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As expected, Ireland wrapped up a comprehensive innings-and-115-run victory over Canada in the Intercontinental Cup final at Leicester, taking a little over five sessions to do so in a dreadfully one-sided contest.After building an almost match-winning position yesterday, Canada’s fightback in the morning was too little too late, but it will have given them some solace. Resuming on 250 for 3, Ireland made painfully slow progress against some tight bowling, hitting only two fours in the first hour.But Umar Bhatti then kick-started the day into life, gabbing four wickets in five ball, including a hat-trick of leg-befores, with the next delivery agonisingly close to another. The last seven wickets fell for 55 with only Eoin Morgan, who was last man out for 84, offering any resistance.Canada started their second innings 260 in arrears, and although they showed more application than they had yesterday, they still struggled against the moving ball. Trent Johnston took three of the first four wickets to fall while Kyle McCallan ripped through the tail to finish with 5 for 34. It was all over with more than two days to spare.

Sri Lanka’s chairman of selectors, Asantha de Mel, is set to take control of selection issues when he arrives in England for the one-day series later this month, a move that is sure to increase the pressure on the coach, Tom Moody.de Mel, who was recently reappointed for a second stint after being sacked a year ago, is keen for the selectors to blend youth with experience, and to that end he persuaded Sanath Jayasuriya to come out of retirement to reinforce Sri Lanka’s Test squad.Jayasuriya has so far been overlooked in the five-day game, although he is set to take centre stage when the ODIs begin, as he builds towards his anticipated swansong at the 2007 World Cup in the Caribbean.”I did not insist on [Jayasuriya’s] inclusion as I take over my duties from the one-day series,” de Mel told BBC Sinhala. “I recalled him but he was just another option for the management. But from the ODI series the team will be selected by a resident selector rather than the management.”de Mel added that an independent enquiry should be set up to investigate the circumstances of Jayasuriya’s original retirement, after suggestions that he had been forced to quit before he was ready. “Jayasuriya [should] be allowed to speak,” he said, “otherwise rumours will always be there.”

The Pakistan Cricket Board has welcomed the compromise agreement between Ten Sports and ARY over the broadcasting rights dispute that had threatened to disrupt coverage of the game in Pakistan. Both channels had jointly won the rights to telecast Pakistan cricket until 2008 – paying a total of US$43 million – and they settled their differences in the Lahore High Court.”We welcome the compromise between the Ten Sports and ARY and appreciate their gesture for withdrawing their litigations from the court,” said Shaharyar Khan, PCB chairman, quoted in . “This compromise will enable smooth and unhindered television coverage of the upcoming tri-nation series,” he added, referring to the seven-match ODI series which Pakistan will play against Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe.Ten Sports and ARY filed their compromise proposals before a High Court judge on Monday, and agreed to arbitration to settle their differences. Munir Sheikh, a retired judge, will attempt to find a solution once the current series is over.”I express my appreciation to the representatives of both the TV channels for their cooperation and flexibility in arriving this compromise,” said Shaharyar. The dispute between Ten Sports and ARY was just one of many issues that have plagued cricket broadcasting in South East Asia in recent times. Across the border, the Board of Control for Cricket in India has yet to arrive at a satisfactory solution to their own imbroglio, having cancelled the tender which was initially awarded to the Zee network.

ScorecardDay 5Bulletin – Warne and Gillespie seal series
Verdict – Sri Lanka not quite there
Quotes – ‘I couldn’t have bowled better’ – Warne
Quotes – ‘Batting and fielding let us down’ – Tillakaratne
Day 4Bulletin – Jayasuriya’s 131 sets up a classic
Roving Reporter – Percy’s spirit and Kandy’s spiritualism
Quotes – ‘We can still win’ – Jayasuriya
Day 3Bulletin – Martyn brightens a wet day
Quotes – ‘The toughest innings of all’
Day 2Bulletin – Gilchrist seizes the initiative
Verdict – Australia’s fourth-innings dilemma
Quotes – Gilchrist – ‘I was pleased to make an impact’
News – Ponting injury not serious
Day 1Bulletin – Seventeen wickets tumble on low-scoring day
Roving Reporter – A study in sepia
Quotes – Murali: ‘I’m aiming for 650’

