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Canada’s cricketers have done the nation proud. Junior and senior players have qualified from their respective tournaments. The senior team qualified for the 2003 World Cup in South Africa but faces a battle to adequately prepare to compete against the best in the world. The U-19 team similarly won the tournament in Bermuda and will lead the Americas into the World Cup in New Zealand in January 2002.The irony in these successes however, is that Canada does not have the finances to adequately prepare our cricketers for international competition. Canada has now been forced to turn down two invitations from the West Indies Cricket Board. We have been forced to withdraw from both the West Indies U-19 competition and from the 2001 Red Stripe competition in Jamaica, because of crippling costs in preparation for, and in staging the International Cricket Council Trophy competition in June and July 2001 in Metro Toronto.Hosting of the ICC Trophy 2001 was predicated on the staging of the five Sahara Cup games and extra support from India, Pakistan and IMG/TWI. Cancellation of the planned two years’ events and the inability to replace these games have had horrific implications for Canadian junior and senior cricket development programmes. Failure to attract any sponsorship, private, public or personal has not improved our chances or choices.Canada on December 16, 2000 indicated that ” CANADA CANNOT HOST THE ICCT 2001 WITHOUT Financial ASSISTANCE..” and also that “Canada shall be forced …. to formally withdraw from any plans to host ICCT 2001 within a matter of days.” (A repeat is very unlikely.)Canada is in worse shape now. We have requested assistance from several sources and we shall need your assistance to get Canadian cricket to the World Cups in 2002, 2003, … 2007, for starters. How can you help? Get involved. Call your Federal and Provincial Parliamentary representatives for renewed support.Your donations to the Canadian Cricket Association are federally tax-deductible. We need your help now! Sponsor a player or a team. Volunteers are vitally needed in fundraising and in other activities.Canada, Namibia, Holland and Kenya NEED extra support for training, coaching and player support from their ICC Associate and Full Member countries if they are to be competitive and to provide a marketable on-field product! We must not and cannot field a devalued product. $250,000 per Associate cannot cover minimum costs: in fact several times that amount is essential even for nominal preparation or for success!Scotland was forced to go to the 1999 World Cup without a sponsor! Canada competed in the ICCT 2001 without a sponsor and without adequate financing. Scotland at least could drive to the World Cup in1999.Canada and the others cannot drive to South Africa and to New Zealand, however. We face tough unavoidable choices. “When the going gets tough, the tough get going!” Let’s go Canada! World Cups’ Funds need your active support.

Bangladesh Vs BahrainThe match commenced at the National Bank Ltd. Ground in Karachi. The manner in which the Bahrain’s team showed its incompetence and lack of courage to face the Bangladesh bowling indicated it to be a one sided affair. To the horror of cricket fans the match designed to last 90 overs finished in less than 20 overs, with Bangladesh defeating Bahrain by 10 runs.The Bahrain’s innings was a touch and go affair. They had more ducks in the team than players, letting 6 of them loose to walk about in the field and search for a pond to dip in.Except for Haroon Naseer who was run out after playing a thrilling knock of 35 in 29 balls, the remaining players fell like the autumn leaves. The second highest being Asif Siddique with 5 runs. The whole side crumbled for 52 in 13.4 overs. Sharif ul Islam grabbed 4 wickets for only 2 runs while Talha Jubair clinched 3 for 25.A victory target of 53 being peanuts for Bangladesh, they achieved it in 6 overs without losing a wicket. The two openers Nafees Iqbal (32) and Mohammad Ashraful (12) plus 9 extras made up the target to bring a glorious victory to Bangladesh.

Derbyshire tasted victory for the first time since May13th when they beat Middlesex by 42 runs at Derby.Batting was never easy on a slow pitch and Middlesexwere bowled out for 154 with 28 balls to spare inreply to the home side’s 196-7.A typically well paced half-century from Rob Baileyand some powerful strokes from the lower order gaveDerbyshire a challenging total and they defended itskilfully.The bowling was tight and the fielding keen andMiddlesex, handicapped by an injury to StephenFleming, faded away aftger a middle-order collapse.Alex Edwards, signed because of injuries to four pacebowlers, did well against the county he spent lastseason with and ended with figures of 1-25 from nineovers on his Derbyshire debut.But it was the spinners who did the damage with leftarmer Lain Wharton bowling particularly well to take2-23 from his nine overs.By the time Fleming, who dislocated a finger fielding,came in, his side were 94-6 and although the NewZealand skipper played some defiant strokes,Derbyshire were always in control.Fleming fell to a fine running catch at long off byChris Bassano and when Angus Fraser holed out in thedeep, it brought to an end a run of ten games without awin for Derbyshire.

