ScorecardBangladesh U-19 overcame a top-order wobble on the final day to draw their only Test against Pakistan at the National Stadium in Karachi.Having eked out a narrow first-innings lead of 15, Bangladesh found themselves struggling at 80 for 5, Mohammad Rameez continuing his impressive form and picking up two wickets. At that point, Bangladesh were effectively 95 for 5, with much of the day still remaining.But Marshall Ayub and Rony Talukder organised the fightback, steering the lower order into adding another 190 runs and essentially saving the game. Ayub’s 59 came in a little over two and a half hours, while Talukder added to his hundred in the first innings with another fifty.Rameez, who took four wickets in the first innings, added another three as Bangladesh were finally dismissed, setting Pakistan an improbable 289 from 23 overs. Ahmed Shehzad used the time for further batting practice, adding to his first-innings century, an unbeaten 46 as the sides agreed to call off the match with seven overs remaining. Still enough time, however, for opener and vice-captain Shan Masood to bag a pair.

ScorecardAssam lost three quick wickets towards the end of the day as Services, who had earlier taken their innings to 406, pressed home their advantage. Although Services lost two quick wickets in the morning after starting the day on 272 for 5, Ashish Mohanty and Surender Patwal added 86 for the eighth wicket to put Services in charge. Mohanty scored 57 and Patwal 34. Kushaljit Das took four wickets for Assam.Assam had made a good start as S Suresh and Palash Das made Services wait for 18 overs for the first wicket. But then three came in the space of 16 runs, Rakesh Kumar taking two in three overs.
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Haryana dismissed half the Jammu & Kashmir side for 92 after they had posted 404 to tighten their hold over the match. Jitender Billa, in his second first-class match, struck thrice to leave J&K reeling, despite a half-century by Arshad Bhatt.Earlier overnight batsmen Sachin Rana and SS Viswanathan strengthened Haryana’s position before Amit Mishra scored 54 to take them past 400. Rana scored 132 and Viswanathan 65.
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Manish Vardhan, the Jharkhand captain, scored an unbeaten century to take Jharkhand to 213 for 1 and to give them every chance to secure a first-innings lead against Goa’s 336. Vardhan batted at a fast pace, hitting 15 boundaries in his 157-ball 113. He was supported well by opening partner Subroto Ghosh who scored 57. For the first wicket, the duo added 103 runs.Earlier, thanks to Aditya Angle’s cameo, Goa took their overnight 251 for 7 to 336. Angle scored 45 off 60 deliveries 50 runs for the last wicket with Harshad Gadekar.
ScorecardVidarbha took the last five Gujarat wickets for 40 runs and their batsmen turned in a steady performance to put them in a position from where they can go for the first-innings lead. Gujarat could add only 42 to their overnight 270 for 5 as Mohammad Hashim took four of the wickets to fall today to finish with figures of 4-63.After Vidarbha lost their first wicket for one, Faiz Fazal put them on the recovery track. Ravi Jangid, making his first-class debut, came in at 84 for 3 and scored an unbeaten half-century to see Vidarbha attain the upper-hand in the match.
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The Railways lower-order frustrated Madhya Pradesh, and added 208 runs resuming from 256 for 5. Raja Ali and Karan Sharma scored half-centuries and Mahesh Rawat added 25 to his overnight 50. Ali missed his century by 12 runs and Sharma scored 61. Sanjay Pandey took three of the five wickets to fall today to add respectability to his figures.In reply, MP made a steady start as they finished the day at 50 without loss.

