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Chris Cairns and Craig McMillan blasted hundreds as New Zealand cruised to an easy 127-run win over a Queensland XI in the first of two one-day practice matches at Allan Border Field, Brisbane, today.The matches have been arranged as preparation for the New Zealanders before they embark on a triangular one-day series against Pakistan and South Africa in Singapore starting next Sunday. Queensland have already played host to the Australian team for two matches over the past three days.While New Zealand had a comfortable win in today’s match, they suffered a blow with wicketkeeper Chris Nevin being unable to take his place behind the stumps after injuring a tendon. Nevin is being flown back to New Zealand and is out of the Singapore series. Adam Parore is replacing Nevin and will fly into Brisbane to join the New Zealand squad tomorrow morning.NZ captain Stephen Fleming won the toss and elected to bat first. Daniel Vettori opened the batting with Chris Nevin. Usual opening batsman Nathan Astle is playing for Accrington in the Lancashire League and will join the NZ camp in Singapore later this week.By the end of the third over both openers were back in the pavilion. Nevin made seven, while the Vettori experiment ended with his score on four, becoming Scott Muller’s first victim of the day.Muller claimed his second wicket and Queensland’s third with the score on 49, Stephen Fleming (15) hitting a catch to the waiting hands of Jimmy Maher. This brought Cairns to the crease, and in Muller’s next over Cairns moved into full cry with a four, a six and a six off successive deliveries. Twenty-two runs off the over saw Muller (2/56 from seven overs) removed from the attack, the second day in a row that he had taken a mauling.The scoring was in excess of a run a ball when Roger Twose (24) was the next wicket to fall, caught behind off the bowling of Matthew Pascoe. McMillan joined Cairns and after a brief settling in period the onslaught resumed.Cairns brought up his half-century in the 23rd over with a boundary off Lee Carseldine, having faced just 36 balls. He was severe on off-spinner Scott O’Leary, lofting him for sixes in consecutive overs.Cairns’ 100 came up on his 87th ball faced in the innings, but he failed to add to that score when he lofted O’Leary to a waiting Scott Muller. He hit seven fours and five sixes in his even hundred.McMillan brought up his half-century off 84 deliveries in the 43rd over of the innings, but with Chris Harris as his new partner, the scoring rate simply accelerated. The final eight overs of the New Zealand innings yielded 108 runs, McMillan bringing up his hundred on the second last ball of the fiftieth over from 108 deliveries. That’s 24 balls for his second fifty.McMillan was out off the final ball of the innings for 103 (nine fours, three sixes), while Harris (38* from 23 balls, three fours, two sixes) played one of the innings that has made his reputation as one of the finest late-overs batsmen in the world.New Zealand finished their fifty overs with a total of 7/321. Muller was the only bowler to take two wickets. Scott O’Leary (1/76 from ten overs) has yet to play for Queensland in a Pura Cup or Mercantile Mutual Cup match, and is unlikely to experience the same baptism of fire when the day of his competition debut does arrive.From the moment that Jimmy Maher (14) was given out lbw to Geoff Allott in the seventh over, Queensland were never in the hunt. Jerry Cassell made a fine 58, and Scott Prestwidge (31, including two sixes off Vettori) played a lively innings, but at the thirty-over mark the required run rate per over was already more than 10.Eight New Zealanders were giving bowling practice, and at least the Queenslanders can say that they lasted the full fifty overs, their score at the end of the innings being 9/194. Shayne O’Connor (3/24 from seven overs), Chris Harris (3/23 from eight) and Geoff Allott (2/26 from seven) were the best of the NZ bowlers.With Nevin unable to keep wicket, Roger Twose donned the gloves until Queensland Second XI keeper Gavin Fitness had been summoned to take over. Fitness, in his role as New Zealand substitute keeper, found himself in the unusual situation of stumping fellow Queenslander Brendan Creevey off the bowling of Vettori.New Zealand have one more practice match against Queensland tomorrow Tuesday. Parore is expected to keep wicket for the visitors, almost immediately after hopping off the plane.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has decided to send Shabbir Ahmed to Australia to evaluate his action before seeking a final clearance from the International Cricket Council (ICC).Shabbir was reported for the third time in his career in May against the West Indies and has not bowled in a representative match since then. After an initial delay when the PCB considered whether or not to send him abroad for remedial action, it was decided that Bob Woolmer, the Pakistan coach, would work with him in Lahore.Woolmer has since reported an improvement in Shabbir’s action, telling the PCB recently that it now falls within the specified ICC regulations. But the PCB is keen to test his action one final time, before going to the ICC.PCB official Abbas Zaidi told Reuters, “We have decided to send him to Australia to work with experts. We will decide on the dates soon.”Zaidi added, “Woolmer has worked on his action and there is improvement but before seeking final clearance for his action from the ICC he will go to Australia.”Shabbir has been an integral part of the Pakistan team since being recalled in 2003, more than three years after making his debut. He was reported for the first time after his debut against the West Indies and then reported again in New Zealand in January 2004.Pakistani officials are eager to get the 29-year-old’s bowling action cleared before the vital home series against England in November.

