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Four expatriate fans of Pakistani origin were arrested at Gaddafi Stadiumduring the final afternoon of the second Test between Pakistan and SouthAfrica for making racially-motivated comments and gestures at members ofthe South African team.The four, sitting in the Imran Khan stand, were arrested by local securityofficials during the afternoon session , after abusing three South African players andofficials who were on their way to the nets.”They were making racial comments about the South African team and they are nowin lock-up,” said a Pakistan board official. The remarks were directed atallrounder Vernon Philander, the assistant coach Vincent Barnes, and FaisulNagel, the South African security consultant.The incident mirrors the monkey chants directed at Australia’s allrounder Andrew Symonds during the fifth ODI at Vadodara, but South Africa, like Australia, will not be lodging any complaints. Michael Owen-Smith, the team’s media manager, said: “The matter was swiftly handled and we are not going to lodge an official complaint.

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) may ask the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to pay damages up to $1.5 million for losses the ECB incurred because of the cancellation of the fifth day of The Oval Test. In the next few days the PCB is likely to receive formal notification from the ECB on this matter, reported.After Pakistan refused to come out of the dressing room to resume play following the tea interval on day four because of being penalised for unproven ball-tampering charges, the match was awarded to England. The spectators who turned up on day four have been refunded 40% of their ticket price and those who bought tickets for the fifth day have been refunded the entire ticket amount by the ECB.On their part, the Pakistan board feels that Darrell Hair, the umpire at the centre of the controversy, and not the PCB, is to blame for the abandonment of play at The Oval. “We consider it not our responsibility that this Test was abandoned in the way it was,” Shaharyar Khan, the PCB chairman told .Given the cordial relations that exist between the two boards it is unlikely that either of them would risk confrontation on this issue. Meanwhile, the PCB plans to ask the ICC that the charge of bringing the game to disrepute be brought upon Hair. This would make the ICC responsible for reimbursing the ECB for the monetary losses suffered.”The situation won’t be left as it is,” said Waseem Khokhar, of the Pakistan board’s lawyers DLA Piper. “There is the strength and resolve to see that the right course of action is taken. There is an immense amount of hurt and sense of grievance.”Earlier, after the ICC’s hearing into The Oval fiasco, Inzamam-ul-Haq, the Pakistan captain, said he would not seek legal action against Hair. “Our religion Islam teaches us to forgive and forget, so I forgive Hair and will not take any action against him,” Inzamam told AFP on Friday. Inzamam was declared not guilty on ball-tampering charges, though he was penalised for bringing the game to disrepute and placed under an immediate ban of four one-day matches.

Matt Prior says he will be ready to step in as a batsman – and not just a wicketkeeper – should England require him to do so on their tour of Pakistan in November. Prior, Sussex’s wicketkeeper-batsman, knows he has been included in the Test squad as an understudy for Geraint Jones, but he says he would be able to replace a frontline batsman, too. He does not, however, expect to play if the first-choice players are fit.”I want to make sure that if anyone slips up – and it doesn’t have to be Geraint Jones, it could be one of the batsmen – then I will be 100 per cent ready to come in and perform,” he told , a Brighton-based newspaper. “I’m completely prepared for the fact that I might go there and not play a single game. At the moment I’m more prepared for that than actually playing.”But Prior, 23, promised to seize any opportunity that comes his way. “This might be my one chance and if I don’t get another one then I want to be able to look back, say I gave it 100 per cent and that I couldn’t have done any more. If I don’t play then that’s because the team has done well. But I don’t want to come home with regrets. I just want to work hard and when I think I can’t work any more I will work even harder.”England squad Michael Vaughan (capt), James Anderson, Ian Bell, Paul Collingwood, Andrew Flintoff, Ashley Giles, Steve Harmison, Matthew Hoggard, Geraint Jones (wk), Simon Jones, Alex Loudon, Kevin Pietersen, Matt Prior (wk), Andrew Strauss, Chris Tremlett, Marcus Trescothick, Shaun Udal.

