Titans regained the top spot in the Standard Bank Cup after a win in a highscoring match against Warriors on a good batting strip at StGeorge’s Park, Port Elizabeth.Batting first the Warriors started off cautiously but at the fall of the first wicket Robin Peterson came to the crease and raced away to 90 off 82 balls. The third wicket also produced a partnership of 97 as Peterson and Arno Jacobs took control. Jacobs and Tyron Henderson then put on 42 in the final five overs for the Warriors to finish on 246 for 3.The Titans fired on all cylinders as the top four all scored half-centuries. Alviro Peterson and Goolam Bodi scored 51 each, Martin van Jaarsveld, the Man of the Match, scored 62 and Johan Myburgh finished on 56 not out as they passed the target with an over to spare.It was hard work for the bowlers, but that is how it should be for a limited overs match and credit must go to the ground staff for the preparation of a spectator pleasing pitch.Cape Cobras played themselves right out of the Standard Bank Cupsemi-finals after being blown away by the Lions at Newlands, Cape Town.Set a meagre target of 161 the Cobras were bowled out for 121 in what must rate as their worst performance of the season. A top score of 24 from Renier Munnik was all the Cobras could muster as Saurab Chatterjee picked up a career best of 4 for 27 in 6.3 overs.The Lions had also struggled to put an innings together with Matthew Harris propping up the middle of the innings scoring 56 and easily winning the Man-of-the-Match award. With Charl Willoughby taking 3 for 19 in his nine overs and the Lions reaching 160 for 9 in the 45 oversthe Cobras looked to be in with a chance of their first win of the season, but by handing the Lions the bonus point the Cobras now have no chance of reaching the semi-final stages.

Faisal Iqbal, the middle-order batsman, and Umar Gul, the fast bowler, have been included in Pakistan’s squad for the third and final Test against India starting at Karachi on Sunday.The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) clarified, however, that Shoaib Malik was not considered for selection owing to the untimely death of his father yesterday. Iqbal, 24, scored an impressive 87 for Pakistan A in India’s tour opener at Lahore, while Gul’s career-best 5 for 31 was instrumental in Pakistan’s victory over India in the second Test at Lahore in 2003-04. Over the past year, though, he has battled a stress fracture in the back and was not selected for the recent series against England.Wasim Bari, the PCB’s chief selector, said Iqbal’s drafting in was a back-up option in case Inzamam-ul-Haq, suffering from a back strain, were to rule himself out of the third Test. “Inzamam has improved but we will only know about his chances of playing the final Test in the next three days, so Iqbal is a good back-up,” Bari told AFP. “We have included Iqbal because of his prolific form in domestic matches.” Bari also said that Shoaib Akhtar was carrying a niggle in his right ankle. “Akhtar is not a major worry but as a precaution we have included Gul. Hope Akhtar gets fully fit for the Test which could decide the series.”Asim Kamal, the middle-order batsman, was overlooked due to the fact that he skipped an ongoing domestic tournament because of his father’s illness, while Hasan Raza missed out because of a hairline fracture sustained recently.Pakistan squad Inzamam-ul-Haq (capt), Younis Khan (vice-capt), Mohammad Yousuf, Abdul Razzaq, Shoaib Akhtar, Shahid Afridi, Mohammad Sami, Salman Butt, Rana Naved-ul-Hasan, Kamran Akmal, Arshad Khan, Danish Kaneria, Imran Farhat, Mohammad Asif, Faisal Iqbal, Umar Gul.

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Queensland brushed aside Western Australia’s batsmen, dismissing the home side for 190 on the first day at Perth. Western Australia are sitting at the bottom of the Pura Cup table and have registered just one victory this season.Only Adam Voges (42) and David Bandy (40) provided resistance to Queensland’s probing attack with a partnership of 75 before the home side capitulated dramatically, losing 5 for 34. Michael Kasprowicz, who took 4 for 58, was well supported by Andy Bichel (2 for 45) and the legspinner Daniel Doran who took the key wicket of Voges to finish with 3 for 71 on debut.In reply, Queensland lost Jimmy Maher first ball to Steve Magoffin and Ryan Broad for 40, but reached 2 for 110 at stumps and trail by 80 going into the second day.

