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Pakistan have notched up yet another victory, beating South Africa by 61 runs in a 2002 Blind World Cup league match at Chennai. Wicketkeeper Tariq Samuel, who made an unbeaten century, was the man who scripted the win for his team.In the morning, Samuel made 131 off 119 balls after South Africa put his team in. Middle-order bat Ashraf Bhatti was the other major scorer with a 42 as Pakistan posted a mammoth 301/8 in their 40 overs.It was always going to be a daunting task for South Africa from then on. With opener Em Conradie making 70 and NA Meyer making 47, their team though made an effort. But once the duo were dismissed, the South African challenge floundered.Pakistan, then, were rewarded with five points (one bonus) for the win.

The thinking bowler’s ball of the day
James Anderson’s first wicket, bowling Aaron Redmond with anoutswinging yorker, was a good nut to begin with. His second, though,demonstrated there lurks some grey matter underneath his attentivelypreened hairstyle. In bounced Brendon McCullum, swishing wildly atanother outswinger. Anderson changed his tactic later in the over,going wider of the crease and angling it into McCullum’s pads. Another beautiful outswinger greeted McCullum, who played with concrete feet, and his off stumpjoined Redmond’s in being pinned back and England had their second. Smart cricket from a bowler not often credited as much of a thinker.Wicketkeeper’s gaffe of the day
With England resuming on 273 for 7, under humid and overcastconditions, there was not a great deal of hope that the tail would wagand extend England beyond 300. And yet, Stuart Broad and Anderson managed just that, with a frustrating eighth-wicketpartnership of 76. Broad, who stroked a wonderfully composed maidenfifty, ought to have been taken at second slip on 21 byMcCullum, whose injured back has prevented him taking thewicketkeeper’s gloves. Even those who make this game look ridiculouslyeasy have klutzy moments, McCullum clanging a sitter, and England -Broad in particular – dominated the session, and then the day.Classy shot of the morning
Extra-tall cricketers are not often described as languid at thecrease. Their gangly frames and lumbering approach to anything thatresembles running can make them resemble a giraffe escaping a lion on hotcoals, but Broad – who towers at 6ft 8in – is entirely different.Plenty of ability and technique has been in evidence inhis short career, but it was his class that shone most brightly today.A silky stroke through the off-side off Iain O’Brien oozed class;another off the same bowler, slightly squarer of the wicket, was timedeven more sweetly. These were shots of an assured batsman, possiblyEngland’s future No. 6, and he took O’Brien for another four – the mostlanguid of all – guiding him through extra cover. After flickingDaniel Vettori through midwicket to bring up his maiden fifty, it tookan excellent off-cutter from the luckless Chris Martin to dismiss him,and the crowd’s ovation suggested the public have found themselves afuture hero.Shades of The Oval of the day
In the 18th over of New Zealand’s first innings, Steve Bucknor tookthe ball midway through Broad’s over and had a close look atit. Ball changes are usually prompted by turf-kicking bowlers who have0 for 60 from 12 overs against their name, or a wise captain. In fact,Vettori and Michael Vaughan have both pressured the umpiresinto changing the non-swinging 2008 Dukes ball, replacing it as oftenas they can with last year’s far bendier batch. Today, though, it wasBucknor who instigated the swap, handing it to his colleague DarrellHair. In a hark back to the dark days at The Oval two years ago, everycamera around the ground zoomed inquisitively and instantly intoHair’s hands, which lifted the ball up to inspect it. No penalty runsthis time, though. It was nothing less than an innocent andout-of-shape ball, and the cameras slunk back to their customarypositions.Explosive Chinese whisper of the day
During the first hour of the day, as Broad and Anderson defied NewZealand’s bowlers, an explosion around the back of the William Clarkestand could be heard. An ambulance and fire engine were summoned, andit later emerged that a fire extinguisher had fallen off its hookand exploded. Unfortunately for one of the staff standing nearby thestoreroom, the door was blown off its hinges, apparently snapping her wrist inthe process while others were treated for shock. It was laterconfirmed by Nottinghamshire that the fire extinguisher was in fact apaint canister, and the broken wrist was nothing more than a “minorinjury”.Apathetic moment of the day
Stewards and groundstaff are always an interesting bunch to talk to atthe cricket. And for a job which demands you watch cricket for fivevery long days, in between delays for rain and antiquated rests forcups of tea, some knowledge of the game would surely be a prerequisite.Not so for two such security guards who were engrossed in aconversation about its rules. “When do the other guys get to bat?”asked the first. “Tomorrow I think. They swap over or something.” Whencricket’s wonderfully bonkers rules were explained to them, theirdisinterest grew even further, wondering quite how they would survivethree more dull days of “people running about aimlessly”.

