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It never rains but it pours. South Africa’s injury crisis has worsened with the news that Charl Langeveldt will miss their opening VB Series match, against Australia at Brisbane, with a groin strain. He has been hampered by the injury since the end of the Test series but, it had been hoped he would have been able to shake it off ahead of the one-day matches.Langeveldt’s unavailability means South Africa’s pace bowling resources are being stretched to breaking point. Andre Nel has been ruled out of the tournament with a stress fracture of his foot, while Makhaya Ntini is currently back in South Africa receiving treatment for a knee injury. There has been talk of Ntini rejoining the tour however, the selectors are loathed to risk one of their premier strike bowlers with the return Test series against Australia starting in March.This spate of injuries leaves the attack in the hands of Shaun Pollock, with back up from the inexperienced duo of Monde Zondeki and Garnett Kruger, plus Andrew Hall’s brisk medium pace. One boost for South Africa is that Justin Kemp is expected to be able to play, but only as a batsman – putting further pressure on the remaining bowlers.Meanwhile, the Australians are weighing up their options following the 116-run thrashing of Sri Lanka in the opening match in Melbourne. Brett Dorey has a chance of making his international debut, on the ground where he claimed a career-best 7 for 87, for Western Australia against Queensland, in the Pura Cup. However, following the near faultless performance at the Telstra Dome he may find it difficult to force his way in.Australia (probable) Adam Gilchrist (wk), Simon Katich, Ricky Ponting (capt), Damien Martyn, Andrew Symonds, Michael Clarke, Mike Hussey, James Hopes, Brett Lee, Nathan Bracken, Glenn McGrath. Supersub Brett DoreySouth Africa (probable) Graeme Smith (capt), Boeta Dippenaar, Herschelle Gibbs, Jacques Kallis, Ashwell Prince, Justin Kemp, Mark Boucher (wk), Shaun Pollock, Andrew Hall, Garnett Kruger, Monde Zondeki. Supersub Johan Botha

Australia’s cricketers will ask for plastic bottles of beer to be banned at New Zealand grounds after some players were hit while fielding during Saturday’s one-day win over New Zealand.On what was a poor day for New Zealand cricket in general, Matthew Hayden was also spat at and hit by cardboard boxes during Australia’s 10-run win the opening one-dayer.Glenn McGrath also got into an argument with a security guard on the boundary, leading to Ricky Ponting insisting that the official be removed. “I actually saw Glenn chasing the security guard,” Ponting told reporters. “He told me a few overs before that he was having some problems with that guard. I wanted to make sure that it wasn’t going to happen again and at least get that guard away."For his part, McGrath admitted that he was not blameless. “I had … an altercation might be the right word … with a security guard on the fence,” he explained. “But I was a bit fired up at the time, so I probably should accept 50 % of what happened there myself.”But Ponting was clearly far from happy with off-pitch behaviour which twice caused play to be stopped. "Someone’s going to get hurt," he argued. "If a full plastic bottle hits someone in the eye or the back of the head, then we don’t want that. Get the police involved or whatever."And Adam Gilchrist was in no mood to disagree. “As far as bad-mouthing and personal abuse goes, the crowds here are on a par with anything we have come across, even in South Africa."Officials will meet the company responsible for security at the venues on Monday to discuss arrangements for the next game in Christchurch.

In the light of the recent bomb blasts in Mumbai, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has verified that it has adequate security arrangements in place for New Zealand’s forthcoming tour of India.New Zealand, while they have not yet asked for any reassurance, will have reason to feel queasy – they returned midway from their tour of Pakistan last year because of a bomb blast outside their hotel, and almost did the same in Sri Lanka in 1992 after bombs went off outside their hotel. They have since been apprehensive about terrorist threats, and withdrew from their match in Kenya in this year’s World Cup for just that reason.SK Nair, the BCCI’s secretary, said: "We have issued directions to all the staging associations to ensure trouble-free conduct of matches during the two series and have asked all the associations to adhere to the ICC guidelines on security. We will not adopt a soft approach at all. We will be very strict because even one incident can tarnish the country’s image."Nair emphasized that the BCCI was taking the matter seriously. "Although New Zealand Cricket has not approached us so far expressing their concern over security measures," he said, "we are prepared for the worst."Meanwhile Martin Snedden, NZC’s chief executive, has said that NZC were waiting to hear from India, and that there would be no knee-jerk reaction at their end.

