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‘brinkmanship, n, art and practice of pursuing a dangerous policy to the limit of safety.’That’s the educational lesson for today for the New Zealand Cricket Players’ Association as they ponder the 4pm deadline in which to respond to New Zealand Cricket’s pay offer.More than brinkmanship, it has become an issue of credibility for the entire concept of a players’ association in the game of cricket in this country.Normally, on a subject like this there would be claims of the country being split down the middle on the issue.That has never been the case in this stand-off.It is a clear case of the cricketers being in one camp, and the rest of the country in the other.It is difficult to recall an issue that has seen a mobilisation of public support behind an employer as has occurred in this case.From the outset the Players’ Association have missed out in the public relations stakes. Apart from the blatant grandstanding nature of their claim, the offensive they have mounted against New Zealand Cricket smacks of sheer opportunism, and to Hell with the consequences.It is interesting that a chapter in Chris Cairns’ recently-released book, under the heading ‘Sour Times’ makes the comment: “The story of the last two decades of New Zealand cricket has one constant. Every time a sense of camaraderie has been built, every time team spirit begins to rise and bonds are formed within the squad, something has always come along and rent the team apart.”How appropriately timed!That is the fate of the game once, as expected, 4pm rolls around today with the players not responding to New Zealand Cricket’s claim.Players’ Association advocate Rob Nichol may be right in his claim that the players are behind him 100% in their solidarity.If they are, then their battle plan is out of the Balaclava, Gallipoli and Passchendaele book of disasters.While the long-term results of those military mishaps were the loss of a generation, so too the chance that this will be exactly what happens to New Zealand cricket.That would be a shame for a sport which is only now getting over the ructions from 1992 and 1995 that almost ripped the heart out of the game here.But as the players who went through that era will know, the game did survive. There will be tough times again. But there is likely to be a great deal more sympathy as New Zealand attempts to rebuild after this latest episode with new players than was the case for earlier teams trying to establish themselves.For that is what lies ahead of the game now. The general public see a fair wage offer on the table, and look at ordinary results, especially in the money-making one-day game. Is it little wonder that the players’ stance has developed so little support.The bells toll for 4pm.DISCLAIMER: The opinions expressed herewith are not necessarily those of New Zealand Cricket.

Aussie spin king Stuart MacGill today put pen to paper on a deal to remainas overseas player with Nottinghamshire for the next two seasons.Although the leg-spinner always maintained he was keen to return to TrentBridge, Notts’ Director of Cricket Mick Newell is relieved that contractnegotiations have now been concluded.Said Newell: “It¹s terrific news. Stuart showed himself last season to bethe best attacking overseas bowler at this club since Richard Hadlee.”There was a real buzz about the place whenever he came on to bowl, whichindicated the interest cricket fans have in watching a world-classleg-spinner at work.”Though he was in big demand from a number of other counties following hisperformances last season he’s chosen Notts and we’re naturally delightedhe¹s made that commitment.”He had a very positive influence on the team and after adopting gettingNotts promoted as a huge personal challenge, he played a massive part inachieving it.”MacGill, aged 31, is ranked among the top 20 bowlers in the world andclaimed 40 Championship wickets in only six matches for Notts last season.All-rounder Chris Cairns will be Notts’ other overseas player for the 2003season. The New Zealander is closing in on full fitness after having to pullout of the first year of his two year deal at Trent Bridge with a seriousknee injury.

