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The selection puzzle became a little clearer for NSW cricket coach SteveRixon after NSW Country romped to a 76-run one-day win over the Cityteam on Sunday.The match was a final trial before NSW starts its interstate limitedovers campaign against Victoria on October 7 and many embraced a chanceto impress in the absence of Australian regulars Steve and Mark Waugh,Michael Slater, Brett Lee, Nathan Bracken and Glenn McGrath.Mark Higgs hit 40 to dominate a 55-run fourth wicket stand with captainShane Lee (61 not out) and help Country reach 7-251 off its 50 overs.The 25-year-old Higgs then claimed 2-36 off seven overs of off-spin asCity was dismissed for 175, despite a fighting 51 by opener Brett VanDeinsen.City’s tail was mopped up by allrounder Shawn Bradstreet, who bagged 3-3off just four overs.Discarded Test leg spinner Stuart MacGill also impressed with 4-59 off10 overs for City but it wasn’t enough to stop an impressive Countryvictory.”I’m looking to put the pieces into the big jigsaw for further down thetrack,” Rixon said after the match which completed a two-day camp in theHunter Valley.”Every time you play a game of cricket you look at different things.”The big thing has been that the senior players have controlled themajor strings in the trial games [in Coffs Harbour and Maitland] andthat’s a good sign.”The rookies’ time will be there but they’ve got a bit of work to bedone before being part of the No.1 side.”Besides Lee and Higgs, Country’s innings was sparked by Phil Jaques (34)and opening partner Brad Haddin (41).Australian one-day specialist Michael Bevan was run out for 21 butCountry’s innings was boosted by late hitting from Albury’s DominicThornley (27).In reply, City was reduced to 1-11 when opener Greg Mail was run out forfive and never recovered.

Fifty-two for one overnight and facing a Himalayan target of 504, Madhya Pradesh could only hope to salvage three points from a draw in their Ranji tie against Vidarbha. This they did, just barely, on Day Four.Naman Ojha, unbeaten on 35, contributed the only significant score in the visitors’ innings, making a fast 90 off 123 balls at the top of the order. Ojha’s was the second wicket to fall, with the score on 120. Nightwatchman Devendra Parmar also helped the team’s cause by spending 259 minutes at the crease, making only 21 but ensuring that Vidarbha’s bowlers toiled to dismiss his side.Further down the order, Nikhil Patwardhan made 56 off 99 balls. Wickets fell towards the end of the day, however, and Narendra Hirwani and Omprakash Yadav, the last two batsmen, stayed together long enough to ensure a draw.For Vidarbha, Pritam Gandhe took four wickets and Samir Khare took three. They, however, could not help their side pick up the full complement of 10 points from an outright win, getting only five by virtue of their first-innings score.

England opening batsman Marcus Trescothick, who scored an impressive 66 in the first innings of the first Test at Mohali, sent a message back to Taunton at the end of play on Monday saying: “I’ve been suffering from an upset stomach for the past two weeks and I’m getting a bit fed up with it.””I’m still trying to get used to the conditions out here in India it’s just so different.”Regarding the tour overall he said: “The team are all getting on very well, but security is high and we are restricted to the hotel in the evenings.”After watching his innings, the former Somerset Coach Peter Robinson, who played an important part in Marcus’s early development, told me: “He batted well, and looked comfortable. What he needs now is a big three figure score.”I was bit surprised at the wicket. It wasn’t what you’d expect, after all their attack contained three bowlers who were inexperienced at this level.”

