MELBOURNE, Feb 17 AAP – The Australian Cricket Board today announced its three-person anti-doping committee for Shane Warne’s hearing.Former Test player and selector Peter Taylor, Justice Glen Williams from the Queensland Court of Appeal and medical specialist Susan White will form the committee.Justice Bill Gillard from the Victorian Supreme Court, who was a member of the ACB’s previous two anti-doping committees, ruled himself out of this hearing.The ACB said Justice Gillard informed the board he had acted for Warne as a barrister on a procedural matter about a decade ago.The champion legspinner tested positive to a diuretic last month and could face a ban of up to two years if found guilty of the charge of taking a banned method.He is yet to receive the result of his B sample test and so the board cannot set a date for the hearing.

Australia v Namibia:Adam Gilchrist (AUS) needs 73 runs to complete 5000 ODI runs
Andy Symonds (AUS) needs 95 runs to complete 1000 ODI runsMichael Bevan (AUS) needs 111 runs to complete 500 World Cup runs
Adam Gilchrist (AUS) needs 166 runs to complete 500 World Cup runsSouth Africa v Canada:Jacques Kallis (RSA) needs 52 runs to complete 6000 ODI runs
Shaun Pollock (RSA) needs 164 runs to complete 2000 ODI runsMakhaya Ntini (RSA) needs 4 wickets to join the 100 ODI-wicket clubGary Kirsten (RSA) needs 202 runs to complete 1000 World Cup runs
Jacques Kallis (RSA) needs 79 runs to complete 500 World Cup runs
Lance Klusener (RSA) needs 129 runs to complete 500 World Cup runsLance Klusener (RSA) needs 3 wickets to join the 25 World Cup wicket-club
Shane Pollock (RSA) needs 4 wickets to join the 25 World Cup wicket-club

Sanath Jayasuriya is determined to play against India on Monday despite a badly bruised left forearm and a hairline fracture on his left thumb.Sri Lanka manager Ajit Jayasekera believes that Sri Lanka skipper will have recovered sufficiently to lead the side in their crucial Super Six tie withtheir Asian neighbours.Jayasuriya was hit twice during a hostile first over from Brett Lee and wasforced to retire hurt as Sri Lanka slid to a 96 run defeat against the world champions.”Sanath’s injury has been treated with ice. The swelling has gone down and the pain has subsided a little in his forearm,” said Jayasekera here today.”The hairline fracture in his left thumb appears to be an old injury which Sanath thinks he picked up against the West Indies,” he revealed. “His main concern is the forearm and will have a net tomorrow to check it out.”Even if Jayasuriya plays there is some doubt as to whether he could bowl.Apart from Jayasuriya, Sri Lanka have more injury concerns with Hashan Tillakaratne having aggravated a hamstring injury first sustained during the South Africa game.Jayasekera described the left-hander’s fitness as a “concern” but it is unclear whether one of the replacements, Jehan Mubarak and Avishka Gunawardene, will have to step in.

It’s official.In their quest to meet New Zealand Cricket’s demands for pitches with more pace and bounce, the country’s turf managers for the controversial Indian series over the summer went too far in their preparation.At a long-awaited debrief on pitches in use over the entire summer, it emerged that in order to avoid criticism for not producing pitches that had the required pace and bounce, the turf managers had gone further than was suitable.That resulted in the pitches for the two-Test series and the seven-match one-day series having excessive bounce and movement which was criticised by both teams for reducing the quality of the contests.New Zealand Cricket (NZC) operations manager John Reid reported the debrief, held in Christchurch, had been very successful.”The feeling about the pitches for the Indian matches was that in the quest for pace and bounce, something that NZC has been pushing for the last five years, the turf managers felt they were too conscious of those demands and had gone a little further than was necessary in their preparations,” Reid said.Rather than pulling back a little and possibly being criticised for not having enough of the required pace and bounce, the turf managers had gone too far.Reid said that there was no common factor in the problems that developed because each venue had slightly different problems.”What you do in Auckland is different to what happens in Christchurch. The solutions tend to be venue specific,” he said.It was a case of NZC giving the turf managers the confidence to make the specific adjustments required for their grounds on an individual basis, and not being crucified for doing that, he said.No-one wanted to hide the fact that there were problems, but it was a fact that the solutions were not rocket science, he added.”The debrief was a chance to get the professionals together, to get the best brains together and to discuss the best way to approach these things,” he said.New Zealand Sports Turf Institute chief executive Keith McAuliffe also attended the meeting as did the chief executive of NZC, Martin Snedden.”It was a good opportunity for the chief executive to spend time with them, as he hadn’t done that before, and it was good for him to hear some of their problems,” Reid said.Other matters discussed were the practice facilities at grounds around the country, long a source of complaint by touring teams and locals.”We talked about having purpose-built practice facilities because it is hard for turf managers to prepare the practice pitches when they are stuck in the corner of a ground when there is a match going on,” he said.There was also discussion on the utilisation of different grass types, especially introducing couch-grass on wickets.Couch-grass had stronger regeneration qualities which allowed a greater return for the cricket investment by getting pitches used more than once during a season.NZC are doing experimental work at the High Performance Centre at Lincoln University with couch-grass over the winter.Reid has asked the New Zealand Sports Turf Institute to design a research programme to find a suitable environment for the development of couch-grass pitches, whether they be with glass-houses, purpose-built heating systems or some other means.The development of portable-pitch technology was continuing with Eden Park looking to extend its use of portable pitches to their Outer Oval.Reid said there was no negativity towards portables and there was a growing core of players who preferred the pitches.There was also some research being done on the greater use of “swelling clays” in pitches. The Waikari and Kakanui clays which have been so successful in Dunedin, and “swelling clays” in Australia, were effective because they reconsolidated well after being wet.

