As if to prove that the range of new bribery allegations against him have done little to alter the elegance of his batting, Mark Waugh (152) has slammed a defiant century to lead New South Wales to first innings points on day three of the Pura Cup clash with Tasmania in Hobart. Waugh led a fine middle and lower order performance from the Blues on a day when circumstances and conditions ran very firmly in the visitors’ favour.With the fourth century of the match, Waugh promptly dispelled any lingering rumours that he is unworthy of a place in the Test team that will tackle the touring West Indian side in a fortnight’s time. His timing was characteristically assured and his range of strokeplay a feature as he set about the business of transforming a tense battle for the first innings honours into a comfortable decision.Nonetheless, Waugh’s task – and that of his teammates – was not too taxing given the benign nature of the Bellerive Oval pitch and the horribly depleted state of the Tasmanian attack.After promising left armer Andrew Downton had taken his leave of absence from the match yesterday as a result of straining his intercostal muscle, the Tigers’ plight became even more grave when his fellow fast bowler Damien Wright succumbed to a damaged quadricep not long into the new day’s play. This left the locals needing to rely largely on veteran David Saker (1/97) and the unheralded Scott Kremerskothen (2/120) in the pace department. Saker had an imploring lbw appeal against Waugh (then on 24*) turned down early in the morning; Kremerskothen beat him on 40 with an inswinging yorker that shaved leg stump; and Dene Hills missed with a throw from cover that would have run him out with his total at 57. Otherwise, scares were few and far between.And just to compound the Tigers’ literal and metaphorical agony, Waugh was able to lead a brutal flurry of scoring with tailenders Don Nash (32) and Nathan Bracken (30) that saw the Blues extend their lead to as many as 102 runs. After spending more than half a hour in the nineties, Waugh smashed his next fifty runs from a mere twenty-six deliveries, leading a phenomenal display of hitting that only ended when the very occasional spin of Hills (2/20) drew two errant shots deep into the leg side field.Waugh was unavailable for comment after an innings which guided New South Wales to a total of 464 before Tasmania itself made batting look easy in reaching 1/119 by stumps. But rival skipper Jamie Cox paid testimony to the hand.”He played very well, hit some awesome shots. One hundred and fifty runs – you can’t buy them off the shelf,” said Cox.As for the fate of the match, though, the Tasmanian captain was less enthusiastic.”We were one hundred runs down at the start of the second innings and we’re two bowlers down. I don’t think that gives us any leeway at all. We owe it to ourselves to take something out of this game, and that appears as though it’s an honourable draw.”

Man of the match Pieter Strydom ended the game tantalisingly poised on a hat-trick as Border wrapped up a comprehensive 125-run victory over the Dragons with 8.3 overs to spare.Strydom had Francois van der Merwe caught first ball to follow up his dismissal of Garth Roe to ice his man of the match cake. It gave him bowling figures of three for 19 from 7.3 overs to follow his innings top score of 79. His hat-trick ball will be in next Friday’s home match against KwaZulu-NatalBut really this was hardly a contest. The Dragons at no stage looked like overhauling Border’s 249 for six as they were bowled out for 124 to emphasise the gulf in class and experience.The depth of their resources was laid painfully bare as their attempts tocover up the lack of a fifth bowler were cruelly exposed by the home sideafter the won the toss.Light, Niewoudt and Morne Strydom went for 79 as the Dragons attempted to cobble together a fifth bowler to no avail.There were three half-centuries in the Border innings with Ian Mitchell laying the foundations with a measured 67 from 107 balls at the top of the order before Pieter Strydom and Craig Sugden cut loose.Strydom’s top score of 79 came in 58 balls and included seven fours and twosixes but was overshadowed for violence by Sugden’s 53 in just 32 balls.Against Border’s mean and battle-hardened attack that was more than the Dragons had within them as the innings failed to fire.Gary Outram – top-scoring with 29 – and Glen Hewitt (14) put on 30 for thesecond wicket but the pair both fell with the score on 66 to Tyrone Henderson and that was pretty much that.The win boosted Border back into play-off contention but they still need tobeat the Dolphins and Free State if they are to make the top four.

