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Mark Shields, the deputy commissioner of Jamaica police, said there was still no evidence of Bob Woolmer being murdered and confirmed Pakistan players would be interviewed after the coach’s death on Sunday. Ten forensics experts spent the day looking for clues in Woolmer’s room on the 12th floor of the Pegasus hotel and footage from security tapes was also being viewed.”We’re waiting for further information from the pathologist before we make any more statements,” he told Associated Press. Staff at the hotel have been interviewed and Shields told Jamaica’s Nationwide News Network that Pakistani players were also being questioned.”We’re going through a process of speaking to people, including members of the team,” he said. Shields did not say whether the meetings would be finished before the squad was due to leave on Saturday.Those expecting further updates on the case during a Pakistan news conference at the hotel after the game against Zimbabwe were disappointed when each member of the squad had a turn to speak about Woolmer. Adrian Birrell, the Ireland coach, was also present to pay his respects.Pakistan had no hope of qualifying for the Super Eights after the loss to Ireland and Inzamam-ul-Haq, who was playing his final ODI, dedicated the 93-run victory over Zimbabwe to Woolmer. “He is not in this world anymore but every Pakistani and every cricket lover is sad about what happened to him,” Inzamam said after the match. “I am also very sad about him and it is why I’m emotional.”Woolmer died in hospital a day after the shock Ireland defeat. His wife Gill told an Indian television station on Wednesday she did not see any conspiracy in Woolmer’s fate.”He emailed me the following morning [after the Ireland loss],” she told NDTV. “He did mention that he was really depressed and could not believe how this could have happened. The Pakistani team’s poor performance affected him, as any other big tournament that he lost as a coach.” Mrs Woolmer said her husband was healthy and was not taking medication for type two diabetes, but he had been prescribed some anti-inflammatory tablets.

On the third day of the sixth round, Saurashtra closed in on a semi-final spot by beating Maharashtra outright. Saurashtra now have 20 points, three more than Delhi and five more than Mumbai, whose matches are yet to be completed.In Group B, Uttar Pradesh made a late charge towards the semi-finals as they beat Bengal by an innings and 152 runs and moved to 14 points with one match to play. Punjab turned the game against Orissa on its head after bowling them out for 76 in the second innings. They look good to chase the 175 runs easily on the fourth day, a result which will give them an excellent chance to avoid relegation. They don’t play a match in the last round, having already completed their fixtures, and will have to await other results.Scorecard

Saurashtra sailed to the top of Group A after completing an eight-wicket win over Maharashtra in Nagothane. The hosts, trailing by 117 on the first innings, resumed at 34 for 1, and were bundled out for 182, with left-arm spinner Rakesh Dhurv picking up career-best figures of 5 for 37 in 13.4 overs. Allrounder Ravindra Jadeja chipped in with three wickets, as Maharashtra once again failed to go beyond 200. Hrishikesh Kanitkar top-scored with 62, with only three other batsmen going past single figures.Needing 66 for the win, Saurashtra lost two wickets to Sairaj Bahutule before sealing the win and gaining five crucial points in the process.
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Uttar Pradesh stretched their overnight score of 437 for 7 to 494 before bowling out Bengal for 193 to win by an innings and 152 runs at Eden Gardens. UP gained the bonus point and are now placed second behind Baroda in Group B.For Bengal, SS Paul bagged 7 for 113. Bengal’s openers put up a spirited reply in their second innings, putting up a 100-run partnership, but Praveen Gupta and Sudeep Tyagi then ran through their batting line-up as the rest folded meekly. Anustup Majumdar top-scored with 60. While it was Tyagi who broke the resistance with the first four wickets, Gupta ended with exceptional figures of 9.3-6-11-5.
ScorecardMumbai managed to take a healthy first-innings lead in Dharamsala and enforced a follow-on, but an 81-run sixth-wicket partnership between Paras Dogra (50*) and Ajay Mannu (42*) kept the game alive for Himachal Pradesh.Himachal, resuming on 180 for 7 in the first innings, were bowled out for 214. Murtaza Hussain, playing his third first-class game, finished with 6 for 57, his maiden five-wicket haul. In the second innings, Himachal’s openers Manish Gupta and Hemant Dogra led a dogged reply with an opening stand of 76.The spinners – Ramesh Powar and Iqbal Abdullah – then struck for Mumbai, as Himachal slumped to 155 for 5 before Paras and Mannu propped them to 236 at stumps.
