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Alec Stewart has ended speculation about his imminent retirement from top cricket by confirming that he hopes to remain in the first-class game for at least another two years. Writing in his regular diary column for CricInfo, the Surrey and England wicketkeeper said: “I’ve still got a year left with Surrey after this season, and I’m already in preliminary talks to extend that for another year, which will take me through to 2003. Therefore any speculation that I won’t be playing any more first-class cricket after the Oval Test is pretty far from the truth.”Asked whether he hopes to remain a part of the England set-up this coming winter, Stewart said: “You can draw your own conclusions from the fact that I’m not planning to retire from the first-class game. Two years ago I said that I wanted to be involved in this series. That’s what may have prompted the speculation that I was about to pack it in. But while I’m still enjoying the game, feeling fit, playing all right, I want to keep playing.”Stewart, 38, has played 113 Test matches for England. If he agrees terms with Surrey he will still be playing first-class cricket when England participate in the forthcoming World Cup in South Africa early in 2003, by which time he will be nearing his 40th birthday. It may be that he also harbours hopes of one final crack at the Australians when England make the trip down under late next year.

Match abandoned
ScorecardRain had the final say in Colombo, as the second youth ODI between Sri Lanka and Pakistan was abandoned after a number of interruptions.After rain reduced the match to a 36-over contest, Pakistan, opting to bat, failed to play out the full innings. Imran Rafiq, the captain and opener, top-scored with 50 in the team’s total of 175 in 34.3 overs. As many as six batsmen got off to starts, but the team’s next highest contribution after Rafiq came from the 23 extras conceded by Sri Lanka. Left-arm seamer Lahiru Kumara and offspinner Charith Asalanka picked up three wickets apiece. Sri Lanka lost their openers inside four overs of the chase and were 25 for 2 in six overs when play was called off.Sri Lanka currently lead the series 1-0. The third ODI is scheduled to be held on Wednesday at the Sinhalese Sports Club.

Angela Reakes, a 24-year-old legspinner with the ACT and the Sydney Sixers, was handed a suspended two-year ban from the game after she was found to have placed bets on the outcome of the Man-of-the-Match award during the World Cup final between Australia and New Zealand in March. Reakes, the first Australian cricketer caught betting on matches since Cricket Australia unveiled its anti-corruption code, will now become part of information sessions designed to prevent others from making similar or worse indiscretions.She placed five bets, totalling a sum of AUD $9, in contravention of Article 2.2.1 of the Code, which outlaws “placing, accepting, laying or otherwise entering into any bet with any other party (whether individual, company or otherwise) in relation to the result, progress, conduct or any other aspect of any Match or Event”.CA has 16 official betting partners, all of which have signed up to “assist CA in its ongoing management of the integrity of CA competitions, by agreeing to the information sharing and other integrity requirements specified by CA”. A CA spokesman declined to comment on whether Reakes’ offence had been uncovered via these arrangements.Other sanctions included an official reprimand from CA, and also the requirement to become part of CA’s anti-corruption compliance education to other cricketers in coming seasons – she will thus become part of the education process designed to prevent similar missteps. While she accepted the sanctions voluntarily, the suspended sentence will hang over Reakes for the remainder of her career, meaning an instant ban should she ever transgress again.”All elite cricketers are reminded regularly that betting on any form of cricket is strictly prohibited,” said Iain Roy, head of CA’s integrity unit. “It is outlined in the Anti-Corruption training that we deliver on an annual basis and is written into our Code of Behaviour.”Angela understands that in placing these bets she made a bad mistake and has acknowledged the seriousness of her error. She has been cooperative during the investigation and we believe the penalty in these circumstances is appropriate.”Reakes moved from the New South Wales Breakers to the ACT Meteors in the off-season, and enjoyed a productive domestic 50-over tournament where she was her team’s leading wicket-taker. She has taken one wicket in seven matches while bowling economically for the Sixers.

