South Africa’s demolition job on England killed off any hopes of WestIndies getting back-door entry into the semi-finals, and they now go into Thursday’s game against Bangladesh with only pride on the line. It willhave escaped no one’s attention that West Indies are currently level onpoints with Bangladesh and Ireland, an unacceptable state of affairs in aregion that dominated the game for nearly two decades.For Brian Lara, the tie against Bangladesh will mark his 298th in WestIndian colours and the penultimate step on a journey that started on aNovember day in Karachi more than 16 years ago. It will forever be asource of regret for Lara that for all his individual achievements, WestIndies accomplished little at the five World Cups that he was part of.Apart from the semi-final that Shane Warne stole from them at Mohali in1996, each campaign has been as abysmal as the other.”The two remaining games are of utmost importance to us,” he said on theeve of Thursday’s game. “It’s important that we do start the second round.We still haven’t actually. We want to finish on a high. These next twomatches are of no consequence in terms of the World Cup, but they are veryimportant for us, and the guys are fully aware of that.”The West Indian meltdown in the Super Eights, after they topped theirfirst-round group, has been one of the most disappointing aspects of thiscompetition, but Lara wasn’t interested in playing the blame game. “Thisis not the time for condemnation but constructive criticism,” he said. “Wejust did not play good cricket, we were beaten by better teams on the day.We have disappointed ourselves and our fans.”He accepted, however, that the prime reason for the debacle was thefailure of the marquee players to deliver when it mattered most. “A lot ofour seniors, including myself, have not performed like seniors in otherprominent teams have done,” he said. “The contributions from the seniorsand the experienced players in the reason why teams like Australia, SouthAfrica and Sri Lanka are in the semi-finals.”Several former players were scathing in their assessment of the team’sperformances against the tournament’s best sides, with Colin Croft inparticular pinpointing the lack of intensity at training sessions.According to Lara, such things were par for the course when things weregoing wrong. “There’s no lethargy in the team and the boys are veryupbeat,” he said. “The result yesterday cast us out of the competition.The guys tried their best and have been under a lot of scrutiny lately.Unfortunately, that goes with the fact that we are not playing well.”Bennett King and the support staff have been working really hard, but ourtrainer left last December, and we not had a trainer since. That is nofault of the players. The players are trying their best, but it isdifficult at this time without a professional trainer.”With the pressure off, West Indies will hope to express themselves as bestthey can in front of the disappointed home support. As for Bangladesh, they have already embarrassed India and South Africa, but Habibul Bashar,the captain, brushed off suggestions that West Indies would be an easiermark.”I don’t think so,” he said. “They’re still a good team. For us, itdoesn’t matter who we play. It’s how we play on that particular day. Webeat India and South Africa, but also lost other games quite easily.”That inconsistency ruined any chance of a semi-final place, and the 74-runloss to rank outsiders Ireland was hugely disappointing for a team lookingto kick on after the famous victory against South Africa. “There’s been abig contrast in our performances,” admitted Bashar. “Some days we’re oneof the best fielding sides. Other days, we’re ordinary. It’s veryimportant that we learn to be consistent in all three departments of thegame.”Bangladesh have only come close to beaten West Indies once in 12 attempts,at St Vincent three years ago, but such statistics didn’t really worryBashar. “Before we played South Africa [in Guyana], we had never beatenthem before,” he said. “Winning any game at the World Cup is veryimportant for Bangladesh. We don’t want to be No.8 in the Super Eights.”What is a worry is his form, or lack of it. “As captain, you always wantto do something, to set an example for other players,” he said. “It’simportant for me and my side that I score some runs.”In many ways he might do well to learn from his younger team-mates, who’veshown oodles of confidence – perhaps too much at times – and no fear whenconfronted by illustrious opponents. “Bangladesh are really competitive inthe Under-19s, and the boys think they can win,” said Bashar, when askedabout the impact of the youth brigade. “They have come to this level withthat frame of mind.”It makes for a fascinating contest, a dead rubber with a fair bit atstake. “We have been disappointing,” said Lara. “For Bangladesh, everygame against the Test-playing nations is of utmost importance and we areaware of that. We don’t want to be one of their victims. We want to comeout and play our best cricket. Everyone wants to finish on a high, and wewant to win back the support of the fans.”You sense that it will take more than one win to do that.

