X-rays have revealed CLEAR Black Cap, Daniel Vettori, has not broken his ankle after he fell awkwardly when fielding off his own bowling in Canberra.The left arm spinner fell in the 18th over of New Zealand’s second match of their tour of Australia against the ACT Invitation XI.However, while Vettori has not broken any bones, it appears his ankle may be quite badly sprained.”We’ve been advised by the experts that by tomorrow we’ll have a much clearer indication of just how bad the sprain is,” says Manager Jeff Crowe.”Obviously it’s a concern, but we’re going to wait and see how Dan progresses over night rather than speculating at this stage about different scenarios.”One hour after tea the ACT XI were 226/3. Shayne O’Connor had picked up two wickets and Chris Cairns one.

There was so lengthy a rain delay that the effect of its batting was largely watered down today. But Australia’s assault on New Zealand in thisSecond Test nevertheless continued on emphatically on the second day here in Hobart.Generally light but steady drizzle fell at all the wrong times today, contriving to wipe out four hours of play in total in the middle of the afternoon. And then there was a rather farcical end to it all, when the last nine overs were scrapped altogether on account of bad light.By stumps, New Zealand was 0/0 in its first innings, having not faced a delivery in response to Australia’s whopping Ricky Ponting (157*)-inspired tally of 8/558 declared.The weather eventually forced many among the crowd to head home early. But, in such action as was possible, hometown hero Ponting provided highlights aplenty for the locals as he continued to unfurl a veritable series of copybook strokes. In an innings that delivered the Tasmanian his ninth Test century, the right hander was again assured off both the front and back foot with precious few false shots featuring in his exhibition.Before a sharp burst of rain hit the ground for the first time at 12:20pm to send the players scurrying, he joined with Shane Warne (70) in arecord-breaking stand for the seventh wicket in Hobart Tests. Just to lend some symmetry to the occasion, he then added another new line to thesame page upon the resumption at 5:20pm, by combining with Brett Lee (41) in a stand that bettered the pre-existing mark for the eighth.”It was obviously very satisfying,” said Ponting of his first Test century on hallowed home soil.”Something I’ve always wanted to do is score a (Test) hundred at Bellerive. There’s nothing better than putting on a good performance in your homestate. Matty Hayden did it for the first time last week, and I’ve done it for the first time this week.”Quintessential partnership breaker Nathan Astle (1/30) snared a wicket in his first over when Warne dragged a ball back into his stumps, and hecontained the Australians respectably thereafter. And Daniel Vettori (5/138) deservedly collected a fifth wicket when he had a belligerent Leecaught on the deep mid wicket boundary.Otherwise, another gloomy day for the Black Caps had little to recommend it. It even ended dismally as openers Mark Richardson and MatthewBell sought the refuge of the dressing room for bad light in something of a scene of high farce.They, and the Australians, had walked all the way out into the middle, only to saunter all the way back again when Umpires Steve Bucknor andSteve Davis decided that the prospect of Glenn McGrath steaming in with the new ball represented too much of a danger in the conditions.It wasn’t the day’s only false start. Twice, the game had been within a minute of re-commencing – at 1:30pm and 2:15pm – when the drizzle mockingly re-awakened after lying dormant for all of the previous half-hour.It was a relief that Ponting, Warne and Lee were mercifully able to find a way of stifling the tedium.

