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93 for 5 (Dottin 33, Isobel Joyce 2 for 12) beat Ireland 123 (Coffey 32, Small 3-27) by five wickets (D/L method)
Scorecard
It wasn’t a bad way to re-enter the international arena after a three-year absence. West Indies women beat Ireland by five wickets to kickstart their resumption on the ODI scene, kick off their European tour – and in many cases their international careers – in fine style.In a rain-interrupted game, Ireland were bundled out for 123 in just 39.1 overs and it was a host of debutantes who made the difference for West Indies. The visitors were set a revised target of 90 in 20 overs, which they achieved thanks to an unbeaten 33 from 17-year-old debutante Deandra Dottin, after 17-year-old Stefanie Taylor had made 14.Others appearing for the first time shone, too. Nineteen-year-old Danielle Small took 3 for 28, 18-year-old Shakera Selmen took 2 for 19. There was a wicket too for Stacy-Ann King who, at 24, was comparatively old to be making her debut. She helped see them home with 20 not out.Showers before the start of play reduced the match to 46 overs a side, and Ireland began poorly after being put in to bat, losing their first four wickets for only 47. Most of the West Indian bowlers were among the wickets, but they were also guilty of indispline, conceding 32 runs through wides. The 36 extras were the largest contributor to the total, while Nicola Coffey top scored with 32. Danielle Small, the right-arm medium-pacer, picked up three wickets, including Coffey’s, while Shakera Selman and Stacy-Ann King picked up two each.West Indies were tottering at 31 for 4 in 8.1 overs when rain halted play. Upon resuming, the visitors’ target was revised and 17-year old Dottin added 41 for the sixth wicket with King to take them to victory with 17 balls to spare. Isobel Joyce – captaining for the first time following Heather Whelan’s break – and Marianne Herbert picked up two wickets each.Even though there was much to be encouraged about for this new West Indies outfit, their coach Sherwin Campbell will not allow them to rest on their laurels. reported that he said it was a good performance for the first match, however there were areas that needed to be improved on.

SYDNEY, Oct 31 AAP – A keen student of cricket’s history books, Steve Waugh has watched his Australian side force them to be rewritten time and again during his reign as captain.And a poll published today revealed the current squad was considered the best Australian side ever, which is no mean statement considering the feats of Sir Donald Bradman’s Invincibles.The Hawker Britton survey concluded that 52 per cent of Australia’s cricket supporters believed Waugh’s men are the greatest, with only 34 per cent voting otherwise.Since Waugh assumed the Test captaincy from Mark Taylor in 1999, Australia has sat untouchable atop the world rankings and became the inaugural ICC World Test Champions.Against India in February 2001, Australia set a world record for a 16th consecutive Test victory, a run which stretched 16 months and included a memorable 5-0 whitewash of the West Indies.In one-day cricket, Waugh lifted the 1999 World Cup after victory over Pakistan at Lord’s.While the limited overs game was not around in Bradman’s time, those lucky enough to have witnessed both sides in action – those aged 65 or more – voted Waugh’s side as the best.In 1948, Bradman led an Australia side including Ray Lindwall, Keith Miller and Neil Harvey on an unbeaten tour of England, winning the series 4-0.But of the age group who would be expected to favour the Invincibles, 59 per cent backed Waugh’s XI as the best they had ever seen.In a week where he has faced questions on when he might retire, following the retirement of brother Mark, Steve Waugh has the backing of 81 per cent of supporters to remain as skipper.

