On The Circuit
Watford lad lands Academy contract
The Ealing Gazette reports that Watford Grammar School for Boys pupil Will Jones has landed a 12-month contract with Middlesex Cricket Academy
Martin Williamson
25-Feb-2013
The Ealing Gazette reports that Watford Grammar School for Boys pupil Will Jones has landed a 12-month contract with Middlesex Cricket Academy. The 16-year-old right-arm pace bowler, who plays his club cricket for West Herts, was offered the contract by the club's Academy director Graham West.
Full postHampshire captaincy undecided
Just five weeks from the start of the English county season, Hampshire are at odds to pick the man to lead them in 2008
Jamie Alter
25-Feb-2013
Just five weeks from the start of the English county season, Hampshire are at odds to pick the man to lead them in 2008. Dimitri Mascarenhas, the club's star allrounder, will be plying his trade for Jaipur in the lucrative Indian Premier League, under regular captain Shane Warne, and Nic Pothas, the wicketkeeper, jeopardised his chances by signing for the unofficial Indian Cricket League, much to the displeasure of cricket manager Paul Terry.
"We deem the job to be an important one and an honour as it should be," Terry told BBC Radio Solent. "I can't say that I have a decision in mind at the moment."
"So much has happened in the last couple of weeks. These are things that I will have a chat about with the chairman (Rod Bransgrove) next week," added Terry, who flies into the UK this weekend from his home in Perth.
Hampshire have been one of the counties hit hard by both the IPL and the ICL. Shane Bond's contract is in serious doubt since he signed for the ICL. Shane Watson, the Australian all-rounder, will play the middle third of the campaign before Warne takes on the captaincy for the final two months of the summer.
Full postDurham head to South Africa
Durham will embark on their pre-season tour to South Africa on Friday March 28, returning to the Riverside on Wednesday April 9.
Martin Williamson
25-Feb-2013
Durham will embark on their pre-season tour to South Africa on Friday March 28, returning to the Riverside on Wednesday April 9.
The team, along with head coach Geoff Cook, will spend ten days at the High Performance Centre at the University of Pretoria where they will train and play four one day games. Two matches will be played against Johannesburg University and the other two games will see Durham face Highveld Lions, where Liam Plunkett and Stephen Harmison both spent some
time in the winter months.
Upon their return to the UK the team will face Yorkshire in two one-day matches at Headingley on Thursday April 10 and Friday 11. "Our pre season preparation is massively important and will definitely stand us in good stead for the start of the season,
Full postPositive response for Headingley plans
An artist's impression of the new £20m Headingley pavilion has been given positive response after it went on display
Andrew McGlashan
25-Feb-2013
An artist's impression of the new £20m Headingley pavilion has been given positive response after it went on display.
It will be a crystalline structure with a green undulating roof and will double as an iconic headquarters for Yorkshire cricket and also as a teaching facility for Leeds Met University, who are funding the majority of the project.
"We tried to address concerns surrounding things like transport, parking and sustainability and what the overall proposal will do for Headingley as a suburb," Stewart Regan, Yorkshire's chief executive, told the Yorkshire Post. "One or two people expressed concerns, but the general reaction was very encouraging."
Click here for the full story.
Full postRebel without a pause
Two decades after touring apartheid South Africa, John Emburey, English cricket's foremost rebel is at it again, coaching in the unofficial Indian Cricket League and dreaming of a global inter-city event
Martin Williamson
25-Feb-2013
Two decades after touring apartheid South Africa, John Emburey, English cricket's foremost rebel is at it again, coaching in the unofficial Indian Cricket League and dreaming of a global inter-city event. In a fascinating interview in The Observer, he talks candidly about those 1980s rebel tours.
After the first one, in 1982, he said: 'I'd have thought twice about going if I'd known the ban would last three years - that stunned all of us. Assuming I would have been chosen for England's tours, and played my share of Tests at home, I have lost financially.'
And he also looks at whether the ICL will have a London franchise.
There are 13 League football teams in London, so one cricket team should be possible,' he says. Not only possible, but very lucrative. Which sponsors would not want to be associated with the first team to carry the London brand into a competition played out in the globe's largest market?
Cork not thinking retirement
Dominic Cork is preparing for his 19th season of county action but his hunger remains undiminished
Andrew McGlashan
25-Feb-2013
Dominic Cork is preparing for his 19th season of county action but his hunger remains undiminished. He was the last-man out when Lancashire fell 25 runs short of claiming the Championship last year but tells the Manchester Evening News he, and the team, will use that near-miss as motivation.
It was a great effort to get that close and I think if we can take those qualities from that last day into this season, we should again be challenging for a lot of trophies.You can look back at last season and be disappointed we haven't won anything, but also you can be proud of the efforts everybody put in and what we have to do as a side is go that one step further.
Donald couldn't resist call of the Bears
Last summer Allan Donald was the man who had the problem of trying to sort out Steve Harmison as he began his spell as England bowling coach
Andrew McGlashan
25-Feb-2013
Last summer Allan Donald was the man who had the problem of trying to sort out Steve Harmison as he began his spell as England bowling coach. By all accounts he was making a good impression - hardly surprising for someone with 330 Test wickets - but when it came to taking the job full time he said 'no thanks'. After a brief spell back in the media he returned to coaching with Warwickshire, the county where he made his name as a lightening young quick. George Dobell from the Birmingham Post caught up with him and found a man very content with his decision.
"To be honest with you, I wouldn
Watson heading back to Hampshire
Shane Watson, the Australian allrounder, is set to return to Hampshire for a mid-season spell in June and July
Andrew McGlashan
25-Feb-2013
Shane Watson, the Australian allrounder, is set to return to Hampshire for a mid-season spell in June and July. The club are still trying to cover the gaps left by Shane Warne's absence and Watson's stint will coincide with the Twenty20 Cup. He previously played for Hampshire in 2004 and 2005, helping them with the C&G Trophy in 2005.
"I'm definitely going back to Hampshire and I'm just a day away from signing," Watson told the Daily Echo on Friday.
However, it is believed that Watson is still hoping to find a place in the IPL so wouldn't be available for the first part of the season if Hampshire need to replace Shane Bond who is part of the ICL and is likely to be prevented from playing county cricket.
Full postHampshire disappointed at Pothas ICL decision
Paul Terry, the Hampshire manager, has raised his concern over the future of Nic Pothas's county career after the wicketkeeper signed for the Indian Cricket League.
Will Luke
25-Feb-2013
Paul Terry, the Hampshire manager, has raised his concern over the future of Nic Pothas's county career after the wicketkeeper signed for the Indian Cricket League.
"I think if he was aware of that risk then, yes, I am very disappointed," he told the BBC. "I think he probably was aware of the [risks] before he left."
"We have got a wicket-keeper, Tom Burrows, who has played a bit of first-team cricket for us and has always done very well," added Terry. "So if it was to be Tom then I think he could go far."
Read the full story at the BBC.
Full post