Baroda defeated Saurashtra by an innings and 94 runs in their WestZone Ranji Trophy match at the GSFC Ground Ground, Baroda on Tuesday.Saurashtra, resuming at the overnight score of 92 for five, weredismissed in 59.1 overs for a meagre score of 190. Seamer Rakesh Pateldid most of the damage, bagging six for 37 in the second innings.Skipper Shitanshu Kotak (51) and R Dhruv (65), hung around withfighting knocks but could not save the game.Baroda, with this victory, picked up eight points.

Steve Rixon proved a good judge as New South Wales routed Western Australia for 89 to score a stunning outright win in their Pura Cupcricket match here today.Comprehensively outplayed for the first three days, the Blues set WA a modest 141 runs for victory after being dismissed in their second innings for 327.Rixon, the NSW coach, had predicted last night WA would struggle to haul in a target as low as 150 on the North Sydney Oval wicket.WA was in immediate trouble when NSW paceman Don Nash rattled Ryan Campbell’s stumps with the third ball of the innings, triggering a collapse that left thevisitors 4-16 at lunch.Campbell (nought), Simon Katich (five), Damien Martyn (nought) and Mike Hussey (four) were all back in the pavilion.Katich and Martyn had combined for a sparkling 192-run partnership in the first innings but Martyn, a likely replacement for Steve Waugh in the Australian team forthe Third Test, lasted only two balls today.He slashed a delivery from NSW speedster Nathan Bracken straight to Shawn Bradstreet at point.Katich flicked a nice boundary off his legs before Corey Richards ran him out with a direct underarm hit on the only stump he could aim at from point.Tom Moody looked less than impressed walking from the field when a spectator yelled at him: “17 runs of misery.”Bracken was the destroyer with career-best figures of 5-22 from 15 immaculate overs.With Rixon’s request for a 150-run lead still ringing in their ears, the Blues fell nine runs short of the desired target this morning when they were dismissed for 327.Richards top-scored with 66 and received lusty support from Nash, who belted three fours and two sixes in his 35-ball stay.

Something positive looks likely to emerge from left-arm spinner Daniel Vettori’s injury-forced absence from international cricket.Vettori suffered a stress fracture to his back during the 1999/00 Test series with Australia and while coming back to start out on the tour of Zimbabwe later that year, he was forced out when the injury re-surfaced and was properly diagnosed after more intensive scans.New Zealand Cricket’s director of player development Ashley Ross said Vettori’s absence and the prospect of his injuries being career-threatening had resulted in a much more serious attitude being taken to changes in Vettori’s bowling style.Problems with his style had been diagnosed before last year but Vettori had been reluctant to change because of the lack of time to make changes during New Zealand’s intensive programme and they hadn’t been pursued as slow bowlers were not perceived at much at risk as faster bowlers.NZC utilised facilities at Auckland University which allowed three-dimensional camera studies to quantify angles and degrees in Vettori’s bowling action. The work was aimed at improving Vettori’s core stability.”It didn’t produce any revolutionary information but it did put numbers on what we’ve observed before,” Ross said.The main interest was in working on the hip and shoulder angles of Vettori’s bowling.”We have been making those changes. Daniel is a very talented athlete and he has incorporated the changes very quickly into his bowling,” he said.In practical terms, Ross said, the most obvious changes to Vettori’s action would be seen in his running into the wicket a little straighter. His front leg will kick straight towards his target and his hips will also be straight on to his target and in line with his shoulders.”He will have far more body in his posture.”The spine is designed to take an impact, as long as it doesn’t combine with rotation,” Ross said.Spin bowling was often referred to as a science from the ground to the elbow and an art from the elbow to the fingers, Ross said, and Vettori’s control of the art aspect had been magnificent. The changes in style were aimed at lifting the science aspect to the same level.

LONDON – England middle-order batsman Michael Vaughan is doubtful forthe first Ashes cricket Test against Australia starting next Thursdaybecause of a burst cyst on his knee.”He is 60-40 to play,” an England and Wales Cricket Board spokesman saidon Friday.Graham Thorpe, England’s leading batsman, is also struggling to recoverfrom a calf muscle injury in time for the opening game of the five-Testseries at Edgbaston in Birmingham.Thorpe, who missed the recent triangular one-day series againstAustralia and Pakistan, was ruled out of Surrey’s county championshipmatch against Lancashire this weekend.The spokesman said left-arm spinner Ashley Giles, who missed the recenttwo-Test series against Pakistan, was still suffering from a stiffAchilles’ tendon after bowling 70 overs for Warwickshire againstMiddlesex.

