After the euphoria of last Monday’s Great Escape at the Queen’s ParkOval, stark reality returned to West Indies cricket after two days ofthe second Test against Zimbabwe.Twice they have held the initiative against their plucky, but limited,opponents. Twice, they have lacked the resources and the self-beliefto retain it.This time, two of the heroes of Port-of-Spain and so many Testsbesides, Courtney Walsh and Curtly Ambrose, suddenly looked their ageand the batting looked as lacking in technique and confidence asusual.Likely to have to chase a target on the last day on a hard, bare pitchthat will progressively wear, they face a potentially difficult fightover the remaining three days.With their last specialist batsmen in and only wicket-keeper RidleyJacobs and the negligible fast bowlers left, they ended yesterday 108for four replying to Zimbabwe’s 308, their first total over 300 in 12Tests.Zimbabwe showed characteristic spunk to achieve their position, evenin the absence of their main strike bowler, Heath Streak. He was kepton the physio’s table with back muscle spasms throughout the WestIndies innings that has laboured for 58 overs and included a revealing24 maidens.There is no Shoaib Ahktar, Glenn McGrath, Shane Warne or even AndyCaddick in their attack, but they could have been bowlinghand-grenades for all the respect they were given by the timid WestIndian batsmen.The absence of Brian Lara is having an understandable effect but thereis an overall lack of enterprise that is depressing.The contest was evenly balanced when play resumed with Zimbabwe 220for five. They had broken free of the grip of 40 for three at thefirst lunch break through the positive partnership of 166 between thecentury-maker, Murray Goodwin, and captain Andy Flower, but had againbeen shackled when the two were dismissed off successive balls in theclosing overs of the opening day.Heartened by their aggression and late swing on the previousafternoon, Jimmy Adams again preferred his younger fast bowlers, ReonKing and Franklyn Rose, to his two stalwarts. The ball was only tenovers old and still hard and shiny and King and Rose tightened thescrews again with compelling fast bowling of a full-length and directline.The captain kept them going for 21 overs together as they lookedcertain to limit Zimbabwe to a total of around a manageable 250.Both swung the ball late and sharp, Rose especially, and looked likelyto take a wicket almost every ball.King did take three to add to his two of the previous day and returnhis first five-wicket haul in his fifth Test – five for 51 from 23overs.Only temporary cramp held him up for any time before he finally cameoff.He had the left-handed Alistair Campbell lbw, playing uncertainly fromthe crease, in his second over, scattered Streak’s stumps with a fast,straight one and had the swinging Bryan Strang spectacularly taken,high above his head, by the leaping Ridley Jacobs.Rose’s only success was the nightwatchman Brian Murphy, bowled by aleg-stump yorker. He deserved more.When Adams finally summoned his tried and trusted stalwarts, neithercould make an impression as Carlisle and Olonga comfortablyaccumulated their runs, frustrating not only the West Indians on thefield but the 12 000 jammed into Sabina Park ready to witness Walshcreate history.Olonga thumped the shot of the match, an extra-cover driven boundaryoff King, and it was 25 minutes into the final session before Walshhad Strang caught behind for his 432nd Test wicket.Now there are only three more to go to pass Kapil Dev’s record but, onthis evidence, Walsh must surely consider his future after that.The crowd’s noisy exuberance of the morning had subsided by the timethe West Indies replied and it remained muted as the inadequatebatsmen battled to come to terms with their own limitations and thediscipline of the Zimbabwean bowling.The standard for the struggle was set by the immobile left-handedopener Adrian Griffith.Out for a first-over pair to Streak in the first Test, he was soovercome by wariness that he spent an hour-and-a-half and 74 ballsover four scoring shots for six.The Zimbabweans could sense the tension in their opponents’ brittlebatting that they dismissed for 187 and 147 in the first Test and thatis bereft of any class player now that Brian Lara is taking hisdisruptive sabbatical.The Zimbabweans pinned them down to fewer than two runs an over and,for long periods, stalled them completely. Of the 58 overs, 24 weremaidens.Wickets were the inevitable consequence.Essaying a rare attacking stoke, Griffith dragged one from NeilJohnson back into his stumps and trudged off as if carrying the worldon his shoulders. His successes in New Zealand now seem eons ago.He was replaced by Chris Gayle, in his first Test on his home ground.He started with a thumping off-driven boundary off leg-spinner Murphybut edged his 35th ball to wicket-keeper Andy Flower off Henry Olonga,as he seemed likely to do throughout his stay.Sherwin Campbell, the only right-hander in the first seven in theorder, showed some aggression with nine boundaries in 48 before he wasbrilliantly taken at slip at 85, cutting Murphy.The catcher was his namesake Alistair, who had missed a far easieroffering off Johnson when he was 16.The score hadn’t moved for another 32 balls when Andy Flower was againcalled into action to gather in Shivnarine Chanderpaul’s snick in thefifth of five successive maidens of Bryan Strang’s accurate, butgentle, left-arm swing. It has become a familiar method.Captain Adams and his fellow left-hander Wavell Hinds batted throughto stumps but they were no more convincing than those who had precededthem.

