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Lymington propelled themselves into the heart of the Southern Electric Premier League, Division 2 promotion race with a comprehensive 109-run victory over United Services at the Sports Ground.Zimbabwean skipper Danny Peacock led the way for Lymington, top scoring in the New Forest club’s powerful 265-9 and then taking four wickets as United Services dipped to a disappointing 156 all out in reply.Lymington’s sixth successive win sets up a titanic Rose Bowl duel next Saturday against the Hampshire Academy, who maintained the Division 2 leadership with a four-wicket success at Rowledge.But Easton & Martyr Worthy are second – three points behind the Academy – after beating Old Tauntonians & Romsey by six wickets.Lymington asserted their authority during the afternoon session, but initially were never entirely comfortable with 265-9, particularly after their own record-breaking 286-run chase against Hungerford a fortnight ago."After what happened in the Hungerford game, it was in the back of my mind that we might not have scored enough," Peacock admitted."But I backed our bowlers, particularly Aaron Heal and myself, both spinners, who I knew would be difficult to get away."Lymington motored merrily along at four an over from the start, with Peacock’s second-wicket partnership with Heal providing the platform for a sizeable total.The young Western Australian left-hander didn’t time the ball as sweetly as he might have liked, but hit nine fours in an effective 57 before departing at 112-2, just after the mid-innings drinks break.Peacock and Ben Craft (42) ran well, really upping the anti and taking advantage of the fast outfield as Lymington moved menacingly to 202-2, with nine overs left.But Peacock, who struck a six and seven fours in a fluent 75, and Craft departed in quick succession as United Services created middle-order inroads."I thought the lads came back well at that stage, taking four wickets for only six runs," said skipper Gary Hounsome.But Lymington reasserted themselves through youngsters Ian Young (27) and Matt Molloy (23), who plundered 48 runs off the last five overs as the total advanced to 265-9 off 50 overs.Zimbabwean wicket-keeper Warren Gilmour bagged four catches, all off Damian Carson, who finished with a rather expensive 5-74 off ten overs."I must say we fancied ourselves at tea. It was a great batting track, even though 266 was a lot to get."But we batted poorly, with all ten batsmen giving their wickets away. Bad shots got us out," Hounsome confessed.US came out of the traps at breakneck speed – only to lose university pair Tom Clarke and James Robson to consecutive Trevor Phillips deliveries.Their dismissals – Robson was bizarrely caught first ball at long-leg – set the tone for Services, who were clearly looking to the unwell, but nonetheless impressive Pete Andrew to fire their challenge.Andrew, suffering from a bout of food poisoning, punished Phillips and left-armer Martin Hunt with a host of boundary shots.But soon after Lymington switched from seam to spin, US began to buckle.Peacock, bowling off-spin, removed Hounsome (23) at 88-3 and then got the vital break at 104-4 by removing Andrew for a forceful 57.The Services batsmen contrived to offer up catches all around – Peacock finishing with 4-33 and Heal, varying his flight and line, taking 3-40 as the Portsmouth side sank to 156 all out in the 35th over."To be all out with 15 overs left was little short of scandalous," Hounsome complained. "It just summed up the way we batted, but there was no doubt the better side won on the day."

The Pura Cup champion XXXX Queensland Bulls will open their 2002-03season campaign at the Gabba next week.The Queensland selectors today named a team for the clash with the NSWBlues that contains former captain Stuart Law, omitted earlier this weekfrom the ING Cup side that travels to Sydney tomorrow to prepare forSunday’s one-day match at North Sydney Oval.The Pura Cup team will see new captain Jimmy Maher lead Queensland ontothe field at the Gabba for the first time in his new role since takingover from Law, who is expected to bat in the number four spot afterdropping down to number six last season.Young right-arm pace bowler Damien MacKenzie will play his second firstclass match for the Bulls after making his debut last season.The match against the Blues starts on Wednesday.XXXX Queensland Bulls v NSW Blues, Pura Cup, Wed-Sat, the Gabba:Jimmy Maher (c), Brendan Nash, Martin Love, Stuart Law, Andrew Symonds,Lee Carseldine, Wade Seccombe, Ashley Noffke, Michael Kasprowicz, JoeDawes, Damien MacKenzie, Matthew Anderson (12th man to be named).XXXX Queensland Bulls v NSW Blues, ING Cup, Sunday, October 13: JimmyMaher (c), Martin Love, Lee Carseldine, Clinton Perren, Andrew Symonds,Brendan Nash, James Hopes, Wade Seccombe, Ashley Noffke, MichaelKasprowicz, Scott Brant, Damien MacKenzie (all 12 to play).