Somerset Seconds returned to their winning ways in the one day competition when they beat Glamorgan at The County Ground on Friday by 31 runs.Batting first Somerset were dismissed for 252 in the last over of their innings, after Graham Rose had scored 67, and Keith Parsons made 60.Glamorgan got off to a bright start and at one stage were ahead of the asking rate.However despite 67 from Adrian Shaw they fell short of their target and were all out for 221 in the 48th over.The pick of the home bowlers were Pete Trego who took 3 for 33 and Joe Tucker who ended with 2 for 42.Tim Burt, who plays club cricket for Glastonbury, and who has been keeping wicket for the Somerset Board Eleven took four catches behind the stumps and kept tidily.After the game Second Eleven Coach Julian Wyatt said “After the disappointing performance against Hampshire at Southampton on Wednesday it’s good to get back to winning ways. However we need to win all three of our matches next week to have a chance of going through to the semi finals of the competition.”The Seconds play against Hampshire Seconds at North Perrott on Monday next week.

Richard Pybus has rejected an offer to continue coaching the Pakistan national cricket team following his third stint in the job in May and June. Pybus led Pakistan on their tour of England, guiding the side to a drawn Test series against the English and the final of a one-day tournament against Australia.Pybus, an Englishman who lives in South Africa, said he declined the chance to coach the side until the end of the 2003 World Cup because he didn’t want to move to Pakistan.”I won’t be extending my work with Pakistan, so they will soon be in the marketplace for a new coach,” Pybus said in an interview. “I wasn’t prepared to relocate to Pakistan for 18 months up to the World Cup.”The England tour was his third spell as Pakistan coach. Pybus oached the team to the 1999 World Cup final and to a 3-0 Test series defeat to Australia on the 1999-2000 tour. He was fired after both.Pybus said in an earlier interview he was reluctant to take up the role on a permanent basis after his previous experiences. He may continue working with the Pakistan team as a consultant, he said. General Tauqir Zia, the Pakistan Cricket Board chairman, has asked the 37-year-old to submit a report proposing changes to Pakistani cricket.”I really enjoyed working with the boys, particularly Waqar Younis, who proved himself a great captain in England,” Pybus said. “I would welcome a consultancy role as I want to see them challenging Australia and South Africa regularly.”Pakistan plays a home Test series against New Zealand in September, followed by the second Asian Test Championship also involving Sri Lanka, India and Bangladesh.

South African one-day international player Andrew Hall has been freed to join Easterns this summer following a decision by the Gauteng Cricket Board this week to release him from his contract.Hall, who has been at loggerheads with Gauteng during the off-season, even threatening at one point to take legal action to secure his release, has 18 ODI caps although he is not currently under contract to the United Cricket Board.His desire to Gauteng stems from unhappiness with the state of affairs at the Wanderers during the past few years coupled with a desire to once again link up with Ray Jennings who mentored him during the early part of his career.Hall began life as a medium-pacer able to bat down the order, but his all-round play developed to the point where he opened the batting for the South African ODI side during 2000, at one stage taking on Australia’s Brett Lee with every indication of relish.Given the unpleasantness characterising the run-in to the UCB’s annual meeting on Saturday, it will come as something of a relief to all concerned that the tug-of-war between Gauteng and Easterns for Hall’s services has been resolved without recourse to court action.UCB chief executive Gerald Majola said as much on Wednesday: “Gauteng have acted with maturity and with cricket’s interests at heart. Itis a pleasure to see an issue resolved with the player and the game ofcricket in mind.”Unsurprisingly, Jennings was effusive about the acquisition of Hall.”He’s not always been fully valued as a player,” said Jennings.”Having him come to us is obviously a huge boost. What we’re going to do is get him back to where he’s a national player again. He’ll be good for Easterns and with a bid of luck and some hard work, he’ll be good for South Africa again.”Never one to take the orthodox approach, Jennings intends to work with Hall on his wicketkeeping.”He’s got some talent as a ‘keeper. I’d like to see him as Dylan’s (Dylan Jennings, Ray’s son the Easterns wicketeeper) number two. It would give him another string to his bow and give him something else to offer as a player.”

