IPL:Flintoff may skip IPL to stay fit for Ashes

After a nagging hip injury forced him to return home mid-way from the Test series against the West Indies, England all-rounder Andrew Flintoff hinted he may skip the lucrative Indian Premier League to stay fit to take on the Australians in the Ashes series.Flintoff, who was bagged by IPL's Chennai Super Kings side for a record $1.55 million, has insisted that representing England is of utmost importance to him and is currently eying the forthcoming ODI series against the West Indies to stage a comeback."It seems that, at the minute, everybody is going on about the IPL. It's a hot topic. But I want to play for England in this upcoming one-day series."The IPL is still a few weeks away and my goal is to play for England and, after that, the IPL will take care of itself. It's something I want to play in, but my ultimate goal is playing for England," the 31-year-old cricketer was quoted as saying in the Daily Telegraph.Flintoff will now undergo a rehabilitation programme and is scheduled to reunite with the team on March 10, if fitness permits."I just want to get home, do my work and then get back out here as soon as I can. When you're injured, you're always a little bit flat and you don't know where to put yourself in the dressing-room. Everyone you bump into is asking you about your injury," Flintoff said.The all-rounder revealed his hip injury first came to light during the first Test in Jamaica."I felt a bit of a niggle there. But it was more tightness than anything else. I was then in discomfort all the way through the (third) Test in Antigua."Whether I made it worse, I'm not quite sure. It was very frustrating, though. For the first time in a long time, after being out in the second innings (in Antigua), I went into the dressing-rooms and threw my bat," Flintoff said.

ENGLAND VS WESTINDIES 4th TEST:Swann strikes put West Indies on the back foot

Two wickets from Graeme Swann enabled England to maintain their dominant position in the fourth Test on Saturday with West Indies 163 for three at lunch on the third day, still needing 238 runs to avoid the follow-on.West Indies resumed on 85 for one and made a positive start with Devon Smith and Ramnaresh Sarwan both passing the half-century mark before Swann struck.Smith, pushing forward to Swann, was ruled leg before despite an appeal to the video referral system to end a 108-run partnership.Left-hander Ryan Hinds looked confident but then he went in similar fashion, for 15, just before lunch to bring Shivnarine Chanderpaul to the wicket.Sarwan, who has already gained two centuries in this series, was 81 not out at the interval and he will need to produce a major partnership with Chanderpaul (4 not out).

INDIA VS NEWZELAND ODI SERIES:Tendulkar will make big difference in ODIs says Ryder

New Zealand players are on a high after their Twenty20 wins over India and opener Jesse Ryder said the team is looking to carry that momentum to the One-Day series."The boys are on a big high after the games. It turned alright for us. The Indians are world class performers. To come out on top against them is big. We want to be the winning side and that is what we have done so far. We had our gameplan which we implemented well. We hope to carry the confidence to the One-Day series," Ryder said here on Saturday.The burly opener, however, felt with Sachin Tendulkar joining the visitors in the One-Dayers, things could turn out different."They are still a world class side and we need to play to the best of our ability. But we are looking forward to the One-Dayers. They have Tendulkar coming in and that adds to the excitement," said the 24-year-old.Ryder was effusive in his praise for fellow opener Brendon McCullum."He is arguably one of the T20 player in the world. He is in good form. We hope he carries this into the ODI series," said Ryder.McCullum scored 56 not out in the first Twenty20 match and an unbeaten 69 in the second to steer New Zealand to successive wins over India. Ryder said both he and McCullum believed in getting the team off to a flier in Twenty20 cricket."Brendon and me have a similar game. We like to get the team to a good start. We had had good starts, but I have got a bit carried away and lost my wickets," said Ryder, who managed one and 26 in the two matches.Ryder, who was lapped up by Bangalore Royal Challengers, said he was looking forward to the Indian Premier League."I can't wait for that experience. I will be playing with the world's best. And it will be good challenge for me." Batting apart, Ryder is also trying his arm in bowling.

"I may bowl for my state in domestic cricket, but I expect to bowl only a few overs for the Black Caps. I was happy to get a full quota last night," said the right-arm medium pace bowler who conceded just 18 runs in his four overs.

AUSTRALIA VS SOUTHAFRICA 1st TEST:Australia gain upper hand despite de Villiers ton

Australia built a 297-run lead in their second innings when bad light stopped play on day three of the first Test against South Africa at Wanderers Stadium on Saturday.The tourists reached 51 for one before the players left the field in the final session, staying off for 45 minutes until the umpires drew stumps 31 overs early.Debutant Phillip Hughes, the youngest Australian Test debutant since Craig McDermott in 1984, avoided the ignominy of making two ducks as he was on 36 not out with Australia captain Ricky Ponting unbeaten on one.Pace bowler Morne Morkel struck early to have Simon Katich caught behind for 10 in the 12th over of the innings, breaking a 38-run opening stand with Hughes.Ponting joined the 20-year-old left-hander in an unbroken 13-run partnership for the second wicket but the rain came before the skipper could settle at the crease.Earlier, AB de Villiers put up a fight for South Africa but ran out of partners, finishing unbeaten on 104 for his eighth Test century as the Proteas were dismissed for 220 runs in their first innings mid-way through the second session.De Villiers spent nearly five hours at the crease in his overnight contribution.Dale Steyn made 17 in a 52-run ninth-wicket stand with de Villiers, who was put down by wicketkeeper Brad Haddin on 64, either side of lunch but Steyn edged Andrew McDonald to Marcus North at first slip to end the partnership.Last man in Makhaya Ntini stuck around for 10 minutes, long enough for de Villiers to reach his hundred, before he was removed by Mitchell Johnson to wrap up the innings.Johnson - who made a stunning 96 not out in Australia's first innings - returned superb figures of 4-25 to lead the attack while fellow speedster Peter Siddle took 3-76.

Soon after the start, Siddle had opener Neil McKenzie trapped leg-before after South Africa resumed their first innings at 85 for three.McKenzie, who made 36, referred Steve Bucknor's decision to the third umpire but was given out. The drama heightened two overs later when the camera feed to the third umpire failed after Australia called a referral.The tourists were confident JP Duminy clipped a Siddle delivery to Haddin, but Bucknor disagreed. Their referral was inconclusive with third umpire Asad Rauf's single-camera feed unavailable.But Duminy, dropped by Ponting on 13, failed to take advantage of his chances and was caught behind off Johnson for 17.And three balls later South Africa used their last first-innings referral when Mark Boucher got the thinnest of edges to Haddin off Johnson and was given out by Billy Bowden. Rauf agreed with the on-field umpire and Boucher walked without scoring.Morkel (2) and Paul Harris (1) added to South Africa's woes when they were removed before lunch.

AUSTRALIA VS SOUTHAFRICA 1st TEST:North, Johnson star to put Aussies in command

A century on his debut by Marcus North and a ferocious onslaught from Mitchell Johnson lifted Australia to a first innings total of 466 on the second day of the first Test on Friday.North and Johnson slaughtered the bowling in an eighth-wicket stand of 117, a record for Australia against South Africa.North fell for 117, stumped by Mark Boucher off spinner Paul Harris, but Johnson then terminated the left-armer's spell by hitting him for 26 runs in an over that included three sixes and two fours.Johnson finished with a career-best 96 not out, falling short of a maiden test century of his own as Morne Morkel had Peter Siddle (9) and Ben Hilfenhaus (0) caught in the slips off successive deliveries to end the innings on the stroke of tea.Johnson's innings included 10 fours and five sixes and was noteworthy for the power and timing of his attacking strokes.North, who had started the day on 47 not out, was more obdurate but equally damaging to the South African cause in a composed, mature innings that lasted almost six hours and 233 deliveries. The 29-year-old is the first Australian to score a hundred on Test debut against South Africa.New-ball bowler Dale Steyn was the most successful South African bowler with four for 113, while Morkel finished with three for 117 but was unfortunate not to claim more wickets.

INDIA VS NEWZELAND 2nd T20:A THRILLING LAST BALL FINISH

Brendon McCullum hit a single off the last ball to lead New Zealand to a thrilling five-wicket win over India in the second Twenty20 international at Wellington on Friday to seal the series 2-0.McCullum held his nerve in a nailbiting final over from Irfan Pathan to guide New Zealand past India's total of 149-6, finishing with an unbeaten 69. The home team finished on 150-5.New Zealand's chances of winning looked slim when they needed nine runs off the last three balls but McCullum kept his cool, smacking two successive boundaries to level the scores before chipping the final delivery over the infield to seal the win.McCullum, who also made an unbeaten half-century in New Zealand's seven-wicket win over the Twenty20 world champions in Christchurch on Tuesday, produced another great innings when his team needed it most.The wicketkeeper-batsman faced 55 balls and struck eight boundaries and a six. The only other New Zealanders to pass 20 were opener Jesse Ryder (26) and Ross Taylor (27).Yuvraj Singh top-scored for India with 50 off 34 deliveries, featuring three sixes and three fours, but received little support apart from captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni (28 not out) and opener Virender Sehwag (24).

