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Sussex surge to first win

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Sussex 277 and 259 beat Nottinghamshire 212 (Read 56, Swann 41, Collymore 4-60) by 73 runs
ScorecardJust after 12.30pm, Sussex wrapped up their first Championship victory of theseason by a comfortable margin of 73 runs over the home side, Nottinghamshire.It was an expected result, and there were no twists on the final morning tobeguile the small number of spectators.Nottinghamshire overnight were 114 for 5, with all their specialist batsmengone, and needing a further 172 runs to win the match. It was not impossible,as they are well off for allrounders, but in the context of this low-scoringmatch, it was always going to be unlikely.However, the confidence and application with which Chris Read and Graeme Swannapplied themselves from the start of play showed that Nottinghamshire had by nomeans given up the fight. They began steadily and then started opening up,selecting the right delivery to hit and untroubled by the bowling. Readbrought up his fifty (81 balls) with a superb straight drive to the boundaryoff Mushtaq Ahmed, and then pumped Corey Collymore through the covers for four.But this was the last real defiance offered, the last real challenge to Sussex’ssupremacy in this match. Perhaps Read relaxed his concentration momentarily, ashe pushed a catch, bat and pad, to short leg off Mushtaq and was gone for 56.Notts were 159 for six after a stand of 78 that had almost doubled the score.As has happened so often in this match, a blossoming partnership was cut offjust when it was on the point of changing the game.The writing was not on the wall yet, but it seemed to affect Swann. He too hadplayed his strokes confidently, despite one fortunate escape when a cover drivewent in the air between two fielders, but in the next over he played a weak shotoutside the off stump to Collymore and was caught in the slips. He scored 41;163 for 7.There were still two capable batsmen left in Mark Ealham and Paul Franks, andthey held up Sussex for a while. Again, however, nothing major developed asEalham departed for 11, out to a very sharp catch by Luke Wright in the gullyoff a firm hit from Collymore; 188 for 8.By now the writing really was on the wall, although the next pair did take thetotal past 200, before Darrin Pattinson pushed forward and was adjudged lbw toMushtaq for 9; 203 for 9. A visit by Charlie Shreck to the crease is never aprolonged pleasure, but Paul Franks did manage a couple of lusty blows, takingthe total to 212 and his own score to 30 before his partner was caught in theslips and the match was over.Collymore, a quiet unsung hero, did sterling work to take 4 for 60, and therewere two wickets each for Jason Lewry and Mushtaq, whose bowling, unlike hisappealing, is not yet quite back to its best. It was a well-fought match, withSussex just ahead for most of the time and never really losing their advantage.The pitch was by no means a rogue, but batsmen found it hard to play their shotsand only Matt Prior, the undoubted but unofficial ‘Man of the Match’ reallymastered it. Scoring was rarely quick, therefore, and though the connoisseurwould have found interest in the fight, the limited-overs spectator wouldprobably have labelled it in the ‘boring’ category.

Somerset Under 19's frustrated by the weather

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Somerset Under 19’s bowled just 45 overs in their match against Glamorgan in their match that was scheduled to last two days.After winning the toss Somerset and putting the visitors into bat, Glamorgan had scored 165 for 4 before the rains fell and play was abandoned for the day. There were two wickets each for Michael Parsons and Adam Kelly.No play at all was possible on the second day of the match.The Under 19’s are next in action when they play against Gloucestershire at Keynsham next Monday and Tuesday.

'The hard work is just about to start' Marcus warns Blackie

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At the County Ground this morning Somerset’s Ian Blackwell was ‘absolutely delighted’ at the news that he has been selected for the Academy trip to Australia this winter.Before the Academy trip however the twenty four year old all rounder is travelling out to Sri Lanka later this week as part of the England squad for the ICC Trophy in Sri Lanka.He told me: “I’m very much looking forward to the trip, and I hope that I can impress them and try to get my foot in the door.”He continued: “Early on Thursday morning I shall be travelling up to London with Marcus Trescothick and meeting with the rest of the England players before catching a plane to Dubai and then onto Colombo. Assuming that we get through to the final stages I return to England on September 30th.”Regarding Blackwell’s selection for the ICC Trophy his travelling companion Marcus Trescothick told me: “This will be a great experience for Ian. He has done the easy bit getting into the squad now he has to get into the side and do well. The hard work is just about to start for him.”Reflecting on the 2002 season ‘Blackie’ told me: “Personally it has been a good season for me with three centuries and a 98, plus the C and G Lords final, but our form in the championship and the NUL has been disappointing.”He continued: “It has been very frustrating for us all because we have got a good team and should have performed much better than we did. However if we do go down in the championship then we will be looking to bounce straight back next season.”He concluded: “Despite the fact that we are already relegated in the NUL there was a good crowd and a great atmosphere at Taunton on Sunday when we beat Kent which helped us out there.”

