It’s a humid day. The rollers are slowly killing any grass that has somehow managed to stick to the surface of the pitch. The stands are empty. There are no busy officials scurrying around. The setting is, in short, soporific. Scratch the surface, though, and you will feel the nervous anticipation: the Ranji season is about to begin. And here at the Wankhede it gets off tomorrow with a cracker: Mumbai v Karnataka.While Karnataka have the huge presence of Rahul Dravid and Anil Kumble, Mumbai are the defending champions and have the luxury of match practice this season. They won the Mohammad Nissar Trophy in Pakistan and played the Irani Trophy, which they lost. The youngsters that Pravin Amre, the coach, invested in last season have begun to pay back their .Abhishek Nayar, the middle-order batsman who has scored two centuries already this season, Ajinkya Rahane and Sahil Kukreja, who added 381 runs in three innings when they opened this season, and Iqbal Abdulla, the young left-arm spinner who forced out the veteran Nilesh Kulkarni from the side, have begun to find their feet. In addition there are the usual suspects – Amol Muzumdar, Wasim Jaffer, Vinayak Samant, the street-smart wicketkeeper batsman, and Hiken Shah. And they are playing at home.However, the weather might give Karnataka the edge. A steady drizzle over the past few days has prevented the curator, Sudhir Naik, from watering the track. That has left the pitch dry and Naik reckoned it will take spin straight away. “It is likely to start turning by the last session of the first day,” Naik told Cricinfo. “Considering the preparations have been affected by the weather, I see the wicket helping the seamers too.”Kumble and Sunil Joshi – who took 29 wickets at 24.81 last season – would be licking their lips at the prospect of bowling here. They also have C Raghu, who took 10 wickets last season with his offspin.Mumbai have the experienced Ramesh Powar, who had a fine tour of England before being dropped after two bad ODIs against Australia, and the young Abdulla, rated highly by Amre. However, Vijay Bharadwaj, Karnataka’s coach, said his batsmen are not worried by either of them. “I don’t see them as a huge threat. You can’t compare their spinners with Kumble and Joshi. I expect the pitch to break up pretty soon and our boys should relish the chance to get stuck in.”There must have been a temptation to play the extra spinner in KP Appanna, the classical left-arm spinner who took 21 wickets in the previous season, but Bharadwaj is confident that Raghu can do the job of the third spinner. He also has faith in his fast men – R Vinay Kumar, who took 27 wickets in the previous season, and NC Aiyappa, who has recovered from the injury that restricted him to just two games last season.Bharadwaj was not worried about the Mumbai pace attack either. He stressed that neither Ajit Agarkar nor his partner Aavishkar Salvi, (who has modelled his action on Glenn McGrath) were not discussed much by the team. “They are good bowlers but if our batsmen bat to their potential we can post a big score,” Bharadwaj said.Apart from Dravid, Bharadwaj was pinning his hopes on Raghu, who is a stylish middle-order bat as well. “If Raghu comes good, our batting will look really formidable.” Raghu, for his part, sounded confident. “I have prepared well for this season and want to play a big part in this year’s campaign.” Echoing his coach’s confidence, he said there had been no special preparation for the Mumbai bowlers nor was he sweating over the state of the wicket. “If it spins or seams, we are ready. I have not looked at the track too closely.”Karnataka can also look to Yere Goud, the veteran who compiled 522 runs last season, the feisty wicketkeeper batsman Thilak Naidu, with 605 runs in the previous season, and Barrington Rowland. The absence of the prolific Robin Uthappa at the top will be felt but Bharadwaj is confident that KB Pawan would grab the opportunity.

