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A career can end in many ways. Some prefer a planned exit, others an impromptu departure. Some retire too quickly, others too slowly. Some Asian cricketers drag out their demise, eking out every morsel of acclaim and monetary reward. The bigger they come the slower they fade. Kapil Dev and Javed Miandad are two prime examples. This is not just an Asian trait, but it certainly runs more strongly in our blood.Such dithering can become a little bothersome for a cricket board intent on a clearout. What to do with a great cricketer who won’t let the fat lady sing? The answer is genius in its simplicity: announce a farewell match and stop the debate. The question is, why has nobody thought of it before? And the man with a chance to go down in history as a pioneer is Waqar Younis.Waqar has had some difficulty in the last few months. He hasn’t quite got the message. After Pakistan’s abysmal World Cup performance it seemed inevitable that he would retire from international cricket. Indeed, if Pakistan were to fail in the World Cup, a bad failure probably suited the purposes of the Pakistan Cricket Board best. Off the record, Pakistan officials will admit that it was a relief – they now had a mandate for change.Instead Waqar vowed to fight for his place, with a return to county cricket as part of his comeback plan. But in the meantime Pakistan’s young fast bowlers have rendered Waqar obsolete. And the recent public tiff between Waqar and Shoaib Akhtar underscores the painful tussle between old warhorses and young bucks that has paralysed Pakistan cricket over the last year. In offering Waqar a farewell home game against South Africa the message from the Pakistan Cricket Board is clear and simple: thank you and goodnight. The subtext is that this is Waqar’s best chance of a dignified exit, whereas the alternative is adding his name to the long list of great Asian cricketers who have departed with acrimony.It is touching too that this planned farewell will be hand in glove with Wasim Akram’s. Together they formed the most potent fast-bowling partnership in the history of Asian cricket, perhaps in world cricket. Together they will reward their fans with a final hurrah. Wasim, as ever, has shown a shrewder touch. Sensing that the mood was against him, Wasim announced his retirement and was instantly rewarded with a farewell game. During the NatWest Challenge in England I asked Wasim if he thought he should be playing. His reply? "I’ve had my time. It is time for the youngsters to enjoy themselves in the middle."Waqar should have taken a hint from Wasim’s retirement. Now the ignominy of having a farewell game foisted upon him can only be surpassed if he refuses to accept this unique offer. Waqar’s glittering career has brought many records. But there are no more on the horizon, except the dubious one of the first forced farewell. Waqar has still not accepted the Pakistan board’s proposal. He should. The selectors have said goodnight to Waqar Younis and Wasim Akram. Against South Africa in Pakistan it will be time for thank you.Kamran Abbasi, born in Lahore, brought up in Rotherham, is deputy editor of the British Medical Journal.

A convincing five-wicket win over Canterbury on Saturday gave Auckland their fourth consecutive State League title.The defending champion Hearts returned to Christchurch’s Redwood Park with recent memories of twice losing to the Magicians in round-robin play.Keen to avenge the losses, Hearts’ skipper Michelle Lynch won the toss and gave Canterbury first use of a bouncy pitch and lightning-fast outfield.Early breakthroughs by pace bowler Natalee Scripps and off-spinner Debbie Ramsay brought key Magicians pair Haidee Tiffen and Nicola Payne together at the crease with the score at 18 for two wickets and the innings delicately poised.A partnership of 82 runs between the TelstraClear White Ferns pair had their side well placed at 100 for two when a low, diving catch by Emily Drumm in the covers sent Tiffen back to the pavilion for 38.Payne, who had struck some crisp straight drives and was punishing of anything short, followed soon after for 34 when Rebecca Rolls gloved a fine edge off Scripps.The Magicians middle and lower-order were unable to sustain any momentum as the last eight wickets fell for 42 runs.Capable left-hander Maria Fahey was left stranded on 13 not out as run outs and the medium pace of Helen Watson, with two for 31 from 10 overs, claimed the final wickets.Scripps finished with the impressive figures of three for 13 from 8.3 overs as the Magicians were all out for 142 in the 47th over, no doubt grateful for the Heart’s contribution of 17 wides.Hearts’ opener Rolls signaled how she was going to go about chasing the meagre total with a cracking back foot drive for four through cover point from the first ball of the innings.In a player of the match performance, Rolls peppered the boundary and dominated the scoring, putting on 33 for the first wicket with Lynch and 67 with Drumm for the second.A premeditated sweep shot lead to her demise on 82, bowled by left-armer Helen Daly with the score at 132.In similar fashion to the Magicians, the Hearts’ middle-order made hard work of scoring the remaining 11 runs, losing two more wickets before Watson finished the match with a boundary through the covers in the 38th over.

