Last season, there was just one century in the entire Twenty20 competition, as made by Gloucestershire’s Ian Harvey. Today, Graeme Hick and Ian Thomas took the 2004 tally to three hundreds in as many days of action. The government may be campaigning to outlaw spanking, but on this evidence, they are fighting a losing battle.The match of the day was down at Taunton, where Thomas bludgeoned a phenomenal 116 not out from just 57 balls, as Glamorgan chased down Somerset’s stiff target of 194. Thomas cracked 11 fours and seven sixes – and a pavilion window – as Somerset’s bowlers were clobbered to all corners of the ground.Somerset had been favourites at the halfway mark, as James Hildreth took advantage of a lax fielding effort to make 66 from 33 balls. But Thomas was in the mood to chase down any total, and he was aided and abetted by David Hemp, who finished unbeaten on 31, as Glamorgan won with three balls to spare.Thomas’s effort equalled the Twenty20 record, as set by Hick at Luton a few hours earlier. His unbeaten 116 came from eight more deliveries – and featured one fewer six – but it was yet another example of the devastating power that used to be a feature of his one-day batting with England. Rain interrupted Northamptonshire’s reply, but they never came close to a revised target of 102, falling 22 runs short in their 11 overs.The other match took place at Maidstone, where Andrew Symonds was back in action after his 34-ball hundred on the opening day. This time, however, he was unable to reproduce the performance, as Essex limited Kent to 125, before bowling them out in the final over. Scott Brant was the star, with 4 for 20 in 3.2 overs, and after that it was over to Ronnie Irani. He slapped 64 not out from 52 balls, to wrap up the match with more than four overs to spare.

The Pakistan team management has placed a complete ban on players from speaking to the press. This drastic step comes in the wake of the recent spat between Inzamam-ul-Haq, the captain, and Shoaib Akhtar over press reports.Haroon Rashid, the manager, was quoted in as saying, “The players have been told that from now on they will not speak to the media without the permission of the captain, coach and manager. Anyone violating this code of conduct will have to be docked a percentage of his earnings.”Haroon also played down the misunderstanding between Inzamam and Shoaib, adding: “It was nothing serious and later on myself and Bob Woolmer had a long chat with the two and everything was sorted out. The impression given is that there are problems in the team. There is nothing of this sort. There is total harmony and everyone is geared up for the Asia Cup.”But following that incident, a policy was outlined for media relations, and it was agreed that only the captain, coach or manager should be allowed to speak to the press. Haroon confirmed: “The policy should be followed more strictly to avoid such misunderstandings in future.”

South Africa A 307 and 168 for 3 (de Villiers 84) beat Zimbabwe A 186 and 286 (Vermeulen 77, Matsikenyeri 66, Taylor 57, Adams 4-99) by 7 wickets
ScorecardSouth Africa A needed just over 12 overs to knock off the 55 runs they needed for victory on the fourth day of their match against Zimbabwe A. Abraham de Villiers, 64 not out overnight, added 20 runs to his score before giving a return catch to Waddington Mwayenga.Ashwell Prince (39 not out) and Neil McKenzie (10) motored on to complete an efficient victory, putting South Africa A 1-0 in the two-match series. The second four-day game begins on August 17, and will be followed by three one-day matches.

Lancashire 311 and 99 for 3 drew with Gloucestershire 311 for 8 dec and 289 (Keedy 7-132)
ScorecardGary Keedy, Lancashire’s left-arm spinner, picked up 7 for 132 on the final day at Old Trafford, but Gloucestershire, helped by a century from Chris Taylor, still made 289 to set Lancashire an improbable 290 to win. Keedy’s second innings haul, after his 7 for 95 in the first, took his match tally to 14 for 227 – a career best.Gloucestershire lost Craig Spearman, caught by Mark Chilton off the bowling of Sajid Mahmood, with only 10 on the board this morning. After that, wickets fell regularly as, Apart from Taylor, no batsman made more than Mike Hussey’s 45. This was Hussey’s last match for Gloucestershire, as he takes over as Durham’s new captain next season.After Keedy had wrapped up Gloucestershire’s innings by having Ian Fisher caught behind by Warren Hegg, Lancashire found themselves in some trouble at 12 for 3 in reply, with Iain Sutcliffe and Andrew Cook both out for ducks. But Mal Loye (45) and Carl Hooper (43) made sure that was as bad as it got for Lancashire with an unbeaten 87-run stand, although the match was overshadowed by the confirmation of Lancashire’s relegation.

