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Wet weather helps New Zealand survive

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Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were out

Glenn McGrath gave Australia hope with Hamish Marshall’s wicket, but rain helped New Zealand escape with a draw© Getty Images

Glenn McGrath delivered Australia the perfect start as rain successfully spoiled their determined attempt to seal the series. Play began 90 minutes late but McGrath made up for the loss when he knocked back Stephen Fleming and Hamish Marshall in the third over. Australia’s excitement was drowned by a further – and final – disruption 20 balls after lunch, during which Michael Kasprowicz grabbed his 100th Test wicket.Australia walked out this morning wanting ten wickets to settle the series before the third Test starting at Auckland on Saturday. New Zealand, needing 326 to give the game a fourth innings, craved three good batting sessions or a day of drizzle following rain-dance calls from Lou Vincent last night. The plea was successful as the clouds chopped the day’s original expectation from 98 overs to 83, and then allowed only 17.2 throughout the opening two sessions. After a tricky 60-minute warm-up New Zealand went to lunch two wickets down, and were in serious trouble at 48 for 3 until rain and bad light saved them a difficult finish.Fleming’s poor run – against Australia and McGrath – showed no sign of ending in his brief seven-ball stay. McGrath bounced him twice in the third over before bowling a fuller stumps delivery that had Fleming shuffling across. On a day when Fleming at least wanted to lead his side to lunch he was gone for 1. The move to opener has failed as miserably as the shining sun in Wellington.McGrath has nailed Fleming lbw three times in a row and has dismissed him on eight career occasions. Mike Atherton (19) and Brian Lara (13) head McGrath’s highlights list, but Fleming has made a huge surge up the table in the last four Tests by dropping to him six times. It is a stunning streak that has had repercussions on the remainder of the re-shuffled batting order.The damage from McGrath increased two balls later when a sharp off-cutter rapped the bottom of Marshall’s thigh guard and New Zealand were 3 for 2. It was a disastrous start when play could have ended at any moment.A match that has been ordered around by the clouds – eight sessions were washed out on the first four days – was again ruined and despite Australia’s domination New Zealand can square the series next week. The covers were on as light showers fell on the Basin Reserve when the match was due to start at 10am local time, and the bad weather stayed for most of the morning.Giving Australia a teasing chance, the gloom returned in the fourth over after lunch, allowing enough time for Kasprowicz to reach triple figures. Three deliveries after the break Lou Vincent, as he had in the first innings, pushed forward to Kasprowicz with too much weight on his back foot and was bowled when the ball rebounded from his diagonal bat. Kasprowicz was ecstatic. It was a milestone more than double what he thought he’d achieve two years ago.Only in the past year has Kasprowicz felt comfortable as a Test cricketer. Until February 2004 he owned 47 wickets in 17 Tests and was carving out an exceptional reputation in fulfilling stints as Glamorgan’s overseas professional. Since the Sri Lanka tour last year he has rapidly developed his Test status with 53 victims in 15 matches, and is entrenched as one of the four horsemen of Australia’s regular apocalypses.Kasprowicz woke up Australia with two wickets in the first innings yesterday and finished with 3 for 42. The team quickly surrounded him when he became the second Queensland bowler to step to 100 behind Craig McDermott, who finished on 291. Brett Lee, who has been sidelined by Kasprowicz since October, then showed the incredible spirit among the bowling cartel when he raced to congratulate him as he left the field. As the rain continued to fall the milestone gave Australia something to toast in the absence of a series victory.How They Were Out
Fleming lbw McGrath 1 (3 for 1)
Missed one playing to legside again; lbw to McGrath again.Marshall lbw McGrath 0 (3 for 2)
A second-ball off-cutter that hit the bottom of his thigh pad in line, but a query over height.Vincent b Kasprowicz 24 (37 for 3)
Pushed forward with an angled bat and inside-edged on to the stumps.

