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Saleem Altaf, the PCB official who was sacked by the board only to be reinstated, will continue as director-special projects after Pakistan’s Supreme Court upheld the Lahore High Court’s order granting him temporary relief pending the resolution on the writ filed by his lawyers. The PCB had moved the Supreme Court against the lower court’s decision.During Tuesday’s hearing, Altaf’s legal counsel, Naeem Bokhari, contended that he was unjustly dismissed since having been appointed by Pakistan’s president Pervez Musharraf, who is also the patron of the board, he could only be removed the him. Bokhari also said that the termination letter given by the PCB to Altaf did not contain Musharraf’s approval, and that his contract was valid till the 2011 World Cup.The PCB, represented by attorney general Malik Qayyum, maintained that since Altaf was appointed for a three-year term (from 2005) on a contractual basis, he could be fired any time.Altaf, 64, was sacked on June 12 for allegedly leaking sensitive information to the press, a charge he had denied. The board had allegedly recorded a number of conversations he had with journalists during his tenure, which were played back to him before his services were terminated. He was then temporarily reinstated on June 25.

ADELAIDE – Darren Lehmann knows he’s close to Test selection but headmitted today it would take a “tough call” to oust Mark Waugh.Lehmann flew into Adelaide from Sharjah today, released early from theAustralian squad to lead South Australia against NSW in the Pura Cupmatch from Friday.After sitting through the three Test series against Pakistan, it’s hisone chance in a four-day match to show he’s in the right form to earnselection for the first Test against England at the Gabba strating onNovember 7.If he gets the nod, it will almost certainly come at the expense ofWaugh, who has endured another disappointing series against Pakistan.”Everyone’s dream is to play in an Ashes Test series,” Lehmann said.”Hopefully, if I get a chance, I can play well.”It’s really up to me to make as many [runs] as I can before that firstTest and then see what the selectors do from there.”But Mark Waugh’s been a great servant as well, so it’s a tough call.We’ll just have to wait and see what happens.”Waugh finished the three-Test series against Pakistan with meagrereturns of 55, 0, 2 and 23 at an average of 20.Over his past 17 Test innings, the 37-year-old has averaged just over 30- but one fact that may save him is a sterling average of 50.09 againstEngland.For 32-year-old Lehmann, the series against Pakistan was equallyfrustrating, sitting it out, but he said he was still pleased to be partof the squad.”At least you’re there and you’re a chance to play every Test match, younever know what’s going to happen with form or if someone gets ill,” hesaid.”So it’s good to be on the tour and you really feel involved.”It’s better to be there than stuck at home.”Lehmann was also cheered by the performance of the SA side in the firstPura Cup match against Victoria last week, the Redbacks scoring anoutright win after being dismissed cheaply in the first innings.”News we were bowled out for 140 first up was a bit disappointing butthey fought back really well and played well from there,” he said.

The England & Wales Cricket Board (ECB) today announced that Gerard Elias, QC, the Chairman of the ECB’s Discipline Standing Committee, has decided that no disciplinary action will be taken against Darren Gough over his recently reported public criticism of ECB Chairman, Lord MacLaurin. He has, however, today written a private letter to Darren Gough regarding his comments.The ECB also confirmed that Mr Elias was not asked to consider any aspect ofDarren Gough’s and Andrew Flintoff’s alleged behaviour at the Lilleshall National Sports Centre prior to the Ashes tour. The ECB has not received any formal complaints in this regard, despite newspaper speculation to the contrary.

