Sri Lanka A v West Indies - 3 day First Class warmup match 1991/2 - Match Preview

Sri Lanka A v West Indies - 3 day First Class warmup match 1991/2 - Premadasa Stadium Colombo

Pitch: 22 -  A carefully prepared home track that will certainly favour the spinners later in the match.     Batting should be relatively easy for the first couple of days but thereafter the spinners should find conditions increasingly in their favour. Not much in it for the  quickies at any time.

Day 1 Pitch - 3 - Normal

Day 1 Weather - 2 - Hot and sunny

Sri Lanka A XI:

U.C.Haturasingha RMF
M.A.R.Samarasekera RM
M.S.Atapattu
H.P.Tillekeratne (c)
S.T.Jayasuriya SLA
R.S.Kaluwitharana (wk)
E.A.R.de Silva LBG
G.F.Labrooy RFM
M.A.W.R.Madurasinghe OB
M.Muralitharan OB
D.K.Liyanage RFM

West Indies XI:

D.L.Haynes
P.V.Simmons RM
R.B.Richardson (c)
B.C.Lara
J.C.Adams SLA
C.L.Hooper OB
D.Williams (wk)
C.E.L.Ambrose RF
I.R.Bishop RF
C.A.Walsh RF
B.P.Patterson RF

Toss: West Indies, who will bat first

West Indies have chosen what looks a full strength XI for the first of two 3 day warmup games before the ODI and Test series begins.
The side looks particularly strong in fast bowling, with late arrival to the squad, veteran Malcolm Marshall missing out.
Sri Lanka A are lead by Test batsman and part time keeper Hashan Tillekeratne, and features a number of players with Test experience.
It should be an entertaining match, with the battle between the talented young Sri Lankan batting lineup and the West Indies pace attack being particularly interesting.
How the West Indies batting lineup up cope with spin could also prove an important indicator ahead of what proves to be an interesting Test and ODI series.
With the pitch set to help the spinners an increasing amount as the match progresses, it was a good toss to win for the West Indies.

Premadasa Stadium Colombo plays host to the first game of the tour

South Africa A v Pakistan - 3 day First Class match 1991/2 - Match Summary

South Africa A v Pakistan - 3 day First Class match 1991/2 - Johannesburg - Match Summary

Pitch: 62

Toss: Pakistan

The highlight of the South Africa A 1st innings was chanceless hundreds to Mark Rushmere and Daryl Cullinan, sharing in a 210 run stand for the 3rd wicket.
The Pakistanis replied strongly before a series of declarations saw them set 200 off 41 overs for victory on a turning pitch.
A superbly paced unbeaten century by Saeed Anwar saw the Pakistanis home with 2 balls to spare, though there was little at stake in a warmup game.
Imran Khan was the only bowler to enjoy any real success in a disappointing match for the bowlers.

South Africa A 352/7 declared (102.1 overs)
(M.W.Rushmere 158, D.J.Cullinan 111, J.N.Rhodes 38; Imran Khan 5-48)

Pakistan 245/5 (87.1 overs)
(Aamer Sohail 58, Rameez Raja 56, Javed Miandad 22, Inzamam-ul-Haq 53*, Imran Khan 41; B.N.Schultz 2-49)

South Africa A 92/5 (30.2 overs)
(J.N.Rhodes 30, B.M.McMillan 30; Waqar Younus 2-9)

Pakistan 200/1 (40.4 overs)
(Saeed Anwar 102*, Aamer Sohail 36, Rameez Raja 57*)

Pakistan won by 9 wickets

Man of the Match: Saeed Anwar

South Africa A v Pakistan - 3 day First Class match 1991/2 - Pakistan 2nd Innings

South Africa A v Pakistan - 3 day First Class match 1991/2 - Johannesburg

Set 200 to win in a minimum of 41 overs, Pakistan were given a superb start by their openers.
Saeed Anwar and Aamer Sohail added 54 in the first 9 overs to keep Pakistan ahead of the required rate, and though they later slowed, after such a start the later chase was a cruise.
Saeed Anwar carried on to reach an excellently paced unbeaten century off 118 balls with a 3 off a Bosch no ball, which gave Pakistan victory with 2 balls to spare.
With Sohail making 36, and Rameez his 2nd half century of the match, the chase turned into a doddle.
Although they were assisted by the pitch, the South Africa A spinners were particularly disappointing, though the pace bowlers had let the pressure off in a wayward beginning.
Saeed Anwar was named Man of the Match, his innings have most bearing on the result, though Mark Rushmere and Daryl Cullinan were unlucky that the desire to set up a run chase had meant the advantage their innings had given their team on the 1st day was lost.
Pakistan would be pleased with their warmup, a number of batsmen finding form, though apart from Imran, the form of their bowlers would be a worry.
The highlight for the home side was the double century stand between Rushmere and Cullinan on the opening day.

