Mark Chilton has stepped down as Lancashire’s captain after three years in the role.”I have thoroughly enjoyed the past three seasons and it has been an honour to have captained my home county,” Chilton said. “This has been a very difficult decision for me, but I realise my form hasn’t been what it should, and feel that in the best interests of the club and myself, I should step down.”Chilton scored 616 Championship runs at 28.00 in 2007 as Lancashire came within 24 runs of securing their first title since 1934. But in the Friends Provident Trophy and Twenty20 Cup his form was poor, totalling 92 runs in nine completed innings.”I’ve enjoyed working closely with Chilly over the past three years” Mike Watkinson, Lancashire’s manager, said. “He’s been a dedicated and passionate captain and I fully respect his decision to stand down to devote more time to his own cricket.””I don’t think many people realise just how much work is involved off the field being a club captain, and Mark Chilton has done a fantastic job for Lancashire,” added Jack Simmons, Lancashire’s chairman. ” I would like to thank Mark for everything he has done as captain and we look forward to seeing him back to his best on the field for many years to come.”No replacement has been named but the issue is sure to be at the top of the agenda when the county’s cricket committee meets at the end of the month. However, there is no clear favourite to take over. Stuart Law will be in the running but his body is unlikely to allow him to play a whole season while wicketkeeper Luke Sutton is also a possibility, although last season he didn’t take part in Twenty20.

KC, as he was known in the Bombay circles, studied in St Xavier’s college in Bombay. He was a very good student in college and some of the professors felt he should have carried on in the academic line. KC was a solid player and one who believed in staying at the wicket for as long as possible. He had a good range of strokes (a fierce cut, drive and glance) but was known to be one who hung in there to grind out runs.We used to play a lot of cricket on turf wickets then and he handled some tough seam and spin bowling. He was a big star for the Muslims in the Bombay Pentangular games and once in 1944-45 guided them to victory single-handedly (with a century) against the Hindus. They were chasing 298 and his 137 was one of the finest innings I saw.

He began as a middle-order batsman and was converted into an opener later. Like Sunil Gavaskar and Virender Sehwag after him, he made the transition without any trouble.He was a fine captain, someone who believed in backing his players. It was because of him that I got a long run in the side, at a time when wicketkeepers used to be changed after every game. He was a shrewd strategist and made it a point, along with Vijay Merchant, to always educate us about the game. At the end of a day’s play he would urge us to sit on the outfield and analyse the day’s play.KC captained Bombay to the 1948 Ranji title. It was the year when the Ranji Trophy was played in a knock-out format and we had to win every game to stay in it. We had lost the previous year’s final to Holkar so KC was under a bit of pressure. He made sure we won everything convincingly. His 219 in the final [an innings built in 10-and-a-half hours] was a study in concentration and patience.He moved to Pakistan around 1950 but his style of play was never forgotten. In the ’50 and ’60s young boys used to be told, ‘Bat like KC. Stay at the wicket and the runs will definitely come.’