AUSTRALIA VS SOUTHAFRICA 1st TEST:Honours even as Steyn, Ponting shine

Ricky Ponting and Michael Clarke shared a century partnership as Australia fought back after a poor start on the first day of the first Test against South Africa at the Wanderers Stadium on Thursday. Australia were 194 for five at tea.Ponting (83) and Clarke (68) put on 113 for the fourth wicket with attacking stroke play after Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel had reduced them to 38 for three.Fast bowler Dale Steyn ripped out both Australian openers as the tourists were put under pressure after winning the toss and batting in conditions which favoured swing bowling, with thunder clouds building up during the afternoon.Steyn had Clarke caught behind shortly before tea to have figures of three for 60.But Steyn could have had his third wicket shortly before lunch when Australian captain Ponting, on 40, survived a straightforward chance to South African counterpart Graeme Smith at first slip. He hooked the next ball for six.Ponting also survived the first challenge of an umpiring decision in a match played by either side.When Ponting was on 70 he was given not out by umpire Billy Bowden when the South Africans thought he had been caught behind off an inside edge.The home side used one of their potential two unsuccessful challenges but the evidence for television umpire Asad Rauf was inconclusive and Ponting batted on. Ponting was eventually bowled by a full ball from Makhaya Ntini which swung in so sharply that Ponting did not play a shot at it. He faced 134 balls and hit 11 fours and a six.Australia named three new caps, opening batsman Phil Hughes, batsman Marcus North and fast bowler Ben Hilfenhaus, for the first match of a series which will decide the official International Cricket Council Test championship. 

It was a nightmare debut for Hughes, who was caught behind for nought off the fourth ball of the first over, flashing at a ball above head height which he should have left alone.Steyn had fellow left-hander Simon Katich superbly caught in the gully by Neil McKenzie for three.Morne Morkel followed up with the wicket of Michael Hussey, who was caught by Jacques Kallis at second slip for four.The South Africans were hampered by a back injury which kept Kallis off the field for almost two hours after the all-rounder had bowled four overs.

INDIA VS NEWZELAND 2nd T20:INDIANS HOPE FOR A STRONG COMEBACK

A seven-wicket win in the opening Twenty20 cricket international against India has made a world of difference to New Zealand who go into the second match here on Friday with their tails up."Hopefully this is the start of something," said captain Daniel Vettori, sounding more confident than when he described India as "a huge challenge" before the start of the series."It was a really pleasing win, they put us under pressure and we responded well," said Vettori.But Indian skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni did not believe the result was a pointer to how the rest of the series would go, with five one-day internationals and three Tests to follow the second Twenty20."You can win a game by a big margin and quite convincingly but now it's a fresh start," Dhoni warned."We've learned a lot from our mistakes, and we learn quickly. I think the New Zealand team knows if we don't make mistakes in the next game they will have to chase a big score."India's power hitting ability was on display from the start of the first game with Virender Sehwag belting Tim Southee for three consecutive sixes in the opening over.But Vettori was pleased with the way his bowlers were able to recover and restrict India to 162 for eight and the New Zealand batsmen reeled in the target for the loss of only three wickets and with seven balls to spare."I thought it might be the first time I've ever chased 300 in a Twenty20," Vettori joked."It was a reasonably daunting start. We knew India have got very good players and it's up to us to back ourselves continually. We have got to be so precise to get through that initial (batting) onslaught."

But the explosive approach of the Indians was also their downfall as they reached 25 without loss in the second over and then imploded to be six for 82 in the 10th.Dhoni felt a more measured approach after the flying start could have netted a more competitive 180."One area we need to improve on is analysing the situation," he said."At times when you're successful (hitting sixes) it looks very good but you have to realise what a safe score is on that wicket."You have to decide whether you want to push for 200 or a score you can defend," said Dhoni.Only Suresh Raina batted as if he meant to stay at the crease and he provided an unbeaten 61 from 43 deliveries. As if to underline their lack of concern at the first-up loss, India cancelled their scheduled practice session when they arrived in Wellington.However, they confirmed that master batsman Sachin Tendulkar along with Dinesh Karthik, who are sitting out the Twenty20s, would play in the curtain raiser on Friday between the New Zealand and Australian masters teams."This is a great opportunity for Tendulkar and Karthik to have a few hits," India coach Gary Kirsten said.Tendulkar will turn out for the New Zealand Masters, while Karthik will play for Australia.

AUSTRALIA VS SOUTHAFRICA 1st TEST:INEXPERIENCE AND INJURIES WORRIES AUSSIES

Australia, clinging on to their world championship, have selection posers ahead of the first Test against challengers South Africa, starting at the Wanderers Stadium Thursday.By contrast, South Africa have a settled team and will almost certainly go in with the same eleven who beat Ricky Ponting's team 2-1 in a recent series in Australia.Another win for South Africa in the three-match home series would see them lifting the International Cricket Council's Test championship mace, which has been on display in Johannesburg ahead of the showdown between the two top sides.Test crowds in Johannesburg have been poor in recent years but officials are confident that more than 90,000 will attend the five days.Interest in cricket has been sparked by the success in Australia and cricket has dominated headlines in local newspapers despite the start of the Super 14 rugby competition and the claims of football, the country's most popular sport.Four uncapped players are vying for a place in the Australian team. Certain to play is opening batsman Phil Hughes, while batsman and part- time off-spinner Marcus North, leg-spinner Bryce McGain and fast bowler Ben Hilfenhaus all have claims.The biggest debates are likely to be around the number six batting place and the balance of the bowling attack. 

McGain was touted as a potential match-winner ahead of the tour but had disappointing figures of two for 126 in 19 overs against a Board President's XI in Australia's only warm-up match in Potchefstroom last weekend. Illness kept McGain off the field in the second innings when North captured a career-best six for 69, helped by some extravagant batting by the home team.With North also making two unbeaten half-centuries, he may have moved ahead of seam bowling all-rounder Andrew McDonald, who played in Australia's consolation win in the third home Test in Sydney last month, in the battle for the number six spot. North's inclusion could enable Australia to opt for four specialist bowlers, with McGain missing out. This would mean a first cap for Hilfenhaus alongside Mitchell Johnson, Peter Siddle and Doug Bollinger.

Another option is to pick off-spinner Nathan Hauritz, who missed the warm-up match but played in Sydney.Touring selector David Boon told reporters in Johannesburg that McGain was still in the running, saying it was unfair to judge the bowler on one outing. Whichever attack is chosen, it will be severely lacking in experience.None of the bowlers has played a Test in South Africa and Johnson, with 18, is the only one who has played in more than four Tests in his career. Against them is a powerful South African batting line-up in which five of the top six have averaged more than 50 over the past year.South Africa also have the edge in bowling experience, with a potent pace attack of Dale Steyn, Makhaya Ntini and Morkel, backed by the steady left-arm spin of Paul Harris.Australian captain Ricky Ponting will carry a big responsibility as his team's leading batsman, although he can expect solid support from vice-captain Michael Clarke, who is recovering from a back injury, and the experienced Simon Katich and Michael Hussey.Ponting said before the tour that the pressure would be on South Africa, because they would start favourites, but his counterpart, Graeme Smith, said he did not believe the weight of expectation from the South African public would distract his players from playing to their potential.

SRILANKA VS PAKISTAN 1st TEST:MATCH ENDED IN A DRAW AFTER A SCHOKER FOR SRILANKANS

Pakistan injected some life into the first Test after posting a record 765-6 declared and then taking five quick Sri Lankan wickets on the fifth day but failed to stop the match from ending in a draw here on Wednesday.First it was Kamran Akmal, who hit a career best 158 off just 181 balls to take Pakistan to 765 for six, 121 runs ahead of Sri Lanka's first innings total of 644-7 declared, on the final day at the National Stadium.Then fast bowler Umar Gul took two quick wickets followed by a run-out and a double-strike by leg-spinner Danish Kaneria put Sri Lanka in a difficult situation at 120-5 in the 24th over with an hour's play still to go.But Thilan Samaraweera (24 not out), who scored a double-century in the first innings, and Prasanna Jayawardene (7 not out) ensured that no more wickets fell and the match ended in a draw with Sri Lanka at 144-5 in 31 overs.Kumar Sangakkara scored his second successive fifty of the match - a 66-ball 65 with ten fours to give a small crowd an entertaining display of attacking batting. Kaneria finished with 2-35 while Gul took 2-41.

