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Scorecard’Afghanistan’s maiden first-class game on their now official home ground – Sharjah – got off to a poor start with Canada’s top order piling on the runs on the opening day of their ICC Intercontinental Cup match. Ashish Bagai top-scored, but missed out on a century, and there were half-centuries from Trevin Bastiampillai and Nitish Kumar as Canada reached 350 for 6 by stumps.Canada’s openers, Sandeep Jyoti and Bastiampillai, added 61 before Jyoti was dismissed by Mohammad Nabi for 32. Kumar then joined Bastiampillai for another protective stand for the second wicket, worth 50, but the innings’ best alliance was between Kumar and his captain Bagai. They added 155 but Canada were jolted when both fell in consecutive overs, leaving the innings on 271 for 4. Bagai had made 93 before he was caught by Samiullah Shenwari off Mirwais Ashraf.Ramesh David and Sunil Dhaniram were building another useful stand when Shenwari struck two blows late in the day, bowling David and trapping Jimmy Hansra lbw, to raise Afghanistan’s spirits. Canada, who were on 266 for 2 at one stage, finished on 350 for 6.

The English umpire, Mark Benson, has confirmed his retirement from the ICC elite panel, and will see out his career on the county circuit, following his sudden withdrawal from the Adelaide Test between Australia and West Indies in December.Benson hit the headlines on the opening day of the second Test on December 4, when he was reported to be upset over several incidents involving the Umpire Decision Review System, one of which led to his original decision against Shivnarine Chanderpaul being overturned.He withdrew from the contest and flew back to England while the match was still taking place, although the ICC later claimed his withdrawal had been on the grounds of ill-health.”I have enjoyed my time on the elite panel immensely,” said Benson in an ICC statement on Friday. “The opportunity to be part of the global game has given me memories that I will always treasure. But travel and being away from home takes its toll on the family and some warning bells have started to ring regarding my health.”So, having thought about it carefully, I feel now is the right time for me to step down and move to a more settled and familiar environment in England.”Although Benson’s contract was not due to expire until the end of June 2010, he asked if he could be released from it three months early so he could take up a contract with the ECB and this request was granted.”I’d like to thank the ICC and my umpiring colleagues on the elite panel for their support over the years,” added Benson. “Umpiring at the top level has been a very rewarding experience for me and it is not an easy decision to walk away from it but I believe it is the right one as far as my health and family are concerned.Vince van der Bijl, the ICC’s umpires’ and referees’ manager said: “Mark’s immense love for and enjoyment of cricket shines through his umpiring. His on-field calm demeanour will be missed, as will his friendly and easygoing disposition.”We fully understand and support his decision, which was brought on by a desire to spend more time in England with his family and some concerns about health issues. He will add richly to the county circuit as he is a talented and hugely experienced umpire and we wish him great success.”In total, Benson umpired 27 Tests, 72 ODIs and 19 T20Is, including the final of the inaugural ICC World Twenty20 final in Johannesburg in September 2007. He had been on the elite panel since 2006 and was offered a contract by the ECB to return to domestic cricket as a first-class umpire.

Corrie van Zyl, victorious in his first Test as South Africa’s coach, has said that his team will not be intimidated by a probable turning track at Eden Gardens because the visitors are now mentally much stronger than they were on their last visit in 2008.Two years ago Dale Steyn had broken the back of India’s batting with a powerful burst of fast bowling in Ahmedabad to put South Africa one up going into the final Test in Kanpur a week later. India opted for a turning pitch at Green Park, which Steyn called a “bunsen burner”, won the Test and levelled the series.This time, though, Graeme Smith is leading a unit that is not just consumed by the possibility of beating India in India but is confident of doing so. That, van Zyl points out, is the difference between this squad and the previous ones. “Mentally, the South African team is better prepared,” van Zyl, who was appointed the interim coach after Mickey Arthur resigned, said.”It is still going to be a challenge to deal with turning wickets or whatever the wicket is,” he said. The South African think-tank has already assumed the Indians will opt for a pitch that play to their strengths. “India have more control over the conditions,” Smith had said yesterday after the innings win in Nagpur.van Zyl echoed his captain’s sentiments today. “I won’t say it would be a minefield, but I do expect something that will help the Indian team.”But the South African coach said they would not be in a hurry to change their gameplans, especially after they worked so well in Nagpur. Speaking about the aggressive bowling lines adopted by Steyn, Morne Morkel and Wayne Parnell, van Zyl said it was a conscious decision. “It would be part of our gameplan going forward. We need to make sure as a bowling unit we start operating together and we don’t work as individuals. That makes you a lot more effective.”Still there was an individual effort that stood out and that came from Paul Harris. The left-arm spinner had been targeted going into the series but produced a concerted effort of bowling to strict lines and lengths that clamped the movement of the specialist Indian batsmen, especially in the crucial second innings.”Just the fact that he bowled so many overs, and his economy rate, shows he was really effective,” van Zyl pointed out. Importantly Harris knows exactly what his role is within the bowling unit. He said that the decision to enforce the follow-on became viable only because Harris kept an end tight and delivered marathon spells