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Ireland have been hit by the withdrawal of Andrew White ahead of their Intercontinental Cup clash against Netherlands, which starts in Rotterdam on Wednesday.White misses the game due to personal reasons, and his place in the squad of 13 is taken by James Hall, the Waringstown allrounder who played for Ireland during the Friends Provident Trophy, but missed out on the Aberdeen tri-series defeats with a foot injury.White cracked an unbeaten 152 for Ireland in their last match against Netherlands in 2004, helping his side to an innings-and-47-run win.

Alas! Pakistan’s test cricket has suffered so heavily recently that it appears to have reversed back to the primitive days. The Pakistan team has shown performances the likes of which were only exhibited by South Africa when entering test cricket but that was over 114 years ago. To the utter disbelief of their supporters the Pakistan team was bundled out for paltry scores of 59 and 53 in the two innings of the recent second test match at Sharjah against Australia. The aggregate is the lowest match aggregate for Pakistan in test cricket to date.The more gloomy aspect of these lowest aggregates was that it had come on the eve of country’s 50th Anniversary of playing the inaugural test match. (October 1952).Pakistan’s record lowest match aggregate is the fourth lowest aggregate ever in test cricket after South Africa’s 36 + 45 against Australia at Melbourn in 1931-32, 47 + 43 against England at Cape Town in 1888-89 and New Zealand’s 42 + 54 versus Australia at Wellington in 1945-46. Lamentfully Pakistan’s pathetic performance in the second test match at Sharjah also created only the second instance since 1945-46 for a test match to be wrappedup in two days. (the other instance being West Indes versus England at Leads in 2000).Presented below is a list of Pakistan’s lowest match aggregates (completed innings) to date:

Match 1st 2nd Venue V/S Year ResultAggregate Inn Inn112 59 53 Sharjah Aus 2002-03 Lost by an inningsand 198 runs208 77 131 Lahore WI 1986-87 Lost by an inningsand 10 runs222 104 118 Hamilton NZ 2001 Lost by an inningsand 185 runs240 106 134 Port of SA 1997-98 Lost by 259 runsElizabeth244 105 139 Lords Eng 1978 Lost by an inningsand 120 runs254 140 114 Trent Eng 1967 Lost by 10 wicketsBridge289 145 144 Dacca WI 1958-59 Won by 41 runs297 133 164 Oval Eng 1954 Won by 24 runs302 150 152 New Delhi Ind 1952-53 Lost by an inningsand 70 runs304 132 172 Colombo SL 1986 Lost by 8 wickets305 140 165 Port of WI 1993 Lost by 204 runsSpain

NOTE: Surprisingly, despite Pakistan’s batting debacles on two of the above occasions, Fazal Mahmood, the architect of Pakistan’s six of their first eight victories, bowled his team to exciting victories (v England at the Oval in 1954 and v West Indies at Dacca 1958-59). Fazal Mahmood, on both occasions claimed twelve wickets in the match.

