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Going up against the likes of Younis Khan, Shahid Afridi and Hasan Raza in your maiden domestic final is no bowler’s dream. Younis has just come fresh off another successful international season, Raza is Habib Bank’s (HBL) top-scorer of the season, fresh from a double hundred, and statistics don’t really matter for Afridi.The 19-year-old Asad Ali was given the challenge of containing this star-studded HBL batting line. Although Samiullah Khan, his senior bowling partner, captured two early wickets, including that of Younis, the pressure was on Asad to deliver the goods from the other end. He duly responded with three quick and key wickets, a spell that may just prove decisive in dictating the outcome of this final.”I admit I did not bowl that well at the start of the innings,” Asad told Cricinfo. “The first two or three overs were completely useless. But as I settled down, I enjoyed my spell.”Before we took the field, the plan was to end the day with them [HBL] five or six down for under 100 runs on the board. Mohammad Hafeez [captain] advised us to stick to a good line and length and make them play. The onus was on the batsmen playing, whether they hit us for boundaries or we bowl a dot ball. We had to make them play.”All three of Asad’s wickets came from this; Rafatullah Mohmand was caught-behind, Afridi bowled off an inside edge and Aftab Ahmed, beaten for pace, saw his middle stump uprooted. Unsurprisingly, the prized scalp of Afridi was the most cherished.”A feeling that cannot be defined. He had just hit me for two boundaries and even though he was new to the crease, we all knew what he was capable of doing. We had a set plan for him. Hafeez provided me with a packed off-side field while Misbah-ul-Haq told me to make him play outside the off-stump. It worked wonderfully.”That really got me charged up. I felt great dismissing an international batsman, and that too of Afridi’s stature. Following that, I was all pumped up. I ran in faster, bowled faster and basically gave it my all from there till the end. It was only when Hafeez wanted me to take abreak that I was forced to come off.”HBL need another 46 runs to save the follow-on, and even though Hasan Razan and Kamran Hussain appear well-set, early morning conditions have aided swing bowlers over the span of the final.”The pitch still remains a sporting one. Even though the ball is slow coming on to the bat, it helps both batsmen and bowlers. The first hour will be crucial. Our plan is to get another two or three wickets by lunch. We will attack their batsmen right from the start.”Ideally, that gives us a good chance of dismissing HBL second-time round and lifting the trophy.”

India’s offspinner, Harbhajan Singh, has been cleared by the International Cricket Council of a suspect bowling action. Harbhajan was reported during the second Test against Bangladesh at Chittagong in December, when his doosra came under scrutiny from the match umpires, Aleem Dar and Mark Benson, and the ICC match referee, Chris Broad.According to Reuters, the ICC said they had received confirmation from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) that the bowling action for both his offspinner and "doosra" fell within the tolerance threshold of 15 degrees, as prescribed in their new regulations. Unofficial sources at the time of the incident had suggested that the elbow-flexion was nearer 22 degrees.It was the second time that Harbhajan’s action had come under scrutiny. In 1998, he flew to Lord’s to work with the former England offspinner, Fred Titmus, but was cleared in just two days of remedial work. Accordingly, he had been less nervous about the investigation this time around, and back in December, he had even joked with reporters in Chittagong, saying that it would be "fun".This time, he worked with a biomechanics expert from the University of Western Australia, and has since been named in India’s squad for the Test series against Pakistan, which starts on March 8.

