Afghanistan were facing innings defeat after Mardan sentthem on a leather chase on the first day of the two-dayQuaid-i-Azam Trophy Grade-II match at Gymkhana ground inPeshawar.Batting first, Mardan rattled up 382 for five and then leftAfghanistan tottering at 96 for eight in 30 overs.Mardan opener Sajjad Ahmad slammed a 150-ball 126 andfeatured in a 81-run opening stand with Nair Zada who scored27. But the innings got the real impetus from Adnan Raeeswho hammered an undefeated 61-ball 101.Allah Dad, who has been the most productive Afghanistanbowler, suffered the most when he went for 107 runs from his18.2 wicketless overs. Daulat Khan snapped up three wicketsfor 64 runs from seven overs.When Afghanistan batted, they were left guessing by Noor-ul-Amin who picked up four wickets for 25 runs. Adnan Raeesbagged two for 14.Alam Khan was fighting a lost battle when he was 38 not outat stumps. Daulat Khan (21) and Asif Hashmi (11) were theother batsmen to reach double figures.In the last round matches in Pool A Group I, Larkana scored286 for nine against Jacobabad who finished the day at 64for one at the Asghar Ali Stadium.At the Nawabshah Cricket Stadium, Nawabshah were dismissedfor 203 in 60.5 overs by Shikarpur who ended the day at 89for four.In Peshawar, Abdul Salam’s unbeaten knock of 111 helped Fatato 293 for five against Abbottabad at Arbab Niaz CricketStadium.In reply, Abbottabad were 80 for five in 23 overs.

Australian captain Steve Waugh has today defended match referee Mike Denness’ decision to fine and place a suspended Test ban on Indian star Sachin Tendulkar.Speaking on the eve of the Second Test against New Zealand in Hobart, Waugh declared his support for all initiatives aimed at freeing the sport from on-field misconduct. Misconduct, he said, which clearly extended to include altering the condition of the ball.”If he’s picked the seam, then he’s got to pay the penalty just like everyone else,” said Waugh of Tendulkar’s appearance before Denness during this week’s highly-charged Second Test between South Africa and India in Port Elizabeth.”There shouldn’t be any favours just because of your reputation or the way you play the game.”If you do something wrong then you’ve got to get pulled up for it.”After viewing footage of an incident on the third day of play in the Port Elizabeth Test, Denness imposed a one-match ban on Tendulkar – suspending the penalty until the end of the year – and also fined the star Indian batsman 75% of his match fee.Five other Indian players – including captain Sourav Ganguly and star spin bowler Harbhajan Singh – were also heavily punished for other breaches of the code of conduct, primarily for excessive appealing.They were decisions which sparked outrage among officials, commentators and fans across India, as well as a number of the country’s past and present players.But Waugh vowed that stricter sanctions for such practices were long overdue.”I think it’s been going on too long,” he said, in reference to ball tampering.”It’s about time people started paying the penalty.”More consistency is what we’re after, and that’s what (the International Cricket Council) is trying to do. If someone does something wrong, they’re going to be penalised.”We’re looking for consistency … and if they give you that, then you know where you stand. If you go the wrong side of the line, you know you’re going to get penalised. As long as they’re consistent, then that’s fine by the players.”Waugh conceded that it was his own players’ custom not to walk after knowingly being dismissed, but claimed a “tough but fair” approach should prevail among all teams.”We made a conscious effort from last year to accept every decision. If you’re given out when it’s not out, then bad luck. If you’re given not out when it’s out, then it’s your good luck.”But you accept all decisions.”Asked to clarify the reason why altering the state of the ball should be seen as such a sin, Waugh was quickly on to the front foot.”I wouldn’t mind my bat being a bit wider as well,” he quipped.”There’s a ball and a bat there and it’s a contest. If you alter either of those, then you shouldn’t be playing.”