Somerset County Cricket Club Junior Sabre members are all invited to go along and watch Bristol City play against Peterborough United absolutely free of charge.Over the next few days all paid up Junior Sabres members of the club will be receiving their invitation in the post from membership secretary Joanne Arnold to go along to Ashton Park in Bristol on Saturday March 15th to see the match.All Junior Sabre members have to do then to receive their free ticket is to complete the form at the bottom of their letter and return it to Jo Arnold with a stamped addressed envelope before March 5th.Accompanying adults will have to pay £10 at the turnstiles, or alternatively they can book in advance by calling the Bristol City Hotline on 0117966 6666.Earlier today the membership secretary told me: "This offer is all tied in with the link that we have developed with both Bristol City Football Club and Bristol Shoguns Rugby Club, that gives our Junior Sabre members the chance to watch top class sporting action in the region absolutely free of charge. However it is only on offer to those who have joined for the 2003 season."On the day of the match the Junior Sabres will be joined by Somerset’s friendly dragon mascot Stumpy. Several members of the playing staff are also expected to be present at Ashton Gate.Anybody who has any queries regarding the arrangements for the day should contact Jo Arnold at the County Ground on 01823 272946.

Peter McGlashan of Hawke’s Bay has been named captain of the New Zealand District Association team to play Bangladesh starting next Friday in Wanganui.The match is not a first-class fixture but a rare chance for players in the Hawke Cup regions to get exposure to playing an international side.District Associationteam manager Ross Dykes, says the side has been selected from New Zealand district teams only and does not include any players from the metropolitan areas or any current first-class players.”The majority of the team is made up of players who have previously played first-class cricket or who are now on the fringe of first-class selection,” says Dykes.”It’s a mixture of experience and up and coming talent who realise that it’s a rare honour for a district team to be playing an international side.”I’m sure they’ll be very competitive.”The team is: Peter McGlashan (captain, Hawke’s Bay), Tim Anderson (Nelson), Simon Andrews (Hamilton), Peter Fulton (Canterbury Country), Jaden Hatwell (Hamilton), Peter Ingram (Manawatu), Harley James (Canterbury Country), Taraia Robin (Hawke’s Bay), Grant Robinson (Hamilton), Neil Rushton (North Otago), Greg Todd (Wairarapa), Scott Baldwin (12th man, Wanganui).

