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In February and March next year, Bangladesh plays host to the ICC Under-19 World Cup. In any ordinary circumstances, such an undertaking would be routine, maybe even a nuisance. But for Bangladesh it is the latest, and to date the greatest, step in their accelerated development towards becoming a fully fledged Test nation. Last night, as yet another dispiriting home series prepared to dribble to a conclusion, it was time to look to the future, as the tournament was officially launched at Dhaka’s Sheraton Hotel.The 2004 Under-19 World Cup will feature 16 teams (two more than appeared in last year’s senior event) and 54 matches, all crammed into a schedule of three weeks. By the time the competition reaches its conclusion on March 5, four new venues will have been inaugurated all across the country, with a new headquarters in Dhaka to follow. With any luck, Bangladesh will have demonstrated to the world (but, more importantly, to their long-suffering supporters) that their cricket has a future worthy of their status.By a strangely coincidental quirk of fate, last night’s launch took place exactly three years to the day since Bangladesh’s most uplifting moment in their short Test history. On November 11, 2000, and in front of an exultant crowd of 40,000, Aminul Islam scored a century on his Test debut as Bangladesh posted a total of exactly 400 in the first innings of their inaugural Test match, against India. Two days later, however, they had crumbled to 91 in their second innings, and defeat. It hardly needs pointing out that things have never been quite so rosy since.Many lessons have been learned in the intervening years, most of them painful, and not all of them limited to the Bangladeshis. Even the ICC themselves are a chastened band of men. Yesterday their chief executive Malcolm Speed came as close as any official to admitting they had jumped the gun with Bangladesh’s Test status. “If they win a Test or a one-day series over the next two years,” he said, “we’ll be fairly satisfied.”By the same token, however, all present were eager to emphasise Bangladesh’s massive potential, and it was not just empty rhetoric. The fans may have been subdued during the Test series against England, but their goodwill towards the game is far from exhausted – as demonstrated by some wildly enthusiastic support during Monday’s hammering at Dhaka. On occasions the scenes threatened to get a little out of hand, but Michael Vaughan was right to laugh off any dangers to England’s players. A few good-natured food-fights and the odd bonfire on a concrete terrace are hardly the stuff of international censure.On the flip side, however, the fans’ intense dissatisfaction with their captain, Khaled Mahmud, is a clear warning that mediocrity will not be tolerated forever. The BCB should take heed. It would be a tragedy if Bangladesh’s own opinion of their game was allowed to plumb the same depths that it has occasionally reached abroad.After today’s match, Bangladesh take a three-month break from international commitments, and the emphasis will shift squarely onto the final preparations for next year’s tournament. At last night’s launch, an attractive sterling-silver trophy was unveiled, along with a swooshing World Cup logo that apparently denoted “youth and movement” and “pace and energy”. But every bit as intriguing as the unveilings themselves were the veiled threats that accompanied them.”This is a tremendous opportunity for Bangladesh,” said the ICC’s president, Ehsan Mani – a statement which might have been loosely translated as “Don’t screw it up.” There is no direct financial reward for hosting the event, but in terms of infrastructure and global exposure, Bangladesh can expect to reap what it sows. For such a young country, it is not far removed from being awarded the Olympics.But, much as Athens is dawdling ahead of next year’s games, so Bangladesh is also cutting its preparations somewhat fine. The Divisional Stadium in Chittagong is a case in point. Situated about half-an-hour outside the city centre, it is one of the five purpose-built cricket grounds currently under development. It hosts its first match on February 16, and expects to be fully up and running for India’s Test tour in April.The stadium itself is an unremarkable concrete bowl, whose stands are currently used by the local farmers to thresh grain, and whose perimeter is patrolled by a large herd of cows. The pavilion is the only built-up section of the ground, but at present it is a fog of construction work, with the top three floors remaining at their most skeletal stage, without even the merest hint of plumbing, plastering, or electricity.The constraints of Ramadan are hardly conducive to intensive construction work, but the tournament organisers are optimistic that everything will fall into place at the last minute, especially with so much cheap labour that can be called upon in a crisis. Of greater concern is the state of the new pitches. The ICC’s second threat was a reduction in Bangladesh’s overseas tours – an understandable move, but one that runs counter to the development requirements of the team. The onus may soon fall on Bangladesh to equip themselves with the type of pitch that will accelerate their progress – even if it dents their short-term prospects of that long-awaited victory.To that end, Andy Atkinson, the former head groundsman at Edgbaston and Newlands, has been drafted in to oversee the pitch preparations. With luck he will be able to coax more life out of the new pitches than was displayed during England’s tour (with the notable exception of the Chittagong Test strip). This will, in turn, oblige the Bangladeshis to develop their techniques against the short ball. There is no point, as Dav Whatmore put it, of being “tigers at home, and pussycats abroad”.Last, but by no means least, the team themselves have a duty to perform – they have played in every tournament since it became a biennial event in 1998, and as England discovered in their two first-class warm-up matches, there is no shortage of young talent in Bangladesh. In both games, England faced eight of the current U19 squad, and on both occasions they were held to draws, albeit rain-affected ones. In the second match, the current U19 captain, Nafis Iqbal, scored a fine century, after which he had the temerity to denounce England’s spinners as “ordinary”.That is a charge that has rarely been levelled at Bangladeshi cricket, because their performances have rarely been anything but substandard. Three years ago this week, they tried to run before they were ready. But in the next few months, they must walk, and walk tall.