Pakistan won by 9 wickets

Man of the Match: Saeed Anwar

Pakistan 2nd Innings 200/1 Closed (Overs 40.4)

Batsman	Fieldsman	Bowler	Runs	Min	Bls	4s	6s
Saeed Anwar	not out		102	158	118	12	1
Aamer Sohail	c WJ Cronje	b T Bosch	36	90	61	2	0
Rameez Raja	not out		57	67	70	10	0
Javed Miandad	dnb
Inzamam-ul-Haq	dnb
Imran Khan*	dnb
Moin Khan+	dnb
Wasim Akram	dnb
Abdul Qadir	dnb
Waqar Younus	dnb
Aaqib Javed	dnb
extras		(b0 lb0 w2 nb3)	5
TOTAL		1 wickets for	200

FOW
1-80(Aamer Sohail)

Bowler	Overs	Maid	Runs	Wkts
T Bosch	7.4	0	35	1
BN Schultz	7	0	28	0
BM McMillan	6	0	27	0
WJ Cronje	2	0	14	0
C Eksteen	10	1	50	0
PL Symcox	8	1	46	0

South Africa A v Pakistan - 3 day First Class match 1991/2 - South Africa A 2nd Innings

South Africa A v Pakistan - 3 day First Class match 1991/2 - Johannesburg

South Africa A stuttered throughout their short 2nd innings, struggling to 92/5 off 30.2 overs with a reshuffled batting lineup, setting Pakistan 200 to win off 41 overs.
With little at stake in a warm up game other than pride, South Africa A captain Hansie Cronje should be commended for making a game of it.
With the pitch now favouring the spinners, it gave the home team an outside chance of victory, in a match that was otherwise headed for a certain draw.
The visitors bowled much better second time round, with Waqar in particular looking much sharper, though he left the field after straining a muscle in the outfield, which would have sent a few worries through the Pakistan camp.
Javed Miandad claimed a wicket with his very part time legspin, a rare highlight in an otherwise featureless innings.

South Africa A 2nd Innings 92/5 Declared (Overs 30.2)

Batsman	Fieldsman	Bowler	Runs	Min	Bls	4s	6s
AC Hudson	run out Imran Khan		7	41	27	1	0
DJ Richardson+	c Moin Khan	b Waqar Younus	4	33	18	0	0
WJ Cronje*	c Moin Khan	b Waqar Younus	10	30	17	2	0
JN Rhodes	c Rameez Raja	b Abdul Qadir	30	86	63	3	0
BM McMillan	c Saeed Anwar	b Javed Miandad	30	66	54	5	0
PL Symcox	not out		8	5	2	2	0
C Eksteen	not out		0	2	4	0	0
MW Rushmere	dnb
DJ Cullinan	dnb
BN Schultz	dnb
T Bosch	dnb
extras		(b0 lb0 w1 nb2)	3
TOTAL		5 wickets for	92

FOW
1-11(DJ Richardson) 2-11(AC Hudson) 3-31(WJ Cronje) 4-84(JN Rhodes)
5-84(BM McMillan)

Bowler	Overs	Maid	Runs	Wkts
Wasim Akram	5	1	12	0
Aaqib Javed	5	1	19	0
Waqar Younus	5	2	9	2
Imran Khan	5	0	19	0
Abdul Qadir	5.2	1	23	1
Aamer Sohail	3	1	10	0
Javed Miandad	2	2	0	1

South Africa A v Pakistan - 3 day First Class match 1991/2 - Pakistan 1st Innings

South Africa A v Pakistan - 3 day First Class match 1991/2 - Johannesburg

Pakistan lost opener Saeed Anwar cheaply, but half centuries to Aamer Sohail, Rameez Raja, and Inzamam-ul-Haq enabled Imran to declare 107 behind, in the hope of being set a target in the 4th innings.
Contributions from Javed and Imran as well meant the Pakistanis were never under any real pressure during their innings.
The pick of the bowlers was Schultz with his left arm pace, grabbing a couple of wickets, and being particularly hard to score off early on.
Aamer Sohail batted slowly, and Rameez and Inzamam were also restrained, but facing a big first innings total, it was what was required at the time.
The home team spinners were steady but lacked penetration, and would be hoping for greater assistance in the 2nd innings.