Western Province suffered a first-day collapse on a lively pitch at Newlands to be bowled out for 114 in their first innings against KwaZulu-Natal. Ryan Canning made 30, and was the only Province batsmen to show the Durban pace attack any resistance. Career bests from Nicolas Hewer (4 for 31) and Saidi Mhlongo (3 for 27), together with 3 for 43 from Ugasen Govender, was enough to race through the Province batting in 48.2 overs. The Natal innings almost suffered the same destruction but 45 from Wade Wingfield saw them recover from 52 for 4 to 103 for 5 when bad light stopped play early. Two concerns for Natal is are the injuries suffered to Govender, who limped off during the Province innings, and Mark Sanders, who was forced to retire hurt.The derby grudge match at Goodyear Park in Bloemfontein between neighbours Free State and Griqualand West did not quite start off as planned for Griquas. Winning the toss and batting first, they were soon in trouble at 55 for 4 but a couple of twenties, a 46 not out from Jandre Coetzee and 25, which included three sixes, from the No. 10, Revelation Plaatjie, enabled them to limp to 195 all out with Jacob Malao taking 3 for 54. The Free State top order did not suffer the same fate as they finished the day, an early stop due to bad light, on 114 for 2 with Benjamin Hector scoring 43 and Lefa Mosena not out on 46.

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Australia put themselves in a strong position after two days of the one-off Adelaide Test, forcing India to follow on and then reducing them to 3 for 51 in their second innings. Dismissed for 93 in their first innings in reply to Australia’s 250, India lost the key wickets of Mithali Raj and Anjum Chopra in the final session to Lisa Sthalekar’s offbreaks.India were in trouble as soon as their innings started and were unable to cope with some aggressive bowling. Sarah Andrews, on debut, prised out Monica Sumra – caught by the captain Karen Rolton – in the fourth over before triggering a dramatic collapse.From 1 for 41, India fell to 6 for 51 at lunch with Andrews trapping Karu Jain – India’s highest scorer with 21 – and Cathryn Fitzpatrick removing Raj (16) and Rumeli Dhar (4). Nooshin Al Khader stuck around for 41 minutes for 16, but Julie Hayes removed her as India were bowled out in 61.4 overs. Fitzpatrick was the most successful bowler with 3 for 24.Rolton had little hesitation in enforcing the follow on and gave her side the breakthrough with Jain’s wicket. If India enjoyed a reasonably good day with the ball yesterday, then today it was Australia’s turn to show their abilities.Resuming on 8 for 230, Australia lost Hayes and Andrews early and were bowled out for 250, with Jodie Purves remaining unbeaten on 43. Jhulan Goswami was the pick for India with 4 for 43 off 24 overs.

Shoaib Akhtar is confident that recent surgery on both of his knees will not hamper his career and is aiming to return in around two months, prior to Pakistan’s tour of England.Shoaib had his knees operated on in Australia last month after being diagnosed with a degenerative disease. He missed Pakistan’s one-day series against India in February and was ruled out of an ongoing tour of Sri Lanka.He said: “I have started light training and will be back in action on Pakistan’s tour to England late June.” Pakistan will play four Tests and five one-day internationals in England this summer.Shoaib added that his operations went smoothly and vowed they would not shorten his much talked about long bowling run-up. “The arthroscopy went well and now I have started upper body training and will start light cycling and swimming from next week. The operation won’t curtail my run-up and won’t have any affect on my bowling.”However, he said that he hoped to play only in selected matches in future. “The Australian surgeon David Young feared the worst initially, but after the operation he told me that my knees are stable and I can still play five to six years. Now I want to play selected matches so that I can contribute to the best effect whenever I am on the field.”Shoaib has missed 35 Tests out of 71 since he made his debut in 1997, but played all six Tests in Pakistan’s last two home series against England and India. He took 17 wickets in Pakistan’s 2-0 triumph over England.He said an ankle injury he recently picked up was also healing fast. “The surgeon told me that my ankle injury would heal with time and it is healing fast. I am happy to learn from the surgeon that I have a stronger ankle than Brett Lee.”Fears that the surgery could shorten his career were baseless according to Shoaib. “I heard people raising doubts over my career after the operations but I am hopeful that I can play for another five to six years.”

