After watching a close encounter between South Africa and West Indies on Sunday night, I had high expectations when I walked into the Goodyear Park in Bloemfontein. Sadly, it turned out to be a one-sided affair, with Sri Lanka inflicting a thrashing defeat on New Zealand.Stephen Fleming is one of the most experienced captains in world cricket. So the Kiwi game plan for this crucial encounter came as something of a shock for me. Given that they are adamant about not going to Kenya and forfeiting the four points which they would have got otherwise, I would have thought that they would have wanted to win this game desperately.But it all went awry for Fleming and his team. Firstly, they left out possibly the best left-arm spinner in world cricket these days – Daniel Vettori. Secondly, Fleming’s decision to ask Sri Lanka to bat first also backfired as the Kiwi pace men struggled to make early inroads.Even from a distance one could make out that the pitch was devoid of grass and that the spinners would have a major role to play in the game. By opting to bat second, Fleming, then, invited the pressure of batting against the likes of Muttiah Muralitharan, which effectively meant that he played into the hands of the Sri Lankans.

Experience at the highest level counts a great deal in such high profile tournaments, where the expectations to succeed in every game you play is very high indeed. Sri Lanka were today well served by their experienced campaigners – skipper Sanath Jayasuriya and the evergreen Hashan Tillakaratne. They really made Fleming pay hard for his folly of dropping Vettori, as runs flowed at a brisk rate. Jayasuriya’s century was truly brilliant. The Sri Lankan skipper’s contribution to his team’s success in one-day cricket is simply tremendous to say the least.Even though the Sri Lankan spinners played a major role in squeezing New Zealand into submission, the role of Pulasthi Gunaratne early on should not be forgotten. It was Gunaratne who made the early inroads for Sri Lanka and put New Zealand under enormous pressure.As for Nathan Astle’s dismissal, I just cannot understand what the talented opener had in mind when he took off for that suicidal run. You don’t win a cricket game with such mindless deeds, let alone a World Cup.Craig McMillan’s continued failure might, meanwhile, even jeopardise his place in the team. Thankfully for New Zealand, Scott Styris is turning out to be a revelation. Yet again, he gave his very best, using his feet to the spinners and lashing out at anything loose that came his way. I am quite pleased for him, for it is always nice to see enthusiasm being rewarded. Styris’ hundred today is just a pointer to the more experienced batsmen of the job they failed to do.Congratulations to Sri Lanka. They are now definitely strong contenders to qualify for the Super Sixes from their group. The result must have been double sweet for Jayasuriya, after all the criticism that came his way following the dismal show in the VB series in Australia.The match has yet again showed that the World Cup is still wide open, and as days go by we will see the Super Six emerging. Now that England seems to have almost decided not to make the trip to Zimbabwe, the result of Tuesday’s game between Australia and Pakistan could be a crucial one for India.