on the fourth afternoon.Asked whether the leg-stump line against Sachin Tendulkar was deliberate, considering the batsman’s past vulnerability to such a ploy, van Zyl indirectly confirmed it. “The line of the attack is determined by the amount of the turn on offer and the line where it turns from. And we had to assess where it was more difficult to score against.”van Zyl has been part of the South African coaching set-up for the better half of the last decade and worked closely with various coaches, including Arthur. His previous assignment, before moving into the present job, was to deal with the emerging talent at the High Performance Centre in Pretoria. A fast bowler during his playing days, van Zyl said the most striking aspect about Smith’s squad was its “professionalism”.”I was telling the team and the team management that I was pleasantly surprised by the level of professionalism,” van Zyl said. According to van Zyl the main reason for the superior mental strength the players possess now could be the structure Arthur worked hard to create. “Credit must be given to Mickey and what he put in the place. That does make my introduction a lot easier.”Both Smith and van Zyl have no illusions about that the second Test, which begins on February 14, being just another hurdle that can be easily crossed. “If the first Test was a challenge then the second Test is a bigger challenge,” van Zyl said.Smith said an extra day’s break would be welcome given the amount of preparation that went into the Nagpur Test. “The guys need a few days’ rest to regain the mental energy more than anything else. This [first Test win] has taken a lot out of the guys,” he said. But he is not losing any sleep yet. “There is enough in the group now and we have beaten India enough number of times. I don’t think anything will surprise us going into Kolkata.”

Close England 241 for 7 (Prior 52*, Swann 5*) trail South Africa 291 (Kallis 108, Anderson 5-63) by 50 runs
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsMorne Morkel kept England under pressure all day, and claimed three important wickets•Getty Images

Morne Morkel and Dale Steyn hauled South Africa right back into contention in the third Test at Newlands, and the series as a whole, claiming six wickets between them on an extraordinary day that began with a clatter of South African wickets and ended with England’s lower order fighting to avoid a first-innings deficit. Despite clear-blue skies that implied a perfect day for batting, 11 wickets fell in 83.4 overs, including seven in the morning session alone, four of which fell in 17 balls to bring South Africa’s innings to a swift and undignified end.By the close, however, England were the team on the ropes, as Matt Prior struggled to locate his timing in an uncharacteristically gritty half-century, with Graeme Swann alongside him and primed to take on the second new ball in what promises to be a pivotal first session on the third morning. In reply to 291, England’s deficit was a manageable 50 with three wickets still standing, but every run so far in this match has had to be chiselled, as if from Table Mountain itself.After the first 15 minutes of the day, England believed they had stolen all the momentum by reducing their opponents from 279 for 6 to 291 all out, but in reply, the first-over dismissal of Andrew Strauss, courtesy of his nemesis, Morkel, redressed the balance dramatically. Steyn, operating as first-change after an unconvincing comeback match at Kingsmead, then announced his return to strike-bowler status with two wickets in three balls, including Kevin Pietersen for a second-ball duck, and when Morkel pinned Paul Collingwood lbw for 19 after lunch, England were in danger of conceding an insurmountable lead.For the remainder of the afternoon session, South Africa were thwarted by Alastair Cook and Ian Bell, whose fifth-wicket stand of 60 provided further evidence of the pair’s revived confidence, following their twin centuries in last week’s Boxing Day Test. For nearly four hours, Cook was bloodymindedness personified as he hung back in his crease and relied on the bowlers losing patience before he did, as he left outside off time and time again, feeding almost exclusively on tucks through the leg-side whenever they straightened their line of attack.But whereas in Durban, nothing could crack Cook’s concentration, this time the tea interval unhinged his resolve. Once again it was Morkel who struck the mortal blow, in the first over of the resumption, as Cook was caught in two minds for the only time in his innings, and shovelled a half-hearted pull to Ashwell Prince at short midwicket. Bell responded to that dismissal with a classy stamp of authority, easing Steyn for three fours in the very next over, all through backward point, but just when it seemed he was ready and capable to carry the fight for his country, he gave his innings away on 48 with a loose wafted cut.The ball, from Jacques Kallis, was a rank long-hop that was asking to be hit, but Bell’s eager slap flew straight to backward point, and as he departed with a grimace of self-admonishment, England’s innings had slipped back into the mire at 174 for 6. But Prior, playing a shot to almost every delivery but timing next to none, was joined by Stuart Broad, and together they ground out a 51-run stand for the seventh wicket before Steyn popped up with the new ball looming, and nicked Broad’s bails with a perfect delivery that zipped through the gate.Prior, showing great determination in a situation that did not suit his free-flowing style, reached his half-century from the penultimate ball of the day, his 95th, as he and Swann successfully fended off the new ball for 10 deliveries before the close. At that stage, England trailed by 50 with three wickets still in hand, but as England themselves had demonstrated at the start of the day, there’s nothing quite like a new nut for cracking the tail in this series.South Africa had resumed their first innings against a ball that was just 3.2 overs old, with Kallis unbeaten on 108, his 33rd Test century, having added 63 vital and confident runs for the seventh wicket with