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Otago beat Canterbury comprehensively by nine wickets in their State Championship encounter at Queenstown. After following on, Canterbury just about managed to stave off an innings defeat, leaving Otago to chase only seven. Chris Harris and Paul Wiseman were the only Canterbury batsmen to pass fifty as their side stayed on the defensive throughout, facing over 130 overs for their total of 276. Wiseman top-scored with an unbeaten 80. For Otago Bradley Scott, the left-arm fast bowler, was the most impressive, taking 5 for 48.Central Districts took command at the end of the third day at Palmerston North, leaving Auckland to chase a target of 456 with only three sessions left. Central were earlier bowled out for 390 in their second innings and Auckland, in reply, lost two wickets with 85 on board. Central rode on solid contributions by their middle order, with half-centuries by Jacob Oram (89) , Timothy Weston (70) and Bevan Griggs (50). Oram scored as many as 60 runs through boundaries alone while Griggs compiled a run-a-ball half-century with six fours. Auckland lost Richard Jones early with the score on 1. Tim Lythe and Matthew Horne were at the crease at stumps.Wellington and Northern Districts both made sporting declarations to set up a chance for a result in their State Championship match at Hamilton. Northern declared their first innings 98 behind Wellington, after Alun Evans scored 103. Wellington rode on Matthew Bell’s 109 at the top of the order, who shared a 141-run stand with Michael Parlane. Jesse Ryder made an aggressive half-century, scoring 55 off 51 balls. Wellington declared at 255 for 8, leaving Northerns to chase 354 in the last innings. Grant Robinson fell early as Northern ended the day at 3 for 1.

Division One

DerbyshireTitle Odds 50/1
Overseas players Michael Di Venuto, Jonathon Moss
In Travis Friend, Paul Borrington, Benjamin France, Lee Goddard, Ian Hunter, Jake Needham, Chris Paget
Out Mohammad Ali, Andrew Gait, Steve Selwood, Rawait Khan, Neil Gunter, Nathan Dumelow
Another season of struggle is on the cards, despite the best efforts of David Houghton to strengthen the squad. Travis Friend will add depth to the batting and bowling, but Kevin Dean and Graeme Welch will again shoulder a heavy workload. Houghton’s approach to youth should be applauded, and he will not be afraid to throw them in at the deep end, but they are going to learn the hard way. Avoiding the championship wooden spoon may be the summit of their ambitions.
One to watch Benjamin France – opening batsmen who scored a half-century in his second match last season

DurhamTitle Odds 20/1
Overseas players Mike Hussey, Ashley Noffke
In Dale Benkenstein, Callum Thorp
Out Ian Pattison, Pallav Kumar, Andy Blignaut, Shaun Tait, Marcus North
The time has come for Durham’s clutch of talented youngsters, under the astute guidance of Martyn Moxon, to stand up in county cricket. They have brought in two quality batsmen – Michael Hussey and Dale Benkenstein – and when Ashley Noffke is fit he will enjoy the life in the Chester-le-Street pitch. Steve Harmison adds another dimension to the attack for the first month of the season, and Paul Collingwood will be motivated to show he is still worth considering for a Test place. If they believe in themselves, promotion is certainly a possibility.
One to watch Mark Turner – still only a development player, but is highly rated around the North East as a skiddy, Gough style, quick bowler.

EssexTitle Odds 8/1
Overseas players Andre Adams, Danish Kaneria
In Grant Flower, Alex Tudor
Out Scott Brant, Zoheb Sharif, Adrian McCoubrey, Aftab Habib, Nasser Hussain, John Stephenson
Chelmsford is becoming a second home for injury-prone England fast bowlers, but if Alex Tudor can over come his mental and physical problems Essex will have bought shrewdly. Darren Gough will again need to be carefully managed but Danish Kaneria has all the qualities of a real matchwinner – once he gets used to the temperature. Grant and Andy Flower’s presence will ensure plenty of runs, while Will Jefferson and Alastair Cook make one of the tallest opener pairings around.
One to watch Alastair Cook – progressing through the system rapidly, and has an excellent technique and temperament

