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Jamaica coasted to a seven-wicket win against Guyana at Kensington Park, chasing down the target of 63 in just under two hours. Fast bowler Andrew Richardson picked up the last two Guyana wickets as the visitors were dismissed for 232. Darwin Christian, the overnight batsman, was bowled by Richardson for 37 and Veerasammy Permaul drove Richardson straight to Danza Hyatt at mid-on.Jamaica got off to a shaky start, as Esuan Crandon bowled Brenton Parchment off the inside edge and had Hyatt caught at slip to leave them at 9 for 2. Wavell Hinds hung around to polish off the remaining runs and seal the victory.Amit Jaggernauth’s five-wicket haul helped Trinidad & Tobago register a comfortable 215-run victory against Leeward Islands at Couva. Chasing 403, Leewards were dismissed for 187, with offspinner Jaggernauth finishing with 5 for 48.Leewards, resuming at their overnight score of 118 for 4 showed little resistance as they lost their last six wickets for just 69 runs. Jaggernauth sliced through the middle and lower order and was supported by left-arm spinner Dave Mohammed, who took two wickets. This was T&T’s maiden victory in the tournament year’s Carib Beer Series, and they now have 20 points from three games.Windward Islands crashed to 91 all out to give Barbados a 141-run victory on the final day at Portsmouth. Set to chase 233 in a minimum of 60 overs, the home side crumbled, losing their last six wickets for just 10 runs. Earlier, Barbados declared their second innings on 183 for 9 shortly after lunch, giving either side a shot at registering an outright victory.Barbados offspinner Ryan Austin was the most impressive bowler, taking 4 for 26 in 12 overs to engineer the collapse. Liam Sebastian, who retired hurt in the first innings, resisted with 32 in the second while the rest faltered. The strong Barbados seam attack of Corey Collymore, Tino Best and Pedro Collins shared the first three wickets, before the spinners took over. Windwards paid the price for some rash strokes.Barbados, in their second innings showed a lot of urgency to push the scoring but lost wickets at regular intervals in the process. After an opening stand of 81, they were suddenly caught off guard, losing five wickets for 33 runs, with Kenroy Peters, the left-arm seamer, claimed four top-order wickets. Kevin Edwards and Patrick Browne consolidated, adding 40 for the sixth wicket, before Ryan Hinds declared the innings.With this victory, Barbados now have 30 points, ahead of Jamaica while Windwards are languishing at the bottom of the table with seven points.

