All posts by csb10.top

Geoffrey Boycott has launched a scathing and wide-ranging attack on the state of English cricket, in an interview on Radio Five Live. He called England’s performance against South Africa “pathetic'”. He also strongly criticised the selectors for looking to the future instead of the present, and called Nasser Hussain “stupid'” for the resigning from the captaincy when he did. The strongest criticism however, was reserved for Duncan Fletcher.Boycott has been forced to watch most of England’s recent matches on television, as he has fought throat cancer from which he is now in remission. In this interview, however, he showed that he has not become any softer.”I don’t take much notice of their wins against Zimbabwe,” he began. “Quite frankly they [Zimbabwe] weren’t up for it. A club side could have beaten Zimbabwe, so saying England have had a good summer so far is nonsense. We’ve not been tested until South Africa came here, and we’ve not only been found wanting – we’ve been pathetic.”Boycott believes that the selectors should not pick young cricketers simply because they’re looking to build a team for the future. He insists that Nasser Hussain and Alec Stewart still have roles to play. “Every time we have a bad match, the selectors come up with the old chestnut of `sack the older players, bring on youth, build for the future’.””Well to hell with the future – what about now? What the public could do with is a tonic now – they could could do with England whacking South Africa at Trent Bridge. So I wouldn’t sack Alec and I wouldn’t sack Hussain – I think they’ve got it right.”Fletcher, who prefers to work quietly from the sidelines, is not spared either: “Whenever there’s any publicity, it’s shove the captain forward. When the team plays well, he [the coach] takes a lot of the plaudits. I think you’ve got to take some of the pressure off Michael (Vaughan) and stand up a bit.”Boycott suggested that England needed someone who properly recognised the importance of County cricket: “He [Fletcher] hasn’t played county cricket and he doesn’t understand the passion we have for it, and resting all the players all the time is killing county cricket. I just feel that it would be better if we had an Englishman who understands that we have a professional county game to support, as well as Test matches to win. You have to marry the two.”Hussain might have got the Boycott vote as player, but the timing of his resignation comes under fire: “Stupid – not good for English cricket. I accept that maybe he was mentally shot – but he should have known that before he went on the field. He did a lot of talking before that first Test match and I thought ‘this guy’s talking himself out of a job’.”

With a further 63 overs lost on the final day, the Championship match between Glamorganand Hampshire ended in an inevitable draw, but not before Matthew Maynard had recordedhis 48th first-class hundred for Glamorgan and his second Championship ton of the summer.The 37 year old has been in fine fettle so far this season, scoring a century againstDerbyshire in Glamorgan`s opening Championship match of the season, as well as recording hundreds in the twofriendlies with Somerset and Cardiff UCCE. He began the day by sharing in a 4th wicketstand of 166 in 34 overs with Mike Powell before Powell was bowled off his pads by WasimAkram with the first delivery after Hampshire had taken the new ball during the 91st over.Maynard duly reached his hundred, despatching Alan Mullally to the cover boundary, butthe Glamorgan batsman eventually fell when he pulled a short ball from Chris Tremlettstraight to Shaun Udal at mid wicket. Maynard`s 112 came from 119 balls and included 17fours and a six, and it is the second time that he has scored centuries in the opening twoChampionship games of the season, having previously achieved the feat against Gloucestershireand Somerset at the start of the 1988 season.Chris Tremlett claimed his third victim of the innings when he trapped Mark Wallace legbefore, shortly after Glamorgan had reached 400 to pick up their full compliment of battingpoints. Glamorgan took lunch at 412-6, but after just three balls of the post-lunch session, rainforced the players from the field, and heavy showers throughout the afternoon prevented anyfurther play.

