Tom Moody, the Sri Lanka coach, believes that a target of over 130 to 140 could pose a challenge for England in the second Test at Edgbaston, especially with Muttiah Muralitharan to contend with. Muralitharan rattled all England batsmen except Kevin Pietersen in the first innings with figures of 6 for 86.Trailing by 154 in the first innings, Michael Vandort and Tillakaratne Dilshan struck half-centuries and rescued Sri Lanka from a precarious 56 for 4 with a fifth-wicket stand of 125 in the rain-hit third day. Dilshan was dismissed for 59 in the closing stages of the day, but Vandort remained undefeated on 89, lifting the lead to 40 with five wickets remaining.”Chasing runs in Test cricket when a wicket is deteriorating slightly is a very tough task and even tougher when you’ve got someone like Murali to face on a wicket showing obvious turn,” Moody told reporters. “I would think a lead of anything above 130 or 140 would be challenging [for England] and we would feel very much in the game.”Moody for full of praise for Vandort, approaching his second Test century, given the team’s recent travails in finding suitable openers. “He showed a lot of character,” said Moody. “It was a big innings for him and as far as the team went. He played straight and showed a lot of patience.”Duncan Fletcher, the England coach, gave due credit to the Sri Lankans, after witnessing a similar fightback to that of the Lord’s Test. “We just have to give credit to how the Sri Lankans batted. The wicket seemed to improve and it played quite well as far as the seamers were concerned.”A target around about 200 in a fourth innings of a Test is always a challenge. Somewhere around there.”

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

England began their one-day season with an unspectacular 38-run win in their inaugural match against Ireland at Stormont. Before today, Ireland had played every international side apart from England – and the sell-out crowd were rightly expecting a riotous display from England. That they were made to work so hard – both in their batting and in defending the 302 total – spoke volumes of a team out of form, not to mention a plucky Irish side brimming with determination.Set a sizeable 302 for an unlikely win, they were given a confident start by Jeremy Bray and Andre Botha who put on fifty for the second wicket after Steve Harmison had removed Dominick Joyce for a duck in his first over. Although the early strike boosted England, it was a disappointing opening over from Harmison who twice conceded five wides, and the scattergun approach in his opening over rather set the precedent for an underwhelming 10 overs.Playing in his first international since before Christmas, his smooth approach to the crease and several rip-snorting deliveries gave the impression he was finding his form – but he certainly hadn’t found his radar, which rarely pointed in the same place twice. So Ireland capitalised, with Botha cutting him with ease, and nudging singles without alarm.Indeed, Ireland at this stage were rollicking along at over six runs per over, until Bray – a gritty, impish sort of batsman – fell to Sajid Mahmood who, along with Liam Plunkett, showed the more experienced members of this new-look England side the benefits of bowling straight. Even Lancashire’s ever-dependable Glen Chapple, making his debut for England, lacked spice and rarely threatened the stumps. Threatening the stumps wasn’t something England’s fielders could manage, either, in what was a dreadfully slapdash display. Even Paul Collingwood, so often faultlessly brilliant in the covers, took his eye off the ball as he and his team-mates slipped around Stormont as though they were playing in a tub of margarine.With the loss of Bray, the Ireland innings went into hibernation as Kyle McCallan and Botha nurdled a stabilising partnership of 58 with Botha bringing up a richly-deserved fifty. But their lack of experience told, and Ireland lost four wickets in three overs – two apiece to Harmison and Paul Collingwood – as the home side’s resistance began to fade. Despite some lower-order entertainment, which finally woke up a subdued crowd, Ireland fell to a 38-run loss – but arguably left the field the happier of the two teams.”I thought they played really well, and put us under pressure,” said England’s captain, Andrew Strauss. “But we’re pretty happy with the run out; most of the things we set out to do we did. Full credit to Ireland though who played really well, and showed what they’re capable of.”When Marcus Trescothick was bashing his 11th one-day hundred earlier in the day, it seemed England would waltz past the Irish without resistance. It wasn’t to be. Only Trescothick had the application and power to take advantage of the treats on offer. Strauss, captaining England for the third time in one-dayers, played a fairly forgettable shot when he pulled the impressive Kevin O’Brien straight Botha at backward square. Worse was to come, when Collingwood drove uppishly, and wastefully, and Ed Joyce miscued a bouncer. Only Trescothick – pounding boundaries at will, and looking in wonderful form – could force the pace.Ian Bell, though lacking in any fluency, did at least partner Trescothick in a fine fourth-wicket stand of 142, but both fell in quick succession when the lure of the last ten overs proved too much.England were always likely to win – Ireland threatened briefly in their reply, but their inexperience told – but it was an underwhelming effort from them. They must lift their game, and fast, if they are to combat an energetic Sri Lanka at Lord’s on Saturday.