With the storm surrounding the chairman of selectors settling, if only for the moment, the focus shifts to the selection of the Indian squad for the four Tests against Australia. It’s tough to predict much in Indian cricket these days but the 16-member squad is expected to be chosen without too many flutters.India’s good form of late means the selectors won’t be inclined to make too many changes and are likely to go with five fast bowlers, two spinners, two wicketkeepers and seven batsmen. Barring a debate surrounding the openers and one related to the fast-bowling line-up, the team almost picks itself.What the selectors will keep in mind, though, is performance on the last tour to Australia, one on which India memorably drew 1-1. Virender Sehwag, Aakash Chopra, Parthiv Patel and Ajit Agarkar may under normal circumstances have had an outside chance of making the cut but their case now will be strengthened by the impression they made four years ago.The only member of the starting XI whose spot is under scrutiny is Dinesh Karthik. He was the highest run-getter in the three Tests in England earlier this year and also gives the team an extra wicketkeeper option but two poor Tests have brought him under the scanner.He’s managed just 39 runs in the last four innings but backing from the team management, as well as a section of the selection committee, could see him through. Parthiv, in fine nick of late, is the one pushing for his slot. He toured Australia last time around and close observers have pointed to his improved wicketkeeping but his selection would nonetheless go down as a big surprise.The third opener’s slot will be contested by three Delhi batsmen. Gautam Gambhir, the reserve opener on the England tour, starts as favourite. He’s made a strong case with 342 runs in two Ranji Trophy games (at an average of 114) and would consider himself very unlucky to miss out.His competition is two contrasting batsmen who opened the batting in all four Tests last time around. Sehwag, with a poor showing in two Ranji matches, remains in the reckoning because of his fine record in Australia. His buccaneering 195 on the opening day of the Melbourne Test the last time hasn’t been forgotten and there is a belief that he still has it in him to swing a Test on his own.Chopra’s 215 in Dharamshala – he reached his double-century today with a six – provided a timely reminder that there is a third option. With 493 runs at 70.42 he has enjoyed a good, consistent run but remains only an outside contender. His close-in fielding could be an asset but he might well lose out in what’s turned into a rat-race.The rest of the batsmen, including Yuvraj Singh, pick themselves and Anil Kumble and Harbhajan Singh are all but certain to be the only two spinners on tour.That leaves five fast bowlers, a choice largely dependent on the fitness of those involved. Sreesanth is all but ruled out, providing Irfan Pathan with an opening for a comeback. He’s turned in some good spells in the Ranji games (11 wickets in two matches) and can be viewed as a fourth seamer who can bat lower down the order.Zaheer Khan and a fit RP Singh are obvious choices. Munaf Patel, with a couple of good spells in the recent series, could make it despite his injury-prone nature and that leaves the fifth slot to be filled. Ajit Agarkar, who last played a Test nearly two years back, comes back into the reckoning and will battle with rookies Ishant Sharma, VRV Singh and Ranadeb Bose for a spot. Agarkar’s six-wicket haul in Adelaide, added to his ability to get through a tour without picking up injuries, makes him the favourite for the final slot.Probable squadWasim Jaffer, Dinesh Karthik, Gautam Gambhir, Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly, VVS Laxman, Yuvraj Singh, Mahendra Singh Dhoni (wk), Anil Kumble (capt), Harbhajan Singh, Zaheer Khan, RP Singh, Irfan Pathan, Munaf Patel, Ajit Agarkar.

