Zimbabwe will play three warm-up one-dayers against a National Club League select side as preparations continue for the series against South Africa A and Bangladesh. The first of the three South Africa matches is on January 25 in Bulawayo, and the squad will be announced on January 23.Ray Price could yet be in the Select side. It is still not clear whether he will make himself available for selection after his appearance for Old Hararians last Saturday. Zimbabwe’s warm-ups started last week, with two teams drawn from their 30-man provisional World cup squad playing each other. National captain Prosper Utseya led one of the sides and the veteran Gary Brent the other.”These warm-up matches are basically to wash away the holiday hang-over and recondition these guys,” said national team manager Givemore Makoni. “We have picked players from the national squad, Zimbabwe A, the high-performance squad and a number of development sides, to take part in this session.”It was refreshing to see former Zimbabwean international all rounder Douglas Hondo, whose career had been put on hold owing to a nagging stress fracture of the back injury, taking to the pitch again.”Makoni was then asked whether Hondo, the strike-bowler, will travel to the West Indies for the World Cup which gets underway in March. “What we named was a provisional 30-man squad for the ICC’s administrative purposes,” he said. “What that means is that if a player proves himself on the field and convinces the selectors before the deadline of the 13th of next month, then we will give him a chance. This is not just for Hondo but for all the players currently playing competitive cricket.”

ScorecardA whirlwind hundred from Peter Ingram and a five-wicket haul from Brendon Diamanti helped Central Districts wrap up a comfortable 46-run win over Northern Districts at Hamilton. Choosing to bat, CD were given a good platform by Ingram and the opener Geoff Barnett (45) – he has represented Canada in four ODIs – before Mathew Sinclair added some extra push.Ingram was the aggressor in a Seddon Park-record third-wicket stand of 143 with Sinclair, hitting ten fours and a pair of sixes in his 96-ball innings. His dismissal for 104 sparked a middle-order collapse at the hands of Mark Orchard, who was included in a 30-man preliminary squad for the World Cup, but Sinclair rallied to move to an unbeaten 79, and Diamanti slogged a 13-ball 21 to help CD to a very competitive 291 for 7.In response, ND began slowly but steadily, the openers Alun Evans (33) and Anton Devcich (35) adding 66, but the response from the rest of the batsmen was below par. Diamanti, a right-arm medium pacer, removed the openers quickly, and Campbell Furlong, the offspinner, claimed 3 for 44 to make it 147 for 5.Only Peter McGlashan, the wicketkeeper who produced a fighting 56 from 78 balls, and Orchard’s 35-ball 39 lower down the order delayed the result. Diamanti returned for three more wickets as ND folded for 245 in the 48th over. Both sides sit in the bottom half of the State Shield table with nine points each.

Each of the Associates has one, possibly two, star names but EoinMorgan, the Ireland left-hander, is one of precious few to have aprofessional contract with a county. His path to England has, so far,mirrored that of his friend and team-mate Ed Joyce who Morgan joinedat an increasingly Irish Middlesex. And he won’t be the last.”Ireland is really proving itself to be a hot bed of talent,” Morgansaid at a net session in at the Aga Khan Sports Club Ground inNairobi. “With the likes of Joyce and Niall O’Brien (Northants) playingcounty cricket, it shows we have a top youth development system. Andit’s just a matter of getting players over to England that little bitearlier, grooving them as soon as possible and getting them into thesystem.”Many at Middlesex, let alone those in Ireland, believe Morgan’s futureis even brighter than Joyce’s. A forgettable duck yesterday, inIreland’s win over Bermuda, followed a slick and graceful 41 againstScotland – a match Ireland lost off the last ball. Has his (albeitbrief spell) experience in England highlighted the gap in class of theAssociates?”There is a bit of a gap, but I think it’s consistency,” he said. “Themajority of our team are part-time, not full time. They all have jobsand play at the weekends – but fortunately they are talented and doput in good performances. The gap, if there is one, is with theconsistency. The guys in England have it, and we lack it because wedon’t play it every day because we’re not professionals.”In the long term the gap probably won’t narrow,” he said. “Not in mygeneration anyway. Cricket isn’t popular enough in Ireland; we needmore media coverage and more financial backing in order for it tobecome professional.”And therein lies the problem, not just for Ireland, but for Scotland,Netherlands, Kenya and Canada. Bermuda, the other Associate country,need to play as much as the others, of course, but their remarkable$11m grant from the government allows something of a cushion. Morgan’steam-mates are amateurs, financially aided by the Ireland CricketUnion – as close to a contract as they get. He insists, however, thathis team-mates’ noses have not been put out by the big Englishcounties poaching their talent.”They don’t really mind,” he said with his diplomatic hat firmlyscrewed on, albeit with a hint of a grin forming “and they don’treally say anything. They know that me being in England and playingprofessionally is going to have a huge impact on my game going forwardand my development as a cricketer is going to be over in London,mainly because the financial aspects allow me to play full-time. Thefacilities, the process, all the people around me at Middlesex aregrooving me to play first-class cricket and take me forward.”You can’t blame him, but you can feel sorry for Ireland; his absence,and others who follow him, leave a huge hole. Ireland need to enjoyhim while they have him.

