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The dreadful form of the Marshall twins was brought into sharp relief after another rain-affected day at Auckland. After two days of this third-round match, Northern Districts laboured through to 234 for 9 against Auckland. James and Hamish Marshall, both trying to hold on to spots in the New Zealand team for the visit to Sri Lanka in the new year, again failed to impress, James battled through to 19 while his brother managed just 2. Chris Martin was the best of the bowlers with 3 for 59.Wellington look certain to face a fourth-innings chase of more than 300 against Central Districts at the Basin Reserve. Leading by 32 in the first innings Central was 263 for 7 in the second, after Jacob Oram and Ross Taylor led a batting revival after a low-scoring first innings. Oram posted 71 and Taylor 51. Mark Gillespie was the pick of the bowlers with 3 for 51.Canterbury were staring at defeat against their southern rivals Otago after another bowler-dominated day at Carisbrook. Otago were 133 for 9 after trailing by 45 in the first innings. Canterbury’s lead was largely thanks to an unbelievable run-a-ball 80 by Brendon McCullum, who was the only batsman who looked comfortable on this pitch. Batting again, Otago struggled, with Chris Cairns snaring 3 for 18 off 14.4 overs.

Pakistan’s most successful domestic tournament, the ABN-AMRO Twenty20, hasbeen postponed till August following scheduling problems.The tournament has yet to find a set date or location in the domesticcalendar, despite being the biggest crowd-puller in recent years: thefirst edition was held in April-May 2005, then in February 2006 andfinally in December 2006. The finals of the tournament have regularlyattracted crowds of over 30,000 in Lahore and Karachi, the two venueswhere the tournament has been held.”The tournament this year is likely to be played in August,” said ShafqatNaghmi, the PCB’s chief operating officer. “We had a number ofinternational commitments and top players wouldn’t be available for itduring then. In July the weather won’t be right, so we have planned it forAugust.”It is understood that the sponsors, ABN-AMRO, also prefer that month as itwould mean all of Pakistan’s top players are available then for what isthe showpiece tournament of their sponsorship to cricket.This also means, as Naghmi acknowledged, that plans for a Pakistan PremierLeague (PPL) will be shelved until next year. “The PPL will not happentill next year but we are keen on inviting foreign players to that aswell.” But as a source close to the sponsors has pointed out, the currentformat for the Twenty20 is not much different to the proposed PPL.”We already have a city-based system for the tournament and our originalidea three years ago, as well as that of the PCB, was to find sponsors sothat they could make the teams franchises, much as the IPL has done,” theofficial told Cricinfo. “This format can be worked into the PPL.”It is not yet clear whether any teams from Pakistan will take part in theChampions League, details of which have been informally firmed up over thelast few weeks. However various boards, including Pakistan’s, wereinvolved in those discussions, suggesting that sides from Pakistan mightparticipate. In that case, as the PPL will not start until next year, itis likely that the top two teams from the domestic Twenty20 will beinvited.

Derek Shackleton, who played seven Tests for England and took a record 2669 wickets for Hampshire, has died at the age of 83. Only six men have taken more wickets than his total first-class haul of 2857, and none of those operated entirely in the post-war period.Shackleton was a seamer – not fast but metronomic in his accuracy – who was desperately unlucky not to have be called on more by England. Unfortunately for him, he played in an era when Alec Bedser, Fred Trueman and others dominated. “Shrewdly varied, and utterly accurate,” wrote John Arlott, “beating down as unremittingly as February rain”. He was also economical, conceding under two runs an over. Initially he relied on late outswing, but he later developed an equally late inswinger, and he could also cut the ball either way off the pitch.His seven Tests came in two bursts separated by almost 12 years, but he was not as penetrative at the highest level. He played once in 1950 and 1951 and then toured India in 1951-52, finishing with the most wickets but only one more Test. He had to wait until 1963 for a recall, taking 14 wickets at 34.53 against West Indies, including 3 for 93 and a best 4 for 92 at Lord’s.