Gloucestershire have given their squad a major boost with the signing of New Zealand opening batsman Craig Spearman on a two-year contract.Spearman, 29, has played in 19 Tests and 51 one-day internationals. He will be able to play alongside Australian all-rounder Ian Harvey at Gloucestershire since he holds a British passport, courtesy of his Welsh mother.Gloucestershire have been chasing a proven top-order batsman for some while and they can thank a change in the eligibility rules for Spearman’s arrival in Bristol.Auckland-born Spearman, who has spent the past five years playing for Central Districts, explained: “I came to England in July with the intention of starting a career outside cricket.”I recently completed a degree in business studies and finance, but the events of September 11 have meant that the banking industry is a little gloomy at the moment.”I found out that the eligibility rules have changed for me to play cricket over here and I have qualified quite fortuitously.”The rules state that I must not have played international or first-class cricket in the 12 months before the English season starts next April and my last game was in March.”I told New Zealand officials earlier this year that I was going to the UK and not coming back. I wasn’t sure I would be playing any cricket, so this will be like starting my career over again.”One of the major reasons for Spearman’s arrival at Gloucestershire is the presence of John Bracewell, the county’s director of cricket and former New Zealand Test spinner.Spearman said: “When John finished playing, he started coaching in Auckland. I played in the 16, 18 and 20 age group sides under him and then I was part of the Auckland team when he took charge of that.”I know John quite well and I know his style and desire to succeed. I have a background of some experience and I’m looking forward to helping Gloucestershire.”Spearman has a first-class average of 36 and, in Test cricket, has scored 923 runs at just over 26 per innings. His one century came against Zimbabwe.Gloucestershire captain Mark Alleyne said: “We want Craig as an opener and he will fit in well with what we want to achieve. Anyone who has played 70 times for their country will bring with him a wealth of experience.”He is pretty much in our mould. He hits the ball well and is not scared to get on with it when needs be.”

John Wright is in a situation that cannot be envied for the best part. He is the coach of a cricket team that plumbs the depths of despair with alarming regularity despite having some of the most audacious talents in its ranks. The team apart, in the eyes of millions of cricket crazy fans he is answerable for every Indian loss. Only recently, Wright completed a year as coach of the Indian team. Rumours that his contract would not be extended began doing the rounds. Wright however, in his inimitable softspoken manner, appears unworried. “I do the best job I can and hope it transmits through the performance of the team,” said the former Kiwi skipper and opening bat to pressmen at Ahmedabad on the eve of the second Test at Ahmedabad.Not days ago, Wright met with Jagmohan Dalmiya, president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). Wright’s detractors have long felt that Dalmiya’s election as BCCI chief would spell the end of his tenure as Indian coach. “I had a constructive discussion with Jagmohan Dalmiya. It’s always good to talk to the man in charge of Indian cricket,” said Wright. He went on to add, “Accountability is close to the president’s heart and I welcome that.” In appointing a foreign coach, accountability was one of the things the BCCI hoped to bring in.Another sticky area as far as coaches and captains goes is in team selection. In the past, several former Indian cricketers who have coached the team have been at loggerheads with the selectors. Wright insists that he has no such trouble. “In an ideal situation, you need input from everyone. As a captain you would like to have your eleven because when you walk out on to the field of play the final responsibility of leading the team to victory is yours,” he began. “At the same time you need objectivity from the captain and the coach. When you get caught up with playing, you might lose a bit of objectivity and that’s where the selectors can help,” he concluded.Digging on his experience as both cricketer and coach Wright had the following observation to make: “As a person who has led New Zealand for a period of three years I feel that the captain is more important than the coach in the process of team selection. As a coach you can either bide your time or convince the captain of your choices. I am very comfortable having the input of the selectors.”To prove his point, Wright quoted the example of the first Test against England where the inclusion of three uncapped medium pacers caused much consternation. “If you remember, there was a lot of discussion about some of the selections, especially the pace bowlers, during the last Test at Mohali. I am personally excited by the fact that we have unearthed other fast bowling talent.”The encouraging performance of youngsters like Tinu Yohannan prompted Wright to speak about the competition for team places. “Every player is in the same position, having to fight for his place in the side. When there is competition from the outside you don’t want to fail too often and all are under pressure to perform, as it should be. If you notice, Zaheer Khan has taken five wickets in his last first class game and that is good. It acts as a reminder to those who are playing for India.”Going back to a point high on the agenda of the BCCI – accountability, Wright spoke of the role millions of Indian fans play in this regard. “Everyone is accountable and that is a very good thing. We owe it to the people of India who are the greatest cricket fans in the world. No one is bigger than the game and that includes the coach.”In all, Wright seems unworried by events off the field. That is completely new to Indian cricket and it is indeed reassuring that the coach is concentrating on the game.