THE Western Australian Cricket Association today announced the termination of its contract with Western Warriors coach, Michael Veletta.The decision was taken following a recommendation from the International and Interstate Committee.Mr Veletta has concluded two years of his three-year term as Western Warriors coach.The remainder of his contract will be paid in full by the Western Australian Cricket Association.In terminating Mr Veletta’s contract, WACA Chief Executive, Mrs Kath White, said the decision was part of a full review of the state’s cricket operations and plans to carry Western Australian cricket forward."The I&I committee has made an extremely tough decision not to continue with Michael Veletta as our state coach," Mrs White said."This decision was not taken lightly. But, it has been made in the best interests of Western Australian cricket."An assessment of our senior coach and all cricket operations is taken as a matter of course at the end of each season. That process is currently being undertaken."The I&I Committee has not acted solely in response to performances of the Warriors in season 2002-03."This assessment process has been on-going for some time."The I&I Committee and the WACA, believes that our state has a very talented group of young and developing players, as well as our established international players."In taking this decision, we are mindful of our responsibility to our current senior Warriors players and our representative youth program to enhance their prospects of success at the highest possible levels of performance."Mrs White said that the WACA will immediately commence an extensive search for a new State coach.Selection of a new Warriors coach will be conducted in accordance with the comprehensive review of cricket operations being conducted by the I&I Committee.The WACA will make no further comment on this matter.

Tasmania struggled on day one of the Commonwealth Bank Under-19 Championship Series as they were dismissed for 130 against the Northern Territory.The Northern Territory players have come together from all over Australia, reflecting the fact that it is the off-season in the Top End. Wicketkeeper Martin Brown is playing for Lindisfarne in Hobart, with Tasmanian opening batsman Jamie Cox, but was pitted against his club cricket counterparts from the Apple Isle in the first round. Captain Sam McNally is playing with Woodville and batsmen Leigh Mauger and Shane Chatto are with East Torrens in Adelaide. Leg spinner Ryan LeLoux is showing the benefit of his stint with Easts-Redlands in the Brisbane grade cricket competition, taking 4/27 on the first day of the Championship series. Batsman Zac Pacey is playing with Norths alongside Bulls batsmen Jimmy Maher and Clinton Perren and will be looking to contribute to a large Northern Territory total today.Tasmania’s preparation for this year’s Commonwealth Bank Under-19 Championship has been somewhat disrupted. Talented batsman Nathan King was involved in a car accident on his way home from training in Hobart last month and is recovering in hospital – where he was visited by Steve Waugh and Shane Warne during the Test match in Hobart recently. Just last Thursday, Burnie-Yeoman all-rounder Kade Munday snapped his achilles tendon at training and was replaced in the side for Newcastle by top order batsman Nicko Aird. Coupled with the wintry conditions across Tasmania recently, yesterday’s top temperature of 37 degrees in Newcastle made for a tough and rapid day of acclimatisation for the Tasmanian team. Spirits should be boosted today by the arrival of left arm spinner Xavier Doherty following the completion yesterday of Tasmania’s Pura Cup match against Victoria at Bellerive, during which Doherty made his first-class debut.Victoria is faced with the challenge of recovering from its overnight score of 4/38 in pursuit of New South Wales’ total of 310. The storms that swept through the Hunter region yesterday afternoon happily caused no disruptions to the match – which is being played at Cahill Oval in Belmont – and it will be the only game today in which there is no need to make up for time lost yesterday.Victorian captain and state squad leg spinner Cameron White will not be joining his team following the Pura Cup match between the Tasmanian Tigers and Victorian Bushrangers. White will instead head to Canberra to represent the Prime Minister’s XI against New Zealand on Thursday. He also remains in contention to play in the Bushrangers’ ING Cup game against the Tigers in Hobart next Sunday and in their next Pura Cup fixture against the Southern Redbacks in Melbourne, beginning on Thursday 13 December.

Central Districts will be without Lance Hamilton for their next State Championship match against Auckland to be played at Colin Maiden Park starting tomorrow.Hamilton was injured in the last match, against Northern Districts, and was not considered for selection.Martin Sigley has also been left out of the side while Tim Anderson, Greg Loveridge and Greg Todd have been added to the 12 for the match.The team is: Craig Spearman (captain), Tim Anderson, Bevan Griggs, Brent Hefford, Jamie How, Peter Ingram, Greg Loveridge, Michael Mason, Jesse Ryder, Andrew Schwass, Glen Sulzberger, Greg Todd.

