Harbhajan Singh has warned New Zealand of a gruelling upcoming tour of India, saying that the hosts had not forgotten the 2-0 series drubbing late last year on fresh, batting-unfriendly wickets in New Zealand.”In India we don’t play in gardens like they do in New Zealand,” he said ina television interview. “I can’t wait to get my hands on the ball and have a go at the Kiwis. They will struggle here.”But Harbhajan hastened to point out that India would not prepare vicious turners to defeat New Zealand. “I have forgotten the last time we played on a square turner in India,” he said. “Wickets here are good for both batsmen and bowlers.”The whole team is looking to avenge the defeat in New Zealand. We want toshow we can beat them on good wickets.”

Adam Hollioake is to embark on a 2000-mile journey from Edinburgh to Tangiers in northern Morocco, to help raise money for the Ben Hollioake Memorial Fund. The fund was set up in memory of his brother, who died in a car crash in Perth, Western Australia, in March 2002, aged just 24.In order to raise money for the fund, Adam will walk, cycle and sail in a trip that is expected to take two months. He will leave Edinburgh on October 2, and all the funds raised will go towards honouring a pledge made by the Hollioake family to raise £5 million (US$8 million) in five years for the CHASE Children’s Hospice Service in London.CHASE works in support of children who are not expected to reach their 19th birthday. Adam, who turns 32 on Friday, said: “I got involved with CHASE over the last six years but I was a fairly fair-weather charity supporter just doing the odd piece of shirt-signing.”But this is the biggest thing I have been involved with charity-wise. Ben was very similar to me, just signing a few shirts, but he had helped out with this charity before and so it seemed appropriate to choose CHASE.”Hollioake will be accompanied by the European heavyweight boxing champion Scott Welch, and the Lancashire cricketer Ian Sutcliffe. John Major, a lifelong Surrey fan, will be joining him at some point on the UK walking phase, along with members of the current England squad.Hollioake aims to complete 594 miles over 28 days, at an average of nearly 30 miles per day. “I was involved in choosing the route," he explained. "I wanted to travel a long way."On November 1, at Brighton Marina, Hollioake and his companions will set sail from Brighton for Dieppe in France, on board the Ocean Youth Trust boat. They then cycle from Dieppe to Gibraltar via the southwestern French town of Perpignan, and from Gibraltar to Tangiers by boat.”We would like to raise 5 million to pay for the building of a new day centre for CHASE,” Hollioake explained. "This should also cover the initial running costs."

Rahul Dravid’s classy century, and his partnership with VVS Laxman, ensured that India took most of the honours on the first day of the Ahmedabad Test. For New Zealand, the highlight of the day was the wicket of Sachin Tendulkar, who was nailed by Scott Styris for only 8. Here is what Dravid and Styris had to say after the first day’s play:Rahul Dravid
On the situation when Tendulkar got out
At 113 for 3, there was a little bit of pressure. The game was still in the balance. New Zealand were bowling well, and we needed a partnership, which we got.On the pitch
The wicket is a bit slow, but it looks like it is going to last all five days. I’m usually not very good at reading pitches, but I hope this one starts turning from the third or fourth day.On Akash Chopra
I thought Akash played well, considering it was his first Test match. He saw off the new ball well, which is what we needed.On his partnership with VVS Laxman
Laxman and I have batted together right from junior-level cricket, so there is really no secret formula to us batting well together. We know each other’s game, and know how to keep each other going. If my concentration is flagging, Laxman knows how to get it up again, and vice versa.On his innings
I thought I played well, and it’s always good to do well against New Zealand. They are a good outfit, and they are well prepared and well planned. Looking at some of their field placings today, it was obvious that they had come well researched. So it is nice to do well against that sort of opposition.On why Laxman came out before Sourav Ganguly
I don’t know, actually. It wasn’t something we had discussed before, so I was as surprised as anybody to see Laxman come out to bat.On India’s strategy for the remainder of the game
The first session tomorrow will be crucial, and we basically have to try and bat once, bat big. Then we can concentrate on bowling them out twice.Scott Styris
On New Zealand’s performance
It was pretty warm out there, so I think the boys stuck to the task pretty well. It was our first full day of fielding after a long time, and naturally it all fell away a little towards the end. Our fielding isn’t usually a problem, it’s just early in the season after a bit of a break. But I thought we did reasonably and we can be pleased with our bowling.On getting Tendulkar’s wicket
Well, obviously I was pleased, especially to get him in India. It is one thing to do it in New Zealand, but another to do it in his own country, where he is a prized scalp. If you get Sachin Tendulkar for 8 any day of the week, it’s getting him out cheaply. We were a bit astounded, frankly, to get him like that. With somebody like him, you basically have to be precise. He didn’t score quickly, and we were very patient. I suppose it worked today, because we got him cheaply.On the pitch:
It is starting to break up a bit now, but it is a good wicket still. I think the Indian run rate today was a bit slow, but that was only because the fast bowlers and [Daniel] Vettori bowled very tidily and well. If we had gotten one more wicket towards the end, it would have been our day.On Rahul Dravid’s innings
He’s just such a solid player, and especially in conditions that favour batting, he is very difficult to get. It was a fantastic innings. His wicket is almost as prized in the New Zealand camp as Sachin Tendulkar’s, and he’s very highly respected by us.

