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The weekend brought another swathe of reports claiming new developments in the investigation into the death of Bob Woolmer, and in their aftermath the Jamaican police have again had to issue denials of much of what was written.Karl Angell, the Jamaican police’s (JCF) director of communications, said that the matter was still being handled as a murder investigation. “That will remain our position until such time as the results of the investigation are known; including the forensic and pathology analysis.”The speculation made in Sunday’s newspapers is part of a series of unhelpful reports that have appeared in the media throughout the duration of this investigation. The JCF is conducting an extensive and thoroughly professional investigation into the circumstances surrounding the death of Bob Woolmer. This has included a request to the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolitan Police Service in London to conduct a review of the investigation.”The JCF would again urge the media to refrain from speculation because of the additional distress it places upon the Woolmer family and the fact that it can hinder the progress of the investigation.”In London, Scotland Yard, who the Jamaica Gleaner claimed had ruled out murder, declined to comment and said it would not discuss an analysis of toxicology tests conducted on behalf of Jamaican authorities. “This is an inquiry being conducted by the Jamaican authorities,” said a spokesman. “It’s down to them to comment on developments.”

James Sutherland, the chief executive of Cricket Australia, has said that he will call Ricky Ponting to hear his perspective of the incident that resulted in him being fined 25% of his match fee during the second Test against Bangladesh at Chittagong.Ponting was found guilty of dissent after the Bangladesh team management complained about his behaviour during the appeal made against Aftab ahmed in the first innings.”I wasn’t there so I haven’t got any context out of what I have seen on TV and read in the newspapers and I want to get Ricky’s perspective on that,” Sutherland told the . ” I am also concerned that an incident like this has occurred. He has been reported, albeit the report has been made by the Bangladesh team, but the ICC match referee has heard the case and found him guilty. I do know that Ricky is absolutely committed to the spirit of cricket and I do know that, generally speaking, the Australian team does get it right.”Responding to criticism over Australia’s demanding playing schedule contributing to their below-par performance in the first Test at Fatullah, Sutherland felt that the right amount of matches were being played. He said that the programme was worked out with the Australian Cricketers’ Association (ACA), the players’ representative body.”The reality is, in consultation with team management and the ACA, it was decided the appropriate course of action was to go from South Africa to Bangladesh without a tour match in between or any sort of a break. They wanted to get straight into it. They felt that they were in Test match mode and the appropriate course of action was to go straight there and get home sooner rather than later so they could enjoy a break – or go to county cricket.”

Dinanath Ramnarine, the head of the West Indies Players Association (WIPA), maintained yesterday that money was not an issue in senior players rejecting contracts from the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) and opting out of the upcoming tour of Sri Lanka.However, Roger Brathwaite, the WICB chief executive, insisted that it was.The two spoke on the ongoing impasse between the two bodies on BBC’s Test Match Special broadcast during the NatWest Series final between England and Australia at Lord’s. Ramnarine noted that the WIPA presented “a verbal figure” of US$200,000 as the sponsorship fee that covers players’ commitments such as appearing at the official sponsor’s functions, wearing the appropriate gear and signing bats and team sheets.”We moved to US$150,000 and moved again to US$125,000 but we never agreed that was what our final figure would be,” he said. “We were in negotiating mood and that is how you negotiate.”I want to make it absolutely clear that money for going on this tour was not the issue,” Ramnarine told interviewer Jonathan Agnew. “We were prepared to negotiate but we got a response in respect of the money value (for the sponsorship fee) from the board at 7.40 pm Thursday after we had already been informed at 2 p.m. that a new team would be picked, “he continued. “I want to make it absolutely clear that money for going on this tour was not the issue because there are far more important issues.”He charged that while the WIPA wanted all issues, including the WICB’s sponsorship agreement to go to arbitration before Justice Adrian Saunders, the WICB was seeking “very narrow terms of reference”. Brathwaite said he was “surprised” to hear Ramnarine say that money was not “at the heart of the issue.””Certainly if money was not an issue, the original team would have been in Sri Lanka,” he said. He repeated the WICB’s earlier position that, with a deficit of US$6 million budgeted for the year leading to an overall end of year deficit of US$17 to $18 million, it was “just not able to afford” what WIPA was seeking. Its offer was US$50,000. Asked whether, even at this late stage, the matter could be resolved so that the original, full strength team would make the tour, Brathwaite replied: “I never rule out anything. I’m the eternal optimist and I will keep on trying, based on the guidelines given by my board.”But, he acknowledged, the board had made a decision that the team on its way to Sri Lanka would be the one to play the two Tests and in the triangular one-day series also involving India.

