Ashantha de Mel, Sri Lanka’s chairman of selectors, has been sacked by Jeewan Kumaratunga, the sports minister, just three weeks after being reappointed for a fresh one-year term. Lalith Kaluperuma has been appointed as the chairman of a new trimmed down five-man panel.Kumaratunga had reappointed de Mel in April, claiming at the time that there was “no reason” to change the previous year’s seven-man selection committee. However, recent changes within the administration, most importantly the appointment of Jayantha Dharmadasa as interim board chairman, have prompted a rethink.Indeed, the sudden removal of de Mel and Ranjith Madurasinghe has raised suspicious eyebrows within the local media, who fear that the minister’s U-turn may have political rather than cricketing objectives. Both de Mel and Madurasinghe were more closely aligned with the out-of-favour Thilanga Sumathipala.While Kaluperuma, a former Sri Lanka offspinner who has served on the selection panel since April 2003, is a safe hand well-respected as a selector, two remaining members of the panel, KM Nelson and Shabbir Asgerally, have no first-class experience as players. The other two panel members are former Sri Lanka cricketers Don Anurasiri and Pramodya Wickramasinghe.de Mel’s tenure in charge of the selection committee included an embarrassing public spat with Marvan Atapattu, the captain, triggered by de Mel’s criticism of senior players in an outspoken newspaper interview during Sri Lanka’s tour of Pakistan last year. de Mel accused the team management of standing in the way of the selectors’ desire to blood younger players for the future.The criticism was swiftly followed by the summary dismissal of Tillakaratne Dilshan from the Test team, a move that forced Atapattu to experiment with a novice in the middle order and enraged the team management. However, the pair patched up their differences, in public at least, after the tour.While de Mel’s decision-making was questioned over the Dilshan affair, the independence of his panel also won respect in the face of growing behind-the-scenes politicking last year to include veteran Hashan Tillakaratne. De Mel’s panel stood firm and demanded more runs from Tillakaratne to justify a recall at 37.The new panel’s first task is to select an A team training squad for West Indies A’s tour of Sri Lanka in late May and June. The squad’s composition will be analysed with interest to see whether the selection changes will bring a noticeable change in direction.The new selection panel
Lalith Kaluperuma
Shabbir Asgerally
KM Nelson
Don Anurasiri
Promodya Wickramasinghe

Somerset 345 for 6 (Smith 108, Jayasuriya 101) beat Australians 342 for 5 (Ponting 80, Hayden 76)
Scorecard

