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The mystery surrounding the death of Tertius Bosch deepened on Wednesday amid claims that early indications from a post mortem on the former South African fast bowler’s body show that he might have been poisoned.Bosch, who took the new ball in South Africa’s first post-isolation Test match against the West Indies in Barbados in 1992, died in February last year aged 34, apparently from Guillain-Barre syndrome, a debilitating wasting disease, after a long illness.At the time Bosch’s death was seen as a tragedy involving a popular sportsman and his young family. It now transpires, however, that even before Bosch died rumours had surfaced that there might be more to his illness that met the eye.As a result of these rumours, Bosch’s sister Rita van Wetten and her brother Toon Bosch hired a private investigator, Hennie Els, to examine the financial affairs of Bosch, a dentist, and the circumstances of his death.According to the Durban morning newspaper The Mercury, Els uncovered various financial irregularities as well as a second will which disinherited Bosch’s widow, Karen-Anne. Els’s investigations led to Van Wetten requesting that Bosch’s body be exhumed and a post mortem conducted. Karen-Anne agreed to the exhumation at the end of last week and the body was exhumed this week.It is at this point that the story takes a macabre twist. The specialist forensic pathologist who conducted the post mortem, Dr Reggie Perumal,is quoted in The Mercury as saying: “The body had been embalmed and was beautifully preserved, so I got really good organs, hair and fingernail specimens.”The clinical presentation was one which supported poisoning … His skin was dark with white spots, he had lost his hair and there were signs of kidney dysfunction.”I was testing for various forms of heavy metal poisoning, including amalgam lead (used in dentistry), the toxic component of which is mercury.”Dr Perumal also remarked that it was unusual for a body to be embalmed. “Why someone would want to delay the natural decaying process, I can’t say … But some people believe that the chemicals in embalming fluid remove traces of poison,” The Mercury quotes him as saying.Samples from Bosch’s body have been sent for laboratory inspection and the results will be passed on to Bosch’s family and to the police.Even more bizarrely, however, a relationship between Karen-Anne and attorney Henr Selzer has come to light. Selzer was the executor of Bosch’s first will and the relationship ended last week but not before Selzer was found to be suffering from symptoms similar to those that afflicted Bosch.Again The Mercury quotes Dr Perumal: "He (Selzer) appears to have similar symptoms to those of Dr Bosch. I will be conducting tests on him to look for similar poisons in his body.”The matter is further clouded by so far unsubstantiated hints of money-laundering and other extra-marital affairs. It has left a South African cricket public, which might have been thought to be inured to further shocks after the match-fixing scandal and an assortment of rows, aghast.Tall, strong and curly-haired, Bosch was capable of genuine pace during a first-class career with Northern Transvaal and Natal between 1986/87 and 1997/98. He played in only a single Test match, taking three wickets, and two one-day internationals.He was far more successful at first-class level, taking 210 wickets at 27,56, but it was always felt that he lacked killer instinct. Genial and well-liked, Bosch was regarded as simply too nice a guy to consistently strike fear into batsmens’ hearts.

Simon Katich (129) scored his third championship century of the summer tohelp Durham hold back Lancashire’s spinners at Manchester.The visitors reached 355-9 after electing to bat first on a very dry pitch.Gary Keedy (4-99) was the most successful of the three home spinners, andLancashire might have made better progress if their bowling and fielding hadbeen sharper. Glen Chapple, who yielded 13 in the opening over, brokethrough first by bowling Michael Gough.
After that Katich was the major partner in stands of 75 in 24 overs with JonLewis and 146 in 40 overs with Paul Collingwood. The latter survived astumping chance off Gary Yates early in his innings and progressed to make60 from 127 deliveries (which included ten boundaries) before his leg-beforedismissal to Mike Smethurst.Two further wickets fell before tea by which time Katich had reached his hundred from 157 balls and was to bat for 283 minutes and strike seventeen boundaries.The hosts came back into the contest after the interval and shortly after Katich was caught by Crawley off Keedy their opponents were 268-7. Wicketkeeper Andrew Pratt and Nick Phillips added 37 for the eighth wicket.Leg-spinner Chris Schofield caught Phillips off Yates and then had Pratt caught by young substitute fieldsman Carl Hey. Tenth-wicket pair Neil Killeen and Simon Brown scored 30 to win a fourth batting bonus point – made easier by Saurav Ganguly dropping Killeen.