West Indies board seeks to resolve umpires issue

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International umpire Billy Doctrove is the West Indies Cricket Umpires Association area vice-president © Getty Images
 

West Indies board officials will meet with officials from the West Indies Cricket Umpires Association (WICUA) president today in an effort to settle the issues that led to the WICUA’s boycott of Carib Beer Cup matches last month.”We’ve sought this meeting for some time but had to put it off once at our request,” Hartley Reid, the WICUA president said. “It’s a welcome opportunity to have this specific matter resolved and to discuss the general relationship between the WICB and the WICUA”. Reid will meet Donald Peters, the WICB chief executive, and Tony Howard, its chief cricket operations officer.The WICB was caught in the middle of a stand-off triggered by differences between two umpiring bodies in Trinidad and Tobago, only one of which is recognised by the Trinidad and Tobago board.WICUA decided on the boycott when two of its members, Hayden Bruce and Kaso Dowlath, were replaced after being originally assigned matches during the regional season by the WICB. Bruce and Dowlath belong to the Association of Cricket Umpires of Trinidad and Tobago (ACUTT). But the T&T board recognises the Trinidad and Tobago Cricket Umpires and Scorers Council (TTCUSC) which did not put forward Bruce and Dowlath on its recommended list. “This was noticed by the T&T board, which informed the WICB, pointing out the perceived error, and the WICB then removed those two names,” Lalman Kowlessar, a T&T board executive said. Umpires from the TTCUSC filled in for those who adhered to the WICUA call and the matches all went ahead.Kowlessar described the boycott as a “total failure” but WICUA secretary Vivian Johnson of Jamaica pointed out that it was not a situation that could be allowed to continue “in perpetuity”. In a television interview in Guyana last week, Peters said he hoped “to come to some amicable agreement” at today’s meeting.”The larger issue is all these factions in the umpires’ fraternity,” he said. “What I would like to see is one group and the WICB would contract an elite panel and three levels of umpires. That’s the way I’d like to go.”We’re not involved in the struggle but we have a responsibility to ensure that umpires work closely together so that, in the final analysis, we can get the best umpires to stand in our matches,” he added.The impasse led to an e-mailed threat from WICB corporate secretary Tony Deyal to WICUA area vice-president Billy Doctrove, one of two West Indians on the ICC Elite Panel of umpires, informing him that if he did not umpire the match between the Leeward Islands and Guyana as directed that the WICB would “refer the matter to the ICC”.Deyal warned that it would point out that “your actions have sought to bring the WICB and the game of cricket in the Caribbean into disrepute and that you, and any other persons from the region who have behaved in a similar fashion, should not be considered for further employment by the ICC now or at any future time”.ICC Communications Officer James Fitzgerald said that although the ICC was aware of the issue “it is really a domestic matter and so we have no direct part to play.”However, if there is a way that we can assist all sides coming to a satisfactory agreement on this, then we will be happy to help,” he added.The ICC has subsequently assigned Doctrove to the last two Tests of the current series between India and South Africa in India.

Doubts over West Indies A-team tour

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Confusion surrounds the proposed West Indies A tour of Sri Lanka – although Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) have announced full details of the itinerary, a spokesman for the West Indies board (WICB) said that the series had yet to be confirmed.Earlier this week, SLC named a 14-man squad for the two four-day unofficial Tests and five one-day matches due to start on June 23. But in an interview with the Barbados-based Nation, Zorol Barthley, the WICB’s operations officer, said negotiations were not finished.”The tour has not been finalised,” he explained. “The dates have changed and have constantly been changing. There have been ongoing discussions. Like anything else, you just need to make sure from both ends you have covered the objectives.”The A-team tour is scheduled to precede the visit of the senior side to play two Tests and a tri-nations one-day tournament, also involving India.”There has been talk of this tour for quite a while,” Barthley continued. “We know where all the players are. There has been contact. Once things are finalised, the relevant people will be informed.”And Barthley added that it was hoped that the tour, if it goes ahead, would be the start of more regular A-team series. “We are in the process of talking to all the international bodies. We’re exchanging and trying to come up with an a calendar among ourselves as how it will be of mutual benefit.”

