Category Uncategorized

Durham have signed Callum Thorp, a right-arm fast-medium bowler, on atwo-year contract.Thorp, 28, was born in Perth and has played 16 matches for WesternAustralia. But since both of his parents are British, he will not countas an overseas player, even though on England’s 2002-03 tour ofAustralia he took 4 for 58 against the tourists.”Callum comes to the club highly recommended by our new captain MikeHussey who is confident that he will be able to perform well in Britishconditions,” said Martyn Moxon, Durham’s coach. “It will be particularlyuseful to have another bowler in the squad to ensure that there isconstant competition within the team for places on the field.”David Harker, the county’s chief executive, was also enthusiastic: “Weare looking forward to having his experience within the squad,especially in our battle for promotion next year, and to offer guidanceto our developing players.”The last Australian fast bowler Durham signed was Shaun Tait, who,though highly regarded by Geoff Lawson, Damien Fleming and Wayne Clark,failed abysmally in two matches: figures of 18-0-176-0 tell one story, but not how he struggled with no-balls. There were 26 of them.

As part of an appeal by Afghan national coach Taj Malik, for help in developing cricket in his war-weary country, the England Cricket Board (ECB) has responded positively.The ECB was quick to provide six sets of Kwik Cricket equipment, designed to introduce cricket to schoolchildren via the British Embassy in Kabul. The equipment has already been distributed to schools by the Afghanistan Cricket Federation (ACF).In a message from Afghanistan to Wisden CricInfo, Taj Malik said, “We are grateful to Wisden CricInfo for bringing out cricket news from Afghanistan to the world and we are hopeful of receiving more help in other donations from the cricket world. This equipment has been distributed to local schools.”He added, “The ACF GM Abdul Khalil, director of the Kabul Cricket Association Khaliq Dad Noori, the political advisor from the British Embassy and I went to six high schools in Kabul and gave them the equipment.”The recipient schools included Amani, Isteqlal, Habibia, Khushal Khan and Nadaria High Schools.

Taj Malik further reported, “When we reached the schools to distribute the equipment and to invite kids to play and learn, the staff welcomed us and requested to help make teams. They collected kids for us who were very happy to see and play with the equipment. The kids said ‘we love cricket’, some of them told me ‘I am a bowler’ and others claimed ‘I can bat very will’.””We gave them some coaching and instructions and promised we’d be back for more training soon.”This ever-effusive and committed coach finished his message with a request and a firm but intriguing promise, “So I request cricket playing nations, cricket lovers and businessmen to help me in my project because very soon the world of cricket will see that Afghanistan is the most popular cricket playing nation.”Take out your worry beads cricket playing countries – watch out for cricket to flourish in Afghanistan and get ready for battle on a cricket field!

Durham survived a first-over scare and irritating wait through the lunch interval before completing a seven-wicket win against Worcestershire two minutes into the final afternoon at Kidderminster.The northerners lost skipper Jon Lewis to Andy Bichel’s fourth ball of the day but went a long way towards wrapping up their second CricInfo Championship victory of the season in a partnership of 88 between Jimmy Daley and Martin Love.Bichel’s 50th wicket of the summer gave the hosts a short-lived glimmer of hope before his Queensland team-mate, Love, took the game away from them with a run-a-ball half-century.It was his 11th time past 50 in 21 Championship innings and in the process he reached 1,000 runs in his first season in county cricket.Love’s imperious timing and Daley’s more pugnacious methods combined to frustrate Worcestershire’s seamers as Durham cruised toward their target of 115.Love hit 11 fours in making 58 until his habit of throwing away a platform re-emerged with a slash to Philip Weston in the gully off Stuart Lampitt.Daley, close to giving a chance to second slip early in his innings, eventually reached 38 from 78 balls before he was lbw in the first over from slow left-armer Matt Rawnsley.Paul Collingwood tried to apply the finishing touch before lunch with three boundaries, but played 20 other balls without scoring as Durham went to lunch at 113 for 3, only two runs short of their requirement.The result was a major setback to Worcestershire’s hope of making a late promotion challenge after successive wins against Derbyshire and Gloucestershire.