In October 1952, India were Pakistan’s first Test opponents. In October 1992, exactly forty years later, India became Zimbabwe’s first Test opponents. It was India’s signal honour to engage Zimbabwe in their maiden Test but unlike most of the other countries who crumbled under pressure and succumbed meekly, Zimbabwe came out with flying colours. In fact, they had India in trouble and it was with some effort that the visitors, on paper much the stronger team, wriggled out.It was a short tour consisting only of a practice one day game, the Test match and a One Day International (which India won by 30 runs), with all matches being played at Harare. The trip was a prelude to the path breaking maiden Indian tour of South Africa, but Zimbabwe provided the visiting team with a tough preparation.Ten of the Zimbabweans were playing their first Test, the exception being John Traicos who had played three Tests for South Africa in 1970, that country’s last series before their excommunication from international cricket. Traicos was making his debut now for Zimbabwe at 45 but he was still a skilful off spinner. He was the 14th player to have played for two different countries and indeed he created a world record in the longest interval between two appearances in Test history. Since his last appearance for South Africa against Australia at Port Elizabeth on March 10, 1970, Traicos was playing a Test againafter 22 years and 222 days.Batting first, Zimbabwe exceeded all expectations by batting more than two days in scoring 456 runs in their first innings, easily the highest score by a country on their Test debut. Skipper Dave Houghton emulated the feat of Australia’s Charles Bannerman in the first ever Test match in 1877 by scoring a century for a country playing their first Test match. Openers Kevin Arnott (40) and Grant Flower (82) put on exactly 100 runs. Valuable knocks followed from Alistair Campbell (45) and Andy Pycroft (39). And then came along Houghton to defy the Indian attack for almost seven hours in scoring 121. With wicketkeeperAndy Flower (59) he added 165 runs for the sixth wicket to prolong India’s agony. The Indians recovered some ground late in the innings when they captured the last five wickets for 39 runs but Houghton (414 minutes, 322 balls, 15 fours) had given Zimababwe a most encouraging start in Test cricket. The Indian bowling line up had it tough and Manoj Prabhakar, Javagal Srinath and Anil Kumble took three wickets each but only after sending down 45, 39 and 35.2 overs respectively.Having been at the receiving end on the bowling front, the Indian batsmen now found themselves getting the rough end of the stick. Despite a strokefilled 43 by opener Woorkheri Raman, the Indians were in deep trouble on the morning of the fourth day having lost five wickets for 101 runs. It took the technical brilliance of Sanjay Manjrekar and the natural aggressive instincts of Kapil Dev to turn the innings around. The two added 96 runs for the sixth wicket before the all rounder was out for 60. But when the seventh wicket fell at219, India still required 38 runs to avoid the follow on. Manjrekar and Kiran More (41) saved India from this embarrassment by figuring in a partnership of 68 runs. No praise can be too high for Manjrekar who soldiered along for 529 minutes in scoring 104 before he was finally dismissed on the final morning. His hundred, which came up after 508 minutes, was the slowest by an Indian, but what a timely knock it proved to be! When he was dismissed, he had negotiated 422 balls and hit seven fours. The Indian innings finally terminated at 307. Traicos brought all his experience into play by bagging five for 86 off 50overs. In the remaining time, Zimbabwe scored 146 for four in their second innings and the Test ended in a quiet draw with Zimbabwe having the better of the honours.The game will also be remembered as the first Test to have three appointed umpires. A new sponsorship deal saw Dickie Bird fly out from England to stand in his 48th Test to equal the world record set by perhaps the most famous of all umpires Frank Chester. Bird stood throughout and the two Zimbabwean umpires K Kanjee and ID Robinson did duty on alternate days.Six years later, India paid another short visit to Zimbabwe. This time the tour consisted of three ODIs, a three day game and a Test match. And while the Indians were strong enough to win the ODI series 2-1 and take the three day game by an innings and 71 runs, they found Zimbabwe a different kettle of fish in the Test match and lost by 61 runs. Even granting the fact that Zimbabwe were an improved side since the Indians’ last visit, it was a surprise result.Put in to bat, Zimbabwe scored 221 with opener Gavin Rennie top scoring with 47. Srinath and Kumble took three wickets each. India, with Rahul Dravid getting 118, replied with 280. Henry Olonga finished with five for 70. The home team did better the second time around getting 293, building upon a first wicket stand of 138 runs between Rennie (84) and Craig Wishart (63). Kumble was the most successful bowler with four for 87 as Zimbabwe collapsed from 209 for one. With a target of 235 on a true wicket, India did seem to have things undercontrol. But undue haste by the batsmen in going for their strokes led to their downfall. Dravid top scored for a second time with 44 and Sourav Ganguly came up with 36. But this was not enough as the Indians were bowled out for 173 to give Zimbabwe only their second win in 31 Tests.

