Murray Goodwin and Mike Hussey made a challenging run-chase seem easy as they guided Western Australia to a three-wicket ING Cup cricket victory over SA at Adelaide Oval today.The pair, who have been in glittering form so far this season, guided the Warriors to 3-265 in 47.1 overs, after SA had set what looked to be a competitive target of 7-262 from its 50 overs.Goodwin and Hussey came together with WA at 3-112 in the 28th over and needing to score at a rate nearing seven runs per over to win.They managed it with ease, with an unbroken 153-run stand in just 121 balls.Hussey top-scored with 84 from 74 balls, although he benefited from a dropped chance in the outfield by Paul Rofe, when he was on 30.But Goodwin was the more impressive, notching 80 runs from 63 balls, with seven boundaries, in seemingly effortless fashion.It continued the form he showed in scoring an unbeaten double-century in a Pura Cup match against NSW last week.”Batting’s going well, I keep telling the guys you’re only as good as your next innings, but they say you’re only as good as your last,” Goodwin said”Some days it comes off for you and other days it doesn’t.”It was really nice to bat with Mike and we usually bat pretty well together and fortunately we came up with the goods.”On the way, he notched the season’s fastest 50 so far, from 38 balls, putting himself in pole position to win the $5,000 prize to be awarded to the scorer of the season’s fastest 50.Another former Zimbabwean batsman, South Australia’s Andy Flower, claimed a $50,000 prize today when he hit an ING sign with a stylish swept six off WA part-timer Marcus North late in SA’s innings.Flower, in his first home match since joining the Redbacks this season, was impressive in his innings of 74 from 73 balls which helped rescue the Redbacks after a mid-innings slump.Flower and youngster Mark Cosgrove (50 from 75 balls) put on a 107-run fifth-wicket stand from 121 balls to help SA to a solid total.Flower said Hussey and Goodwin had been nearly unstoppable.”We’ve played a few games against them now and Goodwin’s come in each time as if he’s on 70, he’s hit the ball in the middle of the bat straight away, so it’s good on them, I suppose and disappointing for us,” he said.

Hardly a day goes by without self-inflicted unrest rocking the Pakistan camp, and this time it is former captain Rashid Latif who has put his stick into the hornets’ nest and given it a good stir.Appearing on television to discuss the squad selection for the one-day series against New Zealand, Rashid leveled all sorts of accusations against the Pakistan authorities. Among other remarks, Latif slammed the cricketing structure within the country, claimed that the relationship between journalists and selectors was too cozy, that selections were not always based on merit, and that various administrators did not always act in the best interests of the game. Latif concluded by saying that he was collecting evidence and would present his findings soon.Rashid was more conciliatory on the subject of players’ pay, admitting that the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) had looked after their welfare and gone a long way to improving their pay and conditions. But the concession was tempered with a call for an even greater share of sponsorship and television rights to be passed on to the squad.A source close to the PCB dismissed Latif’s attack, saying that his views on cricket were blinkered. “In Rashid’s book," he commented, "there probably is only the word ‘take’ while the word ‘give’ is missing”.He went on to condemn Latif for adding to an already uneasy situation and for giving more ammunition to those willing to snipe at the authorities. "With his reckless and even irresponsible statements continues to provide these elements with nourishment," he said. "He can contribute far more through his cricketing skills."

Zimbabwe have called up Barney Rogers in place of Trevor Gripper for their fourth one-day international against West Indies at Harare on Saturday.Rogers, who has scored only 13 runs in two previous internationals, helped his chances of a recall with a half-century against West Indies for Zimbabwe A last week.The opening combination of Gripper and Vusi Sibanda have yet to fire for Zimbabwe, and Gripper, who has only scored 39 in the three matches, is the unlucky one to miss out.Zimbabwe lead 2-1 in the five-match series.Zimbabwe 1 Vusi Sibanda, 2 Barney Rogers, 3 Mark Vermuelen, 4 Craig Wishart, 5 Stuart Matsikenyeri, 6 Tatenda Taibu (wk), 7 Heath Streak (capt), 8 Andy Blignaut, 9 Sean Ervine, 10 Ray Price, 11 Gary Brent.West Indies (probable) 1 Wavell Hinds, 2 Chris Gayle, 3 Ramnaresh Sarwan, 4 Brian Lara (capt), 5 Shivnarine Chanderpaul, 6 Marlon Samuels, 7 Ricardo Powell, 8 Ridley Jacobs (wk), 9 Vasbert Drakes, 10 Merv Dillon, 11 Corey Collymore.

