<I India 11 for 1 (Sumra 1*, Jain 8*) trail England 223 (Atkins 73) by 212 runs
ScorecardIndia enjoyed a commanding day in the field on the opening day of the first Test at Leicester, bowling England out for 223 and then crawling to 11 without loss by stumps. A battling stand of 93 between Caroline Atkins and Beth Morgan spared England’s blushes to rescue them from the mire at 96 for 5, but they will still be kicking themselves for losing so many early wickets and falling away so easily.The visitors got their day off to a happy start, with Rumeli Dhar dismissing Laura Newton early, for 4. The remaining opener Charlotte Edwards (16) set about stabilising the innings with Claire Taylor (32) but her fall at 51 for 2 triggered a collapse in which England lost five wickets for 41. That included a wicket for Preeti Dimri on debut; she trapped Jenny Gunn lbw for 14. Dimri later collected the wicket of Jane Smit, for 12.England’s debutants, Sarah Taylor and Laura Marsh didn’t have such a great first day, both trapped by Jhulan Goswami in single figures. Taylor, 17, and a protégé of Clare Connor, made just 9 runs, with Marsh striking 3 at No 11. Rosalie Birch departed in the same manner for a four-ball duck.But all the while Atkins glued the innings together on her return to the Test arena after four years. All her hard work with the MCC seems to be paying off. She and Morgan were in looking in great nick until Hemlata Kala bowled Morgan for 30. Atkins’ 142-ball vigil eventually came to an end on 73 when she too was trapped lbw, with Kala the bowler this time. Kala took 2 for 16 in five overs.Monica Sumra and Karu Jain then made a start which can only be described as dishwater-dull, stonewalling India to 11 from 14 overs. It was hardly gripping cricket, but at least they’re well set tomorrow to chip away at the deficit and try to build a lead.

The England board has announced that 13 players have been awarded central contracts for the next 12 months. Of those who had existing contracts, only Geraint Jones has been omitted, although Chris Read, who replaced him in the national side, has not been made an offer either.Monty Panesar and Alastair Cook – who have established themselves in the last nine months – are included for the first time. The contracts are estimated to be worth somewhere in the region of £250,000-£400,000.Three of those named – Michael Vaughan, Ashley Giles and Simon Jones – have hardly raised a bat or bowled a ball in anger in the last year. David Graveney, the chairman of selectors, explained the board’s thinking: “The selectors were also keen to demonstrate our support and faith in those players who are currently recovering from long-term injuries but remain an important part of our plans as we prepare for an intensive programme of international cricket in both forms of the game over the next 12 months.”Referring to Read and Geraint Jones, Graveney was keen to point out that “the selectors can, of course, award Summer Contracts to individual players from next April if we feel that performances on overseas tours merit this and I am sure that both Chris Read and Geraint Jones will be competing hard to demonstrate their value to the team this winter.”The contracts also benefit the counties as they receive around £2,000 per Test and £1,000 per ODI when their contracted players appear for England, and these figures are set to increase significantly. It is seen as their reward for youth policies that produce the players in the first place, and it explains why counties such as Leicestershire are keen to hold on to youngsters like Stuart Broad even though he is likely to be increasingly away on international duty.England central contracts 2006-07 Ian Bell, Paul Collingwood, Alastair Cook, Andrew Flintoff, Ashley Giles, Steve Harmison, Matthew Hoggard, Simon Jones, Kevin Pietersen, Monty Panesar, Andrew Strauss, Marcus Trescothick, Michael Vaughan.

Division One

Nottinghamshire ended the first day on top against Kent owing to hundreds from Stephen Fleming and David Hussey who took the hosts to 381 for 5 at Trent Bridge. Nottinghamshire were in a spot of trouble after Fleming, the captain, chose to bat as Kent reduced them to 61 for 3. Fleming and Hussey were resolute, however, staging a fighting fourth-wicket partnership of 164. It was Hussey’s fourth hundred of the season, and he remains unbeaten on his highest score so far with 156.Warwickshire were indebted to a blitzkrieg knock of 76 from Timothy Groenewald and a more sedate, watchful fifty from Moeen Ali on the first day against Durham at Chester-le-Street. The visitors, moving along nicely at 139 for 2, lost a flurry of wickets and were stumbling precariously at 188 for 6 before Groenewald’s savage innings. In the space of 46 balls, he smashed 13 fours and cleared the boundary twice, as Warwickshire were eventually dismissed for 314. Buoyed by their late spurt of runs, their bowlers then nipped out three Durham wickets who went to stumps 261 runs behind.

