A few minutes into the tea interval at the North West Stadium on Sunday, just as the clouds above Potchefstroom started to look really threatening, a chirpy public address announcer declared that there was no need to worry, she’d phoned the weather bureau and it wasn’t going to rain. Talk about tempting fate.Within 10 minutes the covers were on and that was it for the day with Australia 218 for three in their first innings on the first day of their three-day game against South Africa `A’. Usually a bit of rain wouldn’t arouse a great deal of alarm, but this has not been a good summer for touring teams. India had the two first-class games outside the Test matches entirely washed out earlier in the season, and while the Indians’ lacklustre tour could not be entirely blamed on this, lack of preparation certainly didn’t help their cause.In this light, the Australians might already be ahead of the game. They had 60 overs at the crease and while the `A’ attack managed something their elders and betters had failed at in Australia – dismissing Justin Langer and Matthew Hayden cheaply – there was also time enough for Mark Waugh to find some sort of form with an attractive 62 while, weather permitting, new captain Ricky Ponting is poised to score the first century of their tour.When bad light forced the players off the field five minutes before the scheduled tea break, Ponting was not out on 93. It was not an entirely unblemished innings – he enjoyed a couple of slices of good fortune just after lunch – but it was the performance of a man wholly at ease with his game.He said afterwards that he had relaxed after the understandable excitement of his elevation to the one-day captaincy, and had slept well on Saturday night. It looked like it on a pitch that offered few favours to the batting team.Steve Waugh’s decision to bat first almost certainly had less to do with the conditions than to give his batsmen a feel of South African soil. By any standards the pitch is underprepared (through no fault of the North West authorities – the groundsman has been able to work on it for only one-and-a-half days out of the last 10 because of rain) and the Australians had to work for every run during the morning session as they ground out 74 for two.Well almost every run. Ponting announced himself with three successive boundaries off Charl Langeveldt, a passage of play all the more remarkable for what had come before.This South African `A’ attack is an oddly shaped beast with two frontline quicks and a third seamer, Andrew Hall, who has played one-day cricket for South Africa mainly as a batsman (he has bowled fewer than 40 overs in 18 ODIs). These three are backed by two spinners, Claude Henderson and Gulam Bodi and to suggest that, given the conditions, the whole is rather less than the sum of its parts, is to understate the case.Still, while Andre Nel, Langeveldt and Hall were all fresh, life was not easy for the Australian openers on a pitch that offered some movement off the surface, some swing through the air and uneven bounce on the first morning. Hayden made 18 before Hall straightened one down the line at him to trap him lbw and six balls from Hall later Langer dragged an attempted pull down onto his stumps for 12.In between the two wickets Ponting had clobbered his three boundaries off Langeveldt, but at lunch Australia would have felt they had been made to work for it. After the break, however, it was a different game. Ponting and Waugh smashed Hall out of the attack, 35 coming off four overs, and Dale Benkenstein’s gentle medium-pacers served only to allow the batsmen to adjust their timing.The chief spinner, Henderson, persisted in dropping one short an over, usually allowing a free hit through the off, and the Australian pair put on 125 in 122 minutes for the third wicket before Waugh contrived to chop another short one from Henderson straight to backward point.Ponting produced a pair of classic on drives off Henderson and Steve Waugh had one or two decent hits before the light went and although the captains agreed to turn on the floodlights during tea, rain had the final say.