For Hashan Tillakaratne, it was the second time in consecutive Tests that his side had let slip the initiative. Here’s what he had to say about the Kandy defeat:On the result
It was so disappointing. We had our chances but just gave them [away] on a platter once again. It was so close and yet so far. We told our players to remain positive, and that this target was gettable. There were so many soft dismissals down the line. Our batting and catching really let us down in this Test.On Sri Lanka’s tactics in the morning
Our intention was to remain positive this morning. We told Vaasy [Chaminda Vaas] to get as much strike as possible. When he got the reprieve [he was dropped by Andy Symonds off Shane Warne] he should have just settled down and rotated the strike, but that’s how the game goes.Sri Lanka’s problem areas
The middle order is a concern. I am trying hard to get some runs, but disappointed that I am getting out so cheaply. There are other batsmen who are getting thirties and forties but not getting the big ones. [Our] catching has really let us down. We dropped [Damien] Martyn when he was on 0, and then at 65. I know that no-one wants to miss a catch purposely, but they were very costly.On where Sri Lanka lost this Test
After getting them out for 120, I think we lost the match in our first innings. We could have batted more sensibly and should have got a bigger total than 211 – that’s where we got it wrong.

Sir Vivian Richards, Ambassador Courtney Walsh, Clive Lloyd, Deryck Murray, the late Malcolm Marshall, and Andy Roberts, all former West Indies stars, will have their names attached to the individual incentive awards for the Carib Beer 2003 Cricket Series."We are very honoured and greatly indebted that everyone has consented to the use of their names on the awards, and in the case of the late Malcolm Marshall that his widow, Connie, also agreed," remarked Darren Millien, Manager of Events, Promotions and Information Technology at the West Indies Cricket Board."As in the previous two years, prizes for the Caribbean teams should provide the impetus and incentive to become the Carib Beer Cup winners and the Carib Beer International Challenge champions."To create this incentive, trophies and cash will be awarded to individual players for outstanding performances as the WICB is most anxious to make a real success of the Championship."The Top Caribbean Batsman will now win the Sir Vivian Richards Award, the Top Caribbean Bowler will get the Courtney Walsh Award, the Top Caribbean Wicketkeeper will receive the Deryck Murray Award, the Top Caribbean Fielder takes the Clive Lloyd Award, and the Top Caribbean All-rounder will win the Malcolm Marshall Award.All the winners of these individual prizes will receive US $1,500, while the Most Promising Fast Bowler will receive the Andy Roberts Award and pocket US $1,000.The Man-of-the-Match in each of the matches will receive US $150 and medallion.The Carib Beer International Challenge champions will take home US $10,000, and the Carib Beer Cup winners will bag US $7,500.This year, Carib Beer reached a five-year sponsorship agreement with the WICB to become the Title Sponsor of the West Indies four-day, first-class championship. It has now been renamed the Carib Beer 2003 Cricket Series.

Nottinghamshire go into the fourth day needing only 91 to reach their highest-ever winning total in a fourth innings.Set 458 to beat Worcestershire, they exceeded all expectations by reaching 367 for 2 after a launch-pad of 94 in 106 balls by John Morris, a century by Darren Bicknell and an unbeaten 99 from Greg Blewett.Notts have never made more then 419 to win a match – a target achieved against Leicestershire in 1926 – but it would now be a surprise if they failed to register their first CricInfo Championship win of the season.Morris gave them the impetus with a trail-blazing innings of 18 boundaries but the former Derbyshire and Durham batsman missed a deserved century when Stuart Lampitt held a stunning catch at short extra cover.Worcestershire’s relief at breaking up a stand of 157 was quickly snuffed out when Bicknell reached 104 while putting on 102 for the second wicket with Blewett.The left handed opener was caught behind off Lampitt when Notts required 199 and this whittled down as Usman Afzaal settled into the third century partnership. Blewett will have to wait until the morning to complete his third hundred of the season as he closed with 12 fours from 179 balls.Worcestershire’s front-line seamers bowled too many bad balls on a pitch which had become totally docile after the loss of 20 wickets on the first day. Even worse they lacked a specialist spinner in the absence of the injured Matt Rawnsley.In all nine bowlers were used in what became an increasingly forlorn attempt to turn Philip Weston’s 192 into a match winning innings. The opener was ninth out in the morning when Andrew Harris took the last two wickets in five balls.