Earlier in the second session, Gul took two wickets in quick succession to reduce Sri Lanka to 54-3 at tea. Gul got rid of opener Malinda Warnapura (2) and Tillakaratne Dilshan (8) while debutant opener Tharanga Paranavitana (9) was run out by Yasir Arafat to leave Sri Lanka in some problems.Sri Lanka raced to 54-3 in just nine overs after wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal hit a career-best 158 not out off 181 balls with the help of eight fours and five sixers to help Pakistan surpass their previous Test best innings of 708 that came against England at the Oval in 1987.All-rounder Yasir Arafat hit an unbeaten 50 - his first Test fifty - after being dropped by Chaminda Vaas off Mahela Jayawardene at 45.It is the first time that a team has crossed the 700-run mark in a Test in Pakistan. The previous best was Pakistan's 699 against India in Lahore in 1989.Pakistan took a first innings lead of 121.Earlier in the first session, Pakistan captain Younis Khan fell in his chase for a world record but enabled his team to get past Sri Lanka's mammoth 644-7 declared in the first innings by lunch.Younis fell for 313 but Akmal and all-rounder Yasir Arafat guided Pakistan to 662-6 at lunch, giving the host team an 18-run lead.Resuming his innings at 306, Younis added just seven more runs to his personal total before falling to Sri Lanka pacer Dilhara Fernando for 313 after a marathon innings that lasted for 836 minutes.At stumps on the fourth day, Younis had indicated that he would try to break Brian Lara's record of 400 in an innings against England at Antigua.But his hopes were ended by what was a good length delivery from Fernando that nipped in sharply from the off stump to shatter the stumps. Younis faced 568 balls, hitting 27 fours and four sixers in his match-saving knock.

INDIA VS NEWZELAND 1st T20:MCCULLUM PATIENT KNOCK LED NZ TO A WIN OVER INDIANS

Suresh Raina's fighting unbeaten 61 went in vain as world champions India began their New Zealand tour on a dismal note with the hosts thrashing them by seven wickets in the first Twenty20 match here on Wednesday.Put into bat, India recovered from a mid-innings slump to post a competitive 162 for eight but that proved insufficient as the Kiwis overhauled the target with seven balls to spare.Brendon McCullam (56 not out), Martin Guptill (41), Ross Taylor (31) and Jacob Oram (29 not out) were the notable performers for the hosts who have taken a 1-0 lead in the two-match T20 series.India started off with a flourish but failed to sustain the tempo to find themseves in trouble at 61 for five by the eighth over. Some lusty hittings by Raina and Harbhajan Singh (21) at the end provided some respect to the total.Raina and Harbhajan Singh stitched 61 runs for the eighth wicket, the highest partnership in the innings.Teen sensation Ishant Sharma struk in the first ball of his first over, trapping left-handed Jesse Ryder (1) to give India the kind of start they needed.Martin Guptill could have been back in the hut in the very next ball but Kiwi umpire Evan Watkin was not impressed with the appeal.Replacing Ryder at the wicket, Guptill offered no shot to one, which came back in and could have castled his stumps but Watkin thought otherwise. Television replays also showed that the ball could have knocked down off-stump.The hosts moved steadily towards the target as Guptill and Brendon McCullum batted smartly, avoiding risks and putting bad balls to the fence.Black Caps crossed the 50-run mark without losing any more wicket, causing tension in the Indian camp.Off-spinner Harbhajan Singh, making a comeback to the team, provided the breakthrough when he trapped well-set Guptill to keep India afloat in the match.Before departing, Guptill hit four fours and three sixes and shared a 54-run stand with McCullum.Building on the good start, Ross Taylor and McCullum carted Indian bowlers all around the park.

Taylor hit Yusuf Pathan for two sixes and one four in the 12th over to bring up 100 for the hosts.
As the match yet again tilted towards the hosts, Indian paceman Zaheer Khan dismissed Taylor (31), raising Indian hopes once again.But in the end McCullum and Jacob Oram romped home without any difficulty.

INDIA VS NEWZELAND 1st T20:INDIANS READY FOR THE FIGHT

World champions India will worry more about the fickle Kiwi weather than the composition and strength of Daniel Vettori's team when they meet New Zealand in the first Twenty20 cricket international at the AMI Park here on Wednesday.The advent of autumn has seen the temperatures drop and there have been sporadic spells of rain, which have offset India's preparation for the match.More than the Black Caps' resilience and home advantage, it will be this cold-windy factor which could ruffle Mahendra Singh Dhoni's all-conquering legion.Given their streak of success in this format and the plethora of talent they have in their ranks, India start as hot favorites in the two-match Twenty20 series.While New Zealand have two potential match-winners in Brendon McCullum and Jacob Oram, who was specifically included in the squad to provide thrust to the not-so-powerful batting, India have an array of explosive batsmen who can turn the match on its head.India have two explosive openers in Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir, who will be backed by the king of Twenty20, Yuvraj Singh, who continues to flog the bowlers across the parks as if he were batting in the backyard of his Chandigarh home.Then there is Dhoni and Yusuf Pathan, who is imminently capable of clearing the grounds in New Zealand. Be it seam or spin, they have the knack and chutzpah to scatter the field and produce boundaries. Besides, Suresh Raina and Rohit Sharma are batsmen who are capable of winning matches on their own on their day.

If the Kiwis feel that the bounce in the wicket could give them the edge in the bowling aspect, they would have to deal with Zaheer Khan and Ishant Sharma, who are regarded as the best fast bowling pair in the world cricket. The pair had devastated Australia at home, a trauma from which Ricky Ponting is struggling to recover.India's Twenty20 record is encouraging, in that they have lost only two of their 11 matches played so far, losing to New Zealand in the World Cup at Johannesburg and Australia at Melbourne.But whatever be their might, India would be foolhardy to underestimate the inexperienced New Zealand outfit, which had given a good account of itself in the just-concluded series against Australia, wherein they drew the ODI series 2-2 and lost the Twenty international by one run.Coach Andy Molls has pinned his hopes on Daniel Vettori, arguably the best left-arm spinner in world cricket, McCullum, Oram, Martin Guptill, Grant Elliot and Neil Broom. But if the weather does not play spoilsport, India certainly have the spice and curry to bury the Kiwi challenge. 

India coach Gary Kirsten has already made it clear that his wards would not be unduly worried about either the track or the weather here, for they are well prepared to adapt to any situations. "We are aware of what to expect and are planning for that. Every wicket around the world might well be different. You are not going to find two wickets that are exactly the same."So we are not really focusing on the wickets. But we are doing the work we need to do. We are looking to adapt to the situations that we are confronted with. The team is well-balanced and our seamers have done particularly well in the last year," Kirsten said."Everyone's talking a lot about the wickets, but the wickets I saw in the games against West Indies seemed to play really well. It is not something that will concern us too much," he added.

SRILANKA VS PAKISTAN 1st TEST:Younis announces arrival as skipper with triple ton

Younis Khan smashed his maiden triple hundred to steer Pakistan to safety with a stunning display of grit and application as the first cricket Test against Sri Lanka headed for a tame draw here on Tuesday.Relying on Younis's marathon unbeaten 306 knock, Pakistan not only avoided the ignominy of a follow on but also ensured that they came out of the match unscathed as the hosts were just 70 runs behind Sri Lanka's mammoth first innings total of 644 for seven at the end of the fourth dayYounus, the newly appointed captain, batted through for the second consecutive day, having occupied the crease for 795 minutes. His knock contained 27 boundaries and four sixes.Younus reached the triple century milestone via a risky shot when he reverse sweeped off-spinner Muttiah Muralithran towards third man and ran three along with stumper Kamran Akmal who remained unbeaten on 27 at close of play.The skipper kissed the pitch after the historic moment, which was created before a sparse crowd including some school students.

