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Durham 298 and 244 for 6 (Breese 79*, Hussey 51, Benkenstein 51, Caddick 6-98) defeated Somerset 252 and 288 by four wickets
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Somerset’s Andy Caddick took 6 for 98 but it wasn’t enough to prevent Durham winning a seesaw encounter at Stockon-on-Tees by four wickets. Durham romped to their third successive victory this term by chasing down 243 after Somerset put on 115 for the last two wickets. Caddick again sparkled for the visitors; he smashed 54 from No. 10 and Simon Francis added an unbeaten 20 to set Durham a stiff test. But the home side’s batsmen passed with flying colours; Gareth Breese easing to an unbeaten 79. Mike Hussey and Dale Benkenstein each struck 51 and even though Caddick was on fire, it was Durham who ended up celebrating.
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Essex romped home by six wickets against Leicestershire at Chelmsford. Andy Flower struck an unbeaten 74 to steer the home side to victory after Alistair Cook’s blistering 59 from 69 balls set them on course. They came into the final day needing 190 to secure victory and were wobbling a little at 43 for 2, Will Jefferson and Ravinder Bopara the fallers. But they lost just two more wickets on their way to success – Ronnie Irani made 34 before Ottis Gibson trapped him lbw and Cook eventually fell to Phil DeFreitas for 59 – while Flower strode on undaunted.
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An unbroken opening stand of 132 between Matthew Wood and Phil Jaques helped Yorkshire rout Northamptonshire by ten wickets at Headingley. Northants added 60 for their last three wickets, leaving Yorkshire to chase 129 for victory. Wood and Jaques obliged, with Wood cracking six fours and three sixes on his way to 56 from 61 deliveries. Neither was Jaques sedate: his 70 came from 60 balls and included 12 fours as the target was knocked off in 23 overs. Deon Kruis dismissed Johan Louw to end with a match haul of 8 for 89 and Ian Harvey took the other two wickets to finish off Northants’ innings.
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Lancashire’s Gary Keedy took six wickets to crush Derbyshire by an innings and 72 runs at Old Trafford. Keedy, the slow left-armer, ripped through Derbyshire’s defences to grab 6 for 60 as their tail folded. Derbyshire had been in with a good shout of hanging on for a draw when they resumed on 81 for 1, Stephen Stubbings going on to make 60. But they lost their last seven wickets for 49 runs and the writing was on the wall.

Most of the West Indies players invited to the regional training camp ahead of the upcoming three-Test tour to Australia have made themselves available for the tour. has been reliably informed that the majority of the 30-man training squad called up for the tour signed their letters of invitation before yesterday’s 5pm deadline for accepting the invitation of the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB). This has come amid ongoing negotiations between the WICB and the West Indies Players’ Association (WIPA) which began only a few days before yesterday’s deadline.Among the players expected to sign the contracts are fast bowlers Pedro Collins and Fidel Edwards. Over the weekend, a story in the reported that the pair had accepted the invitation for the training camp, and had decided they would sign the match/tour contracts “even if there is no resolution”.Although a source close to the negotiations between the parties was quoted as saying that Collins and Edwards had indicated they had “accepted the invitation and never indicated they would sign the match/tour contracts”, a report from the confirmed they would sign if selected.”I’m not sure who the source is and who’s speaking, but I want to make it clear I stand by the report,” the quoted Collins as saying. “Cricket is important to us as a people. The Caribbean will be on show during World Cup 2007 and we will do all in our power to ensure that West Indies put on a good show. This means preparations have to start from now as we need to field the best team possible.”When contacted yesterday WIPA president Dinanath Ramnarine, although refusing to comment on negotiations between his association and the board, said the players would be making themselves available for the camp.The parties have been at loggerheads since November last year over players’ endorsements and match/tour contracts, which have affected each tour involving West Indies. The worst affected was the recent tour to Sri Lanka, where an under-strength team toured the subcontinent after only three of the 15 players called up by the WICB – including Shivnarine Chanderpaul, the captain – accepted the invitation.The one-week training camp is due to start on Saturday at the Three W’s Oval at the Cave Hill campus of the University of the West Indies in Barbados. The Australian tour begins on October 27.The 30 invited players
Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Wavell Hinds, Brian Lara, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Chris Gayle, Denesh Ramdin, Daren Ganga, Dwayne Bravo, Lendl Simmons, Dave Mohammed, Sylvester Joseph, Ryan Hinds, Runako Morton, Marlon Samuels, Dwayne Smith, Devon Smith, Narsingh Deonarine, Carlton Baugh Jr, Omari Banks, Xavier Marshall, Pedro Collins, Corey Collymore, Jermaine Lawson, Tino Best, Fidel Edwards, Ian Bradshaw, Deighton Butler, Daren Powell, Dwight Washington, Jerome Taylor.