Hampshire’s Academy side are off the mark in the ECB Southern Electric Premier League with a tense one-wicket victory at Liphook & Ripsley – the winning runs coming courtesy of four byes!The Young Hawks had lost nine wickets and left last pair Charlie van der Gucht and Tony Middleton to chisel out the 11 runs needed to squeeze past Liphook’s rain reduced 130-run target off 34 overs.And they did it, thanks to several lusty leg-side blows from the Hampshire left-arm spinner … and four byes off South African Alistair Gray, which shot past wicketkeeper Jez Bulled and sped over the boundary.There was great relief in the Academy ranks – but heartbreak for Liphook, who have now lost three times already this season."I honestly didn’t think they’d beat the 190-9 we scored off 50 overs," lamented Liphook skipper Bulled. "Especially when they were 58-5 and then 119-9."Liphook’s total was built around Gray (56) and Duncan Berry (49), with Morgan Rushbrook (3-31) and Kevin Latouf (3-33) bowling the county youngsters back into contention.Latouf (26) became the first of three victims of spinner Alan Crawford (3-25), who had the Academy struggling at 58-5 before Mitchel Stokes (29) and Tom Burrows (21) pulled things round.Burrows held firm while later wickets tumbled, but when he was caught at 119-9, the Academy looked set for a second consecutive defeat. But van der Gucht and those four byes changed all that!Havant emerged 16-run winners over Calmore Sports, whose prospects of pulling off a surprise win gradually diminished in the last 15 overs.Chasing Havant’s 214-6 (Dominic Carson 48), Calmore came out of the traps at speed with Clive Surry (50) leading the charge. "Their tactics really caught us by surprise," admitted Havant skipper Paul Gover."With the fielding restrictions, you can hardly defend at all in the initial 15 overs and the Calmore top order batters took advantage."Surry remained until Calmore reached 121-4 and then watched Tom Pegler (30) and David Rouse (32) apply further pressure on the champions.But as the scoring rate increased, four batsmen were run out and Calmore finished 16 runs adrift at 198 all out after a gallant effort.Gover reckoned that the pre-tea onslaught by his own fifth-wicket pair Bev Moynhan (36) and Shane Ferguson influenced the outcome."They put on about 80 in ten overs, including a 14 run blitz at the end – and that was a major factor," he added.Havant fear that their unbeaten start could come to grief at Lower Bemerton next Saturday when they play South Wilts, who nailed Portsmouth by eight wickets at St Helen’s, Southsea.Portsmouth, furious that Lawrie Prittipaul had been pulled out of their starting line-up to carry out Hampshire’s second innings 12th man duties against Somerset at the Rose Bowl, caved in against some top class pace bowling.Hampshire’s James Tomlinson (1-32) and Combined Services pacebowler Andy Senneck (1-18) had Portsmouth scrimping and scraping for every run."The overs were keeping pace with the runs at one stage," reflected South Wilts skipper Rob Wade.But it was Adie Holewell (3-18) who did the damage, as Portsmouth slipped to 47-5 before Neil Randall (41) and James Manning (39 not out) led the recovery and they reached 147-9.Paul Draper and Russell Rowe fell cheaply for South Wilts, who would have lost Jason Laney – but for a spilled return catch.The former Hampshire man cashed in with 75 not out, including three big sixes off Lee Savident, and with Wade (48 not out) alongside, swept South Wilts home.Bournemouth made it two wins out of two after a cloudburst left Andover marooned in the rain at Chapel Gate.They beat the North Hampshire side by virtue of a faster overall run rate to secure a second consecutive Division 1 win in four rain-ravaged weeks.Once Bournemouth had posted 227-5, they were always favourites to beat weakened Andover.But it was only due to the fact that they bowled their overs quickly after tea that they snared the crucial win points."We’d bowled 26 overs – one more than the regulation number you need to send down in order to get a result – when it poured down with rain," said vice-captain Martin Miller."Five minutes later, Chapel Gate was underwater and a haven for seagulls."Bournemouth’s success was built around former Hampshire all-rounder Richard Scott and Kingston Lacey teenager Nick Park, who shared a prolific 153-run opening partnership.Park, whose elder brother Chris cut his teeth at the Sports Club two seasons ago before joining the Northants Academy, belied his tender years with a splendid 62.Scott, striking two 6s and ten boundaries, hit 99 before being stumped by young Cille van der Merwe off Hampshire Under-19 spinner Matt Hooper."It would have been my first ton since 1997," Scott said afterwards. "And, of all things, I go and get myself stumped."Nonetheless, the pair set the tone for Western Australia’s Adam Voges to spank 41 and lift Bournemouth to 227-5 in 50 overs.Andover, fielding a much weakened side, lurched to 13-2 against the miserly David Kinder and Joe Wilson who, conscious of the pending rain storm, whipped through their overs.Left-arm spin duo Voges and Sean Wallbridge hurried through their overs to leave Andover marooned at 52-2 after 26 overs when the rains came.Skipper Roger Miller, with little back-up batting to follow, was 29 not out.It all went horribly wrong for Bashley (Rydal) at BAT Sports, who avenged a recent ECB Club Championship defeat with a 22-run victory at Southern Gardens."We bowled very poorly to start with and batted without much application," groaned skipper Matt King.Kiwi Neil Parlane (40) and Richard Kenway (40) feasted on Bashley’s off-line bowling and were comfortably scoring at six runs an over.BAT pushed on to 100-1, with Dave Banks (44) piloting the mid-innings while wickets fell to Matt King (4-29) and Kevin Nash (3-53).Rain delays left Bashley chasing 170 off 42 overs – BAT had reached 202-8 in their full 50-over allocation – but the Tobacco men need not have worried.Bashley’s batting folded against the second string attack of Mark Page (3-16) and Chris Thomason (2-14), who had the visitors reeling at 30-5 and later 47-7.Kevin Nash (52), with a swashbuckling maiden SPL half-century, and Neil Taylor (29) launched late resistance, but Bashley could only manage 148 all out.

