National League Division OneEssex v Worcestershire at Colchester
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Essex scrambled to a thrilling two-wicket victory over the C&G finalists Worcestershire at Colchester, in a match that had been decimated by bad weather. Worcestershire, who batted first, were limited to just 25 overs, enough time to post a competitive 141 for 3, thanks to Anurag Singh’s 43, and an unbeaten 51-run partnership between Justin Kemp and Gareth Batty. Essex had barely begun their reply when the heavens opened again, and they were eventually left with 10 overs in which to score 83 runs. They did so with a solitary delivery to spare, and in effect a solitary wicket as well, after Darren Robinson had been stretchered off with a groin injury.National League Division TwoSussex 173 for 9 beat Scotland 191 for 9 by one wicket at Edinburgh (D/L)
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Scotland slumped to their 11th defeat of the season in the meeting of the bottom sides, but Sussex remain two points adrift of Scotland despite their one-wicket win. Sussex won the toss but squandered the advantage with some loose bowling as Scotland reached 105 for 2 thanks to a second-wicket stand of 85 between Ryan Watson (48) and Colin Smith (38). But Sussex found their line in the second half of the innings as Paul Hutchison (4 for 29) and Carl Hopkinson (3 for 19) settled into a groove. There was a anticlimactic farewell for Rahul Dravid who ended his spell with Scotland with a two-ball 1. Set a revised target of 170 from 31 overs, Sussex looked down and out when they were reduced to 69 for 6, but Hopkinson cracked 67 not out from 48 balls, guiding them to a dramatic win with a four off the last ball.

New Zealand 630 for 6 dec drew with India 424 and 136 for 4 (Laxman 67*, Chopra 52)
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New Zealand gave India a frightful scare on the morning of the final day. They played a session of magnificent cricket, but did not have enough firepower to go all the way and win. The only victories in this series were the moral ones that either side might claim. When play was called off late in the day, with India on 136 for 4, they were still 70 runs short of New Zealand’s first-innings total of 630 for 6. The post mortems will no doubt follow, there will be fallouts, and yet it was, for the best part, a series that will be forgotten in the wake of more spectacular matches.For Stephen Fleming, though, thoughts of entertainment were far from the top of his list of priorities. After putting India onto the back foot early in the game, he kept them there till the very end. New Zealand will take heart from the fact that they dictated terms to India through the course of this match, never more so than when Daryl Tuffey decided to take matters into his hands.India began the day 41 runs adrift of the follow-on and under pressure. VVS Laxman sealed one end with the kind of authoritative batting that has won him respect from opponents the world over. Anil Kumble was the most likely of the tail to hang around and help Laxman push the score on. That was the idea, anyway, until he set off for a single after driving Daniel Vettori to mid-on. Tuffey swooped on the ball and, while diving full-length, flicked a back-handed throw onto the stumps. A stupefied Kumble had to return to the pavilion (396 for 7). That one moment gave New Zealand the inspiration they needed – the belief that they could still make India follow on.Harbhajan Singh followed soon after, when Ian Butler deflected a Laxman straight-drive back into the stumps with Harbhajan well out of his ground. Tuffey then had L Balaji and Zaheer Khan caught behind in identical fashion off successive balls. The Indian innings had been ended by a brace of perfect deliveries, pitching just on the off stump and deviating enough to catch the edge. At 424 all out, India had fallen a tantalising seven runs short of saving the follow-on.When India came out to bat a second time, Tuffey (3 for 30) was once again the wrecker-in-chief. A sharp burst of seam bowling reduced India to 12 for 2 at lunch. Virender Sehwag, who pounded 130 in the first innings, had a big swat at a full delivery outside off and edged it to Fleming, one of the safest slip fielders in the business (6 for 1). Soon after, Rahul Dravid capped off a forgettable first Test as Indian captain when he too fell to the Tuffey-Fleming combination (12 for 2). Tuffey had taken an amazing 4 for 14 from 10 overs in the action-packed morning session. After just 12 wickets had fallen in the first four days, New Zealand had given India a right royal scare, taking six wickets in one session. The match was alive again.And soon after lunch, the balance swung in New Zealand’s favour when Tuffey removed Sachin Tendulkar (1) with a peach of a delivery. It pitched just short of a length on a line that Tendulkar had to play at, and darted back in to slip between bat and pad and rattle the stumps (18 for 3). New Zealand sensed that they were in the hunt.From then on, though, Laxman and Akash Chopra made sure that New Zealand were kept at bay. Laxman, who had ended the first innings unconquered with 104, picked up from where he left off. He saw off the dangerous Tuffey and settled in to combat the wiles of Vettori and Paul Wiseman. The two spinners wheeled in, sending down over after over, but were unable to breach his defences. Laxman found an able ally in Chopra, and pushed the score on to 128 before Wiseman struck.Chopra tried to work the ball to the on side, but edged it to short leg via the pad. He saw off 160 balls for his 52, and struck eight boundaries in the process. He was visibly disappointed, both with the fact that he had played a false shot and because he might have believed that he did not get a touch to the ball.In the end though, it did not matter. Laxman remained not out on 67, Yuvraj Singh faced 30 balls for five runs, and the game was drawn. New Zealand’s cause wasn’t helped by Butler missing the second session with a pulled muscle in his side, but Fleming will take plenty of comfort from the manner in which they dominated this game, and emphatically stymied any Indian hopes of revenge for the 2-0 loss in New Zealand last year.Anand Vasu is assistant editor of Wisden Cricinfo in India.

