The United Cricket Board of South Africa has blocked Warwickshire’s bid to sign Makhaya Ntini for the 2004 season. Warwickshire have had a long association with South African fast bowlers – Allan Donald and Shaun Pollock have both played for the club over a number of seasons – but there are concerns about Ntini’s heavy workload.”We received a request from Warwickshire to talk to Makhaya about him playing for them next summer,” said a UCB spokesman. “He had spoken to Gerald Majola about the request, but as Makhaya is a bowler who will have played virtually nonstop since our tour to Bangladesh in April 2003, it was felt that it was important for him to have a rest and so the request was turned down.”Ntini has taken 123 wickets in 36 Tests at an average of 29.69, including 23 scalps in this summer’s series against England. Warwickshire have had problems with overseas players this year because of injuries, with Shane Bond, Michael Clark, Collins Obuya, Waqar Younis and Corey Collymore all recruited to the staff for some stage of the summer.

Legspinner Stuart MacGill and Wicketkeeper Brad Haddin have both been ruled-out of the SpeedBlitz Blues line-up for the Pura Cup match against Western Australia at the SCG, starting on Tuesday November 4th. Both have leg injuries. MacGill has been replaced by Liam Zammit, who’ll make his 1st Class debut for NSW. Zammit is a former Australian under 19’s representative who has also played Colts and 2nd XI for NSW. Haddin has been replaced by Nathan Pilon.The SpeedBlitz Blues side is:

Stephen Waugh (C)
Michael Slater
Greg Mail
Simon Katich
Phil Jaques
Mark Waugh
Nathan Pilon
Matthew Nicholson
Stuart Clark
Don Nash
Liam Zammit
Grant Lambert

