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It’s a measure of how formidable Sri Lanka are on their own turf that Mark Boucher, leading South Africa in this Unitech Cup, felt compelled to resort to flippancy when asked how the hosts could be stopped. “If you have any suggestions, please tell me,” he said, perhaps aware that South Africa have not won a one-day match on the island since the far-off days of 1993.India too have been indifferent performers in Sri Lanka, with their batsmen stymied by the sluggish pitches and Sri Lanka’s multitude of slow-bowling options. Having beaten India in a low-scoring match in the Asia Cup final two seasons ago, they handed out three defeats in the triangular last year, Greg Chappell’s first assignment in charge of the team.Having pulverised England 5-0 in the old country, Sri Lanka have every reason to feel that this Cup too is theirs for the taking. Sanath Jayasuriya, seemingly consigned to the fringes after his failures in India last year, is once again batting with the power and confidence that characterised his salad years in the late 1990s, and in Upul Tharanga he has found a free-stroking accomplice infinitely more accomplished than biff-bang merchants like Avishka Gunawardene.And though Marvan Atapattu is missing, Mahela Jayawardene, who appears to add layers to his accomplishment with each game in charge, and Kumar Sangakkara form a potent second line of attack. Factor in Tillakaratne Dilshan and Chamara Kapugadera, and you realise just why Sri Lanka are expected to carry on their proud record of 88 wins against 35 defeats on home soil.An astonishing 41 of those wins have come at the Premadasa Stadium, formerly a swamp. The most famous of those was probably the rout of Australia in the Champions Trophy semi-final of 2002, when a blistering Australian start gave way to utter confusion and self-destruction once Aravinda de Silva came on to bowl his innocuous offbreaks.Men like Dilshan, who bowls in similar fashion, and the ever-unpredictable Lasith Malinga give Sri Lanka a bowling X-factor to supplement bonafide legends like Muttiah Muralitharan and Chaminda Vaas. The spectre of Murali has such a debilitating effect on the psyche of opposing teams that they often try to tweak their tactics with a view to neutralising his threat. Already, there are rumours that India may save Virender Sehwag for the middle order, just so that too much momentum won’t be lost once Murali comes on to apply his wicket-taking tourniquet with the softer white ball.

India have a few wild cards of their own though. Their batting, with Tendulkar back to reinforce it, is grisly strong, and when they get it right – as they did against Sri Lanka at home and Pakistan away – no target is safe. Yuvraj Singh has become a master of the one-day game, and Mahendra Singh Dhoni provides an unorthodox big-hitting option not seen since the days of Kapil Dev.Munaf Patel and S Sreesanth – only one of whom is likely to play if Irfan Pathan is persisted with – can give as good as they get in the pace stakes, and RP Singh with his skiddy medium pace could also be an option on slow pitches. Most crucial though will be the spin component led by Harbhajan Singh. Sehwag has been in superb bowling form of late, and Yuvraj and Tendulkar, shoulder willing, will be other options if the need of the hour is to take the pace off the ball.South Africa don’t have such a luxury, and must depend instead on their pace bowlers to hit the right areas on pitches not really suited to their brand of bowling. With the canny Charl Langeveldt missing, and Makhaya Ntini and Shaun Pollock both struggling with niggles, the likes of Andre Nel and Johan van der Wath will have to step up if South Africa are to change their dismal fortunes on these shores.van der Wath, the so-called new kid on the block, is already 29, but as his thrilling 16-ball 36 in one-dayer at Johannesburg showed, he doesn’t shy away from the big occasion. Neither does Herschelle Gibbs, whose withdrawal with cramps after a scintillating century prompted that astonishing capitulation against India in the Champions Trophy semi-final of 2002. But with no Smith, no Kallis and no Kemp to provide some pizzazz, it’s hard to escape the conclusion that the final on August 29 will be a South Asian affair. With so much wet weather around, one can only hope that it will be decided by events on the field, and not by rain-rules and charts that few can fathom.

West Indies batsman Wavell Hinds has signed a one-year deal with Derbyshire as a Kolpak player. He has played 45 Tests and 114 one-day internationals, but hasn’t featured at international level since the Champions Trophy last October.If Hinds was to play for West Indies during this contract he would have to rescind his non-overseas status, so the move means his international future is looking doubtful. However, his aggressive batting and useful medium-pace will be valuable additions to the Derbyshire team.”It is terrific news for Derbyshire that we have been able to add a player of Wavell’s quality and experience to our squad for 2008,” said head of cricket John Morris. “Wavell has plenty of experience in both the Test and one-day international arena and he has proven ability in scoring runs at the highest level. That is exactly what I was looking for in a Kolpak player.”Hinds is the latest big-name signing made by Morris since he took charge at Derbyshire following Rikki Clarke’s arrival as captain last week.