The touring English team will take on an Indian Board President’s XI, ina three-day match at the Lal Bahadur Shastri Stadium in Hyderabad,starting on Thursday.Most of the top English batsmen have run into some good form in theirlast game, played in Mumbai. Two batsmen who didn’t have a good gameagainst Mumbai Cricket Association Board President’s XI are Mark Butcherand Michael Vaughan and they would be hoping to use this match to regaintheir touch.The English squad had a net session in the morning. They have though notgiven any clue about the composition of their final eleven. The latestaddition to the squad, Andrew Flintoff, has not arrived in Hyderabad andlooks set to play only in the match against India ‘A’ at Jaipur. Englandwill possibly play wicketkeeper Warren Hegg ahead of James Foster.The pitch at the Lal Bahadur Shastri Stadium looks to be a sleepingbeauty. The young fast bowler from Kerala, Tinu Yohannan lamented,”There is not even a blade of grass on this track.” Meanwhile, theweather here is crisp and slightly warm, nothing like the sultryconditions one encounters in the coastal cities like Mumbai and Chennai.Madan Lal, the Manager of the Board President’s XI, who incidentally isalso a national selector, was at the nets with his boys in theafternoon. He had a close look at Rohan Gavaskar and Murali Kartik amongothers. Speaking to , Madan Lal said that the finaleleven had been more or less decided, and Rakesh Patel, Irfan Pathanand RV Dhruv will miss out. The team is still awaiting the arrival ofoff-spinner Sarandeep Singh and the medium-pacer from Jammu and Kashmir,Surendra Singh.Tinu Yohannan was working up impressive pace in the nets; the tall andlean fast bowler has caught the attention of Madan Lal, a former Indiafast bowler himself. Madan Lal, as a matter of fact , shared ten secondinnings wickets with Kapil Dev against Keith Fletcher’s England in theMumbai Test and took India to a Test Victory, some 19 years ago.Madan Lal was of the opinion that none of the players are on trial inHyderabad, “Sarandeep Singh has been amongst wickets this season and hisform has been phenomenal, there is a good chance that he will be thethird spinner in the Indian Test team against England.”The former India coach was of the opinion that Rohan Gavaskar is a verygood batsman and it is a matter of time before he starts scoring heavilyand is in contention for a place in the national squad. Sridharan Sriramwho had a wonderful time with the bat against a visiting Sri Lankan XIin the MJ Gopalan Trophy will also try to press hard for the opener’sslot in the national side. Madan Lal says, “The opening position and anextra spin bowler’s slot has been vacant in the national side for quitea while now, it is for the players to grab the opportunity.”Pankaj Dharmani and Murali Kartik will have to prove their mettleagainst the visitors to be in national reckoning, given the competitionfor positions in the national squad.The controversy surrounding the disciplinary action taken against sixIndian players in South Africa has evoked strong emotions in this sportloving city too.Incidentally, Mike Denness the ICC match referee who is caught in theeye of the storm in South Africa, played in a three-day match againstIndian Board Pesident’s XI in 1972 (Dec 2-4) at Lal Bahadur ShastriStadium in Hyderabad. In those days, the top players in the countryrepresented the Board President’s XI and a 22-year-old Sunil ManoharGavaskar scored 86 to take Board President’s XI to 317/5 decl. In reply,the England XI made 321/7 declared, Denness making a sparkling 95 and DLAmiss making 81 against a bowling attack that comprised of Abid Ali(2/74) and EAS Prasanna (3/109).England (from): Nasser Hussain (capt), Usman Afzaal, Martyn Ball, MarkButcher, Marcus Trescothick, Graham Thorpe, Michael Vaughan, MarkRamprakash, Richard Dawson, James Foster, Ashley Giles, Warren Hegg,Richard Johnson, Matthew Hoggard, James Ormond, Craig White.Board President’s XI (from): Jacob Martin (capt), Irfan Pathan, RakeshPatel, Wasim Jaffer, Sridharan Sriram, Dinesh Mongia, Pankaj Dharmani,Sanjay Bangar, Murali Kartik, Rohan Gavaskar, Tinu Yohannan, SharandeepSingh, Surender Singh.

