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Andrew Flintoff has given England further cause for concern ahead of the fifth one-dayer at Headingley after reporting “soreness” in his troublesome left ankle.”Freddie’s got a little bit of soreness in his ankle again,” Paul Collingwood, his captain, said. “We’ll have to wait and see about him in the next few hours. He’s icing it up as usual but he has got a little bit of tenderness there. I’m sure he’ll seek advice from the medical team.”Collingwood added that if Flintoff was ruled out, fast bowler Chris Tremlett would be his likely replacement. “It looks a pretty typical Headingley pitch and it looks as if it will be overcast,” he said. “That would give the big lad Tremlett a chance of playing because he took a good couple of wickets in the middle of the innings at Edgbaston (where England won by 42 runs on August 27).Flintoff appeared to turn his right ankle while fielding in England’s thrilling three-wicket win at Old Trafford on Thursday, but yet again it is his recently-operated left ankle which concerns most. Since the operation, he has only bowled 55.5 overs for his county, Lancashire, and England, though did produce career-best figures of 5 for 56 at Bristol in the second ODI.Indeed, Flintoff’s bowling in the one-day series has been his major strength; as a batsman, he has made just 14 runs in three games.”It’s early days for him,” Collingwood said, “and, as a unit, we’re batting very well generally. We had a little bit of a hiccup in the last game but came through. It takes time at any level of cricket, never mind international cricket, to get back in touch. I’m sure he’s one innings away.”The fifth of seven one-dayers gets underway on Sunday.

In terms of landmarks, it was yet another special occasion for anexceptional performer, but the end result wasn’t quite what he would haveliked. Sachin Tendulkar called his 40th a “special hundred”, but alsoexpressed his disappointment at the manner in which the game panned out.Brian Lara, whose side picked up five points for the win, couldn’t hidehis relief at the result, and was fulsome in his praise for Tendulkar’sglorious unbeaten 141.”We suffered out there as a team,” said Lara. “It was difficult for us.But for a guy coming back after six months, it showed how much of a geniushe is. We just had to watch it and appreciate it, and it was a veryspecial innings for India.”Tendulkar didn’t dispute that assessment. “It was a difficult surface tobat on and I was playing after six months, so I’m quite happy with thefact that I got a hundred,” he said. “The depression in the track meantyou had to play differently to try to execute those plans, and I amdelighted that everything fell in place today.”Everything except the result. “I am obviously disappointed that the gamewas interrupted,” he said. “It’s always more satisfying if you havecontributed and the team has won. West Indies still had 170 runs toget, which is quite a lot. They had a couple of extremely experiencedplayers at the crease, but on a surface like that, anything was possible.The field restrictions were off, so runs wouldn’t have come so easilyeither.”Though he reckoned that his team were handily placed, Lara also agreedthat the rain had favoured West Indies. “India had the runs on the boardand any team would love that,” he said. “But the way Chris [Gayle] and[Rammaresh] Sarwan set up the game, we had to continue in the same vein.Having said that, the job still had to be done. I’m sure India would haveloved the game to finish, but in our position we didn’t mind whathappened.”We knew we were in front at that point in time but unfortunately theweather played a part. We had our eyes on that. I think it was well-poisedeven though we were batting very well. There were still 30 overs to go,and 170 runs to get. It was a very good match, spoilt by rain.”Both men spoke at length about the surface, surprising in itself giventhat so many runs were scored for the loss of so few wickets. “Thedepression was evident even before the first ball, you could not missthat,” observed Tendulkar, when asked about the ridge that flummoxedseveral Indian batsmen. “In a situation like that, you try and keep it outof your minds and watch the ball closely, play it late. We plannedaccordingly.”

