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Sourav Ganguly expressed satisfaction with his team’s performance at the post-match press conference, saying that it was an important match both for the team and himself personally and he was pleased with the result.”We’ve had a tough four or five months and it’s good to come back to our winning ways,” he said. “At one stage yesterday I was worried the game would end in another draw, because the pitch didn’t appear to be giving our spinners much assistance. But I become more confident after that one over that Anil Kumble bowled to Graeme Smith from around the wicket, just before tea [in which Kumble beat Smith repeatedly]. And today our Harbhajan and Kumble did the job for us.”On Kumble equalling Kapil Dev’s Indian record of 434 Test wickets, Ganguly remarked: “It’s an outstanding achievement. And he’ll probably go on to take a lot more wickets. I’ve played international cricket with Anil for ten years, and known him since [our] U-15 days. His determination and his will to succeed have always been impressive.”Ganguly was in a relaxed mood after the win. One of the last questions concerned his two run-ins with the ICC in the last month [he was given a two-match suspension for India’s slow over-rate in the ODI against Pakistan that was subsequently overturned on appeal, and then fined 30 per cent of his match fee after an incident with Jacques Kallis yesterday]. “I’ll have to change my ways now,” said Ganguly. “Otherwise I’ll soon be playing Test matches for free.”Graeme Smith, Ganguly’s opposing number, said that the South Africans had probably lost the match because they had not made enough runs in the first innings. “Our second-innings score was actually quite a good one. If we had made 400 then they wouldn’t have got the lead they did, and that might have left them about 200 to chase, which would’ve been interesting.”Smith also bemoaned the absence of a front-line spinner, saying it was a serious problem that South Africa needed to resolve before they could hope to succeed on the subcontinent. Asked if he was disappointed with the series of losses this year, he said that it was indeed frustrating to keep losing. “But you’ve got to be honest with yourself and the team we’ve got. I think that right now we’re at the same stage as Australia were in the early 1980s when Allan Border took charge of a team that lost often, but gradually built it up into a strong outfit.”Harbhajan Singh, the man of the match, and always an interesting and a relatively unguarded talker, made some intriguing observations in his characteristic style. Praising Kumble’s achievement, he remarked, “Anil is 34 but he still competes as if he is only 20. It’s a great feat.” Harbhajan said that Eden Gardens was among his favourite grounds, as he’d taken a wickets each time he’d played a Test here. Unusually for a member of a tribe of bowlers who always feel themselves hard done by, Harbhajan even agreed that Shaun Pollock was actually not out: “I saw it on TV and it didn’t hit the bat.”Harbhajan was finally asked if he felt that he sometimes got too pumped up on the field, and let his emotions get the better of him. “I wish I could be like Rahul Dravid – cool all the time,” he said. “But everyone has his own way, and I like to be aggressive. Actually, it has to do with my age. I’m only 24 and I think I’m so pumped up because I’m young. If I was like Dravid, I might end up taking less wickets.” At this Harbhajan paused and considered this last remark seriously. “Or maybe more.”

Malcolm Speed, the International Cricket Council (ICC)’s chief executive, has urged English cricket authorities to ensure that there are no security lapses when England take on Pakistan in the second one-day game at The Oval. The first match at Old Trafford had been marred by a pitch invasion by Pakistan fans.”Ultimately it’s the England and Wales Cricket Board’s (ECB) responsibility,” said Speed, addressing the media after the ICC meeting at Lord’s. “We can’t have international matches where players and officials are subjected to pitch invasions. It is a serious issue. It’s very disappointing. I thought that the steps that the ECB had taken in relation to player safety meant they were on top of this issue. I think it’s back to the drawing board.”The Surrey authorities are planning a “human shield” comprising stewards to prevent any repeat of the Old Trafford shambles. “We’ll be forced to have a fairly obtrusive presence of stewards who will form a complete ring round the perimeter for at least 15 minutes before the end of the game,” said Surrey chief executive Paul Sheldon. “In that way, a very clear message is sent to the crowd at an early stage. We’re very resolute and determined to ensure maximum safety for the players, officials and spectators.”Rashid Latif, Pakistan’s captain, had urged calm on the part of the supporters in the build-up to the opening game, and he repeated his plea on Thursday. “I am again appealing to the crowd to stay back,” he said. “The one good thing at Old Trafford was that they did not come on during the game. We need their support but it’s not good for the game if they come on like that.”