Scorecard

Ireland have the Intercontinental Cup final all but won after a dominant first-day performance with both bat and ball that left Canada down and virtually out. In the morning session Ireland’s bowlers ripped the Canadians to shreds, and then Jeremy Bray cut loose with the bat, his brutal 146 underlining the gulf between the sides.Canada’s poor preparation for the match – not entirely of their own doing – was starkly evident almost from the first ball. Trent Johnston rightly chose to field first to make the most of any lingering moisture, and the move paid off as a succession of batsmen failed to cope with good seam bowling, their technical deficiencies at the crease which most proved to be their undoing.Failing to move their feet to the prodigious swing from Johnston and Dave Langford-Smith, Canada’s top three were each trapped lbw, with Jon Davison departing in the first over. That set the tone, and the writing was on the wall once Ashish Bagai shouldered arms to one that cut back in and in so doing lost his off bail.The middle order was no match for Ireland’s change bowlers either, with Thinus Fourie – replacing Boyd Rankin for this match – being rewarded for accuracy with 3 for 31 and Kevin O’Brien 2 for 4. Ireland were slick in the field as well, as exemplified by William Porterfield’s excellent low catch at point off a fierce cut from Qaiser Ali.Canada were 75 for 9 at lunch and the innings only lasted a few minutes into the afternoon. It was not hard to see why the Canadian board and selectors had stayed at home while the Irish were out in force.

The only hope Canada had was quick wickets, and lots of them. But Bray and Porterfield saw the shine off the new ball and then began to open up. If Canada had watched any of Bray’s innings during the World Cup, they had not learned anything, and they repeatedly gave him the width to unleash his trademark savage cuts and drives. By tea he had made 71 out of 97 for 0.Briefly after the break, Canada looked interested, but then Bray really opened up and it was like watching a sports car race away from traffic lights as Ireland disappeared out of sight. Two rasping straight drives and a slash through the covers brought Bray his hundred off 112 balls – 82 had come in boundaries – and Porterfield, until then content to let his partner dominate, also began to find the gaps to reach his own fifty off a more sedate 120 balls.Bagai chopped and changed his bowlers without success, and Bray grew increasingly carefree. He brought up the 200 with a deft leg glance but the next ball he played a tired slash and was caught at slip. Two balls later, Porterfield followed with the thinnest of edges to the keeper.Peter Gillespie followed Porterfield back to the pavilion shortly before the close, trapped in front by Samad, but it was no more than a consolation. Canada’s dreadful day was summed up three overs from the close when a wild throw – in a hopeless attempt of a run-out – sped through for four overthrows.Ireland’s batting is their real strength and they will press on tomorrow with 500 and a declaration around tea in mind. Canada will need to persevere and take heart from the last session today, but the reality is they are up against a much better side, and one that is professional in everything but name.

Fidel Edwards has been fined 15% of his match fee for swearing loudly enough that he could be heard by spectators at the Chester-le-Street Test, and by television viewers. Edwards was found guilty of breaching the ICC Code of Conduct but his level-one offence was not deemed serious enough for the maximum fine of 50% of his match fee.Alan Hurst, the match referee, said there was some leeway for players to vent their anger but Edwards had acted inappropriately. “When bowling, and in frustration, Fidel swore loudly enough to be heard by spectators at the ground and television audiences,” Hurst said.”We are not saying that players cannot show frustration or demonstrate passion but Fidel’s means of doing that was totally unacceptable and does not set an appropriate example. The player regrets his actions and I trust this penalty will serve to ensure it does not occur again.”Edwards was reported by the umpires during the fourth Test between England and West Indies. He was found guilty of breaching clause 1.4 of the Code of Conduct, which relates to “using language that is obscene, offensive or insulting”.

