn’t unduly concerned about the toss. “It’s a good track,” he said. “Pitches for finals are generally prepared with more attention.” He also suggested that India’s team composition would depend on the state of the pitch.The vexing question is whether to go in with three pace bowlers and one spinner, or to retain both Anil Kumble and Harbhajan Singh. The two-spinner ploy will most likely be employed, since Lakshmipathy Balaji has been in wretched form with the ball in the tournament. Ashish Nehra hasn’t, but his cause isn’t helped by being the third-choice left-arm seamer in a team unlikely to ever play all three.If the surface was likely to aid the seamers, Ganguly said that he would even consider playing all three left-arm pace bowlers. “That’s been on our minds,” he admitted, before adding, “but if the pitch is as dry as the last game, probably not.”India have only Kumble to match Murali and Vaas in the experience stakes, but Zaheer Khan and Harbhajan have been around long enough to be considered seasoned campaigners. And that’s not to forget Irfan Pathan, who bowls with a composure and skill that suggests he has been around for years, rather than mere months.Unless they have a really bad day, or Jayasuriya has a particularly good one – and there have been a fair few of those against India – it’s unlikely that Sri Lanka will run riot with the bat, especially on a sluggish pitch that doesn’t suit strokemakers like Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara.Though no Indian batsman has hit the high notes in this tournament, they will be heartened by the fact that they have managed to put runs on the board, except against Pakistan, without being at anything like their best. Ganguly has shown the way with a couple of innings that were gritty rather than typically fluid, while Sehwag, Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid and Yuvraj have also chipped in with sizeable knocks. For the final, they will be further bolstered by the inclusion of VVS Laxman, hundred-maker for fun against Australia, but less prolific against sides comprising mere mortals.India didn’t blink when faced with disaster, in the form of a rampaging Jayasuriya, in the previous game against Sri Lanka. Similar fortitude will be required on Sunday, as they take on a confident home side in front of a noisy capacity crowd. You sense that it might just come to a boil for India in the humidity and heat of Colombo. After all, just how many times can a team play bridesmaid without wanting to wear the trousseau itself?