Windies have task cut out against Kiwis SOUTHAMPTON, May 23 — The West Indies will have to recapture the sparkle sorely missing in their game when they take on a determined New Zealand in a crucial group ‘B’ clash here tomorrow.

Tie against in-form Kiwis crucial: Lara
DUBLIN, Ireland, May 23 — The West Indies coasted to a seven-wicket win over World Cup rookies Bangladesh but skipper Brian Lara says the number of extras his bowlers conceded would have cost them the game against stronger opposition.

Pak second favourites ahead of Aussies
BRISTOL, May 23 — The South Africans are all the rage now in the betting for the World Cup. The price on Hansie Cronje and his men being the victorious team at Lords on June 20 has shortened to six to four which means you get a 150 per cent profit on your investment.

Brandes reserves his best against England
LONDON, May 23 — When Zimbabwe line up against England in the cricket World Cup at Trent Bridge on Tuesday, Eddo Brandes will be the first man on the team-sheet.

S. Africa on right track: Cronje
LONDON, May 23 — South African captain Hansie Cronje says his team is doing enough to win the World Cup but the batsmen need to be more consistent.

Donald edges back into picture
LONDON, May 23 — Allan Donald hasn’t been much discussed in recent months. He’s still in the frame, of course, just nearer to the edge of the picture than he used to be.

Shoaib's chance to enter record books
LONDON, May 23 — Pakistan speedster Shoaib Akhtar will finally get a chance to go into the record books as fastest bowler in the world and first to cross the 100-miles-per-hour barrier.

Underdogs Scotland become favourites
GLASGOW, May 23 — After heroic performances against Australia and Pakistan, Scotland enter their third World Cup match tomorrow in the unlikely position of favourites.

Poor batting worries England, Zimbabwe
NOTTINGHAM, England, May 23 — After suffering their first defeats of the tournament England and Zimbabwe are worried about batting form ahead of their World Cup group A game at Trent Bridge on Tuesday.

Moya out to kill two birds with one stone
PARIS, May 23 — Spanish star Carlos Moya begins his defence of the French Open men’s singles title on the red clay of Roland Garros tomorrow looking to kill two birds with one stone: retain the title and reclaim top spot in the rankings.

Sachin (140) dazzles in India's win

BRISTOL, May 23 (PTI) — Sachin Tendulkar returned to cricket today after his father’s funeral and savaged Kenya for swashbuckling unbeaten 140 from a mere 101 balls to give the struggling Indian team an emphatic 94-run win, keeping alive their hopes in the World Cup.

The batting maestro blasted his 22nd one-day international century in the company of an elegant but overshadowed Rahul Dravid, who also hit a century, 104 from 109 balls, the two of them setting a world cup record 237-run partnership for any wicket.

Setting a near impossible target after piling up 329 for two wickets, the Indians restricted Kenya to 235 for seven to register their first win in three league matches and they have two more to go — against defending champions Sri Lanka and hosts England.

It was the masterly Tendulkar who ignited the seventh World Cup by scoring its first hundred and rewrote the Cup records with his sparkling stand with Dravid that lifted the drooping Indian spirits.

Coming in at number four, Tendulkar tore into the attack on way to his century in just 84 balls, the third fastest in World Cup history.

Tendulkar, who bettered his previous World Cup best of 137 in scoring his third hundred in the mega event, cracked 16 power-packed fours and three majestic sixes facing 101 balls.

Dravid, all style and grace in the inspirational presence of the world’s best batsman, was unbeaten on 104 made in only 109 balls and studded with 10 fours.

The grieving Tendulkar’s dazzling knock was the right tonic India needed desperately. Fighting his personal grief and looking visibly drained after airdashing here yesterday, Tendulkar’s very special hundred at the Neville Road ground sent the packed Indian fans into delirious raptures.

But the erratic Indian bowlers let the Kenyan batsmen flourish with Kennedy Otieno (56) and Steve Tikolo (58) producing a breezy 118-run third wicket stand before breaking the stand to end the ambitious chase.

Paceman Debashish Mohanty, playing his first match captured four for 56 after being on a hattrick in the early stages to lead the bowling honours.

