All posts by csb10.top

There was good news for Somerset young cricketer Neil Edwards whose visit to Australia after Christmas with the England Under 19’s was put in jeopardy when he was diagnosed with glandular fever last month.The tall left handed opening bat who hails from Penzance made a good impression in his first team debut against West Indies A at Taunton, and has been taken onto the staff for next season.Thankfully Neil has made a good recovery and this morning he was back working in the office at the County Ground in Taunton.He told me: “I have been back to the doctor and he has given me the all clear to start training again. I have also been in touch with Paul Farbrace the England Under 19’s coach and the trip to Australia is now very much back on. Of course I am absolutely delighted and looking forward to it immensely.”Commenting on the situation Mr Anderson told me: “Neil Edwards has been declared fit to go on the Under 19 tour to Australia.This is great news and will give a lift to everyone especially the girls in the office where he is a popular member of the staff.”

Hampshire Young Cricketers are vying with Middlesex for the Seven Counties Under-16 Championship title.The pair go into their final matches with Middlesex leading the table by eight points.But if the Crusaders slip up against Surrey at NPL Lensbury on August 27, Hampshire could snatch the title from their grasp – provided they beat Sussex in their final match at Burridge, starting on Monday.Hampshire boosted their prospects with a first innings win over Kent at Tunbridge Wells, where Basingstoke’s Mitchell Stokes grabbed 4-30 in 25 overs of off-spin.New Milton’s Neil Summerson (2-23), Rob Snell, Ricky Rawlins and Rob Palmer joined in the wicket taking as Kent were dismissed for 202.Alex Richardson (36) and Steve Williams (21) gave Hampshire a solid start but, after the team had slipped to 129-6, Tom Cledwyn (36) and Andover’s Rob Palmer (37) shouldered added responsibility.The game was back in the balance when both batsmen departed at 186, but Summerson (18) kept his cool to ease Hampshire to 234 all out – and a precious win.

The Pura Cup champion XXXX Queensland Bulls will open their 2002-03season campaign at the Gabba next week.The Queensland selectors today named a team for the clash with the NSWBlues that contains former captain Stuart Law, omitted earlier this weekfrom the ING Cup side that travels to Sydney tomorrow to prepare forSunday’s one-day match at North Sydney Oval.The Pura Cup team will see new captain Jimmy Maher lead Queensland ontothe field at the Gabba for the first time in his new role since takingover from Law, who is expected to bat in the number four spot afterdropping down to number six last season.Young right-arm pace bowler Damien MacKenzie will play his second firstclass match for the Bulls after making his debut last season.The match against the Blues starts on Wednesday.XXXX Queensland Bulls v NSW Blues, Pura Cup, Wed-Sat, the Gabba:Jimmy Maher (c), Brendan Nash, Martin Love, Stuart Law, Andrew Symonds,Lee Carseldine, Wade Seccombe, Ashley Noffke, Michael Kasprowicz, JoeDawes, Damien MacKenzie, Matthew Anderson (12th man to be named).XXXX Queensland Bulls v NSW Blues, ING Cup, Sunday, October 13: JimmyMaher (c), Martin Love, Lee Carseldine, Clinton Perren, Andrew Symonds,Brendan Nash, James Hopes, Wade Seccombe, Ashley Noffke, MichaelKasprowicz, Scott Brant, Damien MacKenzie (all 12 to play).