New Zealand 259 for 3 (Fleming 115*, Marshall 64) beat Pakistan 255 for 9 (Saleem Elahi 80, Abdul Razzaq 50*) by 7 wickets
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Stephen Fleming unveiled a special innings as he steered New Zealand home by seven wickets in the third one-dayer at Christchurch. Fleming finished with 115 not out, and shared a vital 148-run partnership with Hamish Marshall, who made a fine 64, as New Zealand won with 22 balls to spare. They now lead the five-match series 2-1. Pakistan had earlier made 255, thanks mainly to contrasting half-centuries from Saleem Elahi and Abdul Razzaq.Fleming’s effort had shades of that magnificent century against South Africa in a thrilling encounter at last year’s World Cup. Though this was not such a big stage, the intensity was apparent. And this was in front of his home crowd, and his family. He served up some sumptuous dishes: the pendulum-smooth on-drive, the crisp square-drive, and the slapped pull. After losing Craig Cumming early on (10 for 1), he hogged the strike, for a considerable period, as Marshall was reduced to a mere spectator. The bowlers played into his hands by spraying it a bit wide. The flicks raced away, and Fleming’s fifty came up in 48 balls.Fearlessness gave way to maturity soon after. He milked the bowling and rotated the strike much more. Marshall found his feet, and more importantly his wrists, and he whipped a few boundaries to the leg side. Barring Shoaib Akhtar, the rest of the bowlers were unpenetrative, and the partnership blossomed to put New Zealand in a comfortable position.Marshall fell in the 30th over as he lap-swept Shoaib Malik round the corner and found Mohammad Sami gobbling up the chance (158 for 2). Scott Styris added 30 with Fleming before Akhtar got one to swing late and splayed his stumps (188 for 3). But today was not about one of those rapid collapses. It was about Fleming, and he suddenly erupted in the 42nd over when he pulled Razzaq to the midwicket fence. Craig McMillan lofted a few over the infield and New Zealand romped home with great ease.All three matches of this series so far have been won by the team batting second. But there has been a familiar pattern with regard to the team batting first. Get off to a good start, stumble, and then somehow manage a tremendous recovery. Yasir Hameed and Imran Farhat scripted the first part of the plan with some aplomb. Farhat brought out the on-drive with stinging ferocity. Hameed preferred the covers, and pierced the gaps with regularity. But the second part of the story followed the script, and Farhat lost his cool. He charged down the pitch to Kyle Mills and attempted a mighty hoick only to nick it to Brendon McCullum (50 for 1).New Zealand clawed back into the game with the introduction of Jacob Oram, who bowled a disciplined spell. In the 15th over he dug one in short and Hameed was done in by the extra bounce as Styris pouched the top edge (72 for 2). Yousuf Youhana joined Elahi, and their partnership was based on some quick running. They were helped by some ragged fielding, including two dropped catches by Marshall and McCullum. Youhana’s luck finally ran out as he was beaten by a direct hit from Cumming (144 for 3). Elahi carried on the good work and provided the middle-order stability that was needed. Amid nudging and pushing, he also landed some effective punches and found the square boundaries with ease.Daryl Tuffey then snapped up two quick wickets: Inzamam-ul-Haq edged to the wicketkeeper while Shoaib Malik glided the ball straight into Fleming’s handsat first slip for his 100th one-day catch (152 for 5). Moin Khan and Elahi fell soon after (190 for 7), and part three of the usual story was about to unfold.Unfold it did in the 46th over. The first ball was short and wide, and Razzaq deposited it in the point fence, as if dumping it into a garbage bin. He then swatted the next ball over midwicket for six, and finished off the over with a crisp straight four past the bowler.For the next few overs yorkers and short balls were attempted, but Razzaq was willing to wait. He didn’t even try to improvise. He just stood with an open stance, similar to a baseball slugger, and waited for the ball to land in the slot. And there were many which he found at hittable range. The last five overs cost 57, including a gigantic six over long-on and another walloped over backward square leg. Razzaq’s fifty came of just 26 balls. It was a clinical exhibition of late-over slogging. However, it could only complete the familiar script – and failed to be a matchwinning knock.

