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The former Lancashire allrounder Peter Marner has died after a short illness. He was 71.Marner was the youngest player to represent the county, making his debut against Sussex in August 1952 at 16 years and five months. He was also the first person to win a limited-overs Man-of-the-Match award, and the first two score a hundred, when he made 121 and took 3 for 49 in a Gillette Cup preliminary round tie against Leicestershire in May 1963. In 1965 he moved to Leicestershire, retiring in 1970.A thick-set and powerful middle-order right-hand batsman, he scored over 17,513 first-class runs at 28.33 with 18 hundreds. An accurate seam bowler, just over medium pace, he took 360 wickets and 379 catches, many of those in the slips where be built his reputation as a fine fielder. One of the hardest hitters of the ball in the game, he was a pugnacious batsman scoring quickly in all forms of cricket.Marner was an allrounder sportsman. He played rugby union for Oldham at 16 and went on to represent the Army while on National Service, during which time he also played cricket for the Combined Services.

The Western Australian Cricket Association (WACA) has failed in its bid to stop Beau Casson, the left-arm wrist-spinner, from switching to New South Wales. The WACA complained to Cricket Australia about the recruiting process used to lure Casson, the state’s No. 1 first-class slow bowler, but a grievance tribunal hearing in Melbourne today rejected any breach of the transfer laws.Ron Beazley, the Cricket Australia code of behaviour commissioner, Steven Skala, a Cricket Australia representative, and John McMullan, the Australian Cricketers’ Association’s representative, heard the matter and a Cricket Australia spokesman said the “charge was not proven”. The issue centred around rule four of the 2005-09 Memorandum of Understanding: “A state association must not (and must ensure that its constituent clubs do not) hold discussions with a CA contracted player or state contracted player who is bound to another state association concerning the possible transfer of that player without first informing the player’s home state association.”Casson is now free to move to the Blues and will battle with Stuart MacGill, Jason Krejza, Aaron O’Brien, Steve O’Keefe and Nathan Hauritz for the spinning berths next summer. Western Australia’s main slow man is again Brad Hogg, who was used mainly in the ING Cup last season as Casson was favoured for the Pura Cup competition.

After being subjected to their second consecutive whitewash in an ODI series, West Indies go into the two-Test series against Pakistan decidedly short on confidence. Their record at the Kensington Oval in Bridgetown might give them just a little bit of cheer, though – out of the 42 Tests played on this ground, West Indies have won 20 and have lost only seven. However, four of those seven defeats have come on the trot since 2002, with New Zealand, Australia, England and South Africa all getting the better of them. Pakistan have never beaten them here, though, losing twice and drawing three times. The closest they came to a win here was in 1987-88, when West Indies clinched a thriller by two wickets.The Test also marks the return of Brian Lara, who was rested for the one-day series. Though, Lara couldn’t change his team’s fortunes against South Africa, his record at this ground is excellent. In 14 Tests, he has amassed 1161 runs at 50.47 with two hundreds. Surprisingly, he holds a fairly ordinary record against Pakistan, scoring only 394 runs at 30, with no centuries. In comparison, Wavell Hinds has done much better, averaging 51.78 in five Tests.For Pakistan, the absence of Inzamam-ul-Haq, who will be serving a one-match ban, could hamper their batting. In 11 matches against West Indies, Inzamam has scored 840 runs at 52.50, including three hundreds and as many fifties. Yousuf Youhana, the other big gun in the Pakistan line-up, has an even more imposing record against West Indies, with three centuries in five Tests, at an average of 78.

If England boycott their tour of Zimbabwe this winter, it could have a knock-on effect on London’s prospects of hosting the Olympic Games in 2012, according to a report in Friday’s edition of The Guardian. What is more, the potential costs to the England & Wales Cricket Board are spiralling by the day, and if they are suspended by the ICC for their moral stance, they could lose up to £50 million in gate receipts, sponsorship, and TV revenue.”The ECB is once again in an invidious position because of the utterly tragic situation in Zimbabwe,” said John Read, the board’s director of communications. “A one-year ban would cost the ECB tens of millions of pounds, and would have a devastating effect on all aspects of the game, including our ability to help nurture and develop the two million schoolchildren that play cricket up and down the country. It is difficult to envisage a more serious scenario facing cricket in England and Wales.”The ECB’s stance has also caused widespread distrust among African IOC members, whose votes will be crucial when it comes to deciding which city is awarded the 2012 Olympics. It has been noted that there was no such opposition to Zimbabwe’s participation in the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester, partly because of a fear of an African boycott.”It’s not a red-flag issue for us,” a London 2012 source told The Guardian, “but we’re grown-up enough to know that we are in the business of international relations.” The source confirmed that the potential “ripple effect” of the ECB’s decision had been made clear. Robert Mutsauki, the secretary-general of the Zimbabwe Olympic Committee, added: “We would hope England’s commitment to tour Zimbabwe is fulfilled. The ZCU is an affiliate member of the ZOC and we will back them in all their endeavours.”