Colts Cricket Club and the Sinhalese Sports Club squeezed into the Premier League final after dramatic batting collapses that left both sides close to defeat on the final day.Colts CC were the first to book their place in next weeks final, which will be played at SCC Grounds. Starting the day on 131 for two chasing a 217 run target they had looked clear favourites.But NCC, led by their fast bowlers Ravindu Pushpakumara and Ishara Amarasinghe, who picked up three wickets apiece, fought back on a stifling Sunday morning at P.Saravanamuttu Stadium.Sajith Fernando only added one run to his overnight score of 38 before he feathered a catch to Kumar Sangakkara behind the stumps and Puspakumara then quickly dismissed Jevantha Kulatunga for a six-ball duck (134 for four).Enter Chaminda Vaas, whose growing confidence with the bat is now producing consistent runs for Sri Lanka in Test cricket. This time he saved Colts with an invaluable unbeaten 31 from 53 balls as the wickets continued to tumble.Romesh Kaluwitharana was eventually caught by Naweed Nawaz off the experienced Ruwan Kalpage, Sri Lanka’s current fielding coach, and Eric Upashantha only lasted two balls (152 for six).Amerasinghe came back to grab two more wickets and Colts were tottering on 195 for eight still needing 22 to win. But Vaas’s nerve held, as did Kaushalya Weereratne’s who scored 14 priceless runs.At Maitland Place, SSC looked to have established a position of dominance, but Indika de Saram, back on the sidelines after the promotion of Tillakaratne Dilshan, scored 108 from 174 balls, hitting ten fours.He added 96 runs with Ranga Dias after the early loss of Malintha Gajanayake in the morning to leave SSC a small but difficult 109 run target on a pitch that had now deteriorated appreciablySSC were soon in trouble. Avishka Gunawardene completed a miserable week in which he has lost his place in the one-day squad with a second ball duck.When Mahela Jayawardene was stumped for a brisk 19, the innings went into rapid decline and Tamil Union held the initiative with SSC slipping to 73 for 7.But Thilan Samaraweera, who had picked up five wickets in the Tamil Union innings, guided SSC home with nerveless 46 not out from 66 balls.

South Zone did not waste much time in racing to a six wicket victory over West Zone at the Sunshine ground in Cuttack and advancing to the final of the CK Nayudu Trophy (under-19) tournament on Friday.West Zone, who finished 73 runs behind on the first innings, resumed at 96 for six in their second innings. VM Joshi, the opening batsman who had put up somd defiance on Thursday, fell without adding to his overnight score of 32. He batted a shade over 2-1/2 hours, faced 123 balls and hit two fours. UN Karkera (26) and skipper CP Kulkarni (17 not out) put up a semblance of a fight before Md Faiq brought the innings to a swift end by taking three wickets in eleven balls and finishing with five for 31.Needing 59 for a win, South Zone lost four wickets but faced no real danger and reached their target off 16.1 overs. KR Adhav took three of the wickets to fall in four overs for 14 runs.