A court in Hyderabad has ordered an FIR to be lodged against Sharad Pawar, the Indian board president, and the secretary, Nirajan Shah, among others, for alleged misappropriation of funds from tickets sold for the recent ODI between Australia and India in the city.The third metropolitan magistrate of Cyberabad issued the order, acting on a complaint from a former member of the Rajya Sabha, P Radhakrishna. He contended that 24,000 tickets had been sold at a premium while 15,000 had been made available to the general public and that Rs 12 crore (approximately US$3,000,000) had been misappropriated in the process.Besides Pawar and Shah, the court ordered FIRs against G Vinod and Shivlal Yadav, the president and secretary of the Hyderabad Cricket Association.Australia won the match, played on October 5 at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, by 47 runs.

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

Sachin Tendulkar fell within tantalising distance of a first match-winningcentury in a run chase since July 2001, but India weren’t to be denied asthey romped to a six-wicket victory [with 21 balls remaining] that wrapped up the series with a match to spare. As in 2006, when India won 4-1 in Pakistan, there was a considerable gulf between the two sides, best exemplified by Tendulkar’s sublime batting as India set about their pursuit of 256. Pakistan’s total owed much to their own 90s man – Mohammad Yousuf finished the innings on 99 not out – but ultimately, they paid the price for their diffidence in the Powerplay, when only 79 runs were scored.On a pitch where most other batsmen were restricted in their shot-making, Tendulkar played with the fluency and confidence of old, finding gaps with effortless ease. To compound Pakistan’s problems, Shoaib Akhtar, who bowled with genuine menace for three overs, went off with what looked like a shin injury after completing his fourth. He returned only in the 25thover, by which time India were well past half-way. In his absence, Tendulkar unveiled some stunning drives, including a couple of pushes through the covers off the back foot that brought back memories of the halcyon years.Sourav Ganguly and Gautam Gambhir didn’t make much of an impression. Ganguly poked one into the slip cordon off Shoaib, and Gambhir pulled a poor delivery from Rao Iftikhar Anjum straight to Sohail Tanvir at midwicket. That brought Virender Sehwag to the crease, and though he was scratchy early on, Tendulkar’s punched drives and measured clips off the pads gave him the time to play himself into form. A chop behind point set the tone, and a withering cover drive then suggested that Redemption Road wasn’t too far away.After Shahid Afridi had stemmed the tide for a couple of overs, it was Sehwag who once again unleashed mayhem with a huge six over midwicket. Tendulkar followed suit with three magnificent drives through cover, each timed better than the previous one. By the time the second drinks break arrived, he was on 97, a deft swish away from that elusive 42nd century.Instead, the first delivery from Umar Gul on resumption was dragged back on to the stumps. Tendulkar stayed hunched over his bat in disbelief for a few moments before trudging off to muted applause from a crowd frozen with shock. It was his sixth score in the 90s in his last 21 innings, and it was evident the jinx has preyed on his mind.It didn’t matter in the larger scheme of things though. Yuvraj Singh had been magnificent all series, and his favourite drives and flicks were in evidence as the target was whittled down. Mahendra Singh Dhoni chipped in with some meaty blows of his own as Shoaib Malik looked on, bereft of answers. Shoaib had once again asked probing questions, but the rest had been powerless to stem the relentless Indian tide.