On Monday it was Australia’s batsmen who imploded in spectacular fashion. Today, as if to prove a point, it was the turn of the bowlers. Somerset, powered by two brilliant centuries from their international imports, Sanath Jayasuriya and Graeme Smith, chased down a monumental target of 343 to win by four wickets with a massive 19 deliveries to spare.Two days ago, Ricky Ponting tried to laugh off the relevance of Australia’s 100-run defeat in the Twenty20 international, but he will have to come up with a better excuse this time around. This was a bona fide humiliation for Australia. Michael Kasprowicz looked every one of his 33 years as he was belted for 89 runs in eight innocuous overs, and the management’s worries were compounded when Brett Lee left the field with a shoulder problem. But he will have ended the day cherishing his relatively economical figures of four overs for 26.All of a sudden, Australia are being forced to face up to a crisis situation. In years gone by, they have had merely to step off the plane and their opponents would prostrate themselves at their feet. Not any more. Where once Somerset might have been tempted to rest several key players to save them for the Championship, today they fronted up in the manner that any self-respecting state side would do if England came to call.Those local favourites “Gray-bags” Smith and “Farmer” Jayasuriya caught the mood magnificently, and had elderly members recalling the days of Gimblett and Alley as they clobbered 26 fours and four sixes between them while adding 197 in just 23 overs. They each brought up their half-centuries in a mere 42 balls, and then accelerated on from that point, flogging Kasprowicz for 61 runs in his first six overs. Smith was eventually stumped for a superb 108 from 74 balls, and Jayasuriya was scarcely any slower, rattling along to 101 from 79 until he was caught at fine leg off Glenn McGrath.McGrath, as usual, was the pick of the attack, but he was still dispatched at nearly five runs an over, and such was Australia’s disarray that he had to bowl all ten of his overs long before the end of the innings. He added the wicket of John Francis as well to peg Somerset back to 254 for 3, and when Ian Blackwell’s potent innings of 25 was ended by Shane Watson, Australia began to believe they could haul the match out of the fire.But they had reckoned without the nerveless 20-year-old, James Hildreth, who climbed into Kasprowicz’s second spell and turned a taxing run-chase into a cakewalk. The wicketkeeper, Carl Gazzard, chipped in with 21 from 12 balls and Australia were a beaten outfit well before the end.The day had started so well for Australia. After Ponting had won the toss on a belter of a pitch, Matthew Hayden laid into a Somerset attack lacking the services of the injured Andrew Caddick, and did his utmost to erase the memory of that 79 all out at The Rose Bowl. Of the top six, only Simon Katich – opening in place of the rested Adam Gilchrist – failed to make an impact as he fell for 12, and while Hayden was crashing along to 76 from 53 balls, the sky seemed the limit of Australia’s ambitions.But, in a gesture that seemed contemptuous at the time and later proved utterly hubristic, both Hayden and Ponting (80) chose to retire when well set. It enabled Damien Martyn, Michael Clarke and Mike Hussey to gain valuable time at the crease, but after an embarrassment of the magnitude they suffered on Monday, Australia’s primary aim should have been to ramp up the highest total imaginable.In the event, 342 seemed formidable, but it proved to be some 25 runs too few. Australia’s opening encounter of the NatWest Series takes place at Cardiff on Saturday, and on this evidence, even Bangladesh might fancy their chances of landing a punch or two. In the week that one aging pugilist was put on the canvas for the very last time, Australia are also showing signs of going weak at the knees.

“It is unfortunate that, once more, the best players will not be representing the West Indies team.”So said Dudnath Ramkessoon, first vice-president of the Trinidad and Tobago Cricket Board (T&TCB), who was reacting to the selection of a second-string Windies team for the July 9-August 14 tour of Sri Lanka, following the breakdown of talks between the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) and the WI Players Association (WIPA).Eight players of the A team, who lost their second four-day match by an innings and 16 runs yesterday, are already in Sri Lanka and will be joined by another six, including Shivnarine Chanderpaul, the captain.Ramkessoon suggested the current situation, brought on by the sponsorship impasse between the board and the players’ association, was a disappointing one. “We are currently a second-rate team and only three players from the original lot are on this team,” he stated. “A full-strength first team would have been under pressure against this strong Sri Lankan team, so it will not be an easy task. How this team performs, we’ll have to wait and see. It will provide opportunities for other players to show their skills to the selectors that they should be considered for the first team.”Ramkessoon did admit, though, that in the mental department, the players will be less than ready for a tough tour. “You must go on tour proprerly focused, with your strategy planned to play against the opposition. With all that has gone on, I just don’t think these guys will be properly prepared psychologically to handle the rigours of this tourney.”And Queen’s Park Cricket Club administrator and former Trinidad and Tobago and West Indies opening batsman Bryan Davis said the board was left with no choice. “I could see why they had to pick a team, ” he said. “The whole situation is sad but I think the team that has been selected will do as best as they could.”Of course, the team will miss somebody like [Brian] Lara and to a lesser extent [Ramnaresh] Sarwan, but you don’t see that much of a difference … I don’t see any big thing … those were most of the same guys who handled themseves well in the Guyana Test match.”Davis believes WIPA’s tactics may have backfired. “I can’t see, with the militancy of WIPA, how a resolution could have come about. The cricket is most important while you are discussing things with the board, the cricket could have gone ahead but apparentrly they did not want it that way.”But Trini Posse member and avid West Indies fan Nigel Camacho and arguably Windies cricket’s number one supporter, Peter Matthews, were both disappointed with the final team selection and the current state of West Indies cricket. “I can’t believe they couldn’t solve this issue given so much time,” a “very disappointed” Camacho related, saying the negotations had been going on prior to the VB tri-nation series last December and blaming both the board and WIPA for the non-resolution of the impasse.Camacho also said the late decision by the A team players to succumb to the pressure and sign the board’s match/tour contracts was also responsible for the final outcome for the Sri Lanka tour. “I feel that the lack of solidarity among the players led to the downfall of the stance of the original players,” he explained. “Poor guys. They must have been confused because they were on the verge of trying to secure a spot on the senior squad, so it is unfair to them.”Camacho also believed the team would be outclassed in Sri Lanka. “It’s useless. I don’t think they will be able to compete. Pschycologically, this is not the way to prepare for this series and, besides, the last time they were there Brian Lara scored over 600 runs and we still lost. The composition of this young side … I don’t think they are capable of giving the Sri Lankans much of a push.”And a disappointed Matthews said the board doesn’t care about the fans of West Indies cricket. “I booked to go on tour. I’m a Trinidadian and pasionate about Brian Lara and as of right now I don’t think I’m going again. The bad thing is, there is not much as fans that we can do about Lara being left out. It just seems that when our stars reach the top, the board finds a way to shoot them down.”Matthews continued: “I think that both sides are dragging their feet. I think the fans deserve the biggest break. We have been paying through our nose and skin and nobody is thinking about the fans. I think the Board is taking the players and fans for fools…but I’m partially to blame because, technically, I continue to attend the matches …but all I want is to see the best team play .”Matthews concluded: “I came through the era of Clive Lloyd, Viv Richards and company, and all that is going on in West Indies cricket now, I must say, meh heart hurting meh!”

