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Baqai Dolphins marched into the final of the 17th Karachi Gymkhana Callmate Festival, handing out a 50-run defeat to KESC in the second semifinal played on Wednesday.Put into bat after losing the toss, Baqai Dolphins were bowled out for 159 runs in 24.1 overs due to some splendid spin bowling by Tahir Khan, who picked up five wickets for only 10 runs.Cruising along at 116 for two with Hasan Raza (56) and Shadab Kabir (29) among the runs, Dolphins lost their last eight wickets for the addition of only 43 runs, with Tahir running amock. Left-arm spinners Asif Ghouri two for 30 and Jaffer Qureshi two for 40, lent Tahir admirable support.Former champions KESC never really got off the ground and were skittled out out for 109 in 23 overs.Left-arm Adnan Malik was the pick of the Dolphins attack, claiming four wickets for 23 runs. He was ably assisted by the other left-arm spinner Qaiser Abbas two for 29.Thursday’s fixture: Tapal CC vs Baqai Dolphins 1.00 p.m. (Final)Aamir, Afsar Shine Match winning unbeaten knocks by Aamir Iqbal and Afsar Nawaz, paved the way for Mohammad Hussain CC to pick up the Seventh Danish Trophy, trouncing KGA Gymkhana by eight wickets on Wednesday. Electing to bat first after winning the toss KGA after a slow start managed to pick up the tempo through Hilary Rodrigues (48) and Rajesh Ramesh (21). With Freddie Decruze contributing 33, KGA scored 152 for seven in 20 overs.Skipper Amir Iqbal (69 n.o.) and Mohammad Zafar (35), added 61 runs for the first wicket with 153 runs needed for victory.Mohammad Hussain CC were home and dry after 17 overs in reaching 154 for two. Aamir slammed seven boundaries and Afsar clobbered two fours and two sixes in his unbeaten knock of 41 runs.Amin Merchant, vice-chairman KCCA Zone III, was the chief guest on the occasion and presented the trophies to the winners and runners-up.UBL A win A.O. Academy moved ahead in the Baqai Inter-Academies Ramazan Festival tournament, brushing aside Customs by 75 runs at the UBL A ground Wednesday.A.O. Academy batting first scored 175 for seven wickets in 25 overs through Rizwan Khan (49), Asadullah (42), Khurram Khan (23) and Babar Agha (22). Off-spinners Waqas three for 29 and Faizan Hussain two for 38, bagged the wickets for the fielding side.Customs in reply were restricted to 105 for nine wickets. Talha Khan was top scorer with 32 runs. Adnan Ali three for 18, and Samiullah two for 18, grabbed the wickets for the winners.In another match played in the afternoon session, UBL A routed their junior string by eight wickets.UBL B winning the toss and deciding to bat first, managed 123 for eight wickets in the 22 restricted overs. Ehsanullah (34) and Salman Hussain (31) batted well.Openers Kamran Ahsan (50) and Usman Farhat (45) steered their team to victory with a blazing stand of 99. UBL A finally went on to win scoring 124 for two wickets in 19.4 overs.AOCC lift trophy Hosts A.O. CC won the A.O. Super Cup after handing out a five-wicket defeat to Dewan Mushtaq Sugar Mills under floodlights on Tuesday night.Dewan Mushtaq opting to bat first after winning the toss, were restricted to 135 runs for eight wickets in 20 overs. Fahadullah was the top scorer for his side with 40 runs, with two boundaries being his principal strokes. Farhan Adil chipped in with (27).Off-spinner Shoaib Malik bagged two wickets for 13 runs.A.O. CC needing 136 runs for victory, scraped home with three deliveries to spare, thanks to Test discards Shadab Kabir (49),Kamran Hussain who had earlier scored 201 runs in the tournament, was declared the best batsman and Dr. M.A. Shah with his left-arm floaters, the best bowler after capturing 11 wickets.

