“Taj President. Call me anytime”, came the text message, minutes after I asked Hemang Badani if we could have a word before the Ranji Trophy Final. With the big game starting only on May 4, Badani could have been at his Chennai home, putting his feet up, playing with his 10-month-old son Hrishit and enjoying a lazy May-day lunch. Instead, he was in Mumbai, impatient for the game to begin.You would expect Badani to be keen. The Wankhede Stadium has done more for him than for most Mumbai cricketers. It was here in 2000 that Badani first exhibited his hunger, and ability, to bat at the highest level. In a tense match that Tamil Nadu eventually lost, Badani drove, threaded and whipped his way to a career-best 162 in the Ranji Trophy semi-final. His captain, Robin Singh, made 183 and Tamil Nadu threatened to walk away with the game. Threats, however, don’t work when Sachin Tendulkar is around. Tendulkar played with passion and verve to carve out 233, and Tamil Nadu were beaten – by one man.This time around, though, there’s no Tendulkar to worry about – he’s away getting medical attention in America.”Even the last time,” says Badani, “we were so close to winning. It was always touch and go, even with Sachin [Tendulkar] batting so well. He stole the game away from us, but we did ourselves no favours with our fielding. He was dropped in the slips – a sitter – when he was just 34 and we also missed a few run-out chances late in the innings.””Even after all that, we were never too far away from winning. You know as well as I do that a few decisions went against us,” adds Badani with a rueful chuckle. Perhaps he is speaking of the time S Mahesh had Santosh Saxena trapped plumb in front, only to be denied by the umpire, when Mumbai still needed a run to take the all-important first-innings lead.But despite Tendulkar’s absence, there’s still plenty for this Tamil Nadu team to mull over. The brisk medium-pace of Ajit Agarkar and Avishkar Salvi, on a wicket that has been relaid recently, could ask a few questions of Badani and his team.”I’ve played with Ajit [Agarkar] since the Under-16 level and I know his game really well,” said Badani. “We first toured England together as teenagers for Star Cricket Club and we go back a long way. Salvi is another one to watch out for, with his height and the bounce he generates.””They’ll prepare a wicket that has something in it for the mediumpacers. Their best spinner is Sairaj [Bahutule] and he’ll be wondering how to bowl to all the left-handers in our side. So you would have to say that Agarkar and Salvi are the biggest threats. But we’re not scared, or worried about them,” a confident Badani says.You have to believe Badani when he says so. Despite being out of the Indian team in recent months, he has been discussed at every selection meeting. “The frustrating part about playing for India and then being dropped is the fact that you know you can perform at that level, and you still have to sit out. Whatever anyone might say, there’s a huge gap between playing domestic cricket and playing at the international level. You can make all the runs you want in domestic games but only when you make them at the highest level do you really know that you have it in you,” says Badani.Tendulkar certainly thought Badani had it in him. It was after that memorable 1999 Ranji semi-final that he marked Badani out for higher honours. “Sachin spoke to me after the game and told me one thing. You have a fantastic downswing and follow-through, he said. Whether you’re going through a bad patch or not, never change that. This will make all the difference at the highest level.”Badani will walk out to the middle on the fourth of May with those words in mind. “It could be a very big match for me. I feel this could be the best thing that happened to me – something that needed to happen. If I can make a hundred, and help Tamil Nadu win … ” he trails off. He doesn’t have to say more. You know what he means: this match could be the one that propels him back into the Indian team.

Robin Smith has said that he is reconsidering plans to retire at the end of the summer following his good form so far this season.Smith had indicated that this would be his last season and that he would be quitting to concentrate on his business commitments. But five half-centuries have led to a rethink. "My technique has been good, I’m feeling great, my confidence is there and I’ve managed to produce some really nice innings. If it’s to be my last year it would be nice to go out on a high but if I’m continuing to play very well and proving my worth in the team I may give it another year.””I’m fit, the desire, hunger and passion for the game is still there so who knows what will happen? . I’m delighted at how things have gone so far. I can’t remember batting as well as this since I was playing Test cricket."

