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Alex Wharf, the allrounder from Glamorgan, has been named a standby for England’s Champions Trophy squad. Wharf will find a place in the team if Kabir Ali fails to recover from a stomach injury.Wharf, who complements his batting with useful medium-pace, has put in some consistent performances in the last two seasons. He marked his Glamorgan debut in 2000 with a hundred against Oxford University. In the same season he picked up 37 wickets, including a career-best 5 for 68, and would have taken even more had he not been hampered by injury.The announcement of England’s squad for the one-day tour of Zimbabwe, which is scheduled to be played before the South African Test series, will be announced after the Champions Trophy.

Minister of Sports and Tourism, Lakshman Kiriella, revealed today that he isseriously contemplating the inclusion of Rienzie Wijethillake into theInterim Committee of the Board of Control for Cricket in Sri Lanka.The minister sighted the heavy workload of the Interim Committee in themonths ahead as the reason for his possible appointment..Wijethillake, who is the managing director of Hatton National Bank, aleading bank in Sri Lanka, was the chairman of the Interim Committee whichwas appointed in 1999 by the then Sports Minister S.B. Dissanayake. Thecommittee headed by Wijethillake continued for close to a year before theS.B. Dissanayake called for fresh elections.Minister Kiriella dissolved the board of control in March this year andimmediately appointed an Interim to run the affairs. The committee initiallycomprised of four members but two were brought in later. Wijethillake willtherefore be the seventh member.Wijethillake said today that he has not been approached so far and claimedthat he was not interested in taking up a position within the cricket boardagain.

Baroda face an onerous task in the fight for first innings points intheir Super League clash against Railways at the Karnail Singh Stadiumin Delhi. At stumps on the third day today Baroda were 265 runs adriftof Railways’ first innings total of 506, with seven wickets in hand.Resuming at 448/6, Railways batted on for just over an hour in themorning. Yere Goud’s patient 681 minute vigil came to an end when hewas eighth out for 182 (488 balls, 15 fours). Valmik Buch, who tookfour of the first five wickets to fall but went wicketless afterwards,retained the best bowling figures for Baroda: a 64 over effort thatyielded 4/109.In reply Baroda lost two early wickets but Connor Williams and HRJadhav then held the innings together with a fighting 199 run 3rdwicket association which was prised open in the penultimate over ofthe day when Williams was trapped leg before for 123 (250 balls, 14fours). Baroda closed at 241/3 with Jadhav still there on 82 (167balls, 6 fours, 1 six).

