Buchanan thrills father with Bulls selection

Michael Buchanan made a mark during last season’s Twenty20 contest © Getty Images

John Buchanan’s son Michael is on the verge of a Queensland one-day debut after being named in the Ford Ranger Cup squad for the season-starting game against Tasmania at the Gabba on Wednesday. Buchanan, a batting allrounder who played in the Twenty20 competition last season, was the only new face in a squad missing Michael Kasprowicz with a worrying back injury and the Australian trio of Symonds, Watson and Johnson.Buchanan, 23, last night delivered the news to his father, who is with the Champions Trophy squad in India, and the Australian coach was “thrilled”. “He’s very happy at the moment,” Michael, who scored a century in a 2nd XI match against South Australia last week, said. “He’s been a very big influence, not just for cricket, but rugby as well.”While batting is Buchanan’s preferred discipline, he has been opening the bowling for his new club University while Kasprowicz has been injured and his versatility appealed to the Queensland selectors. Buchanan is not assured of a place in the final XI on Wednesday and will probably battle for a spot alongside Chris Simpson and Nathan Rimmington. Rimmington has also been named in the Pura Cup side for the game on Friday as a replacement for Kasprowicz.The squad announcement coincided with Terry Oliver signing a new two-year deal that will take him past Buchanan as Queensland’s longest-serving coach. Oliver has been in charge for the past four seasons and was behind the Pura Cup victory at the Gabba in March.”I’m not a big one for milestones so I wasn’t aware that I would go past Buck,” Oliver said. “It’s very pleasing in a way because Buck set the platform up for the coaches who have followed in Bennett King and myself.” Buchanan was coach between 1994 and 1999 while Oliver took over from King in 2002.Tasmania’s Michael Di Venuto and Adam Griffith have been passed fit for Wednesday’s game and the Pura Cup fixture after returning from county stints with minor injuries that forced them out of the squad’s pre-season tour. However, Tim Coyle, the coach, said both players will be “100 percent ready” to face the Bulls.Queensland FR Cup squad Jimmy Maher (capt), Matthew Hayden, James Hopes, Clinton Perren, Craig Philipson, Brendan Nash, Michael Buchanan, Chris Hartley (wk), Andy Bichel, Chris Simpson, Ashley Noffke, Nathan Rimmington.Tasmania FR Cup squad Daniel Marsh (capt), George Bailey, Michael Bevan, Travis Birt, Luke Butterworth, Michael Di Venuto, Xavier Doherty, Brendan Drew, Brett Geeves, Adam Griffith, Ben Hilfenhaus, Tim Paine (wk).Queensland Pura Cup squad Jimmy Maher (capt), Matthew Hayden, Martin Love, Clinton Perren, Lachlan Stevens, James Hopes, Chris Hartley (wk), Andy Bichel, Ashley Noffke, Daniel Doran, Nathan Rimmington, Brendan Nash.Tasmania Pura Cup squad Daniel Marsh (capt), George Bailey, Michael Bevan, Travis Birt, Luke Butterworth, Sean Clingeleffer (wk), Michael Di Venuto, Brendan Drew, Brett Geeves, Adam Griffith, Ben Hilfenhaus, Tim Paine.

Rudolph added to South Africa squad

Jacques Rudolph has been called up to the South African squad for the third one-day international against New Zealand in Port Elizabeth on Sunday. Dippenaar was ruled out of the remainder of the series, and the tour of India, with a wrist injury which will require surgery.South Africa used Andrew Puttick, the Cape Cobras left-hander, as an emergency replacement for the second match on Friday after Dippenaar was ruled out just before play began, but he was bowled for a fifth-ball duck by Shane Bond.Rudolph, 24, has played 39 ODIs and he led South Africa A on their tour of Sri Lanka in September. Haroon Lorgat, the convenor of selectors, said he was a natural replacement for Dippenaar. “Jacques had a good A tour of Sri Lanka and would have learnt much about taking responsibility through the captaincy experience on the sub-continent.”South Africa lead the five match series against New Zealand 2-0 following their 19-run win at Cape Town.