The captains of nine Test-playing nations have released a joint statement in support of the fight against HIV/AIDS to coincide with World Aids today on December 1. No representative of West Indies could sign, following the dispute over contracts for the VB Series.”HIV and AIDS is a global issue that cannot be ignored,” reads the statement. “There are over 40 million people around the world living with HIV and AIDS. Over a third of these live in the ten countries that play Test match cricket. HIV and AIDS is everyone’s problem and it is the responsibility of us all to do something about it.”Our commitment is to address this epidemic by raising awareness and education levels in the cricket community. We urge young people to protect themselves from HIV and our leaders to pay more attention to the epidemic.When we step onto the cricket field we do so as rivals but in the battle against HIV and AIDS we are united. AIDS is a common enemy and we must fight it together.”The statement was signed by Ricky Ponting, Habibul Bashar, Michael Vaughan, Sourav Ganguly, Stephen Fleming, Inzamam-ul-Haq, Graeme Smith, Marvan Atapattu and Tatenda Taibu.Ehsan Mani, the ICC’s president, welcomed the support for HIV/AIDS: “I am delighted that the captains of all the Test playing nations have united in their support of the fight against HIV and AIDS,” he said.”The threat of HIV/AIDS is so real in many of the major cricketing nations that it is vital that these role models play a part in the global battle against this epidemic.”Dr Peter Piot, executive director of United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS, also come forward to thank the cricketers for their collective stand: “Cricket players are leading the sports world in speaking out about AIDS boldly,” he said. “The pledge taken by the cricket captains has opened a new front of leadership in the global effort to stop the AIDS epidemic.”The player and officials participating in international matches on Wednesday will wear red ribbons, which is a sign of solidarity with all those around the world having to cope with AIDS. The games taking place will be the fourth day of the second Test between Indian and South Africa at Kolkata and the second one-day international between Zimbabwe and England at Harare.Smith and Vaughan both spoke out to offer their support. “This is a very important initiative which will help highlight the plight of those who suffer from HIV and AIDS” Vaughan said. Smith explained, “HIV and AIDS is a massive problem throughout the world, and in Africa it has reached alarming proportions. Be aware of HIV/AIDS, it is for real.”

Michael Vaughan was content – but far from satisfied – as he reflected onEngland’s seven-wicket victory at Port Elizabeth in the opening Test oftheir South African tour. A hard taskmaster at the best of times, Vaughanwarned that his side’s performance had been “shoddy” in places, but sethis sights on taking a 2-0 lead in the series by the time the Durban Testis over and done with next week.”We’re an honest team,” Vaughan told reporters after the match, “and weaccept that we didn’t play to our potential in this match. South Africashould have been there for the taking after Day Two, but we didn’t nail them aswe should have. We’ve been unbeaten all year, so it would be nice to go toDurban and perform to the standard that we’ve set throughout the year.”Vaughan continued: “It’s been a common theme with England teams for years,that when we get on top in a match – and at 20 runs ahead with fourwickets down, we were definitely in command – we’ve often allowed theopposition back into the game. In the end, an 88-run lead was pretty good,thanks to the tail, but we should have been looking at 150 to 200 runsahead. Then it would have been game, set and match.”But it isn’t just hair shirts that hang in Vaughan’s wardrobe, and he wasquick to single out the performances of Andrew Strauss and Simon Jones forspecial praise. “Strauss is a level-headed kind of guy and his attitude isspot on,” said Vaughan of England’s Man of the Match, who sealed therun-chase with an unbeaten 94 this morning. “He never gets too high abouthis successes, nor too low about his failures. Technically he’s prettygood, but more importantly, the mental side of his game is excellent. He’sgoing to be a good player for us for many years if he keeps working as heis.”For the first three days of the match England were in front, but far fromdominant, and it took an inspirational catch by Jones at fine leg toremove South Africa’s captain, Graeme Smith, and spur the side to greaterdeeds. “All credit to Simon for his catch and his spell of bowling,” saidVaughan. “When Smith and [Jacques] Kallis got in there was a period whenSouth Africa might have got on top, but his outstanding efforts changedthe game.”Simon’s a huge threat with old ball,” he explained. “He getsreverse-swing into the right-handers, and the ball that dismissed Kalliswas a beauty. He’s shown an outstanding attitude since arriving inZimbabwe, where he worked with Troy Cooley [the bowling coach], and hefully deserved his rewards yesterday.”In the end, there was not a huge amount to choose between the team’sperformances, but the key difference was England’s additional experience.Vaughan was especially satisfied by the manner in which his bowlers hadexploited the frailties of South Africa’s middle order. “Even on the firstday when [Jacques] Rudolph and [Boeta] Dippenaar got in, we never allowedthem to get away. Ashley Giles bowled a crucial spell while our seamersrotated from the top end, and then in the second innings, once Smith had gone,we opened the door to attack their inexperience.”Leading into the game, we were under a lot of pressure,” admittedVaughan, after England’s record of seven straight wins had been punctuatedby the defeat against South Africa A at Potchefstroom. “For us, the firstday was crucial, especially after losing the toss. All we wanted was agood performance to put South Africa on the back foot, and at 270 for 7 wegot that, despite a gusty wind that made bowling very hard.”Ultimately Vaughan could have few complaints about his team’s performance,but he urged his players to push their expectations to the limit. “On anindividual basis, we need to set targets for big, big scores. Even Straussin the first innings, if he’s honest, he’d have wanted a score of 180 to200, and likewise [Mark] Butcher should have been aiming at 150, ratherthan 79. You can’t take the mick in this game, as it has a knack of comingback and giving you some funny answers.”The best thing is that we haven’t played to the standards we’ve setourselves, but we’re still 1-0 up,” concluded Vaughan. “In fact, forperiods here we were quite shoddy. South Africa are a good side and theyare sure to come back strongly, but we’re up for the challenge. They’llwant to hit us hard at Durban, but we’ll keep ourselves honest, and keepup the pressure.”