The Australians narrowly escaped a second limited-overs defeat of the week as their contest with Northamptonshire – the tourists’ final warm-up match ahead of their NatWest Series opener – ended in a tie at Wantage Road.Damien Martyn’s unbeaten 101 boosted the tourists to 234-3 in 50 overs – the innings interrupted three times by blustery showers – and Northants were 234 all out in reply, with last man Jason Brown run out attempting the winning run off the final ball of a pulsating game in front of an excited full-house crowd of 4,500.Martyn and Mark Waugh (88 not out) came to the rescue with an unbroken fourth-wicket stand worth 157 in 27 overs after Australia, put in to bat, lost acting-skipper Adam Gilchrist, Andrew Symonds and Michael Bevan for 77.Gilchrist bottom-edged an attempted pull at Darren Cousins into his stumps, and Cousins’ next ball trapped Symonds leg-before as he pushed half-forward.When Bevan chipped Tony Penberthy to mid-wicket the county side held the advantage, but Martyn (131 balls, 5 fours) and Waugh (89 balls, 8 fours) prevented any further alarms and gave the Australian bowlers something to defend.Northants’ run-chase was led by Mike Hussey, the Western Australia batsman whose central contract with the A.C.B. was not renewed last month. He made 73 from 106 deliveries and put on 64 with Alec Swann (24) to give his adopted side every chance of pulling off a victory.Michael Bevan tilted the balance back in favour of Australia by dismissing Swann and Hussey in the space of four balls, and the game continued to ebb and flow until Northants arrived at the last over, bowled by Ian Harvey, needing three runs to win with three wickets in hand.Lesroy Weekes scored two from the first ball and was run out off the second, and Harvey only conceded a solitary bye after that as Northants squandered their chance to emulate Middlesex by lowering the Australian colours.

Surrey have not yet reached a decision over whether Graham Thorpe will play in the Benson and Hedges Cup final against Gloucestershire at Lord’s tomorrow.Thorpe only started training again yesterday after a six-week lay-off because of a calf injury.He appeared to rule himself out of the running by telling Channel 4’s cricket web site: “I have had a lack of match practice but there is nothing we can do about that. I wanted to play in the Lord’s final but I can’t go into a game like that having only had one or two nets. That wouldn’t be fair on Surrey or England.”But Surrey coach Keith Medlycott refused to rule Thorpe out of the running.He said: “He has had a long-term injury concern. He has not played forsix weeks but he is very close to being back to full fitness.”He has made very encouraging progress. He had an indoor net on Thursday andsuffered no reaction to that and has had a net and a run around at Lord’s today.The signs are encouraging.”Of course, as regards the final there is always going to be that questionmark about it being a humdrum of a game and you’ve got to give it 100% full on.”If Thorpey came and said `I’m sure I can play’ then we would have a decisionto make. He is one of the best one-day players in world cricket.”Thorpe, asked about his injury, said: “It’s getting better now.”But asked whether he would be playing tomorrow, he said: “The chances areslim. I would not say ‘no’ – but it is highly unlikely.”Meanwhile paceman Alex Tudor looks like being fit for the final. He missed the C&G clash with Yorkshire this week because of a side strain but Medlycott said: “He has had a fitness test and we will see how he is. At present I would say he’s 50-50 but the physios are quietly confident. We are optimistic.”If Tudor fails to make the final line-up he will be replaced by Tim Murtagh for what would be his first Benson and Hedges appearance.Mark Ramprakash, on the road to recovery from a hamstring strain, will play but Ian Salisbury will undergo a late fitness test on a foot injury.Medlycott said: “We will have to sit on the fence with one or two of themuntil the morning and give them every opportunity.”Gloucestershire, meanwhile, are likely to be without paceman Jon Lewis who is awaiting results of a scan on a back injury, having been out of the game for nearly six weeksHe took part in a net session at Lord’s but coach John Bracewell said: “He is doubtful and has not really had enough cricket. If it was a green seamer we might have taken a chance but it looks a very good wicket.”Batsman Rob Cunliffe and bowler Mark Hardinges have been added to the players on duty in this week’s C&G match against Durham.Squads:Gloucestershire: Hewson, Barnett, Windows, Harvey, Taylor, Snape, Russell, Alleyne, Ball, Cawdron, Averis, Hardinges, Cunliffe, Lewis.Surrey: Butcher, Ward, Ramprakash, Stewart, Brown, A. Hollioake, B. Hollioake, Thorpe, Bicknell, Saqlain Mushtaq, Murtagh, Giddins, Tudor, Salisbury.

