SYDNEY, Dec 7 PA – Off-spinner Jeremy Snape today became the latest member of England’s tour squad to be hit by injury.Snape sustained a blow to his right thumb while batting in yesterday’s eight-wickets day-night defeat to NSW at the Sydney Cricket Ground.He went for x-rays this morning which confirmed the bone was broken and he will be sidelined for up to four weeks.
Once one had got over the disappointment, a huge disappointment for Pakistan had come tantalisingly close to winning, one felt good for the future of Pakistan cricket. A new generation had arrived, young legs, fresh minds but most of all, self-belief.One had expected something special from Shoaib Akhtar and being the showman that he is, he chose to encapsulate it in one over, the best single over I have seen bowled by a Pakistani fast bowler, Ponting, Mark Waugh and Adam Gilchrist blown away and the Test match turned on its head.But it was Faisal Iqbal who played the shot of the match when he arrived at the wicket in the first innings. He took two steps down the wicket and he hit Shane Warne over the top for a one-bounce four. It was a shot that had pedigree written all over it.One could imagine his uncle, Javed Miandad jumping out of his chair. It was the sort of shot that Miandad himself would have played to scatter the gloom that hung over the Pakistan innings.For too long has Faisal Iqbal carried the baggage of being Miandad’s nephew. It has worked against him. Being cynical and an uncharitable lot, we could not accept that he was an immensely gifted batsman in his own right. He has now broken free and the young lad is here to stay. Had he had someone to partner him after Younis Khan was out, Pakistan might have won the Test. He was my man-of-the-match.The Test match had begun badly for Pakistan because the team selection was flawed. If, for whatever reason, Shahid Afridi was not in Colombo but Danish Kaneria was there. Pakistan was one spinner short and one fast bowler too many.In the end, it did not prove too costly but Australia did look like getting to 600 and Saqlain Mushtaq had to do a dual job, attack as well as contain. Just as well he was on song and he teamed up with Shoaib Akhtar to mop up the tail. But this is now history and we should concentrate on the positives. Pakistan’s problem has been the absence of reliable openers. In the first innings, Imran Nazir and Taufiq Umar were a bundle of nerves and they both failed to get off the mark.In the second innings, it was a different story. Admittedly Imran Nazir had his share of luck. The Australian slip fielders, indeed proved to be good samaritans in both the Pakistan innings.But once he had settled down, Imran Nazir looked good. Taufiq Umar was not just solid but he was, at times, magnificent. He has the making of a fine opener, in both versions of the game.I fail to understand why Abdul Razzaq has to be made a sacrificial lamb. His rightful place in the batting order is in the middle. There is no reason at all why Younis should not be coming at one-down. In that batting line-up, he is the most accomplished. That’s where he should be batting.In the second innings, the openers had given Pakistan an excellent start. Younis should have come in and Razzaq saved to bolster the middle. After such a heartwarming performance, this may seem to be nit-picking. But there are two Test matches still to be played. Pakistan must get the basics right. Pakistan will feel more at home in Sharjah and it’s a happy hunting ground.It will still be hot but the humidity factor will not be that high and it’s not likely to rain. There may even be more people at ground to watch the matches. The Colombo test match deserved a full house.It was a terrific game of cricket and the Australians were certainly surprised how hard a young and inexperienced side fought and come so close to toppling them off the pedestal.Wasim Akram and Saeed Anwar chose not to play in the series against Australia because they needed ‘rest’. I was, therefore, a little surprised to see that both of them had scooted-off to Cardiff to play in an indoor match with some ridiculous format.This would not be my idea of rest. Saeed Anwar may well have lost his place in the team to Taufiq Umar. I cannot say that Wasim Akram too has lost his place but I would certainly like him to be further ‘rested’ when Pakistan tours Zimbabwe next month.There is some disappointment that Misbah-ul-Haq did not make too much of a contribution. But he will have to learn the hard way. He may have tonked Shane Warne for a couple of sixes in Nairobi but that was a one-day game and this was a Test match.But he’s a good player, good enough, one hopes, to learn from his mistakes. The same would apply to Imran Nazir. He should be made to look at the video of the way he got out in both the innings. May be Pybus will have more luck with him than Mudassar Nazar did.
