All posts by csb10.top

Journalists stormed out of Geoff Lawson’s press conference as tempers frayed after Pakistan’s 64-run loss to Sri Lanka, which pushed the hosts to the brink of elimination.A visibly irate Lawson, Pakistan’s coach, attended in place of captain Shoaib Malik and immediately set down some ground rules. “Couple of rules before we start. Don’t make statements, ask questions. If someone asks a question twice, I won’t answer it. Make questions sensible, otherwise I won’t answer it.”A senior journalist then asked him whether he was dictating to the media several times, prompting Lawson to tell him to “improve his English.” Lawson then pointed his finger at another reporter’s face and told him, “If you are rude I’ll have to leave.”He then made to walk off, decided against it and walked back in. At this point, another senior local journalist led a boycott and the entire multinational media contingent walked out, an indicator of the poor relationship Lawson has had with the local media.Lawson, who was appointed in August 2007, has had a troubled time in Pakistan. After Pakistan lost to South Africa in Karachi, in his first Test as coach, he attended a fractious post-match conference. Since then, his interactions with the media have been mostlycool, often tense.To add to his troubles, Pakistan’s on-field performances since he took over have been poor. The Pakistan board, and a number of players privately have been unimpressed by his contributions. A couple of officials told Cricinfo during the Kitply Cup that Lawson’s position, as well as that of the captain, were under the scanner and performances in the Asia Cup would be instrumental in deciding his future.He has also had a difficult time with the selection committee since his arrival, with several documented run-ins over selection. In an interview to an Australian radio station, he criticised the ad-hoc manner in which selectors operate in Pakistan. The committee, in turn, is less than impressed with his contributions till now.With Pakistan almost out of the tournament – they need to beat India and Bangladesh and hope for other results to go their way – it is almost certain Lawson’s position will come under review after the tournament, if not over the next few days.

Somerset County Cricket Club have confirmed that long serving all rounder Graham Rose is retiring from the first class game at the end of this season.All rounder Rose, who is thirty eight years old joined the Cidermen in 1987 and since then has appeared in nearly 250 first class matches for the county, scoring over 8500 runs and taking almost 600 wickets. He has also made many invaluable contributions in limited overs matches for the county.In his benefit year of 1997 he enjoyed probably his best season for the county and was voted All Rounder of the Year after scoring 852 runs and taking and 63 wickets, and in many peoples eyes was unlucky not to receive international recognition.Earlier this week Somerset Chief Executive Peter Anderson paid tribute to the veteran all rounder when he told me: "Graham has a wonderful first class playing record and was a dedicated professional, a fine example to all those around him. Having played most of his cricket in the second eleven for the last two seasons his enthusiasm and dedication to the game did not diminish, and if young players wanted to know how to conduct themselves all they had to do was to look at him."Mr Anderson continued: "In his pomp he was the leading English all rounder and quite why he never got a One Day England cap is quite unbelievable. At that time the selectors never looked west."He concluded: "On a personal level Graham was always a thorough gentleman to deal with and never indulged in the silliness that goes on now. He will be a credit to any profession he chooses to follow and we wish him and his family all the luck in the world for their future."Right to the end the all rounder has remained totally involved in the club and on Monday he played in the Minehead CC side that won the Rob Turner Benefit six a side tournament, and later on in the week was still busy training with the youngsters from the second eleven.

We apologise to our readers for a smaller issue than normal this week, due to circumstances beyond our control.CONTENTS

• Interviews: Dirk Viljoen on Midlands v Manicaland
• Logan Cup:
  • Round Three Preview
  • Logan Cup statistics: – Mashonaland v Midlands
  • Logan Cup statistics: – Matabeleland v Manicaland
• Career statistics: Andy Flower in first-class cricket
• Letters

A one-man business or a one-man show has nobody else to fall back on, and apart from an interview with Dirk Viljoen on the exciting match between Midlands and Manicaland last weekend, we found it impossible to arrange the interviews we wanted, including the one we have been seeking for weeks with the reluctant Andy Flower. Hopefully we may be able to catch up during the Logan Cup match at Harare Sports Club – should the run of play permit. Other problems encountered helped to prevent substitute articles.As noted in our Logan Cup preview, three of the teams in the competition are very evenly matched and the matches between them have been extremely well fought. It is just Mashonaland that spoils the show! – despite giving out spare players to the other teams they can also field a B side strong enough to overwhelm all opposition there as well.On the statistical side we include records of matches involving Mashonaland and Midlands, and Matabeleland and Manicaland, who meet in the Logan Cup this weekend, before Pakistan arrive. We also include a complete overview of Andy Flower’s first-class career, correct to the start of the current season.