Lara wasn’t overly critical either, saying: “I thought it was a very goodpitch other than the ridge. Taking that into consideration, Tendulkarplayed a magnificent innings. Generally, 90% of the pitch wasreally good. The ridge wasn’t a problem for left-handers. We had quite afew, especially up in the top four, and India didn’t. The wickets thatfell on their side, the likes of Dravid, Sehwag and Dhoni, you could sayit was because of the state of the pitch.”Tendulkar also shed some light on his time away from the game, and how hehad steeled himself for the time when he next faced a ball ininternational cricket. While expressing his disappointment at havingmissed out on a tour of the Caribbean, he said: “I’d planned a programmeand was following that. I played a few practice games in London [forLashings and for a World XI], and when I came back to Mumbai, it wasraining so I had to practise with a rubber ball. I had five or sixsessions in Bangalore and Chennai, and played a couple of practice games.That was a bonus.”The last time he had such a long lay-off, following surgery on atennis-elbow problem, he announced his comeback with a dazzling 93 againstSri Lanka at Nagpur in October 2005. Tendulkar made it clear that suchstatements of intent were important, even for a bonafide legend. “On bothoccasions, I was coming off serious injuries, after surgeries which werehuge setbacks,” he said. “You need to keep fighting back and be mentallystrong.”There was also a quiet sense of satisfaction at the fact that he battedthrough the innings, for only the second time in 364 matches. “I’m quitehappy I lasted 50 overs,” he said. “Even till the end, I was running hardbetween the wickets, and that is a reflection of what I have been doing inthe last few months. It’s the first time I have batted the distance since [doing it against]New Zealand in Hyderabad [1999], and I will be happy if it becomes ahabit.”Having been booed by his home crowd and subjected to “Endulkar” headlinesover the past year, Tendulkar also spoke of how easy it was to motivatehimself for each new challenge. “Cricket has been my life, to be honest,”he said with the same earnestness that was his hallmark as a teenager.”I’m living a dream, and every time I step on to the field, it’s with alot of enthusiam and excitement. If I find it a burden, I will know whento step back and step aside.”That time clearly hasn’t arrived.

In this day of dime-a-dozen international fixtures, a one-off one-day international would on most occasions be brushed aside as a non-event. However, things are different when the two teams involved are India and Pakistan, the event is the BCCI’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations, and the venue is the Eden Gardens. It’s festival time for both communities, with Diwali and Eid being celebrated this weekend, and a day-night one-dayer between the two traditional rivals at one of the largest cricket grounds is just the event to get the adrenalin rushing.About six months back, India would have gone into a match against Pakistan as favourites. However, since winning both the Test and the one-day series in Pakistan, the Indians have undergone a collective slump, suffering demoralising losses in four one-day tournaments, and then being thrashed by Australia in the Test series. During this period, they lost three times out of three to Pakistan, who have themselves been on the upswing since Bob Woolmer took charge as coach. Form books usually count for little in any India-Pakistan match, but going into this game Pakistan will fancy their chances of making it four in a row.The timing of this match is itself quite unusual for the Indians. They finished a Test match just a week ago, and go into another one in a week’s time. Sandwiched in between is a high-pressure one-dayer, and it is anybody’s guess how the team – especially the batsmen – will cope with the demands. Sachin Tendulkar and VVS Laxman finally managed some runs in the Mumbai Test, but it would be a huge exaggeration to say that all the batsmen are back in form. Rahul Dravid has been scratchy, while Sourav Ganguly is just back from an injury and was far from convincing in the Ranji Trophy game he played last weekend.There’s been speculation in the Indian media that Ganguly wanted to open the batting with Tendulkar for this match, but it makes little sense for the Indian think-tank to disturb the batting position of the one batsman who has been among the runs – Virender Sehwag was by far the most successful batsman against Australia, and deserves to stay at the top of the order. The other dilemma for India is the usual one – should Dravid double up as the wicketkeeper? Dinesh Karthik was impressive behind the stumps at Mumbai, but the chances are that he’ll be manning the drinks cart on Saturday.Pakistan’s batting has usually been their Achilles heel, but there have been signs that the support cast is beginning to pull its weight to bolster a line-up which had been held together for so long by Inzamam-ul-Haq and Yousuf Youhana. Shoaib Malik has become a vital cog at No. 3, while Younis Khan’s century in the Karachi Test against Sri Lanka suggested that he might be returning to form.Pakistan certainly hold an edge in the bowling department, despite Irfan Pathan’s return. Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Sami have combined raw pace with much better direction and control of late, while Malik and Abdul Razzaq have filled in superbly in the middle overs.Not only does recent form favour Pakistan, they’ll also have fond memories of playing at Eden Gardens. They have won both their one-dayers here against India – including a famous victory in 1986-87, when Salim Malik blitzed 72 off 36 balls – and in their most recent Test there, in 1998-99, Shoaib Akhtar nailed Dravid and Tendulkar with successive deliveries, and Pakistan eventually won by 46 runs.Speaking to the media on Thursday, Inzamam made an unusual statement: “Winning or losing does not matter on this occasion. The important thing is to build relations.” That might be a sentiment in keeping with the general goodwill that each country has shown the other in the last few months, but one suspects that neither team will be in such a generous mood when the umpires call play at 2.30pm on Saturday afternoon.India (probable) 1 Virender Sehwag, 2 Sachin Tendulkar, 3 Sourav Ganguly (capt), 4 VVS Laxman, 5 Rahul Dravid (wk), 6 Yuvraj Singh, 7 Mohammad Kaif, 8 Irfan Pathan, 9 Anil Kumble, 10 Harbhajan Singh, 11 Zaheer Khan.Pakistan (probable) 1 Imran Farhat, 2 Shahid Afridi, 3 Shoaib Malik, 4 Inzamam-ul-Haq (capt), 5 Yousuf Youhana, 6 Younis Khan, 7 Abdul Razzaq, 8 Kamran Akmal (wk), 9 Rana Naved-ul-Hasan, 10 Shoaib Akhtar, 11 Mohammad Sami.

