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Tasmania will play in the Pura Cup final starting on March 19 but their opposition and the location of the match are still undecided with one round left. New South Wales are in prime position to secure a place against the Tigers but Western Australia and Victoria remain in the mix.Three games begin on Thursday and all could shape the final. The top-of-the-table clash between Tasmania and New South Wales at Hobart looms as the key match and a win to the Blues would close the door for the Warriors and the Bushrangers.However, Tasmania have plenty of reasons to compete as a loss would force them to travel to Sydney to play off for the title. The importance of hosting was clear after last year’s final, in which Queensland, needing only a draw to lift the cup, batted Victoria out of the contest with 6 for 900 in their first innings.The Tigers must forget about their last effort against New South Wales five weeks ago, when the Blues smashed them by an innings and 165 runs at Sydney. Even a draw would ensure a Hobart final for the first time and give Tasmania their best chance yet to win their maiden Pura Cup.Tasmania, led by George Bailey in the absence of Dan Marsh with a calf injury, are unchanged after completing an easy eight-wicket victory against a dreadful South Australia on Sunday. New South Wales could not finish off Queensland last week and question-marks over Simon Katich, who led the Blues with 205, and Grant Lambert, the in-form allrounder, make the Tigers favourites.Western Australia and Victoria each must win their last-round matches to have any chance of extending their campaign for another week. The two teams are four points behind New South Wales, meaning if they both win and the Blues do not, Victoria progress to the final as they would have the most outright victories.The Warriors, who are fourth, have a high quotient so they would likely make it through should they win and both Victoria and New South Wales lose or draw. However, they are the team relying most on results from other games.

Western Australia should be confident for their Adelaide clash with a Redbacks unit that has lost six of its nine games this season. The Warriors inflicted one of South Australia’s worst performances this year when they thrashed the Redbacks within two days in January, as Steve Magoffin and Ben Edmondson twice tore the heart out of the top order.Justin Langer led the Warriors with two superb innings as they went agonisingly close to beating Victoria on Sunday. His terrific state form has added venom to an already strong line-up that features Marcus North, Adam Voges and the competition’s leading run-scorer, Chris Rogers.The Bushrangers face a more difficult task at Brisbane, against Queensland, a side they have not beaten in a Pura Cup match since 2004. It will be even harder without their leading wicket-taker, Shane Harwood, who has a buttock strain.An inexperienced attack consisting of Peter Siddle, Clinton McKay, Dirk Nannes, Grant Lindsay and Bryce McGain is available for Victoria, which is perhaps an appropriate end to an injury-plagued season for the state’s bowlers. The batting looks stronger, with David Hussey, Nick Jewell and Andrew McDonald all in form.Last week’s games gave the Tigers and the Blues the chance to seal their own destinies; only Tasmania took the opportunity. Now three teams are fighting for one place in the final and just one thing is certain: their efforts to this point of the season mean little unless they win this week.

Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsOn a slow Harare surface, India wrapped up the ODI series with a performance that was pragmatic if never thrilling. The batting struggled to get out of third gear, but an opening partnership of 112 between Ajinkya Rahane and M Vijay ensured the bowlers had a solid total to defend. A target of 272 may have produced a tighter contest against a stronger batting side, even on a pitch as sluggish as this one, but it was more than sufficient to beat this Zimbabwe side by a handy margin.The approach of Rahane and Vijay looked dour, even dull at various points during their partnership, but the reasoning behind it was sound. The wisdom of it became apparent when Zimbabwe batted. At the 20-over mark, they were 79 for 3. India had been 78 for 0.Chamu Chibhabha had batted like the India openers, playing the percentages and going after only the loose balls – such as when he cut and flicked a wayward Dhawal Kulkarni for three successive fours. Three other top-order batsmen had fallen to unwise shots – Vusi Sibanda had driven away from his body; Hamilton Masakadza and Elton Chigumbura had pushed hard at the ball outside off stump.Bhuvneshwar Kumar had dismissed the latter two, finding a bit of away nibble and a bit of extra bounce. He hadn’t swung the ball as extravagantly as he sometimes does, and had mostly only moved it away from the right-handers, but he had probed insistently in the corridor in a first spell that produced figures of 6-3-19-2. He came back and took the last two wickets to finish with his second four-wicket haul in ODIs. The wicket of Masakadza was his 50th.Needing close to six-and-a-half runs at the 20-over mark, Zimbabwe’s chase slowly fell away. Chibhabha went on to make 72, but there was little else that genuinely challenged India. The biggest partnerships of the innings were both worth 52 – the first between Chibhabha and Sean Williams when Zimbabwe needed to recover from 43 for 3; the second between Richmond Mutumbami and Graeme Cremer for the seventh wicket when the match was already lost, more or less.After being sent in to bat, Rahane had expected early help for the fast bowlers. “There will be slight movement initially and if we take our time [the pitch] will be good to bat on,” he said.The conditions partly explained India’s slow start, as perhaps did their fear of avoiding a collapse like the one that had left them 87 for 5 in the first ODI. But Rahane and Vijay also seemed to be finding their feet against the new ODI field regulations.The removal of the batting Powerplay and the addition of an extra deep fielder in the last 10 overs have added more pressure on openers to score quickly, but it has become more difficult for them to do so, with catching fielders no longer mandatory and fewer gaps to pierce in the 30-yard circle in the first 10 overs.Zimbabwe’s new-ball attack posed little threat to the well-being of India’s openers, but they were accurate, and with Rahane and Vijay showing no inclination to take risks, the scoring-rate remained sedate. Vijay kept playing good-looking drives and punches straight to off-side fielders: till the 10th over, he only scored one run on that side of the pitch.Rahane was a little more brisk early on – he creamed Brian Vitori and Neville Madziva for three fours through the covers in the first seven overs, capitalising whenever he was given width – but he grew becalmed as his innings progressed. Having scored 18 off his first 21 balls, Rahane only scored 45 off his next 62.After Chibhabha dismissed Rahane in the 26th over, finding his leading edge as he looked to work him across the line, Vijay and Ambati Rayudu gave the innings a bit of urgency. Rayudu whipped the legspinner Cremer wide of mid-on and hoicked Vitori to the midwicket boundary; Vijay lifted Chibhabha and Vitori for effortless sixes down the ground in successive overs.The partnership gave India 47 off 45 balls, and the next one, between Rayudu and Manoj Tiwary, 44 off 51. India entered the last 10 with eight wickets in hand, but both set batsmen went within four balls of each other.Rayudu had been lucky to survive so long, having been given not-out to a very good lbw shout from Chibhabha on 16 and dropped at long-on off Masakadza on 26. In the 41st over, he came down the track to Sikandar Raza and holed out at deep midwicket. In the next over, Tiwary flicked Donald Tiripano straight to short fine leg.With seven-and-a-half overs left to play, Robin Uthappa, Stuart Binny and Kedar Jadhav found the boundary with enough frequency to ensure India crossed 250 with wind in their sails, but the momentum fizzled out right at the end, with the last two overs producing only 15 runs for the loss of three wickets.

Kenya’s allrounder Thomas Odoyo was named as the winner of the inaugural Associate ODI Player of the Year at the ICC Awards ceremony in Johannesburg.In 19 ODIs during the voting period, including two for Africa XI against Asia XI at the Afro-Asia Cup in India, Odoyo took 27 wickets with his right-arm medium pace at an average of 24.25, including three four-wicket hauls. In that time he also scored 488 runs at an average of 48.80 and with a brisk strike-rate of 85.61 runs per hundred balls.His efforts were instrumental in securing victory for Kenya at the inaugural ICC World Cricket League Division One in Nairobi last February and he also represented his country at the World Cup in the West Indies in March.Competition for this award was stiff and Odoyo narrowly beat off the challenge of other short-listed candidates, fellow Kenyan Steve Tikolo, Netherlands allrounder Ryan ten Doeschate and Canada wicketkeeper-batsman Ashish Bagai.Accepting his award, Odoyo said: “It is a great honour for me. It’s the first time for an Associate player to win an ICC Award so I am truly delighted. When we [Kenya] played in the first ICC World Cricket League I really played well and helped my team to win the competition. Hopefully this will encourage more guys in Kenya to play the game and that can only be a good thing. It is a great day for me.”The Associate ODI Player of the Year Award serves to recognise and reward the efforts in ODIs of an outstanding cricketer from the six countries outside the ICC Full Members – Bermuda, Canada, Ireland, Kenya, the Netherlands and Scotland. Each of the six countries was invited to nominate players and an initial 18-strong list of nominees for this award was the result.

Ricky Ponting says Australia will carry their momentum into Sunday’s game against India in Melbourne after his side demolished Sri Lanka by 128 runs at the SCG. India are coming off two wash-outs in Brisbane, whereas Australia enjoyed using a two-paced pitch on Friday.With further low bounce expected at the MCG, Ponting hopes his men will have the edge. “We’ve got a full game of cricket and a really good, comprehensive win,” Ponting said after the Sydney success, which put them on top of the CB Series table.”We’re probably going to get similar types of conditions in Melbourne as well. The wicket all year down there hasn’t offered much pace and bounce either, so what we’ve got out of this game we can take down there and hopefully adapt to their attack and adapt to their batting line-up.”Nathan Bracken collected five wickets in Sydney, switching from a three-over new-ball spell of swing to useful cutters later in the innings. Ponting was especially pleased with the variety in his bowling arsenal with Brett Lee, Mitchell Johnson and Brad Hogg all chipping in with important breakthroughs.”We’ve got a really good mix and balance with our bowling attack in both forms of the game right now,” he said. “Our one-day attack the last couple of years has been very solid.”India will be desperate to get a full match in at the MCG following their rain-affected Gabba clashes and Ponting said the visitors had shown glimpses of their potential. “They played pretty well up in Brisbane the other night with the bat,” he said of India’s effort in posting 267 against Sri Lanka.”But certainly our bowlers controlled them in Brisbane a few days before that. Hopefully we can just take a bit of momentum out of this game down to Melbourne on Sunday.”

