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In one of the clearest indications yet that he is on the verge of a Test recall, Daryll Cullinan has been named captain of the South Africa `A’ team play Australia in a four-day match starting at St George’s Park on Friday.Cullinan, along with Jacques Rudolph, Graeme Smith, Gulam Bodi and wicketkeeper Thami Tsolekile, has been retained from the `A’ team which drew with Australia before the first Test match last week.After the stunning innings and 360-run defeat in the first Test match at the Wanderers on Sunday, there are bound to be changes in the Test team. That South African cricket needs to re-examine its policies and strategies is also clear, but for the moment the priority is to find an eleven capable of competing with Australia.The lack of fight shown by the South Africans at the Wanderers indicates that the wounds suffered during the 3-0 series defeat run deeper than might have been thought. It is a surelyu no accident that one of the few South African players to come out of the Wanderers Test with credit was new cap Ashwell Prince.Cullinan missed selection for Australia partly because he had undergone surgery during the off-season but also because of his poor record against Australia. He averages 44.21 from 70 Test matches, but against Australia this record drops to 12.75 from seven.At the same time, he was South Africa’s premier batsman throughout the 1990s, had an excellent series in the West Indies last year and remains one of the most astute thinkers about the game in South Africa.Along with Cullinan, Rudolph and Smith have been given a second chance against Australia while Martin van Jaarsveld, who scored 340 in two innings without being dismissed in his last provincial game, and Hashim Amla, the South African under 19 captain, have also been included.The two Test players probably under most threat are Boeta Dippenaar and Nicky Boje and in the latter’s case he could be challenged by Bodi (left-arm wrist spin) and Eastern Province captain Robin Peterson (left-arm orthodox).In the wake of Allan Donald’s retirement from Test cricket, South Africa hope to have Shaun Pollock back for the second Test, but good showings from the `A’ team’s new ball pairing of Charl Willoughby and Dewald Pretorius could bring them into contention.South African `A’ team:Jacques Rudolph (Northerns), Graeme Smith (WP), Martin van Jaarsveld (Northerns), Daryll Cullinan (Capt, Gauteng), Hashim Amla (KZN), Justin Kemp (EP), Robin Peterson (EP), Gulam Bodi (KZN), Thami Tsolekile (WP), Dewald Pretorius (FS), Charl Willoughby (WP). Twelfth man: Garnett Kruger (EP).

Lasith Malinga, the Sri Lankan fast bowler, says he is struggling to be fit for the start of next month’s Indian Premier League (IPL).A niggling knee injury ruled Malinga out of Sri Lanka’s Test and ODI series in the West Indies but he hoped to be a part of the Mumbai Indians’ squad.”I’ve had this injury in Australia and played with it,” Malinga said. “However as it got worse I couldn’t tour the West Indies too. I would have loved to be with the team and enjoy its success. I am still under treatment and working hard.”It is tough at this stage to be sure about IPL, but I am very hopeful I can make it.”Malinga, 24, was bought by Mumbai for US$350,000 in the Twenty20 competition that starts on April 18 and finishes on June 1. Mumbai – who have two other Sri Lankans in Sanath Jayasuriya and Dilhara Fernando – kick off their IPL campaign the against Bangalore Royal Challengers on April 20.

Rahul Dravid, the Indian captain, has sustained a nose injury after getting hit by an RP Singh bouncer during a net session in Kolkata. He is unlikely to take further part in the preparatory camp for the tour of Bangladesh beginning on May 10.With the focus being on running between the wickets during the practice session, two batsmen at a time were batting on the main Eden Gardens wickets. Sourav Ganguly had batted with Yuvraj Singh, Robin Uthappa with Mahendra Dhoni, and then Dravid came out with Wasim Jaffer. The early excitement of the start of the session had worn off and almost everybody had settled for a quiet outing. Even the zealous TV cameras missed what followed.RP Singh, one of five bowlers taking part in the exercise, bowled one short of a length; Dravid leaned forward and, surprised by the bounce, was hit flush on the helmet. The crashing sound was heard in the BC Roy Club House Stand and Dravid went down immediately. He lay on the ground for about five minutes and the whole team gathered around as John Gloster, the physio, attended to him. As Dravid walked back to the dressing-room, his shirt had blood stains and he was in pain.The ball had hit the visor which in turn hit Dravid on the nose, causing the bleeding. An ENT specialist was summoned and an X-ray immediately done at the Eden Gardens revealed that there was no fracture or head injury, but a nose trauma. Surendra Bhave, the administrative manager, said that Dravid had been advised rest for 24 hours. “The X-ray showed bruises. John Gloster will follow up with the procedures advised,” said Bhave. “We are expecting him to be back in 48 hours.”A 24-hour rest and a slow recovery would mean that Dravid would not take further part in the Kolkata camp but was sure to travel to Bangladesh on May 7.