Ronnie Irani staked another claim for international recognition as Essexthreatened to humiliate Worcestershire in the Benson and Hedges Cup semi-final at Chelmsford. Irani hit a powerful 56 and claimed three wickets with late swing as the visitors crumbled chasing 263.Worcestershire ended the rain-affected day reeling on 26-4 from 12 overs. Play will resume tomorrow, with Gareth Batty and David Leatherdale facing an almost impossible task. Conquering Everest in shorts might be preferable to facing Irani and Ashley Cowan early tomorrow.It could – and perhaps should – have been very different. Irani gave thedressing-room a rueful look as Graeme Hick put the home side into bat. Play was delayed by four hours after persistant drizzle. Every available pundit thought the ball would boomerang, and was darkly talking of Essex trying to bat their overs out. Irani’s 56, as well as a mature 45 from Andy Flower, a stoic 46 from Darren Robinson and a rollicking 35 from Nasser Hussain, put Worcester on the back-foot.While Worcester’s bowlers struggled to keep their length, Essex had the ballon a string. The visitors struggled to find their way in front of an increasingly vociferous (and suitably inebriated) Chelmsford crowd. Irani, who had been swinging the ball away, angled one into Anurag Singh, who was adjudged leg before though the ball looked to be missing leg stump. Hick recorded Worcester’s second duck first ball, spooning a catch to Graham Napier in the gully.At the other end, Ashley Cowan was finding the sort of life which the look of the pitch promised. His first three overs were maidens. The fourth proved successful, Vikram Solanki plumb to an off-cutter. Irani moved one back intoBen Smith who could have no complaints for his leg before decision. For goodmeasure, Flower flicked the bails off – Smith would have been stumped as well.Kabir Ali was the only bowler who threatened for Worcestershire. The21-year-old, who is the most successful bowler in the country so far this year, bowled with a little nip, swinging the ball away from the right-hander. He deserved his four wickets, and his effort prevented Essex from turning a good total into an excellent one.Hussain was on the offensive immediately. Showing the form which brought him a century in the quarter-final, the England skipper took advantage of Alagmir Sheriyar’s awful opening spell. He hit four consecutive boundaries, two cover drives, one though point and a hook for six. Hussain went for 35, brilliantly caught by Singh above his head at mid-on.Napier and Robinson initially struggled to maintain the rate. After attempting some lusty blows, Napier was caught at long-on, while Robinson looked to bat steadily at one end.Andy Flower was underway with a straight-drive and a lazy flick over mid-wicket to the fence. He batted with the nonchalant assurance that his class allows. With Robinson run-out attempting a risky single, skipper Irani signalled his intentions, hitting over the top early. He hit three sixes, the first a baseball shot from a Stuart Lampitt full toss, as well as two over long-on. He was unperturbed by Flower’s departure, another mid-pitch mix-up. When Irani was stumped thanks to quick work by Steve Rhodes for 56, he had put Essex well on top. It was a bustling innings, a man in the form of his life oozing confidence.The Worcester bowling was poor. Allan Donald, who had arrived at HeathrowAirport in the early hours after attending Hansie Cronje’s funeral in SouthAfrica, was accurate without looking particularly threatening. Sheriyar – who also missed two chances – was awful, while Lampitt and Leatherdale at least kept some control. Thanks to Kabir, and some poor shot selection, Essex failed to make 300, which looked eminently possible when Irani and Flower were at the crease.Worcestershire have only lost one one-day match this season, the first gamein the Benson and Hedges Cup. Then they were dismissed for 70 byGloucestershire. Passing that ignominious total will be their first target inwhat will, surely be their last B&H match.

Cheltenham and Gloucester Man of the Match hero Keith Parsons has been named as captain for the 3-day match against West Indies A that starts at Taunton on Wednesday.Taunton born Parsons said: "It is a real honour to have the chance to captain Somerset in a first class game. I always enjoy being captain, and I led Somerset Seconds in the final of the 1 Day Trophy competition last season, but this is something special."The 29 year old all rounder has enjoyed considerable success against the tourists at Taunton. He has scored a century against Sri Lanka, and in 2000 hit a career best 193 not out against the West Indies.Parsons leads a young Somerset side that includes three players making their first class debut, left handed opening batsman Neil Edwards and all rounders Arul Suppiah and Wes Durston.The full Somerset line up will be: Neil Edwards, Matthew Wood, Piran Holloway, Keith Parsons, Arul Suppiah, Keith Dutch, Wes Durston, Carl Gazzard, Graham Rose Peter Trego and Matt Bulbeck.Chief Executive Peter Anderson told me: "We are hoping for a big crowd to come along and support this match against West Indies A. They are an attractive side and have enjoyed some good results on this tour, and of course they are managed by former Somerset favourite Joel Garner, who will be here with the side."Play in the 3 day match starts at 11 am on Wednesday. Entry is free to members, £10 for adults, and free for youngsters up to the age of sixteen.

