Report
Notts 2nd XI well beaten by Gloucs
Nottinghamshire's second eleven were well beaten in their AON Trophy match at picturesque Workshop College on Monday
Dave Bracegirdle
12-Jun-2000
Nottinghamshire's second eleven were well beaten in their AON Trophy match at picturesque Workshop College on Monday.
Having been dismissed for just 125 Notts, with Tolley, Bowen and Stemp in the side, struck back in dramatic fashion to reduce Gloucs to 7-3.
A stand of 53 between Chris Bassano and Chris Taylor looked to have put the match firmly beyond the home team but having made 22 Taylor, who hit a century on his Championship debut at Lord's a fortnight ago, swept at Stemp and was bowled round his legs.
New batsman Mark Hardinges ran himself out almost immediately, pushing the ball straight to Chris Tolley and failing to get home when his partner correctly sent him back.
Full postDerbyshire slump to another defeat in National League
The Derbyshire Scorpions slumped to their fourth consecutive defeat in the Norwich Union National League, while the Surrey Lions continued their unbeaten start in the league
Neil Whitaker
12-Jun-2000
The Derbyshire Scorpions slumped to their fourth consecutive defeat in the Norwich Union National League, while the Surrey Lions continued their unbeaten start in the league.
However at one stage it looked as if the Scorpions would run away with the game. Asked to bat by the Lions skipper Adam Hollioake, the Scorpions openers raced away. Di Venuto in particular took a liking to Alex Tudor. He square cut Tudor for a four and drove the next ball through mid-on for another four. In the next over from Tudor Di Venuto whipped him off his toes for a four and cut the next ball for another four. Di Venuto had a life with the next ball when Adam Hollioake at point failed to hold on to the ball. The openers brought up the 50 in the eighth over and Di Venuto had scored 30 off them.
He was not to last much longer however. Di Venuto only added another single to his score when he lost his off stump to Ian Bishop. His score of 31 is his highest score so far in the National League.
The Scorpions lost their next wicket when Hollioake came on to bowl and bowled Dowman with his first ball which was a full toss. After 20 overs the Scorpions reached 100 for the loss off two wickets and looked set for an huge score, especially as the Lions' bowling and fielding looked subdue. Cassar had started to carry on from where Di Venuto had left off and reached his fifty in the 25th over.
Full postSomerset v Kent, National League Div 1
Marcus Trescothick is looking increasingly like a genuine candidate for England's one-day side later this summer
11-Jun-2000
Marcus Trescothick is looking increasingly like a genuine candidate for England's one-day side later this summer.
The 24-year-old Somerset left-hander underlined his immense potential with a brilliant 92 not out as the National League leaders made it maximum points from four games with a nine-wicket thrashing of Kent at Taunton.
Trescothick has already been invited to join the England squad for experience twice this summer following his A tour selection in the winter and clearly rates highly with coach Duncan Fletcher.
He showed why with a devastating display of clean hitting that enabled Somerset to race to their victory target of 180 with 9.5 overs to spare.
Full postThe Welsh Varsity Cricket Match
Cardiff University upset the formbook with an impressive four wicket win in the St Helens lions den that has seen so many memorable Varsity occasions
Oxfam
11-Jun-2000
Cardiff University upset the formbook with an impressive four wicket win in the St Helens lions den that has seen so many memorable Varsity occasions. With about 2,000 less supporters to contend with, the probing medium pace of the Cardiff bowlers proved to be the right ingredients for the slow track.
Whilst the Swansea batsmen could reasonably point out that they got themselves in, the scorebook also points out that they got themselves out. The regular fal of wickets was only arrested by the efforts of Jennings and Smith who's 41 run partnership provided the platform for a late over assault. Alas Peter Talbot had other ideas as his 4-15 spell finished off the good work started by Gosling 2-28 and Weeks 2-19.
