Nottinghamshire have benefited from their run in last season’s Twenty20 tournament when they finished as runners-up, plus Trent Bridge hosting finals day, by recording a healthy pre-tax profit of £140,998.The club had strong attendances at all home Twenty20 group matches, more than 12,000 watching the quarter-final against Nottinghamshire.Richard Tennant, the finance director, said: “Twenty20 is the one competition where success results in meaningful incremental income, and the outstanding performance of the team in the competition manifested itself in a 59 per cent increase in match receipts compared with 2005.”On the back of lifting the County Championship and staging of an Ashes Test in 2005, membership subscriptions also showed a healthy increase of 13 per cent. “The milestone of achieving a record number of 1,160 Junior members was also extremely significant,” Tennant added.Nottinghamshire recently announced proposals for an £8.2million redevelopment plan, which will include building a new stand on the Bridgford Road side of the ground and the installation of permanent floodlights, increasing capacity to 17,500.

New Zealand have announced that they will not be playing their two premier bowlers in the final match of the Chappell-Hadlee series against Australia at Hamilton on Tuesday. Having taken an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series in emphatic fashion, New Zealand decided not to take any risks with Daniel Vettori and Shane Bond, who are both carrying slight niggles.Vettori is suffering from a sore back while Bond has some hamstring stiffness. New Zealand followed up the first ten-wicket win against Australia with an exciting chase of 337 at Auckland on Sunday.The final match gives Jeetan Patel, the lone spinner in the mix with Vettori missing, a chance to showcases his wares. It’s also another opportunity for Peter Fulton, who returned to the New Zealand team with a calm and composed unbeaten 76, to get another innings under his belt.New Zealand team 1 Lou Vincent, 2 Stephen Fleming (capt), 3 Ross Taylor, 4 Scott Styris, 5 Peter Fulton, 6 Craig McMillan, 7 Brendon McCullum (wk), 8 James Franklin, 9 Mark Gillespie, 10 Jeetan Patel, 11 Daryl Tuffey.

Sunil Gavaskar has apologised for the remark he made about David Hookes’ death when criticising Australia’s on-field behavior, saying the comment was “uncalled for and inappropriate”. He did not, however, alter his claim that the Australian team would be more admired if they watched their manners during matches.”I do regret it … on the breakfast show I do with ESPN, I read out a statement regretting what I had said,” Gavaskar told Melbourne radio station SEN. “On live television and radio, sometimes you respond on the spur of the moment with a remark that can cause hurt and pain to others.”I realise and I accept that what I said was uncalled for and inappropriate. Having said that, I hope they [Hookes’ family and friends] have the bigness of heart to forgive me for what I said about David Hookes.”On a television show last week, Gavaskar warned the Australians could get “whacked” in a bar if they operated the same way off the field as they did on it and his comments followed Ricky Ponting’s complaint Gavaskar acted badly during his playing days. Allan Border , Darren Lehmann, Glenn McGrath and Brad Hodge all joined the backlash over Gavaskar’s linking of Hookes’ death to poor on-field behaviour.Gavaskar said he had not spoken to Ponting since his comments about Hookes, but hoped to have a friendly chat with him. “I am not at loggerheads with Ricky Ponting, I admire him for his batting and for the way he has come back after the Ashes loss. Cricketers hardly ever hold too much against each other. I’m pretty certain the next time Ricky and I meet up, we’ll be fine, we’ll be able to shake hands, share a joke and carry on with our lives.”Gavaskar also addressed his earlier comments about the Australian team – that they were “not popular winners” because of sometimes “awful” on-field behaviour – which drew a sharp response from Ponting. “What I was trying to say, the West Indies in the 1970s and 80s … they were winning just about everything, but they were universally admired,” he said. “There are so many champions who are universally admired, like your Rod Laver, today there is Roger Federer. The Australian team can also be universally admired if they can only curb their behaviour on some occasions.”