A debutant team, Karachi Port Trust (KPT) qualified for next month’s first-class Patron’s Trophy competition but former winners, National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) were eliminated along with Habib Bank Limited (HBL), Service Industries and Pakistan PWD after the end of the sixth round in the Inter-Department Qualifying Tournament.KPT earned first innings points against National Bank at the Country Club in Muridke after rain prevented any play on the last two days of the three-day encounter. KTP had scored 221 for three on the first day.In Pool B, KPT with 27 points finished second behind ZTBL (30 points). ZTBL defeated Railways by seven wickets assisted by their fast bowler Mohammad Siddique who dominated the last day to pick up 5-61 as Railways were dismissed for 166 which left ZTBL a victory target of 76.In Pool A, Pakistan Customs look set for a place in the Patron’s Trophy alongside PIA after they routed Defense Housing Authority (DHA) by 201 runs. Pacemen Imran Ali claimed 6-57 and Junaid Zia took 3 more for match figures of 8-93 to bowl out DHA 138 who were chasing 350 runs.
The Customs victory left DHA in a must-win situation against PIA in the last round. If DHA obtain first innings points in a draw against PIA, they will be locked on equal points with Customs and the qualifier will be decided on net run-rate.In Pool C, Wapda head the table after brushing aside POF by an innings and 99 runs. However, the second qualifier will be decided after the last round match between ARL and KRL who defeated PTV by an innings and 14 runs. KRL only need a draw while ARL will be aiming for victory which would lock them on equal points for a decision based on net run-rate.In Pool D, Sui Gas and Allied Bank have already qualified to play for the Patron’s Trophy.In todays other results, Pak PWD were held to a thrilling draw by Dewan Farooq Motors Limited (DFML) who were chasing 258 for victory but managed to finish the day at 210-9.Also going out with Pak PWD and NBP were Habib Bank, who were resting, and Service Industries whose match against HEC was hit by rain.The last round begins on Thursday.Scores in brief (day 3 of 3)Pool A:
At National Stadium, Karachi, Pakistan Customs 161 in 46.4 overs (Bilal Khiljee 42, Kashif Siddique 34, Rizwan Saeed 6-58, Nasir Khan 4-46) and 268 (Shahbaz Butt 95, Kamran Hussain 36, Bilal Khiljee 33, Rizwan Saeed 4-88, Nasir Khan 4-97) vs DHA 80 in 21.4 overs (Asif Zakir 35, Stephen John 5-20, Junaid Zia 5-46) and 138 (Asif Zakir 57, Wasim Naeem 38, Imran Ali 6-57, Junaid Zia 3-47). Customs won by 201 runs.
At Quaid-e-Azam Park, Karachi, Pak PWD 325 in 82.2 overs (Riaz Sheikh 102, Amin-ur-Rehman 36, Rauf Akbar 35, Naved Khan 30, Aqeel Abbas 5-86) and 216-8 declared (Zeeshan Pervez 58, Ahmer Saeed 58, Aqeel Abbas 4-46) vs DFML 284 in 92 overs (Agha Sabir 116, Rizwan Farid 38, Javed Qadeer 38, Riaz Sheikh 7-94) and 210-9 (Mohammad Masroor 78, Salman Khan 37, Zeeshan Khan 32, Fahim Ahmed 3-14). Match drawn.
At UBL Sports Complex, Karachi, KESC 284 in 77.4 overs (Daniyal Ahsan 115, Jaffar Qureshi 39, Tahir Khan 32, Farman Shah 7-101, Jawad Ali 3-78) and 177-3 declared (Khurram Manzoor 68, Daniyal Ahsan 51) vs Pakistan Navy 166 (Mohammad Waheed 40, Wajahat Farooqi 5-50, Saeed Khan 3-56) and 100 (Mohammad Waheed 49, Kamran Bin Mansoor 5-22, Jaffar Qureshi 4-13). KESC won by 195 runs.Pool B:
At KRL Stadium, Rawalpindi, KRL 278 in 63.4 overs (Yasir Arafat 86, Zulfiqar Jan 46, Mohammad Ramzan 31, Khalid Latif 3-57) vs PTV 123 in 47.4 overs (Ali Naqvi 5-28), Jaffar Nazir 3-28) and 141 (Ahmed Shah 41, Naseer Ahmed Snr 36, Ali Naqvi 5-26, Jaffar Nazir 3-32). KRL won by an innings and 14 runs.
At Arbab Niaz Stadium, Peshawar, Wapda 330-6 in 73 overs declared (Mohammad Zaman 104 not out, Shahid Manzoor 54, Yousuf Khan 50 not out) vs POF 87 in 23 overs (Naved-ul-Hasan 5-38) and 144 (Sarfraz Ahmed 3-18, Naved-ul-Hasan 3-28). Wapda won by an innings and 99 runs.
At Shalimar Ground, Islamabad, PTCL 135-1 in 31 overs (Naved Latif 44, Babar Naeem 41*, Sheraz Khalid 29 retired hurt) vs ARL. No Result, no play on third day.Pool C:
At Country Club, Muridke, KPT 221-3 in 65.3 overs (Maisam Hasnain 86*, Shadab Kabir 55, Mohammad Farrukh 31) vs NBP. No Result, no play on third day.
At Gymkhana Ground, Okara, 246 in 75 overs (Kashif Naved 54, Khalid Bashir 49, Zia-ur-Rehman 43, Rao Iftikhar 6-68, Mohammad Siddique 3-76) and 166 (Kashif Naved 37, Mohammad Siddique 5-61, Raheel Majeed 3-19) vs ZTBL 337-8 in 82.1 overs (Raheel Majeed 92, Zeeshan Mohsin 78, Shahid Yousuf 74*, Imran Abbas 33) and 76-3 (Shahid Yousuf 30 not out). ZTBL won by seven wickets.
At LCCA Ground, Lahore, Service Industries 222-8 in 79 overs (Ahmed Shafi 89, Kashif Nizami 42, Zaheer Abbas 3-26) vs HEC 101-3 in 28 overs (Atif Ijaz 37*, Aqeel Anwar 33). Match drawn.