Hampshire YCs face an anxious wait before they find out if a dramatic one-wicket win over Kent has been enough to clinch a place in the quarter-finals of the ECB Under-19 County Championship."At this stage, we are top of the group table, but our destiny is no longer in our own hands," explained U19 manager Raj Maru."It all depends on how Essex get on in their remaining zonal match this week."Calmore’s Matt Metcalf and Naqeeb Ali Mohamed were Hampshire’s last gasp heroes after Kent had recovered from 133-7 to reach 265-all out.David Wheeler (3-61) and Eugene Burzler (3-53) were Hampshire’s most successful bowlers. Martin Bushell (64) held the top order together as Hampshire sagged to 140-6 before a near-century stand between Tom Burrows (53) and Ben Thane (44) righted the ship.Even then, Hampshire plunged to 236-9 before last pair Metcalf and Ali Mohamed came together to add 36 precious runs and give Maru’s boys a dramatic one-wicket first innings win.Hampshire were dismissed one run ahead at 266 all out before Liphook’s Chris Wright (4-34) took all four wickets in Kent’s second innings score of 104-4.

The morale of neither England nor India could have been particularlyhigh on the eve of the 1996 three-match Test series. While India’shome record was awesome, their record abroad was nothing to boastabout. England too, with a series of setbacks both at home andabroadm, could not have been very confident. Predictably enough, then,the series was marked by much mediocre cricket with just a fewhighlights.

The sudden departure of Sidhuthe most senior member of the touringparty, having made his Test debut in 1983 – put a big question markover the vital opening slot. In his absence, various pairs – VikramRathour and Ajay Jadeja in the first Test, Rathour and Nayan Mongia inthe second, and Mongia and Sanjay Manjrekar for the third – were triedout, but none came good.

The most dramatic event of the tour took place off the field. In asensational development, veteran opening batsman Navjot Singh Sidhujust packed his bags and left for home, saying that he had been”ceaselessly humiliated.” This was after he had been dropped for thethird and final one-day international. Sidhu had also played in twofirst-class matches. It was reported that he had serious differenceswith skipper Mohammad Azharuddin.Opinion on this incident was sharply divided. Given Sidhu’s soft andstudious nature, it was believed that he would not have taken theextreme step unless he had a very valid reason. The other school ofthought was that whatever the provocation, Sidhu should have stayedbehind, for after all he was representing the country and should nothave allowed personal misunderstandings to cloud his decision.The sudden departure of Sidhuthe most senior member of the touringparty, having made his Test debut in 1983 – put a big question markover the vital opening slot. In his absence, various pairs – VikramRathour and Ajay Jadeja in the first Test, Rathour and Nayan Mongia inthe second, and Mongia and Sanjay Manjrekar for the third – were triedout, but none came good. Under the circumstances, the Indian battingwas always under pressure, and full credit must be given to SachinTendulkar, Sourav Ganguly and Rahul Dravid for rising to the occasionin the second and third Tests after the first at Birmingham had beenlost by eight wickets.Ganguly’s batting in fact was the major highlight of the series. Therewas an outburst of criticism over his selection, but taking this inhis stride, the stylish left-hander from Bengal let his bat do thetalking. He made his debut in the second Test at Lord’s in storybookfashion, becoming the first Indian to hit a century in his first Testat cricket’s historic headquarters. Overall, he was the 10th Indian toperform the feat.Going in at number three, Ganguly faced 301 balls for his 131, hitting20 fours. For good measure, he got 136 in the next Test at Nottingham,figuring in a record third-wicket partnership of 255 with Tendulkar(177). This time Ganguly showed his penchant for big hitting, cloutingtwo sixes and 17 fours. He also became only the third batsman to hitcenturies in his first two Test innings, after Lawrence Rowe and AlvinKallicharran. By the end of the series, the man whose selection hadprompted howls of protest headed both the Test and tour averages. Inthe Tests he finished with 315 runs at an average of 105.00, while inthe first-class matches, he amassed 762 runs at an average of 95.25.As if all this were not enough, he also headed the bowling averageswith six wickets at 20.83 apiece. The legend of the Prince of Calcuttawas born.Dravid was not far behind. By contrast, his selection had been widelywelcomed. He started off with 95 on his Test debut at Lord’s andfollowed it up with 84 at Nottingham, and it was obvious that Indiahad discovered two young batsmen who were, in racing parlance, stayersrather than sprinters. Events over the last six years have only servedto confirm this view. Dravid finished third in the Test averages with187 runs at 62.33, while in first-class games, he aggregated 553 runsat an average of 50.27.Tendulkar lived up to his reputation. He made a masterly 122 in alosing cause at Birmingham. This was one of the finest knocks of hiscareer, for he struck 19 fours and a six over 177 balls, while noother batsman even got to 20; Manjrekar’s 18 was the next-best score.Coming in at 17 for two after India faced a first-innings deficit of99, Tendulkar was ninth out at 208.The effort was in vain as England went on register the only victory ofthe series. He followed this up with his second century of the seriesat Nottingham. Tendulkar, who was named among Wisden’s cricketers ofthe year, scored 428 runs in the series at an average of 85.60 tofinish second to Ganguly in the averages. He was second to Ganguly inthe tour figures too (707 runs at 64.27).The batting of Ganguly, Dravid and Tendulkar helped cover up thewretched form of Azharuddin, who scored just 42 runs in five inningsat an average of 8.40. Little went right for him as far as batting andleadership were concerned, and at the end of the tour, Tendulkarreplaced him as captain. Manjrekar too failed, getting just 105 runsat 26.25, although he did fairly well in the first-class games scoring540 runs at an average of 41.53. Rathour was another batsman whoscored heavily on the tour (805 runs at 47.35), but he came a cropperin the Tests, being reduced to 46 runs at 11.50.Like the batting, the bowling too presented problems. Too muchdepended on opening bowlers Javagal Srinath and Venkatesh Prasad, andto their credit both shouldered the heavy responsibilities admirably.Srinath took 11 wickets at an average of 39.36, while Prasad, who madehis Test debut at Birmingham, was the bowler of the series, taking 15wickets at only 25 apiece. He also headed the tour figures with 25wickets at 29.36 each.India’s leading spin bowler Anil Kumble was a sore disappointment, hisfive wickets costing him 66.80 apiece – the first indication thatKumble overseas was not the master bowler he was at home. On the tourhe did little better, as his figures of 13 wickets at 56.84 willreadily testify. The support from Paras Mambhrey, Venkatapathy Raju,Narendra Hirwani and Sunil Joshi was painfully inadequate.England for their part were quite happy at emerging narrow victors inthe series. Batting was their forte, as exemplified by totals of 313,344 and 564 in successive Tests. Nasser Hussain got two hundreds,skipper Michael Atherton and wicket-keeper Jack Russell hit one each,while Graham Thorpe was a picture of consistency. Seam bowling wastheir trump card, and Chris Lewis (15 wickets at 23.73), Alan Mullally(12 at 24.83) and Dominic Cork (10 at 36.90) did their job inexemplary fashion. England also won the three-match one-day series2-0. Even in the tour results, the Indians did not have a record towrite home about. Out of 11 first-class games, the tourists lost twoand drew nine.

