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Two days on from an ultimately emphatic victory in Durban, Graeme Smith was confident that his South African side held the edge going into the decisive third Test at Newlands. But while he cited the special atmosphere at the venue, Smith was slightly concerned about the moisture in the pitch, and the physical and emotional toll that the Durban exertions had taken on his players.”It’s a difficult pitch to read at the moment,” he said when asked about a surface that had more than a hint of grass. “Because of the [recent] rain, there’s some moisture. There will be a little bit in it on the first day and as the surface dries, it’ll be a pretty good wicket.”Durban saw South Africa at their hungriest, battered by criticism after a 123-run defeat at the Wanderers. Even at Kingsmead, they had to dig deep to emerge victorious against an Indian side for whom Sreesanth once again picked up eight wickets in the game. “Mentally and emotionally, we’ve got to pick ourselves up and make sure we’re ready for the Test,” said Smith. “It was quite an emotional win in Durban after the week we had building up to the match. The guys are motivated, focussed, and we really want to win the series.”They will doubtless be boosted by the return of Jacques Kallis, who missed the Kingsmead game with a back injury, and Dale Steyn is also back in the fray after recovering from a quadriceps strain. But any joy over Kallis’s return is tempered by the uncertainty over Andrè Nel, who didn’t bowl at nets today after bruising a bone in his right foot.One man who will definitely play is Paul Harris, with Smith expecting the pitch to take turn as the match wore on. And though he was a little wary of what Anil Kumble might do, Smith insisted that he and his side wanted to end the engagements against India as they had started in the one-day series. “We just had one bad game at the Wanderers,” he said. “By and large, we’ve played better cricket. That confidence is there. But for Wanderers, we have dominated the Indians throughout the summer.”One of the Indians to suffer most has been Virender Sehwag, who has a highest score of 33 from four ODIs and two Tests. “All the areas we’ve attacked him have been successful,” said Smith. “Obviously, he’s very low on confidence; we haven’t allowed him to get off to a start. The way we started against him, we have made the first ten balls count, haven’t allowed him to find any rhythm upfront. Our channels to him, Sachin [Tendulkar] and others have been pretty good.”Smith, who has been through the wringer himself as a batsman in recent times, stopped short of writing off Sehwag though. “He’s a guy who can take the game away from you,” he said. “If he gets a hundred, he gets it in quick time and can put you under pressure. He’s a big cog in the Indian team; he’s had a huge run of success over the years. As a senior player, to keep him on the back foot is important.”But if the pitch plays anything like that on which Stuart Clark took 9 for89 not so long ago, Sehwag won’t be the only one on the back foot.

India started off in this tournament as a strong batting team, but it wastheir bowling that bailed them out more than once. Mahendra Singh Dhoni,the winning captain, recognised that it was the bowling that had won themthe cup.”On paper the batting was much stronger,” Dhoni said. “But the way thebowlers bowled was very good, and if you compare the two, our bowling wasmuch more consistent. Though there were a few good individual battingperformances, the bowling was better through the tournament.” That, hesaid, was also a reason why he chose to bat first on most occasions afterwinning the toss. “The idea was to get a decent score and then try todefend it. Our fielding helped too. We effected a run out in almost everygame. When the total is relatively low – only around 150-155 – run outsand good fielding increases the total by 15-20 runs, and we managed to dothat in most of the games.”Dhoni’s captaincy has come in for plenty of praise, but he chose to playit down, instead praising the players for responding to the challenges.”The captain hasn’t done much. The players who have been given theresponsibility have delivered. There was no [top order] batsman who hadn’t scored runs,the fielding had been very good overall. Yuvraj [Singh] has been very good, whileHarbhajan has made a very good comeback. The best part is everything whohas been given the responsibility has delivered. This side is confident,enjoying each other’s success and backing each other.”Dhoni admitted that he was concerned about Misbah-ul-Haq’s late charge,but said he knew they were only a wicket away from wresting the initiativeagain. “We knew they didn’t have wickets in hand. Pressure becomes a veryimportant aspect in big games. Harbhajan Singh was good though he wentfor a few, Joginder [Sharma] was excellent in the last over. But I always thoughtas the game approached the final stages, our chances would increase.”About the decision to bowl Joginder instead of Harbhajan in the finalover, Dhoni said it was prompted by the form on the day. “That was thebest option available. Harbhajan didn’t bowl his last over very well. Ithought if a medium pacer bowls it would be slightly difficult sinceMisbah was timing it very well against Harbhajan, who was also not 100%sure about his yorkers. And Joginder had had a decent spell till in thematch, so I decided to go with him.”