Australia 316 for 5 (Katich 81, Clarke 76*, Kumble 3-86) v India
Live scorecard

Simon Katich and Michael Clarke gave Australia the edge with some attractive strokeplay in the final session, after Anil Kumble – who became only the ninth player in history to reach 400 wickets – had caused a jitter midway through the afternoon on the opening day of one of the most eagerly anticipated series in recent times. Backed by a vociferous home crowd, Kumble helped reduce Australia to 149 for 4, but with India leaking 139 runs in the final session, it was the Aussies that walked off with the day’s honours.Clarke used his feet beautifully to combat India’s slow bowlers, and showed tremendous maturity and flair on his Test debut. He often came down the track to Kumble, lofting him for one mighty six straight down the ground, and also dismissed anything pitched short with ease. With Adam Gilchrist for company, he took the bowling apart as the bowlers wilted in the final hour.The revival, though, had come earlier in the afternoon, with Katich’s splendid 81 leading the way. He was like a master at the snooker table, the angle at which the ball was hit as important as the power imparted. There were no crashing shots that singed the grass but just gentle, silken strokes played with lithe wrists.Katich came in after Matthew Hayden fell for 26, lofting a sweep straight to Yuvraj Singh at square leg (52 for 1). He got going by creaming Kumble through the covers, but soon after lunch, he was completely flummoxed by an offbreak from Harbhajan Singh. Unfortunately for India, Parthiv Patel couldn’t get his gloves around the ball. There was another semi-reprieve when he edged Zaheer Khan behind the stumps, but the replays of Patel’s collection were inconclusive, and Katich was given the benefit of the doubt.Despite losing wickets at the other end, as batsmen struggled against Kumble, Katich didn’t retreat into a shell. His placement fetched him twos and threes, and he brought up 50 in 104 balls, and, along with Clarke, pulled Australia out of a tricky situation. When he got to 81, Katich misjudged the bounce of a short one, which managed to wriggle through his defences to crash into the stumps. The crowd erupted instantly as the team huddled around Kumble, who had toiled for much of the afternoon without success after a double strike an hour after lunch.

