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Misbah-ul-Haq compiled a splendid double-hundred but Sufyan Munir fell in the nervous nineties as Sui Northern Gas Pipeline Limited (SNGPL) amassed a first-innings score of 498 for 8 against Pakistan Customs on day two of their second round Patron’s Trophy Cricket Championship match at Karachi.Misbah maintained his fine run on the domestic circuit with his 21st first-class century – and third double-hundred – which is now his highest. Batting for just over nine hours, he faced 397 balls and hit 12 fours and six sixes. Misbah was particularly severe on Murtaza Hussain’s offbreaks, launching him for for three sixes, and Stephen John, the fast bowler, who was twice struck out of the ground. Murtaza, who had five wickets in his last match against Khan Research Laboratories (KRL), finished with none for 105 in 37 overs.Playing in his 99th first-class match, Misbah was first associated in a 166-run partnership in 288 minutes for the third wicket with Munir before putting on a further 165 runs for the sixth wicket with Mohammad Salman, the wicketkeeper, to build a big total for his team.Munir was unlucky to miss what would have been his career’s eighth hundred when he was bowled by Imran Ali’s medium pace for 91. Sufyan clubbed 13 boundaries in his 91 off 250 balls while occupying the crease for almost five and a half hours. Misbah too fell just before the close, offering a return catch to Afsar Nawaz, the part-time offspinner, trying to pull him over midwicket.Salman hit an attractive 72 in 126 deliveries, with four boundaries and three sixes. Imran Ali, with a marathon 41 overs sent down so far, has been the most successful bowler with three wickets for 109 runs.Habib Bank nosed ahead of Khan Research Laboratories (KRL) to take a 21-run lead on the second day of their second-round Patron’s Trophy match at the National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) Sports Complex in Karachi.After having dismissed KRL for a rather modest score of 247 on the opening day, Habib Bank reached 268 for the loss of six wickets by the close of play yesterday. Farhan Adil, the middle-order batsman, was still at the wicket with an unbeaten 73 off 134 balls with six fours. After a useful start, Hasan Raza, the Habib Bank captain, and Aftab Khan came together for an 84-run partnership for the third wicket. Aftab’s 59 runs saw him negotiate 156 balls in just over three-and-a-half hours as he hit eight boundaries.Raza followed his knock of 178 in the first-round match against Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) with a useful 44 off 87 deliveries with two fours. Another 62 runs came for the fourth-wicket stand between Aftab and Adil, who played for Pakistan in a Test match against Bangladesh two years ago.In their first-round match, a tall-scoring affair, Habib Bank – record seven-time Patron’s Trophy winners – claimed the three first-innings points from a draw against PIA.Service Industries were hurtling towards a certain defeat as the second day of their match against National Bank came to a close at the Sheikhupura Stadium.National Bank first gained a big 164 runs first-innings lead over Service, who had been dismissed for a mere 72 on the opening day, and then restricted them to 90 for 5. Service still need another 75 runs to make National Bank bat again. Wasim Khan, the fast-medium bowler from Lahore, proved to be Service’s tormentor yet again, taking 4 for 39 to add to his first innings 6 for 38.National Bank, five-time Patron’s Trophy winners, had equalled the Service first-innings total by stumps on the first day, for the loss of only two wickets. Yesterday, they took their tally to 236 all out but still attained a substantial advantage. No National Bank batsman crossed 50 but there were three individual scores in the 40s. Mansoor Amjad, the allrounder, top-scored with 47 from the No.7 spot, with five fours and a six. The Service bowlers were wayward, conceding 26 no-balls as the extras column reached a shocking 44. However, Rizwan Akbar, the young fast bowler, achieved first-class career-best figures of 6 for 76 from 11.5 overs.Earlier, Imran Nazir, the former Pakistan opener, hammered a characteristic 46 off 64 balls with seven boundaries. Naved Latif, who has also represented Pakistan, needed a mere 28 deliveries to smash 42.Service qualified for this season’s first-class circuit after having won the Patron’s Trophy Grade-II tournament in 2004-05. They were beaten by Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL) in their first-round Group B encounter.Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL) cleared the first hurdle when they gained the first innings advantage over Zarai Taraqiati Bank Limited (ZTBL), on the second day of their clash at the Iqbal Stadium in Faisalabad.PTCL finished the day’s play at 265 for 6 – which took them six runs ahead – after ZTBL made 259 on the opening day. PTCL’s sound position was made possible by a 116-run partnership for the fourth wicket between Zulqarnain Haider, the wicketkeeper, and Aamer Bashir, the captain. While Bashir hit a quick 77 off 114 deliveries with 12 fours, Zulqarnain remains at the wicket with an unbeaten 88 runs to his name.PTCL had started the day precariously placed at 3 for 2 before a third-wicket stand of 82 between Zulqarnain and Ashar Zaidi, the left-handed opener, steadied them. Zulqarnain, who has so far faced 250 balls and hit seven fours, found another able partner in Shahzad Malik (33) as 44 runs were added for the fifth wicket. Shahzad got his runs off only 36 balls with two fours and a six.ZTBL, who have won the Patron’s Trophy title four times, were beaten by their 2003-04 runners-up Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) in the first round. PTCL, however, took six points from their win over Service Industries in their opening game.