Tendulkar, who airdashed here from Mumbai barely 24 hours before the match just two days after attending his father’s funeral, looked heavenwards in silent prayer on reaching his emotional century in a most poignant moment.

Tendulkar reached his personal landmark in the 44th over and then goaded Dravid to achieve his fourth one-day hundred, into the final over.

Mohanty produced twin early strikes removing Ravindu Shah (9) and Sandip Gupta (0) off successive balls to be on a hat-trick. But Tikolo, who denied him the honour, went after the Indian attack.

With opener Kennedy Otieno, Tikolo (58 - 75 b, 6x4, 1x6) flayed the understrength and erratic attack, which missed both paceman Venkatesh Prasad and leg spinner Anil Kumble who were rested with niggling injuries.

Mohanty proved expensive but made a mark in his first tie after removing opener Ravindu Shah (9) and Sandip Gupta (0) off successive balls to be on a hat-trick.

Once Chopra broke the stand by having Otieno caught brilliantly by a running Ajit Agarkar and Mohanty accounted for Tikolo, the Kenyan innings lost steam.

A private moment

BRISTOL, May 23 (AFP) — It was a very private moment. It captured a thousand emotions.

Sachin Tendulkar, reaching his half-century, looked up at the lead-coloured sky and mouthed a few silent words. They were meant for no one but himself.

Fifty runs later and he did it again.

Around Bristol’s Nevil Road ground pandemonium had broken out, with 8,000 people, almost exclusively Indian supporters, applauding and chanting Tendulkar’s name after one of the great limited-over innings.

The Indian raised his bat automatically in response, yet still appeared oblivious to the noise and the sea of tri-colour flags. It was as if he had managed to carve out his own private space in a very public world.

Five days ago, his father Ramesh died of a heart attack. Tendulkar had returned for the funeral, and then urged on by his mother, he boarded the flight to rejoin his team-mates yesterday.

"My father will be up there somewhere whenever I go to bat," the 26-year-old from Mumbai had said.

India’s greatest player barely smiled throughout today’s extraordinary innings of 140 not out. For most of his 101 balls, his face seemed set in stone.

Once, just once, a flicker of a smile crossed his face. He had just reverse-swept Maurice Odumbe to the boundary and the audacity of the shot seemed to surprise even the batsman.

As he walked off at the end, Tendulkar’s batting partner Rahul Dravid walked over. They shared a punch of the gloves and Dravid patted him on the back a few times.

Tendulkar, still jet-lagged, had scored his 22nd one-day century and taken part in the biggest stand in World Cup history.

But today was not about that. Dravid knew it. Eight thousand people knew it.

And the hundreds of millions of Indians who stayed up all night to watch the innings — including Tendulkar’s mother — knew it.

Pakistan win by 10 runs

LEEDS, May 23 (PTI) — Fancied Pakistan today beat Australia by 10 runs in a cliff-hanger to virtually assure themselves of a place in the super six and leave the pre-tournament favourites fighting for survival in the World Cup.

In a pulsating tie, Pakistan piled up 275 for eight wickets and then curtailed a brilliant chase by Australia before bowling them for 265 with a ball to spare amid high drama at the Headingley ground here.

Pakistan posted their third straight victory while Australia, joint pre-tournament favourites were left with their title aspirations in a shambles.

Australia carried out a superb chase with one-day specialist Michael Bevan top scoring with 61 after opener Mark Waugh (41), Ricky Ponting (47) and skipper Steve Waugh (49) had kept up the momentum for the difficult chase against the formidable Pakistan attack.

But skipper Wasim Akram captured four wickets for 40 and off-spinner Saqlain Mushtaq reiterated his value by claiming three to give their side the rich victory.

In a nail-biting finish, Australia were 263 for eight to go into the final over needing 13 runs to win.

But Akram sent down a sensational final over snatching two wickets giving away just two runs to end the fading Australian aspirations.

But crowd trouble reared its ugly head yet again in the tournament as unruly spectators invaded the ground on Martyn’s dismissal and snatched away the stumps. However, order was restored and the match completed.