India fast bowler Ishant Sharma and Sri Lankan players Dhammika Prasad, Dinesh Chandimal and Lahiru Thirimanne have been charged by the ICC for their roles in several angry exchanges during the fourth day of the SSC Test.”Details to be announced after the conclusion of the Test,” the ICC said on Twitter.Ishant and Prasad faced off during the final session of the fourth day when Ishant, after being bounced several times by Prasad, smacked his helmet repeatedly while running down the pitch, as if asking the bowler to aim at his head. Chandimal walked over from slip, his shoulder brushing Ishant’s, and exchanged words with the batsman.Once India’s innings ended and as Ishant ran back to the dressing room to get ready to bowl, Prasad followed him at a full sprint all the way back. These two incidents were the flash points of an ill-tempered passage of play that involved several stares and words being exchanged between Ishant and Sri Lanka’s players.There was further tension when Ishant gave Upul Tharanga an angry send-off and then went on to celebrate Chandimal’s dismissal by striking the side of his own head repeatedly.Ishant had been docked 65% of his match fee at the end of the second Test for send-offs to Thirimanne and Chandimal. Thirimanne, too, was fined 30% of his match fee for showing dissent at the umpire’s decision during the second Test.

Steve Harmison, the England fast bowler, has struck back at Geoff Boycott after the former opening batsman had launched a scathing attack at him in a column for .Boycott had virtually written off Harmison after his poor display in the first Test against New Zealand in Hamilton, urging the selectors not to give him a central contract. “Since the Ashes series of 2005 he has been poor, indifferent to bad. He’s not got enough wickets and been given so many chances,” Boycott wrote in his column. “There comes a point when the public and selectors get fed up and disillusioned with a guy not delivering. That time has come. If he gets a central contract this summer over some of the new kids, or any sort of central contract, then a lot of us will be screaming: favouritism and a total waste of money. England should forget him.”Harmison’s reply was equally cutting. In his column for , Harmison wrote: “No one can dispute the man could bat but over the years he has developed an equally well deserved reputation as someone who thrives on kicking a man when he is down … Enough is enough. His remarks about me this week have gone beyond what is acceptable and it is time someone stood up to him and told him so.”People who only have a passing interest in the game hear the famous Geoff Boycott Yorkshire accent and may think it gives some status to his opinions. But inside the dressing room he has no status, he is just an accent, some sort of caricature of a professional Yorkshireman.”Harmison went on to add that a couple of batsmen currently in the England team didn’t have a high opinion of Boycott either. “Their shared experience was that when things weren’t going well for them all they heard from Boycott was him nailing them in the newspapers or on radio or TV, then, if they made a century or played well, he would come up to them full of compliments and try to ingratiate himself with them. I’m not the only England player who has been forced to take it in the neck from Boycott and I won’t be the last.”Harmison also took a dig at Boycott for his comments on Australian fast bowler Shaun Tait’s decision to take a break from the game due to exhaustion. Boycott had said Tait’s decision had “lacked character”.”I wonder what Australia’s Shaun Tait thought recently, when, after announcing he was taking an indefinite break from the game due to physical and emotional exhaustion, Boycott reacted by claiming he should have shown more desire to work through his problems,” Harmison wrote. “You get the feeling that Boycott is an insecure man who needs to be heard.”As a parting shot, Harmison had this to say to Boycott: “You say that if England give me another central contract come October that would be waste of money. To me, you are a waste of space.”

