Report
Gloucestershire v Zimbabweans, Day 2
Zimbabwe strengthened their hold on the Vodafone Challenge match with Gloucestershire when they reduced the home side to 146-7 at the close of the second day's play in reply to their 568
17-Jun-2000
Zimbabwe strengthened their hold on the Vodafone Challenge match with Gloucestershire when they reduced the home side to 146-7 at the close of the second day's play in reply to their 568.
And Gloucestershire's disappointment was compounded by an injury to opener and acting captain Tim Hancock, who fractured a knuckle on his left hand during fielding practice in the morning.
Hancock will play no further part in this match and will be sidelined for at least three weeks.
Hancock has been a key performer during Gloucestershire's surge to three one-day trophies in the last year and the county must now start their defence of the NatWest Trophy against Worcestershire on Wednesday without him.
Full postGloucestershire v Zimbabweans, Day 1
Zimbabwe batsman Murray Goodwin took advantage of a weakened Gloucestershire attack to post a career-best 194 on the opening day of the Vodafone Challenge Series match at Gloucester
16-Jun-2000
Zimbabwe batsman Murray Goodwin took advantage of a weakened Gloucestershire attack to post a career-best 194 on the opening day of the Vodafone Challenge Series match at Gloucester.
The home county decided to rest seven of the side which won them the Benson and Hedges at Lord's last weekend, and they struggled for penetration on a placid festival wicket.
Goodwin, a century maker against England at Trent Bridge earlier this month, showed why he has a Test average of just over 40 with some magnificent strokeplay.
He struck a six over midwicket off Tom Cotterell's left-arm spin and hit 30 fours in his 238-ball innings, the majority of which were cut or driven crisply through the offside.
Full postAdams puts West Indies in command
The mantle of invincibility which West Indies once wore, through the seventies and eighties, may no longer be there but those shoulders can still hold responsibility when the call comes
Andy Jalil
16-Jun-2000
The mantle of invincibility which West Indies once wore, through the
seventies and eighties, may no longer be there but those shoulders can still
hold responsibility when the call comes.
When they were in the midst of ten consecutive defeats playing away from home, it was wrongly being suggested by some that they were a team that was been held together by the strength of Brian Lara and the rest have either past their best days or just not good enough.
This first Test has provided an early opportunity for West Indies to show their capabilities, playing away from home under a relatively new captain who leads the side for the first time in an series away from home.
With his bowlers, led by Courtney Walsh, having done such excellent work
yesterday, it was all up to the batsmen to play a big innings today to be in
control of this Test. Indeed, what a great psychological advantage it gives
to a touring side to establish superiority early in a series.
Full postEngland v West Indies, Test 1 Day 2 - Lunch
The morning session had everything a cricket afficianado could want; runs, wickets, slashing strokes and even missed chances
Colin Coft
16-Jun-2000
The morning session had everything a cricket afficianado could want; runs, wickets, slashing strokes and even missed chances. At lunch on the second day, this 1st Test match is tantalizingly poised with the West Indies 149-4 in reply to England's 1st innings total of 179. Not out are Shivnarine Chanderpaul, tentative on 14, while captain Jimmy Adams is watchful on 03.
Sherwin Campbell and Brian Lara, the overnight batsmen, seem to come out with fire in their eyes but also caution in their minds. Campbell took the entire first four overs while Lara just looked on, assessing things.
Campbell played well within himself, guiding more than driving the bowling, and managed 59, with seven fours, his 14th Test half-century in his 42nd Test, and a chance too; dropped by Graham Hick at slip from Gough's bowling when on 32, before he played completely around a very fast delivery from the effervescent Gough; bowled off stump. The ball did keep a bit low, but Campbell was probably beaten for pace. 123-3. The pair of Lara and Campbell had put on 99 runs for the 3rd wicket.
Lara then played some expansive drives, including one through backward point and another through forward square-leg, which suggested that he was getting back into some real world form.
Full postJust like old times
Birmingham - Some things never change and few have been as enduring in cricket as Courtney Walsh and Curtly Ambrose persecuting the opposition, most notably England, in the cause of the West Indies
Tony Cozier
16-Jun-2000
Birmingham - Some things never change and few have been as enduring in
cricket as Courtney Walsh and Curtly Ambrose persecuting the
opposition, most notably England, in the cause of the West Indies.
They were at it again here yesterday on the opening day of their
latest encounter, combining with a little help from their younger
accomplices to dismiss England for an unsatisfactory 179.
It was the ideal platform on which their batsmen could build.
Even if the loss of the two young left-handers, Chris Gayle and Wavell
Hinds, in the closing 19 overs were disappointing setbacks, Sherwin
Campbell's solid start and Brian Lara's presence encourage optimism
when the West Indies restart this morning at 50 for two.
Full postWalsh demonstrates his ability on opening day at Edgbaston
LUNCH Interval: With the sun finally winning the battle, the West Indies too will be very pleased with their morning's work, thanks again to the incomparable Courtney Walsh
Colin Croft
16-Jun-2000
LUNCH Interval: With the sun finally winning the battle, the West Indies too will be very pleased with their morning's work, thanks again to the incomparable Courtney Walsh. At lunch on Day 1 of Test 1 here at Edgbaston, England are 51-3.
The West Indies won the toss and elected to field first, which was surprising, given that the pitch appeared to be very flat and good for batting. After the first ten overs, the benign nature of the pitch was confirmed, as openers Mark Ramprakash, who passed a late fitness test this morning, and Michael Atherton, looked relatively untroubled.
