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Billy Bowden, the New Zealand umpire, has defended his mistakes in the first one-day international between Australia and New Zealand in Wellington. Bowden had a few verbal exchanges with Daniel Vettori, but has clarified that relations between the two of them are normal.Bowden appeared to have made two mistakes in the thrilling 10-run win for Australia, one of which was declining a loud leg-before appeal by Vettori against Matthew Hayden. Bowden got it wrong the second time as well, when Hayden gloved a leg-side delivery from Kyle Mills on 31. Hayden went on to score 71.”I’ll have a look at the highlights, my sister tapes them for me, but whenever I umpire I do so to the best of my ability,” said Bowden to . “As a batsman or an umpire a ball always has your number on it and if I made a mistake, so be it.”Bowden and Vettori were engaged in a vociferous debate when Bowden turned down an appeal against Hayden. Stephen Fleming, New Zealand’s captain, had to intervene to put an end to the issue. Bowden was concerned with Vettori’s behaviour, who snatched his cap in disgust, and Vettori in turn felt that he could have been shown the respect due to someone playing his 147th match.”After 10 overs players get frustrated with the way they have bowled or the way decisions went,” Bowden said. “I talked to Stephen and we got on with the game. I haven’t got a problem with Dan, I’ve umpired him a long time and I think we have mutual respect.”There won’t be a problem in Christchurch, in fact I hope he bowls at my end. I would be disappointed in myself if I couldn’t be professional and look any player in the eye the next day. The cap thing wasn’t a big issue. I’ve had guys almost rip my elbow off, Dan’s was just a little tickle.”Bowden, who also umpired in the recently concluded Pakistan series, had faced criticisms from Bob Woolmer, the Pakistan coach, who claimed that the decisions went 29-5 against Pakistan, and that the umpires were biased towards the dominating Australia. Ken Rutherford, the former New Zealand captain, and Martin Crowe also criticized the umpires in their newspaper columns. Rutherford claimed that Bowden had become too familiar with the Australians, while Crowe felt the umpire was suffering from fatigue.”I don’t appoint myself to umpiring Australia, that is the ICC,” Bowden said. “It can be a heads and tails thing. If you are umpiring a team you know it can help because you learn how certain players bat and how they bowl,” said Bowden defending his stance. “Before any game you do your stats and you often know how many times a certain players has been out lbw or caught behind recently. The more you do of one side the more you learn about their strengths and weaknesses. Having said all that, whenever you walk out into the middle you are always operating in the `now’.”

Australian players Matthew Hayden and Andy Bichel will make their return to the playing field this weekend as part of the XXXX Queensland Bulls pre-season campaign.Hayden will play for a Country XI and Bichel will turn out for a City XI in the intra-squad one-day practice match at Allan Border Field on Sunday.There will also be a two-day practice match at Allan Border Field starting tomorrow, although Hayden and Bichel will not play in that game.Former Tasmanian pace bowler Shane Jurgensen will play in the two-day game after returning home to Brisbane earlier this year after severing ties with the Tigers.The matches, involving Bulls and Queensland Academy of Sport members, will provide the State selectors and Queensland coaching staff with an ideal opportunity to monitor the players’ build-up prior to the start of club cricket later this month.Admission is free for all matches, with play scheduled to start at 10am each day.The Brisbane XXXX Grade one-day competition commences on Sunday September 15 with the First Grade premiership commencing on Saturday September 20.The Bulls opening match is the ING Cup clash with Tasmania on October 25 at the Gabba.City v County, September 5-6, Allan Border Field.Country XI: Brendan Nash, Daniel Payne, James Hopes, Aaron Nye, Wade Seccombe, Nathan Hauritz (c), Mitchell Johnson, Chris Swan, Grant Sullivan, Stephen Farrell, Shane Jurgensen (11 only).
City XI: Jerry Cassell, Duncan Betts, Aaron Maynard, Chris Simpson, Craig Philipson, Chris Hartley (c), Ryan Leloux, Damien Mackenzie, Matthew Petrie, Steve Magoffin, Nathan Rimmington, Peter Reimers (all twelve to play).City v County, September 7, Allan Border Field.County XII: Matthew Hayden, Daniel Payne, Aaron Maynard, James Hopes, Brendan Nash, Stephen Farrell, Wade Seccombe, Nathan Hauritz (c), Mitchell Johnson, Cameron Glass, Grant Sullivan, Aaron Nye. (all 12 toplay)
City XII: Jerry Casssell, Duncan Betts, Lee Carseldine (c), Chris Simpson, Craig Philipson, Peter Reimers, Chris Hartley, Ryan Leloux, Andy Bichel, Damien Mackenzie, Steve Magoffin, Nathan Rimmington. (all 12 to play)