Amre, Mumbai’s coach, was no less bullish about his team’s prospects. “Mumbai are never the underdogs,” Amre told Cricinfo. “As Amol [Muzumdar] told the team, Mumbai always go into any match as favourites.” He was confident of the potency of his slow men, Powar and Abdulla. “Powar is looking good in the nets, is bowling really well and is capable of running through any side on his day. And the way Abdulla started off in Pakistan [ in the Nissar Trophy], I am hopeful he will come good. There’s nothing like being given a chance on your home ground, especially when it is expected to assist spin. He is bowling well but he has to go and do it at the ground too.”That could be the key to the game. Given Powar’s big-match experience, it could come down to how well Abdulla can bowl at the likes of Dravid. If he gets the yips or Karnataka take him out with some attacking batting, Powar will be burdened with too much to do alone. And Dravid, who, along with VVS Laxman, took Powar to the cleaners in the Irani Trophy four seasons back in Chennai, will be itching to play a big knock here.Amre realises the threat posed by Kumble and Dravid. He had been watching recent footage of Dravid’s batting to study his flaws: Dravid has been caught at the crease and has not been in great nick of late. Amre hoped that would continue for at least one more game. “He is too good a batsman to stay out of form for long, needs just one good innings to get into groove but we will have to go hard at him early and bowl at the right areas. And we are playing at home and I am hopeful that the batsmen would come good against their spinners.”So, with two confident teams going in with double-spin attack, the match is likely to be decided by how well their batsmen play the turning ball. Get ready to see silly point, short leg and a backward short leg crowd the batsman; it’s time for spin at the Wankhede.

Test debut, Chandigarh, November 1990
Atapattu makes his Test debut in November 1990, just after his 20th birthday, in a one-off Test against India. Bags a pair, but the worst is yet to come for him in Tests.ODI debut, Nagpur, December 1990
In his first one-day international, on the same tour of India, Atapattu remains unbeaten on 8 from 4 deliveries, batting at No. 9, as Sri Lanka go down by 19 runs.Colombo, August 1992
Gets a second Test nearly two years after his horror debut and makes a first-ball 0 and 1, bowled both times by Australian offspinner Greg Matthews. Faces just three deliveries in the entire Test.Ahmedabad, February 1994
Atapattu’s Test career looks to have derailed before it can start as he notches up two more ducks against India. His first six Test innings yield five ducks and a single.Sharjah, April 1997
Batting at No.3 in an ODI against Pakistan, Atapattu scores 94 in a match-winning stand with Aravinda de Silva. His form in the 50-over game helps him keep his place in the Tests.Colombo, August 1997
Atapattu’s form improves with a maiden ODI hundred against India in a tense, two-run win. This innings all but secures his berth for the return tour later in the year.Chandigarh, November 1997
After being persisted with for six additional Tests in the year, Atapattu returns to the scene of where it all began so horribly seven years earlier and scores his maiden century, as opener, in a draw. His 108 beats his previous best of 29 by some margin.Mumbai, December 1997
Misses a second hundred in the series by two runs in the third Test against India but has done enough to secure his place as opener in the five-day game.Kandy, January 1998
Atapattu goes big, scoring the first of his six double-centuries with 223 against Zimbabwe in an eight-wicket win. In his 13th Test, Atapattu looks a far more confident and technically solid product and provides a solid partner to the sashaying Sanath Jayasuriya.

Lord’s, August 1998
Apatattu plays the one-day innings of his life, at the home of cricket, in the final of a limited-overs series. Set 257 to win, Atapattu guides Sri Lanka home in 47.1 overs with an effortless unbeaten 132 from the No. 3 spot. He ends up Man of the Series.Bulawayo, November 1999
Atapattu ends another 13-match lean phase, which included just two half-centuries, with a second double-hundred against Zimbabwe, this time at home. He bats 627 minutes and 437 deliveries for an unbeaten 216, with 24 fours. Sri Lanka score 428 and the match is drawn. His reputation as a stonewaller builds.Karachi, February 2000
His unbeaten match-winning 119 on a tricky Karachi surface in the series opener sets the tone for a whitewash of the hosts in a three-match ODI series. Atapattu shepherds the entire batting order for 48 overs, as only one other batsman gets more than 34.Kandy, July 2000
Carries his bat a second time for his third double. His unbeaten 207 consumes 649 minutes and 457 balls and Sri Lanka score 467 for 5 in 155.4 overs, spread out over three days, in a weather-hit Test against Pakistan. Adds 335 for the first wicket with Jayasuriya.Galle, February 2001
Another double-century, unbeaten as well, but this time Sri Lanka win. Atapattu buckles down for 201 out of 470 for 5 as the hosts beat England by an innings and 28 runs.Colombo, September 2001
Follows up a fine 108 in a series-winning third Test against India with 201 from 259 balls, before retiring hurt, in a big win over Bangladesh.Benoni, December 2002
A classy unbeaten 123, from 121 balls, seals a seven-wicket win against a South African attack that includes Allan Donald, Makhaya Ntini and Shaun Pollock. His assured presence at the top finishes the chase of 258 in 41.4 overs.