Division Two

A magnificent unbeaten 188 from HD Ackerman led the way for Leicestershire on the opening day at Northampon on against Northamptonshire. Choosing to bat, Leicestershire soon lost both their openers and were struggling at 48 for 2. Enter Ackerman, who received excellent support from John Sadler (69), the 24-year-old left hander. The pair put on 180 for the third wicket before Monty Panesar removed Sadler and, four balls later, Darren Maddy too. Paul Nixon batted with his customary steadfastness, remaining unbeaten on 70 at the close as the visitors closed on 383 for 4.In a western encounter at Taunton, Gloucestershire restricted the hosts Somerset to 315 for 6 thanks to a couple of wickets apiece for Jon Lewis and Alex Gidman. Matthew Wood, the Somerset opener, was cruising along smoothly before Lewis made the breakthrough – quite literally, bowling him. And though there were contributions from the middle-order, most notably 71 from James Hildreth, no batsman could capitalise.

Pakistan’s continuing problems with openers has meant that for Imran Nazir, the door for a return, remains wide open. Poor form and injury has kept Nazir out of the Pakistan Test side for four years, while his last ODI appearance was over two years ago.A typically rampaging hundred against Uttar Pradesh in the ongoing Mohammad Nisar Trophy for Sialkot comes conveniently timed and on a suitably big stage. And though upstaged by the likes of Mohammed Hafeez, Imran Farhat and Salman Butt, Nazir is still hopeful of a comeback.”I want to return to the Pakistan team for both ODIs and Tests. I am doing well at the moment and it all depends on the selectors,” Nazir told PTI in Dharamshala. “I was out of action for a year with a fracture in the right shoulder. I did a lot of training and physiotherapy to recuperate from that injury. Now I am perfectly fine and playing well.”Nazir could get his chance in the Champions Trophy in India, after Wasim Bari, the Pakistan chairman of selectors, stated that he was being considered as a replacement for Inzamam-ul-Haq. Inzamam has been banned for four ODIs for bringing the Oval Test against England into disrepute due to ball-tampering allegations.”Imran has a chance of being selected because he is a brilliant fielder and very energetic as a batsman,” Bari said. “But it is also a fact that he is an opener while Inzamam is a middle-order batsman.” However, Nazir was not a part of the 30-man probables squad for the tournament and Bari added that his selection would require permission from the ICC. Younis Khan, the Pakistan captain, would be consulted regarding the replacements.Nazir is leading Sialkot in the four-day Nissar Trophy match and has played just eight Tests and 61 ODIs since his debut for Pakistan in 1999. But he has been undone on occasion as much by his own rashness, though he is hardly alone among Pakistan openers recently in that trait.”People say that (I am prone to playing rash shots) about me. But, I am confident about myself. What I need to do is keep performing consistently because that’s what is in my hands.”Nazir added he was enjoying the experience of being in Dharamshala. “I am enjoying very much playing at such a unique place like this. The mountains and the ground are beautiful. I went around the place last night, it was a good feeling.” A better feeling no doubt would be a recall to the Pakistan side.