The Konica Queensland Fire will embark on their quest to win theState’s first national women’s championship this weekend when theycommence their Women’s National Cricket League season with two matchesagainst Victoria at Allan Border Field.The Fire reached the Final of the WNCL last season for the first timeonly to lose to five-time champions NSW, but will begin the 2001-2002season full of confidence.The team for the opening round includes Australian players Julia Priceand Sally Cooper, members of the undefeated Southern Stars team thatwon the Ashes in England in July, national squad members Melissa Bulowand Tricia Brown and former Australian allrounder Megan White.White has returned to Brisbane after a season playing with Victoriaand is joined in the team by pace bowler Renee Lee, who missed lastseason to concentrate on indoor cricket.The Fire team also contains three members of the Konica QueenslandUnder-19 team in Gold Coast off-spinner Belinda Matheson, SunshineCoast pace bowler Kirsten Pike and Toowoomba bat Jodie Purves.Victoria will include Australian pace-bowling spearhead CathrynFitzpatrick, the fastest bowler in world women’s cricket, and SouthernStars captain Belinda Clark, who has relocated from Sydney toMelbourne to assist with the integration of Women’s Cricket Australiawith the ACB.The teams will play limited over matches on Saturday and Sunday. Entryis free, with play commencing at 10am.KONICA QUEENSLAND FIRE v Victorian Spirit, Allan Border Field,Saturday and Sunday: Julia Price (Captain), Bronwyn Buckley(vice-captain), Melissa Bulow, Belinda Matheson, Sally Cooper, TriciaBrown, Megan White, Jodie Purves, Leonie Shields, Cindy Kross, ReneeLee, Kirsten Pike.

He’s the most unlikely hero. It’s five years since he played a Test match for India. Carrying at least a few extra pounds and even making the occasional foray outside cricket to the movies, he’s not the person you back to torment a touring international team. Yet, Vinod Ganpat Kambli found his feet, unveiled strokes people said he couldn’t play anymore and stormed his way to 109 of the finest runs against England at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. It’s lamentable that Indian cricket found no more use for this attractive left-hander after just 17 Test matches. It bears repetition that even this short career yielded 1084 runs at an average of just under 55 and included two double tons.

The fire is still there, assures Kambli. Speaking to pressmen at the end of the day’s play, Kambli said, “I’m keenly looking forward to playing Test cricket for India again. This knock today has given me a great deal of confidence and I hope I can keep going in the same spirit. I’ve certainly not given up hopes of playing for India.” Unfortunately, it might just be a case of too little much too late.The bowling attack of Matthew Hoggard, James Ormond, Craig White and Richard Dawson will remember Kambli for a long time to come. As much as they would like to forget him, the powerful drives, the delectable late cuts and the booming pull shots will be etched in memory. Yet, one should not get too carried away by Kambli’s innings. There is no place in the Indian middle-order for Kambli to make a comeback. There will be no dream ending to this fairytale. Yet, the fact that one can travel to a venue and watch high class entertaining batting like this makes the innings special in its own right.Kambli was the first one to realise this. His celebratory gestures on reaching three-figures bordered on the excessive. Beginning with a pumping of fists, moving on to a bat-wave to every section of the stands, Kambli ended by making the sign of the cross and looking to the heavens. The prayer of a man lost in the wilderness?There’s something about the England bowling attack that inspires the best in Kambli. For a moment, take a walk down memory lane. On February 19, back in 1992, Graham Gooch won the toss and elected to bat at this very same venue, the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. When Graeme Hick, whose career path has alarming similarities to Kambli’s, notched up 178 and England posted 347, he might have harboured hopes of putting victory out of the reach of the Indians. But what the Hoggard-led foursome learnt today, the attack of Phil Defraitas, Chris Lewis, John Emburey and Phil Tufnell discovered all those years ago – it was next to impossible to bowl to Kambli on song.Coming to the wicket at 109/1 Kambli took the Indian score to 563/8, cracking a sizzling 224 that included 23 spanking hits that found the ropes. India made 591 and bowled out England for 229, winning the Test by an innings and 15 runs.There are many wise cricket lovers in Mumbai, who have seen the unfolding and subsequent unraveling of Kambli’s career, while continuing to believe to this day that he is the best batsman in Mumbai. Enough has been said of the Amol Muzumdar’s and Wasim Jaffer’s of Mumbai cricket. At the end of the day however, it takes an out-of-shape Kambli to charm the fans, put the runs on the board and keep the Mumbai flag flying high.