LancashireTitle Odds 11/10
Overseas players Brad Hodge, Muttiah Muralitharan
In Steven Croft, Andrew Crook, Gareth Cross, Simon Marshall
Out Jamie Haynes, Chris Schofield, John Wood, Alec Swann, Carl Hooper, Peter Martin
After their shock relegation, Lancashire are unlikely to have things all their own way as they aim for an immediate return to Division One, but with three teams still going up promotion is well within their grasp. The appearance of Muttiah Muralitharan – if only for half a dozen games – and the availability of James Anderson gives the bowling attack a potent look and the batsmen are virtually guaranteed to make up for last season’s poor showing, when no-one passed 1000 runs. Mark Chilton is a thinking cricketer, and will want to leave his own mark on the Red Rose in his first season as captain.
One to watch James Anderson – not an original choice, but will be fascinating to see how he copes after his disappointing winter

Leicestershire
Title Odds 25/1
Overseas players Dinesh Mongia, Charl Willoughby
In Aftab Habib, HD Ackerman
Out Brad Hodge, Darren Stevens, George Walker, Damian Brandy, Jon Dakin
Hylton Ackerman will bring a hard-edged South African approach, and they will need it to make an impression on the promotion places. The batting is strong, on paper, but Darren Maddy needs to turn his one-day form into big championship runs. Charl Willoughby will have to bowl a lot of overs, but is a steady performer, rather than a strike bowler. Phil DeFreitas will give his all in his final season before retirement, but they look a star player short of being a real candidate to go up.
One to watch Aftab Habib – career has gone full-circle, now back at Grace Road and will add some solidity to the middle-order

NorthamptonshireTitle Odds 12/1
Overseas players Martin Love, Damien Wright
In Bilal Shafayat, Charl Pietersen
Out Carl Greenidge, Mark Powell, Toby Bailey, Adam Shantry, Graeme Swann, Craig Jennings, Ricky Anderson, Mike Cawdron, Jeff Cook
The revolving door at Wantage Road has been busy during the winter, but it is still difficult to see Northamptonshire sustaining a promotion bid – unless the pitches turn square for Jason Brown. But he has lost the support of Graeme Swann and Monty Pansear has gone backwards, so even turners may not be enough. Johann Louw will again be bowled into the ground, but support is lacking. If David Sales wants an international career he has to score a mountain of runs, and Martin Love’s hunger will mean visiting attacks will have to work hard.
One to watch Tom Huggins – an opener who likes to play his shots, and only needs to add some selectivity to become a useful player.

SomersetTitle Odds 10/1
Overseas players Graeme Smith, Sanath Jayasuriya, Nixon McLean
In None except overseas players
Out Peter Bowler, Jamie Cox, Thos Hunt, Tom Webley, Keith Dutch
Graeme Smith and Sanath Jayasuriya will enjoy the flattest pitch in the country, but the aging – and injury prone – seam attack is in need of some new blood. In James Hildreth, they have one of the most exciting young batsmen on the circuit, and Ian Blackwell can be as destructive as any player on his day. The lack of a frontline spinner will be a major problem, leaving Blackwell and a Wesley Durston, a young offspinner, to shoulder that burden. But Smith’s aggression and desire to win will ensure that all the players are giving 100%.
One to watch James Hildreth – has all the shots, a good temperament to match, and the best batting pitch in the country to exploit

WorcestershireTitle Odds 9/2
Overseas players Chaminda Vaas, Shoaib Akhtar, Zander de Bruyn
In Will Gifford, Joshua Knappett
Out Andy Bichel, Andrew Hall, Kadeer Ali, Steve Rhodes
The unknown factor of Shoaib Akhtar’s fitness leaves Worcestershire an unknown quantity. If Shoaib fires he will win matches, but there is still plenty of time before he is due to arrive for things to go wrong. Chaminda Vaas is a more reliable, if less explosive performer, and will be able to exploit early-season conditions. Vikram Solanki has to make sure the captaincy doesn’t affect his batting, but Graeme Hick will still be churning out the runs. If everything clicks they have the side to take them straight back to Division One.
One to watch James Pipe – has to fill the big gloves of Steve Rhodes, but his work behind the stumps is very impressive and no mean batsman either