Batting first against Warwickshire at the delightful Orleton Park ground, MCCA failed by some 30 odd runs to post a competitive total.Howitt and Dobson looked comfortable, adding 64 for the second wicket in 18 overs, but after Howitt’s unfortunate run out and Dobson’s acrobatic caught and bowled dismissal, the innings went into decline in spite of an attacking innings of 32 from Nagra. Ian Westwood bowled his off-spinners accurately, taking 4-42 off his 10 oversWarwickshire’s cause was helped by two dropped catches just when some pressure was being applied. Thirty-nine extras conceded was evidence of some undisciplined bowling which assisted the visitors to a 6 wicket victory with 8 overs to spare. Cornwall’s Justin Stephens was the pick of the bowlers with 2-22 off seven overs.

A masterly innings of 197 by Michael Vaughan, his third Test hundred this season and the highest score of his burgeoning international career, was the centrepiece of an entertaining England reply to India’s 357. It was the highest individual score in Tests between England and India at Trent Bridge, and the best of Vaughan’s first-class career. When bad light ended play nine overs early, England were on 341 for five, just 16 runs behind.Vaughan’s innings included an array of off-side strokes of characteristic elegance. He was missed once, on 30, off Harbhajan Singh in the last over before lunch, a difficult, leg-side chance to wicket-keeper Parthiv Patel. Otherwise he utterly dominated on both sides of the wicket, pulling both Ashish Nehra and Sourav Ganguly to the rope at mid-wicket with real ferocity.Nehra took the first England wicket, when Robert Key tried to pull a short ball that lifted less than he expected. All he got on it was glove, and to his dismay the ball then bounced back on to the stumps. Key (17) had put on 56 with Vaughan. It was India’s only wicket of the afternoon session. Mark Butcher, also strong on the off-side, was missed by Harbhajan – a difficult return catch as the batsman played too soon.Butcher survived a confident appeal for a catch by Wasim Jaffer in the gully off Nehra, when replays didn’t confirm whether the ball had carried. He had reached 53 (115 balls, eight fours) when he edged a turning delivery from Harbhajan straight to Rahul Dravid at slip. Butcher and Vaughan had added 165 for the second wicket. Nasser Hussain then encountered a rare failure in recent outings; sweeping at Harbhajan, he presented Patel with his first Test scalp as the ball ballooned up off his glove.John Crawley, after looking secure for three quarters of an hour, had made 22 when he got an inside edge on to his pad to be caught in the gully off Zaheer Khan. But the arrival of Alec Stewart upped the tempo again, as two crisp boundaries through mid-wicket off Harbhajan hoisted England’s 300. Vaughan was within just three runs of a double century when he drove a trifle tiredly at Ajit Agarkar, for Patel to pouch a thin deflection. His 197 had included 23 fours and came off 258 balls.Earlier India kicked on to their total of 357 thanks primarily to a rumbustious half century by Harbhajan, who provided tremendous entertainment while adding 61 off 62 balls with Zaheer. Coming off just 33 balls, Harbhajan’s was the second-fastest fifty in Indian Test history; only the great Kapil Dev, who reached the landmark off 30 balls against Pakistan at Karachi in 1982/3, has got there quicker.The fun ended for India when Harbhajan got a leading edge to Steve Harmison, to be caught by Hussain running in from extra cover. Matthew Hoggard, switching ends, then found Nehra’s outside edge with a perfect outswinger.

