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French newspaper L’Equipe have shared an update on Liam Rosenior’s position at Strasbourg as rumours continue to link him with a move to Chelsea.

Rosenior frontrunner after Maresca exit

After guiding Leicester City to the Championship title in 2024, Enzo Maresca was appointed as the new Chelsea manager. In his first season, not only did the Italian guide the Blues to Champions League qualification, but won both the Conference League and Club World Cup.

For the credit he had acquired, Maresca had earned time to turn Chelsea around from their recent blip in form. Following tensions with the board, however, the Stamford Bridge side announced on New Year’s Day that the Italian had departed his post.

Chelsea’s owners, BlueCo, have widely been associated with chaos since their arrival in London, be it due to mass influxes of signings or the number of managers they hired in their early tenure. Maresca appeared to have, at least on the pitch, finally brought a sense of calm back to the Blues, with an established first-team and playing philosophy.

In the wake of Maresca’s departure, Strasbourg manager Liam Rosenior is seemingly the front-runner to replace him.

The Englishman joined Strasbourg, also owned by BlueCo, in 2024, guiding them to a seventh-placed Ligue 1 finish in his first season. Across the current campaign, Rosenior managed Strasbourg to the top of the Conference League table by the league phase’s conclusion.

Will Chelsea bring Rosenior to the Premier League?

Strasbourg are doing well both domestically and on the continent under Rosenior’s guidance. A mid-season departure, then, could well disrupt the club’s momentum.

However, a source close to Behdad Eghbali, part-owner of Chelsea, has reportedly told L’Equipe, as per Sport Witness, that he and BlueCo as a whole “don’t care at all” about how Strasbourg’s season may be impacted were Rosenior to leave for London.

Rosenior, alongside already being a part of the BlueCo multi-ownership model, is viewed as “almost an ideal fit” for the Chelsea job and as a manager who may prove more agreeing with the board than Maresca.

Subscribe to our newsletter for Chelsea managerial insight For deeper context, subscribe to the newsletter for focused coverage and analysis of Rosenior, BlueCo and Chelsea managerial developments — clarifying ownership decisions, managerial fits and their likely impact on the club.

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More than once in the final months of his tenure, the Italian commented on matters away from the pitch and how they were impacting him.

Of course, Rosenior would find himself under pressure at Chelsea, which would be as immediate as it would be intense. Given his reputation as a promising coach and his pre-existing links to BlueCo, it is understandable as to why he has emerged as the front-runner for the job.

Such news, however, will only come as a stinging blow to Strasbourg and the club’s fans, some of whom have previously voiced concerns about seeing their team reduced to a feeder status.

Related Dream Rosenior alternative: Chelsea considering the "best coach in the PL"

This manager could be Chelsea’s perfect Maresca replacement

Posts ByJoe Nuttall

The fate of the bilateral series between Pakistan and India, to be played in Sri Lanka, now lies in the hands of the governments of both countries. Both the BCCI and PCB confirmed that they had written to their governments asking for clearance for the tour, which is likely to feature five limited-overs games – three ODIs and two T20s. This is the first official confirmation offered by the BCCI about the decision taken to play the bilateral series in Sri Lanka.Anurag Thakur, the BCCI secretary, said he had written to the Indian Foreign Ministry on Tuesday. “I have written a letter to the Foreign Ministry seeking clearance to play with Pakistan in Sri Lanka,” Thakur told PTI. “According to the agreement of India and Pakistan, both teams were supposed to play in the UAE or at any other neutral venue if the conditions in Pakistan were not suitable. It is up to Pakistan as to where they want to play. After discussions with the BCCI and PCB, both countries have decided to play in Sri Lanka.”The decision to play the series in Sri Lanka was taken at the meeting between BCCI president Shashank Manohar and PCB chairman Shaharyar Khan in Dubai on Sunday. The PCB, though, did not mention Sri Lanka as the venue in a media release issued today, saying the final decision would be announced publicly by ECB president Giles Clarke, who was present as a facilitator during the Dubai meeting between the two boards.”There has been much speculative reportage on the PCB-BCCI discussions in Dubai under the facilitation of Mr Giles Clarke. The facts are as follows: a) PCB has informed the government of the talks in Dubai that were regarded as fruitful. The PCB has not asked for an NOC from government for it is the government’s prerogative to decide on the issue. b) Similarly, BCCI is also seeking its government’s views on these matters. c) No request has been received from BCCI regarding the sharing of revenues. d) In due course, Mr Giles Clarke would brief the media of developments,” the release said.Both sides have been tightlipped after the meeting, divulging few specific details including the possible dates for the series. However officials who have been privy to details of the Dubai meeting indicated they the series could be played between December 15 and the first week of January. India then travel to Australia to play a limited-overs series, which begins on January 12.