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VRV Singh’s hat-trick rattled Orissa in the second innings to put Punjab on the threshold of a stunning win after they had conceded a 98-run first-innings lead. Orissa were bowled out for 76, while Punjab had scored 117 of the 175 runs required for the loss of two wickets by stumps. VRV took 5 for 25 to trigger a collapse after a solid start, while Gagandeep Singh took 3 for 25. The last nine entries on the Orissa scorecard read: 1, 0, 0, 0, 0, 4, 6, 0, 0*. VRV Singh became the third bowled to take a hat-trick in two rounds of the Ranji Trophy, after Kerala’s Sony Cheruvethur and Delhi’s Parvinder Awana.Earlier Punjab, resuming at 207 for 8, managed only 225, with Basanth Mohanty taking his second five-for in as many matches at the first-class level.Ravi Inder, with an unbeaten 47, had taken Punjab close to what will be their first win this season. More importantly, it will take them off the bottom of the table.
ScorecardAfter two days of grinding out the opposition, Andhra declared their first innings at 469 for 9, with former India wicketkeeper MSK Prasad remaining unbeaten on 121, but met an even more dour reply from Baroda who recovered well from two early blows.If Andhra’s run-rate of 2.53 during their innings was slow, Baroda outdid them, scoring 136 for 2 in 77 overs. Connor Williams was resolute during his 256-ball 75, and put on 133 runs for the unbroken third-wicket partnership with Rakesh Solanki, after D Kalyankrishna had struck twice to leave Baroda reeling at 3 for 2.Karnataka 0 for 0 trail Delhi 538 by 538 runs
Scorecard Continual rain dampened Delhi’s hopes of a semi-final spot as play was washed out on the third day in Bangalore. This means that Delhi have one day left to dismiss Karnataka to gain the points for a first-innings lead. They currently have 17 points, three less than Saurashtra’s 20, while Mumbai, too, have high chances of reaching 20 points at least by the end of the round.
ScorecardRain continued to play spoilsport in Chennai, as only 8.2 overs were possible on day three after day two was washed out. Rajasthan struck once in that period, with Gajendra Singh removing overnight centurion M Vijay for 123.

Rana Naved-ul-Hasan has picked up a groin injury while playing for Sussex during the ongoing county season though it is thought not to be a serious injury.Rana, who has made a tremendous impact for the county since joining them last summer, was injured during Sussex’s win over Middlesex over the weekend. Mark Robinson, Sussex coach, however, said scans had shown that the injury was not serious. “He has had a scan and there is no tear. He has tweaked his groin but we still hope he may be fit for the Lancashire match. If not he should definitely play against Hampshire before joining Pakistan.”Rana is due to return to Pakistan to attend a training camp this month before he returns to England in the summer with the touring Pakistan side. Pakistan will be keen for him to get over the injury and not just because of the uncertainty surrounding Shoaib Akhtar’s fitness.Since joining Sussex, Rana has taken 88 wickets in just over 13 matches; this season, in five matches he has taken 34 wickets at 13.66 and in tandem with Mushtaq Ahmed (42 wickets in six matches), has led Sussex to the top of the County championship, with five wins in six matches. His experience and success in English conditions is likely to play a key role for Pakistan later this summer.Despite the injury, Sussex are contemplating a possible replacement for the second half of the summer when Rana will be with Pakistan, and another Pakistani – all-rounder Yasir Arafat – tops the list.Arafat has been playing league cricket in Scotland for Clydesdale, who have agreed to release him from his contract with them. Robinson told the BCC Sport website, “He’s got a yard of pace, he’s a very organised batsman and a good fielder.”Arafat has played six one-day internationals, most recently against India at Karachi in February but he was not named in a preliminary 21-man squad for the England tour and the Pakistan Cricket Board have given him permission to join Sussex.He comes recommended by Mushtaq. “Mushtaq recommends him highly as an improving and hungry cricketer,” Robinson said. “All we want is for him to give 100 per cent and the rest, as Mushie would say, is up to God.”