With thin sunlight struggling to break through the London cloud the weather forecasters were proven correct, although unhelpful, as the pitch remained sufficiently wet from overnight rain to prevent play before lunch.One cannot, on days like this, help suspecting that Surrey’s recent investment in sprinklers, which helped to guarantee a beautiful, fast, green outfield last season, might have been more usefully directed towards more drainage. It might even be not be out of place to suggest that with ample slow and slow medium bowlers on both teams an unconventional choice of opening attack could have facilitated an earlier start. Still, at Lords the great wealth of the MCC was unable to make any play possible all day.Furthermore as when play did start both sides set off determined to make up for lost time the crowd had limited cause for complaint. Heavy cloud cover at the Oval is often an indication of plentiful swing and the cue for the winner of the toss to insert their opposition, and as in this case it was Surrey they were able to do so without fear of facing their own spinners on days three and four.The decision proved almost immediately to be a wise one when after a couple of looseners Martin Bicknell troubled and then removed Fulton in the first over. This brought Kent’s leading batsmen together and both Smith and Key took advantage of some rare poor overs from Ormond who struggled to control the swinging ball at first except for three deliveries in his second over any of which could easily have brought a wicket. It was Bicknell again though, who with the total on twenty-seven took his his second wicket, removing danger batsman Robert Key for fifteen quick runs, the catch by Batty behind the stumps was a splendid effort.Shortly afterwards Symonds flailed at a swinging ball from Ormond and the thick edge flew straight and hard to Salisbury at gully, he was quickly followed back into the pavilion by Walker, well taken at slip by Ricky Clarke. The penultimate over of Bicknell’s spell saw him secure the wicket of Ed Smith, who failed to control his cover drive and sent a high chance to the hands of Ward at cover point. This left the visitors reeling at 48-5.By now the openers were tiring and both Nixon and Ealham used a judicious mixture of nudges and shots to edge the total upwards. Ormond was unlucky not to break through again before Giddins took over from the pavilion end and Ricky Clarke bowled a tidy four over spell that will hopefully steady his bowling nerves after going for runs in his previous appearances. Giddins repeatedly passed the outside edge but was unable to split the two gritty campaigners before they had nursed the score on to 100 and Ealham was trapped in front. Fleming then joined Nixon at the crease and they pushed on to 129 before Ormond struck again, before Bicknell wrapped things up with his fine control of the swinging ball either side of tea.Nixon’s 54 was, in the conditions an excellent performance as the ball swung and the Surrey bowlers, for the most part bowled with control and accuracy. Martin Bicknell also deserves a special mention for his fine bowling and the fact that his figures of 6-42 complete his full house – he has now taken five wickets in an innings against each of the other seventeen counties, a feat rare for a bowler so frequently overlooked by the national selectors. In this fixture last season Fulton and Key made an opening stand of 198 during a rain and sleet interrupted draw in one of the coldest Aprils I can recall.Taking to the field with only 153 behind them Kent knew that they needed to strike quickly and, with a brace of wickets Denmark’s Amjad Khan did just that having Ward caught at the wicket and Mark Ramprakash LBW to leave Surrey on five for two and their own total looking far less modest that it had fifteen minutes earlier. Unfortunately for the visitors Khan’s control and luck then deserted him and he was knocked out of the attack quickly afterwards by Nadeem’s forthright strokeplay. Surrey were quickly back in trouble though as Nadeem unluckily tickled an edge down the leg side, the umpire took an age to decide, but eventually sent him on his way to leave the weakened Surrey batting line up at 39-3.Saggers had more difficulty getting the swinging ball in the right place than the more experienced seamers in and was replaced by Ealham, but it was from the pavilion end that all of Surrey’s wickets fell, with Fleming having Batty caught at slip and frustrating Ricky Clarke out held by Khan.While Fleming bowled his medium pacers with excellent effect though, Brown, after a watchful start, set about Mark Ealham with his trademark brutality reaching 49 from 43 deliveries, when Saggers returned he too was mauled by this years Surrey beneficiary.

In reply to a number of enquiries that the website has received from concerned fans, Somerset Sabres friendly dragon mascot Stumpy has talked to us about his re-appearance tomorrow after a period of enforced absence.From his secret hideaway deep in the heart of the Somerset countryside Stumpy told me: “It seems like a lifetime since I was last at the County Ground, but after being away for seven weeks it will be good to be back amongst all my friends,and I am really looking forward to it.”Stumpy will be at the County Ground for the crucial day-night relegation NUL National League match between Somerset Sabres and Nottingham Outlaws, that gets underway 4.10pm tomorrow.The last time that Stumpy was at the ground the Sabres suffered a heavy defeat at the hands of Worcester Royals, so tomorrow he will be hoping to bring the team better luck.One thing Stumpy can be assured of is a large crowd to welcome his return to the ground which has become his spiritual home since he first appeared earlier this season.Membership secretary Jo Betsworth told me earlier: “There has already been a large interest in the match and we are expecting one of our biggest crowds of the season to watch the Sabres take on Nottingham Outlaws. As well as the cricket there will be a number of other activities including the ever popular face painting, and of course the return of Stumpy who will be walking round the ground to meet his friends and sign autographs.”With a large crowd expected, the advice to those who are going along to the ground is to arrive well in advance of the action on the field. With the game being televised there will certainly be no shortage of entertainment so everybody is guaranteed a good time.Lets just hope that the Sabres get the result that they so desperately need from the match to help them climb away from the relegation zone.