Sourav Ganguly celebrates his hundred on debut at Lord’s in 1996 © Getty Images

Sourav Ganguly’s arrival is barely noticed amid the commotion. A scrum of 20 journalists are crowded around a certain Sachin Tendulkar – hanging on his every word as they have hung for the best part of two decades, willing him to wax lyrical about the Lord’s Test century that he has never yet compiled. Meanwhile the Prince of Calcutta, Tendulkar’s former captain and fellow Galactico, slips serenely past the throng and takes his place at a nearby table. He is away from the limelight, back among the ranks. And the impression he would like to give is that he has never been happier.It has been a crazy year for Ganguly encompassing exile and acrimony, recalls and redemption. Eight months ago, when his feud with his ex-coach Greg Chappell was at its height, the notion of a third Test tour to England was so absurd it was not even a consideration. But now he is back at Lord’s, where his whole journey began, 11 years ago. In the corresponding Test of 1996, Ganguly announced his arrival with a sublime debut century and then followed up one innings and two weeks later with a second hundred – 136 at Nottingham. He has scarcely escaped from the headlines since.”The past is the past. There are phases in life that you just have to fight through,” says Ganguly. Nine days into his 36th year, and with more than 5500 runs from his 93 Test matches – including an Indian record of 21 wins in 49 as captain – he’s fought and won more battles than most men would seek in ten lifetimes. But he insists the fires within have not yet been dimmed, they’ve merely been brought under control. It is a quieter, more contemplative character who is embarking on the autumn of his illustrious career.”For those eight months [out of the side], I had all sorts of thoughts, but I never thought of giving up. It made me a tougher player to be honest. When I came back in South Africa [in December 2006], I felt I was tougher even than when I was playing my best cricket. I never thought so far as this tour. Even if I hadn’t been recalled, I would have carried on playing until the World Cup, expecting an opportunity and ready to cash in on it.”Ganguly has cashed in alright. The first innings of his rebirth was an indomitable 51 not out on a Johannesburg greentop, out of a total of 249, that ultimately set up an improbable 123-run victory. Another 110 runs in defeat at Cape Town meant he finished a tough tour as the series top-scorer, and a 13 th Test century followed four months later in Chittagong, as Bangladesh were made to pay for their insolence at the World Cup. Even during that tumultuous Group B defeat in Trinidad, Ganguly was the one Indian who would not be bowed – defiantly anchoring a disastrous batting performance with 66 from 129 balls.Those efforts were sufficient to re-establish his credentials. Now, at last, Ganguly is able to take pleasure in his cricket once again – something, you suspect, he has missed for many a long year. Certainly, he does not seem to miss the pressures of captaincy one little bit. “Oh yeah, completely,” he says when asked if he’s over his axing. “I’ve got so much more free time. Captaincy is never easy but in India it is harder because the demands are more. Now that I’m away from the job, I’ve been able to concentrate on myself and my [own] game again. I’ve got a lot of time to relax.”England suits his demeanour as well, despite the fact that the British press is scarcely any more forgiving than their Indian counterparts. In 2000 he endured an unsuccessful stint for Lancashire, scoring 671 runs in 14 matches with no centuries, and attracting the opprobrium of none other than the people’s Prince himself, Andrew Flintoff. He was even less successful in a brief foray for Northamptonshire last summer, averaging 4.80 in six innings, although in mitigation, a four-week midsummer stint was never going to suit him. “When you come from the subcontinent,” he says, “you need some time to get used to the conditions.”I had no problems at Lancashire, to be honest. The only thing is, I never used to drink, and if you’re a non-drinker in England it’s tough. I used to have my coke, pack my bags and go home to see my wife. My performance was not what they wanted of an overseas professional, and that may have been a reason for some disappointment, but we still managed second in the championship.”Whenever Ganguly has turned up here in India’s colours, however, the story has been significantly different. “Whether it’s the World Cup, Tests or one-day cricket, by God’s grace, I’ve done exceedingly well [here],” he says without exaggeration. His 379 runs in the 1999 World Cup included a career-best 183 against Sri Lanka at Taunton, while his six Tests to date in England have earned him the beastly tally of 666 runs, with three hundreds and three fifties. Only once has he failed, making 0 and 5 in the last Lord’s Test in 2002 – the only occasion on which he has been beaten.”I like coming to this part of the world, and I’m sure most of the players enjoy coming here too,” he says. “The facilities, the travel, the comfort. You’re not getting on flights every five days, you’re not packing suitcases every day. You’re just on the coach for a maximum of a couple of hours. It takes a lot of the tiredness out of you. The weather’s good, and it’s a country where everything’s accessible.”