Sourav Ganguly and Anil Kumble will both play in India’s next game in the TVS Cup, against Australia at Bangalore on Nov 12. According to a BCCI press release, Ganguly has recovered from his injury and will resume the captaincy. Kumble, who had taken time off following the death of his father, will rejoin the team in place of Sairaj Bahutule.Ricky Ponting, Australia’s captain, said that India would benefit from Ganguly’s return. “Ganguly is a very good leader,” he said. “His return to the field will bring a spring in the steps of the Indians. He is a great one-day player who has more than 20 one-day hundreds to his name.”

Close Auckland 317-8 (T McIntosh 96, S Singe 57, C Pryor 57*, J Ryder 4-14, M Orchard 2-65, W Cornelius 2-72) met New Zealand Academy Selection.Auckland gave another demonstration of its latent batting depth on the opening day of their two-day match with the New Zealand Academy Selection at Lincoln Green at the High Performance Centre yesterday. Despite the fact their regular openers Matt Horne (injured) and Mark Richardson (playing for the Selection XI) were not playing, Tim McIntosh and Shane Singe put on 165 for the first wicket.Auckland ended the day on 317-8 with McIntosh, who scored 820 runs in first-class cricket last summer, falling four short of a century. The stand was an impressive one, built on well-run singles before the more free-flowing batting started to emerge. The Academy attack of Shane Bond, Wade Cornelius and Mark Orchard could make no early impression and Aaron Redmond’s leg-spin was brought into action for the 25th over.But nothing could stop the batsmen. McIntosh’s 50 came off 100 balls and the century partnership off 172 balls. Singe had a life just before the lunch break when Auckland had 116 without loss. Singe’s half-century was scored of 122 balls. On 96 McIntosh latched onto a short ball from Cornelius but was taken at square-leg. He had faced 161 balls. A double breakthrough occurred when Singe was caught behind by Bevan Griggs off Cornelius for 57.Cornelius had taken 2 for 15 off five overs in his post-lunch spell while Orchard took 2 for 15 off nine overs to further stem the run flow from Auckland. While Bond and Cornelius took the new ball they had no more luck and it was left to Jesse Ryder to come in and pick up three quick wickets, and nearly a fourth, before the day ended.