Yousuf’s splendid innings earlier in the afternoon was almost as eye-catching, with some glorious drives through the covers and a lofted six over midwicket off Harbhajan Singh. As ever, he was immensely strong off the pads, and with Misbah-ul-Haq ticking along at a run a ball, therun-rate crept towards five in the final stages of the innings.India didn’t let things drift though. The bowlers, both pace and spin, were fairly accurate, and the fielding a marked improvement on the previous games. Even Ganguly played his part, with his 100th ODI wicket being Afridi, unfortunate to be given leg-before after being struck justoutside the line of off stump.At that stage, Pakistan were in disarray at 131 for 4, with Younis having looped a return catch to Yuvraj Singh off the leading edge. He had anchored the innings, scoring 68, and adding 78 with Malik for the second wicket.Malik surely wouldn’t have bargained for Salman Butt lasting only two balls. RP Singh, taking the new ball, shaped the ball from leg to middle to trap him plumb in front, 129 short of what he had scored on Sunday. Left to consolidate, he and Younis did so mainly in singles, and eventhose didn’t come along frequently.It took 14 overs for the 50 to be raised, and there was a moment of controversy as the Indians claimed a catch behind off Younis. Amiesh Saheba made the right decision though, with the ball having bounced before nestling in Dhoni’s gloves. Pakistan were just beginning to shedthe shackles when Zaheer Khan picked up his 200th ODI wicket. Malik’s heave against the line was an ugly one, and it got what it deserved – an inside edge on to the stumps.With the run-rate still below four after the last of the Powerplays, acceleration was required and, though Yousuf signalled his intent with a loft down to long-on off Yuvraj Singh, India refused to loosen the grip. Younis was given a reprieve on 48, when Dhoni missed a tough stumpingchance off the pads, and it was left to him and Yousuf to ensure India would have a tricky target to chase under lights. That a potential ordeal became a stroll owed much to the genius of one man. That he still hasn’t figured out the answer [42] to the shouldn’t detract from the majesty of his effort.

Plate Group Points Table

Scorecard
Pinninti Jayachandra’s fighting 130 was the only silver lining for Orissa as they crashed to a heavy defeat against Himachal Pradesh at Dharmasala. Orissa were playing catch up and a mauling was always on the cards after they had collapsed for just 80 in the first innings. But Rashmi Ranjan Parida and Jayachandra delayed the inevitable with a 106-run stand for the third wicket. However Vishal Bhatia and Ashok Thakur snapped up four wickets apiece as the Orissa lower order came apart in quick time. Himachal picked up the bonus point by virtue of winning by an innings and took a comfortable lead at the top of the table.
Scorecard
Amit Mishra and Joginder Sharma picked up seven wickets between them and helped Haryana wrap up a comfortable victory, which earned them a bonus point as well, in Delhi. Services, who had been bowled out for 185 in the first innings, put up a better show while following on with their top four batsmen using up valuable time. But Mishra, the legspinner, and Sharma, who was recently picked in the Indian one-day squad, ripped through the middle order and the last seven batsmen didn’t even manage to reach double figures.
Scorecard
Vidarbha lasted just 38.2 overs in their second innings and went down by 165 runs against Goa at Margao. Chasing 283 on the final day, Vidarbha were on their way to earning a draw when they were 103 for 4. But the last six wickets fell for just 14 as Avinash Aware and Sher Yadav, the left-arm spinner, broke through. Despite the defeat, Vidarbha share top spot along with Haryana in Group B of the Plate division.
Scorecard
Kerala gained two points from their game at Jamshedpur as the game meandered to a dull draw on the final day. Having gained a slender six-run lead, Kerala ground their way to 161, with Sreekumar Nair making a dogged 57, and assured themselves the first-innings points. Jharkhand were 16 without loss when play was called off.

The Queensland selectors will rely on the same XXXX Queensland Bullsteam that finished 2001 in style to get the New Year off to a winningstart in the ING Cup competition.The side named today is the same twelve that defeated Tasmania by95-runs at the Gabba on Tuesday night to take the Bulls to equal topspot with NSW on the ING Cup ladder.Queensland take on the Western Warriors on Friday January 4 at theWACA ground in a day/night game.XXXX Queensland Bulls v Western Warriors, Jan 4, WACA: Stuart Law (c),Martin Love, Jimmy Maher, Andrew Symonds, Clinton Perren, BrendanNash, James Hopes, Wade Seccombe, Andy Bichel, Nathan Hauritz, AshleyNoffke, Michael Kasprowicz.