Suresh Perera, the promising fast bowler tipped as a player who can turn outto be the great all-rounder Sri Lanka lusts after, justified his selection tothe senior team by winning the man of the match award in the game againstIndia on Sunday.Perera played a vital role, scoring 28 off 31 balls just when Sri Lanka hadstumbled to 155 for seven and then claiming the wickets of both the Indianopeners in an impressive new ball burst.An excited Perera said afterwards: “I am delighted. I feel great. This isthe first time I have won the man of the match award. But more importantly Iwant to do better”Perera has just returned from back and groin injuries which kept him in thecold for almost two years after he made his debut in the famous OvalTest against England in 1998; a game in which he took just one wicket, butclubbed an entertaining unbeaten 43 in the Sri Lankan first innings.He has since been in the selectors’ sights and, when he performed well against Pakistan A on their recent tour, he was finally given a recall.”It’s been almost two years,” recalls Perera. “Even in the domestic seasonI just played the odd game because of the injury. Now I feel I am back tonormal and I want to give my best to the side.”Suresh Perera’s last international assignment was during the AIWA cup athome, which featured Australia and India, before the injuries started totake their toll. Sunday’s game was his 13th ODI.His back injury forced him to make some technical changes: “I have had tochange my bowling action slightly, which had previously put a lot of stressupon my back, and therefore caused the injury.”With the assistance of video footage and under the watchful eye of RumeshRatnayake, the bowling coach, Perera also identified other areas forimprovement, including a more compact action and straighter lines.”I took the Pakistani series match by match,” he said. “I desperatelywanted to do well. At the end of the series I was happy because my efforts wererewarded.””It was very hard to get back to the side,” he reveals. “I had to performup to high expectations, but on the other hand I had to look after myinjuries and be careful. I was unable to just give it everything and AlexKontouri recommended that I only bowl short spells during my recoveryperiod.”Perera is though not content with just getting back into the one-day team,he wants more than that: “After that Test at the Oval in 1998 I didn’t get asingle chance to play Test cricket. I don’t know why, but I now want tomake it back into the Test side as well.”Sri Lankan captain Sanath Jayasuriya was delighted with the 23-year-old’sperformance and attitude: “He’s been an excellent addition to the team. Weare looking for an all rounder and I was happy with his performance. He gaveone hundred percent and that’s what we need.”Dav Whatmore, the Sri Lankan coach, is a big fan: “Suresh is amulti-dimensional cricketer who gives you something in every department ofthe game. With the ball he has the knack of taking wickets and he has a lotof potential with the bat. In the field he is quick across the turf and anexcellent fast throw.”With Sri Lanka now keen to play six batsmen and five specialist bowlers, anopportunity has emerged for Perera as one of the fast bowling all rounders.If he continues to fire like he did last Sunday and, more importantly, keepsthose injuries at bay, then Sri Lanka’s chances of success in the 2003 WorldCup will receive a welcome boost.

Goa ended the rain affected second day at 100 for 6 in the second innings,still requiring 106 runs to avoid an innings defeat against Andhra in theCooch Behar Trophy (Under-19) tournament match at the Rajendra PrasadStadium in Margao on Saturday.Play started only at 12.50 and Goa, resuming at the overnight score of 43for 2, were skittled out for 94 in their first innings in reply to Andhra’s300 for three declared. Gautham Narvekar was the first to be dismissed whenhe was run out. The new batsman Sagun departed soon to become Shankar Rao’sfirst victim of the innings. Thereafter wickets kept falling at regularintervals as the Goan batsmen could not tackle the Andhra attack. Beforelong Mohd Faiq (4 for 24) and G Shankar Rao (5 for 17) ran through the side.Following on, Goa started off with openers Robin D’souza (23) and GauthamNarvekar (18) putting on 28 runs off 6.3 overs. Then with the score at 31,Goa lost Sahil Dhuri caught behind off Venugopal Rao. Following this, a43-run third wicket stand ensued between Gautham and Adithya Angle (29)which took the score to 73. At this stage, Adithya was caught by AS Varmaoff Shankar Rao. Gautham departed five balls later off the bowling of MohdFaiq. Wickets kept falling thereafter and Goa were in a hopeless positionwhen stumps were drawn.

