3rd day
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsA 108-run partnership, made under a lot of pressure, between LanceKlusener (66) and Duncan Brown (55) saw the Dolphins pass the WesternProvince Boland total of 346 at Kingsmead in Durban. Earlier Shaun Pollockhad lost his wicket on 66 giving Paul Adams the first of his twowickets, but it was Thami Tsolekile who stole the limelight equallingthe South African first-class record as he joined a group of ten wicketkeepers to make 7 dismissals in a first-class innings.WPBOL, with a star-studded batting line-up, were soon in trouble in their second innings. Pollock took the wickets of Herschelle Gibbs (0), Graeme Smith (2) andAndrew Puttick (9) to set the Dolphins up for a thrilling finish tomorrow.Mfuneko Ngam, after his injury scare on the first day, once again could notcomplete his overs, as he struggled with his shoulder injury to take twowickets. At close WPBOL had slumped to 115 for 7, with Ashwell Prince on47, a lead of only 73 going into the last day. To add to their woes JPDuminy, breaking his finger while fielding, had already left for CapeTown, effectively leaving them at eight down, and Jacques Kallis may notdo too much bowling as he battles his way through a thigh strain.3rd day
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsIn Potchefstroom the Warriors face an uphill battle as they chase down atarget of 397 after being bowled out for 173 in their first innings.Andrew Hall and Charl Langeveldt took three wickets apiece as theWarriors struggled to come to terms with their batting. A fighting 49from Pieter Strydom, their captain, in 3-and-a-half hours was almost in vain as wicketsfell around him. Neil McKenzie (71) and Justin Ontong (57) allowed theLions the luxury of declaring at 194 leaving the home team ample time tobowl the Warriors out for a second time. At close the Warriors had puton a quick 53 for 1 in the 14 overs bowled.3rd day
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsThe batting paradise at SuperSport Park ensured that the game betweenthe Titans and Eagles was destined for a draw. There was someencouragement in the batting department with Davey Jacobs’s 149 stillbeing spoken about, while Boeta Dippenaar continued his early-season formwith a sparkling hundred. For the bowlers it was hard work, as only 17 wickets fell while 934 runs were scored in the first three days. Maybe it is time to end the preparation of bowler-friendly pitches and teach the bowlers how to bowl on flat beds. Congratulationsto the ground staff in Centurion.