Scorecard and ball-by-ball details2:58

Chappell: Hundred will give Pandey more belief

Manish Pandey and MS Dhoni, rising star and fading force, combined to deliver India victory over Australia at the last possible opportunity in another run-fest at the SCG. Having crumpled in a humiliating heap in Canberra, the tourists were able to hold their nerve this time, helped by a pair of critical Australian dropped catches.David Warner and Mitchell Marsh had made centuries for Australia, but the allrounder conceded 13 from the final over of the night to allow the visitors avoid the ignominy of a 5-0 series sweep. It also provided partial vindication of Dhoni’s longtime belief in seeing out an innings, even if his steady 34 was a diminished version of supreme closing displays he used to be able to put together for his team. Australia were denied an unbeaten home summer.Fluent hands from Shikhar Dhawan and the Man-of-the-Series Rohit Sharma had put India in sight of victory though both men fell short of centuries. Dhawan was brilliantly caught by Shaun Marsh at deep point, before Rohit reached 99 only to edge John Hastings behind and be given out by the umpire Paul Wilson after a dramatic pause for the crowd of 33,710.Pandey, playing his fourth ODI, weathered that moment and pushed on to his highest and best innings for India. His crisp stroke play found plenty of gaps around the SCG and kept the run chase within sight. Dhoni arrived at the fall of Rohit’s wicket and after a halting start India’s captain gradually found his range in time-honoured fashion.The pair allowed the equation to leak out to 35 to win from the final three overs, before taking 13 from the 48th over and nine from the 49th. Needing 13 from the final over, Mitchell Marsh gave away a wide first ball, before Dhoni hammered a six over long off. He then perished trying to repeat the shot, but Pandey squirted a boundary past the gloves of Matthew Wade to reach a deserved hundred and put the result beyond doubt.Heavy rain around Sydney in the lead-up to the match affected the ground staff’s preparation, ironically resulting in arguably the fairest surface of the international summer – excepting the grassy, experimental pitch prepared for the inaugural day-night Test in Adelaide. Dhoni duly sent the Australians in, and was rewarded with early wickets.But after the loss of Aaron Finch, Steven Smith, the captain, George Bailey and Shaun Marsh inside the first 22 overs of the afternoon, David Warner and Mitchell Marsh combined for a partnership all the more impressive for the fact that they had to deal with a moving ball for virtually the first time since Adelaide back in November.Warner’s hundred was his second from as many SCG fixtures this summer, and he also made a century against India on this ground in their Test match last January. His momentum built throughout the innings even as he appeared to try to make certain of a hundred after being dismissed for 93 in Canberra. The resultant celebration is now near enough to choreographed, but Warner added a baby-rocking motion in recognition of the recent birth of his second daughter.Less scripted was the manner of Mitchell Marsh’s celebration, having rattled to a maiden international hundred on the same ground where he made his first Sheffield Shield century for Western Australia in 2011. Twice before this summer, Mitchell Marsh had been promoted by Smith in order to grant the allrounder extra time in the middle, and he had looked awkward each time.This was more the role he has been groomed for, staging a middle-order recovery after early wickets with good judgment and power hitting. There was some drama to Mitchell Marsh’s hundredth run – he spent three nervy deliveries on 99, before flicking Ishant through midwicket to reach the milestone from a mere 81 balls. Mitchell Marsh’s 82nd struck him amidships, and precious momentum was lost in the final 12 balls.Those two overs meant India were chasing a target somewhat skinnier than they had faced in Canberra; Dhawan and Rohit began with venomous intent, and for a time there seemed nothing that would stem their momentum. The stand was worth 123 at comfortably better than a run-a-ball when Dhawan lofted John Hastings and was caught by a leaping Shaun Marsh.Rohit’s prolific scoring in this series was completed by another confident hand, which ended only when a baying crowd and tight field placed by Smith had the opener edging behind. Shaun Marsh had dropped a far simpler chance from him the over before. That wicket may have given Australia the momentum to go on to win, but Dhoni’s early struggles were reprieved when Nathan Lyon spilled another chance at deep midwicket.The spin of Lyon and Smith cost 78 from 10 overs, leaving much responsibility on the shoulders of Hastings and Scott Boland. Mitchell Marsh bowled well enough until India’s final onslaught, and the all-round skills of Glenn Maxwell, missing due to a knee knock in Canberra, were notable for their absence.Ishant Sharma had found seam movement in the very first over of the afternoon, fooling Aaron Finch into shouldering arms to a nip-backer that struck him in the vicinity of the off stump. The umpire Richard Kettleborough raised his finger without hesitation, though ball tracking was to show the ball may not quite have been moving back enough.Smith looked at ease despite his early arrival to the crease, until the introduction of the debutant Jasprit Bumrah who appeared to catch Smith a little off guard. Bumrah generated decent pace from an abbreviated run up and unusual action, and after tying down Smith was able to gain his wicket when a pull shot found Rohit Sharma at midwicket. Bumrah later added the wicket of James Faulkner: his control put other more experienced teammates to shame.Neither George Bailey nor Shaun Marsh were able to prosper, the former fooled by Dhawan’s leg cutter and the latter a run out when Umesh Yadav’s return from the outfield rebounded from the knee of Gurkeerat Singh to disturb the bails. At 4 for 117, Australia were teetering, but Warner and Marsh were to recover the innings in some style. They seemed to have done enough, until a mere seven runs from the final two overs of the innings gave India a glimpse.

