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Still influenced more by allround potential than actual performance, the West Indies selectors yesterday included Marlon Samuels and Dwayne Smith in their 15 for the three Tests tour of Australia October 27 to November 29. The squad was revealed on several radio stations on internet sites while the media awaited the official announcement from the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB).Samuels, 24, and Smith, 22, both had exciting debuts when first brought into the Test team but their careers have since had as many stops and starts as a maxi-taxi at rush-hour. Their selections are likely to have been advanced most strongly by head coach Bennett King. It is a clear challenge for him and his staff to mould their precocious talent into the finished product, just as Duncan Fletcher and his men have done with Andrew Flintoff, a kindred spirit on the England team. Their native Australia is an ideal starting point. Eight of those who withdrew from the team to Sri Lanka in July and August because of the long-running dispute over tour contracts have predictably returned following the compromise agreement between the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) and the West Indies Players Association (WIPA).Brian Lara, Chris Gayle, Devon Smith, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Wavell Hinds, Dwayne Bravo, Fidel Edwards and Corey Collymore bring experience and, in Lara’s case, extraordinary class to a team left emaciated by their controversial absence in Sri Lanka. Lara, at 36 still at the height of his powers, is on his fourth tour of Australia, Shivnarine Chanderpaul on his third. Both as batsmen with outstanding records and as leaders, they carry heavy responsibility in a series against opponents keen to reassert their dominance after their loss of the Ashes in England in the summer. The two have been on opposite sides of the fence in the contracts dispute, Chanderpaul assuming the captaincy when Lara opted out of the first Test against South Africa last April and standing against the WIPA position to lead the team of reserves to Sri Lanka. How they relate to each other and the guidance each gives to the younger members will be a critical factor in determining how the team performs on the field. Runs from both and more consistency from Sarwan, the lone right-hander in the top six, Gayle, Wavell Hinds and Devon Smith is another key factor to being competitive. Constrained by the absence of reputable spinners, the selectors have stuck to the established policy of an attack of five fast bowlers supplemented by the bustling medium-pace of the two Dwaynes, Bravo and Smith, and the stop-gap off-spin of Samuels and Gayle.Jermaine Lawson, his questionable action now cleared by the ICC, is the tallest and fastest of the speed men. Providing he overcomes a recent minor heel operation, as he is expected to, he should be a handful for Australian batsmen, as he was the last time they met (7-78 in Antigua in 2003) and as he was against the Sri Lankans in July (11 wickets in two Tests). Tino Best and Daren Powell gave him telling support in Sri Lanka and the pacy Edwards (6-38 against Pakistan in his last Test) and the wily Collymore (11-134 in his last) are back to challenge for Test places. All are right-handers. The injury that has eliminated Pedro Collins’ left-arm swing is a setback and would have brought two other left-handers, Ian Bradshaw and Deighton Butler, into consideration.The most interesting choices are Samuels and Smith. Samuels, the elegant right-hander, headed the batting averages in Tests when despatched as replacement for the injured Chanderpaul in the 2000-01 series in Australia. He was aged 19 with one first-class match to his name. A knee injury and inconsistency have combined to limit him to 19 Tests in the interim, the last two years ago against Sri Lanka. He averages 29.13 with a solitary hundred, a classical 104 against India at Kolkata in 2002 that highlighted his obvious natural talent. Smith’s entrance was even more spectacular – 100 off 93 balls against South Africa at Cape Town on debut. Such devastation has been beyond him in his six subsequent Tests in which he has failed to pass 50 as opponents exploited a slack defence Ryan Hinds, the left-handed batsman and spinner, is another player who has not delivered on his early promise. He has had only nine Tests since his first appearance in 2002 and has drifted further out of consideration. Given the role Ashley Giles’ left-arm spin played in England’s Ashes triumph over Australia in the summer, delivered from over the wicket and aimed outside the right-hander’s leg-stump, Hinds could have been a key all-rounder at No.6 had the selectors been able to rely on his fitness.

