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Simon Jones enjoyed an outstanding debut with both bat and ball in Test cricket duringEngland`s 170 run victory over India at Lord`s.On Friday, Jones marked his international debut with a most entertaining 44 offjust 43 balls, with seven fours and one towering six that after the match was adjudgedthe champagne moment of the match by the B.B.C. Test Match Special commentary team.As the table below shows, it was the also the best score a Glamorgan player had ever made intheir first ever innings for England in Test cricket, and remarkably, Simon in the course ofhis debut innings scored more runs for England than his father Jeff made in 17 knocks in Testsbetween 1964 and 1968.On Saturday, Simon produced a most impressive spell, and might have dismissed Sachin Tendulkarwith only his second ball of the morning, as the Indian maestro almost chopped the ball into hisstumps. A few overs later, Jones` raw pace hurried Tendulkar into edging the ball into the slips,but Graham Thorpe spilled a catch inches above the turf.Jones finally got the wicket his bowling deserved, as wicket-keeper Ajay Ratra slashed at afast rising ball and edged into the safe gloves of Alec Stewart. Then Ajit Agarkar snicked adelivery from Jones into Andy Flintoff`s hands at second slip. As the table shows, Jim McConnon`s haulof 3-19 from 13 overs against Pakistan at Old Trafford in 1954 remains as the best bowlingfigures on debut for England in Test cricket.

DEBUT PERFORMANCES BY GLAMORGAN PLAYERS IN TESTS FOR ENGLANDMaurice Turnbull 7 v New Zealand, 1929/30Johnnie Clay Dnb and 0/30 v South Africa, 1935Austin Matthews 2* and 1/52 v New Zealand, 1937Allan Watkins 0 and 0/19 v Australai, 1948Gilbert Parkhouse 0 v West Indies, 1950Jim McConnon 5* and 3/19 v Pakistan, 1954Peter Walker 9 and 0/13 v South Africa, 1960Jeff Jones 5 and 0/48 v India, 1963/64Tony Lewis 0 v India 1972/73Greg Thomas 0 and 82/2 v West Indies, 1985/86Matthew Maynard 3 v West Indies, 1988Steve Watkin 2 and 2/55 v West Indies, 1991Hugh Morris 3 v West Indies, 1991Robert Croft 5* and 2/116 v Pakistan, 1996Steve James 10 v South Africa, 1998

Simon picked up a further two wickets as England bowled out the tourists on Monday afternoon.As well as a place in the Test record books, Simon`s hostile bowling won a host of plauditsfrom the media.Peter Roebuck, the former Somerset captain, also wrote “he continually pushed the batsmen backand troubled them with pace and hostility. Nobody looked comfortable against him. His bestdeliveries are hard to play and he must go to Australia.Former England captain Mike Atherton also said “On first showing his selection for thewinter tour is assured.”