Most recent attempts at staging cricket matches in Tasmania have been aborted because of rain, but the sun finallyreturned to bless one of its venues today. So did Darren Lehmann, Brad Young and Mark Harrity, though, as the triocombined to lead South Australia’s saunter to an impressive 42-run ING Cup win over the Tigers here in Launceston.As Tasmania chased a Lehmann-inspired target of 227 to win on a testing NTCA Ground pitch, left arm pacemanHarrity and left arm spinner turned fieldsman extraordinaire Young proved its destroyers.When the home team reached 2/54 on the back of a brisk 37-run partnership between Graeme Cunningham (27) andMichael Di Venuto (24), the game was in the balance. But, when Harrity (3/31) fooled each of three batsmen intospooning catches to Young at cover, it was all but over.Harrity and Young had linked forces at the head of a depleted three-man attack that led South Australia to a last-dayPura Cup win earlier in the season at Hobart, and they were now wreaking havoc again.Young had earlier taken a brilliant low catch, sliding with an outstretched right hand at second slip to pluck an edgefrom Jamie Cox (4) at second slip. And a fifth catch in the innings – creating an all-time record for a non-wicketkeeper inAustralian domestic one-day cricket – later arrived as Damien Wright (17) lashed a delivery from Mike Smith (2/26) tomid wicket.Just for good measure, Young (3/29) also struck three times at the bowling crease on a virtuoso afternoon. He wasspringing up like popcorn wherever one looked.”He certainly had a day out,” said South Australian captain Lehmann of Young’s performance.”I’ve never seen anything like that before. And he’s pretty happy about it too.”It was a good win for us. We obviously needed to win to stay in touch with the top two or three (on the table). And itputs us right back up there now after the Vics beat New South Wales today.”Emerging left handers Scott Kremerskothen (42*) and Sean Clingeleffer (23) battled staunchly against the odds forTasmania, even helping their team scramble beyond the indignity of ceding a bonus point. But they were deprived ofsupport as their teammates acquiesced with, rather than stemmed, the Redbacks’ momentum.Earlier, Lehmann (85*) had been in his element – not an atypical development in Tasmania either – in piloting theRedbacks to their eventual total.Upon winning the toss, the visitors were off to a flying start, raising an opening stand of 39 runs inside the first sevenovers with a flurry of drives, pulls and cuts from the bats of Greg Blewett (22) and David Fitzgerald (14).The underrated but ever-consistent Wright (3/32) pegged them back, linking with fellow new ball bowler David Saker(2/46) to trigger a slide that saw four wickets crash with only 12 more added to the total.Lehmann was scratchy early as he mounted the recovery, playing and missing more than once on the two-paced pitchand failing to move his score any further than 3 after the first 26 balls of his innings. But, once his eye was in, he wasimpossible to remove. Albeit that he was increasingly hampered by what he later described as Achilles tendonitis and abruised heel, he was the one batsman to truly master the pitch.While his innings yielded 161 runs less than a clattering hand at Bellerive earlier in the season, these were almost aspriceless.With Nathan Adcock (45), he added an invaluable 90 runs for the fifth wicket, and then a further 51 were raised withYoung (23) for the sixth.The temperature was rising by this stage on a blissful afternoon in Tasmania’s second biggest city and, as it happened,Young was only warming up too. A healthy crowd at the small, tree-lined ground tried its best to offer equivalentinspiration to the home team but watched the Tigers’ batting turn cold.Cox was disappointed in the lack of application shown by his batsmen, and further dejected by the fact that Tasmaniahas now inherited from Victoria the chalice of last place on both domestic competition ladders. Though he added that,on present form, his team doesn’t deserve to be anywhere else.