Morton's century in vain as Jamaica win

Scorecard
Runako Morton’s blazing century went in vain as Leeward Islands fell 20 runs short against Jamaica at Uitvlugt. Morton’s unbeaten 101 came in just 98 balls, including four fours and six sixes, and he led the fightback after Leewards were wobbling at 37 for 6. But Leewards fell in the final hurdle, with Daren Powell, Evon McInnis and Chris Gayle snapping up two wickets each.Xavier Marshall and Wavell Hinds came to the fore earlier in the day with both notching up impressive half-centuries. Marshall, 18, smacked 64 from just 77 balls, including six fours and three sixes. Carlton Baugh gave the innings a boost at the end as Jamaica finished with a competitive 245 at the end of their 50 overs.
Scorecard
Guyana began their one-day campaign on a winning note when they overcame Windward Islands by 34 runs at Hampton Court. Although they made just 172 when they batted first, Guyana managed to defend the total easily and bundled out Windward Islands for just 138.Narsingh Deonarine held the Guyanese innings together with 63, and his 71-run partnership with Damodar Daesrath helped to inch the total towards the 150 mark. The Windward Islands’ reply was rocked early on as the first five wickets fell for just 64. Junior Murray held the innings together with 45, but eight batsmen fell for single digits and Windwards ended up 34 runs short.

Manicaland get a good start in Harare

Manicaland enjoyed a good day against Mashonaland at Harare Sports Club,amassing a total of 397, although only three batsmen made significantcontributions. There was no time for the Mashonaland reply before theclose.Gus Mackay captained the Mashonaland team after the withdrawal of BrianMurphy, still not match-fit. With so many absentees, especially with thenational side in Sharjah, there were many changes and a long tail. Mackaywon the toss and put Manicaland in to bat on a pitch he expected to help theseamers a great deal, which did not prove to be the case.There was a little early movement and Mashonaland took two quick wickets.Manicaland lost debutant Dion de Beer (8) and Richie Sims (0) with only nineon the board, but as usual in Logan Cup cricket Neil Ferreira hung in withhis dogged style. He found an able partner in Guy Croxford, and the pairadded 135 together for the third wicket, with Croxford (80) the mainaggressor. He looked less confident against spin, though, and it wasoff-spinner Trevor Gripper who took his wicket for 80.Gary Brent proved an able replacement, though, and finally his real battingtalent came to life. He and Ferreira added 158 for the fourth wicket beforeFerreira finally fell for 120. This began a minor collapse, Manicalandsliding from the heights of 302 for three to 316 for seven. Alex Taylorsupported Brent while the latter reached his maiden first-class century,punishing the wayward bowling with due discretion, but the second new ballaccounted for both of them.The innings closed for 397, with Mackay taking three for 57. He did notbowl particularly well, especially in his opening spell, but took threevital wickets in the middle order. Amos Maungwa took two for 33 in 14overs, the most economical of the Mashonaland bowlers thanks to hisconsistent line and length. Gripper took three for 83 in 24 overs, the mostused of the bowlers.

Durham grateful for Daley's vigil against promotion hopefuls Sussex

Second division leaders Sussex strengthened their promotion challenge by reducing Durham to 254-9 on the first day at Hove.Although there was some early movement to assist the seamers, a green-tinged pitch was good for batting.But if it hadn’t been for Jimmy Daley’s unbeaten 89 Durham would have been bowled out cheaply.Daley came in after James Kirtley had removed openers Gary Pratt and Jon Lewis in successive overs and batted for five and three-quarter hours.He put on 76 in 29 overs with Martin Love and then, after Durham had slumped from 99-2 to 112-5 in seven overs in mid-afternoon, effected another recovery with Andrew Pratt with whom he put on 57 in 24 overs.Kirtley took four wickets, returning after lunch to bowl former Sussex all-rounder Danny Law as Durham’s middle order subsided alarmingly.Love had made 45 when he was caught at square leg off a top edge trying to pull Jason Lewry and Nicky Peng suffered a second ball duck after edging Mark Robinson to slip.Off-spinner Mark Davis ended Pratt’s resistance after tea when he had him lbw offering no shot and Sussex skipper Chris Adams, who took 4-28 at the Riverside last month, then got in on the act with wickets in successive overs.Graeme Bridge was caught and bowled off a full-blooded drive and James Brinkley wafted a tame catch down the leg side.Kirtley returned to the attack late on to have Steve Harmison caught behind, but Nicky Hatch kept Daley company until the close.