Host Himachal Pradesh bowled out Jammu and Kashmir for 187 in theirfirst innings on the second day of North Zone Ranji tie at Mandi,thereby conceding a lead of 42 runs.Accurate bowling by Vishal Bhatia (4-55) and Shakti Singh (3-71)helped Himachal Pradesh contain the visitors to a moderate score.Jammu and Kashmir failed to capitalise fully on Himachal Pradesh’s lowfirst-innings total, and none of the batsmen could put up a sizeablescore. Abdul Qayoom was the highest scorer, making 32, followed byVikrant Taggar with 31.Resuming play at an overnight total of 21/1, Jammu and Kashmir lostKavaljit Singh at 43, followed by opener Raju Seema at 51.Himachal Pradesh, in reply, were 73 for two in the second innings,with both openers Nischal Gaur (18) and Sandeep Sharma (14) back inthe pavilion. Rajiv Nayyar, however, who was unbeaten on 41 in thefirst innings, was at the crease on 17, while Sangram Singh was notout on 22 at the close of the day.

New Zealand’s lack of consistency in recent years in its one-day cricket has been behind its mid-table placing on the world rankings, but increasingly there are signs of a change for the better.Apart from anything else, Sunday’s record victory over Pakistan in Sri Lanka ended the rot of seven losses in a row to Pakistan.Pakistan’s dismissal for 116, its lowest against New Zealand and 19 runs worse than their 135 scored at Napier in 2000/01, was the fifth time New Zealand has bowled out a side for less than 125 in the last five months, and in little over two years, New Zealand has 10 times dismissed sides for 135 or less.Nine of these scores have been lodged by subcontinental sides, India suffering on six occasions – four in the recent series in New Zealand. All four instances not to take place on New Zealand soil occurred in Sri Lanka.The list is:

77 Bangladesh Colombo (SSC) 2002/0389 England Wellington (WS) 2001/02108 India Auckland 2002/03108 India Christchurch 2002/03116 Pakistan Dambulla 2003122 India Queenstown 2002/03122 India Hamilton 2002/03127 India Colombo (RPS) 2001133 India Colombo (RPS) 2001135 Pakistan Napier 2000/01

Pakistan’s total was the eighth equal lowest score against New Zealand by any side.Top 10 lowest scores v New Zealand:

70 Australia Adelaide 1985/8677 Bangladesh Colombo (SSC) 2002/0389 England Wellington (WS) 2001/02108 India Auckland 2002/03108 India Christchurch 2002/03113 India Perth 1985/86115 Sri Lanka Colombo (PSS) 1983/84116 Bangladesh Chelmsford 1999116 Pakistan Dambulla 2003118/9 Sri Lanka Dunedin 1982/83

New Zealand’s latest position on the ICC One-Day International Championship is sixth, an improvement of two places since its inception in October. It has moved ahead of the West Indies and now sits behind Australia, South Africa, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and India.Their climb up the ladder is the best by any side in the first six months of the Championship, rising nine points and two places.The Championship standings as at the end of New Zealand’s first match in the Bank Alfalah Cup in Dambulla are:

Team Matches Points Rating Change1 Australia 46 6269 136 +8 (n/c)2 South Africa 57 6972 122 +2 (n/c)3 Pakistan 51 5675 111 -4 (up 1)4 Sri Lanka 61 6413 105 -12 (down 1)5 India 58 6047 104 -2 (n/c)6 New Zealand 46 4594 100 +9 (up 2)7 West Indies 35 3463 99 +5 (n/c)8 England 34 3337 98 +2 (down 2)9 Zimbabwe 44 2844 65 -2 (n/c)10 Kenya 25 704 28 +6 (n/c)11 Bangladesh 23 101 4 -7 (n/c)