Scorecard

Jason Gillespie’s seven wickets helped South Australia make a strong start as they attempt to give Darren Lehmann his second decent farewell of the week, knocking over Western Australia for 236. It will take something special to match the midweek one-day game for excitement, but Gillespie did his best, while Brad Hogg racked up a quickfire fifty from 36 balls, including 29 runs off a Lehmann over to forget.The Redbacks then lost Mark Cosgrove but overall it was very much their day, as they moved to 1 for 75 after taking wickets for fun following Adam Voges’ decision to bat on a decent surface. At the close Matthew Elliott was on 27 and Callum Ferguson had 43.Gillespie bowled sharply and with incision from both ends. His 7 for 58 were his best figures at the Adelaide Oval, beating his 5 for 41 against Queensland last season, and his fifth-best in first-class matches. He started with two quick wickets, removing the debutant Liam Davis for 8 in his second over on a third lbw shout, and then Chris Rogers for 14, thick-edging a cover drive through.Western Australia were low on firepower with Luke Pomersbach and Shaun Marsh suspended (the pair having two centuries and three fifties between them in three first-class matches this season). The other drafted-in debutant, Theo Doropoulos, managed 21 before his dismissal, bowled leg-stump by a quicker, flatter delivery, brought up the biggest cheer of the day – a wicket for Lehmann.Much had rested on their big guns Justin Langer and Luke Ronchi but Ronchi was held on 9 off Gillespie, a vital catch for Nathan Adcock who had earlier missed a sitter off Paul Rofe when Langer was on 2. Rofe finally had him on 34, inducing an edge through, and proved a good foil for Gillespie and a handy stand-in for Shaun Tait, who was rested at Cricket Australia’s request.Hogg took matters into his own hands, with four sixes and a four off the Lehmann over a particular highlight, equalling the most runs off an over in first-class cricket at Adelaide, following David Hookes’ feat in 1976-77. Mark Cosgrove cleaned Hogg up for a 42-ball 68, including six sixes, giving South Australia a vital breakthrough after the visitors were beginning to wrest the advantage for the second time.Voges’ half-century briefly stole the initiative, but otherwise the opening day was all South Australia, thanks largely to Gillespie. Voges became Gillespie’s fourth victim, bowled attempting to defend a cracker. The bowler was then on a hat-trick, as Aaron Heal fell next ball, caught by Matthew Elliott at third slip.While he couldn’t quite complete three from three, Gillespie did claim Mathew Inness (5) and Ben Edmondson (0) to wrap up the innings. Inness left alone one which knocked back middle and off, while Edmondson poked to second slip, beaten – like many of the others – for sheer pace.Elliott and Callum Ferguson recovered quickly from Cosgrove’s early departure, to a snorter from Inness. Ferguson built on his back-to-back half-centuries in the last match, and was in sight of his fifty by stumps, following another fluid innings.After a turbulent start to their season, South Australia have at last had a first-class day to be proud of and will hope to build on such a start on Saturday.

Scorecard
Delhi moved to second place in Group A with 18 points while Karnataka remained sixth with 10 after damp conditions ruled out any chance of play on the final day between Karnataka and Delhi at the Chinnaswamy Stadium. The umpires inspected the damp conditions six times, the covers came on and off repeatedly but the weather, which was predominantly wet with scanty dry patches, remained unsuitable for play. The teams got a point apiece.Delhi needed 10 wickets to secure first-innings points, but heavy rain on the third day, and a light drizzle this morning, had left the field wet. When the covers were finally removed, it was discovered that water had seeped on to the pitch and left a damp patch at one end. Even though the sun came out briefly and artificial methods of drying were used, the progress was slow. And when it began to rain steadily at 3.00 pm, the slim chances of salvaging some play vanished.

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

As the temperature soared in the afternoon, Sachin Tendulkar appeared oncourse to replicate his achievement as an 18-year-old, when he madecenturies in Sydney and Perth. But a poor decision from Asad Rauf, andthree poor strokes from the Indian batsmen redressed the balanceas Australia fought back tigerishly in the final session.Tendulkar departed for 71, and Rahul Dravid fell seven short of a century,leaving MS Dhoni and the tail with the task of propelling India to asizeable total on a pitch that was nowhere near as fearsome as it had beenhyped to be. Despite play being extended by half an hour, Australia stillfinished six overs short, a deplorable state of affairs that the matchreferee will surely investigate.Tendulkar and Dravid had been largely untroubled while adding 139, thoughAustralia may yet look back ruefully at the chance that Michael Clarkeshelled at first slip when Dravid had made just 11, and India, 85. Indiahad gone to tea on 2 for 177, and after seeing an edge fall short ofsecond slip soon after, Tendulkar had once again showcased his positiveintent with a magnificent off drive off Stuart Clark.Cue Lee, who had bowled at furious pace all day, and a delivery thatthudded into the flap of Tendulkar’s pad even as he hopped up a little.Rauf had a think and then raised his finger, leaving Tendulkar to trudgeoff, shaking his head in disappointment. Sourav Ganguly opened with alovely off-drive off Clark, but was then distinctly fortunate to see aninside edge streak past his leg stump.His good luck didn’t last long though, and a casual slap to a widedelivery from Mitchell Johnson was brilliantly caught low to his right byMichael Hussey at gully. Suddenly 2 for 198 had become 4 for 214, andAustralia’s effort with the ball and tireless commitment in the field hadits reward.It should still have been India’s day through. VVS Laxman got going with acouple of languid caresses past point, and Dravid (on 67) got a reprievefrom Billy Bowden when a Johnson yorker struck him on the boot palpably infront. They capitalised too, with Dravid cutting the ball crisply and thentaking to spin when Ricky Ponting attempted to make up for the appallingover-rate. Michael Clarke was glanced and then cut for four, and Andrew Symondswas swept through midwicket as Dravid moved into the 90s.

