Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsThe bowlers dominated day one of the SuperSport Series final at Durban as 16 wickets fell. Ethy Mbhalati took the honours with 5 for 26, helping to dismiss the Dolphins for 176, but the Titans then slipped to 70 for 3 during the final session as Nantie Hayward picked up a brace.The Titans had put the Dolphins into bat and despite removing Imraan Khan in the seventh over there was little sign of the action to come. Doug Watson compiled a solid half-century as they moved passed 100 for the loss of just two wickets. But Mbhalati then struck his first blow, bowling Watson, and the collapse set in.Mbhalati tore through the middle order and within 19 overs of losing their third wicket, the Dolphins were all out. Only Hashim Amla offered any further resistance, striking 58 off 115 balls with eleven boundaries.However, the Titans didn’t have it all their own way in reply as Hayward nipped out both openers in a fiery opening burst. With the international duo of Martin van Jaarsveld and Zander de Bruyn also back in the hutch the Dolphins are well and truly alive in this final.

Zimbabwe 72 for 2 v West Indies 263 for 6 (Morton 109, Sarwan 54, Chanderpaul 51*) – Match abandoned
Scorecard
How they were out

It was rain which set up the opportunity for Zimbabwe to snatch an improbable victory in the sixth ODI at Trinidad’s Queen’s Park Oval, but it also ultimately washed out that hope. It also rendered an excellent hundred from Runako Morton earlier in the day redundant.When West Indies set Zimbabwe a target of 264, even with a very scratchy bowling attack, few doubted they would win. But two overs into the Zimbabwe innings the heavens opened, and when play resumed Duckworth/Lewis presented them with a much more appealing ask of 184 off 28 overs with all their wickets intact.Vusi Sibanda started briskly, but it was clear that attacking was alien to Terry Duffin, and after a few swiches – a couple of which were successful – he perished when he deflected a reverse sweep straight into the wicketkeeper’s hands. He was soon followed by Piet Rinke, who must be desperate for this series to end. When you are out of form little goes right, and he was left high and dry by a call from Sibanda and a good one-handed pick-up from Brian Lara.Brendan Taylor signalled his intent by lofting Chris Gayle for a straight six, and with the bowlers gifting wides – 13 in 12 overs – the unthinkable was becoming a possibility. Then, with Zimbabwe requiring 119 from almost 18 overs, the rain returned, only heavier, and that was that. Given their inability to chase anything over 200, this probably represented Zimbabwe’s best chance of a win on this tour.The first innings had been dominated by Morton’s a start-stop hundred and some late hitting from the lower-middle order which enabled West Indies to post a respectable 263 for 6. The final score was good enough, but it was for long periods fairly unimpressive batting.For a time Morton and Ramnaresh Sarwan appeared to be building another daunting total as Zimbabwe’s pop-gun seamers haemorrhaged runs. The only surprise in the first 30 overs was that Gayle, who had been in such deadly form on Wednesday, missed out, playing round a straight ball from Tawanda Mupariwa early on. That aside, it was once again not so much a challenge for the West Indies batsmen as a glorified net.Mupariwa apart, Zimbabwe’s seamers were poor and lacked any threat, and their fielding, so good in the first three games, completely fell apart. Morton batted with authority, clipping the ball confidently off his legs and driving powerfully down the ground. Sarwan, content to play second fiddle, nevertheless found it easy to keep the scoreboard ticking over.But the introduction of spin in the form of the increasingly impressive Prosper Utseya along with Ryan Higgins not only stemmed the flow, but also put the skids under the innings. Higgins removed Sarwan and a subdued Lara in quick succession, and with Morton becalmed as his hundred neared, West Indies almost ground to a halt. Between them, Higgins and Utseya only conceded one boundary in their 20 overs; there were 25 in the other 30.The return of the seamers restored order and brought a enthusiastic crowd to light, but not before another hiccough or two. Morton brought up his hundred with a straight drive and briefly threatened to cut lose before he holed out to long on, and then Marlon Samuels was run out without facing a ball and Dwayne Smith was airily bowled by Mupariwa. At 206 for 6 there were few smiles.But Rinke and Keegan Meth are almost certainly the two least-able death bowlers in the world game – and possibly outside it – and Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Carlton Baugh showed no mercy, pulling and driving at will. The shots of the innings came when Chanderpaul twice smacked one-handed sixes over midwicket.Even though Mupariwa was brought back to try to restore sanity, the horse had bolted and his otherwise excellent figures were ruined as his final two over went for 24 and Zimbabwe’s last seven for 70.The series finishes tomorrow, assuming that the rains relent. But when you schedule matches at a time when rain is far from abnormal, what can you expect. The Indians, who are here in a fortnight for two more ODIs, better bring wet-weather clothes and some good books.