Northampton’s Wantage Road ground is gradually becoming synonymous as one where the batsmen are not relishing the prospect of playing at. And there was no change to that theory on the rain-affected first day of their latest Frizzell County Championship Division Two fixture.Even though 41 overs were lost, there was still time for Hampshire to be bowled out for 125 after being put in and for Northamptonshire to totter to an unsure 20-3 by the close of play. It was no surprise to see Peter Walker, one of the nominated ECB pitch inspectors, on the ground all day.But the damage was not done exclusively by the spinners, as had been the case in their most recent game against Derbyshire. Debutantes Damian Wright – Northants’ replacement overseas player while Andre Nel is on South Africa duty – and former Gloucestershire seamer Mike Cawdron making the Hampshire batsmen hurry.Hampshire included university returning trio John Francis, James Tomlinson and James Bruce to the starting lineup for rested Ed Giddins and injured Alan Mullally and Wasim Akram, whose bruised toe was declared unfit last night.Asked to bat first, Cawdron snapped up the first three wickets to fall before Robin Smith struck an excellent 41, including eight crunching fours to restore some order as he added 60 with skipper John Crawley for the third wicket.But their dual dismissal within a run of each other started a flow of wickets with Wright claiming Will Kendall and leading run-scorer Nic Pothas in successive balls before spinner Graeme Swann, the main protagonist in his sides’ controversial game recently completed, extracted plenty of turn to snare Francis, Dimitri Mascarenhas and Shaun Udal to pick up 3-11 from just 3.1 overs to finish the innings.Udal declared the wicket as “very much bowler friendly” is his post match considerations, especially after seeing the home side lose influential skipper Mike Hussey and fellow opener Mike Powell to James Bruce, on just his second championship outing. Jeff Cook also perished to become the 13th wicket of the day, all of whom were dismissed caught!Despite there being almost a third of the day lost to the weather, this game is already well progressed but it is certain that Shaun Udal will be looking forward to his bowl on this surface.

The wicket at New Road continued to favour the bowlers as a further twelve wickets fellon the second day of the Championship match between Glamorgan and Worcestershire.Worcestershire gained a first innings lead of 81 runs as they dismissedGlamorgan for 156 with Matt Mason taking 3/22 and David Leatherdale 2/18. Then in thefinal session, the home team extended their lead to 201, but lost four wicketsin the process, finishing the day on 120/4.Morning rain once again prevented any play until 12.10pm, with Glamorgan resumingon 0/2 after their dramatic start last night when they lost Jimmy Maher andnight-watchman David Harrison in Nantie Hayward`s opening over. Nevertheless,Ian Thomas and Jonathan Hughes adopted a positive approach, with bothof the young batsmen driving powerfully in an arc between cover andmid-on. The pair had added 56 in 15 overs, before Hughes was bowled by Mason with thefinal delivery of the morning session.Seven wickets then fell between lunch and tea, as Glamorgan added a further 100runs. Mason made the early inroads, striking twice during his accurate spell fromthe New Road End, bowling Michael Powell for a duck, and having Matthew Maynardcaught in the slips by Stephen Peters. Thomas continued to pierce the field withsome firm strokes, and reached his first Championship half century of the summer,lofting Hayward back over his head, having faced 94 balls and hitting 9 boundaries.However, the introduction of Leatherdale halted Glamorgan`s progress as theWorcestershire beneficiary had Thomas caught at slip, before trapping Robert Croftleg before on the back foot. Leatherdale might have taken a third wicket hadAnurag Singh held onto a top edge from Mark Wallace. But Kabir Ali returned from theDiglis End to dismiss Darren Thomas and Michael Kasprowicz, whilst Gareth Batty hadWallace caught at cover, as Glamorgan`s innings ended with their score on 156.When Worcestershire batted again, Glamorgan`s seam bowlers also found early assistanceas Alex Wharf had Anurag Singh caught at second slip by Jimmy Maher and then two overslater Wharf yorked Graeme Hick. But Peters showed that run scoring was not impossible,and the opener played some well timed cover drives in reaching 50 from 74 balls. Togetherwith his captain Ben Smith, they added 66 for the third wicket, before Peters dragged the ball onto his stumps trying to sweep Croft.Then in the final over the day, Croft had Vikram Solanki caught at short-legby Ian Thomas, with Worcestershire 201 runs ahead with 6 wickets in hand.