Gary Kirsten, the man the South Africans like to call "The Banker", has been dropped from the South African squad for the last three Standard Bank one-day internationals against Australia.The 34-year-old Kirsten, virtually an ever-present in both the South African Test and one-day teams since his debut during the 1993/94 tour of Australia, and Andrew Hall have both been omitted from South Africa’s 14-man squad with fast bowler Nantie Hayward returning and KwaZulu-Natal allrounder Jon Kent winning his first call-up.Kirsten is a veteran of 174 one-day internationals and is South Africa’s leading run-scorer with 6 440 runs. In three matches in this series, however, he has totalled only 26. Even, he has fared little worse than Herschelle Gibbs, who was left out for Saturday’s match, but who, significantly, is six years younger than Kirsten.South Africa are 3-0 down in the seven-match series with three games still to play and there is still no clear idea of how the hosts can break the psychological stranglehold imposed on them by Australia."The sooner they (Australia) get the hell out of here the better," said South African selector Graeme Pollock, dryly but honestly, at the announcement of the squad.Speaking in the absence of selection convener Rushdi Magiet, who was in Cape Town, Pollock said he believed the bulk of this squad would form the core of South Africa’s World Cup party next year."We’ve had a chat with Gary Kirsten and there’s no question that he’s out of the reckoning for the World Cup," said Pollock while similar sentiments were expressed by his nephew, South African captain Shaun Pollock."By his own admission he’s not playing as well as he’d like to," said Pollock Junior.Pollock Senior said he thought South Africa had the nucleus of a very good World Cup squad, "but we’d like to see them playing relaxed cricket.He said that Hayward had been recalled after injury to add some much needed pace to a South African attack which he referred to generally as being "military medium"."You’ve got to have something different," he said. "And we hope that Nantie will provide that."The situation surrounding Allan Donald, however, remains unclear. Donald broke down during the first Test match and announced his retirement from Test cricket. He believes, however, that he has recovered sufficiently to play one-day cricket, but has had no contact with the South African selection convener.Graeme Pollock was asked about Donald’s availability but was unable to provide any clarity."I don’t know about that," said Pollock. "You’ll have to get hold of the convener."Lance Klusener missed Saturday’s match in Bloemfontein with a hamstring strain and may not be fit to play in the fifth game in Durban on Wednesday.The squad is: Shaun Pollock (capt), Herschelle Gibbs, Graeme Smith, Jacques Kallis, Neil McKenzie, Jonty Rhodes, Mark Boucher, Boeta Dippenaar, Nicky Boje, Jon Kent, Lance Klusener, Nantie Hayward, Makhaya Ntini, Roger Telemachus.

An explosive century by captain Ronnie Irani swept Essex to a six-wicket victory over Derbyshire at Chelmsford to catapult them up the Division Two table in the Frizzell County Championship. Set 190 to win after a spirited effort by Derbyshire in their second innings, Essex were in trouble at 26 for three until Irani struck 101 from 76 balls with 12 fours and three sixes as his side scored at nearly six an over to claim their tenth victory in 12 competitive matches this season.Derbyshire resumed on 73 for five on the final day and had added only ten runs to the total when Jason Kerr was bowled by John Stephenson. However, that was when Karl Krikken joined Kevin Dean and the pair frustrated further Essex attempts to break through while adding 67 for the seventh wicket.It was only when Dean was out for 48 shortly after lunch that Essex saw a chance of victory in a match severely restricted by rain. Even then, Krikken went on to make 48 before he was last out, setting the target in a minimum of 34 overs, providing the rain did not return.Darren Robinson hit four fours before he was out with the score on 16, Graham Napier was run out after facing three balls with the total on 26, and John Stephenson fell before the total had moved on. That was when Irani joined Andy Flower to put on 155 for the fourth wicket. Flower was on 55 not out when the winning runs were hit with one over to spare.

