Danny Law’s maiden Championship century dragged Durham out of the mire against Hampshire at Chester-le-Street today.James Brinkley and Graeme Bridge also revealed hidden talents as Durham recovered from 92 for five, with Nicky Peng retired hurt, to reach 323 before Law was ninth out two balls after reaching his 168-ball hundred with his 13th four.Peng was unable to resume because of mild concussion after being struck just below the back of the helmet by a ball from Neil Johnson.Law shared a record seventh-wicket stand for Durham of 127 with last winter’s other signing, Brinkley, who smashed two sixes off Shaul Udal in reaching 65 after previously totalling 38 runs in nine innings.Left-arm spinner Bridge, who had totalled 12 in seven innings, made 31 after surviving a hat-trick ball in the first over after lunch as triallist seamer James Schofield, making his Championship debut, removed Martin Love and Andrew Pratt.Love was one short of his 12th Championship half-century of the season when he shaped to pull a ball which kept low and got a bottom edge into his middle stump.He had partially repaired the early damage inflicted in an excellent spell of two for 12 in eight overs by Dimitri Mascarenhas after Durham chose to bat.Law went in when Peng retired hurt just before lunch and batted very responsibly until he became Morris’s fourth victim, bowled for 103 going for a big drive.In six overs’ batting, Jason Laney and Giles White took Hampshire to 15 without loss.

Fast bowler Allan Donald has been withdrawn from South Africa’s tour of Zimbabwe as a consequence of what seems to be a remarkably virulent dose of flu.With the first Test match against Zimbabwe scheduled to start in Harare on Friday, the South African selectors were casting about on Monday morning for a replacement for Donald.Donald attended the recent bowling camp in Johannesburg as well as the South African training camp last week, but on Sunday he was feeling so ill that he was sent home to Bloemfontein to recover.According to selection convener Rushdie Magiet, it has been decided to leave Donald behind.”Allan’s very keen to play in the Test matches this summer, and we’re very keen to have him in the Test side,” said Magiet. “So we think it would be best for him to stay behind and get himself fully fit.”Magiet, however, was unable to say why Donald was unable to travel to Zimbabwe and work in the nets once he is over his flu. He also did not wish to speculate on Donald’s fitness at the training camp.Donald, however, was quoted on Monday by the Afrikaans daily Die Volksblad as saying that he did not believe he was fit enough to play in a Test match. “I also have not had any practice,” Die Volksblad reports him as saying.The absence of Donald may open the way for Andre Nel to make his Test debut. Nel is the extra fast bowler named in the South African squad and would seem the logical choice to replace Donald.Certainly, if another fast bowler is called up and plays in Harare ahead of Nel it would represent something of a slap in the face for the Easterns seamer. It would also suggest that the selectors believe they got it wrong when they announced their original 13-man party.The other option is to use Jacques Kallis to open the bowling with Justin Kemp coming into the side. This combination was used in the West Indies earlier this year when Donald was injured.

The Indian cricket board has turned down a request from the team management inSri Lanka to send fast bowler Ajit Agarkar as cover for the third Test.On Saturday night the management had requested that Agarkar, who has playedin ten Tests, be sent to boost the teams fast bowling reserves for thecrucial Test against Sri Lanka, which starts on Wednesday.India levelled the three-match Test series on Saturday after a seven-wicketvictory in Kandy.The team travelled back to Colombo today and will have a voluntary practicesession on Monday morning at the Sinhalese Sports Club.