Durban, March 2003
Batting first in a do-or-die World Cup match, Sri Lanka get to 268 thanks mainly to 32-year-old Atapattu’s 129-ball 124. His powerful and crisp driving through the cover region is a feature of his innings as he strokes 18 boundaries. The match is tied and Sri Lanka go through to the next round.April 2003
After standing as Jayasuriya’s understudy for three years, Atapattu is appointed to lead the one-day side. He is expected to take charge of the Test team as well, but the selection committee appoints Hashan Tillakaratne for that job.December 2003
Atapattu is embroiled in the cash-in-the-bedroom affair in which a match-fixing investigation is initiated after a large sum of cash is discovered in the safe of the hotel room he occupies during England’s tour. He strenuously denies any connection with the £7000 found in Kandy.January 2004
The ICC clears Atapattu of any wrongdoing and the likeliest explanation for the mystery remains a crude attempt to blacken his reputation. Atapattu is reappointed ODI captain for an upcoming visit by Australia and is told that he will eventually take over the mantle from Tillakaratne.April 2004
As expected, he is named Sri Lanka’s new Test captain, at 33. This comes 12 months after he is given ODI leadership. Tillakaratne resigns following Sri Lanka’s 3-0 whitewash by Australia and Atapattu’s first assignment is a tour to Zimbabwe.Bulawayo, May 2004
Scores 249 from 324 balls, in a 438-run second-wicket partnership with fellow double-centurion Kumar Sangakkara, as Sri Lanka thrash Zimbabwe by an innings and 254 runs. Under Atapattu Sri Lanka win the Tests and ODIs.Cairns, July 2004
Helps Sri Lanka secure a draw in the second Test against Australia with a determined 133 in reply to the host’s 517. Is the only centurion for Sri Lanka in the series.Colombo, August 2004
Atapattu top-scores with 65 as Sri Lanka beat India to lift the Asia Cup by 25 runs. He is widely credited for bringing a new emphasis upon personal responsibility.

May 2005Though Sri Lanka are without a coach, Atapattu is renamed captain for series against West Indies and India. This is in little doubt after an impressive year and his early appointment is reaffirmation of his growing status as a firm, no-nonsense leader.June 2005
A troublesome back injury forces Atapattu to travel overseas for medical treatment ahead of a visit from West Indies for a two-Test series followed by a one-day triangular, also including India, starting in July.October 2005
Atapattu is named captain of the World ODI Team of the Year, replacing Australia’s Ricky Ponting, chosen for the role the year before.March 2006
A recurring back problem rules him out of the ODI and Test series against Pakistan. Mahela Jayawardene, the vice-captain, leads the side. Atapattu, who sustains the injury during the tour of Australia in January, is frequently kept on the injured list in 2006.He misses the tour of England and the Test series against South Africa as he continues to recover from the back injury.August 2006
Atapattu is declared fit and named in Sri Lanka’s 15-man squad for the tri-nation one-day tournament against India and South Africa starting in Colombo on August 14. However, an explosion in downtown Colombo forces the cancellation of the series.November 2006
Atapattu rules himself out of the first half of the New Zealand tour, saying he is not ready to return to Test cricket and wants to concentrate on the one-day game until he feels confident. In Atapattu’s absence Jayawardene captains the side admirably.February-August 2007
Atapattu is called up for the World Cup but warms the bench the entire tournament as Sri Lanka lose in the final to Australia. He is then left out of the 15-man squad for the one-day series against Pakistan in Abu Dhabi. After being recalled for a home series against Bangladesh in June, Atapattu pulls out citing personal commitments. Jayawardene openly expresses his disappointment at the decision and in August Atapattu is released from his central contract with SLC, as per an earlier request.October 2007
Controversial comments about Sri Lanka’s selectors by a disgruntled Atapattu are followed by a swift recall for the tour of Australia as sports minister Gamini Lokuge intervenes.

