All posts by csb10.top

Somerset face Scotland when they start their quest to regain their Cheltenham and Gloucester crown in 2003.Scotland have already beaten the Lancashire Cricket Board XI to reach this stage of the competition and the Cidermen will not relish the prospect of a trip north of the border on May 7th to face what could be a very difficult tie.Over the last two years the C and G has been the only one day competition where the Cidermen have enjoyed success, but facing non first class opposition on their own territory can prove to be difficult as they found in 2001 when they looked to be in danger against Cambridgeshire until they were rescued by Mark Lathwell.The two sides have met just once in this competition previously and on that occasion the Cidermen were victorious.Assuming Somerset are successful against Scotland they will face the winners of the Staffordshire and Surrey tie at the County Ground in Taunton on May 28th 2003 another difficult tie.

The chairman of the England and Wales Cricket Board, Lord MacLaurin, has added his voice in support of the two men in charge of the Ashes tourists.MacLaurin, who retires from his post next year, believes Nasser Hussain and Duncan Fletcher represent England’s best chance of fighting back against Australia after two crushing Test defeats.”I think in Nasser and Duncan Fletcher we have a very good management team,” MacLaurin insisted. “It is just ridiculous (to suggest otherwise).”MacLaurin backed the original selection policy for the tour, adding that the warm-up schedule once the squad arrived in Australia may have had more to do with England’s problems.”We certainly have our best players out there. But I think it is fair enough to say we have played some pretty strange matches to start with, two days here and three days there,” he told Sky Sports News. “If we had had two or three four-day matches before we started the Test matches it would have been better.”MacLaurin insisted that should Hussain decided to stand down as England’s captain – perhaps after this winter’s World Cup – it would be detrimental toEngland’s prospects.”I think that would be very sad,” he said, calling on followers of English cricket to get behind their team.”Are we supporting it [English cricket]?” he asked. “Do we want to see it through this difficult period? Or are we going to hound out the best people?”

Three days of exciting cricket and all of them belonged to India.What else could one have asked for? It was the rare case of theIndian batting and bowling complementing each other.At 15 for one, things may not have looked bright for thetourists, but Rahul Dravid’s class and Sanjay Bangar’sdetermination saw the pair put on a record second wicket standagainst England in England. This provided the right platform forSachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly to change gears and achievethe record score of 628/ 8 declared.Hats off to the team and Ganguly, especially, for sticking to hisdecision to play Bangar and also the two spinners – Anil Kumbleand Harbhajan Singh. For once, the bowlers, Kumble and Harbhajanincluded, also did their job and at the end of the third day, theEnglishmen were reeling at 264/9, facing a follow-on and mostlikely a defeat at the hands of their till then unfancied IndianopponentsI have never before witnessed such solidarity in an Indian team,both on and off the field. Dravid’s second consecutive century ofthe series and Sachin’s special effort – his 30th century whichsaw him go past the Don in the list of century-makers in Tests -could not have come at a more appropriate time. It then is hightime that the critics find something positive to write aboutthese players rather than trying to find faults which seldomexist.Ganguly, the as he is fondly called, tooneeds to be praised whole-heartedly, as he led from the frontshowing calmness and extraordinary concentration to carve out awell-made century.The most incandescent moments of the Sachin-Ganguly partnershipcame when they refused the umpires offer of light to them andproceeded to massacre the English bowling. It rained fours andsixes and 89 runs were scored of eight overs.The contrastingcenturies from the Indian trinity on a pitch which was tipped byobserves, yours truly included, to favour the English bowlers,put the home team on the back foot for the first time in theseries. A rousing display from the Indian bowlers followed andthis has firmly tilted the match in India’s favour with Englandstill trailing by 364 runs with two days to play.Talking about the team, the Indians are gradually making peoplerealise that they can play well in the longer version of the gametoo. It has been a rare case of focused cricket over 21 hoursspread over 9 sessions. This is what Test cricket is all about,winning session after session, thereby throttling the opposition.Ganguly’s men have indeed worked hard and put on a display thatwill rank as probably their best in an away Test in recenttimes. Now it is up to them to continue their good work and crowntheir unstinting efforts with victory. Should India go on to win,it will definitely be one of their most famous wins and breathelife back into what was threatening to turn into a dead series.