Ireland score consolation win

ScorecardIreland’s slow bowlers squeezed the life out of Windward Islands’ chase to secure a 64-run victory in a low-scoring contest at Queen’s Park Oval. George Dockrell, Andy McBrine and Paul Stirling bowled 22 overs of spin, out of the 35 Ireland needed to dismiss their opponents, and took 4 for 50.Only one Windward batsman – opener Tyrone Theophile – made it past 20 in the chase of 179 and they collapsed from 86 for 4 to 115 all out. Dockrell finished with 3 for 14 in seven overs.Ireland had also found it hard after choosing to bat. They lost wickets at regular intervals and, though their batsmen from Nos. 2 to 8 made it into double figures, Niall O’Brien (44) and Stuart Thompson (32) were the only ones to get past 20. They were able to convert a score of 98 for 5 to 179 in 48.3 overs. Delorn Johnson claimed 3 for 25 for Windward Islands.

Pakistan raise all-round game in easy win

Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were out

Shoaib Malik put on a 101-run stand off 55 balls with Younis Khan after Pakistan were in trouble at 33 for 3 © Getty Images

Magnificent half-centuries from Shoaib Malik, the captain, and Younis Khanpropelled Pakistan to a formidable total and a miserly three-wicket spellfrom Shahid Afridi then choked the life out of the Sri Lankan chase asthey romped to a facile 33-run victory at the Wanderers. Sri Lanka hadstarted superbly, with Dilhara Fernando producing an impeccable spell of 2for 17, but their subsequent nightmare was best summed up by the plight ofthe legendary Sanath Jayasuriya, pummelled for 64 in his four overs andthen knocked over for just five.Malik and Younis added 101 at a tremendous clip after Pakistan werestruggling at 33 for 3. Once again, they gotno sort of start, with Salman Butt and Imran Nazir failing to make animpression yet again. Nazir pulled Fernando for a six behind square, butwas utterly clueless about a slower ball from Chaminda Vaas that he gentlybunted to cover.Butt got another start, but was cleaned up by a tremendous delivery fromFernando that was timed at 144.5 km/hr. And after Mohammad Hafeez had comein and clipped Vaas for two fours, Fernando delivered another scorcher, ayorker that crashed into leg stump at searing pace.But with Vaas bowling out and Fernando taken out of the attack after threesuperb overs, the pressure eased. Younis got going with a pull for fouroff Lasith Malinga, and Malik greeted Jayasuriya’s entrance with a hugeswipe that just cleared the man at long-on. Even then, Pakistan hadreached just 69 at the halfway stage, scarcely the sort of total thatwould have given Mahela Jayawardene too many headaches.It started to unravel for the Lankans after that though, with GayanWijekoon and Jayasuriya repeatedly lofted through or over midwicket as therun-rate mounted alarmingly. Younis struck a couple of meaty sixes overmidwicket on his way to a 32-ball 50, and Malik followed suit in just 27deliveries courtesy some scorching strokes down the ground and through theleg side.Both men departed lofting Malinga into the deep, but there was still timefor a 17-run cameo from Afridi, and a crisp contribution fromMisbah-ul-Haq, who followed up his splendid knock against India will twomighty sixes in Jayasuriya’s final over.Sri Lanka’s pursuit of 190 started in disastrous fashion, with UpulTharanga top-edging Mohammad Asif to third man before he’d opened hisaccount, and there was further drama in the opening over when a Jayasuriyamiscue was dropped by Sohail Tanvir at short fine leg.Tanvir redeemed himself in the best possible fashion though, yorkingJaysuriya with his very first delivery. That left Kumar Sangakkara andJayawardene to rebuild the innings, and Sangakkara set about it with amagnificent six over backward point off Asif. His defiance didn’t lastthough, and an unfortunate dismissal – bowled off the arm while going forthe pull – really appeared to have put the skids on Sri Lanka.