Brisbane, November 2007
In his first Test for nearly two years, Atapattu top-scores in Sri Lanka’s first innings with 51. Comes under criticism for his controversial “muppets” comments about the national selectors at the end of the third day of the first Test at the Gabba, with Sri Lanka fighting to stave off a heavy defeat.His tour looks to be in doubt, but after his captain Jayawardene voices his support, the Sri Lanka selectors keep Atapattu on the tour to minimise disruption for the team, but say they will take “the necessary disciplinary action” when they return home.Hobart, November 2007
After a fine second-innings 80 and before lunch on the final day of Sri Lanka’s failed but exciting chase of 507, Atapattu announces his retirement from international cricket in a letter to Duleep Mendis, the Sri Lanka Cricket chief executive.

Chris Gayle and Clive Lloyd keep referring to the West Indies team under their charge in South Africa as young. Dr Donald Peters, the chief executive officer of the West Indies Cricket Board, notes that it is presently the second youngest in international cricket.They are all strictly correct. Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Pedro Collins and Rawl Lewis are the only three of the 15 here over 30. Six are under 25.Yet it is a chronological illusion. The youthful average age is in direct contrast to the overall international experience.Chanderpaul, Daren Ganga, Gayle, Marlon Samuels, Jerome Taylor and the injured, absent Ramnaresh Sarwan all first appeared for the West Indies as teenagers. Dwayne Bravo and Denesh Ramdin made their debuts at 20, Fidel Edwards and Devon Smith at 21.They are now relatively old hands at the game. Only Ramdin, Darren Sammy, Runako Morton and the newcomer, Brenton Parchment, have been less than three years in Test cricket. Bravo is a typical example of the experience gathered in the several short careers. Still only 24, he has already toured Australia, England, India, Ireland, New Zealand, South Africa and Zimbabwe and played in one World Cup and two Champions Trophy tournaments. Like so many others, he was the outstanding individual in his first series, in England in 2004.Sarwan’s unbeaten 81 in his debut Test innings against a Pakistan side, which included Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis, Saqlain Mushtaq, Mushtaq Ahmed, Abdul Razzaq, prompted the watching Ted Dexter, the England captain of an earlier generation, to predict an eventual Test average of over 50.Samuels was another who made an immediate mark. Steve Waugh was so impressed with his class when he came in as a replacement in Australia seven years ago, aged 19, he presented him with his favourite red handkerchief.Yet, with the prominent exception of Chanderpaul, every young West Indian has regressed. Sarwan’s batting average has slipped from the mid-40s to 38.76. Only Chanderpaul (46.63), Gayle (38.28) and Bravo (34.24) of those in South Africa are above 30.The same holds true of the bowlers, of whom Collins’ 34.63 is the lowest.The task of the new coach, John Dyson, over the coming six months is clear. And so should the message to his players. Dyson himself has recognised it. “The team has tremendous potential and I don’t think they are achieving it,” he told the BBC last month. It is a self-evident truth.”They’re quite capable of moving up the ICC tables (where they now stand eighth out of nine) and, from my point of view, it’s important they have the ability to do that, so it’s an area I can work on.”It is a task that has proved beyond the long line of those who have preceded him. Each one has departed, either of their own frustrated accord or by the pink slip from the WICB, while most of the players have remained.Andy Roberts, himself one of the previous coaches and now selector, stated after the selection for this tour that the “stakeholders”, as he termed them, remained because genuine contenders have not emerged from the sub-standard first-class tournament in the Caribbean.In other words, the “stakeholders” have become complacent, knowing their places are virtually secure how ever much they underachieve.It is a state of affairs that has run its course.