Cricket Wellington is attempt to rebuild its women’s cricket to the levels reached during the late-1980s and early-1990s when it regularly vied with Canterbury for top honours in New Zealand.A women’s forum group was formed two years ago with the aim of trying to build the base of numbers playing the game, both at girls’ and women’s level.There are signs of developing momentum and Cricket Wellington is keen to rebuild its base of elite team to get them back into their rightful position at, or near the top of the tables in national competitions.Two recent additions to the TelstraClear White Ferns in Anna Corbin and Frances King from Wellington are a signal of the talent in Wellington.The Blaze this year are determined to challenge for a finals position in the National State League competition.A larger squad is training this year, and their will be strong competition for a number of places, a luxury we have not had for a number of years. The team still has a strong base of experienced players in Maia Lewis, King, Corbin, and promising youngsters in Amanda Green and Amanda Cooper.Several players who have been unavailable in recent seasons due to injury and other commitments have returned to the squad and will bring some valuable experience with them. Although we have lost Anna O’Leary who has retired, she will be ably replaced by the very talented international Fiona Fraser who returns to her home town of Wellington.In terms of club cricket, there will be a Senior and Senior Reserve and Super 8 Grade. Cricket Wellington are focusing this year on building up the number of club teams, particularly in the new Super 8 Grade.This may suit individuals or groups of friends, it is a purely social, participation-based grade based around everyone having fun and features the following:

• Eight players per team
• Mid-afternoon start
• Game time about three hours
• Everyone participates in all facets of the game
• Grade winner will win a night out – dinner and drinks for the team

These shorter version, more participation grades have also been introduced at primary school level. Recently a girls-only grade was introduced at Intermediate School level, and with the success of this, two further grades have been introduced, more at a participation, first time playing grades.These will be:

• Super 8 Intermediate Age Grade
• 16-over innings, soft ball, full participation – batting in pairs and bowling two overs each. This will also be introduced.

Cricket Wellington really want to build on the base of players this year and introduce girls and women to the game to show that participation in this team game is a lot of fun, and with changes in rules, the time commitment is less than the previous requirement.If you require further information on local clubs, please call Cricket Wellington on (04) 384 3171.

Wales have inflicted an eight-wicket defeat on England at Sophia Gardens in their one warm-up match before the NatWest triangular series. Set 190 to win, Wales reached the target with nine overs and three balls to spare.Wales coasted to victory after the Glamorgan off-spinner Robert Croft smashed 30 off just 26 balls as he opened the Welsh innings. He was particularly severe on Matthew Hoggard, who struggled for rhythm and ended with figures of nought for 63 off seven overs. Croft’s captain and opening partner Steve James batted throughout the innings, finishing on 83 not out.James Kirtley celebrated his return to England colours by bowling Croft, but James and David Hemp then added 122 for the second wicket to put England effectively out of the game. Hemp was bowled by Kirtley for 57, but Jacques Kallis then stayed with James until the job was done.England struggled to 189 for nine in their 50 overs after James put them in to bat, never fully recovering from the loss of their top four batsmen in the first 14 overs. Warwickshire left-hander Nick Knight fell in the seventh when he hit Kallis to Hemp at backward point.Marcus Trescothick, captaining England to allow Nasser Hussain a break, followed three overs later when he was caught by Steffan Jones at third man off Andrew Davies. Trescothick had made 38 from only 31 balls. Michael Vaughan followed two overs later, driving Darren Thomas’s second ball loosely to cover, where Croft took a fine catch. In his next over Thomas removed Graham Thorpe, cutting to Adrian Dale at point.Paul Collingwood, playing his first innings for a month after a knee injury, made a steady 22 off 47 balls, adding 32 runs with Ronnie Irani. But Collingwood was then yorked by Croft, whom Irani then drove straight to mid-on. Croft finished with the excellent figures of two for 36 from his 10 overs.Alec Stewart and Andrew Flintoff then shared a 58-run partnership which enabled a limited recovery. Scoring mainly in ones and twos, the pair were promising a more substantial revival when Flintoff holed out to Matthew Maynard at long-on off Jones for 29. Stewart (39) was then brilliantly run out by a direct hit from Hemp as he tried to regain his ground at the non-striker’s end.After Kirtley was run out for one, Jeremy Snape and Hoggard batted sensibly to add 23 runs for the last wicket and ensure that England used up their full quota of overs. But as Wales were shortly to prove, it was a far from adequate total.

