Spinners steer MCC to Tsunami match win

LONDON, Tuesday (AFP) Spin trio Harbhajan Singh, Anil Kumble and Chris Gayle took nine wickets between them as MCC beat an International XI by 112 runs in their 50 overs per side Tsunami appeal match at Lord's here Tuesday.

Gayle cleaned up the tail with three for 27 with India duo Harbhajan (three for 32) and man-of-the-match Kumble (three for 49) also contributing as the International XI, chasing 328 to win, were bowled out for 215 with 15 overs to spare.

South Africa's Graeme Smith top scored for the International XI with 68 putting on 75 in 49 balls with International captain Brian Lara.

But once the duo were out, MCC wrapped up the game.

New Zealand's Stephen Fleming, who skippered the International XI side, said he was proud to have taken part in the match.

"It was important for the game, the match was for a good cause and it was necessary to keep the cricket real," said Fleming.

"You can get caught up in yourselves sometimes, so it was important for players to open their eyes to what is going on around them."

Lara added that it was vital for the stars to play. "It's necessary for players to come out and support this," said the West Indies ace who made 42.

"It was a great day. We didn't quite come up to scratch with the bat. I would have liked to have made a few more."

The game may have been 'fun' with Lara was using 10 bowlers, including himself, but there was no doubting Pakistan fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar's intent when he came off his full run.

However, it was leg-spinner Kumble who ended a stand of 56 in 51 balls between Sanath Jayasuriya and Smith when the Sri Lankan was caught on the boundary by Harbhajan.

Lara then lofted Kumble for a superb straight six.

Meanwhile Smith, advancing down the pitch, drove South Africa team-mate Jacques Kallis for his eighth four to reach a 42-ball fifty. The pair entranced the crowd before Lara was eventually out for 42 off just 27 balls with one six and five fours.

Trying to turn Kumble onto the legside, the West Indies ace got a thick edge and was caught by Shoaib at fly-slip, his side 141 for three in the 19th over.

Smith followed soon afterwards, neatly stumped by Sri Lanka wicket-keeper Kumar Sangakkara off Kumble for a 61-ball 68 with nine boundaries.

And Harbhajan then made his mark, bowling West Indies left-hander Shivnarine Chanderpaul around his legs for two.

At the half-way stage of their innings the International XI needed a further 154 off 25 overs for victory, a rate of just above six an over.

But their cause wasn't helped when big-hitting New Zealander Chris Cairns was stumped for one off Harbhajan, the International XI 175 for six. And from there on in the spinners maintained their grip, Gayle bowling last man Makhaya Ntini for nought.

After losing the toss, MCC made 327 for seven with skipper Stephen Fleming, the New Zealand captain, and all-rounder Kallis both scoring 62. Andy Flower made 55, the former Zimbabwe batsman sharing a stand of 84 in 57 balls with Sangakkara (46).

Sri Lanka left-arm quick Chaminda Vaas led the attack with two for 19 off seven overs, dismissing MCC's Gayle and India captain Sourav Ganguly.

Fleming though kept going, making 59 before he cut Cairns straight to Ntini at third man. Kallis later brought up a 60-ball fifty with six boundaries before he chipped Ntini to short mid-wicket where Lara took a juggling catch to end a stand of 72 with Venkatsai Laxman.

In January an Asian XI took on a World XI in Melbourne in front of more than 70,000 people raising 11 million dollars.

An MCC spokesman said that 20,513 tickets for this game, out of a capacity of 28,000, had been sold in advance raising over 500,000 pounds (905,000 dollars).

On December 26 last year a Tsunami tidal wave which affected coastlines throughout the Indian sub-continent caused the deaths of hundreds of thousands as well as massive destruction of property.