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Shane Warne announced his voluntary withdrawal from any official training until the end of his 12-month ban in February, saying that he did not want to “place any team-mates or anyone else in an awkward position”.The Australian Sports Commission (ASC) recently told Cricket Australia that it was unacceptable for Warne to train at any level of the game, including club cricket, under the Australian board’s anti-drug policy. Warne is serving his ban after testing positive for a banned diuretic just before the World Cup earlier this year.”I think it’s ridiculous that six months after the event to now say Ican’t train. [It] just seems there are too many agendas with too many people,”Warne said, reading from a statement. “I have come to the decision that I am going to remove myself from all official training.”He continued: “I will continue to work on my fitness and my cricket skills by myself and with some friends. I know I still have a lot to offer cricket; at what level that is, is out of my control. All I can do is to present myself in the best possible way and hope that the powers that be will enjoy my return [to cricket].”Anticipating queries on a raunchy text-message issue involving a South African woman, Warne refused to take any questions from the media at the Crown Casino in Melbourne, where he held the press conference. He began his address by saying that any allegations concerning his private life would remain private.Over two weeks ago Helen Cohen Alon, a South African mother of three, accused Warne of sending her lewd text messages. Since then, a Melbourne stripper has also approached the media with allegations of an affair with Warne.Despite the controversy, Warne has received some support from various quarters. His wife Simone has said that she will “stand by my husband 100%. I always have and will continue to, especially through this unnecessary heartache. Certain individuals are trying to destroy our family. This will not happen.”Merv Hughes, a former Test team-mate, said that Warne was adversely affected by events. “I saw him a couple of days ago and he’s not the Shane Warne that you know, he’s really flat and it just seems to have really gotten hold of him,” said Hughes. “Shane Warne is a close friend of mine and you’ve got to feel for him with what he’s going through. It would be great if they came out and said ‘Yeah, Shane can train and prepare himself’, because he is going to be the first Australian cricketer to take 500 Test wickets.”

May 9 down the years1977
The day the world’s top cricketers turned pirate. That was the headline when the Australian TV magnate Kerry Packer’s plans for World Series Cricket were leaked. John Arlott called it “a circus”; EW Swanton ended his friendship with the England captain Tony Greig, Packer’s most significant signing and the man who persuaded a legion of stars to sign up, including Viv and Barry Richards and Dennis Lillee. In the end, World Series Cricket only went on for 17 months before Packer got his wish – the broadcast right for Test cricket in Australia – but the legacy lives on. Coloured clothing and floodlights revolutionised the game, and without Packer, one-day cricket as we know it today would not exist.1932
One of West Indies’ finest openers is born. Conrad Hunte was a fluid, silky batsman, especially off his legs – although he cut out many of the shots at the highest level -and got his Test career off to a storming start. He made 142 on his debut, against Pakistan in Barbados in 1957-58, and added two more hundreds in his next three Tests. That included a mighty 260 in Jamaica, when he and Garry Sobers added 446 and Sobers went on to make 365 not out. Hunte, a dignified and popular character, was crucial to West Indies’ success: he averaged 51 when they won, 27 when they lost. And to average over 45 throughout his career while opening the innings is impressive at the best of times; even more so given that Hunte had no regular opening partner. He later became an ICC match referee, and was knighted shortly before he died, of a heart attack while playing tennis, in Sydney in 1999.1959
A late bloomer is born. Andrew Jones’s unorthodox batsmanship was not seen in the Test arena until he had almost turned 28, when he made his New Zealand debut against Sri Lanka in Colombo in 1986-87. Jones was a purist’s nightmare, but you can’t argue with an average of 44, particularly in a side that won only six of his 39 Tests. Jones loved a scrap, and was ruthless when set: five of his seven hundreds – all of which came in drawn Tests – were in excess of 140. That included his Test-best 186 against Sri Lanka at Wellington in 1990-91, when he and Martin Crowe added 467, at the time a Test record for any wicket.1934
Having started Australia’s tour of England with scores of 206 and 65, Don Bradman met his match when he was bowled for 0 – against Cambridge University. The bowler was offspinner Jack Davies, who went on to have a decent career with Kent and was later president of MCC. For such an unbelievably brilliant batsman, Bradman could be a nervous starter: every one in ten of his Test dismissals was for a duck. For bowlers, the problem was when he got in: Bradman scored an amazing 29 centuries in only 80 Test innings.1907