Compared to Katich and Clarke, Justin Langer was edgy throughout his stay. After surviving a huge appeal for lbw off the first ball of the match, he misread a few short ones and copped blows on the back and chest. He was nearly run out in the 16th over when he danced down the pitch to Harbhajan and deflected the ball straight to short leg, where Aakash Chopra failed to complete the flick back on to the stumps. After lunch, Langer edged both Harbhajan and Kumble wide of the first slip.In between these strokes of fortune, there were some crisp sweeps and pushes straight down the ground. He brought up his 50 from 116 balls, but couldn’t keep out Irfan Pathan when he came back for his second spell, and a searing yorker deflected off his pads to uproot the off stump (124 for 2).The crank was revved up in that spell from Pathan as he consistently clocked 85mph while intelligently varying both swing and length. After an economical first spell, when he prevented the customary Australian flyer, this was the much-needed tourniquet that helped Kumble thrive. And Kumble pounced instantly as Damien Martyn was undone by extra bounce as he danced down the track. The ball popped from bat onto pad for Chopra to complete a simple catch (129 for 3).Darren Lehmann’s cameo of 17 was a nervous innings, as several uppish shots fell beyond the fielders’ grasp. A skyer over mid-on fell inches from Pathan’s grasp, and three cracking fours soon after added insult to injury. But an ugly heave at Kumble took the edge and Dravid lapped up the catch at first slip (149 for 4).Katich’s wicket, after he and Clarke had added 107, gave India a boost, but Gilchrist and Clarke wrested back the initiative with a dashing partnership. Gilchrist cut the very first ball he faced from Harbhajan for four, as if putting to rest all the nightmares of 2001. He raced to 35 at more than a run a ball as the fielders were left to chase shadows in every direction.Australia ended the day slightly better off, but they will know, better than anyone else, that Kumble still retains the ability to wreck even the most sturdy of fortresses.

South Africa will play five one-day internationals against India over the space of a fortnight when they tour the subcontinent in November. The abbreviated tour is a result of their inability to fit in ODIs on their visit to India last year when they play two Tests before hurrying back home to entertain England.The matches will be played on November 17, 20, 23, 26 and 29 and will be South Africa’s final preparation before they embark on that most difficult of assignments, a tour of Australia.”We owe India five ODIs in terms of the ICC schedule,” said Gerald Majola, the chief executive of the United Cricket Board. “We had no option but to play these matches in November because of the ICC Super Series blocking other periods.”

An unbroken sixth wicket partnership of 110 by Matthew Maynard and RobertCroft restored Glamorgan`s fortunes after they had slumped to 38-4 in replyto Derbyshire`s first innings total of 420.Matthew Maynard continued his fine start to the season with an imperious 85,and the 37 year old had struck 14 crisp boundaries when bad light brought apremature end to the day`s play at 5.15pm.His partner Robert Croft had also looked in good form with the bat, racing toa 48 ball half-century. Earlier in the day, Croft claimed his 600th first-classvictim for the county when he took the final wicket of the Derbyshire inningsas Luke Sutton was caught by Adrian Dale for 120.There is better news today about Darren Thomas` twisted knee, and scans at aDerby hospital revealed that the seamer had only slightly torn a cartilegein his left knee, and the injury was not as bad as first thought.Andrew Davies had also recovered from the stomach virus that had forced himoff the field yesterday, and he was able to spend the morning session in theoutfield as the game resumed in Arctic-like conditions. A stark contrast tothe balmy temperatures yesterday, and it was so cold today that umpire David Constantdonned a white bobble hat and white gloves.