Who is the oldest living Test cricketer? On the face of it, this mayseem an unlikely question to ask, except at quiz time. But a clearerpicture will emerge when I point out that this question is being askedon a former Test cricketer’s 95th birthday. But is he, at this age,the oldest Test cricketer alive?The doubt arises because the Wisden Cricketers’ Almanack lists Alf Goveras the oldest Test cricketer alive. Gover, a right-arm fast-mediumbowler, played for England in four Tests in the 1930s and 1940s. Hemade his Test debut against India in 1936, toured this country withLord Tennyson’s side in 1937-38, and played his last Test against Indiaon his home ground at The Oval in 1946. Wisden lists his date of birthas February 29, 1908. Interestingly enough, just a few entries aboveGover is the name of MJ Gopalan. The former Indian cricketer’s date ofbirth is given as June 6, 1909.This was the accepted entry till a few years ago, till members of hisfamily clarified that he was born on June 6, 1906. Since then it isaccepted in certain cricketing circles that Gopalan is the world’soldest living Test cricketer.Not that these contradictions mean anything to Morappakam JoysamGopalan. For him, today was just another day. A recent hip injury hasrestricted his movements and so a visit to the temple, regretfully,was not possible. But there was time for a puja at home, followed by afew visitors and a generally quiet day spent at home with familymembers.When this writer rang him up to wish him, Gopalan himself picked upthe phone. Blessed with a strong physique and good memory, the formerdouble international – he also represented the country in hockey as acontemporary of the peerless Dhyan Chand – spoke in calm and cleartones. Asked whether he looked forward to his 100th birthday, Gopalanexclaimed “My God, is living 95 years not enough. I am also not invery good physical shape these days with age having caught up and withthis injury I have.”Asked pointedly whether he was born in 1906 or 1909, Gopalan clarifiedthe correct year of birth was the former. “I don’t know how theschool where I studied listed my year of birth as 1909 but that stuck.It’s so long ago that I don’t know how it happened. But I can confirmthat I am 95 today,” he asserted.Gopalan is well known in India even though his international cricketcredentials, on the face of it, may be modest. He played just one Test- against England at Calcutta in 1933-34, scoring 11 not out and 7,taking one wicket (James Langridge) with his medium pacers and holdingthree catches. He also toured England in 1936 but, not unexpectedly,does not wish to recall the events of that unhappy tour.In fact, Gopalan with the benefit of hindsight, probably made thewrong decision. Having toured New Zealand as a member of the Indianhockey team under Dhyan Chand in 1935, he was an automatic choice forthe Indian team that was certain to retain their gold medal at theBerlin Olympics in 1936. Faced with the choice between cricket andhockey, Gopalan opted for the former, thus denying himself a goldmedal which the Indian team, predictably enough, won.If Gopalan is well known in India, he is a living legend in Chennai.He played with distinction for the state in the Ranji Trophy andagainst visiting sides. To him goes the honour of bowling the firstball in the national competition, on November 4, 1934. The all rounderled Madras for many years, and after his playing career was over, wasa member of the national selection committee for three years in thelate fifties and early sixties.Having retired from active public life for many years now, Gopalan isstill a highly respected figure in sports circles. Whenever he attendsa function, he is the cynosure for both young and old. Sunil Gavaskarfor one, always bends down to touch the feet of the doyen whenever thetwo come together at a public gathering. With a toothy smile and afirm handshake, MJ as he is popularly known, greets everyone withchildlike enthusiasm.Gopalan can never be cynical. In frequent conversations with him, Ihave never heard him say, “you know, in my day…”, that ratherirritating phrase so common to cricketers of yesteryears. He enjoysthe modern game, has a kind word or two about the present daycricketers and eschews, like the plague, the controversial and seamierside of the game. He watches the game on TV and is ready for apleasant discussion on any aspect of cricket.It really does not matter whether Gopalan is 92 or 95, or whether heis the oldest living Test cricketer in the world or not. He is thefather figure of Indian cricket, a man who lives and breathes sport.No Test cricketer has lived to be a hundred. We all hope and pray thatthis gentleman cricketer will be the first to reach the `century.’

