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Adam Gilchrist, the Australian wicketkeeper, says he is looking at remaining in cricket beyond next year’s World Cup in the Caribbean. Gilchrist, 34, who requires 41 more dismissals to usurp compatriot Ian Healy at the top of the Test wicketkeeping list, had previously indicated that he might quit the game after the tournament to spend more time with his young family.Exhausted after a year of near non-stop cricket, Gilchrist headed home from Bangladesh last April and wondered how much longer he could maintain his packed playing schedule. “If you had sat me down after Bangladesh and asked me how much time I had left in the game, you probably would have gotten a different answer to now,” Gilchrist told . “I’m not keen on making any big statements, but right now I am looking to keep playing.”I have voiced the opinion that I think there is too much cricket being played at the moment but, after a three-month break, I am dead keen for the [Australian] summer to start and the Champions Trophy, the Ashes and the World Cup to begin. Beyond that, you never know if your physical game or the skills are still going to be there but, if they are, I can’t see why I would stop. The schedule is pretty clear for a while after the World Cup.”Since making his debut in 1999, Gilchrist has not missed a Test. He has scored 5124 Test runs at 48.80 with 16 centuries in 85 Tests and is tied for third with Rod Marsh on 355 dismissals. Fitness permitting, Gilchrist may become the first wicketkeeper in Test history to claim 400 dismissals.”I will go to my grave saying that my job is to keep wickets,” Gilchrist said. “The keeping has been really pleasing lately. There is still plenty of motivation for me to keep playing. I can’t see any value in playing just one form of the game, either.”Gilchrist’s batting has been under fire since England’s regaining of the Ashes last year. Since Andrew Flintoff unveiled his highly effective around-the-wicket, at-the-body line throughout last year’s Ashes series, Gilchrist has averaged 26.88.”I might have fallen short of my own standards with the bat, but I still am doing quite well compared to the other keepers over the course of history,” he said. “That’s not to say that I won’t be working hard to get the batting right. My century [144 against Bangladesh in Fatullah] recently was one of my better ones, and has given me a lot of confidence.”I’m thinking about facing [Flintoff] again the same way I thought of it in the ICC Super Series. I am just really looking forward to getting back out there against the likes of Flintoff and [Stephen] Harmison and enjoying the challenge in the Ashes series later this year.”

Batsman Scott Meuleman has made an amazing recovery from a dislocated shoulder and will play for Western Australia in the ING Cup match against New South Wales at North Sydney Oval on Sunday.The return of Meuleman, who injured his left shoulder in the first over of Western Australia’s opening match on October 15, is a big boost for the side that has missed his tenacious defence and sweet timing at the top of the order. The only change to the team that took on Tasmania was Beau Casson, the left-arm wrist spinner, replacing Aaron Heal, the left-arm orthodox spinner.New South Wales have named an unchanged team to the one that lost to Tasmania on Sunday. The Blues were beaten by three wickets despite an impressive debut from the spinner Jason Krejza, who took 3 for 45. Krejza has been selected alongside the experienced legspinner Stuart MacGill.Western Australia Michael Hussey (c), Murray Goodwin, Beau Casson, Michael Clark, Kade Harvey, Brad Hogg, Steve Magoffin, Scott Meuleman, Marcus North, Luke Ronchi, Adam Voges, Darren Wates.New South Wales Brad Haddin (c), Nathan Bracken, Shawn Bradstreet, Stuart Clark, Phil Jaques, Jason Krejza, Greg Mail, Stuart MacGill, Matthew Nicholson, Aaron O’Brien, Matthew Phelps, Dominic Thornely.