Martin Hawkins, one of the Anti-Corruption officers of the International Cricket Council, has alleged that Maurice Odumbe had made four trips to Mumbai before the World Cup last year to meet an Indian bookmaker. Hawkins was speaking at the ICC’s tribunal at Nairobi into alleged the match-fixing allegations on Odumbe.Hawkins, who gave evidence at the hearing, said that he had investigated Odumbe’s telephone calls, travels and hotel accommodation between January and December 2002. He also said that he interviewed Odumbe in his hotel room in Johannesburg, during the World Cup, about his relationship with Jagdish Sodha, the bookie, and his trips to Mumbai.”Odumbe said,” according to Hawkins, “[that] he had been introduced to Sodha as someone he would do business of solar lighting with, when he retired from cricket. Sodha would also provide medicine for his mother who had hypertension. It was the year before the World Cup and it was unusual for a player to make four trips to Mumbai and be entertained by Sodha.”Hawkins added that his investigations had proved that the player had received money and had his accommodation in Mumbai paid for by his host.Ishan Kapila, Odumbe’s lawyer claimed that by giving detailed reports on Odumbe’s girlfriends and other personal affairs, the ICC investigators had infringed on his client’s private life . During his cross-examination, Kapila said, “The Code of Conduct is dramatically fraud[ulent] in the context.”Niranjan Singh Virk, another ICC investigator, told the inquiry that he had interviewed Sodha in 2000 when he was still working for the Central Bureau of Investigations in India and at the time, Sodha had confessed that he had been a bookmaker. However, he also said that Sodha had never been charged or convicted for the offence.Odumbe is expected to give evidence in his defence on Friday.

Australia have decided to strengthen their batting for their first Test against Bangladesh, and have reverted to a four-bowler strategy. Or perhaps they’ve decided that they don’t need five specialist bowlers. Brad Hogg and Andy Bichel were both omitted from the side, as Martin Love and Darren Lehmann both got a look in.The bowling attack remains formidable: Glenn McGrath, Jason Gillespie and Brett Lee will be supported by Stuart MacGill, who will be hoping, given Bangladesh’s recent record, that he gets a chance to bowl.With Damien Martyn still unfit, Lehmann and Love have both got a chance to pile up some easy international runs. Adam Gilchrist is slated to bat at No. 7.Australian XI 1 Matthew Hayden, 2 Justin Langer, 3 Ricky Ponting, 4 Darren Lehmann, 5 Steve Waugh (capt), 6 Martin Love, 7 Adam Gilchrist (wk), 8 Brett Lee, 9 Jason Gillespie, 10 Stuart MacGill, 11 Glenn McGrath.