Brad Hogg’s return to wicket-taking form and Shaun Tait’s useful collection highlighted an improved Australian bowling performance as they restricted England to 197 on the way to a five-wicket warm-up win. While Tait captured 4 for 33 off 8.3 overs, Hogg’s figures of 2 for 28 off ten were also valuable ahead of a tournament where spin is expected to play a significant part.In his previous six games Hogg had not taken a wicket, but he produced two important moments to remove Ian Bell, who was stumped smartly for 56, and pick up Michael Vaughan an over later for 62. “Right from the start he bowled a bit quicker through the air,” Ricky Ponting told AFP. “He used his variations very well and got two wickets with his wrong’un. It’s good to see him back to his lively self again.”Ponting was also pleased with the work of Tait after speaking with him about his tactics for the tournament. Tait dismissed Ed Joyce with an inswinging yorker, knocked over Kevin Pietersen and grabbed two wickets to end the innings.”I sat down and had a bit of chat with Shaun about how he can be best used,” Ponting said. “Today he showed everybody just how effective he can be – and it’s not the first time he’s done that.” Stuart Clark was also impressive, picking up 3 for 16 after being the eighth bowler Ponting called on.Adam Gilchrist and Shane Watson kept the side on track for the success with a 140-run opening stand and the result ended England’s streak of three consecutive victories over Australia. “It was a good solid hit-out,” Ponting said. “I said the other day I wanted the guys to approach these games as proper one-day internationals and play them with that sort of intensity.”England’s brightest spot was the performance of Vaughan, who was returning from a leg injury that interrupted his tour of Australia. “It’s nice to get a few runs, spend some time in the middle and test the hamstring in a match situation,” Vaughan said.However, Vaughan was disappointed his side suffered a collapse of 9 for 75 after he and Bell put on 116 for the second wicket. “At 122 for 2 you expect to get 250 minimum,” he said. “That kind of score on that kind of pitch would have been a really competitive total. But sometimes it’s good that something like this happens before the actual tournament starts because it gives us an indication of how we are going to have to play on these kind of wickets.”

March 28
Jamaica police were reportedly ready to launch a second autopsy on Woolmer’s body in a bid to quash media speculation that he might have died after hitting his head on the bathroom sink rather than have been murdered; that followed comments from an unnamed Pakistan board official who said: “We believe that the autopsy by the pathologist may have had error counts and [the police] are now considering having a second autopsy to confirm the cause of death”;March 27
Jamaican police were reported to be searching for three mystery fans who they want to question; they also said that an examination of Woolmer’s laptop showed no evidence of anything to do with match-fixing; Mark Shields, the deputy police commissioner, explained that the meal Woolmer had in his room was also being examined. “We are looking at whether his food was drugged, the meal was thrown away after he put the tray outside his room, but we are conducting toxicology and tissue tests,” he said. Pakistan were officially eliminated from the police investigation into the murder.March 26
Pakistan start their long journey home, but not before police had again questioned three members of the group. A Pakistan official complains that the team have been kept in the dark over the investigation.March 25
As investigations continue, reports that the murder was related to match-fixing continue, Lord MacLaurin, the former head of the England board, launches a stinging attack on the way the ICC is run.
Shaharyar M Khan – A gentle man, a superb coach
News – Inzamam controlled the team, not WoolmerMarch 24
The “>police order an inquest. It emerges that Woolmer was preparing to write a book on his time as Pakistan coach, in addition to one he had just completed on coaching in general. A clearly emotional Pakistan side play their final match, beating Zimbabwe.
News – Bob’s loss hurts more than elimination – Inzamam
March 23
Speculation abounds, with match-fixing groups widely rumoured to be involved in the murder. There are calls for the “>World Cup to be cancelled, while others suggest the tournament is played in Woolmer’s honour. The PCB reveal Woolmer had sent an email shortly before he died resigning as coach. The Pakistan side are questioned and undergo DNA testing as part of the routine enquiries. Officials deny the squad have been asked to stay on in Jamaica after their final game. Michael Vaughan, England’s captain, admits he has a “gut feeling” that there is still corruption in the game.
News – Woolmer had decided to retire
News – Academy to be built in Woolmer’s honour
News – Musharraf honours Woolmer
March 22
Police confirm that they have launched a murder investigation. “The pathologist’s report states that Mr Woolmer’s death was due to asphyxiation as a result of manual strangulation,” Karl Angell, a police spokesman, says. “In these circumstances, the matter … is now being treated by the Jamaica police as a case of murder.”March 21
Shields reveals that Woolmer’s death is now being treated as “suspicious” although he refuses to go further. Two Jamaican newspapers run headline stories claiming that a senior police source says Woolmer was murdered.
News – Bob was more than a coach – Rhodes
March 20
The first autopsy is inconclusive and the pathologist asks for more tests before the cause of death can be identified. The police refuse to be drawn on rumblings in the media that there is more to the death than meets the eye: “Any sudden death is treated as suspicious till we can say otherwise,” says Mark Shields, Jamaica’s deputy police commissioner.March 18
News filters through that Bob Woolmer has been found unconscious in his hotel room, within hours it is confirmed that he has died. Tributes pour in from across the world.
Obituary – Woolmer: a creative and adventurous coach
Tributes – ‘He gave his life to cricket and died for it’
Osman Samiuddin – Thanks Bob, you did make a big difference
Comment – The price of passion
Kamran Abbasi – The tragedy of Bob Woolmer
Audio – ‘Woolmer changed the way we played’ – Cullinan
Audio – Cricket world poorer with the passing of Woolmer
Timeline – An eventful life, a premature end
Gallery – A life in pictures
Archive – Wisden Cricketer of the Year – 1976