Close India 278 for 2 (Dravid 28*, Tendulkar 35*)
ScorecardThe story of West Indian cricket abroad over the past seven years is one that induces you to creep under the covers and hide. On this evidence, that rope-thin run will continue a while – as long as the players combine wretched ineptitude with a seemingly lackadaisical approach more suitable for the village green than international cricket.After making some encouraging noises early on, courtesy of Mervyn Dillon and Pedro Collins, they fell away to finish the first day of the series teetering on the edge of a precipice. Virender Sehwag’s scintillating hundred and a double century opening partnership saw their worst nightmares realised and at 278 for 2, India are well and truly in the box seats. If West Indies don’t buck up and soon, the once-mighty will fall a few feet more.Take no credit away from Sehwag though. After a cautious start, he was simply magnificent. The bowlers helped by feeding him a regular diet of deliveries outside off stump, deliveries that were either cut, driven or simply bludgeoned away. Sanjay Bangar took the crease occupation credo a tad too literally at times, but his belligerent 55 was a perfect counterweight to Sehwag’s swashbuckling batting after lunch. And at times – as with a glorious straight six off Ryan Hinds – Bangar showed he could do some hitting of his own.After tea, and with his brief seemingly fulfilled, Bangar went for broke, and India lost their first wicket, with a mere 201 on the board. He flicked at one from Dillon and Ramnaresh Sarwan at square leg took a superb diving catch. It saved the blushes of Cameron Cuffy, who had moments earlier fluffed a steepler running towards mid-off – much to the chagrin of the bowler, a certain Carl Hooper.Sehwag followed suit minutes later, tickling one from Dillon down the legside for Ridley Jacobs to take an outstanding catch (213 for 2). A heaved six off Mahendra Nagamootoo had got him within touching distance of 150 but on this day, he had to settle for 147. On this performance though, there will be many such days.Fifteen years ago against West Indies, India were shot out for 75 on a relaid pitch at the Kotla in Delhi. But when Sourav Ganguly decided to bat first today, there were no such devils in the 22 yards of clay and dirt, and no Courtney Walsh or Patrick Patterson in the opposing eleven either.There was a testing spell from Dillon – notable for the probing off-stump line rather than pace – while Collins hit Sehwag flush on the helmet with a bouncer. The few runs that came in the first hour were the result of edges and deflections to third man, not any decisive strokeplay.Mid-morning though, with Cuffy and Nagamootoo on, Sehwag – tired of the waiting game – flicked an invisible switch that unleashed a barrage of strokes. Cuffy was first to bear the brunt – driven twice backward of point before a gorgeous cover-drive brought the crowd to its feet. Nagamootoo was treated even more disdainfully. A misdirected flipper was helped on to the fine leg fence, in an over that also featured an uppish cover-drive and a flashing square cut.Hooper got himself on and was promptly driven through the covers and with lunch nigh, he tossed the ball back to Collins. Cue a drive down to third man and an exquisite cover-drive that brought up Sehwag’s fifty, and lunch. What followed after that was unpalatable for West Indies players and supporters alike.Fuelled by a power bar or its Indian equivalent, he came out blasting and it was all West Indies could do to take cover. He raced to his hundred from 138 balls, with 19 fours and a six, as runs cascaded in the first hour after lunch. It was imperious stuff, against pace and spin alike. Dillon and Cuffy found the flashing blade bisecting the field whenever they erred a fraction in line or length. Hooper was driven nonchalantly through the covers for two fours, before Nagamootoo saw one disappear high over cover. He did offer one chance, but Dillon could only look away disgusted after Collins left a ferocious slash slip through his hands at deep third man.Nagamootoo’s cup of woe was filled when umpire Asoka de Silva turned down a vociferous appeal for caught behind against Bangar. Just to rub it in, Sehwag then thrashed him through the off side for four. He got to his hundred with a powerful swipe to the midwicket fence off Wavell Hinds and then appeared to lose some momentum as the heat and humidity reached an almost intolerable peak. After half an hour of stodge and slumber though, Ryan Hinds and his part-time left-arm spin were taken to. By the time West Indies trooped in for tea, analgesics may have been laid out next to the cups and saucers.Sehwag’s departure merely paved the way for Mumbai’s favourite son, and Sachin Tendulkar showed enough signs in the evening light to suggest that he intends to be around for the long haul. A splendid cover-drive off Nagamootoo got him going and a flick and a square drive (which got him to 1000 runs for the calendar year) off Cuffy brought with them gestures of obeisance from the stands. A fierce cut off Sarwan late in the day flashed perilously close by slip, but it was one of those days for the visitors. Rahul Dravid was as calm, unflustered and classy as ever – playing two rollicking cut shots – and the portents for the morrow are very dark indeed, if you’re an Indian of the occidental persuasion.Teams
India 1 Sanjay Bangar, 2 Virender Sehwag, 3 Rahul Dravid, 4 Sachin Tendulkar, 5 Sourav Ganguly (capt), 6 VVS Laxman, 7 Parthiv Patel (wk), 8 Anil Kumble, 9 Harbhajan Singh, 10 Zaheer Khan, 11 Javagal Srinath.West Indies 1 Wavell Hinds, 2 Chris Gayle, 3 Ramnaresh Sarwan, 4 Carl Hooper (capt), 5 Shivnarine Chanderpaul, 6 Ryan Hinds, 7 Ridley Jacobs (wk), 8 Mahendra Nagamootoo, 9 Mervyn Dillon, 10 Pedro Collins, 11 Cameron Cuffy.