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If Surrey are relegated, will the public mourn the decline of a side that played exhilarating cricket and finished in the top five every season for the past six years, or rejoice at the fall of English cricket’s dominant force? If Surrey’s footballing equivalent, Manchester United, were to be dumped from the Premiership at the end of the forthcoming campaign, it would send many happy fans to bed with smiles on their faces. But the country’s attitude to Surrey is less clear, and they may yet escape finding out if they push home the advantage their bowlers gained on the second day at The Brit Oval.Worcestershire closed on 281 for 8, 94 runs adrift of Surrey’s first-innings 375. It’s a winning position for Surrey, and a position they must take advantage of. They have four more games to save themselves, and their coach, Steve Rixon, said before this contest that they needed to win three of their remaining fixtures, all of which are against quality sides also somehow caught up in the fight against relegation – two against Lancashire, and one apiece against Kent and Sussex. Rixon’s statement puts pressure on Surrey, who have been strangely incapable of coping with the slightest whiff of a problem. They have gone from a team which, like the Australians, seemed to take a perverse pleasure from seeing opponents squirm, to a team who don’t want to upset anyone. From Margaret Thatcher to Thora Hird.This time, however, they are responding well. Alex Tudor, in his first start of the season, has probably been unaffected by Surrey’s dire form, because he has been so wrapped up in his long road back from injury. If he had something to prove, he didn’t let himself down. It was his devastating spell in the afternoon that accounted for three Worcestershire batsmen, and began to make Surrey believe that Division Two is no place for them.At 159 for 1, with Stephen Moore back in the dressing-room retired hurt and Stephen Peters the only loss after a swaggering 75-ball 74, Surrey were on the ropes, and several of their players might have spent the tea break swapping CVs with the builders in charge of modernising the Vauxhall end of the ground. But Tudor ripped out Graeme Hick, Vikram Solanki and Andrew Hall for the addition of only eight runs. Jimmy Ormond also accounted for Ben Smith in the middle of Tudor’s 15 minutes of catharsis.Later, Tudor snaffled the vital wicket of Moore, who had been forced to leave the field in the rather rosy position of 144 for 1, and then required to return in the weedy predicament of 189 for 6. He had added an important 50 for the eighth wicket with Steven Rhodes before falling for a watchful 76 with only six overs remaining.At 299 for 4 overnight, Surrey had been wonderfully well placed to put the game out of Worcestershire’s reach. But the morning session summed up their season. In the previous six years they would have punished sides, battering them into submission and picking on their fragile confidence and spirit; but now they are too cautious, unsure of how to push home the advantage. Only one Championship win this season tells its own story, and that story must have been replaying itself over and over again in the minds of the incoming batsmen. They lost their remaining wickets with the addition of only 76 runs in just under 30 overs. No signs of asserting any kind of dominance, then. Worse still, their last four wickets melted away for just a single run.Only Mark Ramprakash’s fifth century of the season allowed Surrey to set a competitive target against a side who have the rather fortunate habit of making big scores. They have reached 400 on six occasions this season, once going on to make 500 and another time they passed 600. With scores like these, Worcestershire are hard to beat, and a draw just isn’t good enough for Surrey. They had better hope Tudor’s efforts aren’t wasted by the rest of the attack.

The ECB Southern Electric Premier Cricket League has been sent reeling by a third successive weekend of wet weather.All 17 of Saturday’s scheduled matches were either postponed or abandoned – play did begin on five grounds – leaving clubs counting the cost."I suppose the players did have the consolation of watching Saints in the FA Cup final on television," remarked Premier League chairman Alan Bundy."But, generally speaking, its been a pretty horrendous start, particularly after the superb pre-season weather we enjoyed in March and April, when the pitches would have been hard."Bundy revealed that Saturday’s complete washout meant that 26 out of 47 scheduled Premier League matches so far this season had fallen foul of the elements."And in the 21 matches that actually finished, 12 have been affected by the weather, with games determined by faster overall scoring rates."Worst hit have been 2001 Premier champions BAT Sports, who have so far managed to play just 11 overs and 40 minutes league cricket this season."Our first game at Bournemouth was called off, then the Portsmouth game was abandoned after less than an hour."We mutually agreed that yesterday’s game at Andover could be put back 24 hours so the lads could watch the cup final, but, not surprisingly, London Road was waterlogged after the rain of the previous two days," moaned