Worcestershire have made Essex batsman Stephen Peters their third close-seasonrecruit, signing him up on a three-year contract.Peters, 23, who was in the England team which won the Under-19 World Cup in 1998, will join the former Leicestershire batsman Ben Smith and ex-Surreyoff-spinner Gareth Batty at New Road.Worcestershire’s Director of Cricket, Tom Moody said: “Stephen is young and ambitious and plays his cricket in a positive manner, and we look forward to him adding depth to our middle-order batting.”Peters added: “Essex offered me a new contract, but I was so impressed withwhat Tom Moody is building at New Road that the move was a relatively easydecision to make.”

Bangladesh scored a comfortable 95 run victory over Zimbabwe ina group I match of the Plate championship of the Under-19 WorldCup at the Nondescripts Cricket club ground in Colombo on Sunday.Electing to bat, Bangladesh were given an excellent start withopeners Nahidul Haq and Md Selim putting on 122 runs. G Ewingdismissed them in successive overs but not before the batsmengot 54 apiece. While Haq faced 66 balls and hit five fours,Selim faced 77 balls and hit four of them to the ropes.Zimbabwe then did well cutting through the middle orderas Bangladesh slid to 190 for six. But there was a revivalwith Mahfuz Kabir (41 not out) and Tariqul Hasan (35) adding71 runs for the seventh wicket off 10.4 overs to help Bangladeshpost a challenging total of 270 for seven in 50 overs.Zimbabwe lost wickets at regular intervals and were neverreally in the hunt though M Munson, at No 3, top scored with45. Only a belated fight by the ninth wicket pair of G Ewing(24) and H Henderson (26 not out) who added 49 runs off 13.2overs saw Zimbabwe reach 195 for nine in 50 overs.

If you think the Chappell-Hadlee Series has lost its lustre, think again. Ricky Ponting has “a score to settle” after Australia were defeated 3-0 last time and wants his best outfit firing for the three-match competition which starts in Adelaide on Friday.Ponting, who says the series is “pretty big for us”, is desperate to get his hands back on the trophy. “New Zealand completely outplayed us last time and thoroughly deserved the result,” Ponting, who missed the contests to prepare for the World Cup, said. “We have got a bit of a score to settle, there’s no doubt about it.”We want to make sure we’ve got the trophies we play for back in the cabinet in Melbourne. This is one we haven’t got.”Australia have delayed naming their team until Friday morning after question marks over Brett Lee, who missed practice with a virus, and Andrew Symonds’ ankle, although both should be ready. Ponting “decided to play the cautious card” with Lee, who did not train, while he rated Symonds’ chances of playing “at 95%” after he completed a practice session.Both are key men, and Australia will be particularly keen for Lee to join Shaun Tait after they were too quick for New Zealand in the Twenty20 on Tuesday. Ponting, who put his feet up for that game, liked what he saw.”I was really impressed with how they hussled and had a lot of energy and intent in the field,” he said. “That’s something we pride ourselves on, the Australian team, making sure we’re like that and up for every contest that’s on.”Ponting said it was likely they would bring in a spinner, in which case Brad Hogg will get the nod. “There will be a tough decision to be made if Brett’s fit,” he said, “probably on which of the fast bowlers we do leave out.” The allrounder James Hopes impressed Ponting with his flexibility in the India series and is tipped to play.While Australia’s fast men are going great guns, New Zealand may choose two spinners again, like they did in Perth. “It’s always an option,” the captain Daniel Vettori said. “Jeetan Patel’s a very good bowler, so any time we can get him in the team we try to, but we will assess the wicket and go from there.”Although Vettori said it was difficult to come off a losing series in South Africa, he was happy with the squad’s well-being. “I feel like everyone is in a pretty good space,” he said. “We picked up a little bit of momentum in the last part of the South African tour and we are trying to translate it here.”New Zealand narrowly lost the one-dayers and will be keen to retain the trophy they won so comfortably in February. “The guys have had a chance to regroup with their wives and partners and Australia is a pretty familiar place to us,” Vettori said. “They’ve put the losses behind them and hopefully it’s a fresh start leading into this series, so hopefully we will have some confidence from here.”Their batsmen may have struggled against the quick bowlers, but their bowlers did a good job, particularly Kyle Mills, who deputised for the injured Shane Bond and is on hand to do so again. Stephen Fleming, who led them to their last Chappell-Hadlee success, may not be here this time around, but is always on hand to lend advice.”I can turn to him any time I want,” Vettori said, adding that Fleming had given some tips on how to bowl to the opposing batsmen. With Ponting and Matthew Hayden boosting the Twenty20 squad, New Zealand might need them.Australia (probable) Matthew Hayden, Adam Gilchrist (wk), Ricky Ponting (capt), Michael Clarke, Andrew Symonds, Michael Hussey, James Hopes, Brad Hogg, Brett Lee, Shaun Tait, Mitchell Johnson.New Zealand (probable) Lou Vincent, Brendon McCullum (wk), Jamie How, Scott Styris, Ross Taylor, Mathew Sinclair, Jacob Oram, Kyle Mills, Daniel Vettori (capt), Mark Gillespie, Jeetan Patel.

