India's tour of West Indies

Third Test, Bridgetown, day one:
India 102 v West Indies 33-1.

West Indies' fast bowlers ripped through India's batting order, bowling the visitors out for 102 on the first day of the third Test at the Kensington Oval on Thursday.

In reply, West Indies were 33-1, after losing opener Stuart Williams, caught when trying to drive through the covers off Zaheer Khan for 18.

At stumps, left-hander Chris Gayle was on 14 with Ramnaresh Sarwan yet to score.

Scorecard

New Zealand in Pakistan

First Test, Lahore, day two:
New Zealand 58-6 v Pakistan 643 all out.

Pakistan dominated the second day of the first Test against New Zealand in Lahore, leaving the visitors facing the possibility of their heaviest defeat in Test cricket.

The hosts rattled up a daunting 643 thanks to Inzamam-ul-Haq's monumental 329 and then reduced a sorry New Zealand side to 58 for six by the close, with paceman Shoaib Akthar taking four wickets.

Inzamam's effort was only the 16th innings over 300 in Test history and the second by a Pakistani.

Scorecard

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Pakistan vice-captain Inzamam-ul Haq says his own impatience prevented him breaking his country's record Test score.

The 32-year batsman knocked an epic 329 against New Zealand in Lahore to become the 10th highest Test scorer in the history of the game.

But he missed the Pakistani record of 337 when he was caught attempting a fourth six in a single over off leg-spinner Brooke Walker.

The mark was set by Hanif Mohammed against the West Indies at Bridgetown in 1957/58.

"Once I reached 300, my target was to break Brian Lara's world record and Hanif Mohammad's Pakistan record," he said on Thursday at close of the second day's play.

India's tour of England

Indian cricket officials have pronounced themselves satisfied with the security arrangements for the upcoming tour of England.

The Indian board (BCCI) had expressed concerns following last summer's pitch invasions on English grounds.

Tensions between the BCCI and the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) had been running high over the past couple of months.

However, BCCI media manager Amrit Mathur gave the arrangements the all-clear after a meeting on with the ECB on Wednesday.

World Cup 2003

Ticket sales for the 2003 ICC Cricket World Cup to be staged in South Africa early next year will exceed R30-R40 million, says executive director, Ali Bacher.

The Cricket World Cup kicks off with the official opening on February 8 and the first game between South Africa and the West Indies the following day at Newlands.

And Bacher's committee, saddled with the staging of the biggest cricket extravaganza ever to hit South Africa, is expecting more than 800 000 spectators through the gates - over 40 000 of them from overseas.

Miscellaneous

Former Pakistan great Imran Khan has dismissed doubts over the accuracy of a measuring device that clocked express paceman Shoaib Akhtar breaking the world speed record.

"Given that the apparatus used in measuring the speed was authentic then it (Akhtar's record) should be recognised properly," said Imran.

Imran said he is convinced the Pakistani paceman has rewritten the record books. "He (Akhtar) is fit and can repeat at any time," the legendary all-rounder said.

The International Cricket Council has said it will not ratify Akhtar's delivery because it has never kept any official records of bowling speeds.

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The Australian Cricket Board has confirmed Darwin and Cairns will become the first Australian cities outside the state capitals to host Test matches.

The ACB today said that Tests and one-day internationals cricket will be played in Northern Australia during the winter of 2003.

Chief executive James Sutherland said the ACB had scheduled the Australia versus Bangladesh series for Darwin and Cairns between July and August 2003, subject to the final approval of the stadia by the International Cricket Council.

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