New Zealand’s selectors have named a full-strength WhiteFerns side to play the first three matches in the six-matchRosebowl Series against Australia in February. Emily Drumm, a batsman, and Rebecca Rolls, a wicketkeeper-batsman,return to the side after being unavailable for the tour toIndia late last year. Their return has intensified thepressure on all positions in the team.The only new cap is the 21-year-old all-rounder, Beth McNeill,who has performed consistently for the State CanterburyMagicians in this season’s State League competition, taking16 wickets to date.Her fellow State Canterbury Magician, Maria Fahey, will open thebatting with Rolls. She had an outstanding tour of India,averaging 52.25 in the one-day internationals. Faheyclaims the opening slot ahead of former White Fern, Kate Pulford.Also returning to the side is pace bowler, Sarah Burke (StateCanterbury Magicians), who previously played one match forthe White Ferns – as a replacement player in last season’sWorld Series quadrangular tournament. Burke has so farclaimed 15 State League wickets.Drumm and Rolls return to the side bolstered by impressivebatting performances for the State Auckland Hearts in theState League. Rolls was top scorer in the League round-robin,with 439 runs, and Drumm was third, with 299 runs.Other players missing from the White Ferns team to India areAnna Corbin, Natalie Scripps, Katey Martin and SaraMcGlashan. All four, plus Pulford, have been named in the NewZealand A side.Another Indian tourist, Michelle Lynch, was unavailable foreither side.Mike Shrimpton, the coach and convenor of selectors, said that thepressure on all players to hold their positions was anencouraging sign for the women’s game. “With top-line playersall working to consolidate their places, and those in the Aside all pushing hard to make the step up, the intensity hasgone up a notch. It should make for an exciting season ofwomen’s cricket.”This season’s Rosebowl Series comprises three home games and three games in Australia. All three matches in the New Zealand leg of the series will be played at North Island venues.The selectors will re-name the side following the home leg ofthe Rosebowl and the completion of the New Zealand A series, a seven-match series for which the selectors named 13 players. In addition to the former White Ferns, the A side featuresthree New Zealand Cricket Academy graduates from 2003 – KateyMartin, Ros Kember and Sarah Tsukigawa.The side has a mix of youth and experience, with three formerinternationals – Helen Daly (State Canterbury Magicians),Paula Flannery (State Otago Sparks) and Helen Watson (StateAuckland Hearts) – all pushing to make a comeback at the toplevel. Watson will be remembered for her matchwinningfielding during the 2000 women’s world cup tournament, won byNew Zealand.Squads
White Ferns Maia Lewis (capt), Haidee Tiffen, Nicola Browne, Sarah Burke, Emily Drumm, Maria Fahey, Amanda Green, Beth McNeill, Aimee Mason, Louise Milliken, Rebecca Rolls (wk), Rebecca Steele.New Zealand A Anna Corbin (capt), Paula Flannery, Amanda Cooper, Helen Daly, Sarah Hill, Ros Kember, Amber Little, Sara McGlashan, Katey Martin, Kate Pulford, Natalee Scripps, Sarah Tsukigawa, Helen Watson.

Glenn McGrath has not given up hope of earning a late call-up to Australia’s Test squad for their three-match series in Sri Lanka, and believes he is bowling better than he has done for years.McGrath, 34, who has been sidelined for seven months after undergoing ankle surgery, made a successful comeback for New South Wales 2nd XI last week, picking up match figures of 10 for 86 in 50.2 overs against Victoria, and is intent on proving his fitness in what could be NSW’s final Pura Cup match of the season, against Queensland on Thursday."I’m bowling better than even before the last Ashes series,” said McGrath, whose last Test was against Bangladesh in Cairns last July. “The game I played in Melbourne last week was the best I’ve felt for years. I’m just trying to keep myself as fit and strong as possible.”NSW’s match against Queensland will be Steve and Mark Waugh’s last home game, as both men have announced their retirement at the end of the season. McGrath, who missed the emotional scenes when Steve bowed out of Test cricket at Sydney in January, said he was "so happy" to be back in time for this occasion.It is not necessarily the Waugh’s final Pura Cup match, however. They can still reach the final against Victoria in Melbourne, but they must take maximum points from the match, and hope, at the same time, that Tasmania are trounced by Victoria in Hobart.

