Nathan Bracken (3 for 25) and Brad Williams (4 for 22), grateful to have first use of the conditions, destroyed New Zealand’s top order with a display of controlled swing and seam bowling.For Bracken it was simply a case of going back to the basics. He kept the ball on the stumps and on a good length. Of his 54 deliveries, just 4 were short of a length, and none rank long hops. When he did err on length, it was on the fuller side. But with length, you need line. And Bracken seldom bowled too straight. He landed 42 of his 54 balls on or outside the off stump and did not once bowl down the leg side.

A big reason for this was the fact that he was bringing the ball in to the batsmen, and it would be safer to push the ball wider and bring it in, rather than land on the stumps and slip down the leg side. Of his complement, as many as 34 deliveries moved in the air, leaving just 12 straight balls.Williams, blessed with more pace but less swing, kept the ball shorter than Bracken, giving the batsmen nothing to drive at. Of his 59 balls, only one was really full, a yorker. Williams’s outside-the-off line was also a factor. He delivered 49 balls outside off. Where Bracken was swing, Williams was seam. Almost half his deliveries (26) moved off the wicket.

On the day, it was simply a case of two bowlers doing what they each did best, exploiting favourable conditions to the fullest.

Steve Bucknor has rejected criticism of his umpiring during the first Test between Australia and India at Brisbane, especially his controversial leg-before decision against Sachin Tendulkar in India’s first innings.And Bucknor, long regarded as one of the best umpires in the world, dismissed suggestions that his form was on the wane. “Just recently I was umpiring the World Cup final so I don’t understand what is happening, but at the moment I am pretty comfortable with my form,” he told the Australian Associated Press. “The criticism doesn’t bother me. Mistakes are going to be made. I know that. Everyone makes mistakes including myself.”The plethora of television replays indicated the ball which trapped Tendulkar would have sailed over the top of the stumps. But Bucknor delivered his verdict – described by the media in terms such as “a disgrace” and “an insult” – after his customary long deliberation.”I give myself enough time to think about my decision, to replay just about everything about that delivery, and by so doing I should in the end be able to make that [correct] decision,” he explained. While refusing to discuss the Tendulkar decision itself, he added, “Sometimes it doesn’t go that way … it’s not because my brain is working slowly. Once the hit is made I have a fair idea of what my decision is, it’s a matter of seeing whether something else could have happened.”Although the Tendulkar dismissal was the one which grabbed the headlines, Bucknor was also criticised for other decisions during the match. He gave Australia’s batsmen the benefit of the doubt on three well-justified appeals, and also appeared to mistakenly reprieve Akash Chopra for what looked like a good bat-pad catch shortly after Tendulkar’s wicket.

The war of words over the pricing of tickets for the forthcoming West Indies-England series is warming up, and now a group of disgruntled England supporters have launched a website aimed at becoming a focal point for protests.The website (www.wishame.org) is still in embryonic form, but the organisers claim that the full version will be up and running within the next week or so.One plan mooted by the organisers is the staging of a silent protest during the third Test in Barbados, and they are considering printing special banners for spectators to hold up expressing their disgust at the special ticket tax.The organisers have written to both the West Indies board (WICB) and the England & Wales Cricket Board. In a letter to the WICB, they complain that “England supporters are being milked in an extraordinarily partisan manner”. The letters adds that “it is particularly offensive that the levy was introduced long after most bookings for Caribbean holidays had already been made.”