An extraordinary day which saw both sides threaten to win the third Test butultimately ended with a draw as the Kensington Oval again threw up a realnail-biter. By stumps it was the South Africans applying almost unbearablepressure with Mervyn Dillon and Dinanath Ramnarine defending tigerishly, andplay-acting even more determinedly.By a farcical close, South Africa were just three wickets short ofpulling off the most unlikely of victories, but Dillon’s bat in particularhas been a defensive barn door already in this series and as the SouthAfricans encircled him with fielders, he blocked everything which came hisway.Ramnarine, meanwhile,did his best to frustrate the South Africans with aclassic display of time-wasting, taking studious care to tap downnon-existent bumps in the pitch and then calling the physio out with somestrapping for a hamstring injury which had suddenly appeared from nowhere.Umpire Steve Bucknor eventually had enough of his antics and issued him withan official warning.In one of those wonderful cricketing ironies, the substantial crowd endedthe day cheering every ball the tail-enders survived as loud as any boundaryfrom Brian Lara or Carl Hooper on Saturday.It was probably a fair conclusion to a hard-fought Test match, duringwhich the tourists almost always held the upper hand but never quite forcedhome their superiority. It also leaves the series well balanced, as thesides go into the fourth Test in Antigua which starts on Friday with SouthAfrica still holding a 1-0 lead.Chasing an improbable 265 to win off 36 overs, the West Indies looked tobe doing all that was required to see the game out safely. Wavell Hinds (8)nudged and nurdled while Chris Gayle (48) hammered the ball to all parts inhis now familiar cavalier style.Even when Hinds fell to Nicky Boje, there did not appear to be too muchcause for concern, the left-hander not quite getting to the pitch as hedrove at the left-arm spinner and edging a simple chance to Daryll Cullinanat first slip.Marlon Samuels fell to the same combination for three, but Gayle wasstill blowing extremely hot. Having taken 14 off the first over after teabowled by Shaun Pollock, he continued to go on the attack, eventually undoneby his own belligerence as he edged a big drive at Kallis to Mark Boucher.When Ramnaresh Sarwan (0) shouldered arms to a delivery from JacquesKallis which clipped off-stump, the West Indies were 64-4 and one sensedthat for the first time the South Africans believed they could win thematch.CaptainHooper (5) edged a perfect Boje delivery to Boucher, RidleyJacobs (1) was snapped up at silly point by McKenzie off the same bowler andBrian Lara missed a big inswinger from Lance Klusener to be bowled foreight, scored off 58 balls. At 82-7 it was time for the heroics andtheatrics of Dillon and Ramnarine.The South African declaration came shortly before Cullinan fell 18 runsshy of what would have been his second century in the match, his third inthe series and one that would have extended his South African record forTest hundreds to 15. Cullinan was very well caught by Brian Lara at firstslip as he got a bottom edge to a heave across the line at Ramnarine.It was Cullinan’s stand of 70 for the seventh wicket with Pollock (40)which took South Africa from a position of considerable danger (97-6) to apoint where they had made the match safe.Pollock fell for 40, driving at an away-swinger from Courtney Walsh, theedge flying to Hooper at second slip. Pollock struck six boundaries ina cameo performance of counter-attacking cricket.Ramanarine picked up the wickets of Cullinan and then Allan Donald,batting with a runner, in consecutive deliveries. How annoyed theleg-spinner would have been to see South Africa declare as he stood on ahat-trick with Makhaya Ntini as opposition is anyone’s guess. Consolationwas career-best figures of 5-78.After the first three overs of the day were blocked away for maidens,overnight batsmen Cullinan and Kallis went on the attack, Cullinan loftingHooper for six onto the Kensington stand roof and then over mid-on for fourin the same over.But the first hour was to belong to the West Indies and just as Kallislooked to be settling, he edged a bat-pad chance off Hooper straight toSarwan at short-leg and was gone for 20, made off 88 balls with three fours.Klusener has had a dreadful tour with the bat and his miserable runcontinued as he scratched around for 17 balls before driving Ramnarinestraight to Cameron Cuffy at mid-off to depart for just four.Strangely, Klusener stood his ground waiting for a decision from umpireDarryl Hair, presumably in the belief that it had been a bump ball. But anod of the head from Hair was enough, and television replays showed quiteplainly that Klusener could have no complaints.The Kensington Oval will not go down as Boucher’s favourite groundeither. After making just three in the first innings, the ‘keeper failed toget off the mark this time as a perfect leg-spinner from Ramnarine took theoutside edge and was very well taken by Ridley Jacobs behind the stumps.

