Report

Minor Counties Championship Round Up

Lincolnshire were again frustrated by the weather when day two of their Minor Counties championship match with Northumberland at Sleaford was called off following heavy overnight rain

Mike Berry

01-Jun-2000

Lincolnshire were again frustrated by the weather when day two of their Minor Counties championship match with Northumberland at Sleaford was called off following heavy overnight rain.

Conditions at the London Road venue were already sodden following the weekend deluge that accounted for both days of the scheduled Bank Holiday fixture with Bedfordshire.

It means that Lincolnshire have now lost four of their opening six days in the championship this season, and skipper Mark Fell admitted: "It going to be very hard for us to now challenge for the title."

Sleaford: Northumberland 176-6 Lincs 178-4. Abandoned as a draw. Lincs 4, Northumberland 1

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Prince of Calcutta takes Dhaka by storm

After pouring rain stopped play in the India-Bangladesh encounter there were fears that rain might strike on the second day of the match as well and ruin things for the organisers

Anand Vasu

31-May-2000

After pouring rain stopped play in the India-Bangladesh encounter there were fears that rain might strike on the second day of the match as well and ruin things for the organisers. Fortunately, the rain stayed away and cricket lovers at the Bangabandhu Stadium were treated to generous doses of good batting. To start the day's proceedings, Akram Khan blasted an invaluable half century and took the hosts to 249 off their allotted 50 overs. Not to be left out of the action, Indian skipper Sourav Ganguly slammed an unbeaten 135 and took India to an easy eight wicket win in the Asia Cup at Dhaka on Tuesday.

Though they used eight bowlers in all, the Indians could not better yesterday's performance. Spinners and pacemen alike dished out a series of less than inspiring overs. Former captain Akram Khan who has promised much but not really made good his promise so far, used the long handle to good effect. The powerfully built middle order batsman clouted the ball all around the park. No bowler was spared.

After Agarkar and company were hit out of the attack, Ganguly brought himself on and did worse than the rest. He was welcomed into the attack by a firm thump over mid wicket and that was just the beginning. Striking the ball cleanly, Akram Khan took 20 runs off Ganguly in one over.

Kumaran was too short. Joshi too straight. Kumble too predictable. There wasn't a single thing for India to be proud of. After slamming 66 off just 52 balls, Akram Khan played one shot too many and was caught by debutant Hemang Badani off the bowling of Ajit Agarkar.

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Adams at his best

Tony Cozier

30-May-2000

St. John's - It was as close, tense and topsy-turvy as they come and it took a captain's innings of nerveless, single-minded determination, combined with a helping of necessary luck, to resolve it. Jimmy Adams, in his fifth Test at the helm of a team his leadership has revitalised, kept his head and his wicket through three-and-a-quarter hours of unrelenting pressure yesterday to guide the West Indies to victory over Pakistan by one wicket in the third and final Test.

Last man Courtney Walsh, unabashed holder of the record number of ducks in Test cricket but an old hand in such situations, stayed with Adams for an hour-and-a-quarter, surviving 24 balls to the delight of the cheering, flag-waving stands as the final 19 runs were eeked out in a match that remained in the balance throughout.

When they scampered the decisive run on Adams' bat-pad push into the covers off Wasim Akram half-an-hour after lunch, the captain raised his hands to the heavens, broke into a smile for the first time in the five-and-a-half hours he had been in the middle and, physically and emotionally drained by the effort, lay flat out on the grass.

Almost immediately he was smothered under a heap of his jubilant players, celebrating a triumph that clinched the threematch series 1-0 and kept intact the record of never losing a series in the Caribbean to Pakistan.