Dhoni admitted that the number of runs they had wasn’t a par score, andpraised Pakistan’s effort in the field. “In Durban it was a lot moredifficult for batting – 170-180 was a very good total there. Here Ithought we should have got 180, as the wicket was not very difficult. Butthe way they bowled was really good. After 12 overs they bowled someexcellent yorkers, so you could hardly score off them.”He also had a special word for Rohit Sharma’s 16-ball 30, which lifted theIndian total to 157. “Rohit’s innings was critical. We looked like getting140, but we ended up getting more than 150. The confidence level went upand with our fielding we increased the target further to 170-175.”Looking back at the tournament, he said the way the team planned thepractice sessions and the periods of rest was critical. “There was atwo-and-a-half month tour to England, so it was tough on the players. Theway we planned this tournament was very important. The practice sessionswere planned such that we were always fresh when we took the field for amatch.”The Indians didn’t practice before the final, despite playing at avenue where they’d played only once before in the tournament.

Less than a fortnight after announcing a surprise retirement from Test cricket, Shahid Afridi has reversed his decision following talks with Shaharyar Khan, the Pakistan Cricket Board chairman and Bob Woolmer, the Pakistan coach.Afridi told Cricinfo that both had been instrumental in him reversing his surprising decision. “Bob spoke to me in Abu Dhabi and was quite upset with me for making the decision. He told me that I am one of the main players in the team and squad and that Pakistan really needed me.”Afridi also spoke to Shaharyar a couple of days ago, having initially contacted him because he was about to leave for England. Shaharyar also persuaded him likewise. “I spoke to him initially because I was off to England to play for Ireland but he said to me that I should play on as well as the team needed me. After those two, as well as many other friends and advisors, I decided to take back my decision.”Shaharyar told Cricinfo he felt Afridi had initially decided to retire because of the pressure he was putting himself under every time he went out to bat. “I don’t think it was due to any differences within the team. I think he felt the pressure of having to perform for a crowd every time he went to bat. In Faisalabad and Karachi recently the ovation he has got has been absolutely phenomenal. Some English players told me when they played in Karachi they’d never seen the type of reception Afridi got when he came out to bat. In Faisalabad, people left the stadium when he was out.”Shaharyar added that from the moment Afridi announced his `retirement’, he was determined to speak to him to convince him otherwise. “I had it in mind from the beginning to speak to him and ask him to reconsider. Then we spoke and I said to him that while it is a personal decision and it must be respected, it is disappointing nonetheless. I reminded him that his Test form of late had been brilliant and that while he may not be an automatic selection in the eleven, he is an essential member of the playing squad.”Afridi originally said that he wanted to concentrate on one-day cricket ahead of next year’s World Cup because of an increasingly heavy playing schedule and the lack of family time it allowed him. He maintained that it is still an issue. “I still say there is too much cricket and that our schedules are packed. I think the key is now how we – the PCB and the players – manage it. We have to look at issues like increased rest between matches and tours maybe or ask for rest at the right time but it has to be handled.” Afridi is due to leave for England in a couple of days to play for Ireland in the C&G Trophy.Shaharyar added, “I understand playing schedules are very hectic now but we are trying to work on it with the players. Hopefully, everybody’s concerns will eventually be seen to.” Afridi’s turnaround thus brings to an end a bizarre chapter even in a career as unconventional as his, though it does at least ensure that the Pakistani cricketing tradition of players reversing retirement decisions – think Imran Khan, Javed Miandad, Wasim Akram – is well and truly alive.

Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were out

India stood on the brink of a series win in England – 2-0 was as a real possibility, 1-0 a virtual certainty – as they piled on a massive 664, with Anil Kumble scoring his maiden Test hundred on the back of impressive performances from several of his team-mates. India’s batting fired all through, with each of the 11 batsmen getting into double figures, and eight partnerships of 50 or more. England lost Andrew Strauss in the eight overs they had to negotiate, ending on 24 for 1 to cap a near-perfect day for India.With India “getting out of jail” in the first Test at Lord’s, saved by the rain, and decisively winning an exciting game at Trent Bridge, the two teams came into the final Test fairly well matched. By the end of the second day, though, India were far ahead, with England battling hard to stay in the hunt.Added to the pressure that the series scoreline put on the English batsmen was the pressure of the huge Indian total. The question Michael Vaughan will be asking himself is, “How can England win this game?” For if they can’t visualise a positive result, it might just become too difficult to bat three days and keep the negative one away.The day was well set up when it began, with India narrowly ahead on points at 316 for 4. Sachin Tendulkar quickly got to his half-century, Matt Prior dropped VVS Laxman, Mahendra Singh Dhoni carted the ball around for a lusty 92, and all seemed to be going according to the Indian script. Then came the event of the day, something that was 36 years and 297 days and 118 Tests in the making. Kumble got to his half-century, off 109 balls, playing second fiddle to Dhoni. Then slowly, as he crunched one unassuming cover drive after another, the maiden century became a real possibility, even with Dhoni gone.Zaheer Khan played with care and common sense for 52 balls to score 11 but he could take Kumble only as far as 67. RP Singh hung around 21 balls for his 11 and left Kumble on 76. With 24 still needed, Kumble was visibly nervous as Sreesanth strode out to bat. Miraculously, Sreesanth kept his cool – something he hasn’t always done with the ball in hand – and Kumble speared one from Kevin Pietersen through Matt Prior’s legs, off the inside edge, to reach three figures.Scrambling to regain his crease, Kumble saw that the ball had evaded the keeper and before Steve Bucknor, the umpire, could signal the boundary, he had his helmet off and waved his bat towards the Indian dressing-room. To a man the Indian team – already crowding the balcony – rose to their feet, celebrating Kumble’s moment. It was one of cricket’s romantic moments, a popular hero achieving a milestone that appeared to be evading him in a 17-year-old career.For those less inclined to the game’s romance, there was still enough to savour on a day the statisticians had little respite. India’s innings was the first instance of eight partnerships crossing the 50-run mark. James Anderson conceded 182 runs, more than any Englishman has conceded against India in an innings. All eleven Indian batsmen got into double figures. Kumble took more Tests than any batsman in history to reach a maiden Test hundred, beating Chaminda Vaas (96), and, till he got there this was the highest score without a century.And if you had no interest in either romance or statistics, and wanted pure cricket, you couldn’t have asked for a refund on your ticket money at the end of the day. Laxman batted pleasingly for 51, barring the ball that got him and the one that should have when Prior shelled the chance. Tendulkar played more shots in the second half of his innings, including a near six – a hook off Anderson – and well-constructed punches through mid-on and cover. He was on target for a century when Anderson produced a delivery that swung late and, for the second time in the innings, got rid of a well-set top-order batsman.Anderson’s ball to dismiss Tendulkar, almost as good as the one that got Rahul Dravid on the first day, was no fluke. England’s bowlers tried hard, hampered as they were with the loss of Sidebottom after the 102nd over, and it wasn’t as though they bowled especially badly. It was just one of those days when almost everything India did went their way.

Dhoni’s frightening assault was one such thing. He walked out to bat with India in a strong position at 354 for 5 but there was still a long way to go. India’s first task was to score enough runs to eliminate the risk of defeat and then press on to a score so big that England would have to fight to save the game. Dhoni ensured that this gap was bridged. He did that with a typically marauding 92, including four huge hits for six and nine fours, off only 81 balls. He’d helped save the Test at Lord’s with a doughty, uncharacteristic innings; here he’d set things up with an idiosyncratic, bustling knock.Amid all that, Kumble ended up unbeaten on 110, scoring the only Indian century of the series so far as India eventually closed on 664. Then, in the eight overs that remained a tired Strauss pulled Zaheer from well outside the off and only managed a catch to fine leg, leaving England at 12 for 1. Alastair Cook stayed largely away from the strike, and trouble, as England ended on 24 for 1, a staggering 640 behind with three days to play.And that’s the key, as the man of the day put it. “I always knew I could bat and I didn’t think it would be 17 years coming,” said Kumble. “I’m really satisfied, and we’ll celebrate, but there’s still a lot of work to be done in picking up the remaining 19 wickets.”Kumble couldn’t stop smiling when he gave that TV interview but it is over the next three days that he has to be in his element – making sure the English batsmen are not enjoying their time out in the middle. After all, a 2-0 series-win in England beckons. And that’s almost as much of a once-in-a-lifetime event as Kumble’s hundred.