Division One

Points TableGloucestershire recovered from a tricky start against Middlesex to post a reasonable score of 333 on the first day at Bristol. Their efforts, however, weren’t enough to join Glamorgan in being relegated to the second division. Choosing to bat first, Middlesex plucked out Craig Spearman for nought and Ramnaresh Sarwan for four. A partnership of 88, and a pair of fifties for Stephen Adshead and Alex Gidman steadied Gloucestershire’s innings, but neither went on to contribute a hundred. At 209 for 6, they were indebted to a brisk knock by Malinga Bandara, who struck seven fours and two sixes in his innings of 70, his top score this season. Alan Richardson and Jamie Dalrymple were the pick of the bowlers, each taking four wickets for Middlesex who ended the day on 20 without loss trailing by 313 runs.Glamorgan, who only last week sealed their first Championship win of the season, crumbled to 151 all out against Nottinghamshire at Cardiff. Choosing to bat first, they lost 5 for 76 and it was only Mike Powell who showed any form of resistance with a solid innings of 62. Ryan Sidebottom finished with figures of 3 for 31, and the South African, Greg Smith, had the impressively economical figures of 4 for 28 from 17 overs. Nottinghamshire ended the day 2 wickets down with the scores level, with Darren Bicknell unbeaten on 81.Hampshire had the better of the day against Warwickshire, in which they scored 353 for 6 but, while four of their batsmen registered half-centuries, none progressed to the three-figure mark. Sean Ervine got Hampshire off to a flyer, and combined well with James Adams in an opening stand worth 104. There were fifties for John Crawley and Shane Watson, too, with Watson ending the day unbeaten on 91. Makhaya Ntini was the pick of Warwickshire’s bowlers, with 2 for 60 from 27 overs.

Division Two

Points TableTwelve wickets fell on the first day at Chester-le-Street between Durham and Derbyshire. The home team won the toss and batted first, but were quickly in trouble as they lost Jimmy Maher and captain Paul Collingwood cheaply. Only Gary Scott, with 45, and Dale Benkenstein, with 49, made meaningful contributions, with five of the batsmen succumbing to Ian Hunter who took his first five-wicket haul of the season. In reply, however, Durham removed both openers Michael Di Venuto and Steve Stubbings, as Derbyshire ended the day on 36 for 2, trailing by 194 runs.Northamptonshire batted slowly against Lancashire at Northampton, limping to 280 for 9 at the close. Several of their batsmen got useful starts, but only David Sales, with 66, offered anything substantial. Dominic Cork was remarkably economic, conceding just 23 runs from 15 overs and he also picked up three key wickets, including the dangerous Martin Love for 44. Ben Phillips was left not-out on 14, from 40 balls, with just Jason Brown left for company.John Maunders’ first first-class hundred, in his twelfth game, was the cornerstone of Leicestershire’s innings on day one of their match against Worcestershire at Worcester. Maunders featured in partnerships of 94 with Tom New, and 74 with Paul Nixon. But wickets fell consistently and, Maunders’ 148 aside, the next highest score was Paul Nixon’s unbeaten 37. The visitors went to stumps on 342 for 7.

Stuart MacGill has given Shane Warne, his possible legspinning partner for the Super Test, a vote of off-field support as well as labelling his Ashes performance “the best season ever”. Warne’s after-hours behaviour came under more scrutiny today following personal revelations in British tabloids, but MacGill told “sportsmen were sometimes judged on things that the wider community was not subjected to”.”People certainly don’t look at a man sitting in an office and judge him not only on his work but on his personal relationships and on his moral codes,” he told the news agency. “I’m not condoning any activities that are not socially acceptable, but I do wonder sometimes whether it’s appropriate for us to judge sportsmen and women and high-profile members of the community to such an extent … based on our own moral judgments.”However, MacGill is excited about the prospect of bowling in tandem with Warne during the Super Test, which starts on October 14, and expects the SCG pitch to favour the slow men. “Wrist spinners on this pitch bowling together have taken a lot of wickets,” he said. “Providing there is a lot of [sunshine], the wicket’s going to be perfect for Shane and myself.”The pair last bowled together at the ground against Pakistan in January, when MacGill captured eight wickets and Warne five. Since then MacGill has watched Warne claim 40 victims on the Ashes tour and wished for another chance.”If I was selecting the team [in England] I would obviously have been one of the first names picked, but I don’t have to look at the bigger picture,” he said. “I don’t have to look at the balance of an attack. Those things may have been in favour of my non-selection.”MacGill, 34, also stepped into issue of Damien Martyn’s dropping from the Test side when he said he didn’t see why Martyn should be forced out when he was averaging almost 50. “It was a very, very harsh call and one that I’m personally very disappointed about,” he said. “Everywhere else in Australian society we’re trying to raise the age of retirement. I’m not sure why sportsmen have to suffer.”

