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Fine innings from Umar Abrahams (91) and Riaan Jeggels led Eastern Province to declare at 336 for 6 on the second day of their match against Boland. In reply, Boland lost Warren Hayward for nought and stumbled to 10 for 3 when Dawid Malan was trapped lbw by Lonwabo Tsotsobe. They hold a slender lead of 51 with six wickets remaining going into day three.Gauteng ended day two on top against North West after bowling out their opponents for 252. Johnson Mafa took 4 for 56 but only Thando Bula (68) reached fifty for North West. Gauteng raced to 184 without loss in reply, and lead by 129 runs; William Motaung (77*) and Jean Symes (93*) crashed 22 boundaries in their positive response.

Younis Khan and Yousuf Youhana: not as extravagently talented, but steelier than their forebears© Getty Images

Perhaps because we’re not used to seeing it, we don’toften acknowledge it anymore. Pakistani teams, especiallyduring the 1990s, were many things; freakishly butfitfully brilliant, electric now, flat then. The linebetween success and failure was often thin enough tobe impoverished, delicately balanced on feats ofstupendous individual skill; a spell from Wasim here,one from Waqar there, a virtuoso from Saeed Anwar’swrists or an Inzamam special. Performances wereethereal and success came from an explosion of anindividual or two, while failure from an implosion ofthe collective. If a win often resulted in a streak ofthem, so too did a loss. Not often was there anythingtangible – solidity or resilience – in between.The loss of the two Ws and Saeed has been muchmourned in Pakistan – it still is. But since the WorldCup, and especially over the last year, a squad ofplayers has emerged within Pakistan with a spinesteely enough to cope with positions and situations ofdespair, often made worse through makeshift resources.Mohali last week was an exceptional and spectacularaddition to a growing body of evidence. The wins inLahore against the Indians, after the Multan massacre,and at Karachi against Sri Lanka after SanathJayasuriya had mauled them at Faisalabad wereadmirable demonstrations. Even within the 3-0whitewash in Australia, there were glimpses afterPerth that this Pakistan is not as ready to roll overas previous sides.Tellingly, they have found this spirit collectivelyand through a variety of sources, players such as AsimKamal, the leader Inzamam, Danish Kaneria, YounisKhan, Yousuf Youhana and recently Kamran Akmal andAbdul Razzaq. Calcutta, over two days, has highlightedthis trait most emphatically. They were written offafter the first two sessions had yielded 225 runs andtwo wickets; a big total on the cards, Harbhajan Singhin tow and a heavy defeat to follow. But the responsewas communal, conceived by Shahid Afridi’s dismissalof Tendulkar, continued by Abdul Razzaq’s two wicketsin two balls and concluded yesterday by DanishKaneria’s extraction of Rahul Dravid. Not a starryindividual performance in sight, it was fitting thateach of the three picked up a wicket today to end theIndian innings.Maybe because they are not as extravagantly gifted astheir predecessors, they succeed occasionally byconcentrating on the basics. They chased leather muchof yesterday but they did it with commitment,discipline and passion. Afridi’s bullish presence atthe faltering top of the order today was crucial, butmore so was the recognition by Younis Khan and YousufYouhana of the most underappreciated of cricketingbasics; the art of running as a weapon.Zaheer Abbas, in a recent interview with WAC, recalledhow Asif Iqbal and Javed Miandad had run the Indiansragged when chasing 164 during the memorable chasein Karachi in 1978-79. They had, he said, run singlesthat should never have been run, they converted twosinto threes. It was, reckons Abbas, the invention ofmodern day one-day running as we know it. The Australians,of course, have reclaimed the aggressive, cheeky runof an ODI and refashioned it for the Test game.Today, Youhana and Younis stole, created, nurdled,Deflected and angled runs, cheeky in nature but decisivein spirit. With three in the covers, a slip and shortleg, they relentlessly pursued an internationalversion of tip and run, interspersed freely withboundaries. Each run chipped away at a sizeable totaland at India’s patience. In an innings of 66 overs,there were seven maidens. Not since Miandad himself,and usually against India, had there been such anexhibition.There is, of course, a proviso – there still is withPakistan – and the threat of disintegration alwaysloiters. It has happened also in the last year and theprospect of chasing runs on this pitch remains anuneasy one, but what you cannot do is write them offeven after that. They might go down here, but theywill not, you suspect, be out. What must now beacknowledged, after Mohali, after Calcutta, afterKarachi and Lahore, is that this vintage ofPakistanis, while not possessing the sparkle ofbefore, is made of sterner stuff.