Protest bound to be rejected

BRISTOL, May 23 (UNI) — The Indian team’s protest regarding the match against Zimbabwe will be taken up by the technical wing of the organising committee on May 24.

The Indian tour manager Brijesh Patel refused to be drawn into a discussion on the protest lodged by the team except to say that he would know the decision of the International Cricket Council by Monday next.

There is no chance of a replay being ordered or of India being granted any points from a match they lost. India might, however, have scored a technical point regarding how the rearranging of the overs was done by the umpires in consultation with the match referee.

But that is where the expectation ends. There is no question of the committee ordering a replay of the match nor even of rapping the umpires and the match referee in public.

The letter of the rules governing the World Cup do not seem to allow the number of fielding restriction overs to be rearranged in the event of a team being penalised for bowling its overs slowly as India did at Leicester last week. Such reduction in the field placement restriction overs is applicable only to matches hit by the weather. And yet the match was played with the field placement restriction applying only to 13 overs in the Indian innings.

The point being made by India is too abstruse and the ICC committee would not wish to interfere with the smooth progress of the World Cup by so much as envisaging a replay. Had the rules regarding the maximum number of overs that any one bowler can send down been breached, India may have had a stronger case.

Only Grant Flower bowled 10 overs for Zimbabwe and all others bowled nine or less which is well within the regulations since any one bowler was allowed to bowl 10 in India’s 46 over innings. Had the match gone into final over, Campbell would have faced a tricky situation since Heath Streak could not bowl that over since he had already sent down nine. Had the umpires allowed Streak to bowl the last over, India may have had a stronger case. The protest is bound to be rejected.

Windies have task cut out against Kiwis

SOUTHAMPTON, May 23 (PTI) — The West Indies will have to recapture the sparkle sorely missing in their game when they take on a determined New Zealand in a crucial group ‘B’ clash here tomorrow.

The twice champions, who made a hash of chasing a modest total in their 27-run defeat to Pakistan in their opening tie, will also desperately look for their inspirational skipper Brian Lara to produce his batting magic to keep hopes alive for a place in the super six.

With little support for their ageing but still formidable pace duo of Courtney Walsh and Curtly Ambrose and their batting nowhere near dominating, the 1975 and 1979 champions have their task cut out if they are to win their second tie in three outings.

The Kiwis hold only a 1-2 World Cup record against their rivals, but are on a real high after upsetting trans-Tasman rivals Australia by five wickets at Cardiff and have enough credentials to score their third straight win.

Using their easy win over Bangladesh as a nice warm up, the Kiwis rode on the lusty hitting by Chris Cairns and Roger Twose’s top-score of 80 not out to subdue Australia in an excellent team effort.

Stephan Fleming’s New Zealanders are revealing the value of seam bowling all-rounders in English conditions and can fancy rattling the Caribbean batting, unless Lara decides to fire on all cylinders.

The star left-hander made run-a-ball 25 in their easy win over Bangladesh, but will have to make a substantial score if his team has to win and keep itself in the race.

Reuters adds:

Lara is overdue for a big score and tomorrow’s group B match against the resurgent New Zealanders would appear a perfect opportunity.

"It was important to get our first win," Lara said. "And hopefully we can get on top of them."

Lara’s astonishing recent form in the Caribbean and the perennial excellence of Curtly Ambrose and Courtney Walsh can not obscure the flaws in the current West Indies’ team which were again evident in the matches against Pakistan and Bangladesh.

The backup bowling after Ambrose and Walsh is indifferent and the West Indies have had particular problems coping with the white Duke ball, conceding 48 wides in their two matches to date.

Ambrose missed the Bangladesh match with a shoulder injury but is expected to be fit for tomorrow’s match.

The West Indies’ batting fell away against Pakistan and although Ridley Jacobs, Jimmy Adams and Shivnarine Chanderpaul have each scored half-centuries they have less depth than New Zealand.

If West Indies’ success these days depends essentially on three individuals, New Zealand have based their game on team work.

Successful New Zealand cricket teams, rare beasts compare to their rugby sides, have always been more than the sum of their parts and coach Steve Rixon has emphasised personal self-belief and collective responsibility.