The first innings of Sourav Ganguly’s rebirth was an indomitable 51 not out on a Johannesburg greentop © Getty Images

Even so, Ganguly is too long in the tooth to allow complacency to seep into his assessment of the challenge. “I’ve done well here, but that doesn’t guarantee success – it’s a one-ball game for batsmen. It’s been raining a lot here, so there’ll be some movement, but if we put runs up on the board, that’s the key.” With the old firm of Ganguly, Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid reunited for a third and final assault, that side of the bargain is likely to be fulfilled, especially against an attack lacking the twin services of Steve Harmison and Andrew Flintoff. But what of India’s own bowling?”This is the best bowling team we’ve had in England,” says Ganguly. “In terms of the number of games they’ve played, they are inexperienced, but in terms of performances they have delivered. We won in West Indies and we won the first Test in South Africa in difficult conditions. Zaheer Khan had a great summer for Worcester [in 2006], but Sreesanth is my dark horse for the series – he runs in all the time, and bowls with pace and swing in the right areas.”One man who is missing, however, is Ganguly’s staunchest sidekick, Harbhajan Singh, and it is not hard to imagine what the senior man makes of his omission. “He’s not just a great ally, he’s a world-class bowler,” says Ganguly. “He and Anil Kumble are India’s biggest match winners, and he’s got nearly 250 Test wickets. Series after series he’s been on his own. He was our only bowler in 2001 when we beat Australia, because everyone else was injured. Anil was having a shoulder operation, while Srinath was injured after the first match. We kept on losing bowlers, but he just stood up at one end and picked off wickets.”Ganguly’s tussles with Australia remain the zenith of his career. When asked where India’s famous innings victory at Headingley in 2002 ranks in his all-time moments, it trails in a distant third, way behind the Adelaide triumph in 2003-04, and just about on a par with the away win in Pakistan that same season. But in terms of personal batting highlights, few occasions match Ganguly’s opening gambit, right here in North-West London.”The frame of mind I had in that Test [in 1996] I could never have it again,” says Ganguly. “It’s probably the best frame of mind I’ve had in my career. It’s an age factor. I was more carefree back then, because when you’re young you don’t worry about a lot of things. In last 11 years I’ve scored runs all around the world, but back then I had no nervousness, no fear of failure.”I wish I could get back to that mindset for this Test match,” he admits, a touch wistfully. Given all the battles he has fought and won in the intervening years, perhaps it is not entirely out of the question. He has proved his point and clawed his way back from the brink. Now all he has to do is enjoy the few moments that remain.

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

Stuart Matsikenyeri made a fine 89 to lead Zimbabwe to victory in a close match at Harare© AFP

