Barbados collapse hands Leewards pole position

A dramatic batting collapse by Barbados handed Leeward Islands first-innings points in Kingston. Chasing Leewards' first-innings total of 236, the Barbados openers put on 103 before a spectacular capitulation to 229 all out. The spin duo of Anthony Martin (3 for 38) and Omari Banks (2 for 41) helped themselves to the spoils, bowling well especially in the afternoon session. Opener Dale Richards and top-order batsman Kirk Edwards both scored 60 but were the only ones to show any real enterprise. Edwards struck seven fours and was instrumental in keeping the Barbados innings together. The match was still going the way of Barbados, who were 146 for 3 at lunch. But with Martin accounting for Kyle Hope and Kevin Stoute off successive deliveries, and Gavin Tonge getting Shamarh Brooks caught behind in the next over for a duck, three wickets tumbled for two runs. There was even lesser joy after tea, barring a valuable 33-run ninth-wicket between Edwards and Nekolai Charles, as they succumbed in the 77th over of the day. Leewards then safely navigated 15 overs to take stumps at 20 for no loss.

Career-best figures from Kavesh Kantasingh spun the Combined Campuses & Colleges (CCC) into a formidable position against Trinidad & Tobago in Montego Bay. The 23-year-old left-arm spinner captured 6 for 29, as T&T were dismissed for 105 just over an hour after lunch, replying to the CCC's first-innings total of 234. Jason Bennett provided the early breakthrough, when he had Justin Guillen lbw for 10. But just when T&T seemed to be making steady headway, Kantasingh claimed three scalps in the final half-hour before lunch to leave T&T on 65 for 4. T&T captain Daren Ganga manged the highest score of 44, before the all-spin attack of Kantasingh and Ryan Austin hastened the end. CCC were left wobbling at 97 for 4 in their second essay, but opener Omar Phillips held firm with an unbeaten 51 to carry CCC to 105, before bad light and rain conspired to prompt an early close.

Wavell Hinds and Donovan Pagon put in solid batting performances to hand defending champions Jamaica a healthy first-innings lead against Windward Islands in Spanish Town. Hinds top scored with 95 and Pagon managed 56, as Jamaica were dismissed for 335. The Windwards bowlers were made to toil long and hard and the sloppy fielding did not help. Pagon, who began the day on 9, kept the Jamaica innings together, in the early stages. He played the anchor role in partnerships with captain Tamar Lambert and Brendan Nash, hitting eight fours during his 115-ball stay. Jamaica had slipped to 151 for 5, when Pagon was stumped on the second attempt by wicketkeeper Lyndon James off Rawl Lewis, but Hinds and Dave Bernard jnr consolidated with a 78-run partnership for the sixth wicket. Hinds though, missed out on three figures after he was bowled by Keon Peters. Andrew Richardson then strengthened the Jamaica's grip on the match, when he removed Devon Smith for a duck, as Windwards reached 19 for 1 at stumps.

Disciplined India run through Sri Lanka batting

25 oversSri Lanka 119 for 6 (Sangakkara 56*, Zaheer 2-21) v India
Live scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were out



It was the Indian fielding which came to the aid of their fast bowlers when they were being pummelled by Tillakaratne Dilshan. It wasn't anything spectacular: they just converted every opportunity the bowlers created - a big improvement on their recent fielding form - and just like that India had reined in a murderous start from Dilshan and sent back six Sri Lankan batsmen for below 100 at one stage. Zaheer Khan was the pick of the bowlers, creating two of those opportunities in a spell that at one point read 6-2-11-2.

The first 11 overs were full of frenetic action: two wicket-maidens, on three occasions wickets fell in the first over of new spells, and in between there was scintillating batting from Dilshan, which ensured 40 of the first 42 runs came in boundaries. Dilshan perhaps, didn't want to test the injured groin that kept him away from the two previous games. Instead he just drove, cut, pulled and late cut eight boundaries in 17 deliveries to deflate any confidence that India and Sudeep Tyagi would have gained from sending back Upul Tharanga in the first over.

In the fifth over of the innings, Dilshan hammered Tyagi for his fifth, sixth and seventh boundaries, and then took a single - his first out of a score of 29, and Sri Lanka's second out of 38. Kumar Sangakkara, too, had smacked two boundaries by then, and India were in a familiar situaiton of not knowing where to bowl to the aggressive batsmen.

On came Zaheer, who was pulled for a four off his second ball, which was to be Dilshan's last. The next ball took a thick edge and looked to be dying on Gautam Gambhir at fine gully, but was snared. Zaheer was pumped, and then he proceeded to bowl to a plan that worked just fine for him: nothing to drive, short cover in place and playing on the batsmen's patience with the nagging accuracy. Mahela gave in, driving a ball he should not have, and Virat Kohli hung on to a sharp catch at short cover.