There is live online ball-by-ball commentary of the Wales-England one-day international taking place today at Sophia Gardens (June 14th). The commentary is available via the BBC Radio Wales website. To listen in, click here

Fidel Edwards, a 21-year-old fast bowler from Barbados, was a surprise inclusion in the 14-member West Indies squad named for the second Test against Sri Lanka at Kingston, Jamaica.Edwards has played just one first-class match and taken a solitary wicket,but he has the unflinching support of Brian Lara. “I think young Fidel of course is going to be a surprise for the people of the Caribbean, but I think our cricket aficionados would understand that he’s been around,” said Lara after the drawn Test in St Lucia.Edwards replaced the reserve wicketkeeper Carlton Baugh in the squad from the first Test. He is the fifth fast bowler in the squad, joining Merv Dillon, Corey Collymore, Vasbert Drakes and Jerome Taylor.”Right now, we are looking to find the right set of guys to take West Indies up in the future,” said Lara. “Fidel just falls into that fold. He’s someone who weare going to be looking at [not only] over the next Test match but also over the next few weeks.”Edwards found it hard to fight his way into a Barbados side packed with fast bowling riches during the 2003 Carib Beer Series. Pedro Collins – Edwards’shalf-brother – Tino Best, Drakes, Collymore and Ian Bradshaw all play for Barbados. Lara, however, was apparently impressed with Edwards when he bowled inthe nets before the third Test against Australia last month.Squad
Chris Gayle, Wavell Hinds, Daren Ganga, Devon Smith, Brian Lara (capt),Ramnaresh Sarwan, Marlon Samuels, Ridley Jacobs (wk), Omari Banks,Corey Collymore, Merv Dillon, Vasbert Drakes, Fidel Edwards, Jerome Taylor.

