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In an effort to qualify for the next World Cup, in West Indies in 2007, Scotland are to appoint a full-time coach. Investment from Sport Scotland will help to finance the post.Roddy Smith, who became Scotland’s chief executive on Monday, said the full-time position will be filled by “the best candidate we can find and that the search will be worldwide.” Initially, the coach will be on a fixed-term contract until September 30 2005, after which there will be a review.To win qualification for the 2007 World Cup Scotland would need to finish in the top five at the 12-team ICC Trophy for non-Test nations, which is being held in Ireland in next July. Tony Judd, who is the current coach, works part-time. He thinks that making the post full-time has been overdue and it will be vital for them to qualify for the next World Cup.Judd remains until December 31, and is undecided whether to apply for the new position. “I will continue to do everything I can to support the teams training and competition programme until the end of the year,” he said. At present he is helping the Scotland side prepare for the semi-final of the ICC Intercontinental Cup against Kenya in Dubai starting on November 16.Smith paid tribute: “Tony has done a fantastic job in his part-time capacity…last year culminated in the Scottish side defeating a full Test-playing country [Bangladesh] for the first time, something for which Tony can be very proud.”

Brad Hodge unbeaten 154 outgunned Ian Ward’s 136 in the outstanding match of the latest round of National League matches, as Leicestershire held out for a one-run victory over Sussex at Horsham. Elsewhere, Shane Warne celebrated his unexpected early return from Zimbabwe with four wickets and a useful 48, as Hampshire beat Gloucestershire, while Scott Newman’s 106 gave Surrey a long-overdue victory to bring an end to their disastrous start to the season. At Old Trafford, Sajid Mahmood and Alex Wharf preserved Lancashire’s unbeaten record, and at Derby Somerset’s wicketkeeper, Carl Gazzard, cracked an impressive 157 to secure a 114-run victory.

National League Division One

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Aussie imports overpower Gloucs The Times
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Loye sweeps Lancs to victory The Guardian
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Northants collect first points of the season The Telegraph
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Newman leads Surrey to first winThe Guardian

National League Division Two

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Gazzard century leads Sabres’ victoryThe Times
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Klusener grabs last-ball win for Middlesex The Times
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Foxes steal narrow win over Sharks The Times
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Batty restricts Yorkshire The Times

In a controversial leaked report, the South African team has been accused of undisciplined preparation for the World Cup. The players mentioned included Herschelle Gibbs (accused of "bingeing") Allan Donald (excessive drinking) and Lance Klusener (poor fitness).The report filed to the United Cricket Board (UCB) by Andrew Gray, the South African team’s fitness trainer, was published by a Cape Town newspaper. Eric Simons, the team coach, is expected to issue a statement on behalf of the players on Thursday, after a team meeting on Wednesday night to discuss the controversy that erupted on the eve of the first Test at Chittagong.However, Gray, now with the South African team touring in Bangladesh, clarified that the report did not refer to preparations just before for the World Cup. He said the comments were made in December last year as part of letters to individual players in the World Cup squad. But Gerald Majola, the UCB chief, admitted to the South African media that some of the issues raised in the report were of great concern, and are being addressed as part of an ongoing process to improve the team’s performance.The report also allegedly accused Jacques Kallis of having a poor lifestyle outside cricket, branded Andrew Hall, Charl Langeveldt and Klusener as "fatties", and Shaun Pollock of being a chocolate addict.Reacting to the report, Klusener called it a "huge red herring". He told the Daily Mercury: “Our failure (in the World Cup) had nothing to do either with our condition or the way we prepared for the tournament. It had more to do with our skill levels.” He pointed out that all the players had passed a fitness test at Cape Town’s Sports Science Institute two weeks before the tournament.Reacting more sharply, Donald called the published report "absolute rubbish". He told the South African media: "Gray will never say that about the players. Prior to the World Cup, we were advised on how to prepare for matches and when we could relax a bit. We are all professional sportsmen. We’re not idiots who’ll drink too much before South Africa’s cricket matches.”Donald told News 24 that the South African players on tour in Bangladesh were very disappointed about the report. “I spoke to Corrie van Zyl (bowling coach) and he said that he felt like a boxer who was being knocked down as soon as he tried to get up from the canvas.”As a result of this load of rubbish the players won’t get any recognition for their achievements in Bangladesh. Everything’s blown out of proportion. I’m very frustrated. It’s almost unbelievable and it’s yet another attempt to further sink South African cricket.”