Pakistan’s 184 all out off 48.3 overs was enough to give them a five-run victory in their first ICC Under-19 World Cup game, against Sri Lanka, at Lincoln No 3 today.Sri Lanka’s reply never gained any momentum after the openers were dismissed within the first three overs of the reply. When Jeewan Mendis lost patience when on 39, scored off 84 balls, Sri Lanka were 97/7, and any chance of victory seemed gone.However, Gamini Chandra Kumara (45) and Dhammika Prasad (24) put on a brave 50 for the ninth wicket to keep the Sri Lankan supporters’ drums, and hearts, beating into the final three overs.A six from Kumara in the penultimate over made the equation six from nine balls, but two deliveries later he tried the same leg side swing and was caught by Asim Butt off the bowling of off spinner Irfan-ud-Din near the rope.Pakistan coach Haroon Rashid told CricInfo: “They had a tough game, but they didn’t lose their nerve. But, I must commend the efforts of the Sri Lankans. They were 118/8 and they fought gallantly which showed they are a good cricketing side.”Mohammad Fayyaz, a 17-year-old all-rounder from Peshawar, who lofted the ball regularly, was alone in reaching 50 in the match, which he scored off 66 balls. In his first innings of the tournament, he hit four fours as well as a six over mid-wicket. He was named man of the match by referee Barry Jarman.Fayaaz’s innings, and some zealous fielding, allied to an outstanding analysis of one for 14 off 10 overs by slow left-armer Kamran Younis were the reasons Pakistan came through, after a hard fought and noisily supported match.He went when attempting a second from a glide to third man. A direct hit from Ferveez Maharoof beat his dive. It was the second unfortunate run out after Kamran Sajid’s (31) hesitancy was his down fall earlier in the innings.Sri Lanka suffered too from run outs, with a slip accounting for Eashan Abeysinghe, who had not faced a ball, and poor calling for Prasad, who had helped Mendis add 39 for Sri Lanka’s fifth wicket.Their wicket-keeper, Charith Sylvester, had earlier taken four catches, to go with his record four catches and four stumpings in a group game against Zimbabwe.Sri Lanka’s right-arm fast bowlers Prasad (four for 30) and Dhammika Niroshan (three for 44) did the damage in Pakistan’s innings.Pakistan coach Rashid’s main concern was with his batsmen, who “are giving us a bit of a problem not giving us a good total on the board.”The former international continued, “this is the only time we are getting good weather, and we have not been able to practice outdoors.”His other worry was that “at this level nobody knows each other and the problem you have is to pick a strategy for each team because the players have never played each other.””Overall it was a good battle,” Rashid concluded. “The future of cricket as a whole is good.”Regarding the forthcoming game with India, Rashid bemoans the fact the teams are not playing at full Test level. “It’s not good for cricket,” he said, adding, “there will be a special feeling for both sides,” when they meet on Thursday.