Good news at last for Canada – they have announced their search for a chief executive to lead their push towards professional cricket. The full-time role will be funded by ICC and the Canada Cricket Association (CCA).Whoever is appointed will report to the CCA president Ben Sennik, with responsibilities for financial reporting, marketing and helping to implement a high-performance program alongside the new coach.The ad states that the ideal candidate will be “preferably fluent in English and French”. But while the CCA is required to have a bilingual policy, in line with Federal Government policy, finding someone who speaks both languages who also has in-depth knowledge of the game both globally and within Canada, and has an excellent business brain may be a task of needle and haystack – though not impossible.Nevertheless, the news couldn’t come at a better time for Canada: putting it mildly, it’s been a bad week. Their preparations for the Intercontinental Cup final were shoddy at best – though not entirely of their own making – and the outcome laid bare what’s wrong within the game. They didn’t look like a unit; their body language was poor, and they hadn’t had enough practice.It’s hardly their fault – they had played little cricket, and some play on artificial wickets when they do – but John Davison’s tag of “village and embarrassing” for one of their World Cup displays was equally relevant on the first day. In retrospect, however, it was a very big ask. Not one member of the CCA, nor any of the selectors, was there to witness the display – a funding issue – but all of which was sorrily contrasted by a smiling, enthusiastic Ireland side and board.And now Canada are without a coach, following Andy Pick’s return to England Under-19 duties. So what better time than to announce that now they are looking for someone who can redress this situation, and inject some much-needed professionalism? Furthermore, the chief executive will be required to offer a clear marketing program which is vital, as funding continues to be a massive issue.The CCA themselves recognise that for the players to become professional is a long process, but this role is exciting news for the country, the new coach and the new chief exec. Now they just have to find them.