Several players from South Africa and Pakistan, who featured in the Under-19 World Cup last month in Malaysia, are part of academy sides to tour Bangladesh in April for the Grameenphone Academy Cup.Fast bowlers Matthew Arnold and Reeza Hendricks along with wicketkeeper Bradley Barnes, who were part of the squad that reached the World Cup final, are part of South Africa’s academy squad scheduled to reach Bangladesh on Tuesday.Pakistan’s Under-19 captain Imad Wasim, along with Adil Raza, Ahmed Shehzad and Ali Asad, has been included in the academy squad which will arrive in Bangladesh on April 14. Batsman Khurram Manzoor, who made his international debut against Zimbabwe last month, is also part of the squad.South Africa squad
Matthew Arnold, Sammy-Joe Avontuur, Bradley Barnes, Richard das Neves, CJ de Villiers, Reeza Hendricks, Rushdi Jappie, Mondli Mahlombe, Mafinki Serame, Mthokozisi Shezi, Abdul Temoor, Shadley van Schalkwyk, Dane Vilas, Neil WagnerPakistan squad
Khalid Latif (capt), Khurram Manzoor, Raheel Majeed, Asad Shafiq, Ali Asad, Ahmed Shehzad, Azhar Ali, Anwar Ali, Adil Raza, Mohammad Aamer, Azharullah, Imad Wasim, Naeem Anjum (wk), Yasir ShahReplacements for the four-day matches: Sohail Khan, Wahab Riaz, Sarfaraz Ahmed, Fawad Alam

England compled a convincing win over Sri Lanka in the Under-19 `Test’at Trent Bridge with a day and an innings to spare thanks in the mainto Kabir Ali’s accurate seam bowling.Kabir was backed up by slow left-armer Monty Panesar, who collectedthree wickets as the Sri Lankans collapsed for 184 in their secondinnings.Jehan Mubarak, who top-scored on the first day, was again the main rungetter with 44.But after he was fifth out, the Sri Lankan tail added just 47 moreruns before England won by an innings and 22 runs.Resuming on 325 for five and a big lead of 114, England’s Kadeer Ali,who had steadied the innings superbly the previous day, fell soonafter the start to a juggling catch at slip having made 59. Hisovernight partner Peter Trego, continued however with the sameaggressive strokeplay that had brought him a half century the previousevening.After hitting 13 fours and a six, Trego seemed headed for a centurybut he was bowled attempting to cut a ball from spinner RanilDhammika. But by now England were 180 runs in front and Kabir hit abreezy 28 before the innings ended on 417, a lead of 206.In the second innings, Sri Lanka raced to 25 before Kabir uprootedopener Ian Daniels’ off-stump in his third over. The 19-year-old thendismissed the other opener, Nimesh Perera, caught at backward pointand Sri Lanka were 42 for two.The third and fourth wickets also fell before 100 had been registeredbut the batsmen continued to adopt aggressive tactics.Panesar then removed three left-handers, all to edges caught at slipor by the wicketkeeper and at 156 for eight it was just a matter ofhow long it would take England to seal the win.

Durham 72 for 7 (Plunkett 30*, Bichel 4-22) beat Essex 71 (Bichel 25, Plunkett 4-15, Killeen 3-9, Gibson 3-21) by seven wickets
Scorecard

Low-scoring matches are often not short of drama, and that was certainly the case at Riverside where Durham scrambled into the Friends Provident Trophy final, their first big day at Lord’s. They beat Essex by three wickets with more than half their overs to spare, but that hardly scratches the surface.After a delayed start, Neil Killeen and Ottis Gibson ripped through Essex, exploiting a damp pitch and some indifferent batting. From the moment Gibson had Alastair Cook caught behind for 0 off a thin edge in the second over, the innings fell apart.By the time Steve Harmison was called into action Essex were 36 for 6, and in his second over he conceded the first boundary of the innings. But Plunkett came on as second change and blew away the tail with a career-best 4 for 15, Andy Bichel offering the only significant fight.If Durham thought that chasing 72 was a doddle, then two early strikes from Bichel and one from the on-loan Martin Saggers had the home supporters on the edge of their seats. A mini revival hit the rocks when Graham Napier grabbed two quick wickets to reduce Durham to 38 for 7.Plunkett then took charge and dominated a vital eighth-wicket stand of 34 – the biggest of the match – with Gibson. But Essex should have taken another wicket within one run of Plunkett’s arrival when Danish Kaneria dropped a chance at mid-on from a chipped drive by Gibson. Their frustration multiplied when later in the same over Napier bowled a no-ball and Plunkett smashed the free hit for a massive straight six.From then on Plunkett ground Essex down and it was fitting that he cracked Saggers for four through the covers to seal a remarkable win.

