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Daren Ganga will lead Trinidad and Tobago (T&T) in the Stanford 20/20 Tournament, which has a grand prize of US$1 million at stake. Ganga will have the services of West Indies team-mate, wicketkeeper Denesh Ramdin, who almost inspired the West Indies to an unlikely victory in the fourth Test against India in Jamaica earlier this month.Discarded West Indies pacer Mervyn Dillon will also get an opportunity to shine for his country as he will be leading the T&T bowling attack, which also features allrounder Rayad Emrit and spinner Ken Hazel.The squad has a good balance of youth and experience, including newcomer Sean Siloch, who was vice-captain of the Presentation College Secondary Schools Cricket League championship team of 2000, which also featured opener Tishan Maraj. Siloch has also played a big part in the success of top National Cricket League club FCB Clarke Road United.The T&T team will also be strengthened with the return of former West Indies one-day specialist batsman Ricardo Powell, who is set to make his comeback after injury. West Indies Under-19 batsman and vice-captain William Perkins will be seeking to establish himself as a solid bat in the middle order after his exploits at the U-19 World Cup earlier this year.Kieron Pollard, another U-19 player, will get the chance to impress with his consistent batting and handy right-arm spin bowling. Pollard will be in action along with his team-mate, Mario Belcon, both members of the triumphant Trinidad and Tobago squad who captured the Under-19 Challenge last year. Other members of the national team include Shazam Babwah, Samuel Badree and Nicholas Ramjas, the offspinner.Trinidad and Tobago open their campaign against the Cayman Islands on July 25 in Antigua.Squad: Daren Ganga (capt), Sean Siloch, Ricardo Powell, Samuel Badree, Nicholas Ramjas, Mervyn Dillon, Denesh Ramdin (wk), William Perkins, Shazam Babwah, Kieron Pollard, Rayad Emrit, Ken Hazel, Mario Belcon
Manager – Omar Khan Coach – David WilliamsCricinfo adds:
Ricardo Powell and Rayad Emritt took T&T to a seven-wicket win over St Lucia in the second of two practice matches at the Beausejoir Stadium. Powell, who recently announced his return from injury and a self-imposed break from the game, made 48 and Emrit an unbeaten 54 as T&T chased down 116 for the loss of just three wickets in 13.5 overs. The two added 87 for the second wicket to get their side off to a perfect start ahead of the Stanford 20/20 tournament.

Over the past 12 months, Adam Gilchrist’s batting had subsided to such an extent that the only table he topped was the one for the most ducks – five. After scoring a cavalier century against a Zimbabwe team taken apart by the rampaging Matthew Hayden, nine subsequent Tests – starting with the draw against India at the Gabba last December – produced just 412 runs at 27.46, with only two thrilling innings in Sri Lanka, 144 and 80, revealing the true depth of his talent.When he came to India in 2001, Gilchrist was about to embark on a hot streak that would result in his name being mentioned alongside the most destructive batsmen to have ever played the game. And though Harbhajan Singh worked him over in the final two Tests of that gripping series, Gilchrist’s thrill-a-minute century at the Wankhede Stadium had helped Australia romp to victory inside three days.That was a truly exceptional innings. After Sachin Tendulkar’s one-man show had taken India to 176, Australia collapsed to 5 for 99 once Harbhajan had warmed his fingers. But Hayden, on the comeback trail and with everything to prove, and Gilchrist wrested the game from India’s grasp with a scintillating 197-run partnership, with Gilchrist’s effort a force-ten gale of sweeps, cuts and lofted drives that left opponents and fans open-mouthed.His century today may have come at a cracking pace, but had nothing of the devil-may-care approach that characterised that 84-ball evisceration. This was cool, considered, and utterly effective. The sweep, a shot that touring batsmen can sometimes be unduly obsessed with, wasn’t unveiled till he had made 87, and there were very few risky darts behind square.Instead, he cut and drove with tremendous fluency, clearing mid-on and mid-off with nonchalant flicks whenever he felt the need to puncture the bowlers’ confidence even further. And far from being weighed down by the cares of captaincy, Gilchrist appeared to thrive, shepherding a slightly jittery Michael Clarke past a memorable hundred on debut.But while the new order may have lit up the Australian batting – Gilchrist being the exception – it was the old guard to the fore as India’s best batsmen were decimated before stumps. Glenn McGrath has played only two Tests in the last 14 months, and after England’s batsmen had treated him with some disdain in the ICC Champions Trophy semi-final, there had been a few ignorant voices pronouncing his demise.

