Rahul Dravid believes England still have more to do to displace Australia as world cricket’s top nation. Dravid, in Australia to play for the World XI in three one-dayers and a Test match this month, said England had to prove themselves against other teams before they could claim to be number one.Euphoria greeted England’s 2-1 Ashes series win over Australia last month, raising hopes that they could go on to dominate world cricket. But Dravid told reporters: “To displace Australia you’ve got to really play well and play well consistently all over the world, which is what Australia have done and have rightly earned the spot to be number one.”Dravid said England had the potential to dethrone Australia at the top of the ICC rankings if they continued with its Ashes form. “They have the squad, they’ve got a really good squad at the moment and they’ve got some good young players.”It will be interesting to see how they go in the (northern) winter in the sub-continent. That will be a good test for them. They’ve done well there – last time they beat Pakistan. England have shown this summer that they have got the personnel.”Andrew Flintoff, who was man-of-the-series in the Ashes, and is also here to play for the World XI, said Australia remained the best team in the world. “Playing against the best side in the world has tested myself as well so I’m looking forward to having three more one-day internationals and another Test match against them — and hopefully a repeat performance.”He said the world squad had bonded well after only a day together. “It’s been good, a good atmosphere at training and it feels like we’ve been together slightly longer than what we have been.”Flintoff was struck while batting in the nets Saturday against Shoaib Akhtar. However, he calmed any fears about his fitness. “I got hit on the arm but it is fine. It happens. I’ve seen the physio and I’ve got a patch on the arm.”Dravid said the Super Series would give the world team “an opportunity to reinforce what England have done in the summer.” However he added: “But having said that I think Australia will be very keen to come back. A lot of the boys in that team are not used to losing so we will be sure they’ll come back very hard and really want to prove a point.”Flintoff said he expected the world team to place a strong emphasis on tactics, an approach which contributed to Australia’s Test series downfall. “It’s not just myself and Kevin [Pietersen] who have played against Australia.”Everyone else has as well and each one’s got their own experiences of what they’ve done and how they’ve done against them. I’ll be voicing what I think, probably along with the other lads.”Flintoff said England had carefully worked out a tactical program to defeat Australia in the Ashes series. “During the series we had plans for each batsman and each bowler as we faced them and I think that’s probably one of the reasons why we did so well,” he explained. “Whoever it was, we stuck to our plans and executed them well.”

Scorecard

A maiden first-class hundred from Tony Suji helped Kenya draw with Bermuda on the final day of the semi-final at Windhoek, to see them through to the final against Ireland on Thursday. With the Kenyans ahead on bonus points from the first innings, after reaching 403 for 6 to the Bermudian’s 346 for 9, all they had to do was avoid getting bowled out cheaply – a feat they managed comfortably.There was a glimmer of hope for Bermuda when Ryan Steede took two wickets in two balls: Kenya’s wicketkeeper Kennedy Otieno fell for a patient 63, followed by his captain, Steve Tikolo, who had scored 220 in the first innings and later won the Man-of-the-Match award.Dwayne Leverock, who bowled an incredible 51 overs in the second innings, then had Hitesh Modi caught for three to leave Kenya on 148 for 4 and in a touch of trouble. But Suji and Thomas Oboyo were resiliant, playing defensively for two hours; although they failed to score a boundary for 20 overs after lunch, their solid stand was vital for their team.Suji batted almost the entire day and taking 341 balls in compiling 103, with Oboyo also unbeaten on 74. Kenya now face Ireland in the final on Thursday.