A lot can happen in 12 months.This time last year, the national team’s form was a thing of wonder. It had just completed an undefeated run through an entire Australian summer; had extended an amazing streak of consecutive Test wins to 15; and a Test series win in India loomed as a likelihood on the impending tour of the subcontinent.And Mark Waugh stood out as a clear favourite for the Allan Border Medal.That Waugh’s potential slice in history actually went his brother’s way instead; that the India series turned expectation on its head; and that the national side now finds itself under challenge from the media rather than the subject of its admiration, adequately paints the tale that nothing is a certainty in Australian cricket.Which is why – even though he’s a standout choice to win the Allan Border Medal in its 2002 incarnation – Queenslander Matthew Hayden’s chances of winning the award shouldn’t ever ascend to unbackable odds.By any measure, Hayden’s last year has been outstanding.He was not only Australia’s leading Test run scorer of 2001, but no player in the world accumulated runs so prolifically. Across the 14 Tests that his nation played between March 2001 and January 2002, the left handed batsman collected an eye-opening 1509 runs in total at the average of 71.86.It was a remarkable assertion of his qualities as a Test cricketer after an unstinting campaign to confirm his abilities in the top flight.Before losing his spot late in the Australian season, the powerful opener also began to make important inroads in the one-day international arena over the last year, complementing his ravenous haul of Test runs with an authoritative limited-overs series in India.Yet, all this being as it is, the presence within national ranks of a range of consistently high-performing players makes Hayden no outright certainty to claim Australian cricket’s highest individual accolade in Melbourne tonight.Representing a particular challenge will be the form of Western Australia’s Damien Martyn. Like Hayden, Martyn used 2001 as the year in which he crowned his re-emergence as an accomplished international player after previous efforts at cementing a permanent Test berth had proved unsuccessful.Martyn was not a part of the eleven that played out the fateful series in India, but gained the nod for the First Test on Australia’s tour of England; marked his return with a century; and never looked back.At a mark of 70.45 over the course of his 11 Tests during the voting period, his average represented only a fractionally less successful return than for Hayden.Adam Gilchrist, whose Test centuries at Mumbai and Edgbaston represented arguably the two most distinguished innings played by an Australian at international level in 2001, should also poll well.The potential of Ricky Ponting, Justin Langer, Michael Bevan, Mark Waugh and Steve Waugh to claim maximum votes from a number of games clouds the issue further.And, if it had not been for a suspension incurred during the recently-completed VB Series of one-day internationals against South Africa and New Zealand, then inaugural winner Glenn McGrath may have been another to challenge.Under the complex system of counting in operation for the award, votes have been cast by players, umpires and members of the media after each of the 14 Tests and 19 one-day internationals played by Australia over the period between 12 February 2001 and 4 February 2002.The individual votes of the players have been combined after each match and a collective 3-2-1 vote has been calculated. The votes of the umpires and the media have also been combined with a collective 3-2-1 vote cast for the group. Under this system, a player can receive a maximum of six votes from any one match.The votes have also been weighted to reflect the notion that fewer Tests have been played over the voting period than one-day internationals. The effect of this provision is to afford both Test and one-day international players equal opportunity to win the medal.When the counting begins – at a glittering black-tie ceremony – Hayden should establish a significant early lead on the back of his remarkable individual Test and one-day series in India.But Martyn and Gilchrist can each be expected to head a charge that will see significant inroads made into that advantage as the votes for the country’s twin one-day and Test tours of England are counted.If any of those three players wins, then they will carve another slice of history for themselves too. Having been awarded to McGrath and Steve Waugh in its two previous years of existence, this may be the year in which the medal heads outside New South Wales for the first time.

An unbeaten 96 from No. 3 Amay Khurasiya guided Central Zone to a comprehensive 91-run win over East Zone in the Deodhar Trophy tie played at Burlton Park, Jalandhar.Central Zone skipper Mohammad Kaif won the toss in the morning and had no hesitation in taking first strike. Jyoti P Yadav made a belligerent start which saw him make 23 off 26 balls with four fours. But fall of regular wickets prevented Central Zone from fully capitalising on it. Their run-rate would have fallen further had it not been for Khurasiya’s steady presence in the middle. The veteran Madhya Pradesh batsman shared useful partnerships with S Raza Ali (55 runs for the fifth wicket) and with D Bundela (67 for the sixth wicket) as Central Zone put up a useful 239 for nine in their 50 overs.When East Zone replied, none of their batsmen could play a similar hand. Skipper Rohan Gavaskar, who made 45, played the only meaningful innings but it was far too brief to be of any significance. Medium-pacer Harvinder Singh and left-arm spinner Murali Kartik, who claimed three wickets each, were the most successful bowlers for Central Zone who claimed five points from the match.