Ricky Ponting has avoided the need for surgery on his broken left thumb, and is hopeful of returning to action with Australia’s Test team as soon as possible.Ponting, who was due to lead Australia in their pursuit of a first series victory in India for 35 years, has already been ruled out of the first Test in Bangalore. He suffered the injury while dropping a slip catch during Australia’s Champions Trophy defeat against England at Edgbaston on Tuesday.He is unable to pick up a bat for two weeks, so there is still no guarantee that he will be match-fit in time for the second Test at Chennai, but the avoidance of an operation has boost his prospects. He was examined in Sydney on Saturday by a specialist, Dr Ian Hargreaves, who diagnosed a fracture to the distal phalanx of the left thumb.”After discussion with Ricky, we have decided he should rest for the next few days,” said Dr Trefor James, Cricket Australia’s medical advisor. “We will organise a re-examination for later next week to check his progress and better assess when he might be able to grip a bat and field.”Fortunately, the specialist has advised that the bones are sitting well and surgery will not be necessary, but it is difficult at this stage to assess how long will be needed before he can resume playing. While it is difficult to assess, it is highly unlikely he will be ready to play by the time of the first Test, which is due to start at Bangalore on October 6.”Ponting admitted he was “shattered” to have suffered the setback ahead of such a critical series for Australia. They have not won in India since Bill Lawry’s 3-1 victory in 1969-70, and on the last tour in 2000-01, they lost a thrilling series 2-1, in spite of leading after a handsome victory in the first Test at Mumbai.”We’ve been looking forward to the Indian tour for a long time, and for me personally, being captain of the side, I was pretty keen to get there and play well,” said Ponting. “Knowing what the build-up will be like in India, it’ll be huge over there … everything was pointing to the direction of it being a huge series. It’s just a real big blow for me and a big blow for the team. It’s going to be a frustrating couple of weeks.”

The Western Australia Cricket Association has announced a 29-man squad for the forthcoming season, with Justin Langer – when not on national duty – continuing to lead the side. Of the players chosen, six are on Cricket Australia contracts, 18 have full contracts with the state side, and five are rookies.Two rookies under the spotlight will be Sam Howman, a right-arm medium-pace bowler from Subiaco-Floreat, and Liam Davis, an aggressive opening batsman from Scarborough.Wayne Clark will continue as coach, having previously coached the team to two Sheffield Shield titles. New arrivals include Sean Irvine, the former Zimbabwe international, and Steve Magoffin from Queensland. Jo Angel and Paul Wilson, two stalwarts of the domestic scene over the past decade, have retired.Cricket Australia Contracted Players for 2004-05 Justin Langer (capt), Michael Hussey, Brad Hogg, Adam Gilchrist, Damien Martyn and Brad Williams.Senior Contracted Players for 2004-05 Ryan Campbell, Beau Casson, Michael Clark, Ben Edmondson, Sean Ervine, Murray Goodwin, Kade Harvey, Sam Howman, Steve Magoffin, Shaun Marsh, Scott Meuleman, Marcus North, Chris Rogers, Luke Ronchi, Craig Simmons, Adam Voges, Darren Wates and Peter Worthington.Rookie Contracted Players for 2004-05 Justin Coetzee, Liam Davis, Aaron Heal, Steven Jacques and Andrew James.

Shane Warne became the first bowler to take 600 Test wickets when he had Marcus Trescothick caught behind on the first day of the third Test at Old Trafford. He reached the landmark in his 126th Test when, in his fifth over, Trescothick attempted a sweep and was caught behind off the back of the bat by Adam Gilchrist.Warne made his Test debut against India at Sydney in 1991-92, but he made his name at Old Trafford 12 years ago when, with his first ball in Test cricket against England, he bowled Mike Gatting with a viciously turning legbreak that pitched outside the batsman’s pads and clipped the top of off-stump.In the second Test at Edgbaston Warne, who returned figures of 10 for 162, became the first bowler to take 100 Test wickets in a single foreign country. Before this match, Warne had taken 16 wickets in the first two Tests of the series at an average of 15.31 with a best of 6 for 46 in the second innings at Edgbaston.The table below shows the major staging posts on the road to the world record.