We live in the visual age. So it comes as no surprise that the Doordarshan programming schedule for the month has put off VVS Laxman’s comeback to first-class cricket by a day.A fully-fit Laxman, the captain of the Rest of India side for the Irani Trophy clash against Ranji champions Baroda, will take the field on October 13 instead of October 12.BCCI executive secretary Sharad Diwadkar said in Mumbai that the match was postponed by a day to ensure that Doordarshan had no problems in showing the match live to the millions of cricket lovers in every nook and cranny of India.Heavy showers in Pune have also seen the match being relocated to Nagpur.The Irani Trophy is the domestic season opener. VK Ramaswamy of Hyderabad and Vijay Chopra of Delhi are the two umpires for the four-day match that will end on October 17. Bhagwandas Suthar of Madhya Pradesh will be the match-referee.Laxman has only recently recovered from a knee injury that he sustained during India’s tour of Sri Lanka. The Irani trophy match will be important for him as it will help him prepare for the upcoming Test series against South Africa.Rest Of India (from):VVS Laxman (Captain), Akash Chopra, Rahul Sanghvi, Vinayak Mane, Dinesh Mongia, Sarandeep Singh, Yere Gowda, Hrishikesh Kanitkar, Rashmi Ranjan Parida, Debasish Mohanty, Ajay Ratra, Salab Srivastava, Tinnu Yohannan, Surindra SinghBaroda (from):Connor Williams (Captain), Satyajit Parab, Nayan Mongia (w.k.), Tushar Arothe,Himanshu Jadhav, Rakesh Solanki, Rakesh Patel, Irfan Pathan Jr., Irfan Pathan Sr., Umang Patel, Milap Mewada, Hrishikesh Parab, Harkid Parmar. Vinit Wadkar(Coach)

Chris Cairns acknowledged before flying out to Australia to join the CLEAR Black Caps today that the prospect of taking on the world champions had hastened his recovery from knee surgery.Cairns did not fly to Australia with the team in order to complete his rehabilitation with matches in Christchurch for the New Zealand Academy team against Otago and the Commonwealth Bank Cricket Academy.”It is fair to say that if it wasn’t Australia my return may have taken a little longer.”But the challenge of taking on the best in the world is too great,” he said.”It’s always a battle over there. You cop so much, not only from their crowds but from the television. It is a real mental battle.”Cairns, whose last significant act in cricket was to score the match-winning century against India that saw New Zealand claim the ICC KnockOut in Nairobi a year ago this week, had surgery on his right knee after Christmas last year. It is the second time he has had knee surgery.The previous occasion in the mid-1990s was on his left knee and the advances in medical technology and rehabilitation techniques have been reflected in his recovery this time.”Last time it was almost a year to a year and a half before I was back to normal.”But this time it has been six to eight months. And that has to be a credit to the time and energy put in by Warren Frost [New Zealand’s fitness advisor]. I’ve been out to Lincoln three or four times a week and it has been great having someone to train with and to push me,” Cairns said.He was unable to quantify a figure on how close to peak fitness he was. But he felt ready for action, if a little underdone, something he hopes to put right before the first Test starts in Brisbane on November 8.Cairns’ ability as an all-rounder is a key asset for Stephen Fleming as New Zealand lines up against the toughest opposition in the game. He is the most experienced player in the side against the Australians since first playing them as an 18-year-old in Perth in 1989.It is a reflection of the injury problems he has endured in his career that his next Test appearance will be his 50th. He is already New Zealand’s second-highest wicket-taker in Tests with 171 wickets while a productive summer with the bat could shoot him into the top 10 of New Zealand’s all-time Test run scorers.Cairns said the key aspect of playing the Australians was to have the mental side of your game in shape.”Persistence will be the big thing for us there. We have to try and stay with them. They won’t be beaten in three or four days, but if we are there on the fifth we could have a chance.”Telegraphing that intent to the Australians would result in pressure going on from the outset of Tests.”But we have to absorb that and frustrate them,” he said.While most attention has been on his bowling recovery, Cairns said he felt he was hitting the ball well.”Though I won’t get as many loose balls over there. The runs/ball ratio won’t be so good,” he said.Cairns did say that the warmer weather in Australia would be a boost for his bowling, and he had no qualms that New Zealand had not been given a Test match in the golden triangle, of Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide.The last time New Zealand played a Test on any of those grounds was in 1987.”It doesn’t worry me. Brisbane has the best wicket in Australia while at Perth it slides through nicely and Hobart is more like New Zealand conditions. Personally, I’m quite happy with where we are playing,” he said.

Largely thanks to Shafiq Khan’s gritty innings of 95, Haryana reacheda total of 275/8 by the close of play on the first day of their RanjiTrophy league match against Services at Faridabad.Winning the toss, Haryana’s captain Parender Sharma opted to bat.Three wickets fell for 59 before opener Chetan Sharma (73) and Shafiqstabilised the innings. Sharma departed with the score on 124, butShafiq put up solid stands with Ajay Ratra and S Vidyut, fallingfinally with the score on 270.At stumps, Haryana were 275/8, with Sumit Narwal and Amit Mishraunbeaten on three and one respectively.For Services, Sudhakar Ghag picked up four wickets for 72 runs,bowling a marathon 35 overs in the day. Hari Prasad took 3-101.