Martin Love today led an Australia A onslaught which demonstrated England had done nothing to solve its bowling problems.Love, who’s become a serial tormentor of the tourists, hit an unbeaten 201 as the Australians cruised to 3-353 declared on the first day of the three-day match, England’s only opportunity to find form before the second Test in Adelaide.The tourists were 1-50 in reply at stumps.After hitting an unbeaten 250 for Queensland against England a fortnight ago, Love continued to underline his status as the best top order batsman outside the Test team.Admittedly England rested two of its frontline bowlers, Andy Caddick and Ashley Giles.But it did use two of its formerly walking wounded, Steve Harmison and Andrew Flintoff, and replacement Alex Tudor. Two of the three are likely to be picked for Adelaide.Oddly Chris Silverwood, who was flown out from England this week as another replacement, was made 12th man and is presumably not in the Test frame.The pace attack’s performance left assistant coach Graham Dilley exasperated.”On a flat track you have very little margin for error,” the former England fast bowler said.”You need discipline, patience and luck and we’re nowhere near any of those.”Love agreed the English bowlers didn’t make the most of the early conditions, bowling too short and wide.However he warned that Harmison, with whom he’s played at Durham, could turn matches on his good days.Harmison was by far the quickest, but consistency was not his forte.Love said he didn’t know how close he was to a Test debut.”All I can do is keep scoring runs and putting pressure on the guys in the team,” said Love, who faced 243 balls and hit 25 fours in just 301 minutes.Acting captain Marcus Trescothick continued the English habit of sending the Australians in and, as usual, lived to regret it.In a willing opening burst on an initially lively Bellerive Oval wicket, Tudor and Harmison gave England early heart.Matthew Elliott had an unhappy return to this level when a rising Tudor delivery crunched into his right elbow on the first ball of the match.He needed stitches, but an x-ray cleared him of serious injury and he could have returned to the crease.Shortly afterwards Tudor caught Jimmy Maher’s edge and the Australia A captain was gone for six.But once the first hour was weathered, the bowling attack fell away and Love and Greg Blewett, who was not at his fluent best, put on 140.Blewett was bowled by Craig White for only 25 but England’s woes continued when 21-year-old Michael Clarke arrived.Clarke played beautifully, at times contemptuously, and will surely play for Australia one day.Love and Clarke piled on 123 in 112 minutes before the NSW batsman, having rushed to his half century with two fours off Tudor, skied a slog.The appearance of Marcus North simply lifted the scoring rate further and it was the Western Australian lefthander who provided the final fireworks.Before the declaration ended the slaughter, he rushed to 33 with an on-drive over the boundary followed by a reverse sweep for four.England lost Michael Vaughan for eight when he inside edged Brad Williams onto his stumps.But Trescothick (5) and the aggressive Mark Butcher (30) survived until stumps without serious alarms.

The second day of the three day championship match between Somerset Second Eleven and Gloucestershire ended evenly balanced, after the hosts dismissed their visitors for 244 by the close of play.Earlier in the day Somerset scored 248 for 3, with opener Neil Edwards scoring his maiden century at this level before in mid afternoon rain forced the players from the field.During the break Somerset skipper Tom Webley declared to leave Edwards unbeaten on 101 and Wes Durston 54 not out.When play started again in late afternoon Gloucestershire were bowled out for 244, with Durston having the impressive figures of 10 overs, 5 wickets for 53 runs.Tomorrow is the final day of the match, and if the weather remains fine an interesting finish could be in prospect

Hampshire’s 2nd XI will contest the ECB Second XI Trophy Final against Kent 2nd XI at The Rose Bowl on Monday 9th September 2002. 11:00am start, 50 overs per side.Coach Tony Middleton retains the eleven that defeated Yorkshire in the Semi-Final.Playing in there third final in the past four years and fourth in all, Hampshire will be looking to avenge their defeat at Canterbury in 1999.In 1987 Hampshire lost to Derbyshire at The County Ground, followed by defeat against Kent. Hampshire then lost to Leicestershire at The County Ground in 2000.Live scores throughout the day will be shown on the Hampshire Web site.John Carr, the ECB Cricket Operations Manager will present the trophy at the end of the day.Team: Jason Laney, Jimmy Adams, Alex Morris, Lawrence Prittipaul, John Francis, James Hamblin, Chris Benham, Iain Brunnschweiler, Irfan Shah, James Tomlinson, James Schofield.

The Board of Control for Cricket in Sri Lanka (BCCSL) has appointed Ruwan Kalpage as the coach of the Sri Lanka A team; the youth team’s fourth coach in just nine months.Kalpage, previously a specialist BCCSL fielding coach, has been appointed for the forthcoming series between Sri Lanka A and India A, taking over from Chandika Hathurusingha who coached the side during the ICC Six-Nation tournament in Namibia last month.Hathurusingha, 33, a ACB Level II coach, has not given up his ambitions of making a return to the national squad and admits that he is not yet ready for a full-time coaching position.Hathurusingha had in turn replaced a disgruntled Roshan Mahanama, now a member of the interim committee running the BCCSL, after a breakdown in communication with the chairman of selectors Michael Tissera and interim committee member Sidath Wettimuny.Mahanama came in for school friend Hemantha Devpriya, a former wicket-keeper batsman, after the Pakistan A series last year. Devpriya now works with the Development squad.Former Sri Lanka fast bowler Graeme Labrooy has been appointed alongside Kalpage as team manager during the India series.Bandula Warnapura, the BCCSL’s Operations Director, admitted that constant change of coaches was far from ideal and revealed that the BCCSL will call for formal applications for a more permanent post during or after the India series.