Individual statistics for Tests played in 2004

Individual statistics for ODIs played in 2004

Brian Lara has vowed to battle on as West Indies’ captain, despite leading his team to their first home defeat against England for 36 years.Lara, whose personal form has matched that of the West Indies team as a whole, has come under renewed pressure in recent days, as the Caribbean braces itself for a first-ever whitewash in a home series. And, with the series already decided, it is that match in Antigua which is at the centre of Lara’s thoughts. “I have another Test match to focus on,” he said, “so the time for assessing my position of captain is not now.”Even so, Lara accepted that he will be forced to reconsider his position if West Indies cannot halt their slump. “Assessment time will come,” he admitted, “but I am here to play for West Indies and I will be doing that for some time to come.”Four years ago, Lara stood down after the humiliation of leading West Indies to a 3-0 whitewash in New Zealand, and it is quite possible that he could take a similar course of action now, having managed just 100 runs in the series to date. But, he added, it was up to his team-mates to play their part as well.”We played four series before this and for me to score the most runs in each and every series is a little bit of a concern,” said Lara. “I still believe we have a good group of young batsmen. It’s not that they are too inadequate in technique or anything like that, but they have to understand that they are playing for West Indies and are following in the footsteps of great players. We need to try and emulate them, but you have to be a big man to play Test cricket.”One of those former greats is Sir Viv Richards, now the chairman of West Indies’ selectors. He agreed that a lack of mental focus was at the root of the West Indian problems. “Individuals with a wonderful amount of ability have been unable to perform at their very best,” he said. “We are looking for winners and some of the attitudes that we have seen are unacceptable and selfish.”There are some guys who’ve played a few matches, and think they have a rightful place in the team – there’s no such thing.”

Inzamam-ul-Haq cannot take any part in the Champions Trophy even if Pakistan reached the final. Although he would have served outthe four-match ban that he was handed in late September, the ParticipatingNations Agreement (PNA) clearly states that a player who is replaced in a squadcannot be reinstated.Every team that takes part in the Champions Trophy has signed the PNA, andit comes as a bit of a surprise that Younis Khan, now leading Pakistan wasnot aware of this clause, when he said, at a pre-tournament media session,on arriving in India, “It will be really good if we win our first fourgames in the Champions Trophy and then Inzy [Inzamam] comes back and I will be ready to stand down as captain. I will be really happy to see him lift thetrophy while I am standing behind him. He has been one of my heroes rightfrom the 1992 World Cup.”Clause 6.9 of the PNA deals with the issue of replacements, and it says quiteunequivocally that once a player is replaced he cannot be reinstatedlater in the tournament. Inzamam was replaced by Faisal Iqbal after beinghanded the ban by Ranjan Madugalle at a hearing in London in lateSeptember. Inzamam was found guilty of bringing the game into disreputeafter his team forfeited the Oval Test against England. The forfeiturecame after Darrell Hair docked the Pakistan team five runs for ball-tampering and changed the ball that was being used at the time. Pakistanstayed off the field in protest after a break, and the match wasforfeited, despite attempts to get it going. Inzamam was subsequentlycleared of the charge of ball tampering.Younis Khan was then appointed captain in place of Inzamam, refusing to take the job, saying he did not want to be “a dummycaptain”. Mohammad Yousuf was given the job of leading the side, while Younis would continue as an ordinary member of the team. However, after Shaharyar Khan resigned as the Pakistan Cricket Board chairman, and Mushtaq Ahmed sacked as assistant coach, Younis was persuaded to take the job back, and he agreed. Perhaps, in all this confusion, he was neverhanded a copy of the PNA to read.

Arjuna Ranatunga, the former Sri Lankan captain and serial Warne-baiter, haslabeled Shane Warne as a potential liability for the forthcoming Test seriesagainst Sri Lanka and described Australia’s current team as “unimpressive.”In an interview with Australia newspapers, Ranatunga, now a politician,believes Sri Lanka’s batsmen have little to fear if, as expected, Warne isnamed in Australia’s Test squad on Friday for the first time since aone-year drugs ban.”I feel that they will struggle, especially under these conditions,”Ranatunga is quoted as saying. “The present Australian team areunimpressive, when you look at the teams they used to have with the Waughsand Glenn McGrath.””Sri Lankan sides are quite good with spin … and Warne might have anissue here. Warne has been out a long time and he might struggle to getthrough the Sri Lankan batting line-up.” Ranatunga added, “The Australianspin attack is not impressive at all when you see that we have Muraliand others on our side.”Ranatunga had made a pastime out of baiting Warne ever since, on the eve ofthe 1999 World Cup, Warne suggested that the Sri Lankan team would be betteroff without Ranatunga.Ranatunga urged Sri Lanka’s current team to stand up to Australia in thefield. “I don’t know about this team but we used to feel when we gave it[verbally] back to the Australians they would crumble. I was one person whowas always against sledging but that was how it seemed. I’m not sure whatthis [Sri Lankan] team will do.”

