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Portugal are the 2001 ECC Trophy champions.The European Cricket Council’s tournament for ICC Affiliate Member nations fromthe continent was decided on Saturday at the Seebarn No.1 Ground, Vienna, whenPortugal easily defeated the host nation Austria by nine wickets in the 35-overs-a-side final.Austria, winning the toss after batting first, made 158 for 9 from their 35overs. Austrian captain Andrew Simpson-Parker was top score with 43 whileIntesab Mehdi (4/21) and Humayun Shahzad (3/36) were the best bowlers forPortugal.A 126-run first-wicket stand between Portuguese captain Akbar Saiyad and hisopening partner Nadeem Butt set the visitors on their way to an easy victory.Saiyad was dismissed for 44, Butt remaining unbeaten on 91 from 92 balls.The ten-team tournament began on August 10 with teams playing in two groups,situated at Seebarn and the southern Austrian town of Velden. Belgium, Croatia,Finland, Greece, Malta, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland were the otherparticipants.Both Portugal and Austria, by reaching yesterday’s final, qualify for theEuropean Cricket Championships to be staged in Ireland in July 2002. They willcompete alongside ICC Associate Member countries in Europe (Denmark, France,Germany, Gibraltar, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Netherlands, Scotland) and anamateur XI from England.Greece won the last ECC Trophy tournament staged in Corfu two years ago,defeating Portugal, the winners of the inaugural competition in 1997, by ninewickets.Cricket in Portugal among expatriate Englishmen can be traced back as far asthe days of the Duke of Wellington, but it was in 1994 that the FederacaoPortuguesa de Cricket was formed, with Affiliate Membership of the ICC beinggranted in 1996.

With the flick of a coin, Hyderabad ruined Mumbai’s best laidplans. Mohammed Azharuddin began well, winning the toss and puttingMumbai in to bat. The preparation of the wicket and indeed their teamcomposition banked on the fact that Mumbai would get the first go withthe ball. Denying them this advantage, Hyderabad did well to restrictMumbai to 303/6 on the opening day of the Ranji Trophy final at theWankhede stadium on Wednesday, despite a fighting century from VinodKambli.Nevertheless, Mumbai had the batting to set up a good platform.Sameer Dighe and Wasim Jaffer took on Narendrapal Singh and Fiaz Ahmedin an interesting first few overs. Though the two Hyderabad mediumpacers generated good nip off the wicket, it took them six overs tobreak through.Dighe left his bat hanging limply in the air outside the off stump andedged a Fiaz Ahmed delivery straight to Azharuddin at slip. Azhar hastaken too many catches at that position to miss out.Jatin Paranjpe joined an increasingly confident Jaffer out in themiddle and pushed the scoring on. At the end of the 10th over, spin inthe form of Venkatapathy Raju was introduced into the attack. Rajubowled a tidy little spell but was taken off after he had completedthree overs conceding just four runs.Narendrapal had his first wicket when Jaffer slashed a ball from wideoutside off stump straight to Raju at point. Jafffer looked good formore but succumbed on 32.That short man with the stout heart and broad blade walked out to themiddle amidst rapturous applause from an adoring Mumbai crowd. SachinTendulkar was once again in command of the proceedings. Every looseball on offer was treated with generous servings of contempt. Drivingthrough the line with supreme power and ease, Tendulkar raced to 14including three boundaries.Having played solidly for 10 runs, Paranjpe found himself at the wrongend of an LBW appeal. Struck just outside the off stump, Paranjpelooked at the umpire in disbelief as the dreaded finger sent thesouthpaw on his way.School mate and long time friend Vinod Kambli joined Tendulkar out inthe middle and the two took the attack to Venkatpathy Raju. Smashinghim back over his head with regularity, the pair toyed with thebowling and dictated the field placement. Raju’s fifth over costHyderabad 15 runs. Medium pacer Vanka Pratap peppered Kambli withshort pitched stuff and was viciously pulled away to the mid wicketboundary on each occasion.The Mumbai hundred came up just before lunch. After the run feast inthe semifinal against Tamil Nadu, this was a rather sedate start.When Tendulkar slashed hard at an off spinner from Raju and was caughtbehind, the match seemed to lose all its fizz. The crowd quieteneddown, the pace of the game slowed down and that was that.Kambli assumed the mantle of senior batsman. The usually stylish AmolMuzumdar came down the wicket prematurely and was beaten in the air byRaju. He chipped the ball straight to Satwalkar at cover and it wasall upto Kambli and the Mumbai tail.Paras Mhambrey who has done a fair bit with the bat in this seasonalone kept Kambli good company. He played with a straight bat and waspredominantly defensive in his approach. At tea Mumbai were 238/5.Kambli, 83 at the interval, got to his hundred, a well deserved onegiven the circumstances. “I think it was a mature knock” he told thepress at the end of the day. An emotional Kambli was also quick to add”I looked up to the sky because I knew my mother would be watchingme. In the last match I could not make a hundred and wasdisappointed. This century I would like to dedicate to the memory ofmy mother.”The day ended with quasi all rounders Ajit Agarkar (14) and Mhambrey(38) at the crease. At this stage the match could go either way.

