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While Jagmohan Dalmiya was re-elected unopposed as president of the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB), Chandi Ganguly – Sourav Ganguly’s father – was elected chairman of the CAB’s trustee board.Ganguly, who has been a member of the trustee board for some time now, replaces Biswanath Dutt, a former BCCI chairman . Dutt stepped down a few days ago to “pave the way for infusion of fresh blood,” the Press Trust of India (PTI) reported.Dalmiya, who was challenged last year for the president’s post by Debdas Bannerjee, faced no competition this year. Indeed, none of the posts saw more than one candidate up for election, making the entire affair a tame one.

The Air Force Station ground in Delhi witnessed a slow day of cricket from Delhi and Services, with Delhi reaching a score of 242/2 by the close of play.Delhi, winning the toss, opted to bat; they did not regret the decision as openers Akash Chopra and Gautam Gambhir put on 111 runs for the first wicket. Gambhir was dismissed for 75, made off 118 balls.Radhey Shyam Gupta and Chopra then collaborated on a 61-run stand before Gupta got out, having made 29. That was Services’ last wicket of the day; Chopra and Delhi skipper Mithun Manhas were unbeaten at the close of play, the former, having completed his century, had made a slow 106 off 274 balls.

Batsman Matt Machan, and allrounders Josh Davey and Rob Taylor have been included in the 13-member Scotland squad for the Intercontinental Cup game against Netherlands, starting September 8 in Voorburg.Andrew Umeed, Freddie Coleman and Calum MacLeod, who were part of the rain-hit drawn game against Afghanistan in June, have been left out.Machan has been in impressive form this season, striking 892 runs in 12 county games for Sussex; Davey and Taylor also carry with them good county form.Cricket Scotland’s Chairman of selectors Iain Kennedy believed that the trio, who have made 78 international appearances together for Scotland, would bolster an ‘already strong squad’: “We are looking forward to the challenge that the Netherlands provide us and we have selected a strong squad with the intention of adding to the positive results the team has achieved this year. We are delighted to welcome County players Matt, Rob and Josh to add experience and firepower to an already strong squad.”Scotland are placed fourth with 13 points, only one behind Papua New Guinea. Ireland and Namabia lead the table with 20 points each from their first Intercontinental Cup games.Squad: Preston Mommsen (c), Hamish Gardiner, Kyle Coetzer, Matt Machan, Richie Berrington, Josh Davey, Matthew Cross(wk), Rob Taylor, Con de Lange, Ali Evans, Gavin Main, Michael Leask, Safyaan Sharif.

ScorecardFile photo: Puneet Yadav’s attacking hundred helped Rajasthan chase down their fourth-innings total of 158•PTI

Puneet Yadav’s unbeaten 107 drove Rajasthan to their first win of the season, over Haryana in Lahli.Puneet combined with opening batsman Manender Singh to post an undefeated 159-run partnership that helped Rajasthan chase down their fourth-innings target of 158. His century that included 12 fours and two sixes came off 115 balls. Haryana were bowled out for 324 after starting the day at 287 for 6. Pankaj Singh ran through Haryana’s tail, ending the second innings with figures of 5 for 85, taking his match tally to nine wickets.The win lifted Rajasthan from the bottom of the table, while Haryana remain without a victory from their seven matches.
Scorecard Dhruv Shorey(107*) and Nitish Rana’s (132*) unbroken 240-run partnership saved Delhi as they drew with Karnataka in Hubli.Shorey and Rana batted out the day after the openers Gautam Gambir and Unmukt Chand were dismissed for 15 by Sreenath Arvind. Rana was the more attacking of the two as his hundred comprised off 19 fours and two sixes. The pair batted a little less than 60 overs after their side was asked to follow-on in the second innings. Karnataka picked up three points because of their first-innings lead.
ScorecardAssam continued their memorable season, claiming three points against Maharashtra, which took their tally to 25. On a day when as many as 17 wickets tumbled, Arun Karthick’s first-innings century on a “dangerous” pitch eventually stood out. Maharashtra managed to add only 36 runs to their overnight total before getting bowled out, giving Assam a first-innings lead of 102 runs. Asam then struggled in their second innings and were wiped out for 135 in 48.2 overs. Domnic Muthusamy and Anupam Sanklecha had combined figures of 7 for 63, setting Maharashtra an improbable target of 238.Chirag Khurana was trapped in front for a five-ball duck before Swapnil Gugale and Sangram Atitkar put on a 65-run stand to prevent another collapse. Maharashtra were placed at 82 for 3 before stumps were called.