On the tournament being wide open with different teams beating each other
Yes, it’s reflective of what I said at the start of the tournament. Any one of the eight teams are capable of winning this tournament. The results and performances have been reflective of that. There have never been any real favourites. That’s how it will be leading into the World Cup – seven or eight teams have a chance. Tomorrow’s game is an important one for us; we’ve got the chance to take things in our own hands. If we put in a good performance tomorrow then we have a chance of progressing further in this tournament.On the dew factor and whether India had an edge because they were used to playing these conditions
I don’t think you can say any team can be used to playing under dew. I don’t think anyone has cracked it, but we are as used to it. I’ve played five or six games in these conditions. It does play a part and you have to look at ways to counter it. You have to look at your strategy, at your combination. Irrespective of it we need to play as best as we can. It will play a part in the game, whether it affects the outcome, I don’ know.On the conditions during South Africa’s win against Sri Lanka
Pitch didn’t play any different from what we expected it to play. As evening wears on there’s a bit of movement for the seam bowlers with the hard new ball but as the ball gets older, softer, you lose the ability to utilise the ball. I think the South Africans bowled very well upfront, knocked over four of the Lankan top order very early and that made the difference.On whether there was a danger in premeditating conditions and picking a team based on that instead of just putting the best eleven on the park
That could be a danger but I think you got to have a balance of both. You can’t keep a blindfold to conditions as well; you can’t just say the conditions don’t exist. We’re trying to keep a balance. Irrespective of dew we’ve got to play good cricket. South Africa showed yesterday that whether you bat first or bowl first it doesn’t matter, you’ve got to play good cricket.On dealing with different things, like failure, as captain and as a batsman
I try not to confuse the two things. I’m there as a batsman and try and do the job as a batsman and I’m there as a captain and have a job to do as captain. I have certain responsibilities and roles as a captain and I try not to get them muddled up. Irrespective of whether I score runs or not, I have a responsibility as a batsman and try and fulfil that to the best of my ability. I mean obviously it does help if I score runs in the sense that it helps the team in terms of the batting. If all the batsmen contribute, it helps the batting but I personally try not to confuse the two.On Sachin Tendulkar returning to bowling fitness
He’s coming along well, bowling a few balls in the net. We’re trying to get him into it slowly. No point rushing him into something and risking it. We’ll take it slowly, monitoring it carefully. We’d like him to be able to bowl as we know how effective he can be and we’ve got some very important cricket coming up. So we might see him bowl a few overs in the games. He’s been bowling about 30 balls in practice but obviously it’s a bit different in practice and nets. The pressure and intensity is a bit different. You can’t always replicate that. But it’s an ongoing process to getting him back to bowling consistently, but hopefully he’ll be back to bowling 10 overs when the big tournament comes up.On what specifically the team had been working on in the last four days
We’ve been working at staying at the wicket, ensuring that we build partnerships. The tournament has not been very easy on batsmen. If guys who’ve got set have gone on and got a big score, it’s made a big impact on the game. These are the things we’ve been working on.On whether India’s recent inconsistent record against West Indies was a concern
Not really, it’s a new game, a new tournament. I don’t see the past as having too much of a bearing. Yes, we haven’t had a great run but I don’t think the past can have a bearing on what we do tomorrow. Tomorrow’s really about us focusing on playing good cricket. That’s the nature of the one-day game.On whether the team has thought about being knocked out of the tournament
Not really. We’re not thinking about defeat or leaving the tournament early. We have won the first game in the tournament and have put ourselves in a position where we control our destiny and I’m not thinking of losing.On the West Indian pace attack hitting their straps
I saw a fair bit of the Australia-West Indies game and I think they’re bowling well and like I said before, I think Windies are going through a period where they’re playing very good cricket. They seem to have found some of their key players in form. I think we were not very far from that. Our performance in the last game, and with some of our key players performing, it gives us back that depth and balance. There are a couple of areas we can get better. We can get back to that kind of consistency and performance we showed a little while back. It’s just a question of a few more players getting back into the kind of groove they can. The pieces are falling into place.

Scorecard

Matthew Elliott extended South Australia’s lead with an unbeaten 61 after a gallant Tasmania tail fell 44 runs short of stealing first-innings points. With the Redbacks now boasting a lead of 152, it seems only a sporting declaration by Darren Lehmann could produce a result on the final day.Tasmania resumed at 7 for 196, needing an unlikely 154 more to take a first-innings lead and when Daniel Marsh was caught behind for 76 it appeared his side had little hope. But the last three batsmen, led by the No.10 Adam Griffith with 45, proved hard to remove.Brendan Drew made 20 before Lehmann had him trapped lbw and the final pair, Griffith and Ben Hilfenhaus (24 not out) took the score to 305. But Shaun Tait, who claimed 4 for 74, ended the resistance when he had Griffith caught by Dan Cullen.Elliott and Daniel Harris took their time when the second innings began. Harris was the only man out before stumps, run out for 17 from 73 balls. Elliott’s innings included nine fours but occupied 124 deliveries and Cameron Borgas faced 61 balls for his 18 not out.