In the Ranji Trophy South Zone League match between Hyderabad and Goa atNFC Ground, Hyderabad, the last day’s play on Saturday saw Hyderabad beatGoa by 153 runs.Starting the day at 99/3 Goa had an uphill task to even stretch themselvesfor a victory. Hyderabad bowling was far too superior to let Goa chase fora victory. Goa’s innings was jostled when it lost the experienced PraveenAmre for 15 early in the day to Venkatapathy Raju, reducing themselves to114/4. Dinesh Rao went on to complete his half century but was dismissed on54 at the team score reading 162/5. Narendra Pal Singh (29.2-5-81-4) andMohammed Ghouse (17-6-43-3) ran through the second half as Goa were bundledout for 226 in 101.2 overs. Hyderabad cruised to a comfortable win andeight outright points. Goa went home with none.

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.

Glamorgan’s stand-in wicketkeeper Mark Wallace starred with the bat, scoring an unbeaten career-best 80 to help maintain the status quo at the mid-point of their match with Kent at Maidstone.Despite an excellent pitch at The Mote, batsmen on both sides have shown a disposition for tossing away their own wickets with rash or badly judged shots.Yet Wallace, only called into the game on Wednesday lunchtime when Adrian Shaw pulled out with a stomach bug, was a notable exception as he and the Welsh middle order took their side to within 18 of Kent’s first innings total of 304.At 114 for six it looked possible that Glamorgan might even follow-on as a succession of players got themselves out, but Darren Thomas led the fightback with a pugnacious 50 as he and Wallace added 76 in 25 overs for the seventh wicket.Wallace, who had only scored two first-class fifties prior to this match, then teamed up with Steve Watkin to frustrate Kent further in a ninth-wicket partnership of 73 in 21 overs.Watkin finally went for an excellent 38 and last man Simon Jones went soon after, leaving Glamorgan on 286 and 14 shy of their third batting bonus point, while Wallace remained 20 short of his maiden century.Home skipper Matthew Fleming was the pick of their attack with three for 57, though Min Patel took credit for 34 tight overs that bagged two for 72.In the 15 overs through to the close Kent extended that narrow lead to 65 in reaching 47 for one, losing Rob Key leg before when well forward to Darren Thomas for 21.