Khalid Latif, the opening batsman, has been named as Pakistan’s captain for next month’s Under-19 World Cup in Bangladesh.Khalid has played 10 first-class matches, as well as two U-19 `Tests’ against Sri Lanka in August last year. In junior one-day cricket, he has played eight matches, and he scored 98 in his first appearance for Allied Bank in this season’s inter-departmental qualifying round.He has some captaincy experience as well. He led Pakistan on three occasions – against Malaysia U-17 in 2000, Sri Lanka in August 2003, and in the Asian U-19 tournament at Lahore and Karachi.Squad Khalid Latif (capt), Adnan Zaheer, Abid Ali, Jahangir Mirza, Mohammad Asif Iqbal, Fawad Alam, Zulqarnain Haider (wk), Tariq Mahmood, Mansoor Amjad, Usman Saeed, Salman Qadir, Wahad Riaz, Mohammad Riaz Afridi, Ali Imran Pasha.

As if they needed any reminder of their current predicament, England have been drawn to face Zimbabwe in the opening match of this summer’s ICC Champions Trophy, at Edgbaston on September 10.But where England and Zimbabwe are concerned these days, nothing can be taken for granted. The match is scheduled to take place a matter of weeks before England themselves fly out to Zimbabwe for a full Test tour, but that trip is in doubt because of Britain’s opposition to Robert Mugabe’s disgraced regime. In turn, the ICC have the right to withdraw the Champions’ Trophy from England, and may choose to do so at a meeting of the ten board chairmen in Auckland next month.Although Zimbabwe’s visit to England passed without incident last summer, the same cannot be said of the last time the two teams were scheduled to face each other in an official ICC event. In February 2003, England withdrew from their opening fixture of the 2003 World Cup, after a player-led boycott, a decision that may cost the ECB upwards of £2 million.England versus Zimbabwe is the match with an added frisson, but other notable fixtures include England’s second group match against Sri Lanka at The Rose Bowl on September 17, and India against Pakistan at Edgbaston two days later. The final is scheduled for The Oval on Saturday, September 25, England’s late-summer weather permitting, of course. Fortunately, reserve days have been allocated for all matches, to reduce the need for Duckworth/Lewis calculations in the event of rain.As Australia proved in the VB Series finals this week, they remain the pre-eminent side in one-day cricket. But Malcolm Speed, the chief executive of the ICC, was sure that the tournament would throw up some intriguing results. “Since the World Cup last year, we have seen a number of teams undergo a radical transformation,” said Speed. “The England and Pakistan teams are barely recognisable from the sides that crashed out in the first round, and this tournament will be the opportunity for the cricketing world to see just how far these teams have now come.David Clarke, the ECB’s tournament director, was equally optimistic about the prospects for the tournament. “The ICC Champions Trophy presents a tremendous opportunity for cricket fans here to see the best in the world at close quarters,” he said. “The intensity of the competition will guarantee plenty of top-quality action as the best one-day players in the world go head-to-head for this prestigious title in three of England’s top venues.”Twelve teams will be split into four groups of three for a round-robin group stage, with the winner of each group moving through to the semi-finals.

Queensland 6 for 282 (Simpson 71, Love 52, Nye 59*, Bracken 3-42) v New South Wales
Scorecard