Today at the Glamorgan Media Day, Ysgol St Curig Primary School in the Valeof Glamorgan met some of the Glamorgan cricket stars as a reward for winningtheir local schools indoor cricket competition. Led by Teacher RhodriJones, they met with Test star Robert Croft to announce a brand new welshmedium pack for teachers in Wales to help brighten up lessons using cricketas a theme.Over the last two years the CBW has been placing in Welsh Primary schoolsthe “Howzat” cricket resource to help teachers teach cricket. This wellpraised pack also helps teachers in their delivery of key stage 2 curriculumfor Physical Education, English, Maths, Science, ICT, Design & Technology,History, Geography, Art & Design and PSHE. Within the cross curricular packare a set of worksheets which have been translated and produced into Welshwith the help of S4C.These translated small packs clip in to the Howzat file and have beendespatched via the Local Authorities to all 444 welsh medium primaryschools.Mark Frost Director of Cricket said:”We have been placing the complete resources in schools up and down Walesand this now adds to an excellent teacher aid for all schools where learningis via the medium of the Welsh language. I am really pleased that welshmedium schools will have the benefit of making lessons more interesting byusing cricket to add some colour!”

India’s loss against Zimbabwe at Faridabad was not the first timethat they snatched defeat from the very jaws of victory. India’spoor one-day record at the Nahar Singh Stadium now looks evenworse after the stunning win that Zimbabwe pulled off in thefirst match of the five-game series on Thursday.

It must be stressed, however, that the record has nothing to dowith the ground, the weather or any external factors. India’sfailure to close the match in their favour was caused by someabject fielding and incompetent bowling that came to the forewhen it mattered most.The Indian captain did not do his team any favours through poorlythought out field placements and bowling changes. Sourav Gangulyneeds to readjust his thinking cap and seriously think about onfield strategy. Such matters will go a long way in determiningIndia’s fortunes in the 2003 World Cup.The real mettle of a player, captain or umpire shows only when heis under tremendous pressure. We saw, in the recent Delhi Testmatch, how a few individuals wilted under the pressure. It was nodifferent in Faridabad, with number 10 batsman Douglas Marillierplaying a do-or-die innings, even as Ganguly and his boysliterally stood benumbed by the onslaught.The body language of the Indian team in the last five overs ofthe match was that of a team trying to defend, when all theyreally had to was pick up two tail-end wickets to finish thegame. The pressure also got to the umpires, one of whom handedout a poor decision against Tatenda Taibu.Fortune is determinedly partisan to the brave; Marillier playedone of the most stunning one-day knocks in recent memory. I mustsay that the self-belief this Zimbabwe team has shown on the touris simply superb. I had mentioned this crucial element in myprevious column as well.Having said that, I thought Zaheer Khan bowled superbly. He wasby far the best bowler on the day, although he completely lostthe thread in his final two overs. In spite of the Marilliermiracle, I single out the 111-run partnership between Andy Flowerand Alistair Campbell as the one that laid the foundation of thesensational victory.Chasing a target of 275 was never going to be easy, especiallyafter Zaheer Khan had made early inroads by picking a couple ofwickets. The senior Zimbabwe batsmen, however, played with a lotof determination against the double-spin attack of HarbhajanSingh and Anil Kumble. If Andy Flower had not fallen to Kumble,attempting an ambitious shot, those two would have made it lookmuch easier for the visitors. Campbell also played an innings ofcharacter – the hallmark of the Zimbabwe team.I thought the Indian batting plan almost worked to perfection. Itwas a good idea to open with Dinesh Mongia, and the Indianbatting line-up had remarkable depth to it even without theservices of Sachin Tendulkar and Virender Sehwag. It wasparticularly pleasing to see Ganguly and Mongia make usefulcontributions, as also the responsible manner in which VVS Laxmanplayed.Ajit Agarkar seems to relish the slog overs, and the quick-firepartnership of 63 runs with Mohammad Kaif helped India to post animposing score of 274. Zimbabwe’s bowling looked a bit overenthusiastic, and it was, on the whole, a disappointing show bythe visiting bowlers. Instead of attacking on just one side ofthe wicket, they bowled on both sides and gave away many runs inthe process. Zimbabwe’s fielding was, as always, very good, butthey were made to look ineffective as the Indian batsmen calmlyexploited the gaps in the field.All credit to Zimbabwe, therefore, for a remarkable victory.India’s pride has been damaged with this loss at home, and theresult will make the next encounter at Mohali a truly engrossingaffair.