Pakistan allrounder Shoaib Malik has joined Gloucestershire on a short-term contract as cover for Ian Harvey who is on international duty with Australia.”I am excited by the prospect of signing an international spinning allrounder to replace Ian during the Cheltenham Festival and the C&G semi-finals," said John Bracewell, Gloucestershire’s director of cricket. “He will add a new and refreshing dimension to the squad as did Ian Butler, which is in keeping with our playing philosophy to both win and entertain."

Joshua Jeyaraja and Anwar bin Arudin struck sparkling half-centuries for Malaysia, who trounced Oman by 51 runs to notch up their second victory in the Youth Asia Cup match at the Quaid-e-Azam Park in Karachi. In today’s other match at National Stadium, Hong Kong defeated Thailand by four wickets.

Jeyaraja scored 82 off 125 balls, including nine fours and a six, while Anwar hit a 51-ball 71 with six fours and two sixes to guide Malaysia to 278 for five from 50 overs. Oman, who had their target revised to 209 in 30 overs due to afternoon rain, were restricted to 157 for 9 – thanks to Maxwell Stephen, who took 3 for 16.Malaysia now have 13 points from three games, while Oman have 10 points from as many games.At the National Stadium, Thailand batted first and were dismissed for 174 in 46.2 overs with No. 9 batsman Kwan Chand top-scoring with 39. Openers Darshil Shah (37) and Saurabh Dhanukha (31) put on 41 runs, but the middle order failed to handle the offspin bowling of Zain Abbas, who finished with 4 for 22.In their chase, Hong Kong were helped by Thailand’s generous helping of 38 extras which helped the winners’ cause. Courtney Kruger was the top-scorer with a 56-ball 45 which featured five boundaries. Sahan bowled well for Thailand and finished with figures of 4 for 34.Scores in brief:
Thailand 174 in 46.2 overs (Kwan Chand 39, Darshil Shah 37, Saurabh Dhanuka 31, Zain Abbas 4-22) lost to Hong Kong 178-6 in 36 overs (Courtney Kruger 45, Sahan 4-34) by four wickets.Malaysia 278-5 in 50 overs (Joshua Jeyaraja 82, Anwar bin Arudin 71) beat Oman 157-9 in 30 overs (Derrick Ruston 38, Rustam Ali Khan 30, Maxwell Stephen 3-16) by 51 (D/L method).Tuesday’s fixtures:
Singapore v Nepal at Asghar Ali Shah Stadium; UAE v Maldives at PCB Regional Academy ground.

Michael Vaughan
“Throughout my short career to date this is my best Test victory. [South Africa] were 362 for 4 after the first day on a good batting pitch, and to show the character we did and come back was a fantastic team effort. Steve Harmison was fantastic and Martin Bicknell on his home ground was exceptional.”Marcus Trescothick
“It’s just been a great gig and a great game of cricket for all of us. I’ve worked hard throughout the whole series. There have been some tough wickets and things had not gone my way but I worked hard for this and will enjoy the moment. I still had to fight hard, I did not play all that well for the first hour. I needed a bit of luck but that’s the way it goes.”Graeme Smith
“I’d like to have had 700 in the first innings. The run-outs didn’t help, and one or two little things go against you, but that’s Test cricket. I don’t think we’re chokers. England played good cricket in this match. But at Headingley [where South Africa won the fourth Test by 191 runs after being 21 for 4 and 142 for 7] we fought back well. England are allowed to play good cricket but it’s obviously disappointing not pushing on from 2-1. Test cricket is about pressure and we didn’t cope with it in this match."England batted superbly on what was a good Test wicket – one big partnership up front really set the tone of the innings and then Freddie [Flintoff] came in and took the game away from us."It’s been a hard-fought series, neither side has wanted to give an inch and hasn’t given an inch. You’ve had to fight for everything you’ve gained. I thought my boys had a fantastic series. Three months away from home, they really fought hard for the whole series and put up a fantastic performance."We have to learn to be a bit more ruthless. But apart from this match, when we’ve got into trouble, someone’s got us out of it and that’s given me a lot of satisfaction.”The retiring Alec Stewart
“I said before the Test it was not all about Alec Stewart. It was the perfect sendoff and I wish the team all the best for the future. There was some good batting, some good bowling and it was an excellent wicket here.”Obviously that debut [a win over West Indies in 1989-90] is still clear in my mind. To start and end with a win is perfect. I won’t forget Barbados, the Headingley win to beat South Africa last time they were here, and the series wins in Sri Lanka and Pakistan.”I’m going to enjoy the next few weeks and finish the season with Surrey. Then I’ll put the cricket kit away and get out the golf clubs and the Chelsea shirt. I’ve had some good offers, a good one from here at The Oval. I’ve got some things in the pipeline."