Simon Katich’s vow to enjoy an unexpected Test recall paid off as he produced a gritty third Test century to guide Australia to 259 for 3 on the opening day against West Indies. Benefitting from Matthew Hayden’s tour withdrawal, Katich opened for the second match in a row and was rewarded for a more considered approach with an unbeaten 113.Katich has done a lot of thinking and working on his technique – he hits the ball straighter now – in the two-and-a-half years he spent out of the side and believes he is more relaxed. “I sort of thought to myself, whatever’s left, I just wanted to enjoy it,” he said. “Once you get to 30 a lot of people ask you what are you going to do when you finish playing and it was starting to dawn on me that it wasn’t that far away. That’s changed my mindset. If I’ve only got a few years left I’m going to enjoy it.”Katich said he was “too revved up” in the opening Test in Jamaica, where he scored 12 and 1. “Definitely in the first innings, I felt like I blew a good opportunity,” he said. “Sometimes the problem as a batsman is that you can play with a bit too much intent and pay the price. Today I felt a bit more relaxed and content just to occupy the crease.”While he was with New South Wales he never gave up hope of returning to the national team he left in 2005. “But at times you’re always thinking at the back of your mind whether that opportunity may come again,” he said. “Particularly as the years were starting to tick over. It’s just nice to be back and playing.”His first Test century came against India in 2003-04 and he picked up another in New Zealand the following year before his struggles against England and West Indies led to his sacking. In Antigua he started the second Test by batting throughout the day, facing 241 balls and striking nine fours.”It felt special because it’s obviously been a long time,” he said. “As a Test batsman that’s what it’s all about, trying to score hundreds. That’s what perhaps happened first time around, I probably got too many starts and didn’t go on with it and convert.”Ricky Ponting, who posted a handy 65, wants Australia to build quickly on their total when Katich and Michael Clarke, who is 38 not out, resume on the second morning. “It’s a good day, a very pleasing day,” Ponting said at stumps. “Whenever we win the toss and bat the whole objective for us is to try and bat once in the game, or get enough runs for me to have a decision whether to enforce the follow-on or not. We’ll be trying to make a really big score from here.”Australia were able to move more freely in the final session after West Indies had tied up the visitors earlier in the day. “Katich has played a great innings and Michael has looked a million dollars since he’s been out there,” Ponting said.Katich benefitted from a dropped catch by Runako Morton on 90 and Xavier Marshall, who came into the side, felt the toll of playing back-to-back Tests may have had an effect on his team-mates. Chris Gayle had hoped to return for the game, but he was ruled unfit and Marshall stepped up to take the place of Brenton Parchment, who struggled in the 95-run loss in Jamaica.”I’m a bit surprised [to be picked] but I’ve been working hard over the past few months and I guess when you work hard it pays off,” Marshall said. “I am a bit more mature. People used to think I was a bit rough, now you can see I am more relaxed, enjoying my team-mates, friends and so on. I think I am getting there.”

Andover’s bid to cling on to their new found ECB Southern Electric Premier League leadership has suffered a double blow.They go into the key match against Havant at London Road 14 points clear at the top – but minus broken-wrist victim Toby Radford and former skipper Jeremy Hayward.It’s a bitter blow for Andover, who boast the only unbeaten Division 1 record after three straight wins against South Wilts, Calmore Sports and Liphook & Ripsley.Radford, the former Middlesex and Sussex batsman who joined Andover from Hungerford in the close season, broke his wrist in last Sunday’s Hampshire Board match against the Channel Islands.His place goes to Marc Kavanagh, with Ian Gardner’s reward for a 2nd XI century last weekend a call up as Hayward’s replacement.”It’s obviously a great shame we’ve lost Toby and Jerry, but I’ve every confidence that Marc and Ian will come in and do a good job for the team,” said Andover skipper Roger Miller.In contrast Havant, who saw their unbeaten start perish at the hands of Bashley (Rydal) last week, expect to be back to full strength.MCC Young Professional Steve Snell and all-rounders Mackie Hobson and Bevis Moynhan, who all missed the Bashley defeat, should return for Havant.Dominic Carson, anticipating a stern workout, says : “Andover will be buzzing after three straight wins and we haven’t forgotten the defeat they inflicted on us at Havant Park when we took the title a couple of seasons ago."”London Road is a difficult place to win at normally and with Andover top of the league, it promises to be doubly difficult.”Watching the outcome with interest will be reigning champions BAT Sports, who lie in second place. They expect to be unchanged and at full strength for the visit of Bournemouth, whose season has hardly got off the ground.”We’ve had two blank weeks out of three so far and lost to South Wilts, so we desperately need to get ourselves motivated,” said Bournemouth skipper Matt Swarbrick.”We’ve assembled a pretty decent, balanced side at Bournemouth, butwhen you can’t get out and play it’s difficult – almost impossible – to get anything together.”Bournemouth go into the match minus Somerset’s Tom Webley, whose place goes to Andy Bell.Fourth placed South Wilts have a weekend double against Portsmouth, who visit Lower Bemerton for a Premier League match tomorrow and an ECB Club Championship third round tie on Sunday.Hampshire’s James Tomlinson is on British Universities duty, so Rob Down comes into the South Wilts bowling line up. Portsmouth, bottom of the pile after two defeats, are back to full strength, with Lee Savident returning from holiday.Burridge have opening batsman Paul Hawkins back for the visit to revitalised Bashley (Rydal), who should have opening bowler John Whiting fit after missing the Havant victory because of a hamstring problem.Neil Taylor lines up three spin bowlers for Bashley – Chris Sketchley, Ross Grierson and Andy Sexton, who took three Havant wickets last week.Calmore Sports look to their top order batsmen to get amongst the runs against Liphook & Ripsley at Loperwood Park.The Totton club’s first five batsmen were bundled out for just 29 runs by South Wilts last week and skipper Tom Pegler is demanding more application from his senior players.