Shoaib Akhtar is once again in trouble after he failed to appear in court in Lahore to answer a petition demanding an apology for criticisms he had levelled at Waqar Younis and Wasim Akram.”Akhtar or his lawyer must appear in the court on September 1 and respond to a petition against his newspaper interview,” Judge Mudassar Umer Bodla said. “A new summons will be issued against him.”The petition was filed by a local who was angered by comments allegedly made by Shoaib in an interview with the London-based Guardian newspaper. Shoaib was quoted as saying that if he played for Australia then he would have been far more successful. “Imagine if I was playing with Glenn McGrath and Jason Gillespie softening them up, then I come on, I’d have got more wickets than anyone ever. Because when I play for Pakistan, with Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis they are in decline. They were great but they’re not match-winning bowlers any more. So I have to make it all happen on my own.”Akhtar, who has dismissed the petition as a “publicity stunt”, is unlikely to attend the revised date as he will still be playing for Durham.

Hampshire enjoyed another good day at the wooden spoon contest against Derbyshire. The Indian summer disappeared into an overcast gloom day, but not gloomy for Hampshire who set up a useful 141 run lead before bad light ended play an hour early.Derek Kenway and Jimmy Adams continued their fine opening stand before both openers were removed within a space of 4 runs.Simon Katich and John Crawley then took up the mantle sharing a 153 run stand. Crawley became the first of Graham Welch’s first of three wickets when he was adjudged lbw. Katich moved onto his fourth century in his last Championship match for the county, hitting 19 fours and two sixes.Dominic Cork the Derbyshire captain, in the middle of some local controversy did not bowl on the second day, leaving the field early on with a ham-string twinge.Two wicket fell in the middle order to cause a blimp on the day, before James Hamblin who had already made a mark on this match with 6 wickets the previous day stayed together with Dimitri Mascarenhas for 90 runs, Hamblin with a season best 61* played the senior roll.Hampshire will be looking to extend their lead on the third day and are in a good position to record their second victory of the season.

Not much that is new in cricket is left as a challenge for the all-conquering Australians, but a home Test match against Zimbabwe is one of them, and Test cricket’s second-youngest participants arrived in Perth yesterday for their first crack at the world champions on their home soil. Even international cricket’s newest country Bangladesh have played Tests in Australia before Zimbabwe.It is a task as difficult as any the African nation has faced in the game. They arrived in Australia severely depleted and not fully representative of the advances the side has made since they played their first Test, against India, in 1992-93. They have lost wicketkeeper-batsman Andy Flower, who retired from international cricket after the World Cup to pursue a career with South Australia, his brother Grant Flower cruelly suffered a broken finger just before the side left for the tour and one of its more promising bowlers, Henry Olonga, made a political statement at the World Cup, along with Andy Flower, about events in Zimbabwe, and decided to follow a singing career in exile.For a country so ill-equipped in resources, these were body blows and when captain Heath Streak says his side will be aiming to draw their Test matches it is an indication of the reconstruction the side is having to go through. “If we walked away with a draw, I think that would be a huge achievement for Zimbabwe cricket,” Streak said. “If we had the opportunity for a win, then obviously we are going to go for it. But I think it is going to be a huge learning curve for us on this tour.”If we can take some big positives out of this tour, Zimbabwe cricket will be the better for it. Hopefully, we can come back in a couple of years’ time as a more experienced side and one that can maybe play in a three-Test series.”The first Test of the tour is to start in Perth on October 9, the earliest Test in an Australian season but one that is indicative of the greater pressures on all countries to fulfil their obligations under the five-year plan in the International Cricket Council’s Test championship.In their 67-Test history Zimbabwe have won seven Tests, five of them at home but it has been two years since their last victory, and with such a depleted side at the moment the chances of the next being in the two matches with Australia are slim.Coach Geoff Marsh, the former Australian opener, said the emphasis would be on the batsmen in the series. “The key for us is our batting,” he said. “If we can get to 300, we will be competitive given our bowling line-up. But getting to 300 will be the big test.”Zimbabwe’s official opening match is on Wednesday against the Cricket Australia Chairman’s XI at Lilac Hill but since the announcement of the tour itinerary, an unofficial 12-a-side, three-day match starting on Sunday has been arranged against Rockingham Mandurah at Settlers Hill, Baldvis. After the Lilac Hill match Zimbabwe will have a three-day warm-up match against Western Australia, before the first Test. The second Test is in Sydney from October 17-21.The Zimbabwe touring squad is: Heath Streak (captain), Andy Blignaut, Gary Brent, Stuart Carlisle, Dion Ebrahim, Sean Ervine, Craig Evans, Gavin Ewing, Trevor Gripper, Douglas Hondo, Stewart Matsikenyeri, Ray Price, Tatenda Taibu, Mark Vermeulen, Craig Wishart.