New Zealanders 273 for 9 (50 overs, McMillan 105, J Marshall 64, Henderson 5-38) beat South Africa A 199 for 4 (43 overs, Rudolph 73*) by 19 runs (D/L)
ScorecardNew Zealand kicked off their tour of South Africa with a winning start over South Africa A at Benoni. Spectacular electrical storms, which brought an early end to the match, meant that they eased to an 19-run Duckworth-Lewis victory.Craig McMillan won the Man-of-the-Match award for his 105, made from 106 balls after the New Zealanders had slipped to 42 for 4. Stephen Fleming, who had won the toss, made 11, Nathan Astle, who fell the ball after Fleming, 7, Hamish Marshall 10 and Lou Vincent 7 as the top order failed to make any impression.But supported by James Marshall (64), McMillan added a crucial 161 in 29 overs for the fifth wicket, before falling leg-before to Tyron Henderson, who finished with 5 for 38. Andre Adams chipped in at the end with a quickfire 32, including two sixes and three fours.South Africa A made a poor start, reaching 31 for 2 in the 15th over before a third-wicket stand of 76 between Jacques Rudolph (73) and Zander de Bruyn (40) put them back in the chase. Although Albie Morkel (48*) then helped Rudolph add an unbeaten 81 for the sixth wicket, they were always just off the pace. As the storms approached, the pair slammed 49 off four overs, but they ran out of time.”We knew we needed just one partnership somewhere and me and James [Marshall] were fortunately able to put on a substantial partnership,” McMillan told . “Because there are only two warm-up games I was pleased to get straight into form and I’ve been looking forward to this tour for a long time.”We’ve got plenty of allrounders and batters lower down the order and we’ve all got various jobs. So whenever we’re in trouble, hopefully someone puts their hand up – and luckily it was me today.”New Zealand will play a Twenty20 international and five ODIs against South Africa during their tour. Their next game is again against South Africa A at Potchefstroom on Sunday.

Shoaib Akhtar and Brett Lee, two of the most exciting fast bowlers on the world scene, do not earn any high marks in his book, says Joel Garner, the former West Indian bowling icon.Speaking to BBC Sport, Garner was circumspect when talking about Akhtar and Lee finding a place in a World XI picked by him. “I don’t think either Akhtar or Lee would deserve a place,” he said. “I want people who are going to get wickets for me. I want fellows who are going to be consistent, not the ones who are more concerned about speed.”Garner, a key component of the battery of West Indies fast bowlers who swept all before them in the 1980s, admitted that their success did not lie in pace alone. “In our time, we were always interested in efficiency and performance, and not speed.”Akhtar, the first bowler to break the 100mph barrier, took just three wickets in England’s first inning in the Test currently being played at Multan, while Lee rocked the West Indies in the first Test at Brisbane with 5 for 30 on the fourth day. But Garner, who took 259 Test wickets in 58 matches, described Glenn McGrath as the best pace bowler in world cricket today. “He’s the oldest of the lot, yet he’s been the most effective,” he argued. “The irony is that people have long been caught up in the argument about who’s the fastest bowler. And I find it absolutely unnecessary.”Garner has clearly put an emphasis on consistency over speed. “It’s high time we started judging a fast bowler on what he’s worth. The team’s performance should be more important than bowling the fastest delivery in the world.”