Back came Sreesanth, whose first two overs had gone for 16, and Thilan Samaraweera walked across to a straight delivery and missed. Forty-two for 1 in 5.2 overs became 61 for 4 in 10.2 overs. Soon Thilina Kandamby was run out, for the fifth time in his career. However, this time he was sold a dummy by his captain, and was done in a by a smart throw from Dinesh Karthik and snappy backing-up by Zaheer.

Thissara Perera, who had hurt India twice before this, appeared uncomfortable from the start. He got the bouncers and the verbals from Zaheer as defence didn't seem to be working. Amit Mishra had kept things tight, starting off with a maiden, and when Perera went for broke in his next over, Yuvraj Singh pulled out a special catch diving at wide long-on.

Six down in the 19th over, Sri Lanka, who chose to bat first in order to give their bowlers an experience of wet conditions under lights, were threatening to end the match even before dew would set in. Sangakkara had reached 32 off 42 by then, and took charge, taking the odd risk and not going into a shell altogether.

The immediate response to Perera's wicket was stepping out and hitting Sreesanth for four, and he then started placing the balls and making the most of every loose delivery that came for the spinners. By the 25-over mark, he had crossed his fifty, and had added 35 along with Suraj Randiv.

Hayden Walsh dies aged 46

Former Leeward Islands opener Hayden Walsh has died at the age of 46. Walsh, who played 18 first-class matches and 11 List A games between 1987 and 1999, was found dead in a swimming pool while enjoying an outing with his family at the Dove Cove hotel near Dry Hill in Antigua.

Senior sergeant William Holder said the police were conducting investigations, although they were yet to confirm whether Walsh actually drowned or died due to some other reason. The exact cause of death will be determined when a post-mortem is conducted.

Family and friends along with local cricket personalities, including Leeward Islands Cricket Association president Gregory Shillingford and Antigua and Barbuda Cricket association head, Enoch Lewis, expressed their condolences.

Walsh scored 851 first-class runs at 28.36, and was also involved in coaching and administration. He established a cricket academy - The Antigua Technical Cricket Academy, originally known as the Technical Cricket Clinic - in 1999 with around 20 youngsters.

Since then, the academy has been successful in providing talent for the national youth and senior teams. Players like Devon Thomas, Olando Peters and his son Hayden Walsh Jr were products of the academy.

He was also an active member of the Antigua and Barbuda Cricket Association (ABCA) and was given a mandate by the organisation last year to create a cricket development committee to address the waning standards in the game. The committee included former West Indian greats like Vivian Richards, Richie Richardson and Curtly Ambrose.

Hand injury forces Razzaq out of Australia tour

Pakistan allrounder Abdul Razzaq has injured his hand and will be unavailable for the limited-overs leg of the tour of Australia. "I've sustained a fracture while batting" Razzaq told Pakpassion.net. "It was one of those out-of-the-blue injuries, where I was batting and the ball smashed into my hand. The hand has been plastered and I've been advised rest for one month by the medical staff. It's very unfortunate, as I was really looking forward to playing in Australia for Pakistan if selected."

Pakistan have already surrendered the Test series, with the third and final Test in Hobart still to be played, and they were hoping to make amends in the five one-dayers and lone Twenty20 international that follow.

Having played a key role in Pakistan's 2009 World Twenty20 triumph on his return from the unofficial ICL, Razzaq's all-round ability, especially his big hitting lower down the order will, no doubt, be missed by the visitors.

The 30-year-old last featured for Pakistan against New Zealand in November last year. Pakistan lost the three-match ODI series in Abu Dhabi 2-1, but swept the Twenty20 internationals in Dubai 2-0.

Warne barbs lifted Hussey

Michael Hussey used Shane Warne's criticism of his batting to drive him to the match-winning century against Pakistan in Sydney. Hussey, who stole the game with his unbeaten hundred in the second innings, had heard the calls for his sacking towards the end of the West Indies series before fighting back with 82, 4, 28 and 134 not out in the past two matches.

"It's hard when someone of the ilk of Shane Warne is criticising you, because he's obviously played a lot of cricket and he knows his stuff pretty well," Hussey said in the Sunday Herald Sun. "So it was pretty motivating to try to prove him wrong."

Warne has since downgraded his stance and Hussey said it was great to show up the critics. "Just to prove to him and to everyone that I still can play at Test match level, it's the most satisfying feeling you can get, especially after you copped a lot of criticism over the course of the summer," he said.

Hussey put on 123 with Peter Siddle for the ninth wicket to give Australia a 175-run lead and the 2-0 series success was sealed when Pakistan were dismissed for 139. Despite the century, which was his first at home in two years, Hussey said he would have to continue to perform consistently to stay on track for next summer's Ashes.

"While you're enjoying the challenge of the battle of Test cricket and while you're contributing, then I'd love to keep continuing as long as I could," he said. "Certainly at the moment I still feel like I want that battle."