Wasim Bari, Pakistan’s chief selector, expressed fears that the expected return of Umar Gul, the injured fast bowler, for the second Test against South Africa next week might backfire.”I hope they (Pakistan team management) take a sensible decision on Gul otherwise we might suffer,” Bari told .Bari hoped that Pakistan would not rush in the talented Gul, who is seen among the key players for March’s World Cup campaign in the West Indies.Gul, Pakistan’s most successful Test fast bowler in 2006, missed the opening Test at Centurion because of an ankle injury. Pakistan went on to lose the Test by seven wickets earlier this week.Initial medical reports suggested that the injury would keep Gul out of international action for at least three weeks. However, reports coming from South Africa signal Gul’s return for the next Test, scheduled to get underway from January 19 in Port Elizabeth.Inzamam-ul-Haq, Pakistan captain, said recently that Gul has recovered and is expected to play in the second Test. A PCB official also confirmed that Gul is likely to get the all-clear to return to the line-up in Port Elizabeth where the tourists will be looking forward to level the three-match series.However, Bari said that Pakistan might be acting hastily in forcing Gul to make an early comeback. “I’m afraid that if Gul is brought back hastily he might aggravate his injury and he could then be out for a long time. It happened last year when Rana Naved-ul-Hasan was forced to play by his county in spite of an injury and he was out for quite a few months,” said Bari, referring to the injury-related absence of Naved-ul-Hasan, who missed several matches in 2006 because of a groin injury he sustained while playing for Sussex.The former Test cricketer, however, hoped that the team management would take the right decision in Gul’s case. “I hope better sense prevails because with the World Cup just round the corner we cannot afford to make any mistakes,” he said.Meanwhile, a PCB spokesman played down any such fears saying that all of Pakistan’s leading bowlers would be available for the second Test. “We have received positive reports on our bowling attack and we expect that Pakistan would take the field in Port Elizabeth with their first choice bowlers,” he said.He added that fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar has also been declared match fit and is all set to bowl in the second Test.