Herschelle Gibbs, the South African batsman, has been declared fit and will be part of the one-day squad for the second and third matches against New Zealand in Port Elizabeth and Cape Town on Friday and Sunday.Gibbs had hurt his knee during the second Test in Centurion, which South Africa won by an innings and 59 runs to wrap the series 2-0. He missed the Twenty20 international and the first one-dayer in Durban, which South Africa won off the last ball to take a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.”Shane Jabaar [the team physiotherapist] told me that Herschelle came through his fitness test very well and could have played as early as today [Wednesday],” Mickey Arthur, the South African coach, said.Morne van Wyk, who was called up as cover for Gibbs, was released from the squad and would play for the Eagles in their Supersport Series match against the Warriors in Bloemfontein on Thursday.

The forgotten war
No, we’re not talking about Afghanistan or ME Waugh. The Royal Challengers’ song has the line, Khel nahin, yeh jang hai [It’s not a game, it’s war]. Presumably, they took a leaf out of the Mike Marquesee book, War Minus the Shooting, because their top stars have been firing nothing but blanks all tournament.Almost perfect
In the middle of a terrific opening spell, Sreesanth produced a yorker homing in on middle stump. Misbah-ul-Haq backed away, went on bended knee and carved the ball past point for four. A stunning stroke, but the effect didn’t linger long as he stepped on to his stumps soon after.Empty scoop
Misbah will never live down that attempted paddle over short fine leg in the Twenty20 World Cup final. On Monday night, his team-mate, Vinay Kumar, gave it a go, moving well outside off stump to try and scoop the ball fine. He didn’t even make contact though, and VRV Singh made a mess of the stumps. Surely a percentage shot left to the Tendulkars of this world.Dry zone
With local elections round the corner, Mohali is a dry area [no alcohol] on Monday. The few who have followed the Royal Challengers up north would have been justifiably miffed. Watching them play at the moment would drive even a teetotaler to the bottle.The faster you bowl the farther you go
Dale Steyn had conceded 12 in his opening over, and it got worse when Rahul Dravid recalled him for a second chance. The more Steyn strained the sinews, the faster the ball disappeared to the rope. Three fours and a six came from the first four balls, and when hethen followed up with a slower one, it was wide down the leg side.Australian Job: Punjab’s run chase had a very Australian feel to it. Shaun Marsh and James Hopes started the fun, and after Hopes went, Luke Pomersbach kept his Western Australian team-mate company on the cruise to victory. Marsh now has an amazing 295 runs from just five matches, 97 more than Bangalore’s leading run-scorer in the tournament [Dravid].

The Malaysian city of Johor is all geared up to host the Asian Cricket Council’s women’s tournament, which begins tomorrow with eight countries including the hosts participating. The week-long tournament will see sides playing 30-over matches at the Johor Cricket Academy in Mutiara Rini in Skudai and the Temengong Ibrahim Teachers’ College.The squads have already embarked on what, for many, will be their first tournament at this level. The UAE team left for Malaysia on Sunday, a day after a farewell organised by their board the previous day at the Sharjah cricket stadium. Smitha Harikrishna, the former India player and current UAE coach, said, “There is a bit of pressure as it is the team’s maiden appearance in an international event. However, the players are confident and they can gain a lot from this experience.””We picked a team that can sustain the pressures of nearly four hours play. Some of the players have played basketball and rugby and hence are agile.”The team captain is 13-year-old Natasha Michael. “The selectors picked the team with an eye for the future”, Harikrishna said about her. “Natasha is the most experienced among the youngsters. She has an excellent brain and has toughened herself by playing with boys. We are confident she can guide the team.”The Nepal team left on Sunday night, with Nary Thapa, the captain, excited about the side’s first international cricket event. “This is a historic tour and it will be more memorable if we return victorious.”LB Chhetri, the team’s manager and a former men’s national team captain, sounded confident as well. “We are heading there with hopes of returning victorious. All the teams are rookies so the event is wide open and we believe we have a chance.”Bangladesh and Thailand have already begun their preparations, with Bangladesh beating Thailand convincingly in two practice matches at Bangkok.Favourites Hong Kong, China and Singapore are the other teams taking part in the tournament.Aziz Kaprawi, the Johor state youth and sports executive councillor, said Johor was “proud to be he hosts of the first international women’s cricket tournament in Asia” and said the tournament would give a boost to tourism.