Teddy Griffith, a retired banker from Barbados, has been elected president of the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB). At a meeting at the Jolly Beach Resort in Antigua, Griffith outgunned Clarvis Joseph by nine votes to four.Griffith replaced Wesley Hall, the West Indian fast-bowling legend, who stepped down from the post due to ill health. Griffith, who played cricket for Barbados and Jamaica, is a former vice-president of the board. He famously resigned from that post two years ago, along with then president Pat Rousseau, after their decision to sack Ricky Skerritt as the national team’s manager was overturned by the board’s directors.Griffith has also served as chairman of the WICB marketing committee, and will now have to plunge into the task of organising the 2007 World Cup, which will be held in the West Indies. Countries have until January 31, 2004, to submit their applications to host matches.Interestingly, when it was announced that Hall would step down it was widely expected that Chetram Singh, a bookmaker from Guyana, would take over the job. But Singh was told that he would not be allowed to attend ICC meetings and, thus, had to step aside.

The winner
Graeme Smith
By the time Graeme Smith had announced his arrival as South Africa’s hugely impressive new captain, a very different face of youth had taken centre stage. Even now it is impossible to believe that Smith was just 22 years old when he cracked 621 runs in his first three innings of South Africa’s Test series in England. His unflinching approach to batting and captaincy earned him a vast army of admirers, and though England clawed to a 2-2 series draw at the final attempt, Smith was the unanimous choice as South Africa’s Man of the Series.The other nominees
James Anderson
Within two months of his debut, James Anderson was representing England at the World Cup. In an otherwise disappointing tournament for England, he picked up 10 wickets in five matches, including a never-to-be-forgotten matchwinning spell against Pakistan under the lights at Cape Town. From that moment on, Anderson was the hottest property in English cricket, with go-faster stripes in his hair and rockets on his boots. He picked up five wickets on his Test debut – at Lord’s, no less – and followed up with another one-day demolition of Pakistan, which included a wicket with his first ball and a hat-trick with his last three.Omari Banks
Spearheading the West Indian youth brigade is a young offspinner, Omari Banks. As a bowler, his figures are little to write home about: on debut against Australia, he was spanked for 204 runs in his only innings. But Banks has more than one string to his bow – quite apart from a fiercely competitive edge, the boy can bat. His willpower was plain for all to see on a tumultuous morning in Antigua in the final Test against the Aussies. West Indies had been set a world record 418 for victory. When Banks came to the crease at No. 8, they were still 130 runs adrift, and a humiliating whitewash was looming. But Banks cames to the rescue, first in support of Shivnarine Chanderpaul, then as an equal partner with the aggressive Vasbert Drakes. Together they knocked off the 46 runs required for victory, and Banks was feted in his native Anguilla with a motorcade around the island. If these men, and more, are anything to go by, cricket’s future is in extremely capable hands.

Zimbabwe v West Indies, 1st Test, Harare, 3rd DayThe first Test between Zimbabwe and West Indies at Harare Sports Club almost came to an untimely ending before the start of the third day’s play, thanks to a freakish incident that seriously damaged the pitch.Play was due to start at 9.30, half an hour early, to make up for time lost on the second day. All was normal as the time approached, with the ground staff rolling the pitch and the players practising on the outfield. Then Zimbabwe’s Trevor Gripper unleashed a well-timed drive that sent a practice ball scudding on to the pitch – right in the path of the roller.The operator had no time to stop, and a split second later the ball lay embedded in the pitch – short of a length to a left-hander at the City (southern) end of the ground. The dent was about an inch deep, and any ball pitched in it could fly anywhere, an obvious danger if bowled at speed.Fortunately the Royal Harare Golf Club adjoins the ground, and an urgent request was made to borrow an auger, with the idea of lifting out the damaged area and replacing it with a similar piece from just behind the stumps. After all, if entire pitches are transported these days, why not a small fraction of a pitch?Robin Brown, the HSC groundsman and a former Zimbabwe opener from the eighties, was in charge of operations. Wisely he wanted to be sure it would work before risking the operation on the troublesome area in mid-pitch, so he tried it first behind the stumps and then in the middle of the pitch, but at the side. After all, the pitch here was much harder and drier than anything likely to be found on the golf course.When this was successful, the final operation on the damaged portion of the pitch was made. With a bit of cleaning up, the area was invisible and appeared to be thoroughly firm. Gundappa Viswanath, the match referee, gave the go-ahead, and play finally started two hours late. If any ball was pitched on that particular spot during the day, it was not obvious.This was a successful venture into unknown territory, and the Zimbabwe Cricket Union sighed a huge sigh of relief – if the match had had to be abandoned, the financial loss would have been appalling. But what if it had not been successful? There is nothing in the laws of cricket that would cover such a situation. But would the ICC approve a common-sense approach, should a small area of a cricket pitch be damaged beyond repair?Flexibility and common sense. These were exceptional circumstances at Harare, which fortunately had a happy ending. But it would be a shame should a whole Test match be abandoned due to an irreparable mishap to a tiny area of the pitch. It would also be annoying if the match referee had to waste time in lengthy communication with ICC headquarters to get permission to work around a unique situation that was not covered by the laws.Let us hope flexibility and common sense may be given free rein in unusual circumstances. Viswanath showed he possesses these by altering the time of the lunch interval today, a sacrilege that was strictly forbidden at Zimbabwe’s Lord’s Test this year, when after a late start half an hour’s play was possible before the players had to troop off so as to take lunch at the appointed time. And the world did not cave in at Harare.