* Prabhakar’s bail plea rejectedA court in Naini Tal on Tuesday rejected a bail petition filed byformer Indian Test cricketer Manoj Prabhakar in a chit fund case,according to police. After hearing the arguments of the prosecutionand defence lawyers, the Naini Tal district judge SC Tiwari rejectedthe bail plea of Prabhakar, who had been remanded to judicial custodytill July 21 according to the Kumaun DIG Vijay Raghav Pant.Prabhakar was arrested by Uttaranchal police from his south Delhioffice earlier this month following a non-bailable arrest warrantissued by the Haldwani Judicial Magistrate in connection with a chitfund company APACE Investment Ltd case on May 11. Police had allegedthat Prabhakar, as director of the company, had defrauded and cheatedpeople while accepting deposits from them.* MSK Prasad to lead Andhra in KSCA tournamentFormer Indian wicketkeeper MSK Prasad would lead Andhra team in theKSCA Diamond Jubilee tournament for the Coromandel Trophy to be playedat Bangalore from August 1. Prasad is making a comeback after aseason’s layoff due to a back injury. Andhra will clash with KSCA XIfrom Aug 1 to 3, Andhra Cricket Association secretary N Venkata Raosaid in a release in Vijayawada on Tuesday.The following is the team: MSK Prasad (captain-wicket keeper), NMadhukar (vice-captain), Amit Pathak, Y Venugopala Rao, YS Ranganath,H Watekar, LN Prasad Reddy, KS Shabuddin, GN Srinivasa Rao, RV CHPrasad, I Srinivas, KA Fayaz Ahmed, Y Gnaneswara Rao and PAVN Raju.Reserves: TS Prasad, ASK Varma, Md Faiq and G Sankara Rao. Coach: KSBhaskara Ramamurthy.