New Zealand’s requirements from day four of the second National Bank Test could not be clearer – they must score at a reasonable clip, keep wickets intact, and look to get a much bigger score than the 280 England achieved at the Basin Reserve today.Easier said than done.But they made it through to 70/1 at stumps, albeit at a slow pace, clearly designed to keep wickets intact.”We’re happy with the position. We fought back very well and have to push on tomorrow,” New Zealand captain Stephen Fleming said tonight.It would be important for New Zealand to score quickly tomorrow. It had been a day of mixed fortunes.England’s 280 was probably 30 more than New Zealand wanted but when England were 220/4, to bowl them out for 280 was a reasonable effort.New Zealand was still guilty of not closing in quickly enough on opportunities when wickets fell and Fleming said the bowlers still needed to tighten up between wickets.Once the tragedy of their team-mate Ben Hollioake’s death was received, just after play started for the day, it was always going to be a struggle for England.It was understandable that in the moments when determination to concentrate that little bit harder to get through a tough period is required, young men cannot help but have their minds wonder as they reflect on the circumstances of their own mortality.There is a natural reaction to want to be able to take time and reflect on their own association with Hollioake and the times they shared.But there was a job to be done.New Zealanders have grown up on the story that surrounded the tragic Christmas Eve train crash of 1953 at Tangiwai in the middle of the North Island which claimed the life of the fiancee of New Zealand Test cricketer Bob Blair who was in the midst of a Test match across the world at Ellis Park in Johannesburg.The response of New Zealand’s batsmen to a Boxing Day pace bombardment, and Blair’s courage in joining his team-mates when no-one expected him to play ahead of his own sorrow, was the stuff of legend.It wasn’t repeated at the Basin Reserve today, but there was a genuine understanding of what the England players were going through.New Zealand’s players were having to deal with their own demons, a no-balling curse that denied the side two wickets that could have made all the difference to this match delivering a result under its rain-reduced circumstances.Left-arm spinner Daniel Vettori had Nasser Hussain caught at mid-on by Ian Butler for 46 only to see Darrell Hair standing with his arm out-stretched for a no-ball. Hussain added another 20 runs before he was given out, albeit controversially caught off his forearm.Then Ashley Giles was caught by Adam Parore for a duck from Butler when he found he bowled one of 10 no-balls he bowled during the innings.Fortunately, he scored only 10 before Butler finally got him, square cutting to Craig McMillan at point.Fleming said as a batsman it was hard to accept the problems had with staying behind a line on the ground that didn’t move. It was a discipline for bowlers and it was a bad habit, certainly a bad habit that could yet prove costly in the final outcome of the game.Butler, however, had shown he was learning a lot about himself and Test bowling when advancing his career-best figures to four for 60 today. Vettori had two for 62, Chris Martin two for 58 and Chris Drum two for 85.Butler had generated good pace from the wicket and Fleming said he was excited by him and saw him as a real talent for the future.New Zealand swung the game back in their favour with a four-wicket middle-order haul for 17 runs generated by Butler and Vettori.Some late hitting by James Foster 25 not out, Giles and Andy Caddick (10) had provided bonus runs.New Zealand’s response saw Matt Horne cleaned up by a ball from Caddick for eight and then an unbroken stand of 54 between Mark Richardson and Lou Vincent. Vincent was considerably lucky to be still there having benefited from some umpiring decisions that could just as easily have gone England’s way.