Only two Pakistani cricketers have scored a triple century till date with the last one being former captain Inzamam-ul Haq, who made 329 against New Zealand at Lahore in 2002.Hanif Mohammed was first Pakistani to reach the magic figure when he scored 337 against the West Indies way back in 1958 at Bridgetown.Younus also became only the sixth player from his country to amass over 5000 Test runs when he reached 184. A new sort of history was created in the Test match, first for Pakistan in 14 months, as it was for the first time that rival captains had a double and triple hundred against their names in the same match.Sri Lankan captain Mahela Jayawardene had made 240 runs.Younus batted with amazing patience and steely resolve and kept Lankan bowlers at bay for the second consecutive day.

He shared a crucial 130-run stand for the fourth wicket with Misbah ul-Haq in the first session and forged a 174-run partnership with Faisal Iqbal for the fifth wicket to ensure Pakistan avoid the follow on and reach near the Sri Lankan total.Beginning the fourth day at 296 for three, Younus and Haq had a challenging task of continuing with the good work and erase the deficit.The duo did not disappoint their camp as they remained unseparated almost thorugh the opening session but in the fag end Misabh departed when he was trapped by pacer Dilhara Fernando.He scored 42 runs with the help of three fours and a six.The skipper then found another able ally in Iqbal, who batted for almost three hours for his 57 runs and saw off the second session.Iqbal faced 141 balls and helped himself with six shots to the fence before being trapped by Jayawardene when he missed a pull shot and was caught plumb. Younus and Akmal (27) were at the wicket and will resume Pakistani innings tomorrow.The Pakistani skipper is still 95-runs away from breaking Brian Lara's world record of 400 and it would require another day of sheer hard work and patience if Younus has to eclipse that.

IPL SEASON 2-1st MATCH WILL BE IN JAIPUR WITH A GRAND OPENING CERMONY ON APRIL 10

The second season of the Indian Premier League will kick off in Jaipur with a gala opening ceremony, IPL chairman Lalit Modi disclosed this here on Monday.Modi said Rajasthan Royals' two home matches would be held in Ahmedabad but the rest of the fixture will be in Jaipur."As of now, the gala opening ceremony and the inaugural IPL match will be held in Jaipur," Modi told reporters here."I understand that Rajasthan Royals are keen to play two matches in Ahmedabad. I don't know which two matches they would be but the rest of matches will be played in Jaipur," he said after filing nominations for RCA president's post in March 1 elections.The IPL supremo said the result of RCA elections would have any bearing on the IPL starting on April 10."The RCA elections won't affect IPL in any case. I was waiting for the schedule of elections but now we do not have much time in hand so I have forwarded the IPL schedule to Rajasthan government for approval."

On the state government announcement that it would extend all cooperation to IPL, Modi said, "I have been hearing that the state government will provide all support to IPL. I have also received good feelers. Hotel bookings are good and there are other progress," he said.

INDIA VS NEWZELAND SERIES:Fast tracks may backfire on New Zealand says Wadekar

 Former Indian skipper and coach Ajit Wadekar firmly believes that the New Zealand cricket's attempt to prepare fast pitches during the forthcoming home series against India may backfire as the visitors now have a better new ball attack than last time.“Personally I feel, it would be a big mistake on part of the New Zealand cricket authorities to prepare fast wickets as the Indian pace attack is as lethal as any in the world. Moreover our feared batting line-up can handle their fast bowlers better than their batters can. As the conditions over there would be similar to the one we encounter in England, the chances of their plans backfiring on them are more,” Wadekar told Cricketnext.com on Monday.“After the retirement of one of the fastest bowlers in the world Shane Bond, the Black Caps have struggled to find a proper replacement while the current lot of experienced bowlers like Jacob Oram and Kyle Mills have been struggling with injuries and are faced with the danger of breaking down frequently, giving the impression that their bowling is not as formidable as it used to be a couple of seasons ago,” Wadekar pointed out.When asked to predict the outcome of the tour (both One-Day and Test series), Wadekar, who successfully led his team to their first ever overseas wins in the West Indies and England way back in 1971, had no hesitation in pinning his hopes on India as they had a better balanced side than their rivals.“The team under Dhoni is perfectly balanced with a fine batting line-up and according to me they will start off the tour as firm favorites and I will not be surprised if they finish the tour with a flourish. Zaheer (Khan) and Ishant (Sharma) have been doing a fantastic job for the team in recent times and with most of the wickets round the world getting slower – the spinners -- Harbhajan (Singh), Amit Mishra and Pragyan Ojha – will certainly play a major role in the series,” Wadekar elaborated.

“Even though we lost the series during India’s last tour, the home team will find it difficult to beat the confidence boosting Indian team this time around as the coach-captain combination of Gary Kirsten and Mahendra Singh Dhoni are well known to do their home work quite well before embarking on any tour,” he added.“With the amount of experience we have in our batting and the improvement shown by our fielders in both Tests and One-Dayers and the confidence they have acquired in the past year or so (ten ODI wins in a row) suggests they are riding a roller-coaster ride and are perhaps in the right frame of mind to take on the Black Caps at their own backyard,” he said.Brushing aside the concern expressed in a section of the media for lack of practice matches before the Test series, the former southpaw said, it was not a major drawback as the Test team was very rich in experience.“Ideally any visiting team to New Zealand should have at least two practice games before the Test series but for this team it should not be a major worry as they are very rich in experience. Batsmen like Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman have enormous experience behind them and a couple of net sessions should be more than enough for them to get used to the bounce and swing of the wickets,” Wadekar said.

“However, youngsters will certainly find it difficult to get acclimatized to the conditions but I am sure the seniors, particularly Sachin Tendulkar, who will be part of the One-Day squad as well can give vital tips to put the youngsters at ease,” he added.

SRILANKA VS PAKISTAN 1st TEST:Younis Ton keeps Pakistan alive

Skipper Younis Khan's defiant unbeaten 149 kept Pakistan alive as the hosts reached 296 for three in reply to Sri Lanka's massive first innings 644 for seven on third day of the first cricket Test here on Monday.Younis paired up with Shoaib Malik, whom he replaced as captain recently, and added 149 runs for the third wicket after Pakistan were reduced to 78 for two.Vice-captain Misbah-ul-Haq was giving his skipper company on 20 when the stumps were drawn for the day.Younis negotiated the Lankan spin duo Muttiah Muralitharan and Ajantha Mendis by employing reverse sweeps with consummate ease on a number of occasions.The skipper, who got a life while on 92 when Tillakaratne Dilshan dropped a chance at short mid-wicket off Mendis, adorned his innings with 17 boundaries.He found a able ally in Malik who scored a resilient 56 before getting run out after tea through a direct hit from mid-off.Pakistan still require another 149 runs to avoid the follow-on.Earlier, resuming on overnight score of 44 for one, Pakistan suffered early jolt when opener K Manzoor was dismissed by Mendis' turning delivery for 27.The second wicket of the day fell just after tea when Malik was run out by a direct hit from Muralitharan while trying to steal a sharp single to mid-off. But that was after Malik had shared 149 runs with Younis for the third wicket and taken Pakistan to 227. The two senior batsmen played sensibly as the Lankan spinners tried to take advantage of the slow turn in the pitch.Malik faced 168 balls and hit seven fours in his innings.

Younis, who completed his hundred after facing 191 balls, then ensured in the company of his deputy Misbah-ul-Haq that no further damage was done to the home side.Visiting skipper Jayawardene even took the second new ball but his most experienced pair of bowlers, Chaminda Vaas and Muralitharan failed to remove Younis.Mendis gave away 78 runs in exchange of his lone wicket while Muralitharan could not add any wicket today after claiming Salman Butt on the second day.

INDIA VS NEWZELAND SERIES:Match practice for Indian Test stars in jeopardy

The chance for Rahul Dravid and company to get some practice ahead of the Test series against New Zealand looks dim after the Players' Association here objected to adding one more foreigner to the domestic teams in the state championship.Dravid, VVS Laxman, Murali Vijay, Amit Mishra, Dhawal Kulkarni and Lakshmipathy Balaji will join the Indian squad late and the Indian board has asked its New Zealand counterpart to provide some match practice.New Zealand Cricket chief executive Justin Vaughan said efforts were on to tag the six Indians to the local teams for the state championship but the move now faces opposition from the Players' Association."If they think they can change the conditions half-way through the competition we would be absolutely against that," Players' Association boss Heath Mills was quoted as saying by the New Zealand Herald.Vaughan had earlier said that the Indian players would play the State Championship round from March 6 to 9.

