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New Zealand all-rounder Chris Cairns will not be taking part in the Sharjah tournament or the tour of Pakistan next month.As his team-mates spent the day twiddling their thumbs and extending their last minute practice by a day when the first day of the second National Bank Test was abandoned in Wellington, word came through that a scan Cairns had yesterday on his injured knee had ruled him out of consideration for the tour.Wet and windy weather, with gusts of up to 100km/h, blew through the capital city today and with a minimum of four hours to have the pitch ready, the umpires decided at 12.30pm, or the scheduled lunch break, to call play off for the day.It was just as well because there was no let-up in the weather at all during the day. The latest forecast today said occasional rain would clear around noon leaving sunny patches with the wind dropping back from 45km/h north-westerlies.New Zealand coach Denis Aberhart said the loss of a day did make it hard for his side to try and win the match to level the series before going into the final Test in Auckland, starting on Easter Saturday.However, he said some amazing things had been seen already in the series and it was a case of New Zealand believing they had enough time to win the series.”We have to prepare to win it to make it all square and our approach won’t change,” he said, adding that with extra hours to be added if play started on time tomorrow they would only miss two hours of play.New Zealand had been paying attention to improving all the areas in which they did not do well in Christchurch.Analysis after the first Test loss had shown that New Zealand had paid a price for coming off a lot of one-dayers, 17 in fact, and while they had talked and prepared accordingly there had been an element of pushing the game a lot quicker than players had needed to.New Zealand would look to go back to basics.Aberhart who was at the helm for his first series in Australia said there had been a good deal of analysis that went into that series, and there had been just as much for this England series, based on senior players who had played against the English before and from the side’s own analysis methods.”But to have a plan, you have got to be able to carry it out for a longer time than we managed here,” he said.New Zealand had less experienced bowlers in the attack and they had been unable to sustain the pressure in the way that Cairns and Shane Bond had managed so effectively in Australia.”At Test level you need to have more patience, to be positive, to have a game plan and to stick to it and to believe in it.”If your game is to hit the ball, do it, but do it responsibly. Sometimes you have to haul yourself in and do the hard yards for a while,” he said.While the extra day would give left-arm spinner Daniel Vettori some extra rest from his back soreness, just as it would assist England’s Mark Butcher to get over his cracked thumb, Aberhart said he was very confident that Vettori would play tomorrow, as he had been confident he would have played today.In relation to the problems at the Basin Reserve with its poor drying qualities and the possibility that rain may have seeped through the covers, Aberhart said it seemed to be that every time they came to the ground the groundsman seemed to have had trouble preparing the wicket.”We want to present our players with good conditions with pitches with good pace and bounce. The Basin hasn’t played well this season but this pitch is supposed to be on the different side of the block so I am not going to pre-judge its condition.”But the thing in the middle is the most important thing of all,” he said.Aberhart also confirmed that Dion Nash had ruled himself out of the rest of the season to build himself up for the future while Shayne O’Connor was in the recuperation phase after knee surgery and had thrown the crutches away and was walking well.There was still concern over the second spin role in the side and Aberhart said there had been an opportunity for people to put their hand up but the selectors were desperate for someone to emerge from the ruck in order to relieve Vettori of some of the slow bowling workload.

