In Dharamsala, Himachal Pradesh’s Vikramjeet Singh Malik and Ashok Thakur stunned Delhi to bowl them out for 75, after having themselves scored a creditable 343. Malik took 6 for 25, a personal best, and Thakur 4 for 45 as ten Delhi batsmen failed to make it to double digits, and Gautam Gambhir top scored with 13. Malik and Thakur were the only two bowlers used by Himachal as it took them 23.3 overs to wrap up Delhi’s first innings.Following on, Delhi scored more than half their first-innings total in four overs without any damage, as captain Virender Sehwag hit seven boundaries in his 19-ball 31.Earlier, Paras Dogra and Maninder Bisla carried on their consolidation job for Himachal; they added 99 runs for the sixth wicket. After Bisla got out for an even fifty, Dogra found company in Sarandeep Singh and the two added another 85 for the seventh wicket. Dogra was the ninth wicket to fall, for 81. ScorecardM Vijay continued to torment the Saurashtra bowlers to finish unbeaten on 230 and K Vasudevadas scored a whirlwind century as Tamil Nadu’s declared at 531 for 2. The Tamil Nadu bowlers responded as Vijaykumar Yo Mahesh, P Amarnath and R Ramkumar took a wicket each to leave Saurashtra struggling at 28 for 3. Runs were scored only off Yo Mahesh, as Amarnath bowled four overs and Ramkumar two without a run being taken.Resuming on 129, Vijay started from where he had left off on Saturday and added 101 runs. He was helped by quick scoring from the other end – an 82-ball 61 by S Badrinath and then a 114-ball 103 by K Vasudevadas. Apart from Sagar Jogiyani and Kanaiya Vaghela, Saurashtra brought on every player to bowl, but only Sandip Maniar and Rakesh Dhurv had success. ScorecardNiranjan Behera score his first first-class century to take Orissa to an important first-innings lead against Hyderabad. Behera ended the day unbeaten on 102 to take Orissa eight runs ahead with seven wickets in hand. The other four Orissa batsmen got starts as well, with the lowest individual score being 24. Pinninti Jayachandra scored a quick 29 towards the end of the day and remained unbeaten along with Behera. Rashmi Parida, the veteran wicketkeeper-batsman, scored 44 to add 90 runs for the third wicket.Earlier Hyderabad added 39 to their overnight 201 for 8 as Debasis Mohanty and Sourabha Sehgal added a wicket each to their overnight tally of four and three wickets respectively. Scorecard Anustup Majumdar and Arindam Das missed by six runs what would have been their second double-century opening stand of the season, but they left Bengal in a commanding position, ten runs behind Punjab’s 231 and with nine wickets in hand. Earlier Bengal had taken Punjab’s last three wickets for 31 runs to dismiss them for 241.Majumdar missed his century by one run, while Das ended the day seven short. The first-wicket stand lasted 63.3 overs as Punjab bowlers struggled for discipline, bowling 16 no-balls and giving a total of 27 runs through extras. VRV Singh bowled 10 no-balls and a wide in his 14 overs.
Scorecard The Pathan brothers wrecked Uttar Pradesh’s batting to help Baroda end the second day in firm control of the game. UP were bowled out for 209, a first-innings lead of 125. Yusuf was the more successful Pathan as he returned figures of 21.3-7-31-5, his third five-for in this season. Irfan played the support role with three wickets for 63.After UP had collapsed from 65 for 1 to 99 for 6, Suresh Raina staged a brief fightback in unison with Mohammad Amir Khan. But once Raina fell for 55, with the team score at 185, UP’s didn’t offer any resistance.Baroda played out the four overs before stumps without much incident. ScorecardYogesh Takawale scored his first first-class century and with Kedar Jadhav took Maharashtra past 450 before Mumbai scored 113 for 2, thanks to an unbeaten half-century by Ajinkya Rahane.Takawale and Jadhav resumed their overnight partnership and took it to 146 runs before Jadhav missed out on a maiden century – he fell short by 19. Takawale followed him back, but by then he had scored 126 to put Mumbai on the back foot. Abhishek Nayyar took 5 for 100 for Mumbai.In reply, Rahane and Sahil Kukreja made a solid start, but Mumbai lost two quick wickets to be reduced to 77 for 2. Rahane and Muzumdar, though, batted sensibly after that and took Mumbai to stumps without any further damage. ScorecardRobin Bist, Rajasthan’s right-hand middle-order batsman, missed what would have been a maiden first-class century by one run, as his team put up a challenging 393 runs before dismissing three Karnataka batsmen for 118. Bist, resuming on 62, went past his previous best of 69 and shepherded the tail to take the score to 334 for 8, when he got out hooking Vinay Kumar. Pankaj Singh and Mohammad Aslam then added 52 for the ninth wicket to further frustrate Karnataka bowlers. But for Sunil Joshi’s 6 for 83, things could have been much worse for Karnataka.Robin Uthappa started positively for Karnataka, but his dismissal for 55 triggered a collapse as three wickets fell for 36 runs.