The selectors must be guided over the coming three months, for the subsequent home series against Sri Lanka and Australia, by performances in the Tests and ODIs against South Africa and in the simultaneous Carib Beer Series in the Caribbean.Batsmen whose averages are stuck in the mid-20s and bowlers who have made little progress after several years of Test cricket must know that their places will go to those back home who verify their claims with runs and wickets at regional level.And the WICB can back up its recent stated intention to smother the team with love by providing them with as much technical support as other Test teams now enjoy as a matter of course through bowling and fielding coaches (especially fielding) and qualified physical trainers. Otherwise, it will be the same old, same old.

Uttar Pradesh 292 for 7 (Srivastava 105, Shukla 80*, Sangwan 3-73, Narwal 3-66) v Delhi
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details

Tanmay Srivastava, who cut short his under-19 tour of South Africa toplay the Ranji final, chose the occasion to script his maidenfirst-class hundred and pushed Uttar Pradesh to 292 for 7 by close ofplay on the opening day at the Wankhede Stadium. Ravikant Shukla, dropped when on 13, made an unbeaten 80but Delhi clawed back into the game with late wickets to justify theirdecision to bowl first and, with the wicket promising to be at its best forbatting over the next two days, will reckon they have a slightedge.As the curator promised, the track was firm and offered some movementand good carry in the initial hour, andthere were a few plays and misses by the batsmen.Tanmay announced his refreshingly positive intent with a clippedfirst-ball boundary off his legs, followed by a steer to third man,before he settled down to play a fluent innings. He took a full strideforward at every opportunity and played as close to the body aspossible. Though beaten on a few occasions like the others, he didn’tpush his bat away from the body. Instead, he was quick to go on the attack, slashing to the cover boundary each time the bowlers gavewidth, and cutting when they dragged back the length. The techniquewas quite simple: he stood still at the crease, had a slightforward trigger movement but took care never to press that foot toomuch across his stumps.Rohit Srivastava, his fellow opener, and Suresh Raina failedto do that and were trapped in front. Rohit was a touch unlucky, as the ballappeared to be sliding down leg side but the technique did exposehim to the lbw threat. Mohammad Kaif was edgy throughout his shortstay before he cut the legspinner Chetanya Nanda’s first delivery toslip for Aakash Chopra to hold a sharp catch.Tanmay found an able ally in Shukla and the two led the recovery act witha 101-run partnership. Shulka was to get a slice of luck early in hisinnings. Nanda had placed his midwicket fielder slightly deeper thannormal and lured Shukla to play the slog-sweep but Narwal failed tohold on. Shukla settled down after that, showing good judgmentoutside off stump and grew in confidence as his innings progressed. Heplayed his cuts and pulls whenever offered the opportunity.As the partnership blossomed, Gautam Gambhir, the Delhi captain, might have worried over hisdecision at the toss but Tanmay’s wicket opened the door for Delhi tofight back. He had just pulled Nanda for six to bring up his century butfell a ball later, steering Sangwan to third slip. Piyush Chawlafollowed, slashing a wide one from Narwal to gully, Amir Khan fell toa diving catch by Chopra at first slip and Praveen Kumar pulledto deep midwicket.Delhi’s desperation had begun to pay off but their bowlers could havebeen more disciplined earlier in the day. Gambhir, who kept at leasttwo slips through most of the day, was seen on occasiongesticulating to the bowlers to hit the channel outside off stump.Sangwan found that line more often than the others but he toowas guilty of bowling a touch short.Amit Bhandari failed to find his outswinger with the new ball and struggledto hit the right line when he went round the stumps later, while Narwal offered the batsman width throughout the day. When the bowlershit the right areas, they had the batsmenin trouble. Delhi will feel confident of prising out the remainingthree wickets early on Thursday and then expect their strong top order todo the job with the bat.

Seamer Alfonso Thomas and allrounder Pierre de Bruyn have been released from their contracts with the Titans and both will represent the Dolphins for the rest of the season.The pair were acquired by the Dolphins to cover for the loss of former South African players Lance Klusener and Dale Benkenstein to the Indian Cricket League (ICL). Players linked with the ICL have been banned from domestic cricket by Cricket South Africa.”This will definitely strengthen the Dolphins ahead of the MTN Domestic Championship and the Pro20 Series,” Cassim Docrat, the Dolphins chief executive, told Supercricket.Docrat said that Thomas had signed for the next season as well. In six games this season, Thomas has scored 110 runs and taken 11 wickets while de Bruyn has scored 112 runs in four games.