McGrath answered the snipers with relish, deceiving Aakash Chopra with one that darted back, and then getting rid of Rahul Dravid with a peach that eased between pad and tentative bat. Yuvraj’s statuesque waft completed a perfect afternoon’s work, and McGrath’s amazing figures on Indian soil – 19 wickets at 18.26 before this Test – might look even better come the end of the series.Shane Warne proved a point too. VVS Laxman had batted quite beautifully for his 31, flicking and driving Warne with the same panache that had precipitated the turnaround in Kolkata three years ago. But Warne toiled away manfully on a pitch that was only taking slow turn, and got the most prized wicket – Laxman has 965 in his last six Tests against Australia dating back to that Eden Gardens epic – with a ripping legbreak that was as good as anything Mike Gatting or Jacques Kallis were flummoxed by.But the two stalwarts of the old firm were both outshone by another – Michael Kasprowicz, whose story epitomises the virtues of perseverance. Virender Sehwag’s wicket might have been a bit of a gift, but the delivery that seamed away and lifted to take the edge of Sourav Ganguly’s bat was one of many corkers that he bowled in mid-afternoon. Never the speed gun’s favourite, Kasprowicz has been a sterling performer in subcontinental conditions because of his ability to swing and reverse-swing the ball while cutting it both ways off the seam.Such bowlers with a penchant for hard yakka, as Aussies like to call it, are rarely valued in this part of the world – where there is an increasing tendency to value hype and image over substance – but how India could have done with a Kasprowicz out there as Gilchrist and Clarke pushed them ever closer to the precipice.