England face a Herculean task if they are to stave off defeat by Sri Lanka in the first Test of the three-match series. With two days’ play remaining at Lord’s England, following on 280 behind, are 53 without loss. At one point placed promisingly at 203 for three in their first innings, they lost five wickets for 34 runs, enabling Sri Lanka to take a vice-like grip on the game.After a 20-minute delay this morning because of rain, England began under grey skies in conditions far removed from those of the first two days. Butcher and Vaughan exchanged sharp singles, and the former also made the most of a legside delivery from Buddika, clipping it through midwicket. But the bowler extracted full retribution in his next over as the Surrey left-hander edged to third slip, where Jayawardene took a fine catch moving to his right.Hussain, after squeezing Buddika to the rope at third man, immediately took four more with the shot of the morning, rattling the boundary board at extra cover. As Buddika’s line wavered, he was dispatched through square leg to give Hussain three boundaries off three balls. Vaughan took two boundaries off consecutive overs from Vaas, the first squeezed between third slip and gully, the second a pedigree cover drive. A double change by Jayasuriya introduced the third left-armer, Ruchira Perera, whom Hussain greeted first with a perfectly-timed drive through long off, then with an exquisite cut backward of point. A push to leg from Vaughan hoisted the 50 partnership off 81 balls, and another classic off drive from Vaughan brought up the 100.The England captain completed his eighth 50 in nine Tests with a single to long leg off Zoysa. The hundred partnership came up in the 36th over, as Hussain again took advantage of the lack of a third man with four wide of second slip. Spitting rain prompted a conference between umpires Venkat and Harper, and it might have been better for Hussain if they had gone off. As Zoysa moved the ball away up the hill he found the England captain’s outside edge for Sangakkara to take a fine catch diving to his right.Vaughan went to his 50 with a well-timed clip for three to mid-wicket. An edge from Thorpe flew wide of second slip to give him his first boundary, but the Surrey left-hander then looked more composed as he clipped Zoysa to the rope at mid-wicket. Another peach of a cover drive from Vaughan brought up England’s 200, and the Lord’s crowd were beginning to enjoy themselves. Unfortunately for them and for England, that was as good as it got.Apparently well set on 64, Vaughan got underneath a hook off Perera, the ball finishing in the hands of Zoysa at long leg. Thorpe was lbw to Perera’s next ball to leave England back in the danger zone at 203 for five. Stewart avoided the hat-trick, seeing England through to tea with Crawley. But England began the final session suicidally, as Crawley set off for a non-existent single after pushing Buddika into the covers. A direct hit by the substitute fielder, Upul Chandana, left Stewart well short of his ground, and there was no need to call on the third umpire for a decision.As the cloud gave way to broken sunshine, Flintoff began with three meaty boundaries, before driving firm-footed at Buddika, Sangakkara pouching the resulting edge. Cork made almost the briefest of appearances, his second-ball dismissal a near carbon copy of Flintoff’s.Caddick kept Crawley company for as long as could reasonably be expected, dispatching Vaas impressively through extra cover. Attempting something similar off Perera, he edged to Sangakkara. Joined by the number 11 Matthew Hoggard, Crawley farmed the strike as Perera was warned by umpire Harper for running on the pitch, but was then last out for 31, caught behind (Sangakkara’s fifth catch of the innings) off Vaas.When England went in again, their plight seemed hardly imaginable. After a booming drive to the long-on boundary, Trescothick took another to third man after a diving Atapattu failed to get a hand to a half-chance at gully. Four more followed though mid-wicket, and Vaughan took advantage of a Zoysa half-volley with a boundary through extra cover.As the close approached the two batted with increasing caution, and Jayasuriya turned to spin for the first time in the form of de Silva. A Trescothick square cut off Perera brought up England’s 50, but when bad light ended play seven overs early they were still 227 runs behind.

Dismissed captain Moin Khan was given a clean bill of health by thepanel of Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) doctors. Moin, who appeared intwo one-day matches for PIA , was said to have recovered well and wasfit to resume competitive cricket.”He has recovered well from his injury and can well resume hiscricketing activities,” Dr Meesaq Rizvi says in his April 13 report.Dr Meesaq observes that during the rehabilitation process, there wasno obvious swelling to joint effusion.”At this stage of his examination (April 13) of the right knee joint,there is no obvious swelling or joint effusion, there is no wastingQuadriceps muscles and the Apprehension Sign for Patellar Subluxationis a negative possible,” Dr Meesaq observes.The doctor, however, has advised the wicket-keeper weight training,stretching exercises and aerobic activities.

The Canadian team to take part in the Six Nations Challenge in Namibia has arrived in Africa. They were able to take advantage of the presence of Warwickshire, there on a pre-season tour, and played a one-day match in Cape Town today. The Warwickshire batsmen enjoyed themselves against Canadian bowlers suffering perhaps from jet-lag and a lack of match practice and totalled an imposing 312/4. Dougie Brown made an unbeaten century, and Neil Carter 54. The Canadian bats were impressive, led by Desmond Chumney with 106 and Nicholas Degroot with 71. Fazil Samad Sattaur chipped in with 31 but wickets tumbled, and Canada were all out in the final over for 282, leaving Ishwar Maraj stranded on 18.