At the conclusion of the 2003 Coca-Cola Khaya Majola U/19 Week a group of twenty-four players was named by the U/19 Selection panel to represent South African Schools and South African School Colts.The following twelve players will represent South African Schools in a match against a KwaZulu-Natal Invitation XI at Chatsworth Oval.

Colin Ingram (cp) Woodridge HS Eastern ProvinceKeegan Africa Hilton College KwaZulu-NatalCraig Alexander Bellville Tech Western ProvinceAndrew Birch St Andrews Eastern ProvinceClint Bowyer Maritzburg College KwaZulu-NatalDarren Govender Durban HS KwaZulu-NatalVernon Philander Ravenshead SS Western ProvinceWaylin September New Orleans SS BolandMpumelelo Slwana (wk) Grey High Eastern ProvinceBlake Snijman King Edward VII GautengVaughn van Jaarsveld King Edward VII GautengDivan van Wyk Grey College Free State

KwaZulu-Natal Invitation XI will feature South Africa and Western Province left-arm wrist spinner Paul Adams who is recovering from a hand injury.The following twelve players will represent South African Colts in a match against Premier League Delta Club at Tills. The Colts team is made up of players who may still be eligible to return to the Coca-Cola Khaya Majola Week in 2004.

Andrew Russell (cp) St Stithians GautengDean Elgar St Dominics Free StateRemano Esau Newton Tech Eastern ProvinceQuintin Kruger Volkskool Potch North WestSithembile Makongolo Dale College BorderLwando Manase Forbes Grant BorderKobus Pienaar Waterkloof HS NorthernsChristo Ritter Paarl Gimnasium BolandAshley Schultz Br Block Free StateMafinky Serame Milner HS North WestGodfrey Stevens New Orleans SS BolandWilhelmus v d Schyff Grey College Free State

Mark Gillespie, the New Zealand fast bowler, has been ruled out of the second Test against Bangladesh after he aggravated the shoulder injury which forced him to miss the first Test while playing for Wellington against Auckland.Gillespie took 3 for 36 off 4.2 overs during his comeback for Wellington but the injury, which he sustained in the second ODI against Bangladesh in Napier, resurfaced and forced him to leave the field.”He [Gillespie] is definitely out of the Test line-up,” Durning told stuff.co.nz. “He bowled a complete spell the other day but yesterday he was three or four overs into a spell and all of sudden something happened again. We’ll wait and see the results of the Tests before making another other decisions.”Wellington coach Anthony Stuart also couldn’t explain what the problem with Gillespie’s shoulder was. “He [Gillespie] was confident of getting through ten overs and he got three wickets for us early and then just pulled up lame so it doesn’t look good,” Stuart said. “I’ve got no idea and to be fair I don’t think many people have got any idea about it. But there’s obviously a problem in there, whether it’s a rotator cuff or a nerve.”It only hits him at certain times and I don’t know if there’s an apparent reason for it or not, whether there’s something in his action, I don’t know, we can’t pinpoint it.”Gillespie did not take part in New Zealand’s practice session at the Basin Reserve in Wellington on Thursday. Fast bowlers Iain O’Brien and Michael Mason were the contenders to replace Gillespie though offspinner Jeetan Patel also had a chance depending on the nature of the pitch.