The ECB has said that it will continue to monitor the security situation in Pakistan after two bomb blasts in Lahore last week killed six people.Although an inspection by security advisors in July cleared Pakistan as a venue for England’s tour next month, David Morgan, the ECB’s chairman, admitted that the board would again have to look closely at arrangements in the light of the latest incidents.”The safety and security of the players and staff is of paramount importance,” Morgan said “I don’t know much about these bombings yet, but we will keep an eye on events. We were satisfied with the inspection, but until I know more about this situation it is difficult to comment further.”The Australian A side were in Lahore at the time of the attacks, and although they were not affected, their one-day match against Pakistan A was moved to the more secure Gaddafi Stadium.

Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were out

A magnificent innings from Michael Hussey, a top-notch allround display from Shane Watson and a searing first spell from Brett Lee were the main talking points as Australia pulverized an abysmal World XI side to clinch the Super Series by an emphatic 3-0 margin. Rated underdogs heading into the series, Australia underlined just why they’re on another planet as a one-day side, skittling out the World XI for just 137 to complete a 156-run rout.Lee did the early damage to finish with stunning figures of 4 for 30, and there were four scalps as well for Watson, whose dismissal of Andrew Flintoff and spectacular run-out of Virender Sehwag stymied any faint hopes the World XI had of overhauling a daunting total. Watson had played his part with the bat too, smashing a splendid run-a-ball 66 as he and Hussey added 145, including 95 from the final 10 overs.That partnership turned a game which appeared to be in the balance when Muttiah Muralitharan and Daniel Vettori picked up three wickets for five runs in just 19 balls. With Ricky Ponting, Andrew Symonds and Damien Martyn back in the warren in quick succession, a collapse was on the cards, but Hussey and Watson, first with cleverly placed singles and twos and then with mighty hits to the fence, thwarted the World’s finest with such composure and aplomb that recent predictions of a winter of Australian discontent seemed like the ravings of madmen.Having runs to play with, Lee’s early incisions made the top order resemble a hapless pub side. He was on a hat-trick and the World XI tottering at 27 for 4 when Flintoff walked out, right wrist taped after being struck by a fierce Ponting drive that forced him off the park when bowling. He and Sehwag added 60 in just 7.1 overs, reminding the Sunday crowd of the talent in the ranks. Unfortunately for those craving a genuine contest, Watson sneaked one through Flintoff’s defence to leave the World side at 87 for 5, and well on the slippery slope to defeat.Their pursuit of 294 had started disastrously, with Chris Gayle helping on a 145.8 kmph special from Lee, and when the in-form Kumar Sangakkara impetuously skied a pull off McGrath, the portents were ominous. Jacques Kallis and Brian Lara had failed to ignite in the opening two matches, and any thoughts of stroke-filled explosions were ruthlessly quelled in a Lee burst that left World XI supporters stunned.With the innings in disarray, Sehwag – who had been put down by Michael Clarke at point off McGrath when he had made just two – decided to back his instincts, clattering McGrath over the off-side cordon for two fours before skimming one over cover for six. Flintoff joined in the fun with two meaty swipes off Nathan Bracken, who went for 29 in two utterly radar-less overs, as the best of the rest gave a fleeting glimpse of what they were capable of.After Ponting won his third straight toss, Adam Gilchrist had set the tone with another thrilling cameo. Makhaya Ntini had raised visions of an improved performance by snaffling Clarke early, but with Shaun Pollock struggling with no-balls and looking increasingly pedestrian, there was no halting the Australian momentum. Gilchrist and Ponting worked the ball around, and when Ntini dropped one in far too short, Gilchrist smacked it nonchalantly over midwicket for six.The game sparked to life in Ntini’s next over as Ponting – who had flicked one over midwicket and cut another past point for fours – was caught palpably plumb in front. Aleem Dar refused to refer to the third umpire, and appeared to indicate that the ball would have passed over the stumps, giving Ponting – then on 19 – the slice of luck he needed to plunder more boundaries. With Martyn swinging his bat with the cavalier air of a man giving an exhibition, Ponting focussed his attention on Australia’s Ashes tormentor, Flintoff. Each time Flintoff dropped short, the savage pull came into play, and when he erred on the side of fullness, the flick through or over midwicket exacted a heavy toll.To exacerbate the World XI’s woes, Flintoff was then forced off for treatment on his wrist, and having seen the back of what one fan called Pommie Granite, Ponting then lofted one back over Kallis’s head to raise his 50. A century appeared to be his for the taking until Murali chipped in with a bit of magic.Hussey and Watson, however, had no intention of surrendering the initiative, plundering the bowling as it grew increasingly ragged once Murali and Vettori had finished their 20 overs for combined figures of 3 for 72. Fielders were too often caught on their haunches, catches went down or were taken off no-balls, and Pollock, Ntini and Gayle got a real pasting at the death. There was even time for Hussey to thump the steel ceiling with a steepling hit off Ntini, surely the emblematic moment of a day when awesome Australia truly raised the roof.