Is this the turning point?West Indies’ emphatic ten-wicket victory over India in the third Cable & Wireless Test yesterday has triggered renewed optimism among fans, but the team management doesn’t want to get too carried away.What coach Roger Harper was prepared to admit was that there had been signs of development.This team has been growing for a while. Obviously, to members of the media and the West Indian cricket-loving public, not as fast as we would like, but I think the signs were there, Harper saidI think we are still turning the corner. I wouldn’t say we have arrived yet, but I think this team is getting better and better.This match was one in which the West Indies outplayed India from the first bell when Mervyn Dillon bowled Shiv Sunder Das. They never once lost the grip and went on to win by one of their biggest margins in recent times.We’ve had victories before. I don’t think we should get carried away with this one, Hooper said.We’ve still got another two Test matches to play. We want to enjoy the moment. We’ve worked hard for it. In a couple days’ time, we’ll resume again in Antigua. We have got to enjoy this one and still remain focused for the job on hand.Hooper added that it was one of the few matches when West Indies bowled and batted as a unit.After rolling over India for 102 on the opening day, they responded with 394 and then restricted India to 296 in the second innings.The good thing about this Test match was that the victory was convincing. We totally outplayed India in every department, Hooper said.We should take the same thing into Antigua. The thing we’ve got to caution against is that it is a new Test match. It starts from scratch again.There have been numerous times in the past when we’ve started to play well and we went from having a good Test match and played poorly.Harper was pleased with the fielding and the work of the quartet of fast bowlers in light of the fact that West Indies had conceded six totals of more than 450 in their previous nine matches.All the bowlers in the team are aware of the fact that we’ve been bowling wicket-taking deliveries, but in between those deliveries, we’ve been giving away too many boundaries, the coach said.This is an area we have focused on as a team and try to put it right. It is good to see the team going out there and executing.

