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Stuart Carlisle has hit out against the Zimbabwean Cricket Union, saying that the move by some of the players to go on strike was prompted by what he claimed were racist and politically motivated policies by the board.Carlisle, who was among 15 cricketers banned by the board, is now part of a 14-man squad called The Red Lions which will tour England for a series of friendly games. Speaking at a fund-raising dinner to launch the tour, Carlisle said: “Our group went through this extremely stressful period not to destroy cricket in Zimbabwe but to try and save it. It did not all start three months ago (with the strike), but in 2001 when the Zimbabwe Cricket Union launched its Task Force.”The Task Force was meant to provide more opportunities for blacks to take to the game, but Carlisle stated that it only ended up alienating the players. “The result [of the Task Force’s actions] was we lost 35 players, both black and white during the last three years,” Carlisle said, according to an AFP report. “At that time the players formed their own association and we were internationally recognised, but not by the ZCU. Had they done so, we would not be in disarray today.”Because of this, players had to try and fix off-field problems individually. And so they were targeted. And when some players actually refused the captaincy or vice-captaincy, it shows how serious the situation became. Past form, performance, statistics, experience and merit are words that have not been in the selectors’ vocabulary for a long time.”And so, when an employer refuses to meet employees about all this, problems inevitably occur. In putting our international careers on the line it was a sure sign we had had enough. It turned out we were all sacked three times in a month. Can that have happened anywhere before?”Carlisle, who played 35 Tests and 108 ODIs for Zimbabwe, will now play for The Red Lions in a week-long tour of England, which starts on July 14 and includes matches against a Lashings XI and a Zimbabwe World XI.

Daryl Tuffey hasn’t played since the first match of New Zealand’s World Cup campaign against Sri Lanka but has been recalled for today’s winner-take-all Super Six match against India at Centurion.New Zealand is in a must-win situation and Tuffey’s revival in the selection favour stakes is almost certainly attributable to the dominance he achieved over the Indians during the recent series in New Zealand.It is a big gamble by the selection panel given Tuffey’s lack of matches and also the different conditions in South Africa.Selection chairman Sir Richard Hadlee said today: “Daryl Tuffey had an outstanding home series against the Indians recently and he has been bowling very well in the nets over the last few weeks pushing to regain his place.”We hope the dominance he had over the Indian batsman during the home series will continue in to tomorrow’s game.”Tuffey comes in at the expense of Andre Adams.”Andre has not been showing the discipline and control required when bowling at the death and as a result he has been very expensive,” Hadlee said.Also back is Craig McMillan who supplants Lou Vincent.Vincent came in for the match against Australia after recovering from a finger injury but was among several front-line batsmen who failed. With that in mind, his lack of form is clearly regarded as being worse than the lack of form which caused McMillan to be dropped for the Australian match.”Unfortunately, Lou has not been able to produce the form and consistency we expected of him during this World Cup and this has cost him his position for tomorrow’s game,” Hadlee said.”For tomorrow’s crucial match we have opted for Craig’s experience.”We have asked him to show some responsibility by playing himself in before taking the high-risk options that come with playing the big shots.”The New Zealand team is: Stephen Fleming (captain), Nathan Astle, Shane Bond, Chris Cairns, Chris Harris, Brendon McCullum, Craig McMillan, Jacob Oram, Scott Styris, Daryl Tuffey, Daniel Vettori.

Two letters written by the late Sir Donald Bradman to former Australian Test captain Greg Chappell have been sold for £6,700. They were auctioned at Christie’s of Melbourne as part of the Greg Chappell collection, which sold for a total of £64,300 and included two baggy caps which fetched £6,700 each.The two letters, expected to fetch between £1,800 and £3,600, were bought by a local buyer. They were the most controversial of the letters between the two men, being written shortly after Chappell joined Kerry Packer’s World Series Cricket in 1977 and revealing a wide rift between the two. Three other letters between them were sold together for £2,500.Chappell’s decision to sell the letters had been opposed by the Bradman Foundation. Bradman’s son, John, claimed that his famous father would have been unhappy that private letters were being sold in public for profit.

Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsFile photo – Ahmed Shehzad made 42 off 31 balls, with five fours and a six•AFP

To have any chance to end in the last four of the BPL, Sylhet Super Stars needed to win the game against Comilla Victorians in 10.4 overs or less, to finish equal with Dhaka Dynamites on eight points and trump them on net run rate. Let alone trying to win the game quickly, Sylhet imploded badly to be bowled out for 79 runs in 13.5 overs.Their 71-run loss meant Dhaka made it to the last four even before they played their last game, against Barisal Bulls.Sylhet were comfortable at 33 for one in the fifth over when they collapsed, losing their next seven wickets for 24 runs in the space of 5.3 overs. Junaid Siddique had already been dismissed for 10 in the fourth over. The rot started with Abu Hider taking a good running catch to send back Josh Cobb for 21. Andre Russell then danced and took his sweet time to break the stumps at the bowler’s end, as Mushfiqur Rahim and Ravi Bopara almost ended up next to each other, with the latter getting run out.Shuvagata Hom had Mushfiqur caught at deep square-leg before Liton Das brilliantly stumped Sohail Tanvir in the same over. Shahid Afridi played all around an Ashar Zaidi delivery in the ninth over to leave Sylhet 48 for 6 which soon became 50 for 7 in the ninth over when Nurul Hasan was trapped leg-before by Zaidi. When they reached the cut-off point of 10.4 overs, Sylhet were all but gone at 58 for 8. Imrul Kayes and Shuvagata collided while the latter took Mohammad Shahid’s catch at long-on, which made it nine down before Russell finished the game with a yorker to Rubel Hossain.When Comilla batted first, Liton was caught behind off Mohammad Shahid in the second over before Kayes and Ahmed Shehzad added 68 runs for the second wicket. Shehzad was severe on anything on his legs, at times served by compatriot Sohail Tanvir who was struck for two fours early on. Kayes struck Rubel for a six over midwicket before Shehzad picked up his first six, off Abdur Razzak and back over his head. Kayes struck Afridi for two fours in the ninth over but Shehzad fell in the following over, for 42 off 31 balls. Kayes followed next over, giving Afridi a simple return catch after making 27.Alok Kapali, surprisingly sent to bat ahead of Andre Russell, struck Rubel for a six over cover and Shahid for a four through midwicket but struggled to connect regularly in the slog overs. He struck a six in the last over, ending on an unbeaten 32 off 26 balls. Zaidi added 31 off 29 balls with two fours and a six over midwicket but Comilla missed a trick by not sending Mashrafe or Russell much ahead. It ultimately didn’t matter as Sylhet collapsed in a heap.

There will be a new name on the Twenty20 Cup come Saturday night at Edgbaston after none of the previous winners made it to this year’s Final Day. Partly that has been down to the weather playing havoc with many campaigns – notably that of defending champions Leicestershire – but it also shows how more and more teams are adapting to the shortest form of the game.Twenty20 has come a long way in five years and in a little over a month’s time the first World Championship will take place in South Africa. However, the game at international level is still struggling for allround acclaim, with captains concerned about workload and debating its value, and this English season has also proved to be the toughest for the domestic tournament that had, until this year, enjoyed a virtually faultless run.The qualifying stage was savaged by the weather and a number of counties will be reporting losses but the four semi-finalists – Lancashire, Gloucestershire, Kent and Sussex – are at least in a position to boost the coffers. The rain, though, has been out of anyone’s control and the more concerning issue has been a rise in poor behaviour at grounds. Middlesex players had belongings stolen from the Uxbridge dressing room, Hampshire’s team coach was pelted with gravel and there have been reports of a general increase in unruly scenes.Now’s the time for Finals Day to arrest any slide in the image of Twenty20. And Edgbaston’s second chance of staging the event has all the ingredients to be a classic day. Andrew Flintoff’s availability has added an extra touch of spice and strengthens a formidable-looking Lancashire side. They have been to this stage twice before, losing in the semi-final against Surrey in 2004 and the final against Somerset in 2005.As is often the case with Lancashire, on paper they seem to have everything. Never mind Flintoff, there’s also Muttiah Muralitharan, Brad Hodge, Stuart Law and Mal Loye. But they keep failing to win trophies. Their Championship campaign took a major hit with the 108-run defeat against Sussex, who they could meet again in the final on Saturday evening, and it is shaping as a make-or-break weekend for Mark Chilton’s team.Sussex are one of the new success stories in Twenty20 this season. Not that they are new to success. Last year there was the Championship and C&G double and with them back on top in the four-day competition another double is still on the cards. Luke Wright has been the catalyst for their strong campaign and he leads the run-scoring table with 343 at a strike-rate of 184. In terms of his scoring rate he is second only behind Andrew Symonds among batsmen worldwide. One more strong outing could propel him from England’s preliminary 30-man squad to the final 15 for South Africa. But even in Twenty20 you can’t beat seasoned match-winning quality and Mushtaq Ahmed remains a trump card.