Even on a cold Melbourne morning with all eyes on the MCG Test, the South Australia allrounder Mark Cleary could not avoid some good-natured sledging about the Redbacks’ woeful start to the season. Cleary won the “Biggest Basher” competition that launched the expanded domestic Twenty20 program, in which a player from each state tried to hit balls across the Yarra River.”It must be strange to win something,” said the New South Wales representative Ed Cowan, as Cleary accepted his prize – a yellow plastic bat that might be South Australia’s only trophy for the year. The Redbacks are languishing on the bottom of the Pura Cup and Ford Ranger Cup tables and questions have been asked by their own hierarchy about team management.Cleary tried to push the official line when asked about their poor form but his colleagues from other states were keen to rub it in. “We’ve got a good side,” was all Cleary managed to tell the media before Tasmania’s Travis Birt piped up with “No you don’t!”The friendly banter was typical of the jovial feel at the launch. But Cricket Australia will be keen for the states to take the Twenty20 format seriously, as it hopes to draw bigger crowds with attendances at Pura Cup and Ford Ranger Cup matches still disappointing.The players claimed they would be out there to win, but perhaps how much the states will focus on Twenty20 could be gleaned from the players enlisted to launch it: Nick Kruger, Aiden Blizzard, Peter Worthington, Cleary, Cowan and Birt are not exactly superstars. Blizzard found himself answering questions from passing Melburnians about when matches were on and who would be playing.But at least one team will be desperate to perform well. Cleary was confident that a string of Twenty20 wins could put South Australia back on the path to success in their four-day ventures. The next fortnight will tell if his optimism was justified or if indeed South Australia continues to be all at sea, like the eventual fate of the 30 yellow plastic balls that floated aimlessly down the Yarra.

1994-95 in South Africa
Wisden report | Cricinfo site
Pakistan arrived in South Africa with confidence high on the back of a hard-earned Test series victory over Australia, but would finish the tour with defeat amid rumours of dressing room unrest. Only the inaugural Test between the two nations was played, with both sides also taking part in the quadrangular Mandela Trophy held in South Africa before the tour started. Pakistan lost both their warm-up matches convincingly, to Western Province and Natal, and South Africa beat them by 324 runs in the Test at Johannesburg to record their largest win on home soil. Brian McMillan, with a maiden Test century, and Fanie de Villiers, who claimed ten wickets, were the heroes for South Africa, while Inzamam-ul-Haq gave further notice of his burgeoning talent with a defiant 95 in Pakistan’s second innings. Pakistan’s cause had not been helped by unfortunate injuries, with Waqar Younis pulling out on the eve of the Johannesburg Test, but it was clear that they had lost their discipline by the end of their stay. Worse was to follow, as they left South Africa for an ill-tempered tour of Zimbabwe.
South Africa 1 Pakistan 0

