Lara the record holder returns to haunt Durham (17 April 1998)

17 April 1998

Lara the record holder returns to haunt Durham

By Charles Randall

THE Brian Lara show moved back into town yesterday, and the West Indian's return was all the more poignant in that Warwickshire's first championship opponents today are Durham at Edgbaston.

Lara arrived unexpectedly in Birmingham's chill from Trinidad yesterday as Warwickshire hastily reconvened a press conference for their new leader, having been under the impression he had missed his flight.

On June 6 four years ago at this ground against Durham, Lara completed his 501 not out, his sixth hundred for Warwickshire in seven innings and the highest first-class score in the world.

This time the only record the Trinidadian is likely to break is the number of sweaters he wears when he leads the bookmakers' favourites on to the field.

That 1994 pitch was reported by the umpires as being too good for batting - very unlikely this time around - and the fact that one Durham player, John Morris, recorded a double-hundred and four team-mates scored 60s is almost forgotten, though certainly not by David Graveney, the chairman of England's selectors, who scored one of them.

Durham have grown stronger since then, and a knee injury to Simon Brown has left Morris as the sole survivor of the drawn 1994 match. "We've progressed a lot with youngsters coming through and a great captain in David Boon," said Morris this week. "Lara could be in for a shock."

Dennis Amiss, Warwickshire's chief executive, said the players still talked about the 501 match, but he added: "There are no easy matches. Durham start with a clean slate and we've got to be focused."

Tim Munton, Warwickshire's England swing-bowler, will not be risked after injury, and Ashley Giles, the England A spinner, and Gladstone Small might not be fit. Ed Giddins makes his seam-bowling debut after his suspension for drug use and dismissal from Sussex in 1996.

There should be plenty of time for cricket quiz questions as rain threatens the weekend's play. So try this: Which two Gloucestershire players made their debut in last year's Ashes series, making identical scores - nought and four not out - and failing to take a wicket?

Mike Smith, with 78 championship wickets last season, springs to mind but it is easy to forget Shaun Young's call-up by Australia at the Oval. Another question could be how well Smith's accurate left-armers might have fared in the West Indies in the light of Angus Fraser's success.

Courtney Walsh has replaced Young at Gloucestershire this season, flying in from Jamaica on Wednesday before driving through snow to Bristol in time for the first of his testimonial dinners.

Glamorgan visit Bristol today to open the defence of their title without Waqar Younis, who is with Pakistan. But this could mean a championship debut for Simon Jones, son of Jeff, the former England fast-bowler.

Kent, Middlesex's opponents, are hesitating over Carl Hooper, who is not due to arrive at Gatwick from the Caribbean until 7.30am this morning. Mike Atherton plays his first match for Lancashire as a former England captain at Hove with John Crawley as captain in the absence of Wasim Akram.

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