With Leicestershire ending the day on 286 for 8, both sides can be fairly happywith their days work. Darren Lehmann, the acting Yorkshire Captain, used his limited bowling resources well, inhibiting Leicestershire progressing at a quicker rate.The slow pitch conditions proved difficult to score on but through patienceand determination there were some notable performances by the Leicestershirebatsmen. Darren Maddy showing that he maybe coming into some kind of formand Aftab Habib continuing such form that brought him into the EnglandSelectors thoughts only last year.Both Chris Silverwood and Gavin Hamilton bowled loosely at times but bothpicked up crucial wickets. Hamilton had Darren Stevens trapped L.B.W for 49 just after the tea interval leaving Leicestershire on 222-6. Stevens played with great containment showing a different and more mature side to his game.Leicestershire finished the day on 286-8 having gone off for bad light with8 overs still remaining.Ian Fisher, the slow left arm spinner, finished the day with the best bowlingfigures, which can only be good news for the home side with 2 spinners at theirdisposal – Anil Kumble and Carl Crowe.When the players went off for bad light Leicestershire were 286-8.

New Zealand captain Stephen Fleming, batting with the obvious discomfort of an injured hip and assisted by a runner, carried Wellington within sight of an outright win over Northern Districts by the end of the second day of their State Championship match at the Basin Reserve today.Fleming was severely restricted in his movement and still in some pain after being hit on the tip of hip bone by his young international team-mate Ian Butler near the end of the game’s first day.On a few occasions and out of habit, Fleming stumbled forward as if to complete a run and it was then the extent of his injury and the measure of his discomfort was most obvious. He was reduced at times to a shambling walk and when he turned or lunged precipitately, he often gritted his teeth in pain.But Fleming said after the match that he felt well and that his injury was not of major significance, that he had undergone a variety of treatments including acupuncture and that he expected the knock to be of no major inconvenience to him in the coming Test series against England.Fleming said he felt in good batting touch in spite of his injury and his performance today, in a match in which most batsman have struggled on a seaming pitch, supported that view. While his movements were limited he batted with considerable freedom and his unbeaten 40, made in 88 minutes, included 34 runs from boundaries – seven fours and one six.With Fleming when stumps were drawn last night was young left-hander Luke Woodcock, playing his third first-class match, who had been at the crease 137 minutes when stumps were drawn and was camped on his highest first-class score, 30 not out. Woodcock also made 30 in his first first-class innings against Otago two matches ago.Fleming and Woodcock had added 70 in 88 minutes for Wellington’s third wicket and Wellington was 123/2 at stumps, needing 87 more runs tomorrow to post their fifth outright win in consecutive games, their third in successive matches at the Basin Reserve.Wellington began their second innings needing 210 to win after Northern had failed to fully capitalise on a 69-run first innings lead. Northern was out for only 140 in their second innings, leaving the gate open for Wellington to win this match and to retain its place at the top of the State Championship table.If Wellington completes its win tomorrow, and the odds are now heavily in its favour, it will have achieved all of its outrights this season after trailing on the first innings.Northern could have played Wellington out of the match today. Wellington resumed its first innings this morning at 81/6, replying to Northern’s 185.Northern took only 13 overs and some 65 minutes to wrap up Wellington’s innings for 116 – achieving a 69-run lead which is commanding in the context of recent low-scoring matches on this ground. The victory target Wellington is now chasing – 210 – will still be the highest score any team has achieved at the Basin Reserve in the last three games.Northern should then have batted Wellington out of the match but an early onslaught from Wellington left-armer James Franklin, which cost them their first four wickets for 15 runs, immediately weakened their control on the game.Franklin claimed the wicket of James Marshall for one in his second over then shook Northern when he claimed the wickets of Matthew Hart, Joseph Yovich and Hamish Marshall within a single over – his fourth, the eighth of the innings.Hart was lbw for five, matching his first innings score, Yovich caught at first slip by Matthew Walker for five, improving by one on his first innings, and Hamish Marshall was lbw for 0. Two balls separated Hart and Yovich’s dismissals and a further three accounted for Marshall.Michael Parlane and first innings hero Scott Styris then revived the innings and the balance of the match tipped again in Northern’s favour. The pair put on 61 in 85 minutes for Northern’s fifth wicket and Northern was briefly 76/4, 145 ahead with six wickets standing.But in a manner sadly typical of this match Parlane and Styris then threw away their wickets recklessly within eight runs of each other. Parlane was out lbw for 41 to Walker, then Styris – who had batted superbly in the first innings for 87 – contrived to pull a short delivery from Mark Gillespie through 180 degress and onto his own stumps. He was out for 27 and Northern was 84/6.The only light in the remainder of the innings was a quick 29 from Daryl Tuffey – taken from 28 balls – which lifted him near the end.Wellington could still have lost. A total of 210 would seem imposing in the light of recent matches and persistent batting failures by both Wellington and their opponents.There were qualms when Richard Jones was out for 15, bowled for the second time in the match for Butler who had beaten him repeatedly before his dismissal.Wellington then lost their captain Matthew Bell for 28 and were 53/2 but there were few alarms after Fleming came to the crease to join Woodcock, who had dug in impressively.The performance of the youngster and his experienced partner pointed an accusing finger at many of the other batsmen who have been cheaply dismissed over the past two days. When Woodcock made his mind to stay he did so with relative ease, as long as his concentration and technique were sound. And when Fleming made up his mind to play shots he also did so without difficulty.The ball has seamed throughout the match but any first-class batsman should be able to cope, technically, with a seaming ball. That so many have struggled to do so is an indictment on their technique and attitude.