Zimbabwe remain in contention for a place in the World Cup Super Sixes after they overcame a courageous Dutch team by 99 runs in Bulawayo. Favourites before the start, Zimbabwe put the game beyond the reach of the Netherlands by posting 301 from their 50 overs after they were put in.The weather in Bulawayo had not been very good over the previous few days, but the morning of the match between Zimbabwe and the Netherlands dawned hot and sunny.There was always the chance of rain later on, though, and for that reason Zimbabwean captain Heath Streak would have preferred to bowl had he won thetoss. Roland Lefebvre called correctly, though, and he chose to bat on a good, if somewhat slow, batting pitch. Grant Flower was unavailable for Zimbabwe, rested as his injured finger was still troubling him.Craig Wishart opened the Zimbabwe batting with Mark Vermeulen, restored to the team in the absence of Grant Flower. He sought to dominate from the start, driving Edgar Schiferli to the cover boundary in the first over and would have secured another had a straight drive not hit the stumps at the bowler’s end.He drove Roland Lefebvre for two boundaries off successive balls and so assured did he appear that a sequel to his 172 not out against Namibia looked a possibility. However he fell for 21 off 22 balls, superbly caught off a thick edge by wicket-keeper Jeroen Smits, courageously standing to the stumps to Lefebvre, and a superb cameo came to an abrupt end.Andy Flower began slowly, and uncharacteristically missed a few runs offdeliveries that would normally be meat and drink to him. He offered a hard high chance to slip, which was missed, when on 4; he promptly celebrated with two off-side boundaries and a leg-glance for four in the same over from Tim de Leede.The Dutch bowling was quite accurate but without the threat posed by the topinternational attacks that Zimbabwean batsmen have had to face. They managed to bowl 20 overs in the 70 minutes before drinks.Opener Mark Vermeulen was again visibly nervous to start with, but slowly found the confidence to play some of his booming drives. He was just beginning to dominate when he chose the wrong ball to cut from Feiko Kloppenburg and dragged the ball on to his stumps; out for 27, and Zimbabwe were 82 for two.Guy Whittall has not been in good form recently, but he came in at number four with obvious determination to put things right, and to do so with positive strokeplay. He quickly ran to 24 at a run a ball, pulling and driving powerfully, including a straight six off Jacob-Jan Esmeijer.Flower, working the ball around the field in contrast to Whittall’s moreflamboyant strokeplay, reached his fifty off 55 balls. Almost immediatelyafterwards, Whittall’s promising innings was cut short at 30 by a brilliantdiving catch at deep midwicket by Bas Zuiderent as he pulled Kloppenburg.At times, though, the Dutch ground fielding was disappointing, with severalerrors allowing the Zimbabweans extra runs. But, apart from their early drop of Flower, their catching was better, as Flower found to his cost, when on 71 he sliced a ball into the gully where Esmeijer took a smart catch. Zimbabwe were now 165 for four in the 35th over.This was not necessarily a major handicap for Zimbabwe, as it brought theaggressive Andy Blignaut to the wicket. After a relatively quiet start, hebegan to unleash his full power on the hapless Dutch bowlers, pulling anddriving fiercely. His fifty came off 32 balls, but the Dutch adopted thepolicy of bowling straight to deep-set fields and cleverly had him caught on the leg side for 58. In the 45th over, Zimbabwe were 245 for five.Streak was soon hitting powerfully, but lost Ebrahim for 32, swinging acrossthe line to be bowled by de Leede. Doug Marillier (1) was trapped lbw, swinging across a straight full toss from Lefebvre, but with Tatenda Taibu as his partner Streak hammered 44 off 22 balls and took Zimbabwe past 300 before falling to a catch in the deep off the final ball of the innings.Kloppenburg and Schiferli, the Netherlands’ opening pair for this match, have not enjoyed much success with the bat during this World Cup tournament, but they came out determined to give it a go in pursuit of their unlikely target of 302.Their most productive strokes were high hits over the infield, which broughtthem several boundaries during the first few overs. Andy Flower failed to sight a low chance at slip, and the Dutch approach seemed to take Zimbabweunawares. Finally Streak broke through with a yorker to hit Schiferli’s legstump after he had scored 22 from 27 balls. The opening pair had put on 41together, the Netherlands’ best start of the tournament.This put an immediate brake on the scoring, and Kloppenburg (18), his rhythmbroken, holed out to mid-off in a half-hearted attempt to hit Douglas Hondoover the field. Hondo bowled a fine spell and the batsmen found itdifficult to get him away.Daan van Bunge joined Ben Zuiderent and both played in more orthodox fashionthan their openers, van Bunge hitting two stylish boundaries and Zuiderentlofting Brian Murphy for a huge six. But in the next over they attempted arash single and Zuiderent was run out for 15, reducing Netherlands to 80 forthree.Worse was to follow, as Netherlands’s top batsman Tim de Leede, who has had a disappointing tournament so far, missed a well-flighted full toss from Murphy that hit him on the foot and was adjudged lbw for 1. Luuk van Troost came in and immediately hit a four and a six as Netherlands made a final desperate bid to come back into the match.A bright partnership followed that had the Zimbabweans somewhat troubled, until van Troost (26) finally drove a low catch off Murphy that was well picked up by Hondo at deep mid-on. Van Bunge (37) soon followed, beaten and trapped lbw by Whittall, and Netherlands were on the ropes at 128 for six off 32 overs.With the rain keeping away and the crowd growing, Henk Mol and Lefebvre at least decided to go down fighting hard. Lefebvre scored 30 off 23 balls in a stand of 42, and Mol 22; the tail did their part and the Netherlands were able to pass 200 for the first time in the tournament. Brian Murphy, with three for 45, returned the best figures.