KARACHI, Jan 22: Dogged half-centuries by Hanif-ur-Rehman and Imran Javed lifted National Bank out of trouble on a fluctuating opening day of the four-day Quaid-i-Azam Trophy pre-quarterfinal tie against Habib Bank at National Stadium on Wednesday.Opener Hanif struck a patient 81 and all-round Imran contributed an unbeaten 63 as NBP reached a commendable 276 for seven in their first innings at stumps.Test wicket-keeper Kamran Akmal also played a vital role to consolidate the innings. He made a breezy 49 off 69 balls during the seventh-wicket stand of 94 in 95 minutes with Imran. He stroked seven boundaries.NBP were off to horrendous start after HBL skipper Akram Raza inserted them in on a track that offered early life to the bowlers. Test reject Imran Nazir was caught in the slips off the second ball of the match for a duck.In the fourth over, Shahid Anwar, who played in One-day Internationals, also went without scoring. But Hanif and Naumanullah (25) then put on 59 for the third wicket.Stand-in captain Sajid Ali scored 27 while adding 49 for the fifth wicket with Hanif on either of lunch interval after another Test discard Qaiser Abbas went without troubling the scorer.Hanif’s 236-minute vigil finally ended just before tea. His 159-ball knock contained 11 fours and one six. Imran has so far hit seven fours in his 146-ball innings in 198 minutes.NBP went into this game without regular skipper and ex-Test leg-spinner Mushtaq Ahmed, who stayed back home because he was indisposed.ScoreboardNATIONAL BANK (1st Innings):Imran Nazir c Akram b Shahid 0Hanif-ur-Rehman c Tahir b Irfan 81Shahid Anwar c Akram b Sajid 0Naumanullah c Hasan b Asad 25Qaiser Abbas lbw b Irfan 0Sajid Ali c Tahir b Asad 27Imran Javed not out 63Kamran Akmal c Akram b Sajid 49Mohammad Javed not out 9EXTRAS (B-8, LB-9, W-3, NB-2) 22TOTAL (for seven wkts, 83 overs) 276FALL OF WKTS: 1-0, 2-1, 3-60, 4-65, 5-104, 6-168, 7-262.TO BAT: Shabbir Ahmed, Zahid Saeed.BOWLING (to-date): Shahid Nazir 20-8-40-1 (1nb); Sajid Shah 16-4-41-2 (2w); Asadullah Butt 25-6-66-2; Irfan Fazil 13-1-67-2 (1nb, 1w); Akram Raza 3-0-20-0; Abdul Rehman 6-2-25-0.HABIB BANK: Riffatullah, Khaqan Arsal, Asadullah Butt, Hasan Raza, Mujahid Jamshed, Abdul Rehman, Akram Raza, Tahir Rasheed, Sajid Shah, Irfan Fazil, Shahid Nazir.UMPIRES: Salim Badar and Athar Zaidi.MATCH REFEREE: Mahmood Rasheed.

ADELAIDE, Feb 20 AAP – Prime Minister John Howard today said it would be a great shame if Shane Warne was banned from cricket.Warne faces a possible two-year ban from the game after being charged with testing positive to the banned diuretics hydrochlorothiazide and amiloride on January 22.Warne’s drugs case hearing will be held tomorrow in Melbourne by the Australian Cricket Board’s three-person anti-doping committee.Warne returned home from the World Cup in South Africa last week without bowling a ball after being informed of the positive test.His defence, so far, was that he was given a weight loss tablet by his mother, Brigitte, and was unaware it contained the banned substances.If Warne is exonerated, he could be back in the Australian World Cup squad for its pool match against Namibia on February 27.Mr Howard said the rules must be upheld at Warne’s drugs case hearing but added it would be sad to see him go.”He’s facing a tribunal and I don’t think it’s fair for someone in my position to express a view either way, except to express the hope he’s dealt with fairly and justly,” Mr Howard told Adelaide radio station 5DN.”It would be a great shame if we lose his services.”On the other hand there are rules that need to be upheld and I would support the rules being upheld.”I just hope that he (Warne) doesn’t break them.”

Leicestershire have announced that they have signed brilliant young Indian batting star Virender Sehwag as one of their two overseas players for the coming season.The other is Australian all rounder Brad Hodge from Victoria.But it is the arrival of 24-year-old Sehwag which will excite Grace Road supporters, and head coach Phil Whitticase said: “We are delighted to have agreed contracts with Virender and Brad.”Virender is recognised as one of the best young batsmen in world cricket and Brad is on the verge of the Australian side. Both are predominantly top order batsmen, but they are both off spin bowlers and exceptional fielders as well.”Their all round abilities give us many other options, and I am sure they will both be very popular with the Leicestershire members and public.”Virender is establishing himself in the Indian Test and One-Day team and is already averaging over 41 in Test cricket and has a strike rate in One-Day internationals of over 98 per 100 balls. He is one of the most exciting players to watch in world cricket.Although he is still a young man I see his experience being invaluable in helping bring on the other young talented players in the Leicestershire side.”Brad has already experienced County cricket with a short spell last season as the overseas player at Durham. He is recognised in Victorian State cricket as a player who possesses a substantial degree of natural talent.On his day Brad is unquestionably one of the most attractive batsmen in Australian cricket.”Both players will offer a major contribution in all four domestic competitions, and they can only be beneficial to the club’s continuing aim to bring playing success and honours to Grace Road.”Sehwag developed into a star during England’s tour of India last winter and is now being compared to his own idol – Sachin Tendulkar.In the 2001-02 season Sehwag hit a century off 69 balls in a One-Day international against New Zealand.