Virender Sehwag has made light of the hype over the bouncy pitch at the WACA in Perth, saying he would be intent to play his shots if given a chance in the third Test, starting on January 16.Sehwag, who cracked a 73-ball hundred in the Indians’ warm-up game against ACT Invitational XI in Canberra, was confident of earning a spot and was happy he had rediscovered his rhythm in this innings.”I have played a couple of one-day games in Perth and done well,” he said when asked of the challenge of playing on arguably the bounciest pitch in the world. “The ball comes on to the bat nicely and allows one to go for shots. It’s a wicket that plays true. I always bat with a positive mindset and things won’t be different here. And I never look at the pitch before batting, so the approach will be the same.”Sehwag, whose last Test was in Cape Town a little more than a year back, made no bones about the fact that he preferred Tests to one-dayers. “It gives me more time to play my natural game,” he said. “In one-dayers, one has to think about runs, overs and different fields. Tests give me the chance to play an attacking game.”Sehwag has had a torrid time off late and his selection for the tour was a big surprise, considering he had made just 66 runs in three Ranji Trophy games. “I spent a lot of time with my coach in Delhi, AN Sharma,” he said. “We worked on my mindset. I’ve also been doing some yoga. I needed to get over a negative mindset which was making me play too many shots. I’m happy I batted with a positive mindset today.”He was patchy in the first innings, struggling to 24, before a brilliant catch did him in. “I was trying to spend time at the wicket in the first innings but today the wicket was very slow. So I played like I did in the past. If there was a ball to be hit, I hit it. If I get my chance, I just want to grab the opportunity and come back to Test cricket.”

The already claustrophobic space at the top of Group A of the Ranji Trophy Super league is set to get even tighter when Mumbai face Saurashtra at the Wankhede Stadium in their last league match. While it’s almost a quarter-final for Mumbai, Saurashtra can afford a draw to enter the semi-finals. Saurashtra are leading the table with 20 points while Mumbai are tied in the second place with Delhi at 18 points.The rules are simple. If there is a three-way tie between the teams – that can happen if Mumbai and Delhi get the first-innings lead – it will come down to the most number of wins. Saurashtra have three while its rivals have two each. Between Mumbai and Delhi, the team with the better run quotient will go forward and Delhi leads the equation with 1.479 compared to Mumbai’s 1.145. However, if Saurashtra lose and Delhi get at least three points for gaining the first-innings lead against Tamil Nadu, both Delhi and Mumbai will go through to the next stage.Amol Muzumdar, Mumbai’s captain, doesn’t want to get into number crunching. “We want to win here and enter the semi-finals.” He has an additional reason to do well. Tomorrow will be Muzumdar’s 100th Ranji Trophy match and he is only the twelfth player to reach the milestone.While Mumbai have a great track record of getting out of jail, they have been handicapped here with injuries to bowlers. The seam attack is led by inexperienced Murtuza Hussain and they will look up to their spin duo of Ramesh Powar and Nilesh Kulkarni – drafted into this side for this match – to do the job.The nature of the track has thrown up the regular cliché that it’s a sporting track and will help both batsmen and bowlers. Pravin Amre, Mumbai’s coach, reckons it will take spin later. “It looks a true Wankhede wicket. We have not interfered in its preparation and are just looking to get on with the game. The batsman are coming into form, Nilesh is back, Murtuza is bowling well and I am confident that we can do it.”Both Amre and Muzumdar have said the pressure is on the inexperienced Saurashtra team to continue with their dream run. “What pressure? I have told the boys to just go and enjoy out there,” Debhu Mitra, the coach, said. “Not many expected us to reach here and I just want the boys to continue with the basics.”Pressure will be the critical factor during the match as some teams choke at the sight of the victory. Can Saurashtra keep their nerve in this last lap?