Lance Klusener, the former Test allrounder, wil captain the Nicky Oppenheimer Invitation XI in the first match of West Indies’ tour, a 45-overs game at Randjesfontein tomorrow (Dec 3). The first Test starts at Johannesburg on Friday week (Dec 12).Klusener’s side includes four other players with international experience for South Africa – the batsman Ashwell Prince, wicketkeeper/batsman Morne van Wyk, fast bowler Victor Mpitsang, and the left-arm seamer Charl Willoughby.The match is scheduled to begin at 10am. Tickets are available through Computicket outlets, or at the gate on the day.Oppenheimer’s XI 1 Hashim Amla, 2 Morne van Wyk (wk), 3 Ashwell Prince, 4 Goolam Bodi, 5 Benjamin Hector, 6 Lance Klusener (capt), 7 Albie Morkel, 8 Vaughan van Jaarsveld, 9 Garnett Kruger, 10 Victor Mpitsang, 11 Charl Willoughby. 12th man: Welcome Plessie.

Promising batsman Craig Philipson has continued his rapid rise in theXXXX Queensland Bulls ranks with selection today for next week’s PuraCup match against the Tasmanian Tigers in Hobart.Philipson, who will play his first match for Queensland tomorrow in theING Cup day/nighter against NSW at Sydney’s Telstra Stadium, will makehis first class debut for the Bulls if he takes the field against theTigers next week.The 21-year-old right-hander replaces the injured Lee Carseldine (back)in the Bulls line-up. The only other change sees pace bowler DamienMacKenzie, who was 12th man in this week’s Pura Cup match in Perth,omitted from the twelve.The Bulls will travel to Hobart on Monday, departing on Qantas FlightQF525 and arriving in Hobart on QF1713 at 5.20pm.The Tigers are second on the Pura Cup ladder on 20 points with the Bullsin third spot on 16 points.XXXX Queensland Bulls v Tasmanian Tigers, Pura Cup, Hobart, Wed Jan 21 -Sat Jun 24:
Jimmy Maher (c), Clinton Perren, Martin Love, Stuart Law, CraigPhilipson, James Hopes, Wade Seccombe, Ashley Noffke, Nathan Hauritz,Michael Kasprowicz, Joe Dawes, Chris Simpson. (12th man to be named).

