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St Thomas College 22 for 2 trail Royal College 294 for 6 dec (Edussuriya 140*, Ratnayake 49) by 272 runs
ScorecardThe Sri Lanka-Australia Test at Galle might be attracting all the international attention, but the 125th annual Royal-Thomian match – the famed three-day “Battle of the Blues” – at the Sinhalese Sports Club was all the talk in Colombo. And a superb hundred by Dhanushka Edussuriya, which gave Royal College the edge at the end of the first day, was sure to generate headlines tomorrow.Edussuriya came to the crease with his side struggling on 60 for 4 after they had lost the toss and been inserted by St Thomas College. He added 101 for the fifth wicket with Ganganath Ratnayake (49) and then 134 for the sixth wicket in 30 overs with Manoj Morawake (45*).In front of a decent crowd, including a fair number of politicians and corporate big-wigs, the morning session belonged to St Thomas as their seamers exploited the early moisture to rip through Royal’s top-order.But St Thomas’s bowlers, bereft of Chathuranga Somapala who failed a late fitness test, lacked the penetration to press home their advantage, and Edussuriya’s took charge. His innings was a masterpiece of timing and control – he reached his fifty in an hour-and-a-half, his hundred in three hours, and never allowed the bowlers to settle. His stand with Morawake left St Thomas’s wilting, and enabled Royal to declare and give themselves 45 minutes to have a go at St Thomas.The tactic worked, as both openers were dismissed in the nine overs before the close.

The national selection committee will have certainly one, and possibly two, new faces when the BCCI’s annual general meeting takes place in Mumbai on September 27 and 28. Kiran More, the former Indian wicketkeeper who’s currently the chairman of the committee, has completed four years, and will make way for someone else from the West Zone. VB Chandrasekhar, from Tamil Nadu in the South Zone, could also be out, as it is Hyderabad’s turn to nominate someone from South Zone to the national selection panel.”I am tired of answering this question. He [More] has been selector for four years, as per the constitution, and his term is over,” Niranjan Shah, the board secretary, emphatically told Cricinfo, scotching all speculation that this committee could continue intact till the end of the World Cup. Earlier there were suggestions that this committee should continue, with an extra-constitutional extension as a one-off case, as it would benefit the team if there was a sense of continuity in the selection panel till the World Cup was over.”How can the term be extended? Can a secretary’s term be extended just like that?” asked Shah, “[this is ] unnecessary speculation in the media. Why should there be any confusion?” As per the board’s constitution, which is to be amended in September at the forthcoming annual general meeting, the term of office is two years with a possible extension for one year. This means that future selectors could have a three-year term, but that would not be applicable till the constitution is amended.In the current system each of the five zones – North, South, East, West and Central – nominates a candidate to the national selection committee. In the South this is done in rotation among the major teams – Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Hyderabad. At the end of this term, it is Hyderabad’s turn to nominate someone from the zone, and the name of Venkatapathy Raju, the former Indian left-arm spinner, is doing the rounds. Raju is currently head of the Hyderabad selection committee.In the West, the front-runner is Dilip Vengsarkar, but it is unclear whether he wants to take up the post. The West Zone does not follow the tradition of rotation among teams, and could nominate anyone. The name of Dhiraj Parsana, the former Gujarat and India allrounder, has also cropped up. If he becomes a selector Parsana will be the first from Gujarat.Ranjib Biswal (East), Sanjay Jagdale (Central) and Bhupinder Singh (North), the three other members of the selection committee, are likely to continue as they have not completed their terms yet.