India have been beaten for the first time in the NatWest Series, after England completed an emphatic 64-run victory at The AMP Oval in the dress rehearsal for Saturday’s final at Lord’s. Ronnie Irani was made Man of the Match after adding five Indian wickets to his first half-century in one-day internationals. For good measure he also took the catch which completed England’s win.Needing to score at a shade over seven an over to win a game reduced by rain to 32 overs a side, India had started confidently. Sehwag, perhaps lucky to survive a caught behind appeal in Gough’s second over, hit Tudor for 15 in an over, including a brace of off-side fours and a hooked six. Flintoff’s first ball was whipped through square leg with astonishing power. To England’s huge relief Sehwag was caught behind in Irani’s first over. His 46 had come off a mere 41 balls.Ganguly had already departed in bizarre fashion, stepping away to drive Tudor, and playing well away from his body to give Flintoff a straightforward slip catch. After promising a productive stand with Tendulkar, Laxman was caught at mid-off, pulling too soon at Collingwood. Yuvraj was out to an extraordinary stumping, after a wide from Irani was gathered by the excellent Stewart, who waited for Yuvraj to lift his foot before taking off the bails. To say it was a hairline decision by third umpire Mallender would be putting it mildly; it required several minutes’ deliberation.Although Tendulkar raised the tempo with three boundaries in an over off Flintoff, Irani quickly struck again, bowling Kaif between bat and pad. Ratra, playing back, was caught by Stewart for just two. When Agarkar clipped his second ball to Collingwood, Irani had five and his joy was unconfined. Not since Mike Hendrick against Australia in August 1980 had an England bowler taken five wickets at The Oval, and Irani’s five for 26 bettered even Hendrick’s figures.To a massive roar from the now near-capacity Oval crowd, Hoggard made the decisive breakthrough when Tendulkar was caught behind. After that it was academic; Gough held Khan at mid-off as he drove at Flintoff, although a limping Kumble (who needed Ratra to run for him) shared a defiant and entertaining last-wicket stand with Nehra before he swung Tudor to the ubiquitous Irani at long-on.Earlier, Ganguly had made some shrewd bowling changes after putting England in. Kumble, brought on first change, yorked Trescothick with his first ball. Yuvraj Singh accounted for Knight, who had begun aggressively but top-edged a sweep for Kaif to take a brilliant, diving catch running round from square leg. Enter Flintoff, who gave England the mid-air refuelling they needed. Highlights included a mid-wicket six off Kumble, and a straight drive so fierce that Sehwag, the bowler, covered his head as it passed him. Agarkar was smashed through mid-wicket, extra cover and square leg, Ganguly behind cover point.Irani, dropped on 20 by Kaif off Yuvraj, found himself playing a supporting role. It ended when Flintoff hoisted Agarkar high to mid-wicket, where Nehra took a steepler with calm assurance. Flintoff’s 51 came off 38 balls, with a six and six fours. Vaughan, after a mid-wicket four off Agarkar, should have been caught there by Ganguly in the same bowler’s next over. India missed another chance when Ratra failed to stump Irani as he charged Yuvraj; the batsman celebrated with six over long-off. Vaughan, having just clipped Khan for a remarkable six behind square leg, fell caught by Yuvraj at third man.Irani, after completing his first ODI 50 off 53 balls, was bowled swinging across the line at Kumble. In the last-minute rush Nehra bowled Collingwood in similar fashion, and Hussain hit Khan down Kaif’s throat at long-on. Stewart was out first ball, bowled as he tried to guide a straight ball from Khan to third man, but Gough finished the innings in characteristically exuberant style, hitting the last ball for six over mid-wicket. It looked a respectable total; in the event it was comfortably enough.

The draw for the third round of the Cheltenham and Gloucester Trophy has been made, with the first-class counties joining the minor counties and board elevens who have battled their way through the first two rounds this season. The holders, Yorkshire, travel to play Cambridgeshire who finished third in the Eastern Division of the Minor Counties Championship. Somerset, the runners-up to Yorkshire this year, have a potentially difficult tie in Scotland. The Scots will be playing in the national league in the coming season so will have plenty of opportunity to be up to speed at this level.There are two instances of counties being drawn to play against their county board elevens – essentially the best club cricketers within the county. Essex and Worcestershire are the two sides involved.The four teams that finished at the bottom of Division Two of the Norwich Union League in the season just finished are drawn against one another, as is the format in the Cheltenham and Gloucester. Northamptonshire are at home to Middlesex while Sussex travel to Hampshire.Third round ties are scheduled to be played on May 7th, with the full draw:Bedfordshire v Warwickshire
Durham CB v Glamorgan
Buckinghamshire v Gloucestershire
Cambridgeshire v Yorkshire
Essex CB v Essex
Kent CB v Derbyshire
Worcestershire CB v Worcestershire
Berkshire v Durham
Lincolnshire v Nottinghamshire
Cornwall v Kent
Staffordshire v Surrey
Scotland v Somerset
Devon v Lancashire
Northumberland v Leicestershire
Northamptonshire v Middlesex
Hampshire v Sussex
The fourth round draw, to be played on May 28th, is as follows:Northamptonshire or Middlesex v Hampshire or Sussex
Northumberland or Leicestershire v Lincolnshire or Nottinghamshire
Berkshire or Durham v Devon or Lancashire
Scotland or Somerset v Staffordshire or Surrey
Cornwall or Kent v Buckinghamshire or Gloucestershire
Worcestershire CB or Worcestershire v Cambridgeshire or Yorkshire
Bedfordshire or Warwickshire v Essex CB or Essex
Durham CB or Glamorgan v Kent CB or Derbyshire
The quarter-finals will be played on 10th and 11th June, the semi-finals on 7th and 9th August, with the final at Lord’s on 30th August.