Somerset players Ian Blackwell and Richard Johnson have been named in a seven man squad who will compete in the Hong Kong Six-a-Side competition in November.Both players enjoyed considerable success during the 2001 season. Johnson took the most wickets for the county, and was called up on three occasions by the England selectors as cover, but each time failed to make the final line up.Blackwell, who joined the Cidermen two years ago from Derbyshire enjoyed his best ever season, and was thought by many to have been a good bet for a place on the Academy Tour during the winter.A spokesman for the club said, “We are absolutely delighted for both of the players. Their selection for the Hong Kong Sixes will make up for the disappointment of not being selected for the other England tours.”

Heading into this week’s Intercontinental Cup match with Scotland, the Netherlands squad may have been more noteworthy for who was missing instead of who was present. Timm van der Gugten, Michael Swart and Tom Cooper were the most notable absentees.But the arrival of Roelof van der Merwe has helped ease the strain on the rest of the squad to make up the lost runs and wickets needed to compete against Scotland in the Intercontinental Cup. His valuable first innings contribution of 73 took Netherlands out of trouble from 88 for 5 and now has them in a position where they might not just secure first innings points, but are a strong chance of collecting an outright win with two days remaining. The left-arm spinning allrounder is prepared for anything though after a topsy-turvy second day.”There’s always one partnership waiting to happen,” van der Merwe told ESPNcricinfo after day two. “I think we’ve just got to stick to our plans and not try to bowl them out as soon as the tailenders come in. We’ve got to be very disciplined and if we’re disciplined we can have a very good lead.”After playing 13 ODIs and the same amount of T20Is for South Africa from 2009-10, Van der Merwe emerged on the Dutch scene quite suddenly in July, transitioning into the squad just days after securing a Dutch passport to make his T20I debut against Nepal. He made an unbeaten 40 and took two wickets, but had more modest returns through the rest of the World Twenty20 Qualifier. He scored 60 runs in seven innings at an average of 12 but was more effective with the ball, taking 11 wickets.While he has had some experience batting higher up the order in domestic T20 competitions – he batted at No. 3 in the last three matches of the 2009 IPL for Royal Challengers Bangalore ahead of Rahul Dravid, Ross Taylor and Virat Kohli – most of van der Merwe’s appearances for South Africa in both T20Is and ODIs were at eight or nine.However, over the last three years he has proven himself a capable batting performer in multi-day cricket in South Africa. After recording five half-centuries each in the 2012-13 and 2013-14 seasons while batting at No. 7 for Titans, van der Merwe had a breakout season in 2014-15, finishing third overall with 774 runs at an average of 55.28.Starting the season batting at No. 6, he produced his maiden first-class century, an unbeaten 205 against Warriors in the second match of the campaign. He was subsequently promoted to No. 5 for the next match and repaid faith in the move with another hundred. Before the season was over, he tagged one more on for good measure.Rather than looking like a slap-bang T20 dasher, van der Merwe’s polished technique vindicated Netherlands management’s decision to send him in at No. 4. Admitting to being more eager than nervous about making his Intercontinental Cup debut for Netherlands, by the end of the day he had produced his first major contribution with the bat for his adopted country.”I think over the last two years in four-day cricket I’ve worked myself from about seven down to about five or four,” van der Merwe said. “It’s something I’ve really enjoyed doing in the last few years is four-day batting. The one-day game is a bit different. You always need somebody to hit at the end also. I think that’s what I’m mostly known for, is just hitting the ball and trying to clear the boundary.”In a bizarre display, six batsmen combined from both sides were out leaving deliveries seaming in from outside off. Van der Merwe played more than his fair share of dot balls – 95 out of the 136 deliveries he faced – but far more frequently opted to blunt the ball with a straight bat rather than risk shouldering arms and suffering the same fate as others.”The ball really did jag today,” van der Merwe said. “Maybe half of them was bad judgment and other ones were good balls nipping back a lot. I think it was a very slow pitch. There’s not a lot of lateral movement but the guys who got out leaving, the ball did jag a bit. There was a bit of seam movement every now and then so it was quite tough picking up the lines.”With Netherlands 187 for 7 at tea and van der Merwe on 68, the only thing that appeared set to deny him a century was running out of partners. However, three overs into the final session he was through a drive slightly early to Josh Davey and sent back a return catch.The disappointment was evident as he kept his helmet on with his head tilted toward the ground throughout his walk back to the pavilion despite generous applause from the scattered group of supporters. The possibility of a first innings score in excess of 250 vanished with his dismissal but after the lively display produced by the Dutch bowling unit in the final session of day two, the Netherlands will be aiming to capitalize on their solid position.”I think we were very disappointed in our first innings,” van der Merwe said. “I think we could have scored a lot more. Some of the guys got out with loose shots but definitely under par first innings. But we’ve moved the game forward now in their first innings getting them six down very quickly so hopefully we can get a lead.”