Pakistan 1st Innings 245/5 Declared (Overs 87.1)

Batsman	Fieldsman	Bowler	Runs	Min	Bls	4s	6s
Saeed Anwar	c T Bosch	b BN Schultz	10	32	23	1	0
Aamer Sohail	c AC Hudson	b WJ Cronje	58	215	166	2	0
Rameez Raja	c C Eksteen	b PL Symcox	56	137	102	6	0
Javed Miandad	c JN Rhodes	b T Bosch	22	72	52	2	0
Inzamam-ul-Haq	not out		53	139	111	8	0
Imran Khan*	c DJ Richardson	b BN Schultz	41	106	70	5	0
Moin Khan+	not out		0	4	4	0	0
Wasim Akram	dnb
Abdul Qadir	dnb
Waqar Younus	dnb
Aaqib Javed	dnb
extras		(b0 lb0 w2 nb3)	5
TOTAL		5 wickets for	245

FOW
1-11(Saeed Anwar) 2-104(Rameez Raja) 3-139(Aamer Sohail) 4-150(Javed Miandad)
5-241(Imran Khan)

Bowler	Overs	Maid	Runs	Wkts
T Bosch	12.1	3	45	1
BN Schultz	19	4	49	2
BM McMillan	13	2	44	0
WJ Cronje	9	3	24	1
C Eksteen	23	6	53	0
PL Symcox	11	3	30	1

Aamer Sohail got the Pakistan 1st innings off to a good start with a patient half century

South Africa A v Pakistan - 3 day First Class match 1991/2 - South Africa A 1st Innings

South Africa A v Pakistan - 3 day First Class match 1991/2 - Johannesburg

Pakistan won the toss, and sent South Africa A in on a fast paced wicket, hoping the fast bowlers could gain some assistance.
With genuine Fast bowlers Wasim, Waqar, and Imran in the lineup, it looked an aggressive but worthwhile gamble.
South Africa A lost opener Hudson for a duck, and when captain Hansie Cronje fell cheaply, the home team were 55/2.
Daryl Cullinan then joined opener Mark Rushmere, and the pair reeled off chanceless centuries to put South Africa A in command.
Taking full toll of some loose bowling, and assisted by the quick outfield, the pair scored at 4 runs per over throughout their double century stand for the 3rd wicket.
Though a few wickets tumbled thereafter, giving Imran Khan a rather easy 5 wicket haul, Rushmere carried on to 158 before being run out by Rameez.
Rushmere's innings brought back memories of his pair of 150's against the English touring side lead by Mike Gatting a couple of years previously, and kept his name in the selectors eyes on the eve of the Test series.
Cronje declared at 352/7 shortly before Lunch on Day 2, a position of some strength.
Imran soldiered on bravely for the visitors, but the bowling in the main was disappointing.
Veteran legspinner Abdul Qadir struggled in an unbroken spell of 25 overs, though there was little in the pitch for him on the 1st day.

South Africa A 1st Innings 352/7 Declared (Overs 102.1)

Batsman	Fieldsman	Bowler	Runs	Min	Bls	4s	6s
MW Rushmere	run out Rameez Raja		158	431	301	16	0
AC Hudson	c Aamer Sohail	b Imran Khan	0	18	10	0	0
WJ Cronje*		b Waqar Younus	17	58	33	3	0
DJ Cullinan	c Moin Khan	b Imran Khan	111	223	181	13	0
JN Rhodes		b Imran Khan	38	62	52	5	1
BM McMillan	c Moin Khan	b Imran Khan	5	27	16	0	0
DJ Richardson+	not out		3	52	24	0	0
PL Symcox	c Javed Miandad	b Imran Khan	2	12	7	0	0
C Eksteen	dnb
BN Schultz	dnb
T Bosch	dnb
extras		(b7 lb0 w6 nb5)	18
TOTAL		7 wickets for	352

FOW
1-7(AC Hudson) 2-55(WJ Cronje) 3-265(DJ Cullinan) 4-318(JN Rhodes)
5-328(BM McMillan) 6-348(MW Rushmere) 7-352(PL Symcox)

Bowler	Overs	Maid	Runs	Wkts
Wasim Akram	17	7	36	0
Aaqib Javed	17	3	67	0
Waqar Younus	18	2	79	1
Imran Khan	19.1	6	48	5
Abdul Qadir	25	4	99	0
Aamer Sohail	6	1	16	0