When the New Zealanders had Pakistan reeling at 17 for five wickets, it was the fifth equal worst start by any side in an ODI (for five wickets down). New Zealand’s previous best effort with the ball was having Bangladesh 19 for five in the ICC Champions Trophy last year.The record of teams having fewer than 20 runs and being 5 wickets down:

start total12/5 71 Pakistan v West Indies Brisbane 1992/9312/5 36 Canada v Sri Lanka Paarl 2002/0314/5 81 Pakistan v West Indies Sydney 1992/9314/5 43 Pakistan v West Indies Cape Town 1992/9317/5 266/8 India v Zimbabwe Tunbridge Wells 198317/5 84 Kenya v Australia Nairobi (Gym) 2002/0317/5 84 Namibia v Pakistan Kimberley 2002/0317/5 116 Pakistan v New Zealand Dambulla 200318/5 153 Pakistan v South Africa Colombo (SSC) 2000/0118/5 115/9 New Zealand v Sri Lanka Colombo (SSC) 200119/5 167 Scotland v Pakistan Chester-le-Street 199919/5 77 Bangladesh v New Zealand Colombo (SSC) 2002/03

Note: India v Zimbabwe at Tunbridge Wells was a 60-over match and New Zealand v Sri Lanka at Colombo (SSC) was reduced to 36 overs per side.Five of them have occurred in the last eight months while three have been at the same ground, the Sinhalese Sports Club in Colombo. Pakistan have proven particularly vulnerable to the spectacular collapse, having been involved in five of the nine worst collapses – three of which took place in the space of 16 matches and 71 days during the 1992/93 season.The game also resulted in Daryl Tuffey’s latest instance of a wicket in his first over, the 17th time he has achieved the feat in internationals, and the 10th time in an ODI.His record now reads:

Tests: Inn Over BallMarcus Trescothick 1 1 2 v England at Auckland, 1 Apr 2002 (W)Mark Butcher 1 1 5 v England at Auckland, 1 Apr 2002 (W)Shahid Afridi 1 1 3 v Pakistan at Lahore, 1 May 2002 (L)Virender Sehwag 1 2 6 v India at Wellington, 12 Dec 2002 (W)Sanjay Bangar 1 2 3 v India at Hamilton, 20 Dec 2002 (W)Parthiv Patel 2 2 6 v India at Hamilton, 21 Dec 2002 (W)Marvan Atapattu 1 1 4 v Sri Lanka at Colombo, 26 Apr 2003 (D)ODIs: Inn Over BallSaeed Anwar 1 1 1 v Pakistan at Napier, 20 Feb 2001 (W)Saeed Anwar 2 1 6 v Pakistan at Christchurch, 25 Feb 2001 (W)Marvan Atapattu 1 1 2 v Sri Lanka at Sharjah, 10 Apr 2001 (L)Kumar Sangakkara 1 1 3 v Sri Lanka at Sharjah, 10 Apr 2001 (L)Marcus Trescothick 1 1 3 v England at Auckland, 23 Feb 2002 (L)Sanath Jayasuriya 1 1 3 v Sri Lanka at Sharjah, 14 Apr 2002 (L)Imran Nazir 2 1 1 v Pakistan at Rawalpindi, 24 Apr 2002 (L)Sourav Ganguly 2 1 3 v India at Napier, 29 Dec 2002 (W)Sourav Ganguly 2 1 1 v India at Wellington, 8 Jan 2003 (L)Mohammad Hafeez 1 1 4 v Pakistan at Dambulla, 11 May 2003 (W)

Note: Inn = innings of opposition for Test list, innings of the match for ODI list; Over = over of the inningsAnd while Shane Bond may be out of the tournament due to a suspected stress fracture in his back, he did have time to claim his 50th wicket in his 27th ODI, the fastest first 50 wickets taken by a New Zealander and seventh equal on the world list.New Zealand:

Mat Wkts BB AveShane Bond 27 51 6/23 19.00 2001/02 to 2003Geoff Allott 28 50 4/35 21.34 1996/97 to 2000/01Chris Pringle 33 52 4/35 22.88 1990 to 1993/94Ewen Chatfield 36 50 5/34 24.10 1979 to 1983Danny Morrison 36 50 4/33 29.98 1987/88 to 1990/91Martin Snedden 41 50 3/25 30.38 1980/81 to 1984/85Lance Cairns 43 50 5/28 31.18 1973/74 to 1982/83Daryl Tuffey 43 50 4/24 29.16 2000/01 to 2002/03Richard Hadlee 46 52 5/26 26.61 1972/73 to 1982/83Willie Watson 47 50 3/15 33.70 1985/86 to 1991/92Chris Harris 48 50 3/15 30.10 1990/91 to 1994/95Scott Styris 51 51 6/25 34.01 1999/00 to 2002/03Chris Cairns 52 51 4/55 32.84 1990/91 to 1996/97Daniel Vettori 55 51 4/24 35.17 1996/97 to 2000/01Gavin Larsen 66 50 4/24 43.78 1989/90 to 1995/96Dion Nash 66 50 4/38 44.48 1992/93 to 1999Nathan Astle 74 50 4/43 33.34 1994/95 to 1998/99Jeremy Coney 84 50 4/46 38.26 1979 to 1986

