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Scorecard
Auckland rocketed to the top of the State Championship table with another outright victory, this time within two days, after beating Canterbury at the Hagley Oval by an innings and 60 runs. The innings victory, though, didn’t give Mark Richardson a chance to score the six runs that he needed to reach 10,000 first-class runs. Instead he left with 9994.Auckland batted into the second morning with Lou Vincent staking a claim for a national spot with a patient 90. He was supported by Brooke Walker. Once Vincent was dismissed, Andre Adams spent some useful time in the middle and blasted 56 off 49 balls, including two sixes and six fours. Hayden Shaw and Chris Martin snapped up six wickets between them for Canterbury.Canterbury started their second innings 185 runs behind and were in trouble from the outset as both their openers, Tim McIntosh and Michael Papps, fell for zero. Things soon got worse for them and it was only lower-order defiance from Andew Ellis, who batted for 69 minutes, and Shaw that extended the game late into the day. Kyle Mills achieved the first 10-wicket haul of his career, and in the process notched up 100 first-class wickets to end the game with 10 for 82. Adams also chipped in with three fine catches toward the end of the Canterbury innings.
ScorecardNorthern Districts were in a deep hole at McLean Park as Central Districts batted into the second day to reach 479. Northerns still trailed by 225 with just two wickets standing at the end of the second day.After being kept on the field for 109.3 overs, Northerns’ poor fortune continued with James Marshall out for just 1. But Llorne Howell (35) and Mark Orchard(48) steadied the nerves with a 71-run stand for the second wicket. However, the middle order floundered after the solid platform. Several batsmen threw it away after getting starts and they were soon left with the danger of having to follow-on. Matt Hart made the only other sizeable score with 48. Michael Mason and Lance Hamilton were the most successful bowlers for Central Districts.
ScorecardWellington, the defending champions, were staring down the barrel at 49 for 4 in their first innings, thanks to some fine bowling by James McMillan and Jeff Wilson. But they were rescured by a fifth-wicket stand between James Franklin and Jesse Ryder. Ryder had to foresake his usually attacking instincts but handled the pressure well to score 72 off 121 balls. Franklin notched up 79 and Wellington were back on track.McMillan, though, who finished with 4 for 36, struck with the new ball and restricted them to 291, helping Otago gain a 36-run lead. By the end of the day, Wellington managed to snap up the wicket of Mohammad Wasim to leave Otago at 14 for 1 when stumps were drawn.

India’s veteran new-ball bowlers Javagal Srinath and VenkateshPrasad returned to what could be called their finishing schoolon Friday.It was at the MRF Pace Foundation in Chennai that Australianpace bowling legend Dennis Lillee fine-tuned the bowling ofthe Karnataka duo who have rendered yeoman service to Indiancricket. Indian coach John Wright’s suggestion at theselection committee meeting meant that the twosome, alongwithnew boys Reetinder Singh Sodhi and Harvinder Singh, were againlearning at the feet of their old master.Lillee watched Srinath and Prasad in action before dispensinghis tips. “Sometimes when you play international cricketwithout a break, you can develop the odd bad habit. It couldbe due to the different types of wickets, different kind ofballs, or even loss of form. Often small things that can beset right,” he told .The Australian pace legend, who at one time held the worldrecord for most number of Test wickets, was reported to be”very impressed” with Harvinder’s progress. The Punjabipaceman is rumoured to be among the five stand-bys for theSouth Africa tour.”He looks compact. Technically he is better now than what I’veseen of him before. Good action, sharp pace. He was knockingthe batsmen over with good outswingers. But you got totranslate your bowling at the nets into a match situation,”Lillee told the paper.The ‘Pace Guru’ felt that Sodhi though needed to “work hard”.Meanwhile, Zaheer Khan and Ashish Nehra were both expected toland in Chennai on Saturday. It will then be the first timethat India’s whole pace battery will be in action right underLillee’s eyes. As Cricinfo originally argued, Indiancricket can only be richer from the experience.