By all accounts, junior cricket is expanding worldwide at a phenomenal rate – about four times as fast as world cricket as a whole. Cricket academies are sprouting all over the landscape in major (Test-playing) countries, as well as some minor ones. In India and Pakistan, inspired by the hit movie “Lagaan”, villagers are switching from their traditional gilly-danda to the more contemporary bat-and-ball sport of cricket, and worldwide cricket coverage via broadcast TV is supporting their aspirations for better things.Most cricket experts in the USA would agree that the 25-over format is the best one for junior cricketers. In their view there is simply too much hoopla and tamasha associated with the Twenty20 format, too many firecrackers, too much raucous music and hijinks at high decibel counts, even imported cheerleaders from the USA, for vulnerable minds not to be stretched to their breaking points. Better, they say, to go with a twenty-five over format, with smaller but more attentive crowds, under quieter skies and on well-manicured turf pitches, which is more like – well, cricket as it should, indeed must, be played.But first, some context – and some definitions.The term “junior cricketer” is usually applied to players under 15, who have been receiving intensive coaching and training since age 5. They typically play full seasons of cricket, matching the schedules of senior cricket leagues in their area – intensive practice at least three times a week after school, followed by matches where team members are rotated so each player learns the capabilities of every other player on the academy’s roster. Careful stats are maintained on each player’s match performances, and these are reviewed by selectors when it comes time to pick a side for an international ODI match. Controversies do occasionally arise over selections, but these are resolved with pencil and paper – rather than with fisticuffs, as sometimes happens in US Little League baseball.The composition of a typical junior squad is also different from their senior equivalents. In addition to a coach, manager and physio, there is a team “mom” who takes care of feeding, clothing and administering TLC to heartbroken kids whose match performance failed to rise to their own expectations. This leads to some odd situations, like the team mom who refused to let her team take the field until all players were properly dressed, and was heard bellowing from the sidelines to have her players tuck their shirts in before play could commence.So, how good are these well-trained kids against their international opponents? The stats tell the story. In the last ten months, they have not lost a single match against any team except (who else) the Australian U-15s, who are arguably the best U-15 team in the world today, bar none. Even there, the two-match series was a thriller; losing their first match by one wicket, Team USA recovered to take the second match by two wickets. The Aussies were so impressed that they promised to return the following year, and were even talking about a bilateral series to be played alternately in Australia and the USA.Whether this will actually happen remains to be seen, but the point is made – 50-over cricket is here to stay, and the California Cricket Academy which pioneered the concept deserves full credit for that singular accomplishment.

Two Indian players will represent an Australian Institute of Sport team in the fourth year of the Emerging Players Tournament which begins on July 14 in Queensland. Varun Aaron and Shrikant Bhaskar Wagh, of the MRF Pace Foundation, will combine with 13 Australian players, some of whom have first-class experience.Skand Dinesh Vohra, a left-arm fast bowler from Mumbai, was originally included in the side before being replaced by Wagh. A Cricket Australia spokesperson said: “The MRF Pace Academy have recently informed us that Shrikant Wagh and Varun Aaron will be the two players from the MRF Pace Foundation and that Skand Dinesh Vohra is a late withdrawal.”While Australia’s seniors continue to win, the next layer has not yet won this tournament in four years. AIS team coach Brian McFadyen thinks change is around the corner. “I’m very happy with the quality of this year’s team,” he said. “The full-time AIS scholars have prepared brilliantly during the initial 12 weeks of the program at the Centre of Excellence which has helped their physical development and skill progression.”With the talented list of players we have and the inclusion of the two Indian players from the MRF Pace Foundation we are expecting to see an exciting brand of cricket from this group. We are really looking forward to putting all the hard work of the last couple of months in to practice with the focus firmly set on tasting success in this tournament which has proved elusive since its inception in 2005.”A Twenty20 kicks off the tournament then another provides a hit of relief just before finals day. Each side will play six one-dayers ahead of finals.India have chosen their National Academy Team to replace a Karnataka State Cricket Association XI, who had played for the first three years, winning it in the first year. South Africa, who have been victorious for the last two years, will send a side along with New Zealand.AIS squad Liam Davis, Theo Doropoulos, Peter Forrest, Moises Henriques, Michael Hill, Jon Holland, Usman Khawaja, Greg Moller, Dominic O’Brien, Steve O’Keefe, Grant Sullivan, Matthew Wade, David Warner, Aaron Varun, Shrikant Bhaskar Wagh.

A lot of hard work lies ahead of the negotiating parties representing New Zealand Cricket and the New Zealand Cricket Players’ Association when they resume their discussions in Wellington tomorrow.New Zealand Cricket (NZC) chief executive Martin Snedden said there was clearly a key philosophical difference between the two sides that will be focused on over the next few days.Snedden said he was quite pleased that the Players’ Association (NZCPA) had made their background paper and response to NZC’s offer available to the public through the cricket web site cricinfo.com.”They are entitled to do what they have done,” he said.Snedden explained NZC’s position.”My philosophy is that when we are deciding to allocate resources we have to strike a balance in the interests of all players in New Zealand.”The Players’ Association are a little bit different. They expect NZC to look after the international and first-class players first without taking into account the other obligations NZC has.”It is an important difference,” Snedden said.”We have a long way to go. They have put a fairly positive spin on their response to our offer,” he said.NZC was going into the discussions keen to strike some key agreements and was prepared to work hard to do that, he said.With the players having withdrawn their services for the month of October only, Snedden said he would expect that if the issues were not resolved this week, and that is also the aim of the Players’ Committee according to their press statement today, it would be business as usual on November 1.