Mumbai register massive winSet a fourth-innings target of 400 to win, Gujarat never had a chance of getting there on the last day, especially since they ended the third day teetering at 33/2. But their meek collapse must have surprised even their rivals Mumbai in their Ranji Trophy league match at Bulsar.With Ajit Agarkar and Paras Mhambrey picking up three wickets apiece, Gujarat folded for a pitiful 101 in just 30 overs. Aside from TN Varsani’s 26 and K Damani’s 24, none of the other batsmen could even make a good start. Varsani and Damani took the score from 51/5 to 93, but when the former fell, the reins slipped rapidly out of Gujarat’s hands.Mumbai’s bowlers all stuck to a plan, bowling tight and attacking all the time. They got their just rewards in a 298-run victory, picking up eight points from the encounter by virtue of an outright win.Merchant, Odedra play out Day Four for a drawNine bowlers could not achieve a breakthrough for Maharashtra on the final day of their Ranji Trophy league match against Saurashtra at Pune on Wednesday. The match drawn, the home side picked up five points from the encounter, while the visitors picked three.Relatively comfortable overnight on 112/2, Saurashtra batsmen Altaf Merchant and Niraj Odedra experienced no hiccups at all in wiping out the first-innings deficit of 176. That done, they settled to patiently play out the day, putting all thoughts of a result out of the minds of spectators and rivals alike.Merchant ended the day on 111 off 282 balls, hitting 14 fours in the process. His partner Odedra also hit 14 fours in his knock of 129 from 299 balls. Merchant thus spent 423 minutes at the crease, while Odedra’s tenure lasted 343 minutes.With only Niranjan Godbole and wicket-keeper S Satbhai not turning their arm over in the day, Maharashtra used nine bowlers to no avail. Saurashtra, at the close of play, were on 339/2, ensuring the three points from the drawn match.

As Michael Slater’s cricketing career approached the crossroads, New South Wales coach Steve Rixon today said it was “fair enough” questions had been raised over the ex-Test opener’s place in his side.Speculation over whether Slater would be dropped from the team for this week’s Pura Cup match against Victoria in Sydney gathered momentum after his doublefailure batting at No.3 in Adelaide last week.Already out of the Blues’ one day line-up, Slater has amassed 257 first class runs this season at a modest average of 25.70 with just one 50 from 11 innings.The NSW selectors are this week expected to make at least one change to an underachieving batting line-up after the Blues dropped to fourth on the Pura Cupladder.While Slater was a key senior figure in an understrength team missing most of its international stars, Rixon said he had no problem with the discarded Test opener’s position being questioned and scrutinised.”Slater has been out of form, so I don’t think it is unfair,” Rixon said.”Because if you look at the side, obviously the focus will always be on someone like `Slats’ because there’s been a lot of attention his way recently.”But the reality is that he hasn’t been scoring runs and the questions are now getting asked `Is it time?’ and that’s fair enough, it’s a performance based game.”Rixon said he and acting NSW captain Stuart MacGill made the decision to drop Slater to No.3 in Adelaide after the former Test opener indicated he had noproblem with the switch.”Michael was very proactive in that move, which was good,” he said.”He felt it was in the best interest of the team balance and he was quite happy to bat at No.3.”And when he had his chance in the first innings, he looked very solid for a period of time, but missed out after that.”Rixon felt one of the Blues’ failings this season had been their inability to build big opening partnerships.NSW managed only two opening stands over 50 and none over 100 to date this Pura Cup season.If NSW picked up no points from this week’s SCG clash, the Blues will emulate their performance of last January when they didn’t get a single point in eithercompetition.Rixon said he was “relatively content” with NSW lying fourth in the Pura Cup and third in the ING Cup despite its fruitless start to the New Year.”I would have liked this year to probably be looking at a more comfortable position and having established a comfort zone – we’ve not made life easy for ourselves again,” Rixon said.”So from that point of view, having played poorly and still be very much in the hunt to possibly host both finals is a pretty good wicket from our point of view.”

