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The home team, the West Indies, hope to exact revenge after losing the Test series 1-2 against South Africa as the two teams play a seven-match one-day series beginning today at Kingston, Jamaica. Incidentally South Africa and the West Indies are the hosts for the next two World Cup tournaments in 2003 and 2007.
The Australian cricket team to England are hoping to find an English sponsor for this summer's Ashes tour. The ACB has appointed a London-based sports and marketing company to find a potential sponsor. The Australians have so far failed to find one at home, despite being considered as the best team in the world. In fact during their last tour of India, the team was sponsored by an Indian company. The Interim Committee, appointed by the Minister of Sports to run the affairs of the Sri Lankan cricket board, has assigned the reputed audit firm Price Waterhouse to investigate into the finances of the previous administration of the cricket board. He has also proposed that a Trustee Council, composed of respected lawyers and accountants, be set-up to approve plans and monitor the future spending of the cricket board. With this Council he hopes to overcome the widespread public perception of corruption within the cricket board.
The former chief of the recently sacked Sri Lankan cricket board, Thilanga Sumathipala, has demanded a public apology from the Sports Minister, Lakshman Kiriella, for his comments made in the aftermath of the cricket board's dissolution last month. Sumathipala has also threatened a US$ 5 million defamatory suit if no apology is forthcoming from the minister within the next two weeks. Indian skipper Sourav Ganguly will receive a special maroon county cap with an embroidered portrait of cricket legend late Sir Don Bradman, from the Australia based Bradman Copyrights Materials (BCM). Sachin Tendulkar, VVS Laxman and Harbhajan Singh have already received their 'caps'. Incidentally only 50 such 'caps' have made to commemorate Bradman's first association with his first cricket club - St George's Club. Meanwhile, the BCM has also decided to present each member of the Indian team with a CD-ROM of Bradman's famous book "Art of Cricket" as a mark of appreciation of India's recent Test victory over the Australians. The Indian cricketers would be the first to get these CDs. Following Ajay Jadeja, into the world of films, are cricketers Mohinder Amarnath and Vinod Kambli. Cine actor Sunil Shetty, who incidentally has played in the Cooch-Behar (under-19) national tournament, has confirmed that he has offered both these players a good role in his forthcoming film. Meanwhile Jadeja has already begun his shoot for his film at a Mumbai studio.
Former cricketers Sunil Gavaskar and Mohammad Azharuddin are among those against whom complaints of Income Tax and FERA (Foreign Exchange Regulatory Act) violations have been received in the last three years. This was disclosed in the Parliament yesterday.
In reply to Durham's 284 Nottinghamshire took a lead of 60 runs while reaching 344-6 at close. Former Australian batsman Greg Blewett became the second player in Nottinghamshire's history to hit a debut century.
In reply to Derbyshire's modest total of 198, Middlesex lost five wickets while scoring 146 runs. Former England left-arm spinner Richard Illingworth, who recorded his best bowling figures in four years caused a Middlesex batting collapse. Middlesex from 64 for one were at one stage 95 for five.
Former Zimbabwean batsman Murray Goodwin made a 94 on debut for Sussex against Worcestershire at New Road. He cracked 17 fours off 116 balls to help his side reach 192 for five by the close. No play was possible for the third successive day at Old Trafford, Manchester in the match between Lancashire and Surrey.
2nd Test:
Bangladesh:
Zimbabwe:
Yesterday's News
News Roll archive
Compiled by: Mohandas Menon
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Dismissing Bangladesh for 254 on the second day of the second Test match at Harare, host Zimbabwe have put themselves in a strong position by reaching 144-2 by close. Thanks to a 59 by in-form batsman Guy Whittall and his 90 run partnership for the first wicket with DD Ebrahim (39) ensured that the home is on its way to a gain a huge lead over cricket's latest entrant to the big league, Bangladesh.
Meanwhile, the head of the International Cricket Council's anti-corruption unit Sir Paul Condon, along with his team of investigators, are expected to arrive in Colombo this weekend to resume the probe into claims that two top Sri Lankan players, namely Arjuna Ranatunga and Aravinda deSilva accepted bribes to throw matches in India in 1994.
Most of the former Indian cricketers have supported the BCCI on its policy decision to play only in bilateral or triangular series involving the Test playing countries, and not to participate in the World Cup and ICC knockout tournaments. All of them echoed similar sentiments and feels that the Board has done nothing wrong in asking the government on a clear cut policy when it comes to playing Pakistan. They are also baffled at the government's decision to allow the Indian hockey team to play Pakistan but not the cricketers.
England's left-handed opener Marcus Trescothick and Piran Holloway put on 240 for the first wicket for Somerset against Glamorgan at Cardiff. The pair set a new Somerset first-wicket record partnership against Glamorgan, as their team reached 307-3 in reply to Glamorgan's 353 for nine declared.