England have delayed naming their squad for the fifth and final npower Test against South Africa at The Oval, after their preparations were hampered by a number of fitness concerns. James Kirtley has been ruled out of the squad after medical scans revealed that he is suffering from shin-splints, while Martin Bicknell is also doubtful with a hamstring injury.”We need more time to re-assess our options in light of the injuries to Kirtley and Bicknell," said David Graveney, England’s chairman of selectors. "Delaying the announcement will enable us to make further checks on the form and fitness of possible replacements.”England are already due to be without Nasser Hussain through injury. He will miss next week’s match at The Oval with a broken toe sustained during the fourth Test at Headingley. Graham Thorpe is on standby for a recall.The squad is now due to be announced at 9.05am on Sunday morning.

Growth in cricket in the primary/intermediate school area is reflected in participation numbers in the annual MILO Cup and Shield which reach their finals this week.The MILO Cup for boys will be played between Havelock North Intermediate, from Havelock North, in the Hawke’s Bay and Rosedale Intermediate from Invercargill.The MILO Shield for girls will be played between Viscount Navigator School in Auckland and the Woodend Primary School in North Canterbury.This year 165 schools played off in the Cup section while 84 schools played in the Shield section.Thursday’s finals at Fitzherbert Park in Palmerston North will cap this year’s event.The boys will play a 35-over game and the girls a 25-over game.New Zealand Cricket’s national development manager Alec Astle said entries for next year in the competition suggested that already, the numbers taking part will be greater than this year.Getting through to the finals is worthwhile. Teams have all their travel and accommodation paid while the winners receive $600 of cricket equipment and the losers $300 of cricket equipment.Astle said that this summer over 90 MILO summer squad cricket development officers were operating throughout New Zealand and visiting primary schools and recruiting children into the MILO programmes.There are 128 MILO Have-A-Go Cricket Centres catering for 4209 children and 32 MILO Kiwi Cricket Centres involving another 817 children.These centres are organised and run by more than 1000 parents and teaches who have all trained as coaches under the scheme.”It is New Zealand Cricket’s aim to have every child in the country able to try cricket, and to have the game played in every schoolground and backyard,” Astle said.

Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsFile photo: Assad Vala top-scored with 87 and took three wickets•Peter Della Penna

Papua New Guinea registered a slender two-wicket win against Nepal in Abu Dhabi, by chasing down 233 with only three balls to spare. PNG’s innings was led by Assad Vala’s 87 until the 49th over after they were struggling on 138 for 6.PNG were off to a brisk start, the opening stand putting up 35 in seven overs. However, two wickets each from Paras Khadka and Mahaboob Alam reduced them to 97 for 4 and they were soon six down in the 30th over. That brought together Vala and Charles Amini, who to put on a crucial stand of 65 runs to take them past 200. Once Amini fell for a 42-ball 35, PNG needed another 30 from 39 balls and Vala’s presence till the penultimate over avoided further stutters, to take two points.Opting to bat, Nepal lost Anil Mandal on the first ball of the match, trapped lbw by Norman Vanua. Subash Khakurel, the other opener, steered the innings until the 35th over with a patient 63 from 104 balls, as three more wickets fell around him. He shared a reviving stand of 56 runs for the fifth wicket with Sharad Vesawkar after they were 86 for 4 in the 23rd over. Once Khakurel was dismissed, Vesawkar led them past 200 with a brisk knock of 78 from 82 balls before falling in the last over, as Nepal reached 232 for 8 but it wasn’t enough. Vala finished with 3 for 32.