Sunil Gavaskar delivered a strong retort in what was the latest in his joust with Australia’s captain Ricky Ponting. In a scathing reaction, Gavaskar said a “hot-head guy” might actually whack the Australian cricketers if they dared replicate their on-field behaviour in a bar.Last week Gavaskar called Australia’s on-field behaviour “awful” in a column for magazine. Ponting felt it was “high and mighty” of Gavaskar to complain, considering “the way India have played their cricket over the last few years”.”Some day, some other hot-head guy might actually get down and you know whack somebody who abuses him,” Gavaskar said on . He cited the example of the former Australia cricketer David Hookes, who had been fatally beaten up outside a bar. “There’s the example of the late David Hookes. Would the Australians who use that kind of language on the field, and not all of them do, in a bar and would they get away with it? Would they have a fist coming at their face or not?”He also defended his decision to attempt a walk-off at the MCG in protest against an lbw decision in 1981, an incident Ponting alluded to. “The reason the walk off took place was simply because I was abused by the Australians,” Gavaskar said. “Let me also come back to what he [Ponting] said about the way I played my cricket and I do not know what he’s looking at.”When he talks about the Indian team not having won matches, we are not talking about winning matches here, we are talking about behavior on the field,” he said. He drew a comparison between the Australian and West Indian sides of the 1970s and ’80s.”The West Indians were popular winners, there was an affection about the West Indians players in spite of the fact that they were beating you in three days,” he said. “They [West Indies] did not abuse the opponents. They did not have anything to say to the opponents. When they were dominating world cricket the West Indians did not resort to personal abuse on the field, they just played the game hard, they were very tough competitors but there was nothing untoward in their behaviour towards their opponents.”West Indian players always had a smile on their face when they came in at the end of day’s play to talk with you and to commiserate when you lost, you could see that there was no arrogance there. Cricket lovers all over the world wanted the West Indies teams to get back on their feet and start winning again.”

Zimbabwe’s Independent newspaper has revealed that the state broadcaster ZBC failed to secure right to cover the World Cup as it was unable to pay for the services of a local satellite engineer who had asked for Zim$1 million (US$50).ZBC, which is known to have no funds, had been bailed out by Zimbabwe Cricket who, so the report claims, had done a deal with the South African Broadcasting Corporation. All that ZBC had to do was to locate the signal, which it failed to do. As a result, only those with access to overseas satellite channels have been able to follow the action.”We had put together a package for ZBC-TV to screen the World Cup matches, but we understand they had local technical difficulties accessing the signal from SABC,” Zimbabwe Cricket spokesman Lovemore Banda told the Independent. No representative from ZBC was available for comment.What is uncertain is whether Zimbabwe Cricket, who may have paid out up to US$1 million for the rights, will be able to reclaim the money.