Sri Lanka, easily the best side of the Morocco Cup 2002, were given a fright by Mark Boucher and Boeta Dippenaar in a remarkable stand of 101, retrieving the situation from 91 for 6 to 192 for seven. But Sri Lanka prevailed by 27 runs, with nine balls to spare.His dislocated right shoulder all strapped up after a fall in the third over, Sanath Jayasuriya still came to receive the trophy with a wall-to-wall grin. He also walked away with Man-of-the-Match and Man-of-the-Series awards. Waqar Younis received the Man-of-the-Series for Pakistan.Sri Lanka’s confident march to the title here raises their status to co-favourites for the ICC Champions Trophy. And Pakistan must take note of this, for they play their all-important opener at Colombo against the hosts.On their way to victory, Sri Lanka too had faltered, gathering only 235 after they seemed to be coasting to a far higher total. But their bowlers made up for that lapse, by getting amongst the wickets early on. As a result, despite a courageous partnership for the seventh wicket, the South Africans were never in the hunt.The Proteas’ intentions were aggressive, but their application flawed. Promoting Lance Klusener to open the innings with Herschelle Gibbs meant that they wanted runs at a brisk rate at the start. But Sri Lanka got two wickets inside the first six overs and another in the 13th over to upset their best-laid place. There was, however, a major reverse for the Lankans as well. They lost their captain Sanath Jayasuriya through an injury, dislocated right shoulder that thudded into the ground after catching Gibbs at mid-off off Chaminda Vaas.The Sri Lankans missed Jayasuriya’s influence in the field, not to mention his left-arm slow bowling, also not visible.With Gibbs gone, Klusener tore into Palsathi Gunaratne, clouting him for four at square leg and six over mid-wicket. Marvan Atapattu, in charge as Jayasuriya was rushed to the hospital, promptly relieved Gunaratne next over, bringing on Dilhara Fernando from Cap Spartel end. He bowled what must have looked like a mouth-watering full toss to Klusener, but it dipped at the last moment, hit him on the pads and umpire Simon Taufel had no hesitation in adjudging him leg before.Vaas had another scalp in his seventh over, as Graeme Smith dragged him on to his stumps to make it three for 52. Their misery was compounded from here. Atapattu, having a great time in the field, caught Jacques Kallis (24, 36 balls, 3 fours), the most authoritative of South African batsmen, top edging a sweep off Chandana at square-leg, and followed with the run-out of Jonty Rhodes from long-on.With half the Proteas side back in the pavilion at the halfway mark, and only 89 runs on the board, the asking rate pushing close to six an over and Muralitharan not yet on, the writing was pretty much on the wall. He was given the 26th over, and immediately made it six for 91, clean bowling Nicky Boje through the gate with a straight one.Mark Boucher and Boeta Dippenaar (53 runs, 98 balls, 2 fours) turned things around in a brave stand of 101 off 112 balls, taking the Proteas within a hand shake’s distance to glory. But Dipennaar got out trying to hit Gunaratne out of the ground, with Jayawardene taking a good catch at long-off. Pollock was run-out shortly afterwards, and Telemachus was bowled by Murali. Boucher (70, 65 balls, 4 fours, 2 sixes) too perished, guiding Gunaratne into Sangakkara’s hands, bringing the Proteas’ late charge to a close in the penultimate over.Earlier South Africa came back to contain Sri Lanka to 235 for seven, far fewer than they would have expected when they were cruising at 119 for one in the 22nd over. Once their top two batsmen were dismissed, Sri Lamka made just 116 runs off 227 deliveries.Sanath Jayasuriya (71, off 71 deliveries, 10 fours, 1 six) had got them off to a brisk start, first with Marwan Atapattu (25, 40, 3 fours) and then Kumar Sangakkara (40, off 54 deliveries, 4 fours). With the first and second wicket adding 78 and 41 runs, they were ideally placed for an imposing total. More so as the South Africans had used seven bowlers and yet were unable to stem the flow of runs.But Jayasuriya, having scored his 50th fifty in 230 one-day-internationals, lofted a Boje full toss in the direction of long-off, straight into a running Donald’s hands at long-off. Yet again, Jayasuriya had thrown it away when he seemed destined for greater things. But his stay on the crease was still a highly productive one, and it provided the Lankan innings the impetus.Sangakkara and Aravinda de Silva, the maestro who had taken 151 runs in two league games against the Proteas without being conquered, had another productive stand of 48 for the third wicket. But Kumar Sangakkara holed out to Boeta Dippenaar at deep squre leg after lofting Nicky Boje over extra cover fence. From here on the Lankans found it extremely difficult to get runs at a reasonable rate and keep the partnerships going.Aravinda de Silva was batting well, but seemed to be a touch restless. He charged down the wicket to Kallis, sent him soaring over extra cover for a six, but then offered a simple chance to Mark Boucher on a short delivery.With de Silva gone, the South African bowlers, who had seemed so helpless early on, seized the opportunity and choked the Lankans for runs. And though Donald went for 11 runs in the penultimate over, the rest was mostly a crawl, as only 37 runs came between over No 31 and 41, 42 off the last 10 overs.