Mitchell Johnson should already be pencilled in as Australia’s third fast bowler for the first Ashes Test, according to his Queensland captain Jimmy Maher. Maher weighed into the debate after playing against Johnson’s main rival for the Ashes spot, Stuart Clark, in a Pura Cup match at the Gabba.”I think hometown, Gabba, I mean it’s a big stage … first Test and it’s important Australia get off to a good start,” Maher said on the website. “And from an experience point of view Clark’s probably got his nose in front, but his [Johnson’s] out-and-out pace will really worry England here a lot and I think they’d be mad not to pick Johnson.”Clark, who said he was still slightly rusty after a thigh injury, took two important wickets in his best spell of the match against Queensland to help New South Wales to victory late on the final day. “I’ve said all along it depends what the selectors want to go with,” he said. “If they want to go with a more McGrath-type bowler they’ll probably go down my line. If they want to go express they’ll probably go down Mitchell’s line.”The New South Wales captain Brad Haddin said Clark improved throughout the four-day match, although he took only three wickets. “After that long lay-off every spell in the game he got better,” he told . “At the end of the day he was back to the old Stuart Clark.”Maher said while Johnson would be his preference, Clark would not let Australia down. “He’s always in and around you and at you and always keeps the pressure on,” he said. “He’s ready to go, there’s no doubt about that.”But one of the two should get the nod, according to Maher, who said it would be a mistake to play two spinners at the Gabba for the first Test starting on November 23. “I don’t think I’d be playing two leggies here,” he said. “There’s plenty of places they can play those. Certainly not here. I’d be hitting them with as many fast bowlers as we can on a good fast Gabba pitch.”

Easterns 196 for 3 (Seymore 73, Booysen 54*, de Bruin 51) beatKwaZulu-Natal 195 for 9 by 7 wickets
ScorecardAfter losing the first class match, Easterns turned the tables on KwaZulu-Natal at Willowmoore Park to win by seven wickets. Set to make 196 in 45 overs Easterns finished the game off with 7.2 overs to spare. KwaZulu-Natal dug themselves into a hole at the top of the innings and never recovered, with wickets falling at regular intervals. Showing the importance of partnerships in the shorter form of the game Easterns set off at a cracking pace with Andre Seymore driving firmly at every opportunity. His 73, nearly in equal time, set the tone of the innings. Pierre de Bruyn after his century in the three-day game scored good 50 while Jaco Booysen tried hard to secure the bonus point, failing by a few balls. One player to keep an eye on is the Easterns opening bowler Shiraaz Abrahams. With the right support, hard work and coaching he may turn out to be the find of the season.Gauteng 250 for 8 (Otto 124) beat Northerns 241 for 8 (van Woerkom 86, van Wyk 59) by 9 runs
ScorecardGauteng took the double at the Wanderers as they squeezed out neighbours Northerns by 9 runs in a tense 45-over affair. Having scored 250, thanks to a magnificent hundred from Marthinus Otto, Northerns clawed themselves back into the game falling short by nine runs when the overs ran out. Otto showed no mercy as he carved the ball around the ground, striking 12 fours and 6 sixes as he dominated the Gauteng innings. Northerns made the worst possible start and, struggling at 58 for 4, seemed to be well out of the game. Nic van Woerkom (86) and Kruger van Wyk (59) got the innings back together again with Pierre Joubert dancing in with a quick 48. Having lost too many wickets at the top of the innings and with too much to do at the end Northerns struggled, as they finished on 241. Nic van Woerkom, of Northerns, is clearly a man on a mission, and now has two hundreds and an eighty in his last three one-day innings.

Jermaine Lawson, once a great West Indian hope, and Andrew Richardson, currently thought to be the most promising of the young crop of fast bowlers in the islands, will train with Dennis Lillee at the MRF Pace Foundation in Chennai. The two fast bowlers have arrived in Chennai and were set to have their first net session under the watchful eye of the legendary Australian fast bowler on Wednesday.”It could be for corrective measures [to Lawson’s action],” TA Sekhar, head coach of the MRF Pace Foundation, told Cricinfo. “The Jamaican cricket board spoke to some of our boys when the Indian team toured West Indies recently. They saw Irfan Pathan, Sreesanth and Munaf Patel and were wondering how come India was producing many fast bowlers. Our boys spoke to them about the Pace Foundation.”Lawson began his Test career with a bang, taking six wickets in the space of just three runs against Bangladesh in only his third Test. Soon there was even better news as he recovered from chickenpox to take a hat-trick against Australia and lead West Indies to a memorable win with a career best 7 for 78. Then came the downfall as his action became decidedly ragged, and he was flagged more than once by the International Cricket Council. He then had to step back from the international scene to undergo remedial action.”Jackie Hendricks got in touch with me and said he wanted to send Lawson over,” said Sekhar. Hendricks, the former West Indian wicketkeeper, is currently the president of the Jamaica Cricket Association, the banner under which Lawson plays first-class cricket in the West Indies. “Lawson has the ability to bowl consistently over 140 kmh and if Lillee can fine-tune him and his action could be corrected West Indies will benefit. He’s played just 13 Tests and taken 51 wickets. That’s a good rate.”