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

England’s chances of fighting what seemed insurmountable odds and drawing level in the series improved significantly after a thoroughly dominant performance on the third day at Mumbai. They bowled India out for just 279, snatching a first-innings lead of 121, and then stretched that lead to 152 by close of play, though they lost both openers in the process.After the first two days England had the edge, but they needed a strong performance today to further that advantage. They didn’t finish India off completely – Rahul Dravid will still hope for a collapse and a chaseable target – but Andrew Flintoff will have few complaints with his team’s performance in the field. Despite dropping a couple of chances, England put in a wholehearted performance – the fast bowlers were aggressive and disciplined, with James Anderson leading the way on his return to the side, while the spinners played a vital hand, bowling a crucial 21 overs at a stretch in the afternoon for just 46 runs and a wicket, allowing the fast bowlers an extended period of rest before they returned with the second new ball. Geraint Jones came up with three excellent catches behind the stumps and finished with five for the innings, while Flintoff maintained a happy balance between defence and attack throughout the day, keeping enough fielders in the ring to save the runs even as he searched for wickets.Resuming at 89 for 3, India were looking up to Yuvraj Singh and Dravid, the last specialist batting pair, but the batsman who made the most significant contribution was Dhoni. Playing with a restraint most uncharacteristic, Dhoni shook off a blow to the head from Flintoff, batted with admirable composure and responsibility to make 64, but then threw it away in a moment of madness, dashing off for a single after having clobbered Flintoff for three successive fours off his first over with the second new ball.

In fact, India’s batting was characterised by long periods of circumspection, but the few rushes of blood were their undoing – Irfan Pathan made 26 from 80 balls, in the process adding 44 for the sixth wicket with Dhoni, before deciding to charge down the track to Shaun Udal, handing him his first wicket of the series. Yuvraj’s flash outside off was a needless stroke too, while Dravid battled hard for a half-century and then touched a ball down leg side after being reprieved at the same score.England, on the other hand, kept up the intensity throughout. Flintoff and Anderson bowled superb spells in the morning, with Flintoff’s bouncer battle with Dhoni being particularly memorable. A well-directed short ball clanged Dhoni’s helmet when he was on 14, and then followed an exhilarating tussle, as Dhoni crashed a couple of boundaries, including a hook, and further riled Flintoff by taking plenty of time between overs, and sometimes even deliveries. After one such delay, a charged-up Flintoff responded with a wayward bouncer that flew past both batsman and keeper for four byes. It was fiery, aggressive stuff, but at the end of it all, Dhoni was still standing.The afternoon session was less exciting, but England’s spin duo of Monty Panesar and Udal did a crucial tie-up job, restricting the runs and ensuring that the Indians didn’t snatch back the momentum. Dhoni’s run-out – a marginal decision from the third umpire, for replays didn’t conclusively show that the bail was off the groove completely in time – should have signaled the end of India’s resistance, but Sreesanth and Anil Kumble did another defying act, adding 55 for the ninth wicket. Sreesanth – with a first-class batting average of 5.42 and a previous highest of 19 not out – mixed studious defence with meaty blows to ride up to 29 before running out of partners.A deficit of 121 was a huge minus to come back from, but India put in a spirited performance in the field, with Sreesanth – suitably inspired after his knock – putting in a particularly fiery spell. The openers departed cheaply, but the first-innings cushion means England hold all the aces going into the fourth day.

England
Andrew Strauss c Dhoni b Munaf 4 (5 for 1)
Ian Bell c Dhoni b Sreesanth 8 (21 for 2)
India
Yuvraj Singh c Jones b Flintoff 37 (94 for 4)
Rahul Dravid c Jones b Anderson 52 (142 for 5)
Irfan Pathan c Hoggard b Udal 26 (186 for 6)
Mahendra Singh Dhoni run out (Anderson) 64 (212 for 7)
Harbhajan Singh c Jones b Anderson 2 (217 for 8)
Anil Kumble lbw b Panesar 30 (272 for 9)
Munaf Patel b Anderson 7 (279 all out)

Confusion over the match between India and Pakistan Legends sides, originally revealed by Cricinfo on October 18, appears to have been slightly eased with the announcement at the weekend that the game is set to take place on March 3 at the 60,000-capacity Rogers Centre in Toronto.Ben Sennik, the president of the Canadian Cricket Association, confirmed the game was going ahead at a press conference in Toronto. He said that the event has the full support of the Canadian board and added he anticipated a sell-out crowd. “We should make it a point to be part of this event to show our support for Cricket in Canada,” he concluded.S Madan Lal, the former India Test player who is managing the Indian side, insisted that the game was being taken very seriously and that two well-balanced teams were being brought to Toronto. Players such as Ajay Jadeja, Venkatesh Prasad, Wasim Akram and Saeed Anwar were among those who would play.There was, however, no mention of Mohammad Azharuddin who was originally announced as the captain of the Indian side.