Somerset Seconds have enjoyed a successful season in 2002, having won two out of their ten championship matches, to end in twelfth place in the championship table, an improvement of three places on last year. They won their opening match against Worcestershire and crushed Kent inside two days in the final game, as well as beating Gloucestershire in a three day friendly.Mark Garaway, who joined the club in November 2001 as Director of the South West Regional Academy and assistant coach in charge of the second team told me: " This has been a very enjoyable season for everyone, which is halfway towards achieving my initial objective, and because we have got a small staff at the club we have had to recruit from the Academy and from triallists."He continued: "One of the biggest compliments I had all season came from Scott Cunningham who played six games for us and scored some good runs. He said he felt very comfortable at the club because there was a good atmosphere in the dressing room, which he hadn’t found to always be the case at other clubs."Whilst Mark has been delighted with the results of the team, when he took over he didn’t expect to win too many matches because that wasn’t his main objective. "Second team cricket is a learning ground for young players and a stepping stone towards first team cricket. It’s about processing and learning, and the proof that has been Arul Suppiah who went out for Somerset Sabres up at Durham in his first game and did the business, which was very pleasing."The young players who have made up the side have given a good account of themselves. The coach continued: "Our biggest loss of the season was up at Warwickshire where both young James Hildreth and leg spinner Michael Munday played well against very experienced opposition. Faced with that situation they did let themselves down, and as a result the spin off has been the success of our Under 19’s side who won the ECB two day competition recently. The youngsters have grown up during the season and it has been fantastic for me to see them doing so well."Mark Garaway paid tribute to three of the players who have played such a major part in the teams success Graham Rose, Joe Tucker and Tom Webley. Regarding his senior player he told me: " Graham has been absolutely brilliant, and has willingly taken on the mentoring role for the younger players. It was good to see him do so well in the last game at Kent when he was returning from injury."I asked the coach to identify some of the young players who he felt had particularly impressed him this season. He told me:"Arul Suppiah is a serious talent who is desperate to play first team cricket. Michael Munday is a wholehearted leg spinner who has worked very hard on his batting and fielding this season He will shortly be spending sometime in the winter with Terry Jenner in Australia. Neil Edwards has come a long way this summer and has just been selected for the England Under 19 party for Australia. Gareth Andrew has had a good year and Michael Parsons has done well in his first year at the Academy. James Hildreth has looked very comfortable playing at Under 17 and second team level as has sixteen year old Richard Timms who scored 69 against Gloucestershire, he is very talented."The most pleasing aspect is that the sides that have been fielded by Somerset Seconds have been very young this season which is all looking very encouraging for the future of the club.