Pakistan Customs were not only forced to follow on by Habib Bank, but they will now also be relegated to the non-first-class Grade-II circuit next season. Needing to score 356 to avert the follow on after Habib Bank had put up 506 in their first innings, Customs were all out for 283 at the United Bank Limited (UBL) Sports Complex. They ended the third day on 49 for 1, still 174 runs short of avoiding an innings defeat.However, no matter what happens on the final day today (Thursday), Customs will have to suffer the ignominy of being demoted to the Grade-II tournament, from where they will have to start the process of seeking promotion all over again. Starting at their overnight score of 74 for 3 and needing another 282 runs to make Habib Bank bat again, Customs were 168 for 6. Fawad Alam, who had earlier helped add 59 for the fourth wicket with Azhar Shafiq (32) continued to take the fight to the opponents.He and Murtaza Hussain shared a seventh-wicket partnership of 80. Fawad was unlucky to fall six runs short of a well-deserved hundred, which would have been only the second of his short first-class career. He batted for just over four hours facing 184 balls and hit nine boundaries. Murtaza’s unbeaten 43 included three fours and a six and came off 124 balls in about three hours.Two quick wickets at the end by new-ball bowler Shahid Nazir, who finished with 3 for 33 from 16 overs, and Shahid Afridi’s legbreaks hitting twice at the middle order, broke the Customs’ resolve. They lost an early wicket in the second innings before the batsmen took control.The two top teams from either group are looking for qualification to the tournament’s Quadrangular Stage round that gets underway from January 15. Habib Bank, the record seven-time winners of the Patrons Trophy, are currently placed second behind Pakistan International Airlines (PIA).They need a win in this match to stay as one of the two top teams in their group. Customs have collected only six points from their three previous matches and find themselves placed at the bottom of the points table.Sui Northern Gas Pipeline Limited’s (SNGPL) splendid effort for a first-innings lead fell a mere eight runs short on the third day at the National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) Sports Complex on Wednesday.Chasing Pakistan International Airline’s first innings score of 384, SNGPL finally fell for 376. PIA faced an uneasy situation in their second innings, and lost two wickets with only 15 runs on the board.SNGPL received an early setback as they lost their first wicket without any addition to the score after a brilliant start of 149 runs by their openers. Ayub Dogar perished for 66 off 108 balls with seven fours and a six. His partner, Mohammad Hafeez, took his score to 88 off 180 deliveries with nine boundaries, but four wickets fell with only 34 runs added. It needed a 144-run fifth-wicket partnership to give SNGPL the hope of taking a lead.Misbah-ul-Haq, the captain, hit seven boundaries in his knock of 81 in just short of three-and-a-half hours off 162 balls. Saleem Mughal scored 72 off 117 balls with seven fours.Unfortunately, the last five wickets added a mere 49 further runs and SNGPL fell behind. Kamran Sajid, filling in for Umar Gul who was unable to bowl because of fever, captured 3 for 57. Fazl-e-Akbar took 3 for 65. Samiullah Niazi, the left-arm opening bowler, took two quick PIA wickets when they batted the second time. They are now only 23 runs ahead with the final day remaining.SNGPL, with nine points from their three previous matches, also need a win to take their tally to 18, something which could even have taken them into the Quadrangular Stage ahead of PIA. With only one more day to go in the match, this may not happen.PIA, who have never won the Patron’s Trophy but shared the title last season with Habib Bank after the final was rained off, currently have a total of 15 points. They require an outright win to stay in contention for the next round.Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) had Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL) reeling at 108 for 8 as their match finally got underway on the third day at the Sheikhupura Stadium.With the first two days washed out, first because of heavy rains and then due to the unplayable conditions at the ground, WAPDA immediately put PTCL in after Adil Nisar won the toss.Sarfraz Ahmed and Faisal Irfan, the new-ball bowlers, struck early as two wickets fell with only five runs on the board. After a third-wicket stand of 51 runs, Farooq Iqbal played havoc with the ball and took 5 for 37 in 17.3 overs.Babar Naeem, the Rawalpindi left-hander, top-scored with 33 off 81 balls with four fours and a six. Zulqarnain Haider, the wicketkeeper, contributed a patient 26 off 102 deliveries in a little over two hours with a four and a six. Six of the nine batsmen who came to the crease failed to reach double-figures. Tahir Mughal scored 18 at No.8.WAPDA, who were the Patron’s Trophy runners-up in 2003-04, are at second spot in the five-team table with 12 points from three appearances. PTCL, who have a total of 18 points, have never won a national title. They need a win, or at least a draw with three points, to retain their position, though they can advance to the next round even if they drop to second place.If the poor playing conditions persist and no points are gained by either team in the other Group B match being played in Peshawar — between National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) and Zarai Taraqiati Bank Limited (ZTBL) — then PTCL and WAPDA will qualify for the Quadrangular Stage round.There was no play for a third consecutive day in the match between National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) and Zarai Taraqiati Bank Limited (ZTBL) at the Arbab Niaz Stadium.The match, originally scheduled to be played at the Lahore City Cricket Asociation (LCCA) Ground in Lahore, was shifted because of the poor conditions there mainly due to heavy fog and poor visibility. In Peshawar, first heavy rain and then unplayable conditions have prevented any play so far.The sun was out on Tuesday, but the ground didn’t dry up as expected. The two teams wanted to play yesterday but the umpires felt that the pitch and the surroundings were not conducive for the match to begin. With only the final day left today (Thursday), it is doubtful whether even the first innings issue would be resolved here.NBP, five-time winners of the tournament, are at third place in Group B with only nine points. They needed an outright win over ZTBL to stay in contention for the Quadrangular Stage round, for which the top two teams from either group will qualify.If there’s no play even on the last day and no points are gained from the fifth and final round matches, then Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL) and Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) will qualify for the Quadrangular Stage round.Service Industries, after having gained no points from their four matches of which they lost three and drew one, have already suffered demotion to the non-first-class Patrons Trophy Grade-II circuit. Ironically, they had qualified for the ongoing tournament after having won the last season’s Grade-II championship.