Scorecard

Mark Vermeulen: unusual end © Getty Images

Namibia finished their tour of Zimbabwe with a good match against Matabeleland, although they lost in the end by 23 runs with 13 balls unbowled. The decisive performance was a century from Mark Vermeulen, who should have played his way into the national team for the upcoming one-day series against England. He made a rapid century, although the most notable incident was the unusual manner of his dismissal.Namibia were required to field first for the only time on their tour. Matabeleland’s openers battled through some very good early bowling, with Tinashe Hove going on to make an impressive 80. This laid the foundation for Vermeulen’s 105 off 96 balls, with ten fours. He was finally dismissed when he went for a hasty second run to his partner’s hit into the deep. He was probably not in real danger of being run out, but as the throw passed him, with the bowler preparing to receive it, he thrust his bat at it and deflected it to the boundary. On appeal he was given out obstructing the field.Matabeleland totalled 272 – exactly the same score as in their previous game, in which Vermeulen made 91 – but Jan-Berrie Burger gave Namibia a rollicking start with 71 off 58 balls. The rest put up a good effort right to the end, but did not have quite enough batting depth to pull off an unlikely victory. Chris Mpofu was the best of the bowlers with 3 for 45.
Scorecard
In a good match at Kwekwe Sports Club, Midlands beat Manicaland by 65 runs. It was a good allround performance, with the most encouraging individual effort being a disciplined 64 from the often-prodigal prodigy, Vusi Sibanda.Midlands, batting first, scored 254. Besides Sibanda, Conan Brewer made 46, and Prosper Utseya contributed an aggressive 41 from just 24 balls. Manicaland looked in the hunt at 135 for 3 at the halfway stage, with Stuart Matsikenyeri going strong. But Matsikenyeri was then dismissed for 59, and the rest of the batting failed sadly, with the offspinner Hilary Matanga returning the best figures of 3 for 27.

Adrian Le Roux, who has taken up the position of physical trainer with the United Cricket Board of South Africa (UCBSA) after vacating the similar post he held with the Indian cricket team, has termed his decision as a personal one. Speaking to Wisden CricInfo from South Africa, Le Roux said: “I sat down with my family and we decided that the opportunity to work for one’s own country will be something that I might not get again. It has nothing to do with the BCCI or the Indian cricket team … it’s just a personal one.”The Indian board had offered him a one-year extension after the World Cup, but Le Roux clarified that there had only been a “verbal conference with the BCCI”. Refuting statements by the Indian board officials that they were kept in the dark, Le Roux said that he informed the BCCI as soon as he made up his mind to take up the South African offer. “Once I had my talks with the UCBSA, I sent an e-mail and a fax to the BCCI office informing them of my decision.”Le Roux also clarified that the issue of late payment of salary had no role to play in his decision. He stressed that his relationship with the board and the players had been excellent. “In my opinion, I’ve done a good job for them, and we’re good friends. I have a very good working relationship with the board and the players.”Le Roux was unhappy with reports in the Indian media which suggested that he had “dumped” the Indian team. “I don’t think that’s the correct phrase to use. It’s an opportunity that I have [to work with the South African team], and it’s a long-term career decision.”Le Roux was offered a one-year contract with the Indian board after working with the team on their tour to South Africa in 2001-02. Along with Andrew Leipus, the physiotherapist, he improved the fitness levels of the Indian team significantly. Now, the Indian board have the onerous task of finding a replacement.