Five emerging men have been recalled to the Centre of Excellence as part of the 2008 intake, which includes a string of fringe national players on short-term deals. Cullen Bailey, the Cricket Australia-contracted legspinner, is on a part-time scholarship along with Cameron White and the talented allrounders Andrew McDonald and Luke Butterworth.Michael Hill, the Australia Under-19 captain, and the Queensland fast bowlers Ben Cutting and Grant Sullivan will return to the facility in Brisbane with Matthew Wade and David Warner after being part of the 2007 set-up. “It will provide them with an excellent opportunity to build on the skills they developed last year and during the recent season,” Andrew Hilditch, the national chairman of selectors, said. “There are a lot of players in the part-time squad that have quite a bit of first-class experience and this stint at the Centre of Excellence will help them further their development.”Bailey will get to work with Shane Warne and Terry Jenner, who will operate as guest coaches, as he tries to regain a spot in the South Australia team while the tuition will also be important for White, whose bowling has struggled while his batting has improved. The New South Wales pair of Steven Smith and Stephen O’Keefe join Victoria’s Jon Holland in the large group of spinners.The average age of the 13-man full-time squad is 21.2, which is almost 12 months younger than in 2007, and the 20-week programme begins on April 21. Ryan Broad, the Queensland opener, and the New South Wales allrounder Moises Henriques are also part of the full-time intake.Full-time scholars Ryan Broad (Qld), Ben Cutting (Qld), Theo Doropolous (WA), Peter Forrest (NSW), Moises Henriques (NSW), Michael Hill (Vic), Greg Moller (Qld), Stephen O’Keefe (NSW), Grant Sullivan (Qld), Matthew Wade (Vic), David Warner (NSW), Usman Khawaja (NSW), Jon Holland (Vic).
Part-time scholars Cullen Bailey (SA), Luke Butterworth (Tas), James Faulkner (Tas), Phillip Hughes (NSW), Andrew McDonald (Vic), James Pattinson (Vic), Steven Smith (NSW), Mark Cameron (NSW), Peter Siddle (Vic), John Hastings (Vic), Cameron White (Vic).
Development scholars Tom Brinsley (SA), Josh Hazelwood (NSW), Mitchell Marsh (WA).

New South Wales 281 (Katich 86, Haddin 63, Jaques 53, Siddle 5-66) & 0 for 23 lead Victoria 216 (Hodge 84, Lee 4-72) by 88 runs
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details

None of New South Wales’ big stars were able to dominate individually until Brett Lee’s burst at the tail, but their collective brilliance proved too much for Victoria on the second day of the Pura Cup final. The Bushrangers, who trail by 88 after the Blues reached 0 for 23 in their second innings, promised they would not be over-awed by the talent in the opposition and they did a reasonable job until Brad Hodge departed for a well-crafted 84.From that moment Stuart MacGill started to look like Shane Warne and the appearance of Peter Siddle turned Lee into a fast-bowling monster. The men fielding in blue caps could have been wearing baggy green as Victoria lost 7 for 50 to be dismissed for 216. In a team with seven current internationals it has been hard for any of them to rise above their mates and excel. Instead they have come at the Bushrangers in waves.The initial surges were repelled but slowly, surely, the visitors took on too much water. Hodge held firm for the longest and, like Simon Katich on day one, seemed to be operating on a true surface instead of one full of challenges. That all changed when Hodge started to apply a pad-first technique to MacGill, making the batsman look like a baffled Englishman facing Warne.Coming around the wicket, MacGill was aiming for the footmarks in an effort to slow Hodge’s scoring. Hodge, the only Test player in Victoria’s side, was the key, but his lapse was not to let his bat follow his leg forward to a big-turning delivery. The ball missed Hodge’s pad but not off stump.MacGill, showing his wrist injury is no longer a concern, is hoping to get a trip to the West Indies with Australia in May, and he also helped his cause by catching Adam Crosthwaite’s edge behind. Victoria had tripped from the relative safety of 3 for 166 when Hodge and Cameron White were together to 6 for 188. Worse was to come.The sight of Siddle, who was sensational in grabbing 5 for 66 as New South Wales were shut down for 281, stirred Lee, who remembered the short pummeling he received late on the first day. Siddle had an aching mouth caused by an infected tooth when he bowled and Lee added two sore shoulders with frightening bouncers for a flat pitch. He was unlucky to be judged caught behind for 0 and will have a bruise at the top of his right arm as proof.

