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.

Finals Day for the Twenty20 Cup has become the hottest ticket in cricket with almost 25 per cent of the seats available to the general public sold within three days at Trent Bridge.When the tournament comes to a thrilling climax in Nottingham on July 19, it will be the first time a major domestic final has been played away from the game’s headquarters at Lord’s … and the move is generating tremendous interest.Both semi-final games plus the final and interval entertainment by top UK band Atomic Kitten are included in the programme for the price of a ticket and the Trent Bridge sales staff are delighted with the initial response.Sales and Marketing Manager Lisa Pursehouse said: “With a brand new competition like the Twenty20 Cup we were dealing with an unknown quantity so could not be sure exactly how the public would react.”But the nation’s cricket fans already seem to be extremely excited by the prospect of this new form of the game and as a result we’ve been selling tickets to people from all over the country.”To do that before the competition starts and without even knowing who the four teams competing on the day might be is a terrific achievement.”Anyone interested in reserving their seats for this great family day out is urged to move as soon as possible to ensure they can be accommodated in the most popular areas of the ground.Tickets for the Finals Day are priced at just £30 for adults for premium parts of the ground and £20 in other areas, while juniors under-16 who are accompanied by an adult pay a flat rate of £10.The Twenty20 Cup gets under way on Friday June 13 with all 18 first class counties competing in three regional groups of six teams who will play each other once.Group games will be played in the evenings between 5.30pm and 8.15pm and the three group winners plus the best runner-up will go through to the Finals’ Day at Trent Bridge.Seats can be reserved either on-line at www.trentbridge.co.uk or by calling the Ticket Hotline on 0870 168 8888.

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.

Canada will host the U-19 Americas tournament at King City, Ontario, one hour’s drive north of Toronto at the Maple Leaf Cricket Club. The MLCC formerly hosted the inaugural Americas Cricket Championships in 2000 and subsequently also hosted many of the games of the ICC Trophy in 2001.Maple Leaf Cricket Club has four turf squares specifically installed by the Canadian Cricket Association from special assistance funds donated by India, Pakistan and IMG/TWI from the second and third Sahara Cup series of games. Subsequent cancellation of the fourth and fifth years of the Sahara Cup has prevented further planned development of turf squares across Canada, a National Coach/Technical Director and other improvements vital to Canada’s drive to ODI status by 2006.The winners of the U-19 Americas Tournament are expected to be selected to participate in the U-19 World Cup. Canada was the Americas representative to the previous World Cup in New Zealand but can expect strong challenges from Argentina, Bermuda, Cayman Islands and the United States.Prior to that U-19 World Cup, the Americas, with ICC’s kind permission, were represented on a one off basis, by players from Argentina, Bermuda, Canada and the United States. Cayman Islands, blessed with a full time coach, Theo Cuffy, is the newest Americas’ Associate and with very credible showings in the Americas 2000 Championships and in the U15 Orlando Event, are again expected to be very strong contenders.Bermuda and Argentina, both also with full time national coaches are expected to do well. By a strange twist of fate, Canada and the United States of Americas, the largest ICC Associate Countries and both disproportionately large countries with huge numbers of teams and cricketers, receive minimal or no government or private sector support, yet struggle on at present with no National Coaches.Americas cricket cannot blossom until these glaring inequities are corrected. Canada, the leading Americas Associate, in fact, despite hosting the ICCT 2001 at great expense, qualifying for the CWC 2003 in South Africa, and defeating Bangladesh and showing great potential has not seen any private or public support to mirror on-field accomplishments and the vast potential in the Americas.Fixture Schedule

Craig White’s hopes of making an England comeback appear to have been dashed yet again after he broke down with a recurrence of the muscle strain which sidelined him for much of the winter.White, who underwent surgery on his ribs at the start of the season, left the field during Yorkshire’s National League match against Surrey on Sunday. “It has been sore since I started bowling against Somerset at Taunton, but I knew and I was just hoping it would gradually get better,” White told the Yorkshire Post. “I tried to bowl a bouncer at Mark Butcher but as soon as I had released the ball I had excruciating pain in the same area. It was as if someone had stabbed me with a knife.”White will be examined by Yorkshire’s physio later today at which time it is expected that the nature of the injury will become clearer. “We don’t know the full extent of his injury, but even if it is bad it will be a case of taking the appropriate course of action and giving him the correct treatment,” explained Geoff Cope, Yorkshire’s director of cricket. “We just hope it isn’t as bad as it looks.”But White, who has been dogged by a series of injuries in recent years, hinted that if the strain is serious then he might reconsider his career. “I love the game and although I knew that the rib operation was quite a major thing I decided to go through with it to prolong my career for a couple of years or so,” he told the Yorkshire Post. “But there is only so much hurting anyone can take.”

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’.”