AustraliaMichael Clarke lbw Ntini 3 (15 for 1)
Adam Gilchrist c and b Pollock 32 (58 for 2)
Ricky Ponting c Lara b Muralitharan 68 (143 for 3)
Andrew Symonds c Sangakkara b Muralitharan 1 (146 for 4)
Damien Martyn lbw Vettori 33 (148 for 5)
World XIChris Gayle b Lee 0 (0 for 1)
Kumar Sangakkara c Martyn b McGrath 13 (20 for 2)
Jacques Kallis c Hussey b Lee 2 (27 for 3)
Brian Lara c Gilchrist b Lee 0 (27 for 4)
Andrew Flintoff b Watson 21 (87 for 5)
Virender Sehwag run out (Watson) 37 (99 for 6)
Rahul Dravid c Martyn b Lee 16 (119 for 7)
Daniel Vettori c Clarke b Watson 0 (120 for 8)
Shaun Pollock c White b Watson 8 (137 for 9)
Shahid Afridi c McGrath b Watson 16 (137 all out)

The dust on this summer’s Ashes series has finally settled, and after a 62-day break England’s focus switches towards Pakistan and Multan. And ours, too, as we prepare ourselves for a shockingly-early 4am start. To help us through the early mornings, it’s time for another caption competition.The captain is injured, Marcus Trescothick is seeking advice from his wife and, below, Matthew Hoggard has already received his first massage of the tour. But what, we ask you, was he or the bystanders thinking?Submit your answers by logging in (and registering, if you haven’t already done so) below – and we’ll publish the best, and worst, once the dust settles (literally) on the Multan Test. The best three will each win a copy of David Frith’s book, .

Michael Hussey will have to think twice about taking sharp singles in the near future, with dark plans afoot in his team to bring his phenomenal one-day average down. His unbeaten 88 during Saturday’s match against New Zealand lifted his mark from 129 to 151, a world record for any player in his first 15 one-day innings.The next best is England’s Kevin Pietersen, who reached 87.33 after 15 innings, which came up in his 24th match. In 21 games and 15 innings Hussey has scored 604 runs and been dismissed only four times. “A few of the boys are talking about running him out, actually,” Ricky Ponting joked after his side’s two-wicket loss at Christchurch.The highest batting average for any player to have played 30 games or more is 53.58, which is held by Michael Bevan. “I’m copping a bit of stick about it from the boys,” Hussey said. “But I can assure you I’m doing everything I can at the end to try and get out, but at the moment it seems to be going my way.”It’s amazing really, I can’t really understand it. But I guess batting where I do [No. 7] there are going to be opportunities to get the big not out at the end of the innings.”Rather than batting cautiously to build up his average, Hussey has racked up the runs in rapid style with his 88 against New Zealand coming off 56 balls. He has now returned to Australia for the first Test against South Africa starting on Friday. And his average from six Test match innings? It is 120.33.