Coming on the back of two consecutive wins in the Shell Cup for the 2000/2001 season including a previous win over Auckland at Eden Park, the Otago Volts hopes were riding high when their fifth round match in the series against Auckland started at Molyneux Park today.Winning the toss and electing to bat the Otago team was- Lee Germon(Captain), Craig Cumming, Martyn Croy, Simon Forde, Chris Gaffaney, Andrew Hore, Brendon McCullum, Nathan McCullum, Warren McSkimming, Craig Pryor, Kerry Walmsley, Karl O’Dowda (12th man)Auckland – Blair Pocock(Captain), Llorne Howell, Lou Vincent, Mark Haslam, Dion Nash, Kyle Mills, Richard Morgan, Andre Adams, Aaron Barnes, Tama Canning, John Aiken, Chris Drum (12th man).State Otago Volts started in brisk fashion with Andrew Hore leading the way with a workmanlike 37. Craig Cumming however was the anchor and proceeded to work the ball around particularly in the early stages while others fell around him. He made 66.The exception was Chris Gaffaney who was unexpectedly out for 37 and Craig Pryor at the end of the innings who placed the ball well and smashed Tama Canning in his last over for two sixes and a four. Pryor was 55 not out and he saw Otago through to a respectable but not unbeatable 260. 18 leg byes featured in the Otago total.Bowling for Auckland Canning with 4/60 from his allotted 10 was the main destroyer while Mark Haslam had only 37 runs hit off his maximum spell.Auckland began their run chase for the 261 for victory with a four off the first ball of Kerry Walmsley and things looked a little ominous but the loss of Llorne Howell at four, Aaron Barnes at 29, Blair Pocock at 33 set the Northerners back on their heels. Enter John Aiken and Dion Nash who put on 67 for the fourth wicket before Nash was run out for 35. Aiken was bowled Walmsley for 60 and Nash run out for 35.And then came Tama Canning who makes a habit of winning matches for Auckland. He began cautiously but then some strong hitting took over and he and Richard Morgan put on 121 for the eighth wicket.Morgan was out for 44 but Canning continued on and got Auckland to the situation where they needed eight from the final over. A four, a two, a single, a dot ball, and so one run needed off two balls by them. A nick for two to fine leg and the game was theirs by 2 wickets with a ball to spare. No praise could be too high for Canning who finished 92 not out. Surely a New Zealand selection beckons in the future.For Otago Simon Forde with 1/18 from 7 overs was very economic while Warren McSkimming 3/37 from 10 overs was also good. Walmsley, Cumming and McCullum all went for over 50 but in good batting conditions it was probably to be expected.A good win to Auckland in a thrilling situation and perhaps the highlight of the game being Cannings batting and the Otago Volts ground fielding.

The Editor
Postbag
Somerset County Gazette
St James Street
Taunton
Somerset23 July, 2001Dear Sir,I am sorry that your correspondents Mr Foyle and Mr Wight feel grumpy about the side selected to play the Australians. The Club has made it quite clear that its base priority is to maintain Division I status in both leagues. To do that, the bowlers have to be protected and kept fresh because to win, a side obviously has to plan to take 20 wickets in any match. The recent victory over Lancashire is a splendid illustration of this which I hope lifted the spirits of even Mr Foyle and Mr Wight.Tourist matches are spread around non-Test Match grounds on a rotational basis. They are non-competitive matches which most counties lucky enough to stage them look upon as a chance for supporters to just see the Tourists and to make some money for the benefit of the Members.As the Chief Executive, I try to put pressure on the Coach and Captain to field our best side but invariably lose that discussion. The side included seven capped players, two imported international players and two who have made first team appearances this season. Hardly an "invitation" side then as asserted by Mr Wight. The Captain did not wish to play against his fellow countrymen and the Club has to respect his wishes.In his grumpiness, Mr Foyle has forgotten that Somerset has continually called for centrally contracted players to be released more often to play for their counties. He has also conveniently forgotten that at the Club AGM of five years ago, a mandate was given by the members authorising the Club to investigate the possibility of selling the ground. His assertion that it is not on the agenda of any members is clearly wrong. What he means is that it is not on his because living in Taunton the future loss of car parking around the Ground, which will happen, will not affect him. Our supporters are geographically spread throughout the South West and maybe, just maybe, Mr Foyle is not listening to members from those areas. I am!The playing of the two Pakistani Internationals did not undermine team confidence. What Mr Wight could not know is that sensibly, the proposition to play them was put to the first team squad who endorsed the decision to do so.Finally, it seems okay in the minds of your correspondents that Both England and Australia can rest key players ahead of Test Matches but not okay for Somerset to do the same ahead of key county matches. Doesn’t add up, does it!Yours sincerely,P W Anderson
Chief Executive
Somerset County Cricket Club