John Bracewell, the New Zealand coach, has backed Sri Lanka’s decision to return home after the series was cancelled owing to the tsunami disaster that ravaged most parts of South Asia, including large parts of Sri Lanka. Bracewell went straight to the airport to wish the Sri Lankans and expressed his sympathy for them.”To put things in perspective it’s not a difficult time for the Black Caps at all, but a very difficult time for the Sri Lankans,” Bracewell told Radio Sport. “We’ve just been down there to offer what small comfort we can in wishing them all the best for where they’re going and what they’re going into.”Bracewell revealed that the New Zealand side were thinking of ways to provide assistance, and hinted at the possibility of a charity match sometime in the future. He said that Chris Cairns had volunteered to work out the possibilities. “Chris is dealing with that as part of our senior-players group,” Bracewell said. “He’d taken it on as he had done with the floods [in New Zealand last February] in terms of organising the players. That’s something we may deal with when we know where we stand.”Mathew Sinclair, the top-order batsman, was in favour of the decision and felt that the Sri Lankans would have found it “difficult to concentrate on cricket”. He added: “I think it is the only thing for them to do in the situation. They obviously have friends and relatives at home badly affected and want to go back and help. It would have taken the edge away from them and it would have been difficult for us to focus fully as well. Not only Sri Lankans are affected, there’s a lot of New Zealanders unaccounted for as well.”New Zealand’s next international assignment is the tour by Australia, starting on February 17 and most of the cricketers would return to domestic cricket in the next few days.