Lancashire 350 for 8 (Law 159, Bichel 3-56) v Worcestershire
Scorecard

Stuart Law cracked a superb 159 on the opening day of the penultimate round of County Championship matches, as Lancashire launched their survival bid with a spirited performance against Worcestershire at New Road. His efforts were backed up by a pair of half-centuries from Iain Sutcliffe and Glen Chapple, although Andy Bichel hit back with three vital wickets for Worcestershire, who themselves are in need of as many points as they can muster, given that they currently occupy the third relegation spot.Until Bichel returned for his final spell of the day, the honours belonged to Lancashire. But then Law and Dominic Cork were prised out in quick succession to leave Lancashire gasping for the last batting point on what is a good pitch. Law’s late dismissal, six overs before the close, was initially announced as caught behind, before being amended to lbw ten minutes later. His unhappiness was plain: head bowed, with feet shuffling turgidly, he was almost unaware of his ovation. For exactly five hours he had looked a class apart. Assertive throughout against Worcestershire’s four-nations bowling attack, he crunched 24 fours and a six, mainly through cover.His innings has already had a strong impact on this first-division basement battle, although aside from the prestige factor, it is unclear quite how damaging relegation will prove to be. Admittedly the prizemoney for winners and runners-up varies, but the ECB handout does not. Nor has Duncan Fletcher shown a marked partiality to top-division players. And this year the second-division teams have attracted some of the world’s leading lights, in the form of Ricky Ponting, Andy Flower and Shane Warne.After winning the toss under clear skies, Lancashire started weakly. Mark Chilton’s off stump was plucked out by Bichel to leave them 5 for 1, and Mal Loye was dropped in the gully on 8 shortly afterwards. Meanwhile Sutcliffe was in scratchy form, and Worcestershire were in command. The heat persuaded their captain, Steve Rhodes, to use his quicker bowlers in short spells, and when Matt Mason returned to the attack, he wangled a fatal waft from Loye. That brought Law to the crease in hot sunshine and, like the ice-cream van to the north side of ground, both were immovable until the dying overs.The dry, slightly mottled wicket, with balding strips of brown grass, warranted the early introduction of Ray Price, who spun through eight tidy overs before lunch. The break gave Sutcliffe a touch of fluency before Rhodes gleefully stumped him in the same over that he reached 50. Worcestershire’s decision to include a second spinner – Shaftab Khalid ahead of Nadeem Malik – may yet prove crucial.Carl Hooper never looked at ease before he fell lbw to Andrew Hall, and the pressure was piled onto Law. He was aided for a time by the debutant, Andrew Crook, who appeared casual and confident after his exploits in the 2nd XI, but he eventually played back to Khalid and was caught behind for 27. Law found a redoubtable ally in Chapple, and together they added 108. Chapple used his feet well to counter the turn and exhibited a useful array of strokes, only to fall in the final hour, trying to hit the ball over extra cover. Then Bichel returned, and Worcestershire inched back into the ascendancy.Deb Biswas is a freelance writer with the Wisden Cricketers’ Almanack.

In 1983, the Old County Ground at Northlands Road hosted its first One-Day International, a World Cup match between Australia and Zimbabwe. The official scorers for that match were Victor Isaacs and Tony Weld.Since then Victor Isaacs has become the longest serving scorer in Hampshire’s history, and Tony Weld has remained the 2nd XI’s scribe, that is, when he was not away scoring with visiting International teams.This Thursday the 10th July, the Rose Bowl hosts the Nat West series One Day International when South Africa meet Zimbabwe. The official scorers for that match will be Victor Isaacs and Tony Weld. 20 years on, Vic will be scoring his 13th International (1 test and 12 ODIs) and Tony his 100th.Tony Weld who keeps his age a secret for fear of being retired prematurely, is one of the countries leading scorers. Treasurer of the Association of County Cricket Scorers, he puts his life and soul into the task which he still enjoys to the full.Tony is also a useful replacement when Vic, recently troubled by diabetic foot problems is absent, not only does he perform the computer duties, he scores in the main scorebook and also performs Vic’s Public Address announcements.It is Tony’s International duties that has been his forte over the years. He has joined the Australians, The West Indies, Pakistan, New Zealand to name but a few, and has been highly respected figure with all he has toured with.Tony is a man that does not push himself forward in the public eye, slightly shy but very friendly and a delight to share a scorers box with.He is to be congratulated on the 100th Milestone a magnificent achievement, but we have not seen the last of him for some time yet, whatever his age!