The new 2002 Somerset County Cricket Club Yearbook has just been published, and once again editor Michael Hill has produced a tome full of articles and information to keep supporters occupied for many a long hour or wet afternoon.The full colour front cover is dominated by jubilant pictures from the Lord’s Final when Somerset won the Cheltenham and Gloucester trophy, and inside there are several articles relating to that momentous occasion when the Cidermen put an end to the 18-year silverware famine.Richard Johnson and Keith Dutch are the subject of an article by Mark Easterbrook appropriately entitled `Inspired Signings’ whilst Mark Baldwin of The Times writes about Marcus Trescothick describing him as the `ultimate boyhood hero’.Elsewhere there are articles relating to all aspects of Somerset cricket including reports from the Somerset Cricket Board and all the age group teams.There are two sections of colour photographs, and over 30 pages of statistics to gladden the hearts of all those who like to keep a check on the records.Editor Michael Hill has once again provided the club with an excellent yearbook, one that all followers of the county game will want to have on their shelf.The yearbook is available from the Cricket Shop at the County Ground, priced £7.50, with concessions for members, or by post from Somerset CCC Office, St James Street, Taunton, Somerset TA1 1JT (please add £1.50 post and packing.)

The fact that Sir Paul Condon, head of the International Cricket Council match-fixing investigation team, will be in Auckland tomorrow should not interfere with a thrilling, if arranged, finish to the Auckland-Central Districts Shell Trophy match at the Eden Park Outer Oval.After some arrangements which might be interpreted, depending on the viewpoint, as a gentleman’s agreement or collusion between the two skippers, Auckland will be looking for close to 400 runs, and Central 10 wickets in pursuit of victory tomorrow.Central could end with six points, and keep their Trophy hopes alive, while Auckland could have four points and put a prideful swell on their chests.The mere details of the day were that Central Districts declared their first innings at 397 for six, their overnight total, and then Andrew Schwass led such a brilliant bowling attack that he had the first four Auckland wickets for two runs, and the home side slid to 42 for five, 44 for six and 65 for seven.Then a gallant rearguard action, led by Reece Young, the 21-year-old wicket-keeper batting at No 9, led to Young scoring a totally splendid century and figuring in a 104-run stand for the ninth wicket with Chris Drum (30).This led Auckland to a modest 224 for eight wickets by tea, Central 173 runs ahead, when Dion Nash, the Auckland skipper, closed his innings – obviously safe in the knowledge Spearman would not impose the 150-run follow-on.Instead Spearman led the Central second innings in a blistering assault which brought him 61, David Kelly 85 not out and Mathew Sinclair 32 not out in the Central second innings of 192 for one wicket in the 28 overs before stumps.So Central finished 365 runs in profit and, with a minimum of 100 overs available tomorrow (less three for some possible change of innings) Spearman will have plenty of time to attack the erratic Auckland batting line.In fact, Spearman could declare overnight, and hope for some early-morning help for his bowlers from a pitch covered and sweating under Auckland’s recent run of 98 per cent humidity.This ploy worked superbly this morning when, after Brent Hefford had conceded a run in the first over, Andrew Schwass took three wickets in the next over. He soon had another, opening figures of 3-0-3-4, first-spell details of 7-3-5-4, five wickets for 13 and eventually five for 53.Schwass is a 26-year-old expert at doing the simple things right – bowling a brisk medium, a tight length, accurate direction and let the swing and seam of the ball do the nasty work. He looked so innocent in what became a St Valentine’s Day massacre of the Auckland innings.Some of the life had gone from the pitch and the ball – it became a very hot afternoon – by the time Young (with noble assistance from the rest of the tail) led Auckland some way out of the wilderness.Like Schwass, Young did not become over-ambitious. He kept out the dangerous balls, nudged the good ones for ones and twos, and with his confidence growing hit out boldly over the last half of his heroic 143-minute tour to the first century of his 11-match first class career.Along the way Young hit 17 fours and finished his century from 95 to 101 not out with the suitable splendour of a six over mid-wicket. Drum deserved warm praise for his diligent defence, and the occasional murderous whack of the ball to, and twice over, the boundary.Not surprisingly Spearman, Kelly and Sinclair raced along at a run-a-ball clip in the gloaming, not hindered by a rather cosy new-ball attack, and then helped materially when Blair Pocock and Richard King contributed seven convivial overs from which Central extracted 64 runs.Things became a little more rigorous later in the afternoon, and perhaps Spearman may be tempted to give Auckland all tomorrow to scored the runs.Whatever the questions about the wisdom, or ethics, of Nash’s declaration, the day brought 416 runs for nine wickets, following the 397 for six on the previous day.On that basis anything, and more likely a Central Districts win, could happen tomorrow.