Gauteng became the first South African province to boast an all-African management team this week when Dr Mtutulezi Nyoka, a 41-year-old ear, nose and throat surgeon, was elected to the chairmanship. Nyoka has also accepted a nomination to stand for the presidency of the United Cricket Board at the annual meeting of the body early next month.Nyoka joins Thabo Moseki, appointed recently as the first African chief executive of a provincial, at the Wanderers and together the pair face the considerable task of restoring the country’s biggest, richest and, in recent years, most ineptly administered union to its former glory.Nyoka is hardly unaware that the performances of both himself and Moseki will be scrutinised in fine detail, not least because of the simple fact of the colour of their skins. He is not, however, daunted by the prospect."We live in South Africa," he said. "And I know that in many ways Africans are looked at very differently. But I don’t believe that this will place additional pressure on me. These are trials that I have faced in many other areas and I believe I will cope."The challenge that I face together with Mr Moseki is to try and turn Gauteng around and I look forward to this challenge."Nyoka said that he was committed to the transformation process and believes that this will be inextricably linked to the success of his task.He has said that he hopes to call on the expertise of many of those involved in the old Mean Machine days of Transvaal cricket and he has on hand, in director of cricket, Alan Kourie, a direct link to the past."We have all the resources we need here," he said. "There is no reason to fail."For Nyoka, Moseki and Kourie, though, the priority has to be to turn Gauteng around on the field. As in all sports organisations, success or failure is seen in terms of results. In the case of a province like Gauteng, with its proud, and not so distant, history, the pressure for success weighs heavily.

Canterbury bowlers Paul Wiseman and Warren Wisneski have been cleared of allegations of unacceptable behaviour in Canterbury’s win over Otago this week.Canterbury code of conduct commissioner Peter Doody heard charges the players had acted in breach of rule 2 (a) of the code on Tuesday but released an interim decision today which said the allegations against the pair had not been proven and the charges were dismissed.