Birth of the man who led West Indies to their first series victory. Jackie Grant’s last series as a Test player was in 1934-35, when his side famously and surprisingly beat England 2-1 in the Caribbean. Grant, who studied at Cambridge University, was a gutsy batsman and a brilliant fielder. He made 53 and 71 (both not out) on his debut against Australia, at Adelaide in 1930-31, but managed only one other fifty after that. His brother Rolph also captained West Indies. Jackie died in Cambridge in 1978.1901
Birth of the Lancashire and England wicketkeeper George Duckworth, who played 24 Tests between 1924 and 1936. He was best known for his extremely vocal style of appealing, and his dexterous keeping. In an era when wicketkeepers were not expected to deliver with the bat, more often than not Duckworth came in at No. 11. He died in Warrington in 1966.1943
Fourteen Tests for the Jamaican Maurice Foster, who was born today, but West Indies won only one of them, at Lord’s in 1973. Foster was a dogged batsman who never really got going at Test level, though he did make his only Test century on his home ground, against Australia in 1972-73. His flat offspinners were successful at first-class level, less so in Tests, as a strike rate of a wicket every 197 balls testifies.1959
Birth of the man who bowled Sri Lanka’s first ball in Tests. With his brisk outswingers, Ashantha de Mel toiled manfully in his country’s early years, but it was a pretty thankless task: they won only two of the 17 matches he played in. He had a hand in both of those, though, with five wickets against India in Colombo in 1985-86 and six more against Pakistan the same season.Other birthdays1907 Tom Killick (England)
1960 Iain Butchart (Zimbabwe)
1971 Roydon Hayes (New Zealand)

When Steve Waugh takes the field in Guyana for the first Test match of theAustralia-West Indies series, he will eclipse Allan Border and become the most capped player inthe history of the game.It is a remarkable achievement and testimony toWaugh’s endurance and durability.To play international cricket for 17 yearsmeans not only that you are incredibly talented over a vast stretch of timebut that you are also very lucky regarding injuries.Waugh made his debut against India aged 19 years and six months scoring13 and five. It was not until his 27th Test, against England, thathe posted his first century.After beginning his career as a bit of a dasher, Waugh restrained himselfand became a run accumulator. Many a time he was the backbone of theAustralian innings, especially when they were in trouble.One of Waugh’s most memorable knocks was quite apt as it was Brad Hogg’sone and only Test match, to date. After making aduck in the first innings, Waugh wanted to make amends in the second.Australia faced a 179-run deficit on the first innings and were four for 78 in thesecond when he strode to the crease.In four and a half hours, he fought andscrapped his way to an unbeaten 67 from 221 balls with just five fours. Hewatched six partners fall at the other end as he dug in tooth and nail forAustralia. In the oppressive heat and stifling humidity, Waugh had tosingle-handedly take on an Anil Kumble who was on top of his game.Waugh has been repeatedly knocked down but he has got to his feet and risenevery time. For 19 months; from April 1991 to November 1992 he was out ofthe Test team. Sounds like a long time but in reality it was just nineTests.He has also missed Tests through injury but for the better part of the last12 years, Waugh has been the heart and soul of the team, inspiring his teammates, wanting them to be better cricketers.With the bat, Waugh sits in the lower middle-order and is often the link betweenthe top and bottom halves of the batting line-up. Waugh has scored a record5997 runs batting at No 5 at 54.52 whilst he has compiled an equallyimpressive 3034 runs at 49.74 in the No 6 spot.His fielding in the gully-point-cover region is superb. Sadly,he has not done as much bowling in recent times but he has compensated forthat by being captain.Waugh cares about the heritage of the game. The culture and tradition of it.Under him, players are made to appreciate what number Test cricketer theyare for their country. They’re made to acknowledge the deeds of those whohave gone before them.For Waugh, this may be an incredible milestone and one which he will reflecton once he finally hangs up his whites but for the moment he will betreating it like every one of his 156 other Test matches – doing his darnedestto win it for Australia.

An unbeaten 61-run partnership for the last wicket between Ravi Kumar and Manjunath saw Karnataka record an unexpected one-wicket win over Gujarat.In the morning, Gujarat, after being put in by Karnataka, made 198 before being all out. As many as 50 of these runs came off no-balls and wides. Among the batsmen, opener MR Tripath, who made 32, and AM Gohel, who made 23, were the major contributors. As many as four batsmen being run-out though saw Gujarat being dismissed by the end of the 31st over.When Karnataka replied, S Nayak, who made 46, shepherded the innings. But his fall, when the score read 138 for nine, seemed to have sealed his team’s fate. But Ravi Kumar and Manjunath had other ideas and their magnificent stand saw their team eke out a thrilling one-wicket win. Wides and no-balls were again prolific contributors adding as many as 49 runs to the score.In the other match of the day, played at the Southern Railway Ground, Chennai, Delhi proved too formidable for the men from Bengal. The latter chasing 325 for a win fell short by 62 runs.Batting first, Delhi aided by a 93 from opener M Singh and a 59 from captain RK Sharma piled on 324 runs in their innings. Despite fifties from A Mondal and T Maity, East could only make 262 in reply.