ScorecardUganda claimed their first points of the tournament with a five-wicket victory over Canada at the M.A. Aziz Stadium in Chittagong.Canada chose to bat, and put together a respectable total of 231. The main contributions came from the middle order, with Trevin Bastiampillai (40), Karun Jethi (43) and Shaheed Keshvani (65) all contributing.The Uganda reply was lead by Martin Ondeko and Hamza Saleh, who put on 121 for the third wicket. Saleh was run out for 50, but Ondeko remained at the crease to steer his side home with five wickets in hand and three overs to spare.Ondeko, who was left stranded on 99, was named Man of the Match and insisted he was not disappointed to miss out on a century. "I was playing for the team not for myself, and it was just great to win the match," he said. "Playing cricket is my destiny and I’m really happy that we’ve won a game. I will savor this match and our experience in the tournament."Franklyn Dennis, Canada’s coach, congratulated Uganda on their triumph. "Uganda played well today and we weren’t at our best," he said. "We have learnt a lot during this tournament and the experience will help us to do better in future tournaments."

Close England 285 (Flintoff 102*) and 145 for 0 (Trescothick 74*, Vaughan 61*) trail West Indies 751 for 5 dec (Lara 400*, Jacobs 107*) by 321 runs
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Andrew Flintoff produced the most disciplined innings of his Test career at precisely the moment it was most needed, as England manoeuvred themselves into a position from which they should not be able to lose this match. By the close of the fourth day, Michael Vaughan and Marcus Trescothick had reminded everyone just how true this pitch is, as they eased to 145 for 0 in the follow-on. But without Flintoff’s first-innings 102 not out – from an un-Flintoffian 224 balls and in a shade over five hours – they might never have been pointed in the right direction.At the start of the day’s play, England were in a right fix. They had slumped to 171 for 5 in reply to West Indies’ massive Lara-inspired 751 for 5, and when Geraint Jones’s defiant debut innings was ended by the first ball he received from Fidel Edwards, England were still 569 runs adrift, with four first-innings wickets in hand. Quite clearly, it was time – not runs – that was of the essence if Flintoff was to help save the game for England.And he duly obliged. Apart from one feisty over from Edwards, which went for 17 – including a hooked six and a one-bounce pull for four – Flintoff approached his century with the utmost caution, turning down easy singles to keep the strike and taking the various glares from Edwards and Tino Best in his considerable stride. He was never entirely comfortable in his defensive role and required some strokes of good fortune, but he earned his luck as well, as he pushed forward at every opportunity and only rarely allowed his natural game to dictate his attitude.After being embarrassingly dropped in mid-celebration by Lara late last night, Flintoff was reprieved on two further occasions. On 56, he was put down by Ricardo Powell, diving full-stretch to his left at third slip, then at 67 Pedro Collins couldn’t cling onto a checked drive as he reached to his right in his follow-through. But in between, Flintoff nudged and thumped his way to a level-headed and extremely valuable hundred. The best shot of his innings was also his most effortless – a wonderfully timed drive which streaked away for four to bring up his fifty.Flintoff’s innings was all the more impressive for the way the tail drew strength from his presence. Gareth Batty coped ably with the raw pace of Best and Edwards, until succumbing to Collins’s subtle outswingers; Matthew Hoggard overcame illness to resist valiantly for the best part of an hour, and Simon Jones batted with such straight-batted common sense that West Indies began to wonder where their next wicket would be coming from.