Steyn. However, Graham Onions’ second delivery of the morning was simply too good – bending in towards off, it pitched, seamed, and nicked Kallis’s outside edge, to send him on his way without addition, and set in motion an extraordinary sequence of events.Next to go was Steyn, who had batted well for his overnight 26, but now fell to James Anderson’s first delivery of the morning – a fat edge to Jonathan Trott at third slip, who made good ground to accept the chance to his right. Three deliveries later, Morkel hung out his bat outside off for Swann at second slip to atone for his first-morning miss with a fine low catch, diving to his right, and one over later, Anderson completed his eighth five-wicket haul as Friedel de Wet was pinned on the front pad by a nip-backer, and sent on his way for a duck despite the futile use of a review.South Africa’s collapse exceeded England’s most optimistic calculations, but the challenge for Strauss and Cook was to capitalise on the chaos. Instead, it was Morkel who struck the next blow, and arguably the biggest of the morning, when his steepling bounce from his awkward round-the-wicket line once again proved too much for England’s captain. Cunningly handed the first over of the innings, Morkel forced Strauss deep into his crease with a series of lifters, before pitching his sixth ball up and finding the edge of an unbalanced drive.Strauss swished his bat in anger as he left the crease with England tottering at 2 for 1, although that scoreline was soon massaged by Cook and Trott, who batted calmly to add 34 for the second wicket in 11.4 overs. Trott provided the aggressive intent, pulling de Wet in front of square before driving Morkel handsomely through the covers, while Cook hung back in his crease and waited for the bowlers to err in line and length. However, it was the belated introduction of Steyn that swung the balance firmly back in South Africa’s favour.After an exploratory start to his spell, Steyn exploded into life in his first over after the drinks break, as Trott paid the price for his aggressive intent and inside-edged a hard-handed drive onto his off stump. Two deliveries later, Pietersen had been and gone as well – the situation was one that he habitually relishes, and the extra bounce in the surface might have suited his attacking instincts. But Steyn drew him into a loose and airy drive, and reached out with his right hand to pluck a vital return catch.At 36 for 3 after 13 overs, South Africa were swarming, and though Collingwood’s cool accumulation allowed England to reach lunch without further loss, he was swiftly extracted after the break for 19, as Morkel found a devastating full length to trap him plumb lbw. At 73 for 4, Bell’s new-found mettle was under the sort of scrutiny he had avoided at Durban. Though he failed to convince all the doubters with another partially formed performance, his contribution may yet prove invaluable in the final analysis. Today, despite the sun on their backs, was no day to be a batsman.

At Centurion on Wednesday, an African icon will reach a very special milestone. When, back in March 1998, Makhaya Ntini became the first black South African to represent his country, few could have predicted that he would still be going strong more than a decade later. And yet, he now stands on the cusp of 100 Test caps, an achievement matched by only six out-and-out fast bowlers.”It’s something you can only dream about,” Ntini told Cricinfo during South Africa’s training camp in Potchefstroom. “You look at most fast bowlers and they never pass 100 caps. For me, being a fast bowler, it’s something that you start thinking about once you reach 70-odd games. Every player wants to achieve it.”For me, playing 100 times for my country – from a time when you thought, as a black cricketer, it wouldn’t be possible to penetrate and be successful among a white-dominated sport, it gives a lot of inspiration to younger people. If I can do it, so can they.”These days, Ntini is among the most prominent role-models in his country. Only last week, he was in Cape Town, taking part in the draw for the 2010 Football World Cup. But a decade ago, when he launched his career, he himself had role-models to look up to – and in most cases, to play alongside.”Allan Donald, Shaun Pollock, Lance Klusener, Brian McMillan. Those were the main players, then I became the fifth one,” said Ntini. “I took all the advice and practised it. When one retired, my chances came along, and I knew injuries would come along. That kept me going. And to have a captain like Hansie Cronje, the person who told me I was on a learning curve. He said: ‘Stay fit, stay focused and the chance will come’.”Ntini was just 20 years old when he took the field at Newlands for his first Test against Sri Lanka, and to this day, the moment he was presented with his cap remains his proudest moment. “When you are stood out there on the field before play, the captain pulls out the cap and says: ‘Here’s your first one. Hopefully the first of many.'”In terms of onfield action, however, few memories can contend with his stunning performance at Lord’s in 2003, when he became the first South African to claim ten wickets on the most famous ground in the world, in a performance that propelled his country to a memorable innings victory.”Lord’s, obviously, was special because it was a long wait,” said Ntini. “Four years previously I spoke to Corrie van Zyl [the assistant coach] and said if I get my chance I want to leave my name on the board. Then, when I played in 2003, he reminded me of that and told me it was my chance. After the first five-wicket haul he tapped me on the shoulder and said: ‘There are only nine players who have done a ten-for.’Ntini was made to wait for his tenth of the match, as Andrew Flintoff clubbed a memorable but futile century, but eventually, with two wickets remaining Steve Harmison holed out to Andrew Hall, and Ntini had made his notch in history. “When the moment arrived I couldn’t even feel myself because everywhere I looked the crowd were standing and clapping,” he said. “I had to kiss the ground of Lord’s. It was moment I had been waiting for.”