If the sky is a reflection of mood, then the spirit in the South African camp should have lifted significantly this weekend. The drab damp they experienced in Bangalore was replaced by brilliant and bright blue in Nagpur. They could train without dodging drizzle, think sans the sound of soft splatter and see clearly. Even if they only thing they were looking at was themselves.”The guys have admitted to the fact that we made a few errors, especially in that first Test. We’d like to rectify it going forward,” JP Duminy said.South Africa’s mistakes have stemmed from their method. In Mohali, they allowed the pre-match talk to overwhelm them and played conservatively in conditions they had imagined to be much worse than they were. To compensate for that in Bangalore, they did the opposite. They attacked to try and establish some authority. Both times, they failed.Given that South Africa know the change in overhead conditions is unlikely to change things on the surface – as Duminy put it, “the expectancy is that it will turn,” – and given that their premeditation has proved faulty, the only thing left for South Africa to do is play as normally as possible. They have approached Nagpur with that cliché of it being “just another game,” knowing it is not just another game but a must-win if they are to pull off the ultimate coup and beat India on home soil.To do that, South Africa have to practice what they have been preaching for the last few years: that, as a batting group, they have improved against spin. There is already evidence that the likes of AB de Villiers, Hashim Amla, Faf du Plessis and JP Duminy can negotiate R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja, but only de Villiers has done so in this series.Last year, Dean Elgar’s century in Galle showed that he could deal with sluggish, spinner-friendly surfaces and he has managed the same here, but calmness abandons him at crucial moments while Stiaan van Zyl and Dane Vilas remain raw and this is a new challenge for them. If South Africa are to prevail, collectively the batting will have to come together.”We understand that their strength lies in their spin and there’s no point in trying to deny that. It’s about having a game plan against it,” Duminy said. Part of that game plan has to involve allowing themselves to improvise on the day and play in the moment. “Not to play the person but to play the ball,” is how Duminy described it, talking specifically about Ashwin although that should apply to Jadeja too. India’s spin twins have had equal amounts of success with 12 wickets a piece.There’s no question they are South Africa’s biggest challenge and Duminy has promised South Africa are ready to meet it head on. “We always knew there would come a time when we would be challenged quite a bit. It’s how you come back from those challenges that is going to make us as a team. We pride ourselves on that – that we’re a resilient team, that we never back down from a challenge. We know it’s a tough challenge for us but we also know we have the capability of facing those challenges. We’ve done it before. We’ve come here and played well in all formats.”South Africa have never come from 1-0 down to win a series away from home before, but they have fought back to draw level, most recently in the UAE where they won in Dubai after being defeated in Abu Dhabi. They have also won several series in the subcontinent, including a Test and ODI series in Sri Lanka, to support Duminy’s theory. On this visit to India, they have already claimed two trophies. On their last visit, they won in Nagpur. So if memory is a reflection of mood, South Africa are more upbeat than the scoreline suggests they should be.

Misbah-ul-Haq’s impressive performances in the World Twenty20 have earned him a recall to Pakistan’s squad for the first Test against South Africa in Karachi on Monday. But there was no place in the 15-man lineup for either Inzamam-ul-Haq, the former captain, or Shoaib Akhtar.Misbah was the third-highest run-scorer in South Africa, helping Pakistanreach the final and was also the highest run-scorer in the Quaid-e-AzamTrophy, Pakistan’s premier first-class tournament. He played the last of his five Tests four years ago against Bangladesh. Joining him in the middle order is Mohammad Yousuf, whoyesterday agreed to represent Pakistan, after having initially signed upfor the Indian Cricket League (ICL).But there was no place in the squad for Inzamam, another ICL signatory.Inzamam has retired from ODIs, though insists he wants to play Test cricket.Salahuddin Ahmed, Pakistan’s chief selector, said that Inzamam had been consideredfor the squad but had declared himself unavailable for the first Test.”I spoke to Inzamam and though he didn’t specify the reasons, he said hewas unavailable for the first Test,” said Salahuddin. “If he is availablefor the second Test [in Lahore], he will be considered.”Shoaib’s exclusion was also expected, as he is currently the subject of adisciplinary inquiry into his altercation with Mohammad Asif in SouthAfrica. “Shoaib’s is a policy decision,” said Salahuddin. “The disciplinary inquiry isongoing and only when their decision has come will we take a decision.”Rao Iftikhar Anjum took the third fast bowler’s spot, edging out SohailTanvir, the left-arm, wrong-foot bowler who did so well in the Twenty20World Cup. “Sohail is a very talented all-rounder but we feel he still hassome time before he is ready for the longer version of the game,” addedSalahuddin.Pakistan will field yet another new opening pair when the first Testbegins from October 1. One of Taufeeq Umar, who averages 74 in four Testsagainst South Africa, or Mohammad Hafeez will partner Salman Butt, thevice-captain.Pakistan squad: Shoaib Malik (capt), Salman Butt, Mohammad Hafeez,Younis Khan, Mohammad Yousuf, Misbah-ul-Haq, Kamran Akmal (wk), MohammadAsif, Umar Gul, Rao Iftikhar Anjum, Danish Kaneria, Faisal Iqbal, YasirHameed, Taufeeq Umar, Abdur Rehman