Santosh Kumar’s six wicket haul on the final day propelled theKarnataka Under-19 team to enter the knock out stage of the CoochBehar Trophy with a 173-run victory on the third and final day overKerala in the South Zone league match at the KRL Ground in Ambalamugalon Monday. The other team to enter the knock out stage from the zoneis Andhra who scored an innings and 67 run win over Goa on Sunday.Resuming their second innings at 217 for 8, Karnataka were all out for246, leaving Kerala a stiff victory target of 300.Kerala folded up for 126 off 35.3 overs. The openers R Kapil (9) andMM Nathani (18) made a sedate start adding 24 runs in 9.4 overs. Offspinner Santosh Kumar who was introduced early into the attack thenbowled Kapil. Rejas joined Nathani and the two took the score to 38when Rejas was bowled by Santosh Kumar. The last ball of Santosh’snext over saw the exit of Nathani in similar fashion. Skipper VipinLal (19) and RP Sujith (39) took the score to 58. But at this junctureVipin was caught by Krishna off Kumar. Three balls later NJ John (0)returned to the pavilion after being bowled by Kumar.In the next over Dharmichand had AC Antony caught by KV Bhatt beforethe batsman had opened his account. At 59 for 6 in the 21st over,Kerala were staring at certain defeat. But Sujith found some goodcompany in the later order batsmen to take Kerala past the 100 runmark. Sujith after a 46-run seventh wicket stand with Aneesh (10) in7.5 overs, was caught by HTS Rao off Dharmichand. For his brightknock, Sujith faced 23 balls while hitting 6 boundaries and 2 sixes.Kumar now came back to claim the wicket of Aneesh by shattering hisdefences. Dharmichand then dismissed S Santh (12) and S Sooraj (7) offsuccessive deliveries. Santosh Kumar finished with six for 35 whileDharmichand had four for 64.

Shane Warne has said that he will be targeting Rahul Dravid, recently named as the ICC’s player of the year, when Australia’s Indian series kicks off with the first Test at Bangalore on October 6.”Dravid is the key batsman. I will be targeting Dravid”, said Warne. “We are good friends off the field, but on the field, he’s the best player and in form. He’s the guy I will be targeting. He’s on a roll. He’s the rock. In the two tours I have been here, I have had Dravid seven times. I don’t know why my success is against him, and not some of the other players. I know how to bowl to him. I think all the Indian players know how to play spin, Rahul is as good as anyone in the world.”Warne also underlined Sachin Tendulkar’s batting class, and backed him to be fit to play in the first Test. “Tendulkar is the best batsman in the world in my 15 years of playing,” he added. “There’s a lot of talk about his tennis elbow, but I have got no doubt that he will be there for the first Test.”The Indian players jumped at everything and did not allow my plans to work in the previous tours,” Warne continued. “It’s when I attack that I am at my best, but as a spinner, you have to adapt, and at times you have to bowl to a defensive line. We are a bit smarter now. Two Test tours in 15 years is not a lot to learn how to play in these conditions, whether you bowl fast or slow. Six Tests in 15 years is not a lot.”With Australia seeking their first series victory in India for 35 years, Warne said he believed the current Australian side to be the one most likely to achieve the goal, although the loss of Ricky Ponting because of injury was a big blow.”This is our best chance to beat India. It’s not an easy task though. The team that’s here now is better equipped than the previous two teams that visited here in 1998 and 2001. Our batsmen are playing spin better than they used to. Ponting is a huge loss, though. He is up there with any of the best batsmen in the world. As a captain, he’s excellent.”We have some inexperienced Test players, but I have seen Michael Clarke first hand and he’s a super player. When he gets his chances, he will be sensational. Our team has variety in batsmen and bowlers. Darren Lehmann, Clarke, [Brad] Hodge, [Simon] Katich: they are all good spinners as well. That’s the beauty of the selection of this squad. There’s tremendous variety. It’s a credit to the selectors that they have given us options.”This time I am fitter than I have ever been – injury-free, touch wood – so I think I am in better shape,” Warne added. “The real test of a spinner is how you go over here. It’s the hardest place to ply your trade. I am quietly confident the way we are going to play as a team. We will be aggressive in our batting, and we have all got plans. I have a plan for the guys and hopefully it will work this time. I have some plans for most of the Indian batsmen, mixing it up, and different types of things.”Warne admitted that the small issue of the world Test bowling record was also on his mind – he is just five wickets behind Muttiah Muralitharan. “I would like to get that record away in the first Test. A series win is definitely the first priority, but from a personal point of view, I need only six wickets for the world record,” said Warne. “That’s high on my agenda, but as I have found out over the years, sometimes you are close to a world record and you try too hard. If it doesn’t happen, you get frustrated. So I have got to be very patient. The key is knowing your own game and being patient. When I am patient I do well, when I am not, I don’t do well.”Warne also hinted, rather obviously, that this would probably be his last tour of India. “I don’t know if I would come back here when I am 39,” he said. “The only thing I have not experienced is to win a series in India and play a major part. If I do well here, we have a big chance of winning. I won’t say this would be a major swansong, but I would like to play a major part. I have to make a big statement with the bat too here, not only with the ball.”