Somerset have won their way through to the last four of the English Schools Cricket Association Under 13’s competition, and travel to Oundle School in Northamptonshire in August to play in the semi finals.On their way to the final stages Somerset Under 13’s have beaten Dorset, Hampshire and Devon, and despite losing to Cornwall still finished top of the west regional group.In the quarter finals they played against Wales at Usk on Sunday. Batting first the hosts were all out for 108, with Ben Rudge taking 4 for 12, including the hat-trick, and Jack Cooper 2 for 15. In reply Somerset stormed to their target for the loss of just one wicket, with James Fear making an unbeaten 51, and Jack Cooper 27.The final stages at Oundle take place over the weekend of August 24th and 25th. On August 24th Somerset will play the winners of the northern group, and if they are successful on Sunday they will play in the final. If not they will be in a play off for third and fourth place.Team Manager John Davey told me: “We are absolutely delighted to have won through to the last four of this prestigious competition. All of the boys have played well and they are all looking forward to it.”
The Somerset County Cricket Board have just published their new fixture list for the season, and what a comprehensive and informative document it is.Not only does the card contain the fixtures for all of the Somerset recreational sides, from the Under 11’s right up to the Over 50’s team, it also contains a wealth of information for parents and anyone who is interested at all in cricket in the county.The county youth fixtures get underway over the next few weeks, and it is the intention of the Somerset website to keep up to date with results and reports from all of the games that are played by the county representative sides during the season.A copy of the Somerset County Cricket Board fixture list can be obtained from Andrew Moulding at the Centre of Excellence at the County Ground, telephone number 01823 352266.For each of the age group sides the manager is listed, along with the fixtures for the first two months of the season.
Somerset Under 11’s.Manager- Dan Hodges, 01458-250154.May 11th Millfield Prep (trial)June 2nd Four Counties Festival at Millfield Prep School.June 9th v Gwent at Newport.June 16th v Gloucestershire at Weston super Mare CC.June 30th v Devon at West Buckland School.Somerset Under 12’s.Manager-Chris Davis, 01278 457576May 24th Squad Training at Glastonbury CC.June 9th v Wales at Wembdon CC.June 16th v Dorset away.June 23rd v Hampshire away.June 27th v Warwickshire at Wells Cathedral School.June 30th v Devon at Millfield Prep.Somerset Under 13’s.Manager- John Davey, 01278 784435.May 11th v Millfield Prep.June 14th Squad Training at Glastonbury CC.June 23rd v Dorset at Kings Bruton.June 30th v Gwent at Ponthir CC.Somerset Under 14’s.Manager- Mustafa Sheikh. 01823 275178.June 21st Squad Training at Glastonbury CC.June 30th v Wales at Sophia Gardens, Cardiff.July 21st v Devon at Blundells School.July 22nd v Wiltshire U14/15 at Bath CC.July 30th v Yorkshire at Millfield.Somerset Under 15’s.Manager- Keith Storey, 01934 832453.June 9th v Cornwall at King’s College, Taunton.July 3rd v Devon at Tiverton, Heathcoat CC.July 10th v Hampshire away.July 14th v Dorset at King’s College ,Taunton.Somerset Under 16’s.Coach-Greg Brown, 01225 339026 or 078158 77724July 8th and 9th v Sussex at Horsham.July 11th v Wales at Weston-super-Mare.July 15th and 16th v Hampshire at King’s College, Taunton.July 22nd and 23rd v Middlesex at Potters Bar CC.July 29th and 30th v Essex at Billericay CC.Somerset Under 17’s.Manager- Tony Davies, 01823 480452.Coach- Pete Sanderson, 07968 043675.June 24th v Bath CC at Bath CC.June 27th and 28th v Gloucestershire at Bristol University.July 11th and 12th v Hampshire at West End.July 22nd and 23rd v Devon at Millfield School.Somerset Under 19’s.Manager -Peter Robinson, 01823 272946.Coach- Jeff Davies 01823 284589.July 8th and 9th v Glamorgan at Lansdown CC.July 15th and 16th v Gloucestershire at Keynsham CC.July 25th and 26th v Warwickshire at Stratford upon Avon CC.July 30th and 31st v Worcestershire at Kidderminster CC.August 1st and 2nd v Northamptonshire at Clevedon CC.
The KwaZulu Natal Dolphins continue their quest to bring home the StandardBank Cup once again this year. The team, backed by Protea stars, ShaunPollock and Jonty Rhodes will take on North West Dragons on Friday (22November) at Kingsmead.The team will be chosen from the following squad:Ahmed Amla, Ashraf Mall, Jonty Rhodes, Dale Benkenstein (capt), Hashim Amla, Jon Kent, Shaun Pollock, Errol Stewart (wk), Andrew Tweedie, Nixon McLean, Ross Veenstra, Yadeen Singh, Imraan Khan.Coach Eldine Baptiste said that although the team is disappointed with theirearlier defeats, “they are well aware of what is expected in terms of theirperformance.””They have been working hard to ensure a better result on Friday”.The new Suncoast Casino and Entertainment World will once again be givingout free slot play vouchers to the value of your ticket. There’s fun forthe whole family. Kiddies can entertain themselves at the Jumping castle andmeet Dolphie and Stan The Duck. They can also sign up for the officialjunior supporters club, Dolphin Club, for just R20 and receive a freesticker.In addition five lucky supporters can have the chance to win R 25 000 in theexciting Hit The Stump competition. The competition will be held during thedinner break and promises to be great fun.Gates open at 14:45 and game plays at 15:45.
