The Duleep Trophy match between Elite B and Plate B, held at the Guru Nanak College Grounds, Chennai, turned out to be a veritable run-fest, with only the 18-run difference in first-innings totals giving the former five points and the latter three.Winning the toss, Elite B skipper Rohan Gavaskar opted to bat first, and his quickfire 42 (32b, 5×4, 2×6) was one of the string of middle-order knocks that spurred Elite B to a total of 350. Arjun Yadav made a steady 59 (172b, 7×4) and MSK Prasad 40 (58b, 2×4), but it was TP Singh’s knock of 64 (83b, 5×4, 2×6) that really lent backbone to the Elite B innings.The lower order of Elite B succumbed to the wiles of leggie Narendra Hirwani, who scalped six for 80 in his 27.5 overs, and the side was bowled out early on the second day. Plate B then proceeded to bat a day themselves, falling just short of Elite B’s 350 by making 332.Star of the Plate B innings was opener Sujith Somasunder, who made 116 off 226 balls, with 13 fours. But his knock alone would have hardly gotten his side close to the Elite B total, and it also took Sreekumar Nair’s 95 (150b, 10×4, 2×6) to take Plate B past 300. For Plate B, speedster Amit Uniyal took six for 92.The tour-de-force batting display was still to come, however. Batting for 540 minutes and facing 438 balls, Elite B opener Amit Pagnis dominated the second innings, making 184 and hitting 21 fours in his side’s total of 434. He was ably supported by Wasim Jaffer (59, 89b, 9×4) and later MSK Prasad (79, 134b, 8×4), but although Gavaskar delayed the declaration to give Pagnis a much-deserved double, he fell short by 16 runs.Plate B were thus set the hugely impossible target of 453 runs off a single over, and instead of trying to go for the target, makeshift openers SB Dahad and S Santh courageously played for the draw, getting it comfortably in the end.

FULL NAME: Gary Bazil Brent
BORN: 13 January 1976, at Sinoia (now Chinhoyi)
MAJOR TEAMS: Mashonaland Under-24/Young Mashonaland (1994/95-1995/96);
Mashonaland (1996/97-1998/99), Manicaland (1999/2000 to date).
Present club teams: Old Hararians, Mutare Sports Club.
KNOWN AS: Gary Brent. Nickname: GB.
BATTING STYLE: Right Hand Bat
BOWLING STYLE: Right Arm Fast Medium Bowler
OCCUPATION: Professional cricketer
FIRST-CLASS DEBUT: Mashonaland Under-24 v Mashonaland Country Districts, (Harare South), 16 September 1994
TEST DEBUT: 18-22 November 1999, Zimbabwe v Sri Lanka (Queens Sports Club).
ODI DEBUT: 30 October 1996, Zimbabwe v Pakistan (Quetta).