The former Australian wicketkeeper had no divided loyalties after New Zealand’s five-wicket win over his home nation on Thursday and believes he has assembled a team ready to beat the best.

The last World Cup of the millennium may provide the setting for all-rounder Chris Cairns to show he can at last be ranked among the world’s more significant players.

Cairns has as much pure talent as any competitor in the tournament as he demonstrated with a gem of an innings against Australia.

He shares the growing confidence of a New Zealand side whose odds are shortening daily but is understandably wary of Lara.

"You just never know what he’s going to do," Cairns said. "It just depends what side of the bed he wakes up on."

Teams (probable):

West Indies — Brian Lara (capt), Sherwin Campbell, Ridley Jacobs, Jimmy Adams, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Stuart Williams, Phil Simmons, Henderson Bryan, Mervyn Dillon, Curtly Ambrose, Courtney Walsh.

New Zealand — Stephen Fleming (capt), Nathan Astle, Matt Horne, Craig McMillan, Roger Twose, Chris Cairns, Chris Harris, Adam Parore, Dion Nash, Gavin Larsen, Geoff Allott.

Tie against in-form Kiwis crucial: Lara

DUBLIN, Ireland, May 23 (AP) — The West Indies coasted to a seven-wicket win over World Cup rookies Bangladesh but skipper Brian Lara says the number of extras his bowlers conceded would have cost them the game against stronger opposition.

The West Indies bowlers sent down 25 wides and eight no-balls as Bangladesh rallied from 55 for four to 182 all out in blustery conditions at the Clontarf Cricket Club on Friday.

"It's the same amount of extras we conceded against Pakistan (when) it cost us the game," he said after Friday's win. "It didn't cost us today but it's obvious that against a stronger opposition it would have cost us again."

The West Indies overhauled the target with three overs to spare with opener Ridley Jacobs scoring 51 before he was run out and Jimmy Adams remaining unbeaten 53.

Lara said the West Indies next game against in-form New Zealand undefeated so far with wins over Bangladesh and Australia, was its most important.

He said the team was "jelling well," there were encouraging signs in the batting against Bangladesh and the team was hoping to be at full strength with the return from injury of Keith Arthurton and Curtly Ambrose.

"I think New Zealand is on a high and I think the boys know it's very important game for us...we have to win," he said.

The carnival of cricket travelling sideshow hit Dublin, en route to other non-Test playing nation venues, Amsterdam and Edinburgh.

Bangladesh captain Aminal Islam said the failure to score at least 210 runs put the bowlers under pressure.

Bangladesh coach Gordon Greenidge, a former West Indies opening batsman praising Merhab said he played really well. "The bowling was tight but he chose the right ball to hit."

Bangladesh next meets fellow ICC qualifier Scotland.

Greenidge said Scotland would be slight favourites because of the home ground advantage at Edinburgh but the game,which is shaping as No 11 vs No 12 battle in the 12-nation tournament, was crucial for both teams.

The West Indies played without paceman Curtly Ambrose and, despite veteran fast bowler Courtney Walsh taking 4-25 in 10 overs, the former world champions looked short of a decisive change bowler.

Pak second favourites ahead of Aussies
By R. Mohan

BRISTOL, May 23 (UNI) — The South Africans are all the rage now in the betting for the World Cup. The price on Hansie Cronje and his men being the victorious team at Lords on June 20 has shortened to six to four which means you get a 150 per cent profit on your investment.

Before the Cup began, the price on them had been nearer three to one and now Ladbrok’s and Victor Chandler have them down to 6-4 while William Hill offer a slightly higher price of 13 to eight which translates in metric terms to a return of 162 per cent.

The price on Pakistan has also shortened from four to one to 11 to four which represents a return of Rs.275 on an investment of Rs.100. They are now clear second favourite ahead of Australia on whom the odds have gone up, from 100 to 30 (3.33 times your investment) to five to one.

New Zealand has attracted some attention in the betting and have come down with Ladbrokes from pre-Cup odds of 14 to one to 10 to one. Chandler have tightened the odds on the Kiwis even further in their quote of eight to one. Willing hill have them down to low as seven to one which means there really has been some money pumped on the team who beat Australia.