National first league Champions Old Hararians recovered from their disappointing start to the season with a 39-run home win over Bulawayo Athletic Club in the second round of matches.OH, who lost their opening game to Kwekwe Sports Club by seven wickets, opened the batting and compiled 220/6 in a 45-over match. Opener Ryan Butterworth top-scored with 96 while all-rounder Paul Strang weighed in with 50. Trevor Penney took three wickets for five runs off 2.1 overs while Nyasha Chari claimed three for 38 off nine overs.While Old Hararians got back to winning ways, it was a different case with Bulawayo side Queens Sports Club, runners-up last season, as they slumped to their second successive defeat of the new season. Queens, who lost to Mutare Sports Club in the opening week, suffered an embarrassing 82-run home defeat to Kwekwe Sports Club.The only success story of the Queens performance was the bowling of former national team paceman Mpumelelo Mbangwa who took four for 35 off 10 overs in Kwekwe’s total of 240/8. The hosts were dismissed for 158 in 47.3 overs with spinner Raymond Price claiming four wickets for 30 off 10 overs.Takashinga continued their fine start to the 2001/02 Castle Lager National First League season with a 47-run win over visiting Bulawayo Sports Club at Eaglesvale on Sunday. It was the second straight win for the Highfield-based outfit who won only two matches during the whole of last season. Last week Takashinga beat another Bulawayo side, Bulawayo Athletic Club, by six wickets.On winning the toss, Takashinga batted first and made 267/8 with opener Tatenda Taibu top-scoring with 102. The Sixth-Form Churchill High School student featured in a 70-run first wicket partnership with EltonChigumbura, who made 23. Givemore Makoni made a quickfire 65 batting at number five, smashing seven sixes. Dash Vaghmaria, the BSC captain, was the pick of the visitors’ bowlers with four wickets for 37 off 10 overs.In reply, Bulawayo Sports Club were dismissed for 220 in 47.1 overs. Taibu was once again the best bowler for Takashinga, taking four wickets for 41 off 6.1 overs. Taibu had been the wicketkeeper until the middle of the innings when he handed over the gloves to Alester Maregwede.Mutare beat Old Georgians by 21 runs, their second win in as many matches. Mutare batted first and were dismissed for 229 in 49.5 overs with Richard Sims making 51. The hosts could only score 208/9 off their allotted 50 overs. Former national team vice-captain Guy Whittall was the pick of the bowlers with three for 27 off 10 overs, while colleague Alistair Campbell took three for 54 off 10 overs.At Alexandra Sports Club, the hosts beat Harare Sports Club by 35 runs, while Universals recorded their first win of the season, beating Macdonald Club by 33 runs in Bulawayo.Results from the Second Round of National First League played on 28 October, 2001.Winstonians v Bulawayo Sports ClubWinstonians won by 47 runs.Winstonians 267 for 6T Taibu 102, G Makoni 65, W Chawaguta 37D Vaghmaria 4 – 20B.S.C. 220 all outT Sibanda 38, M Kenny 35, M Ranchod 31T Taibu 4 – 41Mac Club v UniversalsUniversals won by 33 runsUniversals 294 for 9 in 50 oversC Coventry 63, D Matambanadzo 30, B Mahwire 97, N Chouhan 37Mac Club 261 for 9 in 50 oversW Siziba 55, H Price 35, S Wilson 56*D Mutendera 3 – 58Alexandra Sports Club v Harare Sports ClubAlexandra won by 35 runsAlexandra 220 all out in 49.5 oversB Benhura 39, C Anticevich 57*, S Marillier 35A Hoffman 3 – 35H.S.C. 185 all out in 46.2 oversB Taylor 33, M Brundle 49G du Plessis 3 – 41, C de Grandhomme 3 – 26Old Hararians v Bulawayo Athletic ClubOld Hararians won by 40 runsO H 220 for 8 wickets in 45 oversR Butterworth 96*, P Strang 50N Mukondiwa 3 – 54B A C 181 all out in 43.1 oversG Manchip 32, C Williams 62N Chari 3 – 38, T Penney 3 – 5Queens Sports Club v Kwekwe Sports ClubKwekwe won by 82 runsKwekwe 240 for 8 in 50 oversT Duffin 41, D Viljoen 70, D Houghton 35M Mbangwa 4 – 30Queens 158 all out in 42.3 oversR King 32, N van Rensburg 48, O Msundire 32C Sanders 3 – 30, R Price 4 – 30Old Georgians v Mutare Sports ClubMutare won by 21 runsMutare 229 all out in 49.5 oversR Sims 51, K Went 47, L Soma 31A Mackay 3 – 48, B McCoun 3 – 37O G 208 for 9 in 50 oversL Malloch-Brown 31, B Rogers 67, W Mwayenga 31A Campbell 3 -54, G Whittall 3 – 27