Scorecard Craig Cumming smacked an unbeaten 102, his maiden State Shield hundred, as Otago cruised to an eight-wicket victory over Northern Districts at Taupo’s Owen Delany Park. Set 201 to win after a disciplined bowling effort, Otago overcame the early loss of Shaun Haig thanks to handy partnerships for the second and third wickets. Cumming brought up his 50 off 67 balls with nine fours, then added seven more plus one six to move to three figures and finish the game in 34.5 overs. Aaron Redmond (32 from 40 balls) and Neil Broom (34 not-out from 40 balls) assisted Cumming well to earn their team maximum points. Cumming also picked up two wickets and utilised his bowlers well to keep ND down to 200. All-rounders Mark Orchard (40) and Joseph Yovich (39) top-scored for the hosts. Scorecard A three-pronged seam attack dismantled Canterbury for just 92 and then Michael Parlane hit an unbeaten half-century to power Wellington to a thumping Duckworth-Lewis-ruled win at the Basin Reserve. Rain kept the match down to a 24-overs-a-side affair – Canterbury was reduced to 30 for 3 before a long break for rain – and State Shield debutants Michael Burns and Kevin Forde, as well as Grant Elliott, combined to bowl the visitors out cheaply. Set 90 to win thanks to the D/L method, Parlane sped to an unbeaten 53 in a 58-run second-wicket stand with Jesse Ryder (27 not-out from 30 balls). Scorecard Central District’s match against Auckland at New Plymouth was abandoned without a ball being bowled after rain hampered proceedings.
The former Test representatives Tim Zoehrer and Bruce Reid will be the guest players for the Chairman’s XI to play South Africa at Perth’s Lilac Hill on Friday. Daniel Christian, a young New South Wales allrounder, is the only non-Western Australian chosen for the traditional festival match to welcome the tourists.Justin Langer will captain the XI after leading them to victory over Pakistan last season, and he will be joined in the top order by Marcus North, the vice-captain, Chris Rogers and Adam Voges. The bowling attack includes Mathew Inness, Brett Dorey and Darren Wates but Reid will be the star attraction.Reid, who is now a bowling coach, played 27 Tests between 1985-85 and 1992-93, but his brilliant left-arm fast bowling was overshadowed by injuries, usually to his back, and he finished with 113 wickets. A part-time legspinner, Zoehrer was Australia’s reserve wicketkeeper on the 1989 and 1993 Ashes tours behind Ian Healy and was limited to ten Tests and 22 ODIs.Chairman’s XI Justin Langer (capt), Marcus North, Chris Rogers, Adam Voges, Tim Zoehrer, Ryan Campbell, Daniel Christian, Brett Dorey, Peter Worthington, Darren Wates, Bruce Reid, Matthew Inness.
Damien Wright wrecked South Australia’s batting line-up, taking a career-best 6 for 25, as Tasmania powered to a 195-run win in their Pura Cup match. Requiring 366 for victory, South Australia were never in the hunt, with Mark Cosgrove (58) and Jack Smith (47) providing the only resistance.Wright started the slide when he had Tom Plant, the South Australian opener, trapped in front for 8. Wright then had Ben Cameron caught magnificently by Dan Marsh for a second-ball duck (2 for 17). Then, in his next over, Wright struck twice: Greg Blewett was caught at point by a ball which jumped off a length, while Callum Ferguson was bowled shouldering arms to one that nipped back (4 for 22).Cosgrove and Smith frustrated the Tasmanians, defying the bowlers and putting together 87 for the fifth wicket. Wright came back to nail Smith shortly after tea, but South Australia’s batsmen continued to resist, with Cosgrove’s 58 taking more than four hours. They were only 27 balls from holding on to a draw when Paul Rofe edged a catch off Adam Griffith to end the match.Earlier, Michael Bevan completed his second century of the match from the first ball of the day. Bevan, who had scored 106 in the first innings, was out immediately after completing his century – his third in a row this season – but his twin hundreds were enough to win him the Man-of-the-Match award. Marsh then struck an unbeaten 58 off just 47 balls before Tasmania declared at 9 for 280. That left South Australia with a daunting fourth-innings target, which they ultimately fell well short of.