Western Australian fast-bowling legend Jo Angel will retire after the Pura Cup match against NSW at the WACA Ground starting this Friday.Angel said that by leaving the side he was hoping to create opportunities for some of the young bowlers coming through the WA ranks."Hopefully some guys can get an opportunity over the last couple of games to go on and be ten-year players, which I’ve been very fortunate to be," he said.Angel debuted for WA in 1991-92 against New South Wales at the WACA Ground. The NSW team included Mark and Steve Waugh."It’s ironic I suppose that the last game will be against them (NSW),"he said."It would be nice to get them plus a few others hopefully in this game and hopefully we can get a few points and finish off on the right note."I have thoroughly enjoyed my time it’s gone very, very quickly, my first game only seems like only yesterday."Angel said the game has changed in his 13 years at the top."Everything’s more professional these days, all the I’s are dotted and all the T’s are crossed," Angel said." I think back in the old days it was a bit more hap-hazard. It’s amazing how much the game has changed and developed."The game will move on, I hoped I’ve left a bit of a legacy there to aim for and I hope someone can beat my record."Angel said that he wanted to give something back to the game through coaching.Angel is WA’s leading wicket-taker in first-class cricket. In 120 first-class matches for WA Angel has taken 480 wickets at an average of 25.14. In 104 Sheffield Shield/Pura Cup games he has taken 414 wickets at an average of 24.90.He has taken five wickets in an innings on 16 occasions and has once taken 10 wickets in a match.Angel is the second highest wicket-taker in Sheffield Shield/Pura Cup history. Only legendary leg-spinner Clarrie Grimmet has taken more with 513 wickets, a record unlikely to ever be beaten.Angel and Grimmet are the only bowlers to take more than 400 wickets in the Sheffield Shield/Pura Cup.The WACA Ground has been a happy hunting ground for Angel. In 53 Sheffield Shield/Pura Cup matches here Angel has taken 248 wickets at an average of 22.94 with 10 five-wicket hauls.He recorded career-best figures of 6-35 against Queensland at the WACA Ground last season.The WACA has dedicated the final home Pura Cup match of the season to Angel and will hold a lunch in his honour on Friday at the WACA ground. Many past WA greats are expected to attend.In other news Warriors fast-bowler Michael Clark will not be available for the Pura Cup match against NSW after he strained a quadriceps muscle while batting against NSW in WA’s ING Cup win last night.Darren Wates comes into the WA 12 for the game. John Taylor is on stand-by for Beau Casson who is nursing a stitch in the webbing of his left hand. Casson suffered the injury while fielding for WA last night.A decision on whether the left-arm wrist spinner will play will be made before play tomorrow morning.The WA Squad
Justin Langer (c), Jo Angel, Ryan Campbell, Beau Casson, Ben Edmondson, Murray Goodwin, Kade Harvey, Michael Hussey, Scott Meuleman, Marcus North, Chris Rogers, John Taylor and Darren Wates.With the call up of Brad Haddin to the Australian VB Series side Nathan Pilon has joined the NSW team and will take over wicket-keeping duties.The NSW Team
Steve Waugh (c), Dominic Thornely, Phil Jaques, Mark Waugh, Grant Lambert, Stuart Clark, Nathan Bracken, Greg Mail, Matthew Nicholson, Stuart MacGill, Nathan Pilon, and Aaron O’Brien.The match starts at 11.00am with gates opening at 10.00am

Kapil Dev has been named bowling coach for the Indian team’s preparation camp before the Pakistan tour.According to a report by the Press Trust of India, Jagmohan Dalmiya, the head of the Indian cricket board, announced that Kapil would coach the bowlers during the three-day camp in Kolkata from March 7 to 9, but would not accompany the team to Pakistan.A spate of injuries during the recent tour of Australia left India’s bowling attack bereft of experience, and Kapil’s experience of Pakistan’s conditions could assist the bowlers. Kapil has played 29 Tests against Pakistan and claimed 99 wickets at an average of 30.12, besides scoring 1054 runs at 27.02.