Australian way doesn’t impress Pidge
When Bharat Chipli edged one behind off Glenn McGrath, he stood there and waited for the umpire to make his decision, in the time-honoured Australian way. Steve Davis, Australianhimself, said no, and a snarling McGrath was left to snipe constantly at Chipli until a miscuedpull ended his stay. Even then, McGrath appeared to be saying “not out, not out” to taunt the young batsman.Goswami wins Under-19 spoils
It was a contest within a contest, two of India’s victorious Under-19 team facing off against each other. Sreevats Goswami won it handily enough, taking Pradeep Sangwan for a six and three fours in the over. It was just about the only thing Bangalore savoured on a night when they were once again outclassed.Last-over blues
Bowling himself for one hugely expensive over probably cost Virender Sehwag and Delhi victory in their last game against Kings XI Punjab. This time, he bowled out McGrath and Farveez Maharoof and left the final over to Rajat Bhatia. With Misbah-ul-Haq on strike and in a rampant mood, it wasn’t an inspired gamble. The 24 runs Bhatia conceded at least gave Bangalore something to defend.All we need is just a little patience
Dale Steyn was working up considerable pace in his second over, with Gautam Gambhir not scoring off the first four balls. But just as Bangalore started to dream of a maiden, Gambhir showed off his orange-cap powers with a dazzling straight drive and an elegant push through cover.Are you Jonty in disguise?
Chipli may have done no more than rile McGrath with bat in hand, but at least he could claim the catch of the match, a stunning dive to his left at point to send back Sehwag. The only problem was that Delhi already had 91 on the board by then, with Sehwag careering to 47 from just 19 balls.On the ball
Cameron White has been a major flop with bat in hand, but he does bring some Australian virtues to Bangalore’s fielding. When Gambhir cut one to deep backward point and set off, White’s throw to Goswami was just about perfect. Gambhir didn’t even wait for the umpire,jogging all the way back to the pavilion.

WEST INDIES players will get an additional sum of at least US$125 000 from from next month’s International Cricket Council (ICC) Champions’ Trophy in Sri Lanka.The windfall represents 25 per cent of the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) dividends of just over US$600 000, along with prize money.The deal was agreed after several days of what were reportedly tough negotiations between the West Indies Players’ Association (WIPA), led by recently-elected president Dinanath Ramnarine, and the WICB over a contentious ICC contract on sponsorship for all ICC events until 2007, including the Champions Trophy and next year’s World Cup in South Africa.The WICB announced in a media statement yesterday that the 14 players had signed their contracts "subject to the ICC formally agreeing to consult with players before concluding commercial agreements for ICC events other than those that have already been sold".On the decision to apportion a quarter of its Champions Trophy cut to the players, the WICB noted: "Appreciative of the heavy commercial restrictions placed on the players, president Reverend Wes Hall succesfully sought the approval of the WICB to offer the players 25 per cent of the dividends that will be obtanied by the WICB in respect to the 2002 Champions Trophy only."It is understood that the WIPA’s claims for as much as US$2 million of the WICB’s guarantee of US$6.5 million from next year’s World Cup along with substantial and immediate increases in fees were rejected.WICB chief executive Gregory Shillingford said ICC chief executive Malcolm Speed indicated the ICC was expected to ratify the agreement "on the consultative process with the players" at a meeting today in Dubai.It meant the originally chosen 14 for the September 12-30 tournmament would go to Sri Lanka, subject to injuries."Over the past few days, the WICB and WIPA have been in wide-ranging discussions over issues concerning the players, rights over use of their images and how this could be balanced against the interest of the ICC’s commercial partners who sponsor these world events," Shillingford added in the WICB statement."The WIPA and the players were determined that players’ rights should not be sold by the ICC without consultation and financial benefit to the players and that his association will continue to address this issue at all levels of world cricket," the WICB release quoted Ramnarine as saying.Hall noted that the WICB agreed there must be a consultative process between the ICC and the players.

The Basin Reserve’s future as a Test venue looks assured.New Zealand Cricket’s chief executive Martin Snedden is satisfied that the parties involved in discussions over the future of the Basin Reserve are keen to see that the famous ground is restored to its status as an international ground before next summer.After the ground was seen in a shabby and tatty light during the second National Bank Test between New Zealand and England in March there was widespread condemnation of the state the ground had got into.But Snedden said today that he has had meetings with the Wellington Regional Stadium Trust’s chief executive Dave Gray and there was a general acceptance of the need for the ground to be upgraded.”I’m confident we will receive the necessary assurances that the work will be done,” Snedden said.It is understood that more efforts will be made to improve the pitch block as well after possible trials are undertaken on the practice block on the ground.