Joey Carew, convenor of the West Indies selection panel, says “a different spirit that emanated from the players” was the key to Brian Lara’s team winning the five-match one-day international series against favourites India. And he has described Lara, now leading the side for an unprecedented third time, as being “very much committed” and “more mature” at the age of 37.After narrowly losing the opening match in Jamaica on May 18, West Indies bounced back to capture the series 4-1. “I have enjoyed the series, of course, being the winner of the series encourages me for that,” Carew said on the CMC CricketPlus programme. “But, more so, I find that there was a different spirit that emanated from the players and I think that was the secret of their success. It proved in every game and I am looking forward to more improvement as we go into the Test [series].”Carew, a former West Indies opening batsman, reckoned that the 5-0 triumph in the preceding seven-match home series against minnows Zimbabwe (two matches were abandoned because of rain) was a solid foundation for the resurgent West Indies to build on. “Most definitely, but also the match practice that we got. It’s a bit different outside there than in the nets and we got the match practice that we needed. So we didn’t come into the India series stale as such. We came in fresh and victorious and I think that helped a lot,” he said.With regard to Lara, Carew remarked: “He is very committed but Brian has always been committed. But somewhere along the line, maybe at 37, he is more mature and the players have matured themselves and I think the team is led properly and they are all pulling their weight. I don’t see much of a difference in Brian Lara’s tactical approach yesteryear to what it is now,” Carew added.Prior to the series, India were ranked No.3 in the world behind Australia and South Africa, compared to West Indies at No 8. But Rahul Dravid’s men have now slipped to No.5. West Indies have remained in eighth place but have gained seven rating points because of the 4-1 series win. It means they are now just five points behind seventh-placed England.The first match in the four-Test series starts on Friday at the Antigua Recreation Ground.

For the scores of cricket fans packed onto the London Underground this morning, there was a special message as the train arrived at their destination. “Our next stop is Oval,” announced the driver over the tannoy, “where I regret to inform you the forecast is for sun.” It was a droll reminder of how futile England’s predicament had become. On Friday their series prospects were marmalised by an Indian batting performance of stunning totality, and now all that remained was a three-day face-saving exercise.Even so, for professional batsmen – a selfish bunch by nature – the idea of batting for three days in perfect sun-blessed conditions should not really have been the chore that England’s top order made it out to be today. Their coach, Peter Moores, had even dangled the carrot in his comments on the previous evening. “Help yourselves,” was the gist of his message as he exhorted them to bat, bat and then bat some more. If they put their own interests first, he reasoned, those of the team would follow soon enough. If Brian Lara was an Englishman in this situation, he would have had designs on a third world record.Instead England’s response was nervy, motley and self-destructive. Massive totals can have that effect on opposing sides – every run that is scored sinks into the requirement like a footstep up a sand-dune – but it could not mitigate the culpability of so many of England’s dismissals. Andrew Strauss’s hook to deep square leg on Friday evening might have been excusable after two days of hard toil, but it was not intended to be a template for what followed.England were limp, as limp as they had been in Lahore two winters ago in a similarly hopeless situation. Alastair Cook, dropped twice while clipping off his pads to leg slip, made it third time unlucky by spooning a return catch to Anil Kumble off the back of his over-eager blade. Kevin Pietersen allowed his more watchful persona to dominate the first 106 balls of his innings, before his hubristic Mr Hyde let rip at Sachin Tendulkar’s very first delivery, and even Ian Bell, a man whose appetite for easy runs is unsurpassed in this side, could not resist a wild slash at a wide one from Zaheer Khan.The flashiness of their downfall made Tendulkar’s sheet-anchor single-mindedness on the first two days all the more admirable. He took no risks whatsoever at a stage of the game when many onlookers were questioning the value of such stodginess. England’s batsmen, by contrast, had been granted a rare opportunity to be lauded for a lack of aesthetic appeal, much as happened to Michael Atherton at Johannesburg in 1995-96. None of them showed much desire to do things the ugly way.Only Michael Vaughan, who was genuinely deceived by an excellent googly from Kumble, and Paul Collingwood – the latest victim of Ian Howell’s ignoble series – could be excused for the manner of their dismissals. But even Collingwood admitted a measure of culpability in the shot that got him out. Talking of England’s approach to such a towering total, he said: “You have to stick to the gameplan of picking on your strengths, which for me was the straight ball on the pads, hitting it to the leg side.” The fact that he missed out on his money shot was all the excuse that Howell needed.

