Indian news round-up

Sridharan Sriram, Mohammad Kaif and Shiv Sundar Das, the three National Cricket Academy (NCA) trainees, returned to Chennai on Saturday after a six week long training at the Australian Cricket Academy as part of the Gavaskar-Border scholarship.

Speaking to an Indian newspaper, Sriram said that the trio had an immensely beneficial tenure under the watchful eyes of former Australian wicketkeeper Rodney Marsh. He added that since their tenure coincided with the wet and colder season of the year, the training was confined mainly to indoors and the emphasis was laid mostly on physical fitness.

Sriram revealed that they practiced with bowling machines and added ``we generally faced deliveries at 120 to 130 Kmph, and worked on specific backfoot strokes like the cut.'' He said that since the ACA is attached to the Australian Institute of Sports, the three Indians were able to inter-act with players of other diciplines and picked up useful tips.

The secretary of the Kerala Cricket Association (KCA) S Haridas said in Kochi on Sunday that Ernakulam would host the three Ranji Trophy South Zone league matches in the 2000-2001 season. The three matches to be played in Kerala are against Goa (November 15 to 18), Karnataka (November 22 to 25) and Tamil Nadu (November 29 to December 2).

Briefing the press regarding the decisions taken during the KCA's Central Council meeting held on Sunday, Haridas said that the interzonal format in four different age groups including the seniors have been scrapped from thr forthcoming season. He added that the senior and under-22 selections would be held totally on open trials basis from this year.

Haridas said that a seven-day camp from October 8 to 14 for the Under-22 cricketers and 14-day camp from October 14 to 27 for the seniors is slated to be held in Ernakulam.

Schedule for the 2000-2001 season Inter-State matches in Kerala:

Under-14 (all matches at Thalassery): November 15 to 17: Kerala - Goa, November 22 to 24: Kerala - Karnataka, November 29 to December 1: Kerala -Tamil Nadu. Under-16 for the V Pattabhiraman Trophy (both matches at Ernakulam): November 24 to 26: Kerala - Goa, December 20 to 22 Kerala - Karnataka. Under-19 for the Ghulam Ahmed Trophy: September 20 to 22: Kerala - Tamil Nadu (Thiruvananthapuram), October 14 to 16: Kerala - Karnataka (Ernakulam). Under-22 for the Ramachandra Rao Trophy (both matches at Ernakulam): December 20 to 22: Kerala - Karnataka, December 26 to 28: Kerala - Goa.

Indian captain Sourav Ganguly and former England captain Micheal Atherton, with a record first wicket stand worth 192 runs, helped Lancashire thrash Somerset by seven wickets in the National League Division One 45 over match at Taunton on Sunday.

Chasing a modest total of 198, Lancashire openers Ganguly and Atherton started in fine style. The two despatched the bowlers to all parts of the ground and collected 14 boundaries in all. By the time Ganguly fell, the match was well and truly pocketed by Lancashire and it was left to Graham Lloyd and Neil Fairbrother to complete the formalities.

Indian leg spinner Anil Kumble went for 52 runs in his nine overs while picking up a wicket as Leicestershire lost to Northamtonshire by four wickets in the National League Division One match at Leicester.