Lancashire League: A team tour boost for Lancs League pair (6 Jun 1998)

6 June 1998

A team tour boost for Lancs League pair

Lancashire Evening Telegraph

EAST LANCASHIRE and Accrington will enjoy the services of their professionals for two weeks longer than had been expected after the Australians cancelled the English leg of this summer's A tour.

East Lancs all-rounder Brad Young and Accrington's Ryan Campbell were both named in the squad to take part in the tour which was originally scheduled to run from July 13 to August 30.

But practice sessions and matches against Durham, Kent and Sussex have been axed as a cost-cutting measure.

And the Australian squad will not now assemble in Scotland until Monday, July 27, making Young and Campbell available for two more Lancashire League games.

Young will also be free to play in East Lancashire's quarter-final of the Lancashire League and Central Lancashire League Knock-Out Cup before linking up with the 13-man squad for the now curtailed trip to Scotland and Ireland.

"It appears that there was some misunderstanding over the financing of the tour," explained Tim Lamb, the England and Wales Cricket Board's chief executive.

"The Australian Cricket Board (ACB) were under the impression that they would be receiving a greater contribution from the ICC Development Fund towards their touring costs than is in fact the case.

"I feel particular sympathy for Durham, Kent and Sussex, who were all looking forward to staging matches against the Australians, but unfortunately the matter was outside the ECB's control."

The Australian squad will be captained by Tasmanian opener Michael Di Venuto, who has recently broken into Australia's one-day side and may be included in their squad for next year's World Cup.

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