But a century still proved elusive, with a horrendous hoick at Symonds flying off the top edge to Ponting at cover. That was bad enough, but it got worse soon after when Laxman miscued apull off Lee to Shaun Tait at mid-off. Once again, he had made a start, only to fritter it away in cavalier fashion.That was pretty much the story of India’s day, one that began with theopeners adding 57 on the surface that was supposed to be leastIndia-friendly. Lee started at blistering speed, and Johnson at the otherend wasn’t much slower. A well-timed cover-drive got Virender Sehwag off the mark,and he followed up with a couple of magnificent shots through the coverswhen Lee erred in line. With runs being leaked, Ponting replaced Johnsonwith Clark, but Sehwag was in no mood to slow down, clipping onebeautifully through midwicket.Though Clark was the slowest bowler on view, he also appeared the mostdangerous, frequently beating the bat with subtle seam movement. Johnsonreplaced Lee at the other end, but even with the wind behind him, hestruggled to find his rhythm. Clark’s control though was making all thedifference, though Sehwag marked the 50 of the innings with a crunchingshot through extra-cover that bounced back into the field of play off theboundary boards.After 56 came in the first hour, progress slowed, and the pressure createdby Clark’s accuracy was finally capitalised on by Johnson, who got someextra bounce to catch the upper edge of Sehwag’s bat as he went foranother audacious slash. The Melbourne encore [he made a thrilling 195 onBoxing Day in 2003] hadn’t materialised, and it went slightly pear-shapedthereafter, with Wasim Jaffer edging Lee behind.Tait, unleashed only 20 minutes before lunch, and Lee then ensured atorrid passage of play for Tendulkar and Dravid, but India’s premierbatsmen went to lunch with no further damage to the scoreboard. Tendulkartwice saw edges whiz past the slip cordon, but with the temperaturesoaring past 36ºC in the afternoon, it was Australia’s bowlers who feltthe heat.Tait was erratic, and Tendulkar made full use of the fact that hardslashes were always likely to clear the slip cordon. An edge off Tait didexactly that, and when Lee got one to bounce steeply, Tendulkarnonchalantly bunted it down to third man for four. With both batsmenthreading Tait through the off-side field for fours, Ponting opted forchange in the shape of Johnson and Clark.With the runs accumulating steadily and options running out, themedium-pace of Symonds was called on. And with the kettle boiling for tea,India had their second alarm when Tendulkar survived an excellent shoutfor leg before. Soon after, he scythed the returning Tait over slips toget his half-century from 91 balls. At the other end, Dravid, reprieveapart, was solid, and an elegant off-drive off Tait emphasisedIndia’s ascendancy.As has so often been the case in recent times though, it was the Australiantenacity that had the last word.

The final leg of the league phase of the Duleep Trophy kicks off on Monday with all four teams involved having a chance of making the final in Mumbai.In Group A, East Zone and North Zone, who have both won their games against South Zone, clash in Rajkot, while Group B’s table-toppers England Lions take on West Zone in Vadodara.The Lions are best placed to advance, with a two-point lead over second-placed West, and only need to avoid defeat to qualify for the title clash. They will also be buoyed by the two wins they have notched up since arriving in India, especially their successful pursuit of a stiff 296 in the fourth innings against Central Zone [the other win was in a tour game against a Mumbai Cricket Association XI].Lions’ fast bowler Steve Kirby, though, was wary of West, who have a strong side with several players with international experience like Parthiv Patel and Ramesh Powar. “Tomorrow’s game is going to be the hardest we have on the tour,” he told . “We know that they have got a lot of fantastic cricketers in their side. I think we’d be wrong not to be thinking about both those players. But if we stick to our basics and stick to our confident way of playing, it isn’t going to matter who we come up against.”In the other game, North, with their experienced batting line-up, will be confident after their commanding performance against South. With both North and East tied on five points, a draw after gaining the first-innings lead will be enough for either side to go through.