Grand Old Duke of York
There was more than a frisson of worry in the England camp when Trent Johnston and Andrew White started to find the boundaries late in the innings. Michael Vaughan turned to Andrew Flintoff, and he settled it, spearing the ball into the blockhole to devastating effect. One-day tactics have evolved constantly down the years, but there’s still no match for the yorker at the death.One for the auld enemy
The wicket of Flintoff – chopping one on – and two sixes in a breezy cameo would have been satisfying for most allrounders, but perhaps Johnston relished it a little bit more because of his New South Wales roots. He tries to play it down now that he’s Irish captain, but some old rivalries linger.Look who’s clucking now
Johnston had unveiled the chicken-dance celebration when he dismissed Mohammad Yousuf in the famous victory against Pakistan, and there was a reprise as Flintoff became another prized victim. Chickens don’t fly though, and England plucked his feathers ruthlessly, with 47 coming from the last five overs he bowled.SuperColly
The ICC rankings may have Kevin Pietersen at the top, but Paul Collingwood’s the man in prime form. A soaring six over midwicket was one of three that he hit as 56 came from the last 31 balls that he faced.Palm Pilot
No, we’re not agents for Johnston, but he had a hand, literally, in the day’s exceptional fielding moment as well. Collingwood was on course for a century when Andrew White’s throw from mid-on came arrowing in. Stationed in front of the stumps, Johnston palmed it on with his left hand.I’m an Irishman, get me out of here
For Ed Joyce, this was a day to forget. Boyd Rankin got him shouldering arms to one that nipped back, and Ireland’s top scorer in the 2005 ICC Trophy trudged off with just one to his name. Later, with Niall O’Brien on 9, Joyce appeared half-asleep when he grassed a high chance at midwicket off Sajid Mahmood. O’Brien cashed in to the tune of 54 more runs. Joyce’s two matches against his old mates have now fetched him 11 runs. Ouch.Seen and heard
During a slow phase of play, the roaming cameras zoomed in on a little fella in an orange vest. Perhaps aware that millions of eyes were on him, he took guard and executed a textbook loft over midwicket. Not content, he took guard again and bent low for a sweep shot, holding the pose for about five seconds. The gloves were a size too big, but he certainly looked the part.

It’s no secret that Troy Cooley transformed England’s fast bowlers, but could his fellow Australian Cathryn Fitzpatrick do the same – and more – for the women by becoming England coach? Cricinfo has learned that Fitzpatrick, who recently retired after 16 years as the world’s fastest female bowler, has approached the ECB to register her interest in the vacancy for the lead role.Former players don’t always make the best coaches, but Fitzpatrick has excellent credentials as a coach. She has been involved in the Centre of Excellence in Australia for several years and would be well-placed for the position which was vacated by Richard Bates in April after four years. And she later confirmed: “I’m fresh out of cricket so my knowledge of how the women’s game has evolved and needs to continue to evolve is quite fresh. I may just have a few secret weapons as well.”While Peter Moores slipped into Duncan Fletcher’s chair when it was still warm, more than a month after Bates stepped down from the role to move to Australia, the vacancy is still wide open and the closing date is still another three weeks away.But who else, alongside Fitzpatrick, could be in the running? Lisa Keightley, is another recently retired Australian who would make a good candidate. Keightley, the Australian batsman, was appointed the New South Wales coach in 2005, the first full-time female appointed by the NSW board, after working as their female high-performance coordinator.Clare Taylor, the former England fast bowler, could also be considered. Now based in Otago, she went into coaching after retiring from international cricket and coaches the New Zealand women’s team. Whether she’d like to return to England is another matter.Some may argue that someone who can provide experience of men’s cricket – both for its inherent toughness and for tips on how to play the longer game – would be a useful prospect. Bates’s input in helping to provide session-by-session insights of how to play Tests as they unfolded was vital, and, as a former first-class player, he was in a good position to do so.