Bashley-Rydal’s Western Australian prodigy Luke Ronchi smashed the Calmore Sports attack for 144, admitting afterwards that his first 70 runs were "a bit scratchy"!The 21-year old Perth wicket keeper-batsman flayed six 6s and 13 fours in a season’s best ECB Southern Electric Premier League knock which set up Bashley’s 93-run win."There was a lot of playing and missing, particularly before lunch, but I felt pretty good and middled the ball a fair bit later on," he confessed.With the ball moving about off the damp surface, Ronchi had to get his head down and graft during the morning session.But, after enjoying a productive 117-run second-wicket partnership with Chris Sketchley (42), Ronchi came out of his comparative shell – and took the Calmore bowling apart.His pulled two of his sixes into the gardens of houses in the adjoining Bashley Common Road and launched another – off the back foot – clean over the pavilion!In between, spectators were treated to an array of cover drives and pulls, many of which scorched to the boundary.Ronchi was looking good for a double hundred when, to Calmore’s relief, he was caught low down at backward point by James Hibberd for a spectacular 144.It was Ronchi’s first league century of the season, but the summer’s highest individual Premier 1 score.Andy Sexton, with an unbeaten 42, and Richard Knowles took Bashley on to an unassailable 273-4 declared in the 62nd over.Calmore’s reply got off to the worst possible start with Tom Pegler trapped leg before by John Whiting (2-38) and Kevin Nash having Mark Boston caught behind.It was left to Jez Goode to keep the Calmore innings afloat – the stylish left-hander hitting 67 before being brilliantly run out by Dale Middleton at 107-5.Clive Surry and Paul Cass offered middle-order support, but it was Nash, with a season’s best 4-27 off 15 overs, who made significant inroads into Calmore’s top order.The innings lurched to 108-6 before closing at an eventual 180 all out."They took a fair bit of winkling out and it wasn’t until the penultimate over that Andy Sexton finally got the tenth wicket."It was handy being able to bring a spin bowler on at that late stage – and it paid dividends."I could see us not digging them out, as Calmore battled very hard indeed," said triumphaht Bashley skipper Neil Taylor.Andover, the early season pace-setters, were shot out for 94 and comprehensively beaten by eight-wickets by South Wilts at London Road.They struggled after being put into bat on the damp surface, losing half their wickets for 40, with Adam Smith (3-30) causing a lot of early damage.Mark Miller (17) kept Andover buoyant, while Dean Woodhouse (15) offered middle-order resistance in between Paul Draper (3-14) and Shaun Adam (2-26) cutting through the lower order.Russell Rowe (33) gave South Wilts a positive start, laving Jon Nash (26 not out) to guide the visitors to an easy win.Bournemouth bowled bottom-of-the-table Burridge out for 121, but lost six wickets before clinching victory at Chapel Gate.Play began 2-half hours late because of the soaked outfield and immediately Burridge began to struggle with Richard Scott (2-33) nailing Hampshire Under-19 left-hander Ben Thane.Liverpudlian Jo Wilson (4-27) reduced the visitors to 59-5 and, after two wickets each by Dan Jackson and Chris Cole, it appeared as though Burridge might struggle to reach double figures.But some spirited batting by Paul Williams, Paul Wild and Nick Creal in the tail saw them improve from 88-8 to 121 all out.Bournemouth’s push for victory was anything but straightforward, with openers Matt Swarbrick and Alex Allum back in the pavilion with only ten runs on the board.The Sports Club lurched to 33-3 and, after a three-wicket burst by Moen Cheema (3-30), 98-6 (Martin Miller 21).Before Geoff Warrington’s 22 not out guided Bournemouth to a rather unconvincing victory."Both sides bowled pretty well and there wasn’t much good batting around, but the conditions were very damp," said Bournemouth skipper Swarbrick. "We bowled too many extras (32), but got home in the end and really that’s all that matters."