An estimated US$ 8 million Cricket Regional Development Plan and the addition of four new directors to the existing West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) were the new initiatives revealed by Ken Gordon, the WICB president.Among the persons expected to be included among the directors are Clive Lloyd, the former captain, who failed in his bid to become the WICB vice-president last year, billionaire Allen Stanford, Dr Grenville Phillips and Sir Allister McIntyre, the former Vice Chancellor of the University of the West Indies.According to Gordon, Lloyd has been approached to be the chairman of a “strong” Cricket Committee that will “become the principal advisor to the WICB on all cricketing matters”. The terms of reference of that committee will be to keep all matters related to Caribbean and international cricket under ongoing review and to offer expert opinion for WICB decision-making; to be responsible for advising the WICB on the selection and conditions of employment of the coaching staff and to be the senior coach’s principal point of contact with the board; and to keep the performance of the coaching staff under review and to guide the WICB accordingly. Gordon said Lloyd has indicated positive interest in assuming the chairmanship and is now seeking clearance from his employers in London to take up the job.In addition, that committee is also charged with approving and monitoring the effective implementation of the WICB Development Programme and working closely with the WIN World Cup Committee, the territorial boards, Stanford’s 20/20 initiative and “all other events which impact on West Indies cricket.”Phillips is the other specialist who will head a committee to address the restructuring and financial problems that include a US $20 million deficit and over-sized staff. This committee will be expected to guide the financial recovery and the restructuring of WICB’s finances with particular reference to the outstanding deficit. The committee will also be asked to overlook the financial management and accounts of the WICB and to ensure that performance is in accordance with “the highest standards” and to work with all relevant parties to develop new revenue streams.Stanford and McIntyre will be special advisors to the president. Gordon declared that the WICB had recognised the importance of “injecting additional representation on its board”. “The territorial boards have given approval to proceed with amending the Memorandum and Articles of the WICB to accommodate up to four additional directors,” Gordon said,” That process will commence almost immediately.”Asked whether the expansion of the board of directors might lead to narrower partisan interests being pursued rather than the best interest of West Indies cricket, Gordon responded: “It is not the ideal formula but we have to realise what the realities are. And the realities are that we need to raise money and decrease the deficit. And we had to find a way to get this done and we believed that these people like Stanford and company have that capacity to address these problems.”Gordon added: “They have a proven track record and we have to use whatever expertise we have because if we wait on an ideal answer it may never come or it may come too late.”As for the Regional Cricket Development Plan devised by Bennett King, the West Indies coach, and Tony Howard, the manager, it is envisioned to include 96 players, eight coaches and eight trainers employed round the year and will cost US $8 million over four years.The programme’s aim will be to address the amateur approach to the game; prepare players who are capable of performing successfully at international level; to significantly improve the quality of regional cricket; to provide a meaningful avenue for cricketers to earn while learning; and to provide a group of trained coaches/trainers for the region. “Once we get this going forward together with the retainer contract programme for our first line international players, then we would have begun to seriously address present and future cricket development,”Gordon stated.The plan will first be discussed with King and Howard when they return from the tour of New Zealand before major Caribbean cricket personalities are invited to participate and critique the document. “The objective would be to come up with a document in which there can be a general “buy in” and for which there will be widespread acceptance,” Gordon indicated.

Worcestershire have announced a pre-tax surplus for the second successive year, despite being relegated from the Championship top flight.The profit in 2004 was £49,839 against around £3000 in 2003, largely boosted by an increase in membership income and good gate revenue from Twenty20 matches.”All our income streams have shown an increase in the last year whilst our trading expenditure is still well below the 2001 levels,” said Mark Newton, Worcestershire’s chief executive. “Our policy of diverting as much of our resource to cricket, particularly our Academy, continues to be our primary financial objective. We are particularly pleased to note that revenue from membership subscriptions has risen by 29% in the last two years and gate receipts from the Twenty20 Cup rose by 26% in 2004 despite the fact we had one less home game.”