Wolves will assess how serious Nelson Semedo’s hamstring injury is after missing the 1-0 defeat to West Ham, according to reliable journalist Liam Keen.

The Lowdown: Wolves beaten again

Bruno Lage’s side faced another key Premier League clash on Sunday afternoon, with victory crucial in their battle to secure a top-four finish this season.

Unfortunately, Wolves suffered a second defeat in London in the space of four days, with Tomas Soucek’s goal proving to be the difference between the two teams.

It was a tired-looking performance from Wanderers, whose Champions League hopes have now taken a massive hit following successive defeats to positional rivals in Arsenal and West Ham.

The Latest: Semedo suffers injury

Semedo was unavailable for the game at the London Stadium, having picked up a hamstring problem in last Thursday’s 2-1 loss away to Arsenal.

Taking to Twitter on Sunday, Keen claimed that Wolves are still waiting to find out the severity of the issue, stating: “Bruno Lage confirms Nelson Semedo has suffered a hamstring injury (from Thursday). Says they are still assessing how serious it is.”

[freshpress-quiz id=“388797″]

The Verdict: Bad week for Wanderers

Things were looking so bright for Wolves this time last week but the brutal nature of football means that the current outlook is now rather different. A top-four finish looks highly unlikely and it is vital that Lage and his players remain level-headed and focused on securing European football of some kind.

A bad week has been made even worse by this update on Semedo, who will be a big miss if he is absent for several weeks. He rates highly in Lage’s squad for tackles (2.3) and clearances (2.2) per game, illustrating his no-nonsense defensive nature.

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Also, him being sidelined leaves just Ki-Jana Hoever as a natural right-back option, so it’s not as if the Old Gold are blessed with depth in that area. The wait to find out how badly Semedo is hurt could be a nervy one for the Molineux faithful.

In other news, Tim Spiers slammed one player’s performance against West Ham. Find out who it is here.

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.

Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were out

Glenn McGrath and Shane Warne say their farewells© Getty Images

Australia surfed a tide of emotion in front of a packed fourth-and-final day crowd, sealing their first Ashes whitewash in 86 years with a ruthless demolition job at Sydney. They had a full two days available to do the necessary, but in the end they needed just under two hours, as England’s battered and bruised cricketers surrendered by ten wickets in an abject and embarrassing fashion.Fittingly, it was Glenn McGrath who took centre stage in his final appearance at his home ground, the SCG. After Shane Warne’s heroics with the bat, McGrath took over with the ball, grabbing 3 for 38 in 21 typically metronomic overs, before Justin Langer – in partnership with his best mate, Matthew Hayden – rattled off the necessary 46 runs in just 11 overs.It was Hayden who sealed the win, clubbing Sajid Mahmood for six then, after a consultation with Langer, slapping the next for four past point, but McGrath, Langer and Shane Warne were the inevitable stars of the show. McGrath, ever one to rise above the emotion, started the festivities with his third ball of the day. He scalped Kevin Pietersen, England’s last hope, before instigating the run-out of the nightwatchman, Monty Panesar.In his desperation to score England’s first runs of the morning, Chris Read took off for a suicidal single to Australia’s best fielder, Andrew Symonds, who pinged the top of middle stump from ten yards, with Panesar still a foot short. Read was himself then blasted from the crease by a Brett Lee lifter deflected to second slip, before McGrath bowled Sajid Mahmood off the pads for 4.Warne, to a raucous ovation, then entered at the Paddington End for his final spell in Test cricket, and the last rites of England’s innings developed into a mini-tussle between Australia’s two champions, as McGrath and Warne fought for the honour of claiming the last wicket of the innings, and of their Test careers.Warne so nearly won the race via a stumping, as Adam Gilchrist whipped off the bails with Steve Harmison’s back foot shuffling back towards the crease, and the drama was intensified by a five-minute wait for the not-out verdict, as umpire Peter Parker studied the replay from all angles. And in the next over, the dream conclusion was narrowly missed, as James Anderson edged McGrath inches short of Warne at first slip.Harmison did at least club a clutch of defiant boundaries to carry England to the drinks break, but upon the resumption, McGrath could be denied no longer. Anderson swished at the sixth ball of his next over, and Michael Hussey at midwicket pocketed the simplest of catches. McGrath had signed off with three wickets in the innings, six for the match, 21 for the series, and 563 for a magnificent 124-Test career. And Australia needed just 46 to win.They started watchfully, adding just ten runs in the first five overs, but there were no alarms as a dispirited England team went through the motions to the strains of “The Last Post” from the Barmy Army bugler. The scenes at the end were euphoric and poignant, with Warne, McGrath and Langer leading the lap of honour, as a mighty era of Australia cricket ended in the most immensely fitting manner imaginable.Short CutsDismissal of the day
Kevin Pietersen was England’s only hope for a miracle, but Glenn McGrathsnuffed that dream by catching his edge with the third ball of the morning.It was vintage McGrath and a fitting farewell.Man of the Match
Stuart Clark’s five wickets for the game earned the prize, which was a finereward for a series in which he chipped in with at least a victim in everyinnings. He finished with 26 at 17.03, a total he achieved without afive-wicket haul.Speech of the day
There was a fair bit of competition, but Clark wins easily for telling hiswife and young son how much he loved them in front an almost-full SCG.Tunes of the day
The trumpeter showed his full repertoire today, mixing pop, rock andpatriotism. The Way We Were was on the song sheet along with Oasis’Don’t Look Back in Anger, Bon Jovi’s Living on a Prayer, RuleBrittania and The Last Post.What England didn’t need to hear
“It was the best Harmy’s bowled all series,” Justin Langer said afterAustralia had knocked off the 46 for the series whitewash. England had beenwaiting for Steve Harmison to turn up since they arrived in November.

Bob Woolmer is preparing to mastermind Pakistan’s attempts to gain one-day success over England © Getty Images

