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Cameron White, who led Victoria to fourth in the Pura Cup last season, has been reappointed as Bushrangers captain for 2005-06. Brad Hodge, who considered leaving for New South Wales during the off-season, was confirmed as vice-captain by Cricket Victoria’s board today.White said he learned more last year, when the Bushrangers finished third in the ING Cup, than he had in his career. “It’s always a great challenge and I’m looking forward to working with Brad,” White said. “He’s a great tactician and has a really good feel for the game and will bring back plenty of experience from the Ashes.”Greg Shipperd, the coach, said the appointments were another piece in the puzzle. “Having lost some experienced players in the off-season, it was important that we maintained some stability at the top and I’m confident that Cameron and Brad’s fantastic leadership qualities and passion will pave the way,” he said. “We have enormous faith in their ability to lead from the front and we look forward to their leadership having a positive effect on the rest of the group”.

ScorecardDinesh Mongia made a superb start to his short-term county stint with Lancashire, scoring 89 in a championship game against Warwickshire. Coming in to bat at No. 5, Mongia put together 171 runs with Mal Loye, who top-scored with a monumental 184. Loye and Mongia helped Lancashire to a first-innings lead after Warwickshire had amassed 499. At the close of a rain-restricted third day, Lancashire were 505 for 8.Mongia, drafted in as Lancashire’s overseas player after Carl Hooper was sidelined for at least three weeks with a fractured thumb, played an impressive innings which finally ended when he was trapped lbw by Ian Bell. Had Mongia scored 11 more, he would have become only the fifth player to score a hundred on debut for Lancashire.

In an exclusive interview with London’s Guardian newspaper, Shoaib Akhtar talked in detail about the controversy surrounding his bowling action, and the medical problems resulting from the much-publicised hyperextension to his joints which is at the heart of doubts over his action.In April 2002, Shoaib’s action was scrutinised by the human-performance department at the University of Western Australia in Perth. Angered by a ban slapped on him by the International Cricket Council for throwing, Shoaib went to Australia to try to clear his name, a decision that was vindicated when the experts confirmed that his arm was straight at the point of delivery.”In a way they [the Perth doctors] were so pissed off with me,” he told Jim White. “They freaked out. ‘How can you be the fastest bowler in the world? You are just pathetically abnormal.’ They measured each single thing about me. They discovered that, where a normal person’s joints move about 20%, maximum, my elbow can move 42%. Same with all my joints. It’s not nice to have all this, it is why I have had so many injuries. I have hyper-tension in my wrists, my knees, everywhere.”As if his resemblance to a bendy toy wasn’t enough of a handicap, Shoaib went on to explain that he also suffers from flat feet. “Flat, completely,” he explained.. “Every time I’m in England I go to Birmingham to get special boots made. I always see a couple of doctors when I buy them and get everything measured properly. Have to. See, I’m not normal. I couldn’t walk when I was five. My mum will tell you.”Given his physical defects it was amazing that he played cricket at all. He was a late starter, not even taking part in a game until he was 15. “My brother was captain of the local club,” he said. “I went to watch him play and they were a guy short. I said: ‘I’ll play.’ My brother laughed: ‘You?’ But the others persuaded him. I think everyone was quite impressed when I came on to bowl.”And he added that had he been born Australian, then his career record would have been even more impressive. “With [Glenn] McGrath and [Jason] Gillespie softening them up, then I come on, I’d have got more wickets than anyone ever. Because when I play for Pakistan, with Wasim [Akram] and Waqar [Younis] they are in decline. They were great but they’re not matchwinning bowlers any more. So I have to make it all happen on my own. There is so much expectation on my shoulders.”

After seeing Division One strugglers end the day with nearly four hundred runs on the board after being put into bat, Somerset Coach Kevin Shine told me, “It’s been a hard slog out there today for the boys. We need to try to get points on the board.”I asked him if the intention was always going to be to ask Northants to bat if Somerset won the toss. He told me “The conditions just before the captains tossed up became very overcast, in fact it looked like the end of the world, and that changed the decision and we put them in.”He went on “We’ve bowled and fielded better, but it hasn’t been a bad display out there by the team. It’s been a slog on an excellent wicket with pace but no swing. Now we have to work hard and get as many points on the board as we can before the 130 overs.”When he heard that the weather forecast was’nt looking all that good for the next few days the coach said,”If the game is called off because of the weather we will get five points which is what we need. However we didn’t go into this game thinking that we only needed five points we went into this one to win it to make sure of the runner’s up spot.”