Julian Hunte, who became the new West Indies Cricket Board president on Sunday, said that building confidence in the board’s operations is one of his priorities as they aim to develop the game.”One of the major concerns in this regard is the credibility of the WICB,” he said following his unopposed election. “This goes beyond our public image and strikes at the heart of the character of the corporation.”It is a matter that we must address since our ability to attract additional support, especially from the private sector, is dependent on both our reputation as an organisation and the success of our teams.”Hunte inherits a board which has been heavily criticised in the media for the way it runs and for an increasingly antagonistic relationship with the players. He said that introducing a professional league in the region and developing a more harmonious relationship with the West Indies Players’ Association (WIPA) were the other priorities for his administration.”[We have to re-establish] the development committee as a number one priority of our strategic plan including the introduction of a professional league. [We must] settle all outstanding issues and define the way forward for the board and WIPA to work together in a unified, harmonious, and mutually beneficial manner.”Forging better relations was the reason that he had asked Dinanath Ramnarine, WIPA’s chief executive, to join the board as one of four new non-member directors. “I believe that we cannot improve our cricket without the direct involvement and commitment of our players through their representative organisation,” Hunte said. “WIPA has now been given the opportunity to be part of the solution instead of continuing to be perceived as part of the problem. It is both a challenge and an opportunity for that organisation.”

ScorecardAn unbeaten 66 from Samit Patel put Nottinghamshire within touching distance of a lead against West Indies A. However, rain had the final say on the second day and now leaves the match heading for a draw.Trailing by just 100 overnight, Nottinghamshire lost Darren Bicknell in the first over the day without adding to their overnight score. He edged Daren Powell to Patrick Browne, the wicketkeeper, and the same combination then brought the downfall of David Allenye as West Indies pegged back the home side.However, Patel soon hit his straps and added 52 for the fourth wicket with Joshua Mierkalns, a 20-year-old, who is making his first-class debut. Mierkalns fell to Dave Mohammad but Patel had time to pass his half-century before the rain arrived.

England have named an unchanged squad for the third Test at Old Trafford following their two-win at Edgbaston to level the series at 1-1. Chris Tremlett retains his place and England resisted the urge to call-up a second spinner despite the likelihood that the Old Trafford pitch will turn.David Graveney, the chairman of selectors, said: “Yesterday’s result was fantastic not only for everyone connected with the England team but for the game of Test cricket as a whole. Both teams will be tired after Edgbaston and it will be important for us to ensure that we recover properly and prepare well for Old Trafford.”In the past we have included two spinners in our squad for an Old Trafford Test, but on this occasion, we feel that reverse swing is likely to be as important a factor as spin and we have that option available to us within our twelve.”The pitch can also provide extra bounce for the quicker bowlers at Old Trafford, and again, we feel that we do have a number of bowlers within our party who can exploit that if required.”England squad Marcus Trescothick, Andrew Strauss, Michael Vaughan (capt), Ian Bell, Kevin Pietersen, Andrew Flintoff, Geraint Jones (wk), Ashley Giles, Matthew Hoggard, Steve Harmison, Simon Jones, Chris Tremlett

Gerald Majola, the chief executive of the United Cricket Board, faces a commission of inquiry as the fall-out from the Diteko Modise fraud scandal gathers pace. Modise, the former financial manager, was alleged to have stolen at least R7.2 million from the UCB, and it has been suggested in the South African media that Majola might have been expected to pick up on his behaviour.The UCB held their AGM at Johannesburg International Airport on Saturday and the general council, made up of the presidents of the provincial unions, decided to institute the inquiry. Their treasurer, John Blair, who has stepped down after four years in the post, was exonerated by the general council at an extraordinary meeting. "John Blair, as an honorary, non-executive office bearer," read a UCB statement, "was not and could not have been aware of the alleged theft committed by Mr Modise.”Advocate Norman Arendse SC, a UCB General Council member, will lead the commission of inquiry, and its terms of reference will be “to inquire into and report on the alleged misconduct of the CEO and members of his staff” and “to make findings and recommendations including, but not limited to, the taking of disciplinary action if necessary.”In other business at the AGM, Blair, who was replaced as treasurer by Haroon Lorgat, warned the UCB that it and its affiliates must “conform to strict financial disciplines” after a “very poor financial year”, due in the main to income from the sale of TV rights dropping from R50 million to just R14.6 million.Vuyisile Mgadle, the newly appointed Border president and Arendse, the head of Western Province cricket, took their places for the first time in the general council, with Eastern Province’s Xolani Boqwana, North-West’s Oupa Nkagiseng and Free State’s Tim Khumalo voted in as the three black African representatives.The general council will return tomorrow to discuss the new officebearers of Cricket SA (Pty) Ltd, with the heads of the six newprofessional franchises expected to be given the posts.