The WA Cricket Association is proud to confirm that Mr Brian Rakich will continue as President for another term.Mr Rakich was returned as President when nominations for the association’s most prestigious positions closed last Monday.Recently appointed new Chairman of State Selectors Mr Wayne Hill, has joined the Executive Committee.Mr Rakich and Mr Hill’s appointments were declared when The Honorary Returning Officer Mr Trevor Hart, Partner of KPMG, lodged his Returning Officer’s Certificate.Nominations closed at noon last Monday, July 22, 2002.The Certificate declares that valid nominations were received and listed below. There being no more valid nominations than vacancies, Mr Hart will certify the following elected, to WACA Members present at the 2002 Annual General Meeting of the Association on Friday September 20, 2002.

President	Mr (Brian) P.B. Rakich	2002-2003
Vice Presidents{2}	Mr (Bill) W. M. Bryant	2002-2004
	Mr (Frank) F. D. O’Driscoll	2002-2004
Members Representatives {3}	Mr (Rob) R.G. Paulsen	2002-2004
	Mr (Paul) P.A. Sullivan	2002-2004
	Mr (Wayne) W. Hill.

In acknowledging the Honorary Returning Officer’s advice, Mr Rakich noted that Mr Ron Bowe did not seek re-election as a Members Representative.Mr Rakich paid tribute to Mr Bowe’s service on the WACA Executive.Mr Bowe’s administration record followed a successful cricket career as an opening batsman. The highlight of Bowe’s playing career was scoring 86 for a winning Western Australian team against Victoria at the MCG in March 1968 in what proved to be the equivalent of the modern day Sheffield Shield Final.Mr Bowe has indicated his desire to continue to assist the WACA in an honorary capacity in cricket development issues. Mr Rakich said indicated Mr Bowe’s vast experience will prove invaluable in an exciting new era for WA cricket and administration.As the new Executive member, Mr Hill is also a former State representative as a wicket-keeper. He was appointed Chairman of the State Selection panel last April, after seven years as a selector. He is also a member of the Interstate and International Cricket Committee of the WACA.

Yorkshire got back on course for the Benson & Hedges Cup quarter-finalswith a comfortable five-wicket victory over Lancashire.David Byas and Darren Lehmann were Yorkshire’s heroes. Byas was thetop-scorer with 55 as they reached a modest target of 171 with more thanthree overs to spare, while Lehmann won his second Gold Award of the weekafter taking one for 13 from six overs to go with a quick 35.Lancashire now have no chance of reaching the last eight and they suffereda further worry with Andy Flintoff forced to leave the field with a sideinjury.Flintoff, who has a history of back problems and has remodelled his bowlingaction during the winter, had just had Lehmann caught at point but now lookslikely to miss tomorrow’s last B&H game at Nottinghamshire.Lancashire’s total of 170 for nine was a huge disappointment after MikeAtherton and John Crawley had taken them to 118 for one with a second-wicketstand of 110.Atherton reached his second consecutive half-century from 81 balls withfive fours and went on to 60 before lobbing a full toss from Gary Fellows tolong leg.In the next over Crawley, who had just reached his first 50 of the seasonfrom 90 balls, was bowled by Lehmann, and Lancashire only managed to add 59runs from the last 15 overs.Fellows ended with two for 15 from five overs and Chris Silverwood tookthree for 30, although Ryan Sidebottom rivalled Lehmann as the pick of theattack and earned figures of 9-1-23-1.Craig White and Darren Gough, who were both making their first appearanceof the season, eased back into action. White bowled his ten overs straightthrough for 32, and Gough took one for 33 in nine overs.Byas then put Yorkshire on course for victory in partnerships of 40 withMichael Vaughan, 44 with Anthony McGrath and 51 with Lehmann.