BIOGRAPHY (updated March 2003)Gary Brent is a medium-pace bowler, and also a useful batsman, who has been on the fringe of the Zimbabwean national side for several years now without being able to break through and earn a permanent place in the team.Gary comes from a strong cricketing background, and his uncle Jon Brent was an all-rounder, like himself, who represented Zimbabwe between 1988 and 1990. His earliest memories of cricket are of his father bowling to him on the lawn at home when he was very young.Although Gary is now primarily a bowler who can bat, his bowling was a later development in his career. Although born in Chinhoyi, his family soon moved near Harare and he attended Highlands Primary School there. He won his place in the large school’s Colts team, which consisted mainly of Grade 5 players, while still in Grade 3, as a batsman and later also as wicket-keeper. This was a role he was to fulfill until late in his high-school career.He scored his first fifty for the school first team while in Grade 7 and was sent for trials for the national primary school tournament, but did not make the final side. He progressed to Eaglesvale High School, where he was in the same year as the Matambanadzo twins, Darlington and Everton. At first he continued to keep wicket and either opened the batting or went in at number three. It was here that he was coached by Barry Lake, whom he names as the main influence in his cricketing career.It was Mr Lake who encouraged Gary to develop his bowling. Gary soon became a useful seam bowler, aiming to hit the seam and with the inswinger as his stock delivery. In his final year he hit 108 against the English school Dean Close at the Prince Edward Cricket Festival, in a partnership of over 300 with Doug Marillier, who scored a double-century. He was selected for the national schools team as an all-rounder.During this year he also played club cricket for the first time, joining Old Hararians who offered free membership to players from schools such as Eaglesvale. He had further encouragement from some of the leading players, and pays tribute especially to Paul and Bryan Strang who gave him a great deal of help, especially on the mental side of the game, and also Dirk Viljoen for his advice with his batting.After leaving school he started work for his father on the family farm in Norton, which earned him a qualification for Mashonaland Country Districts. During the off season he travelled to England to play for the club at Burridge, where he found the play of quite a good standard, better than Zimbabwean second-league standard he thinks.After some useful performances at club level, mainly as a bowler, he made his first-class debut in the Logan Cup for Mashonaland Under-24 against Mashonaland Country Districts. Although he took only one wicket, he did play an innings of 40 against an attack containing Test players Gary Crocker, Steve Peall and Paul Strang, which was to remain his highest first-class score for five years. In his team’s next match, against Mashonaland, he took the wickets of Test players Craig Evans (twice), Andy Flower and Gavin Briant.Gary also had some good performances to his credit for the Zimbabwe Board XI in matches not ranked as first-class against South African teams, most notably eight wickets against Free State B. It was largely as a result of these performances that he was chosen to tour Pakistan with the national side in 1996/97, a surprise choice even though Zimbabwe’s pace-bowling reserves were very thin at that time.It was a memorable tour for Gary, even though most of his time was spent doing twelfth-man duties. He was particularly struck by the dryness of the country and the poverty of so many of the people there, and also felt very much in awe of the great crowds that filled the stadiums and the noise they created. A great deal of time was also spent driving from place to place in not the most comfortable of conditions. He did play in one international match, making his one-day debut at Quetta, where he scored just one run and bowled five rather innocuous overs. He was clearly not international material yet, and was overlooked for more than a year after this by the national selectors.His career took an important step forward when he was selected to attend the MRF Pace Foundation coaching course with Dennis Lillee at Madras just before he returned to international cricket in April 1998. He worked hard at his action, especially in putting his feet down in the right places, and feels the coaching was of great benefit, an experience he would be eager to repeat given the opportunity. He feels Lillee’s advice on playing in big matches also made a positive impression on him: "Stop, look, and take in the atmosphere."Gary’s second one-day international was no more successful than his first with the ball; playing against India in Cuttack, he again bowled only five rather expensive overs without success, but he did score a useful 24 with the bat, hanging on while Grant Flower reached his century at the other end as Zimbabwe made a late but unsuccessful bid for victory.The following season he attended the Commonwealth Games, playing in two matches against Malaysia and Sri Lanka, taking one and two wickets respectively in the unofficial internationals. He again played in just one official one-day international during the season, another unsuccessful match against India, but at least he had the satisfaction of a wicket this time, dismissing Rahul Dravid.Shortly after this he was given a place in the first intake of the Zimbabwe Cricket Academy, a position he had been aiming for as he hopes to become a fully-fledged professional cricketer. He