As if by rote, questions of psychological advantages began as soon as Matthew Hoggard was bowled in the final Test at Lahore. `Does Pakistan now hold a psychological advantage over England in the ODI series?’ `Is England psychologically down already before the series starts?’ `Psychologically, are Pakistan favourites?’ No psychologist has been on hand to answer the queries, only Inzamam-ul-Haq, Pakistani captain. And, along with Bob Woolmer, he has only told us that one-day cricket is indeed a different game to Test cricket.Psychology aside, there is little doubt that Pakistan is not lacking for confidence at the moment. That much, at least, Inzamam is willing to admit. “Obviously the team has been very confident after the Test win,” before obviously adding, “but ODIs and Tests are a different game. We will have to work hard. In ODIs one player can change the match completely but yes we are confident.”Even disregarding the Test results, Pakistan’s ODI record, recent and over the last 18 months, is impressive. They begin Saturday having won their last seven matches and 22 from 34 since June last year. Their success in that time has been moulded out of Pakistani and Woolmerian principles; allrounders (multidimensional if you’re a psychologist) are not bits n’ pieces, they are spectacular and a clinical batting line-up revolving largely around the bulwark of Inzamam but boasting cavaliers such as Abdul Razzaq and Shahid Afridi at either end of the line-up. Spearheaded by the unassuming Rana Naved-ul-Hasan and backed up by Mohammad Sami (who does still cut it over ten overs) and a motley crew of spinners and medium-pacers, the bowling has also never lacked for options or incisiveness.But for and from tomorrow, with Shahid Afridi missing (“He will definitely be missed as he is one our main players,” said Inzamam) the line-up will float. With the World Cup now 15 months away and seven ODI series till then, mild experimentation, as Woolmer said, has begun. “This is part of the build-up to the World Cup. The start of getting our team together, getting the players together, making sure they know their roles, getting ideas together. We’ve got seven series leading up to the World Cup and we treat them all as a build-up.”Shoaib Malik, responsible for much of Pakistan’s batting thrust from number three for the last year (947 runs from 22 matches at 45.09 from one down), might play tomorrow or he might not, depending on whether he has recovered from an exhausting three-day jaunt to Australia to have his action examined again. If he does, he might open, or he might not. No clue came from Inzamam either, who said only, “, he will play.”If he doesn’t, then it is understood Kamran Akmal might open. Then again, he might not. Younis Khan, somehow still to fit into Pakistan’s ODI scheme of things, may move to number three, or he may come in lower down, a finisher in the making. With the bonus return of Shoaib Akhtar, Abdul Razzaq and the possibility of playing Danish Kaneria, the final XI and its order is only more uncertain.For the first time though, Pakistan will be taxed by the dilemma of the Supersub. When the rule first emerged, it was designed seemingly with Pakistan in mind: one wildcard who can come in and throw all plans out the window, preferably with bat and ball. Cards don’t come much wilder than Razzaq, Afridi or even Malik. Not that Pakistan seem particularly disturbed by the prospect. Frankly, Inzamam said, “I can’t say too much about it because I don’t have experience of using it. From tomorrow I will get a clearer idea of it. We haven’t decided yet who it will be.” Woolmer offered only gentle criticism. “We haven’t used it so it is unfair for me to criticise it. But there is an anomaly in it that you have to announce your Supersub before the toss and that is unfair on one side in particular.”Talk of pitches for ODIs borders on the irrelevant in any case and Gaddafi Stadium is unlikely to buck that trend. Runs will come off it and because of the 11.00am start, dew is unlikely to play such a factor later in the game. Inzamam psychologised, “Because of the start, dew might only play a part in the last hour or so of the match but I think the late start covers the effects pretty much. It is a batting pitch but there is nothing in it really that will give a decisive advantage to whoever wins the toss.”All of which brings us back, of course, to the only question: Who starts favourite? England, said Inzamam after much pestering and with a hint of exasperation, but as it was followed by laughs all around, are we to assume that Pakistan start favourites? Maybe not, Inzamam retorted: “They are a big team. They can come back at any time so we can’t be overconfident.” With Woolmer adding he never regards himself as favourite for anything, the only thing left to do is to call for the psychologist and ask him.Pakistan (probable) 1 Salman Butt, 2 Kamran Akmal (wk), 3 Shoaib Malik, 4 Inzamam-ul-Haq (capt), 5 Mohammad Yousuf, 6 Younis Khan, 7 Abdul Razzaq, 8 Rana Naved-ul-Hasan, 9 Shoaib Akhtar, 10 Mohammad Sami, 11 Danish Kaneria. Supersub Yasir Arafat

Adam Gilchrist with Mangesh, the child he sponsors through World Vision, during the Mumbai Test© Getty Images