ECB Division One – Time games

Andover 169 (2pts) (R Miller 52, Brunnschweiler 33, Keighley 28, King 4-37)
Bashley (Rydal) 170-3 (21pts) (Thurgood 59, Loader 50, Knowles 34)
Bashley (Rydal) won by 7 wicketsBournemouth 142 (1pt) (Swarbrick 35, Goldstraw 5-42)
B.A.T.Sports 143-4 (19pts) (Banks 74*)
B.A.T.Sports won by 6 wicketsHavant 272-3 (12pts) (Perry 160*, Hindley 53, Gillies 31, Hibberd 3-76)
Calmore Sports 195-7 (5pts) (Goode 67, Bailey 64*, Hindley 6-87)
Match drawnBurridge 218-6 (4pts) (Cunningham 78, Jackson 34, Hawkins 32, Ford 4-67)
Hungerford 220-4 (20pts) (Laney 95*, Barr 43, Maier 36)
Hungerford won by 6 wicketsSouth Wilts 282-6 (11pts) (Rowe 170*, Lamb 32, Williams 29, Jansen 4-88)
Liphook and Ripsley 242-8 (10pts) (Smyth 71, Bulled 37, Wright 34, RIley 32)
Match drawn

Division Two – Overs games

Cove 238-4 (reduced to 200 in 42ovs) (22pts) (Randall 87*, Benham 86)
Trojans 133 (3pts) (Subnaik 40, Ashton 3-47)
Cove won by 38 runsEaston & Martyr Worthy 176-8 (6pts) (reduced to 162 in 45ovs) (Shaun Green 31, D Birch 26, Steve Green 26)
Hambledon 162-7 (20pts) (Kenway 72*, Turner 49*, Stone 4-27, Summers 3-28)
Hambledon won by 3 wicketsO.T. and Romsey 224-9 (6pts) (S Tulk 91, K Trodd 30, Allen 3-48)
Lymington 226-4 (21pts) (Treagus 80, Clemow 69)
Lymington won by 6 wicketsU.S.Portsmouth 313 (22pts) (Geogehan 92, Hounsome 52, Fulton 32, Quantock 5-75)
Old Basing 165 (5pts) (Dooley 27, Carson 3-24)
United Services won by 148 runsPortsmouth 302-5 (21pts) (reduced to 272 in 45ovs) (Cook 117, Keech 81, Dew 33, Frith 3-83)
Sparsholt 204-8 (7pts) (Frith 64, Mariner 38, Nichols 27, Savident 4-49)
Portsmouth won by 67 runs

Division Three – Overs games

Lymington II 196-7 (5pts) (reduced to 177 in 45ovs) (Holt 33, Tapper 31, Oliphant 3-45)
Alton 177-4 (20pts) (M Heffernan 98*)
Alton won by 6 wicketsHursley Park 164 (17pts) (Harris 47, Marks 26, Lowe 25, Hall 5-37, Paul 3-25)
Bashley (Rydal) II 132-7 (6pts) (Dean 43, Pardey 25, Halder 3-14)
Hursley Park won by 32 runsGosport Borough 217-2 (8pts) (Wateridge 100*, Adams 51*)
Havant II 218-8 (18pts) (Jones 55*, Hole 51, Benton 33*, Collins 4-53, Freeman 3-44)
Havant II won by 2 wicketsHook and Newnham Basics 219 (5pts) (Kaminski 40)
Winchester K.S. 220-3 (22pts) (Taylor 102)
Winchester K.S. won by 7 wicketsNew Milton 248-8 (22pts) (Griffiths 57, Hoare 34, Gargaro 31, Taylor 26, Howard 4-30)
Leckford 89 (4pts) (Dolman 5-28)
New Milton won by 159 runsPortsmouth II 239-7 (22pts) (Morris 54, Rogers 49, Bellchamber 36, Scott 26)
Paultons 88 (3pts) (Scott 5-12, Marston 4-25)
Portsmouth II won by 151 runsPurbrook 221-8 (20pts) (Pay 68, Hennessy 50, Repsold 33, Brittan 3-47)
Flamingo 150-8 (6pts) (Hitchings 46, Brewster 3-24, Hunter 3-24)
Purbrook won by 71 runsRowledge 252-6 (21pts) (Harland 66, Morrant 59, Mitchell 46, Poling 3-48)
United Services II 208-9 (6pts) (Kitching 73*, Braithwaite 48, Eichler 3-35, R Yates 3-43)
Rowledge won by 44 runsWaterlooville 197 (6pts) (Oliver 41, Baumann 40, Charman 4-46)
St.Cross Symondians 199-6 (22pts) (Barrett 50, Parker 49, J Adams 37)
St.Cross Symondians won by 4 wickets