Worcestershire have moved two one-day matches to Kidderminster because of the wet state of New Road and a poor weather forecast for the weekend.The Birmingham League club will host the Norwich Union League Division Two game against Sussex on Sunday and the Benson and Hedges Cup zonal clash with Northamptonshire on Monday.

Darryll Cullinan led Kent to a 31-run Norwich Union League win over Somersetin a low-scoring game at Taunton.Given a sunny afternoon and the true nature of the County Ground pitches,the visitors’ total of 180-7 after losing the toss did not appear enough,despite Cullinan’s well-made 70.But the South African’s first innings for Kent in the competition proved thedifference as Somerset quickly subsided to 15-4 against the bowling of BenTrott and Martin Saggers before eventually being dismissed for 149.Trott, playing against the county who discarded him in 1999, took 2-22 fromhis nine overs, while Saggers returned 3-19 from 7.4 overs.They were well backed up by Min Patel (2-38) and skipper Matthew Fleming(1-25), while Somerset contributed to their own downfall with the run-outsof Peter Bowler and their top scorer Ian Blackwell (32).Earlier, Kent had been in trouble themselves at 14-3 against Jason Kerr andSteffan Jones, who were both awarded their county caps by Somerset beforethe start.Cullinan came to the rescue, reaching his half-century off 91 balls, with four boundaries, and marking the achievement by immediately launching Keith Dutch out of the ground over long-on with a big six.He was out trying to repeat the shot against Blackwell and only Paul Nixon,with 26, among the later batsmen managed to cope with some tight Somersetbowling.Jones, Kerr, Jamie Grove and Peter Trego all performed well for the homeside, whose batting has now let them down in two successive Norwich Uniondefeats to start the season.Kent, on the other hand, now have six points from two matches, and can feelhopeful of a successful 45-over campaign.

Sri Lanka team manager Chandra Schaffter has denied that MuttiahMuralitharan was forced to play at Edgbaston after media speculation that hewould have preferred to sit out the match and allow his shoulder to fullyheal.”That is the last thing I would do. We left the decision entirely to him andhe did not confirm that he was playing until the morning of the match,” saidSchaffter.He also claims that team morale had not been affected by the remarks made bykey bowler to the media after the Edgbaston game.Muralitharan had criticised team mates, saying: “Sometimes I have to takeall the wickets. But you can’t expect a miracle bowling spell from me everytime. The rest of the bowlers weren’t up to the mark in this match”.”There is no reaction from any player. They know Murali well now, not totake what he says seriously,” said Schaffter.Muralitharan also said that he was not certain whether he would play in thenext Test at Old Trafford because he ‘felt ugly to play without being 100percent fit’.Schaffter said Muralitharan was asked to play only for his bowling atEdgbaston and the rest of the team members were to protect him on the field.Batting was not a requirement from him, said the manager.Muralitharan bowled a marathon 64 overs and took five wickets for 143 runs,but complained of pain and soreness in his injured left shoulder. He facedonly one ball in the entire Test swishing his bat one handed in the firstinnings. He did not bat in the second.Team coach Dav Whatmore said Muralitharan bowling more than 60 oversvindicated their decision to play him, and added that he would be incontention for the third Test starting on June 13 at Old Trafford,Manchester.The British press have been unhappy over the restrictions imposed on them bymanager Schaffter in talking to the Sri Lankan players. Only the captain,coach and manager are available to them.”I have to take such precautions because some of our players are not sofluent in English and what they say can always be misinterpreted in themedia. Murali’s case is just one of them,” said Schaffter.Today’s British newspapers said that Muralitharan “had been pressurized intoplaying” and that “the rest of the bowlers seemed deflated by his return asa one-dimensional bowling machine who had to be coddled in the field”.

