Medlycott lends Surrey support (23 Dec 1997)

23 December 1997

Medlycott lends Surrey support

By Nelson Clare

SURREY have appointed former slow left-armer Keith Medlycott as cricket manager in place of Australian David Gilbert, who left the club in October and joined Sussex. The 31-year-old, who masterminded Surrey's capture of the AON Risk Trophy in his one season in charge of the second team last season, has signed a three-year contract and takes up the post in April 1998.

For the past three years, he has also been coaching Northern Transvaal and led them to victory in the Standard Bank League last year - the first trophy of any kind for the province.

Medlycott played for Surrey from 1984 to 1992, was awarded his county cap in 1988 and toured the West Indies with England in 1990.

Graham Gooch has agreed to help Durham in a consultancy role, which is expected to include specialist batting coaching for the county who have accumulated the fewest batting points in each of the last two seasons.

Gooch, manager of the England A Team to tour Kenya and Sri Lanka in the coming three months, said: "I wish to help English cricket to be successful in every way I can. Durham have asked me for help and I look forward to spending some time with them on a regular basis organised around my England duties."

He is expected to team up with Durham in early April, when they have arranged two one-day friendlies against Essex, where Gooch played for 24 years before retiring in July.

Dick Spooner, the former England and Warwickshire wicketkeeper who played in seven Tests, has died in Torbay Hospital, aged 77.

A left-handed opener, he scored 1,767 runs and took 73 wickets when Warwickshire won the county championship in 1951.

Injured paceman Glenn McGrath was included yesterday in Australia's squad for the first Test against South Africa, starting on Friday. The strike bowler has been out of action since he tore a stomach muscle in a limited-overs match against New Zealand on Dec 7.

McGrath's name was added to the 12 who represented Australia in the final two Tests against New Zealand in November and December but his inclusion depends on a fitness test.

AUSTRALIA (v South Africa, 1st Test, Melbourne, Dec 26-30): *M A Taylor, S R Waugh, A J Bichel, G S Blewett, S H Cook, M T G Elliott, -I A Healy, M S Kasprowicz, G D McGrath, R T Ponting, P R Reiffel, S K Warne, M E Waugh.

India inflicted a rare defeat on Sri Lanka in a one-day international in Guwahati yesterday. Sri Lanka scored 172 for nine from their 45 overs then India reached their target in 37.5 overs.

Sachin Tendulkar shrugged off debate about his batting form and captaincy skills with an outstanding innings of 82 from only 86 balls. Then Mohammed Azharuddin joined his captain in a match-winning partnership of 79.

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