We are on the verge of a new season, and all the achievements of the past year are behind us.Thank you for all your support and interest last season, but like the players we must now put that behind us even though I realise that your hopes and aspirations have been raised to unprecedented heights as a result of our success.We have a lot to be proud of at Somerset, our team is now very competitive and our ground is in very good shape.We are worried about the future but that must not detract from the immediate task in hand which is to provide competitive cricket for you all to watch and enjoy.I need your help though. You will be aware that in recent times there has been vociferous criticism of both the county game and the county championship. As you know on behalf of the club I publicly defend the standards of cricket and the rights of county clubs to exist and conduct their affairs in an ambitious manner.If you hear any unwarranted criticism on the airwaves or read about it in any publications please respond in a vigorous manner, either verbally or in written form.The battle cry is defend your county and defend county cricket!The truth of the matter is if that there wasn’t county cricket there would be no England side, and if there were no county clubs there would be no counties for cricket’s aspiring young to aspire to. This is as true for the Minor County teams as it is for the first-class counties.There is no doubt in my mind that under the excellent management team and backroom staff of Kevin Shine, Mark Garaway, Darren Veness and Andy Hurry our players are well prepared for the task in hand.All credit to the players as well for what they have been asked to do, which needs total commitment and all their physical energy.It makes me extremely weary just to watch them!

Full of bravado and gumption, Waqar Younis had said before the Sharjah Cup started that his campaign for the 2003 World Cup was to start here. Going by his team’s display in the first outing, they would need to improve, and quite considerably, to be even a serious contender for the World Cup. They were found wanting in all departments of the game, and need to forget the World Cup and tighten up their act to do well in this event. Though Abdul Razzaq (56, off 72 balls) and Rashid Latif (41, off 44) tried to retrieve the situation in a spirited rearguard action, it was indeed too late. A miracle may have saved the day for them, but it didn’t happen and the Lankans in the end cantered off to another facile win, by 41 runs.All credit to the Lankans. They got off to a solid start, and though they tapered off a bit in the middle and later part of their innings, they kept coming back at Pakistan. When Inzamam tore into them, they didn’t lose their nerve, and when Razzaq and Rashid were taking the fight to them, they still had a faith in their ability to make a comeback.Bad at chasing, they never got off to the kind of start that they needed. And Younis Khan and Yousuf Youhana, supposedly the two strengths in the middle order, gifted their wickets away. Imran Nazir miscued the pull and paid the penalty. Inzamam, so supremely in control, lost his balance for only an instant, and that was it for him.From then on, it was always going to be difficult, if not impossible, for it was up to the all-rounders to save the day for Pakistan. They did make an effort. Rashid Latif was superb in front of the wicket, better than he was behind it in this game. And he combined well with Razzaq to put up 72 runs for the sixth wicket, his share being an adventrous 41 runs.Razzaq, cool as a cucumber, never give up despite the heat and humidity. With Latif gone, he threw caution to the winds and clobbered Buddika for 16 runs in an over in which 19 were conceded. He didn’t concede till the end, and he went out fighting, having no option to go after Jayasuriya only to find out that he had been caught at the fence by Muralitharan. 198 for 9, it was all over bar the shouting and though Pakistan crossed the 200 mark, Jayasuriya bowled Saqlain behind his legs to finish the match and land the Man of the Match Award.