It may be deep in the heart of football season, but Australia has a home Test cricket series less than a month away. And all is not well.Glenn McGrath has been a champion for so long that we’ve been taking him for granted. Wind him up and watch those ungainly limbs somehow coalesce to deliver 5 1/2 ounces of red leather in exactly the spot batsmen don’t like. Time after time. Never missing a beat; a chronometer among fast bowlers.For a decade McGrath has been Australia’s pre-eminent new-ball specialist, and by most reckonings one of the greatest bowlers of all time. The figures don’t lie. In 95 Tests he has taken 430 wickets – second only to Shane Warne (517) among Australians, and sixth on the all-time list. With five more wickets he will have only Muttiah Muralitharan, Courtney Walsh and Warne ahead of him.McGrath’s signature delivery is the one that lands at an awkward length in the so-called “corridor of uncertainty” just outside the line of off-stump. He’s not all that quick, but he’s relentless, and it is reflected in not only the number of wickets he has taken, but in the strike rate (52.0) and average (21.71), which are exceptional. Time, however, is the master of all cricketers. Especially fast bowlers.McGrath is 34. He has now delivered that bit of leather 32,314 times in Tests and one-dayers. The sheer physical work has taken its toll, particularly on his ankles. Previously renowned for being injury-proof, McGrath had surgery twice last year, and has missed Australia’s past nine Test matches.The growths on his ankle bone were obviously restricting him before he opted for the scalpel. In the five preceding Tests, McGrath’s returns were ordinary – 10 wickets at an average of more than 36. The last two of those matches were against Test bunnies Bangladesh. And compared to Jason Gillespie and Stuart MacGill, he struggled. Plainly, McGrath is no longer the bowler he was.The question is, can he regain his old form? He had hoped to use Australia’s recent tour to strife-torn Zimbabwe as the springboard back to the top. But the Tests were cancelled, and the tour was reduced to three meaningless one-day internationals and practice matches against third rate sides.McGrath flew home this week with a sum total of 37 African overs under his belt and a threadbare return of 2-110. He declared it useful, but it was hardly encouraging. By the third match he had suffered the indignity of being relegated to change bowler behind Gillespie and the resurgent Michael Kasprowicz.McGrath himself thought that was a fair call, but said he was happy that he had improved with every outing, and was “not too far away” from full form.”The last one-dayer it was starting to feel really good,” he said. “The rhythm was coming back then and I think that with another couple of matches, the zip and everything would have come back. I’ll try to keep bowling the next couple of weeks and then hopefully I’ll be ready to go.”Fast-bowling coach Geoff Lawson is among those who are not so sure, arguing that McGrath has problems with his technique. “Technically he’s still making some errors that we don’t normally see from him,” he said. “He’s been taking a big step in, in his delivery. When he runs straight through he’s much better.”Lawson said the flaw was restricting McGrath’s ability to get his right shoulder far enough around, which robs him of both speed and accuracy.”I’ve haven’t seen him bowl so many wide balls and short balls for a long time,” Lawson said. “It’s just not there. He’s getting poor figures against people who can’t play that well, and that has to be a worry.”While it is dangerous to read too much into a tour like Zimbabwe, McGrath has been back in action for four months and still the engine is spluttering.He’s played a couple of grade matches, a Pura Cup match, a NSW Second XI match and the four games in Zimbabwe, sending down more than 130 overs.And while he says there hasn’t been much “ouch” in his ankle, neither has there been any Ooh-Aah in his bowling. “McGrath’s a very hard trainer, Lawson explained, "but when you get to that age, injuries are so much harder to come back from."Next stop for McGrath is an indoor net at the Sydney Cricket Ground, then the Centre of Excellence in Brisbane. Net bowling is only part of the answer, and he knows it. So does Ricky Ponting.”It’s all about him getting his rhythm back in the middle,” Ponting said. “You can do as much bowling as you like in the nets, but it’s nowhere near as valuable as game practice is. He’s got a bit of work to do yet, but with 400-odd Test wickets to his name, I’m sure he’ll be back playing well again pretty soon.”When asked, Ponting said he expected to toss the new ball to McGrath when Australia plays Sri Lanka in Darwin on July 1. But only after an initial “maybe”. For the past 10 years there has been no maybe about it. Start of Test innings equals throw new ball to McGrath. No maybes. The skipper’s hesitation betrayed his concern.While in Zimbabwe, McGrath spoke of his ambition to reach 100 Tests, 500 wickets and to keep playing until the 2007 World Cup. It’s a tantalising thought, especially in days when cricketers are keen to extend their careers into their late 30s because they can earn sixand seven-figure sums a year.It may be all right for batsmen, but fast bowlers need to be exceptional to stand up to it. Which makes Courtney Walsh’s record all the more remarkable – he played well into his 39th year.In Zimbabwe, McGrath raised the prospect of winding back the speed, of mellowing into fast-medium in the style of Allan Donald, Dennis Lillee, and perhaps most effectively, Richard Hadlee. They substituted grunt for guile and continued to take quality wickets when age had stiffened their bones.McGrath, though, has never been an express bowler, and finds it difficult now to get much above 130kph. He is a more front-on style of bowler, and the transition might not be so easy.Gillespie, who has now assumed the mantle of Australia’s leading fast bowler, believes reports of McGrath’s demise as a new-ball bowler are premature.”He’s an opening bowler and he has been an opening bowler all his career,” Gillespie said. “No doubt, if the opportunity was there for him to have a different role he would embrace it and enjoy it. But I know he loves opening the bowling. It doesn’t bother me, he can open the bowling any time he likes.”