The South African Test cricketers, Nantie Hayward and Lance Klusener, have signed for Middlesex for the forthcoming season.Hayward, who is one of the fastest bowlers in the world, had been on Worcestershire’s books last season, but was released from a second year of his contract because he couldn’t confirm his availability. He will be joining for the entire season.Meanwhile Klusener, who recently made a successful comeback to South Africa’s one-day team after a year-long dispute with the South African board, will be available between May and July because of international commitments and the inaugural South African Twenty20 competition, at which he is sure to excel.”We have obtained two proven world-class performers," said Middlesex’s coach, John Emburey, "and they will both be significant additions to our already talented squad.” Middlesex’s secretary, Vinny Codrington, was equally pleased at the news. “We’re thrilled. They’re a fantastic addition,” he told BBC Sport. “We’re looking to both of them to lead our young guys forward.”Klusener played for Nottinghamshire in 2002, but it is Hayward’s decision to move on from Worcestershire that will raise eyebrows, after helping them to promotion last season. “Worcestershire were frustrated that Nantie hadn’t confirmed his availability so they decided to pursue other options,” said his agent David Ligertwood. “When they heard he was available, Middlesex were very excited and jumped at the opportunity.”Middlesex’s overseas players last season were the Australian seamer Ashley Noffke, and Anil Kumble. But Noffke was ruled out with a back problem, while Kumble failed to gain clearance from the Indian cricket board.

Australia’s injury worries have intensified, with the news that Michael Bevan has fractured a rib and will miss the remainder of the VB Series, including the best-of-three finals against India which start on February 6. Mike Hussey, who has captained Australia A in the past but has never got a break in the national side, has been named as his replacement.Bevan sustained the injury in the nets earlier this week, although it did not prevent him from playing against Zimbabwe at the MCG on Thursday, where he even top-scored with a run-a-ball 56. But the pain intensified during the course of his innings, and he is now likely to be sidelined for up to six weeks.”I just got hit under the ribs,” explained Bevan. “I felt it became a little bit worse halfway through my innings on Thursday.” With Australia due to depart for Sri Lanka for a five-match one-day series straight after the VB Series finals, Bevan faces a race for fitness.Commenting on Hussey, Trevor Hohns, the chief selector, said: "Michael Hussey has been knocking on the selection door for some time and we believe he deserved this opportunity. His form as one of the ING Cup’s leading run-scorers this summer has been excellent and it is clear that he has played a big part in the Warriors’ strong limited-over performances to date."Meanwhile, Ricky Ponting will be rested for Australia’s final group game against India, so that he is ready for the finals. The captaincy will pass to Adam Gilchrist, who has been rested for the past two matches, and Simon Katich will take his place in the squad.

Group C
Scorecard

India eased past Bangladesh by 131 runs at Dhaka to finish top of Group C and ensure their path to the Super League.After being asked to bat first, India wasted no time in piling on the runs. The opening pair of Robin Uthappa and Shikhar Dhawan made a perfect start, posting the hundred partnership in quick time with a brace of boundaries.Uthappa was eventually out for 59, having put on 135 with Dhawan, who continued his procession. He put on valuable partnerships with the rest of the middle order before he was eventually out for an impressive 120 in the penultimate over.Bangladesh’s reply never threatened India’s daunting 309 for 7. Ahmed did his best to keep the bowlers at bay with a quickfire 44 from 29 balls, including nine boundaries, but Praveen Gupta and Abhishek Sharma, who took three wickets each, ran their way through the top and middle order as Bangladesh were all out for 178.Richard McInnes, the Bangladesh coach, said he believed his players would learn from the experience of playing a strong India side. “The occasion overwhelmed the team,” he said. “There were enormous pressures created by expectations on them. However, the team is still learning. This experience will be useful to them. They will get used to playing under pressure, noise and high quality opposition.”The bowling was more disciplined today. Not many extras were conceded. They just came up against a powerful batting line-up that performed well today.”Robin Singh, India’s coach, refused to get carried away with a third consecutive victory. “There can never be a perfect day, performances can always improve and today the batsmen could have performed better,” said Singh. “Each match will be treated just like any other game as thinking too much creates unnecessary pressures. This undermines the performance of the team. We must just ensure that the team plays well consistently.”