Indian Board XI v West Indies A - 3 day First Class match - 1991/2 - Match Summary

Indian Board XI v West Indies - 3 day First Class match - 1991/2 - Kanpur

The Indian Board XI had much the better of a low scoring contest on a below standard pitch.
The pitch was slow on day 1 and favoured the batsmen, before deterioting quickly and favouring the spinners for the rest of the match.
Rain was probably the deciding factor in the end, with West Indies A collapsing to 61/5 with 20 overs left on Day 3.
A 37 minute shower saved the West Indies A batsmen from a tough task on a spinning pitch, and 2 hours rain during the match probably prevented the home side forcing a win.
An outstanding double of 132* and 54* from Gursharan Singh was the highlight of the match, while other notable performances were the allround efforts of S.B.Joshi with 51* and 4-70, and an unbeaten double of 48* and 17* to S.Chanderpaul.
A 50 over match between the same two teams will now follow, followed by the first of 3 Unofficial 50 over internationals.

Indian Board XI 297/5 declared (95.4 overs)
(Gursharan Singh 132*, R.V.Bharadwaj 39, S.S.Dighe 30, S.B.Joshi 51*; R.Dhanraj 2-99)

West Indies A 211 all out (74 overs)
(S.C.Williams 35, R.I.C.Holder 31, K.L.T.Arthurton 28, F.L.Reifer 23, S.Chanderpaul 48*; Gopal Sharma 3-39, S.B.Joshi 4-70)

Indian Board XI 113/4 declared (36.4 overs)
(P.K.Amre 30, Gursharan Singh 54*)

West Indies A 78/5 (40 overs)
(S.C.Williams 37; W.V.Raman 3-5)

Match Drawn

Man of the Match: Gursharan Singh

Sunil Joshi had a good allround game for the Indian Board XI with 51* and 4-70

Indian Board XI v West Indies A - 3 day First Class match 1991/2 - West Indies A 2nd Innings report

Indian Board XI v West Indies A - 3 day First Class match 1991/2 - Kanpur

With the pitch now a spinners paradise, the home team would have fancied themselves an outside chance of pulling off a win, though a target of 200 at less than 5 per over gave the West Indies A a chance as well.
At 15/0 after 3 overs, the Board XI captain started to worry, and immediately turned to spin with the new ball from one end.
Razdan provided an early wicket with his seamers at the other end, and West Indies A momentum was lost.
The spinners kept the pressure on, and when 3 easy wickets to part timer Raman's spin left them 61/5 with 20 overs left, West Indies A were in trouble.
A 37 minute shower gave the visitors some breathing space, before Chanderpaul and keep Jacobs batted out time until bad light ended play 15 minutes early.
A draw was the end result, perhaps predictable given the slow pitch on day 1, but the rain was really the deciding factor, taking nearly 2 hours off play throughout the match.
Given the final day pitch conditions, the rain probably prevented the home side from claiming victory, and West Indies A will have some searching to do before the series proper starts.
Man of the Match was Gursharan Singh, unbeaten innings of 132* and 54* keeping his name in the spotlight.

Match Drawn

Man of the Match: Gursharan Singh

West Indies A 2nd Innings 78/5 Closed (Overs 40)

Batsman	Fieldsman	Bowler	Runs	Min	Bls	4s	6s
SC Williams	c PK Amre	b Gopal Sharma	37	80	58	3	0
S Ragoonath	c WV Raman	b V Razdan	7	19	18	1	0
RIC Holder*		b WV Raman	7	38	43	0	0
KLT Arthurton		c&b WV Raman	0	5	3	0	0
FL Reifer		c&b WV Raman	7	31	27	0	0
S Chanderpaul	not out		17	55	61	2	0
RD Jacobs+	not out		2	38	31	0	0
V Drakes	dnb
OD Gibson	dnb
R Dhanraj	dnb
IA Allen	dnb
extras		(b0 lb0 w0 nb1)	1
TOTAL		5 wickets for	78

FOW
1-18(S Ragoonath) 2-43(RIC Holder) 3-47(KLT Arthurton) 4-54(SC Williams)
5-61(FL Reifer)

Bowler	Overs	Maid	Runs	Wkts
V Razdan	6	0	17	1
PL Mhambrey	1	0	4	0
Gopal Sharma	8	1	18	1
SB Joshi	7	3	14	0
SV Bahutule	5	1	14	0
RV Bharadwaj	4	1	6	0
WV Raman	9	6	5	3