SYDNEY, March 8 AAP – New South Wales will go into next week’s Pura Cup final with the psychological edge over Queensland after crushing the defending champion by 241 runs at the Sydney Cricket Ground today.Man of the match Stuart MacGill, who took the new ball in Queensland’s second innings and finished with 4-76, said the experienced Blues line-up was set to win its first final in nearly decade after bowling out Queensland for 190 and 148.The Blues didn’t bat so well themselves in the first innings, making an abysmal 102, but they corrected that with a second innings of 8(dec)-477 with Steve Waugh (138) and Michael Clarke (120) making masterful centuries.MacGill, who took nine wickets for the match, set up the win when he opened the bowling and took four wickets in the session from lunch to tea to spin Queensland out of the contest.He said the experienced Blues – with Test players like the Waugh brothers, himself and Michael Slater – would take an edge to the Gabba next week.”Queensland’s been a very good team for the past five years (but) I guess the edge we have the moment is experience – there’s a lot of inexperienced players in the Queensland side because they have so many representatives in the national set up.”MacGill was expecting a Gabba pitch which wouldn’t suit him as much as the SCG but said Queensland’s inability against the turning ball would still be a factor.”It would be silly to write these blokes off as far as spin goes – they’re just learning that’s all.”Blues captain Steve Waugh decided to give MacGill the new ball when he saw Clinton Perren – a known MacGill bunny – coming in to open the batting.”When they changed their batting order by opening with Perren – a move to get him away from the spinners – I thought I’d put the pressure back on them straight away,” Waugh said.Perren was the first to go and he went with a child-like send-off from MacGill, who put his hands to his cheeks and wiggled his fingers while pulling a face.MacGill said it was just a tactic to let his long-time friend know who was boss.”I’ve dismissed Clint a number of times now and sometimes players let their minds get involved … and while I’m on top I want to stay there.”I didn’t swear at him. I don’t think saying boo to somebody qualifies as anything too nasty.”Clint and I have been friends for a number of years and we’ve been having a friendly rivalry for years – I don’t know if there’s anything significant there but if there is I want to be the one on top.”Queensland, while inexperienced, will go into the final with its bowling stocks replenished.Captain Martin Love said the injured pair of Joe Dawes and Adam Dale were “definite” starters next week but that all-rounder Lee Carseldine was in doubt after hurting his back taking a catch in this match.The defending champion will also be sweating on the health of Stuart Law, who has a bruised wrist which kept him out of this match.Love said the conditions in Brisbane would be a major factor in his side’s favour in the final.”Next week will be different – we’re playing at the Gabba not the SCG and it’s going to be a completely different game.”

Umpire Tony Hill will stand in his first Test match when joining South African David Orchard in controlling the first Test against Bangladesh in Hamilton starting on December 18.Hill, who has twice been a third umpire in Test matches, has stood in seven One-Day Internationals.The third umpire in Hamilton will be Doug Cowie.In the second Bangladesh Test starting in Wellington on Boxing Day, Brent Bowden will stand in his second Test with Australian umpire Daryl Harper. The third umpire for that game will be Dave Quested.The International Cricket Council match referee for the series is Australian Barry Jarman.