Australia’s loss has been New South Wales’s gain. Nathan Bracken, not wanted by the Test selectors for the tour of Sri Lanka, ripped through Queensland’s middle order on the first day of the Pura Cup match at the SCG, taking 3 for 1 in 24 balls, including the prized scalp of Martin Love, to keep New South Wales’s title defence alive.But the patched-up Queensland team, forced to rush Damien McKenzie onto a flight from Brisbane to Sydney when Ashley Noffke was a late withdrawal with an ankle injury, refused to surrender, reaching 6 for 282 at stumps as Aaron Nye made an unbeaten 59 on debut.”It’s interesting at the moment, pretty evenly poised,” said Bracken. “We’ve just got to get out there tomorrow and if we bowl well for an hour, we can do some serious damage and hopefully finish them off quickly.”Bracken was untouchable after tea. It must have been something he ate. Starting the final session wicketless with Queensland travelling relatively comfortably at 3 for 181, Bracken claimed the vital wicket of Love for 52, trapped James Hopes lbw for 8, and had Chris Hartley caught by Michael Clarke at third slip for a duck as the Bulls staggered to 6 for 202.Hundreds of schoolchildren, on hand to watch Steve and Mark Waugh’s last game at the SCG, had just gone home. They contributed to a crowd of 2409 – about 2000 more than normal for a day at the Pura Cup. Steve Waugh – who would have expected to roll Queensland over before stumps after sending them in – bowled the last over as the crowd in the Noble Stand sang “For He’s A Jolly Good Fellow”.Bracken’s burst, combined with Matthew Nicholson (2 for 68) getting rid of the prolific Stuart Law for just 10 and Glenn McGrath’s miserly effort of 0 for 26 from 17 overs, gave NSW every chance to pull off the outright win both sides require to sneak into the Pura Cup final. To get there, NSW or Queensland also need Tasmania to go pointless against Victoria at Hobart.New South Wales could have done without a late 80-run partnership between Nye and Andy Bichel (46*). “We were in a position where we had the opportunity to go through them but they dug their heels in,” said Bracken, who finished with 3 for 42 from 17 overs. “We were looking at 350 as being the par score for the day, so we’re happy.”Dominic Thornely took 12th-man duties to new heights. Squeezed out of the starting XI, he grabbed two vital catches – one of them a blinder, the other just plain difficult – to send Love and Law back to the pavilion. Having only taken the field because Adrian Tucker needed treatment for a finger injury, Thornely dived full-length to his left at square leg to catch Law, before accepting a lofted pull-shot from Love as he ran in the opposite direction to the pitch at midwicket. They were big breakthroughs – Law is Queensland’s highest alltime runscorer, and Love is sixth on the list.The New South Wales camp denied they were keeping close tabs on Tasmania’s progress against the Vics. “We’re 100% on this one here,” said Bracken. “If we don’t get six points [by winning outright], there’s no point even worrying about that game.”

Scorecard

Although the series was already lost, Sri Lanka salvaged some pride with a three-wicket victory against a weakened Australia outfit at the Sinhalese Sports Club. Their bowlers first restricted Australia to a modest 198 for 7 on a fine batting strip and then, powered by a magnificent 66-run stand for the eighth wicket between Nuwan Zoysa and Russel Arnold, sneaked home with 13 balls to spare.Zoysa was the undisputed star of the show with bat and ball. In the morning he started Australia’s problems, nipping out both openers before finishing with 3 for 34. Then, in the afternoon, when all but the most loyal Sri Lanka fan had given up hope at 136 for 7, Zoysa smashed 47 from 42 balls, hitting five fours and two sixes, to carry Sri Lanka home.Sri Lanka had made a shaky start to their run-chase. Marvan Atapattu, who could have been dismissed off the first two balls of the innings as he swished at wide outswingers from Brett Lee, was bowled through the gate by an inswinger from Michael Kasprowicz (2 for 1).Sanath Jayasuriya avoided a third consecutive duck – his first run wascheered to the rafters by an excitable Sunday crowd – but Lee, who bowled aggressively and also swung the new ball wickedly, cramped him for room with a short one and Brad Williams pouched a simple catch running in from long leg (27 for 2).Kumar Sangakkara, meanwhile, was riding his luck. He was perilously close to being lbw first ball to Kasprowicz and Lee’s appeal shortly after was even closer. But he soon found his feet and counterattacked in the same thrilling vein that proved so successful on Friday night.