Despite their defeat at the hands of South Africa, England remain steady in the markets at around five to one. This is more an indication of national sentiment bringing money on the home team rather than on current form. Ladbrokes are the only ones who believe England are not that good by offering half a point more on them at 11 to two.

The defending champion Sri Lanka are available at the nourishing odds of 33 to one and apart from people of Lankan origin there may be few takers now. But then they surprised the world once in 1996 when they won at 66 to one and their chances are not completely ruled out yet although only two out of England, India, Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe will qualify to the super six from group A.

The price on the unpredictable West Indies has gone up to 20 to one from pre-Cup odds of 14 to one. India’s price has drifted out to 25 to one and might represent good value from here since Sachin Tendulkar has rejoined the campaign. The odds on the little master becoming the highest scorer in the World Cup have drifted out despite all the money that poured on him before the event. But that is because he had a relative failure in the first game and had to skip the next to attend his father’s funeral.

The allrounders on whom the most money has been pitched are Jacques Kallis and Lance Klusener of South Africa. They are also the leading contenders at the moment with runs and wickets to their names. Allan Donald has been backed the most to be the cup’s leading bowler.

The sporting index people who made a spread of 250-270 wides in the World Cup and then revised it rapidly upwards to 780-800 have been left with mud on their faces. They stand to lose a quarter of a million pounds already as shrewd punters pitched on to a higher range of wides in the Cup. "We are cheering every dot ball now," says Chris Cowdrey, the former England cricket who is their advisor. (UNI)

Brandes reserves his best against England

LONDON, May 23 (AFP) — When Zimbabwe line up against England in the cricket World Cup at Trent Bridge on Tuesday, Eddo Brandes will be the first man on the team-sheet.

Never mind that the ageing seamer has done nothing of note in the competition to date — no wicket in 11 overs costing 55 runs.

Never mind that the veteran of the last three tournaments is no longer an automatic choice for the African side.

Brandes, who fits in his cricket as best he can while running a chicken farm, is the team’s talisman when it comes to England. He seems certain to take the field in Nottingham for a game which could decide which of the sides gets through to the second round.

Zimbabwe have played their group A rivals six times in one-dayers and lost only once. "Chicken George", as he is known, has played a large part in that record.

As coach David Houghton says: "He has beaten England on his own about four times and he is currently the fittest I have seen him — and that’s when he performs well."

The South African-born 36-year-old is being used selectively during the tournament, he says, but "I can see him playing against England because he’s always done pretty well against them."

"Pretty well" includes a hat-trick against them on the way to a match-winning five-wicket haul in a 1996/97 one-dayer — Nick Knight, John Crawley and Nasser Hussain were his victims — and four wickets for 21 in Albury, Australia, during the 1992 World Cup.

That game, the sides’ only meeting in the tournament, saw Ian Botham bowl out Zimbabwe for 134 and Brandes bowl out England for 125.

In his early days Brandes, who made his first-class debut in 1985 and who was a schoolfriend of Graeme Hick, was a fast-medium opening bowler.

Now, worn down by injuries and his commitment to chickens, he is more medium-medium, coming on as first change behind Heath Streak and Neil Johnson and mixing up swing with line-and-length seamers.

He remains effective, despite the loss of pace.

In November Zimbabwe knocked out Sri Lanka in the first round of the Champions Trohpy in Sharjah, defeating them twice. Brandes was instrumental in their first success, dismissing Avishka Gunawardena, Marvan Attapattu and Sanath Jayasuriya — all plumb leg-before — in his first six overs.

His bowling style should be as well suited to English conditions as it is to English batsmen.

S. Africa on right track: Cronje

LONDON, May 23 (AP) — South African captain Hansie Cronje says his team is doing enough to win the World Cup but the batsmen need to be more consistent.

"The batsmen need to concentrate more...The middle order has been failing to build on a good start," said Cronje after title favourite South Africa defeated England by 122 runs at the Oval yesterday.

"We are doing the right things," Cronje said. But a lot of hard work still needs to be done."

South Africa is atop the group A standings with six points from three wins, which has virtually secured its passage into the super six — the second phase of the tournament.