How they were out

IrelandDominick Joyce b Harmison 0 (10 for 1)
Jeremy Bray c Collingwood b Mahmood 22 (60 for 2)
Kyle McCallan c Jones b Harmison 24 (118 for 3)
Peter Gillespie c Joyce b Collingwood 0 (121 for 4)
Trent Johnston c Collingwood b Harmison 5 (127 for 5)
Andre Botha b Collingwood 52 (135 for 6)
Kevin O’Brien c Plunkett b Bell 35 (209 for 7)
Andrew White c Jones b Bell 40 (210 for 8)
David Langford-Smith st Jones b Dalrymple 12 (235 for 9)
EnglandEd Joyce c O’Brien b Langford Smith 10 (37 for 1)
Andrew Strauss c Botha b O’Brien 4 (60 for 2)
Paul Collingwood c Johnston b Mooney (93 for 3)
Marcus Trescothick c P Mooney b J Mooney 113 (234 for 4)
Ian Bell c Joyce b J Mooney 79 (258 for 5)
Jamie Dalrymple c P Mooney b Langford-Smith 17 (264 for 5)
Glen Chapple c O’Brien b Langford-Smith 14 (285 for 6)

Shoaib Akhtar is on course to be fit for the third Test against England, at Headingley, after recovering from the stress fracture to his ankle that has ruled him out of the early part of the tour.He is currently working with Warwickshire as he continues his rehabilitation and is expected to play a couple of games for them before his international return.”[Shoaib] had a meeting with the team physiotherapist and trainer in England yesterday and they reported he was physically strong now and looking good for a comeback in a week’s time,” the PCB director Abbas Zaidi told Reuters. “They feel he needs to play one or two games to get back to full match fitness and then should be available for the third test.””Obviously he is an important member of the side and the team management is very keen to have him back as soon as possible,” Zaidi added. “His pace gives the team that extra edge.”However, Shoaib himself is still not setting any dates for his return. “I still can’t set a comeback time for Pakistan, though I know the third or fourth Tests have been mentioned,” he told Bigstarcricket.com. “I don’t feel that is up to me because if it was I would be playing tomorrow and running in hard again.”I feel really fit and just want to bowl but, after what happened last time, I know I need to listen to my trainers. One thing is for certain and that is when I do play against England I expect to bowl faster and better than when I bowled against them in Pakistan last year.”He is being very careful about not rushing his return after previously breaking down again after pushing himself too hard. “I wasn’t fit enough then and I paid the price. “I’m looking forward to attacking the England batsmen and not giving them any time to settle.”They [the medical staff] don’t want me to be breaking down again. I want to be playing for another five years yet so they are looking after my interests and Pakistan’s interests.”Shoaib has been out of action since February when he underwent a knee operation in Australia before a reoccurrence of his ankle problem leading into the England series.Pakistan have been beset by injury problems on their current tour, with Rana Naved-ul-Hasan and Shoaib Malik ruled out of all the Tests and Mohammad Asif injured until at least the third. Younis Khan also missed the opening Test at Lord’s but has returned to lead Pakistan in their current tour match against Northamptonshire.The second Test starts at Old Trafford on July 27 with the third, at Headingley, beginning on August 4.