They’re not the Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders. This is Dino’s Troupe’s first gig here, and they love it. They like the crowd. The crowd loves them back. Both celebrate the moment with passion, especially when the moment includes a felled Australian. In quieter times they prance about, arms and legs flailing as they rouse the crowd into action. The response has been good.The crowds have fed off their relentless energy, and from the beginning till the end of the day their belief that India will win has not faltered. It is a minor victory for these college students moonlighting as cheerleaders. India winning would be a bigger victory, but they’re nearly a hundred runs behind, so that can wait.These students who form Dino’s Troupe can also dance. They know western and jive. They’ve danced at big shows before, and this one’s no different, except it’s on a larger scale. They were contacted by a company and asked if they’d like to spread cheer at a Test. Sure, they said, and were put up at a top hotel overlooking the sea. Besides cheering, they can’t do much else on matchdays. They travel from the hotel to the stadium in the morning, and then right back into the clutches of five-star luxury in the evening.It’s not bad, one says. She’s sitting by herself, wiping her eyes dry. It’s mild asthma, caused by the dust and the heat and the shouting. She says the organisers keep the troupe busy with quizzes and other things. Why they can’t leave the hotel, she doesn’t know, but she likes it. She might not be with the troupe much longer because of her parents’ wishes.Meanwhile, the others have their minds on more immediate things. They run the length of the stand in train formation, and spectators in the first row keep their legs well under their seats as the express whizzes by. Then the train stops, and they turn to face the seats. “C’mon c’mon everybody say I-N-D-I-A,” someone yells. It’s Dino – short for Dinesh Chauhan. He and Swati began this operation a few years ago. Most of the dancers didn’t know each other, but knew how to dance. They networked, got together, and practised regularly. Right now Dinesh is getting the crowd together with his arms raised. They catch on gradually. Then comes a religious chant. Followed by another one that’s more generic, and a darn sight more classy than the “Aussies suck” that reverberated round the stadium yesterday. That didn’t even rhyme.Swati walks over and says hello. She’s doing her masters in mathematics. Right now she’s talking, but is clearly making an effort to do so because her throat is almost hoarse. How’s she going to do this for the whole Test? Just then, another wicket falls. At this rate, it might not last more than one more day. She shrugs and says it’s OK. She likes inciting the crowds and waving the pom-poms.Swati can’t stay for long because she has a paid job to do. She runs down the steps and rejoins her group, who are in the middle of another catchy chant. They jump around, waving whatever’s in their hands, and whistle, and scream, and laugh, and get everyone involved. It’s so natural, it’s catchy. These aren’t paid professionals. They’re having fun and getting paid for it. It’s cool. It’s rather like being a sports writer.Rahul Bhatia is on the staff of Wisden Cricinfo in India.

Hampshire Hawks inaugural match in the Twenty20 Cup gets underway at 5.30pm on Friday against Sussex Sharks at The Rose Bowl, in an evening that promises a large crowd, fun and games before the game and a pop concert after.The inovative event arranged jointly by Rose Bowl plc and the ECB, launches the new competition to the country in front the Sky TV viewers.Hampshire Cricket manager Paul Terry choses from 13 players, the same eleven that defeated Durham in the National League last Sunday, plus James Hamblin and Lawrence Prittipaul.Speaking to the manager yesterday, Paul intimated that James Hamblin could be brought into the side, his is an excellent player in the faster style that this competition needs.”There is a real buzz, about the Rose Bowl” said Terry, “we know we have a responsibility to put on a good show in front of an expected sell out crowd and the TV viewers.””We have played some good cricket in the past month, and I could not fault the players in failing to gain an extra wicket in the Championship match against Durham, it was tremendous to get 17 wickets in the day”.Hampshire Hawks 13: Derek Kenway, John Crawley (captain), Robin Smith, Simon Katich, Will Kendall, Nic Pothas (wicket-keeper), Dimitri Mascarenhas, Wasim Akram, Shaun Udal, Alan Mullally, Ed Giddins, James Hamblin, Lawrence Prittipaul.