David Christmas marked his return to the Minor Counties three-day game with a barnstorming innings which gained Lincolnshire maximum batting points in their first innings at Barrow-in-Furness.Christmas, sidelined from county cricket by injury for much of last season, powered his way to an unbeaten 73 off 72 balls as Lincs were bowled out by Cumberland for 365 in 94 overs.Skipper Mark Fell returned to his long-held tradition of losing the toss and saw his side put in to bat on a lively pitch with plenty in it for batsmen and bowlers. The opening partnership of James Clarke and Paul Pollard got Lincs off to an excellent start as they put together a steady stand of 134.Clarke made 71 off 123 balls, including 10 fours, but was first to go, falling lbw to spinner Horne and Pollard followed shortly afterwards, caught behind off Marcus Sharp for 63, in which he hit eight fours.Lincs then lost Mat Dowman for 17, lbw Jason Quint to a ball which kept low, and the same bowler dismissed Jon Trower, clean bowled for 10.Martyn Dobson and Fell both made 28 and Oliver Burford 18, but it was the arrival of Christmas at the crease which got the scoreboard ticking over rapidly once again.Christmas came out at number nine after Burford became Horne’s third victim, caught by Ashley Metcalfe to make it 244 for seven. And when Bob Chapman was caught by Graeme Lloyd off Horne with the total on 265, Christmas and Jonathan Davies added 31, of which Davis hit 12.Last man Elliot Wilson then joined Christmas as Lincs battled to gain maximum points by making 325 off 90 overs. After the 89th , the total had reached 314 and when five runs had come off the first five balls, Wilson made sure that of valuable extra point with a huge six which cleared the sightscreen behind the bowler.But from here, it was Christmas all the way as the last wicket stand grew to 69, bowler Jason Quint going for five fours and a six off one over.The innings finally ended with Wilson run out, having contributed just nine runs to the partnership and Cumberland went out to bat with just 13 overs remaining.But this was long enough for Davies to ensure that Lincs went into the second day in a good position, the former Cleethorpes bowler taking an early wicket as the home side finished on 26 for one.Lincs main concern at the end of the first day was an injury to wicketkeeper Burford who was hit in the face and had to leave the field for the last few overs, but it is hoped he will be fit to return for the rest of the Cumberland innings.