For Pakistan, this time last year things could only get better. They were about to go to Australia where they were widely expected to be – and eventually were – brusquely walloped. But redemption dangled teasingly – and was tentatively snatched – thereafter, through a series against a stuttering India and the only other side in cricket with as spectacular an aptitude for implosion, fraction and in-fighting, the West Indies.Additionally, the home series against England, at the time, presented Pakistan with a legitimate opportunity to claim a rare home series win against worthy opponents. The claim acquired credibility due, in main, to the expected mauling England were to receive in the Ashes; after which, the theory was, they would crumble to a rejuvenated Pakistan.It says, then, as much about cricket as it does about its commentators that Pakistan now faces for the second time in a year the best team in the world. The only difference, of course, is although it was unarguable last year, there is some room for contention to that claim this time round.Not that it makes much difference to Inzamam-ul-Haq. At the pre-match press conference in his hometown, Inzamam was, as he is always, inscrutable and miserly with his thoughts. How big a challenge does England present? “It’s a very big challenge for us considering how well England have played in the last two years and how young our team is.”What of key players such as Andrew Flintoff and Kevin Pietersen, men who, you imagine, induce significant queasiness in opposition? Both players were described as “exciting” and “had performed very well recently.” Ashley Giles, whose contribution five years ago became as vital as it went sly and unnoticed, was acknowledged as a very good bowler but, Inzamam added nonchalantly “if you are playing international cricket, you have to face good bowlers everywhere.” Michael Vaughan’s absence, which most people would reasonably claim to be potentially pivotal, was greeted without expression or feeling. “We have a little advantage because Vaughan is a very good batsman and captain. But we feel that the England team as a whole is very strong.”

Inzamam’s indifference to the opposition is, in a sense, not only admirable but sagacious. As ever, there is enough within his squad to suggest that as long as players perform as they can, a proper challenge can be posed. After first furnishing a query about key Pakistani players, predictably, by labeling them all equally important, he agreed that Danish Kaneria’s contribution might be more equal than others (intuitively, Woolmer pointed to Inzamam when the query about key players was put to the captain).”I think Danish will play a key role in the series. He has done really well for us over the last two years and I expect him to play a major part in this series.” In truth, he has done more than that, as 61 wickets in ten Tests against opposition good, great and clueless and, in eight instances, on foreign pitches, testifies. Certainly, from the last time England faced him, he will be unrecognisable, both in his bowling and importantly, his attitude, which has since purchased enviable poise and belief.Given the nature of the pitch – it looks as dry and grassless as it did when Virender Sehwag unveiled arguably the most raucously modern triple century – and Kaneria’s evolved role as shock and stock bowler, few would argue Inzamam’s assertion.But if spin has traditionally formed such an evocative and incendiary strand in the history between the two countries, then pace, particularly in the last decade has never been far behind. Here too there is good news for Pakistan as, for the first time since the departures of Wasim and Waqar, Pakistan have a full complement of first-choice fast bowlers to choose from.

Bob Woolmer, Pakistan’s coach, said: “I hope it will be a big factor for us. Whatever combination we go in with we’re looking for the bowlers to work as a team and having all four fast bowlers fit, firing and at full throttle augurs well for Pakistan cricket.”Barring drama, Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Sami are certain to open the bowling – only the fourth time they have done so together in over two years – and one of Shabbir Ahmed or Rana Naved-ul-Hasan will play. Given the former’s impressive Test credentials – and murky action – and the latter’s undoubted commitment – and poor Test record – neither choice will be easy or fair.It is at the other end of the line-up, however, where problems arise. As if nine opening combinations in their last ten Tests weren’t enough, they are likely to take on England’s pace attack with their tenth – Shoaib Malik and Salman Butt. Although Woolmer wouldn’t reveal the identity of the pair, he said, “What we’d like to do is to try out our two best young players up front and give them an opportunity to do well. I have every faith and confidence in them.” With 15 Tests between them – and Malik has only played one of them as an opener – that faith will be sternly tested.Undoubtedly, Pakistan have changed under Woolmer; many might argue they have progressed. Woolmer said, “I think the team has improved tremendously but our Test cricket still needs to improve. In the next three months we play six Tests and that will be good for us.” But they are yet to win a Test series and are still, as Woolmer acknowledges, slow starters.As a flimsy omen, the last time England won the Ashes and faced Pakistan, they were beaten home and away within six months. Pakistan travel to England next summer for a return series, and given England’s poor early tour form, expectations will be higher than they were in the immediate aftermath of the Ashes. But in a contest genuinely difficult to gauge, the last word should belong to Inzamam the phlegmatic: “Despite their poor start, both sides start on an even footing before the first Test.”