Pakistan’s chief cricket selector, Wasim Bari, has said that his team will need to be on top form to beat England in November and December, following England’s superb summer which culminated in winning the Ashes in September.”Pakistan need to be at their best to beat England,” Bari told AFP. “There is no doubt they [Pakistan] are capable of giving a tough fight and if they show the confidence they exuded in India they can come out winners.”Pakistan were beaten 2-1 at home by India last year, followed by a 3-0 drubbing by Australia, but Bari was confident about their ability to compete against England this winter:”Pakistan have been improving and I am sure they will give England a run for their money. It’s going to be a very tough and exciting series,” said Bari, who played 81 Tests for Pakistan as a wicketkeeper. Under Michael Vaughan, England is now a very balanced team and is playing cricket with confidence,” he added, “which is the most important element in any sport.”Bari warned that despite the flat pitches of the subcontinent, England’s bowling attack will be no less potent:”In Steve Harmison they have a really quick bowler and in Simon Jones, Andrew Flintoff and Matthew Hoggard they have quality swing bowlers, so their pace attack is world-class, even on the flat tracks.”We too have a very good attack and fortunately the fitness level of Shoaib Akhtar, Mohammad Sami and Umer Gul is very high and [the] Pakistan attack will match England in strength.”Bari, who was the head of selectors when Pakistan lost their last home series against England in 2000, refused to divulge his team’s plans to tackle England.”We are open to suggestion and want to give a balanced squad to captain Inzamam-ul-Haq and coach Bob Woolmer. It’s their decision what combination they want to play,” he said.But he said Pakistan needed to play five bowlers to beat England, and described the series as a huge challenge.”Against England you need to play five bowlers and that’s [what] Australia lacked in the Ashes. Pakistan need to exert pressure from day one of the series, and need to play well on all five days of all three Tests to win the series.”Bari’s selection committee will pick the Pakistan squad after three trial matches later this month. England arrive on October 26 and play the first Test in Multan on November 12, followed by Tests in Faisalabad and Lahore. Five one-day matches will conclude their tour.

Following the recent publication of its discussion paper on options for restructuring domestic league cricket, Cricket Scotland has arranged four open debating forums around the country over the next few weeks.Thursday November 10 Gannochy Pavilion, North Inch, Perth
Tuesday November 15 Hillhead Sports Club, Hughenden Road, Glasgow
Monday November 21 Aberdeenshire CC, Mannofield, Aberdeen
Tuesday November 22 Murrayfield-DAFS CC, Civil Service Club, Marine Drive, EdinburghEach of the four meetings will last for two hours, starting at 7pm. Anyone from any member club is invited to attend and to take part in the debates, and a copy of the detailed options under discussion is available for download from the Cricket Scotland website www.cricketscotland.com.Roddy Smith, the chief executive of Cricket Scotland, said: “Following the conclusion of this series of meetings, Cricket Scotland will draw up further detailed conditions of any scheme which finds general favour, for presentation at the AGM at McDiarmid Park in Perth, on Sunday December 4.”

Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were out

Australia pressed forward in the second Test, bowling South Africa out for 311 and then reaching 2 for 110 at stumps on the third day, securing a sizeable lead of 154. It was a combined bowling effort, led by the pacy Brett Lee and the effervescent Andrew Symonds, that cost South Africa its last eight wickets for 142 runs. With two days left to go, it will take a mammoth effort from South Africa to stave off defeat on a pitch that is occasionally two paced and consistently taking spin.When the day began, full of hope for South Africa on 2 for 169, it was Lee who rattled the batsmen. He softened up Jacques Kallis with a fiery spell, hit him on the helmet, and then cleaned him up with a fierce yorker. Then Lee returned with the new ball, just two overs before lunch, and removed Jacques Rudolph, South Africa’s hero from the first Test at Perth, with a perfectly pitched outswinger that swung back in to the left-hander just enough to beat the bat and hit the top of off stump.Meanwhile Shane Warne continued his hold over Ashwell Prince – he has dismissed him in each innings of the series – when Ricky Ponting reacted brilliantly to take a sharp one-handed catch at bat-pad. When Prince was dismissed South Africa had slumped to 4 for 192.On the second day Gibbs was unsure whether to attack or defend, and he continued much in the same tentative vein on the third morning. Occasionally chancing his arm for the booming drive, but otherwise settling for defensive play. He was especially troubled by Warne and Stuart MacGill, who got good purchase off the pitch, spinning the ball sharply.Mark Boucher’s arrival at the crease helped ease the pressure on South Africa. He adopted a positive approach, looking to press on and score runs and backed himself to play his favourite shots. But, just as he was settling into a groove, and had reached 23 with four boundaries, a bit of bad luck sent him on his way. He missed the line of a big inswinger from Symonds and was adjudged lbw, although replays suggested that the ball would have sailed over the stumps.Symonds, keen not just ride on umpiring largesse, produced a peach of a delivery to Gibbs. For someone who had scored 94 and been at the crease 234 balls, Gibbs was still remarkably tentative. After being set up by a variety of deliveries that in turn went straight through or moved away, he failed to react quickly enough to an inducker and was bowled. Then Symonds made it three wickets for his spell with one that kept a bit low and trapped Shaun Pollock in front of middle stump. Nicky Boje was quickly cleaned up, sweeping all over Warne, and South Africa were 9 for 291. Some lusty biffing from the last pair pushed the score on to 311, but South Africa still 44 adrift, had to then contend with Australia’s second innings. Symonds, with 3 for 15 from his last spell, and Lee, with three wickets of his own had caused the South Africans all kinds of problems.Phil Jaques, who did not last long in the first innings, made only 28 in his second dig before he missed a pull shot against Nel coming round the wicket and was trapped lbw. By then, though, the opening stand was worth over 50, and Matthew Hayden was in ominous touch. Ponting was content to play second fiddle to Hayden till he played back to a fullish delivery from Pollock that came in a touch and was plumb in front. Brad Hodge, once again cheered on by his home crowd, kept Hayden (45 not out) company as Australia closed the day on 2 for 110.How they were out
South AfricaGraeme Smith lbw b Lee 22 (1 for 36)
AB de Villiers lbw b McGrath 61 (2 for 122)
Jacques Kallis b Lee 23 (3 for 184)
Ashwell Prince c Ponting b Warne 6 (4 for 192)
Jacques Rudolph b Lee 13 (5 for 214)
Mark Boucher lbw b Symonds 23 (6 for 260)
Herschelle Gibbs b Symonds 94 (7 for 265)
Shaun Pollock lbw b Symonds 9 (8 for 281)
Nicky Boje b Warne 12 (9 for 291)
Andre Nel c Hussey b MacGill 14 (10 for 311)
Australia 2nd inningsPhil Jaques lbw b Nel 28 (1 for 53)
Ricky Ponting lbw b Pollock 11 (2 for 82)