Bruce Reid, the former Australian fast bowler, has been appointed as the bowling coach of the Indian cricket team for the current tour of Australia. The BCCI decided to appoint Reid after a Working Committee meeting in New Delhi on Sunday.The team management had sought the services of Reid for the two-and-half-month series after the tour match against Victoria. It was felt that Reid could be of considerable help to the inexperienced Indian attack, which comprises Zaheer Khan, Ashish Nehra, Ajit Agarkar and first-timers Lakshmipathy Balaji and Irfan Pathan.Reid, who’s now 40, was a tall left-armer known for his nagging accuracy and the ability to generate sharp bounce, took 113 wickets in 27 Tests at an average of 24.63. He was tipped by many to be an alltime great, but his career was cut short by injury and his potential was never fully realised. He recently coached Zimbabwe’s bowlers on their recent tour of Australia.

Andy Moles is on the final four-man shortlist for the job of Scotland coach. It is believed that Cricket Scotland received 20 applications and Moles and Omar Henry are the two favourites to land the post.Cricinfo exclusively reported in November that Moles was looking to leave Kenya, frustrated by infighting and underfunding, and despite categorical denials at the time by the Kenyan Cricket Association, his interest in the Scotland role shows that he is indeed searching for new challenges.Sharad Ghai, the KCA chairman, was clearly caught on the hop when told the news. “As far as we are concerned, Moles is still our coach," he told the Nation yesterday. "He is currently on holiday and is scheduled to return next month. But if he decides to take up the job, we can’t stop him."Henry has strong links with Scotland, having played for them, and was recently removed as South Africa’s chief selector, so having the time to devote to the role. It is also being reported in Scotland that Gary Kirsten and Jonty Rhodes are among those who have been interviewed.

An expanded version of the Twenty20 Cup is to form the centrepiece of the forthcoming county season, after the England & Wales Cricket Board unveiled their fixtures list for 2005.The tournament, which comprised 45 fixtures in its inaugural season in 2003, and 52 in 2004, has leapt again to 79 matches, spread across a six-week period in mid-June and July. An expansion of the group stages guarantees each county four lucrative home games, and seven of those fixtures will be played under lights, at Chelmsford, Hove and Sophia Gardens.”Domestic cricket is enjoying a well-earned renaissance with talented players, close matches and some of the largest crowds on record supporting the Twenty20 Cup,” said John Carr, the ECB’s director of communications. “With an exciting international season already announced for 2005, we anticipate a huge rise in the interest around the game as a whole and county cricket can capitalise on this upsurge in a sporting season where cricket will take centre stage.”The 2005 domestic season, which runs from April 8 to September 25, promises to be the most jam-packed on record. The Frizzell county champions, Warwickshire, will set the ball rolling with the traditional season curtain-raiser against MCC at Lord’s, before their title defence begins in earnest against Glamorgan on April 13.Gloucestershire, who have dominated the C&G Trophy in recent years, will launch their campaign against Berkshire on May 3, with Denmark, Holland and Ireland all facing first-class opposition on that day as well. Ireland will be seeking to match their giant-killing exploits of last season, by defeating Yorkshire in a home tie.Three teams have joined the top division of the totesport League – Middlesex Crusaders, Worcestershire Royals and Nottinghamshire Outlaws. Although it is the Glamorgan Dragons who are the dominant force in that particular competition. There will be 33 matches played under lights, with the final games bringing down the curtain on the season.