The second day of the CricInfo Tourney 2000 in New Delhi was interrupted more than once by short, sharp showers. However, the series of stoppages did nothing to disturb the concentration of Anju Jain who made an unbeaten 53 at the top of the innings and saw India C to victory. India B’s second successive loss makes it impossible for them to qualify for the final. The match between India A and India C, to be played tomorrow will not be more than a rehearsal of the final.Batting first, the India B team stung by their loss to India A yesterday made a few changes in their batting order. Star bat Anjum Chopra who batted in the middle order promoted herself and opened alongside Mithali Raj. The pair added 91 runs between them yesterday but were nowhere near as successful today. After getting quite well on to 55 without losing a wicket, Mithali Raj (27) was caught by the fielder in the circle attempting a short arm jab.The usually steady Kalyani Umbrani followed and did not add too many runs to the total. After making just three, she flashed at a ball from mediumpacer Jhulan Goswami and the catch was easily pouched by wicketkeeper captain Anju Jain. Kavita Roy entered the fray and in the company of the well set Anjum Chopra attempted to put together a partnership. While wickets fell at one end, Anjum Chopra played an uncharacteristically slow innings, using up all of 48 balls before she was dismissed for 12. Playing slightly away from her body, Anjum Chopra gave Jhulan her third scalp as the ball flew off the edge to gully where Hemlatha Kala took a good catch.Kavita Roy then managed to steady the innings a bit, but it was largely a lone effort on her part. Rumeli Dhar became left arm spinner Neetu David’s first victim after hitting one ball to the fence. Rakhee Mehra, in the side in place of Vanitha Viola departed without scoring and India B were looking down the barrel at 86 for 5.All rounder Sangeetha Kamat then brought new vigour to the innings, dispatching the bowling to the onside fence with some crisp sweeping. She ran her runs hard and was unbeaten on 31 when time ran out and India A had 140/8 on the board. By the rules followed in this tournament, teams are required to finish bowling 50 overs in 180 minutes. In the event that they do not complete the full complement of overs, which is more often than not the case, then they come off the field at the designated time. The team batting second then has to chase the target in the number of overs that has been completed in the stipulated time. Today, India C were looking at a target of 141 in 46 overs. But that was before the rains came down…After just eight overs of India C’s stint at the crease were completed, the skies opened and rain pelted down. Although the rain was nothing near the heavy showers that Delhi is capable of, it was forceful enough to keep the players off the field. Watching the drizzle fall on an uncovered pitch, the players enjoyed a hot cup of tea and had to wait over an hour before they could take the field once more. When play resumed, India A’s target was revised to 122 off 40 overs.Anju Jain opened the batting with the helmet clad Gulshan but the beginning was less than perfect. Seamers Kalyani Umbrani and GS Lakshmi must have been flattered that Gulshan chose to stride out wearing a helmet. On this pitch, which has been played on continuously for the last four days, very few balls got past knee height. Anju Jain capitalised on this. Stroking the ball firmly through the gaps, the India C skipper held one end up in fine fashion. Being fit, Anju Jain made her partners run hard and this paid rich dividends. The India B side tried many bowlers, being unable to settle into any sort of rhythm.Gulshan fended at a ball well outside off stump from GS Lakshmi and Anjum Chopra at slip dived low and scooped the ball just inches from the ground. Gulshan was replaced by Amrita Shinde who partnered Anju Jain ably. The two were going along efficiently knocking off the runs when a mix up resulted in Amrita Shinde being run out.Hard hitting Railways batswoman Hemlatha Kala got to the crease and showed immediately that she meant business. Clubbing the ball harder than anyone else she struck the ball crisply in front of the wicket and dabbed the ball deftly behind the wicket. After doing most of the hard work in compiling a compact 24, Hemlata fell chasing a wide delivery from Kalyani.Arundhati Kirkire joined Anju Jain and the two completed the formalities in good time. Unbeaten on 53, Anju Jain had provided India C with the impetus that it so badly needed. Her innings was the backbone of the India C victory.

Earlier today at the WACA ground, Brendon Julian officially announcedhis retirement from playing for the Western Warriors and at all otherlevels of Cricket.Commonly recognised as one of WA’s most explosive and entertainingcricketers, Brendon started his senior representative career for WA atSheffield Shield level during the 1989/90 season.Brendon’s debut game was against Tasmania at the NTCA ground inLaunceston on 9 February 1990, along with his Midland Guildfordteam-mate Chris Mack. In that game Brendon took 1-30 off 11 overs: withhis first wicket in 1st class cricket being Dirk Wellham caught by TomHogan. Brendon’s batting debut saw him coming to the crease at numbersix, where he scored six not out in the first innings.Brendon stated that the main reason for his retiring was his inabilityto sustain the commitment and motivation that is required to play forWA.New WA Coach Michael Veletta said, “I am disappointed to lose a playerof Brendon’s undoubted ability and experience for the approachingseason. He will be sadly missed by all players and his lastingimpressions as a valued member of West Australian Cricket will remain”.WA Cricket Operations Manager Rob Thompson said, “It is a bittersweetmoment that we bid farewell to Brendon from the WA team. While everyoneinvolved at the WACA wishes Brendon all the very best in his retirement,there is no doubt that we will sincerely miss his playing performancesfor WA. We compliment Brendon on his outstanding career for WesternAustralia and Australia and are looking to maintain a close associationwith him”.