ScorecardRod Bransgrove with Hampshire director of cricket Giles White (file photo)•Getty Images

Sports administrators arriving on the field to exhort their teams to do better will always be treading a fine line – think Delia Smith’s much-mocked “Let’s be ‘aving you” at half-time during a Norwich City football match – but there can be no denying that the appearance of Rod Bransgrove on the outfield of the Ageas Bowl on Tuesday coincided with one of Hampshire’s most complete displays of the season.With the bat, they shifted through the gears from safety-first accumulation to all out dashing, as a burst of 77 runs in 6.4 overs carried them to maximum batting points for the first time this season – a feat all the more impressive considering they were 181 for 4 from 69.1 overs at one stage on the first day. They then added a bowling bonus point to their haul by reducing the freshly re-crowned champions, perhaps already mentally on holiday, to 82 for 4 before bad light prevented any further harrying by Hampshire’s pace attack.A forecast for rain notwithstanding, Hampshire are in complete control in this match. Coming as Bransgrove declared his ambition for the team to compete with the likes of Yorkshire for the Championship, this was a serendipitous performance and, given how tight things could become in the shake-up for Division One relegation, one that could have significant bearing on their chances of survival.At lunch, Hampshire announced that the Ageas Bowl pavilion has been named after Bransgrove, the club chairman and former chief executive who has invested much of his own money into developing the ground over the last 15 years. Bransgrove had hinted last year, after Hampshire failed to win a 2019 Ashes Test in the ECB’s most recent major match allocation, that he could reduce his involvement but, while admitting he was “easing back”, he declared there were still goals to pursue.One of those, unsurprisingly, is realising the dream of hosting a Test against Australia, a topic Bransgrove has long been bullish about. The tender process has begun for the 2020-2023 allocations and Bransgrove was positive about Hampshire’s chances; the Ageas Bowl remains the only Test ground in England not to have been awarded an Ashes Test. The other aim, more pertinent to the state of this match, was for Hampshire to challenge for what would be only a third Championship title.”I’m hoping, and quite confident, that in the year 2023, we will stage our first Ashes Test match,” Bransgrove said at the unveiling. “The other ambition I’d like to focus on now for a few years is to have a pop at the County Championship. We’ve been close once or twice, it’s one competition that’s eluded us but I think we’re going to give it a real crack over the next five years.”The completion of the hotel at the ground earlier this year capped a multimillion-pound redevelopment and Bransgrove suggested that a greater focus on results was now in order. Hampshire have been one of the strongest limited-overs sides in the country but their second-place finish in 2005 is the closest they have come to a Championship challenge under Bransgrove.”I do feel as though we’ve got to an end with this journey but it’s the sort of beginning of another one really, because now we’re up there amongst the big clubs in terms of resource, so we’ve got to make sure we compete with the big clubs on the field as well and demonstrate that Hampshire is up there with the Yorkshires, Warwickshires, Notts and others.”The only way they can do that, at least in the short term, is by avoiding relegation back to Division Two after a single season. Should they achieve that, at the expense of either Sussex or Somerset, it would see eight of the nine counties with Test grounds (Glamorgan being the exception) concentrated in the top tier, a situation that would doubtless increase fears about the sustainability of the Championship ecosystem.While financial heft has allowed Hampshire to bring in internationals such as Fidel Edwards – who completed a miserable day for Yorkshire opener Adam Lyth, dropped from England’s UAE squad, by having him caught at slip second ball – Ryan McLaren and Jackson Bird to bolster their Division One campaign, it was a homegrown player who shone on another murky, truncated day on the south coast. Liam Dawson’s seventh first-class hundred was his first in almost two years and it provided the gangplank for Hampshire to storm to 400 and stir hopes of a remarkable victory.Since retaining their title on the first day of their match at Lord’s last week, Yorkshire supporters have had plenty to mither about. Defeated by Middlesex despite taking a 193-run first-innings lead, they have had their noses tweaked again here. Jason Gillespie made his disapproval clear in the changing rooms afterward.A fifth batting point for Hampshire looked about as likely as a calm day’s yachting on the Solent when they resumed on 219 for 4, the start of play having been delayed by almost two hours by further rain. Dawson was the driving force as Hampshire added 73 without loss during the first session; he finished it by taking 11 off an over of spin from Lyth to reach his hundred, having passed 50 with his first scoring shot of the morning.Dawson had not previously made a Championship half-century for Hampshire this season – though he managed 99 when loaned out to Essex to rediscover some red-ball form – but he led the charge after the lunch, too. Soft when playing late enough to make sure edges went to ground (and often to third man), strong when driving down the ground, Dawson’s knock was also long enough to satisfy the Andrex puppy. When he fell for 140, skying a leg-side hoick at James Middlebrook, Hampshire were still 26 shy of their target with 17 balls in which to get there; Gareth Berg biffed four consecutive fours off Middlebrook to ensure they made it with room to spare.Whether Bransgrove’s clarion call had an effect will be something for local scholars to reflect on. The chairman turns 65 on Sunday but Hampshire’s players have so far done their utmost to provide an early birthday present.