Division One

Lancashire will be scenting a final-day victory after Stuart Law put Durham to the sword with a fine century. Law’s unbeaten 111 allowed Mark Chilton, who joined him with 57 in a stand of 101, to set Durham 401. Two late wickets – one for Sajid Mahmood and one for Gary Keedy – have made that highly unlikely, especially as Keedy removed the in-form Gordon Muchall, and now the question is whether Durham can hang on for a draw.Impressive centuries for Nick Knight and Jonathan Trott have left Warwickshire with plenty of time to force a win against Yorkshire. The pair extended their partnership to 249 before Knight was caught off Jason Gillespie. Trott ploughed on and Heath Steak delayed his declaration until the Yorkshire were left facing the daunting prospect of 500. Early strikes by Streak and James Anyon put Warwickshire on their way but Anthony McGrath’s unbeaten 73 kept Yorkshire afloat, if only just, heading into the final day.Mushtaq Ahmed bowled Sussex to a handsome 94-run win over Hampshire at the Rose Bowl with a seven-wicket haul. Mushtaq didn’t need a second invitation to twirl away on a pitch that offered encouragement for all bowlers. His dismissal of Michael Carberry, bowled for 39, left Hampshire 144 for 4 and he then raced through the lower order by himself. All his victims were either bowled or lbw. Robin Martin-Jenkins lifted the target beyond 300 with a powerful 91 off 97 balls after Sussex and formed a vital 60-run stand with Luke Wright. In the end his innings was the difference.Middlesex v Kent at Lord’s. For a full report by Andrew McGlashan click here.

Division Two

Somerset powered to a 227-run victory against Worcestershire to make up for their opening round defeat to Durban. Worcestershire collapsed dramatically for the second time in the match as Andrew Caddick to his match haul to nine wickets, including Ben Smith first ball. Charl Willoughby helped himself to three, continuing a useful start to his Somerset career, as Worcestershire never threatened to take the match into a fourth day. Zaheer Khan had earlier finished with 6 for 40, and a ten-wicket haul for his Championship debut, but it was only a prelude of what was to come.Essex are on course for a thumping win over Glamorgan after making them follow-on at Cardiff and grabbing four second-innings scalps. The wickets were shared around in the first innings as numerous Glamorgan batsmen failed to build on promising starts. James Middlebrook, the offspinner, and Tim Phillips, the left-armer, took four between them and were in the wickets again second time around. Michael Powell is unbeaten overnight but it is asking a lot of him and the tail to battle through the final day and a track now taking turn.Surrey have set Leicestershire a tough 414 to win after Mark Butcher found some form with an unbeaten 85. Scott Newman launched Surrey’s second innings in style with an aggressive 75 but another middle-order collapse stunted their progress. However, Butcher and Tim Murtagh put them back on course with a 100-run stand. Azhar Mahmood claimed an early with before HD Ackerman replied with a flurry of boundaries, but Surrey remain clear favourites.

Inzamam-ul-Haq has suggested that the emerging nations should get more international exposure in order to reduce the gap with the top teams, and also expressed disappointment with the new format of the 2006 Champions Trophy to be held in India.”I think the emerging nations deserve more exposure so that they can narrow the gap between the top teams,” Inzamam told Press Trust of India. “But I fear that with the format of the 2006 Champions Trophy, that gap will be widened.”The ICC had announced earlier that next years’s Champions Trophy would comprise the top eight teams. While the top six teams as on April 1, 2006, will get direct entry, the remaining four Test playing nations will participate in a pre-tournament qualifier and the top two sides will complete the fray.”The 2007 World Cup will include 16 teams. I think we should provide maximum opportunity [before the event in the West Indies] to the younger teams so that they can have a feel of international and top-grade cricket,” Inzamam explained. “I think by restricting the Champions Trophy to eight teams, we are probably denying among others Bangladesh and Zimbabwe the right to prepare themselves for the World Cup.”

Greg Chappell, the former Australian captain, says that the cricket authorities should consider exiling Zimbabwe from the international game in the same way that South Africa was boycotted during the 1970s and ’80s.”The international sporting community took a stand against South Africa,” said Chappell, “and I can’t see a difference between what happened there years ago and what’s happening in Zimbabwe now.”In making his comments, Chappell becomes one of a small handful of former Australian Test players to have publicly expressed reservations about the two-Test tour by Ricky Ponting’s side, which begins today.Chappell said the banning of matches against South Africa in response to their apartheid policies had “impacted on the reforms that eventually happened in that country”. A similar ban against Zimbabwe, he told News Limited, might also be in cricket’s best interests.”The situation in Zimbabwe – and to a lesser extent Bangladesh, who received full membership before they were ready – is causing harm to the game,” said Chappell. “The long-term effects won’t be known until it’s too late. The issues must be seriously debated.”Chappell concluded: “The situation in Zimbabwe is in danger of destroying cricket in that country and having a ripple effect around the world. There is a real concern around the cricket community at the moment at the state of the game.”The Australian team arrived in Zimbabwe last night. Their principal concern, it seemed, was complacency. “I think there’s a danger in all of the talk that they [Zimbabwe] are a weak side and we are going to finish off the games early and players are going to fuel their statistics,” remarked John Buchanan, Australia’s coach, as the players flew out. “I think if any side goes on tour with that state of mind they are vulnerable.”