The Pakistan Cricket Board has taken over the possession of the Niaz Stadium in Hyderabad (Sind), ending a decade-long struggle for cricket fans, players and organisers.Dr Nasim Ashraf, the board chairman, will arrive to take over the possession of the stadium and finalise the arrangements for upgrading it to international standards for meeting the requirements of the ICC.Ashraf will also sign the Memorandum of Understanding with the District Nazim Hyderabad, Kanwar Naveed Jamil, at the stadium. With the possession of this stadium, a historic cricket centre, it is expected that the board will not neglect Hyderabad in future while allotting Tests or ODI matches. It is the only venue in the country where Pakistan has never lost a Test or one-dayer.The venue last hosted an international match in September 1997, a one-dayer between India and Pakistan.

Scorecard

Chris Gayle kept his cool with an unbeaten 85 as West Indies nearly slipped up in dramatic style against Scotland at Clontarf. Chasing a revised 165, they lost six for 38 in seven overs and entered the final three overs needing 29 to win. But after a succession of team-mates had lost their heads with wild swings, Gayle guided his side away from a huge embarrassment and alongside Darren Sammy the victory came off the penultimate ball.The key blow came in the 28th over when he launched John Blain for a six that relieved the growing pressure. Four leg-byes followed off the next delivery and the requirement closed in on a more comfortable run-a-ball. But Gayle needed a calm head at the other end and Sammy, who showed batting potential during his Test debut at Old Trafford, kept his composure. He was facing when the final over began with nine needed and virtually sealed the result with a spanking drive past cover followed by a neat flick through midwicket.The main reason the match came alive was an outstanding spell from offspinner Majid Haq. Gayle and Devon Smith eased to an opening stand of 95, Gayle repeating the destructive form he showed against Netherlands, and everything appeared under control. However, when Smith top-edged a sweep to slip, Runako Morton struggled to maintain the momentum.Haq removed Morton with a quicker ball and next delivery the game came alive when Lendl Simmons missed his glide to third man and Haq was on a hat-trick. Dwayne Smith responded with typical bravado, launching the hat-trick ball out of the ground, only to miscue a repeat in the next over off Ryan Watson.Scotland now really believed they had a chance and they edged into pole position when Denesh Ramdin became Haq’s third bowled victim and Austin Richards succumbed to the pressure by missing his heave against Watson. It created a great finish to a match that had struggled to come to life with regular, heavy showers fragmenting Scotland’s innings.The first interruption came two overs into the innings and on resumption Daren Powell nipped out both openers. Watson put bat to ball and reached 21 off 20 deliveries before falling to Ravi Rampaul.Navdeep Poonia, who hasn’t been able to find a place in Warwickshire’s first team, guided the total into three figures without further loss, but two quick strikes by the impressive Fidel Edwards put Scotland onto the back foot as rain drove the players off for a second time.With less than five overs of the innings remaining when the weather relented, Neil McCallam boosted the total with a 23-ball 27, clubbing four boundaries, and Blain struck a handsome six off Powell in the final over. Coupled with a boost from the calculations, it nearly proved enough to pull off a major shock and, although West Indies sneaked through in the end, Scotland can be proud of their effort.

Former Bangladesh captains Habibul Bashar and Khaled Mahmud have expressed interest in participating in the Indian Cricket League (ICL) if they are offered contracts approved by the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB).”I have a contract with the BCB and I want to honour it,” Bashar told the , a Dhaka-based daily. “If the ICL offer does not clash with it, I will definitely play. I think I am fit enough to compete at the highest level and I will play at least three more years.”However, Bashar – who has a contract with the BCB till October – said he had not got any offer to play in the ICL. He was replaced as the Bangladesh captain by Mohammad Ashraful for Bangladesh’s tour of Sri Lanka and has not been picked for the Twenty20 World Championship in South Africa this September.Mahmud, who retired from international cricket in February last year but continues to play in the domestic league, said: “Realistically, I don’t expect any offer from any ICL team. But if there is any and the BCB permits me, yes, I can play.” Mahmud had been manager of the Bangladesh side during the Champions Trophy last year.When Mohammad Rafique, the left-arm spinner, was asked whether there was any possibility of his joining the ICL, he said, “Let them offer me [a contract], then I will think about it.”The ICL is a Twenty20 tournament proposed to be held in India around October. It plans to feature six teams, each including four international players and two Indian stars.