As was widely predicted, Bangladesh have picked uncapped batsman Mehrab Hossain Jr in their 14-man squad for next month’s ICC Champions Trophy in India. Opener Javed Omar, batsmen Mushfiqur Rahim, Tushar Imran and all-rounder Alok Kapali were omitted from the final squad.Habibul Bashar, who missed six matches against Zimbabwe and Kenya in July and August due to a thumb injury, has been retained as captain, though he is yet to recover fully.Faruque Ahmed, chief selector, told reporters, “Mehrab Hossain Jr had some very good performances over the last two years and we hope he can do something good in the Champions Trophy.”Bashar’s selection had been confirmed by the selectors a few days ago. Ahmed told the Dhaka-based then that “Habib’s progress is satisfactory so he will definitely be included to lead the side in the tournament.”There was uncertainty over Bashar’s participation after he fractured the fifth metacarpel on his left hand during the second one-day match against Zimbabwe in July. He also missed the last Champions Trophy in England in 2004 because of a fracture to his right thumb. Bashar has said recently that his condition will only be confirmed once he starts batting from September 14.Bangladesh will play Sri Lanka, West Indies and Zimbabwe in the qualifying phase of the Champions Trophy from October 7-14. The top two teams will qualify for the main competition from October 15 to November 5.Squad: Habibul Bashar (captain), Shahriar Nafees (vice-captain), Khaled Mashud, Mohammad Rafique, Mohammad Ashraful, Mashrafe Mortaza, Rajin Saleh, Abdur Razzak, Aftab Ahmed, Syed Rasel, Shahadat Hossain, Farhad Reza, Saqibul Hasan, Mehrab Hossain jnr.

Andrew Strauss took heart from England’s series-leveling win against Pakistan at Edgbaston yesterday and said his team had turned a corner in the right direction. “There’s a lot of fight there and a lot of belief,” he told reporters after the match. “It’s been a tough summer in one-day cricket but hopefully there’s some light there at the end of the tunnel.”Strauss believed his team’s back-to-back wins could inspire them to greater deeds: “If we can continue that over the course of this winter and beyond we could be a very, very good side.”England’s one-day summer had been dismal, with a 0-5 drubbing at Sri Lanka’s hands and two bad losses as the series opened up against Pakistan. But Strauss found comfort from England’s Test performances and the come-from-behind one-day wins. “I’m pretty happy with the way the summer has gone because it started off not so good and improved as it went on and that’s what you’re looking for,” he said. “Young guys are coming in and taking the opportunity and showing what they can do and playing with freedom. Hopefully we can continue that in the Champions Trophy.”On the tense, three-wicket win in the final match, Strauss was relieved that the tail was able to scrape through. “We made a bit of a mountain out of a molehill,” he said. “We shouldn’t have left it to the tail-enders to finish off the job. We bowled really well. Chasing 150 you should really do nine times out of 10.”Meanwhile, Bob Woolmer, Pakistan’s coach, admitted the ball-tampering row at The Oval had affected his side’s performance as they rounded off their tour on a losing note. “Coming back from a terrible week to play so well in four games – including the Twenty20 – took a lot of energy and it finally petered out,” he said. “There was no fuel left in the tank – it’s been a big emotional drain.”It was tougher to bat in the morning than the afternoon,” Woolmer added. “Saying that, we bowled beautifully and when suddenly we had a bit of a sniff of getting England out, the boys showed what they can do in those situations. We are disappointed because we had a pretty good chance to win the series. We played well in the Twenty20 and the first three one-dayers but failed to continue that. But we’re not going to make excuses and say we were tired after a long tour – England played the better cricket in the last two games.”

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.”

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.