A spicy, green-tinged MCG pitch came under significant scrutiny after a 20-wicket Boxing Day blockbuster in which both Australia and England were bowled out cheaply.Matt Page, the MCG curator, said ahead of the fourth Ashes Test that he hoped to replicate the pitch he had prepared for last year’s Border-Gavaskar Trophy fixture, which Australia won in the final session of day five. But this Test looks highly unlikely to last into a fourth day, let alone a fifth, after ball dominated bat in front of a record crowd.Page left 10mm of grass on the surface, 3mm more than he had last year, and fast bowlers on both sides found substantial seam movement throughout the day. England have not picked a frontline spinner all series, but Australia’s decision to play an all-seam attack was a reflection of conditions and both captains wanted to bowl first at the toss in unseasonably cool weather.Related

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Ex-players from both sides blamed the pitch – more so than the attacking approach or technical shortcoming of both sets of batters – for the fact that 20 wickets fell on the opening day, with Stuart Broad and Glenn McGrath leading the criticism.”The pitch is doing too much, if I’m brutally honest. Test match bowlers don’t need this amount of movement to look threatening,” Broad said, commentating on SEN Radio. “Great Test matches pitches, generally, they bounce, but they don’t jag all over the place.”Glenn McGrath told the BBC: “This pitch has got far too much grass on it… That pitch has got too much life in it for Test cricket… The Australians bowled well [but] it’s hard to apply yourself on a pitch that’s doing plenty because if you’re looking to defend, one’s got your name on it. You’ve got to find that balance between somehow keeping balls out while still looking to score.”MCG pitches have been far more sporting in recent years after the batter-friendly surface was heavily criticised during the 2017-18 Ashes Test, which saw 24 wickets fall across five days. Alastair Cook, who scored 244 not out in that match, said that the balance had tipped too far the other way.”The bowlers didn’t have to work hard for their wickets,” Cook said on TNT Sports. “It was an unfair contest. I don’t know how you hit it [the ball]. If this flattens out tomorrow then fine, it’s an even contest over three or four days. But I don’t think this is particularly even.”Brett Lee, another former fast bowler, joked on Fox Cricket that Pat Cummins “was almost going to go back to the hotel to pick up his spikes” after seeing the pitch, having ruled himself out of the rest of the series as he continues his rehabilitation from a back injury.Scott Boland claimed the big wicket of Harry Brook•AFP/Getty Images

“I think there’s a bit too much in it,” Lee said. “I wouldn’t be complaining at the end of the day if I was a [current] fast bowler. It’s a different surface: it’s that furry feeling. I rubbed my hand on the side of the wicket this morning, and you can feel the grass lift up.”This is the second time in the series that all 22 players have batted on the opening day of a Test match, after 19 wickets fell in Perth on a pitch that was ultimately rated “very good” by the ICC – though was described as a “piece of s***” by Australia’s Usman Khawaja.The ball appeared to deviate more off the seam at the MCG than in Perth, with several balls moving sharply after pitching – including Josh Tongue’s delivery to clean up Steven Smith, and Scott Boland’s nip-backers to Harry Brook (pinned lbw) and Jamie Smith (bowled through the gate).Michael Neser was Australia’s outstanding performer on the opening day, top-scoring with a counter-attacking 35 from No. 8 before taking 4 for 45 to help bowl England out inside 30 overs. He suggested that the pitch might yet flatten out, and defended the attacking approach that both sets of batters took.”The ball definitely nipped around a bit there with the new rock, so it was just a matter of trying to find ways to put pressure back on their bowlers – and knowing that, when we bowled, we had to just be patient and let the wicket do the work,” Neser said.”Going into it, you knew it was going to nip around with the amount of grass there, but traditionally it can flatten out here, so we’ll see how it pans out… I don’t want to go into tomorrow with the preconception of ‘the wicket’s going to be doing a lot’ because it can flatten, and we’ve just got to stick to our processes.”I think you have to change the way you approach it because bowlers are so good at just holding their length nowadays, so you have to actually put pressure back on them as a batter. I know it can look streaky at times, but at times that’s the only way to score: be brave and come at them.”

