England in India

England's one-day match against India in Calcutta on Saturday will create history by being the first game to be shown live on the internet.

The pictures and commentary will be the same as that on Sky television and will be available on computer screens for a fee of $28. For $141, viewers can watch all six of England's one dayers in India.

The Internet site belongs to Wisden, a new arm of the cricket almanac publisher, which is keen to spread its name in India.

It will be the second English international sporting event shown live on the net, following England's Euro 2000 qualifier against Scotland.

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England's players took time out from their preparation for Friday's first one-day international by playing kwik cricket with a group of Calcutta orphans.

Skipper Nasser Hussain and several team-mates on Monday paid a visit to the SOS Childrens Village, which is home to 195 children, in Bidhannager, Calcutta. And Hussain was able to announce that England's Professional Cricketers Association (PCA) has decided to sponsor 10 children from the village.

The PCA will contribute 16,800 rupees (£240 pounds) each year to help support them until adulthood.

The village is one of the 34 SOS Children's Villages of India, where underprivileged children are brought up in a family atmosphere.
Images from Kolkata

Triangular in Australia

South Africa defeated New Zealand by 26 runs in Hobart to move to the top of the standings in the triangular one-day series.

Opener Gary Kirsten took the man-of-the-match award with a typically gritty 97. And wicketkeeper Mark Boucher smashed an unbeaten 30 off 19 balls in South Africa's 257 for seven at Bellerive Oval after captain Shaun Pollock had won the toss. In reply New Zealand reached 170 for four in the 38th over.
Match report | Scoreboard | Images

Bangladesh in Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka spinner Muttiah Muralitharan became the quickest and youngest bowler to take 400 Test wickets on Tuesday, and then set his sights on 200 more.

"The main thing in my mind now is to take 500 wickets," said the 29-year-old, following his side's 315-run defeat of Zimbabwe in Galle.

"But if I remain fit and keep performing well then I can continue for another five years and get 600." Muralitharan took his 400th scalp on the fourth morning of the third Test, dismissing Henry Olonga.

And he took four more wickets in the second innings as the tourists were bowled out for 79. That gave him a total of 30 victims in the Test series - the most by a Sri Lankan in a three-match contest - and the man of the series award.

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They have only been Test cricketers for 18 months, but Bangladesh go into the second Test against Pakistan in Chittagong amidst criticism from former players and the media. There have even been newspaper reports that coach Trevor Chappell could be replaced after the series ends.

Javed Miandad of Pakistan and former West Indies fast bowler Andy Roberts are two names in the frame to replace the Australian.

Bangladesh have so far lost nine of their 10 Tests, including an innings defeat at the hands of Waqar Younis' side in Dhaka last week.

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Pakistan all-rounder Wasim Akram will miss the second Test against Bangladesh in Chittagong because of a hamstring injury. He suffered the injury during the first Test at Dhaka, which Pakistan won by an innings and 178 runs and the team doctor does not want to risk making the problem worse.

Akram's absence means a chance for paceman Shoaib Akhtar to re-launch his international career after his bowling action was twice reported to the International Cricket Council last year.

Experts at the University of Western Australia have confirmed that Akhtar's action is the result of his elbow hyper-extending, but he could face a 12-month ban from the game if he is reported again during the match.

England Women in India

England openers Caroline Atkins and Arran Thompson put their names in the record books with the highest opening partnership in the history of women's Test cricket. The pair shared a stand of 200 before Atkins was run out for 90.

It beat the previous record of 178, set by Australians Belinda Clark and Belinda Haggett against India at Sydney a decade ago.

England were 150 for nought at the start of play and they went past England's previous first wicket record, held by Enid Bakewell and Lynne Thomas, when the score reached 165.

Miscellaneous

Former Pakistan great Javed Miandad says the International Cricket Council (ICC) should have stopped the Test series against the West Indies being moved to neutral Sharjah. The West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) voiced security concerns over tensions on the India-Pakistan border.

But Miandad said he was disappointed at the way Pakistan had been forced to shift the series to the United Arab Emirates.

Pakistan will play the West Indies in two Tests and three one-dayers at the desert venue between January 31st and February 17th.

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West Indies cricket officials have asked six fitness and medical experts to develop strategies for reducing injuries among its players. Saying it was worried by the "heavy casualty lists" on recent tours of Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka, the West Indies Cricket Board said it had arranged for the specialists to meet.

The panel is headed by University of the West Indies professor Peter Fletcher.

"We will look at the amount of cricket the West Indies will have to play under the International Cricket Council 10-year Test program and see how it will impact on the players' health and fitness," cricket board chief executive Gregory Shillingford said.

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