Graeme Smith had recovered sufficiently from a bout of food poisoning tobe able to joke about it – “Don’t eat the fish in Cape Town,” he said -but both he and his team were bristling with determination to reverse theresult of their last home series, when Ricky Ponting’s Australia handedout a 3-0 cricketing lesson. Smith refuses to write off the Indians, butsuggested that he had the quality at his disposal to inflict seriousdamage on a pitch that’s expected to favour the seam bowlers from theoutset.”I think they’d be hoping to bounce back,” he said, when asked about theIndians after a morning training session. “They also had a game in between[at Potchefstroom]. They’ll be well-prepared, and hope to catch us offguard. We’re confident though that we can carry on as we did in theone-day series. We’re pretty focussed. Some new guys have come back in,who didn’t play the one-day games. There’s a lot of hunger around, andwe’ll be looking for some big performances.”India have some big names of their own, and Smith made it amply clear thatthey would be singled out for special treatment once the game commenced at10am on Friday. “India have world class performers with fantastic records.There are some guys in our side who have knocked over big names all acrossthe world, against every side, and will be looking to do it again.”He was especially confident that his pace battery could prey on the mindsof an Indian line-up that performed way below par in the one-day games.”They’ve been bowling at real pace and hitting the areas,” he said, afterhaving played through the net session. “There’s plenty of variety in theattack, and it bodes well for the game. In the one-day matches, we bowledthe right lines and in the channels and it paid off.”The only real change on the bowling side of things is the inclusion ofDale Steyn, whose electrifying pace jolted India at Benoni a month ago.”He adds a new dimension,” said Smith. “Nella [Andre Nel] has been hitting140 [km/h] and so’s Makhaya [Ntini]. Dale’s up at 150. We plan to use himin short bursts. He gets it to swing up front at pace, and that’s a hugeasset. He’s just come back from quadriceps strain, and is raring to go.”Steyn will share the new ball with Ntini, and the pitch, with cracksrunning right through it, will come in for considerable scrutiny. “I’veseen worse cracks here at the Wanderers,” said Smith, who didn’t soundparticularly perturbed. “The pitch looks pretty good. But with all theheat around, the cracks will play a role, as in any Test. The wickets herehave always been pretty good, with pace and bounce. There’s good carry,and you stand well back in the slips.”The South Africans elected not to play for the franchises after theone-day series got over, but Smith said that there had been no complacencywhen it came to preparation. “Most of the guys have worked individuallyduring the break,” he said. “I worked with Gary [Kirsten], and we’ve hadtwo very good sessions here. The new ball might do a bit. Both attacksbowled well in the one-day series, especially with the new ball. It’s justup to the batsmen to apply themselves.”Rahul Dravid had spoken of how the lowered expectations from his teammight benefit them in a positive way, but Smith scoffed at the idea. “I’vetoured India three times now, and never seen a situation where’s there’sno expectation from the Indian team [smile],” he said. “You can’t get awayfrom it. It’s in your face, the demand for results. There are also yourdemands on yourself, both as a team and as individuals.”He was candid when asked about the return of Sourav Ganguly, though heindicated that India’s former captain shouldn’t expect an easy ride. “Isaid from start that Sourav’s record speaks for itself, in both forms ofthe game,” he said. “There was just a big question mark over how he wouldfit in after all that has happened. We have our gameplans for him, andwe’ll be looking to execute them well. But he does bring a hardness and afighting spirit to their middle order.”There was also little doubt in his mind about the danger posed by anotherof India’s old guard. “A bowler of his class will always play a role,” hesaid when asked about Anil Kumble. “Most of us have played against him afew times, and know what he’s capable of. He takes large-wicket hauls, andis much respected in our team. We won’t take him lightly.”He did suggest though that Kumble would face batsmen intent on going afterhim, with AB de Villiers likely to be asked to reprise his performancesagainst Muttiah Muralitharan. “We were pretty aggressive against thespinners in the one-day games,” said Smith. “Harbhajan [Singh] went fornearly 50 in every game. The match situation dictates what you do though.We try and play a positive brand of cricket. Our mindset is moreattacking.”If the cracks widen as the game stretches on, Smith himself may have todo some bowling, with no specialist spinner in the ranks. “I’ve beenfeeling pretty good with the ball,” he said with a self-deprecating laugh.”It will be difficult to play our seam attack. Most batsmen can deal withsideways movement, but when it starts to get up and down [the bounce],that’s hard to deal with. The first three days will be crucial in settingup the game. But if I need to bowl, I will.”At a venue that he loves, one where he says the atmosphere can beabsolutely inspiring, he’ll be hoping that it doesn’t come to that.

Chris Dehring, the CEO of the World Cup organising committee, has said that racism and obscene gestures will not be tolerated at next year’s competition, with stiff penalties awaiting those who do offend.Dehring, who is also the event’s managing director, said in a report on Associated Press that the ICC’s anti-racism code is being actioned in the CWC office in Kingston, Jamaica, and will be implemented for the tournament, which runs from March 5 to April 28.Dehring said: “When you are hosting international fans from 16 teams there is a strong possibility that one or two racists may get into that crowd. We do not have any control over that. Initially we did not fully know what the policy was but now we have gotten hold of it and we are looking at it. We have a copy of it and it is being actioned across the offices. We will be looking at closely and it will be discussed at length.”Dehring was quick to say that he did not expect racism to be a problem at the competition: “Racism is not part of our culture and we do not expect it to rear its head in the World Cup”.However, it is an issue that has come increasingly into the spotlight, after the abuse suffered by South African players on their tour of Australia and, more recently, by England players Monty Panesar and Sajid Mahmood.The ICC toughened its stance on racism in September, with those fans who offend facing lifetime bans from watching the sport. ICC members who fail to uphold the code can face penalties which include the loss of international-status for the ground where any incidents have occurred.

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.