Wellington and Auckland took a point apiece from their State Championship match at the Basin Reserve which ended today in a rain-soaked draw.The final day of the match went the way of the second and third, abandoned without a ball being bowled, as the umpires and players bowed to the consequences of dour and unrelenting rain.Conditions in Wellington have steadily worsened since light showers sprinkled the Basin Reserve shortly before stumps on the first day. Wellington had just completed their first innings, dismissed for 238 after winning the toss and batting, and Auckland had reached 3/0 after only two overs in reply.Those drops of rain on Sunday were only the heralds of a cavalcade of rotten weather to come. The rain continued throughout Sunday night and with increasing intensity, with only momentary breaks, throughout Monday.By Monday night the rain had become persistent – the term showers no longer applied. The rain continued all evening, through the night and with a dogged persistence throughout the third day Tuesday. By Tuesday night it was heavier and even more sustained and the decision of the umpires to abandon play today was inevitable by early morning.The Basin Reserve was sodden. The pitch had not been uncovered for three days and there was no possibility, even if the rain stopped – and it showed no sign of doing so – that the ground could be prepared for play at any time today.The Aucklanders remained at their city hotel, detoured to the Basin Reserve to collect their gear from the dressing rooms before heading to the airport and an early flight home. The Wellington players resigned themselves disconsolately to another indoor practice session.And already concern has arisen for the fate of Wellington’s next home match, against Central Districts, which starts at the Basin Reserve on Monday. The long-term forecast is for the rain to turn to showers before clearing on Friday but there is then the disturbing possibility of rain returning on Sunday.The pitch will have to remain covered until the rain abates and that may not be for more than 24 hours by which time it will have been under cover for almost a week. It is possible, with limited time to prepare a new pitch, that the pitched used for a day in this match might have to be used again for Central Districts.Wellington are certain to have their regular captain and discarded Test opener Matthew Bell available for that match. New Zealand captain Stephen Fleming will have returned to Wellington but is unlikely to play and England A batsman David Sales, playing club cricket in the capital this season, may be added to the Wellington 12.

A defiant captain with everything to win and a plucky debutant with nothing to lose gave New Zealand hope of an unlikely series triumph over Australia in the third cricket Test today.But the Australian attack then used the new ball to pierce the visitors’ ambitions and leave them reeling at 7-293 at stumps on day one at the WACA.The first day of the third and deciding Test ended in carnage as Australia claimed 5-75 in a fiery final hour.Debutant Lou Vincent made his maiden Test century and captain Stephen Fleming his first against Australia as New Zealand reached a commanding 2-217 after teaon the first day.Fleming, who laboured in the nineties for 43 minutes, notched his first ton in three and a half years, before eventually falling LBW to Brett Lee (2-89) for 105.But the day belonged to Vincent.The 26-year-old, who gained an Australian flavour to his cricket during a childhood stint in Adelaide, answered his selectors’ calls with a defiant century that drew appreciative applause from a WACA crowd.He was scratchy early against Australian paceman Glenn McGrath (1-25) before settling in to become just the third Kiwi opener to score a ton on debut.Vincent (104) was finally out, controversially caught by Mark Waugh at slip off Shane Warne (1-66).Television replays indicated the ball’s sharp change of direction was a product of Warne’s prodigious spinning ability, not the edge of Vincent’s probing blade.The pair came together with New Zealand in trouble at 2-19 after less than a quarter of an hour had passed.Almost four hours later, Vincent departed after joining his skipper in a 199 run stand.But then Australia’s quicks, led by Jason Gillespie (3-79) stole the momentum, claiming Fleming, Craig McMillan (4), Daniel Vettori (2) and Chris Cairns (8).

Australian wicketkeeper-batsman Adam Gilchrist is set to make history today by becoming the first international cricketer to carry commercial sponsorship on his bat.In his appearances in VB Series matches in Melbourne over the next three days against New Zealand and South Africa respectively, Gilchrist is poised to take advantage of a recent change to International Cricket Council (ICC) regulations that now allows for advertising to be carried on a player’s bat.The back of the Australian vice-captain’s bat will feature a small logo advertising Travelex, a foreign currency exchange company. Travelex sponsored the Australian team on its recent Ashes tour of England and has elected to continue a commercial association with the side in a deal which will link its name with Gilchrist’s bat for the period up to and including next year’s World Cup tournament.”I’m delighted to be renewing my relationship with Travelex in such an exciting and innovative area of sponsorship,” said Gilchrist.The ICC’s Executive Board voted to amend rules governing bat sponsorship at a meeting in Kuala Lumpur in October. The new measures were then formally implemented last month as part of a series of changes to regulations that apply to the use of advertising on clothing and equipment.”Obviously, endorsement on bats represents a significant opportunity for cricketers throughout the world to help maximise their commercial value in the short time that they have available during their careers,” added Gilchrist.”The administrators are to be applauded for helping to provide players with this opportunity and to allow sponsors to benefit even further from their involvement with our great game.”Gilchrist is expected to open the Australian innings during the day-night encounter with New Zealand that today launches this season’s VB Series of one-day international matches.The 30-year-old has appeared in a total of 28 Tests and 119 one-day internationals for his country and is widely regarded as one of the world’s most exciting contemporary players.