Ever since Keith Miller, Alan Davidson and Richie Benaud moved on, Australia’s search for a quality allrounder has been almost as futile as trying to discover what happened to aircraft that vanished over the Bermuda Triangle. Steve Waugh was almost the real deal. Simon O’Donnell never lived up to his potential for various reasons, and Shane Watson spends more time on the treatment table than on the field.The Australian women have no such problems. Ellyse Perry came out to bat this afternoon with the innings listing at 5 for 71. A 56-run partnership with Kate Blackwell took Australia to a competitive total, with Perry contributing a bustling 29 from just 25 balls. It was the 17-year-old’s first Twenty20 game, but there was no hint of nervousness whatsoever as she got going with a nonchalant one-bounce four over square leg.A magnificent six over long-on off Isa Guha helped finish the innings with a flourish, and we then had to wait until midway through the England innings to see what she could do with the ball. Quite a bit, as it turned out. Blonde ponytail swaying from side to side, she bowled full, straight and at lively pace with a lovely, rhythmic action. Figures of 4 for 20 didn’t flatter her, and she also played a part in the key dismissal, ending Claire Taylor’s defiant knock of 34 with a casual flicked throw on her follow through.The cricket fraternity must do its utmost to hold on to her, because Perry also happens to be a Matilda, a member of Australia’s soccer team. The side that once made global headlines for its nude calendar is probably a more glamourous proposition than the Southern Stars, and Cricket Australia must do what it can to make sure that she becomes a 21st-century Denis Compton, known more for her cricket than the football.You realise how young she is only when you talk to her. With braces and a shy smile, she looks like a teenager, and I ask her what it was like to bowl at the MCG in front of a crowd that was rapidly filling up for the men’s game. “Sensational,” she says with a grin. “I’ve never played in front of a crowd like this, and to do so in your home country is just great.”So, will she have to choose between her two loves? “I guess I might eventually,” she says. “But I’m pretty lucky in that the seasons are different for cricket and soccer. For the moment, I’d like to keep playing both.”Perry has the X-factor, but she wasn’t the only one to catch the eye. Twenty20 is supposed to be a game for youngsters, but the tone for this engrossing contest was set by one of the old stagers. Taylor is 32, and an excellent diving stop on the boundary line was emblematic of an exceptional fielding display. She also took a stunning leaping catch at slip, but unfortunately, Nicky Shaw had overstepped.The choice of music was unfortunate. With more cops and volunteers than fans in the opening stages of the game, there was hardly anyone to cheer, and when Shelley Nitschke smacked a Jenny Gunn full toss for four, they chose to play Garbage’s . Er, what?Rosalie Birch bowled a tidy spell to rein Australia in, but there was still time to be entranced by a little cameo from Lisa Sthalekar. Like every great batsman, she has so much time to play her strokes. There was a gorgeous cover-drive before she went for one shot too many, and the first strains of the Cyndi Lauper anthem, Girls Just Wanna Have Fun, suggested that even the music was picking up.It would be easy to resort to cliché and label players like Sthalekar and Karen Rolton the Ricky Ponting and Matthew Hayden of their sport, but they’re tremendous players in their own right, with a refined style that’s quite far removed from the biff and bang of men’s limited-overs cricket. Perry though is the future, a golden one at that.This was the first time I’ve watched the women play. It certainly won’t be the last.