FULL NAME: Mark Andrew Vermeulen
BORN: 2 March 1979, at Harare
MAJOR TEAMS: Mashonaland (1997/98); CFX Academy (1998/99), Matabeleland(1999/2000 to date). Present club side: MacDonald Club (Bulawayo)
KNOWN AS: Mark Vermeulen
BATTING STYLE: Right Hand Bat
BOWLING STYLE: Off Break Bowler
OCCUPATION: Professional cricketer
FIRST-CLASS DEBUT: Mashonaland A v Matabeleland, at Bulawayo AthleticClub, 23-25 October 1997
TEST DEBUT: Still awaited
ODI DEBUT: 21 October 2000, v Sri Lanka, at Sharjah
BIOGRAPHY (updated January 2002)Mark Vermeulen, former Zimbabwe Under-19 captain, is generally regarded as one of Zimbabwe’s most promising young batsmen. At present he still needs consistency and a tightening of his technique, but he has shown himself as a man who can take responsibility in a crisis and build big hundreds.Unusually for a white Zimbabwean player, Mark has little family background in cricket, although he does have an uncle on his mother’s side who is involved in administration in Matabeleland. Coming from an affluent family, though, he has been able to overcome this problem with enough money to help him along financially, attending sound cricketing schools and by his own application and determination.Mark was a regular but not a particularly dedicated player until, he says, he was in Form Two at high school, when in the first game of the season he scored a century for the first time, and this was the turning point in his life. From then on, he has never wanted to follow any other career but one in cricket. "It became like a disease that caught me and never wanted to let go," he smiles.He first played the game at St John’s Preparatory School in Harare, getting into the school colts team at the age of about ten. He started as a wicket-keeper, taking over in his second match after the regular keeper had a poor match, and also opening the batting. In his next two years, in the school first team, he began to bowl off-spin as well. Strangely he does not remember playing cricket before then at home like most young Zimbabwean white players do; he played a bit of tennis, but when he became keen on cricket he turned the family tennis court into an indoor cricket centre, complete with a bowling machine.He did well enough in the school team to be selected for the Harare Schools team in the primary schools cricket week, scoring a number of forties but getting no further due to the limited-over nature of the matches, and taking wickets in every match. In one game against Springvale School near Marondera, he took seven wickets for 11 runs, which remains the best bowling performance of his career. He did well enough to be selected for the national Under-13 team, the Partridges, mainly as an off-spinner, although he opened the batting as well.When he went to Prince Edward High School he began keeping wicket again, and was appointed captain of the side as well. "Those first three years were really brilliant, captaining the side. It was fun and the team spirit was excellent at Prince Edward," he said. "The black guys there really enjoy their cricket and the facilities are all there, and I think the headmaster Clive Barnes is fantastic." He admits that they had a good team, losing only about three matches in three years, and including players like David Mutendera.In Form Two there came that match against Lomagundi School when he scored 127 not out, opening the batting, which changed his direction in life. He usually opened at high school, which he still likes to do in one-day cricket, but prefers number three in the longer matches. When he went into the first team in Form Four, they already had a wicket-keeper so Mark started bowling again. His batting still dominated, though, as he scored a century in his fourth match, the first century for the school first team for about five years. His time in the first team also included a school tour to England, when he averaged 45.In 1996 Mark was involved in an unhappy incident that could have had a serious effect on his future career. He returned from the tour to England to find his reputation had gone ahead of him and that the word had gone round other schools that they had to get Mark Vermeulen out quickly if they wanted to win the game. He felt that some of the masters of opposing teams were unfairly giving him out as the opposition’s leading batsman, and on this occasion he got a big bottom edge from his bat on to his pad, yet was given out lbw. Something snapped; he felt he had again been cheated out and he pulled all the stumps out of the ground as he stormed off to the pavilion.This was an uncharacteristic lapse, as Mark is normally philosophical and able to handle his dismissals and failures, but it had serious repercussions. He was suspended from school and dropped from the Mashonaland Schools team. Fortunately he had a strong supporter in Mr Bill Flower, father of Test players Andy and Grant. When nobody else would support Mark, Bill took it upon himself to speak in Mark’s favour to the people involved and earned him another chance the following year.Mark feels that Bill has had a greater influence on his career than any other individual. "I owe a lot of respect to Mr Flower," he says. "He’s come round to my house and given me private lessons. He’s really been a fantastic man for the psychological as well as technique, and he’s been a great help to my game."Mark had a run of bad form that resulted in his failing to gain selection for the national Under-15 team, but regained his place for the national schools side. He spent two years in that team, as captain in his final year, and three years in the national Under-19 team, the final two as captain, which included the Under-19 World Cup in South Africa. During that time he toured England in 1997, when his opponents