It took six days of Test cricket before genuine Test match conditions were available and New Zealand had played themselves into the best position to take their second victory of the National Bank series when beating India by four wickets at Hamilton today.This will long be remembered as a Test series dominated by New Zealand’s miserable early-summer weather, where bouncy pitches were complicated by excessive sideways movement.But it will also be recalled as a series where New Zealand took their chances, and after a dreadful first day of catching in Wellington, they lifted their act so impressively that they never dropped a chance for the remainder of the series. And with so much movement creating so many edges that was crucial.Such had been the competitive nature of this match that it was the first time since England played Australia in 1981 that any batsman had failed to score a half century in a Test. Of the 13 occasions in which that statistical oddity had occurred, this was only the second time, after the Birmingham Test 21 years ago, it involved a covered pitch.Yet out of the disappointment of an uneven contest, where the conditions dictated more than any self-respecting cricket connoisseur would want, a marvellous last day emerged full of all the intensity that is associated with Test cricket at its best.India fought superbly. They lacked the firepower of New Zealand, but left-arm medium pacers Zaheer Khan and Ashish Nehra were outstanding, while Tinu Yohannan was accurate and unrelenting in his control.Had the match been a day older, and New Zealand chasing another 100 runs, off spinner Harbhajan Singh would have been a big player in this game. But circumstance dictated otherwise and the New Zealanders, with the same patience that has served them so well in much of their successful cricket over the last 12 months, ground down the margin until two newcomers in Jacob Oram, in his second Test, and Robbie Hart, in his fifth, were able to stay together while the last 24 runs were scored.It had been a restless morning for New Zealand. The run rate had been laborious, and rightfully so given the state of the match. But no-one in the large pre-Christmas crowd was complaining.Ninety-six runs were added in the elongated morning session, and five wickets fell – just the sort of script to have the cricket purists salivating.Lou Vincent was the first of the New Zealanders to be dismissed, hanging his bat to a ball from Yohannan that was comfortably taken by wicket-keeper Parthiv Patel. Vincent scored nine in 79 minutes and off 52 balls.Mark Richardson kept the prospect of errors to a minimum until a lovely ball from left-armer Nehra straightened up on him and took the edge to give Patel the catch. Patel’s response, and that of his team-mates suggested they were well aware of the importance of Richardson’s wicket to their own aspirations of victory.Skipper Stephen Fleming seemed to set himself to bat the team home. He worked the quick singles, and also took advantage of Khan tiring toward the end of his first spell to hit three fours in four balls.He and Craig McMillan, who was sorely in need of a good performance, had added 37 runs for the third wicket, when an attempted pull shot by Fleming, a shot that has not succeeded at all in this Test, was skied high to mid-on where Khan and bowler Nehra did their best to foul up the catching chance. But Khan was steadfast and completed the catch to dismiss Fleming for 32, scored in 87 minutes.McMillan got his scoring underway with four behind square off Yohannan and was untroubled in coming down the pitch to Harbhajan and hitting him for six over long on. Harbhajan bowled only two overs, conceding 14 runs before being taken off.But McMillan was the next man to depart, at 90, when Nehra trapped him leg before wicket for 18.Nathan Astle saw the 100-up, a vital psychological boost for New Zealand, with Scott Styris. However, five runs later he attempted to swing a leg-side ball behind square only to be beaten by the bounce, gloving the ball to Patel to be out for 14.Styris and Oram reached 120 by lunch and were going well after the break until Styris tried a cut shot against Harbhajan and had the faintest tickle taken by Patel to be out for 17 with New Zealand 136/6.Hart, playing on his home ground strode out to find Oram taking control. Oram’s batting in the two earlier innings he played showed nothing of the potential he possesses, but there was no doubt this time.A flowing cover drive from Harbhajan signalled his attitude and he backed that up with a lovely square drive to the boundary off Nehra. New Zealand couldn’t miss out and when a run out attempt of Hart, which would have been successful had it hit, produced four overthrows to take them within seven, the damage was well and truly done.The two batsmen just worked the ball around and Hart was able to flick the winning single off his hip to give New Zealand the win.The Indian pressure was outstanding and Nehra, especially, with this three for 43, kept the home team on their guard. Harbhajan really needed more runs to bowl at while Khan’s figures do not reflect the menace he represented.In the final outcome, New Zealand played the conditions best, and while they are more used to them, they certainly are not expert in dealing with the movement off the pitch that occurred in the series. They had the benefit of winning the toss in both matches, but they also had the better bowling attack under the circumstances to make best use of the conditions and that ultimately told the story of the series.