Of the nine representatives from England’s squad who could play a part on Finals Day, Sussex and Lancashire have four apiece, which would suggest they are the favourites to contest the final. However, in Twenty20 appearances can be deceptive.Kent have also rejuvenated their one-day cricket this season after an admission from Robert Key that it sometimes took a back-seat to Championship ambitions. Their strength is a long batting order and occasionally James Tredwell has been going in at No.11. Now, though, that spot is reserved for new signing Lasith Malinga, who has joined to replace Andrew Hall, and is a player capable – as he showed at the World Cup – of changing a match in one over. With Key and Joe Denly also firing in the top order they can certainly take on Sussex’s big-hitters head-to-head.Gloucestershire, who play the first semi against Lancashire, are beginning to rekindle memories of their one-day glory years under Mark Alleyne and John Bracewell. Alex Gidman is maturing into an impressive allrounder – he was unlucky not to make the England 30 – while in Hamish Marshall they have a destructive batsman. The return of Jon Lewis from injury provides the bowling attack with a steady influence and they are always sharp in the field.Off the field, too, there will be the usual entertainment including the mascot race (where Chris Lewis and Jason Gallian will don the sponsors’ costumes) and the musical star is former Sugerbabe, Mutya. However, increasingly Twenty20 is moving away from the sideshow attractions and standing alone through the quality of play. On cricket’s longest day, there should be more than enough on offer.

ScorecardNottinghamshire swept to a comprehensive 24-run win over Middlesex at Lord’s despite a fine 56 from Eoin Morgan, to leave the home side in danger of relegation. Nottinghamshire’s 228 for 7 was led by Will Smith whose 53 contained six fours. David Hussey played with characteristic bullishness, smashing 44 from 36 balls. Middlesex started well with Paul Weekes and Ed Smith putting on 49 for the first wicket but they collapsed to 98 for 5. Morgan and Ben Smith, the wicketkeeper, kept Middlesex in the hunt. Morgan crunched six fours and cleared the boundary twice in his fifty before needlessly running himself out. Despite an enterprising 29 from Johann Louw, the tail folded in predictable fashion and they were bowled out in the final over for 204.

Michael Vaughan will miss Yorkshire’s C&G Trophy quarter-final, against Northamptonshire on Saturday, to ensure the groin injury he suffered during the NatWest Series does not occur again.The ECB’s chief medical officer, Dr Peter Gregory, said: “We need to ensure that there is no further deterioration to the groin strain that kept Michael out of two matches. We are confident, however, that with rest Michael will be fully fit for the first Ashes Test at Lord’s next week.”The remaining centrally contracted players are available for the counties who are involved in the quarter-finals. This means that Andrew Flintoff, Ashley Giles and Geraint Jones will be making rare county appearances while Matthew Hoggard is available for Yorkshire.Graham Thorpe is also available for Surrey, although his Test position will be known by the time they play Hampshire as the squad is named on Thursday.

The BCCI has clarified its pay structure for domestic cricket, and expressed surprise at the high figures stated by the media. reported that Ratnakar Shetty, the BCCI’s joint secretary, said that Rs 4000 would be paid on a per-day basis, and applied to all Ranji Trophy, Duleep Trophy, Irani Cup and domestic one-day games.”There has been a change in the system of payments to players for their benevolent fund,” Shetty said. “Last season we paid the players Rs 3000 per day on match days with a lump sum of Rs 4000 going towards the benevolent fund. This season the per-day sum on match days has gone up to Rs 4000. So if he earns Rs 16,000 for a four-day game, a similar amount will go to the fund. For a five-day game it could be Rs 20,000 for the match and another Rs 20,000 into the fund. Thus, the total sum would be Rs 40,000.” Shetty also dismissed reports of the reported dramatic pay hike. “I don’t know where this figure of Rs 56,000 came from.”Interestingly, Jagmohan Dalmiya had recently been quoted about specific player payments. “Those playing all the matches at the domestic level will get Rs 52,000 as per the revised formula and players playing upto the qualifying rounds will get Rs 35,000 per match.”Dalmiya said that domestic-level cricketers would get the enhanced payments when the graded system of payment comes into effect – most likely by the end of this month.Besides the top tier of domestic cricketers, junior players and umpires will be at the receiving end of the BCCI’s pay hike. Under-19 and U-22 level players will receive Rs 1000 per day – double their previous salary. Umpires will receive Rs 1500 per day and a sum of Rs 3000 for their benevolent fund per match, while umpires in junior matches will receive Rs 1000 per day, with Rs 750 for the fund.