had his first taste of captaincy at first-class level when, in the absence of Dirk Viljoen, he led the academy against the visiting Australian Cricket Academy team, which was to be a rather torrid experience, as the tourists had in their ranks Brett Lee, a bowler of express pace who literally frightened some of the local Academy players. Gary himself showed his unselfishness in the second innings by promoting himself in the batting order, when on a `pair’, to face the fury of Lee when he could have waited until the bowler was rested. He weathered the storm and made a valiant 37, but the team was heavily defeated.He also played in the one-day series for Zimbabwe A against the touring England A team, and impressed with some attacking accurate bowling. He had recently shortened his run-up and found it made a considerable difference to his bowling; this, he thought, was perhaps the best spell of bowling he had ever done. In his ten overs he took two wickets for 21 runs, by some way the best bowling return for his team.The 1999/2000 season was a major one for Gary, as to the surprise of many he played in two Test matches, with fair results, and played regularly for the national one-day team. He played a couple of one-day matches against Australia with no great success, and he himself was rather surprised to be selected to make his Test debut against Sri Lanka in the First Test at Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo.This came on the back of his best career bowling figures, six for 84 while playing for the Academy against the Sri Lankans at Kwekwe. That Test was badly affected by rain, but Gary was by far the most economical of the Zimbabwean bowlers, taking two wickets (Jayawardene and de Saram) for 55 runs in 32 overs. Against that, he was out first ball with the bat.He kept his place for the Second Test at Harare, where he was less successful with the ball, until the second innings, when Sri Lanka needed just 35 to win. Gary gave them a shock by taking three quick wickets, but still lost his place for the final Test, when Eddo Brandes returned to the team.Gary went on to have a most successful Logan Cup season. After completing his year at the Academy, he was posted to Manicaland, where he became the backbone of their attack in their most successful first year in the competition. He took 15 wickets in his first two matches for them, although he trailed off after that, and they missed him badly in the final which they lost the Mashonaland, as he was touring with the national side in the West Indies.Gary played in 17 one-day internationals during the season, taking 24 wickets at an average of 30, although conceding five runs an over. Eight of the wickets were in consecutive matches against Sri Lanka, so that remains his favourite series.He played in the triangular tournament in South Africa, against England at home, toured West Indies and finally was included in the World Cup squad for England in 1999. He played in only one World Cup match, though, the final one at The Oval against Pakistan, when he was as unsuccessful as the best of the team.Then it was back to domestic cricket for 2000/01, as he was not even selected for the Zimbabwe Board XI. He had another good season for Manicaland, taking 23 wickets in their four matches, but he did not even get a single game in the national one-day side.Then suddenly, the following season, he found he was in favour again. Regaining his one-day place, he was Zimbabwe’s most accurate and economical bowler against the South Africans, and continued to bowl steadily against England in the home one-day series. Sharjah followed, with seven wickets in four matches.The came the tour to Bangladesh, where Gary was given another chance at Test cricket, in the Second Test at Chittagong. He was disappointed to take only one wicket for 88 runs against weak opposition, but he took five wickets in two one-day internationals, which helped to keep him in the side for Sri Lanka.More disappointments were to follow, as he played one unsuccessful one-day match there and another disappointing Test match. He was given what was to be a final chance on the tour to India, but took just two expensive wickets in three one-day internationals.Since then Gary has been out in the cold as far as international cricket is concerned. He returned to live in Harare, although still playing for Manicaland and Mutare Sports Club in the national league, while rejoining Old Hararians for the Vigne Cup competition. He took 10 wickets at 14.20 each in his two Logan Cup matches in 2001/02, but his 2002/03 season did not go well. He cannot put his finger on the problem, but he tended to be more expensive in domestic cricket and so failed to challenge for a place in the World Cup squad.Gary’s batting steadily improved, and he has learned to be a better starter and contribute more consistently without producing any really high scores. He plays straight and scores the bulk of his runs from drives, while he is also able to play safe and keep an end up if that is in the interests of the team. He scored his first fifties for Old Hararians and also for the Zimbabwe Board XI in 1998/99. He felt particularly pleased with an innings of about 60 on a dodgy pitch in a Vigne Cup match, while his best first-class innings has been 72 not out when strengthening a CFX Academy XI against the Indian tourists of 2000/01.A modest man who perhaps still needs to work on the confidence factor, Gary’s international future is uncertain, but he could still return with plenty of hard work and mental strength. The next season or two should determine the future of his career as he seeks a return to the national side.