Sri Lanka are looking to blood their reserve fast bowlers in their Saturday clash with West Indies, whose eyes are focused on their crucial game with Zimbabwe the following day that will decide the second qualifier for the LG Abans triangular series final.The result tomorrow is irrelevant for Sri Lanka and not crucial for West Indies, although a win would make them favourites to qualify for the final, as should they then lose to Zimbabwe, they would still be protected by a superior net run rate.For Sri Lanka, it’s a perfect chance to groom their inexperienced players. Chaminda Vaas have a few niggles so he will step down and off-spinner Kumar Dharmasena is also expected to be rested.Prabath Nissanka and Charitha Buddika Fernando, both of whom impressed in Sharjah, although Nissanka was wayward at times, will come into the side, which will weaken the lower order batting."We are thinking of giving a couple of the youngsters a chance. This is a good time to groom the youngsters for the future, like we did in Sharjah," said Jayasuriya after a light training session in the morning."But we also have to careful, we still want to win the game because we could be playing West Indies in the final, so we can’t make too many changes."West Indies, buoyed by their recent win against Sri Lanka, are hoping that they have turned the corner on a difficult tour."There is nothing like winning and we hadn’t won a game at all till then, so the win has helped a whole lot," said Hooper, who had peppered the boundary during an aggressive midday net. "But we also realise that match is history now and that tomorrow, we start afresh."But West Indies are concentrating on Sunday, raising the possibility of a couple of changes and the potential inclusion of the one-day specialists, who are yet to play a game."We haven’t won much against Sri Lanka this tour but we did last match and it would be great if we could do it again. However, although we would like to win both games, the most important game is against Zimbabwe on Sunday."Both matches will be played at the Asgiriya International Stadium in Kandy where the groundsman has prepared a brown flat wicket that promises plenty of runs.Indeed, the last time a one-day game was played here, Sri Lanka blasted a world record of 398 for five against Kenya in the 1996 world cup.Sri Lanka (likely):Sanath Jayasuriya (capt), Marvan Atapattu, Avishka Gunawardene, Mahela Jayawardene, Russel Arnold, Kumar Sangakkara, Upul Chandana, Muttiah Muralitharan, Nuwan Zoysa, Charitha Buddika Fernando, Prabath NissankaWest Indies (from):Carl Hooper (capt), Daren Ganga, Chris Gayle, Brian Lara, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Marlon Samuels, Ridley Jacobs, Neil McGarrell, Corey Colleymore, Pedro Collins, Jermaine Lawson, Ricardo Powell, Daren Brown, Ryan Hinds

Led by 19-year old opening batsman Arran Thompson, England Women completed an easy yet long drawn out six-wicket win against the Women’s Cricket Association of India (WCAI) XI at the Guru Nanak College Ground in Chennai. The lung-opener proved to be little more than a solid practice session out in the middle for the visitors. A low scoring affair on a slow wicket, the hosts managed just 137/9 in 50 overs, something that England knocked off in 46.1 overs.On winning the toss, WCAI XI skipper Sulakshana Naik elected to bat. Not soon after, she would have regretted the decision with her team struggling to put runs on the board. Gulshan, Sudharani and Arpita Patel made ducks while Reema Malhotra and Seema Bhomwick managed just 4 apiece. Opener Jaya Sharma held one end up with a spirited 30, the captain herself made 23 but it still appeared as though the end of the innings was nigh when the seventh wicket fell. With nothing to lose, Kamakshi (34) and Savita Nirala (11) threw the bat around with gay abandon, notching up a 33-run 8th wicket stand. On the back of this, the WCAI XI limped to 137/9 off 50 overs.Docked two overs for not bowling their overs in the allotted time, England needed to get going from the word go to ease the pressure. As it turned out, there was no pressure on the batsmen at any point, with the WCAI XI bowlers struggling to maintain a good line and length. Arran Thompson knuckled down to the task at hand and stroked her way to a patient unbeaten 65 (202 mins, 119 balls, 2 fours). Although run-outs accounted for two quick wickets in the middle of the innings, there were no hiccups in the England chase. Skipper Clare Connor was unbeaten on 13 when the match was completed.At the end of the day, it was not a match that generated tremendous excitement. Yet, the England women will be happy with the what they achieved – getting their tour off to a winning start.