Welcome to the first issue of Zimbabwe Cricket Online for the 2001/02 season. Every week we plan to bring you news of cricket all over Zimbabwe, although for reasons beyond our control we will not be able to cover every area of the game, or even as extensively as we have done in the past. Still, we will try our best.In this issue we bring you news from Mashonaland, Matabeleland and Manicaland,and also a report on the first round of the Vigne Cup, the Mashonaland club competition. Unfortunately our regular club cricket contributor, Clive Ruffell, is no longer able to cover this, and we would like to thank him for his outstanding contributions of the past. Larry Moyo, sports reporter for The Herald, has willingly taken over this task. We also include a look at the coming season, through the eyes of the Zimbabwe Cricket Union managing director Dave Ellman-Brown, whose energy on behalf of cricket in this country remains as strong as ever.The South African tour has been covered extensively on CricInfo, and we have just a few thoughts to add on what was generally a disappointing Zimbabwe performance, with the exception of the incredible Andy Flower.Here is the cricket programme for Zimbabwe for the rest of the month:Friday 21 Sept: Zimbabwe A v South Africans (Queens Sports Club)Sunday 23 Sept: Zimbabwe v South Africa (1st ODI, Queens Sports Club)Vigne Cup Round 2 in HarareSaturday 29 Sept: Zimbabwe v South Africa (2nd ODI, Harare Sports Club)Sunday 30 Sept: Zimbabwe v South Africa (3rd ODI, Harare Sports Club)As usual, South Africa will be strong favourites to win the one-day series by three victories to none, but Zimbabwe have twice before upset the odds, once in the World Cup in England and once in South Africa. Can they do it a third time?

Dipak Patel, the Central Districts cricket coach, wants the national selectors to keep a close eye on his star batsman, the 22-year-old David Kelly whose 99 not out kept Central Districts afloat during the second day of the State Championship match against Auckland on the Eden Park Outer Oval today.Kelly has already built a very useful run-scoring record for Central Districts in four-day and one-day matches, including a 570-minute unbeaten double century throughout the first CD innings against Canterbury at Blenheim last season.”David has shown he can score runs,” said Patel, the former New Zealand all-rounder. “He has also shown, especially today, that he can defend and concentrate very effectively. He has all the shots, but he is the only one of our batsmen who has really stood up and performed well under difficult conditions against Auckland.”Patel said he was not looking at Kelly as an immediate candidate for the troublesome opening position in the New Zealand team.”He might not be at that stage, yet,” said Patel, “but he is getting closer. “I think David would be an excellent prospect, say, opening the batting for New Zealand A, and gaining valuable experience.”I hope the national selectors are keeping an eye on him, he has so much determination to succeed.”Patel had his wish granted yesterday for Ross Dykes, one of the national selectors, has watched the first two days of the Eden Park match. However, neither he nor Kelly were available for comment last night.Kelly, born in Dunedin but now living in Hawke’s Bay, has fashioned solid batting figures in his short career. Before this season he has scored 1122 first-class runs, with a single and double century, average a respectable 35.06. He scored 617 runs, average 38.56 in Shell Trophy matches last summer.He also has a one-day century in the 710 runs, average 25.35, he has scored in 29 Shell Cup matches.There were many strange statistics in Kelly’s staunch stand which cut back the domination Auckland had gained in the first four sessions of the match. One was his 99 has already taken him 284 minutes, longer than the first innings from Central Districts (231 minutes) and Auckland (257 minutes). In his 99 were 16 fours – and the other 14 CD innings in the game so far have reached a total of 11.