South Africa tighten chokehold on exciting day

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Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were out

Neil McKenzie’s 226 was South Africa’s batsman of the day … © AFP
 

A 53-year-old batting record broken, a maiden first-class double-century for a man back from the wilderness, a hostile spell that enthused life back into a dull affair, and two bowlers – one in his 20th Test, the other in his last – capturing 100 Test wickets: it all happened at the Chittagong Divisional Stadium. This also translated into another day of domination by South Africa who, backed by a total of 583 for 7, left Bangladesh limping at 60 for 3 by stumps.Statistically the highlight of the day will remain the record 415-run opening partnership between Graeme Smith and Neil McKenzie but, from a purist’s perspective Shahadat Hossain’s three-wicket burst after lunch, and the ensuing contest with Jaques Kallis, provided the first glimpse of competitive Test cricket in Chittagong. Unfortunately for the hosts, their batsmen could not replace Shahadat’s enthusiasm and instead wilted against a hostile Dale Steyn.The day began with plenty of buzz around the impending achievement – whether Smith and McKenzie could break the previous best opening stand of 413, between India’s Pankaj Roy and Vinoo Mankad, set against New Zealand in Chennai way back in 1956 . Another Indian duo, Virender Sehwag and Rahul Dravid, came close to breaking the mark in 2006 but fell just four runs short against Pakistan in Lahore. Having blunted Bangladesh for the entire first day, Smith and McKenzie were not about to miss this mark.Smith slapped Shakib Al Hasan for a boundary in the opening over, and then took a single to get back on strike. He took another risky single off Mashrafe Mortaza to take South Africa to within three runs of the landmark. Two hurried singles equalled the record and the landmark came at 10:13 am local time on a warm morning when Smith tucked Shakib to square leg. It was truly a historic moment.Smith fell soon after for 232, bowled around his legs trying to sweep Abdur Razzak. His inspired innings consumed just 277 balls and included 33 fours and a six.It would be easy to say that McKenzie played second fiddle to his captain but this was a man looking to cement his place in the side and build on his first Test century in seven years. With Hashim Amla picking up the pace immediately, McKenzie remained in his zone. He found the gaps easily on both sides – deep midwicket came to a conventional midwicket and McKenzie beat the man with effortless sweeps; three men hovered in the covers and he beat them by driving inside-out.About 30 minutes before lunch, another flowing cover drive for three brought him his first score of over 200 in any form of cricket. Off came the cap, up went the arms and there was a huge smile on McKenzie’s face. He proceeded to indulge in further boundaries.

… while Shahadat Hossain proved the only hero for the hosts © AFP
 

Matters looked rather miserable for Bangladesh when South Africa went into lunch at 509 for 1 but Shahadat’s enthusiastic post-lunch spell breathed the contest. Having failed to take a wicket on day one, Bangladesh picked up four in quick time. Shahadat, who bowled just one over in the first session, used his ability to reverse-swing the ball quite well in an energetic spell. McKenzie (226) dragged back onto his stumps attempting a dab to third man, Amla was trapped in front of leg by one that bent in, and Ashwell Prince came and went for 2 with a poor attempt at a cut. For good measure, AB de Villiers misjudged Shakib’s length and was beaten by a skidder.South Africa had lost four wickets for ten runs in the most frenetic passage of this Test. Cue the first compelling contest of the game. In a gripping 25 minutes Shahadat bowled a telling spell to Kallis, who matched him shot for shot. Shahadat swung the ball off tight lengths and slipped in accurate yorkers and Kallis met each with the confidence of a 116-Test pro.Eschewing the big shots, Kallis used firm defence to deny Bangladesh any further wickets. He made sure to stretch well forward when working deliveries into the leg-side spaces and his back-foot technique was spot on. Apart from Shahadat the attack remained rather toothless but Kallis was determined to grind out the session. Mark Boucher, another warhorse with an appetite for a scrap, provided good support in a 55-run partnership. Mohammad Rafique snapped up the two wickets needed to become the first Bangladeshi to 100 wickets and South Africa declared on 583 for 7.Bangladesh’s openers were left to negotiate 17 overs till stumps and what a hostile time it proved to be. Junaid Siddique was peppered by Dale Steyn – clocking the early on three successive short ones – and even took one on the helmet. A snorter clattered into the back of Tamim Iqbal’s head and having wafted at the next two deliveries, a dazed Tamim fell to a stinger of a catch by de Villiers at third slip. Mohammad Ashraful gloved his first ball, a ripper down leg stump, and Bangladesh were left 523 runs in arrears.Under the canopy of a big total, Steyn ran in and completely rattled the top order. His hostility was in keeping with the domination of the batsmen, but what really stood out was the pace he generated on a lifeless surface. He denied the openers width and mixed short with full to keep them wary. This is a young fast bowler on the verge of greatness and his fiery spell was yet another stellar performance in a season of excellence. It summed up the difference between the two sides.South Africa have done enough to ensure they won’t bat again, and now the bowlers can look to maintain the pressure.