Letters

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OBSERVATIONS FROM THE UKAs a Zimbo now in the UK I was glad to get the opportunity to watch Zim live on the internet. Despite the results from the two Tests and the two one-dayers that have gone so far, I was still heartened from what I saw. No, not on the pitch, but in the crowd. The scenes of the crowd which consisted of black Africans was awesome. To see your fellow countrymen dancing and chanting even when Zim were not doing so well shows that the game really does have a future in Zimbabwe, and the population is now starting to realize just how good a sport it is. Zimbabwe is still, I believe, the best place in the world to watch cricket and the pictures on the TV proved this – bring on the World Cup.It was especially pleasing to see Blignaut do well in the Tests and the first ODI. I believe this guy has tremendous potential to be a top player when he is not relied on to be an opening bowler or merely a pinch-hitter. The same is true with Sean Ervine. He hit the ball so cleanly in the second ODI and look like he has the talent to become a very solid batter, but we must not rely upon him to bowl 10 overs in a ODI. He would work really well as the type of player who can bowl fiveovers and pick up a couple of wickets, which I believe he has the talent to do.I was pretty miffed to at the selections in the first Test of Mahwire and the second one-day international of Mwayenga. These two guys are capable bowlers, and with time one of them could certainly turn into a top-class bowler, but to throw them in at the deep end for the benefit of one test or one ODI is suicidal. They should have been given more time in domestic cricket and encouraged to play league cricket abroad for a while. If the ZCU do insist on picking them then give them a run in the team, as one game is hardly enough for these teenagers to get over their nerves. I think the same is also true of Barney Rogers and Matsikenyeri.The worry for Zimbabwe is now the bowling attack. Our batting looks at its strongest for a while, with our lower order able to chip in when they have to (which in the last two ODI they have!!) but with Streak out our bowling is just not Test standard. I really have no thoughts on who could fill the void there at the moment. Why is Pommie not playing at the moment? His experience and knowledge for the game would be useful right now. Also, do you know what happened to Brighton Watambwa? He seemed a good prospect.To finish up I would just like to say well done to Tatenda Taibu. His place had been questioned before this series, but now we can see that he just may well be our next Andy Flower!!Keep up the good work – Zimbabwe Cricket Online is an excellent read.Nick Byas (UK)Reply: We did mention in an earlier issue that Brighton Watambwa this season rejected a new contract and immigrated to the USA.

THE ZIMBABWE FIGHT-BACKSIt seems the Pakistan batters are having a feeding frenzy on Zim’s bowlers in the first two one-dayers. Great comeback in the first, but as you said the damage had already been done.Hopefully Zim will bat first in the three games in Harare and put some pressure on the Pakistan batters, otherwise I can’t see much else changing. Good to see Taibu and Ervine going so well. They look to have the talent to become two of the mainstays of the team in the future!Michael Shepherd (Australia)

OUR YOUNG PLAYERSI am very disappointed with the performance of the team in the current one-day series but it is something we expected. What I do not understand is why the selectors still go on and include young players into the team before they are ready. The inclusion of Waddington Mwayenga and Stuart Matsikenyeri was really a bad decision on the part of the selectors. Let the boys grow up and mature until they are ready to face up to international cricket.This has affected other young players with the example of Mluleki Nkala there for all to see. Henry Olonga might have bowled badly but if we don’t have other experienced players, we might as well stick with him. He has the pace and can take wickets. Where is Mpumelelo Mbangwa, or Gus Mackay for example or Everton Matambanadzo? These are some of the older guys available for the selectors to use.One wonders just what this has done to the confidence of these boys after the baptism of fire they got from the matches they played. It will take time for them to recover. What makes it worse is they are going to be thrown by the wayside after their failure now. In the place of Stuart, what happened to Mark Vermeulen, Dion Ebrahim or Doug Marillier? They may not be playing well at the moment but they have the vital experience.Hope the selectors do look at this and see what they are doing to our young players. A lot of soul-searching needs to be done.Hilario Chinondo (Austria)Reply: Everton Matambanadzo actually emigrated to the USA more than a year ago.