included Ben Hollioake, and scored 50 in the first unofficial Test at Edgbaston and 134 in the second at Northampton.The following season he led the Zimbabwe team to the Under-19 World Cup, when they were placed in the only group of four to contain three Test-playing nations, West Indies and Australia also being in the group. They lost to Australia, Mark scoring a dashing 69, but beat Papua-New Guinea, with Mark scoring 112 off 84 balls. Then came the crucial match against the West Indies, with the winner to go through to the Super League. After a flying start chasing 235 to win, Mark scored 63 to help his team to a five-wicket victory with about five overs to spare, and this he names as the greatest moment of his career to date. This made him the leading run-scorer in the preliminary round of the competition. Unfortunately Zimbabwe lost all their Super League matches due to the failure of the top-order batsmen, including Mark.Mark first started playing club cricket at the age of 14, obliged to join Old Hararians as he was a Prince Edward pupil. He continued there until the incident with the umpire, when the club said they had to back the school and refused to play him any longer. He moved to Old Georgians for two seasons, playing mainly for the second team with only an occasional first-team game as they had a very strong batting side. He made some big centuries for the second team, but when he turned 18 he decided to move again to Harare Sports Club where there was a vacancy for an opening batsman.He played his first match for the Sports Club third team, but John Traicos, who had already been giving him some coaching, saw him playing and was so impressed that he had him promoted to the first team for the next match. He began batting at six or seven, though, but the following season they gave him a chance as opener against Old Georgians, when he scored 107 and became a fixture there.After leaving school Mark was not interested in following any career apart from cricket. He has been over to England to play club cricket each year, although he was available for only half of the 2000 season as the Zimbabwe A tour of Sri Lanka cut across the English season.In 1997 his English experience came with the national Under-19 team, and the following year he played for Alderley Edge in Cheshire, a wealthy club, and in 1999 for Betley in the North Staffordshire league. He became the first club professional to score 1000 runs in a season for them.In 1999 he had a year at the Zimbabwe Cricket Academy, and for 2000 and 2001 was posted, as part of his three-year contract, to Matabeleland, where he plays and coaches, staying with an uncle. His Under-19 captaincy experience stood him in good stead, as he was immediately appointed captain of a young Matabeleland Logan Cup team. He has also played for the Zimbabwe B team, but he acknowledges the debt he owes to his parents for their support throughout his career, including financial.Mark intends to make cricket his permanent career, and even when he eventually finishes playing wants to go into coaching or administration; he does not visualize himself as a person who can do an office job or sit behind a desk all day. He realizes that to have an international career behind him would be a great help."With sport these days there are no short cuts," Mark says. "You have to put in a lot of effort and a lot of work if you want to get to the top level, and that’s basically what I’ve been trying to do for the last three or four years that I’ve been out of school."Playing for the Zimbabwe Board XI against Border in the UCBSA Bowl competition during the 1999/2000 season he scored 143, batting at number three, in his first Board match of the season. He had suffered a poor start to the club season, apart from an 84 against Queens, an attack that included Heath Streak, Henry Olonga and Pommie Mbangwa. Then came a two-month period when league cricket in Harare almost came to a standstill because of visiting international teams, and he lost momentum. He was therefore overlooked for the Board XI, but had a lucky break when injuries to others and national call-ups led to the selectors recalling him. He is a player who needs to play regularly to maintain his best form, and finds that difficult with only one league match every weekend during the Zimbabwe season.Mark’s highest career score is 197, scored out of a total of 292 for Matabeleland against Midlands during 1999/2000. This was not only his maiden first-class century; it was worth 67.46 per cent of his team’s total, a record for cricket in Zimbabwe. In a weak team, though, a second-innings failure led to a narrow defeat. In the four-match programme he scored 438 runs for Matabeleland at an average of 62.57, finishing with an unbeaten 103 in the drawn match against the Academy.Selected for the Zimbabwe A tour to Sri Lanka, Mark began superbly, with 152 in the opening first-class match against a Sri Lankan Board XI. His tour was interrupted by injury, though, and he did not each fifty again. After the tour he went to England again, to play for Benwall and Wallbottle in Newcastle during the second half of the season. Despite his restricted season, only one player in that league scored more than his 720 runs at an average of 60, and he scored four centuries.He returned to play against New Zealand in a warm-up match, without success, but was selected to go to Sharjah with the national team. He probably only played in the first match, against Sri Lanka, because Alistair Campbell had been suspended, and he admits that his 22 as an opener was too slow for one-day cricket. He has not been selected for the national team again, but has been a regular for the Zimbabwe Board XI, scoring a century against North West opening the batting. In the