URGENT ORIGINAL MAILED APPLICATION NEEDED.-original completed copy of the downloaded form must be mailed. Faxed or emailed applications will not be accepted.- a one page letter outlining your community involvement.- a one page personal letter outlining your life goals after your athletic career…….- one letter of reference.TEAM INVESTORS GROUP AMATEUR ATHLETES FUND – BURSARY PROGRAM 2002DEADLINE: JANUARY 31, 2002Athletes CAN is teaming up with Investors Group to assist Canada’s top amateur athletes strive for excellence. Twenty bursaries of $5000 are available to active senior national team athletes who meet the eligibility criteria.Complete details on the program as well as the application form can be found on our website www.athletescan.com.

New Zealand seem almost certain to complete their postponed tour of Pakistan between April 20 and May 18 now that Pakistan authorities have received a government assurance of safe passage for the New Zealanders out of Pakistan in the event of any problems.New Zealand Cricket chief executive Martin Snedden aborted the planned tour in September last year in the aftermath of the terrorist attacks on New York and Washington.At the time he said NZC would fulfil its obligations to complete the tour when the environment was safer.In discussion with the Pakistan Cricket Board recently, he sought an assurance of safe-keeping for the New Zealanders on the tour, a commitment that has been achieved with the assistance of the Pakistan Government.New Zealand will play three Tests and three One-Day Internationals at Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi.However, Snedden said arrangements had not yet been finalised. He has not yet received the Government assurance from the PCB and the tour has not been discussed by the board of New Zealand Cricket.But it will be on the agenda when the board meets in Christchurch on Wednesday of next week, before the first New Zealand-England ODI at Jade Stadium.Snedden said it would mean the New Zealand team faced a very tough schedule.The Test series with England ends on April 3. New Zealand then travel to Sharjah to play in the annual tournament there. From Sharjah they travel to Pakistan, and soon after returning they are due to travel to the West Indies although the tour itinerary has not yet been released.”I have talked to the players about it and they are not averse to touring Pakistan. They just want me to be satisfied about security issues,” he said.

India’s press have acknowledged that not all the fault was with their cricketers during their 2-0 series loss to New Zealand but they still lament the fact that India struggles to win away from home.A sampling of opinion is listed below:The Hindu:”There are hopes, there are dreams … and then they die. Life’s like that and cricket’s like that.”It was a 26-year-old quest. Could the Indians finally win a Test in New Zealand after several futile attempts?”In a low scoring game that twisted and turned like a slippery snake, they certainly were in with a chance on the fourth day, with the Kiwis still requiring 136, even if they had all the wickets in hand.”But, by now, the pitch, having become drier under the sun, had settled down well, and batting was less of a challenge. The odds were in favour of New Zealand.”And when Robbie Hart turned Ashish Nehra, who otherwise bowled with heart to grab three wickets, for a single to clinch the second National Bank Test for New Zealand by four wickets, it meant the Indians would have to wait much longer.”Kris Srikkanth in The Hindu:”New Zealand managed to reach the target in Hamilton and win the series 2-0, but let’s not blame our bowlers, who have been outstanding in this series. It was the bowlers who fought back magnificently after India was dismissed for 99 in the first innings, and had we batted better in the second innings, the series could have been squared. There was little application from our batsmen, and they were hardly prepared to wait at the crease …”There is something wrong somewhere in our cricket structure, and we have to root out the cause. The time has come for us to take some brave moves. We have to start by preparing pitches with pace and bounce at home, and have domestic cricket played on such surfaces. Only then would we be able to produce batsmen who can score on all conditions.”The Times of India:”In the end, the four-wicket win by New Zealand over India at Hamilton on day four would look comprehensive, but the second Test was a study in moves and counter moves with Dame Fortune sometimes favouring the tourists and sometimes the hosts.”Chasing 160 to win, New Zealand were made to stretch as India took the game down to the wire by claiming six wickets.”This time round it was Ashish Nehra who stood up to be counted by taking the three vital wickets of [Mark] Richardson, [Stephen] Fleming and [Craig] McMillan. With the win at Hamilton, New Zealand have swept the two-Test series 2-0 after they beat India in the first Test at Wellington by 10 wickets.”