The WP cricket selectors have beefed-up their bowling attack for Sunday’s opening Standard Bank match against Easterns.

MEDIA RELEASE:NASHUA Western Province vs EasternsWillowmoore Park18 November 2001STANDARD BANK CUPNashua Western Province Squad:1) Neil Johnson2) Graeme Smith3) Andrew Puttick4) H.D. Ackerman ( C )5) Ahswell Prince6) Jonathan Trott7) Thami Tsolekile8) Alan Dawson9) Claude Henderson10) Roger Telemachus11) Charl Willoughby12) Quentin FriendCricket Managers: Vincent Barnes and Eric Simons

Shored up by big knocks from stumper Tilak Naidu and India all rounderSunil Joshi Karnataka piled up a massive 545 for 9 declared at the endof the second day in their clash against Hyderabad. Resuming on 279/4,the Karnataka team strode strongly ahead. The fact that they wereplaying at home must have helped a great deal.Vijay Bharadwaj could add just 12 to his overnight score and wasdismissed for exactly fifty. Naidu and Joshi then turned the heat on,piling up a mammoth 170 runs for the 6th wicket. The pair was finallyseparated when Naidu (122 runs, 209 balls, 17 fours) succumbed to theguile of left arm spinner Venkatapathy Raju. India mediumpacer JavagalSrinath then provided good company to Joshi and the two put on 54before Joshi fell, just 8 runs short of his century. His inningsincluded 10 hits that reached the fence and 2 two hits that crossed theropes. The fall of two quick wickets prompted Karnataka to declaretheir innings on 545/9.Whatever hopes the Karnataka side harboured of making early inroadsinto the Hyderabad batting were dashed by openers Daniel Manohar (30not out) and Nandakishore (16 all out). The two saw Hyderabad safelyto 48/0 at stumps.

India batsman Ambati Rayudu has been ruled out of the team’s ongoing tour of Zimbabwe because of injury to his right quadriceps muscles. The BCCI has drafted Sanju Samson into the squad as Rayudu’s replacement for the final ODI and two T20I matches.A BCCI media release confirmed that Rayudu, 29, sustained the injury during the second ODI in Harare and will “require two to three weeks of rehabilitation”. Rayudu is the second player to pull out of the squad after a fractured finger ended Karn Sharma’s series last week.Rayudu, who scored a match-winning 124 not out in the first ODI, is currently the leading run-scorer in the series. His withdrawal will give 20-year-old Sanju Samson, who has already played 137 senior matches, a chance to make his international debut.”The Indian team is the world’s best team,” Samson said. “I am very lucky to get a call to play for the country”India secured the one-day series with a 62-run win in the second ODI, and will play the last match in Harare on Tuesday.The two T20 matches are scheduled to be held on July 17 and 19.

ScorecardRory Kleinveldt took four wickets, but at some coast, and it was Derbyshire who ended the day happier•Getty Images