Andrew Flintoff, England’s captain, has insisted that the Champions Trophy is his team’s sole focus, as they prepare to fly out to India this afternoon to begin a long winter campaign that culminates in the Ashes and the World Cup.Flintoff will be leading England for the first time since the Test series against Sri Lanka in June, as he continues to recuperate from an ankle operation that will limit his allround effectiveness in the coming tournament.”Everything I’ve done so far, the running back home, has responded well,” he told reporters at the Heathrow Marriott Hotel. “In the nets I’ve probably bowled at 50-60% and it’s responded well to that, so we’ll start building it up over the next couple of weeks. At this stage we can’t set a date or say when I’ll be bowling again.”Flintoff’s presence alone will boost a one-day side that has missed him woefully at times this season, although their achievement in battling back to a 2-2 draw against Pakistan last month was a timely fillip ahead of the Champions Trophy. “It was a great effort and showed signs of improvement,” said Flintoff, “but what we’ve got to work on is consistency.”England are in a four-man group that includes the hosts, India, as well as the World Champions, Australia, whom England beat in the same competition two years ago, en route to a place in the final. On that occasion they they eventually lost a thrilling match to West Indies by two wickets. Flintoff recalled: “Having played in one before and getting to the final and coming so close, it hurt.””We’re flying out to win the ICC tournament,” he added. “There’s a lot being made of the Ashes but we’ve got to address what’s in front of us first. Over the next few weeks it’s a great opportunity for lads to stake a claim for the World Cup and a chance for us to perform.”That opportunity has arisen largely as a result of the spate of injuries that have decimated England’s Ashes-winning squad since last summer, with Michael Vaughan, Simon Jones and Ashley Giles among the most notable absentees. On Thursday, Vaughan hinted that a return for the final stages of the Ashes was not out of the question, and publicly, Flintoff embraced that prospect. “As soon as we’ve got Michael Vaughan back in the England side the better. He’s a class performer and he’s led the team well.”Flintoff himself said he was “hungry” for action after his three-month lay-off, and believed that the break from the game would be beneficial, both for his game and that of his other injured team-mates. “Some of us have not played a great deal of cricket this summer which has given us time to get in the gym, get fit and have time away from the game.””Now I’m hungry to play cricket, I want to get back on the pitch and play. When you’re not playing you realise how much you do miss it.”

The great and the good of the ICC meet in London next week, but this week it was the turn of the Federation Of International Cricketers’ Associations (FICA) to hold their annual general meeting.”The meeting of the member player associations, conducted over two days in London, considered issues ranging from cricket operations, relationships with stakeholders and FICA commercial and administration matters,” Tim May, FICA’s chief executive, explained. “The discussions involved a diverse range of voices from the cricketing world and there were detailed and healthy debates concerning a number of key issues.”FICA’s annual meeting is very valuable for our member associations. In addition to attending to the statutory and constitutional requirements of an annual meeting – it gives each player association a fantastic forum in which to express their views and for the group to reach positions on both operational and commercial matters.”FICA has been very much at loggerheads with the ICC on the issue of player burnout of late, and the Future Tours Programme was very much at the forefront of discussions. FICA members decided to approve a revised model of compliance for member countries to consider at the ICC meeting.The revisions include:

Darrell Hair will make his return to top-level international umpiring in the second Test between England and New Zealand at Old Trafford on May 23.It will be the first Test he has stood in since the 2006 match between England and Pakistan at The Oval. That became the first game in history to be forfeited after Pakistan refused to take the field following Hair’s ruling that they had tampered with the ball.Hair was subsequently stood down from any matches involved full-member nations, although never officially removed from the Elite panel, but continued to stand in associate games. He took the ICC to court claiming racial discrimination, but withdrew his claims seven days into a tribunal in London last October.He moved back to Australia and went on a six-month rehabilitation course before being reinstated at the ICC’s March meeting in Dubai. Hair will stand alongside fellow Australian Simon Taufel at Old Trafford and will remain for the third Test at Trent Bridge when he’ll be joined by Steve Bucknor.It is still unclear where his long-term future lies as Pakistan have made it clear they don’t want him standing in any of their matches. His current contract runs out in March 2009.