Brad Hodge has made the surprise decison to retire from first-class cricket, ending any chance of adding to his six Test caps. Hodge, who holds a Cricket Australia contract and was said by Australia’s chairman of selectors Andrew Hilditch to be very close to selection for this year’s Ashes tour, will continue to play one-day and Twenty20 cricket for Victoria.Hodge, who turns 35 this month, said he would play two more Sheffield Shield games before stepping down after Christmas to spend more time with his family. He is the father of a three-year-old son and a five-month-old girl, and having missed the first stages of his son’s life due to touring commitments, he was keen not to let the same thing happen for his daughter.”When you drive your car home after you’ve made some more runs and you see your little boy running around and your little girl, everything comes back into perspective pretty quickly,” Hodge said. His cricket career isn’t entirely over, though.Hodge is keen to play on for Victoria in one-day and for the Bushrangers and Kolkata Knight Riders in 20-over cricket and as one of the most prolific Twenty20 batsmen in the world, he is hoping to be in the frame for Australia’s ICC World Twenty20 squad next year. He said he realised he no longer had the application required for four-day cricket while making 195 against South Australia in a Sheffield Shield match last month.”Peter George had taken the second new ball and I knew what ‘Shippy’ [Victoria coach Greg Shipperd] was thinking – just get through the new ball, get through to stumps, we can rebuild tomorrow,” Hodge said. “That wasn’t exactly my plan; I hit Peter George for a massive six, second ball, straight over long-on.”I’ve never done it in my career and probably never will again. It just wasn’t in my make-up, but it signified that something was wrong, the commitment to knuckle down and get through that second new ball wasn’t there.”Hodge is keen to step aside and allow a younger player the chance to develop and perhaps one day play for Australia. Hodge will have to settle for a six-Test career that ended 18 months ago in Jamaica, when he replaced an injured Matthew Hayden in a one-off appearance. It was a match that few Australians saw and even fewer will remember.Hodge made 67 and was one of Australia’s best performers in the victory but, as was usually the case in his international career, he quickly made way when the star player was fit again. However, despite being Victoria’s leading run-getter of all time in first-class, one-day and Twenty20 cricket, Hodge said he had come to accept that his international career was not to be an extensive one.”I’ve played for Australia and I’m grateful and happy that I’ve been able to do that,” he said. “I’m the highest run-scorer for Victoria and I’m very honoured to be in front of (Dean) Jones and greats like (Matthew) Elliott, (Ian) Redpath, (Graham) Yallop, but I think it’s time for someone else to step into those shoes and have that opportunity to play for Australia.”Would I like to have played 50, 100 Tests and be a great like Hayden, Langer, Gilchrist and Ponting? Of course, but unfortunately that’s not the way the cards have fallen.”He will be best remembered at international level for his unbeaten 203 against South Africa at the WACA in 2005-06, although Ricky Ponting’s delayed declaration to allow Hodge to reach his milestone might have contributed to Australia failing to win the match. Even so, few players can claim to have scored a Test double-hundred.Another of his first-class highlights was Victoria’s 2003-04 Pura Cup triumph, which came after their coach David Hookes died during the season. Hodge tallied 984 runs in that summer and his personal contribution to the success made the win even more memorable for him.But there remains unfinished business. Victoria haven’t won a domestic one-day title since 1998-99, and that is something Hodge would like to see change before he quits the game for good.In Hodge’s six Tests he scored 503 runs at 55.88 and he has so far also appeared in 25 ODIs and eight Twenty20 internationals. One of Australian cricket’s most consistent run-getters, Hodge’s first-class runs for Victoria total 11,278 at 47.39. He also had stints with Durham, Leicestershire and Lancashire in the county circuit and overall his first-class run tally is 17,012 at 48.88.