The score progressed steadily to 26, with both Walsh and Curtly Ambrose, both of whom had not played in any of the three games before the Test, looking very much as if they needed more preparation work. Then Walsh struck.
Ramprakash was less than fully forward, and was smartly snapped up, from bat and pad, by Wavell Hinds at forward short-leg; out for 20. That was Walsh's 450th Test wicket.
Full postEngland v West Indies, Test 1 Day 2 - Tea
The West Indies moved into a position of ascendancy during this 5th period of the game
Colin Coft
16-Jun-2000
The West Indies moved into a position of ascendancy during this 5th period of the game. At tea on the 2nd day, they are 231-5, a handy lead already of 52 over England's 1st innings total of 179. Jimmy Adams had played very doggedly for 25 not out, while Ridley Jacobs is 01 not out.
Shivnarine Chanderpaul, who recently got a century against the Zimbabweans at Arundel, made 73 patient, sometimes adventurous runs, including twelve 4's, before he slashed at a very wide Andy Flintoff delivery about five minutes before the tea interval, Alec Stewart the wicket-keeper diving to his left to take a good catch.
It was such a poor shot that captain Jimmy Adams, with whom Chanderpaul had batted since lunch, put his gloves over his eyes with disappointment. Adams had tried to guide his left-handed partner to realizing that their 5th wicket partnership, which was worth 94 when it ended, could have been much more useful if it was unbeaten at the interval. That was not to be.
This was Chanderpaul's 20th Test half century in only 43 Tests. That is tremendous consistency, but one must also remember that he has only converted two of those 50's to centuries. He batted well, but again failed to take another opportunity to complete a third Test century.
Full postEngland v West Indies, Test 1 Day 2 - Close
The West Indies closed the 2nd day in a comfortable, if not all together commanding position, but at least, they look more likely to win from here
Colin Croft
16-Jun-2000
The West Indies closed the 2nd day in a comfortable, if not all together commanding position, but at least, they look more likely to win from here. At the close, they are 336-7, an extremely useful lead of 157. 105 runs were scored in the final two hours of the 2nd day.
Captain Jimmy Adams, again playing as if his life depended on it, led the way with approximately four and a half hours of batting to be 66 not out, including just six boundaries, his 13th Test half-century, as he continues to try to extend the lead and consolidate his team's position. His patience and realization of responsibility is incredible.
In the meantime, Franklyn Rose is also still there, having hit a six as his first scoring shot and to bring up the 300 mark. He is 33 not out, including three fours in one over from Darren Gough as the Gough became tired late in the afternoon. Rose has so far hit four fours and a six in boundaries in a very aggressive innings indeed.
Since tea, the West Indies lost two further wickets. The 2nd new ball was taken immediately it was due, after 80 overs, and with the 2nd over with that 2nd new ball, Ridley Jacobs, who had looked very much out of sorts with the bat for this entire tour so far, gave a straight forward edge to wicket-keeper Stewart from a good Andy Caddick delivery. Jacobs out for 05; West Indies 237-6.
Full postEngland v West Indies, Test 1 Day 1
It would seem time has stood still for Courtney Walsh
Andy Jalil
15-Jun-2000
It would seem time has stood still for Courtney Walsh. It was around this
time five years ago that he led an assault on England's batsmen on this very
ground that enabled West Indies to wrap up that third Test match of the
series in two days and a bit.
Later during that series he went on to reach the landmark of 300 Test wickets
and today, having already become the highest wicket-taker in Test history, he
passed another significant milestone of 450 wickets.
At 37, by the age most fast bowlers have passed their sell-by date, Walsh's
workload has not diminished; at least not at the highest level of the game.
His captain, Jimmy Adams, having put England in to bat, chose to keep him on
to bowl for the entire morning session and Walsh's response was with figures
of 3 for 23 in 13 overs.
What makes his performance all the more remarkable is that the pitch this
time was not the 'minefield' that helped to condemn England to an innings
defeat five years ago. Walsh on that occasion had claimed 3 for 54 and 5 for
45.
Full postMinor Counties Championship Round Up
Cambridgeshire and Devon shared in a record-breaking day of Minor Counties cricket
Mike Berry
14-Jun-2000
Cambridgeshire and Devon shared in a record-breaking day of Minor Counties
cricket.
Openers Simon Kellett (127 not out) and Nigel Gadsby (76 not out) put
together a new record opening stand of 241 for Cambridgeshire against Suffolk
at Saffron Walden, eclipsing the previous best of 229 between Gadsby and
Richard Merriman against Cumberland in 1992.
Suffolk replied with 200 for four, and the two Cambridgeshire openers ended a
prosperous day on 47 without loss off 11 overs in the second innings.
Cheshire were on the wrong end of a blistering partnership by Devon at Bovey
Tracey. Centurions Bobby Dawson (151) and Nick Folland (110) compiled a new
Devon record second-wicket stand of 243 as Devon racked up a huge first
innings total of 372 for five off 58 overs. It beat the 214 that Folland and
Gareth Townsend had scored against Wiltshire three years ago, and Folland's
110 was the 20th championship century of his career.
A dispirited Cheshire were bowled out for just 106 in 53 overs. They were 38
for five at one stage but Chris Hall hit 29 and No.10 Charlie Lamb made 16 to
allow them to limp into three figures. Devon enforced the follow-on and
Cheshire closed still 250 runs in arrears on 16 without loss in their second
innings.
Full post