CricInfo Championship leaders Yorkshire fired out second-placed Kent for 212 at Headingley yesterday to justify skipper David Byas’ decision to ask the visitors to bat first.Yorkshire then reached five without loss before rain wiped out the last 20 overs of the day.Top bowler for Yorkshire was paceman Matthew Hoggard who captured four for 48 and then learned as he walked off the field that he had been called up by England for their One-Day International with Pakistan at Edgbaston tomorrow (Thursday).Hoggard, who replaces the injured Andy Caddick in the NatWest triangular tournament, was able to go home to pick up fresh kit before joining up with the England squad in Birmingham.Yorkshire are now allowed to draft in another player who can bowl in the Kent second innings but Byas said a final decision on who it would be would not be taken until the morning. Ryan Sidebottom is out of the reckoning because of sore shins.Chris Silverwood chipped in with three wickets as Kent collapsed and there were two for Craig White in his first bowl for Yorkshire since May 11.White is hoping to recover from his back injury in time for the Ashes series but he said he was unable to bowl at anywhere near full pace in his nine overs and felt he may need further tests to pinpoint the exact nature of the problem.Yorkshire seemed to have made a mistake in inserting Kent when they stood at 96 for one at one stage but their batting went to pieces against persistent bowling.Top-scorer Ed Smith looked good for a century until he drove loosely at Hoggard and was caught at slip by Byas for 84 from 155 balls with 14 fours.Opener Rob Key also made a solid half-century but when he had reached 58 he also had a wild flash outside off stump at Hoggard and was caught by wicketkeeper Richard Blakey.

