Gough for cup clash (24 July 1999)

24 July 1999

Gough for cup clash

Lancashire Evening Telegraph

Darren Gough is definitely out of Wednesday's Roses showdown in the NatWest Trophy quarter final at Old Trafford.

The England paceman is still waiting for the results of another scan on his calf injury but Yorkshire have already ruled him out of the game against Lancashire and also next Saturday's Benson and Hedges Super Cup final against Gloucestershire.

He could be replaced by Paul Hutchison, Yorkshire's talented left arm paceman who makes his first appearance since suffering a back injury in the CGU National League game against Kent at Scarborough today.

Meanwhile Lancashire chief executive Jim Cumbes has shrugged off suggestions that the game may have to be switched after Yorkshire asked the Lord's pitch inspector Harry Brind to take a look at the Old Trafford square this week.

Brind is expected at Old Trafford on Monday, but Cumbes said: "He would have been coming anyway to look at the Test pitch. It doesn't make any difference, we're playing on it. There isn't another one prepared. "But I'm sure it will be fine. It's the pitch we used for Australia versus West Indies game in the World Cup. It was relaid two years ago and although it still isn't up to full pace yet, it won't be anything like some of the wickets we've had at Old Trafford this year - slow and low and even turning.

"Those problems are simply because the square is worn out. Our groundsman Peter Marron had similar problems in the early 80s but nobody made a fuss then. The problem is basically that it's the smallest square in the country with only 13 wickets, and of those only a narrow band can be used for TV games."

Wednesday's game will be shown by Channel 4 and with the Test Match and a floodlit National League game against Yorkshire to be televised next month, Cumbes estimates that the ground will have staged 11 televised matches this season.

Source :: Lancashire Evening Telegraph (https://www.reednews.co.uk/let/)