The interim committee running the affairs of the Board of Control for Cricket in Sri Lanka (BCCSL) decided to resign on Wednesday night.Vijaya Malalsekara, the chairman of the interim committee, announced the decision at a BCCSL management meeting and also briefed the Sri Lankan team.The interim committee will offer a formal letter of resignation to the Minister of Sports, Johnston Fernando, shortly, which will take effect from April 1.According to BCCSL sources, the reason for the committee’s resignation was a prior verbal agreement between Malasekara and the government that the interim committee stands down after a year in office.Fernando will now be required to decide to call fresh BCCSL elections or appoint a fresh interim committee.The government’s fear of factionalism in the Sri Lanka’s highest profile sports body, in a year that will see the country host the ICC Champions Trophy, suggests that elections will be avoided for the time being.Malalsekera has indicated a desire to return to focus on his own business interests and Hemaka Amarasuriya, the chairman of Singer, is tipped to take charge of a new committee.

The English and Indian Under-19s teams are here in Hyderabad for the thirdand final ‘Test’ match. Hyderabad and Secunderabad are one of the few twincities of the world divided by an imaginary line that runs along thebeautiful Hussain Sagar Lake. This city is at an altitude of 536 metres andthe temperature at this time of the year is in mid thirties, promising fourdays of good cricket.Mohammed Quli Qutub Shah, the Fifth king of Golconda, founded this city in1591 by laying the foundation of the famous monument ‘Charminar’ as thecentre of the city. The English has had long association with the city ofHyderabad. In 1798, an area north of Hussain Sagar Lake was made acantonment. This was the result of an alliance signed between the Nizam andthe East India Company for military and political co-operation. Thecantonment was named Secunderabad after the then Nizam Sikander Jah.The visitors did have a taste of Hyderabad as they visited the Charminar(The four graceful minarets from which ‘Charminar’ derives its name,literally meaning ‘Four Minars’ soar to a height of 48.7m each above theground). They have had the opportunity to visit Salarjung Museum, locatedon the banks of the river Musi that flows through the heart of the city. Itboasts of the ‘largest one man collection of antiques in the world,’ Theartefact on display are unique and range through varied periods of time andplaces in the world.There is much more to Hyderabad than the Golconda fort, the bangles, theNizams and the Nawabs, for this city is steeped in history. Incidentallythe pearl craftsmanship of the Hyderabadis is famous, making this is thecity of pearls. Hyderabad to its credit has some cricketing pearls too.Ghulam Ahmed, Nawab of Pataudi Jr, ML Jaisimha, AbbasAli Baig, Abid Ali and Mohd Azharuddin are a few of the pearls produced inthe ‘maidans’ of this beautiful city. One and all remember Jaisimha, whopassed away in 1999, as a graceful sportsman who played the game in thetrue spirit of the game. One look at the above mentioned names bringsmemories of the subtle artistry they brought into the beloved game.Cricket and Hyderabad have lived together for ages. This is the centennialyear of the match played between the visiting ‘Oxford Authentics’ and theHyderabad XI in 1901. History is not a thing of the past in this warm andhospitable city; it is a living process. Ian Bell and his boys would know,that they are to be a part of the Hyderabadi history, come Saturday.It was in 1911 the Moin-ud-Dowlah Gold Cup Invitation Tournament (namedafter the prominent king Nizam) that came about to be synonymous withHyderabad. Maharajah Sir Kishen Prashad Bahadur was a great patron of thistournament, which was of much significance as it served as thepreliminaries for the India selection.Cricket was played here between teams made on the basis of their faith. TheHindus, Moslems, Parsis and Europeans drawn from the 7th Dragon Regiment,constituted the four main teams. In 1920 there was an inter communal matchbetween the Hindus and the Moslems. Those days there wasn’t even a whisperof communal tension. The ritual of the inter-communal cricket came to anend, when Mahatma Gandhi requested for it to be stopped.Time has had its say with Hyderabad too. These days Hyderabad is the’Cyberabad’ the Silicon Valley of India. It is all about Software,Technology and the Internet. Make no mistake; cricket is still a passion,though it hurts the man in the street, when talking about their fallen sonand match fixing. They still do enjoy this game as much as they enjoy thewonderful Hyderabadi cuisine. You haven’t seen Hyderabad if you haven’tbeen to `Patther Gatti’, the street of pearl shops and you haven’t had thetaste of Hyderabad, if you haven’t tasted the ‘Hyderabadi Biriyani’.