To underline the impression that this was not going to be an easy day for batting, Cardiff were soon reduced to 4-2, as Adam Davies ripped through Talbot's defences with one that nipped back and Heyes won an lbw against a distraught Petheridge. Mike Horwell and Nils Jorgensen transformed the game with a 72 run partnership that not only saw off Swansea's spearheads but also exposed the lack of penetration from the rest.
With Horwell grinding away and picking off the spinners when roused, the desperate re-introduction of Heyes and Davies not only arrested the scoring rate, but suddenly starting eating into the wickets total. Suddenly at 128-6, the panic bells rang, but two fours in quick succession from McCullough and Harris eased the jitters.
Full postTotal washout in Pakistan practice game
Pakistan's one and only practice match was eventually abandoned after discussion between the two captains
Charlie Austin
11-Jun-2000
Pakistan's one and only practice match was eventually abandoned after discussion between the two captains. Despite a break in the monsoon rains, which would have allowed some play in the afternoon, the Pakistan opted for a game of football followed by a practice session on the square.
The players didn't appear to be too disappointed by the washout of the game and are probably glad to have an opportunity to rest after such a congested and tiring schedule in the past few months.
With the BCCSL elections dominating the Sri Lankan cricket at the moment the Pakistan cricketers have been able to relax away from the limelight. They will be waiting with interest to see the Sri Lankan team, which is to be announced tomorrow morning.
The team has been selected by an entirely different selection committee and is expected to include Arjuna Ranatunga and Aravinda De Silva. The selectors will be announcing a squad of sixteen players, all of whom will leave their homes and booking into the team hotel tomorrow.
Full postGloucestershire make it three in a row at Lord's
Gloucestershire completed a unique achievement in winning the Benson and Hedges Final
Andy Jalil
10-Jun-2000
Gloucestershire completed a unique achievement in winning the Benson and
Hedges Final. It made them the only team to win three successive show-piece
finals. Their victory today over Glamorgan, by the comfortable margin of
seven wickets followed their double last year when they won both the Benson
and Hedges Super Cup, beating Yorkshire and the NatWest Trophy defeating
Somerset.
Their victory today was a result of a joint team effort with all five batsmen
who came to the crease contributing substantially to the winning total after
their bowlers earlier had made scoring look a laborious task for the Welsh
county's batsmen with the exception of the man of the match Matthew Maynard.
In chasing 226, Gloucestershire, who were earlier obliged to field first on a
beautiful sunny morning at Lord's, making a distinct change from the dismal
conditions so far this summer, were rarely extended.
The opening pair, Tim Hancock and Kim Barnett, who turns 40 next month and may well have played his last Lord's final, gave a fine start, putting on 80 of which the veteran batsman had 39. The second wicket fell on 118 but Hancock in the meantime progressed well, playing with caution but not missing an opportunity to score.
Full postRain prevents play on first day of the tour
The torrential rains that have drenched Colombo in the last few days have prevented any play on the first day of Pakistan's tour
Charlie Austin
10-Jun-2000
The torrential rains that have drenched Colombo in the last few days have prevented any play on the first day of Pakistan's tour. The gloomy whether was however unable to dampen the spirits of the Pakistan players who were in a jovial mood today. Perhaps still elated after their triumph in Dhaka they arrived early in the morning, disappeared for some indoor practice before returning for a spot lunch and a gentle sing song. This was ended when the umpires eventually called it a day at 12.20pm.
The rain continues to fall at Police Club Sports Club and the hardworking groundsmen have now retired to their huts, content that they have finally finished their work for the day. The staff here at were only given only 24 hours notice to prepare the wicket after plans to play at Moratuwa were hastily abandoned, due to the state funeral of the late Minister C.V. Gooneratne today.
The players are due to return tomorrow, but for what no-one is quite sure. If play is possible then the one days play would represent nothing more than a glorified net. There is a possibility of a one day match, but considering the overpowering frequency with which Pakistan play ODI's one doubts their enthusiasm for such a meaningless exercise.
The Sri Lanka players in the BCCSL side have now missed an opportunity to impress the selectors before tonight's selection meeting, which is expected to name Arjuna Ranatunga in the team for Sri Lanka's historic test match at the SSC on Wednesday.