Sri Lanka captain Sanath Jayasuriya hopes his side will consign the bitter memories of their shock defeat against Kenya to history and approach their important clash against the West Indies positively.Sri Lanka’s World Cup aspirations were dealt a heavy blow by the Nairobi loss earlier in the week and the former world champions are now fighting for a place in the second round.A win against Carl Hooper’s side on Friday is not essential but failure against the hosts South Africa in Durban on Monday night will condemn them to an early trip home.Should they win against West Indies and then lose to South Africa – assuming Kenya beat Bangladesh – their fate will be decided by net run rate.”We shouldn’t put ourselves under pressure because we lost to Kenya,” said Jayasuriya at the team’s final training session in Cape Town on Thursday. “We have to go with our minds fresh and lift ourselves.””We are experienced enough to come out of it. We can play a better game than the other day. It all depends on how we approach the game. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t. We never expected to lose to Kenya. But such things happen. It is history now,” said Jayasuriya.”If we can get our basics right we should be successful against the West Indies. The other day we didn’t do the basics well. We lagged behind in our fielding, bowling and batting,” he said.Coach Dav Whatmore admitted that complacency had cost Sri Lanka dear against Kenya but hoped the result would provide the side a necessary jolt before their key games.”Clearly we took them lightly,” admitted Whatmore. “Immediately afterwards we had a good meeting. The boys were very disappointed and have taken responsibility.”I am sure there isn’t going to be any complacency on Friday night as the West Indies are a good side. They will be fighting like cats to survive. We are really going to focus on what we can do.”We are really keen to turn it around and put our best foot forward again. With hindsight, perhaps it was a good thing to have happened.” We can rise to the occasion. If we don’t, there’s no point playing the game. I know we are good enough…we have just got to be able to put it together on the night,” he said.Sri Lanka will be at full strength after injured fast bowler Pulasthi Gunaratne passed a fitness test, bowling at full pace in the nets without pain from his fractured finger.The 28-year-old, who will wear a protective plaster over the injury when fielding, is expected to come back into the side in place of Prabath Nissanka.West Indies started the tournament brilliantly, winning against the hosts under the Newlands lights after a masterful century from Brian Lara.However, since then, they have struggled, losing to New Zealand and then sharing points against Bangladesh in a rain-affected match.They were then given a fright by the tournament minnows Canada as John Davison smashed the fastest ever World Cup century.”If we had any thoughts or complacency about how tough it’s going to be for the next couple of weeks, I think the game against Canada was a good wake-up call for us,” said West Indies captain Carl Hooper.”If we thought for a minute that it was going to be a piece of cake to beat Sri Lanka…then maybe we should sit down and check our attitudes and the way we are approaching the one-day game.”SRI LANKA (from):Sanath Jayasuriya (Capt), Marvan Atapattu, Hashan Tillakaratne, Aravinda de Silva, Mahela Jayawardene, Kumar Sangakkara, Russel Arnold, Chaminda Vaas, Muttiah Muralitharan, Dilhara Fernando, Pulasthi Gunaratne, Prabath Nissanka, Jehan Mubarak.WEST INDIES (from):Carl Hooper (Capt), Chris Gayle, Wavell Hinds, Brian Lara, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Ricardo Powell, Ridley Jacobs, Vasbert Drakes, Mervyn Dillon, Pedro Collins, Jermaine Lawson, Corey Collymore, Marlon Samuels.

Mohammad Rafique has not joined the Bangladesh-A camp still. This ace spinner who had always proved his skill in the shorter version, became upset when he saw his name was dropped out of the BCB contracted player list.Rafique has been serving his country for almost eight long years and he has contributed a lot with out a shred of doubt. He has played 23 one-day matches as a left-arm off spinner as well as a hard hitter lower order batsman. He made marks with the bat in some ODI also, including the one he played as an opener against Kenya. He hammered 77 in that match that played its role for Bangladesh’s first win in ODI.Everyone starts calling him a recognized ODI player. But was he unsuccessful in the longer version?In the inaugural Test Rafique was given a chance instead of Enamul Hoque. Though Naimur Rahman hit the headlines by plucking 6 wickets, Rafique’s achievement was not insignificant. He removed three Indian batsmen giving away 117 in 51 overs, a little more than 2 runs per over. He bowled at strict length giving hardly any room for the batsmen to attempt for big shots. So, his ability to get along with the longer version is not suspect so far.Then it is surprising to find him out of the National Squad. Enamul Hoque might be regarded as a better contestant for the Tests but he is already thirty-five. He might get a nasty injury like Khaled Masud, which could keep him off the field. Then what will happen? Naimur Rahman will have to continue alone from one end.The Selection Committee should have pondered over this matter before demoting Rafique to Bangladesh-A team. Like Minhajul Abedin, Rafique did not join the A-team camp yet. He felt humiliated in some respect. Eventually Bangladesh have to go for Rafique once again for the one-day matches.The 29-member Bangladesh-A Team run their practice in the BKSP grounds from Tuesday to Friday. Presently they are undergoing through training sessions under coach Dipu Roy Chowdhury, the former pace bowler of the National Team. They have the West Indies Tour in front in January 2002.