one-day matches he scored 57 against Border.He feels he is batting better in one-day cricket now, generally at number three or four. He scored only his second first-league century, 125 off 124 balls for his new club MacDonald Club in Bulawayo against Alexandra Sports Club, four or five years after his first. In the Logan Cup he recorded another big century, 180 against Midlands again. He enjoyed his time in Bulawayo but returned to his parents’ home in Harare after his contract with Matabeleland expired at the end of 2001, where he has all the facilities he needs to work at his game. He played in England again during 2001 with success, scoring over 1000 runs at an average of 60 in 17 matches, including three hundreds. This time he was playing for Fordhouses, just outside Wolverhampton, in the Birmingham League.He returned to Zimbabwe and enjoyed mixed fortunes. He scored 120 for the Zimbabwe Board XI against North West in the one-day match and did reasonably well on the Zimbabwe A tour of Kwekwe, while being disappointed not to turn several fifties into big centuries. He suffered a run of poor umpiring decisions, though, which frustrated him. His usual policy has been to walk when he knows he is out, believing the umpires will respect his reputation, but gave it up for a while, only to find out that he got even more bad decisions then. He has now decided to walk again."Basically all I want to do is to play for my country," he says. "That has been my goal since I was ten or twelve years old. I’m just going to look to keep nice and fit, and keep getting scores on the board so the selectors recognize me. That’s the only way to do it and it’s the right way to select teams: if you perform on the field, you get picked."Mark is basically an attacking batsman who likes to get on with the game, although at first-class level he is still finding his way. Despite being over six foot tall, he plays more off the back than the front foot and prefers bowling short of a length. The hook, pull and cut are his most profitable strokes, but he can also drive off either foot. He likes to dominate the bowling: "I think if you go out there to bat and you’re not going to dominate the bowling you might as well stay in the pavilion. You have to go out there and show who’s the boss."He is also a man for big scores and is bitterly disappointed when he fails to turn fifties into hundreds. "Anything between 50 and 99 I don’t like at all," he says. "My belief is that once you get past 50 you have to carry it on to 100. Most of my first-class centuries have been over 150." He prefers to hit boundaries and in Matabeleland has a reputation for his dislike of running between wickets. However, he has realized his need to rotate the strike more, especially in difficult conditions, and will be working on that aspect of his game.In the field Mark is a specialist slip fielder, preferring the first slip position. He began his 1999 season fielding in the covers, but in about the fifth week his team needed one wicket to win and two overs left and he was brought in to third slip. The batsman snicked a ball that Mark could see would fall short of second slip, so he dived across and caught it just off the ground. After that he became a regular at first slip for them.*** Toughest opponents: "I’ve played against the Aussies and I found Glenn McGrath was pretty tricky! He gets it nice and straight and nips it both ways, so you can’t really leave it because he can nip it back and trap you lbw or bowled, so you have to play a shot. He also has one that goes the other way, so you’re always in danger of edging it to the slips. He gets it to the right area so you can’t really get on the front foot and drive, and it’s not short enough to hook or cut. To me he’s been the toughest bowler I’ve faced so far in my career. The only way to counteract him is to use your feet, and in Test cricket you can’t really do that against a bowler of his pace. In one-day cricket you can get away with it because he can’t bowl bouncers."I’ve also faced Brett Lee, but he’s very much a two-length bowler, either a bouncer or a yorker. Because he has genuine pace you’re going to struggle to play the pull shot, so you just have to play with a straight bat and get your ones and twos, and when he tries the yorker you can drive."*** Best friends in cricket: Doug Marillier and Neil Ferreira. "We get along very well, different characters all three so we make a good combination when we get together. We have a lot of fun together when we go out, and we were all at the Academy together last year. We enjoy playing ten-pin bowling and a bit of golf here and there. I think that’s probably why they sent us to three different provinces this year!"*** Immediate ambitions: "To do very well in this Logan Cup. I have to work hard and try to get myself a maiden first-class century, and then off to Sri Lanka for six weeks starting in the middle of April. Hopefully they will give me a chance in the side, because since I made that 143 they haven’t actually played me. It’s four-day cricket, so there are opportunities not only to get hundreds but to get double-hundreds."