Brian Lara, the West Indies captain, called for the Caribbean public to ensure the survival of West Indies cricket by involving themselves in a membership programme that would fund the regional game without the “stranglehold” of sponsors.Lara, who called the current West Indies team “his family”, made the rousing appeal as the feature speaker at the third annual West Indies Players Association (WIPA) Awards for 2005, which took place at the Chaguaramas Hall of the Chaguaramas Hotel and Convention Centre in Port-of-Spain on Wednesday night. The ceremony had as its theme “In pursuit of excellence”.Lara, who was named West Indies Cricketer of the Year, West Indies Test Player of the Year and given a special award for becoming the highest scorer in Tests last year, suggested the people of the region take matters into their own hands and emulate the efforts of the fans of two world-famous teams, namely the Green Bay Packers, who play in the National Football League (NFL) in the USA, and Spanish football club Barcelona, winners of this year’s European Champions League.”These two teams have a model I would love to see the West Indies adopt,” Lara explained. “They pay an annual membership fee and with a membership of 90,000 fans for the Packers and 100,000 for Barcelona, that brings in a lot of revenue.”He continued: “We can do the same thing here in the Caribbean. We have six million passionate fans in the region and a further nine million in the diaspora. Why can’t we have just one million of those people paying US$20 to ensure that West Indies cricket survives?”Lara’s suggestion was immediately taken up by entertainer Rikki Jai, who performed right after Lara’s address and opened with a pledge to become the first member.Lara reasoned that this venture would prevent any one private entity from dictating the pace for the regional game, like the sponsorship row between Digicel and Cable & Wireless that wreaked havoc last year.”Why do we have to have that stranglehold of sponsorship round our necks? We are greater than that,” he said to great applause from the gathering. Lara had set up his suggestion by pointing out that West Indies cricket was at a critical juncture which could mean the demise of the game in the region.He stated that the expected windfall of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2007 in West Indies would be US $50-60 million, a situation that would finally erase a US$15-20 million debt that has saddled the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) to date.”That would leave about US$30 million and I have talked to one person close to the WICB who told me that that money would last five to six years,” Lara stated, after surmising that West Indies cricket was at the “threshold of complete oblivion in world cricket”, due to its perilous financial state.”After that, a period of uncertainty and the unknown would follow. What do we do to arrest that situation? What do we do to ensure that the money we make over the World Cup will help ensure the game prospers long after so we move forward and our cricket moves on to that next level?” he asked.In his address, Dinanath Ramnarine, the WIPA chief executive officer and president, stressed the importance of the recently-signed collective agreement and paid homage to the region’s fans, asking for their continued support.

He may not enjoy the iconic status that an Andrew Flintoff does, but noone in these parts doubts the qualities that Jacques Kallis brings to thisSouth African side. His 119 spanned 160 balls, and was the slowest evermade by a South African in ODIs, but it was 28 more than India’s battingline-up made on a pitch that was nowhere near as menacing as Kingsmead canbe at times.Kallis assessed the conditions beautifully, playing some magnificentdrives early in his innings before settling down to shepherd the middleand lower order right to the end. “It was one of those wickets where therewas a lot of bounce,” he said, soon after picking up the Man-of-the-matchaward. “It wasn’t a free-scoring wicket. It just needed someone to batthrough the innings, and for others to bat around him. There was a periodin the middle when we could have picked it up a little bit more but myexperience told me to just hang in there. I realised that 250 was a verygood score.”India had done well to reduce South Africa to 63 for 3, but Kallis and ABde Villiers regained the initiative with a steady 87-run partnership thatlaid the platform for a solid total. “They all bowled well on a wicketthat was more bowler-friendly than some we’ve played on,” said Kallis. “Asa unit, they bowled pretty well. But maybe they were one bowler short.They made it difficult for us to score, especially in