Mark Alleyne is to become Gloucestershire’s player-coach next season. Alleyne, who has captained the county to six one-day trophies since 1999, replaces John Bracewell, who left at the end of last season to coach New Zealand.Alleyne, 35, will continue to lead the one-day side, while a new captain for the Championship will be announced in the spring. “I am really excited about the challenges that I will face in this appointment,” he said. “I realise I will have lots of demands on me and will have to juggle the management requirements of a head coach with playing, but I am confident that I can do this.””We are all delighted that Mark is taking on this challenging role,” said Tom Richardson, the chief executive. “Following the departure of John Bracewell, we felt we had lost one half of the most successful cricket management team that the club has ever had and we feel now we can maximise the potential of the other part, namely Mark Alleyne.”Alleyne made his debut for Gloucestershire in 1986 and has scored over 14,000 first-class runs and taken 403 wickets. He also played in 10 one-day internationals for England between 1999 and 2000.

The Asian Cricket Council (ACC) has applauded the resumption of ties between India and Pakistan, insisting it will serve the game globally.With an India team taking part in the Asian Under-19 Championship in Pakistan, Syed Ashraful Huq, ACC’s chief executive, said: “It is a heartening sign that the deadlock is finally broken and both countries are now willing to play cricket at all levels which will ultimately serve the cause of cricket.”The ACC is delighted that the respective governments of both the countries have finally realised to resume cricket relations and the ice has been broken with the visit of the Indian junior team."Huq added, “As a body we can organise and promote cricket and can extend support to our affiliate members countries, but we cannot direct or influence any country to play cricket with another country.”Huq also revealed that the ACC received a grant of US$6.5 million from the ICC every two years which was used to promote the game in 16 member countries. He said: “A few countries, including Nepal, Malaysia, Hong Kong, and Singapore, have made tremendous progress in cricket and they are now knocking at the doors of one-day international cricket which is due to the hard work of ACC.”

