C Randall: Ramprakash's star is rising byte by byte (27 May 1998)

27 May 1998

Benson and Hedges Cup: Ramprakash's star is rising byte by byte

By Charles Randall

THE tall man with metal-rimmed glasses and bushy moustache, patiently tapping at a grey lap-top computer on a table every match day, has helped Middlesex metamorphose from last year's weakest limited-overs side into one of the strongest.

The megabyte has entered county thinking this season at Middlesex in time for today's Benson and Hedges Cup quarter-final against Essex at Lord's, and it could give Mark Ramprakash's career an upward shove.

John Buchanan, Middlesex's new coach from Queensland, has insisted that every ball bowled in Middlesex matches, for and against, is logged on a database, and he will be at his familiar post this morning, looking down the pitch with computer ready.

Essex have been opponents twice in one-day cricket already this season - two wins for Middlesex - and there should be scope for Buchanan's first meaningful analysis.

Software called Fair Play, written by another Australian, is being used for, as Buchanan put it, "a more informed package" in preparation for each game. "It doesn't guarantee anything, but hopefully, all things combined, it might give us a little advantage to exploit."

Last year, Middlesex won only five of their 24 one-day matches in Ramprakash's first season as captain. This summer, after losing the first match on a one-run difference in Kent, they have won eight in a row, a caterpillar to butterfly transformation.

Reaching a one-day final, Middlesex's first since 1989, can only bolster Ramprakash's standing as a prospective England captain, especially if more success follows and his own form remains prolific.

Ramaprakash ascribes improvement to better versatility among the players, more youth in the side, the big impact of wicketkeeper Keith Brown as a converted opener, and Buchanan's thorough style of preparation.

With Brown back after a hamstring injury, Middlesex hope to repeat their four-wicket win in the group match at Chelmsford three weeks ago when a notable all-round team effort settled the issue.

A computer print-out would confirm that Stuart Law has made a very mediocre start this year after two spectacular seasons at Essex. The Australian has scored only two fifties in 15 innings in all cricket, averaging under 20 in one-dayers. Last year at this stage, he had made seven fifties and a hundred, and his form the previous year produced four hundreds and a 93 - with eight more hundreds to come.

Across London, Adam Hollioake's quickest way to ease doubts about the England one-day captaincy will be for his Surrey team to retain the cup, though his opponents at the Oval today are Lancashire, the doughtiest of cup fighters. Surrey's AXA League form has been awful, but they should win today at the 50-overs game.

Wasim Akram is a doubt for Lancashire with a shoulder injury sustained in the championship match with Essex at Chelmsford. Although he refuses to rule himself out until consulting a London specialist, John Crawley stands by to take over as captain.

Kent, last year's finalists, are expected to steam-roll Leicestershire, who could be without the injured Chris Lewis, while David Millns has spent time in hospital with an ear infection.

Yorkshire's championship form might have wobbled, but their one-day season has acquired impressive momentum. Among their eight wins in a row was a group success over Durham, their opponents at Headingley today who are lifted by the return of their captain, David Boon, from a broken toe.

Source :: Electronic Telegraph (https://www.telegraph.co.uk)