The Bombay High Court has dismissed Mumbai batsman Hiken Shah’s petition challenging his suspension by the BCCI for having made a corrupt approach. The two-judge bench dismissed the petition on the grounds that it did not want to interfere in the BCCI’s processes, but said Shah can reapply to the court if the board doesn’t complete its investigation within six months.The board had suspended Shah with immediate effect in mid-July after he was found guilty of having approached a Mumbai team-mate. Shah’s petition was based on the fact that he was suspended without the BCCI providing any details in writing about his alleged breaches.After hearing both the parties, Justice VM Kanade and Justice BP Colabawalla noted they wouldn’t like to interfere with the BCCI’s rules and regulations. As Shah was found guilty of breaching the board’s anti-corruption code, the BCCI’s disciplinary committee will now consider the anti-corruption unit’s report and the player’s version of events, and then decide on a course of action.”Since my client hasn’t even been given a copy of the complaint, we decided to seek court’s intervention. The good thing is the court has asked for a time-bound inquiry,” Som Sinha, Shah’s counsel, told ESPNcricinfo. “Since the court said it wouldn’t like to intervene in the BCCI’s procedure, we were told that we can come back to the court if the BCCI doesn’t take a decision in six months. We will decide future course of action depending on the BCCI’s decision.”

Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were out

After a torrid run through the first seven matches of the IPL, Sourav Ganguly the batsman finally made his presence felt in stunning style, carving a 57-ball 91 to fashion a convincing 23-run win for the Kolkata Knight Riders, their fourth of the tournament. Ganguly’s knock, coupled with a blinder from David Hussey, lifted Kolkata to an imposing 204, which was far too much for the hapless Deccan Chargers, who collapsed to their seventh defeat in nine games and are all but out of the competition.Kolkata’s batting display was the perfect example in pacing a 20-over innings. Through the first half, Ganguly and Aakash Chopra batted steadily and built a platform: after ten overs, only 73 were on the board, but with nine wickets in hand, there was plenty of ammunition left. That was put to outstanding use later in the innings, as Hussey blitzed 57 off 29 balls in a 102-run partnership that came off a mere eight overs to set up a target which ensured Deccan have lost all four games at home.Ganguly had shone with the ball in Kolkata’s previous match, but he had struggled with the bat, unable to find the balance between defence and attack, often pottering around the crease and ultimately choosing the wrong ball to attack. All that changed completely here – the shot-selection was exemplary in the early part, and once he found his groove, he cut loose with such ferocity that none of the bowlers had any answers.The key for him, though, was to survive the early exchanges and get a start. There was plenty of careful defending through the early part, but importantly, there were no half measures on the attack, as he gave himself room, moved his front foot out of the way, and smeared lofted hits over mid-on and cover. Chaminda Vaas and P Vijaykumar, the new-ball bowlers, were at the receiving end early, and when they shifted the line to leg stump, Ganguly cleverly shuffled across and pulled or flicked to the fine-leg boundary. In between these improvisations was one classical square drive, all timing and grace, when RP Singh strayed in line.Having done the hard work, Ganguly then turned it on in style. Throughout his international career, he hasn’t had much regard for left-arm spin, and here Pragyan Ojha was the chosen one, as Ganguly smacked two sixes and a four down the ground in the 14th over to signal the beginning of the onslaught. By now he was in supreme form, and it hardly mattered who the bowler was: Styris was pulled and lofted for successive sixes, while the listless Vaas – who struggled with his length and served up a series of full tosses – was carved over midwicket.