Indian Board XI v West Indies A - 3 day First Class match - 1991/2 - Indian Board XI 2nd Innings report

Indian Board XI v West Indies A - 3 day First Class Match - 1991/2 - Kanpur

The Indian Board XI started their innings hoping for quick runs in order to set up a declaration, in order to give themselves a chance of bowling West Indies A out a second time.
With time always an issue in 3 day matches, and showers having broken play a couple of days during the match, time was running out to force a result.
The West Indies A bowlers bowled better second time round, but 30 to Amre, and an unbeaten 54* from the in form Gursharan allowed the home team to declare and set the West Indies 200 to win in about 45 overs.

Batsman	Fieldsman	Bowler	Runs	Min	Bls	4s	6s
WV Raman*		c&b IA Allen	12	48	34	0	0
D Gandhi	c RIC Holder	b OD Gibson	2	10	5	0	0
PK Amre		b R Dhanraj	30	94	58	1	0
Gursharan Singh	not out		54	100	82	6	0
RV Bharadwaj		b KLT Arthurton	6	21	19	0	0
SS Dighe+	not out		6	20	25	0	0
SB Joshi	dnb
SV Bahutule	dnb
Gopal Sharma	dnb
PL Mhambrey	dnb
V Razdan	dnb
extras		(b0 lb0 w2 nb1)	3
TOTAL		4 wickets for	113

FOW
1-4(D Gandhi) 2-19(WV Raman) 3-70(PK Amre) 4-88(RV Bharadwaj)

Bowler	Overs	Maid	Runs	Wkts
V Drakes	6	1	21	0
OD Gibson	7	1	27	1
IA Allen	7	2	17	1
R Dhanraj	8.4	2	25	1
KLT Arthurton	5	1	16	1
S Chanderpaul	3	0	7	0

Indian Board XI v West Indies A - 3 day First Class match 1991/2 - West Indies A 1st Innings report

Indian Board XI v West Indies A - 3 day First Class match - 1991/2 - Kanpur

West Indies A got off to a good start, scoring freely against the seamers early, with the openers putting on 56.
Wickets steadily fell to the spinners after that on a pitch which had improved to Normal after being slow on the first day, and the West Indies were eventually all out for a mediocre 211.
Left arm Joshi was the best of the spinners, having 4-40 at one stage, but tired after and finished with 4-70.
Offspinner Gopal Sharma grabbed a couple of late wickets to finish with 3-39, but was not as accurate generally and probably flattered by his figures.
The other 3 spinners all grabbed a wicket apiece.
For West Indies A, the batting of Shivnarine Chanderpaul was the only real bright spot, showing his tenacity to finish with 48* as the tail fell around him, an innings that West Indies fans would become familiar with throughout his future career.
With a lead of 85, the Indian Board XI would have been hoping for quick runs to set up a declaration and possible run chase.

West Indies A 1st Innings 211/10 All Out (Overs 74)

Batsman	Fieldsman	Bowler	Runs	Min	Bls	4s	6s
SC Williams		b SB Joshi	35	51	54	4	0
S Ragoonath		b SB Joshi	19	58	32	1	0
RIC Holder*	c Gopal Sharma	b SB Joshi	31	78	68	3	0
KLT Arthurton	c SB Joshi	b Gopal Sharma	28	54	51	3	1
FL Reifer		b RV Bharadwaj	23	34	33	3	0
S Chanderpaul	not out		48	126	113	4	0
RD Jacobs+		b WV Raman	4	13	12	0	0
V Drakes	lbw	b SB Joshi	2	14	13	0	0
OD Gibson		b Gopal Sharma	17	49	46	2	1
R Dhanraj	c SS Dighe	b SV Bahutule	4	16	16	1	0
IA Allen	c V Razdan	b Gopal Sharma	0	12	6	0	0
extras		(b0 lb0 w0 nb0)	0
TOTAL		10 wickets for	211

FOW
1-53(SC Williams) 2-56(S Ragoonath) 3-110(KLT Arthurton) 4-117(RIC Holder)
5-137(FL Reifer) 6-141(RD Jacobs) 7-148(V Drakes) 8-193(OD Gibson) 9-204(R Dhanraj)
10-211(IA Allen)