[Sourav] Ganguly’s dream of winning a series overseas after a gap of 16 years has suffered a setback once again. To add insult to injury, this is the first time that New Zealand has beaten India in two consecutive Tests.”The most worrying factor for the Indians has been the failure of their famed batting lineup that has struggled to negotiate rising deliveries and handle lateral movement.”The Hindustan Times:”Another series defeat that too, 2-0 against New Zealand will weigh heavily on the Indian team and will also re-emphasise the fact that the team of many so-called great cricketers cannot win outside their country. Like the mythical albatross this voodoo hangs around India’s neck.”Most cricket teams, apart from Australia find it difficult to win outside their country and the recent bad record of Pakistan which could not even perform up to mark in Sharjah is another example. The tour of West Indies and now New Zealand was the best chance to break the voodoo and stamp some sort of authority in the world of Test cricket. There too India failed.”If at all any team was fit to pull it off it was Sourav Ganguly’s. The team had character, the team had stars, the team had some new players who give everything to the team and a captain who has rallied his men well. Yet the team fared disastrously in the under-prepared pitches. It happened in the home of John Wright who has done a lot to change the temperament and character of the team. To take a team to his home country and beat the hosts could have been a great professional achievement for him, though not emotionally easy. Wright must be the saddest of them all.”Sourav Ganguly in the Hindustan Times:”For the first time since 1934, a Test match has been completed with 36 wickets falling and not one fifty being scored. This could be one of the reasons why spectators don’t turn up to watch Test cricket in New Zealand, and if such pitches are prepared in the future, not many will turn up to buy tickets for the game.”In total, five days were played in a two-Test series and none but the groundsmen deserved the silverware of the series. The comments and the attitude around the venues just gave the impression that more attention was paid to prove that Indian batting was good enough only on sub-continent pitches – but the track record reveals some other stories.”Surprisingly, people who are supposed to have been brought up on these pitches and have played on them throughout their lives, could not put bat to ball. Of course, Mark Richardson was an exception – he looked an organised player.”

Rather like a business chief executive marking up a a rising sales graph, Mark Richardson, the 31-year-old Auckland opening batsman, added another asset to his portfolio with a century against Otago at Colin Maiden Park today.Richardson scored an even 100, the 16th of his first-class career which carried him into international cricket a few years ago.This was Richardson’s second century in consecutive games after reaching 133 against Northern Districts last week, and his third for the summer which gave him a Test century against Bangladesh.For Richardson today’s 100 proved to the doughty left-hander that he had worked his way out of the bad patch which had been his indifferent start, and then dismissal, from the VB one-day series in Australia.”I enjoyed the Test cricket in Australia, and the overall cricket atmosphere with the excellent playing and training and match ground facilities,” said Richardson.The tour also gave Richardson the chance to watch and admire his favourite batsman, Matthew Hayden, the formidable Australian left-handed opener.However, Richardson’s total admiration for the man whom he regards as the best batsman in the world was later diluted by the fact that he played only four One-Day Internationals during the VB Series, and then twiddled his thumbs on the sideline for the remaining six matches.”That was the real downer for me,” said Richardson today.”So in my matches for Auckland I have tried to get back into the methods I used at Test level, concentrating on scoring through the vee, playing down the ground.”I have had a couple of long innings, I have not hurried over my runs, the pace of my hundred today was similar to that against ND last week.”But I feel good, that I am striking the ball reasonably well and getting back into Test-match methods.”Now Richardson will have to wait until next week to find whether the national selectors want him for the three home Tests against England. On recent form Richardson should be among the first players picked.