Brian Lara’s West Indian team has pledged financial support to the islands ravaged by Hurricane Ivan. Speaking at a press conference ahead of his team’s match against Bangladesh at the Rose Bowl tomorrow, Lara announced that the team hoped they could lift the spirits of people in Grenada, Jamaica and the Cayman Islands, through their performances.”It’s a really distressing time in the West Indies. People in Grenada and Jamaica are struggling with the hurricane,” said Lara. “Many of the guys have family from there, and all of us have friends in those parts. Most importantly West Indies cricket has got 100% support from these islands, and I think it would be great if our guys could go out there and perform and lift a bit of the burden.”Lara explained that some funds had been collected from the team members, but declined to say how much. He added that the funds would be channelled via the West Indies’ players’ association to the areas that needed them. “The team has pledged some funds through the players’ association,” said Lara. “I think it’s an opportunity for us to put a smile back on the faces of people in the West Indies.”Hurricane Ivan lashed through the Caribbean, devastating the islands of Grenada, Grand Cayman and Jamaica in the last week. Grenada was the worst hit, with more than 30 people killed and thousands of buildings flattened. Estimates suggest that over 5000 people are living in temporary shelters as a result.

Thilanga Sumathipala was elected president of the Board of Control forCricket in Sri Lanka (BCCSL) for the third time, as Sri Lankan cricket ended a 26-month period of control by government-appointed committees with the first elections for three years on Friday.

Sumathipala, a leading businessman and a cricket administrator with personal ambitions of heading the International Cricket Council (ICC), completed a landslide victory against Arjuna Ranatunga, claiming 121 of the 138 votes cast by registered clubs and associations.The election ended a month-long bickering campaign between the two bitter rivals, who have been at loggerheads since Sumathipala sacked Ranatunga’s brother, Dammika, from the chief executive position in the board in 2000.Ranatunga, who managed just seven votes and was pushed to third place in the three-cornered fight, accused Sumathipala of corruption and rejected an offer to work with him. “I am an honest person and I can’t work with people who are corrupt.”Ranatunga’s typically outspoken approach, which centered on the need to wipe out corruption, led to Sumathipala threatening a US$5 million lawsuit for defamation. Both claim to be ready to fight for their reputations in the courts.But there was always only going to be one winner. Although Ranatunga enjoys a popular following among the general public, only seven clubs pledged their support. Even his own club, the Sinhalese Sports Club, decided to support Sumathipala.Sumathipala’s National Development Plan, on the other hand, is a cohesive and ambitious blueprint for cricket development. It secured overwhelming support among the clubs, who have become increasingly frustrated by the lack of long-term thinking in the last two years.The election, held at the ministry of sports amid tight security, also saw Aravinda de Silva elected vice-president of the Sumathipala led executive committee. Mohan de Silva was elected uncontested as the secretary.Sumathipala is no stranger to cricket administration. Both his previousterms as president were cut short by the government following legal wrangles after a particularly ugly election in 1999 and for allegedly violating the Sports Law in 2001. He has also served as vice-president.The first job of the incoming president will be to secure a suitablepermanent replacement for coach Dav Whatmore, as well as a physiotherapist and fitness trainer. Sumathipala has promised a foreign coach within 30 days, but no candidates have come forward so far.The financial state of the cricket board is also a serious concern. Last week, the BCCSL announced a 93 million rupee (US$940,000) loss in 2002, due primarily to the lack of inbound tours but also because of increased player salaries.But those factors pale into insignificance following a recent Singaporetribunal decision that the BCCSL is liable to pay damages to WSG Nimbusafter the premature cancellation of a multi-million dollar television deal in 2001.Aside from the legal costs and a monetary claim already awarded, whichamounts to nearly US$1 million, WSG could press for potentially crippling damages. Sumathipala, who negotiated the original deal with WSG in 2000, will have to negotiate a settlement that protects Sri Lanka’s financial future.