He made his debut for Hampshire, who spotted him while he was playing services cricket, in 1948 and was taken on as a batsman who bowled occasional legspin. Bereft of quick bowlers, Hampshire asked him to give it a try. He took 21 wickets in his first season and a hundred in his second. In a career which lasted until 1969 he took 100 wickets in a season 20 times consecutively, his haul of 172 in 1962, a year after he had helped the county to their first Championship, being the best. Few bowlers have got through so many overs, and those that have have been spinners.In 1955 he took match figures of 14 for 29 against Somerset (including 8 for 4 in their first innings) and five years earlier took five wickets in nine balls for no runs, but not including a hat-trick; that was about the only achievement that eluded him.In all Shackleton took 2857 first-class wickets at 18.65; his 18 Test wickets cost him 42.66.After retiring he coached and acted as groundsman at Canford School in Dorset and had a brief spell as an umpire in 1979. He was one of Wisden’s Five Cricketers of the Year in 1959.

The final of the ICC Intercontinental Cup between Ireland and Canada will take place at Chelmsford between May 21 and 24. It will be the first time and Intercontinental Cup tie has taken place in England. The previous finals have been in the UAE and Dubai.Ireland, the holders, qualified by topping Group A, beating UAE and Namibia and drawing with Scotland. Canada qualified through victories over Bermuda and Kenya, although they lost to Netherlands.The new format of the tournament means sides play a minimum of three four-day matches in this tournament, increasing to seven four-day matches in 2007 and 2008 when it is hoped the event will be a full round-robin format. That compares to a minimum of just two three-day matches per year under the previous structure which, until the semi-finals, was regionally based rather than global.

It’s funny how some small things can make a huge difference. What would have been a quiet affair that attracted little attention – a Ranji Trophy match between Karnataka and Saurashtra, both of whom who are safe in the Elite Division – but through a mixture of circumstances the situation is anything but. Rahul Dravid, captain of the Indian team, is turning out for Karnataka in the home ground of the increasingly high profile BCCI secretary, Niranjan Shah. The day before the game, the Madhavrao Scindia Ground in Rajkot was buzzing with anticipation.The Karnataka team were out in the nets early in the day, albeit without Dravid, who was in Mumbai still trying to locate his baggage, which had somehow gone missing when the team returned from South Africa. Dravid was scheduled to arrive in Rajkot on the Tuesday evening, and one thing was certain – he would play. The Karnataka team management confirmed that Dravid would certainly play. Raghuram Bhat, the former India left-arm spinner and currently both a state selector and team manager, said, “Dravid is definitely playing. He was stranded in Mumbai as his kit had not arrived with him from South Africa.”There was just the briefest of flutters as the Karnataka State Cricket Association had not actually listed Dravid as one of its probables when the season began, probably assuming he would be away on national duty and therefore unable to play in domestic cricket. While this was not a serious matter, it was a minor procedural glitch. The BCCI takes a probables list from each state association at the start of the season for purposes of sorting out insurance cover for all domestic players.The Karnataka team management wanted to clear this up at the earliest, and a member of the thinktank was overheard clarifying the matter with Shah, who was quick to dismiss the matter – as was only right – saying, “Dravid was a contracted player with the Board and will have no problem in playing the game.” It was also understood that Dravid would not be leading Karnataka in the match, leaving the reins with Yere Goud, who has led the side all season.Even in his absence, Dravid was hogging the limelight, but there was another Karnataka cricket keeping everyone on their toes. In the nets Robin Uthappa held nothing back, belting the ball around the park, scattering those who stood and watched. With Virender Sehwag showing little form in either form of the game of late, Uthappa has a chance to regain a spot in the Indian squad, especially with Dilip Vengsarkar, the chairman of selectors, due to arrive in Rajkot on Friday to pick the 30 probables for the forthcoming World Cup and the home one-day series against West Indies.Away from the glare, though, Saurashtra went about their business quietly. There’s plenty of joy in that camp, though, as they have already ensured that they will spend another year in the Elite Division. Crucial outright wins against Delhi and Haryana have left Saurashtra with nine points, and though they are not in with a chance to make the knock-out phase of the competition, there’s much to cheer about. Sitanshu Kotak, that veteran run-getter, has already amassed more than 500 runs this season, and equally Cheteshwar Pujara, the exciting young batsman, has chalked up more than 500 runs.”As secretary of the Saurashtra Cricket Association I’m very happy,” said Shah. “Playing against top teams in the Elite Division has been very beneficial for us.” And now, with Rajkot being the cynosure of all eyes as the league phase of the domestic competition winds to a close, you can see why Shah is a happy man.SaurashtraJaydev Shah (capt), Sagar Jogiyani, Prashant Joshi, Cheteshwar Pujara, Sitanshu Kotak, Kanaiya Vaghela, Pratip Mehta, Sandeep Jobanputra, Sandeep Maniar, Kamlesh Makvana, Rakesh Dhruv, Ashok Kamalia, Feroz Bambaniya, Sadil Natkan.Karnataka Yere Goud (capt), Rahul Dravid, Robin Uthappa, Barrington Rowland, Thilak Naidu, Deepak Chougule, Sunil Joshi, Bharat Chipli, R Vinay Kumar, B Akhil, Udit Patel, Raju Bhatkal, Devraj Patil, Gaurav Dhiman, C Raghu.