As expected, the English newspapers found it hard to contain their delight after England’s 77-run victory at Johannesburg, with even the usually football-mad tabloids joining in.”Hoggy bashes the Boks” was the lead story in The Sun, with a follow-up on England’s star, described as the King of the Swingers. “The Hogwarts Express served up some magic,” wrote John Etheridge, warming to a theme. “He stomped the ground like Shrek and made the ball swerve like a demented boomerang.” The Mirror found space on an inside page to praise “Hoggard’s Seventh Heaven”, but preferred a back page story on how David Beckham is not addicted to fame. What next? How Wayne Rooney loves doing social work?The Daily Mail was happier to concentrate on Hoggard the bowler.”He exploited the conditions perfectly,” it reported. “His ability to swing the ball was richly rewarded with England’s best match figures in a Test since Ian Botham claimed 13 for 106 in Bombay a quarter of a century ago.”Even the heavyweights struggled to contain themselves. “A hayrick-haired son of the soil with a heart of oak bowled England to a memorable victory,” wrote Mike Selvey in The Guardian “Hoggard is a country boy whose ploughman-plod has its roots in solitary dogwalking out on the moors. A brief conversation on the eve of the game, a statement rather than a question, was revealing: “Your pitch then Hoggy.” He just grinned and made that wristy twofingered glove-puppet motion that fast bowlers like to make when suggesting seam movement. He knew that this was his time and he had the wherewithall to make it count.”In The Independent, Stephen Brenkley reported that Hoggard would find all the media attention a bit too much. “Hoggard looked tired and slightly nonplussed by events, which were both understandable reactions. He will not like all the fuss, or the notebooks and cameras that will dance attendance on him over the next few days. His favourite pastime is walking his dogs (usually alone) in the countryside near his home close to Baildon in West Yorkshire and going home to open one of the many cans of beer he keeps in his fridge.”There was also praise for Graeme Smith’s rearguard which almost saved the match for South Africa. “He battled with immense pride to avoid defeat,” said Christopher Martin-Jenkins in The Times. “Having come in at No 8, ignoring medical advice that he should not bat because of the concussion he suffered when hit by the ball accidentally on Sunday morning, Smith was still there when Hoggard took his seventh wicket, and twelfth of the match. The injury to the tough young South Africa captain’s pride will be greater than that to his head.”Writing in The Guardian, South African journalist Neil Manthorp couldn’t contain his frustration. “South African cricket may yesterday have suffered its most damaging blow since its isolation ended in June 1991,” he fumed. “Last year was so packed full of disappointment that there were fears that the team’s supporters, most of them fickle at the best of times, would be drawn back towards following the resurgent Springbok rugby side. Now that has all gone, crushed as decisively as an elephant stamping on a cockroach. It was as dispiriting a defeat as South Africa have suffered in the modern era and now the ghosts of the past are set to re-emerge as the recriminations begin.”Back to the game itself, and in the Daily Telegraph, Geoff Boycott underlined the contribution Marcus Trescothick made to England’s win. “It was his innings that gave Hoggard the opportunity of winning the match,” he wrote. “He’ll find it difficult to play a better and more important innings in his career.”In the same paper, Derek Pringle highlighted Andrew Flintoff’s dismissal of Shaun Pollock. “Softening him up with a 90mph bouncer that struck the batsman a sickening blow to the head (the ball rebounded to deep mid-wicket), he got him three balls later, the ensuing edge the result of footwork scrambled by the earlier impact.”

Kerry Packer, the man who started World Series Cricket, has launched an investigation into Twenty20, cricket’s newest contender for a revolution, the Courier-Mail reported. The newspaper said Packer, the owner of Nine, which broadcasts international cricket in Australia, called Shane Warne for his opinion as he tried to assess whether the game was a fad or phenomenon.Tony Greig, who helped Packer set up World Series Cricket in the 70s, was unsure whether Packer had begun an investigation, but said he was always looking at where the game was heading. “He has always got his fingers on the pulse,” Greig told the newspaper. “Last year, all the Nine commentators were asked by Kerry what we thought could be done to improve the limited-over game.”Crowds have packed stadiums when Twenty20 has been offered this summer while the VB Series, the tournament that grew from WSC, has looked tired and matches between Pakistan and West Indies were scheduled for day timeslots. Cricket Australia, which announced an interstate Twenty20 tournament this week, is reviewing all its sponsorship and television rights in April.

ScorecardAuckland completed an amazing win against Otago in their State Shield match. After being out of the match at 161 for 7 in their second innings after a disastrous first-innings 101, they stormed back into the match, reaching 278 through Keeley Todd (84). This gave them a lead of 111 runs, which proved to be just enough as Otago slumped to 108 all out. Aaron Barnes was the most successful bowler with 4 for 41.
ScorecardCentral Districts crushed Canterbury by an innings and 192 runs at the Pukekura Park. Canterbury mustered only 235 after being asked to follow on, slumping from their overnight 158 for 4 to 235 all out. Peter Fulton, who scored 91, was the only batsman to offer serious resistance. The wickets were shared around for Central Districts, with Glen Sulzberger returning the best figures – 3 for 33.
ScorecardWellington held their nerve against Northern Districts at the Basin Reserve to win their State Shield match by 37 runs. Northern Districts, who began the final day on 4 for no loss, needed 264 to win, but fell short, being dismissed for 226. None of the batsmen got going, and only Brad Wilson with 48 approached the half-century mark.