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ScorecardThe Eagles dominated the second day of their match against the Titans at Goodyear Park in Bloemfontein, first gaining a 123-run first-innings lead and then destroying the Titans to leave them at 110 for 6 at the close. Johannes van der Wath stood out for the Eagles with the second hundred of his career, and three of the six Titans wickets. The Eagles were 123 for 5 and appeared in danger of squandering a good start, but a 71-run partnership between van der Wath and Loots Bosman took them past the Titans’ total of 178. Bosman was caught behind for 41, but van der Wath went on to his hundred off 132 balls which included 18 boundaries and a six. Then followed a brief passage of play that went the Titans’ way: from 296 for 6, the Eagles crashed to 301 as Ryan McLaren, Dillon du Preez, van der Wath and Thandi Tshabalala got out in quick succession. The Titans’ second innings began as the first had: in disaster. But they were partially revived from their position of 41 for 4 by a stand of 52 between Alviro Peterson (46) and Pierre de Bruy. They were 110 for 6 at the end of the day, and all set for a heavy defeat.Dolphins 72 for 5 trail Lions 499 for 9 dec (Bacher 140, Motaung 80, McKenzie 80, Hall 74, Govender 5-87) by 424 runs
ScorecardAt the Wanderers in Johannesburg the Lions completely outclassed the table leaders, the Dolphins, by amassing 499 in their first innings. By the close the Dolphins could only manage 72 for 5. Adam Bacher could not add to his overnight 140, leaving it to Neil McKenzie and Andrew Hall to put on 133 runs for the fifth wicket. McKenzie finished on 80 while Hall contributed 74 as the two flayed the ball all around the Bullring. Wickets went down regularly in the search for a big first-innings lead, and the Lions slipped from 465 for 4 to 499 for 9 before the declaration came, just after Russel Symncox – the son of the former Test offspinner Pat – took a hat-trick by dismissing Werner Coetsee, Garnet Kruger and Goolam Bhayat. The Dolphins’ innings was in stark contrast to the Lions’ stint. Runs were scarce but wickets fell in a torrent. The sole joy for the Dolphins came from Ugasen Govender, who impressed with the ball on his debut, taking 5 for 87 with his medium-pacers.Warriors 154 for 6 trail Western Province Boland 482 for 9 dec (Puttick 206, Tsolekile 72) by 328 runs
ScorecardAndrew Puttick took the honours at Mercedes Park in East London as Western Province Boland took a 328-run lead over the Warriors into the third day. Puttick spent nine hours at the crease as he compiled a near-chanceless double-hundred, his third, which included 25 fours and a six. Puttick put on 124 with his overnight partner Vernon Philander (44) and then a quick 87-run stand with the aggressive Paul Adams, who made 49. Rory Kleinveldt biffed 39, including one six, off the bowling of Burton de Wett, that sent journalists diving for cover as the ball sailed through an open window of the press box. Despite this, de Wett finished with a career-best 3 for 36. Apart from an 81-run partnership between Mark Bruyns and Steven Pope, the Warriors’ wickets fell far to quickly on a placid pitch. Pope scored 44 while Bruyns was undefeated on 66. A lot will depend on Bruyns if the Warriors are to avoid the follow-on.

Former England fast bowler Simon Jones isn’t ruling out a return to international cricket, spurred on by the thought of playing an Ashes Test in front of a Welsh crowd. Continual injury setbacks have hampered him for two years and he has not played international cricket since 2005, but he is clinging to the hope of participating in Cardiff’s first Ashes next year.”I would do anything to be involved in that game,” Jones told the Mirror. “Playing against Australia in front of a Welsh crowd would be something special.”Reprising the 2005 Ashes-winning bowling quartet of himself, Andrew Flintoff, Steve Harmison and Matthew Hoggard is a further dream, however distant. “I would hate to think the four of us will never bowl together again,” said Jones. “That would be a real shame, and we’re all young enough to make our comebacks for England, so you never know.”Flintoff hasn’t played a Test since the last Ashes in Sydney early last year, while Hoggard and Harmison were dropped after the first Test in new Zealand because of poor form in the opening Test.Jones has county cricket and staying injury-free to focus upon long before he can think of playing for England again.