Day 3
ScorecardA good all-round batting effort – only one batsman failed to cash in – allowed Sri Lanka A to declare on 290 for 7 and leave West Zone with 467 to win their Duleep Trophy clash at Cuttack. Faced with the large target, Wasim Jaffer (56*) and Amol Muzumdar (46*) overcame two early losses to take West Zone to 125 for two at stumps on the third day.Sri Lanka A began the day with the overnight pair of Michael Vandort and Malinda Warnapura progressing to fifties. Their dismissals in quick succession did little to dent Sri Lanka A’s progress, as Thilan Samaraweera (35), Jehan Mubarak (40 from 34 balls) and Chamara Silva (57) each left a mark. Silva’s wicket, with Sri Lanka A ahead by 466, prompted the declaration.Dammika Prasad and Akalanka Ganegama, the right-arm fast bowling pair, then grabbed a wicket each to jolt West Zone. The experienced hand of Jaffer and Muzumdar then steadied the boat with a 97-run stand.Day 3
ScorecardA comprehensive bowling performance and a confident start to their second innings put North Zone firmly in charge against Central Zone at stumps on the third day at Jamshedpur. Ashish Nehra and Rajesh Sharma, the offspinner, each bagged three wickets to help bowl out Central Zone for 288 before Gautam Gambhir and Akash Chopra added 60 in a solid opening stand.For Central Zone, only Naman Ojha, the wicketkeeper, offered any real resistance with 67, while Murali Kartik hit a quick unbeaten 33 down the order. North Zone lost Chopra, edging Piyush Chawla’s legspin to Ojha for 29, but Gambhir was still around as they accumulated a lead of 227.

The Indian board has confirmed that it will move the ICC’s dispute redressal committee in support of compensation claims made by some state associations in India over loss of revenues that they face by having to stage Champions Trophy matches – an ICC sponsored tournament.”We are with the associations on this issue. We will take the matter to the disputes redressal committee of the ICC,” Niranjan Shah, the board secretary, told the . The Punjab Cricket Association threatened to pull out Mohali from the Champions Trophy claiming that not receiving the television and stadium sponsor revenues meant a huge loss to them. Associations hosting ICC events receive only 70% of the revenue from seats while the rest goes to the ICC.However Shah did not confirm a timeframe for approaching the redressal committee. “It is not that we will take the step today itself,” Shah said. “We will do whatever is necessary at the appropriate time.”Shah also accused the ICC of mishandling the accreditation process of the Champions Trophy. “The ICC has bungled everything by letting Rushman’s handle the accreditation for the officials as well. They are sitting in London and sending cards for people without knowing anything … Gujarat Cricket Association president Narhari Amin was not allowed entry in some areas and then I had to rush to Ahmedabad to get the issue sorted out,” Shah told , a Mumbai-based newspaper. “They are sitting in London and sending cards for people without knowing anything.”We are not saying we would have done it on an independent basis, the ICC could have supervised but we would have done a better job because we know better.”