The two-man official team from South Africa visiting Pakistan to assess the level of security ahead of the Test and ODI series next month was promised full and foolproof security for the visiting team.Goolam Raja and Sean Gallaher, the two officials, were at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore, on Friday and visited National Stadium in Karachi on Saturday as part of their two-day trip, which was termed routine by both sets of officials. They were briefed by the home secretary of Sind province on the security situation in provincial capital Karachi.”I have no doubts that Pakistan will provide us with the needed security and, God willing, everything will be alright,” Raja said. “It is difficult to say about our final assessments now but we will submit a report to Cricket South Africa and hope everything will be in place for the tour.”Zakir Khan, the Pakistan board’s director of cricket operations, said he was confident that the current situation will not affect the forthcoming tour. “A professional security plan has been put in place for the South Africans and they were briefed. We hope everything will take place accordingly and we hope to have a good cricket series.”The South Africans play a warm-up match in Karachi from September 27 while the first Test starts on October 1 in the same city.

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

If this was a final, as Ricky Ponting wanted his side to view the fifth one-dayer in Vadodara, it was reminiscent of the hopelessly one-sided conclusion to the World Cup in 1999. Mahendra Singh Dhoni let out a big smile at the toss, with the crowd cheering as if the result was a foregone conclusion, but trudged away in the knowledge that his side could no longer win the series. Even drawing level from here will take some getting.The distinctly brick-red surface, one that demanded application, was to leave India’s batsmen ashen faced. A combination of injudicious shot-selection, accurate new-ball bowling, efficient left-arm pace and outstanding wicketkeeping is often a recipe for a lop-sided contest. It resulted in India’s lowest home total against Australia. In fact the game was up much earlier; spectators leaving the ground after 25 overs of the game realised as much.Adam Gilchrist imposed himself on the series with his allround brilliance. He equalled his record for the most dismissals in an ODI, including two sensational one-handed takes, before rattling off a 77-ball 79 as Australia cantered to a nine-wicket win. Chasing 149 was always going to be a doddle, even though India tried their bit by opening the bowling with Harbhajan Singh’s offspin, and Australia faced little trouble in reaching the target just after the halfway mark. Gilchrist’s four towering sixes rubbed salt into India’s wounds and one hopes youngsters watching his brutal assault on Murali Kartik did so with parental supervision.He was invaluable behind the stumps too, making amends for his poor showing in Chandigarh with a wicketkeeping display straight out of the Ian Healy manual. He was alert to an inside edge from Yuvraj Singh, stooping to his right and pouching a single-handed take, before snapping up a leg glance from Dhoni, this time throwing himself headlong to the left and clasping on to a chance. Both instances demanded quicksilver reflexes and his reaction underscored the extent to which Australia raise their game when it really matters.India’s innings resembled an automobile ignition on a wintry morning. On a ground where the average total hovers around 280, it soon emerged that the pitch wasn’t the subcontinental shirtfront that everyone expected. Brett Lee’s first over saw a couple of deliveries that died on the batsmen, short-length deliveries often came with a spongy bounce and it was clear the strip wasn’t conducive for hitting through the line.