Jeremy Ord took 6-33 and left-arm spinner Nick Wood 4-18 as Old Tauntonians & Romsey rushed Southern Electric Premier League Division 2 rivals, Sparsholt out for 81 to chalk up a 48-run victory.OTs made full use of their 35 overs, rattling up 172-7, with Max Smith scoring a run-a-ball 49 not out after Richard Rapley (25), Keith Trodd (22) and Ian Tulk (21) had got the innings off to a positive start.Malcolm Ball (3-39) and Will Mariner (3-48) took the bowling credits for Sparsholt, whose reply caved in around Tim Richings (35).With Jerry Frith and Rob Savage among a host of unavailable players, Sparsholt crumbled from 62-2 to 81 all out – the last eight wickets falling in 12 overs.No play was possible in the other four Premier Division 2 games. Premier 3 was a total washout.

The secretary of the Board of Control for Cricket in India JaywantLele today dismissed reports alleging Indian cricketers took steroidsto enhance their performance and said the BCCI was contemplating legalaction against the “reckless reportage” on the issue.”We will take up the matter at the working committee meeting of theBCCI scheduled to be held in August. Only then we will decide whatcourse of action should be taken against ‘Outlook’ for making suchwild allegations. If necessary, we would even take recourse to legalaction,” he said reacting to a report in the weekly that allegedIndian cricketers took banned drugs.”I know it is all ‘bakwas’ (nonsense). Moreover, I had talked toGaekwad regarding this and he has denied making any such statements,”Lele told PTI in Ahmedabad.’Outlook’ magazine had quoted former Indian coach Anshuman Gaekwad assaying that some Indian players are in the habit of taking bannedsubstances.”No player ever took performance-enhancing drugs now or ever. Thereport is all bakwas,” he fumed when asked whether he was wÂs aware ofany such unhealthy practice among cricketers.Asked whether the BCCI has issued any instructions asking players notto take drugs after the controversy erupted, Lele said such a questiondid not arise. “With nothing of this sort existing, should we issueinstructions to the players?” he asked.Lele said the Indian team currently in Zimbabwe was very upset withthe report. “Farak to padega (certainly it would have some impact).The boys are very upset. I had a talk with the Indian team managementand asked them not to worry about such baseless reports and carry onthe good work. But it did have a demoralising effect,” Lele said.

Nasser Hussain is not in the Essex squad for the CricInfo Championship game against Northamptonshire.There had been hope that Hussain would return to first-class cricket this weekend, which would have enabled him to gain match practise prior to next week’s Third npower Test.His continued absence increases the doubt that he will be available for England next week.The England captain’s hand was broken during the first innings of the First Test at Edgbaston by a ball from Gillespie.”At the moment he is not fit – he is not even fit enough to put on a glove,” Keith Fletcher, the Essex coach, said.”He will not play at Northampton and he will not be playing for our second team either. It is going to take time.”Mike Atherton took over the captaincy for Lord’s and would be expected to continue in the role if Hussain is unable to play, though he made no secret of his desire for Hussain to resume the responsibility.With Vaughan and Thorpe already ruled out, and Giles admitting that surgery may be necessary on his troublesome Achilles tendon, England’s run of bad luck shows no sign of abating.Australia only need a draw at Trent Bridge to retain the Ashes.

It is touch and go whether Michael Vaughan will be available for the Fifth Test against Australia at The Oval next week.Vaughan has not played in the Ashes series following a knee operation earlier this summer and has reported that it is sore following his return to first-class cricket with Yorkshire.He has been playing in the CricInfo Championship game against Leicestershire, in which he has scored 82 and 47. But in Yorkshire’s second innings he was hit on the knee which was operated on.He will not play in tomorrow’s Norwich Union League match at Grace Road and will rest for a couple of days before telling the England management of his prospects for the final Test.Vaughan said: “I’m very sore from the first two days of Championship cricket.I’m struggling to sprint between the wickets. This might be a natural reactionto first-class cricket.”I will decide shortly what I will do about the England situation. I’ll waitto see how it responds to treatment.”Vaughan has not played for England since making his maiden Test hundred against Pakistan at Old Trafford at the start of June.

