Ricky Ponting has insisted that his bowlers will hit top form in this weekend’s NatWest Series final against England after they let Bangladesh off the hook on Thursday. In the last group game of the tournament, Australia were set for a convincing win after reducing Bangladesh to 75 for 5. But Bangladesh, who’d stunned the cricket world 12 days earlier by beating Australia by five wickets in Cardiff, batted out their 50 overs on the way to posting a competitive 250 for 8.Australia eventually got home with 11 balls to spare with Michael Clarke (80 not out) andAndrew Symonds (42 not out) securing a six-wicket win. But while Bangladesh may not have had enough bowling to make the most of their batsmen’s recovery, England possess the likes of Steve Harmison, Andrew Flintoff and Simon Jones.”We probably made harder work of it than we should have,” Ponting admitted after Thursday’s match. “We’ve bowled better at England in a couple of games than we have against Bangladesh. Bigger games tend to bring the best out of this team and certain players in our team and I think that has been proven over a long period of time so today will be forgotten about.”In the meantime Ponting will hope his attack can to stop the extras that have blighted their tournament thus far. On Thursday they conceded 23 extras including 14 wides and no-balls – the equivalent of more than two extra overs.Australia and England have beaten each other once apiece in the tournament with a wash-out at Edgbaston. “We’ve just got to get back to thinking about the basics of the game and our plans that we will have for the English batsmen,” Ponting continued. “Not knowing a lot about some of the individual players in the Bangladesh side sometimes makes it a little bit harder to set fields and have certain plans. We’ll probably have better plans for the England players when we get to play against them.”But he admitted he was concerned about the bowling extras. “The no-ball thing we see as being almost totally unacceptable in our side. It’s the most zero tolerance type of thing in our team. We have bowled a few of those in the last couple of games and I know the bowlers are working extremely hard to try and ensure they don’t bowl them.”In the meantime he said Bangladesh had provided the ideal workout in what was adead match with England and Australia already in the final. “To be able to chase 250 won’t do us any harm anyway, to be under a bit of pressure at 83 for 3 was good for us and will hold us in good stead for Saturday.”While England will have had several days of rest leading up to the final since their last group game on Sunday, Australia will have had a far more congested schedule. “It will have been a tough run for us going into this final with three games in five days,” Ponting said. “But we will have a relaxing day on Friday, get all our plans sorted out, hit theground running on Saturday and hopefully perform at our best.”