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Ramnaresh Sarwan described his first Test century as the West Indies captain as “very special” after the effort helped his team secure a draw that could easily have been a loss. His 128 did not stop Australia regaining the Frank Worrell Trophy but the fierce resistance put up by Sarwan and Shivnarine Chanderpaul gives West Indies confidence heading to the third Test in Barbados, which should feature Chanderpaul despite the batsman carrying a calf niggle in Antigua.West Indies began the final day chasing 372 for a highly unlikely win and Sarwan went out all guns blazing in the first session, racing to 64 at lunch with front-foot drives and brave cuts in the air as he aimed to put Australia on the defensive. But a fired-up Brett Lee picked up two early wickets, giving Australia an air of self-belief, and Sarwan said his main goal was to get through the difficult period without going into his shell.”We needed to survive that but at the same time we needed to be positive,” Sarwan said after the match. “Our focus was to take every session as it is.”The early stumbles forced a rethink after the break and a cooler Sarwan became much more solid in defence, leading his side by example. His previous three Tests as captain had not been personally productive – he had made 54 in three innings and severely injured his shoulder in one match – but this time with the rock solid Chanderpaul he built a match-saving 143-run partnership.Chanderpaul’s calm display was the latest in a long line of super efforts; he already has two centuries in the series and his unbeaten 77 means his Test average in the past 12 months is 106.20. Sarwan said Chanderpaul’s recent form beggared belief. “It’s very hard to find words to describe,” Sarwan said. “Over the past few years he’s shown his consistency and he’s getting better with age. Hopefully we can learn from him.”Chanderpaul scored largely through his trademark deflections and glances, occasionally driving or pulling when the bowlers erred, and he said the goal was playing for time. “We had a plan, bat session by session, don’t play nothing too rash, just play safe,” Chanderpaul said. “Try to stay as long as possible out here.”Although he had a slight limp during the match Chanderpaul expects to play in the series finale, which starts in Barbados on June 12. “[It’s] just a little bit of strain in the calf,” he said. “Should be okay, [we have] about eight days to prepare for the next game, so I should be all right.”
There cannot be many better places to see out a cricket season than Worcester with late summer sunshine bathing the ground and the bells ringing out from the cathedral. The match itself was not really worthy of such a setting, for Worcestershire Royals were generally in command, especially when they were batting and took advantage some woeful Leicestershire Foxes bowling to post a total of 255 for eight off their 45 overs. Foxes are meant to be cunning animals, but there was little to suggest that these Foxes are too clever when all of their bowlers managed to contribute to the wides and no ball tally that reached 16.Kadeer Ali came in to the Royals’ side in place of the injured Graeme Hick and proceeded to play an innings the like of which the absent captain might have been willing to call his own. He found the boundary seven times and went over it twice as he reached 57 from 58 balls.That gave the innings a momentum that David Leatherdale picked up with relish. He took only 52 balls to reach 60 not out, taking advantage at the time when the bowling was in its most end of term mode. Wickets fell at the other end with just enough alacrity to allow Stuart Lampitt, playing his last match after 18 seasons of unfailing service to his county, to get to the middle. Applauded all the way to the middle, he had no opportunity to prove whether it is indeed possible to bat with tears in the eyes as he merely stood at the non-striker’s end.There were not too many moments when the Foxes threatened to overtake that total. When Darren Stevens and Neil Burns were sharing a stand of 80 for the fourth wicket, there was a chance of them making a serious challenge. Stevens struck the ball cleanly, as seen when he brought up his fifty with a straight six off Gareth Batty. Burns was also full of invention, but the end of their partnership effectively ended the run chase.As Charlie Dagnall and Ashley Wright belatedly made a stand, the main interest centred on whether the Royals could avoid a penalty for bowling their overs too slowly. But Lampitt brought another generous and sentimental round of applause for his final bowling stint that produced figures of three for 33, the Royals won by 28 runs and the sun set on another season.