Waqar Younis is all set to join the growing band of former-cricketers-turned-commentators. According to a report in The News, a Pakistan daily, Waqar is in Delhi to sign up with ESPN, and will be part of the commentary team for the Asia Cup, to be held in Sri Lanka from July 16 to August 1.Waqar played his last international match during the 2003 World Cup, after which he was dropped following Pakistan’s miserable performance in the tournament. He waited a year for a possible recall, but with the Pakistan board plumping for youth, Waqar finally announced his retirement in April 2004.Waqar, 32, ended with 789 international wickets (373 in Tests and 416 in one-dayers), and will add to a burgeoning list of players who have opted for a lucrative career as commentator after their playing days. The last to join the band was Nasser Hussain, who announced his retirement after England’s first Test against New Zealand earlier this season, and within weeks joined the Sky Sports commentary team for the NatWest Series.

A few things have changed in Pakistan since India toured last: the national coach, Shoaib Akhtar, Shahid Afridi. The PCB will hope, however, that one more feature which dominated the last contest – that of the pitifully sparse crowds that pockmarked Test match venues in March and April 2004 – will also undergo a transformation.India’s euphoric 2-1 series triumphtwo years ago was accompanied bizarrely by near-vacant stadiums in Multan, Lahore and Rawalpindi. At the time, the trend sparked debate about dwindling Test match attendances in Pakistan and how it can be combated. The PCB responded by making a large percentage of the entire seating in stadiums for Test matches absolutely free, a policy that paid dividends against England and one set to continue against India.Pakistan’s series win against England, for the first time since 1996, attracted decent-sized crowds for Test matches. Multan and Lahore, where Pakistan won, averaged between nine and ten thousand spectators daily – by recent standards almost a stampede – while Iqbal Stadium in Faisalabad was packed to a capacity of nearly 15,000 every day. The PCB made 70% of all tickets free and they are set to continue the policy through the India series.A PCB official told Cricinfo: “Approximately 50% of all seating is free in this series. Upon showing their ID cards people can pick up tickets for Tests from various outlets. The response from people has been really good so far. Already about 10,000 tickets have been distributed.”He added: “The last time India visited several factors worked against it. One, holding the ODIs before the Tests backfired. People were exhausted by the time the Tests came along. Also, the weather conditions didn’t help – it was very hot then and I think people would still prefer to come when it is cooler rather than the other way round. Finally security was so tight at the time and so much had been made out of it that a lot of people were just put off by coming to grounds.”Suhael Ahmed, a ticket marketer handling the PCB’s online ticket sales for the series, is also expecting bigger crowds this time round for the Tests. He said: “In only three days we have sold 2000 tickets online and a significant number are for the Lahore Test so in that sense sales have been fantastic. There should be better crowds this time primarily because of the tickets and also because of the timing of the series. The first Test starts at the end of a holiday season for schools but coincides with Eid and a weekend so there should be more people present at the ground than last time.”Pricing for the remaining enclosures remain the same as in the England series, ranging from a daily Rs 50 ticket (Rs 200 for all five days) to Rs 100 (Rs 400 for all five days). Prices for the ODIs, however, have been increased, in anticipation no doubt of even greater demand than against England. If crowds do turn up, then we might even have a more memorable series on our hands than two years ago.

Liam Plunkett, the England seamer who is touring with the Ashes squad, will be questioned by police on his return in connection with a drink-driving offence.Plunkett, 21, was breathalysed after allegedly crashing his 4×4 into another car outside the Tall Trees nightclub in Yarm, Teesside.Student Russell Cowan, 19, and his girlfriend suffered minor whiplash and their car was written off. A friend of Cowan’s told The Sun newspaper: “The driver of the 4×4 got out and asked if they were all right. He wasn’t hurt but was very apologetic — he was also shocked and upset.Everyone involved was very lucky not to have been badly hurt. The police arrived and must have told him the test had shown he had been drinking, as he started to cry. It wasn’t very nice to see him like that.”Police then took Plunkett away for further tests, but the results were not available before he flew to Australia, and as a result will not be known until he returns in seven weeks time.A police spokesman refused to comment on the incident.