Hampshire stalwart Gerry Hill dies aged 92

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© Cricinfo

Gerry Hill, who played as an allrounder for Hampshire for more than two decades, has died at the age of 92.Hill made his debut in 1932 after being spotted playing cricket by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle in the New Forest, and played through to 1954.His best season was in 1935, when he took 93 wickets, including a career-best 8 for 62 against Kent at Tonbridge, a performance which earned him his county cap. He batted in all 11 positions for Hampshire with four centuries, including a top score of 161 against Sussex at Portsmouth. At one time Hill was the unwelcome owner of the record for the most runs conceded in an over (32).

Kasprowicz rested for Sydney

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Hamish Marshall hit an unbeaten half-century and with Brendon McCullum took 22 off Michael Kasprowicz’s ninth over© Getty Images

Michael Kasprowicz will be rested from the second Chappell-Hadlee Series match at Sydney on Wednesday, but the move is not related to his awful 22-run over against New Zealand last night.Kasprowicz had taken 1 for 31 off eight before his 48th-over thrashing, which spilled four boundaries and four wides, as the Kiwis closed on an exciting four-wicket victory. Trevor Hohns, the chairman of selectors, said Kasprowicz was always going to be rested and would return to the squad at Brisbane.”The plan was to give him a blow at this stage come what may,” Hohns said. “There’s nothing to be read into him missing Sydney. Kasprowicz has been an outstanding performer over the last 12 months. He went for a few runs in one over in a one-day game and that can happen to anybody at anytime.”Both Glenn McGrath, who rejoins the squad in Sydney, and Jason Gillespie were rested from the opening match, allowing Brett Lee to play his first international of the summer. Lee looked fit and fast and picked up the wickets of Stephen Fleming and Chris Cairns to finish with 2 for 40 from eight overs.

Australia fight back on tense day

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Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were out

Adam Gilchrist’s awesome hundred gave Australia hope © Getty Images

Adam Gilchrist sounded the charge and the bowlers finally turned in a performance that befits their standing as Australia clawed their way back into this Test match. On a see-saw day in this amazing Test, Gilchrist’s stunning 144 and a good showing with the ball gave Australia their best day, though Bangladesh will still harbour hopes of an upset. It’s been that kind of match.Australia had begun the day needing to chalk off the 83 required to avoid the follow-on, something they have done just twice since 1988. Gilchrist, in a departure from his slam-bang affair with cricket, buckled down to play an innings that should draw comparisons with his death-defying unbeaten 149 against Pakistan at Hobart in 1999. To be reduced to a state of submission by Bangladesh was something Australia would not have expected when they arrived here. Gilchrist has played better, but never under such conditions and in this regard his innings was something else.He is a batsman who has flourished with a basic technique, two powerful shots – the cut and the pull – and a reliance on great bat speed. In this innings there was none of that and what was most impressive was how he made a conscious effort to play straight. Mohammad Rafique, who bowled a fine spell, was played with the deadest of defence and when Gilchrist drove through mid-off and mid-on it was not the usual chip; rather, it was a controlled drive with a higher follow-through. Another factor was his footwork. Feet and bat went together, whether it was back to the quicks or down the track to the spinners.Having seen Australia past the follow-on, he trained his sights on chipping away at Bangladesh’s lead in an exhilarating post-lunch session. Gilchrist upped the tempo brilliantly by clubbing three sixes off Enamul Haque jnr after the interval, but Rafique held his nerve to grab the remaining three wickets. Having set Jason Gillespie up with the previous ball that bounced and turned, Rafique cleverly threw a quicker one and Gillespie, playing for the turn, was cleaned up for 26 when the ball rocked through and hit off stump. Stuart Clark was then trapped lbw for 0 and when Gilchrist slogged him to Shahadat Hossain at deep midwicket all of Bangladesh rose in a tumultuous roar.