Gary Stead, the former New Zealand batsman, has been appointed the High Performance director and head coach of the Canterbury team. Stead replaces Bob Carter, who has joined the New Zealand coaching staff under Mike Hesson.Stead, who played five Tests in 1999 against India, South Africa and West Indies, said he was “excited and proud” to be given the job. He is currently in Sri Lanka as the coach of New Zealand team playing the Women’s World Twenty20. The new assignment will be his first coaching stint in first-class cricket and with a men’s team.Lee Germon, the Canterbury Cricket chief executive, said that Stead was a stand-out applicant and his lack of experience in four-day cricket was “discussed thoroughly”.”When we scoped this role we were determined to find a top quality candidate who could not only coach our Wizards side but develop and implement a high performance system and environment for our elite athletes,” Germon said.”Gary brings top-level coaching and playing experience, a varied background in the high performance area of our sport and an impressive playing record for Canterbury and New Zealand. He is about to complete the prestigious coach accelerator programme and is very highly regarded by both players and fellow coaches.”Stead’s first-class career spanned 14 years, during which he scored 4984 runs with 10 centuries.

Steve Waugh has been lucky with the toss on this tour of India. For the third time in four matches, the Australian skipper called right at the toss. However, all luck involved ended there. From then on it was a masterly display of skill on the part of the Aussies. In a 90 over deluge that yielded 413 runs, despite the loss of eight wickets, the visitors took the attack to the opposition. Steve Waugh led the way with a cracking 109 and Ricky Ponting was not far behind with 102.Earlier in the day, a spell of reasonably steady, if not penetrating, bowling from Jammu & Kashmir left arm seamer Surendra Singh and Gujrat mediumpacer Rakesh Patel saw Australia reduced to 25/2. With Michael Slater (19) and Justin Langer (4) dismissed cheaply, Sourav Ganguly must have thought the tide was finally turning in the home side’s favour. No such luck.Mark Waugh found his silken touch early on and kept the fielders on their toes with some sizzling drives both sides of the wicket. After spending a few minutes assessing the conditions Mark Waugh cut loose, driving anything that was full with gay abandon. Reaching 62 quickly, (79 balls, 9 fours, 1 six) it was only an inspired bit of bowling that stopped the younger Waugh dead in his tracks. Narendra Hirwani, who had come in for a bit of stick, let rip a googly pitched well wide of the stumps. Mark Waugh playing for the orthodox legspinner went back and tried to cut. Rapped on the pad, he was well and truly leg beforewicket.Even the departure of Mark Waugh did not stop brother Steve. Not losing a beat, the Australian captain found an able partner in Ricky Ponting. With the agile Tasmanian at the crease, the flow of runs seemed to increase as singles were converted into twos and twos to threes. When the ball was even a bit short of a length, Ponting was on to the back foot in a flash, cutting hard. In that respect, Steve Waugh proved to be an ideal foil. Using his feet well, the captain took on the spinners, dancing down the wicket and lofting the ballover the infield. Steve Waugh mixed that line of attack with some lusty heaves over midwicket and the bowlers were thoroughly confused. Unable to hold their line and length, things went wrong.Ganguly ran out of ideas when the partnership blossomed just as he had in the Mumbai Test when Adam Gilchrist and Matthew Hayden were on song and resorted to some very negative tactics. Bowling left arm spinner Sridharan Sriram from over the wicket to the right handers, Ganguly attempted to stem the rot by packing the leg side with six fielders. At the end of the day, with the score over 400 in just 90 overs, made at a run rate in excess of four and a half runs an over,one can safely say that none of Ganguly’s plans worked.The Steve Waugh-Ponting partnership put a few things in perspective. On flat wickets that assist the bowlers very little, the Indians are going to struggle to break partnerships. In this case, Waugh 110 (167 balls, 17 fours, 4 sixes) and Ponting 101 (136 balls, 14 fours, 1 six) put on 171 runs for the fifth wicket.Young Bradley Haddin, drafted in to bolster the wicketkeeping department played some crisp shots, helping himself to a quickfire 24 (23 balls, 4 fours) towards the end of the innings. The spinners came in for a lot of stick, with Hirwani (two for 96 off 18 overs) suffering the most. Sarandeep Singh with 4/103 off 23 overs would be reasonably happy given the circumstances. Either way, there will be no one more content than the Australian captain. With a healthy total onthe board, it is likely that he will declare overnight and have a go at the batsmen first thing in the morning.