The South Australian Cricket Association (SACA) has announced a 12-man squad, featuring all three Redbacks rookies, to compete in South Australia’s second Cricket Australia Cup match of the season.South Australia plays New South Wales in the four-day game starting tomorrow October 27 on Bankstown Oval. The team will be captained by Redbacks batting all-rounder Ben Johnson, in what will be his first captaincy role for a State side.Johnson said that it is an honour to be selected to lead a South Australian team.”It really is an honour to lead a representative side for the State. We have an excellent group of young players and I look forward to seeing how they perform against a strong New South Wales side,” he said.”This is a good opportunity for the squad, particularly Ferguson, Duval and Cameron, our three rookies, to display their talent at a State level.”The South Australian squad, which is coached by Redbacks assistant coach, Jamie Siddons, is:

Ben Johnson (captain)	Trent Kelly
Ben Cameron	Jim Plant
Mark Cosgrove	Muhammad Sheikh
Daniel Cullen	Oliver Thomas
Chris Duval	Jeff Vaughan
Callum Ferguson	Luke Williams

The Cricket Australia Cup is a tournament for each State’s second XI team to gain quality match practice throughout the season. Each State, including the ACT, plays each other once throughout the season.

Mumbai236 for 3 (Jaffer 143) v Andhra
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Mumbai vindicated their decision to bat first as they finished the first day at Vijayawada in a comfortable position against Andhra. Wasim Jaffer carried on his sparkling form this season, and helped himself to another century. His innings contained 13 fours, but he was out at the fag end of the day. Bhavin Thakkar scored a patient 47, as Andhra tried eight bowlers.Delhi 274 for 7 (Manhas 129, Varun Kumar 50*) v Punjab
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Mithun Manhas led from the front with a fine century, but Delhi lost wickets with regularity at the other end, and frittered away a chance to post a mammoth total at Chandigarh. After reducing Delhi to 37 for 4, Punjab’s bowlers had partly justified their captain’s decision to bowl first, but Manhas got support from Pradeep Chawla (39) and Varun Kumar to take them towards respectability. Gagandeep Singh scalped three victims, while Vineet Sharma and Amit Uniyal picked up two each.Assam 33 for 1 trail Bengal 246 (Shukla 82, Haldipur 67) by 213 runs
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After opting to field first, Assam gained the upper hand by restricting Bengal to 246 on the first day at Kolkata. Laxmi Ratan Shukla, who is having a great time with the bat, top-scored with 82 while the other notable contribution came from Nikhil Haldipur. The Assam bowlers stuck to their task with Gautam Dutta and Arnald Konwar snapping up three wickets each.Tamil Nadu 252 for 6 (Sharath 97*, Vidyut 50) v Gujarat
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Sridharan Sharath propelled Tamil Nadu to a decent score at stumps on the first day against Gujarat at Ahmedabad. He spent close to four hours in the middle and was still unbeaten at the end of the day. Vidyut Shivaramakrishnan’s half-century was a valuable contribution which included six fours and a six.Karnataka 64 for 3 trail Hyderabad 177 (Vinay Kumar 65) by 113 runs
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Hyderabad were shot out for 177 on the first day of their Elite Group match against Karnataka at the Gymkhana ground in Hyderabad. After Hyderabad decided to bat first, Vinay Kumar’s half-century was the lone spark in a faltering effort as Narvanda Aiyappa derailed the innings with three wickets. Karnataka lost three wickets when they batted, but Barrington Rowland held the fort with a sedate 25 not out.Uttar Pradesh 16 for 2 trail Railways 137 (Bangar 51) by 121 runs
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Sanjay Bangar’s half-century prevented a complete fiasco as Railways caved in for a paltry 137 against UP at Varanasi. None of the other batsmen passed 20 with Ashish Zaidi, Praveen Gupta and S Shukla grabbing seven wickets between them. UP lost two early wickets in their reply, and an early finish is surely on the cards.Kerala 207 for 7 (Hemanth Kumar 66) v Baroda
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Baroda gained the upper hand as Kerala gave a tame display on the first day at Vadodara. Barring Hemanth Kumar, who made a gritty 66, the rest found no answers to Rakesh Patel (2 for 68) and Tushar Arothe (3 for 48). Irfan Pathan Sr and Shekhar Joshi picked up a wicket each as Kerala rued their decision to bat first in the morning.Plate Championship 2nd RoundOrissa 160 for 4 (Parida 81) lead Maharashtra 77 (Mohanty 5-24) by 83 runs
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To be shot out for 77 on the first morning after winning the toss and batting first is almost unthinkable. But that’s what happened to Maharastra, who were without the controversial Abhijit Kale, as they collapsed in 35.1 overs with only three batsmen reaching double figures against Orissa at Cuttack. Debasis Mohanty, the former Indian swing bowler, tore through the soft underbelly of the batting order and grabbed five wickets. When Orissa batted, Rashmi Ranjan Parida anchored the innings with 81, and made a second consecutive victory of the season a distinct possibility.Haryana 242 for 3 (Chetan Sharma 74, Sunny Singh 67) v Tripura
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Haryana opted to take first strike and made it count when they finished in a commanding position at stumps on the first day against Tripura at Rohtak. Chtean Sharma and Sunny Singh hit eight fours apiece, and laid the base for what could be a massive total.Vidharbha 287 for 5 (Deshpande 126, Vivek Naidu 64*, Alind Naidu 50) v Madhya Pradesh
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Amit Deshpande’s fine hundred and half-centuries by the two Naidus, Vivek and Alind, were the highlights of the first day’s play between Vidharbha and MP at Indore. Deshpande’s 204-ball innings contained 17 fours and a six.Goa 3 for 0 trail Services 212 by 209 runs
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Goa’s bowlers justified the decision to bowl first as Services were restricted to 212 on the first day at Panjim. Yashpal Singh top-scored for Services with 47, as most of the batsmen threw it away after getting good starts.Jammu & Kashmir 56 for 5 trail Bihar 172 (Dhoni 64) by 116 runs
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Bihar collapsed to a small total, but hit back by picking up five wickets on the first day against J&K at Jammu. Only Mahendra Dhoni, the opener, provided much resistance in a meek batting display. But J&K were even worse, with Shahid Khan’s 4 for 10 making them lose their way.