As the Logan Cup resumed for the final three rounds, all four teams wereweakened by the unexpected appearance of Zimbabwe in the Sharjah final.Most had hoped they would return in time to play, although Matabeleland wereplanning to rest them from this match.It was a warm, cloudless autumn day in Kwekwe as Barney Rogers, stand-inMatabeleland captain, won the toss and decided to bat on what looked like angood batting pitch with the potential to take spin. There was some movementin the air and off the seam early on, but Midlands did not have the bowlerscapable of taking advantage of it.Charles Coventry is one of Zimbabwe’s most promising and confident youngbatsmen, and an outside possibility for the tour of England if he has a goodLogan Cup season. Opening the batting for his native Matabeleland, he racedto 24 off 21 balls before being caught off David Mutendera, who is stillstruggling to recover from his appalling bowling form of earlier in theseason. Basically a one-day player, Coventry still has to develop into agenuine batsman in first-class cricket.There followed a sound partnership between Mark Vermeulen, back after hishead injury in the World Cup, and Ryan King, back in the Matabeleland sideafter a prolonged period of poor form. King was doing well until beinggiven out under controversial circumstances. Vermeulen pushed a single toreach his fifty, and after completing the run King thoughtlessly startedback the pitch to congratulate his partner, only to find wicketkeeperAlester Maregwede removing the bails and appealing along with Don Campbell.Umpire Ahmed Esat raised his finger in accordance with the laws of the game,but many felt this dismissal was not in the spirit of the game. Mr Esatlater described King’s indiscretion as `silly’ and said there was no mercyto be expected in the first-class game, but did say he queried with theMidlands team whether they really wished to claim his wicket in this way.They insisted they did, but Midlands chief executive Ken Connelly was nothappy about it, and neither were the spectators. King did earn himself somecredit, as he walked off quietly without histrionics or unduly harsh wordseither on the field or in the dressing room.Campbell himself, a former wicketkeeper, had a bad day in the slips, and atleast three chances went down in that region, which was no encouragement forthe long-suffering bowlers on a sound but rather slow pitch. Vermeulen forthe most part seemed to set his stall out for a major score to enhance hisEngland chances, playing few flamboyant strokes but accumulating steadily.However, he ran himself out just before lunch in a mix-up with his partner,turning for a third to find Barney Rogers uninterested, and the throw fromthe boundary just found him adjudged short of his crease. Unlike King, heflung his bat twenty metres on being given out and swore audibly. Bothrun-out incidents this morning showed the need for a match referee; althoughhe would not have overturned the King decision, he could at least have giventhe players some insights into the spirit of the game. Legal it undoubtedlywas, but it does the game no good when certain methods of dismissal causeoutrage among opposing players and spectators.The Matabeleland middle order made Midlands suffer in the sun during theafternoon session, as a big partnership between Andre Hoffman (79 not out)and Gavin Ewing (65 not out) flourished, taking the total to 342 for four atthe tea interval.Rogers moved smoothly to his fifty soon after lunch, but was then dismissedfor 52, trying to shoulder arms to medium-pacer Vusi Sibanda but onlymanaging to nick the ball to the keeper.Andre Hoffman, after a slow start, suddenly decided he liked the look ofDirk Viljoen’s left-arm spin and hit him for two successive sixes, overlong-off and long-on. He continued his enterprise beyond his fifty, whileGavin Ewing was just as aggressive and when Mutendera returned to bowl hisfirst over went for 21 runs. A couple of difficult chances were missed, butthe weak and inaccurate bowling suffered severely and there was no respitefor the home side.The partnership realized 192 before Hoffman, having just reached hiscentury, fell for 102. It was the first delivery with the second new ball,bowled by Vusi Sibanda – debutant Anthony Ireland took the other end – afterthe dismal failure of Mutendera and Sherezad Shah with the first. The extrapace and bounce apparently took Hoffman by surprise and, going for the cut,sliced a catch to Viljoen at slip. Matabeleland were now 382 for five.Shortly afterwards Ewing reached his century with a bold straight six offIreland. Keith Dabengwa, whose batting at first-class level has rarelymatched his ability, enjoyed the experience of playing a tired, weak bowlingline-up on a lifeless pitch and played some good-looking drives, while Ewingshowed no signs of laxity. They saw Matabeleland through to the close, whenthe team was an imposing 498 for six wickets, Ewing on 154 and Dabengwa 33.