Stuart Carlisle has been named captain of Zimbabwe A for the visit of their Pakistan counterparts. The selectors have named a 15-man squad for the four-day matches and a 14-man squad of the one-day games that follow.The squads include a number of Zimbabwean Test players including Brendan Taylor and Stuart Matsikenyeri, who both struggled against South Africa, and are given an opportunity to hone their skills. Graeme Cremer, the legspinner who came in for some fierce punishment at the hands of Jacques Kallis, will also face the less daunting prospect of Pakistan’s second string.Taylor will share the wicketkeeping duties with Charles Coventry after Tatenda Taibu was not considered for selection to allow him a rest. Macsood Ebrahim, the convenor of selectors, said: “We are going to select the teams on a rotational basis because we want each player in either squad to play at least one game.”The tour runs from May 6-23 with two four-day games at the CFX Academy and Harare, followed by three one-day matches. Four-Day squad Stuart Carlisle (capt), Blessing Mahwire, Brendan Taylor, Mark Vermeulen, Stuart Matsikenyeri, Sean Williams, Chamunorwa Chibhabha, Tawanda Mupariwa, Graeme Cremer, Allan Mwayenga, Trevor Gripper, Neil Ferreira, Keith Dabengwa, Anthony Ireland, Charles Coventry.One-Day squad Stuart Carlisle (capt), Blessing Mahwire, Keith Dabengwa, Stuart Matsikenyeri, Brendan Taylor, Mark Vermeulen, Douglas Marillier, Chamunorwa Chibhabha, Sean Williams, Tawanda Mupariwa, Anthony Ireland, Ian Nicholson, Gavin Ewing, Charles Coventry.

Badureliya created the biggest upset of the season by trouncing the formidable Nondescripts team by a 271-run margin at the Nondescripts Stadium. Led by captain Hemantha Wickramaratne, who scored 114, Badureliya managed 339 in their first innings after being put in by Nondescripts. Wickramaratne, though, narrowly missed out scoring a century in both innings when he was dismissed for 91 in the second innings as Badureliya topped 300 twice in the match. Nondescripts’ batting was dismantled by Badureliya’s all-round bowling strength, collapsing for totals of 191 and 187.The win placed Badureliya second on the points table.Sinhalese recovered from 52-3 to total 514 and beat Tamil Union by an innings and 104 runs at the P.Saravanamuttu Stadium. The foundation for their victory was laid by their fourth wicket pair of Thilan Samaraweera (125) and Thilina Kandamby (who scored a career-best 163), who figured in a stand of 261. Sachitra Serasinghe’s offspin then unsettled the Tamil Union batting as they were forced to follow-on. He ended the match with eight wickets.In a low scoring game played at the R Premadasa Stadium, Colts recovered from conceding a first-innings lead of 21 runs to beat Ragama by four wickets to retain third spot.Colombo recovered from their shock defeat at the hands of Moors last weekend to beat Bloomfield by 257 runs at the Colombo Cricket Club Ground. Discarded Sri Lanka batsman, Jehan Mubarak, was in great form for Colombo, scoring 121 and 49.Following their giant-killing performance last weekend, Moors were brought down to earth by Chilaw Marians, who beat them by 226 runs at the Moors Sports Club Ground. The architect of Marians’ victory was the former Sri Lanka left-arm spinner Dinuka Hettiarachchi, who took a match bag of ten wickets including six in the second innings.Player of the Week: Dinuka Hettiarachchi
Hettiarachchi got his first big break at the age of 24 when he was picked to represent his country against Nasser Hussain’s England at the Sinhalese Sports Club (SSC) in 2001, but after that he never came under the microscope of the national selectors despite consistent performances in domestic cricket for Colombo Colts, SSC and now Chilaw Marians with whom he has been for the past three seasons.Part of Marians’ success in the past few years has been due to Hettiarachchi’s presence but as team manager Godfrey Dabare noted: “Dinuka is a very talented cricketer who for some reason has been overlooked for selection even to the Sri Lanka A team. He was given one opportunity with the A side that toured New Zealand and he performed well. After that he has been performing consistently taking nearly 50 wickets a season without much luck.”It is frustrating for bowlers like Dinuka to bowl their hearts out and not get a look-in even for the A team. Unless they give opportunities to bowlers like Dinuka there’ll come a time when Sri Lanka will be stuck for a quality spinner the day Murali [Muttiah Muralitharan] decides to retire.”