Hussey joined in on the fun too, gauging the pace of the pitch immediately and striking it cleanly from the get-go. After spanking Vaas for ten off two deliveries, he turned his attention to RP, whose attempts at yorkers were either too short or too full. Twenty came off the 18th over, all courtesy Hussey, who bludgeoned a couple of leg-side sixes as the last seven overs leaked 115.Deccan didn’t help their cause in the field either: apart from Herschelle Gibbs, the rest put in a woeful display. There were misfields galore, Vaas muffed a sitter late in the innings to reprieve Tatenda Taibu, while the last ball of the innings encapsulated the day’s performance, as RP’s attempt to throw down the stumps missed the mark and resulted in four overthrows.After such a battering in the field, Deccan’s only hope was for Adam Gilchrist to fire – especially since Shahid Afridi wasn’t in the line-up – but he only managed 24 before miscuing a pull off the impressive Ashok Dinda. The out-of-sorts Gibbs, who has now scored 45 in five innings, had already fallen in Dinda’s second over, leaving the rest of the batsmen with far too much to do.Ganguly, who took the catch to dismiss Gilchrist, was in the thick of things in the field as well, bowling four economical overs, and taking two wickets, including that of Styris, another big name who has done little. Rohit Sharma offered a glimmer of hope with a couple of typically classy sixes off Ganguly, but, quite fittingly, Ganguly had the last laugh, snaffling him at midwicket.Venugopal Rao played a brave hand with a 42-ball 71 and spoilt the figures of Murali Kartik by smashing three sixes in an over, but that only ensured the margin of defeat wasn’t an embarrassing one. With four wins from eight games, Kolkata are back in the reckoning for a semi-final berth. Deccan still have a mathematical chance of making the top four, but given their form so far, that will be a miracle.

The Twenty20 Cup returns on Friday for its fifth year with the promise ofmore thrills and spills, plus a few surprises along the way. The 72 groupmatches start tomorrow and culminate in the finals day at Edgbaston onAugust 4.Leicestershire’s task of retaining the title for the third time in fiveyears will be made more difficult by the loss of Darren Maddy to grouprivals Warwickshire, but Paul Nixon and Stuart Broad will ensure theteam-spirit that has guided them to every finals day is evident again.Nixon, the most experienced Twenty20 player in the world, said that thesecret to a successful campaign is about playing with freedom: “It’s allabout us expressing ourselves and showing no fear. Our success has beenbased on having effective game plans and players thriving on theresponsibility they are given within that plan. We face that same challengeagain this summer, but the guys have every reason to believe we can besuccessful again.”Surrey have sold over 100,000 tickets this season and are counting onanother successful campaign lead by their reality TV stars, Mark Ramprakashand Mark Butcher. With James Benning and Alistair Brown intheir midst, the leading big hitters in Twenty20, Surrey are set forcapacity crowds and should be in the running for a successful charge tofinals day, for the fifth year in a row, despite poor form this season. As their captain Mark Butcher says: “It’s a great chance to play in front of some packed houses.”Many counties are reporting unprecedented ticket sales for their groupmatches. Darren Gough’s return to Yorkshire has ensured a sell-out crowd atHeadingley for the clash against Lancashire on June 25. Essex will also behanging out the ‘house-full’ sign for all four of their home fixtures atChelmsford.The World Cup singled out Nixon and Ravi Bopara as big game players, andTwenty20 certainly helps with that.As the inaugural Twenty20 World Championship looms in September, there isadded incentive for home-grown players to shine as well as overseas stars tobrush up their skills. Lancashire have bolstered their squad with thesigning of Sanath Jayasuriya.Justin Langer, the competition’s leading run scorer with 464 from eightmatches, will aim to bring Twenty20 glory back to Somerset, who won thetitle in 2005 with Graeme Smith at the helm.While of course aggressive hitting is what everyone comes to see, theplayers now talk more of aggressive bowling. As Butcher says: “Take as many wickets as you can early on. Then slot as many out of the park as possible.”As usual there will be some novel attractions on offer around the country.For Northamptonshire’s match against Worcestershire on June 22 there will bea ‘Monty Zone’ complete with a lookalike competition. The hot-tub returns toGrace Road for the opening match of the competition, and there will also bea ready made patio area complete with pizza delivery.Warwickshire have introduced a Ladies Day at Edgbaston on June 26, includinga game between the England A Ladies and an Invitational XI in a match on themain square. A Pimms reception and beauty bus will also be at the ground. Itcould only happen in Twenty20.