New Zealand A 14 for 0 trail Sri Lanka A 276 (Daniel 124) by 262 runs
ScorecardIan Daniel gave Sri Lanka A a real cheer with a stroke-filled century that took his team to 276 on the first day of their five-day match against New Zealand A at Lincoln. At the end of the day, New Zealand A had negotiated seven overs safely and put 14 runs up on the board.On a day when most batsmen got starts, only Daniel went on to build a significant innings, while his team-mates played around him and constructed small partnerships. His 124 came off 222 balls with 25 fours, and he was the rock-like presence while wickets fell around him. Sri Lanka A began poorly, and found themselves at 124 for 4, with the captain, Naveed Nawaz, back in the pavilion. Thilina Kandamby then hung around, and made merry in his brief stay at the crease, scoring 34 in 45 balls before becoming the first of Paul Wiseman’s three victims. Together, the two put on 69 runs, but after Kandamby’s knock, the fight went out of the innings, and soon they were all out for 276.

ScorecardNamibia ended an action-packed opening day of their match against Uganda at Windhoek on just about level terms. After they were bowled out for only 165, Namibia struck back with four wickets as Uganda closed on 91 for 4.Deon Kotze won the toss and chose to bat, but Namibia were in trouble straight away when D Keulder was caught off K Kamyaka for a duck. The wickets continued to tumble, as four of Uganda’s bowlers chipped in with two scalps apiece. Only K Walters, at No. 3, managed to get into the 20s, scoring 25 before he was caught off Kamyaka, as Namibia folded in 67.1 overs.Uganda then made a brisk start to their innings, as M Naiko and B Musolo put on 61 for the opening wicket. However, after they were both accounted for by the Burgers, Kotze chipped in with two more wickets to take the total tally to 14 in one day. Uganda trail by 74 runs.

Ramnaresh Sarwan will lead West Indies in their forthcoming one-day series against Bangladesh. Brian Lara, who is nursing a finger injury, has been rested for the first two matches of the three-match series as a precautionary measure.Lara’s finger was first injured in March in the first Test against England at the Sabina Park. He then missed the first one-dayer against England and then came back into the side, only to be hit on the same finger in the final match.Sarwan, who has led the team in Lara’s absence before, takes over the captaincy for the first two matches. There is a recall for Devon Smith, while Mervyn Dillon and Corey Collymore miss out.This is Bangladesh’s first full tour of West Indies, and they kick off with a match against a West Indies Cricket Board XI. Following this they play three one-dayers and two Tests.Teams
West Indies (from): Chris Gayle, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Ricardo Powell, Ramnaresh Sarwan (capt), Devon Smith, Dwayne Smith, Sylvester Joseph, Dwayne Bravo, Ridley Jacobs (wk), Ian Bradshaw, Tino Best, Fidel Edwards, Ravi Rampaul.Bangladesh (from): Rajin Saleh, Hannan Sarkar, Habibul Bashar (capt), Shahariar Hossain, Mohammad Ashraful, Alok Kapali, Mushfiqur Rahman, Khaled Mahmud, Khaled Mashud (wk), Mohammad Rafique, Manjural Islam Rana, Faisal Hossain, Tapash Baisya, Tareq Aziz, Abdur Razzaq.WICB XI Wavell Hinds, Kurt Wilkinson, Sylvester Joseph, Lendl Simmons, Ryan Hinds, Denesh Ramdin (capt), Austin Richards, Carlton Baugh (wk), David Bernard, Pedro Collins, Jermaine Lawson, Dwight Washington.

Jagmohan Dalmiya has ruled out the chance of a one-day series with Pakistan later this year, and has said that the BCCI is struggling to sort out its existing schedule.”We are hard-pressed to sort out our own commitments this year,” Dalmiya said, according to a report in The Times of India. He was referring to scheduling conflicts with the South African board for the upcoming tour in November.The BCCI has found itself in a muddle as it has a window of only a month to host the tour for the South Africans, which, if reciprocal, would consist of three Tests and seven one-dayers – 22 playing days. The South African board has been reluctant to delay their departure from India, as they play England at home soon after, and have also expressed their unhappiness at the Indian board’s attitude towards the tour.But Dalmiya said that the BCCI officials were working to break the impasse, and suggested splitting the tour into two parts. “We have only the month of November available later this year and only a Test series could be squeezed in. The one-dayers could be played later.”