With the batsmen ruling the roost, the West Zone league Under-22 matchfeaturing Gujarat and Saurashtra at the Municipal Corporation CricketGround at Rajkot meandered to a draw on Friday as Gujarat took homefive points due to a slender eleven run first innings lead.Opting to bat, Gujarat posted a huge 345 runs on the board with theinnings going well into the second day. The innings witnessed somegood knocks from NK Patel (83) and skipper K Damani (71). They wereably supported by opener Sunil Bhatt (54), H Joshipura (42) and latein the order by MN Kadri (32). The wickets were shared all around withUS Karavadra retaining the best figures of 4 for 103.Saurashtra made a strong reply of 334, falling short by a whisker. Themainstay of the innings was MJ Mehta who made a patient unbeaten 104.The other batsman to take the fight to the opposition camp wasSaurashtra opener and skipper PS Joshi with a fine 95. Having pocketedthe match on the basis of the first innings lead, Gujarat played outthe remaining overs on the final day to score 49 for the loss of twowickets.

The West Indies selectors have named a 22-man squad to attend a pre-tour training camp. The training camp, which will be held in Trinidad, takes place from May 28 to June 8 in preparation for the West Indies’ coming tours to Zimbabwe and Kenya later this summer.The players selected for the training camp are: Chris Gayle, Leon Garrick, Daren Ganga, Brian Lara, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Carl Hooper, Marlon Samuels, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Wavell Hinds, Ridley Jacobs, Courtney Browne, Dinanath Ramnarine, Neil McGarrell, Dave Mohammed, Cameron Cuffy, Mervyn Dillon, Corey Collymore, Reon King, Kerry Jeremy, Colin Stuart, Mahendra Nagamootoo and Ricky Christopher.The West Indies Selection Committee will meet on June 1 to select a 16-man squad for the African tour. All players chosen however, must first pass both medical and fitness tests ahead of the tour. The tests are scheduled for June 2, 2001.The West Indies will be involved in a triangular one-day series which will feature host country Zimbabwe, and India, to be followed by a short tour of Kenya. The West Indies will play two one-day games in Kenya.

Live scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsVirat Kohli paced his innings well to score his fifth Test fifty in a critical situation•Associated Press

Virat Kohli, the architect of so many ODI run-chases, scripted another one, this time in a Test, to hold together India’s nervy batting line-up and lead the team to a 2-0 series victory. On another tense day of what has been a wonderful Test match, on a wonderful Test pitch, New Zealand fought hard all the way, and came up on top against some of the heavy weights of India’s top order. Kohli, however, held firm, and with MS Dhoni offering sensible support, India finally chased down the target of 261 late in the evening, under lights, on another overcast day in Bangalore, with Dhoni ending the contest with a four and a six off successive balls. The end was emphatic, but for much of the day, the chase wasn’t.India’s top four batsmen, all topped 25, but none got to 50, as New Zealand scraped and forced errors. Kohli walked in to bat at 152 for 3, after Sachin Tendulkar was bowled through the gate for the third time in the series, and soon saw India slide to 166 for 5, with only Dhoni and the tail for company. With the ball bouncing and seaming around a bit, and with Jeetan Patel getting some turn and bounce, India, and Kohli, had much to do.As is his habit, Kohli started slowly, offering the bowlers plenty of respect. His first scoring stroke, though, was an emphatic one – a fluent cover-drive off a Trent Boult half-volley – and when he followed that with an off-drive in the same over, he was on his way. Between the gorgeous drives, though, was plenty of circumspect batting, as he defended solidly, and left deliveries outside off. After scoring no runs in his first 15 balls, Kohli scored 17 off his next 34. Only after having faced around 50 balls did he show more extravagance, exquisitely whipping one from Patel through wide mid-on, and then creaming three fours off a Southee over – a whip through midwicket, a cover-drive, and a straight-drive. His last 34 came off 33 balls, in what was the definition of a well-paced innings.Dhoni, on the other hand, was frenetic at the start, scoring 19 off his first 16 balls, including a slog-swept six off Patel. That eased the pressure somewhat, with Ross Taylor perhaps missing a trick by keeping Patel on instead of attacking Dhoni with pace from both ends. As Kohli upped the tempo, Dhoni eased off, taking singles, rotating the strike, and not striking another boundary till victory was well within reach. The partnership between the two was worth 96, and it was a match-winning one.The sixth-wicket pair finally won it for India, but for most of the day New Zealand put in a terrific performance in the field: the fast bowlers mixed up their lengths on a responsive pitch, testing all the Indian batsmen with the short stuff, while Patel flighted it, bowled at a slower pace, and flummoxed more than one batsman in a line-up which usually plays spin well. The only passage when they seemed lost for ideas was when Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir were spanking it to all parts during a first-wicket partnership of 77 in less than 12 overs.