In was nightmare for the sponsors, but a dream for Colombo’s policeauthorities, who were reportedly in a quandary as to whether to imposeanother post-election city-wide curfew in the afternoon, as Chaminda Vaasensured the first game of the LG Abans triangular ODI series was theshortest ever One-Day International.By midday, after just two hours, Sri Lanka had wrapped up a nine-wicket winhaving bowled out Zimbabwe for just 38, the lowest ever total in ODIcricket, surpassing the 43 scored by Pakistan against West Indies at CapeTown in 1992/3. They then knocked off the required runs in just 4.2 overs.For the second time in the week, it was Vaas who created the mayhem, asZimbabwe’s shocked batsmen wandered across their stumps like rabbits caughtfull-beam. The 27-year-old left-armer took the first eight wickets to falland looked to be heading for all ten before Muttiah Muralitharan took twowickets in four balls to finish off the innings.His eight for 19 was the best ever bowling analysis in one-day cricket’s31-year history, surpassing the seven for 30 taken by Muralitharan last yearagainst India at Sharjah.Vaas bowled well with the new white ball, which does swing more than the redone, and Sri Lanka had won a good toss in the morning on a greasy SinhaleseSports Club pitch, but there could be no proper explanation for such amiserly total. This was no minefield and Vaas has bowled better for lessreward – in fact he probably swung the ball more prodigiously in his lastTest match.But Vaas still deserves great credit for record-breaking spell, which wouldhave pleased no one more than his wife who was celebrating her birthdayalone at home today. Vaas has worked extremely hard during the past year,both on his fitness and skills. Coach Dav Whatmore praised his “focusedattitude to training” and believed that “performances like this don’t happenby accident.” His performance was a victory for the humble hard-workingmedium pacer, who success depends on the twin virtues of accuracy andmovement. Today he was spot on.Zimbabwean captain, Stuart Carlisle, called it a “freak result” and hopedthat his side could quickly flush today’s disturbing events out of theirsystem tomorrow, when they take on the West Indies. But the tourists will beconcerned that they struggled so much against the swinging ball; a weaknessthat cost them both practice matches against young Sri Lankan board XI’s.Vaas started his wicket-taking spree with the first delivery of the match; afull-length inswinger that curved onto the toe of opener Dion Ebrahim.Stuart Carlisle then added 11 runs for the second wicket with Grant Flower -a noteworthy partnership in the context – before Vaas severely dentedZimbabwean hopes by dismissing both Flower brothers in his third over: Grant(1) was bowled and Andy (0) was caught behind for a second-ball duck (11 forthree).Carlisle added a couple of boundaries with Craig Wishart in 25 minute stand,but Vaas’s sixth over singled the start of the end as the last seven wicketsfell for just 11 runs.Nuwan Zoysa has taken a Test hat-trick but no Sri Lankan had taken a one-dayhat-trick till today, when Vaas had Carlisle (16), trying to be positive,caught at third man, Wishart (6) and Tatrenda Taibu (0) trapped lbw withsharply swinging induckers (27 for six).Heath Streak (0) was dismissed in a similar manner and Mluleki Nkala (1)edged to Sangakkara behind the stumps (32 for eight).Sanath Jayasuriya then called up Muralitharan and the off-spinner zipped histhird ball through the defenses of Travis Friend (4) and had last man, HenryOlonga, caught at slip next ball.Sri Lanka started badly, losing Avishka Gunawardene in the first over, butstill cruised to victory as Marvan Atapattu stroked four fours in his16-ball 23 not out and Jayasuriya walloped 13 from seven balls.Zimbabwe now will play West Indies tomorrow and they will take some heartfrom the fact that the West Indies tour slipped further into disarray lastnight when their premier fast bowler, who would have been a real handful onthis SSC pitch, was sent home for disciplinary reasons.

Chris Nevin and James Franklin make an odd couple – the former short, stocky and with a batting approach which mixes urgency and pugnacity; the other tall, more languid and more fluent, an easy shot-maker.Again, the former keeps wicket, bats left-handed and has added to his rounded first-class experience which affords local seniority a number of one-day appearances for New Zealand.The other is right-handed, bowls probing medium pace and is in the infancy of a career which holds great promise. He has opened the bowling and the batting for New Zealand Under-19s but is still finding his way in the domestic first-class game.However, the two found much in common today when, as comrades in arms – partners in defiance – they achieved complementary though dissimilar half centuries for Wellington against New South Wales on the second day of a two-day match at the Basin Reserve.Nevin was Wellington’s top-scorer with 83, Franklin made 63 and in company they added 141 for the fifth wicket in a stubborn partnership which spanned lunch and tea and made Wellington’s total broad-shouldered after it had slumped.There was little swagger in their batting, more cold purpose and application but with their added impetus Wellington reached 337-6 in their first innings, replying to New South Wales’ first-day total of 387. Both teams batted into the 100th over.Wellington found themselves unable to overhaul New South Wales’ total today – could neither keep continuous pace with the demands of that target nor replicate the late onslaught which so much enlarged the visitors’ innings in the last hour yesterday. The result could be counted in New South Wales’ favour on the first innings.But in Nevin’s effort and in Franklins’, in Matthew Bell’s solid 46 and Richard Jones’ quickly-compiled 40, in Matthew Walker’s accomplished 53 late in the innings and Mark Jefferson’s 37, Wellington found some solace and some satisfaction.The match was designed to give them a leg up into the Shell Trophy series which begins next week and there was enough in the batting form of the middle order, the bowling performances of Mark Gillespie and Jeetan Patel, to make it a success in that regard.Nevin and Franklin came together in the 32nd over today, shortly before lunch and at the termination of Bell’s fine innings when Wellington were 100-4. They saw them through lunch at 119-4, to 173 by the afternoon drinks break and to 225 at tea when Nevin was 77 and Franklin 52.Then, as so often happens with long partnerships in which two players become almost co-dependent, Franklin was out and Nevin followed shortly afterwards.Franklin was caught by spinner Matthew Higgs from his own bowling when Wellington were 241 and Nevin fell to the same bowler two overs and eight runs later, caught by Shane Lee at first slip.Franklin had batted 192 minutes and faced 168 balls, hitting nine fours and Nevin had batted 170 minutes, received 146 balls and peppered the boundary rope with 13 fours. The partnership had occupied a total of 162 minutes.Nevin was quicker to his half century. He reached that mark in 98 minutes from 88 balls while Franklin laboured 182 minutes and took 157 balls. Both 50s included eight boundaries.The combination provided, throughout the day, a study in differing styles. Franklin, uses his height well, gets over the ball in his preferred cut shot and uses his long legs in controlling his front foot shots to the off side.Nevin has the short man’s habit of jumping to counter bounce and his shots are arguably more deliberate and more brutal.Before their partnership Bell and Jones had added 74 for Wellington’s second wicket after Michael Blackmore had been out without scoring to the fifth ball of the day. There were hazards in the early part of Jones’ innings but he showed nerve, eventually commanding the bowling to take 40 runs from 56 balls with six fours.Bell applied himself for almost two hours before lunch, taking 46 from 90 balls before being stumped by Greg Mail from Higgs.Later, Walker and Jefferson joined in an unbeaten partnership of 88 runs for the seventh wicket – a stand occupying little more than an hour. Walker finished 53 not out and had to his name, from 77 balls, a total of 10 fours and one six. Jefferson hit four fours in his supportive role.Higgs was the most successful of the New South Wales bowlers, taking 3-69 from 20 overs.The teams meet again tomorrow in a day-night match at the WestpacTrust Stadium. Play begins at 2pm.