Scorecard
Railways extended their overnight lead of 113 to 211 before their bowlers ran through Jammu & Kashmir in just under 46 overs, completing a comprehensive win on day three in Delhi. J&K could only muster 123 in their second innings as Sanjay Bangar picked up the last four wickets in 8.5 overs.Resuming on 307 for 7, Railways reached 405 with No. 7 Karan Sharma, unbeaten overnight on 68, going on to score a century on first-class debut. Sharma was involved in a 103-run stand for the eighth wicket with Harvinder Singh (38). Sharma was the last to fall, but the 211-run deficit was too much for J&K, handing Railways a well-earned victory and six points.
ScorecardAfter having conceded a first-innings lead to Goa, Haryana were left with a chance for victory, needing another 241 runs with nine wickets in hand.Starting the third day 67 runs behind Goa’s first-innings 271, Haryana were bowled out for 246, Shadab Jakati finishing with 6 for 52 from 29.2 overs. Goa got off to a shaky start, losing three wickets with only 30 on the board as Joginder Sharma struck twice.Opener Sagun Kamat made 60, but it was a fighting 86 by Ajay Ratra, the former Indian wicketkeeper, that enabled the home team to reach 221. Ratra was involved in a 32-run last-wicket partnership with Harshad Gadekar as Amit Mishra, Haryana’s strike bowler, took 6 for 75. Haryana, set a target of 247 – one more than their first-innings total, lost a wicket before stumps, Jakati making the breakthrough.
ScorecardGujarat looked well-placed for a win in Ahmedabad, having reduced Assam to 15 to 2 after having set them a target 407.Nilesh Modi and Niraj Patel amassed 215 runs for the third wicket as Gujarat more than consolidated on the 39-run lead they had gained after bowling out Assam for 189. Niraj hit 15 boundaries in his 192-ball stint for his 124, while Modi was more circumspect, his unbeaten 152 coming at less than a run every two balls. Niraj fell with the score on 333, and his side declared once the lead was extended beyond 400. The hosts had the added bonus of two wickets in the 15 overs they bowled, with Siddharth Trivedi and Nehal Raval bagging one apiece.
ScorecardMadhya Pradesh skittled out Jharkhand for 139, gaining a first-innings lead of 84, and then scored 165 for the loss of five wickets at stumps on the third day in Jamshedpur.Jharkhand, resuming at 83 for 5, managed a further 56 as the last five wickets fell within the first 24 overs of the day. Anand Rajan bagged 4 for 51, adding two scalps to the couple he picked up on Sunday. MP lost wickets at regular intervals as they looked to build on their lead, but ended on 165 for 5, with a more than handy advantage of 249. Shankar Rao was the pick of the bowlers for Jharkhand, with three wickets in his 16 overs.
ScorecardServices, who conceded the first-innings lead against Tripura, looked poised to set the home team a challenging target on the final day of the match in Agartala. Yashpal Sharma scored an unbeaten 94 as Services, overnight on 112 for 2, reached 308 for 7, an overall lead of 222 runs. For Tripura, Vineet Jain took 3 for 66.