*** Views on cricket: "I’m trying to push in Zimbabwe, trying to make Logan Cup cricket four-day cricket as well; in three-day cricket you’re really struggling to get a result, unless you do what our two sides have done [in the Matabeleland-Manicaland match] and get both sides bowled out in one day. If you make first-class cricket over four days, as it should be and as it is in most countries round the world, then you give batsmen the chance to get not only hundreds but double-hundreds. It also gives the bowlers the opportunity to bowl to a player without having to rush to bowl teams out."Also we have got to play each other home and away. Playing each team once is not quite enough. That gives you ten first-class games in a season, and with a final eleven. This is the only place you learn, because in club cricket, the one-day game, anyone on their day can pull off something special, whereas out here it’s a lot tougher, fields are set to good bowling, and if you bowl well you get wickets and if you bat well and work hard you score runs."You can’t believe how much Logan Cup has improved from last year (1999/2000) to this year. Last year when I played for Matabeleland there were two guys, myself and Dion Ebrahim, who were fulltime cricketers. This year there are only two or three who are not on ZCU contracts. Already in one year it has improved, quadrupled the number of fulltime cricketers. Next year, when all the present Academy players go to different provinces, every single player in every province will be a fulltime player, so there’s no excuse next season for there not to be four-day cricket, home and away, ten games of four-day cricket."I think we need to get more cricket being played in Zimbabwe. When I go over to England and play in a league, and there are 300 leagues in England, there are 26 league games in one season and 12 cup games, 36 to 38 cricket matches. I counted how many league fixtures there are in Zimbabwe this season and there are only 17 in six months, which is not really good enough. I’m trying to get into the national side, and playing only four or five first-class matches a year makes it difficult."All I hope for Zimbabwe cricket is that the people keep coming and supporting us. Whenever I go out there, I’m going out with 100 per cent commitment and I’m just looking to play my best. All we need is a bit of support and I’m sure things will go right. We need to work hard, especially at the highest level of international cricket. We’ve got everything going for us – beautiful weather and conditions. I think Zimbabwe is a great country and we just need the people to believe in us."We need more publicity about domestic cricket. That’s one thing that’s lacking. I’m sure that if more people knew about the Logan Cup more people would come. But there is not much said and it’s not publicized properly."The good thing about the Logan Cup this year is that you are playing with the national players and after the game you can have chats with them and they can help you a hell of a lot. Basically cricket, and most sports, is learning, and the only way you can learn is out in the middle. That’s why more of these games would make up-and-coming players better, because you have national bowlers who will figure you out, and after the game they will say, `Hey, you should have rotated the strike’ or `You could have left those balls outside off stump’ and all those little things. You store them in your mind and that’s how you become a much better cricketer."*** Most difficult opponents played so far: "Glenn McGrath as a quick bowler is very difficult. He gets very close to the stumps, making you play the ball all the time, and he seams it both ways. Not very often does he bowl you a bad ball; it’s always on a good length, no half-volleys, and he’ll bowl you the odd short one at pace. I think he’s been the most difficult bowler to face."The quickest bowler for me has been Brett Lee, who came here for the Australian Academy. We played them at Alexandra Sports Club, and he showed in the recent World Series that he’s actually the quickest bowler in the world. As a spinner I didn’t get to face Shane Warne when they came, but I did face Anil Kumble two seasons ago, and I feel that he’s the best spinner I’ve faced."*** Other sports played: "I play the odd round of golf if I get the opportunity; I might knock a tennis ball around, but really it’s 100% cricket. I work on fitness and strength at the gym every morning, usually, practise for a couple of hours a day and then coach in the afternoon, as I’ve been doing in Bulawayo this year."I used to throw the javelin at school; I was the national javelin champion at Under-15 level, and my older brother also throws the javelin, so it’s been in my family. My dad still holds the record at Falcon College. I played rugby at junior school for the first team, but once I went to senior school I only played it to make up time in the winter season. From Form Two it was just cricket."*** Interests outside cricket: "I enjoy most ball sports; I like to hit a golf ball. That feel of hitting a ball sweetly is why I enjoy cricket so much, hitting it off the middle of the bat, the timing of the ball. I study cricket, watching the greats such as Sachin Tendulkar, Brian Lara on video; I can just sit and watch them all day long, even if they’re blocking the ball – there’s so much class and style, it’s fantastic to watch. That’s what I spend a lot of my time doing, studying the great players, trying to make myself a better cricketer.”

Hampshire return to Frizzell Championship action after two weeks of Twenty20 games, and retain the same team that narrowly failed to defeat Durham.The University boys, Chris Adams and John Francis (Loughborough) and James Tomlinson (Cardiff) return to the club next Monday, so pressure during the forthcoming Gloucestershire 4-day match starting this Fri 27th June (11.00am), will be on a number of the present team to perform.Hampshire who are languishing at the bottom of the Frizzell Division II table, albeit falsely following dreadful weather, will be keen to get off the mark with a victory.Shaun Udal who was left out of Tuesday’s Twenty20 match as a precaution over his shoulder problem, is fit.Hampshire team: Derek Kenway, John Crawley (captain), Simon Katich, Robin Smith, Will Kendall, Nic Pothas (wicket-keeper), Dimitri Mascarenhas, Wasim Akram, Shaun Udal, Alan Mullally, Ed Giddins.

