“The Surrey Championship match is crucial for us, “Somerset Coach Kevin Shine told me earlier today.With the likelihood of Richard Johnson playing for England the coach said,”We have a hole to fill, and we have got a number of options. The final eleven who take the field will depend upon three factorsfitness, who will best suit the wicket and who deserves it. We are in the lucky position of having a lot of people challenging for a place in the team, and I’m happy to say that we have no injury worries at the moment.”The coach went on, “Now that it looks like Yorkshires title we are very much playing for second place. The £50000 prize money will go into the players pool, which cant be bad!”

Hampshire Hawks take the eleven that lost to Lancashire Lightnings, in the Norwich Union League Second Division match at West End on Bank holiday Monday, for the vital floodlit clash on Wednesday against Glamorgan at Cardiff (4:10pm).Will Kendall and James Hamblin are also included in the squad.”We really have to win this one,” says Robin Smith, “If we are to stay with the pack of four pushing for the three promotion spots. Losing badly to Lancashire was disapointing, especially after Dimi and Big Al (Mascarenhas and Mullally) had given us such a great start, and this makes Wednesday’s day nighter even more vital.”Hampshire 13: Jason Laney, Neil Johnson, Derek Kenway (w/k), Robin Smith (capt), John Francis, Giles White, Dimitri Mascarenhas, Lawrence Prittipaul, Shaun Udal, Chris Tremlett, Alan Mullally, Will Kendall and James Hamblin.

Richard Davis, the former Kent left-arm spinner, has been diagnosed as suffering from a brain tumour. The thirty-five year-old has been appearingas player coach for Berkshire in the Minor Counties Championship since retiring from the first-class game, and has also been undertaking some coaching duties with the England women’s team.Known throughout the game as ‘Dickie’, Davis made his debut for Kent in 1986, was capped in 1990 and spent nine successful years as the successor to Derek Underwood. He left Kent to join Warwickshire for the 1994 and 1995 seasons, after which he played two seasons for Gloucestershire. He played as a one-day specialist for Sussex in 1998 before interrupting his retirement last summer to make one CricInfo Championship appearance for Leicestershire, when he returned figures of 6 for 73 in one innings.Davis first realised that something was wrong when he suffered two epileptic fits, and is now due to visit a brain surgeon for further examinations andtreatment.By a macabre coincidence, Alan Igglesden, the former Kent and England fast bowler, joined Berkshire as player-coach after his first-class career. However, he had to step down when it was found that he was suffering from a brain tumour. His former Kent team-mate, Davis, replaced him.

The Australian Cricket Board announced today that champion leg-spinner Shane Warne and wife Simone are celebrating the arrival of their third child, Summer Warne, who entered the world at 8.20am this morning weighing 7 pounds, 14 ounces.Summer is the sister of Brooke and Jackson.About the birth, Shane said:”Simone and I are absolutely over the moon. It was the first birth I have witnessed after being in England when Brooke and Jackson were born. It really is an amazing experience and a special part of life.”

DaryllCullinan Photo CricInfo

Daryll Cullinan has been given an unexpected opportunity to reclaim his Test match place with a late inclusion in the South African A team which meets India over four days starting in East London on Saturday.Cullinan, who returned to first-class cricket last weekend following several months out after knee surgery, has been called up to replace Justin Ontong who has withdrawn with a hamstring injury.He top-scored for the Highveld Strikers in both innings of a low-scoring match against Easterns last weekend, but clearly needs to do more to persuade the national selectors that he should regain his place in the Test side. At the same time, the pressure is mounting on Boeta Dippenaar, who batted at five in the first Test against India, scoring 20.At the same time, it is likely that Dippenaar will be given another chance in the second Test, but if he fails again and Cullinan makes runs for the A team, the veteran of 70 Tests will have made a compelling case for his recall.At which point the question of his selection for the tour of Australia will arise. He has suffered through two disappointing tour of Australia in the past, and in any circumstances would not be an automatic choice for a third visit, but if he is the Test match incumbent, it would hard for the selectors not to take him.The position is further clouded by the lack of clarity over Jonty Rhodes. Although he has said that he does not wish to play Test cricket, the official United Cricket Board lines is that he can be called up for Test matches “in an emergency”. Rhodes, who turned out for KwaZulu-Natal in the SuperSport Series last weekend, would quite clearly be a considerable asset in Australia with one middle-order position still not settled. Stretching this further, if a Test series against Australia does not qualify as an “emergency”, then it is difficult to imagine what would.In other changes to the A side, Dale Benkenstein will replace HD Ackerman, who had a shoulder injury, as captain, Garnett Kruger has come in for Charl Willoughby who failed a fitness test on Wednesday Kruger van Wyk has been called up for Thami Tsolekile who has a fractured finger.South African A team: Jacques Rudolph (Northerns), Graeme Smith (WP), Martin van Jaarsveld (Northerns), Daryll Cullinan (Gauteng), Dale Benkenstein (capt, KZN), Justin Kemp (EP), Kruger van Wyk (Northerns), Paul Adams (WP), Charl Langeveldt (Boland), Andre Nel (Easterns),Garnett Kruger (EP). Twelfth man: Gulam Bodi KwaZulu-Natal