“Have a good time while you’re at it. Don’t do anything silly and above all, drive carefully.”No, this is not the advice of a doting father to his errant son. It would have been the gist of coach John Wright’s words to the Indian side before they took on Namibia at the City Oval, Pietermaritzburg.The instructions were carried out to the letter, as India first piled up a mammoth score – 311/2 – and then used spin to tighten the screws on an inexperienced Namibian side, skittling them for 130 and winning easily by 181 runs.When Deon Kotze won the toss and elected to field, he could hardly been prepared for the kind of aggression the Indians inflicted on his side. On the day it was not the carefree devil-may-care thrashing of the ball that Virender Sehwag has made famous the world around, which dominated. Nor did the free-stroking, silky Sourav Ganguly six-fest, or the Sachin Tendulkar every-stroke-in-the-book master class hold sway. Well, at least not for a while anyway.On a wicket that had just a touch of moisture under the surface, Sehwag torched four boundaries in his customary fashion before being dismissed for a run-a-ball 24, pulling Rudie van Vuuren to Danie Keulder at short midwicket. Ganguly decided this was the time to walk out at number three and spend some quality time out in the middle.Tendulkar (152) did the team’s cause and his average no harm as he led the charge with his 34th one-day century, the first by an Indian this World Cup. Ganguly was not far behind, helping himself to an unbeaten 112.India, using this relatively easy fixture to warm up for sterner tests ahead – against England and Pakistan – played to their strengths, working the Namibian bowlers for all the runs they were worth.There was none of the loose strokes, the ambitious slashes or the confused batting that has plagued Indian cricket in recent times. The batsmen, led by their captain, have maintained all along that it would take only one good performance to reverse fortunes.When Tendulkar carefully nudged a full delivery to leg to bring up his fourth World Cup century, he also achieved the distinction of notching up one-day hundreds against ten different countries. It was yet another record for Tendulkar that no other batsman could boast.Until Ganguly reached three figures, that is. He too has centuries against ten countries, only missing out against West Indies of the major teams. Mark Waugh, Herschelle Gibbs and Brian Lara are the three batsmen that come close.But it was not the records that will warm the heart of coach John Wright. The manner in which India kept the scoreboard ticking over with ones and twos would have heartened him too. Until Ganguly decided the time was right for acceleration, and Tendulkar was well past his hundred, hardly any big hits were attempted. Even then, though, the pair concentrated on hitting in the `V’ back down the wicket.It was not until the 40th over that Tendulkar was dismissed, playing an ungainly across-the-line heave against a ball that kept low from Rudie van Vuuren after making a masterly 152 (151 balls, 18 fours).When van Vuuren presented Ganguly with a wide full toss in the 46th over, the left-hander slapped a crisp boundary to move within one stroke of the three-figure mark. Soon after, he reached his 20th ODI century, before forging a last-minute charge, reaching 112 (119 balls, 6 fours, 4 sixes).Amid the runfest, Yuvraj Singh chipped in with an unnoticeable seven from as many balls to seal the innings on 311/2.By the time the Namibians came out to bat, India would have been more worried about the weather than the opposition, but the rain stayed away, and India sailed to a comprehensive win.Just as the Sehwag dismissal was a blot in the Indian batting card, Ashish Nehra provided the blemish in the bowling effort. Nehra slipped in his bowling stride while attempting to deliver his second ball. Limping off, he left it to Zaheer Khan to finish the over.But from then on there were no mistakes. Bowling full and straight – something he should consider more often – Khan trapped Stephan Swanepoel and Louis Burger in front of the stumps.Keulder then provided one of those moments that seem to be tailor-made for highlights reels. Keen to get on, he attempted to heave Harbhajan Singh over midwicket and almost succeeded. The ball sailed towards the ropes as Dinesh Mongia lurched, caught, fumbled, then caught again before sliding to a stop just inches in front of the ropes.The television umpire was pressed into service and a reluctant Keulder (4) had to be on his way.Having pulled off a freakishly good catch, Mongia was given a bowl soon after.Jan-Berrie Burger, who gave England a fright with a big-hitting 83, once again proved his worth, top scoring with 29 (30 balls, 4 fours, 1 six) before he was cleaned up by a straight one from Mongia.The spinners then ran through the overs quickly and Namibia, hardly used to playing this much spin, lost wickets in quick succession. Mongia picked up 2/24 from 10 overs, Harbhajan enhanced his career statistics to the tune of 2/34 and Yuvraj bullied the tail-enders to end with figures of 4.3-2-6-4.As the triumphant Indians walked off the field with four more points in the bag, they will know that sterner tests lie ahead in the shape of England and Pakistan.John Wright will smile as he claps his wards into the dressing room. The Indians had a plan, and unfalteringly followed it to the end. With the talent in this side, and some confidence, that is all this team really needs to do.