ECB Division 1 (Time Matches)Andover 224 (10pts) (Staddon 65, Whitehouse 45, Hayward 40)
Hungerford 150-5 (9pts)
Match drawnBournemouth 201-8 (11pts) (Webley 63, Warrington 52, Swarbrick 35, King 3-49)
Bashley (Rydal) 130-6 (7pts) (Thurgood 64, Sexton 29, Warren 3-32)
Match drawnBurridge 178-8 (5pts) (Francis 61, Jackson 28, Godwin 25, Hibberd 4-64)
Calmore Sports 180-7 (19pts) (Bailey 51, Motchall 29, Ancell 4-67)
Calmore Sports won by 3 wicketsLiphook and Ripsley 186-9 (6pts) (Tyler 52, Gay 27, Wheatley 25, Lewis 4-30, Loat 4-37)
Havant 187-8 (19pts) (Sears 63, Carson 42, Jansen 3-74)
Havant won by 2 wicketsSouth Wilts 128 (1pt) (Caines 57, Lamb 22, Dibden 4-26, Taylor 3-22, Goldstraw 3-53)
BAT Sports 129-2 (21pts) (Shirazi 51, Kenway 50)
BAT Sports won by 8 wicketsDivision 2 (50 overs)Cove 229-5 (21pts) (Benham 68, Crompton 51, Tomsett 45, Smith 32, Sh Green 4-60)
Easton and Martyr Worthy 193-8 (6pts) (Stone 44, St Green 42, D Birch 33)
Cove won by 36 runs – 49 overs a side gameHambledon 22-0v LymingtonMatch abandoned after 10 oversSparsholt 264-8 (22pts) (Foyle 114, Savage 89, Richards 3-59)
Old Basing 128 (5pts) (Quantock 52, Heyes 3-27)
Sparsholt won by 136 runsTrojans 40 (2pts) (Maru 4-5, Naqeeb 3-7)
Portsmouth 41-5 (19pts) (Donaldson 3-13)
Portsmouth won by 5 wicketsUnited Services 192-9 (17pts) (Barsby 58, Carson 42, Marjoria 4-33)
Old Tauntonians and Romsey 187-6 (7pts) (I Tulk 57, M Trodd 49)
United Services won by 5 runsDivision 3 (50 overs)Alton 145-6 (Chalkley 39, Nash 34, Walsh 3-36)
v United Services
Match abandoned after 38.2 oversBashley (Rydal) II 153 (3pts) (King 51, Stringer 4-26)
(target reduced to 89 in 29 overs)
St Cross Symondians 90-2 (22pts) (Rees 41, Parker 23)
St Cross Symondians won by 8 wicketsHook and Newnham Basics 321-7 (21pts) (Kaminski 100, Lovelock 65, Shaw 50)
Waterlooville 228-9 (8pts) (Slater 41, Langrish 36, Shephard 32, Kaminski 4-42)
Hook & Newnham Basics won by 93 runs – 47 overs a side gameLeckford 180-7 (4pts) (Isherwood 54, Richmond 37, Cattle 28, Wilson 4-26)
(target reduced to 154 in 43 overs)
Hursley Park 155-3 (20pts) (Harris 70, Lowe 47)
Hursley Park won by 7 wicketsLymington II 200 (6pts) (Tapper 77, Jackson 52, Wright 4-50, Heath 3-24)
(target reduced to 137 in 34 overs)
Flamingos 137-4 (22pts) (Latouf 40, Fenigan 23, Manthorpe 21, Follett 3-43)
Flamingos won by 6 wicketsGosport Borough 192-8 (8pts) (Collins 89, Adams 29, L Beck 3-43)
New Milton 196-7 (21pts) (R Beck 62, Watts 42, L Beck 27, Edwards 3-33)
New Milton won by 3 wickets – 42 overs a side gamePaultons 235 (8pts) (Park 76, Waver 35, Richman 31, Mist 4-57)
(target reduced to 221 in 47 overs)
Havant II 221-7 (22pts) (Ward 67, Gover 31, Galliers 30, Mitchell 3-44)
Havant II won by 7 wicketsPurbrook 242-4 (22pts)
Portsmouth II 222 (5pts)
Purbrook won by 20 runsWinchester KS 145 (4pts) (Davies 34, Yates 4-25, Eichler 4-34)
(target reduced to 98 in 27 overs)
Rowledge 99-3 (22pts) (Lloyd 55, Eichler 25)
Rowledge won by 7 wickets – 40 overs a side game

A century from skipper Yuvraj Singh saw Punjab take the upper hand intheir Ranji Trophy league match against Haryana at Gurgaon.Haryana, winning the toss, could not take full advantage of it, beingbowled out for 204 in their first innings. Only Jitender Singh came toterms with the wicket and the bowling, making 89 off 244 balls andforming the anchor for Haryana. He finally fell as the last wicket,unable to extend his side’s total due to lack of support.Punjab, in their own batting effort, lost their openers early. YuvrajSingh and Ankur Kakkar put on 140 runs for the fourth wicket, however,stabilising the innings. Yuvraj, making his runs faster, got to hiscentury first and then fell with the score on 191.At the close of play on Day Two, Punjab were 258/7, with Kakkar stillat the crease on 81. For Haryana, Sumit Narwal took 5-69.

Bengal and Assam carried their battle in the Ranji Trophy East Zoneleague match played at the North-East Frontier Railway Stadium,Guwahati, on Tuesday. Rohan Gavaskar stole the show with a brilliantcentury as Bengal were bowled out for 383 in 151.2 overs after tea onthe third day.Gavaskar hit nine boundaries in his innings of 114 that lasted212 balls. Rohan was at the crease for eight minutes short of sixhours. His was a well disciplined innings. Rohan and Srikant Kalyaniadded 169 runs for the sixth wicket in 53.1 overs, which wasinstrumental in helping Bengal gain a first innings lead of 92.Kalyani made a patient 75 that included nine boundaries. India discardSaba Karim again came good with the bat scoring 44. Rohan had put 69in 27 overs with Karim before he was dismissed by Sunil Subramaniam.The left arm spinner who had started his career with Tamil Nadu provedto be the nemesis of the Bengal tail as he returned to the pavilionwith the figures of 23.2-1-59-5.Assam saw through the difficult 11 overs bowled at them by Bengalbowlers to finish at 22 without losing any wickets.