As the curtain is gradually drawn on the great career of Courtney Walsh, acompelling Test match is also drawing to an intriguing close at Sabina Park.It should surely be beyond South Africa to win this match, as they chase 386to win – what would be the third highest fourth innings score to win in Testhistory.By the close of a day on which 72 minutes were lost to rain on a dampKingston carnival Sunday, South Africa had knocked off 140 of the runs forthe loss of three wickets – still requiring another 246 for victory – withthe not out batsmen Neil McKenzie on 40, and Jacques Kallis 5. It will takesomething very special indeed on the final day.Walsh made sure the big Sunday crowd could let their hair down in style,with the prized wicket of Daryll Cullinan (18), the batsman adjudgedleg-before to an in-swinger. First impressions from television replays werethat Cullinan hit the ball, but magnification by the producers confirmedthat umpire Steve Bucknor was absolutely spot on.Walsh was not so happy shortly before the close when a huge appeal forleg-before against McKenzie (40 at the time) was turned down by Bucknor.McKenzie earlier survived an equally concerted appeal also for lbw to CarlHooper.Gary Kirsten (14) has had a desperate run since scoring 150 in his firstinnings of the series in Guyana, and despite a compact, tidy start wasundone by a delivery from first-change Mervyn Dillon. Looking to leave itwell alone, Kirsten saw the ball leap off a length and brush his inside edgeas he held the bat horizontal to the ground.The departure of his opening partner was the cue for Herschelle Gibbs(51) to demonstrate the kind of strokeplay which sees him averaging over 50for the series. He was particularly murderous on Dillon, smashing himfor two consecutive boundaries through the on-side, but a square cut offWalsh was the kind of cavalier extravagance normally associated with WestIndian opponents of yesteryear.It was not to last though, as shortly after reaching his half-century,Gibbs aimed a slog-sweep at Hooper, missed and was bowled. He faced 120balls and struck five fours.Earlier, Walsh made an emotional final walk to the wicket in Testcricket as the West Indies built on their mountainous second innings lead.Coming in athis customary number 11, Walsh received a standing ovation from his homefans and a guard of honour from the South African players as he approachedthe middle.Every ball he kept out was rapturously received by a partisan crowd,enjoying every moment in the middle from the only man ever to take 500 testwickets.When Walsh fell slogging at Paul Adams for three, the West Indies wereall out for 301 on the stroke of lunch, Cameron Cuffy remaining unbeaten on13.Ridley Jacobs did more than anyone to make sure the South Africans haveonly the faintest glimmer of a chance of winning the match and the series3-0. Jacobs rotated the strike intelligently in the morning session tomove to 85 off 191 balls, including seven boundaries, before he mis-timedhis favourite hook shot and was comfortably taken by McKenzie in the deep.Dinanath Ramnarine lasted just three balls after the resumption,although his departure was cause for controversy over what constitutes a’fair catch’. Ramnarine clearly edged Pollock to Cullinan at firstslip, who took a clean catch, but then threw the ball in the air as hestaggered backwards and groped at and fumbled the ball as it came back down.Ramnarine stood his ground, waiting for a decision from umpire SrinivasVenkataraghavan, who duly sent him on his way. Law 32.3 states that a catchshall be considered fairly made if ‘the fielder obtains complete controlboth over the ball and (crucially, in this instance) over his own movement’.In other words, the catch was only half completed.