Not much went right for Sanath Jayasuriya as he was cleaned up for 5 after giving away 64 off his four overs earlier © AFP

But after Jayawardene clipped Tanvir for a beautiful six over square leg,Chamara Silva concentrated his energy on Asif’s final over. A pull and acut started it, and when Asif bowled a no-ball, the free hit was hookedfor six over fine leg. With Shoaib Malik watching frustrated, Asif wasrather harshly called for another no-ball. This time, Jayawardene edgedthe free hit for four as 22 came from the over.Chamara Silva greeted Mohammad Hafeez with a sweep for four, but it wassoon apparent that the slow bowlers would be Pakistan’s trump card. BothHafeez and Shahid Afridi gave next to nothing away, and the pressurefinally told when Jayawardene mowed an Afridi delivery to Umar Gul at deepmidwicket. He had made 28, adding 53 with Silva.Silva was the last hope, but after heaving and then deftly cutting Afridifor two fours to move to 38, he was flummoxed by a full delivery thatcrashed into the stumps. Jehan Mubarak and Gayan Wijekoon both failed totrouble the scorers, and the Pakistani tactic of saving Gul for the endwas amply justified as the match was efficiently closed out.Tillakaratne Dilshan took three sixes from the penultimate over bowled byHafeez, but that was of no more than nuisance value after an emphaticstatement of intent from Malik’s men. For Sri Lanka, it was a rude wake-upcall, and they will now most likely have to beat Australia to make thelast four.

Moody confident of better display in India

Tom Moody is not too concerned about reports which suggest he is one of the contenders to take over as Australia’s next coach © Getty Images

Tom Moody, the Sri Lankan coach, has said his focus lay was firmly on Sri Lankan cricket, and clarified that he had not given much thought to the news that he is one of the main candidates to take over as the next coach of the Australian team.”I haven’t been paying too much notice to it. It’s one of those things where there is always going to be speculation when vacancies in particular positions become available,” said Moody. “My name along with a number of other names has been thrown up. As far as I am concerned my main focus and concentration lies here with Sri Lanka. The Champions Trophy is the most important thing on my mind. I have had very little distraction with regards to that.”Mahela Jayawardene, the Sri Lanka captain, echoed Moody’s views: “As far as we know Tom has told us that he is not going anywhere. It has not become a point of discussion and it has hardly affected the team’s preparations.”Ever since Australian coach John Buchanan announced that he was quitting from his post at the end of the 2007 World Cup, the names of Moody, Greg Chappell and Tim Nielsen, the coach of the Australian Centre of Excellence, have been thrown up as the likely candidates.Looking ahead to the Champions Trophy, Moody expressed confidence that Sri Lanka would be around during the latter stages of the tournament. “At the beginning of any competition I go into, I feel confident,” he said. “What gives me the confidence is our thorough preparation, the improvement of the individuals in the team and improvement of the side in general. The team carries a lot more confidence away from home than they have done in the past. There confidence and self belief is quite evident away from home now.”Moody also stated that Sri Lanka were a completely different team to the one that lost in India 6-1 last year. “The team is different in mental, technical and physical state of mind than what they were 12 months ago. It’s not a huge issue if it is India or any other team we have to beat. We need to worry about our game and execute it as best as possible. The results will take care of themselves,” Moody said.”The conditions over there are a little bit different to what we face here in Sri Lanka. The wickets can be a little bit slower than here. From a bowling point of view it can be hard work. There is a smaller margin for error. Unless your line and length are absolutely right you can disappear over there. All our bowlers have discussed this and worked hard on it.”