* Borde: Tendulkar should go to Lanka if he is 100percent fitThe selection committee chairman Chandu Borde was of the opinion thatbatting Maestro Sachin Tendulkar, should proceed to Sri Lanka forthree-match test series only if he is ‘hundred percent fit,’ reportsthe Press Trust of India.”I personally feel that Tendulkar should join the team in Lanka onlyafter he is totally fit. Even if there is an element of doubt abouthis fitness it is better he follows medical advice,” said Bordeaccording to a report of the Press Trust of India.”His presence in the team for the South African tour is vital and ifhe aggravates the toe injury, it might even hamper his career,” addedBorde.Meanwhile, former Indian Cricket Board (BCCI) chief Raj SinghDungarpur said, “I know Tendulkar quite well and I am sure he will notrisk going to Sri Lanka if he thinks there is even one percent risk ofaggravating his injury.Former Test stars like Polly Umrigar, Dilip Sardesai, Ravi Shastri,Ajit Wadekar and Ashok Mankad also felt that the star batsman shouldjoin his teammates in Lanka only if he is hundred percent fit.* Himachal cricketers to get more for their effortsHimachal Pradesh Cricket Association has decided to increase the dailyallowance of the Cricketers representing the state at national leveltournaments. This decision was taken at its meeting held in Kulu.Giving this information Anurag Thakur ,President of the HPCA said thedaily allowance of Ranji Trophy cricketers had been hiked by 50percent and that of junior players 30 percent.He further said that on qualifying for the knockout stage the seniorteam would get Rs 1 lakh and the junior team Rs 50,000. An outrightwin would fetch a senior player Rs 1000 and a junior player Rs 500Mr Anurag Thakur who has just completed one year of the HPCApresidency, said the state would host three matches of North ZoneRanji Trophy against Jammu and Kashmir at Mandi, against Delhi atBilaspur and against Services at Una.The state would also host eightjunior matches. In the meeting the Chief Minister of the state PremKumar Dhumal was unanimously nominated patron of the association. Inview of the reframed rules and regulations of the HPCA it was alsounanimously approved that the President should reconstitute theexecutive body.

Canterbury’s success in winning the national Under-19 tournament which finished in Auckland today, was borne out with its players winning four spots in the New Zealand team to play in the ICC Under-19 World Cup tournament here later this month.Canterbury won the national tournament with 17 points, Central Districts 15, Wellington 14, Otago 11, Northern Districts six and Auckland five.Close runners-up Central Districts were also rewarded for their excellent performance in having five of their players selected in the tournament team.The New Zealand Under-19 team is: Ross Taylor (captain, Central Districts), Simon Allen (Wellington), Michael Bates (Auckland), Peter Borren (Canterbury), Neil Broom (Canterbury), Leighton Burtt (Canterbury), Brook Hatwell (Northern Districts), Stephen Murdoch (Wellington), Rob Nicol (Auckland), Iain Robertson (Canterbury), Jessie Ryder (Central Districts), Ian Sandbrook (Central Districts), Jordan Sheed (Otago), Richard Sherlock (Central Districts).The world tournament will start with an opening ceremony in Christchurch on January 14. Teams will then have warm-up games before the tournament’s opening game between New Zealand and Sri Lanka on Bert Sutcliffe Oval at Lincoln on January 19.

The Australian Cricket Board (ACB) today released a list of all state-contracted players for the 2001-2002 domestic season.This season will see the introduction of a rookie system, which allows each state to contract between two and five players under the age of 23, over and above their senior list. Players deemed rookies receive an annual retainer of $10,000 and are automatically upgraded to a state contract upon Pura Cup or Mercantile Mutual Cup selection.Today is the cut-off for uncontracted players to nominate for the ACB transfer pool. From the transfer pool, state associations can contract up to two players on top of their original list. These contract offers must be lodged with the ACB before 29 June 2001. Following this deadline, states may also contract up to two additional players (including rookies) at the minimum retainer either on or prior to 28 September 2001.Each state has nominated a squad of 15-20 players to share the approximate $700,000 allocated to the state associations by the ACB (up $270,000 from last year), with contracts ranging between $22,500 (up $10,000) and $65,000 (up $15,000).On top of retainers, players receive $3100 per Pura Cup match and $1100 for each Mercantile Mutual Cup match.The increase in this year’s player retainers stems from a higher total player payment pool, which is shared between ACB contracted players (55 per cent) and state contracted players (45 per cent).The total player payments pool is determined as a function of projected Australian Cricket Revenue (ACR) for season 2001-2002. ACR is a figure determined by the consolidated revenue streams of the ACB and the state associations.State contracted players for the 2001-2002 season are:

• New South Wales
• Queensland
• South Australia
• Tasmania
• Victoria
• Western Australia

Chris Woakes will miss the final two matches of the ODI series against Australia due to a thigh problem. The allrounder, who has had a season disrupted by injury, is expected to be fit for the start of England’s tour of the UAE.Woakes played the first three ODIs, without picking up a wicket, having previously appeared for England at the World Cup. His last Test appearance came against India in 2014.An England statement on Twitter said: “Chris Woakes has been ruled out of the final two Royal London ODIs against Australia with a right thigh injury. He is expected to be available for selection for the Test series against Pakistan.”It has been a frustrating year for Woakes, who had become a consistent member of the one-day side and featured in all of England’s World Cup games until a metatarsal stress reaction ruled him out of the final match. He then suffered a knee problem that required surgery, meaning he missed England’s tour of the West Indies and played no part in the Ashes.England are expected to name their squads to play three Tests, four ODIs and three T20s against Pakistan in October and November next week. In the short term, Woakes’ injury means Mark Wood, David Willey and Reece Topley will come into contention for the fourth ODI at Headingley on Friday.