Scorecard
Subashis Roy grabbed a four-wicket haul to power Bangladesh Under-19s to a series-clinching win against West Indies Under-19s.West Indies were in pursuit of 233 but Roy never allowed their chase to get underway. Roy struck in his first over, removing Kieran Powell before knocking out the other opener Horace Miller and Adrian Barath in quick succession to leave West Indies struggling at 34 for 3.Suhrawadi Shuvo, the left-arm spinner, gave able support to Roy and ended up with a three-wicket haul. Sharmarh Brooks and Darren Bravo revived the innings with an 83-run partnership for the fourth wicket but Shuvo trapped Bravo to terminate it. And when Brooks fell soon after, with West Indies at 140 for 6, the chase was all but over.Earlier, an 87-run partnership between Nadimuddin (49) and Saikat Ali (49) helped Bangladesh recover from 25 for 3 before Rony Talukder (59) propelled them to finish at a healthy 232.

Michael Hussey wants Australia to ignore Friday’s disturbing hit-and-miss performance and recall the strong batting memories from last week at the SCG for the first final. Hussey was one of the many failures as Australia fell from 0 for 107 to 208 all out against Sri Lanka in Melbourne, but he does not believe the display will affect the home team when it faces India in the most crucial one-day match of the season so far.As a spiteful summer draws to a close, Hussey has urged his team to shut out the various distractions, which have ranged from on- and off-field verbals to the shadow of the Indian Premier League, as they attempt to win the last Australian tri-series. “I’d prefer to bury everything and focus on final,” he said. “Both teams and the Australian and Indian public have had enough of the controversy.”Hussey encouraged his team-mates to take the emotion out of the encounter to achieve their peak performance. “It’s important we don’t let the distractions play any part on our minds,” he said. “If we play on emotions sometimes those distractions can have a detrimental part on your performance. If we take emotion out of it, I think we can play our best and go 1-0 up in the series.”A key ingredient to any Australian success is a well-rounded batting performance, which is something that has been missing for much of the series – they have played eight games and only twice passed 250. Despite the stuttering, Hussey expects the more batsman-friendly surface at the SCG to help the side forget the low of Friday night.”There have been difficult conditions in Melbourne during the year and all teams have struggled,” he said. “We don’t want to look too much into [the MCG performance]. We’re looking to our last performance in Sydney, when all the batsmen played particularly well.”Ricky Ponting broke free from his run drought with 124 in that game and all of the top six made useful contributions in the total of 7 for 317, which led to an 18-run victory. “We know we’re playing well,” Hussey said, “and we know we can put on a good performance.”