The ICC Women’s Cricketer of the Year award will have a new name on it after Karen Rolton did not make the shortlist. Rolton, Australia’s captain, was the first winner of the award which was introduced last October.Her team-mates Lisa Sthalekar and Shelley Nitschke are Australia’s nominations. With each full member country allowed to put forward two names, England have selected Claire Taylor and Holly Colvin, while Jhulan Goswami and Rumeli Dhar are India’s representatives.Maria Fahey and Rebecca Rolls have been chosen by New Zealand. Ashlyn Kilowan and Johmari Logtenberg are South Africa’s choices. Urooj Mumtaz Khan and Sajida Shah are in the running for Pakistan. Ireland will be represented by Caitriona Beggs.The list has been voted upon by an academy of 17 leading former players and influential figures in the women’s game, including the media. The shortlist will be announced in due course ahead of the awards ceremony which takes place in South Africa in September.

The West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) is reported to have appointed Dr Roland Toppin, a Barbados businessman, as its new chief executive, following a board meeting yesterday.According to Caribbeancricket.com, Toppin, the general manager of Duraplast Inc, narrowly edged out property developer Tim Nafziger for the post. He has yet to finalise his contract with the board.The board’s president, Ken Gordon, has said a public announcement should be issued in the next 10 days.Toppin takes over the reins from Roger Brathwaite who stepped down in April. The search for his replacement has been on ever since; that month, Gordon outlined the requirements of the position, stating: “The person has got to be an effective CEO, ideally with a background in cricket”.

Scorecard

Needing only 104 for victory when the final day began, New South Wales crushed New Zealand on their way to a nine-wicket victory. It was a tough start for a team that had publicly admitted that the Australian campaign would be tougher than the last time they toured. Phil Jaques remained unbeaten on 70, and Matthew Phelps was not out on 39 when the winning runs were scored.Jacob Oram had Greg Mail caught in the day’s third over for 13, but from then on Jaques and Phelps added runs at an easy pace. New Zealand’s bowlers were economical, but could not get breakthroughs, adding to the feeling in Australia that their attack is ineffective.This heavy defeat will not go down well with Stephen Fleming, rested for this game, who acknowledged that his team would have to play “out of their skin” to give Australia a run in the Test series.

Muttiah Muralitharan, the newly-crowned world-record Test bowler, has returned home to a hero’s welcome in Sri Lanka. Politicians, cricket administrators, family and close friends welcomed him at the airport before crawling in a four-hour motorcade through rush-hour traffic to the cricket board headquarters in central Colombo.Thousands of fans, provided extra motivation by the ongoing controversy over his bowling, poured onto the streets to celebrate his return from Zimbabwe where he broke Courtney Walsh’s world record and became the highest wicket-taker in Test history.Muralitharan’s arrival was even broadcast live on national television with the cameras following his journey from the time the team’s Emirates airline jumbo touched down at Katunayake International Airport. He was garlanded as he led the team into the VIP arrivals hall before being mobbed by the media.Murali appeared slightly overwhelmed by the outpouring of affection. “I’m very happy to have achieved this record for the country,” he said. “It’s a huge honour and I am very grateful for all the support I have received. Everyone has done so much for me.””I would like to thank the public, my parents, all my past captains,especially Arjuna Ranatunga who stood by me during tough times, and myteam-mates, without whom it would have not been possible, and, finally, the cricket board, who have backed me all the way.”Behind the scenes, Murali’s arrival has prompted the government to get ever more involved in his doosra ban. Despite Eshan Mani’s plea for politicians to stay out of the controversy, the prime minister, MahindaRajapakse, has successfully lobbied for the Indian government to support Muralitharan.Murali has remained typically defiant about his outlawed delivery,claiming that he “was stronger than ever” and suggesting that he was the victim of an Anglo-Australian conspiracy: “The ban is because of pressure from Australia and England. There is no problem in Asia.”When the hullabaloo over his return dies down – on Saturday he will beparaded through the streets of Kandy, his hillcountry hometown – he will sit down with close friends and advisors to consider whether to confront the ICC directly with a legal fight.