Sri Lanka captain Sanath Jayasuriya hopes that coach Dav Whatmore willconsider extending his contract which expires at the end of May.Whatmore, who was appointed in 1999 for a second stint in charge, hasconfirmed that he will discuss his future with the Sri Lanka Cricket Boardshortly.There had been speculation that cricket officials had approached severalalternative coaches, including former South Africa coach Bob Woolmer, formerSouth Africa captain Keppler Wessels and former New Zealand coach SteveRixon.However, Jayasuriya wants Whatmore to stay in charge as Sri Lanka lookforward to a tough year ahead with Test series against New Zealand, WestIndies and England.”Dav has been very good for the boys,” said Jayasuriya. “We won the 1996 finals with him and have done well again since he came back in 1999.””He has been doing a good job and has been there for a long time.”Whatmore, who is yet to publicly confirm a willingness to extend hiscontract, hopes to have discussions with the Cricket Board after he returnsfrom South Africa on Friday morning.”I am contracted until the end of May and any decision regarding my personalfuture will be made with the cricket board after the tournament,” he said.”There are still some challenges there but it is a case of communicationsand dialogue after this tournament.”

Aravinda de Silva has been appointed as a national cricket selector just days after retiring from international cricket.De Silva, Sri Lanka’s highest run scorer in Tests and ODIs, is one of three new faces on a five-man selection panel to be announced on Tuesday.Former Sri Lanka leg-spinner and selector Lalith Kaluperuma and former manager Jayantha Paranathala have also been appointed.Former Sri Lanka wicket-keeper Guy de Alwis will continue as chairman and Roger Wijesuriya will remain a member.Sri Lanka’s selectors are appointed by the Minister of Sports, usually after recommendations from the Cricket Board.The panel’s first task will be to resolve a disagreement with star spinner Muttiah Muralitharan who was originally omitted from a 15-man squad for the Sharjah Cup.Muralitharan has reacted with surprise and confusion to his omission from the squad, apparently on the grounds of fitness.

The International Cricket Council has announced a relaunch of its Test Championship in the light of South Africa’s elevation to top spot last year at a time Australia were universally regarded as the best side in the world.Whereas the old calculations were based on simple series win/draw/loss points, the new Championship relies on a complex weighting system, and each Test will count rather than just the series result.”The original ICC Test Championship was launched in May 2001 and we stated at the time that we would monitor its application,” Malcolm Speed, president of the ICC told reporters at Lord’s for the relaunch. “That process has now been completed and the revised points system provides a fair reflection of the achievements of all ten full members.”England’s two-match npower series with Zimbabwe is the first to count towards the re-launched Championship. England need to win the series 2-0 to improve their rating, while a 1-0 win will keep them unchanged on 97 while a draw will cause them to fall to 95.If England lose 2-0 they will narrowly hold on to fifth place in the table. That outcome would give Zimbabwe’s rating a massive boost to 67, and even a drawn series would extend their lead over Bangladesh by four points.The ICC Test Championship table, 21st May 2003

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Explanation of the ICC Test ChampionshipThe new ICC Test Championship takes into account the result of every individual Test Match with a bonus awarded for winning a series. It also recognises the strength of the opposition in calculating the points awarded.The system means that there are no longer any `dead rubber’ Test Matches and that in any series both teams have the opportunity to improve or worsen their rating.The ICC Test Championship reflects performances in all Tests completed since a given date (currently 1st August 1999), in contrast to the previous system which included some series played in 1996/97 yet excluded some more recent series. More recent matches have a stronger weighting and the rankings are refreshed every August.A rating of 100 reflects average performance, so a team winning and losing a similar number of matches and playing a broad mix of opponents will have a rating close to 100.For the up-to-date ICC Test Championship table plus full scenarios for forthcoming series and details of the formula for calculating ratings visit the official ICC website www.icc.cricket.org.