But the association made it clear that it would not support any relaxation of the rules on overseas players, with each major association allowed only one overseas professional for any match.Vaughan, however, told a local newspaper that NZC had the facility "under the playing regulations to change" the rules surrounding overseas players.Another contentious question is the inclusion of the Indian players. The New Zealand state championship is a three-way race with Central Districts, Wellington and Auckland looking for maximum points.The sides with Dravid, Laxman and Mishra could be at an advantage than others.Putting the six Indians at teams which are not in the reckoning in the championship too met with opposition from the Players' Association."You can't just go and change the playing conditions because it might be convenient. There is no way we would support that," Mills said

SRILANKA VS PAKISTAN 1st TEST:PAK UNDER DEEP TROUBLE

 Mahela Jayawardene (240) and Thilan Samaraweera (231) set a fourth-wicket Test record stand of 437 runs as Sri Lanka piled up 644 for seven declared on the second day of the first Test against Pakistan on Sunday.Pakistan were 44 for one in reply, opener Salman Butt (23) edging Muttiah Muralitharan to Jayawardene at first slip after Sri Lanka declared after tea.The home side began to fight back on the stroke of tea, dismissing both the double centurions and Tillakaratne Dilshan in the space of 10 balls.Off-spinner Shoaib Malik and Danish Kaneria shared the three wickets after Jayawardene and Samaraweera had broken a 52-year old batting record with their stand.They surpassed the fourth wicket partnership of 411 between Peter May and Colin Cowdrey of England set in 1957 against West Indies at Edgbaston. The partnership of the two batsmen spanned 643 balls and came in 450 minutes.Jayawardene was the first to fall when he had a lapse of concentration. Trying to sweep Malik at the total of 614, he was caught brilliantly by keeper Kamran Akmal down the leg side.His partner Samaraweera, who made his first double century and highest Test score, fell seven balls later at the same score when he was bowled by a flipper from leg-spinner Kaneria. 

Pakistan got their third wicket at the same total of 614 when Dilshan was caught behind playing defensively at a doosra from Malik.Sri Lanka's total is their highest against Pakistan and also the highest by any team at the National Stadium.The 437-run stand is also the highest for any wicket at the ground by any team.

SRILANKA VS PAKISTAN 1st TEST:MAHELA AND SAMARAWEERA TONS WELCOME BACK PAK TO TEST

Mahela Jayawardene and Thilan Samaraweera hit punishing hundreds to lead Sri Lanka's run charge against Pakistan on the opening day of the first Test here on Saturday as the tourists reached 406-3.The Sri Lankan skipper was unbeaten on 136 — his 25th Test hundred — while Samaraweera notched 130 not out for his eighth hundred after the tourists won the toss and decided to bat.The 31-year-old Jayawardene, whose lack of form in recent one-day matches forced him to step down from the captaincy after the current two-Test series against Pakistan, also completed 8,000 career Test runs during the innings.Samaraweera matched his skipper shot for shot and the pair added 229 for the unfinished fourth-wicket stand, blunting Pakistan's three-pronged pace attack on an unresponsive pitch.Jayawardene has so far knocked 20 boundaries during his 239-ball innings. The Sri Lankan skipper hit leg-spinner Danish Kaneria for his 15th boundary to reach his century — his first against Pakistan. He now has a hundred against all nine Test playing nations.

When on 37, Jayawardene hit debutant paceman Sohail Khan for a boundary to complete 8,000 runs in his 101st Test. He is the first Sri Lankan and 20th batsman in the world to achieve the feat.Jaywardene also rode his luck, benefiting from three dropped catches. When on 17 paceman Umar Gul dropped him off his own bowling and later on 43, Misbah-ul-Haq spilled an easy catch off a luckless Sohail

IPL:Australian players praised for skipping IPL

Australian media on Saturday praised Ricky Ponting and others for skipping the second edition of the Indian Premier League, terming it a "brave" and "smart" decision."First Mitchell Johnson opted out, then Michael Clarke and now Australian captain Ricky Ponting has made the brave decision not to play in the Indian Premier League this year."The decision by the skipper to spend two weeks at home with his family rather than dashing for the IPL cash is a smart move," The Australian reported."Ponting's move is brave and bold and will silence the critics, but more importantly it will give him the sort of rest he needs before the Ashes and the Twenty20 World Cup."The newspaper felt the inaugural edition of the IPL has affected many Australian players and so skipping the Twenty20 event will save the cricketers from unnecessary injuries and prolong their career."The players are in the middle of the most gruelling 18 months of cricket ever endured. Two weeks in the IPL may not seem much, but it is a game that places a lot of strain on tired bodies and a lot of the players who competed last year came home with injuries."Matthew Hayden never got his career back on track, Andrew Symonds' knee continues to trouble him and Brett Lee eventually broke down. To name a few," it said.

INDIA VS NEWZELAND SERIES:INDIAN PLAYERS UNDERGO INTENSE TRAINING

New Zealand skipper Daniel Vettori says the prospect of facing Indian big-hitters like Virender Sehwag and Mahendra Singh Dhoni in the upcoming home series is "pretty scary" as it will be tough to contain them on the small grounds here.The last time India toured New Zealand six years ago they went down 0-2 in Tests and lost the one-day series 2-5. But India's current form in all three forms of the game has Vettori worried and he said stopping Dhoni and Sehwag could turn into a nightmare for his bowlers."You look at the individual players and some of the world's best are coming," Vettori said."Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Virender Sehwag batting on the little grounds in New Zealand is pretty scary," the left-arm spinner said.However, Vettori is seeking comfort from India's past record here."You balance that with them being notorious for not touring New Zealand all that well," he said.Vettori said he is also hoping to take some positives out of the drawn one-day series against Australia. New Zealand could claim moral victory though Ricky Ponting's men retained the Chappell Hadlee Trophy after the series finished 2-2 with the decider being washed out."It's (India series) going to be huge backing up after Australia, but hopefully we can take confidence into the series," Vettori was quoted as saying by the New Zealand Herald.The spinner also expressed satisfaction with the way the newcomers have performed."I'm happy these guys keep turning up and performing. You throw the likes of Scott Styris, Jesse Ryder and Jacob Oram to come back into the mix, then we've got a nice group of 15-16 (to choose from)."India start their New Zealand tour with two Twenty20 internationals starting February 25 before taking on the hosts in five one-dayers and three Tests.

IPL:More Aussies may follow Ponting to skip IPL

After Ricky Ponting decided to give the second edition of the Indian Premier League a miss, speculation is rife that many of the Aussie players may follow his lead.Ponting, who plays for the Kolkata Knight Riders didn't quite set the first season of the IPL on fire, but as the Australian captain, he was among the star attractions at the tournament. But even the lure of making some easy money hasn't convinced Ponting to make the trip this time around."My country comes first and there was no way I could give my all for Australia if I used the only two-week break we have to go and play in India," said Ponting.Now the big question is if other members of the Australian team would give the event a miss, following their captain's cue. Mike Hussey is a regular member of all three Aussie teams and the Chennai Super Kings will be wondering now if he will show up.The Kings XI are counting on Shaun Marsh being available for a few weeks, especially as he is not a part of the Test squad. But Brett Lee is recovering from injury and may not be available at all."I wish Brett (Lee) a quick recovery," said Kings XI skipper.

With Michael Clarke and Mitchell Johnson having decided to stay away totally, its clear that the Aussie flavour at this year's IPL won't be quite as spicy.What is certain though is that the Aussie presence won't be totally missing. After all the recently retired Matthew Hayden, Deccan Chargers standing captain Adam Gilchrist and of course last year's winning captain Shane Warne will bring some thunder from Down Under.

ENGLAND VS WESTINDIES 3rd TEST:West Indies hold on for a dramatic draw

England and the West Indies drew the third Test on Thursday in dramatic circumstances when play was called off due to bad light with the home side on 370-9 and with four overs still to bowl.West Indies lead the five-match series 1-0."I was in my zone. I have worked on my batting for the past few months and now it's bearing fruits," said Daren Powell who finished unbeaten on 22 off 55 balls in a knock spread over 65 minutes at the Antigua Recreation Ground.Last man Fidel Edwards made five but more importantly stayed at the wicket for 34 minutes.Adding to England's problems was a worrying hip injury suffered by Andrew Flintoff which could rule him out of the fourth Test in Barbados from February 26. He will undergo a scan on Friday.Star batsman Kevin Pietersen took a nasty blow to his hand while fielding close in as England crowded the last two West Indies batsmen.