Sri Lanka’s full membership status of the ICC is not threatened by theongoing cricket board crisis according to a report in the Daily Mirrortoday.There had been speculation that Sri Lanka’s ICC status had been jeopardisedby the Sports Ministers decision to dissolve the Board of Control forCricket in Sri Lanka (BCCSL) and appoint an Interim Committee.Mark Harrison, however, stated yesterday that: “I can confirm that Sri Lankahas not been suspended by the ICC. The governance of Sri Lankan cricket is adomestic matter.”Nevertheless, Harmission admitted that the ICC is seeking legal advice, mostprobably with regard to the status of Thilanga Sumithapala, the head of thedissolved cricket board, who still remains an Executive Director of the ICC.According to the Articles and Memorandum of Association Executive Director’scan only be removed from the board if they resign or are removed by the bodythat appointed them, in this case the BCCSL, which is no longer functioning.Harrison said: “The situation is currently under legal consideration and theICC is unable to comment any further.”

Mike Findlay and his fellow selectors should have a relatively simple task when they sit down tomorrow to pick the West Indies team for the opening Cable & Wireless Test against India.Providing that Brian Lara and Ramnaresh Sarwan are recovered and ready to return, five of the top six places are settled Chris Gayle, Sarwan, Lara, captain Carl Hooper and Shivnarine Chanderpaul.The wicket-keeping slot, if barely, should go to the incumbent Ridley Jacobs. It is evident that Jacobs’ keeping has been on the decline and his reliability as a No.7 batsman is also under the microscope, but his overall record and his known qualities as a fighter should be enough for him to retain a place.Two of the fast bowling places are also straightforward, with the new ball going to Mervyn Dillon and Cameron Cuffy.So Findlay and company are essentially only trying to fill the missing link of three players.The existing vacancies are the second opening batsman, the third fast bowler and the individual identified as the fourth specialist bowler.Two weeks ago, I gave you chapter and verse of why we should not revert to Stuart Williams in spite of his record-breaking runs in the Busta Series.It leaves Daren Ganga and Devon Smith as those vying to partner Gayle.Smith has done all that has been asked of him his season, but Ganga, who is yet to transform his seemingly solid technique into significant runs in 15 Tests, which have been spread over three years in six countries, at least deserves a chance to fail at home.Based on what our fast bowlers did in Sharjah and Sri Lanka, one might want to suggest we place some names in a hat and pull one. Whether we tried Pedro Collins, Colin Stuart, Marlon Black, the results were very much the same.Collins and Black are again in contention and are joined by the uncapped Darren Powell and Adam Sanford. Powell, spoken highly of by Andy Roberts, brings a breath of freshness and should strongly challenge Collins for the place.Under normal circumstances, leg-spinner Din-anath Ramnarine should be the preferred choice as the fourth specialist bowler. But, as we saw in Sharjah, the selectors were prepared to leave him out for the first Test and instead opt for a batsman who could bowl to fill the No. 7 slot ahead of Jacobs.The same policy should be applied here.The first name that comes to mind for that position is Ryan Hinds, who in fact, filled the role for his debut Test in Sharjah. As a batsman, Hinds performed with supreme aplomb in his first taste of Test cricket and deserves to be retained. But the fact of the matter is that as long as Lara and Sarwan are back, there is no place from him in the top six.The person coming in at No. 7 is intended to be one who is good enough to play as the fourth bowler. Hinds is a more than useful left-arm spinner for Barbados in regional competitions.I distinctly get the impression, however, that Hooper doesn’t have much faith in him as a bowler and the statistics can back up the point. In his two Tests, he has been given only 21 overs and in five One-Day Internationals he has had 18 overs.Here is where the name of the uncapped Gareth Breese comes into the picture. He is a well-organised batsman with a first-class hundred and his off-spin bowling has been a revelation over the last two seasons.This year, the 26-year-old Jamaican has performed the phenomenal feat of winning four successive Man-of-the-match awards in the Busta Series and his 377 runs (ave. 41.88) and 40 wickets (ave. 19.67) should not go unrecognised.My 13 (with the starting 11 mentioned first), therefore, is: Gayle, Ganga, Sarwan, Lara, Hooper, Chanderpaul, Breese, Jacobs, Dillon, Cuffy, Collins, Powell, and Ryan Hinds.