ScorecardFile photo: Robin Bist led a chase of 264 to perfection with his 109 not out•Sivaraman Kitta

Robin Bist’s unbeaten century to beat Punjab in Alur was a good primer of how to overcome top-order trouble as it led Himachal Pradesh to the Vijay Hazare Trophy semi-final. Two wickets lost inside the first six overs against a spirited pace attack, with the ball buzzing around both ways, was reason enough to create a few flutters for Himachal. Eventually, they got to the target of 264 with four balls to spare.A chase that was meandering at 77 for 3 in the 22nd over was turned around admirably when Bist found an ally in Rishi Dhawan, who played risk-free cricket through tactful strike rotation. It would be the hallmark of their 102-run fourth-wicket stand that came at a run-a-ball to bring a chase headed nowhere into the realms of possibility.Having the target within striking distance, however, brought a minor mishap. Dhawan mistimed a pull off Siddharth Kaul on 41 and Harbhajan Singh, running backwards from mid-on, held on to a pressure catch. Himachal needed 85 to win off 66 balls, and that was when Bist took over. Having been in accumulator mode early in his innings, he seamlessly brought out the big hitter in him to bring up a maiden List A century and puncture Punjab.The effervescence of Nikhil Gangta, who made a 28-ball 39, further fuelled Himachal’s dream run as victory was achieved with five wickets in hand in the final over. That not only meant a semi-final berth but also consigned Mandeep Singh’s carefully crafted 119 to second best on the day.Things had looked quite different when play started. Punjab lost Pargat Singh in the first over after being sent in on a slightly damp surface. But that was negated by Mandeep; his first boundary came off the seventh ball he faced – an on-the-up extra cover drive – and set the tone for a knock that featured the entire array of his strokes from point to square leg.The unusually harsh mid-morning sun had people ducking for shade and Mandeep too was not spared. He couldn’t hit over the top in front of the wicket, so he brought out the paddles and the delicate dabs to prove he was a multi-dimensional batsman. When he walked back for a 145-ball 119 in the final over, he had put Punjab in a commanding position. Such was his composure that even the loss of Yuvraj Singh (5) to a mistimed pull and Gurkeerat Singh (35) after a steady stand seemed to have no effect on him. He was helped later in the innings by Gitansh Khera (23) and Harbhajan Singh (25).Himachal began like a team that wasn’t sure how to approach the chase in a knockout game. Barinder Sran, the left-arm seamer, who is due to tour Australia in January, bowled a tight first spell of 4-1-11-0. While pace wasn’t his forte, minute deviation off the surface and precision was. The rewards, however, were reaped by Kaul, the other new-ball bowler, who removed Ankush Bains and Prashant Chopra inside six overs. When Paras Dogra skipped down the track, only to bowled after being deceived by Harbhajan’s slider, Himachal were in dire need of momentum at 77 for 3 in the 22nd over.An asking rate that was hovering over seven moved to eight and beyond. Dhawan and Bist milked the bowling but took great care against the slow bowlers, who seemed the bigger threat. The strategy was a sound one and worked quite well until Dhawan’s mistake in the 39th over. Though he couldn’t convert his start into a half-century and beyond, his contribution in a vital stand to go along with his three wickets threw light on the kind of role he could possibly play in Australia.Bist brought up his century in the 47th over, having overcome two close run-out calls. He took it to the last six balls and sealed the deal with some authority, lofting the ball over cover. So it was that Himachal Pradesh took down Punjab, a giant in the Indian domestic circuit, and go into their semi-final clash against Delhi with fresh energy and strong hopes.