But Cronje is not satisfied.

"We need to play much better than this," he said. "We can’t relax and must win the remaining two group matches as well."

Points logged in the group matches against teams which qualify for the super six phase will be carried forward.

In the group A standings, South Africa is followed by England and Zimbabwe, both of whom have four points each from three matches.

England captain Alec Stewart expressed disappointment with his batsmen, who failed to chase South Africa’s modest score.

"The batsmen just did not perform," said Stewart, whose controversial dismissal started England’s slump.

Stewart was adjudged leg before in England innings’ first over when the ball seemed to be going high over the stumps.

"We bowled well but lost two early wickets and just couldn’t rebuild from there," Stewart said.

Chasing South Africa’s score of 225-7 from 50 overs, England were bundled out for 102 in 41 overs.

The star performer for South Africa was pace bowler Allan Donald, who claimed four wickets for 17 runs to send England crashing.

He was well supported by Jacques Kallis (2-29) and Steven Elworthy (2-24).

Donald said the South African pacemen bowled extremely well though there wasn’t much for them in the pitch.

"England was not a victim of poor batting...Maybe one or two poor shots," Donald said after the match. "The wicket didn’t have much in it but we bowled very well."

Donald edges back into picture

LONDON, May 23 (AFP) — Allan Donald hasn’t been much discussed in recent months.

He’s still in the frame, of course, just nearer to the edge of the picture than he used to be.

The South African cricket World Cup side is so full of fresh and exciting talent — Jacques Kallis, Shaun Pollock, Lance Klusener, Herschelle Gibbs, Mark Boucher — that the focus has drifted away from the 32-year-old bowler from Bloemfontein.

So he can’t have been too surprised when the match adjudicators at The Oval yesterday decided that four for 17 off eight overs against England did not merit a Man of the Match award.

Many of the 18,500 people at the ground disagreed. Sure, Klusener’s colourful 48 off 40 balls salvaged the South African innings and helped pave the way to a 122-run win, but four top-order wickets are not to be sniffed at.

Donald, the top South African wicket-taker in both Tests and one-day internationals, effectively shut England out of the game just as there were suggestions the World Cup hosts might smuggle themselves back into it.

His dismissal of Graham Thorpe was a classic, the ball jagging sharply back into the left hander and trapping him, plumb leg before. Mark Ealham’s wicket came from a ball that darted away and ended in the hands of first slip.

Shoaib's chance to enter record books

LONDON, May 23 (PTI) — Pakistan speedster Shoaib Akhtar will finally get a chance to go into the record books as fastest bowler in the world and first to cross the 100-miles-per-hour barrier.

World Cup organisers have agreed to allow the installation of speed guns from the super six stage which will give Akhtar a chance to prove his claim of 100 mph bowler.

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) had initially demanded a two million pound (approx Rs 14.4 crore) fee to install the devices for the tournament's 42 matches, but have now settled for a smaller undisclosed sum.

ECB and Yellow Pages had failed to reach sponsorship agreement, but due to popular demand, the organisers relented and decided to put the speed guns in place from the super six stage.

Akhtar and his Pakistani team-mates claim that he has reached the speeds up to 98 mph earlier and that currently he was the fastest bowler in the world.

South African Allan Donald, who at his peak was hurling the ball at more than 105 mph, but is currently tagged at 92 to 94 and is closely followed by England's Darren Gough.

Akhtar caught the public imagination during this event was timed at 97 mph during the Sharjah Cup one-day tournament in April.

Officially though, Australia's Jeff Thompson still holds the record for the quickest delivery on record, a 99.70 mph ball in 1975 in Perth.

Underdogs Scotland become favourites

GLASGOW, May 23 (Reuters) — After heroic performances against Australia and Pakistan, Scotland enter their third World Cup match tomorrow in the unlikely position of favourites.

It has left coach Jim Love urging caution as they prepare to meet Bangladesh at Edinburgh’s Grange Club.

"Monday’s match may be against the smallest opponents in the group, but for us it is the big one," said Love. "All the good work of the past week will all be for nothing if we fail to win. We should win but only if we avoid complacency. This though, is our Cup final."