Karnataka State Cricket Association XI (KSCA XI) were sent ona leather hunt by a rampant Cricket Association of Bengal(CAB) captain Rohan Gavaskar on the second day of the threeday MRF Buchi Babu quarter-final between the two teams at theGuru Nanak grounds in Chennai on Tuesday.Rohan, son of little master Sunny Gavasakar, made 188 off 217balls with 30 boundaries and three sixes as his team gained apotentially match-winning 107-run first innings lead. When badlight brought play to a premature close, CAB were 339 for 8off 89 overs.It was a wretched day for the KSCA XI, as Gavaskar smashed thebowlers to all corners of the park. And to make matters worse,KSCA captain, India’s ace leggie Anil Kumble, had to pull outafter bowling just five overs because of a recurrence of hisshoulder problem. Gavaskar’s rollicking 187-run third wicketpartnership with Amitav Chakravarthy, 44 off 173 balls, waswhat set the tenor for the day’s play. After early jitterswhich saw CAB reduced to 11 for 2 in the sixth over itself,Chakravarthy dropped anchor at one end allowing Gavaskar towade into the KSCA bowling at the other end.Even after the dismissal of Chakravarthy in the 54th over,Gavaskar continued in his merry ways. A 51-run partnership forthe fifth wicket with No. 6 Saikat Mukherjee gained CAB thevital first-innings lead.By the time he was out, with the score reading 306 for 7,Gavaskar had ensured that his team had all but sealed a placein the semi-finals. Of the KSCA bowlers, former India mediumpacer David Johnson in particular was pathetic. He conceded asmany as 76 runs in the eight overs that he bowled today whichalso included seven no-balls and one wide. His onlyconsolation was the wicket of Gavaskar but by then the damagehad already been done. Off-spinner Santosh Vadeyaraj also wentfor over four and over while former India left-arm spinnerSunil Joshi returned just 1-53 off his 21 overs.Fast bowler NC Iyayappa who persevered manly was the savinggrace claiming 4-65.* New Zealand ‘A’ notch up huge totalResuming on 303/4, the New Zealand ‘A’ side posted a mammoth474/8 declared in the first innings of their clash against MRFat the MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai. The home side, inresponse made 113/2 off 27 overs before play was called off onthe second day.As on the first day, the New Zealand ‘A’ batsmen enjoyed thebest of a flat wicket on Monday. Hamish Marshall, unbeaten on84 when the day’s play began, notched up an innings highest120 (16 fours, 2 sixes) before being caught by SridharanSriram at covers off the bowling of left arm spinner BablooKumar. Marshall’s quick knock enabled the New Zealand ‘A’team to pile on the runs. Batting around Marshall was wellbuilt southpaw Jacob Oram. The pair added 92 runs for thefifth wicket.After Marshall’s departure, Oram continued to notch up theruns, with stumper Chris Nevin playing a good hand. Oram’sinnings finally came to a close when he was seventh out withthe score on 452. Oram’s 74 came off almost twice as manyballs and included seven boundaries and a six. Nevin’s 29 (49balls, 4 fours) helped New Zealand ‘A’ reach 474, the score atwhich they eventually retired.Steady batting by MRF skipper Sriram (45 not out, 82 balls, 8fours) and Tanveer Jabbar (51, 77 balls, 9 fours) saw MRFcross the 100 mark. However, still 361 runs behind in thefirst innings, with just one day left to be played, the MRFteam is in a position they would have liked to avoid. In theevent that the first innings of both teams is not completed,the match will be decided by spin of the coin. Simply put, MRFneed to score 361 runs off the minimum 95 overs to be bowledtomorrow. If they are dismissed for less than 474, New Zealandwill advance to the semi-finals. And finally, if MRF bat outthe final day and yet fail to take the first innings lead, thefates of both teams will lie in the result of the coin toss.* Indian Railways assured of semifinal berthIndian Railways virtually made sure of a berth in thesemifinal of the MRF Buchi Babu Invitation cricket tournamenton Tuesday. Replying to National Cricket Academy’s firstinnings total of 158, the railwaymen had piled up 451 for nineoff 138.4 overs by stumps on the second day of the three daymatch at the Southern Railway grounds in Chennai.Railways, who were 116 for two overnight, sent the NCA lads ona leather hunt. Dheeraj Sharma and Yere Goud added 163 runsfor the third wicket off 50 overs before the latter was bowledby off spinner M Dharmichand for 82. The skipper faced 143balls and hit ten fours and two sixes.Raja Ali (4) did not last long but Sharma and Prahlad Rawatput together a fifth wicket partnership of 56 runs off 18.2overs. Sharma was then out for 137. He faced 292 balls and hit13 fours and five sixes. Rawat and Sudhir Wankhede thenprolonged NCA’s agony by figuring in a sixth wicketassociation of 119 runs off 21 overs. Wankhede was then bowledby left arm spinner Vidyut Sivaramakrishnan for a bright 63off only 67 balls. He hit eight fours and a six.Rawat proceeded confidently to his hundred and at close wasbatting with 105. He has so far faced 188 balls and hit 14fours. Dharmichand and Vidyut toiled hard and were rewardedwith four wickets each. Vidyut conceded 144 runs off 46.4overs while Dharmichand gave away 99 runs off 34 overs. Playwas stopped due to rain at 4.46 pm.* Jolly Rovers gain all-important first innings leadJolly Rovers huffed and puffed their way to a slender yetvital 22-run lead on the second day of their MRF Buchi Babuquarter-final against All India Associate Banks at the IIT-Chemplast grounds inChennai on Tuesday.With just a day’s play remaining, Rovers, who finished the dayat 269 for nine, seem destined to make the semi-finals barringa minor miracle.In the morning, Rovers, resuming at their overnight score ofeight for no loss, got off to a good start.Openers Sujith Somasunder and Vikram Kumar both made steadyprogress. The two put on 80 before Kumar was dismissed for apatient 28 off 79 balls.Somasunder though continued his steady accumulation of runsreaching 57 off 134 balls with two fours and two sixes beforebeing dismissed.Two more quick wickets got the Rovers pulses racing, but No.4J Hariesh and J Joseph (29) put their team back on course witha calming 80-run partnership.Hariesh and captain Ajay Kudua then put on 36 runs to bringRovers within shouting distance of the Banks score of 247.Hariesh, who made 76 off 147 balls with eight fours, was thelast man to be dismissed on the day.For Banks, KST Sai, DS Manohar and JP Yadav claimed two wicket each.