Somerset fast bowler Richard Johnson took his 50th wicket of the season as the Championship match at Taunton against Surrey ended in a draw.Minutes after the game ended Somerset coach Kevin Shine: "It was always hard work out there on a flat pitch, but the boys stuck well to their task. We now have another bowler who has taken fifty wickets, and many congratulations to, hopefully both ‘Johnno’ and Steffan will now get the recognition that they deserve."He went on: "We are now four points clear in second place, with two championship matches to play, away at Essex and our last match of the season at home to Northants.We are excited at the prospect of Andy Caddick being available for either or both of those games. If he doesn’t play then we’ll just have to get on without him."

Adam Gilchrist has indicated he might be interested in joining the Indian Cricket League when he eventually retires from international cricket. Gilchrist is still planning to play for Australia “for a while yet”, but this week he was forthright in his support for the ICL concept.”It’s quite a good thing for guys like me who are at the back end of their careers,” he said at the Captains’ Breakfast on the eve of the ICC World Twenty20. “I’m ten years older than guys like Graeme [Smith], and about eight years older than Daniel [Vettori], so it’s a great opportunity.”He also felt there was nothing wrong with giving players more options outside the traditional ICC-sanctioned events. “I think the ICC does have a monopoly on the game, and it’s nice for the players to have more opportunities and to have more control of their futures,” he told the South Africa-based .Brian Lara, who has already signed up for the ICL, echoed Gilchrist’s views on the league. “I think there’s room for a lot of players in the market and I’ll be there to support them,” he said at the ICC Awards function in Johannesburg. “The most important thing is that their [ICL] motives are very clean and clear – they want to improve cricket and the standards of professional cricket in India, and that’s good enough for me.”

Ricky Ponting, the Australian captain, has praised Michael Clarke for the restraint he showed throughout the incident with Chris Gayle during Wednesday’s match between Australia and West Indies in Mumbai. Gayle was later fined 30% of his match fee for a code one breach for failing to “conduct play within the spirit of the game”, a decision which Ponting welcomed.”I think it was handled in the right way,” Ponting was quoted as saying by . “If you look at the incidents, Pup [Clarke] nearly needs to be congratulated on the way he handled the whole thing. There’s no doubt he had a few words to say but Gayle was the one who was in his personal space and dragging the whole thing out the way he did. Pup handled it brilliantly, and I think it was a pretty fair result to come out of it.”The incident happened during Australia’s run-chase when Clarke and Adam Gilchrist were involved in a significant partnership. Gayle continually made comments directed at Clarke, and at one stage even conceded four overthrows off his own bowling when a throw at the batsman’s end went over the wicketkeeper’s head. It was later suggested that Clarke had sparked off the incident when he called Gayle a “second-class citizen”, a claim which Clarke denied. “If anyone is second-class it’s me, I’m from Liverpool,” Clarke, who grew up in the working-class Sydney suburb, said. “I didn’t say that – I wouldn’t say that – and neither did any of my team-mates.” While Gayle was fined, Clarke was found not guilty of any code violation.The ICC clarified that the decision to report the incident had only been made the morning after the game, and not immediately after the match finished. The delay led to speculation that Malcolm Speed, the ICC chief executive, may have intervened to order charges be laid, but an ICC spokesman said in this case the three umpires had “slept on it” before deciding to charge both players with contravening the spirit of cricket.

The annual Prime Minister’s XI tour match has been switched from January to December 2 and will be played against West Indies at Manuka Oval in Canberra. Cricket Australia said scheduling changes forced the rearrangement of the fixture, which is a tradition dating back to Sir Robert Menzies and was re-introduced by Bob Hawke in the 1980s.West Indies will play their first game of the three-Test tour against Queensland in Brisbane, starting on October 27, before the first Test at the Gabba on November 3. The second Test begins at Hobart on November 17 before the series finishes at Adelaide.Tickets for the tour match at Canberra will be available through ACT Cricket from October 4. Mark Vergano, the ACT Cricket chief executive, said the game would give local residents an opportunity to see international stars in action.

