Quick but late

Not many bowlers over the past two decades can claim to have dismissed Sachin Tendulkar cheaply twice in a fortnight but Naved-ul-Hasan is an uncommon fellow. Making the Test grade at 26 is unusual for a new-ball bowler and Pakistan's Naved - Brian May to Shoaib Akhtar's Freddie Mercury - has lost no time making up for those lost years.

"He's an exceptional bloke," says Sussex's director of cricket Peter Moores. "Reminds me of when Phil Simmons was at Leicestershire - big, happy, enjoys life, helps everyone. He'd had four years in the Bradford League and I'd heard good reports. Very competitive, good outswinger, good slower ball, good bouncer. It's been lovely to watch a bloke who so obviously loves what he does. County cricket can be a grind at times so a couple of players like that can really lift people.

"But what did it for me were the stats: he takes his first-class wickets at around 23 and averages about the same with the bat. To find a player like that is unusual." Moores's understudy Mark Robinson will step up when the former becomes director of the ECB Academy at the season's end. Robinson will oversee all professional cricket. "The nice thing for Mark," says Moores discreetly, "is that another team is emerging."

Moment of the month Mushtaq Ahmed and Naved whipping out the last four for 22 on the final morning to claim 66-run win over the then Championship leaders Kent.