But the situation changed when Jones was withdrawn for treatment after Best had struck him a painful blow on his unguarded left forearm. England’s No. 11, Steve Harmison, seemed unfazed by the prospect of survival, and immediately pulled Best for a stand-and-deliver four over midwicket, but Best bounced back in his next over, clipping the top of Harmison’s stumps with the perfect tail-end delivery.Jones then surprised everyone by marching back out to the middle to resume the battle, but he couldn’t pick up where he had left off. He was trapped on the back foot by Ryan Hinds and sent on his way by umpire Aleem Dar, even though his reaction indicated he had got a thin outside-edge before the ball struck pad. Brian Lara quickly enforced the follow-on, with England still a whopping 466 runs in arrears.England were left with a minimum of 138 overs in which to survive, and by tea they had lopped 10 runs off the deficit in six cagey overs. But once again, Trescothick was all at sea, and should even have been sent on his way for a duck, after gloving Best down the leg-side to Jacobs. But Darrell Hair turned down the appeal, and Trescothick sensed an opportunity to cash in.Sure enough, both he and Vaughan chugged along to their first half-centuries of the series, as the fans in the stands began to relax and an end-of-term atmosphere permeated the ground. It was more important than just a walk in the park for Trescothick though, and by the time he brought up his fifty, he had discovered his balance at the crease, and was more secure in his footwork than at any time since the Bangladesh tour in October. As Lara himself demonstrated to such glorious effect earlier in the match, this pitch really is a belter if you put your mind to it.

In the concluding day of the latest round of Championship matches, there were wins for Surrey, Notts and Glamorgan. Mark Ramprakash scored an unbeaten 91 as Surrey recorded their first Championship win of the season, against Kent by seven wickets. Martin Bicknell also took his 1000th first-class wicket of his career. Chris Read smashed an unbeaten 108 to calm Notts’ nerves to a three-wicket win against Durham, while all the Glamorgan bowlers chipped in to ease past Derbyshire by 128 runs. Elsewhere, Middlesex’s match against Lancashire petered out to a draw after rain brought an early finish, and Somerset’s Peter Bowler scored an unbeaten 138 to deny Essex victory at Taunton.

Frizzell County Championship Division One

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Day 1 report – Kent hit by bout of vertigo The Guardian
Day 2 report – Key manages to survive Kent collapse The Telegraph
Day 3 report – Key can still steal Batty’s thunder The Guardian
Day 4 report – Bicknell turns hundreds into a thousand The Guardian
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Day 1 report – Koenig seizes his chance in the absence of Strauss The Times
Day 2 report – No spin can turn Peploe into the new Tufnell The Guardian
Day 3 report – Hayward blights red rose hopes The Guardian
Day 4 report – Strauss and Flintoff make their return The Times
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Day 1 report – Sussex made to suffer as Sales soars The Independent
Day 2 report – Brophy brings out the hostility in Sussex The Times
Day 3 report – Adams rides his luck The Daily Telegraph
Day 4 report – All-day Ward sees Sussex safe The Guardian
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Day 1 report – Hick turns back the clock to punish Warwickshire The Guardian
Day 2 report – Carter defies devils in pitch The Independent
Day 3 report – Moody anger at state of pitch The Daily Telegraph, London
Day 4 report – Warwickshire escape unscathed The Times

Frizzell County Championship Division Two

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Day 1 report – MacGill reins in Durham after Lewis enjoys easy morning The Times
Day 2 report – Hussey savages Durham The Times
Day 3 report – Late Collingwood burst gives Durham hope of reprieve The Times
Day 4 report – Read lets his bat do the talking The Telegraph
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Day 1 report – Depleted Derbyshire made to struggle The Times
Day 2 report – Derbyshire fight back The Telegraph
Day 3 report – Derbyshire kept in the hunt by Welch The Times
Day 4 report – Hemp’s hundred paves way for Glamorgan The Times
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Day 1 report – Middlebrook stands tall as Caddick takes six Wisden Cricinfo
Day 2 report – Understudies enjoy their day in the sun Wisden Cricinfo
Day 3 report – Essex declare their intent Wisden Cricinfo
Day 4 report – Bowler denies Essex victory Wisden Cricinfo