Lee was punched through the off side and then cut savagely over point.Kasprowicz was clipped through the leg side and then flat-batted through the covers. Sri Lanka sped past fifty in the 12th over. When Brad Hogg entered the fray, Sangakkara charged down the wicket and lofted back over the bowler’s head.Mahela Jayawardene was also playing positively, hitting four fours inhis 30-ball 21, as 60 runs were added in 63 balls. Brad Williams, though, briefly silenced the noisy 15,000-strong crowd as Jayawardene edged to slip. Moments later, Sangakkara was bowled behind his legs by Hogg having scored 37 from 41 balls with seven fours and at 91 for 4 the match was back in the balance.Saman Jayantha (23) and Tillakaratne Dilshan (15) added 26 in 37 balls, with Jayantha hitting four fours, before Michael Kasprowicz, recalled to the attack, nipped a delivery back through Jayantha’s defenses. Gilchrist’s next bowling change was also successful as Andrew Symonds deceived Dilshan with a classic offbreak that jack-knifed back through the gate (126 for 6).The innings ground to a halt as Russel Arnold, under intense pressure as he fought for his place in the side, tried to consolidate. Upul Chandana, normally such a perky player, was also becalmed as only 10 runs were added in 37 balls. Gilchrist pulled in his field and Chandana duly obliged with a gloved catch to short leg (136 for 7).But gradually Zoysa and Arnold started to knit together a partnership. The runs came in a slow trickle at the start but the momentum startedto swing Sri Lanka’s way. Finally, moments after Williams had spilled a diving catch off a legside flick, Zoysa cut free, pulling Lee for a six and a four during the 44th over of the innings. He followed up with a magnificent straight six off Hogg, and kept the momentum going thereafter, surging home with a legside boundary.In the morning, Zoysa had created the problems on a fresh surface, whipping out Adam Gilchrist and Brad Haddin. Haddin (9) mistimed a straight drive and skied a towering catch to Sanath Jayasuriya at mid-off. Gilchrist (18), the acting captain with Ricky Ponting resting, was trapped plumb lbw (34 for 2).Katich (10), playing his first game of the series, and Michael Clarke,batting at No. 3, started to consolidate with a 21-run stand in 32 balls before Zoysa starred again, this time with a sharp pick-up and inch-perfect throw from third man to run out Katich who was returning for a second (55 for 3).Following Zoysa and Kulasekera’s excellent opening spells, Atapattu turned to his slow bowlers. Upul Chandana found immediate turn for his legbreaks and Tillakaratne Dilshan came perilously close to trapping Damien Martyn lbw on 5.

But Martyn and Michael Clarke added 31 in 52 balls and Atapattu finallytossed the ball to Muralitharan in the 23rd over the innings. Clarke, trying to hammer a rare short delivery, top edged a spiralling catch to Dilshan sprinting back from midwicket (86 for 4).Muralitharan then grabbed his 350th one-day wicket as Michael Bevan prodded at an offbreak and edged to Jayawardene at slip. Muralitharan was whipped out of the attack and Chandana, his replacement, struck with his second ball back as Martyn was bowled for a 63-ball 38 (120 for 6).Symonds (40) and Brag Hogg (35 not out) partially repaired the damage with a 76-run stand to lift Australia to a modest but defendable total. When Sri Lanka’s middle order collapsed it looked like the crucial stand of the match. But Zoysa, back in the side after an 18-month absence, was reading a different script.

The majority of county chiefs are in favour of making changes to the current promotion and relegation system, according to a poll in the latest edition of magazine. The survey confirmed that 13 of the 18 counties wanted to see two teams go up and down from each season rather than three.A change to this structure is expected to form part of the recommendations of the ECB’s Domestic Structure Review Group (DSRG), which is due to publish a report this July. However, any changes would be unlikely to come into effect until 2006.”Three sides going down is the equivalent of seven teams in football’s Premiership and that’s too many,” Jim Cumbes, Lancashire’s chief executive told the magazine. John Scopes, Northamptonshire’s chairman, agreed, saying, “It’s a bit of a lottery. It only takes a couple of injuries and a bit of bad luck with the weather to finish seventh.” Paul Sheldon at Surrey added: “Three-up, three-down is too many. More important is that we listen to current players rather than former players about playing too much – and a unified voice says we do.”Another who had his say was Tom Richardson, Gloucestershire’s chief executive, who said the two-up, two-down was the way ahead: “I don’t think we should be cautious about change, but we need to look at it in the round. Two divisions works. It adds to the focus, the competitive nature.” Gloucestershire were one of the three teams to have been promoted to Division One last season, meaning that every county has been in the top division at some stage.Restructuring the system has been high on English cricket’s agenda since the end of last season with numerous plans being put forward. The Cricket Reformation Group, headed by Bob Willis, a former England captain, believes 12 of the 18 counties should go part-time, with the national side being drawn from 120 professionals divided up between the six full-time clubs. While Matthew Engel, editor of the Wisden Cricketers’ Alamanack, proposed a merger of the Championship and the National League into a single competition.