Shane Warne announced his voluntary withdrawal from any official training until the end of his 12-month ban in February, saying that he did not want to “place any team-mates or anyone else in an awkward position”.The Australian Sports Commission (ASC) recently told Cricket Australia that it was unacceptable for Warne to train at any level of the game, including club cricket, under the Australian board’s anti-drug policy. Warne is serving his ban after testing positive for a banned diuretic just before the World Cup earlier this year.”I think it’s ridiculous that six months after the event to now say Ican’t train. [It] just seems there are too many agendas with too many people,”Warne said, reading from a statement. “I have come to the decision that I am going to remove myself from all official training.”He continued: “I will continue to work on my fitness and my cricket skills by myself and with some friends. I know I still have a lot to offer cricket; at what level that is, is out of my control. All I can do is to present myself in the best possible way and hope that the powers that be will enjoy my return [to cricket].”Anticipating queries on a raunchy text-message issue involving a South African woman, Warne refused to take any questions from the media at the Crown Casino in Melbourne, where he held the press conference. He began his address by saying that any allegations concerning his private life would remain private.Over two weeks ago Helen Cohen Alon, a South African mother of three, accused Warne of sending her lewd text messages. Since then, a Melbourne stripper has also approached the media with allegations of an affair with Warne.Despite the controversy, Warne has received some support from various quarters. His wife Simone has said that she will “stand by my husband 100%. I always have and will continue to, especially through this unnecessary heartache. Certain individuals are trying to destroy our family. This will not happen.”Merv Hughes, a former Test team-mate, said that Warne was adversely affected by events. “I saw him a couple of days ago and he’s not the Shane Warne that you know, he’s really flat and it just seems to have really gotten hold of him,” said Hughes. “Shane Warne is a close friend of mine and you’ve got to feel for him with what he’s going through. It would be great if they came out and said ‘Yeah, Shane can train and prepare himself’, because he is going to be the first Australian cricketer to take 500 Test wickets.”

Pervez Musharraf, Pakistan’s president, has made his pitch for the resumption of cricketing ties with India, which he said would benefit both countries and also cricket in the region.Speaking at a reception to honour the surviving members of the Pakistan cricket team that went on the country’s first Test tour to India in 1952, he said: “It’s very unfortunate that India has not played us for a long time, we need to leave the past aside, India should start playing us for the mutual benefits and for cricket in South Asia.”

Since that inaugural series, bilateral cricket ties have been intermittent at best. There were no matches between 1961 and 1978, and it’s now 14 years since India played a Test match in Pakistan. Pakistan’s last Test tour of India was in 1999, months before the Kargil conflict led to a further deterioration in relations.”Cricket is a passion in South Asia which is so very rich in talent, andteams will improve if we play each other and sports can add interaction,” saidMusharraf.The late Abdul Hafeez Kardar led that 1952 side, and those team-mates who have outlived him were presented with medallions, Pakistan blazers and Rs 200,000 (US$4200) each. The survivors are Fazal Mahmood, Hanif Mohammad, Imtiaz Ahmed, Israr Ali, Khan Mohammad, Waqar Hasan, Wazir Mohammad, Rusi Dinshaw, Zulfiqar Ahmed, Khalid Ibadullah, Khursheed Ahmad and Khalid Qureshi.

New Zealand’s Kyle Mills has been officially reprimanded for excessive appealing during Wednesday’s eight-wicket win over Pakistan at Napier.The incident reported by umpire Darrell Hair came when Salaam Elahi was caught behind in the 16th over, with Mills accused of celebrating the wicket without bothering to check that his appeal had been upheld. The ICC has recently clamped down on excessive appealing, emphasising that players must wait for an umpire’s decision.”Kyle admitted he did not address the umpire when appealing for a wicket in the 16th over of the Pakistan Innings,” said Chris Broad, the match referee, announcing his decision. “This is a level 1.5 breach of the ICC Code of Conduct. Kyle has been officially reprimanded and any reoffending of a similar nature within the next year would automatically see him charged with a level 2 offence which would bring more serious consequences.”All players have been officially advised by the ICC of the on-field standards of behaviour expected under the code.”

Test matches in England may be forced to start at 10.30am next season, in a bid to keep the full day’s play live on television. The start of play has already been brought forward from 11am to 10.45am this year to suit the television schedulers, but the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) are seriously considering a further change, after Channel 4 cut their coverage of the Lord’s Test at 6pm on the dot.”I’d be lying if I didn’t say we were disappointed,” said Tim Lamb, the ECB chief executive, “but we understand the constraints C4 are working under in terms of scheduling, particularly when they are trying to attract that important early evening 18 to 34-year-old audience.” Cricket fans missed the moment when James Anderson took his first Test wicket, because C4 had decided a dating gameshow should take precedence.”We are seriously considering their requirements,” added Lamb, “and we will be discussing a 10.30am start as from next year. It is very disappointing when we don’t see the end of play live on TV, but we are talking to C4 in an atmosphere of co-operation and consultation.”But the discussions will not be entirely one-way traffic. The ECB are also concerned that C4 have failed to live up to their promise to show early-evening highlights, one of the key factors that earned them the right to show Test cricket five years ago, and nor will they be providing live coverage of next week’s C&G Trophy quarter-final between Lancashire and Middlesex, merely a highlights package. “It’s obvious that there has been a moving of the goalposts,” Lamb said. “In our on-going dialogue we will keep reminding C4 of their obligations. We will try to recognise their priorities and we are very anxious to strike a balance.”