How they were out

West IndiesChris Gayle b Mupariwa 2 (15 for 1)
Played round straight one attempting drive Ramnaresh Sarwan c Taylor b Higgins 54 (149 for 2)
Thin outside edge to attempted cutBrian Lara c Taylor b Higgins 2 (164 for 3)
Thin outside edge trying to run ball to third man Runako Morton c Mupariwa b Ireland 109 (193 for 4)
Driven to long on, good running catchMarlon Samuels run out (Chigumbura/Taylor) 0 (193 for 5)
Good pick-up, keeper did well to gather throw, well short Dwayne Smith b Mupariwa 3 (206 for 6)
Came down pitch and played all round straight one

ZimbabweTerry Duffin c Baugh b Samuels 14 (33 for 1)
Reverse swept into keeper’s handsPiet Rinke run out (Lara/Baugh) 4 (42 for 2)
Crazy call from Sibanda, a yard short

Afghanistan will tour England, playing Essex, Glamorgan and Leicestershire 2nd XIs during their 18-day trip which kicks-off on June 11.”This year is very important for our cricket,” Taj Malik Alam, their coach, told the BBC. “I think it will be a turning point and if we win all the matches then we can get the attention of the international cricket community. We have a long way to go but we really want to participate in the World Cup and become one of the best teams in the world.””It is a great honour to play in England,” said Dawlat Khan Ahmadzai, one of the squad. “Everyone is waiting for us to go, they want to see what we can do and we want to make the most of this opportunity.”In March, the Afghan side beat an MCC XI, skippered by Mike Gatting, in a game played at Mumbai.Cricket is now Afghanistan’s third most popular sport, behind buzkashi and football.Money raised from the tour will be used to help fund the building of a cricket ground in Kabul.Tour itinerary
June 11 – Hoddesdon
June 14 – Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst
June 15 – Glamorgan 2nd XI, Swansea
June 19 – Loughborough UCCE
June 20 – Essex 2nd XI, Billericay
June 21 – Leicestershire 2nd XI, Hinckley Town
June 22 – Ditchling CC, Sussex

More than 50 scalpers have had their Ashes tickets cancelled by Cricket Australia after they were exposed by private investigators. The reported 650 tickets were revoked as the national body planned a heavy-handed approach to opportunistic selling.”They won’t be admitted into the ground,” James Sutherland, the Cricket Australia chief executive, said in the paper. “Anyone who is thinking about buying tickets in that fashion risks losing their money.” The final seats for the MCG Test went on sale yesterday and after two hours only spaces for days three and four were available.Sutherland has also attacked the comments of Tim May, the Federation of International Cricketers’ chief executive, who said the crammed international match schedule could leader to player drug use. “That is disrespectful and nothing more than mindless sledging on Tim’s behalf,” Sutherland said. “I am completely surprised with the comments and disappointed to mention drugs and Australian cricketers in the same breath.”

Anant Wagesh Kanmadikar, former secretary of Indian board and the doyen of Madhya Pradesh cricket, passed away on August 15 at 2.00pm following a massive heart attack. Kanmadikar, 82, served as secretary from 1980 to 1985 and earlier served as a joint secretary between 1975 and 1980. He also served as the vice president of BCCI and as chairman of Madhya Pradesh Cricket Association. He is survived by wife, two sons and a daughter.Till recently Kanmadikar was actively involved with Madhya Pradesh cricket and as recently as May 2005, he acted as an observer to conduct the fair elections of Bhopal Divisional Cricket Association. He believed that though cricket was a religion in India, the youngsters lacked the right approach to the game. “Playing cricket from morning to evening would not help you,” he said. The need is to play with the right approach and proper guidance.”Sharad Pawar, BCCI president, condoled the death, hailing Kanmadikar’s contribution to cricket. “He was an untiring administrator. His contribution to the game at very crucial stages will be remembered forever,” Pawar said. “During his tenure as an office-bearer for 10 years, he coordinated for the success of the 1983 World Cup. It is sad that Indian cricket has lost an able administrator and a human being who always had the players’ requirements in mind. It is a great loss and the vacuum cannot be filled. He has contributed immensely not only for Madhya Pradesh and Indian cricket, but for world cricket too.””He was always accessible and a very friendly person,” Raju Bharatan, the veteran journalist recalls. “He was a very fit and remained actively involved with Madhya Pradesh cricket. He was fondly called as the Judge”.

ScorecardDavid Langford-Smith took five wickets for Ireland on the first day of their Intercontinental Cup match at Aberdeen against Scotland who were dismissed for 265. Ryan Watson was the only top-order batsman to star for the home side with a pugnacious 74 before he was caught at deep backward square by Langford-Smith off the bowling of Trent Johnston, the Australia fast bowler.Watson received little support from the Scotland middle-order until John Blain arrived at the crease, who proceeded to at last take command of the Ireland bowling, hitting 53 from 94 balls. In reply, Ireland lost Jeremy Bray in the slips and they now trail by 222 runs.