BAT skipper Richard Dibden.Bournemouth have fared little better, playing – and significantly – beating South Wilts in only one of three scheduled starts.Their visit to Portsmouth on Saturday was postponed, as was Bashley-Rydal’s home game with Liphook & Ripsley.It was Bashley’s first postponement – the Foresters having beaten Calmore, but lost to Havant in a 29-over match.Both of Lymington’s home matches at the Sports Ground have been called off.They were due to have entertained Old Tauntonians & Romsey.New Milton have managed to start both of their Premier Division 3 games, but Saturday’s visit to Havant was abandoned with Milton 118-4 (Richard Wilson 36) after 36 overs.Flamingo’s decision to delay their home match with Waterlooville paid dividends – the Corhampton club winning a low scoring affair by four wickets at The Holt.Dave Wright (5-18) and Stuart Brittan (3-30) combined to dismiss Ville for 70 – a total Flamingo hardly looked capable of bettering when Andy Love (4-18) ran through the top order.But cousins Kevin Brewster (24) and Ian Hitchings (19) lifted Flamingo from a desperate 25-5 to within touching distance of a crucial win.Mr Bundy pointed out that the bad weather hits cricket clubs hard, particularly in the pocket. "Most of the Premier League clubs only open their bars at weekends when there is cricket on."Places like Bashley, Havant, Lymington and Romsey are real social focal points after matches, with players from three or four teams all congregating after games."On a nice summer’s day, the places are buzzing, with vital income going across the bar. No cricket means no money – and that’s worrying," he said.On Saturday, Calmore Sports got started at Lower Bemerton and were 64-2 when their visit to South Wilts was called off after 21 overs.Newly promoted Gosport Borough had reached 44-1 at Sparsholt when the rains came down, while Ventnor were well placed at 107-2 when play against South Wilts II was abandoned.Play also began at Hungerford and New Milton, before the weather took a winning hand.

Tomorrow sees the start of a biblical encounter at Harare Sports Club as Zimbabwe take on South Africa, with David having suffered serious reverses in the artillery department that enabled him to win his original battle three thousand years ago.Zimbabwe are severely handicapped by the loss of Heath Streak’s three leading pace-bowling assistants during the winter series: Brighton Watambwa, Andy Blignaut and Bryan Strang. True, South Africa have lost Allan Donald, but they were preparing for life without him anyway. The treadmill of modern cricket is wearing down players, especially pace bowlers. Zimbabwe players have had only the months of May and August free from international cricket in the past year – even then they were in training for the next series – and it is a source of relief that Heath Streak’s suspect knee has not yet seriously rebelled against the pressure.The selectors could have brought together, instead, the trio of pacemen that brought Zimbabwe successive Test victories against India and Pakistan three years ago. Streak and Henry Olonga opened the bowling with fire, while Pommie Mbangwa tied up the batsmen superbly while they rested. Had any one of these three been missing on those two occasions, Zimbabwe would almost certainly not have won.Olonga was in the squad and reported fit, but he has not played much cricket for several months and was not at his best. Mbangwa was not in the squad; selectorial policy during the last year, though, has been to prefer pace and the potential to bowl wicket-taking deliveries to accuracy, and Mbangwa appears to have fallen badly out of favour without doing much wrong. Gary Brent is another medium-pacer who served the country well in the past but has seemingly been forgotten. Preference was given to the greater pace of Travis Friend, while Doug Hondo is set to make his Test debut. Last season Hondo took eight wickets at 40 each in five first-class matches, and will be under pressure to prove that he merits a place.The batsmen are all fit – at the time of writing – with Andy Flower’s hand having made good progress without being completely right; he is such a valuable player, though, that he was always certain to play barring accidents. Tatenda Taibu was in the squad, however, were it to be decided that Flower could not keep wicket.For once the selectors had a problem in which of their batsmen to leave out. Of the first six in the order, Alistair Campbell, the two Flowers and Guy Whittall are long-established players and permanent fixtures when fit. Hamilton Masakadza could hardly be dropped after his debut century against West Indies. That left room for two out of Dion Ebrahim, who has been opening with Campbell in recent Tests, Stuart Carlisle, returned from injury, and Craig Wishart, who showed the best form of the three during the winter. Carlisle, a fixture throughout last year and the man whose fighting innings won that crucial Second Test against India, was the man genuinely unfortunate to be left out. Had he not broken his finger in the field against West Indies, Masakadza would not have been given a chance.If the pitch is prepared to suit the home side, it will probably be pretty flat with any intentional help to be given to the spinners