The other two Tests in the series take place at Kensington Oval in Barbados from February 26 to March 2, and Queen's Park Oval in Trinidad from March 6 to 10. The second Test at the nearby Sir Vivian Richards Ground was abandoned after just 10 balls last week because of a dangerous outfield.Earlier, pace bowler Stuart Broad collected the prized scalps of century-maker Ramnaresh Sarwan and the durable Shivnarine Chanderpaul to boost England's hopes.Broad, armed with the second new ball, removed Sarwan for 106 and Chanderpaul for 55 in quick succession as West Indies, who were chasing 503 for victory, reached 279 for five at tea.Until Broad's intervention, Sarwan and Chanderpaul had batted comfortably to add 148 for the fourth wicket."It's pretty tough to take. We had to work exceptionally hard for our wickets today," admitted England skipper Andrew Strauss. "The guys dug deep. Flintoff was bowling on one leg, so to get very close is a great effort."Strauss said he was proud of his team. "From the time we turned up here through to the end, we've played some exceptional cricket - and if we continue to do that, I believe we'll come out on top," he said.

IPL BROADCASTER'S CEO QUITS

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A day after an industry report indicated that Sony Entertainment Television may lose the rights to host the second edition of the Indian Premier League, the broadcast company's CEO Kunal Dasgupta put in his papers on ThursdayWhile the company said in a statement that Dasgupta had quit because of "personal reasons", it is widely believed that he paid the price for the fallout of the sponsorship deal between Multi Screen Media and Big TV which has resulted in a huge monetary loss and for which the BCCI is seeking a compensation to the tune of approximately Rs 137 crore.Dasgupta was CEO of Multi Screen Media, the company that airs channels like Sony Entertainment Television, Max, Sab and Pix. Man Jit Singh, who was appointed Chairman on the Multi Screen Media board in March 2007, then known as SET India, is the interim CEO. Singh, will lead the search for a new CEO.Industry websites, including exchange4media.com, on Thursday reported that MSM had an executive committee meeting on Wednesday, where all top nothces of the organisation, including Andy Kaplan, SPTI's President, International Networks, were present.The meeting was held barely hours after Dasgupta told exchange4media, on the sidelines of the ongoing FICCI Frames, that the loss in case of losing the broadcast rights of the IPL was "not quantifiable".He had also confirmed that the problem between the BCCI and MSM was only over finding the right sponsor.

"Yes, because they have lost a lot of money and at present, not too many people are coming forward for the IPL. We have tapped many but they are just not interested since they do not have the monies," Dasgupta was quoted as saying.The report added that the genesis of the problem is the Big TV versus Airtel sponsorship issue. MSM had got Airtel as an on-air sponsor to which Big TV objected and simultaneously withdrew the on-ground deal that it was working at.

AUSSIES READY FOR REVENGE AGAINST PROTEAS

Australia's bid to remain the world's top Test side will face a tough challenge in the three-match series which starts against South Africa next week.The Australians limber up with a three-day match against a Cricket South Africa President's XI in Potchefstroom from Friday. In the days leading up to the main course of test action, the captains are expected to joust verbally around the issue of which side is under the most pressure.Australia has been the top-ranked nation for the past six years, but was beaten 2-1 on home soil by South Africa in December and January. All it needs for South African to leapfrog the team is a home series win.Australia captain Ricky Ponting, whose side being rebuilt after losing several key players in the last couple of years, needs to get his men to perform consistently in the tests, which start in Johannesburg on Feb. 26 and finish in Cape Town on March 23.

He clearly also has to motivate a fairly inexperienced attack minus the injured Brett Lee and Stuart Clark to take the battle to a bullish Proteas batting line-up.South African captain Graeme Smith is playing again after breaking a knuckle in Sydney and experiencing discomfort from a tennis elbow injury, which might need surgery in the future. The exciting JP Duminy has also retained his place in the test squad ahead of fellow left-hander Ashwell Prince.Prince broke his left thumb the day before the start of the Perth test in December, and back-up batsman Duminy made the most of his test debut. He hit a memorable 166 in Melbourne as the Proteas went 2-0 up, while Prince missed all three tests.

ENGLAND VS WESTINDIES 3rd TEST:England on way to level series

England were eyeing a series-levelling victory, after setting West Indies 503 to win the third Test on Wednesday and at stumps on the fourth day needed seven wickets on the final day to secure the win.England declared their second innings on 221 for eight about an hour after the scheduled lunch break, and then restricted West Indies to 143 for three in their second innings when stumps were drawn.Alastair Cook hit the top score of 51 in the England second innings, Paul Collingwood made 34, Kevin Pietersen got 33 as England batted themselves into an impregnable position.For West Indies, Daren Powell collected two wickets for 33 runs from seven overs, Ryan Hinds took two for 45 from 11 overs, and Sulieman Benn two for 58 from 13 overs.England then had to wait an hour and 15 minutes either side of tea before they claimed their first wicket, and then took two more to leave West Indies wobbly on 96 for three.But the visitors then met stern resistance from Ramnaresh Sarwan and Shivnarine Chanderpaul, two of the West Indies' most recognised batsmen, in the final hour.

Sarwan, not out on 47, and Chanderpaul, not out on 19, added 47 - unbroken - for the fourth wicket and will carry the burden of responsibility of saving the Test.England's progress was slowed, when West Indies captain Chris Gayle and Devon Smith had carried their side to tea on 32 without loss and then proceeded to take their opening stand over the 50 mark before the visitors broke it.Steve Harmison had Smith adjudged lbw for 21, and this started the shaky period for West Indies. Graeme Swann had Gayle also lbw for 46 sweeping across the line of a well-pitched delivery, and Stuart Broad deceived Ryan Hinds with a slower delivery and had him caught at mid-on for six essaying a firm drive.But he was England's final success for the day, as Chanderpaul joined Sarwan and batted through until the close with little or no alarms.
Earlier, Cook had hit his second half-century of the match to help England beef-up their lead, as they reached 135 for three at the interval.Cook turned his 92nd ball from Benn behind square for a single to reach the landmark, as England made steady, if not rapid progress before lunch, after they continued from their overnight total of 31 for one.

Cook had been allied with James Anderson and they frustrated West Indies for the first hour in a stand of 46 for the second. But Anderson was dismissed on the stroke of the drinks break, when he was caught behind for 20 off Powell.England continued to chase quick runs, and Owais Shah struck Powell for a wonderful six over mid-wicket before the same bowler spectacularly bowled him middle-stump for 14 to leave the visitors on 97 for three.After lunch, England suffered an early setback in their hunt for quick runs, when Cook was caught at slip off Hinds' modest left-arm spin gloving a delivery that bounced awkwardly.But Paul Collingwood joined Kevin Pietersen and they raised the tempo in a stand of 44 for the fifth wicket with a mixture of aggressive strokes and well-judged runs.Pietersen improvised with a number of reverse sweeps and cross-batted strokes, but he tried one too many, and was caught behind to give Benn, one of the heroes of West Indies victory in the first Test, his first wicket in his 54th over of the match.England then lost four wickets for 17 runs in the space of 26 balls before two sixes - one apiece to Matt Prior and Harmison - off Hinds sealed the 500-run lead and the declaration.England trail 0-1 in the series which now comprises five Tests, following an innings and 23-run defeat in the opening Test at Kingston inside four days.The other two Tests in the series take place at Kensington Oval in Barbados from February 26 to March 2, and Queen's Park Oval in Trinidad from March 6 to 10.

ENGLAND VS WESTINDIES 3rd TEST:Swann's five-for puts England in control

England were in full control of the third Test after career-best bowling from Graeme Swann carried them to a 281-run first innings lead over West Indies on Tuesday.England - who trail the hosts 1-0 - were 31 for one in their second innings when stumps were drawn on the third day at the Antigua Recreation Ground.This followed Swann taking 5-57 from 24 overs, as West Indies were dismissed for 285, replying to England's first innings total of 566 for eight declared.Ramnaresh Sarwan hit the top score of 94 for West Indies, and there were supporting knocks of 38 from Devon Smith, 27 from Ryan Hinds, and 22 from Daren Powell.England decided not to enforce the follow-on, and suffered an early loss, when their captain Andrew Strauss was caught at second slip for 14 off the fiery Fidel Edwards.The visitors chose to send James Anderson in as night-watchman and he was fortunate to have survived. On four, he edged Edwards to third slip, where Hinds muffed a simple chance.Earlier, England toiled on the hard, easy-paced ARG pitch and took all their chances after West Indies continued from their overnight total of 55 for one.