The Hong Kong Cricket Association have announced a squad of 14 for the women’s tour of Pakistan next month. The three-match ODI series is a qualifier for the 2009 Women’s World Cup.It will be the inaugural match for the newly formed Hong Kong women’s team who will be hoping to match the men’s side who performed so well at the recent ACC Trophy in Malaysia.The side is led by Neisha Pratt who last season averaged a remarkable 586 in the Hong Kong Women’s Cricket League. “The girls have put in a great deal of hard work over the summer,” Pratt said. “For sure we’ll be the underdogs against an established Test country like Pakistan. But the opportunity to qualify for a World Cup doesn’t come around every day and we’ll be giving it our best shot.”Squad
Neisha Pratt (Capt), Renee Montgomery, Chan Sau Ha, Betty Chan, Sarah Eames, Natasha Miles, Keenu Gill, Sam McIlwraith, Julie Atkinson, Godiva Li, Ishitaa Gidwani, Angela Kwan, Shaminda Wickramasinghe, Kylie Knott

Brian Lara has lifted his game ever so many times when up against the bestin the world. He was hoping his team would do just that as they take onAustralia at the Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai. Speaking at a pre-matchmedia briefing he said, “We have beaten the opposition [Australia] in thelast month and that’s a positive. We are going to ensure that the guysknow that and the biggest positive is the fact that the pitch is going toplay a part and we are looking to get the better part of it.”Lara did not place too much stress on the pitch, which has come in forplenty of criticism in the wake of the South Africa-New Zealand match.”Firstly you have to play on whatever pitch you’re given. There’s nothingyou can do about it,” he said. “What’s confusing is the fact that New Zealand batted first and didn’t put up a total on the board and SouthAfrica batted second and did not do well.”At the same time, Lara stressed on the importance of playing smartcricket. “It’s important for the team batting first to put up a goodtotal. It’s up to the people at CCI (Brabourne Stadium) to try and get things improved and the final is here as well. So we hope the pitches will improve,” he said.”It’s not the sort of pitch where you can think of 275 or 300 being on thecards. We will be looking to score as much as possible, analyse thesituation as early as possible.”Interestingly, Lara also said the pitch was not necessarily one where thebetter team would win. “It’s not a surface on which the better team isgoing to win, it’s the team that plays better will win,” he said.”Whatever you do first, do it to the best of your ability and take totaladvantage of the game at that stage.”Lara added that he and his team were putting the thumping loss against SriLanka behind them and looking to adapt as quickly as possible to theconditions before them. “We are the defending champions and there’s a certainstyle of play that we have to adapt to. The defeat on Saturday had noramifications on our position in the tournament and that all the teamshave started on zero and we are moving forward on that positive thinking.It’s a question of having belief in your players.”

Ronnie Irani, the Essex captain, has declared his hip operation a success after returning from Colorado.”I went over to Vail, Colorado last week initially to get a [left] hip operation from a guy called Marc Philippon – who also operated on Ashley Giles – and that was successful,” he said. “I was hoping to get the knee operation done at the same time but, with the angle they need to get the knee into, it would have been impossible because it might have damaged my hip. So I need to rest the hip and will then return to Vail in six weeks’ time when I’m going to take my wife and two children out who can do some skiing while I get operated on!”Irani enjoyed an outstanding 2006 season, scoring 1075 runs at 59.72 in the Championship; 379 runs at 63.16 in the C&G Trophy and 338 runs at 42.25 in the Twenty20 Cup. In addition, he led his side to success in the Pro40 and Twenty20 Floodlit Cup.”I’m still hoping that everything should be bang on schedule to be fit for the start of next season,” he added. “I’ve got plenty of time for the rehab on the knee – it’s not major surgery but it’s something similar to what I had three years’ ago on the right knee – and though you can never say never and things should be a little bit tender pre-season I should still be able to get through.”

Scorecard

Canada swept past Bermuda by three wickets in the fourth one-dayer of the ICC Tri-series on Thursday.Bermuda never really recovered from losing three wickets in the first four overs – including that of David Hemp – each to Henry Osinde. Bermuda’s score might have been worse if a straightforward catch, and a harder chance to the slips, had been taken. Saleem Mukuddem was comfortably the top-scorer for Bermuda, with 57, including four fours, and he was ninth man out before the last wicket pair saw out their 50 overs as Bermuda made 178.Canada lost their opener, Sandeep Jyoti, early on but Abdool Samad and Desmond Chumney put on 66 for the second wicket before both fell in quick succession. In spite of chasing a modest total, Canada’s innings was a stuttering affair. Several batsmen got starts before wasting their wicket – and it appeared the batsmen were too keen on an early finish, and the prospect of a bonus point.But Umar Bhatti showed the right amount of patience at No.7, batting calmly and sensibly as Canada won by three wickets with more than 10 overs to spare.Canada meet Netherlands on Friday in a match that is likely to decide the winners of this Tri-Nations series.