Hampshire have confirmed they are holding talks with prolific Australian batsman Matthew Hayden with the view to signing him as an overseas player. The captain Shane Warne has been leading the county’s search for a second overseas player for 2006 and has approached a number of his Australian team-mates over the festive period.Hayden had a spell with Hampshire in 1997, when he scored 1446 runs at an average of 53.55. “He is one of three or four of Australian cricketers we have been speaking to,” Tim Tremlett, Hampshire’s director of cricket, said. “It depends on availability. Australia do not have a lot of international cricket but they do have a series against Bangladesh. There is no immediate rush to sign anyone but it would be good to have it tied up by the end of the month.”Hampshire are pursuing Hayden after ruling out a return for another Australian, Simon Katich, because he is due to get married. The allrounder Shane Watson, who made a huge impression at the Rose Bowl last year, has also been overlooked for a return as he is nursing an injury.

Australia A batsman Dominic Thornely has joined Hampshire on a one-year contract for the 2006 season.Thornely, 27, will join Hampshire captain and legendary Australia legspinner Shane Warne who led the county to runners-up spot in the County Championship last season.”I’m really looking forward to playing at Hampshire,” Thornely said. “I feel a county season will develop my game further under the captaincy of Shane Warne and the support staff at Hampshire. The club were very successful last season, and I hope to contribute to that success with both bat and ball.”Hampshire chairman Rod Bransgrove was delighted to have signed the New South Wales player, who bowls medium-pace. “His positive allround approach to the game is consistent with the way we play, and I am confident he will quickly become a firm favourite with our supporters.”