National League

Scotland v Hampshire, Edinburgh
ScorecardRahul Dravid’s Scotland debut was overshadowed by Robin Smith, who compiled a stylish 82 from 85 balls to guide Hampshire to a six-wicket win at the Grange. Derek Kenway also added a half-century as Scotland’s total of 201 for 8 was overhauled with two overs to spare. Dravid himself could only manage 25 from 41 balls, and it was Scotland’s other overseas pro, the South African Jon Kent, who top-scored with 57. The pick of the bowlers was yet another import, Hampshire’s Wasim Akram, who dismissed Scotland’s opener Ryan Watson with his first ball and later bowled Kent on his way to figures of 3 for 32.Leicestershire v Gloucestershire, Grace Road
ScorecardGloucestershire continued their excellent one-day form with a three-wicket win over Leicestershire at Grace Road. Matt Windows led the way with a 91-ball 76, making light work of a tricky target of 235 on a difficult pitch. His third-wicket partnership of 100 with Chris Taylor laid the foundations for victory, and though Leicestershire struck back with a flurry of wickets in the later overs, Mark Alleyne and James Averis steered Gloucestershire home. Leicestershire’s total had owed much to Brad Hodge’s 63 … and extras, who contributed 46, including 14 wides.

Glamorgan`s next National League game will take place on Sunday, 8th June againstWorcestershire at the St. Helen`s ground in Swansea. On that day, Swansea will also behosting the Great Wales Triathlon.There will therefore be a small impact as far as access to the Swansea ground is concerned,and in order to minimise the impact, the start time of this match has been put back half anhour to 1.30pm.Whilst the main routes to the cricket ground will be closed from 6 a.m. to 1.00 p.m., alternativeroutes will be available which will enable traffic to reach parking facilities near St. Helen’s.These detours will be signposted off the M4 at Junction 47 and will then lead spectators tothe Recreation Ground Car Park via Brynmill Lane and Bryn Road.There should be no problems after the match with Worcestershire is over because the main roadswill re-open again from approximately 1.00pm.

Test cricket came to Australia’s Top End today, when Steve Waugh won the toss and put Bangladesh in to bat on the drop-in pitch at the Marrara Oval, a cosy oasis of green in the dry old Northern Territory.It’s normally an Australian Rules football stadium, with cavernous dressing-rooms beneath the big concrete grandstand. Notices on the walls beseech players not to spit (or worse) on the floors.After a quiet start it was business as usual for Bangladesh, who lost wickets in clumps after being put in. Punters with money on at 14/1 that the match would be all over inside a day are going to be disappointed, but the local TV station, which is only broadcasting the fourth and fifth days live, must already be looking out a few more repeats of Neighbours or Home and Away.There were extra-loud cheers for Jason Gillespie, especially when he struck to remove Javed Omar and start a slide in which four wickets tumbled for 14 runs. Gillespie, you see, is part-Aboriginal, and up here in NT the indigenous Australian peoples make up 30% of the population, compared with around 2% in the country as a whole.Gillespie is proud of his Aboriginal heritage and has traced his forebears back to the Kamilaroi tribe. “I’m an interesting mix because I’ve got Aboriginal blood and on my Mum’s side it’s mainly Greek,” he said. “I was never really brought up as an indigenous person. But I’ve really started reading about it and where that my side of my family comes from.”In a country just coming to terms with the retirement of Olympic champion athlete Cathy Freeman, who was famous for brandishing the red-and-black Aboriginal flag on the track, does Gillespie see himself as a sporting ambassador? “I don’t know how comfortable I’d be, to be honest … technically I guess I’m the first [with Aboriginal blood], but I think there’d be a lot of former Test players with indigenous blood and just didn’t know about it.”The ground at Marrara, near Darwin’s airport, is in the town’s sporting park. Bowling greens and clay-pigeon galleries jostle for position. But the cricket holds sway today – the authorities were expecting a crowd pushing the capacity of 11,500 -­ and that includes provision for a “Small VIPs Car Park”. Next door, obviously catering for the more comfortably built, is the Large VIPs Car Park.Among the larger VIPs for Darwin’s big day was Clare Martin, the chief minister of the Northern Territory, who is a distant relative of Victor Trumper, one of Australia’s early greats. And John Ah Kit, NT’s minister for sport, was a genial presence in the grandstand, showing off one of the day’s brighter shirts.Over on Channel 9, one familiar face was missing. Richie Benaud, taking a break in France from commentating duties in England, was not there to don the off-white blazer for a home Test for the first time in most people’s memories. Instead Simon O’Donnell, another former Test allrounder, took over the hot seat. But his “Morning everyone” just wasn’t quite the same …Steven Lynch is editor of Wisden CricInfo.