New Zealand’s domestic cricket showpiece, the State Championship, begins on Monday and the incentives to succeed for teams and individuals have been heightened this summer as a result of New Zealand Cricket’s decision to embark on a much more productive A team series.Once the season is completed, a New Zealand A team will meet Sri Lanka A in the first of what is likely to be regular competition, possibly embracing a world A series, to stiffen the ranks of international potential players.There is a much more settled look to sides for this year’s series, an outcome that had been anticipated as a result of the greater encouragement players received from their improved contractural arrangements with their own associations and New Zealand Cricket. This should see the harder core of older players putting their experience to use as tight situations emerge in games.There has also been some movement between associations, although in most cases this has seen a return to home environments such as Kerry Walmsley and Paul Hitchcock have done for Auckland, and Regan West for Central Districts. Another feature of the series will be the opportunity to see how players who made an impact last summer cope with the second-season blues – the struggle to get around the tactics devised to counter them once opposing sides analyse their potential strengths and weaknesses.Some of the players concerned have been at the New Zealand Academy over the summer and it will be interesting to see how they cope with the greater expectations of them. In this category must be, Jesse Ryder, Ross Taylor (both CD), Neil Broom (Canterbury) and Mark Orchard (ND).Equally, however, all four players are potential top performers and there is every hint, given fine weather, that some quality cricket will be produced in this year’s competition. Good pitches are a must if New Zealand is to derive satisfaction from the Championship and it is to be hoped players have the maximum chance to test their skills.First round games are:Timaru – Canterbury v OtagoWellington – Wellington v Central DistrictsHamilton – Northern Districts v AucklandWisden Cricinfo players to watch in these games are:Canterbury v OtagoCraig McMillan – to continue his outstanding Test form in IndiaMichael Papps – to build on his fine summer last yearPeter Fulton – to get back in the scoring groove quicklyJordan Sheed – to show he has absorbed the tough lessons of last yearJames McMillan – to realise the potential he is known to haveJeff Wilson – because you always have to watch himWellington v Central DistrictsJames Franklin – because he’s due to get it back together againJeetan Patel – to show that spin bowling can still be a forceNeal Parlane – to demonstrate the lessons of a great season in EnglandGlen Sulzberger – because battlers are invaluablePeter Ingram – early season form suggests something big from himRichard Sherlock – a bright young hopeNorthern Districts v AucklandNick Horsley – cashed in last year and will need to do so againJames Marshall – because he’s dueBruce Martin – should have plenty of opportunities this summerRob Nicol – a fine season last year, needs to back it upBrooke Walker – hopefully a busy season of bowling aheadTim McIntosh – the next generation of opening batsmanSquads for the first phase of the championship are:Auckland: Brooke Walker (capt), Mark Richardson, Lou Vincent, Matt Horne, Tim McIntosh, Rob Nicol, Tama Canning, Llorne Howell, Aaron Barnes, Craig Pryor, Andre Adams, Kyle Mills, Reece Young, Kerry Walmsley, Paul Hitchcock, Michael Bates, Sam Whiteman, Gareth Shaw, Shane Singe, Heath Davis.Canterbury: Craig McMillan (capt), Neil Broom, Steven Cunis, Brendon Donkers, Peter Fulton, Chris Martin, Michael Papps, Aaron Redmond, Gary Stead, Shanan Stewart, Paul Wiseman, Warren Wisneski.Central Districts: Glen Sulzberger (capt), Bevan Griggs, Lance Hamilton, Brent Hefford, Jamie How, Peter Ingram, Jesse Ryder, Richard Sherlock, Craig Spearman, Ross Taylor, Ewen Thompson, Regan West.Northern Districts:Rob Hart (capt), James Marshall (vice-capt), Graeme Aldridge, Ian Butler, Matthew Hart, Nick Horsley, Bruce Martin, Mark Orchard, Grant Robinson, Scott Styris, Gareth West, Joseph Yovich.Otago: Craig Cumming (capt), Robbie Lawson, Mohammad Wasim, Andrew Hore, Chris Gaffaney, Jordan Sheed, Marcel McKenzie, Gareth Hopkins, Warren McSkimming, James McMillan, Jeff Wilson, David Sewell, Nathan Morland, Neil Rushton, Bradley Scott.Wellington: Matthew Bell (capt), Richard Jones, Stephen Fleming, Neal Parlane, Michael Parlane, Luke Woodcock, James Franklin, Chris Nevin, Iain O’Brien, Jeetan Patel, Matthew Walker, Grant Donaldson, Andrew Penn, Mark Gillespie, Stu Mills, Leighton Morgan, James Hill, Simon Allen.

Steve James has admitted defeat in his battle to overcome a long-standing knee injury and has announced his retirement from first-class cricket.James, 36, had a year remaining on his contract, but after sitting out the 2003 season he was forced to bow to the inevitable when six operations failed to make any real progress. Already a regular writer on cricket and rugby, he will devote himself full-time to journalism. Aptly, he announced his decision in a Sunday newspaper.”There are a lot of different emotions but I guess the main one is sadness,” James said. “I had a serious operation last June and I knew then it was 50-50 whether I’d be able to play again. I had another year on my contract and I felt I had another couple of years in me but it’s not to be. The decision was made for me.”James, who played twice for England in 1998 (“At least they couldn’t call me a one-Test wonder,” he once said), made his Glamorgan debut in 1985, sscoring 15890 runs at 40.63. For much of the 1990s James was one of the most prolific batsmen on the county circuit, but in recent years injury blunted his effectiveness.He was appointed as Glamorgan’s captain in 2001, leading them to the Sunday League title in his first season. He resigned last summer when it became apparent that he would not be able to play during the season.