Indian coach John Wright said on Sunday that ace leg spinner Anil Kumble has to ‘fight’ to come back into the Indian cricket team. Wright was talking to reporters in Bangalore after the commencement of the six-day training camp, ahead of the hectic 51-day Zimbabwe tour, that began at the Chinnaswamy stadium.Kumble who recently returned from Johannesburg after undergoing a surgery for his injured shoulder was seen practising at the camp, though he is not among the probables. Medium pacer Venkatesh Prasad, who had not been picked for the camp, was also seen practicing along with Kumble. Both the players said they would attend the camp on all days and would avail the training benefits.

New Zealand’s cricketers who returned home after the Karachi bomb blast 10 days ago got together in Christchurch on Saturday.New Zealand Cricket’s sports psychologist Gilbert Enoka contacted the players who toured Sri Lanka when the 1992 bomb blast occurred outside their Colombo hotel and asked those players what they appreciated when they returned home.Some of the players remained on tour while five players and the coach returned home after the blast.The advice Enoka received was that the 1992 players would have liked to be able to get together as a group to talk about what happened.New Zealand captain Stephen Fleming said that it had been a good idea by NZC to follow up on the last bomb blast and talk to the players who had been exposed to terrorism before.Getting back together as a group was what they said, he said.Those players felt the split that occurred in the team in 1992 had hampered the recovery process.”We had a lot of time to discuss what happened and we shared the experience as a group, and it was good of NZC to offer this service.Counsellors spoke with players and their partners who wanted to talk with them on Saturday in Christchurch, Fleming said.Now the side was focusing firmly on the West Indies tour. The side for that tour, which will be split into 15 for the five One-Day Internationals and 14 for the two Test matches, will be named in Christchurch on Thursday.Meanwhile, Fleming refuted comments that he had been taking video camera shots of the carnage in the aftermath of the bomb blast in Karachi.He said the team has quite a good camera and he took two photos of the structural damage caused by the blast, and took nothing gory.”It was for the players’ personal files.”I don’t have a video camera,” Fleming said.The side process any shots they want for their own files from the group camera.The report was rubbish, he said.

Easily the most severe industrial crisis to hit New Zealand sport has resulted from the stalemate reached today in the pay dispute between New Zealand Cricket and the New Zealand Cricket Players’ Association.New Zealand Cricket (NZC) chief executive Martin Snedden admitted tonight that the last scheduled negotiations today had been unsuccessful and that even with the assistance of a mediator the sides had not been able to move any further ahead.”It is now time to reflect and I will talk with our bargaining team about where we go from here.”There are various options available to us that we will have to consider,” Snedden said.Any further negotiations have been left unscheduled.When starting their action the Players’ Association withdrew the services of the players for the month of October.There has been no indication from the Association about what further action may be taken although they had said they will be on strike until further notice.They had told the NZC team that they will give them an update of their position after the weekend.However, it does seem more likely that the scheduled opening event of the New Zealand summer, the now annual State Max weekend, scheduled for November 16-17, will be in jeopardy.The first game in the four-day State Championship is scheduled to start the next weekend at Wanganui between Central Districts and Otago.A full round of games is scheduled for the following weekend while the Indian tour of New Zealand is scheduled to open with a Super Max game at Jade Stadium on December 4.