Scorecard

Australia might have had their backs to the wall at the close of the secondday, but by stumps on day four their position was as strong as the sturdy400-year-old Dutch Fort ramparts that ring this Galle Stadium. The turnaround in fortunes was been remarkable and Australia, thanks to centuries from Damien Martyn and Darren Lehmann, can now surely not lose the game after piling up 512 for 8 in their second innings.Australia, who started the day 32 runs in front, extended their lead to 351before Ricky Ponting declared shortly before the close. Shane Warne, who tomorrow will have a chance to become the first spinner to take 500 wickets, bowled two overs and Jason Gillespie came perilously close to trapping Marvan Atapattu lbw in his only over.Muttiah Muralitharan, forced to toil throughout most of the day without success, raised the spirits of a small local crowd in the fading light of the evening with a wicket spree. Australia, hunting for quick runs, lost four wickets for eight runs as Muralitharan grabbed 5 for 153 and completed the 13th ten-for in his career. He also extended his career tally to 496, level with Warne.Sri Lanka’s chances of winning may be very remote – the highest total thatthey have every successfully chased before was the 326 they scored againstZimbabwe in 1998-99 – but they will back themselves to draw the match on apitch that has become excruciatingly slow. Australia though, all smiles aftertheir comeback, will look to Warne and Stuart MacGill spin them to a famous win.Unfortunately for Sri Lanka, they have injury problems as Sanath Jayasuriyasplit the webbing on his right hand while fielding off his own bowling.Hospital x-rays revealed no fracture but he needed one stitch. He spent theafternoon nursing the hand with ice and the team management hoped he will beable to grip the bat sufficiently to bat tomorrow if required.Martyn and Lehmann, contrasting in approach, sapped the self-belief from theSri Lanka fielders and bowlers during a long hot afternoon as they added 206for the fourth wicket. Fittingly it was a stand that was rewarded with a record too, as they beat Mark Taylor and Allan Border’s 163-run fourth-wicket partnership against Sri Lanka in 1989-90.Martyn provided the glue with a marathon exhibition of patience, an innings that spanned five-and-a-half hours and 250 balls in intense heat and draining humidity. He was subdued throughout much of the day and rarely fluent, but he was organised and played Muralitharan well. He also played some exquisite off side strokes in his 10 fours.It was also an innings of defiance, coming as it did with his place in the side in hot contention after a 25-month period without a Test hundred. Simon Katich, who also offers some wrist-spin, was pushing him hard for a berth but he fully justified the faith placed in him by the selectors.Lehmann, meanwhile, produced a vintage performance, an imposing andinventive innings that dripped experience and emotion. This was the34-year-old that had played just 16 Tests. He confronted the slow bowlers superbly, using his feet and sweeping in front of square with tremendous power.

But Lehmann’s innings was also special because of the context. It came onhis comeback from an achilles injury and it came after the tragic death ofhis close friend, David Hookes, in January. When he reached three figures,for the fourth time in his career, he raised his arms and pointedly lookedto the sky. No one doubted why.The two had come together after the loss of Matthew Hayden, who rode hisluck early on against the spinners. He thumped one glorious drive throughextra cover off Muralitharan but came within inches of being caught atmid-off from a leading edge. One thin edge off Upul Chandana flew through avacant slip area and he missed several attempted sweeps.The sweep shot, one of his most prolific scoring strokes, eventually broughtabout his downfall against Muralitharan. Having added 24 to his overnightscore, he cued a simple catch to Mahela Jayawardene at slip off the toe ofhis bat. Hayden had scored 130 from 211 balls and hit 12 fours and two sixes(245 for 3).Lehmann should have lasted just two balls as he poked Muralitharan’s wrong ‘un straight to short leg. But Tillakaratne Dilshan, his fingers bandaged like a paranoid pianist, fumbled the catch. Lehmann never looked back, adopting a no-nonsense approach and unsettling Sri Lanka’s spinners with his inventiveness. He shuffled across his stumps and he shovelled to leg. Every now and then he biffed straight down the ground and puffed out his chest. He was intimidating and devilishly difficult to bowl to, finishing with 129 from 214 balls having hit 16 fours and one six.

Sahara Computers has injected 25 million Rand into South African cricket as sponsorship in exchange for the naming rights for three stadiums. The money will go towards the development of local cricket in three provincial cricket unions.The oldest cricket stadium in South Africa, at Port Elizabeth, will be known as Sahara Oval St Georges, the Newlands ground will be renamed Sahara Park Newlands, and Kingsmead becomes Sahara Stadium Kingsmead.Graeme Smith was in favour of the deal, and did not mind the name change. “The players realise how important money is to the game,” said Smith. “At the same time tradition is important and it is something I have been working hard on as far as the national side is concerned.”Cricketers who were playing 20 years ago could not have dreamed that they would be playing 20 overs-a-side cricket today and, if the future of Newlands is at stake in 20 years’ time, nobody is going to ask questions about where the money comes from.”Smith was supported by Raymond Uren, the president of Eastern Province Cricket Board, who welcomed the arrangement. “The Eastern Province Cricket Board will utilise the funds from this investment to upgrade existing facilities and to initiate further training programmes,” Uren said. “We believe this agreement will certainly provide an avenue for the further development of players, facilities and the sport in general.”Cassim Dockrat, the chief executive of Sahara Stadium Kingsmead, felt the name change would cause problems for traditionalists, “But the new name will add a new dimension to the stadium. We envisage a healthy relationship for the good of cricket.”Sahara Computers has no financial links with Sahara Group, which sponsors the Indian team.