Somerset County Cricket Club announce that the official opening of the Sir Vivian Richards Gates at The County Ground, Taunton scheduled for Sunday, 12 May will be postponed until later in the season.In a message to the Club, Sir Vivian Richards said "that he was elated at the honour given by the Club in recognition of his past services but regrets that his cricket commitments in the West Indies in connection with the fourth Test Match in Antigua has thwarted his plans to attend. He hopes however, to attend later during the year".

ScorecardA quick fifty by Mid West Rhinos captain Brendon Taylor helped his team to a tight three-wicket win against Southern Rocks in Zimbabwe’s Domestic Twenty20 Competition in Masvingo.Chasing 147, Rhinos were going slow for the major part of the innings, and at 55 for 3 in the 11th over, the required run rate had jumped to 10 per over. Taylor then quickened the scoring rate, and brought his team back into the contest with a 20-run 14th over. As he was caught behind in the 16th over for 54, Rhinos needed 40 off 26 balls. Frantic scoring from the lower-middle order secured victory for them with one ball remaining.The Southern Rocks’ innings was based on a fifty by 21-year-old opener Ben Slater. He batted till the 19th over, scoring 57 off 51 balls. He added 74 runs off 8.4 overs with No. 4 Peter Burgoyne to take them to a strong 93 for 3, before Burgoyne departed at the end of the 13th over. Three handy partnerships took them to 146 for 5, which ultimately wasn’t enough for a win. Fast bowler Michael Chinouya took three wickets.Seamer Curthbert Musoko made his Twenty20 debut, taking two wickets for Southern Rocks.

The West Indies have learnt by recent bitter experience not to counttheir chickens before they hatch.The way things have been these past few years, they have to be out oftheir shells and chirping loudly before any celebrations can begin.Yet, the fifth and final Test has incubated nicely over the first fourdays and their first victory since last June 13 matches ago is readyfor hatching.All that is needed now to finish it off is the discipline and patiencethat have got the situation to its promising stage.Throughout the West Indies have shown the resilience that has been somarkedly absent from their cricket for so many years and have beenunquestionably the better team.The upshot has been their strongest position since they blew a firstinnings lead of 143 over England at Lord’s with an all-out 54 in theirsecond innings ten months and 14 Tests ago.Mainly through their toughest character, Ridley Jacobs, they recoveredfrom the insecurity of 126 for five in their second innings on thefourth day to total 301.It left South Africa with a colossal task to keep their unbeatensequence of 12 Tests intact and extend their lead in the series to3-0.The challenge was 386 over the last five sessions of the match. NoSouth African team, before or since apartheid, has ever got near thatto win a Test and, even though eight of their 11 have Test hundreds totheir name, it is a distant goal.By the close of the day, extended by an hour because of three rainbreaks, the West Indies had got rid of three of them for 140,including Herschelle Gibbs and Daryll Cullinan, their two leadingscorers in the series with over 400 runs each.South Africa start the last day needing another 246 off the minimumrequirement of 90 overs and the West Indies need another sevenwickets.It is a victory that would not only be an appropriate parting gift forCourtney Walsh in his farewell Test but a stimulating result for WestIndies cricket that has suffered such pain for so long.They made the necessary inroads into the South African innings throughthe same commitment that has marked their game throughout.In a lively, accurate spell before tea, Merv Dillon removed the lefthanded Gary Kirsten, caught off the under edge as he belatedly pulledhis bat out of the path of a lifter over off-stump, delivered fromround the wicket.The West Indies were realistic enough to know not to expect anotherSouth African collapse as in their first innings 141. Gibbs, asadventurous as always, and Neil McKenzie, promoted to No. 3 for thethird time in the series, made them work for an hour and 40 minuteswhile adding 65.Finally, Gibbs’ patience was exhausted as Dinanath Ramnarine andHooper contained him after an after-tea flourish in which he punishedDillon’s looseness that brought 29 runs from four overs.Heaving an ugly sweep at Hooper, Gibbs was bowled, an embarrasing endto a fruitful series for the opener.Cullinan, South Africa’s most prolific batsman with hundreds atQueen’s Park and Kensington already in the series, replaced Gibbs.He played with few problems before Hooper recalled Walsh for a secondspell.The man of the moment had been off the field receiving attention and asoothing injection after a painful blow to the ankle while battingearlier in the day. The Sabina crowd greeted his return with theunderstandable reception and almost brought the house down when histhird ball beat Cullinan coming forward for umpire Steve Bucknor’s lbwdecision.Another three-quarters of an hour remained and McKenzie and JacquesKallis only survived it with a few alarms.Kallis edged Ramnarine a foot short of Chris Gayle at slip. McKenziejust managed to scramble back into his ground before Jacobs broke thestumps after one from Ramnarine that deflected from the pads. McKenzieagain got the benefit of Bucknor’s little doubt on an lbw claim fromWalsh.The West Indies’ position was already strong when the day started on ahumid morning with clouds hovering low over the Blue Mountains. Thelead was already 339 but captain Hooper called for another 30.He got more, even after Ramnarine was dubiously caught at first slipby Cullinan off Shaun Pollock’s third ball of the day.Tossing the ball in the air as he fell backwards and diving forward totry to gather it in again, Cullinan did not seem to have control ofthe ball but umpire Srinivas Ventararaghavan raised his finger all thesame.It made no significant difference. In between a break for one of theday’s three showers, Jacobs and Cameron Cuffy raised a further 32before Jacobs swung his hook off Lance Klusener to deep square-leg.His 85, occupying just over four hours all told, was made while 161were scored, an invaluable contribution from an invaluable player.As Walsh walked to the wicket for the last time in Test cricket, theSouth Africans formed a guard of honour as the Englishmen did at theOval last August and the Australians did at the SCG last January. Itwas another touching tribute to a greatly admired sportsman.Walsh at least avoided adding to his record 43 Test ducks before heskewed a catch to cover. Soon he was back, striving for the result heis desperate to achieve.