The Sri Lankan selectors left out veteran batsman Aravinda de Silvafrom the 16-man squad selected for the forthcoming Test series againstIndia, which starts on next Tuesday at the Galle International CricketStadium.This is not the first time the veteran batsman has fallen out offavour with the selectors. However the right-hander, who has played 98Tests and is just 48 runs short of 6000 runs, played in Sri Lanka’slast Test series against England and scored his 19th century of thecareer in the first Test at Galle.The selectors have added middle order batsman Hashan Tillakaratne tothe squad after the southpaw spent two years in the wilderness. He isexpected to make it to the final eleven and will bat at number five orsix.Opening batsman Michael Vandort, who made a 116 in the ongoingpractice game against India at P Sara Stadium has also been includedwhile Chamara Silva has been left out.Thilan Samaraweera finally gets into the squad, as the second spinner.Kumar Dharmasena is left out. Samaraweera is, however, unlikely toplay, as the Sri Lankans look set to play three fast bowlers.The selectors, who met last evening, have picked fast bowler RuchiraPerera and he will be contesting for the third fast bowler’s placewith Suresh Perera and Dulip Liyanage.Romesh Kaluwitharana, left out of Test series against England, finds aplace in the Test squad after some impressive performances in therecent one-day series.The full squad: Sanath Jayasuriya (capt), Marvan Atapattu, KumarSangakkara, Mahela Jayawardene, Hashan Tillakaratne, Russell Arnold,Romesh Kaluwitharana, Chaminda Vaas, Dilhara Fernando, MuttiahMuralitharan, Suresh Perera, Avishka Gunawardene, Michael Vandort,Thilan Samaraweera, Dulip Liyanage, Ruchira Perera.

Barbados’s Kensington Oval will be the venue for the historic first Twenty20 International in the Caribbean. The 115-year-old ground will host the match when the West Indies meet Australia on June 21 under lights.The floodlights at Kensington Oval are yet to be installed but two months ago, Miles Weekes, who is working under a contract with Kensington Oval Management Inc, the company formed to market, operate and maintain the facility said: “We are looking to have them in place by January.”In the fixtures unveiled by the West Indies Cricket Board on Friday, it also showed that Barbados will be hosting the third Test of the Sir Frank Worrell Trophy Series from June 12-16. There will also be an ODI at the 3Ws Oval of the Cave Hill Campus of the University of West Indies when the Vice-Chancellor’s XI face the visitors.Australia arrive in the region on May 12 and will play three Tests and five ODIs. Apart from Kensington, the other Tests will be at Sabina Park, Jamaica and Sir Viv Richards Stadium in Antigua. Before then, Sri Lanka will be in the Caribbean for two Tests – in Guyana and Trinidad – and three ODIs. The third ODI on April 16 will be at the Beausejour Stadium in St Lucia and will be a day/nighter.