Stuart Matsikenyeri marked his return to international cricket since March2005 with the innings of his career and Elton Chigumbura defied the oddsto help Zimbabwe overhaul Bangladesh’s 247 and clinch a thriller at Hararein stunning style. Matsikenyeri’s 89 in a record sixth-wicket stand of 114with Chigumbura, whose reenactment of was a classact, systematically broke down the Bangladeshis and resurrected the hostsfrom 50 for 4 to a two-wicket victory.When Chigumbura pinched a single to keep strike for the final over, andthen effortlessly heaved Shahadat Hossain over midwicket for four to sendthe devoted fans at the Harare Sports Club into rapturous applause,Zimbabwe had taken the first step towards redeeming themselves from aturbulent past season.The sight of Chigumbura, draped in the national flag and engulfed by a seaof school children, was heartening. Given that this was an inexperiencedZimbabwean side, with an average age of a classroom lot out of the , the win would have been a shot of adrenalin, valium,and Prozac all in one.Instead of inviting self destruct, like Zimbabwe have so often,Matsikenyeri and Chighumbura grabbed the innings by the reins in what willbe remembered as a great win. To highlight the magnitude of the duo’scontributions, we must rewind to the fact that the innings had started offrather pedestrian-like. Having been rocked by four strikes from MashrafeMortaza and Hossain, Bangladesh’s new ball pairing, Zimbabwelooked down and out. A 51-run stand for the fifth wicket between BrendanTaylor and Matsikenyeri, in good time, was undone by Taylor’s misjudgment.The introduction of Abdur Razzak and Mohammad Rafique, both left-armspinners, encouraged the batsmen to use their feet and try to score downthe ground. When Rafique gave it some air, the aggressive Taylorheaved him down to cow corner but was bowled in a repeat attempt. Deeptrouble, you would think…Not a chance. At least not yet. With the pressure clearly rising,Matsikenyeri and Chigumbura seemed to have realised and reassessed thesituation. Singles come at a good clip and bothbatsmen refrained from indiscretion. Rafique and Razzak were watchedcarefully, while Alok Kapali’s legspin was taken for runs. Once theyfigured out Rafique, Matsikenyeri and Chigumbura steadily brought the runrate down. Their running between the wickets, it must be said, waselectric and belied the frailty of this inexperienced side. Matsikenyerireached his fifty with a fine lofted shot down the ground and followedthat up with a crashing extra cover drive for four more. To rub it in,Chigumbura ran Rafique cheekily down to third man and then got anotherboundary when he slashed Kapali to the same region.More than the amount of runs the two put on, it was the manner in whichthey did so. The Matsikenyeri-Chigumbura association, worth its weight ingrain, had Bangladesh sweating and later fatigued. Matsikenyeri, whoseprevious best was 73, took the leading role, and pushed by Chigumbura,unleashed some fine strokes all round the pitch. Shoulders drooped, Razzakbegan to vent his frustration, and Matsikenyeri was given the easiest oflet-offs on 61 when his lofted shot to wide long-off was dropped by JavedOmar. He reacted with a neat paddle sweep for four off Razzak and to showthat he was definitely to be taken seriousy, heaved the next ball over themidwicket rope.However, a cruel twist was thrown in with victory,and Matsikenyeri’s hundred, in sight. A sharp blow to the toe from aMortaza yorker had Matsikenyeri on his back and receiving treatment, andcramped by the pain, he could only loft Shahadat to Mortaza at long-off inthe next over. But Chigumbara, who stroked Mortaza for a stunning loftedsix and straight four in the 47th over, kept his cool to see Zimbabwethrough with five deliveries to spare. Prosper Utseya, in his first matchas captain, proved his fallibility by missing a heave at Mortaza andlosing his stumps in the penultimate over, and Ryan Higgings fell lbw thenext ball to leave all at the ground reaching for their respirators. ButChigumbura was not about to let matters slip away.Bangladesh’s own innings had been a fidgety one. Tawanda Mupariwa’s twinstrikes first up had Bangladesh in all kinds of bother, but ShahriarNafees’s patient 78 and a quickfire 39 from Rafique at the death gave thema healthy total to defend. Nafees was a steady force in two fifty-plusstands with Mohammad Ashraful (25) and Habibul Bashar (40), and hiseffort, though sluggish, ensured Bangladesh did not succumb to the earlypressure from Mupariwa. Following a middle order hash, Bangladesh wereindebted to Rafique’s effective use of the long handle. He picked up sixesover deep fine leg and long-off and pierced the gaps repeatedly tofrustrate the fielders and take the gloss off a clinical bowling effort.Zimbabwe’s bowling was tidy, if unspectacular, and suggested early on that thisside will push Bangladesh in the series. On a pitch which had a hint ofmoisture, Zimbabwe’s new-ball pairing of Ed Rainsford and Mupariwa turnedin a fine initial display. There was enough pace to check the flashydrives that we have become accustomed to from Bangladesh, and the rightamount of late movement to keep the slip fielders licking their lips. Thetennis-ball bounce also proved suitable to the swing that Mupariwaachieved, while the lift that Rainsford got had the batsmen in two minds.Mupariwa’s celebratory fist pumping, dreadlocks and all, after nabbingJaved and Aftab Ahmed up the order, summed up the feisty attitude of theZimbabweans.His two further strikes at crucial times in the inningsensured Bangladesh did not run away to a high total. Rainsford, whoimpressed in the West Indies earlier this year, returned to bowl Nafeesneck and crop at the death and was far more impressive at the end. Utseyasent down his ten overs on the trot for an economical 35 runs, while thesupport staff – Rinke, whose slow medium pace was quite harmless, RyanHiggins, Masakadza and Matsikenyeri – did well to not haemorrhage runs.Ultimately, it made all the difference.How they were outBangladesh
Javed Omar c Taylor b Mupariwa 8 (15 for 1)
Aftab Ahmed c Taylor b Mupariwa 0 (16 for 2)
Mohammad Ashraful c Higgins b Masakadza 25 (75 for 3)
Habibul Bashar c Chibhabha b Mupariwa 40 (146 for 4)
Alok Kapali st Taylor b Masakadza 23 (185 for 5)
Shahriar Nafees b Rainsford 78 (188 for 6)
Mohammad Rafique b Mupariwa (238 for 7)
Zimbabwe
Chamu Chibhabha c Javed b Mashrafe 1 (7 for 1)
Piet Rinke c Mashud b Mortaza 10 (38 for 2)
Hamilton Masakadza c Ashraful b Shahadat 7 (50 for 3)
Vusi Sibanda b Shahadat 22 (50 for 4)
Brendan Taylor b Rafique 25 (101 for 5)
Stuart Matsikenyeri c Mortaza b Shahadat 88 (214 for 5)
Prosper Utseya b Mortaza 8 (242 for 7)
Ryan Higgins lbw b Mortaza 0 (242 for 8)