ScorecardJames Vince has had a good season in one-day cricket but finally passed fifty in the Championship in the last match•Getty Images

Given that Derbyshire appeared such a solid bet for promotion only a month or so ago, you cannot blame Karl Krikken, their coach, for taking steps to soften the blow should his embryonic team be knocked out of the top two places right at the death.Krikken insisted on the eve of the final round of matches that “to actually be here now with a chance of promotion is magnificent” and he is right to be proud that the club most frequently associated with the wooden spoon have set the pace for much of the Division Two season.Yet after winning only one match since the end of May, Derbyshire were always vulnerable to a late surge from one of the chasing pack and Kent, whose win over Derbyshire last week followed victory at Leicester a week earlier, have emerged with a threat to wreck their happy ending. It is now, it can be argued, that they need to dismiss the notion of remembering the season for a gallant near-miss and find a steely resolve.It will be needed, surely, on day two of this contest, which will resume with Derbyshire in trouble at 50 for 3 after a nervous 18 overs with the bat rather took the gloss off what had been a decent day’s work with the ball.Despite a partnership of 136 for the fifth wicket between James Vince (114) and Sean Ervine, Derbyshire restricted Hampshire to 272, claiming maximum bowling points in doing so. Given that the opening day at Cardiff did not go well for Kent, it may be that a draw for Derbyshire will be enough to clinch their elevation to Division One but even that will take some work to achieve. Hampshire, the Twenty20 champions and potential double-winners in white ball cricket, have underachieved in the four-day competition and that makes them a dangerous opponent.Indeed, they may consider that their opening-day performance here was not as satisfactory as it might have been. Well though they batted after Derbyshire, who won the toss, had opted to bowl first on a well-grassed pitch, both Vince and Ervine to some extent gave their wickets away. Ervine certainly did, attempting needlessly to reverse sweep David Wainwright, the left-arm spinner, and departing somewhat red-faced after he was bowled behind his legs.Vince had hit the ball handsomely at times, his confidence growing as did his boundary count, and given that he has had a lean season in the Championship, in and out of the side and without a half-century before this match, he deserved the congratulations that came his way. Yet the ball that did for him was a wide half-volley from Ross Whiteley that he slapped straight to extra-cover.Derbyshire had made the start they wanted. Tony Palladino, the former Essex seamer whose experience has been one of the counters to the youth that has been given its head under Krikken’s stewardship, delivered a fine spell with the new ball in which he did not concede a run until his fourth over and at one point had figures of 6.5-4-9-3 as Hampshire lost their first three wickets for 26.He bowled Michael Carberry off an inside edge, had Bilal Shafayat, pushing forward, caught at third slip and nipped one back to pin Liam Dawson leg-before as he played back. When Jimmy Adams, who has a technique good enough to earn a mention at least in connection with England’s top-order vacancy, fell for 20 as Whiteley found some late away swing and Usman Khawaja took a fine catch at second slip, Hampshire were 59 for 4 and Derbyshire had every reason to feel pleased with themselves.The Vince-Ervine partnership tempered their mood somewhat, but there was a comeback. After Vince had gone, Chris Wood flicked a ball from Tim Groenewald obligingly to square leg, Michael Bates edged Wes Durston, the offspinner, to slip, David Griffiths was caught behind driving at Wainwright, who then had James Tomlinson leg before first ball to end on a hat-trick as the last three Hampshire wickets fell in the space of ten deliveries.On a surface that had good carry and offered no significant help to the bowlers, 272 may have been a shade under par, which would have given Derbyshire every reason to be optimistic if they could see off the new ball without too much damage.In the event, the came up against a couple of bowlers in David Balcombe and Tomlinson who put them under immediate pressure and were duly rewarded. Wayne Madsen, trying to fend a ball from Tomlinson that climbed on him, gloved a catch to wicketkeeper Bates, while Paul Borrington edged one high off the bat to gully, where Carberry took a good catch diving forward. Durston then edged Wood tentatively to second slip. Much now depends on Khawaja.

ScorecardShanan Stewart’s all-round performance was the starring role in Canterbury’s six-wicket win against Auckland. Stewart took six wickets in the match, and then scored a half-century in the chase, as Canterbury passed the target of 249 on the final day.The advantage had been won on the opening day, after Canterbury put Auckland in and dismissed them for 165 in the 58th over. Auckland were floundering at 96 for 9 before their No. 11 Matthew Quinn scored a half-century to prop them up. Matthew Henry took three wickets for Canterbury, while Stewart and Matt McEwan claimed two each.Canterbury’s response was much stronger, with Henry Nicholls and Bradley Cachopa making half-centuries. They ended the first day on 108 for 3 and then took the lead on the second. The lower middle order fell away, though, and Canterbury went from 222 for 4 to 274 all out. Seamer Michael Bates claimed 4 for 41 for Auckland.Auckland’s second innings began superbly, with their openers Martin Guptill and Jeet Raval wiping out the 109-run deficit with a partnership of 124. It was then that Guptill had to retire injured on 62, and Auckland began to slide. Raval went on to score a century but wickets fell regularly at the other end, and Guptill returned when the score was 251 for 5. He was dismissed for 85, before Donovan Grobbelaar scored a half-century in the middle order to take Auckland to a position of strength at 355 for 6. They lost their last four wickets for two runs, though, and Canterbury were facing a target of 249. Stewart claimed three of those batsmen to finish with 4 for 16.Canterbury’s chase began slowly but steadily with the openers adding 61 in 29.1 overs before the first wicket fell. They slipped to 107 for 3 but Stewart held one end up with a half-century, and had support from Nicholls and Cachopa, to ensure victory.