the middle period.”Graeme Smith, who departed early, leg before to Zaheer Khan, was delightedwith the result, saying that he was fairly confident once the runs hadbeen put on the board. “We knew the wicket would bounce. We were happywith 250. At times, we were a bit rusty and on another day, we could havegot 270. Jacques played superbly, and there were some good knocks aroundhim.”India’s response saw them collapse from a relatively healthy 62 for 2 to91 all out, with the exits of Dravid and Tendulkar heralding a depressingcollapse. “They didn’t start that badly,” said Smith. “We had them twodown early on, but they were pretty solid up to a point. I thought AndreNel’s spell was superb. He hit really great areas at pace and bowled witha lot of aggression. We knew that if we could get them three or four down,we could get stuck into the middle order.”The middle order subsided in embarrassing fashion, and Smith admitted thatinexperience may have played a part. “They’ve got experience at the top ofthe order with Tendulkar and Dravid,” he said. “Kaif has been around for along time. Maybe in the middle order, they’re a little bit inexperienced.This is Dhoni’s first tour out of the subcontinent, apart from theCaribbean. For him, it’s going to be a big challenge in these conditions.We just bowled really well tonight, and our energy in the field wasgreat.”He was adamant though that South Africa wouldn’t be looking at India as atwo-batsman team, even though the onus is clearly on Tendulkar and Dravidto deliver big runs. “In any team, you have a couple of guys who’ve beenaround a long time and have records behind them,” he said. “The young guyshave to take the responsibility and perform. We concentrate against everybatter. Obviously, the guys with records behind them are going to be morecrucial wickets.”Though Makhaya Ntini went wicketless and Charl Langeveldt went for a few,Smith was delighted with the collective effort in the field. When askedhow this fast-bowling quintet shaped up against their predecessors, hesaid: “I wouldn’t like to compare them to the past. I think this is a newera and these guys are setting their own standards. We’re proud of thepast, but this team wants to have its own style and create our ownrecords.”South Africa experienced a similar low recently, when they were thrashedby New Zealand on a pitch of questionable quality during the ChampionsTrophy, and Smith, who chuckled when asked what advice he would give theIndians, said that he had been delighted at the manner in which theybounced back from that. “For us, it was about stepping up our work-rate attraining and asking the guys to raise their levels,” he said. “I know whatwe’re capable of. The guys have proven that to me and everyone else inone-day cricket over the last two years. I don’t know how Rahul will workwith the Indian team. I don’t know their dynamics.”With both teams still feeling their way into a pivotal season thatclimaxes with the World Cup, Smith was clearly jubilant about the firststeps taken on home turf. “I think we were very good as a unit,” he said.”The batting was rusty in some areas. Game time is needed. We feel likewe’ve gone from net to net to net. We need time in the middle. As a team,we’re working well together and we’re happy. We’ve moved away from thefear of failure.”It’s a fear that will be uppermost in many Indian minds after a lamentabledefeat.

Essex 233 for 7 (Foster 67) beat Lancashire 202 (Loye 71, Phillips 5-34, Bichel 3-33) by 31 runs
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Points tableEssex put themselves in pole position to secure the Pro40 Division One title with an easy 31-run over bottom side Lancashire at Chelmsford.In front of a good crowd, Essex made a poor start, losing both openers inside eight balls, but Andy Bichel led the recovery with 41 and found good support from Andy Flower and Ryan ten Doeschate. The crucial innings, however, came from James Foster who made 67 off 62 balls at the end to boost his side to 233 for 7.Lancashire started brightly, with Mal Loye cracking a 63-ball 71 out of 105 for 2 as they moved well ahead of the asking rate. But his dismissal changed the course of the match as Tim Phillips (5 for 34) ripped the heart out of Lancashire’s middle order, and Bichel weighed in with 3 for 33. Foster added to his heroics with the bat by pulling off two sharp stumpings as well as holding two catches.Essex now need to beat Durham at the Riverside on September 17 to secure the trophy, and even they slip up there, Sussex need to win their final match to deprive them of the crown. Lancashire – without a victory in six outings – need to win both their remaining games to have a realistic chance of staying up.