Points Table

Brad Knowles will make his first-class debut for Victoria after Michael Lewis pulled out of tomorrow’s Pura Cup match against New South Wales at Junction Oval.Lewis injured his groin in yesterday’s last-ball ING Cup loss to the Blues and will have scans today to determine the extent of the injury. Knowles, a 23-year-old who has been on rookie contracts for the past two seasons, will become Victoria’s 801st first-class player.Ian Harvey, who was selected in the initial squad of 13, has also failed a fitness test on his groin and is expected to return for the Bushrangers’ next match on December 1. Gerard Denton will miss up to two months after suffering a stress fracture to the fifth metatarsal on his right foot yesterday.Victoria Cameron White (capt), Matthew Elliott, Brad Hodge, David Hussey, Mathew Inness, Brendan Joseland, Brad Knowles, Andrew McDonald, Jonathan Moss, Peter Roach, Graeme Rummans, Allan Wise.

Netherlands have named a 14-man squad to represent them against Kenya in the Intercontinental Cup at the end of March.It had been hoped that the two countries would be able to play an ODI before the main match, but it now seems that this will depend on Kenya’s commitments in Bangladesh, and an official in Cricket Kenya said the game was unlikely to go ahead at the moment.Netherlands squad Luuk van Troost (capt), Daan van Bunge, Ryan ten Doeschete, Victor Grandia, Tom de Grooth, Muhammad Kashif, Alexei Kervezee, Tim de Leede, Darron Reekers, Edgar Schiferli, Pieter Seelaar, Jeroen Smits, Billy Stelling, Bas Zuiderant,

Marcus North, the Western Australian batsman, has been rewarded for his consistent form by being appointed as deputy vice-captain. North, who will be entering his seventh season with the Warriors, will be the third member of the leadership group along with Justin Langer and Mike Hussey. With both Langer and Hussey expected to be involved in Australia’s international assignments, North is likely to lead the side in a few games next season.”It’s a great honour to be given the responsibility of helping to lead your team-mates,” North said. “We’ve built an exciting group of players and I’m looking forward to assisting Justin and Michael in taking them to a Pura Cup title.”North was one of the key members of the middle order last season and finished as the eighth-highest scorer in the Pura Cup and fourth highest in the ING Cup. “Marcus has been a critical member of our middle order for a number of seasons now and continues to show exceptional leadership qualities,” Wayne Clark, the coach, said. “His innings in Hobart earlier this year when we chased down 396 in less than a day was a perfect example of not only his batting ability but also his leadership skills. With Langer and Hussey both expected to be involved in Australia’s international schedule over the summer Marcus was the natural choice to be the next leadership option.”The WACA board also endorsed the other recommendations of the State Cricket Committee regarding the make up of the State Selection Panel. After three years as Chairman Wayne Hill, the former WA wicketkeeper, has stepped aside, handing the reigns to Tom Hogan, the former Test spinner. Joining Hogan, Hill and Peter Capes on the panel will be former Andrew Farmer, the Joondalup coach, who has replaced Lee Bott.”With my other WACA board commitments I decided that it was best for me to hand the position of chairman to someone else,” Hill said. “That said I’m looking forward to continuing my involvement with team selection simply as member of the selection panel.”

Lance Gibbs, the former world record holder, is concerned West Indies’ newest spin talent does not have enough variety to be a long-term force at international level. While Gibbs is pleased Sulieman Benn was picked for his debut against Sri Lanka last month, he said the left-armer had work to do to become a success.Benn, who is from Barbados, picked up three second-innings wickets during West Indies’ opening-Test loss in Guyana and is in the squad for the final match of the series starting in Port of Spain on Thursday. However Gibbs, the former offspinner who took 309 Test wickets, said Benn would have to improve.”He has got to bowl six different balls because on that type of track [in the first Test] batsman could get accustomed to you,” Gibbs said. “I would say he has got the ability but he’s got work to do.”He could become a success story but it is all in his hands, he’s got to learn the strengths and weaknesses as far as batsmen are concerned and use that effectively. In Guyana, Benn fought the wicket too much. As a spinner you’ve got to vary your pace, he was particularly flat and this is why he didn’t get any wickets in the first innings.”Amit Jaggernauth, the Trinidad and Tobago offspinner, is also part of West Indies’ squad and Gibbs said both should be in the side to face Sri Lanka. “I told Amit in Guyana not to be too disappointed,” Gibbs said. “It is best to start your Test career on wickets that you know and I’m sure he will be given a chance here.”