ScorecardHundreds from Stephen Fleming and Brendon McCullum ensured the New Zealanders’ tour match at Benoni will go into the final day evenly poised. At the close, Rest of South Africa were 132 for 4, a lead of 155.Fleming, 96 not out overnight, completed his hundred in the first over, and made brisk progress along with Peter Fulton, who soon completed his fifty. Although Fulton fell for 73, it was Fleming’s dismissal for 118 which triggered a collapse in which the tourists lost five wickets for 44 runs, Monde Zondeki taking three of those in as many overs.With Shane Bond sidelined with a knee injury, New Zealanders were in deep trouble before McCullum finally found support in Chris Martin, one of the game’s real rabbits, the pair adding 95 for the ninth wicket to steer them to within 23 runs of Rest of South Africa’s total.When Rest of South Africa batted again, James Franklin struck an early blow, removing Alviro Petersen for 5, but Justin Ontong patiently guided them to a strong position before two late wickets gave the visitors renewed hope. Davey Jacobs’ 22 ended when he hit a return catch to Daniel Vettori, and two balls later Jean-Paul Duminy edged Martin to McCullum.

Confusion surrounds the future of Zimbabwe’s wicketkeeper-batsman Brendan Taylor after reports that he has been playing club cricket abroad despite a ruling by Ozias Bvute, the board’s managing director, that nationally contracted players were forbidden from doing so.Taylor, who is reported to be playing on a three-month contract in the Netherlands, is said to have had a blazing row with Bvute which led to him refusing to play in the Logan Cup, Zimbabwe’s domestic competition.Taylor has been named in the Zimbabwe side to meet India A later this month, but rumours persist that he will not play. “I don’t think he will play for Zimbabwe again,” a source close to the player told Cricinfo, “but thatdepends on Bvute.”Taylor is no stranger to clashes with authority, and unlike many team-mates, he does not rely on income from the game.The return of Tatenda Taibu as wicketkeeper-batsman – assuming he does sort out his own differences with the board – reduces the reliance on Taylor and the board may well seize the opportunity to ditch him and send a clear message to others who are thought to be considering their futures.Were Taibu and Taylor to be unavailable, then the keeping place would probably go to Tafadzwa Mufambisi, another player overlooked because of his attitude.

Reports in the weekend newspapers that a group called Keep Cricket Free were going to lobby the government to overturn the ECB’s TV deal with BSkyB have drawn a firm response from Richard Caborn, the sports minister.David Brooks, the former strategy director of Channel 4, set up the group in a bid to get the four-year exclusive contract reviewed, but Caborn made it clear that it was a non starter.”On Friday during the Oval Test this lad stopped me and said he had set up a website for Keep Cricket Free, and would I listen to him,” Caborn told The Daily Telegraph. “I will listen to anyone. But as far as the deal is concerned this is a commercial deal and there is no intention of the Government to intervene.”I am very supportive of cricket and all that the ECB have done. The deal the ECB have done is confidential and we do not know who bid what. But it is clear the terrestrial broadcasters did not bid enough, and the ECB had to do the best deal for cricket.”It was always extremely unlikely that the government would interfere in a private deal which satisfied both the ECB and the broadcaster, and had also been run past media regulator Ofcom before it was completed.