Although Vidarbha gained a slender first-innings lead, Uttar Pradeshbatted resolutely to make for an interesting fourth-day’s play intheir Ranji Trophy league match at Kanpur.Overnight on 227/6, Vidarbha could only add 20 runs to that total. Thelast four wickets fell in a hurry and Vidarbha were bowled out for 247within a space of seven overs. For Uttar Pradesh, Ashish Winston Zaidipicked four wickets.Looking to erase the first-innings deficit and then build a sizeabletarget for Vidarbha to chase, Uttar Pradesh started with a solidopening stand of 61. And, although wickets fell at regular intervals,each batsman in the top order reached double digits.Mohammad Kaif top-scored with fifty, and Uttar Pradesh reached a totalof 194/5 at stumps, with Mohammad Saif and Nikhil Chopra at thecrease.

Australia’s cricketers came to the WACA Ground in Perth anticipating early wickets, saw a few deliveries promptly beat the bat, yet left it conquered by a phenomenal partnership between two cool, calculating and experienced New Zealand right handers on the second day of the Third Test today.Just one loss away from potentially handing over their billing as cricket’s top Test team, the Australians were put to the sword by an extraordinary exhibition of brow-beating authority from Nathan Astle (156*) and Adam Parore (110). They had snaffled five wickets in less than two hours in a dramatic closing session yesterday, but the home team’s bowlers went wicketless for all of five hours today as the Test was transformed from an evenly-tilted game overnight to one blessed by New Zealand dominance.By stumps, the Australians were at 2/75 in response to a massive total of 9/534 – a position that now leaves them potentially exposed to surrendering their number one status on the International Cricket Council Test Championship table to South Africa.The New Zealanders have been followed across the land by suggestions that the 0-0 series scoreline that they brought into this match had been based on considerable luck with poor weather. But they set about making all of their own luck today, with an incredible partnership that left statisticians buried underneath a quire of shredded pages from the record books.At the day’s outset, the Black Caps’ score was 7/293. At lunch, it was 7/363. At tea, it was 7/467. And, when captain Stephen Fleming played executioner to mercifully terminate the torment of the Australian fieldsmen an hour after tea, it had swelled to a monumental 9/534.At the core of it all was the astonishing liaison of 253 runs between Astle and Parore that left theirs as the second-highest eighth wicket partnership in the history of Test cricket. Duly, it was also New Zealand’s best-ever stand against Australia for any wicket, and it also became the country’s new high watermark for partnerships for the eighth wicket against all opponents.Old marks, not to mention the bowling figures, were being re-arranged about as quickly as many of Astle’s cover drives and cuts – and Parore’s pulls, slog-sweeps and glances – were racing into and over the boundary ropes.The approach had been one of unstinting patience initially, and Jason Gillespie (3/112) put more than one ball past the outside edge of the bat.But caution quickly gave way to command after the pair had weathered the sustained 13 over burst from Gillespie and Glenn McGrath (1/72) as play began.Sagacious defence was mixed with daring attack as Australia found itself heading increasingly toward desperation point. Most of its bowlers tried changing the angle of their line, consistently toying with the idea of going around the wicket. Their field settings were persistently rotated too. And then, half an hour before tea, captain Steve Waugh resorted to the prospect of turning to the part-time bowling options of Damien Martyn (0/44) and Mark Waugh (0/26).But, until the moment that Parore eventually fell to a top edged hook at Brett Lee (4/125), the batting was simply too good.A majestically off driven boundary from Astle off McGrath in mid-afternoon, and a belligerent Parore pull to the square leg boundary from Shane Warne (1/135) after tea, carved further niches in history for the Kiwis. The strokes defined the innings as the first in their nation’s history that had yielded four individual centuries – even the feat of three or more batsmen reaching the landmark in the same innings having occurred only twice previously.The total itself was the fifth best plundered from an Australian attack in a period that stretches all the way back to 1992-93.No doubt shattered by the whole experience, Matthew Hayden (0) was rapidly squared up by Shane Bond (1/21) and edged a low catch to gully as the reply began. Even more trouble arrived when an aggressive Ricky Ponting (31) lost concentration to outside edge a drive at Chris Martin (1/21).Admittedly, the New Zealanders’ mammoth score was amassed on a pitch that continues to offer little assistance to the bowlers. And the fact that a number of their strokes enjoyed an unimpeded passage to the boundary owed a considerable deal to a blindingly fast outfield.The tourists’ achievements with the bat will therefore be better set in context the further their opponent’s innings unfolds.Whatever comes, whatever is seen over the next three days, though, this is a day which will forever command a high place amid New Zealand cricketing folklore. Of that, there is no doubt.