Tickets are still available for the Cheltenham & Gloucester Trophy Final – between Gloucestershire and Worcestershire – at Lord’s on Saturday 30th August.No further advance bookings are being taken. Tickets will be available from the North Gate Sales Points in Wellington Place from 8.45 am.Only three types of ticket currently remain available – Adult tickets to the Upper Tier of the Grand Stand (£45 each), Adult tickets to the Mound Stand (£40) and Juvenile tickets to the Lower Tier of the Mound Stand (£5 each).

Andrew Hall and Yousuf Youhana have been hauled before an ICC Code of Conduct meeting after their mid-pitch confrontation in the second ODI at Lahore last Sunday, following a review of video footage of the incident. And Graeme Smith, South Africa’s captain, will also have to appear at the hearing, which will be conducted by the former West Indies captain Clive Lloyd, the ICC match referee for this series.Malcolm Speed, the ICC chief executive, reviewed television replays of an incident in the match before laying the charges.Smith has been charged with a Level 2 offence under the ICC Code of Conduct, which relates to the use of obscene or offensive language. A Level 2 offence carries a penalty of a fine between 50 and 100% of the player’s match fee and/or a ban covering one Test or two ODIs.Hall is facing two charges. The first is a Level 2 offence for inappropriate and deliberate physical contact, while the second is a Level 3 offence for conduct that brings the game into disrepute. A Level 3 offence carries a penalty of a ban of between two and four Tests, or four and eight ODIs.Yousuf Youhana has been charged with a Level 1 offence of bringing the game into disrepute. The penalty for this, if proved, is an official reprimand and/or a fine up to 50% of the player’s match fee.An alleged breach of the ICC Code of Conduct can be reported by the umpires, the team managers, the chief executives of the participating boards or the ICC chief executive. Under the Code of Conduct, the chief executive has five days from the close of play on the day an incident took place within which to lay a charge against a player or official, and this is what Mr Speed has done.

How do you fancy controlling the Southern Electric Premier League purse strings and being League Treasurer? It’s an important, enjoyable and rewarding role, but far from time consuming and onerous.What’s involved :-
1) controlling the actual League and Development Fund bank accounts (along with other signatories)
2) accounting for receipts and payments
3) preparation of Annual Budget for assessment of charges to clubs and arranging them
4) settlement of League expenses and collection of monies due
5) preparation of annual accounts for both the League and the Development Fund and submission for audit
6) presentation of accounts to Annual Meetings and reporting to the monthly Management meetings
It’s a role that would probably be ideal for a cricketer, or club member, embarking on a career in the banking or accountancy world and who would relish the opportunity of practical experience in treasurership.A responsible approach to handling third party funds is required, but the volume of book-keeping is not onerous.If you are interested, then have a word with our retiring treasurer Brian Funnell (01264 889793) who will be pleased to provide more information.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India has rubbished reports that Wasim Akram was set to be appointed as India’s fast bowling coach. John Wright, whose name was mentioned in the initial story as one of those who had recommended Akram’s services to the board, also denied having done any such thing. And to top it all off, Akram now says Wright asked him to help out, rather than coach on a full-time basis.The early media reports had quoted Sourav Ganguly as saying, “To me, Akram is greatest fast bowler of the modern era. And I feel that since he is left-handed Zaheer Khan, Ashish Nehra and Irfan Patham will benefit from his tips. Akram has always been helpful to junior cricketers. So we decided to propose his name to the Board.” They had also suggested that the Wright-Ganguly combination had made a proposal to the board.But in a coversation with rediff.com, Wright vehemently denied any involvement. “Rubbish,” he said. “I have not made any representation to the Board in this regard. The statements attributed to me are not true.”Akram had recently started working as a commentator with ESPN-Star Sports, and is expected to be in Australia next month as a summariser for India’s tour. In addition to being the most prolific wicket-taker in the history of the international game (414 Test wickets, 502 in ODIs), he was a source of inspiration to a whole generation of younger quick bowlers. The very fact that Zaheer, Nehra and Pathan all bowl left-handed says much about the impact he had, and his ability to transcend borders.Akram himself says that Wright had asked him to help out, though a formal position was not on the cards. “He [Wright] has been requesting me to help out the boys for sometime now, not coach. And I would love to do it.””Some of the boys like Ashish [Nehra] and Zaheer do call me from time to time, asking for tips and suggestions. I have always found time for a chat. I shall continue doing so on tour.”Not everyone’s thrilled by the idea of Akram coaching India’s new generation. Najmul Abbas, who had previously filed a suit against Akram for appearing in a a liquor company’s ad campaign in India, has approached a court in Lahore, and asked that Akram be prevented from taking up a coaching assignment in India. “India is our enemy,” said the petition, “and for money Akram should not be allowed to coach the enemy. It’s tantamount to a retired army officer training the Indian Army.”As you might have read in Alice and Wonderland, curiouser and curiouser…