Paul Shaw, a Yorkshire cricket development officer, may not have played first-class cricket, but he would bring good experience as a fellow Super 4s coach, and he has already worked with the ECB Academy developing emerging players. He’s currently undertaking his Level 4 badge and is very proactive in his approach to women’s cricket.The interview panel could do worse than to consider any application from Andy Hobday, a former coach at Hampshire, who is now involved in the women’s set-up as a Super 4s coach. Charlotte Dickenson and the former England player and World Cup winner Jan Brittin are the other Super 4s coaches and, as such, they could make excellent candidates, too.Ian Pont, who coaches Essex part-time, is no longer Netherlands’ fast bowling coach. Whether his self-styled maverick approach would suit an ECB position is another matter, but he has been heavily involved with Netherlands’ women.With the salary likely to be around a tenth of what Fletcher received, the possible candidates wouldn’t necessarily be lured by the lucre. However, as a CV point, an international role is a big tick. Moreover, England have been in the top four teams since international competition began, and they have a young side with some exciting players.The candidate needs to have ECB Level 3 (or international equivalent) and, as a nod to Fletcher, to be handy with a computer. The ECB are hoping to have a new coach in place by mid-July “at the very latest”, to settle in and prepare for New Zealand’s visit: their tour kicks off with back-to-back Twenty20s on August 12 and 13.Four people will sit on the interview panel. McConway; Barbara Daniels, the women’s academy coach; Gordon Lord, the ECB’s elite coach development manager, and David Parsons, who is the acting director of the ECB Academy.England’s selectors panel stays consistent, meanwhile. Michael Griggs, the chairman of selectors, has been re-elected for two years alongside his fellow senior panel members Patsy Lovell and Jan Godman. Lovell’s additional responsibilities will include heading up the regional selectors panel.

Michael Di Venuto and Stuart Clark made the most of their county outings this week but widespread rain washed out a string of one-day matches. Di Venuto became the leading run-scorer in Division One of the County Championship with his unbeaten 204 for Durham against Kent at Chester-le-Street.It was his second century of the season and he followed up in the second innings with 58 to continue the outstanding form he showed during the Australian summer in the Pura Cup. Di Venuto scored his double-century quickly but safely – he took only 241 balls to reach the milestone and offered only one chance, on 156.His effort set up a 157-run victory for Durham, despite an impressive reply from Kent’s Robert Key, who made 169. Steve Harmison’s nine-wicket match confirmed the win.Clark has wasted no time making his mark in his first season at Hampshire. He claimed 7 for 82 against Lancashire at The Rose Bowl and among his victims were Brad Hodge (4) and Stuart Law (20).Lancashire struggled to 207 but escaped with a draw in the rain-affected match. The biggest news to come from The Rose Bowl was an ankle injury that put Lancashire’s Andrew Flintoff in doubt just days before England’s first Test against West Indies.The runs kept coming for Simon Katich, who led Derbyshire to victory over Leicestershire at Derby. In a low-scoring affair, Katich made 94 in the first innings to give his side a 50-run lead and then steered them home in the second innings with an unbeaten 45. He was without his prolific team-mate Ian Harvey, who was forced out of the side when Tasmania’s Travis Birt became available. Birt had little impact, making 25 and 1.Justin Langer confirmed his position as the top run-getter in Division Two of the County Championship when he made 86 for Somerset against Northamptonshire at Northampton. However, his was only a supporting role as Marcus Trescothick again reminded everyone of his capabilities with a sensational 284 in just over eight hours.Jason Gillespie played a small part in Yorkshire’s comprehensive win over Worcestershire at Leeds. After Yorkshire rattled up 521, Gillespie took 3 for 56 as the visitors were bundled out for 129. He was barely required in the second attempt, when Worcestershire managed only 132 and lost by an innings and 260 runs. Phil Jaques, opening the batting for the visitors, made 38 and 21 and was one of only three men to reach double-figures in each innings.At Kennington Oval, Matthew Nicholson snared 3 for 68 as Surrey dismissed Warwickshire for 329. The match was drawn but Surrey took the first-innings honours when Mark Ramprakash and Jonathan Batty each made centuries in an unbeaten 283-run stand.David Hussey, who is captaining Nottinghamshire, helped his side stay on top of the Division Two table. Hussey made 48 and was one of several Nottinghamshire batsmen to get a start as they racked up 336 against Middlesex at Trent Bridge. Middlesex were dismissed for 176 but Andrew Strauss made up some ground in the second innings when he made 120, which was his first century since last August.