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ScorecardToday didn’t go quite as many Indians would have visualised at stumps yesterday, when Rahul Dravid and Sachin Tendulkar were in occupation of the crease, with 278 runs already on the board.However, Dravid’s painstaking 100 – which made him the first Indian to score four consecutive Test centuries – and a late cameo from Javagal Srinath ensured that India ended the day as they began it, on top.Zaheer Khan gave them the added bonus of Chris Gayle’s wicket – lbw for seven – early on, before Harbhajan Singh trapped a woefully out-of-sorts Wavell Hinds at bat-pad as West Indies finished 424 runs in arrears. Ramnaresh Sarwan, Carl Hooper and Shivnarine Chanderpaul will have to bat out of their skins tomorrow to pass the follow-on target, on a surface that is already taking appreciable turn.After Virender Sehwag’s rousing display yesterday, much of today’s action was an unwelcome throwback to the days when teams ground out draws in insipid fashion. The gathered throng had come to pay homage to Sachin Tendulkar, but he left them as early as the fourth over, driving at – and getting an outside edge to – a Mervyn Dillon delivery (281 for 3).Sourav Ganguly, who can be equally adept at overworking the scoreboard operators, made just four before suffering at the hands of umpire Asoka de Silva. The ball from Cameron Cuffy pitched well outside leg stump, but even as Ganguly stared at his bat, de Silva lifted the finger to uphold the leg before appeal (296 for 4).That was the signal for the Indians to go into their shells. Dillon, Cuffy and Pedro Collins bowled with great discipline, but neither Dravid nor Laxman showed the ingenuity required to make things happen. Only 64 runs came before lunch and the hour that followed was cricket in siesta mode. Dillon probed away just outside the off stump, while Mahendra Nagamootoo came around the wicket to spear it into the rough outside leg stump. It was dire stuff at times and de Silva eventually no-balled him for persistent negativity.Dravid played some superb cut shots and a few elegant flicks through midwicket, but in the latter stages, there were more than a few miscues and edges. He got to his hundred five minutes after tea, with a push to midwicket off Dillon, but pulled up clutching his hamstring as he was completing the second run. With a decent throw he might have been run out. The physio rushed on and helped him off, with what was later diagnosed as nothing more sinister than cramp and severe dehydration.Laxman, who had batted with excessive caution and little flair for his 45, had gone on the stroke of tea, stumped by Ridley Jacobs as he wandered down the track to smother Nagamootoo’s legspin (401 for 4). With the two top-order men accounted for, courtesy of the oppressive heat and smart wicketkeeping, West Indies set about mopping up the tail with enthusiasm. Dillon had rushed off holding his stomach one ball into his over, but Cuffy stepped into the breach and promptly got Harbhajan to nick one behind (407 for 5).Nagamootoo then turned destroyer, having Anil Kumble caught on the push by Carl Hooper at cover and trapping Zaheer lbw with the flipper – though there was a suggestion it might have missed leg stump. With the pear shape almost complete, Srinath and Parthiv Patel put together 49 runs, much to Hooper’s exasperation. With the sun relentless, the fielding went to pot and Srinath rubbed it in with a meaty six over mid-off off Cuffy and a couple of streaky edges that raced away. By the time he was out, caught behind for 31, India had the sort of total they would have wished for when Ganguly won the toss yesterday. And it looked even bigger once the West Indies lost both openers.Dileep Premachandran is assistant editor of Wisden.com in India.

Henry Olonga, the former Zimbawe fast bowler, has arrived in New Zealand to try and prevent their cricket team from touring his home country. Olonga left Zimbabwe in 2003 after wearing a black armband at the World Cup to mourn the “death of democracy” in the country.Olonga is in New Zealand at the behest of the Green Party, who are proposing legislation to prevent the cricket team from touring Zimbabwe. The New Zealand government has in recent times said that they will not prevent the team from going to Zimbabwe. The ICC rules state that New Zealand will be fined at least US$2million if the tour does not take place.Speaking to Radio New Zealand, Olonga said that the situation in his native country was no different that the apartheid regime in South Africa, and needed to be treated in a similar fashion. “This is a government that has consistently abused its own people,” he said. “I’m disappointed the ICC hasn’t shown more compassion with regard to what’s happening in Zimbabwe.”Olonga urged ICC to change its hitherto inflexible stance with regard to teams touring Zimbabwe, keeping apartheid-era South Africa in mind. He said that when rebel tours took place, it felt like “that they were showing no concern for the people who were suffering under that oppressive regime.” Olonga said that the situation was “immoral and the world somehow has to take a stance.”

Chaminda Vaas has warned that county cricket is bad for fast bowlers. Vaas, who is an injury doubt for the one-day game against India on Saturday after straining a hamstring during the second Test against West Indies, has been a regular for Worcestershire this season, when international commitments have allowed.”For a batsmen it’s okay playing county cricket,” he told The Daily News in Sri Lanka. “You learn a lot of things and get a lot of opportunities. But for a fast bowler it is not easy. Two or three months is okay, but more than that I wouldn’t recommend.”Vaas is Sri Lanka’s second-highest wicket-taker in international cricket behind Muttiah Muralitharan, with 613 wickets in an 11-year career, but he has been feeling the strain in his season on the county treadmill. “”Out of seven days, we play five days of county cricket. I couldn’t train at all. That’s the reason I picked up the injury.””I am not sure whether I will play county cricket the next year or again as it is my concern for Sri Lanka cricket,” he added. “I want to play more for Sri Lanka. I would love to play for my country as long as I can so I will stick to what I can do.”