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Rain splits India-Bangladesh encounter

Exactly after half the Bangladesh innings was completed, torrential downpour stopped play in the Asia Cup match in Dhaka on Tuesday

Anand Vasu

30-May-2000

Exactly after half the Bangladesh innings was completed, torrential downpour stopped play in the Asia Cup match in Dhaka on Tuesday. Sheets and sheets of rain belted down at the Bangabandhu stadium, leaving the hosts stranded on 98/2. In no time it was obvious that there was no chance of play resuming. However for the sake of formalcy, the umpires inspected the conditions at 18.30 hours local time and called of play for the day. Although there was no mention of rain interrupted games being later continued in the rules of the tournament, that is what the Bangladesh Cricket Board has resorted to. Tomorrow, the players will take the field and attempt to complete this match. However, the severity of the rains will make it nigh on impossible for play to start on time.

Bangladesh won the toss and elected to bat first on a belter of a wicket. Indian captain Sourav Ganguly was not particularly worried. Going into the match with Ajit Agarkar, Thirunavukarasu Kumaran, Anil Kumble and Sunil Joshi at his disposal in the bowling department, Ganguly was in an attacking frame of mind. After the drubbing they received at the hands of the Lankans in the opening match of the tournament, the morale of the hosts cannot be very high.

Hemang Badani got his first break in international cricket because Ajay Jadeja was a bit under the weather. The youngster made a good 162 against Mumbai in the semifinals of the Ranji Trophy and has been rewarded sooner than anyone expected.

Agarkar opened the bowling with Kumaran and bowled with good pace. Kumaran too stretched himself and struck the first blow for India bowling the in form Javed Omar in just the fourth over of the day.

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ECB 38 County Round Up

Cumberland, last season's ECB 38-County Cup losing finalists, opened their Group Eight programme with a comfortable eight-wicket eclipse of the Lancashire Cricket Board at Keswick

Mike Berry

30-May-2000

Cumberland, last season's ECB 38-County Cup losing finalists, opened their Group Eight programme with a comfortable eight-wicket eclipse of the Lancashire Cricket Board at Keswick.

Lancashire Cricket Board were bowled out for 151 in 48.1 overs - David Pennett claiming three for 44 - and Cumberland then knocked off the runs in just 33, opener Steve Knox finishing on 75 not out. He faced 100 balls, hitting three sixes and eight fours.

Keswick: Lancs 151 Cumberland 157-2 (ST Knox 75 not) Cumberland won by 8 wickets

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Surrey humiliate Hampshire at The Oval

The day night match at The Oval started with a succession of firsts for Surrey this season, it was at home and on time, the darkness and 100% cloud cover were in keeping with the spirit of things and there was life in the pitch

Ed Green

30-May-2000

This was home, there was a nasty taste in the mouth from the weather and performance related problems of the last few weeks and messrs Bicknell and Tudor were in the mood to make somebody pay. The first four fast, straight overs produced three wickets and held a memory of the home sides great, though so far this year unrealised potential and a hope that given decent conditions and the change to adequately prepare their pitches Surrey's season may take off once again.

From the start it was nice to see proper cricket being played with Surrey deploying a slip cordon for their opening bowlers and the bowlers responding with good line and length. It wasn't until the sixth over that the first boundary of the Hampshire innings was scored - a splendid cover drive by Robin Smith. The skies brightened throughout the Hampshire innings, but although Smith, Warne and Extras attempted to make a game of it, Hampshire, in poor form were always struggling. Warne top scored, despite riding his luck early and surviving not being good enough to touch several deliveries from the intermittently excellent Ben Hollioake he struck several magnificent fours from him.

Stephenson, fifth out with the score on 38, was deeply disappointed to be given out caught behind.

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72-The magic number

29-May-2000

St. John's The third and final Test between West Indies and Pakistan is sitting on a knife's edge going into today's final day at the Antigua Recreation Ground. The West Indies are on 144 for four, 72 runs short of the victory target. Hopes rest with captain Jimmy Adams, who is on 15 not out, who with Wavell Hinds (63) turned the match in West Indies' favour.

With the first two matches drawn, the winner of today's contest will take the series.

Fast bowler Wasim Akram, who took six wickets in the first innings, has taken three wickets as Pakistan seek to win their first Test series in the Caribbean.

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