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

Yorkshire’s new bowling sensation Steven Kirby blasted out six Leicestershire batsmen at Headingley as his former county were dismissed for only 174 after the CricInfo Championship leaders had piled up 500 in their first innings.Kirby, who played for Leicestershire Seconds before being released, took seven for 50 on his Yorkshire debut in their last home match after replacing Matthew Hoggard in the middle of the Kent game.He was in the same dynamic mood again as he sent back Leicestershire’s first three batsmen in his opening spell and later returned to wreak more havoc in two further stints.Darren Maddy was the first of Kirby’s victims when he was caught behind, Ben Smith was lbw in his next over and Dan Marsh soon had his middle stump ripped out.Opener Iain Sutcliffe survived Kirby’s initial burst but became his fourth scalp when he returned to have the left-hander caught behind and Jon Dakin and Phil DeFreitas followed in consecutive overs later on.Kirby had still not finished his heroics, however, because he then took a good catch on the third man boundary off Chris Silverwood to send back Aftab Habib who was on his second visit to the crease after earlier retiring hurt when struck painfully on the left thumb.Yorkshire had resumed the second day on 299 for three and their batting was dominated by Darren Lehmann who became the third centurion of the innings, Matthew Wood and Michael Lumb achieving three figures the previous day.It was the first time that three Yorkshire batsmen had hit centuries in the same Championship innings since the match against Gloucestershire at Bristol in 1975 when the batsmen concerned were Michael Lumb’s father, Richard, Geoff Boycott and John Hampshire.Lehmann finally departed for 104 off 133 balls with 13 fours, leaving Championship debutant Richard Dawson to entertain the crowd with some spectacular hitting near the end of the innings when he thrashed DeFreitas for 21 in one over, including two sixes off consecutive balls. Dawson was last out for 37 from 41 deliveries.Leicestershire trail by 326 on the first innings and Yorkshire look in excellent shape to go on to win their fifth match of the season and extend their lead still further at the top of the Division One table.

Ashish Nehra knows how to put his theories into practice – and withvery successful results. The 22-year-old speedster from Delhi, who hasbeen India’s find of the Zimbabwe tour, knows exactly how to bowl in aparticular situation and never tries to transcend his limits. He likesto keep things simple and plans his strategies in advance, the way hedid for the Zimbabwe tour.”I decided early not to look for extra pace all the time. I don’tthink I have bowled as fast as I can on these tracks. Here I havemostly tried to swing the deliveries and maintain a good line andlength,” Nehra said in an interview to PTI ahead of the final match oftriangular one-day series against West Indies tomorrow.”In Test cricket, speed does matter but you need to concentrate online and length and get the ball to move,” said Nehra who emerged asthe highest wicket-taker in the just-concluded Test series againstZimbabwe.There is a very noticeable change in his bowling strategy in the onedayers and not without reason. “My philosophy is simple: in onedayers, if you bowl maidens, you will get wickets. If you try to lookfor wickets, you will not only miss wickets but would also go forruns.”In Test matches, whether it is flat or favourable conditions, I liketo maintain line and length and pitch the ball up all the time. If yougo for two fours and get a batsman out, you have done your job,” hesaid.Pitching the ball up is one thing Nehra has done with remarkablesuccess on this tour. And as he says, bowling up to the batsman iscrucial but not very easy for a fast bowler.”It is very easy to bowl a bouncer but very difficult to bowl ayorker. In order to bowl up, you need a lot of power. It is easy tobowl up slowly but it is of no use. You must pitch it up and do so atquick pace. Only when you do so would the ball swing and carry to thewicketkeeper. If the ball is pitched up, the batsman will think twicebefore driving it.”He did trouble the batsmen a lot, even one of the calibre of AndyFlower. Nehra dismissed him in both the innings of the first Test inBulawayo.”I never had any problem against Andy (Flower). On the contrary, Ithink he had problems against me.” An achievement for sure,considering the way Flower has dealt with the Indian bowlers recently.Nehra, who finds VVS Laxman the most difficult batsman to bowl to, wasequally effective with both the new and the old balls and dismissedsuggestions that fast bowlers were good only when the ball was new.”With the old ball, I rely on cutting the ball back in and getting itto reverse swing. The ball can slow up considerably, but then it alsoskids. Frankly, it is the length that is important,” he said.Nehra’s obsession with bowling the right length might seem repetitivebut he knows that is what will make him an effective bowler.”Look at Glenn McGrath. He can bowl six balls in the same area -outside the off stump. If I can bowl five deliveries, I should beokay,” Nehra said. “I should be able to read the batsmen, gauge theconditions and bowl to my field.” Certainly the mantra for success forevery aspiring fast bowler.Nehra emphasised it was very important for a fast bowler to know hisstrengths and weaknesses and bowl within his limitations. “You mustknow what you should do. Where you can bowl, what your limitationsare. I never try to overreach myself.”Nehra made history on this tour, but for a dubious reason. He wassuspended from bowling for the rest of the innings after being warnedthrice in the second innings of the first Test for damaging the pitchin his follow-through.”As a left-arm paceman there could be an odd moment in four or fiveovers when you try to bowl too close to the box and run on to thewicket. But one such odd lapse doesn’t mean the pitch would bespoiled,” he said.Anyway, Nehra made amends quickly and came back strongly in the secondTest.”I think I am mentally strong. As a fast bowler only 25 per cent ofyour skill contribute to your success. The remaining 70-75 per cent isall mental and physical. If you are physically strong, you could beone in the mind also,” Nehra said.And in order to increase his contribution to the team, Nehra isworking on his batting and fielding too. He stuck around for a longtime in the first innings of the Bulawayo Test, remaining unbeaten onnine, and is very agile in the field.”People may have misgivings about my fielding and batting prowess butI have always felt reasonably confident. It is just that I need matchconditions to perform to the best of my ability. At nets, I am neverable to bowl at my fastest. The same is true with my fielding. But Igive it my everything in the middle,” he said.Zimbabwe was one of the relatively easier assignments and Nehra hasalready started his preparations for the forthcoming tougher tours ofSri Lanka and South Africa.”In many respects, I think Sri Lanka will be a tougher tour than evenSouth Africa. There is this thing about humidity in Sri Lanka. Evenafter bowling just one over, you are dripping with sweat. I don’tthink you could bowl more than 5-6 overs of sustained pace in thoseconditions. If I can bowl at my peak for 5-6 overs and do so for 20overs in a day, I would be happy,” Nehra said.