rather than the pacemen. Memories are still fresh of that disaster two years ago when the pitch was watered too much overnight, giving an inordinate advantage to the team that won the toss. In such situations, as Napoleon observed, God is on the side of the big battalions, and the South African pacemen enjoyed an early Christmas. Zimbabwe have only one specialist spin bowler in their squad, though, with Raymond Price selected instead of leg-spinners Brian Murphy, still not fully fit from his ankle injury, and Paul Strang.Little need be said of the South African team, except that their ability to steamroll weaker sides has never been in doubt. But we need no computer analyst to find a pattern in each of Zimbabwe’s last five Test series (two matches each), since April last year, excluding that against newcomers Bangladesh. In the first match of all five series, Zimbabwe have lost, mainly due to poor batting, with seven wickets being the smallest margin of defeat. Then, in the Second Test, they have fought back strongly, defeating India, drawing three times, and only New Zealand have been able to force home a second victory.The players will have to guard against a repetition of that pattern against South Africa. It will not be easy to do better, as they are a stronger team than any of the others Zimbabwe have played in the last 18 months. They would appear to have no hope of victory – but that was what everybody said before that famous World Cup match of 1999 at Chelmsford.Both teams are perhaps less well-prepared than they would have liked, although Zimbabwe have been in training for the past three weeks. With Carl Rackemann in Australia, former national coach Dave Houghton has been in charge of the cricketing side. Captain Heath Streak said that they had a good practice match last week and had been working hard in the nets.Zimbabwe are very respectful of South Africa, he said, adding: “But I believe that if we can put together a team effort we certainly have a chance to give them a scare and win a game.” It will always be unlikely, and Zimbabwe’s best chance is if the South Africans become subconsciously overconfident. But if the Zimbabweans all play to their potential they have the ability to give any team in the world a tough game.South Africa has traditionally been the team Zimbabweans have supported over the years, apart from their own. This stems from the years, prior to independence in 1980, when Rhodesian cricket, as it was then, was part of the South African Currie Cup – as it was then! Players from this country, like Colin Bland, John Traicos and Jack du Preez – now the only former Rhodesian and South African player still living in Zimbabwe – played Test cricket for South Africa.That is no longer the case, for a variety of reasons. Despite the proximity of the two countries, there is a widespread feeling that South Africa have not supported Zimbabwean cricket as well as they should have. Tomorrow’s match will be only the fourth Test between the two countries – of the senior Test-playing countries, only Australia have played Zimbabwe less frequently. In one-day cricket, South Africa stand at the bottom of the list among Zimbabwe’s more senior Test-playing opponents, with a mere 12 meetings between the sides.While the Zimbabwe Board XI participates in the UCBSA Bowl competition, promotion to the SuperSport series has been denied again, although at least they have been accepted for the one-day provincial series next season. And although South Africa are very keen for touring teams to play against their development sides, they did not want to play any warm-up matches against young Zimbabwean players.Another factor is the perceived arrogance of many of the South African players. Several Zimbabweans have commented on how difficult it is to get to know them off the field of play, in contrast to the Australians, who are always friendly off the field, however much they may try to kill them on it. Andy Flower feels he made a little progress towards improving relationships between the teams during his recent term as captain, but there is clearly much work to be done.So Zimbabwe will be especially keen to come out from under the shadow of their powerful southern neighbour and at least earn more respect for their deeds on the field. The matches should be well supported by the public, and perhaps the South Africans may yet win back some of the affection they have lost in Zimbabwe in recent years.There has been talk in certain quarters of cancelling tours to Zimbabwe in view of the political state of the country, but this would only hurt the cricketing community without affecting those causing the crisis. There has also been concern about the safety of the players, but this is needless, as they will not be visiting any parts of the country where they could be endangered. Despite the background, there is every reason to expect that this tour will take place as peacefully as every other tour to the country and that the South Africans will enjoy their stay – but Zimbabweans hope not too much on the field of play.Zimbabwe team for the First Test: Alistair Campbell, Dion Ebrahim, Hamilton Masakadza, Craig Wishart, +Andy Flower, Grant Flower, Guy Whittall, *Heath Streak, Travis Friend, Raymond Price, Douglas Hondo.

