Test rejects Mohammad Ramzan and Mohammad Wasim struck identicalcenturies for KRL as Pakistan Public Works Department (PWD) took firstinnings points in the drawn Patron’s Trophy Grade-I match at JinnahStadium in Sialkot Saturday.According to details available were, Wasim was out for 123 afterdominating the opening partnership of 193 with Ramzan, who finishedunbeaten on 123 in KRL’s second innings score of 315 for one.Saeed bin Nasir was the other not out batsman with 52 to his credit inthe unbroken second wicket stand of 122 with Ramzan. Earlier, PWDextended their first innings lead to 135 by reaching a mammoth 592 inreply to KRL’s 457. Iqbal Imam, who resumed on 83 in the overnightscore of 544 for eight, became the second batsman in PWD’s innings toreach a century. Iqbal, the left-hander, made 114 off 190 balls instay of 244 minutes. On Friday, PWD captain Saad Wasim hit 132.Part-time off-spinner Intikhab Alam claimed both the wickets that fellSaturday. By far the most successful bowler for KRL was Yasir Arafat,whose final analysis were six for 166 in 34 overs while Shoaib Akhtar,the Test speedster, had only one wicket in the innings for 85 runs in28 overs.

New Zealand Academy batsman Shanan Stewart’s unbeaten 74 shone like a beacon at Lincoln Green today, as the home side ended the first day of their match with the Commonwealth Bank Cricket Academy side from Australia in a strong position.The Australians were 123 runs behind with three first innings wickets left.The New Zealand Academy were all out for 208 and by stumps the Australian Academy were 85/7.New Zealand struggled after being asked to bat first on a brownish-looking pitch in cool conditions. Australian fast bowler Andrew James put the pressure on with some accurate bowling, but just when it seemed the home team had settled in for the long haul Jamie How ran himself out.As if that wasn’t bad enough with only 20 runs on the board, three more wickets fell within six balls.Nick Horsley was bowled when leaving a ball outside his off stump which he deflected the ball onto his stumps.Then Luke Woodcock was comfortably caught at short forward-square, as he attempted to evade a rising delivery from the aggressive James.And finally Jonathan McNamee misjudged a full toss off James and was leg before wicket for a three-ball duck.Chris Cairns set about fashioning a recovery by aggressive means and hit four boundaries in his 21 off 37 balls, before being trapped leg before wicket.He wasn’t alone in the manner of his dismissal as three players around him in the batting order departed in similar fashion.Throughout all the misfortune, Stewart was in good touch and finally found a solid ally in Reece Young, who stayed around for more than an hour as 55 runs were added for the eighth wicket.Stewart had personal reward for his innings when bringing up his half century after 175 minutes, scored off 130 balls. Once he was joined by last batsman Wade Cornelius, Stewart hit out more but the innings ended when Cornelius was caught at slip from Beau Casson’s bowling.Australian patience proved the key to New Zealand’s dismissals. Mark Cosgrove took two for 26, James took two for 31 and Casson two for 44.Disappointed with their own effort, the New Zealanders soon had the Australians in trouble.Callum Ferguson was brilliantly run out by Brendon McCullum who threw down the stumps from point.Cornelius combined with wicket-keeper Young to remove Peter Dickson and Cameron Borgas in identical style, searching for fast deliveries outside the off stump.McCullum soon pounced again, taking a low catch in the gully to dismiss left handed Cosgrove to have the Australians struggling at 55/4.Young claimed his third catch when Casson cut unsuccessfully outside off to Sam Whiteman who was rewarded for his into the wind bowling with another wicket as George Bailey was caught by How at second slip.Adam Crosthwaite was the last wicket to fall when he missed a straight delivery from Cornelius and was bowled without scoring. The total was now 79-7.The day of great fluctuations, dominated by the bowlers, concluded in sunshine with the Australians trailing by 123 runs with three wickets in hand.Cairns picked up one wicket for six runs from his six overs. Cornelius took three for 30 while Whiteman’s two wickets cost 34.The game finished in sunshine, offering the hope that the remaining days are played out in warmer conditions.