India batsman Virender Sehwag has formally retired from international cricket. On Tuesday, his 37th birthday, Sehwag made the announcement via Twitter, with a crisp message that said he would no longer play the IPL either.On Monday, Sehwag had revealed he would be participating in the Masters Champions League, a UAE-based Twenty20 tournament that requires its participants to have retired from all international formats, and said a formal retirement announcement would follow soon. He indicated that he would continue playing for Haryana till the end of the Ranji Trophy season.”God has been kind and I have done what I wanted to do – on the field and in my life and I had decided sometime back that I will retire on my 37th birthday,” Sehwag said in a statement. “So, while I spend the day with my family, I hereby announce my retirement from all forms of international cricket and the Indian Premier League.”Cricket has been my life and continues to be so. Playing for India was a memorable journey and I tried to make it more memorable for my team-mates and for the Indian cricket fans. I believe I was reasonably successful in doing so. For that, I wish to thank all my teammates over the years – some of the greatest players of the game. I would like to thank all my captains, who believed in me and backed me to the hilt. I also thank our greatest partner, the Indian cricket fan for all the love, support and the memories.”I also want to thank everyone for all the cricketing advice given to me over the years and apologise for not accepting most of it! I had a reason for not following it: I did it my way!”Sehwag is widely considered one of India’s greatest opening batsmen, and he revolutionised the art of batting against the new ball in Test cricket with his aggressive approach, scoring at a strike rate of over 80 in the longest format. He has been out of India’s plans for over two years, having last played for the national side in the Hyderabad Test against Australia in March 2013.Sehwag played 104 Tests, 251 ODIs and 19 T20Is, scoring over 17,000 international runs and picking up 136 wickets with his offspin. His greatest moments came in Test cricket, where he made 23 hundreds including the only two triple-centuries by an Indian batsman, while his ODI achievements included the format’s second double-hundred. He was part of India’s victorious campaigns at the 2007 World T20 and the 2011 World Cup.