For the second time in three finals, India waited in the pavilion as the rain pummelled down and washed out the game. In the Champions Trophy last year, India were favourites; today, they were staggering at 46 for 3 in 17.1 overs when the clouds opened up.India’s worst start of this tournament could not be blamed on either the pitch or the conditions. It was all due to bad shot selection by the Indian batsmen, and some hostile South African bowling.Makhaya Ntini began with a fast, fiery spell, and Virender Sehwag, who had been hit on the arm by an Ntini snorter in the last match, was expecially uncomfortable against him. Ntini was liberal with short stuff, and Sehwag had no answers to the questions he posed. A miscued pull looped up in the air and fell just short of Mark Boucher, and he also played and missed at regulation corridor deliveries on a good length.It was Shaun Pollock who snared Sehwag, though. Sehwag (8), deceived by Pollock’s lack of pace, attempted to smash him over long-on but could only hit him straight to Allan Dawson at mid-on (19 for 1).Gautam Gambhir had shown plenty of aggression in his short innings, but no placement. His 11 runs took him 33 balls to make, and it was no surprise when he flayed at Ntini in the 12th over and only managed to edge it to second slip, where Neil McKenzie took a good high catch (35 for 2).Play was held up for a while then, not by rain but by strong winds that brooked no defiance. Umpire hats slid with geometric grace across the field, and drinks was called early. The moment passed, and play began again.There was no reprieve for India though. Kaif (5), after wristily flicking Ntini for four through midwicket, miscued a pull shot. Jacques Rudolph at mid-on took a sitter, and India were 41 for 3. Kaif glanced at the skies as he walked; more, perhaps, in prayer than in admonition.The floodgates opened at the start of the 18th over, and though the rain stopped towards evening, the outfield remained soaked. Clive Lloyd, the match referee, decreed that the safety of the players would be compromised if play was resumed. India and South Africa were declared joint winners of the TVS Cup.And thus, a tournament that could only be described as a damp squib came to a fitting end.

Warwickshire have announced that former New Zealand batsman Mark Greatbatch has been appointed as their new director of coaching on a three-year contract.Greatbatch, 42, who was already the director of Warwickshire’s academy, was previously coach of Central Districts before moving to the UK 18 months ago after becoming frustrated with the pay and lack of opportunity in New Zealand. He briefly took over coaching Giggleswick School in Yorkshire before moving to Edgbaston.Greatbatch played 41 Tests and 84 ODIs for New Zealand between 1988 and 1996.Dennis Amiss, Warwickshire’s chief executive said: “We are all delighted that Mark has accepted this position with the club, and we look forward to him moving the team and the club forward over the next three years”.

Northamptonshire’s Kolpak player, Johann Louw, has been given permission to play for the Eagles franchise this season.Gerald Majola, the chief executive of Cricket South Africa, said that permission was granted in terms of the regulations that govern overseas players competing in South African domestic professional cricket.”This means that Johann will not seek to qualify to play for England,” explained Majola. “He must also declare his intention to fully comply with contractual obligations to the Eagles ahead of any obligations to any county in England. The SA Cricketers’ Association has endorsed the CSA decision on Johann.”The chief executive of the Eagles, Seppie Lusardi, added that Louw intended to settle in Bloemfontein where his wife-to-be is studying. “Johann intends returning to South Africa permanently,” said Lusardi, “and he will bolster the pool of quality fast bowlers eligible for national duty going forward to the World Cup in 2007.”Louw played for Griqualand West and Eastern Province before joining Northants two seasons ago.