Elite B had to be satisfied with five points from their drawn encounter against Elite C, which ended at Vijayawada’s Indira Gandhi stadium on Sunday.After MSK Prasad opted to bat on Thursday morning, fifties from opener Wasim Jaffer (76) and Sairaj Bahutule (61), and good hands from Amit Pagnis (49), Vinayak Mane (47) and Tejinder Pal Singh (43) helped Elite B post 390 in their first innings. For Elite C, left-arm spinner Nilesh Kulkarni claimed five wickets.The Elite C reply never really took off after early jolts from medium-pacer Harvinder Singh, who claimed both openers with just 39 on the board. Leggie Sairaj Bahutule then took over, claiming six wickets, as Elite C, with the exception of Yere Goud (46) and Nikhil Doru (60*), struggled. The fall of the final Elite C wicket with the score reading 247 gained Elite B a 143-run lead.With less than one and a half days of play remaining, Elite B, led from the front by opener Wasim Jaffer (102), set off in pursuit of quick runs and an outright win. A declaration by Prasad with the Elite B score reading 201/7 in the second innings left Elite C with an improbable 345 runs for win.They decided to settle for a draw instead, notching up 155/2 in 51 overs when play was called off. Opener Satyajit Parab (65*) and middle-order bat Jacob Martin (55*) were the batting stars for Elite C.

Darren Gough finally shook off his poor bowling form by grabbing three wickets in four balls in the Roses match at Headingley.Lancashire looked like ending the first day in complete control when they stood on 346 for six off 100 overs but Gough was then thrown the new ball with dramatic results.His first delivery was driven straight to cover by Warren Hegg and his second clean bowled Peter Martin. The hat-trick ball to John Wood went off his pads for a leg-bye and the next had Glen Chapple snapped up at third slip by Anthony McGrath.Lancashire had suddenly dipped to 349 for nine but they were still handily placed when their last pair took them to the close on 358 for nine.For most of the day, there was little for England coach Duncan Fletcher to enthuse about as he watched on but Yorkshire’s new bowling sensation Steven Kirby gave Lancashire an early fright after they had won the toss, bowling Mark Chilton before he had scored and finding the edge of Michael Atherton’s bat to give Wood a catch at second slip.Lancashire then took charge until Gough’s late blast with skipper Mark Crawley (73), Joe Scuderi (56), Hegg (76) and Chris Schofield (58) all taking full advantage of a tiring Yorkshire attack.Crawley faced 137 balls and struck 13 fours before giving a return catch to off-spinner Richard Dawson while Scuderi included ten firmly hit boundaries in his maiden Championship half-century.Crawley’s dismissal left Lancashire on 173 for five but they quickly prospered again with a 115 stand between Hegg and Schofield which ended when Schofield was caught at slip by David Byas off Sidebottom, his 58 including eight fours and a six and coming off 101 balls.When Hegg departed to Gough, who finished with four for 60 from 22 overs, he had hammered five fours off the 165 balls he received.

Kings XI Punjab have expressed their desire to play more matches at the Maharashtra Cricket Associaton stadium on the outskirts of Pune in the next edition of the IPL, but have clarified that Mohali will continue to remain their base. While the Maharashtra Cricket Association is open to hosting Kings XI, a final decision can only be taken based on whether one of the two new franchises, that will be announced tomorrow, picks Pune as their home base.The MCA stadium was one of the home venues for Kings XI in IPL 2015 and hosted three matches.Mohit Burman, one of the co-owners of Kings XI Punjab, said the franchise would speak to the BCCI on the matter soon. “We played a few matches this season in Pune and it was a good experience. We would now want to play more matches there,” Burman told ESPNcricnfo.Burman, however, said the franchise had no desire to shift its base to Pune. “We remain a Punjab franchise and we would continue to play in Mohali,” he said.While Kings XI have lost four of their five matches overall at the MCA Stadium in Pune, they have benefited financially. “They played only three matches in Pune. They made [Rs] 10.6 crore within that short period,” an IPL official said. “If they play five-plus [games], then their profits would increase effectively.”The official, however, said that Kings XI would have to wait for the outcome of the auction on Tuesday, where the two new franchises that will replace Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals will be unveiled. “What if one of the new franchises opts for Pune, which is part of the nine bidding cites?” he said.