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Ray Mali, the newly elected president of United Cricket Board, has promisedSouth Africans improved administration of their game, a determined effort to breathe life into club cricket, and a more sophisticated approach to racialtransformation.Mali, 66, was elected unopposed at the UCB annual meeting in Pretoria onSaturday. He succeeded Percy Sonn, who had been president since 2000.Sonn did not stand for re-election and will attempt to further his career incricket administration at international level.Rob Kurz was re-elected unopposed as vice-president and John Blair foughtoff a challenge from Haroon Lorgat to be re-elected as treasurer.”I am very conscious of the fact that I come from a cricket culture that stretches back more than 100 years, but that was marginalised by apartheidfor nearly five decades,” Mali said. “You will excuse me if my cricketing ancestors share this moment with us all, because I would not be here had they not given me a heritage as rich in cricket as you will find anywhere in the world.”Mali committed the UCB to “giving equal opportunities to everyone who wants to play cricket,” and to the development of South Africa’s ailing clubcricket structures. “The key to equal opportunity lies in capacity building, which is the cornerstone of our transformation policy,” Mali said. “We do not believe any more in throwing people into the deep end in order tomake transformation statistics look impressive.”Club cricket is a microcosm of the UCB, and yet over the past few years wehave tended to neglect its development in favour of schools and first-classcricket. We have seen a widening gap between the two, which club cricket can fill. There is also a dearth of good administrators coming out of club cricket, particularly in the townships and we are going to address this.”Reflecting on his time at the helm, Sonn said “the Hansie Cronje saga …questioned the values of the game that we love so much”. Cronje, who died in a plane crash on June 1 2002, was banned for life by the UCB after his involvement in match-fixing was exposed.”I believe that it was the transparent and swift reaction of the UCB thatset an example to world cricket on how to deal with this crisis, and how toprevent it happening again,” said Sonn.Sonn added that South Africa’s successful hosting of the 2003 World Cup was a highlight of his career. “The International Cricket Council described this as the biggest and best World Cup ever held,” said Sonn, "and this is due to the enormous amount of work that was put in by all the UCB structures."

What can be said after a week during which Zimbabwe suffered the greatest humiliation in their international history? 38 all out against Sri Lanka! In certain countries the players would be liable to stonings on their return or public effigy-hanging – or enquiries into match-fixing. Zimbabwean cricket-followers merely content themselves with sarcasm and verbal contempt.Lowest ever ODI team total; fastest ever ODI defeat; best-ever ODI bowling figures. Since we do not have a reporter on the spot and no easy method of communication with the team, we know no more about the situation than any other reader who has read the match reports. But there seems to be no excuse adequate to cover this situation. The pitch does not seem to be a minefield; however well Chaminda Vaas bowled, it is totally unacceptable for the national side to be dismissed for just 38 runs.At least the team redeemed themselves, in the eyes of many cricket-followers, by defeating West Indies in the following match. It is perhaps a comfort to know there is another international team capable of playing as appallingly as Zimbabwe. Match reports, however, spoke more of how badly West Indies played in that match rather than how well Zimbabwe played, so that 38 was evidently not quite the kick up the backside the team needed, as some thought. They played better than West Indies, but apparently still not particularly well.Another predictable defeat to Sri Lanka followed, though this one was at least somewhat less humiliating. Nobody who knows the talents of the team can believe that this is the best they can do, even in the absence of several top players who are either injured or out of form. Why, then, do they so often under-perform, and so badly?There are several possible factors. Ongoing hostilities between players, selectors and administrators; too much cricket in too many different countries without a break; a degree of inferiority complex against senior Test teams; lack of mental toughness (with the honourable exception of Andy Flower); low morale among Zimbabweans, especially the whites, in the current political situation in Zimbabwe, which includes fear for the future. These may all contribute, but if Andy Flower can overcome these distractions, why cannot the others?ZIMBABWE A IN KENYACongratulations to Kenya for gaining their initial first-class victory, over Zimbabwe A, and then going on to win all three matches of the one-day series. Again, though, one suspects that this is not just to the credit of the opposition, but also to the detriment of the Zimbabwean team.Zimbabwe A regularly play several Test and ODI players, yet they fail to overwhelm the B teams of South African provinces as they should in the UCBSA Bowl competition. They do win more often than not, but a team with that sort of talent and experience should be able to hammer South African provincial B teams out of sight – in fact, the opposing provincial teams are often without the 15 to 20 best players of their province, with 11 in their A team and in some cases several more on international duty. We should be seeing innings victories from our Board XI in that competition.So perhaps it was not unexpected that they should struggle in Kenya, who are used to their home conditions. It would be a mistake to assume that Kenya are rapidly approaching Test quality on the basis of their victories, although that will be nice if it is the case. Undoubtedly they are progressing, and their wins over Zimbabwe A will give them extra confidence. But they will need to keep on winning against teams with more power than a disappointing Zimbabwe A.Also in the past week, CricInfo has carried reports of Zimbabwe Under-19’s convincing defeat at the hands of Natal Under-19 in a three-day match in Bulawayo. South African provincial teams at age-group level are generally able to pick up more experience of top-class cricket than their Zimbabwean counterparts, but it just adds to the depressed air that lies over Zimbabwe cricket at the moment.THE MANCHESTER OF ZIMBABWEI read an article on CricInfo by the controversial English writer Michael Henderson, who wrote about his visits to cities whose industrial prowess laid claim to titles of `the Manchester of India’ and `the Manchester of Pakistan’.I immediately wondered what centre could be labelled `the Manchester of Zimbabwe’. Mutare! Not because of industrial prowess, but because whenever a cricket match is staged for that beautiful little Eastern highlands city, it seems to rain. Remarkable to learn, then, that last Sunday only one national league club match was possible in the entire country – and that was in Mutare! One for the record books!