Stephen Fleming insists he will not copy Sri Lanka’s controversial tactics and rest key bowlers for Friday’s clash against Australia. Both sides are already through to the semi-finals, but the dead rubber will not prevent them from playing their best outfits in their final Super Eights match in Grenada.Fleming said New Zealand would not compromise their chances of making it four straight wins against Australia after a 3-0 Chappell-Hadlee home triumph in February. “We’ll go in with the best possible team bar injury scares,” Fleming said in a clear indication Shane Bond would play. “If someone needs to be rested from an injury point of view we’ll be cautious with that.”We want to continue where we left off against Australia in New Zealand. They’re a tough side if they get on top of you and they’ve got a point to prove.”New Zealand bounced back from defeat by Sri Lanka, their only loss in the tournament, with a five-wicket victory over South Africa on Saturday. Barring an extraordinarily huge win against Australia that would force them to swap first and second places on the table, they will face Sri Lanka in the first semi-final in Jamaica on Tuesday. Australia are set to take on South Africa in the other semi-final in St Lucia on Wednesday.”It’s a great opportunity before the semi-finals start to maintain the standards we had against South Africa,” Fleming said. “Part of the selection [against Australia] is looking forward to Sri Lanka and assessing what conditions we’ll get in Jamaica and Barbados and just make sure the team picked for Australia covers those bases.”Australia, who are defending a 26-game unbeaten record at the World Cup, face a key decision over the allrounder Shane Watson, who is recovering from a calf strain. If he doesn’t take the field against New Zealand it will place a huge question mark over his participation in the rest of the tournament.New Zealand have never won a World Cup, or even reached the final, but Ricky Ponting is in no doubt about their quality. “They love a fight,” Ponting said, “they love a scrap.”

A domestic Twenty20 tournament will be held before India’s tour of England, Dilip Vengsarkar, the chairman of the selection committee, said in Dhaka.The domestic series would offer the selectors a chance to see which players are best suited for the shortened format and thus help them choose the team for the Twenty20 World Cup in South Africa starting on September 11.The competition begins just three days after India’s seven-match one-day series against England – the final game is slated to be held on September 8 – and the players of the one-day side who are retained for Twenty20 will fly to South Africa directly from England.The domestic series is set to be similar to the Challenger Series, India’s premier one-day competition. However, the composition of the sides will not be as skewed as it normally is for the Challengers, where India Seniors is normally the strongest side with India A and India B relatively weaker. Here the teams of 13 each will be more evenly matched.India’s cricketers haven’t had too much exposure to Twenty20 cricket. The national team has been involved in just one Twenty20 International, against South Africa at Johannesburg in December 2006. India was also the last country to adopt Twenty20 cricket at the domestic level, with the inaugural series this year, but going by the lukewarm response, it didn’t appear to have too many takers.