Bowler	Overs	Maid	Runs	Wkts
V Razdan	10	0	43	0
PL Mhambrey	6	2	23	0
Gopal Sharma	12	2	39	3
SB Joshi	27	9	70	4
SV Bahutule	10	3	15	1
RV Bharadwaj	4	0	14	1
WV Raman	5	3	7	1

Shiv Chanderpaul finished with an unbeaten 48* as wickets tumbled around him

Indian Board XI v West Indies A - 3 day First Class match 1991/2 - Indian Board XI 1st Innings report

Indian Board XI v West Indies - 3 day First Class match 1991/2 - Kanpur

Day 1 pitch: - 1A - Very slow paced wicket

Toss: Indian Board XI

The Indian Board XI won the Toss, and with the pitch slow but good for batting on Day 1, and set to fall apart and help the spinners quickly, elected to bat first.
With 5 spinners in their lineup, it was a good toss to win for the Board XI.
The West Indies A bowlers started well, reducing the home side to 58/3 with some accurate and lively bowling on a slow pitch.
At this point experienced batsman Gursharan Singh took over, scoring freely despite the difficult scoring conditions.
Having played just the single Test a year and a half ago in New Zealand, but having been on the scene 10 years since his hundred against the touring England team of 81/2, Gursharan will have kept his name in the selectors thoughts for the season.
He ended up on 132* with 11 fours and a 1, and with good support from Bharadwaj 39, Dighe 30, and Joshi with an unbeaten 51*, the home side were able to declare just before Lunch on Day 2 at 297/5.
A couple of showers on Day 1 had slowed proceedings, but Gursharan and Joshi added an unbroken 104* for the 6th wicket to give the innings momentum.
Legspinner Dhanraj took a couple of wickets for the visitors in an extended workout, but after a steady start the attack ran out of steam.

Indian Board XI 1st Innings 297/5 Declared (Overs 95.4)

Batsman	Fieldsman	Bowler	Runs	Min	Bls	4s	6s
WV Raman*	c FL Reifer	b IA Allen	14	77	50	0	0
D Gandhi	c RD Jacobs	b V Drakes	17	59	36	2	0
PK Amre		c&b R Dhanraj	11	67	45	0	0
Gursharan Singh	not out		132	309	225	11	1
RV Bharadwaj	c SC Williams	b R Dhanraj	39	75	75	1	0
SS Dighe+	lbw	b KLT Arthurton	30	61	48	4	0
SB Joshi	not out		51	120	98	5	0
SV Bahutule	dnb
Gopal Sharma	dnb
PL Mhambrey	dnb
V Razdan	dnb
extras		(b0 lb0 w2 nb1)	3
TOTAL		5 wickets for	297

FOW
1-28(D Gandhi) 2-34(WV Raman) 3-58(PK Amre) 4-131(RV Bharadwaj) 5-193(SS Dighe)

Bowler	Overs	Maid	Runs	Wkts
V Drakes	20	1	51	1
OD Gibson	18	4	37	0
IA Allen	17.4	1	76	1
R Dhanraj	28	2	99	2
KLT Arthurton	9	3	18	1
S Chanderpaul	3	0	16	0

South Africa A v Pakistan - 3 day First Class match 1991/2 - Match Preview

South Africa A v Pakistan - 3 day First Class match - Johannesburg - 1991/2

Pitch: 62 - A well prepared pitch which should play pretty well at least for the first four days, with just enough life in it to encourage the fast bowlers at the start. The wicket is expected to take a bit of spin late in the game but this should be a pretty good contest between bat and ball.

Day 1 starting Pitch: 7A - Fast paced wicket - assists Fast bowlers, and increases rate of scoring.

Day 1 Weather: 2 - Hot and Sunny

South Africa A:

M.W.Rushmere
A.C.Hudson
W.J.Cronje (c) RM
D.J.Cullinan
J.N.Rhodes
B.M.McMillan RFM
D.J.Richardson (wk)
P.L.Symcox OB
C.E.Eksteen SLA
B.N.Schultz LF
T.Bosch RF

Pakistan:

Saeed Anwar
Aamer Sohail SLA
Rameez Raja
Javed Miandad LBG
Inzamam-ul-Haq
Imran Khan (c) RF
Moin Khan (wk)
Wasim Akram LF
Abdul Qadir LBG
Waqar Younus RF
Aaqib Javed RFM

South Africa A chose a strong squad, containing many players expected to play a prominent role in the following ODIs and World Cup.
With two genuine Fast bowlers in B.N.Schultz LF, and T.Bosch RF, and two spinners, they have the attack to exploit the conditions.
Pakistan on the other hand have named what looks to be a full strength lineup, though if it will be the XI for the 1st Test remains to be seen.
With batsmen like Shoaib Mohammad, Saleem Malik and Ijaz Ahmed also competing, and the spin spot probably still in doubt this becomes an important match for some of the Pakistanis.