The former West Indies offspinner Omari Banks has joined Somerset as a Kolpak player for the 2008 season.Banks, 25, played 10 Tests and five ODIs for West Indies between May 2003 and August 2005, but has since failed to break into the international set-up.His finest hour came at Antigua in 2003, in only his second Test, when he scored 47 not out from No. 8 as West Indies chased a world-record 418 to beat Australia.”Omari is a great signing and will give us strength in depth in key positions in our squad,” said Somerset’s director of cricket, Brian Rose. “He will be a huge asset to us and will be very dangerous in one-day cricket and the Twenty20 Cup.”Banks does not count as an overseas player as he was born in Anguilla, a British protectorate. He spent two months in the Leicestershire second team, with a solitary senior appearance against Pakistan.

Darren Sammy said he was “shattered” to miss West Indies’ tour of India earlier this year but his focus is now squarely on a potential Test debut in England. Sammy, the first international cricketer to emerge from St Lucia, believes his experience in English conditions could help him make the most of the two-month tour.Sammy was named in the squad to visit India in January but sustained an injury shortly before the team departed. He said missing the trip might have hurt his chances of making the World Cup squad but he had moved on since then.”I was out in the wilderness for a few years after playing my last international game and it was one of the major disappointments of my career to get injured the day before we had to travel to India,” Sammy said. “But this is Test cricket and it is where you get a true test of you character and you have to be physically, mentally and skilfully prepared to be successful.”Sammy has spent the past fortnight playing league cricket in Lancashire and believes his knowledge of the conditions will increase his chances of a Test call-up. “I have been playing for Crompton Cricket Club and that has helped me to get acclimatised,” he said.”Since 2003 I have been playing in England annually so I think I am very familiar with the conditions here. So far the pitches have played well because unlike previous years the batsmen have been getting a lot of runs in county cricket with two players scoring double-centuries so far.”Sammy said being part of the Test squad was a great privilege but he felt he had earned his place. “I was not very surprised by my selection because I have been putting in some hard work over the past few years and I have been getting good results,” he said. “I have never played Test cricket so it will be a challenge but it is a hurdle I’m prepared to jump over.”

After two severe batting collapses against Australia and Sri Lanka, Herschelle Gibbs has urged South Africa’s middle-order batsmen to build on the solid starts provided by the top order.”The guys are firing up front and it would be good for our middle order to fire as well,” Gibbs told . “In order to win a tournament like this you need a big team effort and along with that team effort comes individual performances and the guys are good enough to turn it all around in one game. I wouldn’t say it’s a problem right now. The guys up the order have been setting it up, we just need the middle order to get in there and bat with the same intensity.”Chasing 378 for victory in their final Group A match against Australia, South Africa were on course at 220 for 1 in the 32nd over, but they were eventually dismissed for 294. It got worse in the Super Eights match against Sri Lanka on Wednesday. South Africa needed only five runs off 31 balls with five wickets in hand but Lasith Malinga took four wickets in four balls and it was left to Robin Peterson to edge South Africa home with a wicket to spare.”We learnt the lesson of not completing the innings with the same intensity with which we started it,” Gibbs said. “That’s what happens when you drop the intensity, it takes four good balls to turn the game on its head. It was an interesting experience and very, very nice to come away with a win. But it was a big lesson for all the batsmen who batted at the end.”I don’t normally have the stomach for matches like that. I’m normally the first one hiding in the toilets at the back of the change room, not able to watch. But I sat through it this time and witnessed every ball and had a drink very quickly after it was finished. Maybe we just took things for granted and weren’t clinical enough at the end of the innings. But the lesson has been learned and the same mistake won’t be made again.”South Africa’s next match is against Ireland on Tuesday in Guyana and Gibbs said there was no way they would underestimate the Irish challenge. “We know they are a dangerous team and we know you can’t take anything for granted,” he said. “If you disrespect your opponents you will come short. The games are hotting up now. It’s a big time in the tournament and we can’t relax.”