Before lunch, it was Swann's off-spin bowling, rather than the fast bowlers that provided England with two wickets, as West Indies reached 132 for three at the interval. West Indies lost the wickets of Smith and Powell in the second hour before lunch.The ARG pitch, as expected, played a few tricks, but England's bowlers were not accurate enough, and the West Indies' overnight pair of Smith and night-watchman Powell studiously navigated the first hour.But Swann provided the breakthrough, when Smith tried an ugly-looking slog at a flighted delivery and was bowled by the second ball after the drinks break.Strauss continued to rotate his bowlers, particularly the fast bowlers from the southern end of the ground in an effort to make use of a ridge in the middle of the pitch which made batting difficult.But Swann was allowed to wheel away from the northern end and got his second scalp, when Powell was caught at slip playing defensively forward in the last 15 minutes before the interval.The West Indies fast bowler had shown enormous restraint in a little over two hours spent at the crease before Swann outfoxed him.After lunch, England claimed two wickets - one of them Shivnarine Chanderpaul - to tighten their grip on the Test at tea.Andrew Flintoff removed Hinds and Stuart Broad got Chanderpaul for one in the space of nine balls, as West Indies reached 221 for five at the break.

Flintoff made the breakthrough for England, after Hinds had added 70 for the fourth wicket with Sarwan, when the left-hander edged a leg-cutter and was caught behind.Next over, England got a bonus wicket, when Broad had Chanderpaul also caught behind driving loosely at a delivery outside the off-stump.After tea, England met resistance from Sarwan and Brendan Nash. They added 50 for the sixth wicket before Swann returned to snare two wickets from consecutive balls.Swann had Sarwan caught at mid-wicket playing an ugly cross-batted slog, and next ball, Denesh Ramdin was caught and bowled when he gently pushed back a full toss to the off-spinner to leave West Indies 251 for seven.England continued to mount the pressure and eventually snared the last three West Indies wickets for seven runs in the space of 13 balls. Flintoff gave Swann steady support with three for 47 from 14.2 overs.

England trail 0-1 in the series which now comprises five Tests, following an innings and 23-run defeat in the opening Test at Kingston inside four days.The other two Tests in the series take place at Kensington Oval in Barbados from February 26 to March 2, and Queen's Park Oval in Trinidad from March 6 to 10.

TEAM INDIA SPOTS OUT A NEW JERSEY

The Indian cricket team is all set to sport a new look, as the new jersey was unveiled on Wednesday (February 18), on the eve of Team India's departure to New Zealand. This is the team's second jersey in past two years. 

In a press conference hosted by veteran commentator Harsha Bhogle, the jersey was unveiled by skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni along with Zaheer Khan, Dinesh Karthik, Pragyan Ohja, Rohit Sharma and Yuvraj Singh. The Indian team's new jersey sports a different blue along with shades of the tri-colour along with it. Dhoni's men will now be sporting these new jerseys on all their tours henceforth. 

Meanwhile, captain cool said that he does get upset at times when a teammate makes a fielding mistake, but doesn't show the frustration. "I do get frustrated at times when a mistake is made on the field. But I feel there's no point in abusing him there. I prefer to go back into the dressing room and point out his mistake. That helps him more", Dhoni said after unveiling the Indian team's new one day kit -- bold blue in colour -- along with other teammates. 

Dhoni described the forthcoming tour of New Zealand as a tough assignment but said whether at home or away, international cricket was always a difficult proposition. "It's better to start as underdogs (in a series). It's going to be tough, but international cricket is tough whether at home or away. We have heard how beautiful it (New Zealand) is. We would enjoy the tour and hopefully would come back with a couple of trophies. We don't bother whether we are playing Sri Lanka or any other country", he said. 

Dhoni, meanwhile, made it clear that he did not intend to try bungee jumping in New Zealand as his contract prohibits him from doing so. Dhoni has been invited by Tourism Auckland to take up the challenge and bungee jump from the Auckland Harbour as a "stress buster". Teammate Yuvraj Singh supported Dhoni and said "Our tour contract does not allow us to do bungee jumping." 

The Indian squad is set to depart for New Zealand early tomorrow morning after attending the Cricket Board's annual awards function here this evening. Yuvraj, who got back-to-back man of the match awards in the last two One-Day International series, did not wish to comment whether he enjoyed playing at number four. All he repeatedly said was "Please ask Dhoni". 

Zaheer Khan, also among the six New Zealand-bound team members to walk the ramp with the new ODI outfit, said that he was enjoying the responsibility of leading the Indian attack. "I'm enjoying the responsibility. It will definitely help me in keeping my focus and get to the next level", he said while welcoming the new "Dri-Fit" outfit, designed and produced by BCCI’s official apparel sponsors Nike, as ideal in hot conditions. 

Yuvraj quipped the Mumbai left-arm pacer was the leader off the field too, adding "please ask Dhoni about it". "The new outfit will help us in hot conditions", he said. In 2007, India's new jersey officially unveiled the jersey for the ICC World Cup. 

The kit was made public at a press conference, attended by some team members -- then Captain Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly, Dinesh Karthik, Zaheer Khan, Mahendra Singh Dhoni and S Sreesanth -- and senior officials of the Board of Control for Cricket in India. The colours of the graphics on the new jersey take inspiration from the Indian flag and represent speed and motion.

AGAIN THE RACE STARTS FOR TOP SPOT , AUSSIES DELIGHTED

Australia have landed in Johannesburg for a three-Test series against South Africa which will be the battle for the right to hold the ICC Test Championship mace and be called the number one Test team in the world.Graeme Smith's men will be officially coronated the world's top-ranked Test team if they win the series, a prospect Ricky Ponting is determined to avoid."To tell the truth winning the series will mean more to me than what happens to this thing on the stage, so we'll give it our best shot to play the best cricket we can in this series and if that means holding on to this piece of silverware then all well and good," said Australian skipper Ponting.Rarely do the Aussies start a series as underdogs but after having handed Ponting's men their first home defeat in 16 years, South Africa are now favoured to do the same in front of their own crowd."I think of different times in Australia when the really big moments came around, South Africa tended to win most of those and I think the Melbourne Test match was a perfect example of that where we had them under a lot pressure and they turned a very ordinary situation in the game for them to a very positive one and ended up winning the game very well, stated Ponting.With a rookie pace attack and an unusually frail batting line-up, Australia have never been more vulnerable. Their skipper though is confident of his team's ability to play high standard of cricket.

"We've never, ever taken our success for granted, or not worked harder than any other team and that's what I think has made us stand out from a lot other cricket teams around the world over the last six or seven years is that we've been recognised as number one, but we've always felt that we've tried to train and prepare as we were number two," he added.The tour kicks off with a practice game against South Africa A before the first Test starting on Thursday in Johannesburg

INDIA VS NEWZELAND SERIES:Vettori 'scared' of Sehwag, Dhoni onslaught

New Zealand skipper Daniel Vettori says the prospect of facing Indian big-hitters like Virender Sehwag and Mahendra Singh Dhoni in the upcoming home series is "pretty scary" as it will be tough to contain them on the small grounds here.The last time India toured New Zealand six years ago they went down 0-2 in Tests and lost the one-day series 2-5. But India's current form in all three forms of the game has Vettori worried and he said stopping Dhoni and Sehwag could turn into a nightmare for his bowlers."You look at the individual players and some of the world's best are coming," Vettori said."Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Virender Sehwag batting on the little grounds in New Zealand is pretty scary," the left-arm spinner said.However, Vettori is seeking comfort from India's past record here."You balance that with them being notorious for not touring New Zealand all that well," he said.Vettori said he is also hoping to take some positives out of the drawn one-day series against Australia. New Zealand could claim moral victory though Ricky Ponting's men retained the Chappell Hadlee Trophy after the series finished 2-2 with the decider being washed out."It's (India series) going to be huge backing up after Australia, but hopefully we can take confidence into the series," Vettori was quoted as saying by the New Zealand Herald.The spinner also expressed satisfaction with the way the newcomers have performed."I'm happy these guys keep turning up and performing. You throw the likes of Scott Styris, Jesse Ryder and Jacob Oram to come back into the mix, then we've got a nice group of 15-16 (to choose from)."India start their New Zealand tour with two Twenty20 internationals starting February 25 before taking on the hosts in five one-dayers and three Tests.