Hansie Cronje leads a strong South Africa A team in the 3 day First Class tour match v Pakistan

Indian Board XI v West Indies A - 3 day First Class match 1991/2 - Match Preview

Indian Board XI v West Indies A - 3 day First Class warmup match - Kanpur - 1991/2

Pitch: 129 - Dry and dusty on top but with moisture trapped just below the surface this could be a pitch of differing moods. The bounce may vary throughout the match and by the  final day the pitch may be taking spin. Batting will be easiest on the opening day so winning the toss here is important.

Day 1 starting Pitch: 1A - Very slow paced wicket - slows run rate, but less chance of wickets.

Day 1 Weather: Cloudy, some sunny intervals.

Indian Board XI:

W.V.Raman SLA (c)
D.J.Gandhi
P.K.Amre
Gursharan Singh
R.V.Bharadwaj OB
S.S.Dighe (wk)
S.B.Joshi SLA
S.V.Bahutule LBG
G.Sharma OB
P.L.Mhambrey RM
V.Razdan

West Indies A:

S.C.Williams
S.Ragoonath
R.I.C.Holder (c)
K.L.T.Arthurton SLA
F.L.Reifer
S.Chanderpaul LBG
R.D.Jacobs (wk)
V.C.Drakes RF
O.D.Gibson RF
R.Dhanraj LBG
I.B.A.Allen RFM

The Indian Board XI will be lead by experienced opener W.V.Raman, who debuted in Tests in 1987/8.
The spin attack looks to be a strength, with Gopal Sharma's offspin lending experience to a varied bowling lineup.
West Indies A look slightly stronger in batting, while the pace bowlers are expected to be their main threat.
R.Dhanraj gets an opportunity as spinner in this game, while N.O.Perry will probably replace him for the India A games, unless conditions warrant playing two spinners.

Experienced opener W.V.Raman leads an Indian Board XI v West Indies A in Kanpur

West Indies A tour of India - Tour Preview

West Indies A will undertake a short tour of India in August 1991/2 for a series of 4 day and 50 over games against India A.
West Indies A have named the following squad:

P.A.Wallace
R.G.Samuels
S.Ragoonath
S.C.Williams

D.R.E.Joseph
R.I.C.Holder (c)
K.L.T.Arthurton SLA
F.L.Reifer
S.Chanderpaul LBG

C.O.Browne (wk)
R.D.Jacobs (wk)

A.H.Gray RF
V.C.Drakes RF
O.D.Gibson RF
A.C.Cummins RFM
I.B.A.Allen RFM

N.O.Perry OB
R.Dhanraj LBG

The West Indies A team will be captained by batsman R.I.C.Holder from Barbados.
The batting will be lead by the experienced K.L.T.Arthurton, who will also proved some tidy part time SLA support, as well as offering good fielding.
S.Chanderpaul could be one to watch in the middle order on his first tour, and may also get a few overs in the spinning conditions, being seen as a potential allrounder at this point in his career.
C.O.Browne and R.D.Jacobs will vie for the keeping position, and with D.Williams and J.R.Murray not yet established in the full Test squad, this is an important tour for them.
N.O.Perry and R.Dhanraj are the spinners, with Perry's prior experience for West Indies A giving him the edge.
Fast bowler A.H.Gray gets one last chance to impress before the World Cup in 1992, while it is also an important tour for ODI bowler A.C.Cummins.

The Indians are an unknown quantity, with their A squad not yet named, though should be competitive on home pitches, particularly in their traditional strengths of batting and spin bowling.

Roland Holder will lead West Indies A on their short tour of India

West Indies tour of Sri Lanka 1991/2 - Tour Preview

West Indies have named the following squad for their 2 Test and 3 ODI tour of Sri Lanka in August 1991/2:

D.L.Haynes
P.V.Simmons RM
C.B.Lambert
C.A.Best

B.C.Lara
R.B.Richardson (c)
J.C.Adams SLA
C.L.Hooper OB
A.L.Logie

D.Williams (wk)
J.R.Murray (wk)

R.A.Harper OB

W.K.M.Benjamin RF
M.D.Marshall RF
C.E.L.Ambrose RF
C.A.Walsh RF
I.R.Bishop RF
B.P.Patterson RF
K.C.G.Benjamin RF