Incessant rains are likely to deal a double-blow to cricket fans in Cuttack: the fifth ODI between India and Australia is set to be washed out, and now the Odisha Cricket Association (OCA) is likely to lose out on hosting West Indies’ three-day tour game, starting from October 31.It is understood that OCA secretary Asirbad Behera and president Ranjib Biswal have already communicated their association’s inability to host West Indies’ match against Uttar Pradesh to the BCCI officials, ahead of the two-Test series beginning in Kolkata on November 6. While accepting the OCA’s request since “the outfield won’t be ready in time for the game”, the BCCI has zeroed in on Mumbai as the venue for the warm-up tie.Though the Mumbai Cricket Association hasn’t been formally informed about the change in venue, the decision will be finalised during the BCCI working committee meeting in Chennai on Saturday. Both the MCA vice-presidents Ravi Savant and Vijay Patil will attend the working committee meet, with Savant showing up as the BCCI vice-president, while Patil as the MCA representative.Despite the Wankhede Stadium being unable to stage the game less than two weeks prior to the start of the Test match, three more venues in Mumbai can stage the warm-up match. It would be interesting to see if the match is allotted to Cricket Club of India’s Brabourne Stadium or the Dr DY Patil Sports Stadium on the outskirts of the city, with MCA’s facility at Bandra-Kurla Complex also being in contention. CCI was promised an allotment of matches by BCCI president N Srinivasan during the AGM in September, while Patil, the architect of DY Patil stadium, has been pushing for hosting more games in Navi Mumbai.

Kane Williamson expressed his and New Zealand’s disappointment after the practice match between New Zealanders and Bangladesh Cricket Board XI was abandoned due to a very wet outfield.”It is very frustrating,” Williamson said. “The boys have come off quite a bit of cricket, they have played a bit in Sri Lanka previously. It would have been really nice to play the match but it wasn’t to be.”The umpires made the decision to call of play at 9.45am local time, 15 minutes after play was scheduled to start on Saturday at the MA Aziz Stadium, after bouts of overnight and early morning rain had submerged parts of the ground. The BCB XI squad left a few hours later, while the visitors had to shift base to the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium’s indoor facilities once again.”It is not ideal. It is a shame not to get a practice match, but we have a few days to train and prepare accordingly. You get thrown these curve balls at times, but you have to deal with them. It is no excuse for us. We have to prepare well in the next few days.”Williamson, who scored for 403 at an average for 50.37 for Yorkshire in the County Championship’s First Division, is one of the three members of the New Zealand ODI side that lost 4-0 to Bangladesh in 2010. He was one of their better performers, scoring his first international century during the series.”It was nice to spend some time in the middle there. But having said that, I haven’t played a Test series here and neither have a lot of the boys. So it will be a good experience.”We have been doing a lot of talking, particularly about the opposition and conditions over here. We are trying to simulate all those things and move our game forward.”It is a tough place to bat, and something that I have to get used to. I am touring the world, playing in all different types of conditions. Bangladesh is certainly different than what we are used to.”That difference in playing conditions will take a little more time to adjust as it is likely that they will continue to train indoors for another day. The relayed surface at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium is undergoing last-minute work, and as a result, they have been given just a short period of time to warm-up at the first Test venue.Head curator Zahid Reza Babu has prepared two wickets for the Test, and both haven’t had a ball bowled on them after the relay. The previous Test played here was in December 2011, after which the ground went for a complete overhaul of its outfield and playing square.