In a major form reversal for both sides, Wellington have comprehensively beaten Northern Districts today at a sun-drenched Basin Reserve.Wellington coach Vaughn Johnson had promised that a different Wellington team than the one that played so poorly against Central Districts on Monday would turn up today and he was proved right, as Wellington strangled the ND batting, which was woeful at times, to record an easy 67-run win.Wellington have also secured a bonus point, and after three rounds of the State Shield are now level pegging with ND on nine points in the top half of the points table.Wellington’s win was set up with an excellent century partnership between Grant Donaldson (75) and Matthew Walker (62). After a cautious start following the early losses of Chris Nevin, Neal Parlane and Richard Jones, the middle-order pair played some sublime cricket in the final 15 overs to give Wellington a decent score to defend.Bruce Martin (one for 30) and Joseph Yovich (three for 40) were the pick of the ND bowlers. Scott Styris (one for 41) also bowled well at times, dismissing Matthew Bell (30) with some intelligent bowling.ND’s run chase never really got going. With James Marshall’s dismissal in the first over of the match they were always struggling. Styris (22) looked good, but his dismissal straight after drinks sealed his side’s demise. Matthew Hart (53) played well, but his rearguard action was never enough as regular wickets fell around him.Wellington’s bowlers, particularly James Franklin (none for 17 from 10 overs) and Ash Turner (two for 21 from eight overs) were demanding. Mark Gillespie (four for 32 off eight overs) was rewarded for some lively bowling.Nevin was also outstanding behind the stumps. His four catches were just reward for a tidy day behind the stumps.

Leicestershire have signed Dillon du Preez, the South African quick bowler, as their second Kolpak acquisition in a week.du Preez was the highest wicket-taker in the Supersport Series with 55 wickets at 16 and Leicestershire coach Tim Boon says he will be a valuable addition to the attack.”He swings it away from the right hand batter, almost in the shape of Darren Gough,” he told . “He has a strong set of values, and he’s really keen to learn and fit in.”Leicestershire recently brought in Jermaine Lawson, the West Indies fast bowler, as another part of their bowling unit for the 2008 season. They need to fill the hole left by Stuart Broad who moved to Nottinghamshire.

Australia women are without a coach after Mark Sorell announced he was leaving to coach the South Australia men’s squad. Sorell, who held the role for two years after taking over from Steve Jenkin, helped to oversee victory at the women’s quadrangular and all four one-day series.Thoughts will now turn to his successor. Cathryn Fitzpatrick has already acknowledged her interest in the England vacancy, after Richard Bates resigned from the role last month, but it would be no surprise if she applied for this role, as this would mean coaching her fellow Australians with whom she has enjoyed so much success.Indeed, were she offered both jobs then the Australia role may be more attractive to her, as it is in her home country and she has already gained extensive coaching experience with their Centre of Excellence.Lisa Keightley would also make a strong candidate. Another Australian, the batsman Keightley was appointed coach of New South Wales women in 2005, becoming the first full-time female appointed by the NSW board. She had previously worked as their female high-performance coordinator.

Today’s third one-day international match between West Indies and Zimbabwe in Guyana has been cancelled due to heavy rain since Tuesday.Chris Broad, the ICC match referee, made the announcement late yesterday after an inspection of the Bordua ground. It was decided that the outfield was too wet for any possible play but Broad added that officials were “hoping that the weather improves enough to get play on Sunday”.The fourth match is set for the same venue on Sunday but more rain is forecast and that fixture looks bleak as well. The West Indies leads the seven-match series 2-0.Chetram Singh, the long-standing president of the Guyana Cricket Board and a director of the West Indies Cricket Board, admitted officials had taken a chance with the scheduling of matches. Only once has an international match been scheduled in May in Guyana. Six years ago, Pakistan had the last two days of a Test against West Indies washed out.Singh noted the reason for this is that May is traditionally one of the wettest months of the year in Guyana. “We all knew it was risky, but the schedule of this year’s international fixtures has been changed so many times,” he said. “Initially, India were to start our international season in mid-April when Guyana was slated to have the first Test, but the Indians changed their fixtures, so then it was Zimbabwe which came first and they were to play the two ODIs on April 29 and 30.”Meanwhile, Brian Lara declined to write off a struggling Zimbabwean side ahead of the remaining matches. “They are playing decent cricket. I think they’ve got a couple of very good, talented players in the team and something that they can work on for the future,” he told Reuters. “I still think they are an international team, we expect them to compete and that’s what they are doing.”An out-of-form Shivnarine Chanderpaul was hopeful that tomorrow’s ODI would go on as scheduled. The venue is one at which he has had much success and Chanderpaul was keen to get back into form here. “It brings back a lot of good memories,” he said. “Over the years I’ve done pretty well at Bourda. At a time when I’m struggling and hoping to regain some form, with the support and everybody behind you, you need something like that to help you go out there and perform well.”The West Indies had to cancel their Thursday afternoon net session at the Everest Club and Friday’s planned training was also washed out. For Sunday’s match, the hosts omitted Dwayne Bravo and Ian Bradshaw to bring in Sewnarine Chattergoon, the uncapped opening batsman, Dave Mohammed, the left-arm spinner, and Tino Best, the fast bowler.