April 10, 2001
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Sri Lanka will play without their attacking opening batsman and wicket-keeper Romesh Kaluwitharana who had to return to Sri Lanka following the sudden demise of his mother. Kaluwitharana had top-scored with 63 in the first match of the tournament on Sunday. Kumar Sangakkara is expected to don the wicket-keeping gloves against New Zealand. Last minute entrants to the Sharjah tri-nation tournament, New Zealand will feel the heat as they take on Sri Lanka in their first match of the tournament. The young new look side lead by Craig McMillan have had just two days to adjust to the climatic conditions. New Zealand have been offered an appearance fee of $ 200,000, but more importantly cricket administrators at home felt it would be a valuable lesson for the young team that is slated to tour Pakistan and Sri Lanka later this year. 
South Africa declared their second innings at 215 setting the West Indies a target of 323 runs to get with more than a day left. At close of play on the fourth day West Indies were struggling to save the Test after they were reduced to 101-4. Left-arm spinner Nicky Boje claimed the first three wickets. West Indies hopes for a revival rest on Brian Lara who is unbeaten on 5 at close. India's new record holder for the maximum runs scored in a single Test innings - 281 - against the Australians at Kolkata, VVS Laxman was given a hero's welcome when he arrived at his home town, Hyderabad. He was accorded a warm welcome by the Hyderabad Cricket Association officials, his fans, friends and family members. Laxman thanked all his supporters and well-wishers on the occasion. Just as shocking as his allegations were that Pakistan's matches in New Zealand were fixed are his denials. Former Pakistani coach Javed Miandad yesterday denied ever making such claims. He said he only said that the Board should hold and inquiry into the reasons for the poor performance in New Zealand, the reasons for the injuries and the below par performances. He stressed that his reasons were only cricketing. Meanwhile New Zealand's Steve Dunne, an umpire in the ICC panel and one of the umpires for the recent one-day matches between Pakistan and New Zealand said that he did not notice anything untoward in the matches he officiated. He felt sure that the Pakistan team gave their hundred percent while playing the one-day series. Pakistan cricket faces another Test with reports appearing that the government is likely to revamp the entire cricket set up due to the inability of the current set up in handling player-official bickering. The Board officials themselves are not performing as a unit. Gen Tauqir Zia head of the PCB, is one of the 12 top army commanders of Pakistan's military setup under Gen Parvez Musharaf. He is also the head of an army unit in the Punjab province. Gen Zia is very close to Javed Miandad as is reportedly disappointed with the way things have turned out for the former dashing batsman. The Australian captain Steve Waugh has called for an official ranking system for limited over matches on the same lines of the Test rankings. The ICC devised Test ranking system officially begins to operate from May 1 this year and will rank teams as they play home and away over a period of five years. Former West Indies fast bowler Kenneth Benjamin has retired from first-class cricket. As a parting shot he attacked cricket in the Caribbean saying it lacked any kind of support. He claimed he was quitting the game because he enjoyed it no more. Benjamin wishes to take up coaching. From 1992 to 1998 Benjamin had appeared in 26 Test matches while capturing 92 wickets (avg. 30.27). He also appeared in 26 ODI matches and has captured 33 wickets. Australian fast bowler Jason Gillespie has been advised by doctors to take a break from cricket during the month of April ahead of the Ashes tour. Gillespie developed a stress reaction in his left foot. He would be re-examined again next month. Gillespie had been sent home from India after the Test series to have sufficient rest before the all-important Ashes tour that Australia are to undertake in May in England. Sri Lanka's national airline Sri Lankan Airlines felicitated Muthiah Muralitharan on taking 300 Test wickets. The airline presented him with a to and fro ticket to a destination of his choice. Murali is likely to use it shortly to travel to London. Baroda will meet Railways in the Ranji Trophy final to be played at Baroda from April, 19-23. The first semi-final Baroda drew with Orissa but advanced to the final by virtue of its first innings lead. In the second semi-final Railways beat Punjab by five wickets. Baroda had last entered the Ranji final in 1957-58, when it won the title while defeating Services. Baroda has won the Ranji title on four occasions - in 1942-43, 1946-47, 1949-50 and 1957-58. For Railways it was their second entry to the final since 1987-88 when it had lost to Tamil Nadu.
WEST INDIES vs SOUTH AFRICA 4th Test at St John's, Antigua (4th day) South Africa: 247 (HH Gibbs 85, ND McKenzie 35, S Pollock 48 not out, N Boje 36; N McGarrell 4-72) 215-7d (HH Gibbs 45, ND McKenzie 44, JH Kallis 30 not out, SM Pollock 41 not out; C Walsh 4-56) West Indies: 140 (S Chanderpaul 40, RR Sarwan 25; L Klusener 3-15) 101-4 (WW Hinds 29, BC Lara 5 not out, RR Sarwan 4 not out; N Boje 3-40) West Indies' target is 323 runs to win
BARODA vs ORISSA 1st semi-final at Baroda (5th day) Baroda: 568 (Satyajit Parab 60, CC Williams 35, Nayan Mongia 181, Jacob Martin 86, TB Arothe 86, I Pathan 48 not out; DS Mohanty 3-110, Sanjay Raul 3-76) 409 (Satyajit Parab 56, HR Jadhav 78, JJ Martin 33, TB Arothe 62, NR Mongia 53, AP Bhoite 45; SS Raul 3-7) Orissa: 280 (SS Das 54, RR Parida 94, P Jayachandra 48, SK Satpathy 30; Valmik Buch 4-82, Ajit Bhoite 3-32) 361-5 (RR Parida 71, SS Raul 36, P Mullick 131 not out, P Jayachandra 82) Result: Match Drawn (Baroda enter the final on the first innings lead) RAILWAYS vs PUNJAB 2nd semi-final at Mohali (5th day) Punjab: 249 (Ravneet Ricky 33, Vikram Rathore 44, Ankur Kakkar 53; Harvinder Singh 5-66) 356 (RS Ricky 54, Manish Sharma 61, V Rathour 31, P Dharmani 77, RS Sodhi 89; TP Singh 3-132) Railways: 407 (Sanjay Bangar 89, Abhay Sharma 53, SN Khanolkar 48, KS Karida 36 not out, Zakir Hussain 30; Babloo Kumar 3-48) 199-5 (S Bangar 47, TP Singh 34, S Raza Ali 32) Result: Railways won by 5 wickets to enter the finals Yesterday's News News Roll archive 
Compiled by: Mohandas Menon
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