Stuart MacGill will have surgery on his right hand on Thursday and is likely to miss at least the first two Tests of the series against India. He had originally been tipped to have an operation – on his problem right knee – but after two weeks of heavy scrutiny after his poor bowling in the Hobart Test a decision on his treatment has been made.”MacGill will undergo surgery in Sydney on Thursday for carpal tunnel syndrome in the right hand, a common problem that causes hand numbness,” Trefor James, the team doctor who examined MacGill in Melbourne, said. “The surgery is expected to keep Stuart out for four to six weeks.”Australia’s series with India begins on Boxing Day and the selectors will now have to decide between the spin of Brad Hogg or using four fast men on the drop-in pitch. “My gut feeling is that we have to pick our four best bowlers,” the Australia coach Tim Nielsen said in the Herald Sun. “It doesn’t matter if they are spinners or quicks.”MacGill’s problems severely affect the national team as he was meant to operate as the link man between the Shane Warne era and the next generation of spinners. MacGill is 36 and he faces a huge battle to prove himself after admitting he was unfit leading into the Sri Lanka series. He could be ready to return late in the four-Test contest with India, but there is also the option of waiting for the tour of Pakistan in March.”Although Stuart has had mild symptoms for several months, it only began to affect his bowling during the second Test against Sri Lanka in Hobart last month,” James said. “The problem has been the subject of a thorough investigation and assessment since the Test.”MacGill has also been hampered by a serious knee condition but James ruled out any further surgery. He struggled in the series against Sri Lanka, managing to pick up five wickets at an average of 65.

The man in charge of preparing Barbados for next year’s World Cup has denied reports that that matches at the Kensington Oval had been cancelled in the lead-up to the tournament.Stephen Alleyne, the chief executive of the Barbados organising committee, has reacted to reports suggesting that the ground development had fallen behind schedule and matches early in 2007 would have to be called off by clarifying that there were never any plans to host first-class matches at the ground prior to the World Cup.”Following the pitch-testing in September of this year, in concert with the [World Cup planners] we agreed a programme for the re-growth of grass which did not allow nor anticipate any first-class cricket until the beginning of the event.”The other fact mitigating against first-class games is that the first quarter of next year has been reserved for the overlay completion in preparation for the tournament. I am happy to report that all is proceeding according to plan.”

This was hailed as the Big Bash, but ended up being the Big Dash – for shelter, as heavy rain and hailstones washed out the first match of Australia’s Twenty20 competition, between Queensland and Tasmania early in the visitors’ reply.A fiery burst from opener Ben Hilfenhaus, who bagged 3 for 17 from his 4 overs, helped to restrict Queensland to a modest 7 for 136. The home side were grateful for opener Jimmy Maher’s 59, and for the efforts of Steve Paulsen, too, whose 45 lifted them out of a slump at 4 for 23.They had captured the early wicket of Michael di Venuto for 5 when heavy rain halted play after just 3.1 overs of Queensland’s reply. The match was abandoned an hour later.There was more success over in the west, though, particularly for Victoria who completed a two-run win against Western Australia. After a woeful collapse to 3 for 20, Victoria recovered to post 163 thanks largely to Liam Buchanan’s silky 47 and Cameron White’s blistering 45. Ben Edmondson was the pick of WA’s attack, with 3 for 16, and he also ran out Adam Crosthwaite off his own bowling.WA’s reply got off to a slow start, although they picked up the pace and Adam Voges gave them hope with a quickfire 51 from 41 balls. But it was not enough – wickets tumbled thick and fast and they came up two runs short as Shane Harwood held his nerve in the last over: just four runs came off him.

Graeme Smith was all smiles as he faced the media after captaining South Africa to their first Test victory since March 2004, and was fully confident that his team would carry their momentum forward into the final two Tests of the series, the first of which begins in Johannesburg on January 13.”It’s a great feeling,” said Smith. “One win doesn’t make us world-beaters, and there’s a lot of hard work ahead, but we wouldn’t be arriving in Jo’burg if I wasn’t confident of victory. We’ve shown our ability as a team to win Tests, and I’m looking forward to it.”It was a hard 2004,” admitted Smith, who is hoping for brighter things in the New Year. “We didn’t start well in Port Elizabeth, we slipped up in Durban after starting well, and then got lucky at the end – but that gave us momentum and confidence, and it’s lasted all five days here.”The balance of the side is looking good,” he added. “The bowlers have taken a lot of heat over the last few months, but they’ve come back superbly. This was a good wicket with good bounce, and we put the England batting line-up under a lot of pressure all Test. It was superb.”Smith singled out two key figures in South Africa’s victory. The spinner, Nicky Boje, who took four wickets in the second innings to go with his crucial 76, and the Man of the Match, Jacques Kallis, who made 149 and 66 to add to his 162 at Durban, and of whom Smith could not speak highly enough.”I’m running out of things to say about Jacques,” said Smith. “I think he’s the best player in the world and I’ve told him that. There have been a lot of 60s and 70s from the batsmen throughout the series, so it would be nice to see someone else moving on to take the pressure off him.” Kallis himself admitted that he was currently in a purple patch, but added that so long as he carried on boring the Barmy Army for the rest of the series, he’d be happy.Boje, meanwhile, “came to the party”, in the words of his captain. “We knew the pitch would get drier as the game went on,” explained Smith, “and that was one reason we didn’t enforce the follow-on. The wicket played pretty well throughout and the seamers had to graft, but Nicky really came to the party.”England must now face up to the psychological blow of being within touching distance of a 2-0 lead one week, only to end up 1-1 the next. “I guess they’re very disappointed,” said Smith. “If they’re not then there’s something wrong. But there are two big games left in the series, and it’s crucial to get a big performance at the Wanderers.”