Sri Lankan cricket enjoyed a roller coaster ride in 2001. It was joyful,depressing, tense, dramatic, bizarre, frequently controversial, butultimately successful. The team started the year disastrously, but endedtriumphantly, whilst cricket administrations, personalities and televisioncompanies came and went with alacrity.

English supporters rejoice after Nasser Hussain’s side complete unlikely victory

The year started in South Africa, where the team was battered and bruisedinto submission, to leave everyone in no doubt as to the huge task ahead ifSri Lanka were to prosper in the 2003 world cup.But a short one-day sojourn on New Zealand’s lush green-tops boosted thesides flagging morale, as they romped to a series win in a five gamecontest.England had already arrived for the first ever Test series between the twosides. The threat of a television blackout dominated the build-up. Cricketboard President, Thilanga Sumathipala, claimed that WSG Nimbus, who had onlyjust signed a US 27 million dollar broadcasting and marketing rights dealwith the board, were delaying payments without due reason. With typicalbravado he marched them into the Sri Lankan courts. A settlement wasthrashed out, but the relationship between WSG Nimbus and the board had beenfatally soured.England crashed to defeat in the first Test on a Galle dustbowl, in a matchmarred by poor umpiring and an inconsistent match referee, that precipitatedgrowing animousity between the two sides. No one gave England a chance ofcoming back – even Nasser Hussain, who privately contemplated hisresignation – and a series whitewash loomed.But, in Kandy, England completed a remarkable tension strewn win, thanks toanother pitiful umpiring display – this time by B.C. Cooray, who had to beescorted from the field by a police force justifiably scared for hissafety – and some flimsy batting from Sri Lanka. The momentum had turnedtowards England and, cheered on by a noisy 5000 strong army of supporters,Nasser Hussain’s team completed a series win in Colombo after anotherpathetic second innings batting display from the hosts.Sri Lanka strolled to victory in the one-day games that followed, in aseries dominated by the inauguration of an international stadium in theculture-rich dry lands of Dambulla. The state of the art stadium was hastilyconstructed from scrub in only 165 days and was full to capacity for itsvirgin ODI. It appeared a triumph for president Thilanga Sumathipala, whohad championed the ambitious project from its inception, but subsequentdisputes with contractors and problems with the lease meant that the stadiumwas put under lock and key to become an embarrassing white elephant.Next, as England flew home, the cricket board was dramatically dissolved ona constitutional technicality by the sports minister Laksmann Kiriella,amidst allegations – still unproven – of financial mismanagement. An interimcommittee, headed by Vijaya Malalsekera, was appointed to run the affairs ofthe board, along with a probe committee to look into the activities of theoutgoing board. They soon released a damning preliminary report, but thenlost credibility when Sumathipala’s team secured an injunction against themfor a less than evenhanded approach. No more was heard.

Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium is built in record time only to become a cricketing white elephant

The team’s good one-day form continued with a second consecutive tri-serieswin in Sharjah, but poor Test match form – no series win since March 2000 -dominated the minds of the selectors, who lost faith with Aravinda de Silvaand recalled 34-year-old Hashan Tillakaratne after a prolific domesticseason with Nondescripts Cricket Club, whom he led to the Premier Leaguechampionship.Meanwhile, minister Kiriella ordered the development of fast practicepitches at Premadasa International Stadium, ironically the internationalvenue with the reputation for producing the slowest wickets in Sri Lanka.Seven months on the practice center remains unfinished.New Zealand and India, sans Sachin Tendulkar, visited Sri Lanka for anine-match tri-series in July that was interrupted by a devastatingterrorist attack on the international airport. Despite safety fears, thetournament proceeded, with Sri Lanka emerging well-deserved winners.A three-match Test series with an injury ravaged Indian side followed, inwhat proved to be a watershed moment for the side and Sanath Jayasuriya’scaptaincy. Once again, a thumping home win in Galle, on an unusually wellgrassed pitch, was proceeded by defeat in Kandy, increasingly considered abogey venue for Sri Lanka. But, in Colombo, Muralitharan put India in a spinwith a devastating eight-wicket haul on the first day before HashanTillakaratne and debutante Thilan Samaraweera went on a run spree. Sri Lankawon heavily to register their first home win for two years.The pressure lifted from the shoulders of skipper Sanath Jayasuriya andcoach Dav Whatmore, as the team started to grow more confidant by the day.Bangladesh were brushed aside with alarming ease, despite a sparkling recordbreaking century from teenage debutante Mohammad Ashraful.As the team started preparations for end of the year series against WestIndies and Zimbabwe, the interim committee enlisted the services of SouthAfrica legend Barry Richards as a specialist batting. The appointment didnot meet with universal approval, critics questioning both the high cost andthe wisdom of allowing a coach so close to a key opponent into the innersanctum of the team. But, with some exceptions, the players claimed to havebenefited from the weeklong training camp.

Muralitharan undoubtedly the hero of the year with 80 Test match wickets

There were other less high profile coaching appointments, though they mayprove more significant. Roshan Mahanama, who had earlier released hisheadline grabbing autobiography ‘Retired Hurt,’ became A team coach, RuwanKalpage became the fielding coach and Pramodya Wickramasinghe an assistantbowling coach, as Champika Ramanayake took over primary responsibility for asuccessful fast bowling academy following the departure overseas of RumeshRatnayake.Meanwhile, further legal battles were brewing with the broadcasters. Theinterim committee reacted decisively to the delayed payment by WSG Nimbus ofthe minimum guarantee due before the West Indies tour. An injunction was wonin the Sri Lankan High Court and successfully defended, as WSG Nimbuspublicly and vehemently refuted allegations that the contract had beenbreached. A new rights process was hastily initiated and a memorandum ofunderstanding with newly formed Dubai-based Taj Televison was signed.Singer Sri Lanka’s six-year team sponsorship deal with the team came to anend amicably and a new lucrative deal – dubbed the marriage of Sri Lanka’sfinest exports: cricket and tea – was signed with Dilmah Tea for threeyears.Sri Lanka’s on-field fortunes dipped, as they were defeated in Sharjah by aresurgent Pakistan side, but they quickly bounced back in the Test seriesthat followed against the West Indies, whose touring plans had beenthreatened by the September 11 attacks in America and fresh elections in SriLanka – sparked, according to ruling party minister Mangala Samaraweera, byThilanga Sumathipala, who was publicly accused by the minister of helping tofund the crossover of politicians into the opposition party.West Indies were whitewashed three nil after match winning bowling effortsfrom Muttiah Muralitharan, who took 21 wickets in the first two Tests, andChaminda Vaas, who showed off a newly found confidence and ability to swervethe old ball dangerously, taking 14 wickets in the final Test in Colombo.The batsmen also prospered, with Kumar Sangakkara impressive and MahelaJayawardene serene. But the prolific performances of Tillakaratne andSamaraweera stole the limelight, as they firmed up the previously shakymiddle order. Brian Lara resisted spectacularly (688 runs in the series) buthis efforts were in vain.Sri Lanka’s confidence was snowballing. The proceeding tri-series was wonwith ease and Zimbabwe were brushed aside dismissively in the twilight ofthe year.A new government brought a new sports minister and further confusion in thecricket board. The interim committee were asked to resign, which they dulydid, and fresh elections were expected to be called. But ten days later, onthe final day of the year, the minister reappointed the committee, withslight modifications, for an unspecified period of time.Individually, it was a spectacularly successful year for the players.Muralitharan was the highest wicket in the world (80 wickets) for the secondsuccessive year, whilst Chaminda Vaas (58 wickets) also bagged a place inthe top five. Mahela Jayawardene scored 1000 runs in Test and one-daycricket, the only player in the world to do so, and Kumar Sangakkara was theseventh highest run scorer in Test cricket. Tillakaratne (136.40) andSamaraweera (140.66) topped the world Test averages.