Australia’s final workout of the Super Eights against New Zealand might not have much significance to the make-up of the final four, but don’t expect either side to treat the 47th game of the tournament as glorified training. While there will be some experimenting for the more intense days ahead, the unblinking gaze of both teams will not be broken by thoughts of next week.Only a ridiculously huge victory by New Zealand could topple Australia from the top spot and even if it is achieved the southern hemisphere neighbours will be kept apart in the semi-finals. Both teams are already talking about their next opponents. Ricky Ponting has spoken of the dangers posed by South Africa in St Lucia and John Bracewell, the New Zealand coach, wants his side to improve their net run-rate so they can overtake Sri Lanka, move to second and get the better training times in Jamaica.When the focus returns to Friday’s match in Grenada it is impossible to discuss it without mentioning allrounders. Shane Watson’s fragile body is ready for action after two weeks out with a calf strain, but Jacob Oram has succumbed to a heel problem. While the pair is crucial to the balance of the teams, there is another allrounder who is also being closely monitored.Scott Styris has 435 runs at 108.75 in the Caribbean and when his eight wickets at 23 are mixed in he is a genuine contender for the player of the tournament. Ponting is aware of the problems Styris poses and has been impressed by the way he has anchored New Zealand’s batting.”These conditions suit the way he plays, the slower lower wickets,” Ponting told AFP. “He plays spin pretty well. We’ve got a few things up our sleeve which we’ll have to execute well against him and make sure he doesn’t get away from us.”What he has done in the tournament is bat for long periods. He might not have necessarily got his runs at a 100% strike-rate but he’s been there and thereabouts, anchored their innings and played very well.”When it comes to Australia’s potential run-scorers they are as well stocked as the nearby waters are with fish. Four of the top 15 batsmen at the World Cup are Australians, but the bowling is even more impressive with four of the leading nine. The individual success is a reason why they have extended their unbeaten streak in World Cups to 26 matches.While Australia’s swap of Watson for Brad Hodge requires only one change in the order, New Zealand have some restructuring to do to cover Oram. The preferred option seems to be to promote James Franklin three places to No. 6 so Brendon McCullum doesn’t have to shift from seven.

“It’s about making this seamless and I think James is really looking forward to the challenge of it,” Bracewell told NZPA. “He’s batted quite well for a long period of time for us – it’s nothing new for him to bat in the middle order.”Bracewell is also considering bringing in the fast bowlers Mark Gillespie and Michael Mason to prepare them for possible use in the semi-final and final, which will be played on surfaces expected to assist the quick men. Jeetan Patel will be the unlucky one in Grenada if this method is followed.”There’s the temptation to prepare for the future, but there’s also the reality of what needs to be done on Friday,” Bracewell said. “We don’t want to lose the momentum.”Ponting wants to use the match as a guide for Australia, who were beaten 3-0 by New Zealand the last time the teams met. “I’m looking forward to the game,” Ponting said. “It will be a good indicator for both teams of where they are at.”Australia (probable) 1 Matthew Hayden, 2 Adam Gilchrist (wk), 3 Ricky Ponting (capt), 4 Michael Clarke, 5 Andrew Symonds, 6 Michael Hussey, 7 Shane Watson, 8 Brad Hogg, 9 Nathan Bracken, 10 Glenn McGrath, 11 Shaun Tait.New Zealand (probable) 1 Stephen Fleming (capt), 2 Peter Fulton, 3 Ross Taylor, 4 Scott Styris, 5 Craig McMillan, 6 James Franklin 7 Brendon McCullum (wk), 8 Daniel Vettori, 9 Mark Gillespie, 10 Shane Bond, 11 Michael Mason.

South Africa 266 for 5 (Jack 109, Kirsten 103) beat Bermuda 169 for 9 by 97 runs

Gary Kirsten’s second hundred in successive matches guided South Africa to a 97-run win over hosts Bermuda in the final of the inaugural 20-20 World Cricket Classic in Nassau.South Africa’s batting has been the key to their success, and Kirsten and former Transvaal fast bowler Steven Jack finished the tournament with 461 runs between them. Kirsten followed his 134 in the semi-final with 103 this time, while Jack smashed 109. Both reached their hundreds in under 50 balls. Jack, who played his two Tests for South Africa as a bowler, raced to his century in 40 balls, including four fours and ten sixes.The Bermuda bowlers all came in for some stick, with Kevin Hurdle being slammed for 71 from his four overs.Bermuda never seemed interested in chasing a daunting ask of more than 13 an over, but they batted well and the spirits of a lively capacity crowd were not dampened.”I think the bowlers have learned a hard lesson tonight,” Gus Logie, Bermuda’s coach, admitted. “We talked a lot beforehand about how we were going to have to bowl against them but we just did not put those plans into practice and we got punished for it.”