Captain George Salmond is also keen to stress that his side must not underestimate Bangladesh who the Scots defeated comfortably last year but lost to in the ICC Trophy in 1997.

Said Salmond: "We have to show the same application and attitude against Bangladesh because if we are not properly focused they are a good enough team to cash in."

When the sides met at Hamilton Crescent in Glasgow last year Salmond hit a match winning 81 off 85 balls and he believes that home advantage will again prove crucial.

Coach Love has hinted that Scotland could change their selection and tactics for the meeting with Gordon Greenidge’s side, commenting: "Where we are struggling is in the early order of the batting. It is an area we will look at closely and we may opt for a different formation and a different way of playing the game and we might go for a pinch-hitter against them in an attempt to get some quick runs on the board."

The temptation, therefore is for Gavin Hamilton, who top scored with 76 against Pakistan, to lead the batting attack from the front instead of his usual middle order berth. Mike Allingham may be selected at the expense of Ian Phillip.

Bangladesh, like Scotland losing their opening two games, put up a spirited batting display in scoring 182 in 49.2 overs on Friday against West Indies in Dublin.

If their batsmen find their form in Edinburgh, Scotland may have a difficult task ahead of them.

Possible teams:

Scotland — George Salmond (capt), Bruce Patterson, Iain Philip (or Mike Allingham), Mike Smith, Ian Stanger, Gavin Hamilton, James Brinkley, Alec Davies, John Blain, Asim Butt, Nick Dyer.

Bangladesh — Aminul Islam (capt), Shahriar Hossain, Mehrab Hossain, Akram Khan, Minhajul Abedin, Khaled Mahmud, Naimur Rahman, Khaled Mashud, Enamul Hoque, Hasibul Hussain, Manjurul Islam.

Poor batting worries England, Zimbabwe

NOTTINGHAM, England, May 23 (Reuters) — After suffering their first defeats of the tournament England and Zimbabwe are worried about batting form ahead of their World Cup group A game at Trent Bridge on Tuesday.

England failed to live with tournament favourites South Africa, losing by 122 runs yesterday, while champions Sri Lanka notched their first victory of the 1999 tournament over Zimbabwe, winning by four wickets.

England made just 103 as all 11 batsmen were tested for the first time after two victories against Sri Lanka and Kenya when they lost a total of just three wickets. Zimbabwe were restricted to a modest 197 for nine.

With tournament favourites South Africa dominating the group after three victories from three games, the winner of the England and Zimbabwe match will be well-placed to secure one of the two other places in the Super Six from group A.

England captain Alec Stewart and Zimbabwe’s Alistair Campbell were both frustrated by a failure to make more runs yesterday which they must eradicate on Tuesday.

"We need to put in a performance that warrants a win," England captain Stewart said. "We did not do it as a batting team (against South Africa).

"If we win against Zimbabwe and beat India (in our last first-round match) then we will be second ... They are all big games and we hope to get back to winning ways."

The Trent Bridge result is even more important for Zimbabwe since they have the harder of the two teams’ run-ins, facing the impressive South Africans in their last first-round match.

"We now have two important games," Campbell said. "We are playing two teams who are playing very well. We did not get enough runs (against Sri Lanka). Our batting was the thing that let us down."

England have met Zimbabwe just once before in the World Cup at the 1992 tournament when the African side won by nine runs in Albury, Australia.

That victory in the last round of round-robin matches marked Zimbabwe’s only triumph in the group stage while England went on to make the final where they lost to Pakistan.

Moya out to kill two birds with one stone

PARIS, May 23 (AFP) — Spanish star Carlos Moya begins his defence of the French Open men’s singles title on the red clay of Roland Garros tomorrow looking to kill two birds with one stone: retain the title and reclaim top spot in the rankings.

The 22-year-old from Palma de Mallorca, currently ranked fourth on the ATP computer, spent a fortnight on top of the pile in March.

And he enjoyed the feeling, as well as the view from the summit.

Moya, who beat fellow Spaniard Alex Corretja in last year’s final, opens his campaign against unheralded Austrian Markus Hipfl and says he can hardly wait to get out there.