The New Zealand A team overcame Hampshire by two wickets at Portsmouth thanks mainly to the batting of wicketkeeper Michael Papps. The tourists had been asked to score 337 runs to win – the second highest such target in a four-innings game on the historic 105 year-old ground.The New Zealanders had started the day in a strong position at 193-2. JarrodEnglefield and nightwatchman Bruce Martin took the total to 230 when theformer was leg-before to Dmitri Mascarenhas. His partner was out just beforelunch to Chris Tremlett who also had Jacob Oram caught.The Kiwis went in to lunch at 283-5 and the issue still in doubt. Captain Scott Styris survived two dropped catches to score 43 before John Stephenson made it third time lucky for the fielders. By now the New Zealanders started to panic aswickets continued to fall. Papps played through the crisis – helped by LanceHamilton who hitherto had not scored a first-class run on the tour – andbrought the Kiwis home. Stephenson with 4-68 was Hampshire’s most successfulbowler.

A 20-member Sri Lanka women’s squad to tour New Zealand in October-November has been trimmed down to 15, the SLC announced in a release.Eshani Lokusuriyage, Sugandika Kumari, Rose Perera and Kushanthi Liyanage, who were part of the touring party named in September, have failed to make the cut. Oshadi Ranasinghe and Lasanthi Madushani, who had been part of the 20-strong team, have been placed on standby.Sugandhika Dassanayake is one of two new additions. She makes the cut for the final 15, while Achini Kulasuriya is on standby.Shashikala Siriwardene remains the captain, while Chamari Atapattu, who had led the side in their last assignment at home against West Indies, will be her deputy.Sri Lanka play a 50-over tour game against New Zealand A on October 31 in Lincoln, which plays host to the first four ODIs as well. The fifth ODI on November 13 will be in Christchurch, as will the first T20, while Nelson will host the remaining two 20-over matches on November 20 and 22.The first three ODIs contribute to the ICC Women’s championship. New Zealand are ranked sixth out of eight teams, while Sri Lanka are at seventh.Sri Lanka squad: Shashikala Siriwardene (capt), Chamari Atapattu, Prasadini Weerakkody, Dilani Manodara, Inoka Ranaweera, Ama Kanchana, Maduri Samuddhika, Nipuni Hansika, Udeshika Prabodhini, Sripali Weerakkody, Hasini Perera, Anushika Sanjeevani, Nilakshi de Silva, Chamari Polgampola, Sugandhika DassanayakeStandbys: Achini Kulasuriya, Oshadi Ranasinghe, Lasanthi Madhushani

Scorecard
Mominul Haque provided the lone resistance for Bangladesh A with a half-century•Raton Gomes/BCB

Bangladesh A’s meek capitulation continued on the final day of their tour as they took only 28.3 overs on the third morning to lose their last eight wickets. They began the day needing 147 to make India A bat again, but never threatened to do so. Only captain Mominul Haque resisted with a stroke-filled half-century, but he too fell in a soft manner, lobbing offspinner Jayant Yadav to extra cover. The visitors ended the tour with one one-day win against India A, but lost everything else: two other one-dayers to India A and a three-day game to Ranji champions Karnataka.On the first two days, Bangladesh batsmen – Sabbir Rahman and Anamul Haque – have insisted this is a flat pitch, a fact that bears testimony in 411 for 5 plundered by India A quite effortlessly, but the Bangladesh batsmen have failed to show the patience and shot selection required at first-class level. Anamul even suggested that the Bangladesh batsmen don’t play much cricket of the longer variety, which is why they were struggling to bat judiciously.On the third morning, in the first exchanges, Mominul and wicketkeeper Liton Das prevailed but did so playing their shots. Varun Aaron’s four-over spell cost India 24 runs, the 50-run stand came up for the third wicket, but it didn’t last too long. Ishwar Pandey came on and dealt the knockout blow in his first over of the day. To the right-hand Das, Pandey bowled from round the wicket and somehow managed to hit the top of off. The batsman had simply failed to cover the line of a shortish ball pitched outside leg. Later in the over Sabbir was given out lbw, but he didn’t look happy with the decision, pointing at his bat while slowly walking off.From the other end Abhimanyu Mithun became the beneficiary of a defensive shot from Nasir Hossain that rolled back on to his off stump. Soon he saw Shuvagata Hom flirt with a wide ball, and give gully a safe catch. Mominul kept playing his shots, some of them quite attractive, but when he went hard at a Jayant offbreak, from around the leg stump, all he managed was a mis-hit to extra cover. After that it was only a matter of time, especially with the injured Rubel Hossain not available to bat.After the game, Mominul rued his team’s approach towards long-form cricket. “Our team… most of the guys are ODI players,” Mominul said. “One-day and Test is a lot different. That is the main problem. We played these as ODI matches. We went chasing the ball too early in the innings.”