In October 1952, India were Pakistan’s first Test opponents. In October 1992, exactly forty years later, India became Zimbabwe’s first Test opponents. It was India’s signal honour to engage Zimbabwe in their maiden Test but unlike most of the other countries who crumbled under pressure and succumbed meekly, Zimbabwe came out with flying colours. In fact, they had India in trouble and it was with some effort that the visitors, on paper much the stronger team, wriggled out.It was a short tour consisting only of a practice one day game, the Test match and a One Day International (which India won by 30 runs), with all matches being played at Harare. The trip was a prelude to the path breaking maiden Indian tour of South Africa, but Zimbabwe provided the visiting team with a tough preparation.Ten of the Zimbabweans were playing their first Test, the exception being John Traicos who had played three Tests for South Africa in 1970, that country’s last series before their excommunication from international cricket. Traicos was making his debut now for Zimbabwe at 45 but he was still a skilful off spinner. He was the 14th player to have played for two different countries and indeed he created a world record in the longest interval between two appearances in Test history. Since his last appearance for South Africa against Australia at Port Elizabeth on March 10, 1970, Traicos was playing a Test againafter 22 years and 222 days.Batting first, Zimbabwe exceeded all expectations by batting more than two days in scoring 456 runs in their first innings, easily the highest score by a country on their Test debut. Skipper Dave Houghton emulated the feat of Australia’s Charles Bannerman in the first ever Test match in 1877 by scoring a century for a country playing their first Test match. Openers Kevin Arnott (40) and Grant Flower (82) put on exactly 100 runs. Valuable knocks followed from Alistair Campbell (45) and Andy Pycroft (39). And then came along Houghton to defy the Indian attack for almost seven hours in scoring 121. With wicketkeeperAndy Flower (59) he added 165 runs for the sixth wicket to prolong India’s agony. The Indians recovered some ground late in the innings when they captured the last five wickets for 39 runs but Houghton (414 minutes, 322 balls, 15 fours) had given Zimababwe a most encouraging start in Test cricket. The Indian bowling line up had it tough and Manoj Prabhakar, Javagal Srinath and Anil Kumble took three wickets each but only after sending down 45, 39 and 35.2 overs respectively.Having been at the receiving end on the bowling front, the Indian batsmen now found themselves getting the rough end of the stick. Despite a strokefilled 43 by opener Woorkheri Raman, the Indians were in deep trouble on the morning of the fourth day having lost five wickets for 101 runs. It took the technical brilliance of Sanjay Manjrekar and the natural aggressive instincts of Kapil Dev to turn the innings around. The two added 96 runs for the sixth wicket before the all rounder was out for 60. But when the seventh wicket fell at219, India still required 38 runs to avoid the follow on. Manjrekar and Kiran More (41) saved India from this embarrassment by figuring in a partnership of 68 runs. No praise can be too high for Manjrekar who soldiered along for 529 minutes in scoring 104 before he was finally dismissed on the final morning. His hundred, which came up after 508 minutes, was the slowest by an Indian, but what a timely knock it proved to be! When he was dismissed, he had negotiated 422 balls and hit seven fours. The Indian innings finally terminated at 307. Traicos brought all his experience into play by bagging five for 86 off 50overs. In the remaining time, Zimbabwe scored 146 for four in their second innings and the Test ended in a quiet draw with Zimbabwe having the better of the honours.The game will also be remembered as the first Test to have three appointed umpires. A new sponsorship deal saw Dickie Bird fly out from England to stand in his 48th Test to equal the world record set by perhaps the most famous of all umpires Frank Chester. Bird stood throughout and the two Zimbabwean umpires K Kanjee and ID Robinson did duty on alternate days.Six years later, India paid another short visit to Zimbabwe. This time the tour consisted of three ODIs, a three day game and a Test match. And while the Indians were strong enough to win the ODI series 2-1 and take the three day game by an innings and 71 runs, they found Zimbabwe a different kettle of fish in the Test match and lost by 61 runs. Even granting the fact that Zimbabwe were an improved side since the Indians’ last visit, it was a surprise result.Put in to bat, Zimbabwe scored 221 with opener Gavin Rennie top scoring with 47. Srinath and Kumble took three wickets each. India, with Rahul Dravid getting 118, replied with 280. Henry Olonga finished with five for 70. The home team did better the second time around getting 293, building upon a first wicket stand of 138 runs between Rennie (84) and Craig Wishart (63). Kumble was the most successful bowler with four for 87 as Zimbabwe collapsed from 209 for one. With a target of 235 on a true wicket, India did seem to have things undercontrol. But undue haste by the batsmen in going for their strokes led to their downfall. Dravid top scored for a second time with 44 and Sourav Ganguly came up with 36. But this was not enough as the Indians were bowled out for 173 to give Zimbabwe only their second win in 31 Tests.

Sohail Tanvir, the Pakistan left-arm fast bowler, is set to join the national squad in New Zealand after the PCB re-evaluated his fitness. Tanvir had been removed from the original squad due to a chronic knee injury and replaced with top-order batsman Asad Shafiq, but after consulting with the Australian doctor who operated on Tanvir, a team of doctors, physios and coaches have cleared him to play.Tanvir will be available for the third Twenty20 international in Christchurch on December 30. Tanvir had undergone surgery on his left knee in March and the doctor who performed the operation told the PCB’s fitness team that it would take 18 months to two years for the graft in his knee to completely settle. The team felt that playing regularly would help the process.The team told the selection committee and Pakistan team management Tanvir could bowl and bat, but needs to avoid fielding in areas where he would have to bend quickly. Tanvir had complained of stiffness in his lower back and legs during Pakistan’s training camp in Lahore ahead of the New Zealand tour.Tanvir, 26, burst onto the international scene during the inaugural World Twenty20 in 2007, surprising batsmen with his awkward wrong-footed delivery, but has struggled with injuries over the past couple of years. He suffered a back injury after the World Twenty20 in 2009, and was ruled out for four months after his knee surgery this year. He has not played an international match for Pakistan since November 2009.He earned a recall to the national squad after impressing for Zarai Taraqiati Bank Limited in the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy, Pakistan’s domestic competition, in which he has taken 33 wickets in five matches so far this season.