Somerset has become the first county cricket club to become an `Access Organisation’ for the Duke of Edinburgh Award scheme.Earlier this year Somerset Chief Executive Peter Anderson and Cricket Development Officer Andrew Moulding were presented with the accreditation certificate by Prince Edward during a ceremony at Yeovil.Over the last few days the club has sent out letters to all youngsters between the ages of 14 and 25 who appear on their database to invite them to take part.Mr Moulding told me: "We have just launched the scheme and already we have a great deal of interest from the young people. People have always thought that the scheme was about absailing and mountaineering, but 75% of the activities can be achieved through cricket."He continued: "We are very pleased with the response so far. The Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme is very worthwhile and is a good thing as well for youngsters to have on their CV’s."Any young person who is interested in finding out more about the scheme should contact Andrew Moulding on 01823 352266.Meanwhile another area where Somerset County Cricket Club also leads the field is about to get started. When former teacher Simon Lowe set up the Playing for Success Centre at the County Ground earlier this year it was the first venture of its kind in the region.Now everything is in place and a pilot programme of after school activities involving pupils from four Taunton schools,- St Andrew’s Primary, Archbishop Cranmer Primary, Ladymead and Bishop Foxes is about to get started.Earlier this week Simon Lowe told me: "Playing for Success is a new venture and I’m looking forward to it immensely and with great anticipation. This is a real change of direction for me getting children to learn through the medium of cricket. We will be building on the good work that already goes on in local schools, and it will be very interesting to see how it all goes."The pilot scheme gets started on June 10th and 11th between 3.30 and 7 pm and goes on at the same time for the following three weeks.

Veteran medium-pacer Javagal Srinath is set to replace Ashish Nehra for the final of the Champions Trophy 2002 which India will play on Sunday.In an about turn from their earlier position, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) acceded to the team’s wishes and recalled Srinath, who is currently playing for Leicestershire in England.Newly appointed secretary of the BCCI, SK Nair said in a statement that the BCCI had agreed to the replacement and this was then okayed by the newly formed selection committee. The International Cricket Council too gave the necessary permission to the Indian team.Only recently, the chairman of the selection committee, former Karnataka and India cricketer Brijesh Patel, had said that he would try to persuade Srinath to change his mind and return to both Test and one-day cricket.The honorary secretary of the BCCI also confirmed that Srinath had agreed to leave England immediately and fly to Colombo in order to be here in time for the final.Nehra injured his bowling hand when he attempted a run out off his bowling against South Africa. The Delhi medium-pacer split the webbing between his index and middle fingers and required five stitches.

Sussex beat Essex by one run in a dramatic finish at Chelmsford after the home side had made encouraging early progress towards their target of 244 for victory.Stephen Peters, who was promoted to open, continued his splendid recent run of form, hitting 66 with eight boundaries. He put on 58 with Darren Robinson for the first wicket before adding 89 with Stuart Law in a partnership that appeared to tilt the balance in favour of the batting side.When Law was run out for 40 Essex were 147-2 but then a mini-collapse saw four quick wickets fall for the addition of 15 runs before Paul Grayson steadied the ship. With careful shot selection he added valuable runs in tandem with Ashley Cowan, the pair putting on 48 in six overs to edge their side ever nearer the target.Requiring 15 runs from the last two overs with four wickets remaining, Cowan, having scored 22, edged a catch behind off James Kirtley. New batsman Ricky Anderson fell in the same over and with nine runs wanted from the last over of the day, Kirtley played a captain’s role, limiting Essex to seven runs while capturing two wickets.Mark Ilott arrived to face the final two deliveries but a bye was all that could be gleaned, leaving Sussex victors by one run and the unfortunate Grayson stranded on 48 not out.Sussex, who elected to bat, reached 243-6 with Richard Montgomerie forming the cornerstone of the innings.The 29-year-old hit a personal competition-best of 91 off 116 deliveries. His innings included ten fours and he was only dismissed in the 39th over having seen 194 runs posted on the scoreboard.Umer Rashid then batted briskly late in the innings for 28 off 22 deliveries to set Essex a challenging target but the home side were left to reflect a costly concession of 25 runs in wides during their opponent’s innings.