Sussex have announced that Mushtaq Ahmed, who took 103 wickets during their County Championship-winning campaign in 2003, has agreed a new two-year deal which will keep him at Hove at least until the end of the 2005 season.”This is great news for everyone associated with the club, as Mushtaq’s impactboth on and off the field has been outstanding,” said Peter Moores, Sussex’s director of cricket. “Personally, I am looking forward to working with Mushtaq again and taking on the challenge of defending the trophy.”Sussex have also been linked with Mushtaq’s Pakistan team-mate Mohammad Akram, a fast bowler, but Moores insisted that no formal approach had been made.
Northerns Titans brought Western Province’s unbeaten Standard Bank Cup run to an end at Newlands on Wednesday night, holding their nerve to win by two wickets in a low-scoring match.The Titans’ victory went against type as they tracked down the moderate WP total of 185 for nine. Almost inevitably the side batting first at Newlands wins, but although the visitors had to sweat into the last over before clinching victory contributions all down the order saw the Titans home.There was only one score in excess of 50 in the entire match, Lloyd Ferreira celebrating his recall to the WP team with a pugnacious 65, but some of the best cricket was played by two young fast bowlers. Friedel de Witt took two for 35 in the WP inning while 19-year-old WP debutant Quinton Friend earned the man of the match award with one for 27 in his nine overs.The victory keeps the Titans in contention for a semi-final berth in the limited overs competition.
In a tight tussle, marred slightly by a couple of umpiring decisions, Kensington foiled West Torrens’ attempt at its first premiership for nearly forty years with a narrow victory giving them their second title in the past four seasons. The Browns commenced their innings in perfect conditions and there was action a plenty in the opening hour as Andrew McRitchie top edged a reckless hookshot and was dropped by over-exuberant paceman Daniel Lynch as he nearly collided with Ben Higgins who was running in from square leg. A few balls later, McRitchie shouldered arms and had his off stump bent back off a no ball and in the next over Anthony McDonald was dropped low down in the slips by Bradley Young off Brett Swain. Lynch redeemed his early error by getting McRitchie a short time later, attempting another rash hook stroke. Bradman Medalist John Lee immediately went on the attack, and just as he had reached his fifty, following some strong off side play, he edged to slip and lunch was taken at 2/105.Jamie Siddons went on the attack after the break, hitting Matthew Minagall into the temporary stand, but immediately after drove at one that he wasn’t to the pitch of and hit a return catch. Left hander McDonald continued to play the sheet anchor role and he was next to go giving Brad Wigney the first of two wickets in two balls as Jamie McPhee was trapped plumb in front first ball to make Kensington an uncomfortable 5/131.Skipper Dean Waugh was joined by Barry Steele but the union didn’t last long with the ex-New South Welshman becoming Minagall’s third wicket. Then came the first of two very contenious umpiring decisions in the match by Paul Angley as Steele was fortunate to survive a huge lbw shout as he padded up to Wigney. He eventually succumbed to Young but he and Justin Creek added 30 very valuable runs in the meantime and in the eventual context of the game these were vital to the outcome. Creek continued to bat well and he and John Palmer got the Browns through to tea at 7/196.Kensington’s innings didn’t thrive for too long into the final session with Minagall getting his fourth wicket and Young his second from 15.1 very tight overs. Creek was unbeaten at the end, justifying his place in the team solely as a batsman. West Torrens had 25 overs to survive on the Saturday and things started poorly as Jarrad Taylor padded up to left arm quick Andrew Watson. Darren Reeves and Andrew Haslett scratched out the foundations of a good partnership until shortly before the close Reeves played a loose shot off McPhee to go for 27 and in the next over Haslett was brilliantly stumped down the leg side off medium pacer Jamie Panelli.Sunday again dawned clear, but for West Torrens double disaster struck with Young being brilliantly snapped up in the slips by Waugh and immediately after Minagall went to Watson. Malcolm Howell and Ben Higgins then joined forces to attempt to carry out a very similar scenario to that which occurred in the semi-final and were going along smoothly until umpire Angley decided Howell was leg before to Panelli when fully forward and playing a shot. Higgins was joined by Ben Smith who took 31 minutes to score his first run and the partnership was promising when lunch was taken at 6/121, with Higgins having just reached his fifty