ADELAIDE, Dec 20 AAP – Justin Langer finally capitalised on what he believes is his career-best form to score his first first-class century of the season, handing Western Australia first innings points and control of its Pura Cup match against South Australia at Adelaide Oval today.At the end of day two, the Warriors were 2-299 in their first innings, with Murray Goodwin on 108 and Mike Hussey on nine, holding a first innings lead of 73 after SA was dismissed for 226 in its first innings on day one.The highlight of the day was WA skipper and Australian Test opener Langer’s 164, which included 16 fours and two sixes from 263 balls, and ensures he will head into the fourth Ashes Test, starting at the MCG on Thursday, in absolute top form.While Langer’s performances have been overshadowed by his run-guzzling Test opening partner Matthew Hayden this summer, he said he had been batting better than ever, despite failing to notch a hundred until today.”I’ve got a lot of starts and I’ve been batting probably as well as I have in my whole career,” Langer told reporters.”I said a number of times for the last three or four weeks ‘someone’s going to pay soon’ because I felt like I was due for a really big score.”Batting’s about getting momentum and it doesn’t matter whether you play in a grade game, a Pura Cup game, or a one-day game, if you’re scoring runs the momentum usually goes with you, so I’ll be looking to take that momentum into Boxing Day.”Langer and Goodwin shared a 247-run second-wicket stand, dominated by Langer, which carried WA past SA’s total and was only one run short of the highest second-wicket partnership for WA against SA, scored by Greg Shipperd and Mike Veletta here in 1984/85.It was eventually broken by Paul Rofe in the third over with the second new ball, when Langer got a thin inside edge to keeper Shane Deitz with the total on 267.But by then WA was in command, and Langer said he expected SA would find it difficult to get back into the match on a pitch that is likely to get tougher to bat on.He said young left arm spinner Beau Casson, who took six wickets in the first innings in just his second first-class match, was likely to pose an even bigger threat in the second innings.”We’re in a great position now, I imagine it’s going to get harder and harder to bat on,” Langer said.”We saw it spin in the first innings, so young Beau Casson will be confident and for our other guys it will be a bit up and down, it will be tough to bat on.”In the one bright spot for the Redbacks, 19-year-old debutant paceman Shaun Tait showed promise and captured the wicket of WA opener Chris Rogers for six in the 10th over of the day.The fiery teenager also struck Langer on the shoulder with a short ball during his opening spell.

New Zealand batsman Nathan Astle has withdrawn from his contract withDerbyshire to have knee surgery.Astle, 31, who is New Zealand’s highest-ranked one-day batsman, also holds the world record for the fastest Test double century.Surgeons will operate on a patella tendon injury immediately after the World Cup, which begins in South Africa in less than three weeks’ time. He will need around six months rehabilitation.”It is incredibly frustrating having to say no to Derbyshire but I want to play for New Zealand for another couple of years and I don’t want to jeopardise that,” Astle told the Dominion Post newspaper.”It might get sore at the World Cup but I don’t want to miss that for anything. I think we can manage the problem there with a sensible workload, lots of Voltarins (anti-inflammatory tablets) and just the adrenaline of the occasion.”Astle, who has also played for Nottinghamshire, is contracted to Derbyshirefrom June to September, but the county was aware of his knee problem. Derbyshire may now offer an extended contract to Pakistan’s Shahid Afridi, who is currently contracted for April and May.Astle believes the injury is the result of wear and tear rather than a specific problem. “I’ve played with niggles before but this is a bit different. It gets sore and I get sharp pain in the front of my knee so it obviously needs an op,” he added.