Mashonaland got off to a flying start in the Castle Lager Logan Cup competition when they beat Matabeleland by eight wickets on the final day at Bulawayo Athletic Club yesterday.The holders of the four-day competition scored 83 for two in 23 overs to romp to a comfortable victory. The home side produced a gallant batting performance, with most of their batsman scoring double figures to avoid aninnings defeat. The most outstanding batsman was Gavin Ewing, who achieveda rare feat in scoring his maiden first-class century on debut.The home side resumed their second innings at 109 for four, with night-watchman Norman Mukondiwa and Greg Strydom putting together a fifth-wicket stand of 103. Mukondiwa was first to depart when he was trapped leg before wicket by Blessing Mahwire for 13. Mike McKillop joined in the hunt for the runs but he did not last as he failed to settle in, being caught and bowled by Patrick Gada to depart without scoring.Ewing joined Strydom and the two took the innings to a respectable score with some outstanding batting. They put on 104 runs for the sixth wicket and seemed set to bat the whole day. It was not to be, as Strydom departed after reaching his century, caught behind by wicketkeeper Donald Campbell off the bowling of Angus Mackay for 109 off 170 balls, an innings that included 15 fours.Ewing continued his heroics with the home side going to lunch at 273 for eight. They lost Colin Williams three overs after lunch when the veteran was caught by Ryan Butterworth at first slip off the bowling of Mackay for 10 runs. Matthew Townshend went out the same way to the same bowler when Barney Rogers caught him at slip for seven runs.The tail-end batsman offered some resistance but eventually gave in whenMahwire dismissed Tawanda Mupariwa for seven. He nicked a delivery from themedium-pacer to the slips where Campbell took a diving catch to end the innings. Ewing was left unbeaten with 106 runs, which included 17 fours anda six as the home side were all out for 333 in 95.3 overs, giving them an 82-run lead. Mahwire finished with four for 40 off 20.3 overs, with Mackaytaking tow for 53 off 13 overs. Simon Seager, Darlington Matambanadzo andGada took a wicket apiece.Mashonaland lost openers Lance Malloch-Brown and Ryan Butterworth on theirway to victory. Matabeleland’s key strike bowler, Townshend, took his firstand only wicket of the match when he took a catch off his own bowling tosend back Malloch-Brown for eight runs in the ninth over. Mashonaland losttheir second and last wicket when Butterworth was caught behind by wicketkeeper Warren Gilmour off the bowling of Mukondiwa for 26.Kudzai Taibu, the young brother of national team player Tatenda, was left unbeaten with 40 runs off 43 balls, together with Gada who had two runs.Townshend finished with one for 32 off seven overs with two maidens, whileMukondiwa took a single wicket and conceded 23 runs off five overs.

Match ticket prices have been announced for the 2003 ICC Cricket World Cup in South Africa between Feb 8-March 23 next year.Details of the pricing of two types of ticket packages – which may be purchased by the public from 15 July 2002 – have been released for the 12 venues in South Africa, two in Zimbabwe and one in Nairobi.Dr Ali Bacher, executive director for the tournament, said that the different economic realities in different geographic areas in South Africa played a part in how the prices were set for each venue."We believe that the prices are very reasonable for the South African market," said Dr Bacher. "A great deal of thought went into this whole process. Some people might have thought it justified to go high on these prices because this is a World Cup, after all, but we took cognizance of the SA market and its economic realities."There are two types of package – the Stadium Package for all games at a particular venue and the Follow The Team Package for all six games played by a particular team during the preliminary or Pool round.The Follow The Team Package for all six of South Africa’s Pool games ranges between R830 and R965.Given the current rand-dollar-sterling exchange rates, the prices represent extremely good value for those supporters coming from overseas – and particularly the United Kingdom – to attend the 54-match tournament. To follow England and watch all six of their Pool games, the total cost is R755 which at the current exchange rate is about 45 pounds."With the devaluing of the Rand it was suggested that we peg the overseas prices, at say, an exchange rate of R7.50 to the dollar because at the current rate of around R12 to the dollar the UK cricket supporter can buy a Wanderers package – in pounds – at a ridiculously low price."We gave it consideration but decided the principle would be wrong to have different pricing policies for the SA market and the overseas market."Dr Bacher emphasized that the very affordable prices for overseas visitors should encourage large numbers to attend the tournament to the overall benefit of SA’s tourist industry and the country’s economy.Dr Bacher said the total seating capacity next year would be 920 000 and he was confident of an aggregate attendance of at least 800 000. He reiterated that 50 000 tickets would be taken out of the system and given on a carefully allocated basis to bona fide cricketers in disadvantaged areas.Dr Bacher confirmed that booking would open on July 15 and not July 1, 2002, as previously announced. The reason for the change was the final of the FIFA World Cup on June 30 which will command the sporting public’s interest around that time.On July 15, bookings will open on the Internet, Call Centre and at Match Venues.World Cup information is available on the Internet on www.cricketworldcup.com: Rodney HartmanCommunications Director2003 ICC Cricket World CupTel: +27 11 446-3604; Fax: +27 11 446-3622; Mobile: 083-389-0904