If Lawson is in Chennai to correct faults, Andrew Richardson, the 24-year-old fast bowler is on the trip to pick up whatever experience he can, and learn more about the nuances of fast bowling from Lillee. “People speak highly of Andrew Richardson and he has already played matches for West Indies A,” says Sekhar.Richardson has been one of the most consistent fast bowlers in the West Indian domestic competition over the last few years, and has 84 wickets from 25 first-class matches. When India were last in the West Indies, and Brian Lara made frequent calls for bowlers with genuine pace to be included in the team for the Jamaica Test, Richardson’s name was one that came up.On Lillee’s current trip to India, though, it will just be the two West Indians training, apart from MRF’s own players. It was decided that the Indians would not attend as the domestic season is just around the corner, as are various Under-19 tournaments.Sekhar hoped that this could be the beginning of a longer and more permanent association with the West Indies cricket board. “The problem for West Indies is mainly funding. The plan is for them to send people over regularly, but that depends on the financial support they can get from the West Indies Cricket Board.”

Herschelle Gibbs and Nicky Boje, who yesterday both withdrew from South Africa’s tour to India, have been dropped from the 13-man squad announced to play the last two ODIs against New Zealand this weekend.Andrew Hall and Albie Morkel have been called-up as replacements as South Africa look to complete a 5-0 series win. Gibbs and Boje pulled out of the India tour, which starts later this month, because they received no assurance that they would not be arrested on arrival in the country due to match-fixing allegations.South Africa’s convenor of selectors Haroon Lorgat explained the decision to drop the pair: “It’s rather unfortunate, but we needed to face reality, make the tough decisions and look ahead at our tour of India. Ideally we need to slot in our replacements now, re-define roles in the absence of the two established players, and ready ourselves for India.”Boeta Dippenaar was ruled out after undergoing a wrist operation last night.South Africa squad for 4th and 5th ODIs Graeme Smith (capt), Mark Boucher (wk), AB de Villiers, Andrew Hall, Jacques Kallis, Justin Kemp, Charl Langeveldt, Albie Morkel, Andre Nel, Makhaya Ntini, Shaun Pollock, Ashwell Prince, Jacques Rudolph.

ScorecardFile photo – Kevin O’Brien collected 3 for 14 to suffocate UAE’s innings•AFP

Ireland’s bowlers rallied around a three-wicket haul from Kevin O’Brien, as the team successfully defended a meager total of 134 against UAE, in Abu Dhabi.UAE, who needed to score at just under seven an over, failed to gather any momentum in their innings, as their attempts at stitching together big partnerships were dashed by wickets at regular intervals. A few batsmen made starts, but nobody was able to contribute more than 24, as the entire team just managed eight boundaries. O’Brien was the pick of the bowlers, finishing with stingy figures of 4-0-14-3, while Tim Murtagh, Craig Young and Boyd Rankin chipped in with two scalps apiece, dismissing UAE for 100.Earlier, Ireland, after being inserted, were struggling at 19 for 4 inside five overs before the O’Brien brothers Kevin and Niall led a recovery by putting together a 55-run partnership. Niall top-scored with a 29-ball 38, but it was a Max Sorensen’s 15-ball 26 which provided Ireland a late surge and lifted them over the 130-run mark. Amjad Javed picked up three wickets for UAE, but conceded 41 runs from his four overs.

Trinidad and Tobago lacked fight in the Carib Beer Challenge final and the nine-wicket loss to Jamaica was a “real blot” on their season, according to their board president Deryck Murray. The team was skittled for 121 in the first innings and their second effort of 241 left Jamaica a target of just 70 to secure the title.”It’s easy to say this from 100 miles away but it didn’t look as though there was any real fight,” Murray told the . “That was the disappointing aspect.”You look back at the whole season and, yes, from the KFC Cup, the Carib Beer Series, the Stanford 20/20, Trinidad and Tobago and Jamaica dominated those series but they [Trinidad and Tobago] just didn’t look like that in the final. The final itself was the real blot.”However, Murray said the team’s season should be viewed in context and reaching the decider was a promising sign. But there was still significant work to do for Trinidad and Tobago to be consistently competitive, he said.”We played some very good games throughout. We in Trinidad and Tobago are enjoying success but that must not be allowed to mar the fact that there is still a big gap between the highest standard of Trinidad and Tobago’s cricket and what is expected at international level. We are aware of it. We need to keep working with the players.”