All time:

Team Mat Wkts BB AveAjit Agarkar India 23 50 4/35 21.34 1997/98 to 1998/99Dennis Lillee Australia 24 50 5/34 17.30 1972 to 1980/81Shane Warne Australia 25 51 4/19 16.43 1992/93 to 1994/95Len Pascoe Australia 26 50 5/30 19.57 1977 to 1981/82Patrick Patterson West Indies 26 51 6/29 19.45 1985/86 to 1987/88Curtly Ambrose West Indies 26 51 5/17 17.03 1987/88 to 1989/90Waqar Younis Pakistan 27 53 6/26 14.96 1989/90 to 1990/91Shane Bond New Zealand 27 51 6/23 19.00 2001/02 to 2003

Note: The figures given are those at the end of the match concerned(Statistics compiled by Duane Pettet)

Day 4 report
Frizzell County Championship Division One
Division One Table Sussex 416 and 166 for 5 beat Leicestershire 320 and 258 by five wickets
Scorecard
Tony Cottey followed his 147 in Sussex’s first innings with a steady 58 in a five-wicket win against Leicestershire at Grace Road. Chasing 163, Cottey kept his cool while others fell around him and averted any potential wobbles when he came in at 48 for 2. Mushtaq Ahmed earlier took another five-wicket haul (5 for 96) in his third ten-wicket match of the season as Trevor Ward did his best to give Leicestershire a life-line with a stubborn 50 before he fell to Mushtaq. Robin Martin-Jenkins also took two quick wickets as Leicestershire were bowled out for 258. It was the sixth win of the season for Sussex and it puts them five points behind leaders Surrey, while Leicestershire remain stuck at the bottom. Kent 602 for 6 dec drew with Lancashire 365 and 244 for 6
Scorecard
Carl Hooper saved Lancashire’s bacon with a stylish 128 not out against his old club Kent at Blackpool. Hooper came to the crease with Lancashire in all sorts of trouble at 12 for 3 after Stuart Law was out lbw to Martin Saggers for a duck. Saggers was the pick of the Kent bowling attack (3 for 31) and he removed both openers with only four on the board, but no-one could remove the masterful Hooper. He combined his usual West Indian flair with a touch of Lancashire grit in his 290 minutes at the crease, which featured 17 fours and four sixes. And with the help of Chris Schofield, who made 66, and Warren Hegg (16*), Hooper guided Lancashire to safety.Middlesex 260 and 281 for 3 drew with Warwickshire 496
Scorecard
Ben Hutton and Sven Koenig secured Middlesex a hard-fought draw against Warwickshire at Southgate. Following on 236 behind, Koenig and Hutton added 159 for the third wicket to guide Middlesex to safety. While Koenig was eventually bowled by Ashley Giles four short of his hundred, Hutton made it to his fourth century of the season shortly before the close. He played out a gutsy 102 not out, including eight fours and four sixes, and with the help of Ed Joyce (22*), Middlesex finished on 281 for 3.Frizzell County Championship Division Two
Division Two Table
Worcestershire 301 beat Derbyshire 163 and 96 by an innings and 42 runs
Scorecard
Kabir Ali devastated Derbyshire’s second innings with career-best figures of 8 for 58, as Worcestershire leapt to the top of Division Two with an emphatic innings-and-42-run victory at New Road. Kabir needed less than eight overs on the final morning to giftwrap the win. Mohammad Kaif became his fourth lbw victim of the innings to leave Derbyshire reeling at 56 for 6, and their last hope had departed. At least the top order had managed to get their pads in his way. The tail had no answer to Kabir’s pace and accuracy. Karl Krikken, Kevin Dean were both bowled, and Mohammad Ali nibbled a catch to Steve Rhodes behind the stumps … all in the space of a single over. Derbyshire’s No. 11 Lian Wharton had the right idea – he smacked 30 from 23 balls to prevent complete humiliation at 58 for 9, but Kabir soon cleaned him up to complete a memorable match. Hampshire 185 and 449 beat Glamorgan 437 and 104 by 93 runs
Scorecard
Chris Tremlett returned second-innings figures of 6 for 51, as Hampshire completed a stunning comeback against Glamorgan at the Rose Bowl. At the close of the second day, Hampshire had been 114 for 4 in the follow-on, still 138 runs from asking Glamorgan to bat again. But yesterday Nic Pothas’s century turned the game around, before Tremlett and James Bruce applied the coup de grace this morning. Bruce made the first breakthrough of the day, dismissing Michael Powell for 4, before Tremlett picked up the big wicket of Matthew Maynard, lbw for 3. Glamorgan had slumped to 50 for 6 when Bruce extracted Dean Cosker for 6, and the match was wrapped up by a hat-trick of catches for Simon Katich. Durham 327 and 251 for 7 beat Yorkshire 448 and 129 by three wickets
Scorecard
Durham completed their second win of the season over Yorkshire in an exciting finish at Chester-le-Street. After Vince Wells (3 for 20), Steve Harmison (3 for 45) and Shoaib Akhtar (4 for 38) had blasted the Yorkshire middle and lower order away for only 26 more runs this morning, Durham were set 251 to win. And solid contributions from the top seven batsmen gave them the platform needed for an impressive win. Jonathan Lewis (41) and Michael Gough (38) led the way, and after Gordon Muchall and Nicky Peng had made 30 each, it was left to Philip Mustard to steady Durham’s nerves and finish things off with a valuable 34. The good news for England was that Darren Gough got through just under 20 overs with no problems, finishing with 1 for 68.