Scorecard and ball-by-ball commentary
How they were out

It was a little over a year ago that Steve Harmison raced into Australia at Lord’s; smacked Justin Langer on the head; tore a gash in Ricky Ponting’s cheek and generally bowled like a demon. Though England lost that encounter, his performance ignited England’s summer. In a similar fashion, Harmison’s remarkable spell of 6 for 19 today, in the second Test against Pakistan at Old Trafford, has not only put England in command but rather suggested their summer has finally begun.Before this Test his name littered the back pages, or wherever it is English cricket’s status lies in the dailies at the moment, with rallying cries and calls for him to “come to the party”. On a pitch which was rightly suspected to be seriously greasy, Harmison was at his most lethal, gaining prodigious tennis-ball-like bounce with which no Pakistan batsmen could cope. He began with three maidens – as if to emphasise his excitement at what might be in store, or his delight at Andrew Strauss losing the toss – before tearing in like a well-oiled steam engine.Pakistan’s curious decision to promote Kamran Akmal to No. 2, in place of Salman Butt, lasted a mere six overs as Harmison firstly removed Imran Farhat before Akmal edged him straight to Marcus Trescothick at first slip. Geraint Jones did his utmost to unsettle Trescothick by leaping salmon-like in front of him but, for once, the crowd sighed in relief instead of pity that the England wicketkeeper didn’t get a glove to it.At the other end, Harmison received brilliant support from Matthew Hoggard. The overcast, muggy conditions in Manchester favoured his outswing as he bent the ball markedly, and provided the perfect foil to Harmison’s vicious lifters. Inevitably, perhaps, Mohammad Yousuf – double centurion at Lord’s last week and owner of the most impenetrable of defences – took the attack to England. Together with the recalled Younis Khan the pair put on 81 combative runs for the third wicket. Younis was particularly impressive against Hoggard, countering his swing by planting a heavy front foot doggedly down the pitch and check-driving him down the ground.

Effective and nasty though Harmison was, it was Monty Panesar who made the breakthrough when, in the penultimate over before lunch, he induced Yousuf into a lackadaisical cut shot which Jones gobbled, this time, with no mistake. England were the happier side at lunch, but it was Harmison’s spell after the interval which made the difference to the day. In a breathless 45 minutes Pakistan capitulated to lose six for 26, with four wickets falling to a menacing Harmison.A rip-snorting delivery rising up dangerously into Inzamam-ul-Haq’s throat was fended to Pietersen, whose butter fingers of 2005 were today replaced with buckets (he took three fine catches and effected a run-out). Shahid Afridi briefly threatened to blitz a quick hundred, as he is prone to do, but fell foul of Panesar’s impressive guile and was beaten in the flight. Abdul Razzaq and Mohammad Sami were mere rabbits in the headlights, and Harmison mowed them down to record his first five-for since Lord’s last year. It was a quite fabulous spell of bowling: effortlessly fast, and at times unplayable.Interestingly, Hoggard went wicketless. Without the height and subsequent bounce which his team-mate Harmison extracts, and even despite the copious swing he gained, his skiddier bowling wasn’t suited to the pitch in much the same way as it didn’t suit Pakistan’s attack.The visitors bowled too wide – and criminally so given the meagre total they were defending. Though they picked up two wickets – and in truth it must be noted that the luck was not with them in the evening session – England were determined and confident, even swashbuckling at times. It was Strauss, after losing Trescothick early, who initially anchored England’s reply with a beautifully crafted 42 which demonstrated a man acutely aware of his responsibility.However Razzaq, who bowled poorly all afternoon, took advantage of Strauss’s loss in concentration when play had to be held up as the sun reflected off an open window. Upon the resumption, he was enticed into nibbling at a little off-cutter. Alastair Cook then enhanced his reputation as a ridiculously level-headed youngster with a sweetly-struck unbeaten 65, taking him past 500 Test runs in the process and handing England a vital lead of 49. With Pietersen at the crease, even despite a pitch which is by no means a five-dayer, the lead tomorrow morning ought to be built upon in a hurry.Before the Test Strauss spoke of his desire to rekindle the passion and energy England showed last summer. After a brilliant bowling display and a promising show with the bat, it’s hard to argue that he hasn’t succeeded.

How they were out

EnglandMarcus Trescothick c Akmal b Sami 5 (30 for 1)
Andrew Strauss c Akmal b Razzaq 42 (95 for 2)
PakistanImran Farhat c Pietersen b Harmison 0 (4 for 1)
Kamran Akmal c Trescothick b Harmison 4 (9 for 2)
Mohammad Yousuf c Jones b Panesar 38 (90 for 3)
Younis Khan c Collingwood b Harmison 44 (93 for 4)
Faisal Iqbal c Jones b Panesar 3 (93 for 5)
Inzamam-ul-Haq c Pietersen b Harmison 0 (93 for 6)
Shahid Afridi c Pietersen b Panesar 15 (112 for 7)
Mohammad Sami c Strauss b Harmison 1 (113 for 8)
Abdul Razzaq b Harmison 9 (118 for 9)
Danish Kaneria run out 0 (119 all out)