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Mark Richardson, with the help of Nathan Astle and Jacob Oram, boosted New Zealand to 284 for 5 on an intriguing opening day of the first Test at Lord’s. After Stephen Fleming won the toss, Richardson batted sensibly and solidly for most of the day to give his side a slight edge against England.This series promised to be a close affair, and today proved to be just that as the momentum swayed between the two teams until Oram’s dynamic innings towards the close. Before that, England’s bowlers twice pegged back New Zealand’s progress, firstly after their good start in the morning, and later when Astle went on the rampage in the afternoon session. Simon Jones and Andrew Flintoff were by far the pick of the attack, bowling England back into the game, but neither could prevent Richardson and Oram’s vital stand of 106.Richardson provided the backbone of the innings. He wasn’t all thrills and spills by any means, more graft and grind. He took some time to settle down at the start, but he calmed the nerves with a square-drive and an elegant cut off Matthew Hoggard. He was happy to play second fiddle to all his partners while he played in his limited but effective manner, keeping out the straight ones, and hitting the bad balls. He guided Jones for two consecutive cover-drives on the way to his half-century, which he signalled with a punchy on-drive.Richardson carried on jabbing balls through the offside, where the majority of his 16 boundaries came, but just when a fourth Test century was in sight, he was given out lbw to Stephen Harmison with three overs remaining for 93. To make the blow even worse for Richardson, replays showed the ball hit the bat before his pad. He did have two earlier let-offs, however. Shortly after he had reached his half-century, he was lucky not to be run out at the non-striker’s end after a mix-up with Astle, and on 56, Ashley Giles put down a hard chance in the gully.On the whole, it was a mixed bag from England’s attack. Hoggard and Harmison were initially far from their best, even with the help of the cloud cover hovering over London. They bowled too short and on a leg-side line, and though Marcus Trescothick, England’s stand-in captain, kept faith with the Hoggard and Harmison combination, there were no repeats of their Caribbean carnage.Fleming signalled his intent with four quick boundaries against the offline bowling. Things weren’t quite going to plan for Trescothick, but the aggressive Jones and the economic Flintoff managed to get England back on track. They slowly stemmed the runs by keeping a consistent line, and it was Jones who got the reward with the big wicket of Fleming. Jones bowled a wide, full delivery outside off, and Fleming skewed the ball to Andrew Strauss, the debutant, who took a good head-high catch at point (58 for 1).

England went to lunch in better spirits, but Astle then deflated them again with a cameo innings in the afternoon. He started off with a few streaky edges, but soon clicked into gear. He brought up the team’s hundred with a spanking square-drive off Hoggard, and then played a sumptuous straight-drive two balls later. Hoggard and Harmison came in for more treatment, being whipped and walloped to all parts of the ground on the way to his half-century, including eight fours.Astle continued his procession of boundaries, cutting and driving Jones to put two more in the four column as New Zealand slowly pulled away from England. He had an enormous slice of luck when, on 60, he nicked Flintoff between Graham Thorpe and Mark Butcher at second and third slip, who let the ball sail harmlessly between them. However, Flintoff got his deserved reward in the following over when the dangerous Astle nibbled at a straight one through to Geraint Jones, who was even more delighted to take his first Test catch (161 for 2).And Jones was soon celebrating his second when Scott Styris nicked his third ball, off the other Jones (162 for 3). It was just the tonic England needed, and Hoggard then temporarily put England on top when he trapped Craig McMillan palpably in front of middle for 6 with one that nipped back a touch (174 for 4).However, Oram, all 6ft 6ins of him, was immediately positive and took the initiative back New Zealand’s way. He twice drove Harmison down the ground, and pulled Jones with dismissive ease. Giles was eventually given a whirl in the evening session, and he played out a little tussle with Oram – and the batsman came out well on top.Oram smacked Giles down the ground, over midwicket, and twice over long-on on the way to his half-century from 53 balls. His unbeaten 64, including 10 boundaries, gave England a glimpse of what he will capable of during the series, and also set New Zealand up to a competitive score from which to accelerate tomorrow.