With the selectorial axe hanging over his head Hashan Tillakaratnewalked out to bat on Thursday evening knowing that this was likely to behis last chance to resurrect his Test career after two years in thewilderness.The wicket may have been good and the bowling ordinary, butTillakaratne played under incredible pressure and his unbeaten 136 wasnot only his highest Test score, beating the 126 he scored againstZimabawe five years ago, but it was his best innings.”I was feeling tense beforehand as I had a couple of hiccups in theseries,” he admitted afterwards. “I decided before the innings,however, that I had to play my natural game and enjoy myself, which Idid not do in the first two Tests.”Tillakaratne’s last Test was in the inaugural Asian Test Championshipfinal against Pakistan in 1999. He was then axed as the selectorsadopted a bold youth policy after Sri Lanka’s poor showing in the 1999World Cup. Arjuna Ranatunga and Aravinda de Silva stayed, but RoshanMahanama’s and Tillakaratne’s careers look finished.Mahanama soon called it quits and went to play club cricket inAustralia, where he started to write his autobiography, aptly named”Retired Hurt.” Tillakaratne, however, never gave up hope of playingfor his country again.At first he seethed with frustration and anger, which eventually ledto him verbally abusing Sidath Wettimuny, the Chairman of Selectors atthe time when he had been given the boot, in the Nondescripts CricketClub car park.”I wasn’t ready to retire like Roshan (Mahanama) so after the angerdied down I concentrated on getting back my place,” he said.He did just that and by sheer weight of runs in domestic cricket heforced his way back into the squad, as Sri Lanka searched for anexperienced player to give the middle order greater stability inabsence of Arjuna Ranatunga and Aravinda de Silva.”I don’t have to prove a point to anyone,” he said defiantly today.”It’s just that I had to prove to myself that I still can play in thehighest level.””I hope this hundred will help to continue my career.””Everyone was right behind me and was very supportive,” he said. “Thecredit should go the players.”Coach Dav Whatmore paid tribute afterwards: “He came back after twoyears without much success in the first two Tests. He was under realpressure today and must have been losing sleep last night.””It was a great relief for him and the team when he bounced back todaywith a hundred,” said Whatmore. “We were looking for a player tosolidify the middle order and he did just that. He worked andconcentrated really hard out there today.”

Pakistan’s Shahid Afridi upstaged Australia’s Mike Hussey as Leicestershire mounted an entertaining reply to Northamptonshire’s 469 all out in the Division One tussle at Wantage Road.Hussey dominated for the home side, stroking 34 fours in his superb 232 – a new Northants record against the old local rivals, eclipsing the 210 made by Dennis Brookes at Grace Road in 1947.But Afridi – who burst on the world scene with a whirwind 37-ball century off Sri Lanka’s bowlers in a limited overs international nearly five years ago – responded by blasting the fastest hundred of the season to boost his side to 278-3 from 63 overs at the close.Afridi’s magnificent career-best 164 from 121 deliveries – featuring six sixes and 22 fours – gave a good-sized Friday crowd plenty to enjoy in the sunshine. He made it to three figures off just 74 balls and shared an opening stand of 233 in 43 overs with Iain Sutcliffe (64).Northants off-spinner Jason Brown experienced the ups and downs of cricket during the day. He notched 35 not out batting at number eleven, easily the best score of his career, but then had 20 runs hit off his opening over by Afridi, including two sixes in three balls.Graeme Swann eventually made the breakthrough, removing both Afridi and Sutcliffe, and Brown accounted for Trevor Ward cheaply, held at forward short leg, to keep Northants in contention with Leicestershire still needing a further 42 to avoid the follow-on.