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Daniel Vettori gave a virtuoso exhibition of the left-arm spinner’s art – and rifled throws at the stumps with the accuracy of a knife-thrower – as New Zealand romped to a 107-run victory over West Indies in the final of the NatWest Series at Lord’s. Vettori finished with remarkable figures of 5 for 30, and ran out Devon Smith – top-scorer for West Indies with 44 – and Ian Bradshaw with direct hits as New Zealand ensured that their first-ever one-day international appearance at Lord’s would be one that they would never forget. Despite a late collapse, they tallied 266, and they then bowled and fielded with such discipline and verve that West Indies were never in the hunt.It was Vettori’s throwing arm that started West Indies’ slow slide to oblivion. A direct hit from short third man sent Devon Smith on his way, and ended a 44-run partnership with Brian Lara that had given West Indies fleeting hope (98 for 3). That had come after both Chris Gayle (4) – caught low to his right by Scott Styris at second slip off Jacob Oram – and Ramnaresh Sarwan, run-out for 19 after being sent back by Smith, had fallen cheaply.Minutes later, though, Vettori dealt the killer blow. Lara had made 30 when he was trapped plumb in front as he shuffled across to a ball that angled in to the stumps (105 for 4). And then Dwayne Bravo, whose unhappy sojourn in the middle had produced just 4 runs in 14 balls, flicked a delivery straight to Styris at midwicket. Styris fumbled once, but held on to intensify the gloom in the West Indian dressing room.Thereafter, it was a procession. Ricardo Powell missed more than he hit in an innings of 18, and it ended with an ugly leading edge to backward point where Hamish Marshall took an outstanding catch. And Dwayne Smith made just 2, trapped leg before by one that hustled on to him.Vettori than briefly stepped out of the limelight, allowing Chris Harris to pick up his 200th wicket in ODIs, the first New Zealander to do so. Ridley Jacobs was the name into the record books, slogging one straight to Chris Cairns at deep midwicket (150 for 8).Enter Vettori, and another stunning direct hit that sent the dawdling Ian Bradshaw back to the pavilion. Moments later, it was all over, as Shivnarine Chanderpaul, who batted in turtle mode when hare was required, belted one down to Craig McMillan at long-on.New Zealand’s innings had been built around a classy 67 from Stephen Fleming, and a first-wicket partnership of 120 with Nathan Astle (57). But they lost their way in the home stretch, losing their last seven wickets for just 49 runs. Sarwan was the unlikely bowling star, scalping 3 for 31 – including the wicket of Cairns – and Tino Best, who had taken fearful punishment in his opening spell, then came back to mop up the last vestiges of resistance.New Zealand’s cause was hamstrung by two rain delays, the first after 18.1 overs and then again in the 41st over. When they went off the second time, they were handily placed at 220 for 4, with 57 deliveries still to be bowled. But from there, they couldn’t find the boundary rope even once, as Sarwan, Chris Gayle and Best slowed the flow of runs to the tiniest of trickles.Cairns’s dismissal for just 6 was key. On his last appearance at Lord’s, he had lashed a breathtaking 82 in a Test match. Here, he stepped out to whack a Sarwan delivery slanting down leg, and turned back to see the ball ricochet onto the stumps off Jacob’s forearm (232 for 5).

McMillan, whose rapid 71-run partnership with Marshall (44) had rebuilt the innings after the first rain-induced wobble, cruised to 52, but in his effort to up the ante, he lofted the returning Best straight to deep cover, where Chanderpaul avoided a collision with Bradshaw to take an excellent catch (249 for 6).Harris made only 1 before presenting Sarwan with a sharp return catch low to his left (252 for 7), and Vettori gave him another notch on the belt by holing out to Dwayne Smith at deep midwicket for 6 (265 for 8). Best ensured that there would be no late flourish by having Oram (15) caught behind, and then running out Gareth Hopkins with a smart pick-up and throw.It hadn’t started anywhere near as well for West Indies. Both Best and Bradshaw struggled to find a containing line, and Fleming got going with some sublime flicks off the pads and beautifully timed drives and cuts through the off side. Astle was more circumspect, but a couple of beefy cover-drives when the bowlers erred in length meant that there was no respite for Lara from either end, after he had gambled and put New Zealand in.West Indies didn’t help themselves with some poor fielding – Gayle dropped a sitter from Fleming off Best’s bowling in the third over, and Powell then failed to hang on to a fierce slash from Astle with the score on 79.Fleming batted beautifully until the first delay, and then appeared to lose his focus, scooping a catch to Gayle at point off Dwayne Smith’s bowling. Bravo then got in on the act, getting Astle to cut one uppishly to Gayle at backward point (142 for 2). Styris didn’t bother to hang around long enough to gauge the pace of the wicket, and an ugly hoick at Bravo flew off the leading edge to Powell at point (146 for 3).Marshall and McMillan restored order with some well-placed singles and powerful strokes, but then the rain came to wash away New Zealand’s hopes of a huge total. As it turned out, 266 was more than enough, especially once Vettori proved to be the man with the golden arm.