Jersey became the 33rd country to be granted Associate membership at the ICC Annual Conference held last week at Lord’s.The decision comes after a successful 12 months for cricket on the island and makes Jersey the 11th European Associate Member joining the likes of Denmark, Ireland and Netherlands.For Jersey the promotion means that local cricket will receive a huge cash injection from ICC – which is already earmarked for investment back into the development of the sport – and the potential for the Island to qualify for major international tournaments, including the World Cup.”We’re absolutely delighted. It’s all happened very quickly and it’s a credit to the way in which Jersey cricket is set up,” said JCB director of cricket Chris Minty. “I don’t think it’s realistic to think that we would ever push to become a Full member, or that we are likely to see the likes of England or South Africa playing in the Island, but if you think about it, Bermuda qualified and played in the World Cup and they have a smaller population than ours. Technically, it could be possible that Jersey could one day be there, too.”Cameroon, The Falkland Islands, Peru and Swaziland were awarded Affiliate membership, taking the total number of ICC members up to 101. Jersey was the only country to be granted Associate Membership.The Falkland Islands were elected with only one dissenting voice. Argentina abstained in the week that marked the 25th anniversary of the end of the Falklands War.

New Zealand Cricket has formed a subcommittee to determine whether John Bracewell should be retained as the national coach. Bracewell’s contract expires next month and John Wright, the former India coach, has expressed interest in being involved in the country’s cricket.Wright withdrew his application for the head of Australia’s Centre of Excellence in Brisbane and is likely to feature highly in discussions for the role in his home country. The subcommittee formed by Justin Vaughan, the new NZC chief executive, met on Tuesday to review the position and outline a process to appoint the coach.Stephen Fleming and Craig McMillan have publicly supported a contract extension for Bracewell and Wright believes his former team-mate will keep the job. Bracewell guided New Zealand to the semi-finals of the World Cup but the team received a shake-up after the tournament when Stephen Fleming stepped down as one-day captain.Ric Charlesworth, an Olympic gold-medal winning hockey coach and NZC’s high performance manager, is on the subcommittee that includes Vaughan, Stephen Boock, Lindsay Crocker and the players’ association representative Heath Mills. No date has been set to make a decision on Bracewell’s future.

Ireland 222 for 7 (N. O’Brien 72, Botha 42, Haq 3-59) beat Scotland 199 (Watson 83, McCallum 54 ) by 23 runs
ScorecardA tight bowling performance from Andre Botha helped Ireland to beat Scotland, but they could not gain the bonus point needed to share the series title with West Indies. To do that, they needed to bowl out Scotland for 177, but the visitors reached 199. Nevertheless, Ireland will be pleased with their performance after holding their bowling nerve when Scotland were well set.Botha’s tight bowling pegged Scotland back, and he earlier struck 42 to round off an impressive all-round performance in front of a meagre home crowd. His dismissal of Ryan Watson, who made 83, was the turning point of the match as Scotland threatened to overhaul their target. Watson was well supported by Neil McCallum who struck 54. Botha ended with 3 for 27.Niall O’Brien’s 72 lifted Ireland to 222, which was a competitive score on a slow Stormont wicket. John Blain and Paul Hoffman bowled tight first up for Scotland, prompting the dismissal of William Porterfield, attempting to pull, and opening the way for Gordon Drummond to strike to remove Eoin Morgan for 10 in his first over.Ireland recovered from their early losses, though, through the combined forces of O’Brien and Botha as they put on 46 for the third wicket. Botha finally came good with 42 following a promising 27 against Netherlands and a duck against West Indies.Both played patiently at first, picking off the odd loose delivery, before opening up later. A change of ends finally worked for Majid Haq, who had Botha stumped.Kevin O’Brien and Alex Cusack moved the score along steadily, but it was the reliable Trent Johnston who boosted Ireland later, with a 57-run stand that brought Ireland near the 200-mark before he and O’Brien fell in the same Haq over.