The West Indies cricket team lost for the first time in sixmatches this past Wednesday when they were defeated in the firstof three Cable and Wireless one-day finals against Pakistan atKensington Oval in Barbados. West Indies captain, Jimmy Adamslost the toss and was asked to bowl for the first time in theone-day series. Pakistan scored steadily but lost two earlywickets in Shahid Afridi (17) and Imran Nazir (12), but as YounisKhan (23) was joined by Inzamam-ul-Haq (66) Pakistan made arecovery with a 49 run partnership. It was obvious that the gamewas going to be dominated by slow scoring as both batsmen, whoare typically attacking, struggled to put together the firstsubstantial partnership of the innings from 18 overs. After Khanwas brilliantly run out by Jimmy Adams and Ridley Jacobs,however, the wheels of the Pakistani innings began to come off.Wickets fell at regular intervals and at one point Pakistan were144 for 8 with just 8 overs remaining. However, experience onceagain displayed its worth as Wasim Akram (42 not out from 36balls) played with authority as he and Mushtaq Ahmed (11 not out)lifted Pakistan’s total to 197 for 8 from 50 overs. The WestIndies’ bowlers bowled with continued accuracy and consistency asReon King claimed 2 for 37 and was ably assisted by Ambrose,McLean, Adams and Gayle who all picked up 1 wicket apiece.In reply, the West Indies never truly got going. They made avaliant effort to pace themselves for the chase but continued tofall too far behind the required run rate. After Campbell fellfor just 11, Philo Wallace (47) and Wavell Hinds (35) ploddedalong as they built a partnership of 87 from 24.3 overs. Like thePakistani innings, wickets then began to fall at regularintervals as the lower order batsmen realised that they wereunder immense pressure to score runs quickly. Only Sylvester`Bouncin’ Joseph, in his debut was capable of guiding the WestIndies toward the Pakistani total as he crashed 28 from 32 ballswith 1 four and a six. His teammates crumbled around him as theWest Indies innings closed at 180 all out. All-rounder, ShahidAfridi was the pick of the bowlers as he cleaned up the lowerorder with 3 for 16 and pacer Waqar Younis claimed 2 for 34.It was a disappointing start to the West Indies’ 3 match finalsas much was expected of them as they crushed Zimbabwe in the twotest series and won 4 one days in a row. However, the spiritwithin the dressing room is still very high and after the match,West Indies captain, Jimmy Adams expressed that he is still abeliever that the West Indies will win the inaugural three-wayone-day series in the Caribbean.