Cricket Australia’s coffers were boosted by US$500,000 in prizemoney today as reward for leading the ICC championship tables on April 1. James Sutherland, the Cricket Australia chief executive, accepted the cheque that included two amounts of $250,000 for topping the Test and one-day ladders.Sutherland said the prize recognised the performance of the team and its behind-the-scenes management. “Off the field we have strong and dedicated administrative bodies at national and state level that provide tremendous support for the Australian and state teams.”Simon Katich, the Test and one-day batsman, said Australia were excited about the next five months and wanted to remain No. 1. “The ICC tables have us on top at the moment, but we are certainly not taking anything for granted,” he said. “Our immediate focus is on defending the Ashes before turning our attention in October to the Super Series.”The Test Championship was introduced in May 2001 while the ODI table was introduced in October 2002. However, this was the first time there was a financial incentive for finishing in front.

“What happen? Is only white people does field slips for Zimbabwe?”That loud query from a fan in the Learie Constantine Stand yesterday as the visitors warmed up for the final one-dayer against West Indies is just one of the reasons why the Queen’s Park Oval will always be one of my favourite places.For all of the innovations and renovations over the years, this home of cricket in Trinidad and Tobago, and still one of the most beautiful grounds in the world, retains a timeless appeal, even for those not too enamoured with the increasingly artificial and orchestrated nature of spectator support.Nowhere is the sacred art of picong – the biting, sarcastic wit that has often had many a West Indian legend wondering if this was really a “home” ground – better expressed than at the Oval. Indeed, in the golden, idyllic days before we were all being deafened by the booming amplifiers and the Trini-Jamaican-Yankee deejays, a day of cricket there was an education both on and off the field.As if the privilege of seeing some of the finest players of all time in their pomp was not enough, there was (and I’m sure still is in the areas of the ground furthest from the noise) the opportunity to be educated on the more aesthetic points of the game by an assortment of well-studied experts, a history lesson recounting in vivid detail the great deeds by great champions over the years, and, if the cricketing professors were sufficiently mobile, an impromptu practical coaching clinic on just how it should be done with front elbow cocked, bat and pad close together and much more.I may never be a fan of the Trini Posse, but it will take more than an assortment of unbearably noisy party animals who know next to nothing about cricket to keep me away from this venue.If this all sounds like shameless self-indulgence, it is. But then again, for someone weaned on the game and brought up believing it to be a great teacher in matters considerably more weighty than just bat and ball, there should be no need to apologise for a game and an environment that has been enjoyable, enlightening and quintessentially Trinidadian.

Issues of crime and violence, the Prime Minister and the Chief Justice, fade into the background when the sun comes up on a day of international cricket at the Oval. Indeed, there will be much heated debate in the stands on those matters, as there has always been when friends and foes gather, especially for a Test match. However, that is just the pepper sauce to flavour the meal, the true enjoyment of which can only be appreciated over time and explains why, as dull and dreary as it may get, there will always be that core of fans for whom the longer version of the game is the only real cricket.Having been so extremely fortunate over the years to be able to cover cricket at home, around the region and around the world, it is easy for the traveling media to become very cynical about the whole thing. For us it is just another ODI or Test, watching the same players play the same shots, bowl the same deliveries and make the same mistakes, even if the results are occasionally different. But there are still brief moments, small windows of memories and nostalgia that offer a timely reminder as to why cricket at the Oval is such a special experience going beyond wickets, fours and sixes.”Call it off man! Let we go from here!” many of us in the media area were already saying when the rain started to come down really heavily on Saturday afternoon. It took a while, but the showers hung around long enough to force the abandonment. With a few minutes to spare before being picked up by my wife (no parking this time in the Oval with all the construction going on), I decided to take a walk up to the Queen’s Park Savannah and then, sitting on a bench, enjoyed a refreshing coconut (medium jelly if you please) with my considerably better half.

The reawakening of the senses as to the timeless beauty of the Savannah and its surroundings made the journey around the world’s biggest roundabout even more pleasurable heading back to the ground on Sunday morning.From the poui trees in full bloom to the cricket nuts with their coolers, to the wide-eyed children being dragged along, it brought back memories of a time when life seemed so much simpler and considerably more enjoyable.West Indies versus Zimbabwe, eighth against tenth, is hardly the sort of contest to get the pulses racing. But cricket at the Oval, or at anyone else’s favourite ground, is never just about the action in the middle. It is about a comfortable environment that, even as it changes physically, fights to remain the same spiritually.The sense of great deeds done over the years under the stately gaze of the samaan trees and against the backdrop of the hills of Maraval, St Ann’s and Cascade makes it a special arena. So even as the stands climb higher and look more impressive, even as greenery has to give way to steel and concrete, the Queen’s Park Oval will remain a storehouse of rich memories, an oasis of what is, or was, good about life in this country.