Hashan Tillakartne comes back into the side after two years in the wilderness

The team won 22 of the 34 one-games contested and eight out of the 13 Testmatches, including an unbroken run of six consecutive wins – a record for aside in the sub-continent – a two series victories.True, the opposition was weak and the majority of matches were played athome. There is no doubt also that the real barometer of the team’s currentworld stature will be their performance in England early next summer and inSouth Africa later in the year.But Sri Lanka have moved on – the players are stronger in mind, body andspirit, whilst the side has been strengthened by exciting new fast bowlingtalent, the emergence of Jayawardene and Sangakkara as truly world-classplayers, the successful recall of Tillakaratne and introduction ofSamaraweera. With a captain more at ease with the rigours of leadership anda shrewd coach working quietly but diligently in the background, the futurelooks bright.

The following players have been named by the WA Selectors to represent the Western Warriors in an ING cup game v the NSW Blues at the SCG on Sunday 3rd February 2002.The Western Warriors are currently placed in second position on the ING cup table. A win against the NSW Blues place them in a strong position to make the ING cup final.

• JUSTIN LANGER (Capt)
• JO ANGEL
• ROB BAKER
• RYAN CAMPBELL
• MICHAEL CLARK
• KADE HARVEY
• MICHAEL HUSSEY
• BRAD HOGG
• SIMON KATICH
• SCOTT MEULEMAN
• DARREN WATES
• BRAD WILLIAMS

SelectionsThe changes to the Western Warrior’s ING cup team that defeated the Victorian Bushrangers by 116 runs last Wednesday at the WACA ground, are Luke Ronchi and Sean Cary replaced by Ryan Campbell and Brad Williams.Cary and Ronchi are unfortunate to lose their place in the team as replacements Brad Williams and Ryan Campbell are returning from national duties. Campbell and Williams both impressed during their international debuts and will make welcome returns to the Warrior’s line-up.Cary and Ronchi made solid contributions to the Warrior’s win over the Bushrangers. Ronchi impressed on debut with his clean glove-work and Cary bowled tight to return career best one-day figures of 2-25 from 8 overs.

Lights off in Hamilton.What should have been a historic day for Northern Districts has turned into an anti-climax with the cancellation of New Zealand’s first day/night first-class fixture.The State Championship match between ND and Central Districts will now be played as a day game, starting at 10.30am on Tuesday.The decision was reached after both squads practised under WestpacTrust Park’s new lights on Sunday evening. ND coach Bruce Blair takes up the story.”We had had some red ball work under the lights previously and we were confident that we could get away with it, but last night, with older balls, fielding was difficult with the ball coming out of a dark sky and a couple of the bowlers were just above the sightscreen at delivery.”The teams practised and towards the end it became common concensus that, though the lights are fantastic, it’s difficult with a red ball.It’s an important game for the CD Stags and it’s an important game for us in terms of getting back on track, so we have to have the best conditions for the game, which means traditional daylight hours and a red cricket ball.”ND CEO John Turkington denied that the postponement was embarrassing.”If you don’t think of trying things, you’re never going to make advances. Some people involved have had to make minor re-arrangements to their weeks, but there has been no real inconvenience. This was always going to be a trial,” he said.In Australia and India orange balls have been used to avoid the problems involved with red and white ones. According to Turkington, this was not a possible soution here.”Orange balls are hard to access. If we go ahead next year we will import some.”Turkington remains ambitious for the future of first-class cricket under lights in Hamilton.”We’ve got the best lights in New Zealand and we’d like to think that one day we can have a day/night Test match here.”The WestpacTrust Park lights have proved a great success with players and public alike for one-day games with the white ball, but it seems that the red ball is a non-starter.Experimentation with alternatives is necessary, perhaps further in advance than the night before the game is due to start.