FED UPI don’t know about the rest of the supporters, but I am sick and tired of the results of out national team. It’s been a decade since our first Test, yet we continue to tolerate the poor results. It’s not the Development Programme, nor quality of our players that are problematic – the whole thing is mental. We do not believe we can bowl a side out during a Test. What are we doing about belief in ourselves?Prince Moyo (England)

FASTEST TO 50 FIFTIESThey are the scourge of bowlers. They graced the game with their mercurial presence and elegant batsmanship for a long time.Yeah, I’m talking about the special club of only ten batters who reached 50 fifties in LOIs. Haynes, M.Waugh, Sachin, Ganguly, Jayasuriya, de Silva, Azhar, Miandad, Inzamam and now our very own Andy Flower.The first five are pure openers. Azhar took lot of matches to attain this feat and the two Pakis rarely found themselves in grim adversity simply ‘coz of world-class bowlers in their squad. The latest inclusion in this special list, Andy Flower, can seldom afford such a luxury.It is a matter of conjecture what Andy Flower would have done had there been no shackles of enormous responsibilities on him. Still he is the one who reached this coveted milestone in the shortest time. Just 200 matches.Phenomenon is the word to describe you, Andy. Keep it up!(Dr) Situ Phalswal (India)

Katich and Jaques demoralise West Indies

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Scorecard and ball-by-ball commentary
How they were out

Phil Jaques and Simon Katich were the masters on a day when almost nothing went right for West Indies © AFP
 

Simon Katich and Phil Jaques both made centuries on a day of total Australian dominance in Barbados, where the match slipped right out of West Indies’ grasp as Australia built a lead of 365 by stumps. At the close Australia were 330 for 3 and Katich was unbeaten on 148 having batted throughout the day, with Michael Clarke yet to score, and the only concern for Ricky Ponting was likely to be deciding when to declare on day four to give his bowlers the best shot at a 2-0 series win.It was an unexpected development in a game that for two days was tighter than Shane Watson’s hamstring. Both teams had made use of a lively Bridgetown pitch and 20 wickets fell on the first two days, but as the surface calmed down West Indies could only manage three breakthroughs on the third, none of which gave them any real momentum following the Jaques and Katich show.Their 223-run stand was the highest opening partnership for Australia in Tests since Hussey and Matthew Hayden combined for 231 against the same opposition in Hobart in November 2005. While it might have given the selectors confidence that there will be life after Hayden, it has also handed them a conundrum as they decide whether Katich can squeeze into the side when they tour India later this year, when Hayden should be fit again.Katich would be mighty unlucky to be dropped. His effort in Barbados was not only his highest Test score but it gave him centuries in consecutive matches after he made 113 in Antigua. He scored plenty of runs through the leg side as he walked a long way across his stumps and clipped into the big gaps that Chris Gayle had helpfully left, and his driving through the off side was clean and well-judged.At one point his concentration appeared to be waning – he had about 70 and Jaques was beginning to score quickly – and following a couple of forced attempts to pierce the field he refocused and was again his usual calm self. His century came up with an ungainly hook that slammed straight into the ground but the method did not bother Katich, who had his milestone from 216 deliveries.The West Indies fast men assisted him by sending down plenty of half-volleys that allowed Katich to drive and the tone of the day had been set in the first over when he took Daren Powell for ten, including two superb drives through cover and mid-off. Until a late-in-the day drop from Dwayne Bravo at leg slip when Katich already had 145, he did not give Gayle’s men a chance. Impressively, neither did Jaques.Scratchy for the first part of the morning, Jaques gradually found his rhythm and enjoyed the lack of bite in the pitch, pulling forward of midwicket for four from a Fidel Edwards bouncer that on day one would have been a helmet-rattler. He cut hard when given width – as he often was – and brought up his third Test century with a cover-driven boundary when he got to the pitch against Sulieman Benn. His hundred, which came from 196 deliveries, was his first Test century outside Australia and his first without Hayden as his opening partner.Occasionally Jaques went aerial and a lofted drive over long-on for four off Benn was particularly good. It was a terribly tough day at the office for the spinners, who got some turn but could not find their length. Gayle did not help by setting men back on the boundary and allowing easy runs – a move that clearly frustrated the animated Benn – and at no stage did significant pressure build on Katich and Jaques.A breakthrough finally came when Jaques, on 108, flashed outside off against Edwards and got a thick edge behind. For a brief moment there was some energy in the West Indies camp. But Ponting clipped a boundary off his pads from his first delivery and the spark vanished from the hosts as quickly as it had appeared.Ponting kept Australia in their dominant mood by smacking Gayle back over his head for six and he worked his way to 39 before pulling Powell to midwicket, where the substitute fielder Runako Morton took a cracking catch low down. That was followed by a leg-slip take off Benn that removed Hussey shortly before stumps – just reward after he toiled hard sending down 35 overs – but they were rare moments of joy for West Indies on a day where virtually nothing went right.If the pile of runs from Jaques and Katich was not enough to demoralise the team, the likely loss of one of their openers before the second innings should have done the trick. Sewnarine Chattergoon badly wrenched his left ankle when he tried to slide and stop a boundary, the joint skewing under the weight of his body, and he was taken to hospital in an ambulance. It was an awful sight for West Indies fans and it symbolised their horrible three sessions of cricket.They had started the day trailing by 70 but with the knowledge that if they could break into Australia’s middle order quickly they might have a gettable target on their hands. They ended the afternoon with a massive deficit, several of the Australian middle order still padded up and, perhaps depressingly for them, two full days remaining. A series that had surprised with its close contests was rapidly heading into more familiar territory.