ICC chief executive Malcolm Speed has said that he is unsure whether Zimbabwe will ever be able to resume playing Test cricket.Zimbabwe’s self-imposed suspension was continued after the ICC annual conference at Lord’s last week, but Speed said that he didn’t know “if Zimbabwe will ever be able to come back to Test cricket …but our duty is to help their cricketers to play cricket to the highest standard.”A confidential report by Speed and Faisal Hasnain, the ICC’s chief financial officer, was leaked last week, much to the ICC’s embarrassment and anger. In it, Speed made a series of stinging attacks on Zimbabwe Cricket’s finances, concluding: “It is clear that the accounts of ZC have been deliberately falsified to mask various illegal transactions from the auditors and the government of Zimbabwe. The accounts were incorrect and at no stage did ZC draw the attention of the users of these accounts to the unusual transactions. It may not be possible to rely on the authenticity of its balance sheet.”But by the time Speed faced the media on Friday, that rhetoric was watered-down, and the ICC settled for insisting on a new forensic audit by an international firm. Even more surprising was that the ICC has decided to pay Zimbabwe the full sum outstanding to it from the World Cup, despite the lingering question marks over the board’s finances.One former senior administrator greeted this news with dismay. “At a time the ICC has an anti-corruption unit making sure that players stay on the straight and narrow, it chucks cash at a board whose conduct its own boss has slammed,” he told Cricinfo. “What kind of message does that send out? Surely if you think something is amiss, you hold on until you prove it’s all OK before giving it millions of dollars?”Some leading Associates have also questioned why Zimbabwe received a total sum of around $11 million when it has not played Test cricket for almost two years and at a time they are playing more cricket than ever and receiving a fraction of that amount.Speed himself admitted that was not ideal. “The assumption has always been once a Full Member, always a Full Member. But I think there would come a time, if they can’t resume Test cricket, when that would be reviewed.”

ScorecardNetherlands proved no match for a confident West Indies side as they went down by 10 wickets in the opening match of the quadrangular series at Clontarf in Dublin. Dwayne Smith’s medium pace claimed four wickets as Netherlands collapsed for 80, then Chris Gayle’s 41-ball half-century ensured West Indies sped home before the approaching clouds caused any problems.West Indies needed less than 15 overs to knock off the runs as Gayle slammed six fours a six. Devon Smith provided solid support in what was nothing more than an extended net and completed the victory with a flick to fine leg.Netherlands’ batsmen had no such luxury as only three managed to reach double figures. Their problems started early when Ravi Rampaul trapped Tim de Grooth lbw in the fourth over and Bas Zuiderent, formerly of Sussex, fell in similar fashion. Alex Kervezee, who is on Worcestershire’s books, managed five boundaries in his 22 before being caught behind off Powell and the innings continued in a rapid downward spiral.Denesh Ramdin was kept busy behind the stumps, collecting five catches, as West Indies’ seamers caused plenty of problems. Fidel Edwards proved too quick for Peter Borren then Smith’s swing did the bulk of the remaining damage. Darren Sammy, who missed out on the one-day series against England, claimed two cheap wickets as the innings folded inside 32 overs.There was no sign of West Indies relaxing following the series win against England with Gayle determined not to slip up against the Associates. Netherlands, though, were clearly not up to the battle and are a few rungs down from the likes of Ireland, who make up the tournament alongside Scotland. Netherlands have a chance to put up a better showing when they take on the hosts, at Stormont, on Wednesday.