Pop music, waiters in fancy dress, two England players flaunting their new coloured uniforms for the cameras, and all for the launch of a new 20-over tournament – it’s just not cricket. Well, according to the ECB it is, actually – only with more fun.At yesterday’s launch of the Twenty20 Cup, Tim Lamb, the ECB chief executive, claimed this was the most revolutionary step in the English game since the Gillette Cup was born in 1963. Revolutionary means change, and change doesn’t go down well with the stereotypical one man and his dog, filling in their scorecards on a wet Wednesday at Worcester. The ECB (all hip and trendy in their open-collared shirts) know that, but they don’t care.”The beauty of cricket is that because it’s so versatile and flexible, the more traditional spectator can leave Twenty20, and come back to Test or county cricket if he prefers,” Lamb said. “Spectators have the adaptability to see what they want, and enjoy it.”So exactly what sort of spectator are the ECB hoping to attract with their new all-singing, all-dancing spectacle? Stuart Robertson, the head of marketing for the ECB, said that although they’re still welcome, the upper-class middle-aged man is not who they are hoping will come in their droves – it’s the two million cricket-playing schoolchildren, women and their families who are top of the hit list.And they’ve done their best to reel them in – with all sorts of things that don’t have anything much to do with cricket. Pop bands, karaoke, barbecues and beer tents are just a few of the side attractions on offer, while some of the counties have already got in to the party spirit. Worcestershire will have a jacuzzi, Glamorgan a fancy-dress theme, Hampshire will have a mock-up living room to watch the game from, and samba bands will be shaking their stuff at Durham.And there are all sorts of shenanigans taking place on the pitch too. The players will be miked up to the commentary box, enabling some “hilarious banter” with the Sky Sports TV team (don’t hold your breath), and the incoming batsman will wait for his turn in the dugout, while being interviewed.While all this razzmatazz was being unveiled, David Graveney, the chairman of selectors, went as far to say that the competition would help England to become the best one-day international team. A bit over the top, perhaps, but Graveney was attempting to get one over on an esteemed Times correspondent, who claimed that the Twenty20 Cup had no purpose.So while opinion remains divided in the public and the media, what do the players think about it all? Chris Adams, the Sussex captain – fresh from a matchwinning innings against Hampshire in the Cheltenham & Gloucester Trophy – admitted to having his doubts at first, but said he is now fully behind it and raring to go. “The ECB marketers have given it a thorough examination and looked at the bigger picture. It’s a journey into the unknown, but I’m sure it will be fun.”And he wasn’t giving anything away in terms of Sussex’s tactics: “I’m not going to say what we’re doing, but whoever gets the tactics right will be the team that wins.” And another big incentive to get to the final at Trent Bridge on July 19? “Atomic Kitten, of course – that’s a real bonus for any team getting there.”John Crawley, the Hampshire captain, not known for his buccaneering big-hits, also insisted it was a step in the right direction. “Research shows the game needs a lift and we’re all really looking forward to it.” He was just as upbeat on his team’s chances too: ” I think Hampshire have got a good chance with players like Wasim Akram, Dimi Mascarenhas and James Hamblin, who can all smash balls out of the park.”And to the sceptics like the one man and his dog at Worcester, Crawley argued: “The rules are still the same as one-day internationals, and if you’re not able to adapt your game to fouror five-day cricket, then you’re not professional enough.”Maybe to emphasise Sky TV’s prominent part in the cup, coach-turned-commentator David Lloyd was there, excited and enthusiastic as ever. “The Twenty20 Cup will always have its detractors, but you have to take it on the chin and ride with it. I’m looking forward to the new inventions on the field: a new shot or a new type of delivery. I hope it’s a success”. So do the ECB, who, without the blessing of WG and CMJ, hope the all the karaoke, colour and character of this carnival catches on.Freddie Auld is editorial assistant of Wisden CricInfo in London.