The decks have been cleared for holding the adjourned Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Board of Control for Cricket in India at Kolkata before November 30. The disputants arrived at a consensus on a six-point terms of reference for TS Krishnamurthy, former chief election commissioner, who will be the observer for the elections.A Supreme Court Bench, comprising Justice BP Singh, Justice SB Sinha and Justice PK Balasubramanyan, has recorded the draft notes of the discussion that led to the consensus between the disputing parties. Within a week after the elections the observer would send his report to the Supreme Court with brief reasons for his ruling on voting rights and on the thorny issue of eligibility / disqualification. The Bench has posted the matter for further orders on December 12.The dispute on the BCCI elections came up before the Supreme Court after the Netaji Cricket Club (NCC), Chennai, and the cricket associations of Rajasthan and Bihar had challenged the Calcutta High Court’s verdict removing two former chief justices of India as observers to the elections that were deferred in late September. The incumbents, including Ranbir Singh Mahendra, president of the BCCI, have Jagmohan Dalmiya as their patron, while the opposing faction that includes the likes of IS Bindra and Raj Singh Dungarpur, both former presidents, are rooting for Sharad Pawar, central government minister and political heavyweight.Senior advocates KK Venugopal and Soli Sorabjee, appearing for the BCCI, and senior advocate Harish Salve on behalf of NCC and the associations of Rajasthan and Bihar, appraised the Bench on the details of the consensus.While there was agreement on who the neutral observer should be, the parties could not intially agree on continuing with the adjourned AGM at Kolkata. The Bench had to intervene and rule in favour of Kolkata as the venue. As of now, the disputants have evaded the contentious issue as to which board – Bihar or Jharkhand – had the right to vote.An important aspect of the consensus was that in case of a dispute in the AGM, no court other than the Supreme Court will entertain any lawsuit or legal proceedings. The parties also agreed that the AGM would not be adjourned without the consent of the observer and his function will be confined to the election alone, and that the rest of the agenda items will be taken up after the conclusion of the elections and declaration of the result.The proceedings at the AGM will be recorded, both in the form of video and audio under the supervision of the observer, and he would make a copy available to the Supreme Court, the draft note submitted to the court said. It said that all questions arising as to the validity of votes or the disqualification or the eligibility of any candidate to any post would be decided by the observer in accordance with the BCCI’s Rules and Regulations.”Not only the documents relating to disqualification of candidates or nominees but also any votes held to be invalid would be placed in a separate envelope,” the draft agreement said.

John Bracewell, the New Zealand coach, has denied any rift with Stephen Fleming, the captain, over the decision to omit Chris Cairns from the tour of South Africa where New Zealand lost the one-day series 0-4.Fleming and Bracewell were barely on speaking terms at the start of the tour, according to a report in , a New Zealand-daily. Bracewell denied the report after arriving at Christchurch. He said that Fleming had been “involved in the [selection] process all the way”.Cairns had been left out after indifferent form and a lack of regular play in recent months. He had retired from Test cricket in 2004 but has continued to play one-day cricket.Cairns was told to go back to club and first class domestic cricket and improve his fitness so he could be considered for selection later in the season. Bracewell said Cairns’s better fitness and improved form while playing for Canterbury – including an 80-ball century – had vindicated the decision to leave him out of the tour of South Africa.”The indications are that he is extremely fit at the moment so it’s been a success,” said Bracewell. He said Cairns and Daryl Tuffey, the fast bowler, could be considered for the one-day series against Australia in New Zealand in December.

Dennis Lillee says Shane Warne deserves his record for the most wickets in a calendar year and won’t be sad if it gets passed during the first Test. Warne enters Friday’s South Africa match with 84 victims for 2005 and needs only two to pass Lillee’s 1981 collection.”It’s all his. He deserves it,” Lillee said in . “He can come and get it. There isn’t a bit of sadness there for me in passing on the record to the greatest bowler we have seen. I have always really enjoyed Shane’s career and what he has brought to the game.”Lillee, the Western Australia Cricket Association president, will be at the WACA and should get a first-hand look if Warne can make some breakthroughs on his least successful Australian ground. Warne’s role in Perth is as a support bowler to the fast men and he has taken only 26 wickets in ten Tests.”We have always got along well and he has had to overcome a lot of setbacks to get where he is,” Lillee told the paper. “He has had an amazing career and I am really looking forward to being at the WACA when he breaks the record.”Lillee’s incredible 1981 included 85 wickets at 20.95 in 13 matches with Test series against India, England, Pakistan and West Indies. In the first Test against West Indies he broke Lance Gibbs’ world record of 309 wickets with first-innings figures of 7 for 83.