The Pakistan Cricket Board organised a seminar at Lahore earlier this week to assess the state of the game in the country. Called ‘Creating a Winning Team: The Future of Cricket in Pakistan’, the seminar had participants from all over Pakistan and abroad and included former players, administrators and journalists.Coming barely two months into the tenure of the new PCB chairman Nasim Ashraf, the seminar looked at ways and means of improving the infrastructure at the grassroots level, of obtaining commercial backing to do that, and the role of coaches and captains. Formulating a strategy to win the World Cup, to be held in the Caribbean in less than six months’ time, dominated the discussions.The absence of legendary former captains like Imran Khan and Javed Maindad, and of Inzamam-ul-Haq and Bob Woolmer, obviously deprived the seminar of crucial inputs. It also provided ammunition to sceptics who denounced the seminar as just another ritual and a publicity-seeking exercise.

Scorecard
Bermuda’s captain Clay Smith led his country’s fightback with an unbeaten century after they had looked dead and buried yesterday, but it seems unlikely to be enough to prevent Kenya moving into Thursday’s final.Bermuda were in trouble at 72 for 3 in reply to Kenya’s 403 for 6, but Smith, who was given excellent back-up by Irvine Romaine and wicketkeeper Dean Minors, who both scored fifties, dealt well with an uninspired Kenyan attack. After struggling to 13 off as many overs with the loss of Cutis Jackson last night, Bermuda lost opener Kwame Tucker went early on, falling to Thomas Odoyo.Romaine’s and Saleem Mukuddem’s third-wicket partnership added some respectability and obviously gave Bermuda confidence. At Mukeddem’s wicket, Smith took the attack to the Kenyans and turned a one-sided match back into a contest. After Romaine fell for 56, Janeiro Tucker added a useful 30 from just 29 balls as Kenya continued to throw away advantage Tikolo had given them yesterday. Tucker’s wicket brought no respite, Minors sustaining the fast-scoring with a run-a-ball 51, falling to Tikolo. Kenya’s captain was on a hat-trick after Lionel Cann fell first ball, offering a return catch to Tikolo.There was little to celebrate for the out-of-form Collins Obuya, one of the stars of Kenya’s World Cup in 2003. He struggled for any consistency and took 0 for 74 off 14 overs. He is scheduled to spend some time in Australia working on his bowling when this tournament is over.Kenya took a lead of 61 into the second innings, and although they lost Maurice Ouma before the close, it will take something remarkable on a good pitch for Bermuda to prevent them reaching the final.