Scorecard
Offspinner Amit Jaggernauth and seamer Ravi Rampaul took seven wickets between them to send CCC crashing to 97 before Kieron Pollard scored 85 off 79 balls to help Trinidad take a 127-run first-innings lead in their Carib Beer Series match in Bridgetown.Trinidad’s openers, William Perkins and Lendl Simmons, put on 44 runs for the first wicket, but both were removed by Kevin McClean before tea. Pollard, who came in at No.4, was in an aggressive mood, bringing up his half-century off 48 balls. In the mean time, he added 117 runs for the third wicket with Darren Ganga, who made 47. Jason Bennett, the right-arm seamer, then dismissed both batsmen, before Denesh Ramdin slogged at the third-last ball of the day from Shirley Clarke, the CCC captain, to be bowled for 18.In the morning session, Rampaul took three wickets in a ten-over opening burst to leave CCC at 29 for 3. The introduction of spin hastened the end of CCC’s innings as Jaggernauth, who was included in West Indies’ Test squad for the coming series against Sri Lanka, took 4 for 35, including the wicket of their top scorer, Nekoli Parris, who made 27. Dave Mohammed, the left-arm spinner, complemented Jaggernauth by taking two wickets – he had Kurt Wilkinson caught at cover and induced a top-edged sweep from Bennett.
Scorecard
Guyana, aided by a four-wicket haul from offspinner Zaheer Mohammed, restricted Leeward Islands to 204 before they made their way to within 67 runs off taking the first-innings lead in St. Thomas.Lionel Baker, the Leewards seamer, took two wickets to have Guyana at 17 for 2 before Krishna Arjune, who made 35, and Travis Dowlin (26) resurrected the innings. After both batsmen failed to extend their scores, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Guyana’s batting mainstay, anchored the innings with a patient 36, and with Ramnaresh Sarwan (16*), ensured that there was no further damage.Put in, Leewards lost Austin Richards and Runako Morton before a run was scored, both of whom were removed by Esuan Crandon. Shane Jeffers and Tonito Willett, who scored 37 and 34 respectively, steadied the innings, before they were dismissed by Brandon Bess. The Leewards’ middle order, comprising Orlando Peters, Steve Liburd, and Jahmar Hamilton, could not build on their starts, all of them falling to Mohammed, edging to Sarwan in the slips. Lionel Baker scored a quick 26 to stretch Leewards’ score, before Mohammed returned to finish off the innings by getting rid of Bront de Freitas.
Scorecard
Windward Islands’ bowlers combined well to keep Jamaicia down to 232, but they conceded the momentum when they lost Devon Smith and debutant Raymond Casimir to the fiery Daren Powell with only a run on the board just before the close of play in St Elizabeth.Windwards’ decision to field reaped immediate reward when three early wickets by Nelon Pascal had Jamaica on the back foot at 95 for 3. Jamaica slipped further when Chris Gayle was caught behind off Deighton Butler for 55. Shane Shillingford, the offspinner, then ran through the middle order, taking three wickets including the prized scalp of Marlon Samuels for 28, before returning to dismiss Nikita Miller, who also made 28. The tail was taken care off by Butler, who removed Carlton Baugh for 25 and had Jemore Taylor caught behind for a duck to finish with figures of 3 for 35.

South African players are unlikely to participate in the Indian Premier League tillApril 25th, as they will be involved in the Standard Bank Pro20 matches in SouthAfrica. The franchises were informed of the development by the IPL governing councilin a meeting held in Mumbai, where a host of administrative issues surrounding the league were discussed.Ten South African players have been signed on by the eight IPL franchises, and a few of them, depending on how their domestic teams fare in the Pro20, might join their IPL teams after the tournament ends on 25th.However, a franchise representative was confident the players would beavailable for the full duration. “The decision is not final as yet. We are in the process of talking to the players, their teams and the board and we will work something out.”In among other things that were discussed in the meeting, each franchise has been allotted a liason officer from a South African agency, which was involved with the ICC World Twenty20 held in South Africa, who will travel with the teams and oversee the security preparations.The meeting saw a host of experts from the consulting firm IMG counselling the franchises on the issues ranging from security, accredition, ticketing, and movement of officials across grounds, and entertainment guidelines. “Not many of us [franchises] have prior experience in organising games and this meeting was very helpful in that regard,” a franchise representative said.

The ICC annual conference will be held in Dubai this June, ending a 99-year association with Lord’s.Cricinfo has learned that the decision to abandon London as the host venue was taken by the majority of the ICC executive board at the opening of the IPL in Bangalore last week after claims by Peter Chingoka that attempts by him to obtain a visa to enter the UK had been blocked.Although there was no formal meeting held in Bangalore, only two or three board heads were absent, and when Chingoka flagged that he had not been successful in obtaining a visa, it was agreed to switch the get together to the ICC headquarters. A formal announcement is expected in the next few days.A spokesman for the MCC, who host all events at Lord’s, told Cricinfo the club was aware of the decision.The annual ICC conference has been held at Lord’s since the first meeting in 1909. The decision to relocate this year casts a shadow over plans to centre the ICC’s centenary celebrations on Lord’s, and unless Chingoka is allowed into the country – and given the hardening of the line against anyone associated with Zanu-PF, that seems unlikely – then the loss of the conference could be the first in a chain of events moved from the UK.The ICC’s centenary celebrations next year are due to be centred on Lord’s, and there is also scheduled to be a bilateral tour by Zimbabwe followed by the ICC World Twenty20.