Clinching the series via the short route against this sadlyemaciated West Indian side was always on the cards and whilecongratulations are in order for Sourav Ganguly and his men forwrapping up the series in double quick time, there can be littlejoy in romping home against weak opposition.The true essence of sport lies in a strong challenge and stiffcompetition. Batsmen cherish runs made against strong bowling andbowlers remember the wickets taken when confronted by formidablebatsmen. Because of the one-sided results in the two Tests, thistrue essence is lacking. In sport, there are few things worsethan a lop-sided contest but then the disparity between the sidesis so sharp that India going two up after two Tests hardly raisesany excitement. It’s really as easy as taking candy from a babyand there is nothing to suggest that the result will not be aclean sweep after the final Test at Kolkata.Surely, this is not just the weakest West Indian side to come toIndia but also one of the weakest ever to visit these shores. Thebatting is pathetic, the bowling mediocre and the fieldingshabby. There is a noticeable lack of fighting spirit.Psychologically, the West Indians are a beaten side even as theytake the field. It is not a happy augury when on the eve of aTest, only the margin of defeat and when that defeat will comeabout is being freely discussed. From the competitive angle, ithas really been a poor series, probably next only to the 1993-94contest against Sri Lanka when the tourists lost all three Testsby an innings.How much pleasure will the Indian batsmen gain on getting runsagainst sub-standard bowling? And how much joy will the Indianbowlers experience in taking wickets against mediocre batting?Yes, their career averages will receive a tremendous boost butthat’s about all that can be said.There is little cheer in watching or even playing in matchesthat result in two straight defeats, each with over a day tospare, one by an innings and the other by eight wickets. This isthe depressing background against which the West Indians preparefor battle at the Eden Gardens. And for both the players and thespectators, the prospect is as invigorating as flat beer.Amidst the sense of satisfaction – it can be little else – overIndia emerging victorious in one more home rubber, the overriding feeling is one of feeling sorry for West Indian cricket.Even when they experienced a decline in the past, like when thegreat team built by Frank Worrell in the sixties broke up at theend of decade, the period spent in the doldrums was not extendedand the defeats were not as heavy as the sides under Brian Lara,Courtney Walsh and Carl Hooper are enduring.In the seventies, after a few years of rebuilding, the WestIndies were back where they belonged – at the top of the heap -where they stayed for over a decade and a half, in the processbecoming one of the greatest teams of all time.This time, the decline started in the mid-90s and the graph hasjust maintained its downward drop to an alarming degree. Thedecline is particularly pronounced away from home, symbolised bythe fact that the defeat in Chennai was their 25th in 29 Testsaway from the Caribbean in five years. On the sub-continent, theyare heading for another embarrassing rout, having alreadysuffered 3-0 clean sweeps against Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

The Indians will undoubtedly be happy taking whatever comes theirway. A victory is a victory against any opposition and in therecord books this is another series triumph against the WestIndies – their third in all and the second at home. The batsmenhave made the runs, the bowlers have taken the wickets andParthiv Patel has taken another step towards becoming the longterm solution to India’s wicketkeeping problems. So now havingunderlined their overwhelming superiority over the haplessopposition, isn’t it time to experiment?Ideally this is indeed the time to blood a couple of newcomerswithout doing too much damage to the team’s prospects. In thelong term, it could serve Indian cricket better. One remembershow a then relatively unknown 17-year-old off spinner namedHarbhajan Singh was blooded for the final Test against Australiaat Bangalore in 1998 after India had gained a winning 2-0 lead inthe series. Will the selectors show the same adventurous spiritagain?