Barney Rogers is just the latest of the former Zimbabwe rebels to have signed contracts with the Zimbabwe Cricket Union and who are set to resume their international careers.Among those disaffected players who had accused the ZCU of racism in April, the allrounder Gavin Ewing and the wicketkeeper Charles Coventry have re-signed. But senior players like Heath Streak, Grant Flower and Andy Blignaut have stayed away. “Other guys decided that Zimbabwe cricket wasn’t what they wanted and some signed contracts for county cricket and with Australian teams,” Rogers told BBC Sport, “but I still want to play international cricket.”Rogers, 22, indicated that his decision to return has been welcomed from all quarters. The older players, who have not returned, “fully understand that we’re young and we’ve got 10 or more years to play, so there’s been no problems with them whatsoever.”Rogers, who had played seven one-day internationals before the crisis, had been resumed training with Zimbabwe A when the ICC investigation into the ZCU cleared them of the allegations of racism last month. “At one stage it was looking like I’d have to sacrifice my career,” he said, “but cricket is my life, it’s the only thing I know how to do.”Rogers concluded in his interview with the BBC: “Zimbabweans want to see Zimbabwe win, they’re not fussed what colour people playing are. It’s a young squad and there’s lots and lots of talent. I think it’ll take time, but I don’t see why we can’t pull through.”

It’s back! After a phenomenally successful debut season, the Twenty20 Cup returns tomorrow for its much-anticipated encore. All around the counties, open-collared shirts will be the order of the fortnight, as the committeemen throw off their ties and blazers, and throw open the gates to embrace the masses.Last year, Twenty20 cricket was greeted with initial scepticism, but the response of the British public and the world at large has been phenomenal. More than 80,000 tickets for this year’s competition have been sold in advance, while the success of South Africa’s PRO20 tournament, and the stirrings of a professional league in the USA are clear evidence that the format is here to stay.More than anything else, it was the onfield action that made last year’s tournament such a success – contrary to many expectations, the three-hour, 40-over format really did produce thrilling entertainment, and not at the expense of cricket’s core values either. But that has not stopped the counties from once again pulling out the stops with their sideshows. To last year’s face-painting, bouncy castles and pitch-side jacuzzis, this year we can add that most 21st century of phenomenons – speed-dating – as well as a host of other wacky crowd-pleasing schemes.At Durham, the players will need to watch what they say in the post-match press conferences. Although the media will be attending, the only people who will be permitted to ask questions will be children. On the face of it, that might appear to be the easy option, but when Sven-Goran Eriksson took part in a similar stunt prior to the European Championships, he was repeatedly asked whether he was about to take over the management at Chelsea. By the end of that, trial by tabloid seemed a far preferable option.Last year, the competition was blessed with glorious weather, and that has clearly lodged in the memories of many of the committeemen. Essex, Glamorgan, Hampshire and Worcestershire have all come up with the “beach on the boundary” idea, with cocktails, hot tubs and limbo-dancing on offer. Glamorgan, in fact, have hedged their bets on the weather, with their “beanie or bikini” competition encouraging the fans to turn up in beachor ski-wear, depending, presumably, on the overhead conditions.Even the old duffers at Lord’s are getting in on the act. On July 15, they will be hosting their very first Twenty20 match – Middlesex v Surrey – after being refused planning permission for floodlights last year. But who knows what the MCC members will make of it all. For the first time ever, flags, banners and fancy dress will be permitted inside the hallowed ground, while (perhaps in recognition of the efforts of Michael Vaughan’s England team) the indoor school will be taken over by the PlayStation generation, where a new cricket game will be available for those idle thumbs among the crowd.Leicestershire and Worcestershire will both be shelling out prizes if the spectators manage not to shell their catches. At New Road, £1000 will be on offer if anyone can cling on to a six, although at Grace Road, they are being slightly presumptious about the type of person who will do so – the successful fielder will take home a year’s supply of lager. At Headingley, however, the ball will be arriving from the sort of height to unnerve even the boldest of outfielders – it will be parachuted into the ground by the RAF Falcons.And then, of course, there’s the speed-dating, as pioneered by Worcestershire and Warwickshire, who are even putting one of their own up for grabs. The left-arm seamer, Neil Carter, will be joining 20 other local guys and gals, who will have until a wicket falls to size up their opposition. Meanwhile Glamorgan are running a competition to find the most eligible bachelor and bachelorette in Cardiff.It may not quite be cricket, but it all promises to be entertaining nonetheless.