DAV Chandigarh and University of Moratuwa will play the first semi-final on Friday, while Great Britain Combined University Team will take on the University of Karachi in other knockout clash, after all four teams secured their progress on day three of Campus Cricket World Final.University of Moratuwa defeated Bangladesh’s University of Liberal Arts by 15 runs to place them three points ahead of Liberal Arts, who would need to win their final match to qualify for the semi-finals. Moratuwa’s win was propelled by sturdy contributions from the middle order, with Randika Perera the most impressive of the three batsmen who breached 30, hitting his 37 not out from 17 balls, to help his side to 146 for 6.Liberal Arts began with a 30-run partnership, but continued to lose wickets too regularly to mount a meaningful challenge to Moratuwa’s total. They were dismissed in the 19th over, for 131, with Vihangun Ariyaratne taking 3 wickets for 23 from his three overs.University of New South Wales had their first win of the tournament – one which almost got them into the semi-finals – when they defeated University of Karachi by five wickets, in a match shortened to 14-overs a side. New South Wales asked the opposition to bat first, and ensured Karachi could not launch a rapid start, through opening bowler Phil Hartig-Franc, who dismissed both openers and only conceded four runs an over. Karachi’s middle order stabilised the innings, before No. 5 Abdul Khan hit 30 from 16, to help propel his side to 123 for 8.New South Wales began more slowly than they might have wished, and at the end of the eighth over, needed 60 runs from six overs. A 34 to James McNeil and 33 from 10 balls to Hugh Campbell helped them achieve their target however, and a better net-run rate than Karachi gave them hope of reaching the semi-finals.Great Britain Combined University Team denied University of Liberal Arts a place in the semi-finals, with a five-wicket, final-over victory in the evening. Liberal arts made 133 for 8 after being put in to bat, with Mahmudur Rahman and Eftekhar Ahmed, the chief contributors to that score. Rahman, who held the innings together with his 41, could not score at a run-a-ball however, as James Saddington, Ben Wylie and Robert Woolley took two wickets apiece.Great Britain Combined began poorly in their chase, stumbling to 47 for 5 by the 11th over, but an unbeaten 87-run partnership between Jay O’ Nien, who made 34 from 25 and wicketkeeper batsman Alex Martin, who made 47 from 29, helped their side home with four balls to spare.DAV Chandigarh lost their first match of the tournament, as University of Karachi forced their way into the semi-finals with a four-wicket victory in a high-scoring encounter. Gurinder Singh motored Chandigarh to the biggest total of the tournament with a 56-ball unbeaten 101, that was also the tournament’s first century. He had support from opening batsman Jaskaran Singh, who contributed 57 from 39, but found little help from the middle order, after their 96-run second-wicket partnership was broken.Karachi began poorly, losing two wickets for 23 in the fourth over, but launched something of a recovery through Abdul Khan and Ramiz Aziz, who put on 60 together, before No.7 Nabeel Khalid played a stunning innings to bring his side back into the tournament from the brink. His unbeaten 51 from 18 balls featured six sixes and two fours, and Khalid’s heroics helped Karachi reel Chandigarh in with five balls to spare.

New Zealand A skipped further ahead of their rivals when they maintained their unbeaten record in a rain-interrupted victory against Karnataka State Cricket Association XI at Buderim. The other match between Australian Academy and South Africa Emerging Players, who reached 2 for 32 at Caloundra, was abandoned after only 9.1 overs due to the wet weather, leaving New Zealand with a healthy advantage with three qualifying matches remaining.Karnataka once again struggled to post a satisfying score and were dismissed in the 48th over for 150, but two short rain breaks in the New Zealand innings reduced the match by four overs and the target to 142. James Marshall struck 54 off 64 balls before a damaging cameo of 16 off six deliveries from Warren McSkimming, who finished the match with a six.The four teams in the Emerging Players Tournament have a rest day on Monday before the matches switch from the Sunshine Coast to Brisbane. New Zealand A have collected six wins to lead the competition while South Africa are second, the Academy third and Karnataka fourth.

ScorecardIan Westwood tightened Warwickshire’s grip on this match with a glorious 177 not out, his career-best total. His knock boosted Warwickshire to 366 for 5 against West Indies A, a lead of 132.Westwood received solid support from Mark Wagh (48) as they set about erasing the deficit and together they moved their opening partnership on to 92 before Wagh was caught by Dave Mohammed off the bowling of Darren Sammy. In fact it was that pairing of Mohammed and Sammy who were the only two of West Indies’ strike-force to hit the target; they grabbed the five wickets between them.The captain Sylvester Joseph tried six bowlers in all, but not one of them could blast through Westwood’s defences, as he moved in sight of his maiden first-class double-century, having already left his previous highest of 124 way behind. His knock included 23 fours and one six and was compiled over a mammoth nine-and-a-half hours.There was some relief for the bowlers, though, as they picked up the occasional wicket throughout the day. Mohammed removed the debutant Navdeep Poonia for an impressive 35, and then Alex Loudon for just 10. Luke Parker made 30 before Sammy dismissed him and Moeen Ali followed shortly after to the same bowler, for a disappointing 5.Still, Warwickshire will be delighted with their efforts and head into day three in pole position.

