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England 319 and 99 for 3 (Butcher 46*) beat West Indies 208 and 209 by 7 wickets and lead the series 2-0
Scorecard

It didn’t take long: inside half-an-hour England had knocked off the 28 runs they needed to secure victory, a 2-0 series lead, and retention of the Wisden Trophy. The last rites came with stunning speed, as Mark Butcher cracked consecutive fours off Adam Sanford, one through the covers, and the winning one straight down the ground.England will have had one eye on the skies when they woke up this morning, after the umpires controversially took the players off last night. But it dawned fine in Port-of-Spain, meaning it was only a matter of time.Nonetheless England, so assured in the gloaming last night, made a hesitant start in the bright sunshine. Nasser Hussain survived a close leg-before shout off Sanford’s first ball of the day, then nicked his second and was caught behind for 5 (71 for 3). It could have been worse. Before he’d scored, Graham Thorpe edged Sanford, but this time Ridley Jacobs tried to take the regulation chance one-handed, and floored it.Thorpe wasn’t in the mood to hang about, cracking three fours in Sanford’s next over, and Butcher was as busy as he had been last night. Brian Lara’s trial on the field was mercifully short. But the recriminations around the Caribbean aren’t over yet. Already Ricky Skerritt, West Indies’ manager, is throwing in the towel. Lara might not be far behind.Andy Ganteaume – famous for scoring a century in his only Test innings, in 1947-48 – gave the Man of the Match award to Stephen Harmison, for the vital first-innings spell that wrenched back the initiative England’s way after Chris Gayle and Devon Smith had kicked the match off with a century partnership.Steven Lynch is editor of Wisden Cricinfo.

Mahela Jayawardene, the Sri Lankan captain, is looking forward to a disciplined performance from his bowlers in the remaining qualifying matches of the Champions Trophy after making a winning start.Sri Lanka beat Bangladesh by 37 runs in the opening qualifier under lights here on Saturday, but their bowling left a lot to be desired. They conceded 36 extras, the second-highest contributor in Bangladesh’s total of 265 for 9, after posting a challenging 302 for 8. Their bowlers sent down 13 wides and six no-balls.”We did not play our A-class game and there are certain areas where we have to improve and we will do that in remaining games,” said Jayawardene. Sri Lanka play Zimbabwe at Ahmedabad on October 10 and defending champions West Indies on October 14 at Mumbai in their last two qualifying matches. The top two sides will advance to the main draw that features world champions Australia, England, India, South Africa, New Zealand and Pakistan.Jayawardene said his team did not perform up to the mark in the opening game because they had not played much international cricket in recent months. They played their last full one-day international three months ago. “We didn’t play a smart game, especially in the second half of their innings but we have not played many one-dayers recently and that was one of the reasons why we were not able to perform to our potential.”He didn’t blame the dew for his bowlers’ below-par performance when they fielded under lights at the Punjab Cricket Association stadium. “The dew came on only around 8.30pm and by that time the spinners had nearly bowled their overs,” he said. “We have to expect such things in day-night matches. I think it is good that we fielded in the evening. It will give us an idea what to expect in remaining matches.”Habibul Bashar, the Bangladesh captain, defended his decision to field first after winning the toss, saying his bowlers failed to make the most of conditions in early stages. “It was a good toss to win,” he said. “There was grass on the wicket, but we didn’t put the ball in the right areas in the opening 10 overs.”Seamers Mashrafe Mortaza, Syed Rasel and Farhad Reza failed to get early wickets and went on to concede 188 runs in 28 overs. “In the end, the target proved too high for us,” said Bashar, whose team still managed to post their highest-ever total against Sri Lanka in 18 one-day internationals.Jayawardene, however, said he would have batted first had he won the toss. “It was a good wicket to bat on. I think it is always better to set a target when you play against teams like Bangladesh.”Bangladesh will now meet the West Indies on October 11 and Zimbabwe on October 13 at Jaipur.