With two days of the Test to go, the West Indies are in a dominating position at Jamaica. Ahead by 375, with Chanderpaul at the crease and three wickets left, it is almost impossible to see the hosts losing from here. True, stranger things have happened in the history of the game, but one suspects that will not be the case here.The day began quite well for the visitors. A determined Sourav Ganguly and a comfortable VVS Laxman looked in no trouble at all. The West Indies seamers stuck to their task, plugging away at a good length on a wicket that kept the bowlers interested. Eventually, one ball did just enough to account for Ganguly. Fending at a ball just outside the off, Ganguly edged the ball through to ‘keeper Ridley Jacobs.Jacobs has hardly missed anything in this series, and this catch was no exception. Ganguly (36 runs, 72 balls, six fours) became Merv Dillon’s first wicket of the day. Pumped up and energised by the wicket, Dillon improved as the overs rolled by.Ajay Ratra (3), Harbhajan Singh (4), Zaheer Khan (6) and Javagal Srinath (2) contributed precious little to the Indian cause. Dillon, though, was pleased as punch with the wicket of Harbhajan Singh, his fifth of the innings.Despite Nehra’s being run out for a duck and the Indian innings ending on 212, the follow-on was not enforced. Laxman, who has been a picture of confidence and strength throughout the series, top-scored with an unbeaten 65 (152 balls, seven fours). Despite going on to make only one big score, his contribution to every innings has been substantial.The fact that the West Indies chose not to enforce the follow-on did not come as a huge surprise. But then, the hosts probably could not have anticipated the events that followed.Wavell Hinds, who batted tremendously for a century in the first innings, was completely undone by a spell of good bowling by Javagal Srinath. Although nowhere near his quickest, Srinath seemed to find a good rhythm, teasing the batsmen just outside the off-stump. Hinds (6) could not resist forever, and one prod saw him edge the ball to Laxman at second slip.Soon after, Srinath accounted for Gayle (15) in similar fashion.Sarwan, coming in at one drop, began positively, finding the gaps well and stroking the ball through the infield. Perhaps it was this confidence that caused his downfall as well. Driving far away from his body, foot not quite to the pitch of the ball, Sarwan hit Zaheer Khan to a diving Shiv Sunder Das at cover. Making amends for earlier gaffes, Das took a good low catch, sending Sarwan (12) packing.Carl Hooper (6) too could not stick around and dabbed a Zaheer Khan delivery through to wicket-keeper Ajay Ratra. The West Indies, at that point, were in a spot of bother at 60 for four.But if that position before tea gave the visitors hope, their eventual 165 for seven at stumps set things up intriguingly. The hosts are ahead by 375, and one can be sure this match will not end in a draw. With two full days to play, a cracking finale is in the offing.Brian Lara, growing in confidence, played a tremendous pull off the front foot that would have sent a shiver down the spines of the bowlers. The tough situations bring out the best in some cricketers, and Lara in the past has certainly shown that he falls in that category. But there was to be no last Lara hurrah in a forgettable series. On 35, Lara dragged a Zaheer Khan delivery back onto his stumps.Ridley Jacobs, after being dropped in the slips by Rahul Dravid off Zaheer Khan in the 26th over of the innings, went on to compile a tidy 16, whipping the ball through the onside time and time again. Just when he looked like he might help Chanderpaul stretch their partnership, Jacobs was dismissed by Harbhajan Singh.Defending awkwardly at a flighted ball that did not really turn much, Jacobs gloved the ball to substitute fielder Dinesh Mongia at short-leg.Dillon then whacked one ball through square before losing his cool and attempting a wild slog through the on-side. He missed, Nehra struck, and the West Indies were 122 for seven.Then came a period of play that made life miserable for the Indians. Pedro Collins, coming in at number nine, lasted a remarkable 41 balls for four runs and was involved in an unbeaten partnership of 43 with Chanderpaul.Chanderpaul continued to torment India with his accumulation of runs. Never spectacular, yet always carefully doing what is best for the West Indies, Chanderpaul made an unbeaten 55.The West Indies are now right on top of this game. They will have to play very badly, or India extraordinarily well, for this game to end in anything but a win for the home team.

At the start of another bright sunny morning at the County Ground in Taunton, Somerset Head Groundsman Phil Frost was working hard alongside his team to make sure that the ground is in peak condition for the first home match of the season against Glamorgan in the Benson and Hedges Cup on April 30th.Phil, who won the coveted Groundsman of the Year Award for a record breaking number of times in 2001 told me: "It’s all looking very good at the moment. The early season net wickets and the wickets out in the middle have all played well, but it is always so much easier when it is dry. We have been very lucky with the weather this season so far."Phil Frost continued: "The pitch for the Glamorgan game in a fortnight is virtually ready, and we are now keeping it dry. It should be a typical Taunton wicket, and after the Hampshire friendly match on Wednesday we will put the main covers over it."