India’s bowlers were good but far from excellent – they did not need to be. It was not until they took the new ball with England already ruptured at 288 for 5 that they finally found the same consistency and aggression that had carried them to victory in the last Test at Trent Bridge. Up until that point their swing – though prodigious – had been misdirected, with Mahendra Singh Dhoni lining himself up a foot to the right of the return crease. The uncertainty they created, however, was enough to break England’s resolve.”Generally you know exactly what the ball is going to do as it comes down, but it’s very hard to line bowlers up when they are swinging it both ways,” said Collingwood, who made it sound rather as if he had spent his summer facing Wasim Akram. “The control that they’ve shown has been excellent, but being brought up on Indian wickets, you have to have that variety. “Though the series is lost, Collingwood insisted that the match is not yet all over for England. “I think everyone in the dressing room thinks it can be saved,” he said. “Whether we can win it or not is a different matter, but there’s plenty of fight in there, and we’ve got two days to show that fight.” History suggests that it is not entirely out of the question. In 1990, England were baked by India’s batsmen to the tune of 606 runs, folded for 340 in their first innings, then batted to the close with David Gower leading the way. Gower, however, was playing for his career. England’s current incumbents cannot even play for themselves at the moment.

Even on his big day, someone who wasn’t even playing grabbed much of the attention.It just seems so typical of the understated career of Shivnarine Chanderpaul that as he walked onto the field in Multan yesterday for his 100th Test match for West Indies, many eyes were focused on the dressing room, where vice-captain Ramnaresh Sarwan sat after being dropped for the second Test against Pakistan.Yet that might have been just the way Chanderpaul would have liked it, because there are few cricketers of such longevity who shun the spotlight as much as him.From the time he first fell in love with the game playing it in the fields of Unity Village, all Chanderpaul has ever wanted to do was bat. It doesn’t matter if the bowler is a pre-teen schoolboy or Shane Warne, if the field is shared by cows and goats or surrounded by towering stands packed to the rafters. The attitude is essentially the same: to bat and bat and bat – and then bat some more.As just the eighth West Indian to reach the plateau of 100 Tests, he has broken the mould, not merely as the first of East Indian descent to reach that landmark, but for the fact that his demeanour and stature in the global context of the game is so very different from the others who have completed three figures wearing the burgundy cap.The previous seven – Courtney Walsh, Brian Lara, Viv Richards, Desmond Haynes, Clive Lloyd, Gordon Greenidge and Carl Hooper – are all players fashioned from a template that is so typically West Indian: exciting, brilliant, spectacular, domineering and devastating. Then there is Chanderpaul. He has filled out quite a bit in the nearly 13 years since he made his Test debut as a scrawny 19-year-old, but he is still physically frail, as evidenced by the frequency with which he has been struck down by any number of ailments, ranging from injury to cramps to food poisoning.Unlike the others in the 100-Test club from the Caribbean, his is not a physically commanding presence, nor does he breathe fire and brimstone in the general direction of his immediate opponent in the heat of battle. No sir, for him it is about getting out there and getting the job done with a minimum of gallerying, something he has been quite effective at as his impressive tally of 6617 runs (average 44.70) with 14 hundreds and 39 fifties confirms.It is known that he hates the description of his batting style as “crab-like”, but what else can you say about someone who shuffles across the crease the way he does? Only recently has he reversed a process of becoming exaggeratingly square-on in his batting stance, and heading into this 100th Test, he hadn’t raised his bat in acknowledgement of a hundred for 14 matches.

Yet there is little chance of the 32-year-old Chanderpaul being dropped on form in the near future as there are very few of his kind in contemporary West Indies cricket, the kind who are prepared to do whatever is necessary for the cause of the team.He is not a natural leader, but did not shirk the responsibility of captaincy last year in the midst of the destabilising sponsorship row, even if it contributed to a dramatic decline in his batting form. At the start of the current Asian campaign, he admitted to not being too comfortable opening the batting in one-dayers. However his partnership with Chris Gayle at the top of the order in ODIs has proven so productive that there is really no chance of it being broken up heading into the 2007 World Cup.As quiet and reserved as he appears, Chanderpaul is no shrinking Ti-Marie when a contest is at its most intense. It was on his first tour of Australia in 1996-97, at the age of 22, that he took on the challenge of the number three spot in the batting order as Lara laboured against the threat of Glenn McGrath. The Aussies love to get under the skin of their opponents, but most know they are wasting their time when it comes to Chanderpaul, simply because he is hardly ever put-off by their insults.Their respect for the Guyanese batsman is understandable. On that debut tour Down Under, he tore into Warne and company on a turning pitch in Sydney and got to 71 on the last morning before being conquered by an outrageous delivery from Warne. On his home ground at Bourda three years ago, he plundered the third fastest Test hundred – off 69 balls – of all time and then closed off the series with another century that helped West Indies reach a world record target of 418 in Antigua and avoid the humiliation of a series whitewash.Their careers have followed very different paths, but he will forever be associated with Brian Lara for his role in partnering him to his first world Test record of 375 at the ARG in 1994.No doubt the captaincy issue and sponsorship rift must have created some tension between them, but at the end of the day, Lara would be among the first to acknowledge that hardly anyone has shown the level of commitment to the cause of West Indies cricket at this very difficult time than the “Tiger” from Unity.

Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL) soared to the top of the Group B table as they defeated Zarai Taraqiati Bank Limited (ZTBL) by an emphatic margin of nine wickets on the final day of their Patron’s Trophy match at the Iqbal Stadium at Faisalabad.Having gained a first-innings lead of 120, PTCL downed ZTBL for 252 in their second innings after they had resumed yesterday morning at 104 for 2, still 16 runs adrift. PTCL were thus left with 133 to get, which they achieved in style by reaching 137 for 1. PTCL now have 15 points from their first two matches in the five-team pool. ZTBL have lost twice in as many appearances and have failed to collect any points so far.Riaz Afridi, Peshawar’s fast bowler who has played in a Test match for Pakistan, captured 4 for 34 in 18 overs for PTCL yesterday. He was ably assisted by Babar Naeem, the Rawalpindi left-arm spinner, with figures of 3 for 30 in 11 overs. Mohammad Khalil, another Pakistan player, picked up 2-70 with his left-arm pace to go with his first-innings 4 for 76. Faisal Naved top-scored for ZTBL with 49 off 124 balls that included five fours. During the 79-run seventh-wicket partnership, Zahoor Elahi, a former Pakistan batsman, and Adnan Akmal, the wicketkeeper, appeared to have tamed the PTCL bowling but this did not last very long.ZTBL, who have won the Patron’s Trophy title four times, were beaten by their 2003-04 runners-up Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) in the first round. PTCL, however, took six points from their win over Service Industries in their opening game. PTCL will now play their third-round match against National Bank — who beat Service Industries with a day to spare on Sunday — at the Sheikhupura Stadium from Thursday. ZTBL have a period of rest until the fourth round.Sui Northern Gas Pipeline Limited (SNGPL) claimed the three first-innings points after a draw in their Patron’s Trophy Cricket Championship match against Pakistan Customs at the United Bank Limited (UBL) Sports Complex Ground No.1 at Karachi. Customs, however, remained in second position in the five-team group – after Habib Bank – with six points from two matches. SNGPL have so far made one only appearance in the tournament, but they are at No.3 in the table.Customs resumed their chase of SNGPL’s big first-innings score of 498 yesterday at 237 for 6, still needing another 111 to avert the follow-on. They did so with credit by reaching a total of 375, which however placed them 123 runs in deficit. With no result in sight, SNGPL preferred to gain some batting practice after they had been assured the three points from a draw. They were 100 for 2 in their second innings when the match was called off.Fawad Alam, the teenaged left-handed batsman, unbeaten at 45 overnight, managed to add only two more runs, his 47 coming off 150 balls in just short of three-and-a-quarter hours with five fours. Customs needed to get to a score of 348 to save themselves from following-on. The eighth-wicket stand of 68 served them well in this pursuit. Murtaza Hussain, the offspinner, stuck to his crease for a little over three hours while scoring 58. He found able partners until the end, with 31 runs made for the ninth wicket and another 32 for the last. Azam Hussain, Alam’s partner in the eighth-wicket stand, hit a career-best 49 at a run a ball that included seven fours. Imran Khalid, SNGPL’s slow left-arm bowler, took 4 for 96 runs in 43 overs.In their first-round match of the tournament, Customs had started by beating Khan Research Laboratories (KRL) although they collected only six points instead of the full nine as they had earlier surrendered the first-innings lead. SNGPL did not have a match to play in the previous round, and will now play their third-round four-day match against Group A table leaders Habib Bank at Karachi beginning December 22. Pakistan Customs will have a break until the fourth round.Habib Bank drew with Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) in their first-round fixture and then beat KRL on Sunday inside three days of their second-round game. They now have a total of 12 points to their credit. KRL’s next match is coming up against PIA, also from Thursday, at the National Stadium. KRL have been beaten in both the matches they have played upto now.