Fifteen players have been named for the 2003 CFX Academy intake, which will run from May to August this year. Since the Academy is no longer fielding a team in the Logan Cup competition, the change of dates will allow the players to play a full part in the club cricket programme, as well as more senior levels of the game if selected.There were 51 applications for 17 places (two of which are reserved for as yet unnamed students from Kenya). Preliminary trials were held at the Academy on 5 and 6 December last year, after which the national selectors chose 27 to undergo final trials there on 6 and 7 January. This led to the selection of the final 15.Three of the 2002 students – Charles Coventry, Stuart Matsikenyeri and Vusi Sibanda – will return for a second year, in line with ZCU policy, as it is felt another year would benefit them. Coventry and Matsikenyeri missed much of the early programme last year due to other cricketing commitments: Coventry went with the national team to India for the experience, while Matsikenyeri played club cricket in Australia.The 15 are as follows:Ryan Bennett (Mashonaland)
Erick Chauluka (Mashonaland)
Stanley Chioza (Mashonaland)
Charles Coventry (Matabeleland)
Dylan de Beer (Mashonaland)
Craig Ervine (Mashonaland)
Gavin Ewing (Matabeleland)
Anthony Ireland (Midlands)
Adiel Kugotsi (Manicaland)
Johnson Marumisa (Mashonaland)
Stuart Matsikenyeri (Mashonaland)
Norman Mukondiwa (Matabeleland)
Vusi Sibanda (Midlands)
Greg Strydom (Matabeleland)
Kudzai Taibu (Mashonaland)
Until the course starts in May, the students will continue to play club and Logan Cup cricket, and have been provided with a training programme to undertake until then. With Eddo Brandes having recently left for Australia, the Academy coach for 2003 has not yet been appointed, and there is a suggestion that it may be somebody from outside the country.The Academy intake each year is chosen by the national selectors. One of them, Stephen Mangongo, who has for years been heavily involved in the development programme, has supplied us with basic information about the 2003 students.He says, "This year we have a mixture of players who have been playing in the leagues, players who have just left school, and three who are going back to the Academy for a second year. These three definitely have enough talent, but in Zimbabwe we do not play enough cricket during the winter period, so it has been seen fit that if we get these boys back into the Academy where they are able to play more cricket and get more coaching, hopefully it will help them to develop faster.Ryan Bennett is a former St George’s College boy who plays for Old Georgians. He will offer variation in the bowling department as an away-swing bowler and we believe that a stay in the Academy will help him to improve in the swing department. He also has potential as a batsman.Erick Chauluka was one of the first boys to come through the scholarship scheme in the township of Highfield. He went to Lord Malvern School for his A-levels, but unfortunately they were not playing among the top schools, so he had to take a back seat while boys playing for schools like Prince Edward and Churchill took the limelight. Now he has been playing club cricket for the past two years and is opening batsman for Takashinga. He has a lot of cricket in him and I hope he will develop in the Academy.Stanley Chioza is a former Prince Edward School scholarship boy who has come up through the ranks. He has been playing for Takashinga first team. He is a big boy, an all-out fast bowler, and we believe that his workout in the Academy will make him a better bowler.Dylan de Beer plays for Alexandra Sports Club and is a former Eaglesvale boy. He has a natural aggressive flair with the bat. He spent the winter playing in England, but is now back in town and has decided he wants to join the Academy.Craig Ervine is the younger brother of Sean – cricket runs in the family with the Ervines! He has just left Lomagundi College. He is a top-order batsman with a solid technique and has done very well for the national Under-19 team, for whom he has scored a couple of fifties. He also bowls some off-spin.Gavin Ewing was rejected by the Academy two years ago on fitness ground but is now being given another opportunity. He has been on the scene for the past few years, playing Under-19 cricket and representing Zimbabwe in the Africa Cup. He is an all-rounder, an off-spinner full of enthusiasm and energy, and we believe he is also going to benefit from his