with a leg glanced boundary.In a pulsating final session of the season, Smith went in the second over after lunch and Swain, after a brief flurry edged Steele behind, thus West Torrens needed 71 with just two wickets in hand. Captain-Coach Wigney strode to the wicket and immediately Higgins went after the bowling and with the new ball approaching, the pair made it to drinks needing a further 37. Watson returned to the crease, as did Steele and Higgins hit a juicy full toss over mid wicket to bring up a wonderful century. Sadly there was little acknowledgement from the fielding side who were starting to feel the tension of the situation. Higgins then beautifully drove Watson to the long off ropes and then in trying to keep the bowling, attempted a glide to third man only to give a catch to the solitary slip fielder present. Wigney was then dropped at third slip by Siddons and after he off drove an all run four, Lynch edged behind to end the match.Kensington thoroughly deserved their win however, but their over-appealing and non-clapping of Ben Higgins reaching his ton did slightly stain their efforts. Waugh expressed delight at the win particularly after the miracle come from behind effort in the semi-final. His opposite number, Brad Wigney was obviously disappointed and in the frustration of the narrow loss called for the sacking of the Umpire’s director Dennis Rebbeck.
Whilst Swansea City’s passing philosophy, started by Roberto Martinez and developed by Brendan Rodgers and now Michael Laudrup, has been critically praised by football pundits and talking heads ever since their ascension to the Premier League two years ago, the starting XI has been propped up by a speedy and resolute defence, with Wales international Ashley Williams at the heart of it.
The centre-back’s consistent form, having now maintained a high level of performance for two consecutive seasons and captaining the Welsh club to their first ever lifting of the League Cup, has convinced many that Williams has a higher calling than playing for a middle order team, leading to the tabloids linking him with a summer move to either Liverpool or Arsenal. But which of these two clubs need the 28 year old’s services more? At which team will he be most successful? And from Williams’ perspective, whom represents the best career move?
Both Liverpool and Arsenal can be accused of looking rather frail at the back this season. Whilst the Gunners may have conceded the fourth fewest goals in the Premier League, it is their performances against clubs of a similar or higher stature, at the top end of the table, which has lead to such aggressive scrutiny of Arsene Wenger from the British media. Furthermore, being unable to hold shape and effectively defend as a team has always been an underlying flaw of Wenger’s attacking philosophy, but it has been the performances of key defenders that have let the side down this season.
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The Gunners’ skipper Thomas Vermaelen has done anything but lead by example, being rather embarrassingly exposed for his lack of defensive nous in the North London derby, and although the Belgium international may be a fantastic athlete, there are clear weaknesses to his game that are now being exploited by his opponents. The collective opinion on Vermaelen seems to have changed for the worse since his supply of goals from set pieces has begun to dry up.
Similarly, Bacary Sagna’s woeful performance against Liverpool will live long in the memory and would make good footage for an educational video to show young defenders entitled ‘What not to do if you are a right full-back’. At the same time, Laurent Koscielny appears to have taken a step backwards from last season where he finally appeared to becoming acclimatised to English football, and Per Mertesacker will clearly never put in anything more than a slightly above-average performance.
It’s a similar story at Anfield, with the Reds finding themselves over-reliant on the soon-to-be-retired Jamie Carragher. I am not slating the 35 year old, indeed he has put in some exceptional performances this season, but Liverpool should be at a point by now, and more importantly, Daniel Agger and Martin Skrtel should be at a point by now, where their ageing veteran is not such an integral part of the team.
Skrtel’s dip in form has been well documented, with rumours that he is set for a summer departure, yet I’d argue that Agger has similarly been found wanting this season. A particularly poor showing against West Brom comes to mind, where the Danish international was solely responsible for both of the Baggies’ goals in a smash and grab display. I feel Agger and Vermaelen are similar in their action-packed, forward-thinking style, and thus why they have earned ameliorative reputations, but in terms of actual defensive capability, both are worryingly over-rated.