Johnson, ending with five wicket for the first time in an international, prospered by keeping things simple and had Gilchrist to thank for four of his dismissals (another arrived through a poor umpiring decision). Unlike in Chandigarh, where he came on first-change, he was asked to share the new ball and thrived in Lee’s company. Johnson didn’t rattle with pace or swing, instead he nagged away outside off and troubled with minimal movement off the pitch. He appeared to have assessed the pitch early, unlike some of India’s batsmen, and deserved his best international figures.India paid for some indiscreet strokeplay after failing to read the surface. Sourav Ganguly’s early run out, when Sachin Tendulkar didn’t respond to a risky single, started the slide and there was hardly any time to recover. Rahul Dravid’s struggles continued with a first-ball duck, rooted to the crease and beaten by a Lee inswinger, while Robin Uthappa, confidently punching during his brief stay, was unlucky to be adjudged leg before to a ball striking him outside off and heading past the off stump.Tendulkar, honoured before the game for reaching 400 ODIs, briefly promised a classic but he didn’t have much of an answer to a ferocious away-cutter from Lee, a candidate for the ball of the series, that breached his defences. Lee produced the killer blow when he returned for his second spell in the 26th over. The good-length ball swung in, gripped the pitch, and moved away just enough to beat Tendulkar and had him edge a simple catch to Gilchrist behind the stumps.The hopeless situation didn’t deter RP Singh and Zaheer Khan. They handled the lack of pace sensibly and their 41-run stand proved that runs could be scored if one waited for the right ball. Eventually it was a case of too little too late; India’s story in the next two games might just follow a similar theme.

Scorecard

Matthew Hayden’s powerful 179 combined with the inability of New South Wales’ all-star attack to finish off the tail left Queensland with a healthy lead of 316 at stumps. In reply to 467 the Blues were 3 for 151 with Simon Katich unbeaten on 70 and Dominic Thornely on 7.Katich’s 103-ball effort gave his side some hope as Mitchell Johnson’s first chance with a red ball in some time – he took 0 for 70 from 15 overs – was costly. Phil Jaques (34) did not convert his start but probably has the Test opening slot sewn up anyway after his main opponent Brad Hodge failed in Melbourne.It was a tough day for Australia’s contracted bowlers; Lee finished with 0 for 113 and Stuart MacGill 3 for 183 from 36 overs as Queensland moved to 467. Ashley Noffke was again useful with 50, while Chris Hartley (34) and Johnson (33) each contributed as the last four partnerships added 146.Michael Clarke’s part-time spin was required to clean up the lower order; he took 3 for 22 while Stuart Clark finished with 3 for 79, including the vital wickets of Hayden and Andrew Symonds, who made 44. Hayden hit two sixes and 20 fours on his way to 179, adding 76 to his overnight score.

ScorecardPart-time left-arm medium-pacer Brendan Nash starred with a four-wicket burst to lead Jamaica to a comfortable seven-wicket victory over Guyana in the first semi-final of the KFC Cup in Bridgetown. This was the first competitive day-night match at the Three Ws Oval, and was reduced to 43 overs a side because of a wet outfield.In front of a crowd of around 2000, Guyana chose to bat and were looking good at 67 for 1 before Nash, turning in his second consecutive Man-of-the-Match performance, dismissed three batsmen at the same team score: first, he bowled wicketkeeper Darwin Christian, then trapped Narsingh Deonarine in front and got Assad Fudadin to nick one to Carlton Baugh.With wickets falling around him, Sewnarine Chattergoon held firm with a fighting 66 off 99 balls, but didn’t find enough support: the second-highest scorer was Neil McGarrell with 17. After Guyana slumped again, from 122 from 5 to 134 for 9, a 25-run last-wicket stand took them to 159, still way off a competitive total.The early loss of his captain Chris Gayle in the Jamaican chase didn’t deter Brenton Parchment who scored a brisk 35 before being dismissed lbw by McGarrell. Nash fell soon after, but Shawn Findlay and Danza Hyatt stitched together an 88-run partnership to complete the one-sided win.After the match, Nash played down his performance and praised his team-mates’ bowling. “The scoreboard will show that I had the best figures, but I got a lot of assistance from the guys at the other end,” he said. “We played brilliantly as a team.”Jamaica will face the winner of Friday’s clash between Trinidad and Tobago and Barbados, in Sunday’s final.