Close England 163 for 4 (Vaughan 52) trail Sri Lanka 382 (Dilshan 63, Fernando 51*, Giles 5-116) by 219 runs
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Sri Lanka moved into a dominating position on the second day of the Kandy Test, finishing with a lead of 219. After Sri Lanka’s tail again wagged to great effect, adding 112 for the last three wickets to reach a total of 382, England wasted a rollicking start by the openers to falter to 163 for 4 by the close.England are still in the game, thanks partly to a brave stand between Graham Thorpe and Paul Collingwood towards the end of the day. However, the news that the Sri Lanka team management have allegedly filed an official complaint to Clive Lloyd, the match referee, after Nasser Hussain called Muttiah Muralitharan a cheat and a chucker won’t have done their camp any favours.Quick wickets were the order of the day for England when play started, and their prospects were looking up when Andrew Flintoff broke through with his 12th ball of the morning. Bowling with great pace and hostility, Flintoff surprised Hashan Tillakaratne with his extra bounce, and Mark Butcher took a well-judged catch just inside the fine-leg boundary. Sri Lanka had added just one run to their overnight score at this stage, and with James Kirtley zipping the ball every which way, England had hopes of a quick finish to the innings.But they had reckoned without Dinusha Fernando and Kumar Dharmasena, who added 76 for the ninth wicket. Fernando batted with great style and composure, playing a succession of sweetly timed drives and pulls. Dharmasena, meanwhile, provided important ballast to the innings, playing more carefully in his watchful knock. Ashley Giles had three good shouts for lbw turned down as the umpiring continued to raise eyebrows, but the real issue was England’s inability to blow away Sri Lanka’s tail – yet again. Their four bowlers did well on the first day, but Vaughan’s lack of options were starting to tell.Giles finally broke the frustrating partnership soon after lunch with the scalp of Dharmasena, who was trapped in front heaving across the line (354 for 9). But England’s agony didn’t end there. Murali provided his usual end-of-innings entertainment, twice swatting Kirtley through midwicket for four, and Fernando then signalled brought up his half-century with a confident swing of the bat over extra cover.Murali flicked Giles for a straight six, and it seemed that even the umpires wanted him to continue his torment of the England attack. He gave himself room to cut Giles, and although the ball clipped the top of off stump, Aleem Dar initially gave him not out, presumably thinking that Chris Read had knocked off the bail with his glove. However, after a slight delay and some badgering by Vaughan, the umpires consulted the third umpire, who correctly gave Murali out.Vaughan and Trescothick rushed to the pavilion to put the pads eager to make up for lost time, and they made a blistering start. While Chaminda Vaas was his usual steady self, Fernando was all over the shop. Perhaps he was feeling the effects of his batting heroics, but he produced a mixture of no-balls and long-hops. He overstepped three times in one over, and was also smashed to the rope three times by Trescothick.Vaughan stroked a brace of elegant drives past extra cover as the run rate raced to over five an over, and the fifty partnership was posted off only 55 balls. Vaughan cracked two successive short ones from Vaas to the square-leg boundary, and even clubbed Murali past midwicket for his sixth four. But you can’t keep Murali down, and in the final over before tea he dented England’s progress. Trescothick propped forward and got an inside edge which flew via the pad to Tillakaratne Dilshan at short leg (89 for 1).That dismissal then started a slide of four wickets for 30 runs to put England firmly on the back foot. Butcher got off the mark with a cracking four past long-on – but that was as good as it got. He came down the track to Dharmasena, was beaten by the turn and easily stumped by Sangakkara (100 for 2).Vaughan notched up his half-century with a crunching sweep, but Murali got his revenge in the next over. He sent down a peach of a doosra which caught Vaughan’s outside edge and was well taken by Mahela Jayawardene at first slip via Sangakkara’s glove (119 for 3).

Hussain usually thrives in these backs-to-the-wall situations, but he wasn’t up to the task today. Instead, he was more interested in mouthing off Murali. Like Butcher, Hussain opened his innings with a four, but he was then trapped lbw for no further score. Vaas pitched one on a good length which straightened a fraction and caught him in front of off stump (119 for 4).England were on the brink of disaster, and in danger of throwing away all of yesterday’s hard work, but Thorpe and Collingwood – the master nudger and his apprentice – prevented a landslide with a steady 44-run stand. As usual, there were no frills, just ones and twos and the odd boundary. It was just what England needed to calm the nerves.The clouds slowly rolled over the ground and seeped a steady stream of drizzle, but it wasn’t hard enough to let England leave early and regroup. Collingwood and Thorpe certainly saved a tricky situation, but there is still plenty for them to do tomorrow.