Hampshire make two changes to the side that lost to Somerset in the Frizzell County Championship last week, for the visit of Durham, starting this Wednesday (4th June).Wasim Akram returns after a bout of tonsilitis, and fit again Ed Giddins returns in place of James Bruce,Dimitri Mascarenhas will face a fitness test on the back injury that kept him out of the National League match against Scotland on Sunday.The team: John Crawley (captain), Derek Kenway, Simon Katich, Robin Smith, Will Kendall, Nic Pothas (wicket-keeper), Dimitri Mascarenhas, Wasim Akram, Shaun Udal, Alan Mullally and Ed Giddins.The Durham team: Jonathan Lewis (Captain), Michael Gough, Gary Pratt, Nicky Peng, Vince Wells, Danny Law, Phil Mustard (wicket-keeper), Liam Plunkett, Nic Phillips, Neil Killeen, Mark Davies, Dewald Pretorious.

New Zealand Cricket has called a press conference for 9am tomorrow in which to announce their coach and manager for the next two years.Since incumbent coach Denis Aberhart withdrew from the selection process earlier this week speculation has been that former New Zealand off-spinner John Bracewell, who has a coaching position with Gloucestershire, would be the choice.The position of manager was foreshadowed more than a week ago when Auckland Cricket chief executive Lindsay Crocker resigned his position. It is anticipated he will take over from Jeff Crowe, who was unavailable.The national selectors are to be announced at a later date.

An unbeaten 111 Robert Croft allowed Glamorgan to recover from 93-5 to 337-9 at theend of the first day of their County Championship match against Somerset at Cardiff.The Glamorgan captain added 223 for the seventh, eighth and ninth wickets with DarrenThomas, Michael Kasprowicz and Alex Wharf, with the stand of 104 for the ninth wicketbetwween Croft and Wharf being a record for Glamorgan against Somerset, eclipsing the99 added by John Derrick and Terry Davies at the same ground in 1986.By the close, Croft had also added a further 30 runs with number 11 David Harrison, and thepair will be eager to press on towards another batting point tomorrow morning. Such richeslooked a long way off in the first hour as Glamorgan slumped to 35-3 after having won thetoss and electing to bat first with a side containing two overseas players – Maher and Kasprowicz- for the first time in a Championship match since August 1981 when Javed Miandad and EzraMoseley were in the Glamorgan side.Jimmy Maher was one of three early victims for spinner Ian Blackwell, who claimed 3-4in 24 balls. For a while, it looked as if the former England international was goingto run through the Glamorgan side. But Croft had other ideas and with resolute supportfrom the lower order, Croft steadfastly rebuilt the innings, and reached his century from 190balls after over four hours at the crease.Somerset were subsequently handicapped by injuries to Simon Francis, who left the fieldwith a side strain after bowling just 35 balls, whilst Nixon McLean had a hamstring niggle.

