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Inzamamul ul Haq who made a brilliant unbeaten 85 has now become the highest run scorer at Sharjah. He now has 2097 runs (avg. 53.77) in 47 matches. He went past the aggregate of 2051 runs by fellow Pakistani Saeed Anwar. Pakistan trashed New Zealand by registering a seven-wicket win with 24.4 overs to spare. This was Pakistan's fourth consecutive win in this tournament. New Zealand will now have to beat Sri Lanka by a huge margin to enter the final. However, considering all odds it will be a Pakistan-Sri Lanka final on Friday, 20th April.
The South Africans declared at 199-9 in their tour match against Jamaica at Montego Bay. At close on the first day Jamaica were 60-2. Discarded West Indies fast bowler Franklyn Rose bowled with fire to restrict the tourists to a modest target. South Africa's dashing all-rounder Lance Klusener, made a painstaking 41 while spending time in the middle trying to regain his old form. Alan Donald who played his first match after sitting out of the fourth Test due to injury claimed both the wickets to fall on the first day.
Zimbabwe A failed to score a victory over the visiting Bangladesh as the three day match at Bulawayo ended in a meaningless draw. Bangladesh who began the third day 137 runs ahead were bundled out quickly for 166 setting a target of 278 for the home side to win. After going for the runs initially the Zimbabwe batsmen gave up the impossible chase and settled for a draw. The home team at stumps was 205 for three.
Mark Alleyne will lead Gloucestershire in the coming season after being hailed as the most successful captain in the county's 130-year history. Alleyne has led his team to victory in the domestic Benson & Hedges Cup twice, the NatWest Trophy twice and the National League trophy once. Gloucestershire are second only to Lancashire as one of top one-day teams on the county circuit. Leg-spinner Chris Schofield hopes that a successful county season will help secure a berth to tour India in October. He feels it will be an added benefit and valuable experience for him to bowl alongside Sri Lanka's Muthiah Muralitharan. Murali who will play for Lancashire this season will however miss a few weeks of cricket due to his country's international commitments. The opening first class fixture between hosts Somerset and Cardiff University stands cancelled because of lack of proper pitch preparation at the Taunton's County Ground. The Cardiff team was just accorded first class status and would have played its ever first-class match.
The Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Tauqir Zia said that he had no hope that cricketing ties between India and Pakistan would be resumed for a long time to come. Zia who is in Sharjah to watch the tri-nation series said his country was still keen to play India. He also said the second Asian Test championships were also in doubt although the officials of India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka and Bangladesh were to meet at Sharjah to finalise the details. The matches were to be played at neutral venues in August this year. Gen Zia was unsure if Pakistan would attend the ICC knock out to be held in India next year. Waqar Younis will lead Pakistan on their tour of England beginning next month. Appointed on a short term basis in the place of injured Moin Khan, Waqar has impressed one and all with his overall handling of a young Pakistan team at Sharjah. Waqar felt that leading Pakistan to England was comfortable as England was like a second home to him having played a lot of county cricket there. Political journalist and Member of Parliament, Kuldip Nayyar plans to raise the issue of India's withdrawal from Sharjah in Parliament. Nayyar who was in Sharjah to watch the tri-series said that the Indian government has been misinformed about Sharjah and was surprised to note that the government has refused permission to the Indian team's participation citing security reasons. It will be a dream come true for the former president of the BCCI Raj Singh Dungarpur when the proposed National Museum opens in Mumbai. The Museum will chronicle Indian cricket history from 1946 to date. The museum is to be set up at the Brabourne Stadium, next to the BCCI headquarters. The final details will be ironed out at the BCCI's working committee meeting to be held at the end of this month. The BCCI has also approved the requests made by cricket associations of Punjab, Maharashtra, Vidarbha and the Cricket Club of India (CCI) for setting up of their own cricket academies. Speculations are on if the Australian Cricket Board has really extended and invitation to India to take part in the limited-over indoor series at the Colonial Stadium, Melbourne and also at another indoor venue at Brisbane. While reports in India have even specified the dates as September 10, 12 and 14 The ACB sources have been quoted as saying nothing has been finalised as yet. The BCCI is supposed to take a decision on whether to accept the invitation during the working committee meeting to be held at the end of this month. The Goa police who are investigating the fake ticket scam during the India-Australia one-day match on April 6, has freezed the bank accounts of all the accused persons in the scam. Meanwhile a fresh notice has been sent to the Goa Cricket Association (GCA) president Dayanand Narvekar, to appear before the police for interrogation. Narvekar had earlier expressed his inability to appear before the police citing his mother's illness.
ARY GOLD CUP, Sharjah
Yesterday's News News Roll archive 
Compiled by: Mohandas Menon
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