The absence of Derek Kenway, whose broken toe is still troubling him, and Alan Mullally playing the fourth test at Headingley, has weakened the Hampshire team to face Durham in the CricInfo Championship Division Two starting on Friday (17th August).Robin Smith the Hampshire captain, talking to the Hampshire Web Master was however upbeat over their chances. "This two division concept" said Smith, "has made every game we play a cup final. Losing Kenway, who has had a superb season for this match, is a blow, and although delighted for big Alan Mullally playing for England at Headingley, he will certainly be missed. However we are optimistic, having lost two vital one day matches here at Riverside this season, we have more than one reason to turn the tables".Hampshire select from thirteen, with the final eleven decided just before the match. Lawrence Prittipaul is left out after a spate of bad form. Chris Tremlett is suffering from sore shins and will face a late fitness test. John Francis and James Schofield, who excelled in his first-class debut against the Australians, are in the squad, both if selected would be making their Championship debuts.Hampshire 13: Giles White, Jason Laney, Will Kendall, Robin Smith (captain), Neil Johnson, Dimitri Mascarenhas, Adi Aymes (w/k), Shaun Udal, Alex Morris, Chris Tremlett, John Francis, James Hamblin, James Schofield.

Following their marathon batting performance in the quarter-finalclash against MRF, New Zealand ‘A’ failed abysmally in their semifinal encounter against Indian Railways at the MA Chidambaram Stadiumin Chennai. On winning the toss and electing to bat, New Zealand ‘A’were shot out for 129 in 57 overs by the spin duo of Sanjay Satpathyand Murli Kartik. In response, Indian Railways are a healthy 114/4 andin sight of the crucial first innings lead.It was Mark Richardson, dismissed in the first over every timepreviously in this series who gave the innings a semblance ofrespectability. Carrying the bat with a patient 59, Richardson watchedin dismay as his partners all failed to reach double figures when theluncheon interval was taken. New Zealand ‘A’ were teetering at thebrink at 77/7. A late in the order ‘recovery’ from the last twobatsmen, Shane Bond (14) and Paul Wiseman (10) saw New Zealand ‘A’limp to 129 all out.The heroes on the day for Indian Railways were without a shadow ofdoubt their spinners. Former India left arm spinner Murali Kartikscalped 3/34 from 18 overs and knocked the top order out. Once heopened the flood gates, off spinner Sanjay Satpathy took over, gettingrid of the last six wickets. Satpathy’s 6/55 off 21 overs was easilythe highlight of the day.In response, Indian Railways lost three quick wickets and were in aspot of bother at 23/3. Murali Kartik however, underlined hisimportance to the Railways team, spanking an unbeaten 54 that included8 fours and 2 sixes. Yere Goud, unbeaten on 34 (97 balls, 6 fours)helped Railways get within striking distance of the New Zealand ‘A’first innings total.* CAB recover after early blowsHalf-centuries from three middle-order batsmen enabled CricketAssociation of Bengal (CAB) to post a healthy 273 for eightafter winning the toss and electing to bat against Jolly Roversat the end of day one of their three-day MRF Buchi Babusemi-final at the IIT-Chemplast grounds in Chennai on Friday.Saikat Mukherjee, Sanjib Sanyal and Utpal Chatterjee were the men whohelped CAB, 52 for four at one stage, to recover.Bengal had lost their captain and last match centurion Rohan Gavaskarfor no score at that stage. But first, Mukherjee and Sanyal, put on 104runs, the best partnership of the day. Then Chatterjee, more known forhis left-arm spin, played a patient knock of 57 not out to help CABreach a competitive score. Chatterjee’s ninth-wicket partnership withSaurashish Lahiri (21), which has already yielded 39 runs, was thenext best partnership.Mukherjee made an aggressive 66 off 76 balls with four fours whileSanyal made 59 off 120 balls. For Rovers, left-arm spinner R Ramkumar,who claimed three wickets each, was the most successful bowler.Opening bolwer L Balaji climed two wickets.When play resumes on Saturday, the first thing CAB will be hoping foris to see Chatterjee guiding them beyond the psychological 300-runmark.