India's tour of West Indies

"We have the potential to beat any side in the world," Indian coach John Wright said on Wednesday, after the team's first practice session in Georgetown, Guyana.

"What we require is self-belief that we are capable of winning away from home. It's a very important factor.

"We have quite a few brilliant players, but have yet to click as a team. What we need is a collective effort," he added.

England's tour of New Zealand

Captain Nasser Hussain insisted England had made important strides forward as a Test side this winter despite finishing their New Zealand tour with defeat in Auckland.

It cost them victory in the three-match series and meant they slipped below the Kiwis to fifth place in the International Cricket Council Test Championship table.

"I'm not interested in the Test table. I'm more interested in how we are going to beat Sri Lanka this summer, and how on earth we are going to win an Ashes series [next winter]."

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England's complaints about having to play under floodlights during the third Test against New Zealand have been dismissed by the International Cricket Council.

"We must be mindful that players' careers are at stake," said ICC general manager (cricket) David Richardson said.

"International players, however, will understand that whilst the traditional values of our game remain paramount, they are in the entertainment business.

"That demands flexibility and adaptability from them."

Australia in South Africa

5th ODI, Durban: Australia 271-2 v South Africa 267-6 (50 overs)

Adam Gilchrist hammered 105 off 104 balls to send Australia on their way to an eight-wicket victory in the fifth one-day international against South Africa.

After Gilchrist was dismissed captain Ricky Ponting steered the visitors home, edging a four through the vacant slip cordon to wrap up victory with eight wickets in hand.

The result means the Australians clinch the series with two games still to play.

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Commenting on South Africa’s 267, captain Shaun Pollock said, "Yes, it was a really competitive score. We knew we going to have to bowl well, the outfield was very fast.

"If we look back it was missed opportunities that cost us and didn’t allow us to put enough pressure on the Australians."

With his bowlers not maintaining an adequate line and length, Pollock was always going to struggle to apply that pressure.

"It was a good deck, there was no doubt about that. It was coming on and the batters were able to play their shots.

"You had to be pin-point if you were going to keep it to a low score. Even a person like McGrath was going for quite a few, so it was an easy wicket to bat on. But unfortunately you need to take wickets to stem the tide and keep the run-rate below fives."

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Australian captain Ricky Ponting was overjoyed with their batting and the series win in Durban.

When asked in the post-match ceremony if he was pleased, Ponting replied with enthusiasm. "Yes, for sure! It was beyond my dreams at the start of the series to have it wrapped up after five games. Today was probably one of the best wins I have been involved in I think.

"I didn’t think we bowled and fielded that well, but we certainly batted well. Gilly [Adam Gilchrist was great. We got them two down and a couple of overs to spare and you really can’t ask for much more than that."

Miscellaneous

South African allrounder Nicky Boje will take over from Lance Klusener and will replace injured Chris Cairns as Nottinghamshire’s overseas player.

It came as quite a shock when I got the call from the team manager Clive Rice asking if I would like to play for Notts this summer," Boje told ananova.com.

"But it's always been an ambition of mine to play county cricket in England and I was not going to let this opportunity pass me by.

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Former international cricket umpire and convicted child molester Steve Randell will walk free from prison by the end of the month.

The Parole Board yesterday agreed to his second request for parole - more than a year ahead of his expected release date.

Randell, 44, who was jailed for four years in August 1999 on 15 counts of indecently assaulting former female students when a teacher at Burnie's Marist College, will be released from the Hayes Prison Farm by the end of this month.

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