Glamorgan`s batsmen took full advantage of a good wicket and friendly bowling in amassing 434 in their first innings of the three day match against Cardiff UCCE at Sophia Gardens.Five of their batsmen made half-centuries, with only David Hemp missing out against the undergraduate attack. Steve James and Adrian Dale opened proceedings with a breezy partnership of 69 for the first wicket. Adrian Dale played some fluent strokes and showed no ill effects after his recent shoulder operation before being dismissed for 38.Steve James was equally quick to punish any loose deliveries, and the Glamorgan captain had made 81 in even time before he was caught behind.In the afternoon session Mike Powell and Matthew Maynard each made attractivehalf-centuries, and benefitted from time in the middle. Maynard top-scored with 92 from 101 balls, and his forthright innings contained 14 fours and 3 sixes.Wicket-keeper Mark Wallace also made a jaunty 55 from just 44 balls, and in thepost-tea session, Darren Thomas became the fifth Glamorgan batsman to pass thefifty mark before being last out for 57, as Glamorgan were bowled out for 434 in the 83rd over.The Cardiff students had reached 13 without loss from 8 overs before bad lightbrought an early end to the day`s play at six o`clock.

Just 24 hours after seeing his side triumph against Leicester in the Cheltenham and Gloucester Trophy at Lord’s, Somerset Coach Kevin Shine told me, “This was a dream realised for the team. The atmosphere in the dressing room was electric. We are very proud for the players and very proud of what they have done for the club.”The coach went on, “Everything that we have done with them in training at the club came into play out in the middle. There were tough times out there but they won through which was very pleasing. We hope that we can use this as a launch pad for more success.”When I asked about the celebrations afterwards, the Coach told me, “To be honest the boys were very, very tired. On Friday they were nervous and tense, on Saturday out on the field they played their hearts out, so by the middle of the evening they flagged.”What about the National League game against Warwickshire on Monday I asked. He told me, “It’s going to be tough for them, but our job is to lift them for the tomorrow’s game.”The coach told me that the team for the game at Taunton tomorrow was likely to be the same as that which beat Surrey Lions in the floodlit game a fortnight ago. “There will be no Caddick nor Trescothick,” the coach said, “we wont see them again this season, which is a real shame, but there is nothing that we can do about it. We just have to dig deep, and go hard at the next two weeks.”

