Report
England - handsome victory
For the first time since 1998 in Sharjah, England have won a one-day tournament
Ralph Dellor
22-Jul-2000
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Alec Stewart acknowledges his half-century Photo © AllSport |
For the first time since 1998 in Sharjah, England have won a one-day tournament. By putting on a thoroughly professional performance in the final of the NatWest Series, Zimbabwe were beaten by 6 wickets to allow Nasser Hussain to leave the field and go straight to the balcony to lift the Trophy and receive the congratulations of a crowd massed in front of the pavilion.
The game ended with Lord's bathed in sunlight, but when Hussain won the toss there were clouds above the ground, perhaps helping the captain's decision to put Zimbabwe in to bat. His bowlers responded by dismissing the first 4 Zimbabwe batsmen inside 15 overs with only 31 runs on the board.
Full postFirst hour likely to be crucial in NatWest Series Final
The unexpectedly cloudy weather at the start of the Lord's Test made it a good toss to win and, in line with the tendency of history to favour the big battalions, Nasser Hussain won it for England
John Ward
22-Jul-2000
The unexpectedly cloudy weather at the start of the Lord's Test made it a good toss to win and, in line with the tendency of history to favour the big battalions, Nasser Hussain won it for England. He had no hesitation in putting England in to bat.
The pitch is a good one but conditions clearly favour swing bowling. Zimbabwe's batsmen will have their work cut out to handle England's top-quality seam bowling, and this may well make it a rather low-scoring match. The first hour will probably be the crucial period of this match.
Despite finishing one point below Zimbabwe in the table, England must enter the final as favourites. They have by a long way the best pace bowling attack of the tournament, with Darren Gough, Andy Caddick and Alan Mullally backed by Mark Ealham and Craig White. Zimbabwe only have Heath Streak in that category, and he finds the white ball harder to control. England also have the psychological advantage of having beaten Zimbabwe twice in succession, quite convincingly, in their last two encounters. Zimbabwe's batsmen have impressed against the West Indies but have been unable to master the much greater control of the England attack.
Full postStewart presses towards century as England cruise towards target
After 30 over of their innings, England appeared to be cruising to victory over Zimbabwe in the NatWest Series final
John Ward
22-Jul-2000
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Alec Stewart acknowledges his half-century Photo © AllSport |
Lord's, 30 overs: Zimbabwe 169 for seven; England 108 for two (Stewart 72, Hick 28)
After 30 over of their innings, England appeared to be cruising to victory over Zimbabwe in the NatWest Series final. Set 170 to win, they had scored 108 for two wickets, with the prolific Alec Stewart still there on 72 not out. This was despite the shock of losing two wickets to Heath Streak for just 9 runs.
Bicknell's 16-119 best since the summer of 1956
Martin Bicknell has over three days annihilated the Leicestershire batting almost single handed, despite the presence of Saqlain and Salisbury in the Surrey attack
Ed Green
21-Jul-2000
"So - who do these spinners think they are heh."
Martin Bicknell has over three days annihilated the Leicestershire batting
almost single handed, despite the presence of Saqlain and Salisbury in the
Surrey attack. Bowling with the pace aggression and precision that are now
his trademarks Bicknell gave a lesson in quick bowling on a decent English
wicket to Phil DeFreitas and all three of the young quicks on display,
Hollioake junior, Carl Greenidge and James Ormond (who impressed with his
own six wicket haul on Thursday). The fact that six of his victims bowled or
lbw and all but one of the others taken at the wicket or in the cordon (the
remaining scalp was Stevens caught and bowled in the first innings) serves
to underline the quality of his bowling is a series of remarkable, attacking
spells.
His figures, 7-72 and 9-47 take him way out in front of the country's
leading wicket takers with 52 for 854 (ave 16.42) from eleven games and take
Surrey's formidable bowling attack to the amazing statistic of four ten
wicket hauls and eleven fivefers from those same eleven games. These
remarkable statistics from their leading bowlers - Bicknell, Tudor, Saqlain
and Salisbury have powered Champions Surrey to the top of the first division
table along with some fine support bowling especially from Carl Greenidge
and the Hollioake brothers.
Their batsmen have so far produced seven centuries and fifteen fifties
(including Bicknell's own three) in the competition this summer despite the
international duties of Graham Thorpe and Alec Stewart.