New Zealand Women 151 for 6 (Tiffen 52) beat Australia Women 131 by 20 runs
Scorecard
New Zealand Women stayed alive in their six-match series against their Australian counterparts as they won the fourth match by 20 runs at the Bankstown Oval in Sydney. The star of the New Zealand batting effort was Haidee Tiffen, who held the innings together with an 89-ball 52. Her partnership with Aimee Mason (33) was largely responsible for the modest total that they achieved. Cathryn Fitzpatrick was the most successful bowler for Australia with 3 for 35.Despite losing Belinda Clarke for 0, the second wicket stand was worth 51 and Australia were coasting along. However they lost their ways in middle overs and there wasn’t any noteworthy partnership thereafter. Louise Milliken and Helen Watson snapped up two wickets apiece as Australia were bowled out for only 131.

Mohammad Azharuddin feels that Aakash Chopra should continue opening the batting, though he heaps some lavish praise on Yuvraj Singh. In a syndicate column with The Indian Express, Azharuddin says, “It’s a long way for Yuvraj yet, but I think he can become the David Gower of the current age if he can cope with the pressure of international cricket. His century in the first innings was such a delight, for its power, placement and timing. In full flow, he was a treat to watch. But I am not sure if he should open the innings in the Rawalpindi Test. That should be Chopra’s to do.”Yet, Azharuddin was critical of a few of Chopra’s shortcomings. “It’s not as if I am a great admirer of Aakash Chopra. He hardly has any stroke in front of the wicket. If [Virender] Sehwag gets out cheaply, Chopra’s 40s are never going to be enough, and he can also reduce the scoring to a crawl which could become a factor if you want to raise a good score in quick time.”***Javed Miandad has lashed out at a few of Pakistan’s former cricketers. A report from UNI quoted Miandad as saying, “Those who could not field properly in their days, are criticising me. It is high time they should also retire from commenting or writing.”He added, “It is very bad to hit a person when he is down. The hallmark of a great sportsperson is to encourage the player when he is not doing well, but in our country everybody wants to settle scores by running down the team.” And what really amused Miandad was the fixation with appointing coaches for all departments of the game. “Every so called expert recommended three coaches for each player. I don’t think any expert worth his salt can even think of it, leave alone recommending it.”And he finished with a mighty flourish when he said, that it was the “experts” who need coaches to improve upon their behaviour and writing, while the “players” are capable of looking after themselves.***Saqlain Mushtaq, who was dropped form the side after a poor performance in the first Test, has taken the disappointment in his stride. PTI quoted him as saying, “Pakistan’s requirements for the series against India are different, and I didn’t fit in. Plus I am not in good form. I think from my point of view, it is better that I practice and return to form before I come back into the team. I didn’t bowl well in the previous match that is why I am out of the side.”There was a tinge of philosophy too: “When you attain happiness, you sometimes get sorrow along with it. That is life.”And he finished on a comforting note by saying, “Bad patches do happen. When [Sachin] Tendulkar was playing in Australia, even he didn’t perform in the first three Tests, then he got a double hundred in the last Test. He too had a bad patch.”***In a desperate attempt to bolster its image, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has decided to hire a public relations firm. Dawn reports about how the idea was put forth by two “honourary” consultants, old-time friends of the PCB chairman. The PCB, invited four public relations firms to Lahore headquarters last week for presenting their credentials.***Steve Bucknor is targeting a century. He expressed his desire to officiate in a hundred Test matches before 2007, the year he plans to announce his retirement. In a report in AFP he said, “I have set a target of 2007 for myself and with the speed of Test matches I am doing I hope to complete the century before retiring.”He continued, “I have to work hard to keep myself fit and to meet the demands of umpiring in the high-profile game of cricket and it would be a great honour to complete [a] century of Tests as umpire.” After the Lahore Test, Bucknor’s score stood at 89. Considering his fairly poor run off late, he could be in for some nervous nineties.

Scotland’s miserable start to the season continued as they went down to a 45-run defeat by Essex in the opening round of the C&G Trophy. The result follows back-to-back losses in the National League at the weekend.”I was disappointed and frustrated in losing another game because we had got into a position of strength only to make mistakes," Craig Wright, Scotland’s captain, told the Evening News. “The mistakes we have to eliminate … are getting into a winning position and then losing a couple of wickets as happened, once more, against Essex. Having improved in each of our three games so far I believe we can find a further edge."