Michael Hussey has flown home from the Champions League Twenty20 in South Africa for personal reasons. Hussey was a late withdrawal from the Chennai Super Kings’ match against the Mumbai Indians in Johannesburg on Saturday.The Super Kings cannot make the semi-finals and have only one dead-rubber remaining against Yorkshire. Hussey played only one match for the Super Kings during the tournament, their opening loss to the Sydney Sixers.Hussey missed Australia’s ODI tour of England earlier this year due to the premature birth of his fourth child.

Mark Lavine smashed 113 runs off 108 balls to temporarily keep North West’sheads above water in Potchefstroom on Friday.However, by the close Border were 86 for three in their second innings for alead of 102. Border were dismissed for 274 in their first innings onThursday, and ended North West’s reply at 248 on Friday.Glen Hewitt and Lavine held together an otherwise lacklustre North Westfirst innings in which the first three wickets fell in the space of 18deliveries with just 23 runs on the board.Vasbert Drakes bowled Riaan Niewoudt for 15, before Piet Botha had AndrewLawson caught behind for four and trapped Morne Strydom in front for afourth-ball duck.In fact, the home side dwinded to 68 for five before Hewitt and Lavineintervened. The next 33 overs belonged to them as they took on thepreviously rampant Border attack.Their partnership grew to 165 before Hewitt was trapped in front byoff-spinner Geoff Love for a 62 that included 10 fours.However, Hewitt’s dismissal was the start of another slide that claimedthree wickets in the space of five deliveries – the last of them Lavine’s,caught off Tyron Henderson for a sparkling 113 struck off just 108 ballswith 16 fours and three sixes.Henderson had Alfonso Thomas caught first ball and dismissed Lavine twoballs later on his way to figures of four for 53.Allrounder Botha then put on his other hat and featured in a solid-lookingopening stand of 57 he shared with Craig Sugden and then in scoring acompetent half-century.However, medium pacer Francois van der Merwe refused to allow Border to getgoing. He removed Sugden in the 23rd over and accounted for Botha and LadenGamiet, for a duck, in the space of four balls six overs later to head forthe showers with figures of three for 27.

DURBAN, South Africa – Ricky Ponting will begin his one-day captaincycareer against Shaun Pollock on Friday after the South Africanallrounder declared himself fit for the seven-match series againstAustralia.Pollock has bowled at full pace without a problem for the first timesince he suffered a side strain last month, ruling him out ofAustralia’s 2-1 Test series win.Wicketkeeper Mark Boucher led the Proteas to a five-wicket win in thefinal Test in Durban yesterday before selectors announced Pollock’sreturn for the one-day series along with Lance Klusener and JontyRhodes.The experienced trio, especially Pollock, will ensure Ponting has atesting series after taking over the Australian leadership from dumpedcaptain Steve Waugh.”I started bowling at about 60 per cent in the nets at Kingsmead onFriday, then I worked up to full speed on Sunday and Monday,” Pollocksaid.”I felt absolutely fine. I’ll continue with the bowling tomorrow beforeheading up to Johannesburg.”Pollock and Klusener give South Africa genuine batting depth even thoughKlusener has been told his bowling is the main priority after he wasoverlooked for the Test series.”Lance is now a bowling allrounder and we are looking for him to bowlfast,” convenor of selectors Rushdi Magiet said.”Since being dropped from the Test team he has apparently redoubled hisefforts. We know Lance is a very good allrounder – he just went off theboil.”The Australian squad will train at the Wanderers tomorrow with selectorsyet to decide on the team to play the opening match.Adam Gilchrist and Matthew Hayden will open the batting while selectorsmust decide when to introduce new faces Shane Watson and Nathan Hauritzduring the 10-match tour through South Africa and Zimbabwe.Ponting is leading a 15-man squad in the first serious step towards theWorld Cup defence in South Africa next February.