	Jamaica’s Wavell HInds on his way to an unbeaten 59 © The Nation

Leg-spinner Anthony Martin picked up a career-best 7 for 81 to give LeewardIslands their first win in the tournament against Guyana in Nevis. Needing a further 206 runs for victory, Guyana picked up from their overnight 36 for 2 and battled to add 90 runs in the morning session for the loss of two wickets. The experienced Narsingh Deonarine and Royston Crandon then steered the visitors to a fighting 126 for 4 at lunch, still 116 runs adrift of victory. Both batsmen brought up their half-centuries and appeared to be guiding Guyana to victory with a 101-run fifth-wicket stand but the visitors’ position declined rapidly after Martin dislodged Deonarine for 56. Even as Martin produced a five-wicket burst after lunch, at 229 for 8, just 13 runs away from the target, Guyana were still on course for the win. But Gavin Tonge had Davendra Bishoo caught behind and Martin dislodged Esaun Crandon soon after to seal the win before tea.Martin was elated after helping Leewards snap a two-game losing streak with the 10-run victory. “I am feeling so good right now and I don’t even know what to say,” he told . “I just had a good feeling out there and I told myself that I had to do it. The team was depending on me to put in the work and I did.”David Bernard and Wavell Hinds stroked unbeaten half-centuries to hand Jamaica a six-wicket win over Barbados in Jamaica. Bernard (60) and Wavell Hinds (59) were involved in an unbroken fifth-wicket stand of 122 that lifted the table-toppers and defending champions from a precarious 81 for 4 and gave them their third win of the tournament. Chasing 201, after Barbados were bowled out at the close of play on Sunday, Jamaica stuttered as left-arm seamer Pedro Collins and left-arm spinner Ryan Hinds made early inroads, picking up two wickets apiece. Bernard and Wavell Hinds came together just after lunch when captain Tamar Lambert was bowled by Ryan Hinds and the duo defied the Barbados bowlers, keeping them wicketless in the post-lunch session before achieving victory. Bernard struck six fours in his 133-ball innings, while Hinds hit two fours and a six in the 148 balls he faced.

Team	Mat	Won	Lost	Tied	Draw	Aban	Pts
Jamaica	4	3	0	0	1	0	42
Barbados	4	2	1	0	1	0	27
Windward Islands	4	2	2	0	0	0	24
Trinidad & T	3	1	0	0	2	0	21
Leeward Islands	3	1	2	0	0	0	16
Comb CC	3	1	2	0	0	0	12
Guyana	3	0	3	0	0	0	0