"It’ll be great to come out on court as defending champion. I’m sure it will be a really special feeling," said the 1.90m right-hander, who last season went into the French on the back of a title win in Monte Carlo, but who has had mixed fortunes in recent months.

His year could hardly have started in worse fashion, with a first-round defeat at the Australian Open to Germany’s Nicolas Kiefer.

And the Spaniard, hampered by an infected thumb blister from an April tournament in India, has slipped to fourth in world after an early loss in Rome to Argentine Franco Squillari as well as in Hamburg semis to eventual winner Marcelo Rios.

Moya also lost in Monte Carlo quarters to Frenchman Jerome Golmard, thus failing to recapture his first Super 9 title.

But he did have a good run at last year’s US Open, bowing out in semis to Australian power-server mark Philippoussis.

Moya, with five career titles to date, says he is hungry to get back on the winning trail.

"I can’t be satisfied with just that one Grand Slam win, even though nobody can take that away from me. No real champion can be that easily satisfied," he said.

"You have to keep on fixing new goals and mine are to win more Slams and reclaim number one. After tasting it — I want more!"

Toppling Russia’s top-ranked Yevgeny Kafelnikov is the top priority for Moya, he insists, although another win here would naturally help that aim.

"Getting to be number one is the fruit of a whole year’s work, the biggest goal of all, whereas you can win a Grand Slam in a fortnight," he said. "And there can be four slam winners every year. Getting to number one was even better than winning Roland Garros."

The fourth seed sees "most of the Spaniards, as well as Kuerten and Rios, as his main rivals.

"If the title went elsewhere I’d be pretty surprised," said Moya, who has remained loyal to coach Jose Perlas since the age of 17.

Moya was one of a group of promising Spanish youngsters Perlas took under his wing, although in January last year he added Luis Miguel Morales to his entourage as fitness trainer.

He feels that his natural affinity for clay, coupled with his additional stamina, will serve him in good stead in the coming two weeks.

"I know that if I’m on a good day few players can beat me on clay," insists the man who is in line for a fourth-round clash with Andre Agassi if the seedings hold up. Other seeds in his quarter of the draw are number 12 Briton Greg Rusedski and Dutch former semi-finalist Richard Krajicek, seeded five.

Sunday June 7, 1998, was a great day for Moya and March 15, 1999, was even better — the day he claimed top spot in the world.

A good fortnight in Paris and Moya can pencil in June 6 as his next-red letter day. By then, when the final comes round, he could be back on course for number one.

Tennis tourney from June 7
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, May 23 — The Total Tennis Academy will organise a tennis tournament for juniors here from June 7 to 13. Competition will be held in under 10, 12, 14, 16 and 18 sections along with doubles in the boys section and under 14 and 16 in the girls section.

According to Mr Devinder Kapoor, organising secretary, the tournament will be telecast by Siticable. There will be attractive prizes for winners and runners-up in all sections, besides for the youngest participant and up and coming player. It will be inaugurated by Mr Satish Chandra, MD, CITCO.

Entries close on June 6 with Mr Devinder Kapoor, Quiet office 5, Sector 35, and the General Secretary, YMCA, Sector 11, Chandigarh.

Haryana kho-kho squads
From Our Correspondent

ROHTAK, May 23 — The Haryana State Kho-Kho Association has announced the boys and girls teams of the state which will participate in the 21st National Junior Kho-Kho Championship to be held at Aurangabad (Maharashtra) from May 26 to 30.

According to Mr Chand Singh Ahlawat, general secretary of the association, the team (boys and girls) is as follows.

Boys: Vikas, Sunder, Suresh, Deepak, Anil, Mukesh, Satish, Sukhbir, Satish, Nitin, Pravin and Rajpal (captain). Mr Dharamvir Saini and Mr Ravinder Singh will be coach and manager, respectively.

Girls: Manisha, Rekha, Deepa, Kavita, Sushma, Snehlata, Seema, Manisha, Sajjan Kaur, Jyoti, Arti and Jyoti Hooda (captain). Mr Nirmala Devi will accompany the team as coach while Mrs Renu Sharma will be manager.