YorkshireTitle Odds 6/1
Overseas players Ian Harvey, Phil Jacques
In David Lucas, Deon Kruis
Out Vic Craven, Andy Gray, Steve Kirby
Since winning the title in 2001 it has all been downhill at Headingley – and 2005 is set to be another struggle. The seam bowling is particularly thin, and Chris Silverwood is not in the first flush of youth anymore. Deon Kruis is not a long-term solution, so there may be the sight of some turning pitches at Headingley, with Richard Dawson and Mark Lawson, the young legspinner, aiming to take advantage. Phil Jacques will perform his annual run-scoring feats, and a fit Craig White is vital for a finish anywhere above mid-table.
One to watch Tim Bresnan – the well-built seamer will have a more senior role in a reduced bowling attack

Shahid Afridi was named captain of a 14-man Pakistan A squad for next month’s triangular one-day series to be played at Kolkata. The tournament will take place between December 13 and 21 and will include India and Sri Lanka as the other two teams.The members of the squad have been advised to report for a training camp that will start in Lahore from November 29.Squad Shahid Afridi (capt), Salman Butt, Mohammad Hafeez, Saeed bin Nasir, Naved Latif, Amin-ur-Rehman (wk), Umar Gul, Mohammad Khalil, Mohammad Irshad, Mansoor Amjad, Faisal Iqbal, Bilal Asad, Imran Nazir, Abdul Rauf.

The Rest of Balochistan (RoB) and Rest of Sindh (RoS) Quaid-i-AzamTrophy fixture was delicately poised after stumps on the second day atthe National Stadium Thursday.RoB, resuming this morning at 241 for six, were skittled out for 270in the first session of play. By close, RoS had reached 226 for fiveand needing another 44 to take the first innings lead.RoS’s paceman Kashif Pervez added two more scalps to his overnight’sthree to finish with five for 39.RoS’s skipper Hanif-ur-Rehman led the foundation of a strong replywhen he stroked a fine 77 off 81 balls with the aid of 14 boundaries.

It was easy to get an idea of where New South Wales and South Australia sit in cricketing esteem by listening to their captains being quizzed on the eve of the Matador Cup final.Steven Smith, leader of NSW and Australia, was peppered with questions about the looming Tests with New Zealand, the state of his sore knee, the problematic pink ball and only a couple of queries relating to the domestic limited-overs decider. Travis Head, by contrast, was asked largely about SA’s underdog status and how this unheralded team had emerged as the best development story of the Cup despite the inclusion of a youth-focused Cricket Australia XI.At 26, Smith is now an experienced customer on high profile occasions. At 21, Head has probably never seen more television cameras than he did this day. The Blues, led by Smith with the bat and the ravenous Mitchell Starc with the ball, are expected to swat the Redbacks aside at North Sydney Oval. But Head and his coach Jamie Siddons know their young collective have already made giant strides in the space of just two weeks.For one, they twice unseated a seasoned Victoria to earn qualification for the elimination final and then the decider itself. Given that the Bushrangers had themselves inflicted the Blues’ only defeat of this tournament, there is reason for SA to be optimistic. As Head put it, Smith’s XI are “only human” after all, and the Redbacks still have plenty of room for improvement.”It’s going to be a hard task tomorrow with the New South Wales team so strong,” Head said. “We probably came into the tournament keeping a pretty low profile and knowing the work we did in Adelaide was holding us in good stead for the tournament, we’ve played exactly how we wanted to play, we’ve been positive and taken the game on.”We probably haven’t put together the perfect game yet with bat or ball – the bowlers have been fantastic throughout, the batters probably have had their moments of really good stuff but been a little inconsistent, so we’re looking tomorrow to put the runs on the board or chase down whatever we can.”Critical to the outcome will be Head’s personal duel with Starc, which was short yet decisive when the two sides met, also at North Sydney, during the qualifying games. That day Starc found swing and speed to strike Head’s off stump, and after a similar early dismissal to James Pattinson at Bankstown, Head resolved to give himself a few more sighters before throwing himself at the opposition fast men.”He got the better of me the other day, yesterday facing Jimmy Pattinson I took my time a little bit and tried to keep it on the carpet,” Head said. “I’m still going to be positive and aggressive and still hunt the four ball but I’ll be watching him. I’m not going to change much, I’m trying to be positive at the top of the order, try to set the tone for the innings and hopefully get a big score – that’s what I’ll be trying to do.”Smith’s tournament has seen him lead the Blues with impressive clarity of purpose, and he shrugged off a pair of ducks to fashion a century against Queensland before resting his knee against the Bushrangers. All the time he has been talking with the national selectors about the composition of the Test team to face New Zealand, but for now he wants to help deliver a first domestic one day crown to NSW in a decade.”They’ve been looking pretty closely at the Matador over the past couple of weeks,” Smith said of the observational work put in by the chairman Rod Marsh and his panel. “It’s a different format but if you’re scoring runs you’re putting your name up there. There’s been some pretty good performances and we’ll wait and see what the selectors have for us in that first squad.”I feel good where everything’s at at the moment, I feel like I’m hitting the ball well. I’d like a big score tomorrow and a win for NSW. We haven’t won this tournament in 10 years, so it’s a big one for us and I’m really excited about getting out to North Sydney Oval tomorrow.”A win for NSW would confirm the primacy of a team that embodies Australian cricket’s present. An upset by the Redbacks would make a similarly compelling statement about the nation’s future.