Ricky Ponting couldn’t quite achieve an unprecedented clean sweep at the Allan Border Medal awards in Melbourne, but he still enjoyed a successful evening as the elite of Australian cricket gathered to celebrate their successes of the past 12 months.The Australian team flies out to Sri Lanka on Saturday, and that series will be Ponting’s first as Test captain. It is therefore appropriate that he has been recognised as Australia’s best Test cricketer of the past year, as well as their most valuable overall player.Ponting’s identity as the Allan Border Medal-winner was one of the worst-kept secrets in Australian sport. The new world-record-holder Matthew Hayden, who didn’t have too bad a year himself, said last week that the decision was a foregone conclusion. And so it proved, as Ponting secured a total of 139 votes, 48 more than Hayden in second position, and almost double the number polled by Adam Gilchrist (70) in third.Ponting, who was last year’s Test player of the year, scored 1503 runs at an average of 100.20 in 2003. He also became the first player since Don Bradman to score three double hundreds in a single year. His one-day form was no less prolific, and he had been widely tipped to secure all three major categories. In the end, however, he was pipped to the one-day post by Gilchrist, who made 1463 runs in a period that began with the opening fixture of last year’s World Cup, at a phenomenal strike rate of 105.63 and an average of 45.71.In a closely-fought category, Gilchrist polled 28 votes to finish four ahead of Brett Lee and Ponting, and five ahead of Andrew Symonds. Gilchrist secured the award in the second-last game of Australia’s season, the first final against India at the MCG on February 6. He scored two centuries in the past year, with a highest score of 172 against Zimbabwe in the VB Series, as well as 60 catches and a stumping.Ponting, who was the only man to play in all 37 matches, made 1317 runs at 43.90, including his World Cup-winning innings of 140 not out, while Lee was Australia’s top wicket-taker with 49 at an average of 19.87, but his absence from the recent tri-series in India scuppered his prospects of the award. Votes were awarded on a 3-2-1 basis by a panel of former cricketers and media representatives.The evening also featured a tribute to David Hookes, who died last month, while the former Test players Alan Davidson and Hugh Trumble were officially induced into the Australian Cricket Hall of Fame. The women’s player of the year award went to their fast bowler Cathryn Fitzpatrick; New South Wales’ Simon Katich was named as the State player of the year, while South Australia’s paceman Shaun Tait picked up the Bradman award as the best young cricketer of the year.Ponting is the fifth winner of the Allan Border Medal, following in the footsteps of Glenn McGrath (2000), Steve Waugh (2001), Hayden (2002) and Gilchrist (2003).

England v South Africa, second Test, Lord’s, Day 1

English batting collapses are supposed to be a thing of the past. According to his recent eulogies in the national press, Nasser Hussain had brought a new steel and determination to their game. English cricket was no longer a world-wide joke. Well, the rest of the world was smirking today, as England produced a nightmarish performance straight out of their Ashes scrapbook.Today was supposed to be the start of a brave new era, but it was more like a trip back to those dark days that Hussain inherited and then banished. Barring the Ashes, he just about turned things round, and Vaughan will now have to try to turn this game around. Like Hussain’s mission of four years ago, it already looks a lost cause.To be fair to Vaughan, the 73 England captains before him can’t have had such short notice to prepare for their first Test in charge, but not many have had a worse start either – not even Chris Cowdrey in his only Test against West Indies at Headingley in 1988. Despite captaining this summer’s one-day internationals, Vaughan has been thrown in the deep end, just as he was on his Test debut in 1999.At least England didn’t plumb the depths of 2 for 4 today, but similarities will nonetheless be made with that infamous day in Johannesburg. It was against South Africa and Vaughan made 33, the second-highest top score. But the difference this time is that Vaughan is not a blameless subaltern, but England’s field marshall.Whatever he says will not excuse a dismal performance. Admittedly there was a bit in it for the bowlers early on, but that’s nothing new. There was simply no plan. Alec Stewart, Andrew Flintoff, Vaughan himself, and to a lesser extent, even the top-scorer Darren Gough, were all to blame for their dismissals. The dressing-room may now be a more relaxed place without Hussain reading the riot act at every interval, but today’s poor display will not be lost on anyone in it.It was a big day for the (latest) ex-captain too, and unfortunately, he had a stinker. Hussain lost his middle stump to a loose drive, and his fortunes were summed up by a dolly of a drop at cover, where Vaughan himself would usually be fielding. Ironically, the lucky recipient was the other captain, Graeme Smith, who has so far proved himself to be a clear-thinking and brave leader.It took a lot of guts to bowl first after such a batsman-dominated first Test, and the gamble paid off beyond his wildest dreams. Smith, it was assumed, would be cowering in Hussain’s mere presence during this series? That has turned out to be a joke too.Click here for today’s bulletin