Khan Research Laboratories were propelled to the top of the table with 12 points after securing a draw against State Bank of Pakistan. KRL put SBP in, with the decision seemingly vindicated after Yasir Arafat bowled opener Raheel Majeed for just 1. A 53-run stand for the second wicket between Kashif Siddiq and Umair Khan saved early blushes, before an imperious 202 from Usman Arshad wrested the match in SBP’s favour. SBP finished their innings on 420, with Sadaf Hussain and Umaid Asif taking three wickets a piece.KRL’s effort proved even between, led by Ali Khan’s 187 at No. 6, with a pair of seventies from Shoaib Ahmed and Nayyer Abbas book-ending the innings. KRL finished on 481 despite Mohammad Naved taking 5 for 129. Facing a deficit of 61 runs, SBP did well to get past the mark with just a wicket lost. Majeed scored 50 while Umair Khan just missed out on an eight first-class ton when he was out for 97. SBP were 199 for 5 when stumps was called and the match was declared a draw.Zarai Taraqiati Bank Limited beat Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited by 93 runs in Islamabad to register their first win of the tournament. ZTBL batted first, but found themselves in a jam when they were placed at 42 for 3. Haris Sohail and Haseeb-ur-Rehman steadied the innings with a 75-run stand. However, once both batsmen departed, the rest of the order failed to put up a fight as ZTBL were dismissed for 210. Imran Ali led the bowlers with 5 for 31 while Hussain Talat chipped in with 3 for 24. SNGPL’s innings was marked with the inability of their batsmen to push past double figures, with only Naeemuddin and Azhar Ali the exceptions. ZTBL needed just three bowlers to dismiss SNGPL for 80, giving them a lead of 130 runs. Usman Khan took four wickets, while Imran Khan and Mohammad Khalil chipping in with three a piece.ZTBL posted a strong second innings when Sharjeel Khan and Babar Azam put on 166 runs for the second wicket, with Azam having to retire hurt on 80. Sohail remained unbeaten on 50 as ZTBL declared on 236 for 2. SNGPL were given a target of 367 to chase, with things started abjectly when SNGPL were 35 for 3. Things got even worse when they were placed at 103 for 7, but a stunning counter-attacking 106 from Bilawal Bhatti scored 106 at No. 9, but despie that performance, SNGPL still ended up falling short by 93 runs.A nerveless unbeaten 49 by Naeem Anjum in the second innings saw out a tricky 178-run chase for Pakistan Television as they held on to a four-wicket victory over Port Qasim Authority in Lahore. PQA batted first, with the openers putting on 64 for the first wicket. Innings from Faraz Ali (69) and Mohammad Waqas (88), pushed them to 316. Mohammad Ali’s took best figures of 5 for 75. Despite losing their openers with the score on just 11, and then suffering further set backs to be reduced to 51 for 4, Pakistan Television looked under the cosh, but Zeeshan Mushtaq (105) and Yasim Murtaza (70) rallied the team, helping them secure a slim 43-run lead. Mohammad Sami and Sohail Khan chipped in with three wickets a piece.PQA’s second innings didn’t go to plan as they kept losing wickets at regular intervals. Despite a stirring effort from Shahzaib Hasan, with 105 off 110 balls which included seven fours and four sixes, none of the other batsmen, aside from Sami’s 30, were able to contribute significant scores as PQA were rolled for 220. Waqar Ahmed and Wasim Murtaza did chief damage, taking three wickets each. With 178 runs for victory, Pakistan Television lost opener Haroon Ahmed with the score on just 17. Imran Ali and Nawar Ahmed also went out in quicktime, before a double-strike of consecutive balls from Mohammad Sami left them at a precarius 102, with 76 still required. A calm 59-run partnership between Fahad-ul-Haq and Naeem Anjum ensured they got to the mark, with Anjum finishing off the chase with consecutive boundaries.United Bank Limited beat Water and Power Development Authority by 176 runs to post their first win of the tournament. UBL batted first, with Abid Ali leading the way with his 76. Each of the UBL batsmen chipped in, but failed to go on to post a meaningful total. A couple of forties from Asif Raza and Tariq Haroon were the only notable performances other than Abid Ali as UBL reached 319. WAPDA started promisingly with some good stands up front, but lost their way after reaching 218 for 6, losing the remaining four wickets for the addition of just 42 runs. Aamer Sajjad, the captain, top-scored with 84 while Mohammad Ayub chipped in with 50. Both Mohammad Irshad and Tariq Haroon picked up four wickets each to lead the UBL bowlers’ efforts.UBL’s second innings was anchored by Abid again as he bettered his 76 in the first innings with an unbeaten 101. Khaqan Arsal scored 70 at No. 5, as UBL declared their innings at 242 for 6 with a lead of 302. WAPDA were never really in the chase, as they succumbed to 68 for 7. Only their captain, Sajjad, fought valiantly with his 64 as WAPDA were bundled out for 125, giving UBL a 176-run victory.Some imposing first-innings totals resulted in the match between Pakistan International Airlines and Habib Bank Limited finishing as a stalemate. Both sides were seeking their first win after losing their respective tournament openers. It was PIA who batted first, where innings from Fahad Iqbal (52), Anop Santosh (51) and Anwar Ali (61) helped PIA to 343. Sarmad Anwar and Ehsan Adil took seven wickets between them.Habib Bank’s innings started well, with opener Shan Masood and captain Imran Farhat adding 114 for the second wicket. Masood and No. 6 Rameez Aziz then put on 169 runs together, with Masood finally falling for 140. After Rameez was out on 78, Mohammad Aslam and Abdul Ameer were left not out as the match petered to a draw, with Habib Bank on 411 for 8.