For fifty exhilarating minutes before tea at Newlands, the unlikely batting combination of Shivnarine Chanderpaul Fidel Edwards and the courageous, doubly wounded captain Chris Gayle appeared to have shifted the momentum of the second Test so decisively that the possibility of a remarkable West Indies victory was not just cock-eyed optimism.With Chanderpaul providing the glue with another marathon, unbeaten innings, this time 70, stretched over five hours, Edwards contributing his highest Test score – 21, and Gayle disregarding the pain of his damaged hamstring and a chipped bone in his thumb to hammer three sixes and four fours in a breathtaking exhibition of power hitting, South Africa’s requirement was increased to 185.On a tricky pitch, it did not seem a straightforward ask but West Indies’ hopes were quickly crushed in the bright afternoon sunshine by the calculated aggression of South Africa’s captain, Graeme Smith, and his partners. As the effects of the heavy roller between innings deadened the straw coloured surface, they immediately regained the initiative with a volley of boundaries that propelled South Africa to their target off just 35.2 overs for the loss of three wickets.Smith, short of runs in his previous six innings against New Zealand and West Indies this season, led the way with 85 off 79 balls with 11 fours. AB de Villiers opened with Smith because of Neil McKenzie’s calf muscle injury, but he was dismissed by Dwayne Bravo for 23. Hashim Amla (37) and, finally, Jacques Kallis (22*), and Ashwell Prince (12*), followed Smith’s example to complete the result that levelled the series and set up the decider.The West Indies needed to bowl with control and take their chances. They did neither. Daren Powell was thumped for 20 from his opening two overs, everyone was guilty of banging the ball into the surface, feeding Smith’s liking for pulls and cuts, and when the catch did come in the sixth over, two-handed to Marlon Samuels at point off Jerome Taylor, it was dropped. Smith was then 18, the total 37. It would have given the West Indies a needed lift and checked South Africa’s advance.Instead, Smith and the rest continued merrily along to the goal to cancel out West Indies victory in the first Test and set up the decider for the final match, starting in Durban on Thursday.Both Gayle and Edwards will be missing then. Both are carrying damaged hamstrings and Gayle’s well being was further undermined when Andre Nel’s fourth ball of the morning, the second he received, leapt from a length, rapped him on the glove and forced him to retire with what the x-ray later revealed to be a hairline fracture of the left thumb.Although he said later that, if it was up to him, he would “strap it and go and play the same way”, he acknowledged that “it isn’t looking good”.Indeed, at the post-match presentation, he called for Ramnaresh Sarwan to “put on his boots and get down here”. He amended it at the media conference later to “the possibility of having Sarwan to come over, whatever the case may be” but the message was clear.Sarwan, along with Gayle himself and Chanderpaul are the only world-rated batsmen available. He was eliminated from this tour with his knee injury but is currently playing, and making runs, for Guyana in the Carib Beer match against Trinidad and Tobago. To get to Durban in time for the Test, he would have to “put on his boots” and fly out right away. It would entail him being replaced in the Guyana team but the West Indies board could follow the example of the English board and, in the circumstances, allow a substitute.When Gayle returned to the fray yesterday afternoon, to partner the immovable Chanderpaul with nine wickets down, the situation was little changed in the interim since he trudged off the field in the opening over. The uncertain Dwayne Bravo was taken at slip off the glove from Nel’s lifter for 12, Rawl Lewis’ miserable return to Test cricket continued with a catch to short leg off left-arm spinner Paul Harris after nine balls and Chanderpaul’s single-minded resistance appeared as if it would only delay the inevitable.Dale Steyn intervened to dismiss Taylor and Powell to slip catches in successive overs but Edwards shifted the balance once more. Like Gayle, he was aided by the designated runner, Runako Morton, but, like Gayle later, he did not engage in much running. He treated Jacques Kallis to the indignity of a straight six, hit two fours besides and only fell to a sensational catch by Harris off Nel, running back from mid-off.The lead was only 114 but Gayle returned to respond to an appreciative reception from a crowd of around 10,000 with some breathtaking strokes, all the more so given his physical condition. Perhaps it was because of it. He pulled his first ball, from Makhaya Ntini, for a searing four and took 16 off the next over from Nel.The big fast bowler had given up only 27 runs from his first 22 overs. Now two leg-side fours and a dismissive pull for a huge six over on the longest boundary advertised Gayle’s immense strength – and courage. As the captain continued his merciless assault, Chanderpaul briefly caught the mood, sweeping Harris for six. Gayle responded with two successive sixes off Steyn in the direction of the adjoining railway track at midwicket but they were his last. Aiming for another maximum, he skied a catch to long-on.Chanderpaul was, once more, left unbeaten. He never looked like getting out but only altered his tempo after Lloyd arrived. By then, the South Africans, always so chirpy in the field, had been reduced to near silence. The force seemed irretrievably with the West Indies.In every respect, Gayle’s was a remarkable performance that served to raise his already developing status as leader. His stock rose even higher when he led his team out to try to press for an unlikely triumph. He would add to the folklore that will inevitably develop out of his day’s deeds with two stunning catches at slip off Lewis, albeit with his good, right hand, not his damaged left, to account for Amla for 37 after a partnership of 83, and Smith. By then, it was too late.

The Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS) has set up an independent panel to examine the jurisdiction of the court that is currently hearing the doping cases of Mohammad Asif and Shoaib Akhtar. Only if the panel finds that the court does have jurisdiction will the hearing continue.In an attempt to preempt any findings from the panel, the ICC has said that Pakistan will be able to replace any members of their squad who fail dope tests ahead of the World Cup. A precedent was set during the 2003 event in South Africa when Shane Warne was sent home at the start of the tournament for using a diuretic.The Shoaib and Asif cases were referred to the court, based in Lausanne, Switzerland, by WADA (World Anti-Doping Agency) in December last year. WADA had expressed concern with the conclusions of an appellate committee, constituted by the PCB, which lifted bans imposed on both bowlers by an earlier tribunal after concluding that they hadn’t been educated properly about doping issues by the PCB.But a PCB official told Cricinfo that the board had received communication from the CAS that independent panel was examining whether the court had jurisdiction to arbitrate over such a matter. “They have set up a panel with three independent arbitrators, from the US, Britain and France, which will examine whether the court has jurisdiction to act on a matter such as this.”Only in the event that they find that ‘yes, they do have jurisdiction’, will the case continue to be heard,” the official added. The three panelists are David Rivkin (USA), Peter Leaver QC (UK) and Jan Paulsson (France), all established legal experts.The PCB has argued this very point since WADA took notice and filed an appeal on the lifting of the bans. The matter, they assert, was an internal one and was closed once the appellate committee made public its findings: the dope tests and the subsequent hearings were all carried out locally and punishments or otherwise were made according to the PCB’s anti-doping code. Thus WADA and the ICC were in no position to take any further action.But among others, Shahid Hamid, the head of the first committee which found the bowlers guilty of doping and banned them, has also argued that Pakistan are obliged to follow WADA’s code.He told AFP last December: “It is a fact that the Pakistan government signed the Copenhagen declaration in 2003, like other 186 governments, including 38 countries in Asia,” he said. “The Pakistan government has paid to WADA the annual and subscription fee for the years 2006 and 2007.”This declaration, through culture and sports ministries, binds us to follow the WADA codes and under clause 13 of their codes, WADA has the right of appeal against the decision of a national anti-doping commission whether it is done during the competition or out of competition.”The official said, though, that there was no timeline on when the panel is expected to decide.