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.

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.”

Sam Harper’s maiden BBL century blasted Melbourne Stars to their best start to a season in 12 years with a seven-wicket win over Sydney Sixers.On a night when Peter Siddle, at the age of 41, narrowly missed out on his first BBL hat-trick, Harper smashed an unbeaten 110 from 60 balls to help Stars chase down 145 with 15 deliveries to spare. In what was easily the best game of Harper’s BBL career, he took to Kane Richardson and brought up his century off just 50 balls at the SCG.After going the past two BBL summers without a half-century, Harper now has scores of 55 and 110 not out to start this season.Victory means Stars have won their opening three games for the first time since they went undefeated through the regular season in 2013-14. Sixers, in contrast, are struggling with one win from four games.Harper was the cause of most of Sixers’ pain on Boxing Day, hitting six sixes in total and taking 41 runs off two overs from Richardson alone. The manner in which he did so was brutal, twice making use of the shorter side by pulling Richardson into the Bill O’Reilly Stand. When Richardson swapped ends, Harper again made use of the dimensions, hitting the quick over cover for another six.Peter Siddle picked up three wickets•Getty Images

Harper also hit the former Australia white-ball quick to the rope five other times, before taking on Jack Edwards in similar fashion. He brought up his hundred when he top-edged the allrounder over a short third man, after twice clearing the rope earlier in the over.Earlier, Siddle continued his superb start to the season with 3 for 23 from four overs after he also claimed 3-30 in the Stars’ opener against Hobart. He had Jordan Silk caught at cover from the final ball of the 16th over, before returning and getting Joel Davies at long off from the first ball of the 19th.But Jonathan Merlo put down a tough chance at point to remove Sean Abbott first ball, denying the former Test star his hat-trick.Tom Curran also enjoyed some success over his old club, picking up a crucial 3 for 26 with the ball. A six-season player with Sixers, Curran left the club after the 2023-24 season, when he was suspended for four matches for pushing a fourth umpire.Curran got the key wicket of Daniel Hughes, after the opener had played a lone hand with 60 off 42 balls, with the Sixers 90 for 3 when he was dismissed in the 13th over. He also rid of Babar Azam for 2 and the dangerous Edwards for 11, with Sixers all out from the last ball of the 20th over.

South African opener Loots Bosman will know on Monday whether he will be fit to play the Twenty20 World Championship which begins in South Africa on September 11.Bosman suffered an injury when trying to catch Tatenda Taibu off Dale Steyn at the boundary during the second ODI against Zimbabwe on August 25. He failed in his attempt, and instead crashed into the advertising boards, hurting his back in the process. He was carried off the field in a lot of pain and didn’t bat later in the afternoon. He was reported to have a prolapsed disc in his spine.”The latest verbal assessment we have of his [Bosman’s] condition is not encouraging,” South Africa coach Mickey Arthur told . “We are still waiting for a written report, but we will not make a final decision before Monday. There’s no sense in going into a two-week tournament with an injured player.”No one has been called up as cover as yet but Arthur had said that Bosman would have to be replaced if he wasn’t fit enough to play the first warm-up match on September 8.

New South Wales are looking to expand their international coaching contingent by attempting to lure Waqar Younis to the SCG. Waqar is currently working with the Pakistan squad in England and is contracted to the country until the World Cup, but David Gilbert, the Cricket New South Wales chief executive, said he was interested in signing him as the state’s bowling coach.”He was such an artist with his reverse-swing, and the outswing he would get with the new ball,” Gilbert said in the . “We would be crazy not to be interested in someone with those kind of skills, particularly when he lives in Castle Hill [in Sydney].”A bowling coach vacancy has appeared with the loss of Anthony Stuart, who took a one-day hat-trick against Pakistan in 1996-97, on a three-year deal with Wellington. The New South Wales ranks also include Graham Thorpe, the former England batsman who will become the side’s full-time batting mentor. Thorpe was a part-time appointment last season and his friendship with Waqar from their Surrey days may help strengthen the state’s support staff.