Ian Botham collected his knighthood from the Queen this morning on what he said was “the proudest moment of my life”.Botham, who is a fervent royalist, said: “I’ve admired the Queen for many years, been lucky enough to have met her at a few occasions, but today was the icing on the cake. I’ve had some great moments in sport and other walks of life but nothing matches this.”Botham was knighted in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List in June for his services to cricket and charity work. He has raised millions for Leukaemia Research through his walks and other events.”It’s not just for myself but for my family and for the leukaemia people who give their time to work for me,” he told the BBC. “It’s just a very special day and one that I will never forget.”Botham went from the palace to Lord’s where the MCC were hosting a party for him in the Long Room. “It is wonderful of the MCC,” Botham said, adding that not only family and friends would attend but also many of the charity workers he had been associated with.Reflecting on his decision to become associated with Leukaemia Research, he said that he had seen children dying while in hospital and was determined to help. Since he started his involvement the survival rate for those with the illness has risen from 20% to 80%.Asked if he thought he was a legend, Botham smiled. “I think so,” he said. “I hope so.”

The minnows meet again. Bangladesh will host Zimbabwe in a five-match one-day series starting in November, the Bangladesh board announced on Sunday.Zimbabwe beat Bangladesh 3-2 on home soil earlier this year in a warm-up for the Champions Trophy but when the teams clashed in that tournament in India, Bangladesh claimed the upperhand with a convincing 101-run victory.And now Zimbabwe will once more have to contend with subcontinental conditions when they head to Bangladesh at the end of the month. The Reuters news agency reported that the series will kick off with a Twenty20 match on Sunday November 28 in southwestern Kulhna which will also be the venue for the first ODI.The second and third ODIs will take place in northern Bogra on December 3 and 5, with the final two matches in the capital Dhaka on December 8 and 9.

Surrey 225 and 45 for 1 trail Warwickshire 338 (Knight 117, Loudon 60, Powell 60, Saqlain 4-80) by 68 runs
Scorecard
Points TableWhile the nation’s attention was elsewhere – as was that of the few who had turned up at Edgbaston – Warwickshire secured the bonus points which ended the mathematical possibility that they could be relegated, and left Surrey and Middlesex to go head-to-head to escape the drop at The Oval in eight days time – assuming that Surrey avoid defeat in this match.Surrey’s bowling in the morning underlined why they find themselves in danger of the drop, although Jade Dernbach’s opening burst promised more. Dernbach, a 19-year-old European-qualified South African, bowled Ian Westwood and Jonathan Trott with full-length balls, but it was a false dawn.Warwickshire feasted on their waywardness, Nick Knight completing his second hundred in three matches (and passing 1000 runs for the season) and Alex Loudon and Michael Powell chipping in with a brace of 60s. Surrey did find some penetration after tea, Saqlain benefiting as Warwickshire lost quick wickets, but they still finished with a first-innings lead of 113.By ensuring their safety, Warwickshire softened the blow of the news that they would be without Makhaya Ntini for the rest of the season after the South African board insisted he return home to play in a benefit match.