The West Indies are still unbeaten in a Test series since the 1979/80 tour of New Zealand, their dominance now stretching to 12 years without losing a series.
However, after a 2-2 result in the 1991 series in England, cracks are beginning to show.
The squad is packed with 7 genuine Fast bowlers, and this should their traditional major strength, ensuring the Sri Lankan top order should have a tough time of it against the new ball.
Roger Harper is the sole specialist spinner in the squad, but with a Test bowling average of 28, won't let anyone down if picked.
His main spin backup should come from the offspin off allrounder C.L.Hooper.
The batting looks slightly fragile after the retirement of C.G.Greenidge, I.V.A.Richards, and P.J.L.Dujon in recent times, but D.L.Haynes, B.C.Lara, and captain R.B.Richardson are all capable of heavy run scoring.
D.Williams the keeper is yet to cement his position and must fend off a challenge from the younger J.R.Murray.

The Sri Lankans meanwhile play well at home, particularly in ODIs, and the conditions generally suit their spin attack, so this could prove a closer series than expected.
P.A.de Silva is expected to lead the batting with A.P.Gurusinha, while S.D.Anurasiri is expected to take on a heavy workload with the ball.
Young batsmen like M.S.Atapattua, H.P.Tillekeratne, and S.T.Jayasuriya so far have shown promise at Test level, but not the required level of consistency, so this is an important time for them.
A.Ranatunga is struggling with fitness issues and the Sri Lankan Board was not happy with him around this time. He has been replacd as captain by P.A.de Silva and the Sri Lankan manager has not named him in his provisional Test squad for the series, so his future is under a cloud just a few months out from the World Cup.

Arjuna Ranatunga, under a fitness cloud and dumped as Captain, will be make the World Cup Squad?

West Indies A tour of India 1991/2 - Tour Schedule

West Indies A will tour India in August 1991/2 for a series of 4 day and 50 over matches v India A.
The schedule is as follows:

3 day First Class match v Indian Board XI at Kanpur
50 over List A match v Indian Board XI at Nagpur
20 over match v Indian Board XI at Sector 16 Stadium, Chandigarh
3 day First Class match v Indian Board President's XI at Punjab C.A.Stadium, Chandigarh
50 over List A match v Indian Board President's XI at Bangalore
20 over match v Indian Board President's XI at Cuttack

1st Unofficial T20 International v India A at Lucknow
2nd Unofficial T20 International v India A at Calcutta

1st Unofficial ODI v India A at Bombay
2nd Unofficial ODI v India A at Delhi
3rd Unofficical ODI v India A at Calcutta

1st Unofficial 4 day Test v India A at Ahmedabad
2nd Unofficial 4 day Test v India A at Bangalore

INDIA pitches 1988-1998
At the Eden Gardens in Calcutta there are usually plenty of runs to be had on the first three to four days but the spinners then begin to take over as the wicker breaks up. In Bangalore the wearing quality of the pitch is also suspect and again batting is easy early on but becomes more difficult on the final day. Delhi wickets usually help the spin bowlers at some stage. Often the wicket is slow paced at the start but occasionally the spinners find the ball turning on the opening day. The Punjab C.A. Stadium in Chandigarth producers good batting wickets, sometimes a little slow paced, while the Sector 16 Stadium in the same city often helps the bowlers, offering an uneven bounce or some grip for the spinners. Good batting wickets are also not unknown at the venue. Nagpur is frequently a graveyard for bowlers, producing easy or slow paced wickets full of runs throughout. The Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai (formerly Bombay) also favours the  batsmen, more often than not the bounce is low and the scoring rate slow, with spinners getting a bit of help on the final day. In Madras there is sometime a little help to the quicker bowlers on the first morning and rather more assistance for the spinners late in the game, in between the batsmen should enjoy themselves although the bounce cam be low or even erratic at times. The wickets at Lucknow are usually slow paced but have a tendency to crumble late in the match so other things being equal it’s better to bat first here. In Ahmedabad the wickets are frequently over watered and offer help to the seamers on the first day. By mid match the spinners are finding some grip and turn so expect a decisive result more often than not at this venue. Kanpur is also a good venue for the spinners and can also produce wickers of varying bounce. In Cuttack the wickets are often slow paced, just  occasionally lively for the opening morning and sometimes offering a little help the spinners on the final day.

Kanpur plays host to the first game of the West Indies A tour of India in August 1991/2