Reserve wicket-keeper Carl Gazzard is another of the Somerset young players with his thoughts firmly set on playing first team cricket.The twenty year old who hails from Cornwall made his first team debut last season spent the winter `down under’ training hard ,working on his game and playing for Scarborough Cricket Club in Western Australia.He told me: "The winter went fantastically well for me and training in the sunshine makes you feel so good you can’t really ask for much more. With my batting I set myself technical targets and I’m pleased that things have really improved. I got runs for Scarborough and helped them to win a trophy, and my keeping has been excellent all winter."He continued: "Now I am just looking forward to getting back out in the middle and getting stuck in. To be honest I’ve got a bit of a buzz about the coming season and I think that it’s going to go well for me."The young keeper told me that a few weeks before returning to England he got a knock on the hand, but thankfully all was now well and he is fully fit.Looking forward to the new season he told me: "I just hope that I get my chance in the first team and when it does come along you can bet that I’ll make the most of it. All I can expect to do is to play the best that I can whether it for the seconds or the first team."

Charles Van der Gucht the young Hampshire left-arm spinner, is now totally out of danger and is well on the road to recovery.Charlie who was knocked over by a taxi a few weeks ago, visited the Rose Bowl today in his wheelchair to support the second XI in their 4 day match with Worcestershire II.”I am feeling good in myself,” said Charlie, “and it is great to be back amongst my mates [see picture]. It will be a long haul back, but I should lose the crutches within three weeks, and then a winter of extensive physiotherapy.”

Delhi were quickly in command on the opening day of their North ZoneRanji Trophy league match against Jammu & Kashmir at the Maulana Azadstadium in Jammu on Friday. After dismissing the hosts for 198 runs,Delhi replied with 79 for no loss before play was stopped at 4.07 pmbecause of bad light.J&K, opting to bat, lost two wickets for 44 runs but Kanwaljeet Singh(53) and Ashwani Gupta (32) steadied the innings by adding 58 runs forthe third wicket off 15 overs to push the score to 102. Thereafterwickets fell at regular intervals thanks in the main to the formerIndian fast bowler Ashish Nehra who finished with four wickets for 39.Of the later batsmen, only Vijay Sharma with an unbeaten 30 put up asemblance of a fight.Delhi openers Akash Chopra (51) and Ashu Dani (21) batted at a briskrate scoring 79 runs off 13 overs to come through unbeaten at stumps.Chopra was easily the more aggressive of the two hitting his runs off53 balls with ten hits to the ropes.

Scorecard

Federal Areas had an impressive first day against top-placed Sind in Islamabad, bundling them out for 222 and then scoring 119 for the loss of three wickets.With his 5 for 58, Sohail Tanvir ensured Federal Areas made good first use of the pitch. Sind lost wickets at regular intervals, Tanvir removed two of the top four, while Yasir Arafat and Shehzad Azam took one apiece. A 71-ball 53 from Naumanullah held up one end for a while, but the knock of the innings came from Shahid Afridi, the Sind captain.Coming in at No. 6, Afridi blasted 70 off 49 balls, with eight fours and three sixes. At 194 for 5, Sind were in with a chance to reach 300, but Saeed Ajmal and Tanvir triggered a collapse. Ajmal got rid of the dangerous Afridi, out caught-and-bowled, while Tanvir scalped Sarfraz Ahmed, Danish Kaneria and Sohail Khan. Ajmal, an offbreak bowler, took another wicket as well, but figures of 2 for 64 off six overs indicate he suffered the most during Afridi’s onslaught.Federal Areas made a strong reply with an 82-run opening stand, before Afridi removed Umair Khan for 19. Umair’s partner Raheel Majeed did the bulk of the scoring, with 72 off 93 balls. Sohail Khan, who scythed the Baluchistan top order in the previous game, picked up two wickets before stumps to reduce Federal Areas from 114 for 1 to 119 for 3.ScorecardAfter being shot out for 42 against Sind last week, Baluchistan’s batsmen did better against Punjab, managing 298 for 7 on the first day at the Jinnah Stadium in Sialkot.However, Baluchistan frittered away the advantage, they were at 208 for 2 at one stage, but lost five wickets for 90 runs as Punjab fought back. A 121-run second-wicket stand between Yasir Arafat and Rameez Alam laid the platform for Baluchistan. Arafat made 62, while Alam scored 84 before he was bowled by Mohammad Hafeez.Saeed Bin Nasir chipped in with 46, and wicketkeeper Gulraiz Sadaf ended the day unbeaten on 36. For Punjab, opening bowler Wahab Riaz was the pick of the bowlers with 2 for 53.