Zimbabwe v Kenya ODI records

Zimbabwe’s elevation to Full Member status inside the ICC in 1992 brought a second African country into mainstream international cricket, and their initial success raised hopes that more would join them. Kenya, who had been languishing in the twilight zone of the game when Zimbabwe first played a Test, gradually worked their way through the system, so much so that by the turn of the century they were widely being touted as the next most likely country to follow Bangladesh. That that never happened owes much to several years of internal bickering and mismanagement. But Kenya’s stagnation and ultimate downgrading in 2005 (when they lost their unique ODI member status) was not helped by the rapid decline in Zimbabwe’s fortunes from the early part of the decade.The two met 11 times in the 1990s, with Zimbabwe winning every time. That was only to be expected as Zimbabwe were at their zenith while Kenya were slowly building the side that was to reach the 2003 World Cup semi-finals. Their first official meeting (they had previously crossed paths in tournaments such as the ICC Trophy) came in the 1996 World Cup when Zimbabwe won by five wickets (Kenya’s moment of glory came two days later when they beat West Indies), and they again met in the 1999 tournament when the outcome was the same. In between Kenya took part in two triangular series involving Bangladesh and Zimbabwe, losing all seven games against the latter.In 2002-03 Zimbabwe hosted Kenya for the first time in a three-match series ahead of the World Cup, which Zimbabwe won 2-0 (the third match was washed out). The two sides met again in the 2003 World Cup after both had, remarkably – and aided by points awarded after countries refused to visit Nairobi or Harare on safety grounds – progressed to the Super Six stage. It was Kenya, at the 12th time of asking, who won the game by seven wickets with more than 23 overs to spare. But Zimbabwe were a side in crisis, with serious divisions following the Andy Flower/Henry Olonga black-armband protest earlier in the tournament.Zimbabwe won the most recent meeting between the two, a rather hastily-arranged tournament in Sharjah days after the World Cup finished. That time it was the Kenyans who were in disarray, only participating at the last minute after a dispute over money owed from the World Cup. That row was to eventually lead to an all-out strike in 2004.With Zimbabwe in Test isolation, Kenya were invited for a five-ODI tour in early 2006 and with little time to acclimitise, they were well beaten in the first ODI. Kenya bounced back to win the next two matches, Zimbabwe crashing to 69 all out chasing 134 in the third game, but the series was levelled thanks to a much-improved display from the hosts, setting up a decider which was rained off. The standard was not high, the media coverage almost non existent, and all that the series confirmed was that the two teams would struggle at the following year’s World Cup.Kenya continued to try to set up matches with Zimbabwe but, amid rumours that Zimbabwe Cricket were not prepared to risk losing to an Associate, their approaches were consistently stalled. The teams did not meet again until October 2008, two-and-a-half years later, when, in a rain-blighted triangular series, Kenya confirmed Zimbabwe’s fears by beating them in the only game which avoided the deluges.

On the evening of the second Test Mohali was abuzz with speculation on the Indian team’s final composition and it emerged that India were certain to go into the Test match with five bowlers. This automatically meant that VVS Laxman and Mohammad Kaif would miss out, with Sreesanth, struggling with flu, also likely to sit out the game. The last time India played five bowlers in a Test match was in the drawn second Test against Pakistan at Faisalabad in January.While the Indian thinktank would not confirm or deny that they were set to go into the Test with five bowlers, it is understood that Irfan Pathan will have Anil Kumble, Munaf Patel, Harbhajan Singh and either RP Singh or Piyush Chawla for company. A final decision on whether Chawla or RP Singh will get the nod will be made on the morning of the game.Yuvraj Singh, who is fit to play will replace Kaif, who scored 91 in the first Test at Nagpur. Rahul Dravid, though not answering directly on the question of Kaif, admitted that it was tough for a captain to leave out someone who had done well. “It’s a tough one, to be honest,” he said, when asked what it was like to have to explain to someone why they were dropped even after performing well.”It’s not always easy but as captain, all you can do is be as honest as you can and explain the situation. You tell the player that while he continues to be in your scheme of things for the long term, for this particular match, it may not be able to fit him in, especially when a proven, experienced performer comes back in,” said Dravid. “You tell him that it’s not meant to be an indication of his performance. We will try and give him as many opportunities as possible over a period of time, you just tell him that he has to be patient and keep working hard.”At the same time Dravid admitted that it was good to be in a position where the team was spoiled for choice, rather than the other way round. “In a way, it’s a good situation to have because you have choices to make. It’s a good feeling to know that you can call up anyone in the squad and that everyone can perform.”Probable squad Rahul Dravid (capt), Virender Sehwag, Wasim Jaffer, Sachin Tendulkar, Yuvraj Singh, Mahendra Dhoni (wk), Irfan Pathan, Munaf Patel, Harbhajan Singh, Anil Kumble, Rudra Pratap Singh, Piyush Chawla.

Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were out

Shahriar Nafees’s brilliant maiden Test hundred gave Australia a rude awakening and Bangladesh their most promising start to a Test match on the first day at Fatullah. His 187-run stand with Habibul Bashar – the highest for Bangladesh in Tests – highlighted a raucous day for the hosts as they finished on 355 for 5.Australia were expected to dominate the match from the start, but from the moment Bangladesh won the toss and chose to bat, their batsmen took charge. In a scenario resembling a one-day match, runs ticked along at close to five an over as Nafees and Bashar launched a stirring attack on the No.1 side in the world.The day clearly belonged to Nafees, whose innings was a fine riposte to the Australian juggernaut. That his first hundred in first-class cricket should came against an attack comprising Shane Warne, Jason Gillespie and Brett Lee, on the opening day of a Test match, was surreal. Like the Energizer Bunny, Nafees just kept ticking on and on … and on. Having raced to fifty before lunch with some deft cuts and drives off the quicks, Nafees channeled his aggression towards Warne, 674 Test wickets and all. Anything pitched up was driven, anything pitched short was played easily off the back foot. He did not commit himself to the front foot and was impeccable in his ability to judge the length. There was no trace of pressure as he approached his hundred, as he swept into the nineties by taking 14 off Warne’s ninth over – three twos, a cover-drive and a sweep for four.At 2.12pm local time, Nafees nibbled Warne around the corner for his second consecutive boundary to send out a most emphatic statement to Australia. Nafees’s Test career had thus far yielded just a solitary fifty and today he picked a grand stage to move it up a notch. His magnificent innings came to an end on 138 when he was bowled round the legs trying to sweep Stuart MacGill, but for three-quarters of the day Nafees had given all of Bangladesh a chance to stare Australia in the face.While much attention centred around Nafees’s century, Bashar – Bangladesh’s most consistent batsman in their brief Test history – played a gem of an innings. Whether dancing down the track to Warne or cutting through gully, Bashar was confidence personified during his innings of 76. His fluency helped Nafees and ensured that Bangladesh got the upper hand in the morning. It was to Bashar’s discredit, though, that he threw it all away two deliveries before tea – a crude pull at a MacGill long-hop went to Lee at mid-on – when a hundred seemed there for the taking. Mohammad Ashraful came, biffed 29 from 28 and was given out lbw to Jason Gillespie to one that pitched on middle and leg, while Aftab Ahmed pulled MacGill to midwicket just to balance the equation a little. But Rajin Saleh buckled down and was unbeaten on 35 at the close.

Despite a forecast of rain in the morning, play began on time and Nafees and Javed Omar gave Bangladesh a great start with a 51-run stand in just over ten overs and paved the way for Bashar and Nafees to take it up a notch. In conditions slightly more humid than in South Africa, Australia’s bowlers looked woefully out of depth on a pitch that did little. There were too many full-tosses and long-hops, and the batsmen found the boundary with ease.Stuart Clark, not used to such situations in his three-Test career, looked a far cry from the bowler who reaped 20 wickets against South Africa. Faltering in line and length and with the pitch not responding to his efforts, Clark was clicked to the tune of 5.67 runs an over from his initial spell. Warne struggled to find his radar and was welcomed to Bangladesh – he had bowled 38,733 deliveries in Tests but none to this opposition – with a series of sublime cuts, drives and sweeps. It’s a rare day when you see Warne go for 5.60 on the opening – nay, any day – of a Test match.Gillespie gave Australia their only moment of celebration in the morning with Omar’s wicket in his first over in Tests since August and got rid of Ashraful later on, and was the best bowler on view. Subtract his consistency and cool head and Australia’s bowling figures could have been a lot worse. MacGill was the most successful with three wickets – all to unnecessary shots – but was guilty of also offering too many four-balls. Lee managed a hint of swing when he pitched it up, but otherwise the threat of a formidable Australian attack was negated. This was no David-slays-Goliath but the efforts of Nafees and Bashar may just have shaken Australia a little.How they were outJaved Omar lbw b Gillespie 27 (51 for 1)
Habibul Bashar c Lee b MacGill 76 (238 for 2)
Shahriar Nafees b MacGill 138 (265 for 3)
Mohammad Ashraful lbw b Gillespie 29 (295 for 4)
Aftab Ahmed c Hayden b MacGill 29 (351 for 5)