Hansie Cronje: more sordid truths are out© Touchline

Gary Kirsten has made some startling revelations about Hansie Cronje which offer insights into his obsession with money and his involvement with match-fixing.A report in Brisbane’s Courier-Mail newspaper says that according to his new autobiography Gazza, which was co-written by the South African-based journalist Neil Manthorp, Kirsten got a hint of Cronje’s fixation with the folding stuff during a visit to Dubai in 1999, when both players had gone out separately to dine with their wives. Kirsten went to one of the best restaurants in the city, while Cronje chose Burger King.Talking about his reaction to Cronje’s choice, Kirsten writes: “I smiled back and shrugged my shoulders. He continued the conversation by asking why I would want to waste money on an expensive restaurant when you could get perfectly adequate food for a quarter of the price in a cheap restaurant.”It was a small example, but it was the moment I knew something had gone very wrong and it disturbed me. I couldn’t get the idea out of my head he would rather eat a burger than have a very pleasant meal. He was very wealthy but far too driven by it. I think our relationship changed a bit that day.”Kirsten also provided a detailed account of the famous incident in Mumbai in 1996-97, when Cronje asked the whole team deliberately to underperform in a one-day match against India. Kirsten said that Cronje addressed the entire squad, with only Bob Woolmer, the coach, not around.”We have been offered a lot of money to throw a game, he [Cronje] said. I swear you could have heard a pin drop at that moment,” writes Kirsten. “Nobody moved a muscle. In retrospect I think I had gone into instant shock. Even if I had wanted to speak I would have been unable to. Hansie carried on talking slowly but clearly.”I listened but it was out of respect for the captain and a strange fascination with what he was saying rather than any intention to carry out instructions. I knew within a few seconds I could not be involved … but I listened. He had been asked to create the perfect fix. He spelt out the details of how the match had to pan out, with a spread of scores we needed to be within every five overs.

Gary Kirsten: ‘How do batsmen get out deliberately?’© Touchline

“I started sweating. It was a bad dream. I kept thinking, ‘How do batsmen get out deliberately?’ It was ridiculous. After eight overs we needed to be one wicket down – me – and we needed to have under 25 runs on the board. The idea was absurd. I have never got out deliberately in my life. He mentioned a couple of times it would be worth 60 or 70 thousand rand [about $15,000] each.”The whole talk lasted about ten minutes but it felt a lot longer. Eventually Daryll Cullinan and Andrew Hudson spoke out. They both spoke along similar lines and they represented all our views. Hudders said we were ridiculous to even think about it, let alone talk about it. The same feeling filtered through the room and the meeting was clearly over. There were no waverers or doubters.”Kirsten also says that he increasingly became uncomfortable with the repeated references to match-fixing that Cronje kept making. “There was just a bit too much banter about the subject around the team. The captain of six years’ standing was talking about match-fixing a lot and joking to his players about being involved. It wasn’t really possible to know whether he was being serious or not.”In retrospect he appeared to be handing out invitations all the time in the form of silly little comments like, ‘If you make nought today someone will get very rich.’ The power of wealth and the greed for money were his weaknesses, and he was more heavily addicted than any of us knew. Perhaps as a senior player I should have acted but hindsight is a perfect science and life isn’t.”Cronje was banned for life after being found guilty of match-fixing, and died in a plane crash in June 2002.

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
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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
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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
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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.

The fun starts at 5.00pm on Sunday 4th November and tickets are available at reception at the County Ground, Nevil Road, Bristol.

Star 107.3 FM

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Children’s Rides

Full range of refreshments

Children’s firework display at 6.45 PM

Grand Finale at 7.15 PMFree car parking via Ashley Down Road entrance.ADULTS £3
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Glasgow Rangers scraped a narrow 1-0 away win in the Scottish Premiership on Wednesday night to keep up the pace at the top of the table.

An early goal from Glen Kamara was enough for Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s team in the end, but the overall performance was not entirely convincing, and some players may not have been the most pleased with their own individual efforts.

Indeed, The Transfer Tavern have now used statistical experts SofaScore to analyse who the three worst performers (to have played at least 45 minutes) were on the night, with these men perhaps looking over their shoulders regarding their places in the XI.