Day 1 ReportFrizzell County Championship Division OneSussex 362 for 4 v Surrey at Hove
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Sussex justified their position of second in the table with a commanding display against leaders Surrey. Sussex are currently five points off the top and they certainly took all the honours in the first day of this crucial top-of-the-table clash. Chris Adams made a return to form with an unbeaten 107 including 11 fours, his first century of the season. Richard Montgomerie and Murray Goodwin had earlier made a superb start for Sussex with 149 for the first wicket. Goodwin was eventually bowled by Jimmy Ormond for 75, and when Tony Cottee was out for 1, Surrey threatened to undermine Sussex’s good early work. However, Montgomerie rolled his sleeves up and battled out a gutsy 90, and Tim Ambrose chipped in with 43 to increase the pressure on the Surrey bowlers. Saqlain Mushtaq wheeled through 36 overs for 1 for 84, while Ian Salisbury picked up 2 for 42.Kent 189 v Essex 164 for 7 at Canterbury
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17 wickets fell in the first day’s play between Kent and Essex, and surprisingly, Kent’s Championship debutant, Muttiah Muralitharan, didn’t take any of them. Rather than a spinner’s paradise, it was a swinger’s delight considering the overcast atmosphere. However, Kent’s man of the moment, Ed Smith, defied the pitch and conditions with his sixth championship hundred in as many games. Smith hit a stylish 108 from 118 balls as only two other batsmen made double figures. But while It was no great surprise Smith again excelled, Essex threw up a relatively unknown hero in Antonio Palladino. Exploiting the swinging conditions, Palladino took a career-best 6 for 41 in his second Championship match, including the prize wicket of Smith. However, Essex still ended the day 25 runs in arrears and seven wickets down, despite the efforts of Andy Flower (39) and Ronnie Irani (52).Leicestershire 259 v Lancashire 28 for 2 at Leicester
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The two old warhorses Philip DeFreitas and Devon Malcolm ensured the day ended honours even with a wicket each to leave Lancashire on a prickly 28 for 2 after Leicestershire were bowled out for 259. DeFreitas top-scored with 57 in Leicestershire’s mediocre score, while Darren Stevens hit 54 in an innings which never got going. Lancashire’s Gary Keedy picked up 4 for 17, and John Wood 3 for 59, but those two late wickets heightened Leicestershire’s spirits as they still search for their first win.Nottinghamshire 249 for 9 v Middlesex at Nottingham
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Ashley Noffke took 5 for 50 to put Middlesex on top against Notts. Kevin Pietersen provided the bulk of Notts’s resistance with 67, but when he was one of Noffke’s victims, the score crashed to 188 for 6. Chris Read (26), Paul Franks (28) and Greg Smith (27) provided a late recovery of sorts before rain stopped play in the 79th over with Middlesex in charge.Frizzell County Championship Division TwoGloucestershire 33 for 2 v Yorkshire at Cheltenham
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Only 11.1 overs were possible at the College Ground due to heavy showers which checked Yorkshire’s progress against Gloucestershire. Openers Craig Spearman and Phil Weston were both out for nought before Tim Hancock and Matt Windows steadied the score to 33 for 2 when rain stopped play.Durham 164 for 5 v Somerset at Chester-le-Street
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Three late wickets gave Somerset the edge against Durham in a rain-affected day at Chester-le-Street. After Gordon Muchall (65) and Gary Pratt (51) put on an 88-run partnership, Durham lost three wickets for five runs to splutter to 146 to 5. Steffan Jones took two of those wickets and ended with 2 for 44, while Richard Johnson returned with 1 for 54 before rain and bad light stopped play after 52.5 overs.