Robbie Lawson, unwanted by Otago in its initial selection for the State Shield, made the most of his call-up when his 80 spearheaded a batting assault that allowed the side its first win in eight matches.That the 45-run victory achieved was over old rival Canterbury, at Christchurch’s Jade Stadium, was all the more satisfying.It was an important win in terms of the overall Otago season because it had won nothing before today although it had been in some competitive positions in the State Championship four-day competition and lost its first Shield game by only three runs.It was due for a win, and once getting away to a terrific start with an opening stand of 84 runs in 13 overs, it was always going to be calling the tune on a good pitch on the revamped Jade Stadium.Lawson played the steadying hand from the outset for Otago, and his role when hard-hitting opener Andrew Hore was out for 55, was to assume the main scoring thrust. Once past his 50 off 77 balls, Lawson hit out and acknowledged afterward that he was looking for a century, and beyond, with the amount of time he had available.However, he admitted that he started looking too far ahead and that was his downfall. He was out for 80, bowled off an inside edge and off his pads by off spinner Paul Wiseman, three runs short of his highest score in one-day matches.There was a period in the Otago innings when it seemed they had lost their way. Lawson had shared a 94-run partnership with Craig Pryor who was promoted to No 5.Lawson’s replacement at the crease Jordan Sheed, a member of New Zealand team for the ICC Under-19 World Cup, took 26 balls to get off the mark. And in his haste to get a run, Pryor was run out for 45 off 48 balls.In a tighter game that loss could have been crucial. Pryor was the player who had the hitting power to get Otago up to around 280.As it was, they had to settle for 251/7 which was still a competitive target and one that became moreso with the manner of Canterbury’s chase.The home team made the worst possible start when Otago’s ploy of using off-spinner Nathan McCullum paid off immediately for Otago. Brad Doody was caught from the first ball McCullum bowled.Jarrod Englefield succumbed to the bowling of Kerry Walmsley when held at deep third man for eight runs while Michael Papps also fell to McCullum for 21.Gary Stead and Shanan Stewart added 58 for the fourth wicket, but just as his innings was beginning to blossom, Stewart was well caught by Rob Smith at deep mid off running back towards the boundary with the ball coming over his shoulder. His debut innings ended with his dismissal for 25.Stead was required to attempt to bat his side out of trouble but he succumbed when Walmsley was reintroduced to the attack and was out for 35 scored off 53 balls.Canterbury at that stage were 105/5 and on the end of a disappointing defeat.It might have been tempting for Otago captain Craig Cumming to have taken Smith out of the attack when his first over went for 10 runs. But his perseverance paid off in Smith’s second over when Darron Reekers was unable to get Smith away from the pitch area and when he finally launched into a big shot he was caught at deep mid on for 15.And in his next over Smith had Wiseman caught at the wicket for 16. Canterbury were 138/7.Warren Wisneski started to hit out but when Cumming made the change to Pryor from the northern end of the ground, he had Carl Anderson attempting to hit to the off-side boundary. He too, was guilty of mis-timing the shot and Hore at mid-off was able to run around and take the catch.That left Canterbury on 164/8 and a required run rate of 7.26.Wisneski charged long enough and hard enough to score 45 off 42 balls with four fours and two sixes but when Pryor got through Chris Martin’s defence for the only bowling dismissal of the innings, Canterbury were all out for 206.McCullum responded well to opening the bowling with two for 15 from his seven overs while Walmsley took two for 32 from eight with some fiery bowling.Most encouragingly for Otago was the effort of newcomer James McMillan who took two for 32 from his 10 overs with some fast deliveries included among his package.Otago now travel to Nelson to play Central Districts on Wednesday while Canterbury play Northern Districts at Whangarei.

The working committee meeting of the Board of Control for Cricket inIndia will be held at the Cricket Club of India (CCI) in Mumbai onAugust 25.The main agenda is to finalise and make changes (if any) in theforthcoming foreign tours and home series starting with the Indianteam’s tour of South Africa, the tours by England and Zimbabwe toIndia and the Asian Test championship, according to a BCCI official inMumbai on Tuesday.The new format for the domestic circuit, including Ranji Trophy andDuleep Trophy, will also be discussed, the official said.Meanwhile, the BCCI has despatched invitations for the technicalcommittee meeting to be held at Baroda on August 11 to batting maestroSachin Tendulkar, leg spinner Anil Kumble and former Test stars ArunLal and Krishnamachari Srikkanth, the official said.However, it is still not clear whether Tendulkar, who is nursing a toeinjury, will attend the meeting as he is scheduled to undergo a secondbone scan on August 10 to determine how well the hairline fracture onhis toe has healed, the official said.The technical committee meeting will be chaired by former Indianskipper Sunil Gavaskar and the selection committee chairman ChanduBorde is also expected to attend the meeting with zonalrepresentatives, he added.