Most cricketers go through their entire lives without claiming a hatrick – they are a bowlers holy grail, rarer than a hole-in-one.Subiaco-Floreat fast bowler Gavin Swan obviously doesn’t subscribe to that notion as he has taken two in two weeks.The big right-armer claimed his first hatrick against Fremantle in round three of the SunSmart Cup and backed up with another in round five against South Perth.This was only the second time a bowler has taken two hatricks in a season in Perth first-grade history, the season of 1932-33 was the last time it happened.In a further twist both hatricks came about in identical circumstances with the first batsman of each hatrick being caught at second slip by Steven Glew and the other two being LBW’s.Swan, 31, had never taken a hatrick in any form of cricket before the Fremantle match and was not even nervous as lined up for his second in as many weeks.”I just thought it wasn’t going to happen,” the ex-state cricketer said.”I just told the boys to stand where they liked, they went particularly crazy after�I took the second one.”Swan is no stranger to setting precedents, he has been a powerhouse in the first-grade seen for a decade.He took a club record 9/23 against Mt Lawley in 1999-00 (the eighth best bowling figures in Perth first-grade history) and see’s no reason to hang up the boots any time soon.”I really enjoy it down at Subiaco-Floreat.”The boys all get along together, as long as�I keep enjoying it I’ll keep playing,” he said.

Hampshire captain Robin Smith is the only noticeable absentee from the Hawks 12 that travels to Lord’s for the Norwich Union League Division Two clash with Middlesex Crusaders on Bank Holiday Tuesday.He has an Achilles heal problem which has been concerning him for some time, and has decided to rest it rather than put it through the exertions of a one-day match. Will Kendall will lead the side in his absence.James Hamblin is recalled and will resume his pinch-hitting role at the top of the innings, while the eleventh place is likely to be between Laurie Prittipaul and Chris Tremlett, depending on the surface at cricket’s HQ.Hampshire Hawks squad: Neil Johnson, James Hamblin, Derek Kenway, John Crawley, Giles White, Will Kendall (capt), Nic Pothas (w-k), Dimitri Mascarenhas, Shaun Udal, Lawrence Prittipaul, Chris Tremlett, Alan Mullally.

On a seamer-friendly surface at New Road, Worcestershire Royals must fancy their chances of extending their lead in Division One of the Norwich Union League after posting 202 in their 45 overs against Glamorgan Dragons.After recent rain had given the ground staff scant time to prepare the wicket, Steve James was happy to send the Royals in on winning the toss. Although ten runs came off Andrew Davies in the first over, pickings were never easy on a track that offered constant encouragement to the Dragons’ pace attack.Vikram Solanki, after two attractive boundaries, was caught in the gully cutting at Davies, and Graeme Hick also took a brace of fours before he was taken at first slip driving at Owen Parkin. Mark Wallace then held a skier from Stephen Peters, attempting an horrible paddle to leg.That heralded the best partnership of the innings, between the Norwich Union’s batting star of the season so far, Ben Smith, and Shane Lee, playing his first match since arriving from Australia to replace Andy Bichel as the Royals’ overseas player. Lee (41 off 50 balls) was particularly severe on Robert Croft, the Dragons’ most expensive bowler.It ended when Smith was yorked by Davies for 25 to start a flurry of wickets. Lee was lbw walking across a straight ball from Dale, who took his third wicket when Rhodes failed to clear short fine leg. Batty did well to touch a ball that seamed and bounced, and Mike Powell brilliantly caught Leatherdale at mid-wicket, two-handed diving to his left.At 155 for seven the Dragons were hardly fired up, but Kabir Ali managed 17, including six as Croft toppled into an advertising hoarding while holding a brilliant catch at long-off. Ali was run out, slow to answer a call for a second from Stuart Lampitt, who also made a handy contribution as the Royals eventually squeezed past 200.