Alex Hughes made his maiden first-class century as Derbyshire made a healthy first innings 361 on the opening day of their LV= County Championship Division Two match against Northamptonshire.Hughes century, made from 141 balls with 17 boundaries, steered his side away from trouble and to a solid total having opted to bat first at Wantage Road.Hughes arrived at the crease with his side in a tricky spot at 148 for 4 but eventually Hughes found a willing partner in Harvey Hosein.The pair shared a stand of 76 for the seventh wicket and Derbyshire went on to enjoy much the better of the first day’s play, particularly when Mark Footitt dismissed Ben Duckett for a golden duck as Northamptonshire came out to face two overs before the close.Hughes, with a previous first-class best of 82 and just three first-class half-centuries, began swiftly before getting a little stuck having passed a half-century in 70 balls.However, he drove Rory Kleinveldt through the covers and then flicked him handsomely through midwicket to bring up a third batting point before flicking two runs through square leg to raise a first-class best and cutting his 14th and 15th boundaries to go into the 90s.By that stage he had only No. 11 Ben Cotton for company but Cotton survived for 10 balls to give Hughes every chance to reach his ton. A firm on-drive found Stephen Peters before a similar stroke off Olly Stone brought up a richly-deserved century and a fourth batting bonus point.”It feels amazing, the best moment of my career so far and to know that I did it in a tough spot and got the team out of trouble is even better,” Hughes said. “They got their tails up and we had to get in but me and Harv got settled and we went from there. I was a bit frantic and had a crazy 20 minutes but managed to settled myself down and it got easier. I’ve worked really hard over the winter and to make it pay off here is very satisfying.”He had to battle through swinging conditions with significant movement on offer throughout the day for the Northamptonshire bowlers and they took five Derbyshire wickets in the afternoon session to gain control of the day.Hamish Rutherford made a bright start, passing fifty in 109 balls with nine fours, but, drove firmly at Northamptonshire debutant Ben Sanderson and found Stone at short mid-off.Sanderson added the wicket of Tony Palladino after tea and 2 for 49 represented a solid effort in his first Championship match since May 2008.Rutherford shared a stand of 76 for the second wicket with Chesney Hughes but the Derbyshire No. 3 reached 32 before he dragged an attempted lofted drive against Rob Keogh straight to short midwicket.Wes Durston survived a sharp chance at third slip when on one but drove Keogh handsomely through cover and swept him through square leg for his second boundary.However, on 20, he became the first of two caught-behind dismissals for Kleinveldt in the afternoon session. The second was Shiv Thakor, who fell for 8. At that stage Derbyshire were 196 for 6, before the recovery began.Earlier, Rutherford was forced to be watchful in swinging conditions but Derbyshire played well enough to justify Wayne Madsen’s decision at the toss.The opening pair of Rutherford and Billy Godleman added a bright 47 before Godleman edged a drive behind from the bowling of Kleinveldt – but it was the only wicket to fall in the morning.The hosts dragged themselves back in the afternoon – but Hughes’ century ensured it was Derbyshire’s first day.

Skipper Parender Sharma spearheaded Haryana’s run spree on the secondday of their North Zone Ranji Trophy league match against HimachalPradesh at Mandi on Saturday. The 27-year-old right hander slammed anunbeaten 207 as he steered Haryana, who resumed at 240 for three, to atotal of 457 for five declared. In reply Himachal Pradesh were 34 forno loss at close of play.Parender Sharma and Rajesh Puri (55) took their overnight fourthwicket stand to 129 runs off 45 overs before the latter was out. Hefaced 119 balls and hit eight fours. Parender Sharma then foundanother able partner in Sanjay Dalal (61) with whom he added 168 runsfor the fifth wicket off 48 overs. At the declaration, Sharma who hadbatted 490 minutes, had faced 381 balls and hit 23 fours and a six.Rajinder Thakur took three of the wickets that fell but conceded 103runs from 36 overs in the process.Himachal openers Arun Verma (17) and Nischal Gaur (12) batted throughsafely for about an hour and 13.4 overs before bad light stopped play,47 minutes early.

In the bid to revive cricket in Chittagong, Tamim Iqbal has announced that he will organise age-group tournaments in the region for the next three years. He is one of the last international cricketers to hail from the south-eastern division that was once considered the second-most important cricket hub in Bangladesh.Tamim said that the lack of quality among Chittagong players was directly related to the lack of competitive tournaments in the city and region. He will become the second cricketer from Chittagong to take steps to give back to the game after former Bangladesh batsman Aftab Ahmed started coaching and received a good response.Tamim said he will take assistance from local coaches like Nurul Abedin to organise the different age groups. The tournaments will bear the name of his late father Iqbal Khan, who was a footballer and coach, and was instrumental in the rise of his brother Akram Khan, the former Bangladesh captain, and Tamim’s elder brother Nafees Iqbal.”Chittagong isn’t producing many cricketers,” Tamim said. “I think tournaments are not properly held. So I want to organise three age-group tournaments each year for the next three years, in the name of my father. It will be at the U-13, U-15 and U-17 levels.”Tamim hoped the tournaments would pave the way for the future generation of cricketers from his home city to graduate to the national level. Currently, the Chittagong divisional cricket team is third among the four Tier-2 teams in the National Cricket League.”When the likes of Akram uncle and Nannu uncle used to play, Chittagong had big tournaments like Star Jubo or Star Summer,” Tamim said. “Many players from across the country used to play in these competitions but these days although the leagues are going on, these tournaments aren’t taking place. If age-group tournaments can be organised, many players will represent Chittagong at the national level in the future.”After Tamim Iqbal, Nazimuddin was the only cricketer from Chittagong to have played for Bangladesh.