Michael Slater still harbours hopes of a recall to the Australian side, but at the moment he has a far more serious battle on his hands.While Australia prepare to take on India in the Boxing Day Test at the MCG, Slater is laid up in Sydney’s North Shore Private Hospital, battling a mystery illness which has left him unable to walk unaided.Unbeknown to most people, Slater has suffered from Ankylosing Spondylitis – the same degenerative spinal condition which affects Michael Atherton – throughout his career, and on December 7 he was admitted to hospital with what was thought to be a recurrence of that ailment. At the time, his ankles were so swollen he was unable to walk.But after undergoing extensive tests, doctors said that he was suffering from an unknown virus, and he will be discharged in time for Christmas but far from back to normal.”Best case – he could be OK to play in the latter part of the season,” said Greg Daniel, New South Wales’ cricket mamager. “Worst case – it could be the middle of the year before he’s fit enough again to play interstate cricket, so nobody really wants to make a call on it [his future] because it’s probably too early to know how it will pan out.”He’s not at the stage of contemplating retirement or being out of the game,” Daniel added. “He’s got a belief he will beat it and get back to playing for NSW.””Anything that stops you from playing can prove to be career-threatening, as I found when I was dropped in England two years ago,” Slater said recently. “If you’re out of the side, you’re giving someone else an opportunity. But I’m very optimistic. I’ve been in this situation before and I’m confident I’ll get back on top of it and be back to peak fitness shortly.”

Inspired by an unbeaten double century by Sherwin Campbell, Barbados bowled out Leeward Islands for 161 to take the first-innings points and ensure that they would win the Carib Beer Cup, regardless of the outcome of the other matches. Barbados clinched the trophy for the 19th time, while elsewhere Kenya found the going tough against the Windward Islands.
Points tableLeeward Islands 161 and 76 for 2 trail Barbados 432 (Campbell 211*, Hinds 49) by 195 runs
ScorecardBarbados clinched the Carib Beer Cup when they bowled out Leeward Islands for 161 to take the first-innings lead, and the points that go with it. Sherwin Campbell scored 211, and towered over his team-mates, not one of whom could tally over 49. Leeward Islands could only muster 161 in reply as Sulieman Benn and Ian Bradshaw tore through the batting to share seven wickets. Following on, the batsmen weathered early storms – caused by Bradshaw – and ended the day on 76 for 2, still 161 runs away from making Barbados bat again.Windward Islands 281 for 0 (Smith 169*, Currency 92*) lead Kenya 152 (Thomas 8-28) by 129 runs
ScorecardDevon Smith and Romel Currency bullied Kenya into submission with a 281-run opening partnership that set Windward Islands on course for victory. Smith scored 169, with the more sedate Currency unbeaten on 92 at the end of the day. Nothing the bowlers tried worked, but the batsmen gave them respect, and did not savage any bowler in particular. They made batting look easy on a pitch where Kenya had performed abysmally on the opening day.Kenya threatened to make a game of it when their openers put on 50 for the first wicket, with Kennedy Otieno and Ravindu Shah providing a platform to launch from, before Fernix Thomas struck. In 19 overs of pure mayhem, Thomas removed the top six, and took two more to end with 8 for 28. Kenya’s innings was terminated at 152, and the only other resistance shown was a 51-run fourth-wicket partnership between Hitesh Modi and Maurice Odumbe. Towards the end, Collins Obuya managed 23, but Thomas claimed him too.Trinidad and Tobago 229 (Kanhai 111, Ganga 64) and 76 for 1 lead Jamaica 147 by 158 runs
ScorecardTrinidad and Tobago, put in to bat by Jamaica, found the going tough on a difficult pitch and struggled to 22 for 3 before a 144-run partnership between Sherwin Ganga (64) and Aneil Kanhai hauled them out of trouble. David Bernard, who took three wickets, then dismissed Ganga and started a procession that would end the innings at 229. Kanhai, however, stood his ground and remained unaffected by the fall of wickets, playing an innings of 111 that gave the score respectability, and more importantly, give the team a chance for victory.Things went to script when Jamaica lost all 10 wickets in the space of 107 runs, to be all out for 147. Amit Jaggernauth and Reyad Emrit picked up six wickets, and only Andrew Richardson (31*), Brenton Parchment (32), and David Bernard (24) could resist. Trinidad then came back to bat and lost only one wicket in the 34 overs they faced. At the end of the second day, Darren and Sherwin Ganga were on 39 and 26 respectively, with Trinidad leading by 158.West Indies B 96 for 2 (Haynes 40*) trail Guyana 419 (Sarwan 95, Dowlin 94, Nagamootoo 58, Daesrath 56) by 323 runs
ScorecardWhen Guyana lost their first two wickets for next to nothing, it seemed the team would remain at the bottom of the table. But Ramnaresh Sarwan and Travis Dowlin struck nineties, and Narsingh Deonarine followed up their knocks with 35. Then Damodar Daesrath and Vishal Nagamootoo scored fifties, and took Guyana to 419. Jason Bennett was the main bowler for West Indies B, with a haul of 4 for 83 in 27 overs. And at the end of the day, his team were 96 for 2, with Hayes batting on 40.