Smart stats

• With his 14th Test win, MS Dhoni becomes the most successful India captain in home Tests. He went past the previous record of Mohammad Azharuddin (13 wins).

• The target of 261 is the highest achieved in Bangalore. India’s total is also the highest ever made in the fourth innings in Tests in Bangalore.

• The 96-run stand between Virat Kohli and Dhoni is the third-highest sixth-wicket stand in the fourth innings for India. The highest remains 136 between Sachin Tendulkar and Nayan Mongia in Chennai in 1999.

• Virat Kohli became the sixth India batsman to score a century and fifty in the same game against New Zealand. Rahul Dravid is the only Indian batsman to score a century in both innings against New Zealand.

• The 77-run stand between Gautam Gambhir and Virender Sehwag is the first fifty-plus opening partnership for India since the 67-run stand against West Indies in Mumbai in 2011.

• Tendulkar was dismissed bowled for the third time in three innings. The last time he was out bowled in three consecutive innings was in 2002 in England. Only Rahul Dravid (55) and Allan Border (53) have more bowled dismissals, than Tendulkar (51).

• For the fourth time since 2010 and the second time this year, India’s top four batsmen failed to score a half-century in the match. The aggregate of 218 runs (top-four batsmen) without a half-century is, however, the highest ever for India.

• R Ashwin ended the series with a tally of 18 wickets. His tally is joint-second on the list of most wickets picked up by an Indian bowler in a two-Test series.

However, once they broke through, with Sehwag charging down the pitch and getting deceived by the flight, they fought all the way. Gambhir lost his way after a fluent start, scoring one off his last 20 balls after making 33 off 38 in Sehwag’s company. Cheteshwar Pujara, who had starred with 72 in India’s win over Australia at the same ground on his debut, had a mixed time here, mixing some pleasant drives with some nervy moments against both spin and pace: his hooking didn’t always inspire confidence, while Patel repeatedly had him playing and missing at straight deliveries. He finally dismissed Pujara off a bat-pad catch for 48 with the score on 158, but would have dismissed him 24 runs earlier, with Pujara on 37, had Brendon McCullum, keeping wicket instead of the injured Kruger van Wyk, not muffed up a simple stumping chance.India seemed to have taken a stranglehold on the game when Pujara and Tendulkar were involved in a 69-run stand, but New Zealand continued to press hard. The pair had to fight off a tense period before lunch as New Zealand recovered after the opening onslaught: only 17 runs came off the 12 overs after Sehwag’s dismissal. However, both Pujara and Tendulkar were getting into groove, with the batsmen managing forcing shots through the off side to ease the pressure, when a 40-minute rain delay, which forced an early tea, stopped India’s momentum.Soon after resumption, India slumped from 147 for 2 to 166 for 5. Tendulkar was bowled for the third time in three innings, playing across the line to a full one from Southee that moved in a bit, while Suresh Raina had a brain freeze: not yet off the mark after facing nine balls, he charged wildly at his tenth, tried to blast it over midwicket, missed, and found his middle stump knocked back. It’s a stroke that should give him nightmares, especially if he doesn’t get another opportunity at Test cricket in the near future. In five home Tests against New Zealand, Raina has scored 84 in seven innings at an average of 12.At that stage there was plenty to do for India, but then Kohli and Dhoni ensured there’d be no further hiccups.