Steve Camacho, the former West Indies batsman, has died at the age of 69. He passed away on Friday night in Antigua, the WICB said.Camacho played 11 Tests for West Indies between 1968 and 1971, scoring 640 runs. He also went on to play 76 first-class matches as a right-handed top order batsman, scoring 4079 runs including seven centuries and 24 half-centuries. Camacho even captained the West Indies President’s XI against various touring teams.After his retirement as a professional player in 1978, Camacho served as the manager of the West Indies team during the 1980s. He later acted as the secretary of the then West Indies Cricket Board of Control, before becoming the first full-time employee of the WICB, as the CEO.Dave Cameron, the WICB president, described Camacho as “a true stalwart, champion and leader of the game” in West Indies. “As a player, he represented Guyana and West Indies with pride and played his part in helping to grow the game. He was a mentor for several younger players in club cricket and played a major role in nurturing their development,” Cameron said.”He cared about the game and the people around him. He was very professional and hardworking and had the common touch. He kept in tune with the needs of the players, the staff he worked with, all who participated in West Indies cricket, and all those who cared and loved the game he served.”

Scorecard1:42

Australia hold off England at the Ageas Bowl

A seventh-wicket partnership of 112 in 13 overs between Matthew Wade and Mitchell Marsh proved the difference between the sides in the first ODI of the series between England and Australia in Southampton.When the pair came together Australia were precariously placed on 193 for 6 and had just lost three wickets for 15 runs. But Wade, timing the ball as well as anyone, produced his highest ODI score since August 2012 – and his highest ever against a Full Member nation – as Australia added 93 from the final 10 overs.That took Australia’s total above 300 and, while the game has changed up to a point, the fact remains that England have only three times successfully chased a target of that magnitude. Only once have they successfully chased a target higher than the one they were set here.There was talk, at the halfway stage of the game, that the Australia total was little better than par. And it is true that, in the context of the run-drenched ODI series against New Zealand earlier this season, a score of 305 seemed pretty modest.But maybe in time we will come to see that series – played on perfect batting pitches and with playing regulations that favoured batsmen to an extreme extent – as somewhat aberrational. This was the first ODI in England played under the new playing regulations which allow the fielding captain more scope to defend. It is too early to say for sure what the effects will be, but it seems reasonable to presume they will rein in totals just a little.England’s openers set off well enough but eventually, against a disciplined attack, the pressure of sustaining such a run chase began to tell. And, once their innings lost momentum, wickets followed.This was a performance that represented a fine return from Wade. He missed out on World Cup selection after Brad Haddin’s superior keeping and extra experience – and his own failure to nail down a place in the 47 ODIs he had played up to that point – was favoured.Until that point, Wade was averaging in the mid-20s and, after a decent start to his ODI career (he made three half-centuries in his first nine innings), had contributed just one half-century in 22 innings.He didn’t enjoy a good start here, either. Attempting to get off the mark, he pushed a delivery straight to the cover fielder – Ben Stokes of all people – and set off for an almost impossible run that left his partner, the unfortunate Shane Watson, yards short of his ground.But after that moment of madness, he demonstrated a fine range of strokes, a selflessness and an ability to improvise – one sweep off Stokes was especially eye-catching – to suggest that, aged 27, he has the ability, the time and now the maturity to make a success of his second chance in international cricket. He also kept athletically and claimed three catches.Certainly Australia were grateful for his contribution. While David Warner and Joe Burns ensured a bright enough start, Australia lost their way in mid-innings due to the introduction of England’s spinners and some self-inflicted errors. First Burns hit a full toss straight back at the bowler, before Steven Smith slogged another straight to the fielder on the deep midwicket boundary.Adil Rashid was the fortunate bowler on both occasions but, in between times, this was a decent performance from the legspinner. Encouraged to think of himself as a wicket-taking bowler, even in this format of the game, he turned the ball both ways and generally maintained a decent, demanding length. On another day the wicket of Warner, who again looked in fine form but was defeated by a googly and sliced to short third man, might have proved crucial, while Rashid could also take pride in the wicket of George Bailey, beaten by one that skidded on.Moeen Ali, gaining more drift and dip than at any time this summer, also bowled nicely and was the most economical of England’s bowlers. But the seamers claimed only one wicket between them – and that from what might well have been called a leg side wide had Glenn Maxwell not feathered it – which gave Australia the opportunity to launch a counterattack in the final overs.England’s reply started well, too. Jason Roy, timing the ball as well as he ever has done in an England shirt, raced to his maiden international half-century and with Alex Hales posted a first-wicket stand of 70 in 11 overs. It is a partnership of elegant brutality that promises much for the future.But after Hales pulled to midwicket, James Taylor was unable to capitalise on his decent start and became bogged down against the impressively tight bowling of Watson and Maxwell. Roy sliced to point, Taylor played across a straight one and Eoin Morgan’s uncomfortable innings was ended when he gloved an attempted pull down the leg side.That wicket seemed to break the back of England’s resistance. Stokes’ unconvincing innings was ended by a flick to midwicket, Jos Buttler drive to mid-off and, with Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins bowling with impressive pace, the tail were never likely to stay with Moeen long enough to get close.England have now lost 10 of their last 11 ODIs against Australia. The margin was not as large as the last time they met – on the opening day of the World Cup in February – but Australia showed that, even with four changes to the side that lifted that trophy, they remain a tough team to beat in ODI cricket.