This is the first time a high-profile match involving international players will be played outside the venerated cauldrons of the Wankhede and Brabourne stadiums in Mumbai. If external appearance is any indicator, the DY Patil Sports Stadium is all decked up and ready for the big event tomorrow, when Mumbai Indians play Deccan Chargers.Located 35 kilometeres east of Mumbai, adjacent to the Mumbai-Pune highway, the stadium is a visual delight. It has a capacity of 55,000, which is 15,000 more than the Wankhede, and has all the amenities required to satisfy the needs of the spectator.Interestingly, the ground was not one of the venues for the IPL till two months ago. Preparations gathered momentum after the management of the Cricket Club of India, who are the owners of the Brabourne Stadium which was originally scheduled to host the matches, opted out after the IPL refused to give free tickets to its members. Since the Wankhede was not equipped to host ten games on the trot, the DY Patil Stadium came in to fill the breach.The ground, located inside the DY Patil Sports Complex, hasn’t yet been inaugurated and is still nearing completion. But the pitch and outfield look in excellent condition.Peter Muzzell, the chief curator who has worked on the four pitches in the centre, believes the track has all the qualities to make tomorrow’s game, and the rest of the games played here, exciting contests. “The main wicket was relaid recently and there was a corporate Twenty20 event held here recently on it and the scores were competitive,” Muzzell said.That event was the fourth edition of the DY Patil All-India Invitation Twenty20 championship where Virender Sehwag, representing ONGC, smashed a 35-ball hundred. Muzzell, who was the pitch consultant at the Twenty20 World Cup in South Africa, expects similar fare tomorrow even though the pitch for the game is a new one. “It is a new wicket and all new wickets take time to settle. So we’ll have to wait for tomorrow, but I expect the scores to be on par with the rest of IPL venues,” Muzzell saidMore than the ground itself or the pitch, though, the problem for the venue is its location. The Wankhede is situated at the southern tip of Mumbai and is accessible through various modes of commute. The DY Patil ground, on the other hand, is situated outside the city. With the ground hosting night games, it remains to be seen if fans will be willing to travel long distances late at night for the cricket.Abey Kuruvilla, in charge of the sports complex, is confident that the event will attract a huge crowd. “There are 1.7 million people in New Bombay. Then the ground is located at a comfortable distance for people staying in neighbouring Pune and also some parts of Gujarat like Surat. Also, there are the people from the nearby districts like Raigad who have never seen such big cricket,” Kuruvilla said.On their part, the organisers are doing their bit to ensure the spectators have a good experience. They have worked out an arrangement to make the commute from the ground after the game a hassle-free experience. Buses of the Navi Mumbai Municipal Transport will ply from the venue to the nearby central railway stations every five minutes after the completion of each game. Reliance, the owners of Mumbai Indians, have also worked out a schedule with the railway authorities to provide additional train services for the fans late in the night.The fans have already given their initial verdict: the tickets for the first IPL game at the ground have been sold out.

Andy Bichel has not been put off by Mitchell Johnson’s slow start to the domestic season and feels he is in the perfect position to make his Test debut on Thursday. Johnson’s chances of being presented with a baggy green improved with the withdrawal of Shaun Tait from the squad with an elbow injury and the only thing missing from his preparation is a useful haul at state level.Johnson went wicketless in the Pura Cup match against New South Wales last week and has picked up only one victim in the tour game with the Sri Lankans in Brisbane. However, there was no problem with his pace in the second innings this afternoon and Bichel was impressed with his team-mate’s credentials.”He’s a left-armer, he gives you those options and we haven’t seen a left-arm quick for a long time,” he said. “He’s at the right age, he’s done his apprenticeship and knows the system, it’s perfect timing for him. He’s ready to go.”Sri Lanka have struggled with the bounce in Brisbane during the tour game and Johnson’s height and pace should provide some more discomfort during the Test. Australia will be without Shane Warne and Glenn McGrath for the first time since their retirement and Johnson is an attractive option because he is a left-armer.”The make-up of the side, with Stuart Clark, Brett Lee and no Warne, you need some variation in the side,” Bichel said. “Stuart MacGill will fill the spin-bowling spot but you need some variation in our quicks and Mitchell’s the best way to get it.”Farveez Maharoof is pushing for a place in the Sri Lanka side and he helped his claims with 3 for 72 on a day when they struggled to knock over Queensland’s lower order. Dilhara Fernando, who is not playing in the match, is Maharoof’s main rival for a spot, although the reshuffling to cover Kumar Sangakkara’s injury may result in the visitors playing five bowlers.”I’ve been bowling well over the last two weeks and it was good to have a day out,” Maharoof said. “It won’t be easy with Dilhara, Lasith [Malinga] and [Chaminda] Vaas around. I’m still hoping that I’ll get a comeback and hope I get a chance to prove myself.”The Sri Lankans’ attack made an impression on Bichel as he posted his ninth first-class century with an aggressive 125. “Malinga will expose the older ball in Hobart, but not in Brisbane because he won’t get a lot of reverse-swing,” he said. “Maharoof bowled really well and Vaas swung the ball beautifully. They stack up pretty well.”