Antonio Conte could have another Harry Kane waiting in the wings at Tottenham Hotspur.

The Italian head coach is hugely light on options in the centre-forward department and that is something he and sporting director Fabio Paratici will be unable to rectify until the summer, having failed to sign anyone in the role this January.

With the north London outfit still in the FA Cup, where they will face Championship outfit Middlesbrough on Tuesday night, and firmly in the race for the top-four in the Premier League, we could well see the need for alternatives to the England international.

After all, he can’t be expected to remain 100% match fit if he starts, and plays the full duration, of every game. Therefore, Conte must seek an option from within and with the likes of Troy Parrott and Kion Etete enjoying loan spells away in the EFL, the burden call fall upon Dane Scarlett.

It’s become evident that the 17-year-old has already caught the manager’s eye, having come off the bench for a three-minute cameo in the resounding 4-0 win over Leeds on Saturday afternoon – his ninth senior appearance for the club.

He may have only played 282 minutes for the first team but Scarlett is a hugely promising goalscorer and one that has impressed in abundance for the academy system.

The talismanic teenager scored 23 goals in as many games for the U18s before being trusted to feature for the U23s, even despite his very young age. There, he has found the net four times across 12 appearances, as per Transfermarkt.

Conte isn’t the first manager to have seen something in the attacking gem. It was Jose Mourinho who handed him his debut and was in charge for his first direct goal contribution, an assist against Wolfsberger AC in the Europa League last season.

“He is a diamond, a kid with incredible potential,” he told BT Sport (via The Athletic) after that aforementioned clash.

“He has worked many times with the first team and that gives him a different personality. He is still 16, 17 soon (in March) and I believe next season he will be a first-team squad player because he has a lot of talent.”

Elsewhere, the Portuguese – who is now in charge of AS Roma in the Serie A – has also compared him to one of his former Manchester United stars, Marcus Rashford.

“He is going to be a fantastic player and I hope everything around him goes well. He is a striker, a number nine, I have been playing him from the sides similar to Marcus Rashford and he is very clever,” he once said.

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On the above evidence, the Lilywhites faithful have plenty to be excited about with Scarlett and if Conte continues to keep him involved over the course of his tenure, then the 17-year-old could well become the next Kane at Hotspur Way.

In doing so, the young forward with bags of potential can save chairman Daniel Levy and the club millions of pounds in future transfer windows as they will not need to spend if he emerges to be half the talent of the England skipper.

AND in other news, Conte could unearth Tottenham’s next Skipp in 20 y/o terrier dubbed a “coach’s dream”…

ScorecardNaman Ojha hit 11 fours in his unbeaten 79 as Madhya Pradesh lived to fight another day in the Ranji Trophy semi-final in Cuttack•Associated Press

A patient unbeaten 79 from Naman Ojha kept Madhya Pradesh’s flame burning in their semi-final clash against Mumbai at the DRIEMS ground in Cuttack. MP wobbled their way to 197 for 5 at stumps, still trailing Mumbai by 174 runs, with Ojha and Ankit Dane having put together an unbroken 60-run stand when play ended.Mumbai added 44 runs to their overnight total of 327 for 7; Shardul Thakur and Balwinder Sandhu, their new-ball pair, chipping in with 27 and 21 not out respectively to shore up the total. Puneet Datey, the medium pacer who went wicketless on the opening day, returned to dismiss Siddhesh Lad (60) and Thakur (27), while Chandrakant Sakure, playing in only his second first-class game, picked up the wicket of Badre Alam to finish with 5 for 127. It also happened to be his maiden five-for.MP lost their openers, Jalaj Saxena and Aditya Shrivastava, with just 20 runs on the board, with Alam and Sandhu picking one wicket apiece in their opening spell. Rajat Patidar led a brief recovery, making a 115-ball 33, before Mumbai hit back with two wickets in as many overs.Patidar was bowled by Iqbal Abdulla, the left-arm spinner, to break a 55-run stand for the third wicket. Nine balls later, Devendra Bundela, MP’s captain and most-capped player, was dismissed by Abhishek Nayar to leave them precariously placed at 78 for 4.Ojha then drove the game forward, hitting 11 fours in his 182-ball vigil, even as he saw the in-form Harpreet Singh fall to Sandhu for 36. But the sixth-wicket pair of Ojha and Dane showed some fight by batting out the next 15 overs as MP lived to fight another day.