'I have been vindicated' – Ganguly

Sourav Ganguly: ‘I don’t see any reason why we [Chappell and Ganguly] cannot work together’ © AFP

Sourav Ganguly, the Indian captain who has been accused by Greg Chappell of being unfit to lead the team in a sensational email to the Indian board, has said he has been vindicated as he had done nothing wrong.Ganguly and Chappell, involved in a public spat which has made headlines since the last few days, had both deposed before a six-member review committee of the board which had hammered out a compromise between the two in Mumbai on Tuesday.”In a way I feel I have been vindicated because I hadn’t done anything wrong,” Ganguly told , a Bangalore-based daily. “The review committee gave me a patient hearing and I put my point of view across to them. I think they were reasonably convinced with my replies and I am very happy the matter has been settled now … You could say I am happy and relieved in equal parts.”Asked whether it was possible for him and Chappell to work as a team, he said, “I don’t see any reason why we cannot. After all, both of us are interested in the welfare of the team and Indian cricket.”He added that there was lot of cricket ahead for the Indian team and it was necessary to forget the past and concentrate on the job at hand. “Whatever happened is in the past I am confident we can come together in the future and work well,” he said. “We have a lot of cricket ahead of us starting with the series against Sri Lanka next month. After a break for a couple of weeks it is time for the Challenger series. We need to do well because our record in one-day finals is not great.”Ganguly’s future as captain, ahead of the home series against Sri Lanka, is likely to be decided on October 13, when the national selection committee, headed by Kiran More, meet at Mohali, on the final day of the Challenger series. The Press Trust of India quoted a board source who said: “The committee is tentatively scheduled to meet on the 13th evening to choose the Indian skipper. The selectors would meet the next day [Oct 14] to select the rest of the team members.”India and Sri Lanka are scheduled to play a seven-match ODI series commencing at Nagpur on October 25. The senior selection panel is scheduled to meet on October 1 at Delhi to choose the captains and team members of the India Seniors and the India A and B squads for the October 10 to 13 Challenger limited-overs series that will be played under lights.More is also expected to talk to Sachin Tendulkar, still recuperating from his elbow surgery, about his availability for the tournament. According to board sources, More was in constant touch with Indian team physio John Gloster on the star player’s progress on the fitness front.

D'Oliveira honoured by South Africa

Basil D’Oliveira: honoured by South Africa© Getty Images

The former England allrounder, Basil D’Oliveira, will be honoured in the country of his birth when England tour South Africa for a five-Test series later this year.D’Oliveira, a Cape Coloured, was born and raised in South Africa, but was denied the chance to play for his country because of Apartheid. Now, however, 36 years after his selection for England’s Test series in South Africa led to the cancellation of the tour and ultimately the suspension of all sporting relations with South Africa, his name will be on the trophy for which the two sides will be competing.The inaugural Basil D’Oliveira Trophy will be presented at Centurion in January to the winners of the series, and will be contested in all subsequent England tours to South Africa. “The naming of this trophy after Basil D’Oliveira is to bring acknowledgement of his considerable contribution to cricket, at a time when he was not given the proper recognition in the country of his birth,” said Gerald Majola, the chief executive of the United Cricket Board of South Africa (UCBSA).Majola added that it was the UCBSA’s intention to empower and recognise those people who were excluded from official cricket during that era. “He will now be remembered every time South Africa and England meet in Test matches in South Africa, as will all those many cricketers who were made nameless through racial discrimination."It is the latest, and greatest, accolade that has so far been bestowed on D’Oliveira, who is now 72. At last year’s World Cup, he led the parade at the opening ceremony in Newlands, a ground that he was never allowed to play on in his time as a cricketer.In 1960, he left for England where he joined Worcestershire, and went on to play 44 Tests for England, averaging 40.06 with the bat, and taking 47 wickets at 39.55. By then, however, he was well into his thirties. What he might have achieved had he earned international recognition at a younger age, can only be imagined.In 1968, with the political clouds gathering ahead of England’s tour to South Africa, he was recalled for the final Ashes Test at The Oval, and scored 158, only to discover he had been omitted from the final party. There was a storm of protest at the decision, and when Tom Cartwright withdrew through injury, the selectors were obliged to turn to him. That was too much for the South African government, who refused to accept the team.The South African prime minister, John Vorster, denounced the selection as overtly political, and shortly afterwards the tour was cancelled, after which South Africa entered more than a quarter of a century of international sporting isolation.

Game
Register
Service
Bonus