Habibul Basher fails to avoid a steep delivery from Brett Lee © Getty Images

Rafique was a revelation today as he produced fine loop and turn to prove why he is a top-class left-arm spinner. He mixed his deliveries well: he pushed the quicker ones in and when he tossed it up he found that dangerous drift that was missing in the morning session. The tail was pushed on the back foot more than once while Gilchrist was made to miss more than one cut against the quicker floater. His return of 5 for 62 was just reward for the veteran, and he exemplified the never-say-die spirit of this Bangladesh outfit.Perhaps taking a cue, Australia’s bowlers came to the party. Any Bangladeshi hopes of a first-innings repeat with the bat came crashing down as the game received another flip after tea. Shahriar Nafees had given Bangladesh a rapid start with a 38-ball 33 – though he was dropped by Shane Warne and Matthew Hayden – but a fed-up Brett Lee picked up his first wicket of the match with a furious yorker. Gillespie then got Javed Omar to edge to Gilchrist before Michael Clarke pulled off a brilliant piece of fielding from square leg to send back Habibul Bashar. Rajin Saleh turned Lee fine and called for a sharp single, but Clarke’s throw caught Bashar just short of his crease. Stuart Clark then got into matters when he struck Mohammad Ashraful lbw for 4. Aftab Ahmed and Saleh added 47 in a gritty stand but an ugly swipe across the line to Stuart MacGill resulted in the demise on the stroke of stumps.Australia will be boosted by the performance of Warne, who finally returned to bowl and found the control that had left him on the first day, and MacGill. Warne was extremely unlucky not to pick up a wicket in a mesmerising spell in which he tempted, teased and turned the ball. More than one ball whizzed past the bat in a session in which Saleh and Ahmed were left to prod and plunk their pads forward against a deadly legspin duo that refused to give in.This match is far from over, however. This pitch will deteriorate and a target of 350 will test any side, not least one that was dismantled by a 35-year old spinner in his first appearance against them. Australia may have enjoyed their best day of this enthralling Test match, but Bangladesh still have plenty to say.How they were outAustralia
Brett Lee lbw b Mortaza 15 (156 for 7)
Jason Gillespie b Rafique 26 (229 for 8)
Stuart Clark lbw b Rafique 0 (268 for 9)
Adam Gilchrist c Shahadat Hossain b Rafique 144 (269 for 10)
Bangladesh
Shahriar Nafees b Lee 33 (48 for 1)
Javed Omar c Gilchrist b Gillespie 18 (58 for 2)
Habibul Bashar run out (Clarke) 7 (66 for 3)
Mohammad Ashraful lbw b Clark 4 (77 for 4)
Aftab Ahmed lbw b MacGill 17 (124 for 5)