Tamim Iqbal’s 81 helped Chittagong hang on for a draw against Khulna © TigerCricket.com

Khulna are the glamour side in the National Cricket League, boasting almost half the Bangladesh team’s regulars. However, even with Mashrafe Mortaza and Syed Rasel thriving on pitches not conducive to seam bowling and Shakib Al Hasan batting like a man possessed, they had be content with their second draw in a row when visitors Chittagong held on at the Khulna Divisional Stadium.Khulna had done all the right things after being put in; half-centuries from opener Imrul Kayash and Tushar Imran gave them a strong start, which was built on by Shakib’s maiden first-class hundred (108). At stumps on day one Khulna were 361 for 7. Another 49 runs were added the next morning as the batsmen maintained a rate of almost four an over throughout the innings. If Khulna were worried about the absence of left-arm spinner Abdur Razzak and fast bowler Dolar Mahmud, away on Hong Kong Sixes duty, they were soon lifted as unheralded offspinner Murad Khan sent back Nafees Iqbal (35) and Nazimuddin (30) after Mortaza and Rasel had made their customary early strikes. A 99-run sixth-wicket stand between Faisal Hossain and Dhiman Ghosh provided respectability to the Chittagong total as Khan and Rasel took four wickets apiece to dismiss them for 248 early on the third day. Habibul Bashar gambled by not enforcing the follow-on and Khulna rode on a 69-ball 50 from Shakib, playing despite a severe bout of influenza, and a rapid 30 from Mortaza to set Chittagong a target of 367. Tamim Iqbal’s 81 off 166 balls made Chittagong’s intentions clear as the match headed for a draw. Bashar tried everything, including giving Khan the new ball and, towards the end of the match, getting Mortaza to bowl spin on a pitch offering turn. He managed to get the wicket of Ehsanul Haque out but Chittagong hung on to end at 252 for 7. Nazimuddin was again among the runs with an uncharacteristically sedate 56.Rajshahi may not have the marquee names of Khulna or Dhaka but the team is a model of commitment, dedication and hard work. Led by the persevering Khaled Mashud they have set the early pace in the NCL after thumping Barisal by 8 wickets at the Rajshahi Divisional Stadium. Mashud inspired a fightback after Barisal’s pace duo of Talha Jubair and Sajidul Islam had reduced Rajshahi to 46 for 4 by exploiting the juice in the wicket. Such situations bring out the best in Mashud and his workmanlike 89 from 263 balls and equally important knocks of 67 from Mushfiqur Rahman and 52 from Farhad Reza took Rajshahi past 300. Their depth then came to the fore as their supposed second-choice bowlers Reza, Suhrawadi Shuvo and Nayeem Islam shared nine wickets to dismiss Barisal for 87, the lowest score in an innings so far this season. Following on they were spared a repeat by Raisul Islam’s 52 and 45 from No. 10 Jubair. It was only a matter of time before Rajshahi got the last wicket on the final morning as Barisal folded for 222, left-arm spinner Shuvo again claiming three, and were left with completing the formality of scoring nine for victory.Dhaka missed captain Mohammad Ashraful and Mahmudullah, who were in Hong Kong, but were still too strong for a lacklustre Sylhet, thumping them by an innings and 34 runs at Bogra. Losing Javed Omar with six on the board after being sent in was the only hiccup for the champions as the other opener, Anwar Hossain (54), stand-in skipper Al Sahariar (54) and Mehrab Hossain jnr with set up the platform. Cameos from Mosharraf Hossain (35 n.o.) and Mohammad Rafique (39) ensured Dhaka’s batting bonus as they declared on 351 for 9 on the second day. In good times a team with Rajin Saleh, Alok Kapali and Mushfiqur Rahim would be expected to give a spirited reply but Sylhet, who had used nine bowlers to contain Dhaka, are struggling. Mahbubul Alam, who stepped in for flu-stricken Shahadat Hossain, bowled a fascinating 11-over spell for 14 runs and sent back four of the top five batsmen. Mohammad Sharif, at the other end, took his cue and bowled a fuller length, getting the ball to swing with devastating effect. Sylhet were 26 for seven in the 17th over and without Rahim’s 36 would have been bowled out for under 50. Sylhet’s hopes of stretching the game beyond day three were dashed by the left-arm spin of Mehrab and Mosharraf when they followed on. Mehrab struck a double blow in the 41st over, removing Sharifullah and Sylhet captain Saleh, on his way to 5 for 43 while the towering Mosharraf continued to impress with his loop as he picked up three wickets.