Sri Lanka captain Sanath Jayasuriya will urge his players to be on guardagainst complacency before their fourth Pool B match against Kenya inNairobi on Monday, warning that one false step could shatter their World Cupdreams.Despite easy wins against Bangladesh and Canada, Jayasuriya will make itclear that it is essential to claim maximum points in their final low-keygame.

Moreover, the skipper will stress the need to further enhance an alreadyimpressive net run rate (NRR), a potential buffer against failure in theirfinal group matches.”One wrong move and the World Cup could be over for us,” Jayasuriya told AFPnews agency before the team’s flight to Nairobi.”The situation in our group is such that we need to win well and improveour net run rate,” added Jayasuriya.”With four teams in the fray, it could boil down to who has a betterrun-rate. We were aware of that when we went into the game against Canada.”In fact, barring a shock loss against the Kenyans, who will now be eyinga place in the Super Sixes having claimed four points against New Zealand,Sri Lanka’s progression to the second round appears assured.

Their massive 3.17 net run rate is the best in the tournament and fargreater than the other Pool B contenders, providing a safe cushion shouldany banana skins lie ahead.Two months ago Jayasuriya might have jumped at a second or third place spotin Pool B but expectations have risen so much that he’s now eyeing a cleansweep.”We want the top the group and take forward as many points into the SuperSix,” he said. “Which means it is important to beat both the West Indies andSouth Africa.”We should not be concerned at what is happening to other teams. The aim isto win all our games.”Jayasuriya – one of the key reasons behind Sri Lanka’s unexpected New Yearresurgence having smashing three hundreds and two fifties in his last seveninnings – maintains that his side are now comfortable playing in previouslyalien conditions.

“Playing in these conditions for three months, both here and in Australia,we have got used to them and know what to expect.”Everyone in the side knows the conditions. That’s a big help and that’s whywe are playing such good cricket.”The entire team is focused on the job at hand. We help each other out bothon and off the field. The batsmen and bowlers have stuck to the task, that’swhy we have been able to make a winning start.”

Richard Montgomerie’s first hundred in the one-day league set up a comfortable 27-run win for Sussex over Essex in the Norwich Union League at Hove.Montgomerie made 108 in a first wicket stand of 176 with Murray Goodwin as Sussex made 241-3 from their 45 overs in the day-night second division contest.Half-centuries from Paul Grayson and James Foster helped Essex recover from a poor start, but they finished well short on 214-7.Montgomerie and Goodwin had earlier compiled a record first wicket stand in the one-day league’s various guises for Sussex, beating the 162 by David Smith and Franklyn Stephenson against Surrey eight years ago.Goodwin converted his third half-century of the season into a competition best 87 before he was caught at short mid-wicket, but Montgomerie went on to a century off 121 balls with eight fours before he was run out in the penultimate over after adding 55 with Chris Adams (25) for the second wicket.Essex struggled to make much impression early on. Stephen Peters was run out by Will House’s direct hit in the third over, Graham Napier edged Jason Lewry to the wicketkeeper and then Ronnie Irani and Darren Robinson fell off successive balls to leave Essex 44-4 after 14 overs.They were revived by a fifth wicket stand of 85 in 18 overs between Grayson and Foster which was ended when James Kirtley returned to the attack to bowl Grayson for 52.Foster went on to finish unbeaten on 56, but with the asking rate climbing to above ten an over his composed innings was never going to be enough.Essex remain rooted to the bottom of the table while a third win keeps Sussex in seventh place.