Sabir's ton lifts Karachi Urban

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Sialkot did well on the opening day to restrict Karachi Harbour to a score of 235 for 8 at the National Stadium in Karachi. With opening bowler Kashif Raza drawing first blood and offspinner Tariq Mahmood later taking three wickets, Karachi Harbour lost their way a little after opting to bat first on a wicket that looked full of runs.The opening partnership between Khalid Latif and the in-form Wajihuddin was worth 64 in exactly two hours’ time. Wajihuddin, fresh from a half-century in either innings of the previous match against Faisalabad, was the first to go after having scored 47 off 104 balls with six fours.Latif was the next to go, after making a slow but defiant 22 off 111 deliveries with a four and a six. Naumanullah then saw his team slump to 87 for 4 with Tariq sending Aariz Kamal and the prolific Fawad Alam, for a duck, back in a matter of eight balls.Wicketkeeper Sarfraz Ahmed lifted Karachi’s spirits through a 61-run stand for the fifth wicket with his captain Naumanullah. Sarfraz, who led the victorious Pakistan Under-19 side to victory in the World Cup in Sri Lanka last year, scored a fighting 70 off 138 balls with seven fours. Naumanullah hit a brisk 44 off 72 balls with seven boundaries.Later, only the eighth-wicket pair of Anwar Ali and Atiq Maqbool showed some resistance. Anwar was still at the crease with an unbeaten 23 to his name, having hit two fours and a six while facing 58 balls.Opener Agha Sabir made a fighting century as Karachi Urban looked good for a place in the Gold League final against Faisalabad at the United Bank Limited (UBL) Sports Complex Ground No.1 in Karachi.By the close of play, Karachi Urban, currently placed second behind defending champions Sialkot in the points table, had reached an impressive total of 288 for 6. Karachi got off to a poor squad after opener Asif Zakir was bowled by Tauqeer Hussain for a duck off the first ball he faced. Saeed Bin Nasir and captain Hasan Raza both struck form after having failed miserably in the previous round match against Sialkot. Sabir and Saeed added 117 for the second wicket in just over two hours 20 minutes.Sabir’s 102 came off 174 balls with nine fours and a six. Saeed made 52 off 123 balls with seven fours and a six. Sabir added 87 for the third-wicket with Raza, who scored 41 off 86 balls with five boundaries. Asim Kamal, having recently returned from Pakistan’s tour of South Africa, failed with a score of six. Faisal Iqbal, however, made 31 not out and shared a sixth-wicket partnership of 53 with Imran Javed (23).Rain washed out the opening day of the match between Peshawar and Lahore Shalimar at Peshawar’s Arbab Niaz Stadium. Peshawar, champions twice before in 1998-99 and 2004-05, although currently placed at number five in the points table with 18 points, have an outside chance of making the Gold League final if they attain an outright win in this match with the full nine points.At the same time, they would hope that the two top sides in the ranking — Sialkot and Karachi Urban — do not add to their tally of 24 points each. With the first day lost to rain and no prospect of play on the second day either, it is a setback.Lahore Shalimar too are looking for a win here. They are at rock bottom in the table with a mere six points from their previous five matches of which they have won none. Only an outright victory over Peshawar can help them avoid demotion to next season’s Silver League circuit.

India tour is a massive opportunity – Smith

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South Africa will be looking to extend their superb winning streak © Getty Images

Graeme Smith, the South African captain, has said that his team is ready to take on a resurgent India in the five-match one-day series beginning in Hyderabad on November 16.”We have come here on a good run and see this tour as a massive opportunity,” Smith told AFP after arriving in Mumbai. “India are a strong side with a bunch of young guys who are doing well. Sachin Tendulkar is also back in their side but I hope we continue to win.” South Africa have had an awesome run of form, blanking New Zealand 4-0 in the recent one-day series and winning 16 of their last 18 games with two matches washed out. India, too, have thrashed Sri Lanka 6-1 in the just completed one-day series.Mickey Arthur, the South Africa coach, said that they weren’t too worried about countering Mahendra Singh Dhoni, the Indian wicketkeeper who was named Man of the Series for his 346 runs in seven matches against Sri Lanka. “We have studied his technique well and have some plans for him. We only have to wait and see how well we are able to execute them,” said Arthur. “The key to India’s fortune is the return to form of Sachin Tendulkar as he can really lift the team. Rahul Dravid and Greg Chappell are doing a good job and we respect the Indian batting line-up in home conditions but we also back ourselves to win in India.”South Africa’s tour begins with a warm-up game on November 14 at Hyderabad followed by the first ODI on November 16. The remaining four matches are all day-night fixtures at Bangalore, Chennai, Kolkata and Mumbai on November 19, 22, 25 and 28.

Earthquake shakes Antigua and Trinidad

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Antigua and Trinidad, two countries that will be hosting World Cup matches next month, were jolted on Tuesday by an early-morning earthquake.A quake with a magnitude of 5.1 on the open-ended Richter scale hit St. John’s just prior to 06:00 local time (10:00 GMT), around the same time that Port-of-Spain was rattled by a quake with a magnitude of 4.3. Disaster officials said there were no reports of injuries or damage.Antigua is set to host Super Eight matches at the new Sir Vivian Richards Stadium, and Trinidad is the venue for four warm-up matches at the Frank Worrell Oval, as well as Group-B matches involving India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Bermuda.