Gary Kirsten sets new mark as South Africa reach 369/2 against Bangladesh

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Gary Kirsten became the first Test player in world cricket to score a century against all of the nine Test playing nations when he completed the full house with a hundred for South Africa against Bangladesh on day one of the inaugural Test at Buffalo Park in East London.With Buffalo Park becoming the tenth venue in South Africa to host a Test match, Khaled Mashud won the toss for Bangladesh and decided to put South Africa in to bat on a pitch and under conditions that looked like favouring the bowlers early on. New South African captain Mark Boucher commented that he too would have fielded had he won the toss.Herschelle Gibbs and Graeme Smith, after a conservative start, soon got into their stride, taking the score to 87 when Gibbs attempting to cut, slapped a catch to extra cover, who obliged by taking it head high. Gibbs had scored a fluent 41, leaving the stage for Smith and Gary Kirsten.Kirsten, who had been left out of the one-day squad, seemed a rejuvenated batsman. Starting his innings by playing with a straight bat and restricting his shots between mid on and mid off, he batted with confidence and authority scoring at almost a run a ball.Coming into the match, Kirsten was level with Steve Waugh and Sachin Tendulkar on hundreds against eight of the playing nations. He went to his 50 in 83 minutes and then set his mark, going to the hundred in 227 minutes. It was an innings that he would remember for years to come, and provided great joy for South African supporters who were pleased to see him back in top form. Kirsten is now also the highest South African Test centurion with 15 100s to his name.Smith, meanwhile, showed that he is far more suited to the longer version of the game, timing the ball sweetly through the off side field. He went to his first Test hundred in 209 minutes, the youngest South African to do so since re-admission, and continued to work hard at reaching the magical 200 in 338 minutes, becoming the tenth South African to score a 200 – the 14th occasion a South African had achieved the feat.Having just gone to his 200, Smith came down the wicket and lofted a simple catch to deep mid on. A 272-run partnership with Kirsten had come to an end and South Africa had lost the second wicket on 359.The Bangladesh bowlers, apart from Manjural Islam, never consistently got the ball in the correct areas. Not receiving the expected assistance from the conditions and the pitch, they toiled hard without any reward. The spinners finding very little turn found themselves at the mercy of the batsmen.The day completely belonged to South Africa who dominated each session, ending it on 369/2 with Kirsten on 113 and Jacques Kallis on 1. If day one was anything to go by, then day two is going to be another long haul for Bangladesh.

Styris to stay on for West Indies Test series

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Northern Districts’ all-rounder Scott Styris has won the race to convince the New Zealand selectors that he should be the player to stay on in the West Indies for the Test series.When the touring team was announced, one place was left open in the Test side, for another player to be added, and after his batting in two of the One-Day Internationals and yesterday’s six-wicket performance in New Zealand’s first win of the series, Styris was named today as the final player.Selection chairman Sir Richard Hadlee said: “There has been some healthy competition for the final Test place and I guess you could say Scott has emerged from the pack to take the vacant all-rounder position.”The full team is:Stephen Fleming (captain), Nathan Astle, Shane Bond, Ian Butler, Chris Harris, Robbie Hart, Matt Horne, Craig McMillan, Chris Martin, Mark Richardson, Scott Styris, Daryl Tuffey, Daniel Vettori, Lou Vincent.The first Test match is to be played at the Kensington Oval in Barbados starting next Friday.