Close New Zealand 536 for 5 (Richardson 145, Styris 119)
Scorecard

Scott Styris became New Zealand’s third centurion of the innings © AFP

India had more success on the second day than on the first, but not necessarily more joy, as New Zealand ground their way to a mammoth 536 for 5. The Indian bowlers were ineffective, unable to stop either Mark Richardson from extending his gritty knock or Scott Styris from chalking up an entertaining century. New Zealand controlled proceedings all day but did not make enough of an attempt to score quickly and give themselves sufficient time to bowl India out twice.The best part of the day was dogged, turgid cricket. New Zealand applied themselves in a manner more expected while batting on a greentop under overcast skies at Headingley, or if the ball was spitting and fizzing on a rank turner. But on a wicket that was nice and easy to bat on, with true bounce and pace, against a tiring attack that could only be called an attack because of Anil Kumble, it seemed rather strange. But Stephen Fleming is no fool. The Indians will know that he must have had firm plans in his mind when he instructed his team to play the way it did.Of all the batsmen, Richardson’s plans were easily the best-laid. He puts a high price on his wicket, tries nothing foolish and is utterly predictable in the best sort of way. There was no unseemly haste to score quick runs, and today Richardson dug deep into a seemingly endless well of concentration and accumulated runs, unmindful of whatever little commotion there was at the other end.Interestingly, in the course of his 410-ball stay at the crease, Richardson brought up 2000 Test runs. The fact that he has done so as quickly as anyone in New Zealand cricket seems to have slipped by unnoticed. He’s taken 26 Tests and 44 innings to do so, the same as Andrew Jones, the former New Zealand one-down batsman. Then again, it is hardly surprising that Richardson’s achievement went by without causing a flutter; his batting has been much the same, understated, without flourish and utterly effective.When he finally fell, lofting Harbhajan Singh to Kumble at long-on (382 for 2), Richardson had made a career-best 145. The wicket, falling against the run of play, brought Fleming out to the middle.It was only after lunch that the first signs of acceleration became apparent. Soon after the break, Styris unveiled his full range of strokes, driving well and lofted magnificently over the infield on the leg side. He enjoyed his cricket every bit, often holding the pose after playing a big shot and grinning from ear to ear to his colleague.Fleming had proceeded to drive with authority; without taking too much time to settle in, he took on the bowlers. He scored briskly, unusually so, hitting three boundaries and a six, but it did not last long. The 35th ball he faced, a Sachin Tendulkar delivery that swung late, knocked the off stump right out of the ground (433 for 3).The move to send Styris (119, 230 balls, 10 fours, 2 sixes) up the order proved to be a master stroke. Even Kumble, easily the best bowler on show, was thrashed back over his head for a huge six. He did eventually extract revenge though, trapping Styris in front of the stumps (447 for 4).From then on, all thoughts of acceleration were left squarely in the capable hands of Craig McMillan. He was aggressive from the moment he walked out to the middle, handlebar moustache and all. He irritated the spinners no end, sweeping, reverse-sweeping and dabbing the ball away into gaps. He even managed to get Rudi Koertzen’s goat, running up and down the wicket and receiving an official warning. At the other end, Nathan Astle was scratchy and used up 73 balls for 18 before chopping Harbhajan Singh into the wicketkeeper’s gloves (507 for 5).All said, New Zealand will still have to bat a bit on the third day before they can declare. From then on, the ball will be in India’s court, and Rahul Dravid’s men will then find themselves in the rare position of having to focus on avoiding the follow-on in a home Test. That, more than anything else, is an indication of how much in control New Zealand are.

Devon Smith: not in the coach’s good books© Getty Images

Devon Smith has been ruled out of the fourth Test in Antigua after a specialist told him that his fractured thumb would take three weeks to heal. But the circumstances which led to the injury have left Gus Logie, the West Indies coach, far from impressed.Smith opted to go home to Grenada after the Jamaica Test, but rather than travel an hour to the excellent West Indies Academy just outside St George’s, he decided to practise in a local net with Rawl Lewis, the Grenadian legspinner. It was during that session that he was struck on the thumb by Lewis."Smith should have been practising at the academy," Logie fumed. "He saved himself a journey of an hour by staying on the other side of the island. I can’t understand why. He could have left earlier. It may be a slight inconvenience, but it’s investing in your future. Now he could be out of the side for a while and that will cost him a lot more."

Another hectic week in the World Cup, and some more shocks. Most notable was Kenya’s great victory over Sri Lanka.It is hard to not believe that Sri Lanka’s defeat was caused as much by their own over-confidence as by Kenya’s great performance. Incredibly, it seems that for the first time an associate member might reach the Super Sixes, thanks to their extra four points donated by a paranoid New Zealand.CONTENTS:

• Zimbabwe v Australia: scorecard and report
• Dion Ebrahim: first-class record
• Letters

This will no doubt speed along Kenya’s progress to Test status, but Test cricket is a different ball game altogether. Test cricket, before they were ready for it, seems if anything to have hampered Bangladesh’s development in the short term, as they lost their way even against Canada. They have been battered so often that they do not even know how to beat associate members now, it would appear. It would be tragic if this were also to happen to Kenya.I would be only too delighted to see Kenya playing Test cricket – as long as they were properly prepared for it. It would do neither them nor Test cricket any good to be humiliated match after match like the Bangladeshis. And it all could have been avoided had the ICC helped them arrange several years of unofficial international matches against the A teams from Test-playing countries, as happened with Zimbabwe.Zimbabwe actually played better Test cricket ten years ago, when new on the scene, than they are doing today, in the view of others besides myself. Certainly the bowling was stronger then.On the eve of the match against Holland, is there a chance that Zimbabwe could be humiliated by an associate member? Probably not yet. At the moment Zimbabwe still seem to have something of an inferiority complex when facing senior Test-playing countries, but are hugely confident against the minor countries and the players want to cash in. They are not yet secure enough to become over-confident. But one day it will happen!