Sourav Ganguly expressed satisfaction with his team’s performance at the post-match press conference, saying that it was an important match both for the team and himself personally and he was pleased with the result.”We’ve had a tough four or five months and it’s good to come back to our winning ways,” he said. “At one stage yesterday I was worried the game would end in another draw, because the pitch didn’t appear to be giving our spinners much assistance. But I become more confident after that one over that Anil Kumble bowled to Graeme Smith from around the wicket, just before tea [in which Kumble beat Smith repeatedly]. And today our Harbhajan and Kumble did the job for us.”On Kumble equalling Kapil Dev’s Indian record of 434 Test wickets, Ganguly remarked: “It’s an outstanding achievement. And he’ll probably go on to take a lot more wickets. I’ve played international cricket with Anil for ten years, and known him since [our] U-15 days. His determination and his will to succeed have always been impressive.”Ganguly was in a relaxed mood after the win. One of the last questions concerned his two run-ins with the ICC in the last month [he was given a two-match suspension for India’s slow over-rate in the ODI against Pakistan that was subsequently overturned on appeal, and then fined 30 per cent of his match fee after an incident with Jacques Kallis yesterday]. “I’ll have to change my ways now,” said Ganguly. “Otherwise I’ll soon be playing Test matches for free.”Graeme Smith, Ganguly’s opposing number, said that the South Africans had probably lost the match because they had not made enough runs in the first innings. “Our second-innings score was actually quite a good one. If we had made 400 then they wouldn’t have got the lead they did, and that might have left them about 200 to chase, which would’ve been interesting.”Smith also bemoaned the absence of a front-line spinner, saying it was a serious problem that South Africa needed to resolve before they could hope to succeed on the subcontinent. Asked if he was disappointed with the series of losses this year, he said that it was indeed frustrating to keep losing. “But you’ve got to be honest with yourself and the team we’ve got. I think that right now we’re at the same stage as Australia were in the early 1980s when Allan Border took charge of a team that lost often, but gradually built it up into a strong outfit.”Harbhajan Singh, the man of the match, and always an interesting and a relatively unguarded talker, made some intriguing observations in his characteristic style. Praising Kumble’s achievement, he remarked, “Anil is 34 but he still competes as if he is only 20. It’s a great feat.” Harbhajan said that Eden Gardens was among his favourite grounds, as he’d taken a wickets each time he’d played a Test here. Unusually for a member of a tribe of bowlers who always feel themselves hard done by, Harbhajan even agreed that Shaun Pollock was actually not out: “I saw it on TV and it didn’t hit the bat.”Harbhajan was finally asked if he felt that he sometimes got too pumped up on the field, and let his emotions get the better of him. “I wish I could be like Rahul Dravid – cool all the time,” he said. “But everyone has his own way, and I like to be aggressive. Actually, it has to do with my age. I’m only 24 and I think I’m so pumped up because I’m young. If I was like Dravid, I might end up taking less wickets.” At this Harbhajan paused and considered this last remark seriously. “Or maybe more.”

Malcolm Speed, the International Cricket Council (ICC)’s chief executive, has urged English cricket authorities to ensure that there are no security lapses when England take on Pakistan in the second one-day game at The Oval. The first match at Old Trafford had been marred by a pitch invasion by Pakistan fans.”Ultimately it’s the England and Wales Cricket Board’s (ECB) responsibility,” said Speed, addressing the media after the ICC meeting at Lord’s. “We can’t have international matches where players and officials are subjected to pitch invasions. It is a serious issue. It’s very disappointing. I thought that the steps that the ECB had taken in relation to player safety meant they were on top of this issue. I think it’s back to the drawing board.”The Surrey authorities are planning a “human shield” comprising stewards to prevent any repeat of the Old Trafford shambles. “We’ll be forced to have a fairly obtrusive presence of stewards who will form a complete ring round the perimeter for at least 15 minutes before the end of the game,” said Surrey chief executive Paul Sheldon. “In that way, a very clear message is sent to the crowd at an early stage. We’re very resolute and determined to ensure maximum safety for the players, officials and spectators.”Rashid Latif, Pakistan’s captain, had urged calm on the part of the supporters in the build-up to the opening game, and he repeated his plea on Thursday. “I am again appealing to the crowd to stay back,” he said. “The one good thing at Old Trafford was that they did not come on during the game. We need their support but it’s not good for the game if they come on like that.”