TINO BEST hasn’t become down-spirited as a result of a few dangerous, full-pitched deliveries in what has been an otherwise impressive performance in the 2003 Carib Beer Series.The exciting Barbadian fast bowler’s 23 wickets are the second highest and his average of 16.86 is the second best among bowlers with more than ten wickets in the competition.His season has, however, been spoilt somewhat by two instances in which umpires have ordered that he be removed from the attack for delivering two deliveries over the level of the batsman’s waist in quick succession."I consider myself a fighter. I know one or two people might be disappointed, but that is cricket, that is life," Best said yesterday ahead of Barbados’ sixth-round match against the Leeward Islands, starting today at Kensington Oval."I think I have performed reasonably well for Barbados. Every time I have a bad day, I just think of good days and I get through it. I am just going to keep working hard."During Barbados’ third round match against Jamaica on February 16 at the North Stars Club ground in Crab Hill, St Lucy, Best was stopped from bowling for the remainder of the innings after sending down two over-pitched balls to Robert Samuels and Mario Ventura in consecutive overs.The 21-year-old suffered a similar fate at Kensington Oval last weekend when two similar-type balls went to Trinidad and Tobago last man, Mukesh Persad.He has, however, apologised to both teams for the unfortunate incidents."I was trying for too much pace. I was just trying to finish the innings as quickly as possible," Best said. "I was trying to bowl a yorker. People always tell me that with my pace, if I can get a yorker going, I would be devastating. The balls just slipped."I try hard. Any time I play for Barbados, I put in 180 per cent all the time, no matter what situation we are in. Sometimes you try too hard and things happen."Best reckons it is a fault that can be easily corrected.Hendy Wallace, a knowledgeable seasoned professional in Ireland who has been working with Barbados’ fast bowlers in the nets in the last few days, is trying to help him overcome the problem."He was saying that when I am about to deliver the ball, my bowling arm was going away from my body and sometimes the ball comes out at the back of my hand. That is really horrible for a fast bowler," Best said."He is trying to get me come a bit straighter. I just hope that everything works out well for me."Best comes throughThose incidents aside, Best has done everything captain Courtney Browne has asked of him this season.He has consistently bowled at good pace, even on an Albion pitch in Berbice that hardly encourages fast bowlers."It all has to do with team work and captaincy. I think Courtney has bowled me beautifully," said Best, who has described Jamaican pacerJermaine Lawson as one of his biggest role models."I am just running in, putting my head down and trying to bowl as fast as possible. I’m just trying to carry out my captain’s instructions."Very often, Browne has used him for short bursts, something he appreciates very much."As a young fast bowler, just because you are quick, it does not mean you should bowl ten overs on the trot," Best said."Sometimes Courtney gives me three overs, then three, then four. Every time I come back, I am fresh and I am bowling quicker and quicker. It has really helped me to bowl better and not get too carried away."Wherever Best has bowled, be it Kensington, Albion, North Stars or Sabina Park, he has had tongues wagging because if his raw pace. But for him, it is not a priority to generate excitement among spectators."I don’t set out to please the crowd. I set out to please Barbados’ cricket," he said.Prior to the start of the season, he set himself a goal of 30 wickets. With the possibility of Barbados having another four matches, the confident youngster has revised the figure."If we do go to the finals, which would be a very good achievement, I think I’ll be looking for about 45 to 50 wickets," he said."Given the way Courtney has bowled me, once I keep concentrating and putting the ball in the right area, I should get that quite easily."

Mumbai stormed into the Ranji Trophy Elite Group final on Sunday after yet another sorry capitulation by Baroda’s batsmen. The 34-time Ranji champions bundled out their opponents for 122 in their second essay to complete an innings and 138 runs victory at the Gujarat State Fertilizer Corporation Ground, Vadodara.Baroda, who began the day needing another 244 runs to make Mumbai bat again, lost their second wicket after the addition of just 20 runs to the overnight total of 16 for 1. Two more wickets quickly followed as the hosts were reduced to 40 for four.Then came the only meaningful partnership of the day with Rakesh Solanki (38) and Ajit Bhoite (19) putting on 50 runs for the fifth wicket. But once Bhoite fell to leg-spinner Sairaj Bahatule, the steady procession of batsmen resumed. Bahatule went on to claim a further four wickets, including that of last man Zaheer Khan, to end up with flattering figures of 5 for 21 in 13.2 overs.Mumbai now await the winner of the other semi-final between Tamil Nadu and Delhi, being played at Feroz Shah Kotla.

Glamorgan progressed to the fourth round of the Cheltenham and Gloucester Trophy with a comfortable 86 run victory over the Durham Cricket Board XI at Darlington.The Welsh county, who were put in to bat by the Board captain, Marcus North, amassed 312-9 in their 50 over allocation with Ian Thomas making a career best 93 from 103 balls and Matthew Maynard adding yet another century to his tally with a typically majestic 115 from 86 balls.The pair shared a third wicket stand of 135 which took the game well beyond the reach of the Durham side. Despite 59 from opener Allan Worthy, and 46 from the Australian North, the task of scoring in excess of six runs an over was never achieved, and the Board side were dismissed for 226mid-way through the 48th over.Robert Croft took three wickets and both Adrian Dale and Alex Wharf took two apiece as Glamorgan maintained their unbeaten record in limited over competitions this year.

