Indian news round-up

Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) on Wednesday cancelled the scheduled 13-day tour of the Mumbai team to Kenya sighting reason of nonavailability of their star players - Sachin Tendulkar, Ajit Agarkar and Vinod Kambli. The three top Mumbai players have been selected to attend the condition camp for the India Team probables which is slated to be held during the same period.

Press Trust of India (PTI) reported that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) had informed the MCA that those players selected for the camp would have to report in Chennai on the specified date. The agency added that MCA confirmed that the association was forced to cancel the tour due to the absence of their star players as hosts Kenya expressed inclination to play a full strength Mumbai side.

Tendulkar who was keen to tour Kenya with the MCA said "When I came to know that the dates of Mumbai team's tour clashed with the national camp I contacted board secretary Lele and was told to attend the camp." The Mumbai team was scheduled to play four one-day and one three-day match against the Kenya Cricket Association (KCA) XI from September 14-26.

Press Trust of India (PTI) reported that a Calcutta city court on Wednesday reserved its order on the defamation suit filed by the former International Cricket Council (ICC) president Jagmohan Dalmiya against former Prasar Bharti financial expert Arun Agarwal regarding the alleged bungling in the award of telecast rights for the ICC mini World Cup held in Dhaka in 1998. The court has not specified any date for the order.

The court had directed both Dalmiya and Agarwal to file affidavits. Dalmiya's counsel refused to accept Arun Agarwal, when the latter appeared before the court on the last hearing date. However, the person who appeared before the court identified himself as Arun Agarwal, the former financial expert of Prasar Bharti who had made allegations against Dalmiya.

Indian captain Sourav Ganguly top scored with a well compiled 102 as Lancashire held their nerves to complete a 10 run win over Somerset in the Norwick Union National League Division One match at Old Trafford on Wednesday.

Electing to bat first, openers Ganguly and Mark Chilton (35) gave Lancashire a good start adding 82 runs before Chilton fell to Graham Rose. Then Ganguly shared a 115-run third wicket stand with Neil Fairbrother (62). Ganguly, who scored the third century of the season, in his 137 ball essay hit eight boundaries and helped Lancashire finish at 236 for four in 45 overs.

In reply, Somerset got off to a sedate start with openers Peter Bowler (14) and Matthew Lathwell (53) adding 32. Then Lathwell in the company of Jamie Cox took the score to 107 when the former fell to Gary Keedy. Cox then added a further 58 with Blackwell for the fourth wicket. Somerset's victory hopes were resting on Cox and he responded well with a more than a run a ball century. Somerset kept losing wickets at regular intervals and their hopes diminished when they lost Cox at the score of 217. Somerset could not close the match in their favour as they ran out of overs and ended at 226 for eight.