Never a batsman prone to wild abandon, Jacques Kallis slowly, steadily but ever so surely dragged the second Castle Lager/MTN Test match away from India on the third day at St George’s Park on Sunday.When an offer of bad light was offered to the South African batsmen with 14 overs still to be bowled (and with the floodlights on), Kallis’s contribution to the South African second innings score of 211 for five was 84 not out.Leaving aside for the moment the puzzle of why the home batsmen, well on top at that stage, should have taken the light, the significance of the South African total is that it gives the home team a lead of 372 with two days remaining.The significance of Kallis’s effort, meanwhile, is that he has now scored 585 runs in four Test matches this summer at an average of 290.25. This is a quite remarkable statistic, but it does go some way to underlining the strengths of Kallis as a batsman. He seldom, if ever, gives his wicket away, no matter the circumstances and his powers of concentration rival those currently in the game.He has been criticised at times for being one-paced, but there are moments and occasions when his value to his side lies mainly in him simply being at the crease. This was one of those occasions after South Africa had tumbled to 26 for three in their second innings after bowling India out for 201.At this point Javagal Srinath was bowling quite beautifully once again. He had nipped out Gary Kirsten and Neil McKenzie in an opening burst of 8-6-4-2 and with Ajit Agarkar bowling Herschelle Gibbs, South Africa were creaking ominously. The first innings lead was 161, but another wicket or two at that stage would have brought India right back into the match.Kallis, though, put down roots. He shared a fourth wicket partnership with Boeta Dippenaar which brought South Africa 65, a stand of 48 with Lance Klusener for the fifth wicket and the sixth wicket has so far produced 72 for South Africa, with Shaun Pollock’s share 38.Just as South Africa batted around Gibbs in their first innings, so they batted around Kallis on Sunday. He was not without fortune. On 21 he hooked at Agarkar, but the ball sailed between the hands of Srinath at fine leg to go for six. On 51 VVS Laxman snatched at, but could not hold, an edge off, again, Agarkar. But good players ride their luck and Kallis has placed South Africa, as Pollock put it, "into a good position at this stage".It should be a position from which only one of two results are possible – a South African win, which seems the most likely, or a draw. Both of these options, of course, could be dependent on the Port Elizabeth weather over the next two days.South Africa, then, have done much to get themselves into a position where they can almost smell a series win. They were also helped on Sunday, though, by some bewildering captaincy from Sourav Ganguly.As always seems to be the case, an Indian captain away from home finds himself under enormous pressure. This is the time when rumours and whispers start to surface and it is no different this time around.The word at St George’s Park was that Ganguly changed his team-sheet moments before the toss, scribbling in Anil Kumble and scratching out Ashish Nehra. Whether this is true or not is anyone’s guess. What is more certain, however, is that Ganguly let the South Africans off the hook after lunch when he started with himself and Sachin Tendulkar.South Africa were 47 for three at the interval and another wicket just after the break, if nothing else, would have made the Indians believe they were still in the game. Srinath, admittedly, already had eight overs under his belt, but India needed to strike and they needed to strike quickly.Instead, Kallis and Dippenaar were allowed to play themselves in again and it was 40 minutes before Srinath was brought back for his second spell. Kumble, too, was ignored until the 51st over when he bowled the last over before tea.For all that India have been handicapped by having to field unbalanced teams in both Test matches, they have also allowed South Africa off the hook several times. If the positions had been reversed, it is a safe bet that Pollock would have started the new session with himself and Nantie Hayward.If the guiding principle is always to do what your opponents like least, then India have missed more than a few tricks during this series.

</tableIt was eight years ago that Vinod Kambli scored a Test double hundredagainst England at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. On Sunday, thelatest England attack was at the receiving end as the local herosmashed his way to 109 runs off 111 balls. Mumbai Cricket AssociationPresident's XI then closed their innings on 373/5 at the end of thefirst day's play in the two-day match against England XI at theWankhede Stadium on Sunday. Without an iota of doubt, Kambli's knockwas the highlight of the day's play. There was almost nothing for thetouring men to take heart from, other than the fact that they spentone whole day in the field under a scorching sun.Nasser Hussain did not hesitate to bowl first after winning the toss;he had pinned high hopes on the three fast bowlers making earlyinroads. MCA XI openers Wasim Jaffer and Vinayak Mane though were inno mood to gift away their wicket. Jaffer was particularly harshagainst some wayward bowling from Matthew Hoggard, James Ormond andCraig White. The fast bowlers were guilty of bowling short and on bothsides of the wicket.There was some moisture trapped in the track and with the sun beatingdown on it, the pitch transformed itself into a batting beauty. Jafferplayed a few sweet cover drives and whipped the ball through midwicket for fours. Mane too joined in the fun, playing a couple ofrasping drives. The two put together 100 runs for the first wicketbefore Mane was tragically run out in the 23rd over. After playing theball to Graham Thorpe in the covers, Mane took off for a quick single.Jaffer was not too keen on the single and Mane was sent back. Manewearing shoes with rubber soles slipped and ran himself out. The youngopening batsman made 33 runs off 65 balls with the help of sixboundaries.In walked Kambli and he went through his customary early inningsjitters. MCA XI went in for lunch at 123/1, with Kambli on 11* andJaffer on 69*. The second session was sheer entertainment, Kamblismashing the bowling to all parts of the field. The English bowlerswere getting tired and they slowed down proceedings a bit. That thoughwas not going to stop Kambli from scoring 95 runs off the session togo to 106*. The post-lunch session produced 141 runs off 27 overs andMCA XI only lost the wicket of Jaffer.Jaffer was on 99 when he flicked a delivery from Craig White toRichard Dawson at mid-wicket, the simple catch was taken and theunlucky Jaffer missed out on a well-deserved hundred. Jaffer faced 148balls and struck 15 fours in his knock. The two batsmen put together126 runs for the second wicket.Soon after tea, MCA XI lost the valuable wicket of Vinod Kambli, whichslowed down the run rate considerably. Kambli was caught by UzmanAfzaal off the bowling of the off-spinner Dawson after making 109. Theformer India Test batsman punished the English attack for 19boundaries in his stay in the middle. Amol Mazumdar (4) failed,falling in the same over from Dawson, caught by Nasser Hussain.Hoggard bowled a brilliant spell in the evening, giving away just sixruns off five overs. It is the kind of stuff that England will belooking for in the Test matches. Neil Foster bowled such a spell inChepauk many years ago and that set up a great Test victory for thetourists. The only difference here being Hoggard went wicket-less.Bhavin Thakkar (46) was caught by Thorpe off the bowling ofRamprakash. It was left to the experienced Sairaj Bahutule to show hisbatting skills. He remained unbeaten on 52 off 103 balls, whichincluded eight boundaries. Abhjiy Shetye was unbeaten on 10 at closeof play.Dawson was a completely different bowler when he started giving theball more air. The young off-spinner will have to bowl a lot duringthe tour and he seems to be building up a nice rhythm. Ramprakash andVaughan had to do bit of bowling, which would hold the tourists ingood stead. England will look forward to a full day's batting tomorrowand it is also an opportunity for their senior batsmen to run in tosome good form.