Central Districts will be holding interviews on Monday to decide on their coach for next summer.The position became vacant at the end of the recent season when Dipak Patel announced he would no longer available.Incumbent CD coaching director Mark Greatbatch and former England Test player Graham Barlow are the two interviewees for the job.Greatbatch, the former New Zealand international with 41 Tests behind him, has been involved in coaching with CD since his retirement in 1998 and this year was the coach of the New Zealand Under-19 team at the ICC Under-19 World Cup held in New Zealand.Barlow, who now lives in New Plymouth having moved to New Zealand from South Africa where he coached Border and Western Province B, as well as being head coach of the Eastern Province Academy has been used extensively for coaching in the Taranaki region over the past summer.

The XXXX Queensland Bulls have named rookie right-hand opener DanielPayne to replace Australian One Day player Jimmy Maher for this week’scritical Pura Cup clash against Victoria at the Gabba.Payne, 23, is in his first season with the Queensland Academy of Sportsquad after impressing in the past two seasons for Redlands in theBrisbane club competition.He and left-arm spinner Matthew Anderson come into the Bulls squad forthe Bushrangers match which starts on Wednesday at the Gabba.Queensland need a minimum of first innings points to ensure they hostthe Final, with Tasmania, Western Australia and South Australia allvying for a berth in the decider.Payne, who has scored 540 runs for Redlands in the XXXX First Gradepremiership this season, will be the seventh player to make either hisfirst class or one-day debut for the Bulls this season.A Queensland Primary Schools and Secondary Schools representative, hemade his first grade debut for Gold Coast as a teenager before switchingto Redlands Tigers three seasons ago.He turned out for the QAS team that played matches against New Zealandin October, scoring a brace of half centuries against the Kiwis.Anderson, who was 12th man in the Bulls win over South Australia inAdelaide, replaces Nathan Nauritz who will depart along with Maher andthe rest of the Australia One Day squad on Saturday for South Africa.The Bulls will train tomorrow from 9am at the Gabba while Victoria havescheduled a session for 12.15pm at the Gabba. The Bushrangers are yet toname their team.XXXX Queensland Bulls v Victorian Bushrangers, Wed-Sat, The Gabba:Stuart Law (c), Brendan Nash, Daniel Payne, Martin Love, Andrew Symonds,Lee Carseldine, Wade Seccombe, Ashley Noffke, Michael Kasprowicz, JoeDawes, Scott Brant, Matthew Anderson (12th man to be named).