A forthright 94* from Mark Wallace, supported by a fine 70 by Matthew Maynard, plus a resolute 66from Adrian Dale, saw Glamorgan finish the second day of their Championship matchagainst Durham at Cardiff on 331/6, just 24 runs behind the visitors, with four wickets in hand.The day had begun with Glamorgan polishing off the Durham innings inside five overs, as thevisitors added just 2 more runs to their overnight score of 353, with Michael Kasprowiczbowling Phillips and Robert Croft having Mark Davies caught behind to finish with 6/98.Glamorgan then suffered an early setback as they lost Jimmy Maher in the 7th over when theleft-hander was caught at backward point driving at Neil Killeen. His opening partner Jonathan Hughescontinued to play fluently against the seam bowlers, and had struck 7 boundarieswhen he was bowled in Bridge`s second over, after Jon Lewis opted for left-arm spinrather than seam at the Cathedral Road End.The introduction of Phillips` off-spin at the River Taff End put a brake on Glamorgan`s progress,before Dale broke the shackles by hitting Bridge for two successive fours through the off-side. After acircumspect start before lunch, Mike Powell appeared to grow in confidence after the interval, twicedriving Phillips to the boundary for four, but Phillips gained his revenge with a classicoff-spinners dismissal as Powell popped up a ball to Peng at short-leg after after 47with Dale.Dale continued to play patiently, reaching his half century after facing 127 balls and striking 7fours, but on 66 he drove Phillips to mid wicket where Gary Pratt took a good diving catch tomake it 161-3. Glamorgan mighyt have lost a fourth wicket, but Matthew Maynard had a life on 11as Vince Wells failed to cling onto a top edge from an attempted sweep,Maynard continued to play patiently up until tea before before unleashing some furious strokes after tea,hitting Phillips for three fours in an over after he switched to the Cathedral Road End, toreach his half century from 82 balls with 7 fours. Four more crisp boundaries saw Maynard to 70,but he was then trapped leg before by Bridge, after adding 84 runs in 37 overs with Mark Wallace.Wallace continued to play some sweetly timed drives, and he became the third Glamorgan man to the fiftymark with his ninth four that bisected the two gullies that Lewis had placed in an attempt tosnaffle the Glamorgan wicket-keeper.With Croft dropping anchor at the other end, Wallace continued to punish anything offline, andthe doughty Glamorgan wicket-keeper played a delightful array of shots all around the wicket. Healso used his feet to nullify any threat from the Durham spinners, and together with Croft he had added86 runs for the sixth wicket when the day`s play ended in identical fashion to the first, as Croft wasdismissed leg before by the penultimate delivery of the day.However, Wallace remains just 6 runs short of his first Championship century of the season, and if he continues to playassertively with the remaining batsmen, he should help Glamorgan build a useful first innings lead.

Bangladesh’s cricketers hit out at arrangements that saw them fly economy class even as their hosts flew executive class on their flight to Multan ahead of the third Test on Wednesday.While the entire Pakistani squad flew executive class, only Dav Whatmore, manager MA Latif, physio John Gloster and trainer Dean Woodford were allotted executive class seats. According to , Bangladesh’s liaison officer explained the arrangement by saying that the list of the touring squad had been received late.One Bangladesh cricketer, who remained anonymous, said: “We have never heard of such silly excuses. Whenever any foreign team tours Bangladesh, we book the best hotel for them. We even compromise with our comfort by moving to a cheaper hotel to accommodate the guests. The Pakistani authorities should have had the decency to do the same.”Whatmore was more vocal. “This is not a good gesture. If there was any problem, the home team should have taken the economy class and offered the executive class to the Bangladesh team. I have never seen anything like this in my life.” Whatmore had even offered his and Woodford’s seats to Khaled Mahmud, Bangladesh’s captain, and his deputy Habibul Bashar. “If required I will sit in the economy class and leave my seat to my captain. It’s a matter of prestige.”But a spokesman for the Pakistan Cricket Board denied that the Bangladesh side had been victimised. “There is a player contract with the Pakistan team that stipulates domestic travel for the team be executive class. The plane to Multan was a small one with only 25 seats thus the manager and officials were flown executive class.”He added that on the longer flight between Karachi and Peshawar, made on a bigger Airbus, both sides flew executive class.International Cricket Council regulations stipulate that touring teams must be flown in at least economy-class for internal flights, while overseas and long-distance flights must be undertaken in a higher class.