stay in the Academy.Anthony Ireland is a young man from the Midlands area who has been identified. He was at Plumtree High School, a big boy with good physique who is a fast bowler. If his technique is worked on, he has the potential to come through. Clive Lloyd, on his recent visit to this country when Pakistan were playing, passed through Kwekwe and was very impressed when he saw this boy in training. When he played in the trials, he was the fastest bowler.Adiel Kugotsi, from Mutare, has just left school. He is a fast bowler with a lot of potential. He has a good physique and has played in Logan Cup matches for Manicaland. We hope that the four-month stint in the Academy will help him to develop.Johnson Marumisa is a Churchill scholarship boy from the townships, a top-order batsman and leg-spinner, although a little raw on the spinning side. He has been scoring a lot of runs for Takashinga and we believe that the Academy will help him to fine-tune his technique.Norman Mukondiwa, from Matabeleland, is a very raw pace bowler, but because of his potential he has been enrolled in the Academy.Greg Strydom is from Matabeleland. This young man has been playing league and Logan Cup cricket for the last two years, and scored a first-class century at the age of 17. He missed selection for the Under-19 World Cup in New Zealand but has now been given the opportunity to work in the Academy.Kudzai Taibu is the younger brother of Tatenda, a wicket-keeper/batsman, and some people say he has more flair than his brother with the bat. He can hit the ball hard and far.Stephen says, "Zimbabwe will have 15 students and the other two will come from Kenya, as part of helping cricket to develop in Africa."One criticism that could be levelled at the Academy is that some of the students who have graduated in previous years have actually failed even to succeed as players at Logan Cup level. Could this be a wastage of resources and money, taking in students who are scarcely likely to approach international quality?Stephen replies, "It’s an interesting scenario. We don’t have a big player base and the Academy is playing a vital role in bringing quality cricketers to play in the clubs, at provincial level, and the top players at international level. The ones who have not been very successful have actually proved very good as coaches."So the Academy is playing a dual role here, in that it has produced good players – the likes of Douggie Hondo, Travis Friend, Mluleki Nkala and so on – but at the same time other players who have graduated have been an asset to the Zimbabwe Cricket Union development programme. They have been running excellent coaching programmes; for example, Ryan King has not really blossomed as a player, but he has carved a niche as a coach in Matabeleland. So I think it is imperative that we keep the numbers and develop our base of players, and the ones who do not shape up as players are given the opportunity to develop as coaches."Stephen praises Kish Gokal, the Academy manager, for his hard work in putting together the programme for 2003. "In the past the boys used to come in early, in January or February, and do a lot of fitness training, and after that they would go on to the technical side and play a few cricket matches. This year we will see the students come into the Academy fully fit already because they have already been given programmes by Steve Scott, our fitness consultant, to make sure that between January and May they get fit. They will be monitored monthly, so that as soon as they get into the Academy they will need to deal with only technical issues, not fitness issues."The second issue, which I think is a fantastic idea, is to make sure that these boys play more games. No matter how much coaching they get in the nets, the bottom line is that the best teacher is out there in the middle, playing in matches. I understand Kish Gokal and the other administrators have been working very hard to ensure that this season we will go down to South Africa and play some of the provincial academies, possibly get involved in the Academy week in South Africa, and to me that is the most interesting part of this coming season."From this point of view, it is unfortunate that the new Logan Cup programme does not make it possible for the Academy team to participate. "In the past it helped them to play as a team," says Stephen. "But what is happening is that the Academy students will go into the provinces and meet senior players there who will help their game to grow."