More for Mascarenhas?
Dimitri Mascarenhas may return to the IPL for a second spell with the Rajasthan Royals at the end of May, according to Hampshire chairman Rod Bransgrove. Mascarenhas, who will be available to play from May 12 to 26, could come back if Rajasthan qualify for the semi-finals. “We’ll wait and see what the Royals do in the IPL and where we’re at before that’s discussed.” Bransgrove told the . “Things have worked out very well between us so far, they’ve been decent people to deal with.” Rajasthan are chasing a third successive win in Bangalore today.Orange country
Kumar Sangakkara, who cracked 94 off 56 balls to set up Kings XI Punjab’s 66-run win over the Mumbai Indians, received the orange cap for becoming the highest run-scorer of the tournament. Sangakkara has scored 168 runs at 56.00 with a strike-rate of 173.19. Rest assured, Brendon McCullum, behind by just five runs, will be keen on taking the cap back as the Kolkata Knight Riders square off against the Chennai Super Kings in game one of a Saturday double bill.

Scorecard and ball-by-ball details

The one-off game for the Friendship Cup between India and Pakistan at Glasgow – part of the 60th anniversary celebrations of independence for both India and Pakistan – was a victim of the poor weather that has lashed the United Kingdom over the past ten days. The 10.45am start was thwarted by persistent drizzle, and though there was an inspection at 2.00pm, the intermittent rain and slushy ground conditions meant that not even a 20-overs-a-side game was possible.India travelled to Glasgow after defeating South Africa in a three-match series at Belfast, while Pakistan haven’t played since they went up against Sri Lanka at Abu Dhabi in May. The two great rivals haven’t played each other since April last year, and unfortunately the weather meant that5000-odd fans who had bought tickets for the game went home disappointed.As for the teams, the interminable wait for play to start included a dressing-room meeting with Prince Charles, heir to the throne. Once that was over, they left for the hotel, India to ponder a series against England, and Pakistan more time off before they gather for the Twenty20 World Cup in South Africa.

Ken Gordon, the president of the West Indies board, has highlighted the captaincy of Brian Lara as one of the key factors in the recent success of the West Indies.Gordon told CMC’s Cricket Plus, “I think we have a team that is playing with new vigour. I think they are being well led. I am seeing ongoing improvements in the bowling. There is much for us to be pleased about and I think on all fronts we have gone forward positively.”He added, “As far as the reasons for this, I think people have a sense of things settling down and I believe these things always start from the top and, for whatever reason, I think now that we have been able to settle the issue of the captaincy, I think many things have flowed from this and I hope they will continue to flow and develop.”Lara was re-appointed captain for the third time in his career in April, just before the start of a seven-match ODI series against Zimbabwe. He took over from Shivnarine Chanderpaul, who failed to win a Test or ODI series since he took over last year.Since he has taken over, Lara has led his side to nine wins, including an expected 5-0 thumping of Zimbabwe (two matches were rained off) and an unexpected 4-1 triumph over an in-form Indian side. Lara’s appointment has been the subject of some criticism from ex-players, including Viv Richards who suggested the move was made with commercial objectives in mind given that the World Cup was round the corner. Others have said the move is borne of short-term vision and have raised questions about whether Lara enjoys full support from the younger members of the team.The win against India was the West Indies first over established opposition (other than Zimbabwe and Bangladesh) since 2002 in a bilateral series. They are currently ranked no. 8 in the world ODI rankings, only above Zimbabwe, Bangladesh and Kenya.

Michael Clarke is unlikely to be available for Australia’s match against Bangladesh, at Old Trafford, tomorrow. Clarke has been struggling with a back injury, which forced him to miss the game against England on Thursday.He watched Australia’s 57-run win from his hotel bed and only went to The Riverside to receive treatment from Errol Alcott, the Australian physio. “He is improving and responding favourably to treatment, but it is unlikely that he will be available tomorrow,” said Alcott. “We will continue to monitor his progress over the next couple of days.Clarke had shown some good form in the early stages of the NatWest Series, making 54 against Bangladesh at Cardiff and 45 against England at Bristol, but Australia’s middle-order is now well-stocked after the return of Andrew Symonds.