Haroon Lorgat, South Africa’s chief selector, says he has no issues if he is replaced from the post he has held for four years. Cricket South Africa (CSA) hold their AGM on Friday and Lorgat’s position, and possible replacements, is expected to be on the agenda.South Africa reached the semi-finals of the World Cup, but erratic performances culminating in an emphatic loss to Australia elicited criticism back home. But Lorgat said he would not have any hard feelings if he was replaced.”I don’t feel at all like a scapegoat, my term was always going to stop at the World Cup and I would have no issues if I was replaced,” Lorgat told .Media reports have suggested that Lorgat is definately out of the running and provinces have put forward the names of Joubert Strydom, Mustapha Khan and Shafiek Abrahams. Khan and Strydom are current selectorsm, while Abrahams is better known for his media work than the sole ODI he played as an off-spinner in 2000. The ultimate decision, however, will be taken by the board itself.Lorgat criticised reports that he was already a non-starter to retain his position. “It has always been a board appointment although provinces are welcome to make their nominations. I just wish journalists would phone first to check their facts before writing their stories.”Lorgat also hit back at criticism that players like Vernon Philander and Thandi Tshabalala did not get enough opportunity during the tour to Ireland in June.”When we went to Ireland, it was always our plan that each player would play in two of the matches and we achieved that.”Vernon played his two matches and by then I would have been quite happy to send him home with a big green tick next to his name. We saw what we needed to see from him during his two matches.”

Kenya 14 for 4 trail Canada 235 (Qaiser Ali 91*, Ongondo 4-49, Odoyo 3-49) by 221 runs
Scorecard

Canada turned the opening day of their Intercontinental Cup tie against Kenya at Maple Leaf Cricket Club on its head with a remarkable bowling performance in the last hour. At the close, Kenya were in deep trouble on 14 for 4 in reply to Canada’s ponderous 235.Canada had been down and out when they slid to 102 for 7, paying the price for batting on a green and slightly under prepared pitch. Peter Ongondo (4 for 49) and Thomas Odoyo (3 for 49) made life difficult early on, and against a seaming ball, the top order’s technique was found out.But Qaiser Ali, who cracked an unbeaten 91, led a dogged fightback, receiving commendable support from the tail, especially from veteran Pubudu Dassanayake (26) and Ashish Bagai (21). “Qaiser played shots all round the wicket,” beamed Andy Pick, Canada’s coach. “He was harsh on loose deliveries and short ones.”That recovery continued when Kenya were left with a tricky hour before stumps, and they were immediately derailed by fierce opening spells from Henry Osinde (2 for 5) and Umar Bhatti (2 for 9). Bhatti picked up the prized wicket of Steve Tikolo, Kenya’s most experienced and leading batsman.Qaiser admitted he was “very, very happy” with his score. He had “solid support that was most important for the team. I’m a bit sad I did not get the 100, but we got the total we needed. Everybody did a great job. Hopefully tomorrow [Sunday] we can bowl them out.”Pick was equally pleased. “At 14 for 4, what price are the runs we made now. That spell of bowling was top class … not just for Associate members but for proper cricket. You must remember that – that’s how good you are. We had length, speed and control today.”Roger Harper, Kenya’s coach, had less to say. “We didn’t build on our excellent start, so we are behind at the end of the day having lost four wickets. We allowed them to recover to 235. I still feel the team have enough batting to compete for first-innings points.”