It’s clear that both clubs need some new blood in their backlines, but which club would benefit most from Williams’ presence next season? The Welshman epitomises the modern day centre-back, being pacey, incredibly physical and good on the ball, which would fit the Arsenal mould well. You’d assume the transition from the style of football at Swansea to that of Arsenal would be a relatively process, considering both clubs have a shared understanding of how the game should be played and a similar emphasis on attack.
Yet, there is an argument that Williams is too similar a player to Vermaelen, in terms of his strengths and weaknesses. Furthermore, is another decent, but not top class, centre-back really what the Gunners need to project them back towards the title race? There is a huge, intangible difference between being a success at a rank and file Premier League team and being at an Elite European club, which is something Wenger has overlooked with many of his recent signings. Similarly, Arsenal appear to face a monumental struggle when it comes to defending set pieces, and the 28 year old, measuring in at just 6 foot, will do little to solve the first team’s height issues.
Perhaps therefore, Liverpool would be the more sensible option for the Welshman. He’d get the opportunity to link up with former boss Brendan Rodgers, whom is attempting to carry the Swansea ethos over to Anfield with the Reds’ progressive passing game. Furthermore, the Liverpool gaffer’s desire for his defenders to play out of the back would suit Williams perfectly, in comparison to Martin Skrtel who quite frankly does not have enough composure on the ball to carry out the tactic effectively and consistently.
Unlike at the Emirates, where Williams will be up against Koscielny, Vermaelen and Mertesacker on a weekly basis for a slot in the first team, breaking into the Liverpool’s starting XI would be a relatively simple task, with his current form providing enough evidence already to stake a claim to being a regular starter next season.
Similarly, the expectation at Anfield is arguably less high than at Arsenal, where their next campaign will be a career-defining year for Wenger, as it becomes clear the fans have had enough of maintaining their Champions League status without ever pushing for the domestic title.
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On Merseyside, the supporters are rather more patient. They too will be hoping for a top four finish next season, but with a team of exciting youngsters rising from the ashes of a squad formerly composed of over-paid has-beens, missing out on Europe’s top club competition would be an acceptable failing as long as there is a clear sign of overall improvement.
But it’s time to view things from the perspective of the player. The fact is, in the modern game, a footballer has to be a careerist first; there is no longer a place for any form of loyalty. Similarly, with the Champions League now being the Holy Grail of European football, any professional will do anything in his power to get as close to it as possible, even if his wings are burnt by flying too close to the sun. And even if Arsenal fail to qualify for the Champions League for the first time under Arsene Wenger this year, you’d expect to see them return to the competition much sooner than Liverpool, who are still a long way off from returning to their former glories.
Perhaps on paper, Liverpool appears to be the best option; Williams will undoubtedly receive more playing time, less would be expected of him and he would become an important element in a team created around Brendan Rodgers’ youthful and progressive philosophy. But if the decision came down to the Welshman, with both clubs throwing a contract in front of him come the summer, I have no doubt he’d choose the Gunners, for the sake of European football, despite the Reds needing the centre-back’s commanding presence considerably more.
Newcastle United enjoyed another successful weekend in the Premier League as they extended their unbeaten run to six games in the competition.
They held West Ham United to a 1-1 draw away from home as Joe Willock’s improvised finish secured a point for Eddie Howe’s side.
It was also a big weekend for a Magpies player out on loan as Elliot Anderson scored his first senior goal for Bristol Rovers against Stevenage.
Save millions
The teenage attacking midfielder has enjoyed a sublime start to life in League One since leaving St. James’ Park on loan and is showing that he can produce at senior level.
As per SofaScore, he won six of his nine ground duels, created four chances and picked up a goal and an assist against Stevenage. He has averaged a SofaScore rating of 7.34 across five third-tier outings, winning 35 duels, creating ten chances and making 13 tackles.
The 19-year-old has also completed 83% of his attempted dribbles and 81% of his passes. This shows that he is reliable in possession and the aforementioned statistics highlight his quality on and off the ball as he works hard to win possession back and then makes things happen in the final third.
Anderson is showing that he has the potential to play at a higher level as he has been outstanding for Bristol Rovers and Eddie Howe could save PIF millions in the summer by offering him a chance in the Newcastle side.
He made his first-team bow for the Toon under Steve Bruce and the former Magpies boss previously lauded the youngster’s talent, saying:
“As soon as he comes onto the pitch, he accepts the ball, receives the ball. He’s got that lovely way of never looking like he’s rushed. It’s effortless to him and easy.