English cricket will receive around £30 million from the ECB over the next five years to help improve facilities and boost club cricket.The plans include a desire to install floodlights at every county ground, which will account for about £9 million of the total. “We feel we need considerably more experience playing day-night games,” Giles Clarke, the ECB’s chairman, said. “Secondly, the spectators have considerably greater ease coming to watch cricket in the early and late evening. If we’ve got floodlights, we are in a position to do that.”A further £6 million will be put towards improving drainage at international venues. The remaining sum, in the region of £14 million, will be given to more than 2,000 community clubs.The additional money on offer will come from increased revenue from broadcast deals as well as escalating monies from gate receipts. “This is a major commitment to invest in all areas of cricket,” Clarke said. “Cricket in England and Wales has never seen this level of financial support. Our resources are being targeted to build the continuing affection of the nation with its summer sport and to give people of all ages and walks of life the chance to play and watch in the best surroundings.”The five-year strategy includes the following projects:

Mahendra Singh Dhoni, India’s captain in the shorter versions of the game, hopes the authorities will check the sequence of events rather than go by what television footage in the Harbhajan Singh-Sreesanth controversy.Comparing the row to the one between footballers Zinedine Zidane and Marco Matterazi at the last World Cup final, Dhoni felt that the act of provocation needed to be checked too.Harbhajan was temporarily suspended from the Mumbai Indians side for allegedly hitting Sreesanth after the match between Mumbai and Kings XI Punjab in Mohali on Friday. His hearing, today, is based on additional footage of the incident from one of the host broadcaster’s 21 cameras at the match. In the World Cup final, Zidane was sent off the field for head-butting Matterazi after the latter allegedly provoked him with personal remarks.”What Zidane did was wrong, but Materazzi also was not completely in the right,” Dhoni wrote in his column for the . “Harbhajan is a very aggressive cricketer who plays hard and is there for his team-mates whenever they need him. Even Sreesanth has seen this supportive side of Harbhajan in the Indian dressing room. Sreesanth is also a very aggressive cricketer who likes to express his highs and lows very passionately on the cricket field. Off the field, you will not meet a more soft-spoken guy than Sree.”Dhoni was happy to know the two players had sorted things out between themselves and said the incident was unlikely to have any effect on the Indian dressing room.”The incident … was unfortunate because I know both of them, and they are not bad guys at all. Everybody is passing judgment based on what is reported in the newspapers, and I am too far from the scene to actually comment on it.”

Virender Sehwag, Harbhajan Singh and Munaf Patel have been left out of India’s Test and one-day teams for the tour of Ireland and England, starting later this month. Irfan Pathan also misses out, with inexperienced faces like Ishant Sharma and Ranadeb Bose bolstering a pace attack that will be spearheaded by Zaheer Khan and S Sreesanth.Sachin Tendulkar, named Dravid’s deputy for the series in England, and Sourav Ganguly have returned to the one-day side while retaining their spot in Tests, while Bose is the only new face in either squad. Gautam Gambhir also makes both teams, and will most likely be back-up to the current opening pair of Wasim Jaffer and Dinesh Karthik in the Tests.Mahendra Singh Dhoni was picked as the one-day vice-captain, and the need for one-day revitalisation sees the inclusion of Mumbai’s Rohit Sharma and Piyush Chawla, so impressive on the recent tour of Bangladesh.With Ramesh Powar having acquitted himself well in the same series, there’s no way back for Harbhajan Singh, while Munaf Patel’s lack of fitness has gone against him. And despite the remedial work that he put in at the bowlers’ camp in Mysore, Pathan too remains on the sidelines.The big omission though is undoubtedly Sehwag, who had shown signs of returning to form during the recently concluded Afro-Asia Cup. It was in England in 2002 that Sehwag was asked to move up the order and open, and the move paid rich dividends with scores of 84 at Lord’s and 106 at Trent Bridge. For a man who was vice-captain at the start of the South Africa tour late last year, this is a huge setback.Neither Bose nor Sharma is especially quick but Bose’s ability to move the ball and Sharma’s height have seen them surpass other pace contenders like VRV Singh. Sreesanth and Zaheer won India a Test at the Wanderers last December but adequate back-up will be vital if India are to have any chance of becoming the first touring side to win in England since Australia in 2001.The other Sharma, Rohit, who was rewarded for the 531 runs he racked up from eight matches at 48.27 in the previous domestic season, was delighted to hear of his call-up for the one-day side. “It is a dream of every cricketer to play for the country, and I am delighted that the chance has come to me,” Sharma said. “I know the conditions in Ireland will not be like in India, where the ball might seam a lot. But I am prepared for the challenge as I believe I am in the best shape – mentally and physically – at this time. I am viewing this as the biggest challenge in my life.”India’s one-day squad (Ireland games) Gautam Gambhir, Robin Uthappa, Sourav Ganguly, Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid (capt), Yuvraj Singh, Dinesh Karthik, Mahendra Singh Dhoni (vice-capt, wk), Rohit Sharma, Ramesh Powar, Ajit Agarkar, Piyush Chawla, Zaheer Khan, RP Singh, Sreesanth.India’s Test squad Wasim Jaffer, Dinesh Karthik, Gautam Gambhir, Rahul Dravid (capt), Sachin Tendulkar (vice-capt), Sourav Ganguly, VVS Laxman, Yuvraj Singh, Mahendra Singh Dhoni (wk), Ramesh Powar, Anil Kumble, Zaheer Khan, Sreesanth, RP Singh, Ishant Sharma, Ranadeb Bose.