ENGLAND VS WESTINDIES 3rd TEST:Collingwood century puts England in command

Paul Collingwood became the second century-maker in the England first innings when he hit his eighth Test hundred against West Indies in the third Test here on Monday.But West Indies made an unsteady start to reach 55 for one, replying to England's first innings total of 566 for eight declared when stumps were drawn on the second day at the Antigua Recreation Ground.Collingwood made 113 and shared three half-century stands along the way that helped beef up the England total. Kevin Pietersen scored 51, Stuart Broad made 44, Matt Prior got 39, and Graeme Swann was not out on 20.Jerome Taylor collected two wickets for 73 runs from 28 overs, Fidel Edwards snared two for 75 from 26 overs, and Ryan Hinds poached two for 86 from 22.2 overs.England's new-ball pair of James Anderson and Andrew Flintoff then found out what their opponents had learnt about the ARG pitch over the past two days.Flintoff got a few balls to jump from a good length and startle Chris Gayle, but the West Indies captain and fellow left-handed opener Devon Smith had little about which to worry in between.Steve Harmison replaced Anderson at the northern end for the eighth over of the innings and things started to happen. His second delivery - a no-ball - Gayle blindly hooked over deep fine leg for a six way out of the small ground nestled in the Antigua & Barbuda capital.A few balls later, Harmison dug in short again, and Gayle swatted another no-ball, one bounce, into the mid-wicket boundary for the last of his five fours.But next delivery, England and Harmison were celebrating, when Gayle - weight on the back-foot - was caught at mid-off driving loosely.

Earlier, Collingwood helped England pile on the runs. He struck 14 boundaries from 202 balls in just over five hours before he was dismissed - caught inside the deep mid-wicket boundary off Hinds - to prompt the declaration.Collingwood added 94 with Pietersen for the fifth wicket, 62 with Prior for the seventh wicket, and the same amount with Broad for the eighth wicket, as England extended their innings to an hour and 20 minutes past tea.At lunch, England had reached 391 for four, after they suffered an early, but not totally surprising setback.The visitors continued from their overnight total of 301 for three, and lost night-watchman Anderson, when he was caught behind off Edwards for four in the second over of the morning.But Collingwood joined Pietersen and launched into the West Indies attack with a succession of blistering strokes. Both batsmen were prepared to bring out their pull and hook to good effect, but there were a few crisp drives as well.They however, had to survive a torrid opening spell from Edwards in which both were peppered about their body with a couple of short, rising balls.Pietersen, unusually subdued, was fortunate on 25 though, when he almost gave a return catch to Edwards looking to drive a low full toss.Collingwood had to fend a first-ball snorter from Edwards and was fortunate to see it land just short of slip fielders. 

But he remained unflappable throughout and stroked the ball with crisp assurance and reached his 50, when he cut Hinds through square cover for a single in the final over before the interval.After lunch, things got a bit shaky for England before Collingwood and Prior put them back on track to take them to 482 for seven at tea.They lost Pietersen, when Taylor bowled him for 51, and Flintoff, when he fell in the same manner for a second ball duck in the space of three balls in the first half-hour after the interval.But Prior joined Collingwood and they spent the next hour-and-a-half repairing the damage before Brendan Nash claimed his first Test wicket.Prior had looked solid in his 39 before he skied a delivery from the left-arm medium-paced bowler and was caught at deep mid-off.After tea, England continued to fortify their position with all of their batsmen chasing quick runs. Before a near capacity crowd of mainly holidaying British visitors, Collingwood reached his landmark, when he turned his 186th ball into square leg for a single.

Collingwood in the company of Broad and Swann then treated the crowd to some delightful strokes before the declaration came.England trail the series which now comprises five Tests 0-1, following an innings and 23-run defeat in the opening match at Kingston inside four days.The other two Tests in the series take place at Kensington Oval in Barbados from February 26 to March 2, and Queen's Park Oval in Trinidad from March 2-6.

ENGLAND VS WESTINDIES 3rd TEST:Strauss ton puts England in charge

Skipper Andrew Strauss's 15th Test hundred helped England bury the double misery of their Jamaica humiliation and the abandoned second Test on the opening day of the third Test on Sunday.Strauss hit 169, and there were half-centuries for Owais Shah and Alastair Cook, as England, sent in to bat by the West Indies, reached 301 for three in their first innings when stumps were drawn at the Antigua Recreation Ground.Strauss turned his over-pitched 169th delivery from Daren Powell through backward square leg for two to reach the milestone to help make his team's 51 all out in the first Test, and Friday's aborted Test, a distant memory.He put on 123 for the first wicket with Cook before Shah, who was replacing Ian Bell, joined him to add 153 for the second wicket before they both departed in the final period of the day."It was important we came out positive today just to show there is a lot of fight in us and we did that from ball one," said Strauss."On this pitch it is not that easy to get ones, it's easier to get boundaries than get ones.

"And once me and Cooky (Alastair Cook) were in we decided that if the shot was on we should back ourselves and go for the shot."But Strauss was fortunate. On 47, West Indies captain Chris Gayle dropped him at slip off Sulieman Benn before he steered Jerome Taylor to third man for two to bring up his 50.Then on 71, he edged Ryan Hinds between wicketkeeper Denesh Ramdin and slip fielder Gayle for the 10th of his 24 fours before he reached triple figures.Strauss and Cook had provided England with a firm foundation. They carried England to 58 without loss at lunch before Cook was caught at slip off Gayle for 52 after the interval.Shah entered and immediately announced himself with a cracking back-foot drive off his first ball from Gayle.They took England to 206 for one at tea before Shah was run out for 57, when he failed to beat a direct hit from Taylor on his follow-through going for a suicidal run.Strauss continued to stroke the ball crisply, but Gayle claimed the second new ball with England on 291 for two after 87 overs and was rewarded with the prized scalp of the left-handed opener.Trying to pull a short, rising ball from Fidel Edwards, Strauss only succeeded in giving the bowler a simple return catch.He batted for five minutes short of six hours, faced 277 balls, and also struck a six, a lovely straight hit out of the ground off Benn.The start had been delayed by 45 minutes, following overnight and early morning rain which affected parts of the parched outfield with an area straight behind the wicket at the northern end being the most troublesome.West Indies made no changes to their 11 that took the field for the second Test, but England brought Steve Harmison and Graeme Swann in to replace Ryan Sidebottom and Monty Panesar.

The ARG was cleared to stage the match late on Saturday, following an inspection from ICC Match Referee Allan Hurst."I'm very happy with the ground," he told reporters. "I think in the 24 hours they've had to prepare the ground they've done a fantastic job."There are a few problems with the (outfield) and it is not perfect, but they've done as good a job as they could have and the pitch looks great."The ARG is hosting a Test for the first time in three years, after the second Test at the nearby Sir Vivian Richards Cricket Ground was abandoned on Friday because of an unsuitable outfield after just 10 balls.West Indies lead the series which now comprises five Tests 1-0, following an innings and 23-run victory in the opening match at Kingston inside four days.The other two Tests in the series take place at Kensington Oval in Barbados from February 26 to March 2, and Queen's Park Oval in Trinidad from March 2 to 6.

INDIA VS NEWZELAND SERIES:India confident of revenge in New Zealand

The Indian team leave for New Zealand this week and the tour will be an important step forward in their journey for the number one spot in the ICC rankings. Over two T20 games, five one-dayers and three Test matches, Mahendra Singh Dhoni's men will be tested to the fullest.It is no surprise that the back-slapping and the smiles are in evidence these days in the Indian team. Indian win much more than they lose and the man who leads this bunch and the men who select it are pretty pleased.India had a miserable tour of New Zealand last time when they lost the Test and one-day series; so revenge is on their mind."I hope the wickets are better this time but we are well prepared whatever comes our way. We have enough time to assess what kind of conditions we will go through and the way the team is playing, I don't think there will be any issues in New Zealand," said Yuvraj Singh.New Zealand won't be pushovers although the team is short on superstars and they have sent out a strong warning to India with recent performances in Australia. Two young teams will come face to face and India's key men are pretty sure that they can combat any challenge."The whole world knows what kind of a team we have and we have the ability to beat any side, any where. Hopefully, if we stick to our game plan we will be able to beat New Zealand in New Zealand," stated Harbhajan Singh.

And the selectors have given quite a few men the opportunity to stake claim for a permanent shot at national colours. Ravindra Jadeja will have two T20 games to shine. Dinesh Karthik will have a chance to stake claim as a regular second choice keeper. Murali Vijay as an option for opener and Dhawal Kulkarni may get a go in helpful conditions to show his seam bowling ability."Conditions over there are going to be different; they will help the pacers. So I just have to stick to the line and length and bowl according to the plan," said Kulkarni.The team sets off on Wednesday for six weeks that will test their mettle to the fullest as international cricketers.