A strong reply by the Mumbai Cricket Association XI ensured that theirMRF Buchi Babu cricket tournament first round match against the NewZealand A remained evenly poised at the end of the second day’s play at the Guru Nanak grounds, Chennai on Friday.With a day’s play remaining, the men from Mumbai, who were 198 forfour at close, need another 132 runs to gain the first innings leadand effectively win the match. Their hopes will be pinned on openerNilesh Patwardhan, who is batting on a patient 95 made off 210 ballsduring a relentless 330-minute vigil in the middle.In a well-paced innings, the Mumbai opener hit eleven fours.Patwardhan’s innings meant that his team made a fitting reply despitethe other top-order batsmen failing to get good scores against a fullstrength New Zealand A attack led by two former New Zealand new ballbowlers, Chris Drum and Kyle Mills.Patwardhan’s most significant partnership was with No.3 batsman SachinSawant who made 18 off 114 balls. The two added 62 runs for the secondwicket. The unbeaten 52-run fifth wicket stand between Patwardhan andSushant Manjrekar, who was batting on 21 off 80 balls, was the otherhighlight of the innings.Earlier, Paul Valthathy while making 22 off 63 balls had provided theMumbai innings the right direction by putting on 47 runs for theopening wicket with Patwardhan. Saket Adhikari, the No.4 batsman, wasout for a duck after scratching around for 16 balls while Kiran Powar,who followed him, made 17 off 29 balls.In the morning, the New Zealand A last wicket pair of Shane Bond, alast-minute inclusion, and Chris Drum added 54 runs to guide theirteam to a healthy 329 in their first innings.While Bond went ballistic, hitting six fours in his 45-ball innings of37, Drum was the steadying influence making 16 off 42 balls.The partnership ended when left-arm spinner Rajesh Pawar, who playsfor Mumbai in the Ranji Trophy, snared Bond. The wicket alsocompleted a five-wicket haul for Pawar. Paras Mhambrey who claimed twoNew Zealand A wickets and Nilesh Kulkarni and Aziz Shaikh, both ofwhom claimed one each, were the other successful bowlers. Indiadiscard Ajit Agarkar went wicketless despite bowling 12 overs.On Thursday, former New Zealand opener Matthew Horne, batting at No.3,made a stroke-filled 111 runs off 141 balls studded with 20 raspinghits to the boundary while guiding his team to 277 for nine at closeof play. Another New Zealand opener Matthew Bell who made 47 andHamish Marshall who made 33 were the other significant contributors.Horne and Bell added 144 runs for the second wicket off 47.4 overs butthereafter the New Zealand team lost wickets at regular intervals.* Batsmen make merry as MRF pile up big scoreCracking tons by Rajat Bhatia (151) and Hrishikesh Kanitkar (101) putMRF in a commanding position against Hyderabad Cricket Association inthe MRF Buchi Babu invitation cricket tournament first round tie atthe Southern Railway Stadium, Chennai, on Friday. MRF were 448/8 atclose of play in reply to the HCA first innings score of 256.Resuming on 65/2, Bhatia and Tanveer Jabbar went on accumulating runs,putting together a third wicket partnership of 231 runs off 64.2overs. Jabbar’s long vigil at the crease lasted 289 minutes and he wasdismissed by Vishnuvardhan after making 82 runs off 230 balls with thehelp of eight fours and a six. Rashmi Ranjan Parida (7) failed withthe bat.Bhatia’s big innings came to an end when he was caught by Ghouse Babaoff the bowling of Vishnuvardhan. His innings lasted 319 minutes inwhich he played 238 balls, striking 15 fours and two sixes. Kanitkarwas in no mood to give away the advantage as he went on to smash a runa ball hundred which included 14 boundaries and three sixes. ThiruKumaran (24) gave Kanitkar good support and added 55 runs for thesixth wicket. Kanitkar’s explosive knock came to an end when he wasbowled by the off spinner Noel David. At close of play, the tall TamilNadu player MR Shrinivas (16) was at the crease with Dinesh Kaarthick(4).* Stage set for keen first innings duelThe stage is set for a keen battle for the all important first inningslead in the MRF Buchi Babu invitation cricket tournament first roundmatch between Karnataka State Cricket Association XI and the TamilNadu Cricket Association XI at the MA Chidambaram stadium on Saturday.At stumps on the second day on Friday, TNCA XI were 248 for three inreply to KSCA’s 385.KSCA, who were 322 for seven overnight, did well to get to their finaltotal. RC Shanbal, who was 43 overnight, was out for 52. But formerIndian paceman David Johnson kept the innings going before he was lastout for a bright 47 off 55 balls. He hit two fours and three sixes.With last man U Chaitra (8 not out), Johnson added 29 runs off just3.5 overs. Off spinner Dhandapani took all the three wickets to fallon Friday morning to finish with six for 118 off 30.5 overs.TNCA XI were given a good start with openers B Attavar (18) and SSuresh (67) putting on 58 runs off 18.2 overs. Suresh and HemanthKumar maintained the momentum with a second wicket partnership of 69runs off 19.3 overs. At this stage, Suresh was out to Kumble for 67.In his stay of about 2-1/2 hours, he faced 123 balls and hit six foursand a six. Hemanth Kumar and JR Madanagopal were then associated in athird wicket stand of 85 runs off 21 overs before the latter fell fora well compiled 51 off 73 balls, inclusive of six hits to the ropes.The left handed Hemanth Kumar came through unbeaten with 88 at stumps.He has so far played 163 balls and hit ten fours and a six. Keepinghim company is Sridharan Sarath (7). Play was stopped 34 minutes earlybecause of bad light.* CAB take big lead, set to enter quarterfinalsCricket Association of Bengal batsmen did well to notch up 392 runs intheir first innings against Oil and Natural Gas Commission in the MRFBuchi Babu invitation cricket tournament first round tie at the SriRamachandra Medical College ground, Chennai, on Friday.Resuming on 118/5, CAB required another 71 runs to go past the ONGCfirst innings total of 188. CAB lost Saikat Mukherje (36) to the offspinner Sarandeep Singh and were in some trouble at 151/6. With thevital first innings lead still in balance, Sanib Sanyal and LaxmiRatan Shukla took CAB past their first goal.The two batsmen added 130 runs for the seventh wicket before Shuklagave a catch to Pradeep Jain at mid-wicket off the bowling of MohdSaif. Shukla’s whirlwind knock of 83 off 108 balls included nineboundaries and two sixes.Sanyal (68) was caught by Amit Sharma at mid-wicket off the bowling ofSarandeep Singh. Sanyal struck seven boundaries and a six in his 232-minute stay at the crease, facing 165 balls.Pradipta Mazumdar (39 off 74 balls) struck five fours in his knock andadded 73 runs for the ninth wicket with Sourashish Lahiri. SibsankarPaul (4) was the last man to be dismissed in the 115th over leavingLahiri unbeaten on 46 made in 74 balls with the help of half a dozenboundaries. Sarandeep Singh was the best of the ONGC bowlers, claiming4/83.After allowing CAB to accumulate a massive lead of 204 runs in thefirst innings, ONGC got off to a good start in their second essay.Gagan Khoda and Sandeep Sharma sent CAB on a leather hunt adding 115runs off just 12.3 overs. Khoda made 39 runs off 32 balls, strikingsix boundaries before falling to Lahiri. Mitun Minhas and Sharma added50 runs to take ONGC to 165/1 off 18 overs by close of play on secondday.Sharma is unbeaten on a whirlwind 86 off 58 balls, which includes fivesixes and eight boundaries. Minhas has struck two sixes and a four inhis unbeaten effort of 26 runs off 18 balls. In spite of thesepyrotechnics, CAB look well set to make the quarterfinals.* Balaji sends Indian Airlines crashing to 94 all outThe picturesque IIT-Chemplast ground played host to the MRF Buchi Babucricket tournament first round clash between Indian Airlines and JollyRovers Cricket Club. Boasting a number of stars including skipperVijay Dahiya and opening batsman J Arun Kumar, the Airlines team wouldhave hoped to put up a better showing than their eventual 94 all out,especially after winning the toss and electing to bat first. Cashingin on Indian Airlines’ plight Jolly Rovers notched up 171/3 in 57overs.In the recently concluded Coromandel Cement Cup, mediumpacer L Balajiwas in lethal form, taking 12 wickets in the final, which Jolly Roverswon. On Saturday, Balaji was once again in devastating mood, scalping6/34 from 13 scalding overs. The Indian Airlines team had no answer tohis mediumpace, with Arun Kumar (23), Ishan Ganda (35) and Dahiya (13)being the only three players to make it to double figures. In just35.1 overs, the Airlines side were dismissed for their sub-100 score.If there was some thought that the wicket had devils in it, SBadrinath dispelled it immediately. Coming to the wicket at the fallof Sujith Somasunder’s wicket with the score on 16, Badrinathproceeded to compile an unbeaten 82. Striking 11 of the 193 balls hefaced to the fence, Badrinath boldly attacked the bowlers. Ajay Kuduawith 25 provided some support to Badrinath, but at the end of the dayit was J Hariesh, unbeaten on 29 who was Badrinath’s best companion.The pair added an unbeaten 91 for the fourth wicket and Jolly Roversare well placed on 171 after 57 overs.