Graeme Smith has been ruled out of South Africa’s tour of Sri Lanka meaning that Ashwell Prince will become the country’s first coloured captain. Smith tore ligaments in his right ankle when he slipped while running on Saturday in Knysna and could be out of action for up to 12 weeks.After an X-ray and a scan as well as a consultation with the team physiotherapist Shane Jabaar, Smith was diagnosed with two torn ligaments. He under underwent surgery on Tuesday, at a Pretoria hospital, to repair the damage and”The stress X-ray conducted by an ankle specialist in Pretoria confirmed that Graeme had torn two ligaments on the lateral side of his ankle,” said Shane Jabaar, South Africa’s physiotherapist. “He will wear a cast for a period of six weeks. Graeme will be out for a period of eight to twelve weeks depending on rehabilitation.”Haroon Lorgat, the convenor of selections, said Prince will lead South Africa in the two-Test series with the one-day squad and captain being named after the first Test and Lorgat admitted: “This is surely not an ideal way to start our season, but if we are to experience any misfortune during this year, I would rather have it now than later.”Jacques Rudolph, who had a successful tour of Sri Lanka with the A team last year and was surprisingly omitted from the original squad, has been named as the replacement for Smith. South Africa were already without Jacques Kallis for the tour after he underwent surgery on his tennis elbow problem.

Pool A: Border 278 for 8 dec and 240 for 7 (Bradfield 52, Smith 70, Tshbalala 3-46) lead Free State 138 (Hinkel 4-25) by 380 runsFree State were bowled out for 138 by Border after Warwick Hinkel took 4 for 25 and engineered a collapse. Two scores in the thirties from Corne Linde and Christo Feris saved the Free State team from total embarrassment.Batting for a second time Border raced to 240 for 7 at the close with Carl Bradfield (52) and Michael Smith (70) setting a 123-run platform for the rest to launch from. Michael Matika, the hero of the first innings was still at the crease on 49 when time was called. As in the first innings Thandi Tshabalala was the main wicket taker with 3 for 46.Eastern Province came back strongly in Port Elizabeth as they took a 100-run lead over Western Province with Bob Homani scoring an undefeated 72 in the second innings. Earlier Western Province had been bowled out for 228 with Ryan Canning and Farhaan Behardien both scoring fifties. Lyall Meyer took 4 for 52, and helped keep the Western province lead to 50 in the first innings.Pool B: Griqualand West 414 for 5 dec (Brooker 115, McLaren 69,Bossenger 88*) and 81 for 1 lead North West 350 for 8 dec (Khan 78, leRoux 58, Coetsee 65, Arthur 3-104) by 145 runsGriqualand West continued on their merry way scoring a massive 414 for 5 when the declaration came after 85 overs in Potchefstroom. Wendell Bossenger took his score from 64 to 88 to maximise the bonus points on offer. North West emphasized what a good batting pitch Sedgars Park had produced by also participating in the run-fest in totalling 350 for 8 in the 85 overs. Alarm bells rang at the start of the innings, when they lost two wickets, but soon Imraan Khan (78), Werner Coetsee (65) restored order. Juan le Roux (58) made sure that North West finished only 61 runs behind on the first innings.In a bid to make a game of it Griquas raced to 81 for 1 off 18 overs to extend the lead to 145 runs when bad light once again stopped play.