Close
ScorecardStuart Law admitted a “brain fade” prevented him from breaking a recent drought of centuries on a mixed opening day for Queensland in their Pura Cup match against South Australia at the Adelaide Oval.Queensland finished the day on 9 for 298, with Wade Seccombe having made a fighting unbeaten 67 and Michael Kasprowicz a lusty 36 not out from 35 balls.The pair put on an unbeaten 46-run last-wicket stand in 55 balls to make first-day honours even, after SA had been on top when the ninth wicket fell at 252.Six of Queensland’s top seven batsmen reached double figures, but only Law, who top-scored with 75 from 135 balls, with 12 boundaries, and Seccombe capitalised with half-centuries. They put on an 88-run stand for the sixth-wicket, which rescued Queensland from trouble at 5 for 110.The pair threatened to take control of the match until Law, who had looked very comfortable, gave away his wicket by pulling a slow, short ball from offspinner John Davison straight to Mark Cosgrove at mid-wicket.”I was in two minds whether to hit it over the top or along the ground, so you compromise and hit it straight at his gut,” Law said. “I was disappointed. I was pleased in a way that I scored some runs, but disappointed that I’ve got a 70 and an 80 so far this season and I just want to make someone hurt.”It meant Law’s century drought continued, with his last ton in domestic four-day cricket coming against SA here in March, 2001, almost three seasons ago. He said, “you always think about getting hundreds, you just worry about what you have to do to get there, and unfortunately I had a brain fade and hit one straight at midwicket,”.Davison finished with 3 for 48, his first wickets in the Pura Cup this season, with his haul also including Martin Love (32) and Andy Bichel (14). Greg Blewett, SA’s captain, said he felt they had slightly the better of the opening day.”To have them nearly all out for 300, I probably would have taken that at the start of the day,” he said. “Certainly we can’t complain about the position we’re in at the moment.”