Gary Kirsten and Jacques Kallis batted with ruthless efficiency to putSouth Africa in control of the first Test against the West Indies at theBourda on Saturday with the tourists closing day two on 130-1 in reply tothe home side’s first innings score of 304.Kirsten has built an enduring and widely respected reputation on hisability to anchor an innings and rotate the strike with a series of nudgesand nurdles but his Dr Jekyll side made an unexpected appearance as he droveand cut savagely at any width offered by the pacemen and then slog-sweptimpressive leg spinner Dinanath Ramnarine for a glorious six over midwicket.Kallis, too, began to use his feet against the three spinners used by the West Indies hitting Carl Hooper for a one-bounce boundary straight back over his head and reaching a rock solid 39 not out at the close.Kirsten’s life-long ambition has been to tour the Caribbean and he seemsintent on making the best possible start. He enjoyed one moment of luck, on53, when a classic googly from Ramnarine fizzed onto his glove but took aslight deflection off his pad preventing Ridley Jacobs from accepting thechance. His unbeaten 80 at the close had come from 175 balls and containednine fours and the six.Herschelle Gibbs (8) became the only casualty of the South African reply when a Merv Dillon delivery skidded nastily towards the base of leg stump and snuck through his defences. He was on the back foot, however, and should have been playing forward.If South Africa dominated the final two sessions, however, then the opposite was true for two hours in the morning after the home side resumed on 232-7. Despite the almost immediate loss of Ramnarine to a silly run out error which allowed Gibbs to run in from cover and remove the bails, Hooper guided his fragile team through to lunch at an impressive 300-8.Then unsung hero in a ninth wicket partnership of 62 was Dillon (9) who showed huge character to defend for almost two hours and 86 balls while Hooper advanced his overnight score from 12 to 67 at lunch.The controversially appointed new West Indian captain displayed what Sir Vivian Richards said everyone knew he had – “genuine class”. Driving and wristily flicking the seamers, sweeping spinner Nicky Boje and, most elegantly, late-cutting anybody to the fine third man boundary, Hooper went a long way towards winning over the critics who said he lacked commitment and the heart for a fight.

Sussex pace bowler Billy Taylor will miss the first two weeks of theseason after fracturing the little finger on his right hand in two places. He sustained the injury in his first training session after recovering from an ankle operation.

Practise and training, training and practise – that’s the recipe for Jeff Wilson over the next six months as he prepares to resume his cricketing career.Wilson retired last week from all rugby having played 60 test matches for New Zealand and 230 first-class games. He is the leading try scorer in tests for the All Blacks with 44 and touched down 151 times during his decade in the game.Now with a view to playing cricket again at the highest level, Wilson has discussed a winter training regime with State Otago Volts coach Glenn Turner and has already enjoyed an informal practise session at Otago Cricket’s high performance centre in Dunedin.Turner said working with Wilson will be an interesting exercise.”I’m looking forward to learning how rugby operates in areas of commonality and what might be useful for us to incorporate into our work,” he said, clearly referring to attitude and professionalism.Otago Cricket’s chief executive Graeme Elliott also met Wilson this week where he was able to discuss what requirements the former One-Day International player had for the winter. Elliott reinforced Otago Cricket’s delight in having a player of Wilson’s calibre again available to the association’s selectors.”Jeff is exceptionally keen to be involved,” Elliott said.”It will be a tough process for him, getting his body into cricket shape again after so long away from the game. But it’s a challenge he’s set himself and Glenn and he have already confirmed a schedule.”We’ve told Jeff we will do everything we can to ensure his return to the game is as smooth as possible and I know New Zealand Cricket feels the same way,” he said.Wilson represented New Zealand as a 19-year-old in the home one-day series against Australia in the 1992/93 season, several months before his All Black debut. He is the only one of the seven ‘double’ All Blacks to have achieved that feat while a teenager.