Martin Bicknell took his 1000th first-class wicket when he had Matthew Dennington caught behind by wicketkeeper Jonathan Batty on the final day of Surrey’s Championship match against Kent at The Oval today. It was Batty’s ninth catch of the match.Bicknell was made to wait for the wicket, and the mounted-ball trophy which had been on standby in the Surrey dressing-room for much of yesterday afternoon was finally unveiled. He should have reached the landmark shortly before tea on Thursday, but Azhar Mahmood split a routine second-slip chance from Michael Carberry.Bicknell, 35, made his debut for Surrey in 1986 and has been their most reliable bowler for more than a decade. He played four Tests for England, two in 1993 and two last season after a decade on the sidelines."To reach 1000 first-class wickets is a hell of an achievement for any bowler and one I’ve targeted since I went past 700 about five years ago," Bicknell told the Surrey Advertiser. "My dream has always been to do it at The Oval, my home ground, but you can’t get too choosy really. I had a few problems with my hamstring at the start of this season but the ball is coming out well now."

The annual general meeting of the Matabeleland Cricket Association at the Queens Sports Club on Saturday ended in chaos when an official of the Zimbabwe Cricket Union tried to hijack proceedings.The problems arose when Vumindaba Moyo, who was challengingAhmet Esat for the post of Matabeleland chairman, declared that a newblack club – Emakhandeni – whose application for affiliation had only just been received, should be allowed to vote.At that point Mukuhlani, the Mashonaland chairman, who was at the meeting as an observer, stood up to support Esat. “I am here as the acting ZCU chairman,” Mukuhlani is reported to have shouted, banging his fist on the table. “Whatever I say is binding … when I am talking I demand respect.”Esat is seen locally as weak, as he was a member of the ZCU board which made the decision to fire the 15 senior players led by Matabeleland’s Heath Streak. The clubs also felt that Esat failed to speak for the province at ZCU board meetings and was overshadowed by Tavengwa Mukuhlani, Max Ebrahim and Ozais Bvute (Bvute attended the meeting but kept unusually silent). So the clubs supported Moyo as they felt he would speak for, and stand up for, the province.Mukuhlani had no right to speak at a meeting which he was attending as an observer. It is also unclear under what authority he was claiming to be acting chairman of the ZCU. He was accompanied by Givemore Makoni, the Matabeleland provincial general manager, who also had no right to be involved in procedings.But his intervention triggered ugly scenes as Moyo and his supporters began hurling insults at Esat and Mukuhlani before storming out of the meeting. “This is not a ZCU meeting, you cannot come here and tell us what to do,” yelled a clearly angry Moyo.Eventually, Dennis Streak, who was chairman of the AGM, restored some sort of order and the elections went ahead, but all the blacks who were nominated for the posts refused to stand. Esat was re-elected unopposed while Stanley Staddon was elected as vice-chairman. The results mean that none of the members of the board are black, and Matabeleland, the second most powerful province after Mashonaland, has still not had a black chairman.The result might not stand for too long as Moyo is understood to be gathering support from the Matabeleland clubs with a view to forcing a motion of no confidence in the Esat-led board at an Emergency General Meeting.