The Professional Cricketers’ Association (PCA) has refused to rule out the possibility of England’s leading players joining the Indian Premier League (IPL). Only Dimitri Mascarenhas has so far signed up to the IPL, while the likes of Alastair Cook and Kevin Pietersen have poured water on suggestions that they and their team-mates could be lured to the IPL by money.Currently, the IPL clashes with England’s county season but Lalit Modi, its chairman, maintains his willingness to shift the dates of future tournaments in order to accommodate English players. The ECB chairman, Giles Clarke, strongly believes that England’s players would rather play for their country than an Indian franchise, but Sean Morris, the PCA chief executive, is aware of the need for a balance.”We will ask the players how they feel,” he said. “We need to sit them down and ask their personal views – some might have different opinions to others. But I would like to think on behalf of the players we would be able to take advantage of this concept and allow them to reap the benefits.”There may be a very strong collective view but there may also be different circumstances for each individual which would affect their decision. We have a very open dialogue with the ECB right now, we met this week and will be meeting with them again next week, so there is a strong channel of communication.”Mr Modi is saying that he’s prepared to move his tournament to accommodate English players and that is music to everyone’s ears in this country.”The issue the PCA are trying to address with the ECB is the potential restriction of employment.”Their priority is England, they’ve all said that,” Morris said. “But I just hope we can come to a point where they’re comfortable with their arrangement with the ECB as their employers and take advantage of the increase in income into the game, because you’re a long time retired.”Restricting employees anywhere will cause friction in a relationship – over a period of time that will break it down.”Meanwhile Dougie Brown, the PCA chairman, insisted that for all the players’ loyalty to England, “IPL is not something that is going to go away – it’s going to be around for 10 years” and the ECB need to act sharply.”So we have to compartmentalise it within our own calendar, create a window of opportunity, or it will be a precarious situation that the ECB will find themselves in. You might find guys coming to the end of their careers will not sign a central contract, they will go and sign with the IPL instead. Suddenly you will be losing people a couple of years earlier than you might have.”

The ICC, under fire from a number of direction for its handling of the World Cup, received a broadside from Niranjan Shah, the Indian board secretary, for becoming “more and more bureaucratic” and costing its members money by “unnecessarily employing so many people”.In an interview with the Sydney Morning Herald, Shah hinted that it was possible that Malcolm Speed, the ICC’s chief executive, might face an unprecedented no-confidence motion at the next meeting of the executive board in June.”It is something we will discuss with our board,” Shah said. “Some of it will depend on how other boards are feeling. It is fair to say that there are quite a few things to sort out at the next chief executives’ meeting.”While the relationship between the ICC and the Indian board has been frosty, the stinging attacks on the way the World Cup has been organised may well turn out to be the watershed.”We are not that satisfied,” Shah told the newspaper. “It is becoming more and more bureaucratic. My board is of the belief that cricket is a simple, enjoyable game, but that is not how it appears at present.”The ICC has so many staff members. It is unnecessarily employing so many people and that costs the other members. The ICC should move away from the bureaucracy and become more simplified. They should be concentrating more on the game.”Shah’s comments were backed by Lalit Modi, the BCCI’s vice-president, who called on Speed to be replaced by someone from Africa or Asia who “understands the problems of a majority of ICC members”.

Caribbean Memories: VVS Laxman on 1996-97
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Streaming Audio: Real :: WMAIndia’s tour of West Indies in 1996-97 was VVS Laxman’s second overseas tour, and it came at a time when he wasn’t yet an established member of the Indian side. He was a reluctant opener, struggling to come to terms with his position in the batting order, and nevertheless made two fifties in what was a difficult series for India.Laxman chats about the series with Cricinfo’s Sidharth Monga, and tells him that while it was a great learning experience, the hard part of the tour was the Test at Barbados, where India, needing 120 to win, made just 81. Laxman top-scored with 19.Listen in.Download MP3 (right click and select “save target as”)
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