Khulna’s top order crumbled against Chittagong in front of a packed home crowd at the Khulna Divisional Stadium. – unprecedented in the NCL – but they recovered to post 196. Something special was called for and Mortaza (5 for 31) provided it, sending back the dangerous Aftab Ahmed (7) and Nazimuddin (5) in his opening burst before returning to dismiss Ehsanul and Shabbir Khan in the same over as Chittagong slipped from 154 for 6 to 154 for 8. Mortaza then cleaned up Rubel Hossain as Chittagong fell nine short. This was Mortaza’s second match-winning effort in the space of a week following his 35 and three wickets in Khulna’s victory over Dhaka in the first round.Junaid Siddique did not play the four-dayer as he was in the Hong Kong Sixes team but flew back a day before Rajshahi’s match against Barisal at the Rajshahi Divisional Stadium and belted the bowling with his opening partner Jahurul Islam. The two were separated when Jahurul fell for a 52-ball 55 after a stand of 121 in 19.2 overs but Junaid continued the momentum until his dismissal for 120 in the 42nd over. Rajshahi’s total of 295 for 8 proved too intimidating a target for Barisal, whose cause was not helped when captain Shahriar Nafees was out without scoring in the first over. They eventually limped to 179 as Rajshahi’s maintained their hundred percent record in both forms of the NCL.

Shakib Al Hasan silenced his critics with his maiden first-class century © TigerCricket.com

Dhaka have unearthed an unassuming hero in Mosharraf. His three wickets at Bogra stifled Sylhet in the middle overs as they could only muster 195 on a flat deck at Bogra. Then, given another opportunity to bat at No. 3, Mosharraf repaid the faith for the second game running with 49 not out as the target was overhauled with 8.4 overs and seven wickets to spare. Mosharraf had made 72 in the loss to Khulna in round one.Player of the week Shakib Al Hasan
Not in the best of international form coming into the NCL, Shakib had vowed before the start that he would make this tournament count and so far he has backed that confidence with action. With critics eager to bracket him as a one-day specialist the 20-year-old is letting his bat do the talking. His 108 and 50 at Khulna came when the situation demanded he anchor the innings and he instantly adapted to this role, never hurrying and minimising the risk knowing that his natural talent will always be there to ensure fluency.

Points table

National Cricket League

Team	Mat	Won	Lost	Tied	Draw	Aban	Pts
Rajshahi Division	2	2	0	0	0	0	30
Khulna Division	2	0	0	0	2	0	23
Dhaka Division	2	1	0	0	1	0	21
Barisal Division	2	1	1	0	0	0	18
Chittagong Div	2	0	1	0	1	0	11
Sylhet Division	2	0	0	0	2	0	7

Note: Points include bonus points for batting and bowling and points for the first-innings lead in the drawn gameNational Cricket League one-day

Team	Mat	Won	Lost	Tied	N/R	Pts
Rajshahi Division	2	2	0	0	0	4
Khulna Division	2	2	0	0	0	4
Chittagong Div	2	1	1	0	0	2
Dhaka Division	2	1	1	0	0	2
Barisal Division	2	0	2	0	0	0
Sylhet Division	2	0	2	0	0	0