“So we hope he’s got a big future. He’ll remember his debut today, he could have scored in the last minute, couldn’t he. What a wonderful debut that would have been but I’m very pleased with his progress and he’s one that we hope can do us a good turn over the season.”
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However, he never kicked on under Bruce and this loan spell in League One could be the kickstarter he needs to push on and make the grade at St. James’ Park next season. He is showing that he can be an excellent box-to-box midfielder at that level and he has plenty of time left ahead of him, at the age of 19, to develop further and show off his talent in the Premier League.
Howe must offer him the chance to show what he can do in the summer as his emergence would allow Newcastle to avoid spending big money on a new midfield addition. He could take up a spot in the first-team that would otherwise be filled by a new signing, saving the club a shedload and delighting the fans with one of their own getting time in the first-team.
AND in other news, Fewer passes than Dubravka: Newcastle lightweight who made 0 tackles blew his chance…
Mark Gillespie has been named in New Zealand’s 12 as they go into the second Test of this brief series on the back of a thrashing at the Wanderers with a host of injury concerns. They are without the crocked Shane Bond, but Stephen Fleming has been included in the squad, despite suffering from injury.If Gillespie makes the final XI this will be his Test debut for New Zealand. Gillespie, the fast-medium bowler, made his one-day debut at the tail-end of 2006 and has since played Twenty20s for New Zealand.Fleming was struck on the elbow in New Zealand’s second innings in Johannesburg and is also suffering from a problem with his thumb. Even with him the tourists’ batting looked paper thin, and if he has to sit this game out it is hard to see where substantial runs will come from.New Zealand had already been forced to summon Kyle Mills and Jamie How to cover for an assortment of injuries. Jacob Oram is suffering from a hamstring strain while Michael Papps is struggling with a gastric illness.The spotlight was briefly on Matthew Sinclair, who recently rattled off 243 for Central Districts in a State Shield match against Otago. But New Zealand’s selectors, who have been reluctant to depend on Sinclair, chose to go with How instead.Mills and How arrived in South Africa on Monday but the New Zealand camp was reluctant to thrust them straight into action so soon after arrival. “Ideally we would not want to use them because they arrive today,” Lindsay Crocker, the team manager, said. “But they are here as cover for the Test squad so they will be eligible for selection.”Mills appears likely to play as the pitch is expected to aid the faster bowlers. “Kyle Mills comes into the equation because he can bat, although to a lesser degree than Jacob [Oram],” said Daniel Vettori. Bond, who once again succumbed to injury – this time torn stomach muscles – has flown back home.South Africa are a much more settled side and they will name an unchanged XI, so Shaun Pollock again misses out. This also means Boeta Dippenaar and Neil McKenzie, who were in contention for spots, have to wait a while longer.The selectors have stressed the need for continuity. “We want continuity and, with the squad winning Test matches there is no reason to start making changes,” Joubert Strydom, the convenor of selectors, said after the end of the first Test. He also dismissed claims that Graeme Smith, the captain of the South African team, was under any pressure after twin failures in the first Test. “Statistics show that Graeme is still a highly effective performer, and we are not in the least bit worried about him.”South Africa’s coach Mickey Arthur, however, said they retained some concerns about playing New Zealand, despite the injuries to their opposition. “We still have enormous respect for them as a team, they are a team of fighters and I certainly expect them to bounce back hard.”A team is most vulnerable when they’ve just won and we’ve had quite a winning streak. So I’ve done quite a bit of talking this week, telling the guys to keep their feet on the ground and warning them to be on their guard.”South Africa (probable) 1 Graeme Smith (capt), 2 Herschelle Gibbs, 3 Hashim Amla, 4 Jacques Kallis, 5 Ashwell Prince, 6 AB de Villiers, 7 Mark Boucher (wk), 8 Andre Nel, 9 Paul Harris, 10 Dale Steyn, 11 Makhaya Ntini.New Zealand (probable) 1 Craig Cumming, 2 Michael Papps, 3 Stephen Fleming, 4 Scott Styris, 5 Ross Taylor, 6 Jacob Oram, 7 Brendon McCullum (wk), 8 Daniel Vettori (capt), 9 Kyle Mills, 10 Iain O’Brien, 11 Chris Martin.