Lee’s roughing up of the tail continued and was scary enough to have Bryce McGain, the No. 9, stepping away, which is not a good look for a potential international. McGain’s off stump cartwheeled soon after, Shane Harwood took a hit on the body before guiding Lee to Beau Casson at gully and Dirk Nannes was lbw to end the damage. Lee walked off with 4 for 76 and MacGill had 2 for 36.There was no relief for Victoria from the moment Lee and a slightly distracted Stuart Clark accepted the new ball. Defending 281, they did not worry when the early breakthroughs did not come immediately and the bowlers were rotated calmly and unconventionally by Katich.Michael Clarke was used ahead of MacGill and Casson in the second session and the risk was successful, although David Hussey deserved to be upset when ruled to have edged to Katich at first slip. Hussey’s high-energy 59-run partnership with Hodge was over and the Bushrangers were never as comfortable again.While his team-mates struggled against the tight attack, Hodge looked at ease. The variable bounce did not stop him from pulling successfully and the productive shot was responsible for raising his half-century in 92 deliveries. Two offside drives in an over from Lee and a couple of boundaries wide of mid-on off Clark also showed his class and Victoria will wonder what could have happened without the MacGill misjudgment.Whenever a bowling change was called there was danger. Nathan Bracken did not take the new ball, but removed Lloyd Mash for 20 shortly before lunch when the batsman flirted at an off-cutter. Clark was tight and finally gained a reward with his reverse-swinging full ball bowling White for 19, the same score as the unbeaten Andrew McDonald.There was some room for New South Wales’ rank-and-file members to do things, but not much. Dominic Thornely’s under-armed run-out of Nick Jewell (26) made it 2 for 68, ending an innings of near misses. Jewell was not convinced by a caught-behind appeal off Clark, prompting MacGill, who was standing at mid-on, to chip in with: “Stop shaking your head, Jewelly, there are two umpires out here and you’re neither of them. You bat.”MacGill’s mood improved later in the day, but Casson, the wrist spinner, was left without an over. As the footmarks deepen on a surface that looks more like day four than two, he has a greater chance for employment. Unfortunately – for Casson and Victoria – the A-list provided the bulk of the entertainment. After two days the star quality is dominating this final.

ScorecardYorkshire’s hopes of winning the Pro Arch Trophy were dented by Sussex who beat them by nine runs in the tournament’s penultimate match.Yorkshire need to beat UAE in the final match to finish level on points with Lancashire and Somerset, and they need a comprehensive win to overtake their Roses rivals.Sussex got off to a good start, reaching 110 for 1 before losing three wickets without addition. The middle order rallied to boost them to 209 for 8, seemingly a below-par score in the conditions.Yorkshire also started well before losing their way, 19-year-old Will Beer taking two quick wickets and thereafter the innings fell away.

Dennis Lillee, the former Australian fast bowler, has signed with the Delhi Daredevils as a consultant.”It feels great to be a part of GMR Sports [the company that owns the franchise] and Delhi Daredevils. I’ve known many of the young players in the Delhi Daredevils squad and am naturally delighted to be part of this team,” Lillee told PTI. “While players like Glenn McGrath are legends by their own right, I am looking forward to work with upcoming talents such as Pradeep Sangwan and Yo Mahesh.”However, Cricinfo has learned that Lillee will continue to be involved with the MRF pace academy, where he is the main consultant and works on a tri-annual basis. With the Daredevils, his expertise will mainly be used after the end of the tournament’s first edition, to sustain and improve upon the their preparations.TA Sekar, Lillee’s colleague at the MRF academy, and a member of the Daredevils’ team-management, said Lillee’s experience in tutoring bowlers would come in handy. “I’ve known Dennis for more than two decades now. His advice has helped groom hundreds of young fast bowlers in India and abroad. We are indeed fortunate to have him among us,” he said.Virender Sehwag, the Daredevils’ captain, speaking about Lillee’s appointment, said: “His presence in the Delhi Daredevils dressing room will no doubt bolster our resolve to win,”Lillee will work in collaboration with fellow Australian Greg Shipperd, who took over as coach, having previously worked with Victoria in the 2007-08 domestic season in Australia.