The Supreme Court of India has dismissed BCCI’s plea seeking review of an earlier verdict that struck down the controversial amendment to the conflict-of-interest clause. The BCCI had filed a review petition soon after the verdict, but the apex court dismissed it, reckoning there was no merit to the case.A legal expert told ESPNcricinfo that review petitions were “rarely entertained.” “Ordinarily, these reviews are heard in the chambers,” he said. “If there is an error apparent in the face of the judgment, then they will review it.”It’s an extraordinary power and is not meant to be used lightly. If they have made a glaring error, then they will review it and correct it, otherwise they won’t exercise powers.”In January, the Supreme Court, in a landmark judgment pertaining to the 2013 IPL corruption case, struck down the amendment to the BCCI constitution’s clause 6.2.4 that allowed board officials to have a commercial interest in the IPL and the Champions League T20, calling it “the true villain of the situation at hand.” The amendment to the clause was effected in September 2008, six months after the Chennai franchise was sold to India Cements, a company owned by then BCCI secretary N Srinivasan.The judgment had far-reaching consequences with the court ruling that while the BCCI was a private body, it performed a public function and was therefore amenable to judicial law and review. It was the first instance of an external agency amending the BCCI’s constitution.The rule was deemed by the Court to be “void and ineffective”, “unsustainable and impermissible in law” as it was said to have “authorised” the “creation and continuance” of a conflict-of-interest situation. The two-man bench of Justice TS Thakur and Justice FMI Kalifullah said the amendment had perpetuated the conflict.In an ostensible bid to act on the Supreme Court’s ruling, the BCCI’s current dispensation had in July asked representatives of state associations and members of the Board to sign a declaration stating they had no conflict of interest. The decision, however, met with resistance from some of the members associations, and the issue was slated to be raised at the working committee meeting on August 28, which was subsequently adjourned owing to Srinivasan’s presence.

Goa chased down the highest total of their Ranji Trophy league matchagainst Kerala at Panaji to win the game by eight wickets on thefourth day.Chasing 213 for victory, Goa’s opening bats put on 113 runs for thefirst wicket before Sudin Kamat fell, having made 71 off 143 balls.When Kiran Powar also fell, for the addition of just one run, acollapse looked in the offing.Tanveer Jabbar and opener Vivekanand Kolambkar, however, played wellto see their side through to victory without any more losses.Kolambkar remained unbeaten on 74 off 209 balls, striking 11 fours anda six. Jabbar made 57 off 80 balls, with eight fours and a six. Goapick up eight points by virtue of this outright win.

Lancashire handed the National League title they have won for the last two years to Gloucestershire by beating Somerset in a thrilling day-night match at Old Trafford.Somerset were the only team who could overhaul Gloucestershire but they fell 10 runs short of Lancashire’s 236 for four despite a brilliant century from their Australian captain Jamie Cox – with Gloucestershire’s players watching nervously in a Brighton hotel.Lancashire are still virtually certain to be relegated but at least they salvaged some pride despite the absence of four England players – Mike Atherton, Andy Flintoff and the injured John Crawley and Peter Martin.Sourav Ganguly was their hero, scoring his third one-day century of the season after stand-in skipper Warren Hegg had won the toss and chosen to bat.Ganguly, who has failed to score a century in the Championship, made 102 from 137 balls with eight boundaries, sharing stands of 82 with Mark Chilton and 115 in 19 overs with Neil Fairbrother.It took the Indian left-hander’s tally in 11 National League games to 532 runs at an average of almost 60, in addition to 262 runs from four NatWest Trophy innings.Fairbrother also played a key role with another one-day masterclass, scoring 62 from 56 balls with six fours and a pair of sixes over long on.Mark Lathwell gave Somerset’s reply the perfect start with 53 from 83 balls including six stylish boundaries.He was bowled by Gary Keedy but as long as Cox was in, Somerset’s title hopes were very much alive.The Tasmanian cruised to three figures in only 98 balls despite only hitting five boundaries, including a straight six off Chris Schofield.But Schofield played a vital part in Lancashire’s victory, claiming the wickets of Michael Burns and Ian Blackwell and also running out Keith Parsons with a direct hit from backward point.But as so often for Lancashire, it was Ian Austin who applied the finishing touches.Somerset needed 23 from three overs when Austin returned to the attack and he put Somerset under so much pressure that Cox was run out by Glen Chapple.Austin then polished off two wickets in the last over as Lancashire enjoyed only their fifth win of the season.But they will hardly have enjoyed handing the title to Gloucestershire, who virtually condemned them to relegation at Bristol on Monday after beating them at the semi final stage of both the NatWest Trophy and Benson and Hedges Cup earlier this season.