India in England

In a day-night match between India and Sussex, Indians made an impressive start without skipper Sourav Ganguly, who could not play the game due to viral fever.

The team was lead by Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman replaced Ganguly.

Sussex after wining the toss elected to bat and managed to pile a total of 203/8.

Indian pacer Ashish Nehra remained top among the bowlers and took four wickets of twenty seven runs, whereas, Zaheer Khan, Ajit Agarkar and Virender Sehwag could manage to grab one wicket each.

Murray Goodwin was the top scorer in the Sussex with a score of 49 runs.

In Indian batting line up the top scorers were Sachin Tendulkar 75 runs (n.o) and Dinesh Mongia who scored 56 runs and managed to win the game in 49th over.

India's next two warm-up games are against Kent on June 24 and Leicester on June 26.

New Zealand in West Indies

First Test, Barbados, day two:
New Zealand 1st innings 337 and 4-1 v West Indies 107 all out.

The West Indies face an uphill battle to save the first Test with New Zealand after a terrible batting display in Bridgetown.

The Windies managed just 107 in reply to the Kiwis' 337 - their third-lowest Test total on home soil.

Daniel Vettori claimed four for 27 as West Indies were dismissed in 42.1 overs in their first innings reply, 234 runs behind the visitors.

Only three West Indies batsmen - opener Wavell Hinds with 11, Brian Lara with 28 and Shivnarine Chanderpaul with 35 not out - reached double figures as the New Zealand bowlers dominated on a variable pitch.

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New Zealand skipper Stephen Fleming had mixed feelings after leading from the front on the opening day in Barbados with a century against West Indies.

The left-hander has passed fifty on 37 occasions in Test cricket, but it was only the fourth time he had gone on to reach three figures.

His delight at his 130 out of a score of 257 for six was tempered by concern about the loss of four wickets for just 29 runs during the afternoon session, which enabled West Indies to regain the initiative.

"If we win the Test match, I'll rate it highly. If we don't win the Test, then I'm a few runs short," Fleming said of his innings.

Match-fixing

Pakistan's players have been cleared of any wrongdoing during the 1999 World Cup in England following a judicial inquiry into allegations of match-fixing.

The government commissioned Justice Karamat Nazir Bhandari of the Lahore High Court to carry out an investigation last year.

It followed claims by Dr Ali Bacher, former chief of the United Cricket Board of South Africa, that he had been informed that Pakistan's games against Bangladesh and India had been fixed. Pakistan were beaten on both occasions, but went on to reach the final of the competition, only to suffer a heavy defeat by Australia.

But the judge's 21-page report, which Pakistan Cricket Board officials will submit to next week's International Cricket Council meeting in London, concludes there is nothing to substantiate the claims.

Miscellaneous

Pakistan fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar is at the peak of his form and could cause havoc at next year's World Cup in South Africa, wicketkeeper Rashid Latif said.

Latif, who returned with the Pakistan squad from Australia, said keeping to Akhtar had been a real experience.

Akhtar powered Pakistan to a surprise 2-1 win over world champions Australia in the Super Challenge series, Pakistan's first one-day series win over the Australians since 1989/90.

Akhtar took five for 25 in the decider in Brisbane and seven wickets in two matches to shock the Australians.

His bowling prompted Australian captain Ricky Pointing to warn his team mates to find ways to master Akhtar to prevent him from ripping holes in the strong batting line-up.

"I have kept to Waqar Younis and Wasim Akram at their peak but Shoaib is very, very fast and very difficult to stand up to," Latif told.

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England coach Duncan Fletcher is relying on the age-old rivalry with Wales to give his players the preparation they need ahead of the NatWest one-day series.

England arrive in Cardiff to play a limited overs match at Sophia Gardens against a select Wales side, before taking on Sri Lanka and India.

The bulk of players in the Wales side will be drawn from the Glamorgan side who lost a thrilling, record-breaking match against Surrey at the Oval in midweek.

But the addition of South Africa all-rounder Jacques Kallis - who wants to return as Glamorgan's overseas player - plus Tony Cottey from Sussex and Somerset's Steffan Jones gives Wales a formidable look.

"It's a good game to have before the Tri-Nations comes up because Wales will provide good, stiff opposition," Fletcher said.

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