The organisers behind a professional Twenty20 league in the USA, which is targeted to be launched next summer, are planning to stage matches on artificial wickets.Currently the only ICC-approved ODI standard natural turf wicket in the United States is the Central Broward Regional Park in Lauderhill, Florida. According to Cricket Holdings America chief executive Neil Maxwell, using artificial pitches will open the door to play matches in a number of cities and markets beyond south Florida.”I think one of the fundamental areas that has held people back historically is the concept of playing cricket on turf pitches,” Maxwell told ESPNcricinfo. “I think from our perspective, we’ve got far greater flexibility because we’re going to play on artificial surfaces predominantly for the Twenty20 game and that gives us a broader spectrum of potential venues and sites that we can use.”With the lack of cricketing infrastructure in the United States, spending money to construct new turf wicket stadiums would require significant investment in an unproven market. The league’s first season is tentatively set to take place over three to four weeks in June and July of 2013 and the cost to maintain a turf facility if left unused for 11 months could also prove to be expensive and inefficient. Maxwell says artificial pitches are a better option to get the league underway.”The biggest hurdle to try and stage major cricket matches is the cost and ongoing maintenance of turf pitches,” Maxwell said. “For the Twenty20 product where really you’re coming to see the ball struck to the boundary as often as possible, the bowlers are given some encouragement, but the main thing is going to be regular bounce and give them player safety and we think that’s going to be the best solution for it. The advancement in technology of these things is phenomenal, even in the last five years.”In June, West Indies made their highest score in Twenty20 Internationals when they posted 209 for 2 against New Zealand on a placid wicket in Florida. The innings featured explosive shot-making from Chris Gayle and Kieron Pollard, the kind that may be appealing to the casual American sports fan as well as the hardcore cricket fan. However, there are still lingering memories in Lauderhill of the dreadful pitch produced in 2010 which resulted in first innings totals of 120 for 7 and 81 all out when Sri Lanka took on New Zealand. Maxwell says it isn’t worth the risk to invest in turf pitches because if they aren’t prepared and maintained properly, it could have a dramatically negative effect on the on-field product.”I think cricket needs to have a look at itself,” Maxwell said. “We’ve got a 200-year-old product that’s based around something 200 years ago. A lot of major sports have moved to artificial surfaces. I think the beauty of the United States is that we’re starting with a blank canvas pretty much in respect to cricket history and tradition. Yes, we acknowledge the first internationals in 1844, but when you’re looking at a contemporary product of Twenty20 cricket we’re starting with a blank canvas. We have a reasonably well-educated core market, but it’s a small market. What we want to do is broaden this game to mainstream America as quickly as possible.”We can either approach that from a traditionalist’s point of view and invest millions of dollars into turf pitches and then try and guarantee that they’re going to be at the appropriate level for every game. Or we can go with a product that will allow the game to expand and develop within the country quickly because you’ll be able to provide pitches at a fraction of the cost to the market that might want to choose to play cricket. I think artificial pitches will become the norm for Twenty20 cricket in 10-15 years.”Reports have suggested that Cricket Holdings America is looking to have at least two of the league’s original six franchises to be based in New York and San Francisco. With sizeable South Asian and West Indian immigrant populations to tap into, those communities will be key to having good attendance figures at matches but Maxwell hopes to draw in other spectators by creating a vibrant atmosphere inside the stadium beyond the action out in the middle.”This is very much about entertainment,” Maxwell said. “This is about finding a way to appeal to mainstream America which might not be specifically through the game of cricket but through an entertainment product that will be exciting to a broad market segment.”

A distinctly below-par performance from Boland on the opening day of this Supersport Series Super Eight game against Eastern Province may not prove terminal to their chances of making an appearance in the final at the end of the month, but it left acres of room for improvement.On a day which featured one of cricket’s more bizarre interruptions ofplay, Boland were bowled out for just 236 by a determined and disciplinedbowling effort from the Jumbos, all the more impressive as it came with themercury climbing towards forty degrees in the Winelands. By the close,Eastern Province had moved to 21 without loss.A good start from EP, in which both openers were removed with just 31 onthe board, was overshadowed by Mornantau Hayward’s first official warningfor running on the pitch in his follow through. Hayward was convinced therewas something amiss in the alignment of the stumps at either end, and whenthe man who replaced him, Murray Creed, was similarly admonished, he seemedto have a case.A ten-minute delay while the groundsman brought out the tape measuredecided the matter in Hayward’s favour, the stumps found to be fully fivecentimetres off centre. This was not enough to concern umpire Barry Lambson,who considered the discrepancy ‘negligible’ and play duly recommenced.While only Louis Koen (50) and Jonathan Trott (74) ever gained afoothold at the crease, Hayward continued to struggle, eventually orderedfrom the attack after a second and final warning proved insufficient for aman who has looked a ghostly replica of the fearsome strike bowler only lastyear considered a genuine – and genuinely exciting – replacement for AllanDonald.He did, however, have the last laugh over poor Trott, who glanced adelivery speared well down the leg side into the gloves of the diving WayneMurray behind the stumps. Trott has yet to score a first-class hundred, andhis emotional reaction to such a soft dismissal spoke eloquently of hisfrustration.The temperatures are due to soar again on Friday, which looks set to bea long, sweltering day in the field for the home side. They need somethingspecial – it certainly never happened on day one.