The convincing victory at the Green Park Oval in Kanpur is really whatis expected of the Indian side considering its potential. It was a muchbetter performance coming on the heels of their hara-kiri at Chennai,even though they managed to win there. The consistency of the visitorsin throwing away good starts through some ordinary batting in the middleovers helped India to keep the game well under control. I hasten to addthat this is no attempt to discredit the bowlers, but the English middleorder has made it a habit to allow the opposing side to get back intothe game.Nick Knight and Marcus Trescothick got off to a flyer, with Knightfinally coming good on a low and slow track at the Green Park. The pitchat this venue has been the same for too long, and no attempt has beenmade to improve the surface. The Green Park is one of the oldest andmost-used centres in the country, and it is a shame that the authoritiesdo not pay attention to the most important aspect of a cricket ground.Inasmuch as the officials grumble if a match is not allocated to aparticular venue, they do not seem to be concerned about the playingconditions that they provide. It is not that the associations lack fundsor resources, but the indifferent attitudes still prevail with gayabandon.Coming back to the game, the weather gods decreed a truncated match and,in such a situation, it is imperative to alter the game plan. Knight,who was due for some runs, hit his way back into form and in doing thatshowed why he has such a good record. Knight’s career took a dip afterthe 1999 World Cup, and that was due to some indifferent treatment fromthe English team management. His was severe against Ajit Agarkar inparticular, hitting him on the up, and he also used the different modesof sweep against the spinners productively. Javagal Srinath was onceagain on target; in the last six months, he has shown a lot ofadaptability in his bowling. He has been criticised for lackingvariation over the years, but of late he has been varying his pace wellenough to outwit the batsmen.

Virender Sehwag and Sachin Tendulkar, who have similar mannerisms andend up confusing the onlookers, reduced Nasser Hussain to a merespectator with a scintillating partnership. Sehwag outscored Tendulkar -a rare occurrence – and their second consecutive century stand came upin the blink of an eye. The Delhi batsman matched Tendulkar shot forshot, and Tendulkar just played second fiddle without any complaints.Sehwag’s timing was outstanding, but the remarkable aspect was the wayhe brought common sense to his batting. There were several occasionswhere he had to change his shots at the last moment, bearing in mindthat the ball kept low. His innings came to an end when a century wasthere for the taking. and he has to realise that opportunities forscoring hundreds at the highest level do not come every second day.Tendulkar was visibly stunned by Mark Mascarenhas premature death, butsuch is the character of the man that he played brilliantly anyway. Heremained unbeaten, and one could not have expected him to repeat themistake of throwing his wicket away as he did at Chennai. The masterblaster also tried to egg on his skipper to keep him company, but SouravGanguly perished in an ungainly manner just when he appeared to behitting the ball like his old self. These are opportunities that abatsman struggling to regain form should latch on to, but the Indianskipper played one shot too many and paid the penalty. The heave was afair indication that Ganguly is still to get his thinking processes backon track, and he has little time to waste with just two one-dayers leftin the series.

The Mashonaland team to play Matabeleland at Bulawayo Athletic Club this weekend is as follows:Ryan Butterworth, Lance Malloch-Brown, Kudzai Taibu, Barney Rogers, Craig Evans, Blessing Mahwire, Darlington Matambanadzo, +Donald Campbell, Patrick Gada, *Gus Mackay, Simon Seager. 12th man: Andre Neethling.The match between Midlands and Mashonaland A, at Kwekwe Sports Club, has been postponed until next weekend. The squad for the season is as follows (the international players being unavailable For the Midlands match as they will be touring India):Andy Flower, Grant Flower, Stuart Carlisle, Dion Ebrahim, Gavin Rennie, Paul Strang, Brighton Watambwa, Mark Vermeulen, Trevor Gripper, David Mutendera, Henry Olonga, Alester Maregwede, Andy Blignaut, Norbert Manyande.In addition Blignaut will be unavailable for the Midlands match; he has offered no reason for his absence.