Sylhet Superstars were left wondering what might have been, for the third time in four days. But while the focal point of their third successive defeat, to Rangpur Riders by six runs, should be a misfiring batting line-up, they were also left wondering whether a single could have been avoided at a crucial stage when the game could still have gone their way.With eight runs needed off seven balls, the Rangpur captain Shakib Al Hasan set his in-fielders back to the edge of the 30-yard circle to allow the Sylhet No. 11 Ajantha Mendis a single. With Mushfiqur Rahim at the other end, that’s what that Shakib was hoping for. Mendis worked that delivery from Darren Sammy on the leg-side, and Mushfiqur called for the single.Mendis, as a result, faced the first ball of the final over of the innings, with the task of finding another single to get the set batsman Mushfiqur, batting on 25, on strike. He survived a leg-before shout and a run-out off the first ball, before slogging to long-on where Sachithra Senanayake took the crucial catch to end the game.”We were hoping that they take a single,” Shakib said. “It worked in our favour. We wanted to give away that single, so I asked everyone to stay on top of the 30-yard circle. And if we got him, even better. So in that way, it was good for us.”Ravi Bopara, the Sylhet Superstars batsman, later said that he too was surprised to see Mushfiqur and Mendis take that single. But he added that it wasn’t the job of the tail to score 110 runs, rather that of the first six batsmen, which they failed to do.”It doesn’t make sense to me why we took that single,” Bopara said. “I guess the two batters out there thought that every run is crucial. You got to take the opportunity to score the run. It is not down to the last two batsmen. Your top six has to score the runs. You can’t leave it to seven, eight, nine, ten and eleven. But the top six didn’t do the job.””It is very disappointing. It is hard to take it lightly when you lose three games, especially when you lose two games by one run. To be honest, we should be chasing those totals as a professional unit.”

West Indies Women’s squad

Stafanie Taylor (capt), Shakera Selman (vice-capt), Merissa Aguilleira, Shamilia Connell, Britney Cooper, Deandra Dottin, Afy Fletcher, Stacy-Ann King, Kycia Knight, Kyshona Knight, Hayley Matthews, Anisa Mohammed, Tremayne Smartt

The WICB has named a 13-player West Indies Women’s squad for this month’s four ODIs and three T20Is against Pakistan Women beginning on October 16 in St Lucia. Stafanie Taylor will lead the side for the first time after being appointed captain last month, replacing Merissa Aguilleira who had served in the role since the 2009 Women’s World Cup.The selectors had named an 18-member training squad last month. The group got together in St Lucia last week, and at the end of the first seven days the five players released were Shaquana Quintyne, Chedean Nation, Karishma Ramharack, Vanessa Watts and Shemaine Campbell.West Indies Women defeated Sri Lanka Women in three of four ODIs in May, including two of three as part of the ICC Women’s Championship, during West Indies Women’s tour of Sri Lanka.West Indies currently sit third on the championship points table, one point behind South Africa and five points behind Australia. A series sweep over Pakistan, including the last three ODIs which are part of the ICC Women’s Championship, will put West Indies level with Australia at the top of the table.Pakistan Women currently sit tied for fifth with New Zealand Women on eight points. They lost two of three matches to South Africa in their last action held in March in Sharjah. Following the four ODIs, both teams will travel to Grenada for three T20Is beginning on October 29.