Middlesex Crusaders secured a six wicket victory over Glamorgan Dragons at Cardiff in the last round of National League matches.With three needed of the final ball young Irishman Joyce took an ambitious swing, and bottom edged the ball to the third man boundary.A nail biting finish never seemed on the cards after seamer Aaron Laraman had taken a career best 6-42 to restrict the Glamorgan Dragons to an under par 191-9. The Welshmen relied heavily on in form Michael Powell and his better than a run a ball contribution of 86 with 8 fours and a six off Ramprakash.Middlesex Crusaders seemed to be cruising, with Langer remaining undefeated on 75, but when Ramprakash top edged a hook, and Laraman was bowled the innings faltered, and the Londoners were grateful for Joyce’s fortuitous last ball heave.It was a sad ending for Maynard who was also dismissed for 0 in his last game as Glamorgan’s captain.

SHARJAH, Oct 16: Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB)’s decision to call up Shahid Afridi as a replacement for ‘out of commission’ Abdul Razzaq to face the rampaging Australians in the third Test is another mind-boggling step which defies logic.This only confirms PCB’ management’s incompetency and lack of imagination.Shahid, who arrived here early Wednesday, first of all should have been in the original team. He was overlooked for reasons better known to the PCB selectors and the top management.Shahid’s record as an all-rounder at Test level is better than Razzaq’s. Even the unavailability of Razzaq is no excuse to replace him with Shahid as the second all-rounder Rana Naveed-ul-Hasan is in the original squad and so far done nothing but act as a “drinks carrier”.In case the PCB’s blundering management decided to use Shahid as an opener in place of a mediocre Imran Nazir there is already a third opener in the squad – Imran Farhat – who should be given a chance because he too was regarded as a better option than Shahid in the first instance by the selectors.It is certain that Shahid will play in Saturday’s Test. The all-rounder will be under tremendous pressure to perform well in this one-off given to him. And if he fails with the bat here then the selectors and the team management should be blamed.One cannot expect a player of even a bigger stature than Shahid to performhis best when the team’s morale is so low and especially when the rivals are the world’s best side. So it seems that Shahid is once again being sacrificed by PCB.With the series already decided, another victory for Australia will give them a second clean sweep against Pakistan, which is the most likely outcome barring a mini-miracle from beleaguered Waqar Younis’ boys.And the Aussies are determined to heap further humiliation on Pakistan by winning sixth successive Test success, a perfect retort to uncalled for empty threats from Shoaib Akhtar and coach Richard Pybus.The Australians did their talking on the field and the result of the second Test amply illustrated the steely determination of Steve Waugh and his colleagues.Majority of the diehard Pakistan team’s followers believe that the third Test is not going to last the distance as Waqar’s boys are not in the same league as the Australians. They are not accepting PCB’s excuses that the team tackling Aussies is short of experience.Another example of PCB’s bowing to player power is Razzaq’s presence here when he should have been flown back to Pakistan to give his injured wrist time to heal. Why he is still wandering around Sharjah and Dubai shopping centres with his left hand in sling is anybody’s guess.And as he has been ruled out playing cricket for six weeks there is no justification of him being with the team as one of its members.Reuters adds: Wicket-keeper Rashid Latif has been passed fit to play in the final Test.The former Pakistan captain was unable to keep wicket in the humiliating second Test defeat because of a muscle spasm in his back.Rashid, who went for an MRI scan on Tuesday said: “The scan showed no major problems, and the problems which surfaced will be treated with ultra sound, massage and icing.”I have started training and will play the third Test as wicketkeeper and batsman.”