Tremlett out for season, Hampshire choose 13 for Surrey

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Chris Tremlett
Photo Mike Atkelsky

Chris Tremlett will miss the remainder of the season after sustaining a stress fracture of the 2nd metatarsal (a small bone in the left, landing foot). A scan on Monday showed up the injury, and Chris will be fighting to get fit in time to join the England Academy this winter.Hampshire select from thirteen for the Frizzell County Championship match at the AMP Oval on Thursday (12:00pm start on that day), and will look to continue the progress they made in their last two matches. 20 year old James Tomlinson a student at Cardiff University is likely to make his Championship debut.Adi Aymes (Knee) and Alan Mullally (Shoulder) will face fitness tests on the morning of the match, but both have shown improvements to their injury situation.The Hampshire 13: Neil Johnson, Jason Laney, Will Kendall, Robin Smith (captain), John Francis, Nic Pothas, Adi Aymes (w/k), Lawrence Prittipaul, Dimitri Mascarenhas, Shaun Udal, James Hamblin, Alan Mullally and James Tomlinson.

Lara to give status report

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BRIAN LARA meets with West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) president Reverend Wes Hall here today to report on his recovery from the illness that put him in hospital during the Champions Trophy in Sri Lanka in September and kept him out of the current tour of India.After participating in the annual United Barbados Open golf tournament at Royal Westmoreland over the weekend, the batting star flies to London tomorrow night for an appointment with a specialist that will determine how soon he can come back into the West Indies team."Like every West Indian, I’m praying it’ll be sooner rather than later," Hall said yesterday. "The game is all the poorer when one of its greatest players is missing."I’ve been in touch with Brian by phone, so I have been kept abreast of his progress," he added. "It’s a heartening sign that he’s feeling well enough to play in a golf tournament. We can only hope a return to cricket can’t be far off."An official statement from team manager Ricky Skerritt when Lara was hospitalised on the day he scored 111 in the victory over Kenya in the Champions Trophy quoted a doctor as identifying the illness as "suspected hepatatis". But it has never been confirmed.The WICB has been mostly silent about Lara’s position, a policy Hall said was in deference to his privacy."Brian has been kept out of the West Indies team by his illness and, as with any other player who is out through illness or injury, he has to be passed as fully fit by a doctor before he can be selected again," he explained. "It would be rash to rush him back before he was ready."That is the purpose of his visit to England which, as is usual practice, is at the board’s expense," he added.Lara, now 33, was not included in the 15 chosen earlier this week for three one-day internationals and two Tests in Bangladesh November 29 to December 22 and would have no international cricket prior to the World Cup in South Africa next February and March.Reports from Port-of-Spain are that he has been back in training and practice in recent weeks and is keen to get back into action as soon as possible.

Sun Bank signs three-year sponsorship deal with the ECB for the National Under 15 Club Cricket Championship

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Sun Bank has signed a six-figure deal with the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) to sponsor its National Under 15 Club Cricket Championship for the next three years.Sun Bank has been associated with the competition for many years, making SunBank one of the ECB’s longest standing partners. The number of clubs competing has grown from an entry of 817 clubs in 1985, to a record number of 1479 last year. This year’s tournament started in April with more than 1500 clubs taking part which means many thousands of young cricketers participating throughout the British Isles.The Championship has featured in the development of a number of Englandcricketers such as Nasser Hussain, Marcus Trescothick, Graham Thorpe and Andrew Flintoff. One of the first ECB National Cricket Academy students and now drafted into the current England Squad, Flintoff is often remembered for hisextraordinary feat in the 1993 competition of scoring 234 not out in 20 overs.Tim Lamb, ECB’s Chief Executive, said, “I am delighted that Sun Bank hasdecided to continue it’s association with the tournament with the signing ofthis three year sponsorship deal.. Grass roots development is vital for thefuture of the game, and this competition in particular has played an important role in the development of some of England’s best cricketers. I am certain it will continue to do so.”The Sun Bank Under 15 National Club Cricket Championship provides a focalpoint for Under 15 club cricket, giving the players something to aim for intheir season. Club cricket in England and Wales would be poorer without it.”Despite a challenging market for sponsorship, this deal proves that cricketcontinues to appeal to investors, and we look forward to making furtherannouncements during this summer.”Commenting on the deal, Sun Bank’s Chief Executive, Peter Lucas, said: “SunBank is pleased to be playing a part in the ECB’s objectives of encouragingthe widest possible participation and interest in the game. Cricketprovides a marvellous opportunity for young people to play sport within ateam environment with all the positive benefits that can bring. We knowthat team work is crucial in today’s business world and at this excitingtime in Sun Bank’s history we are actively pursuing a larger share of themortgage market through team work with Independent Financial Advisors toprovide relevant specialist products and continuing excellent service forour clients.The Under 15 National Club Cricket Championship has been in existence since1972, when it was initiated by the Lord’s Taverners.