Chris Tremlett returns to fitness after missing the National League day/night match at Hove on Tuesday.Hampshire Hawks take to Taunton this Sunday the same team that won the vital Sussex Sharks encounter in style and add Tremlett and Will Kendall to the squad to play Somerset Sabres.Both Robin Smith and Nic Pothas remain sidelined, although both are very close to full fitness.Hampshire Hawks squad to play Somerset Sabres at Taunton – Sunday 10th August (1pm start): James Hamblin, Simon Katich, Derek Kenway (w-k), John Crawley (capt), John Francis, Dimitri Mascarenhas, Lawrence Prittipaul, Will Kendall, Shaun Udal, James Bruce, Chaminda Vaas, Chris Tremlett, Alan Mullally.

In our new series, My Australia tour, Indian cricketers of the past describe their experiences while touring Australia. In our first instalment, Karsan Ghavri speaks to Samanth Subramanian about the 1977-78 and the 1980-81 tours.

There’s so much to see in Australia, so many places to visit, that thetourism alone makes playing cricket there a unique experience. The wildlife was a big draw for me; to go to their well-maintained national parks and wildlife sanctuaries was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. It’s also interesting for the way the Australians play the game on their own turf. They’re always very aggressive and in-your-face, although, as is well known, they never hesitate to be chummy off the field.In 1980-81, we were all – the Indians and the Australians – invited by Sir Don Bradman to his house for dinner. We sat at a huge oval table for dinner, and Dennis Lillee and Kapil Dev happened to be sitting next to each other. So Kapil just asked Lillee: “Dennis, why, every time you bowl, do you swear at the batsmen?”Lillee said: “Kapil, I’m steaming when I bowl express, and I look for a wicket with every delivery.”Kapil: “But I don’t swear at the batsmen, and I look for a wicket with every delivery too.”Lillee: “You’re not an express bowler. You’re just a medium-fast bowler. With express bowlers, the frustration comes out more. When you become an express bowler, you will do the same thing as I do now.”Ironically, Kapil went on to win the match for India at Melbourne. On the fourth day, he did not come on the field because he was injured. But in the last innings, Australia were three down, and I’d picked up two wickets in consecutive deliveries. So on the next day, Kapil came in on painkillers and ran through the side on a pitch of uneven bounce.The 1977-78 series was a very interesting one, because they won the first two Tests and we won the next two, and the fifth one involved us chasing a big target, which we lost by 40-odd runs.During that tour, Ashok Mankad was a member of the Indian team. He and Jeff Thomson were very good friends, always having a glass of beer after the game. Thomson used to give Ashok quite a few gifts, because Ashok was very fond of western music, and Thommo used to provide him with all the latest songs in the evening.On the field, however, the first thing he bowled to Ashok was a bouncer, followed by some colourful swearing. Ashok went down the wicket, tapping the pitch and meeting Thommo on his follow-through. He asked him: “Thommo, we’re friends, man!”Thommo said: “We are friends … but not on the field.”The Australians are aggressive cricketers, and they play hard and fight it out. But off the field, they’re nice guys, friendly and easy-going.

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) is the national governing body for cricket from playground to Test arena. Its Performance Department is responsible for identifying and developing the most talented young cricketers in the country, and the development and implementation of national development and coaching programmes.In order to continue the substantial progress made to date, the ECB is seeking to engage a part time Physiotherapist to support the World Class Potential programme during the summer of 2003.The role will ensure provision of full physiotherapy support to the England U19 and contribute to the physiotherapy support of the England U17 players so as to ensure their physical preparedness for their competitive programmes.Applicants fulfilling the following criteria will be considered:

• Qualification as a Chartered Physiotherapist and at least 2 years clinical experience
• Certificated Resuscitation Course within last 3 years
• Good interpersonal and communication skills
• Competency in use of ICT including; world processing, database, spreadsheets and internet

• Experience of working in First Class or International cricket in UK or overseas
• Working experience of the demands of preparing and developing elite young cricketers

If you would like further information about this position please telephone, e-mail or write requesting an information pack to:Julie Page, ECB, Lord’s Cricket Ground, London NW8 8QZTelephone 020 7432 1261, Email [email protected] date for applications is 16 May 2003ECB is fully committed to developing policies to promote equal opportunities.