In 1999, England hit rock-bottom in the unofficial Wisden world rankings, when they were defeated 2-1 in their home series against New Zealand. Five years and one emphatic 3-0 avenging later, however, they have risen to second on the ICC Test Championship table, which has been given its annual update, with all matches played prior to August 2001 removed from the reckoning.Their form in one-day cricket may leave something to be desired, but in Tests England have been unstoppable since the start of the year, cruising to six wins in seven matches against West Indies and New Zealand. Although their rating of 107 has not changed since the removal of the results for the 2000-01 season, South Africa’s has dipped from 112 to 106.The news is a major boost for England ahead of their return series against West Indies, which starts at Lord’s on Thursday, although it may yet be a temporary change. South Africa has never before fallen out of the top two in the official table, and they have a swift opportunity to rectify that when they tour Sri Lanka in August. A 2-0 series win will enable them to climb back up to 110 points.England must hope that vertigo does not set in now that they are riding so high. They need to beat West Indies by at least two clear Tests (3-1 or 2-0) to maintain their current rating , while a repeat of the recent 3-0 win in the Caribbean would lift the rating to 108. A drawn series would result in a rating of 103, and England would drop out of the top three.India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka have also improved their ratings as a result of the update, although perversely, the year’s biggest achievers, India, have earned the smallest rise of the three, because their famous home series win against Australia in March 2001 now falls outside the rating period.As a result, India have slipped from fourth to fifth on the official table, although they will soon have an opportunity to put this right when they lock horns again with Australia in October. If India win this eagerly awaited series, they will jump straight into second place, and a repeat of their 2-1 win would give them a rating of 111.Although Pakistan was beaten 2-1 by India in a three-Test series earlier this year, these are the only two matches they have lost in the last 12 months. Their rating has also been helped by the fact that matches played in the 2000-01 period no longer count towards the standings. This was a year in which Pakistan lost at home to England and then drew in New Zealand and England.Australia, of course, remain well clear at the top of the table. The update has improved their rating by two points to 129 and their lead at the top has extended to 22 points. The updated ratings have been announced today because there are no further Test series to be completed before the end of July.