John Lundstram

Admittedly joint with second place in terms of rating (6.9), Lundstram ranks in third here as a holding midfielder who helped keep a clean sheet.

The former Sheffield United man lost out on seven of his duels though – hardly ideal in the middle of the park – and failed to record a single shot on target, dribble or blocked shot.

He also gave the ball away on no fewer than 16 separate occasions in the match, which is another worrying feat from a midfield player.

Scott Arfield

Also with a 6.9 rating, Arfield ranks here as the Teddy Bears’ second-worst player on the night.

He was unsuccessful in three of his duels, and also never managed a shot on target, while he made no accurate crosses or long balls and lost possession eight times, proving to be mostly ineffective both in possession and out of it.

Ryan Kent

Kent was ranked as the Light Blues’ worst performer with a 6.8 rating.

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It was simply not his night, as he too never managed a shot on target, while he was unsuccessful with three of his dribbles and two of his crossing attempts.

The winger also lost eight duels, and lost the ball a total of 16 times, in what was a frustrating night for him personally.

In other news, find out what triple injury boost the Gers have now received here!

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

Sachin Tendulkar looked in vintage touch during India’s reply © AFP

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.

Mohammad Yousuf’s unbeaten 99 guided Pakistan to 255 © AFP

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.

Barbados 7 for 0 trail Trinidad & Tobago 273 (Pollard 126, Smith 4-54, Collins 4-55) by 266 runs
Scorecard

A delighted Kieron Pollard celebrates his maiden hundred © The Nation

It was a day divided into two distinct phases. The first was about Barbados. The second was about Kieron Pollard.For the first two-and-a-half hours, the hosts made all the running, restricting the double-crown defending Carib Beer champions to 81 for 6 thanks to the accuracy and movement of Pedro Collins and Dwayne Smith. For the next two-and-a-half hours, Pollard took command of proceedings with a spectacular century on his first-class debut that was filled with a proliferation of superb sixes.With the minimal of effort, Pollard smashed bowlers back overhead to provide rich entertainment in amassing 126 off 150 balls that included 11 fours and seven sixes. The first three sailed over long-off against Collins, Corey Collymore and Kevin Stoute. The fourth went over long-on off Collins. The fifth was a straight hit off Collins just before tea. The sixth, the biggest of the lot, off Smith carried the 19-year-old to a memorable hundred, and the seventh, also off Smith, was a pull over cow-corner.It was magnificent stuff, a joy to watch – authentic strokes of the highest order – and ended with a sensational one-handed catch by Kirk Edwards on the long-on boundary. Pollard and Rayad Emrit pulled Trinidad and Tobago around in a seventh-wicket partnership of 143 that should have been broken when Floyd Reifer missed a chance at first slip when Emrit was on 5.Collins’ line was impeccable, almost exclusively on or about off stump and Smith was also on the spot. Both gained sideways movement and combined to share eight wickets, many coming from catches off the edge in the arc between the ‘keeper and gully.As many as seven catches went behind the wicket, and Smith produced the best ball of the day, a lifter that Jason Mohammed gloved to the keeper. Collins, who finished with 4 for 55, took the first two wickets and bowled to suggest that he should have been in Pakistan with the West Indies team. Smith, who ended with 4 for 54, dramatically swung the match in a brief period just before lunch when he removed Mohammed, Dwayne Bravo and Denesh Ramdin.

Dale Richards clutches a catch at second slip to remove Trinidad’s Dwayne Bravo off the bowling of Dwayne Smith © The Nation