Scorecard
ING Cup points table

Mark Cosgrove smashed a brilliant hundred to give South Australia a crushing 108-run win over Western Australia at Perth. Cosgrove put on 54 for the opening wicket with Shane Deitz (22) and a fluent 161-run stand with Darren Lehmann to push the Redbacks to a healthy total. When Lehmann was caught behind for a slick 76 from 81 balls the home side hit back and South Australia lost 7 for 40 in their final ten overs.Cosgrove had done the damage though, and Western Australia were never in the hunt for 272. Shaun Tait, who is bidding to make a Test comeback, conceded 23 from four overs and picked up the wicket of Luke Ronchi. Only Chris Rogers (47) offered anything of substance, but by then it was too little too late as Western Australia crumbled to 163 allout in the 40th over. The convincing win placed South Australia third in the table, four points adrift of Victoria and ten behind the leaders New South Wales.

When Virender Sehwag stays at the crease he hurts you. The runs pile up in a hurry, but more importantly he hits bowlers out of their line and length by taking perfectly good deliveries and sending them screaming to the boundary. So when he gives you a chance you had better take it – something Pakistan spectacularly failed to do in the first Test. Sehwag gave his first chance of the day in the 39th over, edging a massive heave towards cover. Inzamam-ul-Haq back-peddled, realised he would not get to the ball that way, turned and took a few quick steps, eyes locked on the ball all the time, and settled under the swirler, the palms of both hands pointing to the sky, as though in prayer. The ball was safely pouched and Pakistan could breathe a little easier, for the savagery of Sehwag was behind them.Sweet shot
Virender Sehwag is not the sort of batsman who is overly concerned about the time of the day. He is just as likely to step out and loft a spinner over a fielder posted on the midwicket fence in the last over before lunch as any other in the day. Rahul Dravid, on the other hand, is a bit more traditional. So, as Shahid Afridi floated one in first ball after lunch, it was doubly sweet when Dravid got his front foot beautifully down to a well-pitched-up delivery and cover-drove the ball to the fence. It was as though he had hurried through his lunch and forgotten to eat dessert, heartily tucking into Afridi instead.

Close South Africa 260 for 7 (Kirsten 109*, Zondeki 50*) v England
Scorecard

England start the second day of the fourth Test against South Africa at Headingley with a slight edge, but knowing that it could have been so much better. Yesterday they came up against the granite-like resistance of Gary Kirsten, whose 18th Test hundred helped South Africa to recover from 21 for 4 to close on 260 for 7.Kirsten admitted that his innings might not have been pretty to watch, but he rated it as one of his finest. “A lot of people say that suits my game, to hang in, to play terribly and to look horrible,” he told reporters. “I was able to do that. That innings was up there with my best. The circumstances dictated that. It’s always nice to get runs in adversity.”With Monde Zondeki, who frustrated England’s bowlers with 50 not out, his maiden first-class half-century, Kirsten added 118 for the eighth wicket, and England have to strike early this morning if they are to avoid letting South Africa completely off the hook.Click here for the Day 1 Bulletin
Click here for the Wisden Verdict