Simon Katich, Damien Martyn and Jamie Cox have all continued to hit the headlines at the Bellerive Oval but their teams have departed the venue without outright points after a thrilling finish to the Tasmania-Western Australia Pura Cup match in Hobart today. Set a victory target of 387 from a minimum seventy-one overs, the Warriors finished at 9/373 – a score which respectively left the teams an agonising fourteen runs and one wicket adrift away from claiming maximum points.After Cox had established the parameters for the exciting pursuit by declaring the Tigers’ second innings closed at 9/238 thirty minutes before lunch, Katich (152) and Martyn (90) joined to set the Western Australians firmly on course for success. Undeterred by the early departures of openers Mike Hussey (5) and Ryan Campbell (19), the two Test aspirants added 193 runs in a rollicking exhibition of strokeplay that spanned less than two hours.Promoted up the order to maintain the momentum, Brendon Julian (39) capitalised effectively on the Katich-Martyn alliance by launching himself into the production of several towering hits. But his dismissal to a fast, straight delivery from David Saker (5/98) and the earlier departure of Martyn – to a loose shot outside off stump that gave thirty-two year old debutant Mark Colegrave (1/76) his maiden first-class wicket – prompted a near-reversal of the situation. Upon Julian’s dismissal, the Warriors suffered a collapse that saw six wickets tumble for the addition of just seventy runs.After receiving a hammering, like most of his teammates, at the hands of Katich and Martyn, Saker was the man who led the Tasmanian fightback. All-rounder Scott Kremerskothen (3/64) also played his part well, a part made more difficult by both the placid nature of the pitch and the loss of key bowlers Gerard Denton and Shaun Young to injury.In a major setback for the Tigers, Denton did not even take the field during the afternoon as a legacy of experiencing pain in his back – an ailment, worryingly, that has also troubled him in seasons past. Young did manage to deliver three overs, but was belted for thirty-three runs and strained his groin in the process.Their presence might well have made the difference in the concluding stages. But Saker and Kremerskothen did not appear to need all that much assistance, removing Murray Goodwin (12) quickly, engineering the vital dismissal of Katich, and then opening the way for Andrew Dykes to make a brilliant contribution of his own by taking a superb running catch at deep cover to send Mark Walsh (13) back to the pavilion as well. Matthew Nicholson (9) and Brad Oldroyd (3) did not last long and, by the time that number eleven Gavin Swan (0*) came in, he and captain Tom Moody (22*) were faced with the task of scoring eighteen runs from fourteen balls if the Warriors were to win. Swan somehow survived three raucous lbw appeals and played and missed once and, suitably discouraged from handing his partner back the strike, Moody opted that the only prudent course available to him was the act of denying the Tasmanians victory instead.Earlier, Cox (87) fell on the so-called devil’s number for the second time in the match on the Tigers’ route to their closure. Young (48) then held the lower order together as it underwent the ordeal of surviving some accurate medium pace and spin bowling from the pairing of Moody (3/23) and Oldroyd (3/87).In the end, though, all that was left to show for the teams’ imagination and enterprise was a first innings result that fell in favour of the Tasmanians.