Windward Islands 121 for 4 (Smith 51; Perry 2-29) trail Jamaica 338 (Bernard 120; Butler 3-78) by 217 runs
ScorecardJamaica took charge of their Carib Beer Cup semi-final against the Windward Islands at Alpart, thanks to a superb century from David Bernard, and two quick wickets from Nehemiah Perry. At the close of play on the second day, the Windward Islands were 121 for 4, still 217 behind Jamaica’s score of 338.Devon Smith made 51 before becoming one of Perry’s victims, and the Windwards would have to rely on the lower order to have any chance of taking a first innings lead. When Smith, who has four centuries in the series, was at the crease, with Craig Emmanuel (28) also batting well, the Windward Islands appeared to be in with a shout, reaching 85 for 1 before Perry struck.Smith had just got to his half-century when he drove powerfully at Perry, only to see Tamar Lambert take a magnificent diving catch at short extra-cover.Moments later, Kenroy Martin popped back and return catch to Perry, and it became 86 for 4 when Bernard trapped Emmanuel leg before with one that moved back in sharply.Earlier, Jamaica had added 123 to their overnight score of 215 for 6, with Odean Brown (32), Perry (27) and Daren Powell (24) buttressing Bernard’s fine 120. It was Bernard’s second first-class century, after his 109 against Guyana at Albion last year.

Victoria 494 and 2 for 194 dec (Elliott 102*,Moss 79*) beat Tasmania 7 for 249 decl (Dighton 50,Warne 2-49) and 221 (Dighton 54, Warne 4-51) by 218 runs
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Victoria beat Tasmania by 218 runs in their Pura Cup match at the MCG today. Victoria needed only three overs after tea to take the last three wickets and dismiss Tasmania for 221. Shane Warne had Xavier Doherty stumped for 2 to end the game and he finished the second innings with figures of 4 for 51.Warne took six wickets in the match and is expected to be named tomorrow for the Tests against Sri Lanka. Michael Dighton top-scored for Tasmania with a breezy 54 from 41 balls before he was stumped off Warne.Tasmania were set a near impossible victory target of 440 from 75 overs and were never in the hunt throughout the last innings. Daniel Marsh was the only other batsman who passed 30 and enlivened the innings with an energetic 48. His innings included eight fours and a six.Victoria declared their second innings before lunch at 2 for 194, with Matthew Elliott and Jon Moss unbeaten on 102 and 79 respectively. Elliott top scored in the first innings with 166 and became the first Victorian batsman to score six Pura Cup centuries in a season. Elliott is also only 235 runs away for the most runs scored by a Victorian in a season.

Gauteng have called into question the spirit of cricket by choosing to field a second-string side for their first-class SuperSport Series game against Easterns, while sending their first team off to Potchefstroom to prepare for the forthcoming Pro20 series. It is a major snub, not only to the opposition and South Africa’s United Cricket Board, but also to their own fans and sponsors.The decision also has serious ramifications for the Shield table. At the start of the match, Easterns had an almost unassailable lead at the top of the table, while Gauteng were cut adrift at the bottom. The decision to field such a weak side, with four players making their first-class debuts, has effectively wrecked any hopes second-placed Boland might have had of taking the title.”It is not an ideal situation,” said a UCB spokesman. “We are not happy with it, but there is nothing in the laws or rules that says we can tell them who to pick.”But Ray Jennings, Easterns’ coach, was less conciliatory. “To what depth have the values and principles of the game fallen?” he asked. “In my long career I have never seen something like this happen. A team placing practice ahead of a committed first-class fixture just does not make any sense.”Gauteng’s coach, Jimmy Cook, was initially opposed to the move as well, but with the new franchise system coming into effect from April 1, he discovered his hands were tied, and says the team playing at Benoni is “the best available”. The senior players are already contracted to the newly created Highveld Strikers team – a ludicrous situation, given that the current South African first-class season hasn’t ended yet.If Gauteng had been in the running for the SuperSport Shield, one suspects an alternative solution might have been found.