Darren Lehmann, who selflessly offered his Test place to Michael Clarke, is Cricketer of the Year. The award is recognition of Lehmann’s belated, unlikely and romantic international purple patch, which is currently on hold after he injured his hamstring in the third Test at Nagpur.The 2004-05 edition of , published today, is a history-making edition: the front image of a roaring Shane Warne is the first full-colour pictorial cover in 141-year history. mourns the modern trend towards “McCricket”, calling for a stop to “back-to-back Tests, whistlestop tours, twoand four-Test series and all other dunderheaded attempts to jam Test cricket into a polystyrene carton and shove it down our throats as quickly as possible”. For its first 125 years, the five-Test series was cricket’s prestige forum. But Australia have played only one in the past three years and India one in the past seven. New Zealand last played a five-Test series 33 years ago, Pakistan 12 years ago and Sri Lanka have never played one. new editor Christian Ryan writes in his Editor’s Notes: “Only when Australia play England are we now assured the unique thrill of a five-Test series. And beware the hardheads: with their calculators for brains and cash registers for hearts, they are plotting to take even that away from us. Cricket tampers with its own crazy, bewitching rhythms at its peril.”The disappearance of the five-Test series is one of several troublesome issues confronted by a feistier, revamped edition. Cricket Australia (CA) comes in for the fiercest criticism. Of the board’s eagerness to play against a race-based Zimbabwean side, and its description of this year’s tour to Zimbabwe as “a tick in a box”, wonders: “Have Australian cricket administrators no heart, no moral existence at all?”Of the Sri Lankan offspinner Muttiah Muralitharan’s refusal to come to Australia last July, it says CA did not try hard enough to change his mind. “Anything, everything should have been done to make sure he felt comfortable … Australia is the only cricketing nation Murali has felt compelled to stay away from. History will judge us accordingly.”Kerry Packer’s Channel Nine network, the long-time broadcaster of Australian cricket, also comes under attack for televising its quiz show at the moment Shane Warne equalled the world bowling record in Darwin. It was Channel Nine, again because of rival scheduling commitments, who insisted on the bizarre 9.30am starts to this year’s Tests in Darwin and Cairns.”Packer’s priority has only ever been his own prosperity, not cricket’s,” it says. “But so long as the two went hand in hand, all was hunky-dory. In the past year, Packer has appeared happy to suck the game dry and give very little back … It makes you wonder whom cricket belongs to: Packer or the people. Maybe it’s time Cricket Australia reminded a certain billionaire who’s really Boss.”The 2004-05 edition of Wisden Australia is at 976 pages the biggest ever and the first – in Australia or England – to incorporate balls faced and boundaries hit in Test scorecards. Among several innovations is a new section called “Farewells”, women’s player profiles, a beefed-up back half and two new tables listing the full career records of every Australian Test and one-day player in order of appearance.Wisden Cricketers’ Almanack Australia 2004-05 is edited by Christian Ryan and published by Hardie Grant Books.

West Indies will be looking to consolidate on the gains from the Australian series when they clash against Sri Lanka in the first of three one-day internationals on Saturday. Despite a poor start to the Test and the one-dayers against Australia, West Indies ended both series on a positive note, winning the final Test and the last three ODIs.Brian Lara was confident that West Indies would win the series if they maintained the same form they showed against Australia. “Sri Lanka are not as strong as Australia,” he told reporters, “although of course they have a couple of match winners, but we are looking to keep up the standard we achieved in the last three one-day games.”If we don’t drop our standards, we’re going to get more success against teams of lesser ability than Australia. We’ve proved that we can be competitive, but we’ve to maintain it. Now we know where we stand.”Sri Lanka, on the other hand, have suffered a slump in form since reaching the semi-final of the World Cup. They failed to qualify for the finals in two successive tournaments – at Sharjah in April, and then in the Bank Alfalah Cup at home last month, when Pakistan and New Zealand contested the final.The captain-coach combination of Sanath Jayasuriya and Dav Whatmore was disturbed as well, with Jayasuriya stepping down from captaincy and Whatmore moving on to coach Bangladesh. Marvan Atapattu, who took over the reins from Jayasuriya, admitted that West Indies were favourites.”They are playing at home and their morale is high. The West Indies are favourites, but it’s better for us to start as underdogs,” he said. “We are rebuilding our squad, but we’ll play positive cricket.” Atapattu would be encouraged by Sri Lanka’s recent results against West Indies, though. West Indies have only won one out of their last four ODIs against Sri Lanka.West Indies brought in fast bowler Darren Powell into their 15-man squad for the first two ODIs as a replacement for the injured Jermaine Lawson. Lawson is struggling to recover from the back injury he sustained during the Antigua Test against Australia. Allrounder Ryan Hurley was named in the squad after recovering from a shoulder injury.The first two matches will be played at the Kensington Oval over the weekend, while the third will be held at St Vincent on June 11. The one-day series will be followed by two Test matches.Squads
West Indies Brian Lara (capt), Ramnaresh Sarwan, Omari Banks, David Bernard Jr, Corey Collymore, Mervyn Dillon, Vasbert Drakes, Chris Gayle, Wavell Hinds, Ryan Hurley, Ridley Jacobs, Daren Powell, Ricardo Powell, Marlon Samuels, Devon Smith.Sri Lanka Marvan Atapattu (capt), Mahela Jayawardene, Sanath Jayasuriya, Romesh Kaluwitharana, Kumar Sangakkara, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Chaminda Vaas, Muttiah Muralitharan, Koushalya Lokuarachchi, Kumar Dharmasena, Prabath Nissanka, Upul Chandana, Darshana Gamage, Dinusha Fernando, Naveed Nawaz.