Glenn McGrath has been passed fit for the fifth and final Test at The Oval, starting tomorrow, after recovering from the elbow injury that forced his withdrawal from the side that lost at Trent Bridge last month.Trailing 2-1 in the series, Australia were desperate to give McGrath, 35, enough time to get back to full health, and the man himself had said he wanted to play “even if his arm falls off”. But he had first to must pass a fitness test on Wednesday afternoon, ahead of Australia’s most important match for a decade.McGrath delivered two spells in the nets on Tuesday, in which he performed well enough to be picked if his elbow showed no more bad signs, and speaking to the press at The Oval on Wednesday morning, Ricky Ponting declared: “he’s looking more and more likely to play.” That was confirmed after a further work-out in the afternoon, and McGrath will now take his place at the expense of Michael Kasprowicz, in the only change to Australia’s line-up.Earlier, Ponting had stressed how importance McGrath was to the Australian team, adding that his combination of incisiveness and frugality made it almost like having two bowlers in one. “He’s always missed any time he misses a game,” said Ponting. “He’s probably our main strike bowler with the new ball and at the same time you can call on him, through the course of the day, to bowl some tight overs as well.”He’s a vital player in our side, someone who’s done exceptionally well for us over the years, especially in big games and that’s what this one is building up to be.” But Ponting stressed that Australia would not go into the game with a less than fully fit McGrath. “I wouldn’t take him at 60 or 70 percent, no way. We can’t afford to do that in a game like this. With the situation of the series we’ll probably have to be a little bit more cautious.”If McGrath had not been passed fit, Australia had been expected to gamble on a five-pronged package that could include Stuart Clark and Stuart MacGill, at the expense of a batsman. “Certainly it is an option,” Trevor Hohns, the chairman of selectors, said in . “We’ve got to get 20 wickets to win the game. It hasn’t worked for us in the past.”

India’s crushing 6-1 success in their ODI series against Sri Lanka has brought them to within touching distance of a host of sides ranked above them in the LG ICC ODI Championship.The wins have lifted India’s rating to 107 points, just one behind sixth-placed New Zealand and only two behind Sri Lanka and England, which occupy fourth and fifth spots on the table.A clean sweep in their next engagement, a five-match series against South Africa starting at Hyderabad on November 16, will lift them to 114 points, overtaking all the above-mentioned sides plus the South Africans (who will slip to110 points), and into third place with only Pakistan and Australia ahead of them.A 4-1 success for India in that series would raise their tally to 112 points and cut South Africa’s to 113, while even a 3-2 success for the home team would take them above New Zealand, England and Sri Lanka, to 110 points (South Africa would drop to 117).For South Africa, a 3-2 success would see them maintain their current rating of 120, (under that scenario India would rise one point, to 108), a 4-1 win would lift them to 123 points (India would slip to 106) and a 5-0 clean sweep would take Graeme Smith’s side to 127 points (India 103), just nine points short of leaders Australia.Player rankingsIndia’s wins over Sri Lanka have been a triumph not just for the team but also for several individuals, who have surged up the LG ICC Player Rankings.Dravid has moved up 18 places during the series and is now India’s top-rated batsman and is close to his highest-ever rating, while Sachin Tendulkar has also returned to the top ten, in joint ninth spot, after his long-term elbow injury.

Mahendra Dhoni has smashed into the top 20 for the first time on the back of his outstanding form, climbing a whopping 38 places from the start of the series, and he now occupies 16th place in the batting listings. Below that trio is Virender Sehwag (25) while Yuvraj Singh has moved up to 31 in the table and is now just short of his best-ever rating.The news is just as good for India with the ball. Irfan Pathan has moved up to tenth place, and they have two other bowlers, Harbhajan Singh (13) and Ajit Agarkar (16th), in the top 20 with Agarkar also closing in on his best-ever rating.For Sri Lanka, the news is not quite as good. They now have just one batsman, Kumar Sangakkara, in the top ten, with Marvan Atapattu sliding nine places to 18 while Sanath Jayasuriya, dropped from the Test squad, has also dropped out of the top 20 and is now 23rd in the batting listings.Among the bowlers, Muttiah Muralitharan is still in third spot but Chaminda Vaas has dropped to ninth in the listings.