Nottinghamshire have announced that Bilal Shafayat has rejoined the club in a three-year deal.Shafayat, 22, is a former England Under-19 captain and began his career at Trent Bridge but moved to Northamptonshire in 2004.Northants announced earlier this week that they had agreed to release the player so that he could be closer to his family.He said: “During the season I tried to focus on my cricket, but once that had finished and I had time to sit and reflect, I came to the conclusion that I wanted to be closer to my family in Nottingham.”I am grateful to Northants for agreeing to my release and am glad to have been able to return to Trent Bridge and the county where I grew up.”Now that I’ve signed, I can’t wait to start working again with Mick (Newell), Paul Johnson and the rest of the players. I’m really excited about playing at my home ground next season and continuing to improve as a cricketer.”Nottinghamshire coach Newell is pleased with the recruitment: “Under different circumstances, I don’t think he would have left in the first place, but he has definitely had more opportunities to play first-class cricket than we would have been able to offer him, and I’m sure that will have helped him advance his game.”His talent has always been clear and I see him becoming a top quality number four in the end, but he does also offer the option of wicketkeeping in one-day matches if Chris Read is not available.”Shafayat has so far failed to live up to the rich promise he showed as a youngster, scoring 75 on his County Championship debut in 2001 as a 17-year-old. In 2003-04 he toured with England A, but has a first-class average of only 31.61 from 61 matches. He scored 885 runs in the County Championship in 2006 at 32.88.He will take his place in a new-look Nottinghamshire top-order as the county rebuild following relegation in 2006. They have signed Will Jefferson from Essex and Mark Wagh from Warwickshire while Will Smith has joined Durham.

Mushfiqur Rahim and Abdur Razzak have been recalled to Bangladesh’s Test squad for the tour of Sri Lanka later this month and former captain Habibul Bashar has kept his place as a batsman.Rahim, who was the specialist wicketkeeper in Bangladesh’s World Cup squad, was dropped for the home Test series against India in favour of veteran Khaled Mashud. Rahim’s inclusion is further proof of the faith reposed in him by the selectors, though he will face stiff competition from Mahmud.”We selected Rahim because of his all-round abilities,” said chief selector Faruq Ahmed. “He is a stand-by wicketkeeper and a good middle-order batsman. He has already played two Tests as a batsman.”Razzak, despite being a fixture in the one-day side, did not find a place against India either. Tushar Imran and Enamul Haque jnr are the two omitted players from the Test squad against India. “Razzak had a very good World Cup. He is ninth in the one-day rankings,” added Ahmed. “So naturally, we thought he should be given chances in the longer version of the game.Mohammad Ashraful, recently announced as captain for both the Test and ODI sides, will lead Bangladesh in three Tests and ODIS against Sri Lanka. Tushar, Aftab Ahmed, Tamim Iqbal, Farhad Reza and rookie medium-pacer Mahmudullah will join the side for the one-day leg of the tour.The first Test starts on June 25 in Colombo.Bangladesh Test squad:Mohammad Ashraful (capt), Mashrafe Mortaza (vice-capt), Habibul Bashar, Javed Omer, Mehrab Hossain jnr, Shahriar Nafees, Rajin Saleh, Shakib Al Hasan, Khaled Mashud (wk), Shahadat Hossain, Syed Rasel, Mohammed Rafique, Abdur Razzak, Mohammad Sharif, Mushfiqur Rahim (wk).