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

Having allowed Gloucestershire batsmen to gain the upper hand with some ordinary bowling, Middlesex, after losing two wickets with 70 on the board, spent the final session of the third day’s play attempting to consolidate their innings but were reduced to 141 for four at stumps.They began reasonably well, putting up 51 when the first wicket fell, Robin Weston top-edging his sweep behind the stumps in the second over from Martyn Ball, but 19 runs later the off spinner struck again, trapping Andy Strauss lbw on the back foot for 38.Owais Shah and Ben Hutton batted patiently for an hour and a half to add 61 when a needless wild slog from Shah resulted in Ball taking a well judged catch, running back at mid-wicket.Finally, in the last over of the day, Mark Alleyne had David Alleyne lbw, leaving Hutton with 29 not out and Middlesex with a lot to do.Earlier, Gloucestershire were able to declare their first innings on a substantial total of 400 for three with the help of a dominating third-wicket stand, between Matt Windows and Ian Harvey, which was broken just seven short of a double century, half an hour after lunch.This was yet another fine partnership in their innings, the first two yielding 88 and 82 runs on the first day before wet conditions at Lord’s wiped out nearly a day and a half’s play.Showing fine batting form, as indeed he did on the first day when he remained not out with 52, Windows reached his second century of the Cricinfo Championship off 211 balls, 13 of which were hit to the boundary. His first hundred was also against Middlesex, in May, at Bristol where he scored 106 not out.Having lost 148 overs owing to rain, Gloucestershire seemed more intent on building a large first innings total rather than opting for quick runs after resuming their innings on 198 for two.Harvey, who was the more cautious of the two batsmen earlier in the morning session, went on the offensive after reaching his first Championship fifty this season. With powerful strokeplay, which brought him 12 boundaries and a six, he was at ease in facing the Middlesex bowling. Along with Windows, who had less of the strike in the period leading up to lunch, he piled on the runs.Five overs into the second session’s play, Middlesex got the breakthrough that they were urgently seeking. After nearly five hours at the crease, Windows’ innings of 123, off 256 balls, came to an end with Strauss taking a brilliant left-handed diving catch at backward point off Angus Fraser.Harvey, meanwhile, reached his hundred, the second fifty of which came rapidly from only 53 balls. At the declaration he was unbeaten on 130 having hit 16 boundaries and a six in a superb innings.

* 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.