After India completed a hard-fought victory over England in Ahmedabad, MS Dhoni was full of praise for his bowlers but not for the pitch that made it hard for them to force the win.At the post-match presentation, he also appeared to have made a comment that could be construed as a veiled attack at the umpires. “They [the bowlers] had to work really hard,” Dhoni said. “Not to forget we asked them to follow on, so at a stretch our spinners bowled close to 80 and 70 overs each. Fast bowlers bowled 40 overs. Umesh, I am not really sure how many he bowled. It was hard work for them. Especially if you are expected to take more than 10 wickets to get a team out.”India spinners had several good shouts for lbw turned down. Among others, they could have had both Alastair Cook and Matt Prior, the duo who went on to make the only sizeable contributions for England, but they were also fortunate to get Samit Patel lbw in both innings. Ironically, before Patel was given out in the first innings, he had survived what looked like a plumb lbw.Dhoni was less subtle about the groundsmen, though. Indian captains haven’t often enjoyed a good working relationship with their groundsmen. Dhoni had been a regular advocate of pitches with turn and bounce, but every now and then some curator or the other dishes up a benign track that helps the spinners only with the new ball.Yet, considering what was an eventually comfortable win, Dhoni was asked at the press conference if he had found a perfect template for a pitch to beat England. It had after all neutered England’s strength, their fast bowlers. However, Dhoni didn’t let the eventual result sway his assessment of the pitch.”I don’t even want to see this wicket,” he said. “There wasn’t enough turn and bounce for the spinners… Hopefully in the coming matches we’ll see the wicket turn, right from start, or as soon as possible so that the toss doesn’t become vital.”Dhoni went on to add that groundsmen need not worry about the match referee’s objection to such pitches. “I don’t think the match referee can question a pitch just because it’s turning,” he said. “When the wicket seams right from the first delivery, nobody asks questions. What you don’t want is ridges in the wicket and then one ball hits your head and next your toe. At times, in the subcontinent, on pitches like this, the toss becomes vital. The only way to take the toss out of the equation is to have pitches that turn right from the start. The game may end in three-and-a-half days, but both teams will have an equal opportunity to win the game.”Given all those odds and Alastair Cook’s stellar effort, Dhoni was proud of the way his bowlers stuck to the task. “It was not so easy. I can tell you that,” he said. “We were on the field for two, two-and-a-half days. The bowlers had to bowl very patiently. Ojha bowled close to 82 overs, Ashwin bowled 70 overs.”As the game progressed the pitch got slower and slower. I don’t think there was much turn for them. The odd ball turned, but there wasn’t enough bounce for the edge to carry to the slip fielder. It was about keeping one or two deliveries out and you were set for the game. It was the last session on the second day and first session on the third day that really shifted the game in our favour.”Dhoni was particularly impressed with the contribution of the two fast bowlers. Zaheer Khan was skilful, and Umesh Yadav quick on a surface that the England pacemen struggled to draw any assistance from. Both reversed the ball, too. “What was impressive was the fast bowlers getting six wickets,” Dhoni said. “It was not an ideal track for fast bowlers to get wickets. Their contribution was as important as the spinners.”The first innings was challenging for England as the ball was turning. After that the wicket slowed down and they got used to the pace. That’s one of the main reasons why our bowlers had to battle really hard to get wickets in the second innings.”This is an updated story, including quotes given to TV and in the press conference