Sourav Ganguly may consider India the second-best team in world cricket today, but he nevertheless expects a difficult tour of Australia, and said as much to the press at Kolkata yesterday.”To be honest, it’s going to be a tough series,” Ganguly said. “It is going to be a real test of our abilities in Australia. They are a very good side and in great form. We have to lift our game to compete with them on their soil.””The Aussies are the only side ahead of us. To be honest, we are the second best team after them,” he added. “I’m pretty confident about that. My boys are experienced and have travelled throughout the world.”Ganguly also stated that India would have to “get the bowling department sorted out” but did not elaborate. He was also optimistic about his own prospects. “I’m pretty hopeful of doing well both in the Tests and one-dayers in the coming season. My hope springs from the way my team has shaped up in the last few years. I’m confident of carrying forward our success,” he said. “Winning does not depend solely on me but on the entire team. For that we have to really play well … plan well and get fit, which we are trying to do.”Reports surfaced yesterday that Ganguly had sought out Greg Chappell as a batting coach during the preparatory camp in Bangalore, but Ganguly denied them. “I have read these reports, and they are not true,” he said. “We already have John Wright who himself is a batsman.”

The AGM of the Board of Control for Cricket in India has alwaysattracted considerable attention all over the country. Weeks before themeeting, the battle lines are drawn and strategies and counterstrategies are planned in a manner that would be the envy of an armygeneral.

A lot of glamour has always been associated with the plum posts, giventhe power and prestige the game enjoys in the country and that is whysome of the leading politicians have contested for the post of thepresident. Why, in the last two decades, we have had such prominentpersonalities from this field as SK Wankhede, NKP Salve and MadhavraoScindia as board chiefs.But even given this background, the interest in the weekend’s meeting ofthe BCCI at Chennai was perhaps at an all time high. Chief attentioncentered around the high profile contest between the incumbent ACMuthiah and the challenger Jagmohan Dalmiya, a former president of theInternational Cricket Council, who interestingly had served earlier asthe BCCI secretary. Muthiah had been elected to the post in 1999 and wasexpected to win a third term, given his impressive record in tacklingamong other problems, the match fixing issue. But Dalmiya, a shrewdadministrator with a strong base, pulled off an upset by winning theelection by 17 votes to 13. Muthiah thus joined two others in recenttimes, Wankhede and BN Dutt who could not complete three years inoffice.There will be more than a few tears shed for Muthiah. His was adifficult two year period but he weathered the storm in his calm,assured, even dynamic manner, bringing to the post some of his businessacumen as a Chennai based industrialist. He had the image of a players’president and some of the projects like the graded payments scheme, thestarting of the National Cricket Academy, the rotation policy of hostinginternational matches, the appointment of a professional coach andphysio, the enhanced fee for players, and increased match fees and prizemoney for domestic tournaments were certainly positive developments. Inhis own inimitable manner, he emulated his father MA Chidambaram, whowas a popular president from 1960 to 1963.While there is cause to feel bad about Muthiah’s defeat, the positiveaspect is that the top post is now held by a person who has the image ofa dynamic, action oriented administrator.Dalmiya, a Kolkata based businessman, has already proved his skill invarious important posts during the conduct of the Reliance Cup in 1987,the Wills World Cup in 1996 and the Hero Cup in 1993. Perhaps hisbiggest contribution has been the aggressive manner in which the gamehas been marketed. He has been instrumental in selling TV rights andgetting sponsorship fees hiked many times over. Given the fact that thegame had been woefully undersold for years, Dalmiya’s bold approach waswidely welcomed and he brought into administration a refreshinglycontemporary air. The fact that he has been the ICC president is boundto have a positive impact on India’s image internationally.A well known figure in cricketing circles for over two decades now,Dalmiya, like Muthiah, is a suave gentleman who is media savvy and hasthe ability to get things done. He has certainly started his tenure onan encouraging note if his comments at the press conference at theconclusion of the meeting are any indication. One particularly liked theway he described match fixing as the “most heinous crime against one’scountry” while making it clear that there was no question of anyrelaxation of the ban on ‘guilty’ players.There will be few tears shed however for Jaywant Lele’s departure. Knownfor putting his foot in the mouth all too often, Lele lost out narrowlyon getting a fifth term as secretary. But the problem here is that hissuccessor Niranjan Shah was aligned with Muthiah and was none too happywith the latter’s defeat. But as Shah himself said “I will sit with thenew president and work in a cordial atmosphere.” That is the waydemocracy functions and it is good to see the board observe certaindemocratic norms. The picture of a smiling Muthiah congratulatingDalmiya said it all and one only hopes it points to encouraging timesahead for Indian cricket.