Kids. They grow up so quickly these days. One day, you’re holding their hands from mid-off as they toddle into bowl. The next, they’ve dyed their hair red and are schmoozing from one lad’s mag to the next, talking girls and PlayStations, with hardly a backward glance to the crotchety old patriarch who made them the men they are today.This was Nasser Hussain’s dilemma as he was reintroduced to his boys after seven weeks on the sidelines during the NatWest Series. And true to form, his assessment was instinctive and unequivocal. His time had passed. His cajoling, backside-kicking style was out of tune with the spirit of the age. It was time for Michael Vaughan to come to the fore.Hussain, it transpires, broke the news to Vaughan over a bacon sandwich on Monday morning. Whether the sandwich was subsequently dropped in astonishment, we do not know. But, in his inaugural press conference at Lord’s, Vaughan was still wearing the look of a man caught in the midst of a whirlwind. He was lucid and authoritative, as he talked of his desire for a focused but relaxed team, but he couldn’t deny that the captaincy had arrived “sooner than he expected”.”I don’t think Nasser landed me in it at all,” Vaughan insisted. “I feel ready for the job. I feel really excited and I am looking forward to it. I know people will say things, but Nasser has had four years at the top and I am very pleased he has left me with a young and talented team. He turned up this morning with a huge weight taken off his shoulders, and I told him to go out and enjoy his cricket. He is a huge player for England and I expect him to continue in that vein.”Given his supreme self-motivation, it would surprise no-one if Hussain marks his return to the ranks with a century, just as Michael Atherton did against South Africa at Edgbaston back in 1998. But, as Vaughan admitted, this week has been a tale of three captains, not two. England’s main task at Lord’s will be to halt Graeme Smith, whose record-breaking scores of 277 and 85 dispelled all doubts that he lacked the authority to succeed in such a high-profile series.”I definitely think England underestimated us, and wrongly so,” said Smith. “We had them under pressure all the time and that’s a great feeling. While they’re trying to sort out where they went wrong, we are going forward with a lot of positives to take into the rest of the series.”Maybe Nasser was feeling the pressure a bit and just wants to play a bit now,” added Smith. “It definitely puts a bit of pressure on Vaughan again. Maybe it will weigh on his shoulders, who knows? But it could be a breakthrough for us.”But Smith, wary of making Hussain’s mistake and proclaiming that England were “there for the taking”, admitted that they would come out fighting at Lord’s. And, given that Jacques Kallis will once again be missing from South Africa’s team, he has enough selection headaches of his own. Worcestershire’s overseas player, Andrew Hall, has been drafted back into the squad, and is likely to take his place as a bowling allrounder ahead of the ineffective Charl Willoughby. His belligerent batting will strengthen the tail and may enable Paul Adams to take over from Robin Peterson, whose left-arm spin was the weakest link in South Africa’s attack.England, for their part, hope to be unchanged – personnel-wise at least. Sussex’s James Kirtley is on standby in the bowling department, but seems set to miss out for the fourth Test running, while Marcus Trescothick and Alec Stewart are likely to play despite the injuries they picked up at Edgbaston. Vaughan, who wants 11 captains in his team, would probably have them wheeled out in bath-chairs rather than have them miss this vital match.England 1 Marcus Trescothick, 2 Michael Vaughan (capt), 3 Mark Butcher, 4 Nasser Hussain, 5 Anthony McGrath, 6 Alec Stewart (wk), 7 Andrew Flintoff, 8 Ashley Giles, 9 Darren Gough, 10 Steve Harmison, 11 James Anderson.South Africa (probable) 1 Herschelle Gibbs, 2 Graeme Smith (capt), 3 Gary Kirsten, 4 Boeta Dippenaar, 5 Jacques Rudolph, 6 Mark Boucher (wk), 7 Shaun Pollock, 8 Andrew Hall, 9 Dewald Pretorius, 10 Makhaya Ntini, 11 Paul Adams.

Punjab, looking to bowl out Jammy and Kashmir for less than 293, wereunsuccessful in their bid on Day Four of their Ranji Trophy leaguematch at Jammu.The home side, losing two wickets for 37 runs, shut shop and refusedto be tempted into trying for the target. Kavaljit Singh, playing atone-down, made a painstaking 89 off 263 balls, giving clear indicationof the plans of his team.He was ably supported by Dhruv Mahajan (46), but Punjab must havesniffed some chance of victory when Kavaljit Singh, the fifth wicketto fall, departed with the score on 187. The lower middle-order,however, kept out the bowling long enough to take the home side to211/6 at stumps.Jammu and Kashmir pick up five points by virtue of their first-inningslead, while Punjab pick up three.