Warwickshire 495 for 9 (Wagh 167) v Lancashire at Stratford-upon-Avon
ScorecardA century from Mark Wagh put Warwickshire in a dominant position on the first day against Lancashire at Stratford-upon-Avon. After Nick Knight won the toss and opted to bat, Wagh cashed in on an excellent batting track, sharing in partnerships of 141 with Knight (53), and 154 with Ian Bell (49), as Warwickshire closed on 495 for 9.Lancashire came into the match with a number of players missing due to injury. Glen Chapple is still recovering from a blow to the head he received against Sussex last week, Carl Hooper is nursing a fractured thumb, and Ian Sutcliffe is still absent with a hamstring problem. To add to that, Andrew Flintoff, James Anderson and Sajid Mahmood are all away on England duty.Wagh began aggressively, hitting five fours before picking up his first single with a push into the covers. After the positive start, John Wood came back well, and beat Knight’s bat no less than four times with balls angled across him. Two maidens on the trot slowed the run-rate, until Knight broke the shackles with a savage cut past point off Wood. On 44, Wagh edged a regulation catch to Stuart Law at second slip, but he failed to hold onto the ball, and Lancashire’s first real chance to break the partnership went begging.Steve Crook replaced Wood in the 18th over, and in his first over produced a quicker ball that nipped in off the seam and beat Wagh’s bat, inducing a half-hearted appeal, perhaps only to celebrate the quality of the delivery. Crook then proved his first ball wasn’t a fluke, completely squaring Wagh up next ball and inducing another play-and-miss. However, the luck stayed with Warwickshire, and in just the 19th over Lancashire already had a sweeper on the cover boundary, testament to the quality of the pitch and the batting. There was some life in the pitch for the slower bowlers though, and in his four overs before lunch Gary Keedy found appreciable turn. He trapped Knight lbw for 53, signalling the lunch interval, with the score at 141 for 1.Wagh proved particularly strong on the leg side, clipping Keedy through midwicket for four to take his score to 99, and bringing up his 18th first-class hundred in the next over, bowled by Martin, with a pull to the square-leg boundary. Martin claimed some retribution though, when Wagh played a ball onto his left knee, leaving him in great pain. He declined the services of a runner, and though the injury seemed to affect his concentration for a while, his shot-making remained fluent.At the other end Ian Bell’s innings went almost unnoticed, but he brought up the hundred partnership with a crunching drive through the covers off Wood. The Lancashire bowlers were beginning to tire, with Wood bowling several no-balls, as well as slipping in an unintentional beamer. With the score on 248, Bell gave Lancashire a half-chance, slicing a ball from Dinesh Mongia just short of Keedy at gully.Wagh brought up his 150 with yet another trademark whip off his legs for four, and Bell had moved untroubled to 49 before he sliced a slower ball from Crook to Law at gully, who this time held onto the catch (295 for 2). Crook struck again in his next over, getting the vital breakthrough for Lancashire by dismissing Wagh, again caught by Law at gully off a slower ball, for 167 (304 for 3).Troughton got off the mark with a well-timed push off the back foot for four, and followed that with a flick through square leg as the runs continued to flow for Warwickshire. Lancashire struck back though, with Law taking another catch, this time at silly mid-off, to remove Troughton for 8 on the stroke of tea (313 for 4).After the interval, Mongia, brought into this match as an emergency replacement for Hooper, trapped Dougie Brown lbw for 16 (356 for 5), but Jonathan Trott and Brad Hogg continued the onslaught, adding 63 in quick time before Martin, who had bowled economically without ever looking dangerous, bowled Trott for 54, before trapping Jonathan Frost lbw for a third-ball duck (419 for 7). Following on from his unbeaten 94 off 61 balls against Northants on Wednesday, Brad Hogg this time raced to 56 from 44, before Martin struck for the third time in the session.Neil Carter and Naqqash Tahir followed Hogg’s lead with some long-handled thumping late to compound a difficult day for Lancashire. They will have to work hard tomorrow if they are to remain competitive in this match and keep alive any hopes of reversing their losing streak.