Newcastle United have reportedly now made a new offer to try and sign Sven Botman this summer.

The Lowdown: Failed January move

The St. James’ Park faithful were linked with a move for Botman all throughout the January transfer window, and it was even reported that they put in a bid for him shortly before they signed Dan Burn from Brighton and Hove Albion instead.

Now, it looks that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) consortium want to explore a potential deal in the summer, but it may be down to the player if he wants to swap Lille for the North East.

The Latest: New offer

Writing in his latest piece for Calciomercato, ‘transfer expert’ Daniele Longo has revealed that a new offer has now been made by the Tyneside outfit ‘in recent days’, but Botman has said ‘no’ to them.

He wants to move to AC Milan instead, and a deal would cost the Serie A giants in the region of €30m (£24.8m) plus bonuses.

The Verdict: Shame

It would be a real shame if the Magpies were to miss out on signing Botman once more.

Described as a ‘machine’ who ‘doesn’t make mistakes’ by Lille teammate and fellow centre-back Jose Fonte, the Netherlands international would be a force for any team in the Premier League, helped by his beastly six-foot-five stature.

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Nonetheless, at just 22 years of age, he has so much potential, but the Toon may now have to wait until he is in his prime, and thus much more expensive, before they can finally reach an agreement.

In other news, find out what ‘fantastic’ NUFC update has now emerged here!

	Steve Waugh on Sourav Ganguly: “It’s tremendous the way he’s come back. He’s playing better than I’ve ever seen him play” © Getty Images

Steve Waugh, the former Australian captain, feels Greg Chappell couldn’t succeed as India’s coach because of the selectors’ lack of patience. Waugh feels India need to focus on the future, concentrating on building a team like Australia did in the mid 1980s.”The toughest job for an India coach is to deal with what the selectors in the country want,” said Waugh on the morning of the third day’s play at the SCG. “If you’re trying to build something for the future you don’t have time to put things in place. I think in some ways the problem in India is patience, or the lack of patience.”[It was the same] with Australia in the 1980s, when they lost four or five players. They picked a core group of people, believed in them and sorted out the tough times. I think the Indian selectors will understand that it’s time to think of the future.”Waugh was referring to the bunch of senior Indian players whose age has been a talking point for a few months now. “We’ve learnt a lot from the Australian players,” he said about older players making way. “I think fitness is the issue. If you’re strong and fit, age really is irrelevant. These days players are much better looked after, there’s good maintenance, and good fitness programmes. Thirty five today is like 30 fifteen years ago. I can’t see why players can’t play till they’re 40. The issue will be if they can stay away from their families.”Waugh shared a particularly spicy relationship with one of those senior players, Sourav Ganguly, but he spoke highly of Ganguly’s comeback. “We’ve met a few times after he retired. I respect him as a player. We had some issues on the field but that’s all part of the game. But it’s tremendous the way he’s come back. He’s playing better than I’ve ever seen him play.”Waugh’s name was doing the rounds when India was looking for Chappell’s successor but he wasn’t keen on a coaching role just yet. “I really enjoy the role of mentoring, if it’s a possibility. But [job of a] coach, selector etc, I don’t get time for. I wasn’t asked by the BCCI for coaching. I consider offers but as of now coaching is not on my radar.”

There’s a new twist to the saga of the Pakistan team’s missing equipment, with South African website News24.com quoting an official of the Airports Company of South Africa (ACSA) as saying that it had not been checked-in but left behind in the team hotel.The luggage was reported missing on the team’s arrival in Johannesburg, where the Pakistan team was playing the fifth and final match of the one-day series. Bob Woolmer, the Pakistan coach, had told Cricinfo that he’d seen the equipment – worth between US$15,000 and 20,000 – being checked in during the team’s departure from Cape Town and that the team had the relevant baggage tags.However, Solomon Makgale, the ACSA spokesperson, said that a thorough investigation on Wednesday morning by the airport authorities revealed that the players and support staff had not checked in their baggage but had left it behind in their Cape Town hotel.