Jimmy Maher blasted a century in his maiden first-class innings for Australia as the tourists took control of the three-day tour match against the University of West Indies XI in Barbados.Maher, also playing as a makeshift wicketkeeper, hit 142 from 187 deliveries in a double-century stand with Justin Langer (96) which ensured Australia was the only team with a realistic chance of winning at the seaside ground at Cave Hill.At stumps on the second day, the University XI was 2-32 in its second innings – trailing Australia by 36 runs after captain Steve Waugh declared at 6-358 in the first innings.Maher continued his impressive match after taking two catches and making one stumping on Saturday while top ‘keeper Adam Gilchrist rested ahead of Thursday’s third Test against the West Indies at nearby Kensington Oval.The 29-year-old Queenslander belted 21 fours and one six, hitting out on the lush surface before he was caught off the bowling of invited Kenyan spinner Collins Obuya.Langer’s knock was encouraging ahead of the third Test, although the West Australian has been dogged by controversial LBW decisions this tour.He was within sight of his second century of the month before given out LBW to Ricardo Powell (2-66) after batting for almost four hours.Waugh received valuable time in the middle after not batting during the second Test victory in Trinidad last week.The 37-year-old made a solid 46 in 95 minutes while Martin Love (10) and Michael Clarke (eight) failed against the enthusiastic University attack led by former Test quick Corey Collymore (2-54).The University XI made a disastrous start to its second innings later in the day when recalled Test batsman Chris Gayle was run out without scoring.Brad Williams (1-7) then bowled Jason Haynes (two) to complete a satisfying day for the Australians.The Australians would hope to race through the University batting line-up to restrict their time in the sticky conditions ahead of the Test.

Brett Lee and Nathan Bracken buried their Ashes disappointments with outstanding comebacks as NSW thrashed South Australia by 290 at the Sydney Cricket Ground here today.Lee, returning to first-class cricket after a rib injury in the fifth Ashes Test, gathered momentum over by over to show he was ready to play his 13th Test when Australia meets New Zealand at the Gabba on November 8.Lee took 5-56 as South Australia, chasing 483, was bowled out for 192 just after tea on the third day of the Pura Cup match.The blond speedster, who took only nine wickets at an average of 55.11 in England, grew in confidence and by the end of the day had the throttle fully open in an encouraging display in front of national selector Allan Border.”I’m certainly ready,” Lee said.”I was always going to take it a little bit easier in the first dig and I was a down on pace there.”But I felt very comfortable out there and the pace was soon back and the rhythm felt fantastic – so no problems there.”There’s certainly no strains, the body felt fantastic.”Lee said he had no trouble bowling a spell of seven overs in the middle session.”I could have charged in all day but I had to give the other guys a go and it was great that Bracks could back us up.”After Lee whipped the head off the Redbacks batting, Bracken crushed the tail with 4-10 in 6.2 overs.He was returning from an even longer injury layoff after he was forced home from England with a shoulder injury in June.An impressive performer in one-day matches, Bracken could be close to Test selection with his leftarm pace offering a welcome variation to the right arm pace of Glenn McGrath, Jason Gillespie and Lee.An early finish was always on the cards when 20 wickets fell on the first day of the match, Gillespie taking career-best figures of 8-50 as the ball seamed and swung on a moist, green pitch.But NSW, led by young opener Greg Mail, secured the upper hand when it piled on 399 runs on the second day before its second innings ended this morning at436.Man-of-the-match Mail carried his bat to be unbeaten on 150 and the 23-year-old looks a bright prospect in an era when talented young players appear thin on theground.Blues captain Shane Lee was impressed with Mail, who more than doubled the next best score in the match with his 405-minute knock.Mail formed big partnerships with a series of players – Michael Slater, Mark Waugh, Mark Higgs, Stuart MacGill and even McGrath, who made his highest score in Australia with 26.”Greg Mail played an unbelievable innings,” Lee said.”He plays the way he knows how, letting the other guys around him play their strokes – he’s the basis of any big scores we make.”Having set SA 483 to win, the Blues were always in the box seat and Lee accelerated the win when he took three quick wickets, including those of key batsmen Greg Blewett and Darren Lehmann in the space of two balls.Darren Dempsey, facing his second hat-trick in as many weeks, survived, but Lee went on to pick up two more scalps in the middle session for his eighth five-wicket bag in first-class cricket.The Blues took six points from the match to move into second place on the table behind Queensland.