Full postThree in a row as Gloucestershire take B&H Cup
Somewhere, W.G
Sean Beynon
10-Jun-2000
Somewhere, W.G. Grace is smiling. Gloucestershire have been transformed from a weak, unfashionable county to the premier force in one day cricket. The team famously described by the `elite' in the England side as `Minor Counties West,' are alive and kicking, very, very hard. The current Gloucester team boasts neither Jessop or W.G., nor Hammond or Walsh, but it was with a fantastic team effort from a spirited county that they crushed Glamorgan by seven wickets to lift the Benson and Hedges Cup.
The victory was Gloucestershire's third consecutive win in a Lord's showpiece final, an unprecedented feat. The west-country county beat Yorkshire in the Super Cup Final, and Somerset in the Natwest Final last year, the most successful in the club's history. Having sealed a win yesterday, they have won three of their five trophies in less than twelve months.
Few thought that it would be so easy yesterday. An estimated 11,000 Welshmen had journeyed to the capital to support Glamorgan. A groan went through the ranks of Gloucestershire supporters when the news came that Glamorgan had won the toss, choosing to bat. In the past few years, Gloucestershire have struggled to chase runs, preferring to unleash their seamers having scored a
mid-range total. Glamorgan too, have a propensity to collapse under pressure, so would have been delighted to secure first knock on a cracking looking pitch.
Robert Croft and Matthew Elliott opened up for Glamorgan, on a glorious sunny day, but soon both were back in the pavilion. Croft, batting obscenely out of his crease, trying to combat the seam of Ian Harvey, hit a leading edge, brilliantly caught by Jon Lewis at mid-off. An ecstatic Harvey picked up the wicket of his Victoria buddy Elliott, flattening the left-hander's leg stump. New man Mike Powell struggled initially, struck several times in the box and on the finger by Smith, who was mixing mediocrity with brilliance to provide an interesting cocktail.
Full postSomerset v Kent, Day 4
Kent skipper Matthew Fleming paid glowing tribute to Andrew Caddick after his side's two-wicket County Championship defeat by Somerset at Bath
09-Jun-2000
Kent skipper Matthew Fleming paid glowing tribute to Andrew Caddick after his side's two-wicket County Championship defeat by Somerset at Bath.
Fleming said: "I can't fault the way we played. We battled from start to finish and there were some good performances, but Caddick was the difference between the sides."
Not content with match figures of 10-97, the England pace bowler produced an equally valuable contribution with the bat after coming in with Somerset struggling on 152-8, needing a further 38 to win.
Caddick had the confidence to counter-attack, sweeping left-arm spinner Min Patel for a big six over mid-wicket, to give one final twist to a compelling match.
Full postThe Sussex Varsity Cricket Match
Sussex University overcame three over reducing rain breaks to ultimately triumph in this inaugural Varsity Cricket match at the Saffrons
Oxfam
09-Jun-2000
Sussex University overcame three over reducing rain breaks to ultimately triumph in this inaugural Varsity Cricket match at the Saffrons. Not helped by having their overs reduced on three separate occasions, Sussex were restricted early on by the combination of tight bowling from the impressive Matt Bibby and Dave Lester plus some athletic fielding from the infield.
Sussex University took a while to show their pedigree until Robert Crufts arrived at the crease. Crufts and skipper Awais Asif found the required momentum and the last 10 overs yielded 68 runs, however, it still looked a meagre total whilst Brighton's opening partnership of Geoff Raggett and Ben Hudson were at the crease.
At 86-0 off 17 overs, the game was apparently won, however, a hostile spell from Ollie Wills changed the game completely as he cleaned bowled both openers and sped through the defences of the middle order. Reduced to 106-7 in a mere seven overs the game was up save for some lusty blows from Bibby.
With Ollie Wills the unanimous choice as The Atlantis Man of The Match Award, the event sponsors handed over the trophy to Sussex's delighted captain Awais Asif. Once again the cricket was good the weather and crowds not.
Full post