Scotland 360 (Watson 167, Smith 70, Snyman 5-96) beat Namibia 168 and 127 (Hoffmann 5-14) by an innings and 65 runs
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Scotland completed an innings-and-65 run rout of Namibia with more than a day of their Intercontinental Cup tie at Aberdeen to spare. Given that the match has been dogged by poor weather – today was another stop-start affair – Scotland actually took a little over two days to polish off a below-par opposition.Scotland lost both their overnight batsmen in quick succession but Craig Wright and Dewald Nel, who had been expected to push for quick runs, ground down the Namibians with a patient seventh-wicket stand of 78. Gerrie Snyman brought the innings to a rapid conclusion with four wickets in as many overs.Namibia faced a tough ask with a first-innings deficit of 192, and they were all at sea on a seamer’s paradise, with Paul Hoffmann causing havoc by taking the first five wickets, three of them bowled, and breaking two stumps in the process. At 35 for 5 it was game over, and it took some big hitting from the tail to enable Namibia to reach three figures. Kola Burger enlivened things with three big sixes off one Ross Lyons over before he holed out to Ian Stanger attempting a fourth.Namibia now travel to Ireland to play the holders, and again are likely to struggle with the alien conditions which prevail at this time of year. They have to win to stay in the competition.

Michael Mason, the Central Districts fast bowler, has been called up as cover for Shane Bond, whose knee injury made him a doubtful starter for the second Test against South Africa at Newlands.The injury kept Bond out of the first Test at Centurion, one that New Zealand lost by 128 runs. Bond has been plagued by injury in the last few years, managing to feature in just six Tests since the 2003 World Cup in South Africa. Lindsay Crocker, the team manager, said that though Bond was improving, it wasn’t certain that he would be fit to play.”It’s too early for us to say whether Shane will be fit or not but, the way things are in the moment, we feel he’s got a good chance and wouldn’t want to count him out yet,” Crocker told . “That’s why he’s not going home. Our concern is that, if Shane is not available for Newlands, we’ll have no cover for the balance of the pace attack and that’s why we sent for Michael.”It’s just got to the stage where we have to make a decision in terms of having someone over here in time for the second Test.”

The International Cricket Council has said it will help to ensure that the South African duo, Nicky Boje and Herschelle Gibbs, are able to tour India in October without fear of arrest.Boje and Gibbs run the risk of being detained by Indian police over match-fixing allegations dating back to 2000, but Dave Richardson, head of the ICC’s cricket operations, said they would try to defuse the situation before the Champions Trophy tournament at the end of the year.”We can only facilitate the process,” said Richardson. “It is principally a problem of two individual players and they are obviously taking legal advice. But if we receive a request from the South African cricket board, we are willing to facilitate it.”Gibbs and Boje have not toured India since the scandal broke in 2000, because they have failed to obtain any assurance that they will not be detained for questioning.The former South Africa captain, Hansie Cronje, was implicated in the same scandal. He admitted involvement on his part and was served with a life ban before dying in a plane crash in 2002.The Champions Trophy will be held from October 7 to November 5 in Mumbai, Mohali, Ahmedabad and Jaipur.

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Phil Jaques replicated his immaculate county form with a dominant and unbeaten 199 as Australia A’s batsmen pounded into India A at Cairns. Jaques, who played his first two Tests last summer, is targeting more top-level action during the Ashes series and after posting 921 runs at 102.33 in six County Championship appearances for Worcestershire, he enjoyed another prolific day that ended with his side in control at 2 for 361.With rain hitting the north Queensland city over the past couple of days, the India A side hoped for early movement from the Cazaly’s pitch after winning the toss in the four-day game, but Jaques and Chris Rogers defused any threat with an opening stand of 171 at more than four runs an over. Rogers collected 55 in a patient performance before the visitors threatened to hit back through Piyush Chawla and Shib Paul.Chawla removed Rogers when he misjudged a sweep and an over later Paul, who could not finish his 14th over due to injury, had Mark Cosgrove caught behind by Parthiv Patel to drop Australia A to 2 for 172. The double burst was India A’s only success of the day as Jaques was joined by Tasmania’s Travis Birt in a 189-run stand that completed a superb performance by the hosts.Jaques struck 19 fours in his 284-ball stay and needs only a single on day two to post his second double-century in two months following the 244 against Essex in the County Championship. Happy to pull and cut in the early stages, he reached three figures from 155 deliveries shortly after drinks in the second session and narrowly missed his second major milestone before stumps. Birt, who also played some crisp cross-bat shots, finished with 82 and will push to add a fourth first-class hundred for the Australian winter after picking up three with his county Derbyshire.