Close Pakistan 401 and 137 for 1 (Taufeeq Umar 61*, Imran Farhat 58) need 24 runs to beat South Africa 320 and 241 (Gibbs 59, Kaneria 5-46, Akhtar 4-36)
Scorecard

Pakistan stand on the threshold of a famous victory after an engrossing day at Lahore. Set 161 to win after Shoaib Akhtar and Danish Kaneria combined to shoot South Africa down for 241, Pakistan were within 24 runs of victory when the light closed in. A late wicket for Graeme Smith persuaded the batsmen to go off with the target tantalisingly close. But barring a downpour, Pakistan should complete their win early tomorrow morning.South Africa had held most of the aces when play began, and it required the shock-and-awe bowling of Akhtar and the guile of Kaneria to alter the script. Akhtar mainly concentrated on bouncing the batsmen, and in his second over nearly had Boeta Dippenaar lbw when he pitched one up. In the next over, Dippenaar, trying to fight fire with fire, attempted to pull a wide one, got a top edge and was easily caught by Yousuf Youhana at midwicket (104 for 2).Gibbs had reached 59 when he received a peach of a bouncer that climbed and kissed the glove before hitting his shoulder and lobbing up to Taufeeq Umar at first slip. Jacques Kallis drove with a flourish during his short stay, but he too was undone by an Akhtar short one. The bouncer homed in on him, and Kallis, trying to pull, was hit on the shoulder as the ball zoomed through to the keeper. But the umpire thought it had touched the bat, and sent Kallis packing (149 for 4).Akhtar had to leave the field shortly lunch with a hamstring tweak. It was at first reported that he would be out for three weeks, then this gloomy diagnosis was replaced by a chirpier one suggesting he might be fit to play in the second Test – if his appeal against his ban is successful and he is allowed to play.But the damage was done, and Kaneria stepped into the breach. He bowled unchanged from the start of play, and stuck to a probing line, but didn’t claim any wickets during Akhtar’s spell. But eventually Neil McKenzie surrendered his wicket, playing a premeditated paddle-sweep and being embarrassingly bowled around his legs (159 for 4).Mark Boucher was swinging the bat aggressively, and Gary Kirsten (46) showed real grit as they looked to rebuild the Akhtar-bulldozed ruins. Kirsten played a memorable knock, considering the facial blow he received in the first innings, and the way he went after every bouncer hurled down at him was a lesson in courageous batting.

Trying to score off every ball is fraught with risk, as Boucher learnt when he pushed at a good-length ball without negotiating the bounce, and only lobbed a catch to forward short leg (192 for 6). Then Kirsten, unusually aggressive, tried to break the shackles by smashing Kaneria out of the ground. But he only managed a leading edge, and Yousuf Youhana gratefully gathered the steepler (237 for 7).And then the procession really started. Paul Adams didn’t read the straighter ball that crashed into his back leg, and was plumb lbw (238 for 8). Mushtaq Ahmed – in his first over of the day – bowled Andre Nel through the gate, and Shaun Pollock was also flummoxed by Kaneria’s googly, which sneaked and bowled him. South Africa lost their last four wickets for four runs – to four googlies.The openers, Taufeeq and Imran Farhat, started the chase for 161 as if possessed. Farhat was the more dominant, and slashed his way to a powerful 58. He had shown glimpses of some powerful back-foot play in the first innings, but this time he wasn’t going to throw it away. The bowlers served him delicious balls that were short and wide and he feasted on them with a swirling bat. Taufeeq, though not as cavalier, made sure he swatted the loose balls to the fence as well.Nel bowled a testing, pacy spell, and Pollock was treated with respect, but the rest were disposed of with disdain, mainly to the square fence. Finally, with the winning post in sight, Farhat holed out (a rare Test wicket for Smith), and the players trooped off for the light.The final rites will be enacted tomorrow, but the turning point came early today, with Shoaib Akhtar’s sensational speedy spell.