Sean Williams chats to the media © ICC

Sean Williams, Zimbabwe’s captain at the Under-19 World Cup, has admitted that virtually none of his players are ready to step up to the next level when Zimbabwe play Kenya in the upcoming one-day series later this month.Williams and Graeme Cremer have already played international cricket as Zimbabwe’s resources have been stretched to breaking point with the exodus of players from the game. Williams said that some of the players have been thinking about the ODIs but would struggle: “It’s a difficult question if any of them could handle the next level. It’s too early for most.”But Zimbabwe have few other options and Williams’ advice is for them to go out and try to enjoy it. “You have to make the most of it. When I made my debut I was really nervous. But basically you are so wrapped up in the game you end up focusing more on what you have to do than at this [Under-19] level.”He is also in favour of Zimbabwe playing more games against lower-ranked sides, like Kenya and Bangladesh, rather than one-sided series against the leading countries. “It is very important because of the confidence. If we play really good teams and get thrashed then the confidence won’t be anywhere.”

Ian Bell: time for an opportunity up the order?© Getty Images

After the Durban drizzle decided the series – it’s still 3-1 to South Africa with just one to play – the final match at Centurion won’t quite be the nailbiting occasion the marketing men would have hoped for. Instead, assuming the fickle weather holds off, it will be an entertaining end to a compressed carnival of cricket.No tour has ever had an itinerary quite like it: since the five-Test series started the only non-international game was a one-day warm-up for the seven-match ODI series. Marcus Trescothick has played in every match of te tour, and although he probably wants to hang on to that record he has looked increasingly tired in the last couple of matches, and may be given an overdue break.England have persisted with Geraint Jones as a pinch-hitting opener, and although the experiment hasn’t been an abject failure the feeling remains that he is a better bet as a perky presence down the order. He also disrupts a top order packed with people used to opening – Vikram Solanki and Andrew Strauss, as well as Michael Vaughan – and also pushes Ian Bell down (when he plays) to No. 7, behind the find of the series, Kevin Pietersen. It’s time for Bell to be given a chance to show what he can do.And, with the series decided, there might be an outing for that loyal drinks-waiter Gareth Batty, and a recall for the former golden boy James Anderson.Similar thoughts will be going through the minds of the South African selectors. Will Adam Bacher be given another – and surely last – chance? Or does the precocious AB de Villiers come back in on his home ground, where he collected 92 and 109 in a final Test that seems an awfully long time ago now.South Africa’s bowlers have done a sterling job, but Nicky Boje is likely to return at Centurion, to give the spin option that Graeme Smith might well have missed if the rains had held off at Durban.There’s not much previous history to go on. England and South Africa have only played one previous ODI at SuperSport Park, back in 1995-96. South Africa won that one, overhauling a decent England total of 272 with two overs to spare, mainly thanks to an opening stand of 156 between Gary Kirsten (116) and Andrew Hudson (72). Three of the survivors of that match are likely to play again here: Shaun Pollock and Jacques Kallis (who was in at the end of that first game nine years ago) for South Africa, and the seemingly ageless Darren Gough, who has been easily the most impressive of England’s faster bowlers in this series. Gough, however, is in some doubt after reporting slight breathing difficulties when he woke up on Saturday.South Africa (from) Graeme Smith (capt), Adam Bacher, AB de Villiers, Jacques Kallis, Herschelle Gibbs, Ashwell Prince, Justin Kemp, Jacques Rudolph, Nicky Boje, Mark Boucher (wk), Andrew Hall, Shaun Pollock,Makhaya Ntini, Andre Nel.England (from) Marcus Trescothick, Geraint Jones (wk), Vikram Solanki, Andrew Strauss, Michael Vaughan (capt), Kevin Pietersen, Ian Bell, Paul Collingwood, Ashley Giles, Kabir Ali, Gareth Batty, Alex Wharf, Darren Gough, Steve Harmison, Matthew Hoggard, James Anderson.