Former KCA chairman Sharad Ghai has told The Nation that Cricket Kenya is in breach of an agreement with the ICC by not holding elections.The annual elections should have been held in June 2007 but the repeated failure of the Nairobi Provincial Cricket Association to amend its own constitution and hold its own elections has led to the delay. The NPCA is Kenya’s largest constituent body and yet it has failed to produce accounts or hold annual meetings for more than three years. CK has deemed it wrong to hold elections with the NPCA is such a mess and with its executive being so unrepresentative and has been attempting to get the situation resolved. It has , however, been faced with endless stalling tactics by the embattled executive.Ghai told The Nation: “CK should not use the delay in the amendments of the Nairobi Provincial Cricket Association’s constitution as an excuse for delaying the elections because they would not affect the number of delegates allocated to the province.”However, what this overlooks is that the number of NPCA delegates is not the issue. It is the manner in which those delegates are selected that is a problem. A number of those that sit on the NPCA executive are not accredited delegates of any club. Yet they can attend meetings, purport to stand again and again for a post within NPCA and also vote for themselves to get onto the CK executive.Furthermore, in 2005, in his last weeks as chairman of the KCA, Ghai actually wrote to the NPCA reminding them that they had to call an AGM to amend the constitution and that was acknowledged by Salim Dhanji, the then NPCA chairman, who has since distanced himself from the current executive. That meeting has still to be held.Ghai’s comments will be read with incredulity by many stakeholders. He was a key member of the old Kenyan Cricket Association when it suspended the NPCA and replaced it with an unrepresentative body. For several years the KCA failed to hold elections and was almost utterly unaccountable. Ghai was forced from office after a year in which the players went on strike and Kenya’s sports minister sought to have the KCA disbanded. Eventually, the KCA was forced to hold elections after pressure from the Africa Cricket Association and the ICC.There has been concern that Ghai was attempting to get back into administration ever since he reappeared as a representative of Nairobi Gymkhana on the NPCA council last year. That The Nation, whose journalists gained a reputation of being sympathetic to Ghai while being critical of CK at any opportunity, are again giving him a platform will be seen as further evidence that a comeback is on the cards.Cricinfo has flagged the problems within the NPCA on many occasions and the executive, which remains in office despite widespread criticism from its own members, has engineered continual delays in holding its annual meeting which can force through amendments necessary to enable CK to move ahead.CK has shown immense patience as it has not wanted to interfere in what is in essence a local matter. But there are signs that patience is running out for the NPCA to gets its own house in order.