• It was the 1733rd ODI in cricket history.
• It was India’s 468th and West Indies’ 428th match.
• It was the 65th match between these two sides. The record nowreads : India 23, West Indies 40, tied one and abandoned one.
• Umpires KC Barbour and GR Evans were officiating in their eighthand 13th match respectively.
• Carl Hooper, on one, completed his 1000 runs in matches againstIndia. He was playing his 35th match and 33rd innings. Hooper alsobecame the third West Indian after Desmond Haynes (1357 runs in 36matches ) and Gordon Greenidge (1181 runs in 24 matches) and 16thbatsman overall to do so. Incidentally Pakistani Saeed Anwar with 1901runs from 49 matches holds the record of aggregating most runs in acareer against India.
• India conceded only five extras in West Indies’ innings – twowides and three no-balls. It was only the seventh occasion when Indianbowlers and fielders conceded five or less extras in opponents’ totalof 200 or more. The details :

• Tendulkar (122*) when reached 76,completed his 1000 runs against WestIndies. He became first Indian and ninth batsman overall to do so. Hewas playing his 28th match and innings. Tendulkar now holds the recordof completing 1000 runs in a career against West Indies in leastmatches and innings. The earlier record was held by Pakistani Inzamamul-Haq who took 33 matches and 32 innings for his 1000 runs.
• The hundred was Tendulkar’s 29th in ODIs and second against WestIndies. His only other hundred against West Indies was made at Jaipuron November 11,1994 when he scored 105 off 148 balls.
• Tendulkar’s innings was the highest score by an Indian against WestIndies-home or away. -bettering Navjot Sidhu’s 114* at Visakhapatnamon November 7,1994.
• Tendulkar’s innings was the highest for India on this ground. Theprevious highest was a paltry 70* also by Tendulkar against Zimbabwein the second league match of this series on June 27,2001.
• The hundred was Tendulkar’s second in Zimbabwe. The other being 127*against the hosts at Bulawayo QC on September 26,1998. Tendulkar hasnow become only the third batsman to score more than one hundred onZimbabwean soil. The others being Alistair Campbell in 42 matches andRoshan Mahanama in three matches.
• The hundred was Tendulkar’s 17th on foreign soil-yet another record !He was earlier at level with Pakistan’s Saeed Anwar with 16 hundreds.
• Tendulkar has now aggregated 6712 runs (ave.41.43) in 182 `away’matchesmaximum by any batsman in ODIs. He surpassed the aggregatesof two Pakistanis – Saeed Anwar (6685 in 186 matches) and Inzamam-ul-Haq (6647 in 209 matches) . The following table lists the leading runscorers in away matches in ODIs :

• The 133 run-partnership between Ganguly and Tendulkar was the secondhighest for India for the opening wicket against West Indies. The besthowever still remains the 176 run partnership between Ajay Jadeja andTendulkar at Cuttack on November 9,1994. Incidentally the previoushighest opening stand for India against West Indies in `away’ matcheswas unbroken 116 runs also between Ganguly and Tendulkar at Port-of-Spain on April 27,1997.
• Ganguly and Tendulkar also became the third pair to participate in twocentury partnerships for the opening wicket against West Indies afterAustralians Adam Gilchrist and Mark Waugh and Indians Ajay Jadeja andSachin Tendulkar.
• Tendulkar was getting involved in a century partnership for the 47thtime in his careera new world record. The break-up of Tendulkar’scentury partnerships- 20 for the first,11 for the second,10 for thethird,3 for the fourth and 3 for the fifth. The previous record ofmost century partnerships was on the name of West Indian DesmondHaynes who featured in 46 such partnerships. The following table liststhe batsmen who have been involved in most century stands

• Tendulkar was winning his 41st Man of the Match award. This was alsohis sixth award against West Indiesmaximum by any player. He waspreviously at level with Pakistan’s Imran Khan with five awards.