Scotland ended their second season of National League cricket with an emphatic victory over Derbyshire at the Grange. Buoyed by their victory over Bangladesh earlier in the week, Scotland skittled Derbyshire for just 179, with Paul Hoffman taking 3 for 25. In reply, they were given the perfect start by Gregor Maiden and Douglas Lockhart, who added 65 for the first wicket, before the captain Ryan Watson wrapped up the win with an unbeaten 42.It was a good day for Scotsmen all round. At Scarborough, Gavin Hamilton reminded his former Yorkshire team-mates what they are missing with a hard-earned 76, after Matthew Hoggard had ripped through the top order with three quick wickets. It was not enough to secure victory, but after the trials and tribulations that Hamilton has suffered in recent seasons, it was an important statement nonetheless.At Worcester, Leicestershire were routed by five wickets, after being bundled out for just 107. The win secured Worcester the runner-up spot in Division Two, as Steve Rhodes bowed out of one-day cricket.

National League Division Two

Scotland 182 for 2 (Lockhart 58, Watson 42*) beat Derbyshire 179 (Hoffman 3-25) by eight wickets at Edinburgh
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Worcestershire 111 for 5 (Smith 33*) beat Leicestershire 107 (Wigley 4-37) by five wickets at Worcester
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Yorkshire 181 for 7 (Wood 46) beat Durham 178 for 9 (Hamilton 76) by three wickets at Scarborough
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Mark Wallace, Glamorgan`s 21 year old wicket-keeper, was awarded hiscounty cap before the start of play last night in Glamorgan`s inaugural Twenty20 match at Sophia Gardens.The young wicket-keeper was handed his cap by Steve James shortly afterthe toss for the game with Northants had been made.”Mark has become an integral part of the Glamorgan side”, saidJames, “and he`s thoroughly deserved this award afterkeeping to a very high standard.”Wallace becomes the youngest ever wicket-keeper in the club`shistory to become capped under a performance-based system. The previous youngest was Colin Metson who wonhis Glamorgan cap during the 1987 season at the age of 23.This formal cappingprocedure, based on performances, has been in place since 1945. Before then a Glamorgan player couldconsider himself as being capped once he had played in four consecutivefirst-class matches – under this system wicket-keeper Trevor Every won hiscounty cap during the 1929 season at the age of 19.

Russell Warren hit 194 to allow his Northamptonshire captain David Ripley tomake a challenging declaration on the third day at Old Trafford.Warren’s innings ensured that Northants cruised past a target of 451 toavoid the follow-on with five wickets to spare, although he missed out onthe second double century of the match – and his career – when a defensivepush at Chris Schofield trickled back on to his stumps.Ripley, who had supported Warren in a sixth-wicket stand of 116 until hewas bowled by Gary Yates for 43, then declared 105 runs behind on 495 foreight, to throw the ball back into Lancashire’s court.They reached 64 without loss at the close, leaving them 169 ahead, but areunlikely to take any chances today on such a good batting pitch, especiallyagainst one of their relegation rivals.Andy Flintoff had given Lancashire the early breakthrough they were lookingfor, having Tobin Bailey caught at slip to leave Northants 248 for four -still 203 short of that follow-on target.But Graeme Swann joined Warren to add 104 for the fifth wicket, reaching anentertaining half-century from 69 balls with his second six.Even when Swann went caught behind off John Wood for 54, Northants were notout of the woods but Ripley and Warren steered them sensibly to safety.Warren reached his second century of the season from 166 balls and wasclosing in on his career best of 201 not out against Glamorgan in 1996 untilhe was bowled by Schofield. His 194 came from 316 balls with 26 fours and asix.Schofield ended with two for 72 from 21 overs and there were also twowickets each for Lancashire’s other spinners, Gary Keedy and Yates,although none of them was particularly impressive.Crawley then added an unbeaten 41 to the 280 he had scored in the firstinnings, surviving 23 overs with Mark Chilton with no serious alarms.