Cold, and sometimes wet, weather struck the second one-day match between New Zealand’s Cricket Academy and the Commonwealth Bank Cricket Academy of Australia at Lincoln University today.The game was originally reduced to a 42-over match, starting at 1pm, but three overs into Australia’s innings it rained briefly and the game was further reduced to 41 overs.New Zealand’s injury worries for its bowlers continued and Cleighten Cornelius joined James Franklin as ring-ins for the home team.They were both soon among the wickets which saw the Australians, such impressive winners in the first game, faltering at 26 for four wickets.But George Bailey and Cameron Borgas got the train back on the rails before Bailey departed at 74 for 32 when he attempted a high drive from Luke Woodcock’s bowling only to be caught by Shanan Stewart at long on.Fifty-three runs were added by Borgas and Mark Cosgrove for the sixth wicket in 32 minutes off 52 balls.Cosgrove was particularly severe on Aaron Redmond, striking him for 26 runs off nine balls (including three huge sixes), before holing out to a fine low catch to Nathan McCullum for an aggressive 36 off 28 balls. Redmond’s three expensive overs cost 34 runs.Xavier Doherty was run out after Borgas turned him back when mid-pitch, beaten by the throw to the wicket-keeper from Cornelius.Daniel Christian and Borgas worked the gaps between the batsmen and the fielders as they accumulated singles with positive communication and running.Taraia Robin bowled Christian with the second ball of his new spell and two balls later he removed the in-form Borgas, caught behind by wicket-keeper Reece Young for a well compiled 74 off 93 deliveries. Borgas provided the backbone of the Australian innings.Tail-enders Adam Crosthwaite and Steven Crook assisted the total to 209/9 with their undefeated 10th wicket partnership of 35 off 26 balls.Cornelius proved the best of the NZCA bowlers especially with his work into the strong southerly wind to record the parsimonious figures of 2-27 off his nine overs.The NZCA openers took their time to settle on a pitch that was becoming slower and lower as the game progressed. Jamie How and Brendon McCullum put on 86 runs in 81 minutes off 123 balls, looking to work the ball into the gaps.McCullum was the first to depart when he walked past a flighted delivery from left-arm spinner Doherty to be stumped untidily by a scrambling Crosthwaite for 41 off 58 balls.How was next out for 43 from 78 balls, when he was trapped leg before wicket by Doherty and a disappointing run out so Nick Horsley follow soon after.Suddenly from the competitive position of 86 without loss, New Zealand were 100 for three wickets off 25 overs. The pressure soon went on from the Australians and the run rate required by the home team mounted. Stewart was another victim of the pressure when he was run out.Redmond was bowled for a duck while Nathan McCullum was run out at the bowler’s end from a deflection onto the stumps.With five overs left, and four wickets in hand, New Zealand’s required rate was up to 12. Jonathan McNamee then departed and with four overs left 55 were required.And with three overs left, and Cornelius out, 47 were required off three overs.There was little option but for Franklin and Young to hit out in an attempt to narrow the widening gap. Young was severe on Crook taking 14 runs off his solitary over and 20 runs were then required off the last over.Young was run out off the third to last ball of the innings and that effectively shut the gate on New Zealand’s hopes. He scored an impressive 18 runs off only eight balls.The NZCA finally brought up the 200 but remained 10 runs short of victory. Franklin was 18 not out from 12 balls.The teams have a day off tomorrow then play two more one-day games on Friday and Saturday.

Contrasting centuries from Ricky Ponting and Justin Langer allowed Australiato score 348-3 on the opening day of the Vodafone Challenge match withSomerset at Taunton.Ponting marked his first game in charge of the Australians with a magnificent 128, which contained 20 fours and two sixes and came from 130 deliveries.Langer struggled for fluency early in his innings, but by the end of a dayin which 24 overs were lost to rain he had reached 104 not out.His hundred came from 176 balls, included 13 fours and was a much-neededboost for the former Middlesex captain after his poor start to the tour.Somerset opted to rest five of their regular Championship side and broughtin Pakistan Test stars Aamir Sohail and Shoaib Akhtar as guest players.Aamir Sohail spent most of his day at second slip before bowling a few overs ofspin late in the day, while Shoaib Akhtar proved as expensive as any of theSomerset attack.He was despatched for three fours and a six in one over by Ponting, as the26-year-old Tasmanian made the most of the short, straight boundaries and aquick outfield.Shoaib finally gained some reward for his efforts in the 42nd over whenPonting, looking to cut, was bowled by a full-length delivery.Earlier, Matthew Hayden had fallen for six when he edged Jamie Grove high toKeith Parsons at third slip.Michael Slater departed for 28 when he was pinned lbw by Jason Kerr as helooked to work the ball on the legside.Mark Waugh provided the other major contribution of the day as he finishedwith 55 not out in an unbroken fourth-wicket stand of 118 with Langer.Ponting was delighted to see Langer reach a hundred and said: “Justin was obviously very keen to score runs today because he has not had many hits on the tour.”But he came through for us, which is good news.”Ponting has now scored 725 runs from just 721 balls on this tour.He admitted: “I think I’m batting as well as I’ve ever done.”But Ponting, acting Australia captain in absence of Steve Waugh, thoughtSomerset could have bowled better.He said: “I don’t think Somerset bowled well early on. They bowled a bit short and if they had pitched it up and hit the right areas it might have been a bit different.”