Elite Group

Gautam Gambhir shrugged off his recent indifferent start to Test cricket with his 17th first-class century, a 181-ball 151, and added 199 runs for the second wicket with Abhishek Sharma (73) at the Sardar Patel stadium in Ahmedabad. Delhi ended the day on 347 for 4, 133 runs ahead of Gujarat. Gambhir smacked the bowling for 20 fours during his four-hour stay – more boundaries than the entire Gujarat team. After he and Sharma departed, Mithun Manhas and Vijay Dahiya took over the reins and frustrated the bowlers further with a stand worth 99 runs. Dahiya fell for 43 right before stumps, but Manhas remained unbeaten on 66. Parthiv Patel, playing his first Ranji game, took two catches.Murtaza Lodhgar destroyed Karnataka with a six-wicket haul, restricting them to 179 after Bengal had scored 315 in their first innings at Jadavpur University Campus in Kolkata. In the morning, Sourav Ganguly fell for 27 off 76 balls – not quite the big score he needed after a lean run at international level. Bengal folded up after he left, but Karnataka’s capitulation later, when seven wickets fell for 64 runs, was more damaging. Bengal had a ball left to play before the day ended. They were 0 for 0 at stumps.At the Karnail Singh Stadium in Delhi, Mumbai could add only 100 runs to their overnight total as Harvinder Singh struck early, removing Vinod Kambli and Romesh Powar cheaply, and added two more to his tally to end with figures of 6 for 75. Due to a solid batting effort by the lower order, Mumbai rallied to 361, and then had Railways in immediate trouble. Ajit Agarkar removed both openers with 53 on the board, and Nilesh Kulkarni dismissed Siddharth Verma a little later. Railways ended the day at 111 for 3, still 250 runs behind.At the Chidambaram Stadium, Hyderabad recovered to 163 all out from their overnight precarious position of 83 for 5, only to see Tamil Nadu go to 183 by the end of the day at. Sadagoppan Ramesh, who had hoped for a Test recall, was dismissed for 29, But Sivaramakrishnan Vidyut (97 not out) and Subramaniam Badrinath, on 56, were still at the crease. It rounded up a good day for Tamil Nadu, after Ramakrishnan Ramkumar eked out three more batsmen with his left-arm spin to end with 6 for 57 in 31 overs.Venugopal Rao (140) added to his overnight hundred and, along with Khatib Sahabuddin (86), took Andhra Pradesh to 361 in Indore. Narendra Hirwani claimed 4 for 89 before his team responded with 155 for 4, built on the back of fifties from Naman Ojha (61) and Amay Khurasiya (50).At Mohali, Punjab fought back from a precarious position at 43 for 3, and recovered to score 221 for 7 when stumps were called on the second day. They trailed Uttar Pradesh by 48 runs, and had a good chance of taking the first-innings lead while Pankaj Dharmani (83 not out) was at the crease. Yuvraj Singh scored a quick 52, laced with eight fours, and fell when Punjab had 114 runs on the board. Earlier, Gagandeep Singh dismissed the last two Uttar Pradesh batsmen to claim 5 for 68, his ninth five-wicket haul.Assam, in Guwahati, scored 273 as Sukhvinder Singh scored 48 while his lower-order mates played out deliveries. He then took a wicket, Kiran Powar’s (43), as Baroda made their way to 162 for 4. Jacob Martin was unbeaten on 58.

ScorecardMatch packageBulletin – Yuvraj and Dhoni clinch the win
Ind view – Chasing perfection
Pak view – The thin red line
On the Ball – Conquering the conditions
Stats – Razzaq’s double and Yousuf’s struggle
Quotes – ‘Special’ Tendulkar a treat to watch, says Dravid
Quotes – ‘Dhoni’s innings was the turning point’ – Inzamam
News – Sami to join Pakistan squad
Gallery – India canter to five-wicket win
Match previewPreview – Pakistan dented by Shoaib’s absence
News – Sehwag and Harbhajan to return home
Javagal Srinath – Sreesanth passes with flying colours
News – Three injured in crowd stampede