After all the pre-match debate about the expectation of a fast, bouncy pitch, the script didn’t go exactly to plan even if there was a tinge of green. Early in the piece, the surface was slowish and the ‘keeper collected a few balls low down. As the day progressed the strip was quicker, but it never played like the North Stars pitches of previous seasons.There is a simple explanation why the pitch didn’t play as fast as expected. The club was initially asked to host two matches in the KFC Cup limited-overs competition and was in the process of preparing a track suited to the shorter form of the game. By the time North Stars was confirmed as host for this match last Sunday, the pitch preparations were well advanced and there was little time to make the necessary adjustments.There was an encouraging turnout among fans, bearing in mind that it was a Thursday. Close to 2000 spectators made the trek up north and among those at the ground were Prime Minister Owen Arthur and St Lucy MP Dennis Kellman.It was a heartening attendance for the first day of the season, but there was one complaint from some fans watching the action. Their grouse was that there were not enough tents for protection from the elements. There was some merit in what they were saying and maybe a few more tents could have been mounted in the south-eastern section of the ground.Leeward Islands 291 for 4 (Joseph 97*) v Jamaica
Scorecard
Leeward Islands captain Sylvester Joseph was on the brink of another regional century as his side revelled in Jamaica’s bowling on the opening day of their first round Carib Beer Series match at St Mary’s Park. Joeseph struck a composed, unbeaten 97 to lead the Leewards to 291 for 4, after losing the toss and being asked to bat first. Joseph batted a shade over five hours and faced 204 balls, stroking 17 fours in his knock.Capitalising on a missed chance when two, Joseph formed two crucial partnerships along the way, helping the Leewards to recover after they had slipped to 34 for 2. West Indies batsman Runako Morton missed out on three figures when he fell for an enterprising 78, while 23-year old Tonito Willett hit an unbeaten 43. Steve Liburd and Austin Richards Jr got starts but failed to carry on, both hitting 33.Fast bowler Jermaine Lawson, who finished with 3 for 55, did the early damage in the Leewards innings. He bowled opener Shane Jeffers off the inside edge without scoring and then had Richards caught and bowled off a slower ball.Joseph then added 99 for the third wicket with Morton, who hammered 13 fours in an innings lasting 142 minutes and 94 balls. Missed by Chris Gayle at second slip off the luckless Jerome Taylor with the score on 37 for 2, Joseph flourished to keep Jamaica’s bowlers at bay. When Morton fell to a catch at the wicket off leg-spinner Andre Dwyer, Joseph added a further 91 with Willett, whose 43, including six fours, came off 92 balls in 137 minutes batting.Windward Islands 163 for 5 v Guyana
Scorecard
Rookie teenaged batsman Andre Fletcher and veteran Junior Murray shone as hosts Windward Islands reached 163 for 5 against Guyana on a truncated opening day of their Carib Beer Series encounter at the Tanteen Recreation Ground.Fletcher hit the top score of 40, while Murray scored an unbeaten 38, to lead their side after Guyana won the toss and invited the Windwards to bat first in bright sunshine on a track with some moisture and a damp outfield. Heavy overnight rain had left the ground in a soggy condition, resulting in a 270-minute delay before play eventually commenced at 1:30 p.m. Murray, the former West Indies wicketkeeper, faced 99 balls and batted 120 minutes, striking a solitary four. Fletcher faced 100 balls in his 110-minute knock.

Shane Watson knew he was “gone” as soon as he landed © Getty Images

Shane Watson will have an operation on his dislocated left shoulder on Tuesday and is expected to be out of action for two months. Watson, who has played three Tests, suffered the injury diving in the field as Australia wrapped up the first Test with a 379-run win in Brisbane yesterday.As his team-mates rushed to Watson at mid-on he told them he was “gone” and the physiotherapist Errol Alcott helped him from the ground. “He partially dislocated his shoulder and he’ll have arthroscopic surgery tomorrow,” a team spokeswoman told . “They’ll know more about the time frame after the surgery tomorrow, but as a rough estimate they’re saying two months.”Watson’s injury throws out Australia’s plans for the summer as he was expected to receive at least a series to settle as the side’s allrounder. Australia must now decide whether to revert to a normal six-man batting line-up, which would encourage Brad Hodge’s prospects of a debut, or keep Adam Gilchrist at No. 6 and pick five bowlers for the second Test at Hobart next week. Gilchrist has suggested Andrew Symonds would also come into contention for the allrounder’s berth.Ricky Ponting said after the Test win Stuart MacGill was a likely inclusion while dropping Nathan Bracken would be difficult after he took four wickets in the West Indies second innings. Australia are also waiting on news of Justin Langer’s recovery from the fractured rib that ruled him out at Brisbane.Watson did not bowl in the first innings at the Gabba but was introduced as first-change in the second, picking up his second Test wicket when he induced an edge from Chris Gayle. Struggling for effectiveness in his three matches, Watson’s injury is still untimely as Australia introduce new players following the Ashes loss.

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.