1997-98 in Pakistan
Wisden report | Cricinfo site
The first meeting between the two teams in Pakistan was a chance for both to lay claim to the position of the leading challenger to Australia at the summit of the world game. It was South Africa who emerged victorious, thanks in no small part to a strong unit and the allround talents of Shaun Pollock, Lance Klusener and Brian McMillan. Pollock and Allan Donald made for a formidable opening pair, in stark contrast to their counterparts Waqar Younis and Wasim Akram who, afflicted by injury and fatigue, did not play together until the final Test. Ironically, after a dead pitch and poor weather had ensured draws at Rawalpindi and Sheikhupura, this was to prove the decider. South Africa, inspired by the words and deeds of Pat Symcox and four second-innings wickets in seven balls by Pollock, came back from a big deficit to bowl Pakistan out for 92 and record a remarkable 53-run victory. For Pakistan the spinners Mushtaq Ahmed and Saqlain Mushtaq impressed throughout, while Ali Navqi and Azhar Mahmood became the first pair of same-team debutants to score a century in the same Test at Rawalpindi, but the defeat was an opportunity missed.
Tests: Pakistan 0 South Africa 1
1997-98 in South Africa
Wisden report | Cricinfo site
In the intervening four months before they met again in South Africa, Pakistan had regained the winning habit and thumped the West Indies 3-0 at home, while South Africa had gone down narrowly 1-0 in Australia. The stage was set for a battle between two well balanced sides, and accordingly the series was fairly drawn 1-1. Inevitably, however, the tour was dominated by controversy involving Pakistan. They arrived under a cloud surrounding Wasim Akram’s controversial omission, officially for fitness reasons, and Rashid Latif became their fourth captain in ten months. Allegations of match-fixing refused to go away and the gossips had a field-day when the first Test had to be postponed for twenty-four hours after two Pakistan players were supposedly mugged outside the team hotel. Whispers that the attacks had in fact taken place in local nightspots could not be proved, but the mud had stuck. The first Test at Johannesburg was a disappointing draw, notable only for Pat Symcox scoring 108 from number 10 in the order. Pakistan showed a fleeting glance of their remarkable abilities at Durban, with the spin of Mushtaq Ahmed helping them to a 29-run victory, but shot themselves in the foot in the final Test at Port Elizabeth. The recall of a clearly unfit Wasim Akram did little for team unity and Pakistan were heavily beaten, once more unable to convert their undoubted talent into a consistent level of performance.
Tests: South Africa 1 Pakistan 1

2002-03 in South Africa
Wisden report | Cricinfo site
The chaos that traditionally surround Pakistan plumbed new depths as they were soundly beaten in both the one-day and Test series by a ruthless South African side. Pakistan arrived on the back of a demoralising thrashing at the hands of Australia, but had regained some pride with convincing displays in Zimbabwe. However, when the real contest got underway they were found severely lacking. Save for one inspired batting performance they were poor in the one-dayers and went down 4-1, and things did not get much better as South Africa won both Tests convincingly. Once again the Pakistan camp was split throughout, with Wasim Akram, predictably, at the heart of things. Shoaib Akhtar withdrew from the first Test through injury and subsequently threw himself with gusto into the Durban nightlife, epitomising the prevailing attitude of the tourists, and the captain Waqar Younis appeared to have little hope of changing things around. South Africa profited from the Pakistanis decision to enter both Tests with just three bowlers and an allrounder, racking up 368 at Durban and 620 at Cape Town to gain a firm grip on each match that they never looked likely to relinquish. Pakistan pleaded exhaustion, while the result moved South Africa above Australia to the top of the ICC Test rankings, an outcome that appeared farcical in the wake of their comprehensive defeats at home and away to the Australians the previous year.
Tests: South Africa 2 Pakistan 0
ODIs: South Africa 4 Pakistan 12003-04 in Pakistan
Wisden report | Cricinfo site
When a bomb exploded in Karachi 48 hours before South Africa were due to arrive it looked like the tour was a non-starter. However, the discovery that the explosion was gang-related and had nothing to do with terrorism made the United Cricket Board of South Africa’s decision to cancel the tour look unnecessarily hasty. Inevitably, after much wrangling, the tour went ahead after all, albeit with an altered schedule that saw two Tests played instead of three and a further two one-day internationals added. On the pitch controversy was never far away either. Andrew Hall was banned after getting unnecessarily physical in the ODIs while his captain Graeme Smith was also punished. South Africa hit back, accusing Shoaib Akhtar of verbally abusing Paul Adams in the first Test. Akhtar was suspended and honours were even on that score, but the atmosphere between the two teams did not recover as the remainder of the series was played out in near silence, with players straining to steer clear of trouble. Pakistan won the series 1-0, with the pace of Akhtar and 99 from Asim Kamal on debut guiding them to victory in the first Test at Faisalabad. The second Test was drawn, with South Africa once more left to rue costly dropped catches as Pakistan clung on. It capped a disappointing tour for the South Africans, who appeared to have little stomach for the trip after a gruelling tour of England and for whom further contests with the West Indies and New Zealand lay in store. They did have the consolation of victory in the one-day series, but Pakistan’s greater firepower proved decisive in the longer game.
Tests: Pakistan 1 South Africa 0
ODIs: Pakistan 2 South Africa 32006-07 in South Africa
Cricinfo site
South Africa, fresh from beating India 2-1, were thoroughly tested at home by a strong Pakistan side before winning by the same margin. The tourists initially left out Shoaib Akhtar, ostensibly on fitness grounds – and allegedly due to a strained relationship with captain Inzamam-ul-Haq – but recalled him three days before the series began as Umar Gul pulled out with an ankle injury.Makhaya Ntini and Mohammad Asif ran through each others’ batting line-ups in the first Test at Centurion, but Ashwell Prince and Herschelle Gibbs’ 213-run fifth-wicket stand ensured South Africa edged ahead. Paul Harris’ four wickets left the hosts with less than 200 to get, which they chased down comfortably. The one black spot was a two-match ban for Gibbs, on grounds of racial abuse during an altercation with spectators. Pakistan fought back in Port Elizabeth, a lethal Shoaib ripping apart South Africa – and then joining Gul on the injury list with a hamstring problem – before Ntini replied in kind, but Inzamam made the difference with an imperious unbeaten 92 at No. 8. Asif and Danish Kaneria ensured Pakistan would also chase under 200, which they did, after a few flutters. Inzamam hailed the win as his best. In the decisive Cape Town Test, Pakistan’s batting failed twice despite Mohammad Yousuf’s induction; the South Africans followed suit in the first innings, and threatened to implode again at 39 for 4, before Jacques Kallis and Prince gave them a second series win in under a month.South Africa’s bowlers, led by Shaun Pollock and Ntini, helped them to an emphatic 3-1 result in the ODI series as Pakistan collapsed in the last two matches.Tests: South Africa 2 Pakistan 1
ODIs: South Africa 3 Pakistan 1