New Zealand’s cricket summer has been thrown into turmoil as the result of New Zealand Cricket’s firm stance against the demands of the New Zealand Cricket Players’ Association.The Players’ Association rejected New Zealand Cricket’s (NZC) final offer at 2pm today, two hours before the NZC deadline for the offer to expire.Already off the agenda are the season-opening State Max competition and the Provincial A (second XI) tournament scheduled for the New Year.NZC chief executive Martin Snedden admitted that if it meant putting a below-strength side on the field for the upcoming series against India then that would be what would happen.”I have sent a very clear signal that we have reached the end of the bargaining process,” he said.Snedden rejected Players’ Association claims that approaches had been made to two players before the Players’ Association press conference today.Snedden said he hadn’t approached anyone and didn’t know anyone who had.He added that he had no concerns with the way NZC had handled the negotiation process and in reply to criticism from the Players’ Association that he had lifted the debate into the public arena, he repeated again that their action in going on strike had been the first step in going public.Snedden said he made the material public because he wanted the issues understood and he also wanted the players to have access to NZC’s side of the story.In response to Players’ Association claims that the World Cup agreement that the International Cricket Council (ICC) needs to be signed was an issue in the negotiations, Snedden said that he didn’t accept that the Federation of International Cricketers’ Associations (FICA) had a role in the New Zealand negotiation.He did agree that there were problems with the ICC agreement but added that FICA and the ICC were working on the issues involved. Snedden did say that before the ICC Champions Trophy tournament in Sri Lanka he had told the New Zealand players if they were disadvantaged through signing the agreement he was prepared to look at compensation. But none had shown that they were disadvantaged.Snedden confirmed that when the anticipated money came in from the ICC’s contract with Global Cricket Corporation the players would be remunerated. But to commit to paying the money out before it was received completely disadvantaged everyone else in cricket, he said.
Lincolnshire failed to take the last two wickets which would have completed victory over Buckinghamshire at Grantham after making the visitors follow on.Chasing Lincs’ first innings score of 373 for seven – in which Richard Howitt was unbeaten on 153 – Bucks were bowled out for 165 and finished the second day on 41 for two in their second innings.Looking for early wickets on the morning of the third day, the Lincs bowlers were defied by Locke and Atkins who both hit half centuries and took the score to 145 for two at lunch.But in the second session, the introduction of Howitt to the attack brought immediate success with three wickets falling to the part-time bowler for just 11 runs.Bucks again dug in, Batty and Ward – playing in his first Minor Counties game – adding 71 before Howitt stuck again to dismiss Batty for 39. Two wickets for David Pipes brought hopes of a Lincs victory but Ward went on to make 63 not out and help Bucks to 298 for eight at the close of the match, giving the home side 12 points and the visitors seven.Howitt finished with four for 60 off 26 overs while Pipes took three for 73 off 18.
A rearguard from Dimitri Mascarenhas and the lower order kept table-toppers Surrey from securing victory as Hampshire battled against an innings defeat on the third day of the Frizzell County Championship match at The Oval.Mascarenhas’ 94-ball undefeated 75 stood between the hosts and a third-day success as he and firstly Nic Pothas (24), Shaun Udal (18) and James Hamblin, with whom he shared a stout 56 for the ninth wicket ensured the game went into the final day.But Hampshire still trail by 83 runs after Surrey furthered their overnight 410 for 5 in double quick time – smoting 166 runs in just 27.3 overs with Alistair Brown continuing in his typical vain with 135.Aided by 89 from Jonathan Batty and some resistance from the tail pushed the game further over the horizon. But not before Shaun Udal picked up an unwanted Hampshire record by becoming the second bowler in the club’s history to concede 200 runs in an innings, following Alec Kennedy suffering 202 runs in 1919 at Lord’s.Udal’s figures of 4-213 in 47 overs was the pick, although Lawrence Prittipaul bowled tidily for 2-43 in 13.3 overs.Trailing by 386, it was a case of Hampshire batting for five session to save the match and a 51-run start through Jason Laney and Neil Johnson set them on their way.But the introduction of Pakistani off-spinner Saqlain Mushtaq was always going to be crucial and he made significant inroads as the batsmen were guilty of making starts to their innings but failing to push on.All the top four batsmen reached 28 or more before succumbing to Saqlain – bar Jason Laney who fell to James Ormond’s second delivery of off-spin as he reverted from his normal medium-fast.In fact, in a strange piece of cricket, he bowled medium-fast at Will Kendall but off-spin to Robin Smith all in the space of an over on a regular occurrence when the pair were together at the wicket.Saqlain reduced Hampshire from a comfortable 142-2 to 167-6 but as he tired, Mascarenhas and the lower order took charge and staved off defeat as bad light brought an early close to play, despite Surrey claiming the extra half-hour. The all-rounder smashed two huge sixes off consecutive Ian Salisbury deliveries and seven crunching fours in his saving 75 not out.And, as the players left the ground, the rain began to fall. The forecast for Sunday 25th August is not of the highest quality, so Hampshire may still gain something other than a loss from this game.