In sickness and in health Barring an infusion of Kryptonite, Rahul Dravid is unlikely to lead India tomorrow. The gastroenteritis attack that led to his hospitalisation has left him very weak, and India are unlikely to gamble – even if it’s their most reliable batsman – with the series still at stake. At the press conference after nets, Greg Chappell gave every indication that Gautam Gambhir would keep his place in the XI, and he will most likely be reunited with Virender Sehwag at the top of the order. Mohammad Kaif, who had quite a bit of batting time this morning, should ease into the holding role that Dravid has taken upon himself with such aplomb for so long.For Sri Lanka, Marvan Atapattu is on the mend after a bout of flu, but neither Chaminda Vaas nor Dilhara Fernando have shaken off the fever that saw them miss nets this morning. Lasith Malinga and Farveez Maharoof are the pace bowling back-up, and Upul Tharanga is expected to come in for Avishka Gunawardene, who has done nothing so far to suggest that he belongs at this level.Heat and dust The dry heat certainly won’t help players trying to shake off the after-effects of a viral infection, though the batsmen among them will be cheered by the brown, grassless pitch. The curator had some grass rolled in to bind the surface, and there should be decent bounce, but it appeared a surface that was full of runs – not too dissimilar from the one where India and Pakistan rattled up well over 600 runs in an ODI last April. Chappell expected it to aid the slow bowlers as the match wore on, lending credence to the theory that the result will once again hinge on how effective Muttiah Muralitharan and Anil Kumble can be.Mr Commitment On the eve of Kumble’s 100th Test, Chappell reckoned that he was as great a competitor as his old wrecking ball, Dennis Keith Lillee. And like Lillee, who never stopped haring in during each of his 70 Tests, Kumble carries on with the kind of enthusiasm and commitment that would shame someone a decade younger. He loped in to bowl his legspinners and googlies, batted with concentration, and also appeared to discuss with Chappell how he might make use of the extra bounce to snare the batsmen on the cut. Only those that evolve and improve stay ahead, and Kumble is now in a league of his own in India’s spin pantheon.What crisis? If you’re prone to believing the hysteria merchants masquerading as TV reporters and journalists, you might have imagined that the India team was full of insecure, embattled individuals, each wondering who would be next in line for the chop. The bonhomie on view at nets and fielding practice laid bare those canards and lies for what they are – misinformed, malicious rumour-mongering. Sehwag and Harbhajan Singh – supposed targets on “Chappell’s hit-list” – discussed tactics and shared a laugh or two with the coach, Sachin Tendulkar let out a primal scream after foxing Mahendra Singh Dhoni with a wrong `un, and VVS Laxman was all smiles after diving full length to his left to take a low catch.And regardless of whether he plays or not, Wasim Jaffer slotted in seamlessly, doing arm-strengthening exercises with Greg King before Chappell talked to him about the mental preparation and focus needed. Unlike parliament, which apparently has no issues of import to debate, there was not a protest placard in sight.TeamsIndia (likely): Gautam Gambhir, Virender Sehwag (capt), VVS Laxman, Sachin Tendulkar, Yuvraj Singh, Mohammad Kaif, Mahendra Singh Dhoni (wk), Irfan Pathan, Ajit Agarkar, Anil Kumble, Harbhajan Singh.Sri Lanka (likely): Marvan Atapattu (capt), Upul Tharanga, Kumar Sangakkara (wk), Mahela Jayawardene, Thilan Samaraweera, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Jehan Mubarak, Chaminda Vaas, Malinga Bandara, Muttiah Muralitharan, Dilhara Fernando.