Scotland face UAE in Sharjah from Thursday knowing that it is the start of a crucial time for the team. The national side has embarked on perhaps its busiest and highest profile period in their history.Having played an ODI series in Bangladesh at the tail-end of last year, the squad is preparing for an ODI tri-series in Mombasa, the inaugural World Cricket League in Nairobi, the World Cup in West Indies and then the ECB one-day Trophy against top county opposition from May 2007.But now the team are focussed on the longer form of the game as it prepares for a crucial four-day Intercontinental Cup match at Sharjah Stadium. Victory for Craig Wright’s team will secure Scotland’s place in the final of this competition, which it won in 2004.Scotland coach Peter Drinnen said: “I feel we have made good improvements recently and there is a lot of confidence. Our bowlers are hitting the right areas, our batsmen know what to do and are taking responsibility, and we also have a very good fielding side.”This is the longest tour ever taken by a Scotland side and it is great to get the chance to play a consistently high quality of matches while also spending a long time together. We are hoping that it shows here over the next few days.”But there is plenty at stake from UAE’s point of view, too. Despite losing outright to Namibia in Windhoek back in December, captain Arshad Ali knows that a win in Sharjah will put his side right back in contention, teeing up a winner-take-all clash with Ireland in Abu Dhabi on February 10.”We have a lot to play for in this match,” said Arshad. “Scotland is a very good team with plenty of experience but we will give it our very best over the next few days.”Apart from Scotland and UAE, the other sides in Group A are Namibia and defending champions Ireland. If the Scots win, they are through to the final but if they fail, it will open the door for Ireland to retain its title, setting up a group decider in Abu Dhabi next month.UAE (from) Arshad Ali (capt), Khuram Khan, Saqib Ali, Kashif Khan, Naeemuddin Aslam, Rameez Shahzad, Gayan Silva, Ali Asad Abbas, Shadeep Silva, Awais Aftab, Qasim Zubair, Ahmed Nadeem, Mohammed Iqbal, Ahmed Raza.Scotland (from) Craig Wright (capt), John Blain, Dougie Brown, Gavin Hamilton, Majid Haq, Paul Hoffmann, Dougie Lockhart, Ross Lyons, Neil McCallum, Dewald Nel, Glenn Rogers, Colin Smith, Ryan Watson, Fraser Watts.

Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were out

Mumbai raced to their 37th Ranji Trophy title in fine style, beatingBengal by 132 runs shortly after tea on the fourth day. Magnificentinnings from Manoj Tiwary and Sourav Ganguly kept Bengal in the hunt, but in the end the combined firepower of Zaheer Khan and Ajit Agarkar proved too much to resist, as the last six wickets fell for the addition of only five runs and Bengal folded for 339.While Ganguly was at the crease there was room for the faithful to hopethat Bengal might pull off something sensational, but when he fell – againto Zaheer – pulling and only managing to lob a high catch to Ramesh Powarat midwicket, Bengal had lost their prize wicket with 338 on theboard. Ganguly was visibly upset with himself when he lost his wicket, butcan take joy from the 90 that he made.The end came when Ashok Dinda attempted to heave Zaheer over the ropes andholed out to Abhishek Nair at midwicket. The 19-strong Mumbai squad rushedas one to the pitch, plucking out stumps for souvenirs and celebrating.Zaheer ended with nine wickets for the match, and was easily the playerwho made the most difference.Tiwary’s bold strokeplay had Mumbai running for cover, and huntingleather, for the best part of the first two sessions. On the third day itwas Deep Dasgupta who led from the front, ducking, weaving, dabbing anddefending, keeping Agarkar and Zaheer at bay. When the fourth day dawned,with Bengal on 98 for 2, it was clear that the initial plan was to justoccupy the crease, even if it meant that no runs came. Both Dasgupta, andthe usually aggressive Tiwary, left alone more than they played at, andforced the bowlers to bowl to them.To Bengal’s credit, they battled hard for the best part of the day, makingMumbai work hard for their wickets. Tiwary was terrific in his shotselection, committing wholeheartedly when he played the big shots and yetnot committing early to front or back foot. With the pitch having easedout considerably, Zaheer found the going tough, and was operating belowfull pace. He slanted the ball away from the right-handers, andoccasionally caused a bit of hesitation when he got his line right, butthe absence of inswing vastly reduced his wicket-taking options.Tiwary sensed that Zaheer was flagging, and took him on. The shot of theday being a clean hit over mid-off that sailed the distance and went forsix. In the course of his innings, Tiwary became the highest run-getter ina single season for Bengal. Arun Lal held the record, but Tiwary alreadyhas 776 and looks far from finished.The one spot of joy for Mumbai in an otherwise fruitless morning came whenDasgupta fell, against the run of play. A momentary lapse in concentrationmade Dasgupta chase a delivery outside the off stump, and this onlyresulted in a nick for Vinayak Samant to pouch behind the stumps. Onceagain Wilkin Mota had struck, and Dasgupta was gone for a well made 57.

Ganguly walked out to the middle with plenty to do, and fortunatelyfor Bengal was in good nick. He was fluent from the word go, and playedsome pleasing shots, especially square of the wicket on the off side. BothZaheer and Agarkar were handled easily as Ganguly timed the ball away inthe arc between point and cover, picking up boundaries early on in hisinnings.On a pitch that was affording turn Ramesh Powar was ineffective, andGanguly was able to easily leave the ball alone to begin with, and thenpick off singles at will, even occasionally lofting the ball for plenty.In the company of Rohan Gavaskar, who unfurled an array of strokes on bothsides of the wicket, Ganguly kept Bengal well on target for an amazingwin. Gavaskar was especially severe on Zaheer, who sprayed the ball arounda bit and made it hard for Amol Muzumdar to set fields. But, when Agarkargot Gavaskar to nibble at one outside off, and had him caught behind,Mumbai had the foot in the door that they needed.Bengal went from a strong 270 for 3 to 335 for 7 by tea, and hopes of agrand win fast receded. After Gavaskar was dismissed Zaheer snaffled twoquick wickets, bowling Laxmi Ratan Shukla for a duck and following it upby trapping Sourashish Lahiri in front of the stumps. And soon after, thewheels came off, giving Mumbai yet another win in the premier domesticcompetition.