Full postSurrey storm to a sixth championship victory
Surrey completed a resounding victory over Leicestershire by 10 wickets at Guildford today - their sixth win in the championship this summer
Staff and agencies
21-Jul-2000
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Martin Bicknell bowling blitz - the best since Laker's record Photo © Paul McGregor |
Surrey completed a resounding victory over Leicestershire by 10 wickets at
Guildford today - their sixth win in the championship this summer. The home
county scored 119-0 from 39.3 overs with Mark Butcher (47 n.o.) and Ian Ward
(61 n.o.) taking the title-holders home with a day and a half to spare.
Martin Bicknell, who took all four wickets in the first innings, produced
yet another magnificent display of fast bowling. His return of 9-47
following 7-72 in the first innings gave him a match analysis of 16-119 -
the best achieved in England since Jim Laker, also of Surrey, took 19
Australian wickets in the Test Match at Manchester in 1956. Bicknell became
also the first bowler to achieve 50 wickets in the championship this summer.
Yorkshire hard on the heels of Surrey
Yorkshire maintained their championship challenge to front-runners Surrey by taking maximum points from their victory over Somerset at Scarborough
Staff and agencies
21-Jul-2000
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Matthew Hoggard - returns best summer figures Photo © AllSport |
Yorkshire maintained their championship challenge to front-runners Surrey by
taking maximum points from their victory over Somerset at Scarborough. The
visitors began the day at 12-2, some 206 runs behind, and were dismissed for
212 before tea. Yorkshire won by an innings and six runs.
Matthew Hoggard took four more wickets to add to his one of the previous evening to complete his summer's best figures of 5-50 from 21 overs. Somerset could not cope with his pace and movement, and Hoggard was supported well by Chris Silverwood and by Paul Hutchison backed up by fine catches from Gary Fellows and Anthony McGrath.
Sussex set Notts tough target
Sussex are in a commanding position against Nottinghamshire at Hove after Michael Bevan had hit his second hundred of the match
Staff and agencies
21-Jul-2000
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Michael Bevan - blasts third consecutive century Photo © AllSport UK |
Sussex are in a commanding position against Nottinghamshire at Hove after
Michael Bevan had hit his second hundred of the match. The home county has
left the visitors to score 388 tomorrow with all their second-innings
wickets in hand.
The Australian left-hander, who is rated the best limited-overs batsman in the world, has shown a similar appetite for the championship. His third championship century in consecutive innings and at 174 was his highest score for Sussex (exceeding his 166 in the first innings).
Warwicks favourite in tight contest
An intriguing final day lies in prospect at Cheltenham, with Gloucestershire set 323 to win on a pitch that remains slow, but batsman-friendly
Richard Latham
21-Jul-2000
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Ian Harvey - late-order wickets Photo © AllSport |
An intriguing final day lies in prospect at Cheltenham, with Gloucestershire
set 323 to win on a pitch that remains slow, but batsman-friendly.
Bowlers have needed to work hard for their wickets throughout a tightly-contested match and Gloucestershire coach John Bracewell is far from daunted by his team's task. "We need to lay a solid foundation and try to keep wickets in hand," he said. "If we can do that up to tea anything will be possible in the final session."
Glamorgan well placed to win
Glamorgan have started well in their quest to score 309 to defeat Northamptonshire at Cardiff and attain their fourth consecutive championship victory
Staff and agencies
21-Jul-2000
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Robert Croft - five wickets puts Glamorgan on road to win Photo © CricInfo |
Glamorgan have started well in their quest to score 309 to defeat
Northamptonshire at Cardiff and attain their fourth consecutive championship
victory.
The task had not appeared to be so easy when the visitors stood at 277-6 halfway through the afternoon, but Northamptonshire's last four wickets fell in 27 deliveries without addition to the score.
Kent benefit from Hampshire's batting breakdown
Min Patel sustained his run of success by bowling Kent into a strong position against Hampshire at Portsmouth
Staff and agencies
21-Jul-2000
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Patel's performance gives Kent scent of victory Photo © John Dawson |
Min Patel sustained his run of success by bowling Kent into a strong position against Hampshire at Portsmouth. Following his haul of 8 wickets in his county's previous match against Derbyshire the left-arm spinner took another nine as Hampshire's vulnerable batting folded. He took 4-118 in the first innings and 5-46 in the second innings.
The hosts seemed to have started the day at an advantage being 84 ahead at 16-1. However they collapsed quickly against Patel's accurate spin backed up by sharp fielding and catching. Only tow batsmen reached double figures in a score of 136 extras with extras at 15 being the third highest score.