Kent’s captain, Robert Key, has had his prospects of an England recall enhanced after being named by the England & Wales Cricket Board in a 26-man Performance Squad for the 2008 international summer.Key played the last of his 15 Tests against South Africa at Centurion in January 2005, but has been pressing his claims for a recall ever since being named as Kent’s captain in 2006. He began this season with a hard-fought 79 against Nottinghamshire at Canterbury, and would make a sound replacement should England’s middle-order continue to underperform in the coming Test series against New Zealand and South Africa.The bulk of the Performance Squad is made up of familiar names, although three uncapped players have made the cut. Hampshire’s opening batsman, Michael Carberry; Yorkshire’s legspinning allrounder Adil Rashid and the Kent offspinner James Tredwell are also included.England’s national selector, Geoff Miller, said that there was scope for four more players to be added to the squad in the course of the summer. “The England Performance Squad is designed to allow Peter Moores to closely monitor the development of international players,” he said, “and better prepare them for the demands of the international game.”The selectors can name up to 30 players in the EPS, but we have decided to keep four places vacant at present in order to give ourselves greater flexibility and we will reserve the right to add further players to the squad if their performances in domestic cricket merit it.Twelve of the 26 players in the squad are currently on 12-month ECB contracts, including Steve Harmison and Matthew Hoggard, who were dropped from the Test side during last month’s tour of New Zealand, but the selectors decided against awarding any six-month contracts – not even to Stuart Broad and Tim Ambrose, the two young players who impressed the most in the Test series.”We were delighted with the progress made by several of our younger players during the winter. both with the full England side and the England Lions,” said Miller. “The awarding of contracts is based on our assessment of a player’s performance in international cricket over a period of time and we can, of course, opt to award contracts on a pro-rata basis during the middle of the domestic international season if appropriate.”England Performance Squad 2008 Tim Ambrose (Warwickshire), James Anderson (Lancashire) *, Ian Bell (Warwickshire) *, Ravi Bopara (Essex), Stuart Broad (Nottinghamshire), Michael Carberry (Hampshire), Paul Collingwood (Durham)*, Alastair Cook (Essex)*, Andrew Flintoff (Lancashire) *, Stephen Harmison (Durham)*, Matthew Hoggard (Yorkshire)*, Robert Key (Kent), Dimitri Mascarenhas (Hampshire), Philip Mustard (Durham), Monty Panesar (Northamptonshire)*, Kevin Pietersen (Hampshire)*, Matthew Prior (Sussex), Adil Rashid (Yorkshire),Owais Shah (Middlesex), Andrew Strauss (Middlesex)*, Ryan Sidebottom (Nottinghamshire)*, Graeme Swann (Nottinghamshire), James Tredwell (Kent), Chris Tremlett (Hampshire), Michael Vaughan (Yorkshire)*, Luke Wright (Sussex)* denotes centrally contracted player

ScorecardIrfan Karim struck a 26-ball 46•ICC/Donald MacLeod

Matthew Cross (45*) and Richie Berrington (34*) led Scotland to a comfortable seven-wicket win over Kenya in their World T20 Qualifier Group B game at Edinburgh after their bowlers had limited the opposition to 141 for 5.Kenya, who opted to bat first had a brisk start, reaching 30 in just under three overs, before they lost their first wicket. Alasdair Evans dismissed Narendra Kalyan, after the batsman had contributed 1 run to a stand of 30. Irfan Karim, who had scored most of the runs at the start struck up a useful 30-run partnership for the second wicket with Nehemiah Odhiembo.The pair scored at a brisk rate of over 13 runs but Kenya were robbed of their momentum in three overs – between the sixth and eighth of their innings. Odhiambo fell to Rob Taylor in the sixth over but it was Michael Leask’s twin strikes in the eighth over that inflicted heavy damage. Leask got rid of Karim and Collins Obuya in the space of three deliveries, and the 52-run, fourth-wicket partnership between captain Rakep Patel and Morris Ouma couldn’t make up for the lost momentum. Kenya eventually reached 141 for 5 off 20 overs, with Karim’s 26-ball 46 the highest score.Chasing 142, Scotland didn’t start well, losing Kyle Coetzer in the first over. However, Cross steadied the innings and was involved in a string of partnerships that kept Scotland on track. He added 36 for the second wicket with Calum MacLeod and 55 for the third wicket with George Munsey before an unbroken fourth-wicket partnership of 51 with Berrington guided Scotland home with 31 balls to spare.