New Zealand 545 for 6 dec (Fleming 202, Styris 89) beat Bangladesh 182 (Vettori 6-70) and 262 (Baisya 66, Mashud 51, Vettori 6-100) by an innings and 101 runs
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It took New Zealand just 25 minutes on the fourth morning to wrap up a comprehensive victory by an innings and 101 runs in the second Test at Chittagong, and take the series 2-0.Daniel Vettori grabbed his second six-wicket haul of the game – he finished with 12 for 170 here, and 20 for 224 in the two matches to be named the Player of the Series. At least Tapash Baisya made sure Bangladesh went down with some pride, hammering a 36-ball half-century as New Zealand were within sight of the finishing line.Only some late-order resistance from Bangladesh’s batsmen last night had stretched this game into a fourth day, and Vettori broke the stubborn ninth-wicket stand of 34 with his fourth ball of the morning. Mohammed Rafique, who added one to his overnight 30, was too early on one that kicked, and his attempted flick to leg ballooned to Mathew Sinclair at silly mid-off.At that point Baisya cut loose. Using his feet to attack the spinners, he hammered Paul Wiseman for five fours and a six in two overs, and Vettori for three fours and a six – although Vettori should have caught him off his own bowling with the first ball of his second over, but he spilt a skyer.The end finally came when Baisya charged Vettori once too often, missed the ball by a country mile and was easily stumped by Brendon McCullum. His 66 – the fastest Test fifty by a Bangladesh batsman – had come off 47 balls and at least ensured there was a reward for the smattering of spectators who had turned up to watch the last rites.”A spinner is always expected to get wickets on the subcontinent,” admitted Vettori, who will lead New Zealand in the forthcoming one-day series when Stephen Fleming returns home. “This pitch was ideal for spin bowling.”New Zealand’s 2-0 series win was achieved at a canter. Their innings-and-99-run victory at Dhaka was their biggest win in any Test, and this one beat that by two runs. It was a familiar sorry tale for Bangladesh: this was their 29th defeat in 32 Test matches.The stats, however, made sorry reading for the Bangladeshis. This was their 29th loss in 32 Tests, and their 16th series defeat in succession. The only glimmers of consolation came with their good bowling in the first session of the match, and their determined resistance of the third afternoon. That aside, it was one-way traffic.

Jacques Kallis was the night’s big winner at the inaugural South African Cricket Awards on Thursday night, as he collected four trophies including the prestigious Mutual and Federal South African Cricketer of the Year Award.Kallis’s peers also recognised his achievements this year, in which he scored 1354 runs in 12 Tests, including five centuries in consecutive matches against West Indies and New Zealand. He also received the Players Player Award, as well as the SuperSport Fans’ Award, and the Castle Lager/MTN Player of the Year.”Jacques is without doubt one of our finest-ever cricketers,” said Gerald Majola, the chief executive of the United Cricket Board. “His performances in the last year have been phenomenal and put him among the game’s current greats. These awards show not only what a fine year he has had, but also how well-respected he is by his fellow players and by our loyal fans. We should all be very proud of him, he is a great ambassador for our game and South Africa.”Among the other notable award-winners were Jacques Rudolph, the International Newcomer of the Year; Makhaya Ntini, the Standard Bank ODI Cricketer of the Year; and Adam Bacher, a double winner in domestic cricket. “I congratulate all the winners on their fantastic achievements,” added Majola. “Theyall richly deserve the accolades and praise for the hard work and dedication they have put in to reach the top in their respective fields ofexpertise.””The last year has been one of great challenges for all of us in cricket,” he continued. “There has also been tremendous growth in the game around the country and these winners reflect that. They have pushed themselves to reach the top and succeeded and we look forward to further growth and even greater achievements over the next twelve months. The UCB is very proud of these young South Africans.”Two lifetime achievement awards were also handed out. South Africa’s most-capped Test player, Gary Kirsten, was honoured for his achievements and contributions to the game over the last ten years, along with the previous South African team manager, Goolam Rajah, who received the UCBPresident’s Award in recognition of his service over the past decade.