Glamorgan lost their opening game in the Twenty20 competition, losing toNorthants at Cardiff by 23 runs.The visitors, who elected to bat first, were restricted at first by an accurate openingspell by the Glamorgan attack. Mike Kasprowicz started the competition with a maiden,before David Harrison clean bowled Ben Phillips with his first delivery.However, the visitors recovered to make 159-5 in their 20 over allocation thanks toAustralian Mike Hussey who scored his second half-century in thecompetition, with a cultured 79 from just 58 balls.The Northants captain shared a useful stand of 45 in the last 4 overs withwicket-keeper Gerard Brophy to leave Glamorgan needing to score at 8 runs an over.After an early flurry from openers Robert Croft and Ian Thomas, there was thesteady clatter of wickets, as Glamorgan slipped to 44-3 after 7 overs, with Thomas,Mike Powell and Matthew Maynard all back in the pavilion.After the loss of David Hemp, Croft continued with some whirlwind blows, but shortlyafter reaching his 32 ball fifty, Croft was run out coming back for a third run after heand Adrian Dale had taken 18 from Mike Cawdron`s final over.The acting Glamorgan captain was one of four men to be run out as his batsmen struggledto keep up with the required rate against the visiting attack who bowled straight andfull. There was little on offer either from spinners Graeme Swann and Jason Brown, anddespite a few lusty blows towards the end of their innings from Darren Thomas, it wasBrown who finished things off by bowling Thomas with 8 balls remaining and Glamorgan 24runs adrift of their target.

Colin Coxon (Fordingbridge)First elected to the committee in 1995. Served on the marketing sub-committee and Bournemouth and New Forest area. A qualified coach and former Southern League player.An established businessman in Hampshire for over 20 years in computer services, telecommunications and finance.50 year old Colin has two sons. He was brought up in Essex and played for the counties Cricket Association before moving south.He likes all sports with a particular interest in horse racing.

India’s cricketers will soon be on par with their counterparts in Australia, New Zealand and England, once the system of player contracts is put into practice by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). The new pay structures could be in place as early as end-July, long before New Zealand arrive for a two-Test series.Under the present system, the fringe players earn as much as established internationals when it comes to match and logo fees. As a result, players like Sanjay Bangar, Ajit Agarkar and Parthiv Patel – who didn’t play a single World Cup match – managed to bank as much prize money (Rs 75 lakh) as those who played every game.Under the formula that Dalmiya has proposed, the top 20 players will be offered contracts, and within that group, there will be four different grades – based initially on experience, and later, on performance.Senior Indian players first started lobbying for central contracts after Anil Kumble missed out on the entire 2001 season as a result of a shoulder injury that required surgical intervention. If they have their way, it’ll be those on the fringes – along for the ride, for the most part – who end up with noses out of joint.

Alec Stewart has announced that he will retire from international cricket at the end of this summer’s five-Test series against South Africa.”I have given it a lot of thought and I let Duncan [Fletcher] know this morning over breakfast and then informed David Graveney as well,” Stweart explained. “It’s not something I have taken lightly. I had 13 years as an international cricketer and it’s not something you just give away.”I could have left it until later on in the summer but I thought it wasbetter to get it out in the open now so we can get on with the series.”Fletcher said that news had come as surprise to him. “I still believe that Alec is the best allround wicketkeeper we have got by some distance but there are some young keepers coming through. I think he has got better and better over the last couple of years and the thing that has impressed me most is his professionalism and the way he has been a role model for younger guys.”The announcement means that Chris Read, who performed admirably during the recent NatWest one-day series, will step up and take over as England’s Test wicketkeeper. While Stewart would almost certainly like to continue as England’s No. 1 until the end of the summer and bow out in the final Test at The Oval, the selectors might not be quite as sentimental and could opt to promote Read sooner rather than later.Since making his debut against West Indies in 1990, Stewart has played in 128 Tests, the most by any English player, and scored 8281 runs at 40.19, including 15 hundreds.

Gavin Varejes, an associate of Shane Warne, has admitted to paying R100,000 to silence Helen Cohen Alon, a 45-year-old South African woman who recently accused Warne of sending her raunchy text messages.Varejes made the admission in a sworn affidavit to the police, who are investigating the case. Upon the admission, Julius Smith, the police officer in charge of the case, has asked Interpol to obtain a statement from Warne.According to quotes by Smith in the South African media, Varejes admitted to contacting Cohen Alon during the 2003 World Cup, when she was trying to sell her story to the press. Varejes arranged for the payment only after he checked that the number on her mobile phone was indeed Warne’s number.