Zaheer Khan, India’s left-arm seamer who is currently recovering from injury, is unlikely to be fit for India’s first Test against South Africa, starting on March 26 in Chennai.India’s Test specialists are set to undergo routine fitness tests over the next few days but Zaheer isn’t part of the list, it’s learnt. Sources have indicated that it’s not clear yet if he would be available for any part of the series.”He is currently in South Africa,” board secretary Niranjan Shah told Cricinfo. “And we will know the status of the injury in a day or two.” Zaheer is currently undergoing rehabilitation at the Centre for Sports Medicine in Johannesburg.Zaheer injured his left heel on the eve of the Sydney Test in early January. It was the same injury that sustained during the third Test against Pakistan in Bangalore a month earlier.Meanwhile RP Singh, the other injured left-arm seamer, will undergo a fitness test at the National Cricket Academy in Bangalore on Friday and Saturday. He had injured his hamstring during the final Test in Adelaide and missed the entire CB Series. RP played a couple of Ranji one-day matches for Uttar Pradesh recently – taking two wickets in each and making good contributions with the bat too.Rahul Dravid was the other injury concern – having damaged his finger during the Adelaide Test – but is expected to be fit for selection. He skipped the South zone Ranji ODI tournament (because he was still in pain) but began training a couple of days ago. He is expected to play a couple of Deodhar Trophy matches for South Zone before the first Test against South Africa in Chennai.Meanwhile India’s Test specialists are set to undergo routine tests at the NCA over the next three days. This follows a BCCI policy to have periodic check-ups prior to all selections for players who have been out of action. VVS Laxman, Wasim Jaffer, Sourav Ganguly, Dravid, VRV Singh, Pankaj Singh and Anil Kumble haven’t been part of the side since the Adelaide Test and will need to go through the paces before their names are cleared for selection.They will undergo tests under Paul Chapman, the trainer at the NCA, Paul Close, the physiotherapist, and Dav Whatmore. The NCA will in turn forward the reports to the board on Saturday.The squad for the first Test will be picked on Sunday in Mumbai.

Western Australia are in danger of losing their star opening batsman Chris Rogers, who is meeting with the state’s officials to decide his future. Rogers is reportedly unhappy with his continued omission from the state’s one-day side, which he believes is limiting his chances of further international call-ups.He has attracted interest from South Australia and Queensland, while Tasmania’s captain Daniel Marsh also said the Tigers would love to have him. Rogers is speaking to the Western Australian Cricket Association’s chief executive Graeme Wood, the coach Tom Moody and the state match committee chairman Tom Hogan to assess his options.”There is no way we would like to see him go, he is a critical part of our future,” Moody told AAP. “He is highly regarded in this state, his record speaks for itself. Hopefully after those discussions with him he will be with us and looking forward.”Rogers, who holds a Cricket Australia contract, was named State Player of the Year in 2006-07 and made his Test debut at home in Perth this season. However, despite another solid Pura Cup season in which he made 744 runs at 43.76, Rogers is continually overlooked for limited-overs games and made only two FR Cup appearances this summer.A move to Adelaide would be a major coup for South Australia, whose top order has struggled severely since Darren Lehmann’s retirement. Queensland have also lost an experienced key batsman in Jimmy Maher, while Rogers could be a direct replacement for Tasmania’s departing opener Michael Di Venuto.Western Australia have also lost a top-order veteran with the retirement of Justin Langer, who was a regular one-day player for the state, and his absence might open a door for Rogers in the shorter format. Langer hopes whatever Rogers decides he does not let the matter drag on for too long.”It will be good for him to move on and the WACA to move on, whichever way he chooses to go,” Langer said. “If he wants to stay – and I would like to see him stay – then that is great, but if he decided he is not going to then he should make his decision.”

South Africa have been fined for their slow over-rate in the first Test against India in Chennai. Roshan Mahanama, the match referee, found the side was two overs short of its target after time allowances were taken in to consideration.On day three South Africa managed only 85 overs as India pushed to gain a first-innings lead. It was the day Virender Sehwag raced to the fastest Test triple-hundred, his second in 55 Tests.According to ICC Code of Conduct players are fined 5% of their match fees for every over lost while captain is fined double of that. Consequently South African players lost 10% of their match fees and Graeme Smith lost 20%. The team cannot appeal the fine.After a dull draw in the first Test the two sides now move on to Ahmedabad for the second one starting on April 3.