Sri Lanka’s interim head coach, Jerome Jayaratne, has said the team has “accepted they have fallen behind” in Test cricket, and are working hard to correct that in the upcoming home series against West Indies.”I spoke to all of them individually before they went to the nets. We got a good feedback. They were well disciplined and they accepted they had fallen behind in performance and had two bad series,” Jayaratne, who was appointed interim coach following the resignation of Marvan Atapattu, said. Sri Lanka have lost their last three Test series, against New Zealand away and then to Pakistan and India at home, winning two and losing six out of eight games.Jayaratne said he expects an improved performance against West Indies, but will not be taking them lightly. “I would like to believe that we have a better chance of getting back to winning ways, but I definitely won’t underestimate the West Indies.”We’ve done a bit of research on them and know what our line of attack will be. They are an unknown quantity in the sense something of a mix with some known players like [Kemar] Roach, [Darren] Bravo and [Denesh] Ramdin coupled with a few new faces. They did well against England at home and had some decent performances.””All are aware of what is expected of them. We had lengthy discussions, and despite the rain which held us back for about a week, we have made good progress. They’ve worked very hard and I feel they will put on a very good show. If we can have a couple of good days early in the series the confidence will start to come back.”Batting and fielding are two areas that cost Sri Lanka against Pakistan and India. In the absence of a batting coach, a role that was fulfilled by Atapattu, Jayaratne has taken on the task. As for the fielding, Jayaratne said, “There is a significant improvement but they won’t be at their very best because they have some more time to reach their individual goals set by the trainer. But they will put up a better show than in the last two series. We are progressing well with all the department heads doing their part, it’s just a matter of putting them all together.”Jayaratne said he is also keen on keeping the team atmosphere good, and has instructed the players to come to him if they are not comfortable. “We have conveyed the message that we should be happy and conducive and everybody should be accepted. If anybody is having an issue, they should keep me at least confidentially informed.”Sri Lanka play West Indies in two Tests, staring on October 14.

2015August 24
Mark Nicholas – Clarke pulls his final few tricks
August 23
Ian Chappell – Clarke second only to Taylor as captain
News – Clarke’s parting plea for better Test pitches
Press conference – ‘I didn’t let the emotions get to me’ – Clarke
August 22
Daniel Brettig – Lyon is Clarke’s greatest legacy
August 19
News – ‘I can’t wait,’ says Clarke on retirement
Daniel Brettig – Clarke’s career ever so near to greatness
Simon Barnes – Where’s the love for Clarke?
Russell Jackson – A fan’s notes
Brydon Coverdale – Gutsy in Cape Town, resilient in Adelaide
Video – Clarke’s chance for glorious finale
Press conference – Clarke looking to finish on a high
Clickbait – The Michael Clarke highlights
August 18
News – Clarke leaves behind a ‘legacy of aggressive, entertaining cricket’ – Mark Taylor
Illustrated report – ‘A bloody good bloke to boot’
Gallery – Clarke’s career in photos
Video – Chappell: Tactically, Clarke was second only to Taylor
Video – Boycott: Australia won’t miss Clarke because of his recent form
August 14
Numbers Game – The highs and lows
August 11
News – ‘Baggy green culture eroded under Clarke’ – John Buchanan
August 10
Video – Chappell: Not surprised Clarke’s career has been a short one
August 9
Press conference – ‘Clarke will be remembered for courage’ – Sutherland
August 8
Jarrod Kimber – A battle for greatness and love
Press conference – ‘Been lucky enough to captain Australia’ – Clarke
Video – Ponting: Clarke put his heart and soul into the game
News – Clarke removes captain’s mask
News – Clarke announces retirement after Ashes
Video – Brettig: Clarke left with little choice
By the numbers – A statistical look at Clarke’s recent poor form
August 7
Video – Australia fans call for Clarke’s retirementAugust 5
News – Clarke is not retiring
August 4
News – Stubborn Clarke digs his heels in