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July 30, 2001
Cricket |
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Coca-Cola Triangular in Sri Lanka
West Indies in Zimbabwe Facing a deficit of 216 runs, host Zimbabwe put up a remarkable fightback in the form of a century on debut from 17-year old Hamilton Masakadza on the third day of the second and final Test at Harare. Aged 17 years and 354 days he is now the youngest player in Test cricket history to score a century on debut. His unbeaten 115 helped the hosts wipe out the lead and at close Zimbabwe were 324-4, 108 runs ahead with still six wickets remaining. Masakadza, was also involved in a 169-run stand with Craig Wishart (93), which helped to hold the Zimbabwe innings together. Earlier Alistair Campbell made 65 runs.
The Ashes Tour Australia ended the second day of their three-day tour match against Hampshire at Southampton still 81 runs behind with 9 wickets in hand. After skittling out the Aussies for 97 on the first day, the hosts piled up 354 runs. A cautious approach by the Australians in the second innings helped by an unbeaten 92 from Matthew Hayden saw them reach 176-1 at close on the second day.
Miscellaneous
The BCCI it seems has received a request from former English prime minister John Major to clear some of the senior players to play a benefit one-day match at the Oval in September. Although Major has not requested for any specific player, he hopes players of the caliber of Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly, Rahul Dravid, VVS Laxman, Javagal Srinath and Harbhajan Singh would be available to play the match. The benefit match is part of the programme to uplift the Oval cricket ground. A similar match was played last year in which some of the Indian players had participated.
The BCCI is reportedly seeking government approval to send an 'A' team to participate in a tournament to be held in Sharjah this October. The Asian Cricket Federation (ACF) are planning a tournament where the 'A' teams of India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka will play a triangular. The BCCI has also requested clearance for the Indian teams visit to Pakistan for the Asian Test Championship in September. The Government, meanwhile has forwarded the Pakistan tour request to the Research and Analysing Wing (RAW) of the Intelligence agency to assess the safety of undertaking the tour. In case the government fails to clear the tour the BCCI will have to pay a hefty fine to the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) as per an undertaking signed by all members of the Asian Cricket Federation for the failure to undertake a proposed tour for whatever reasons.
New Zealand to Pakistan New Zealand's premier all-rounder Chris Cairns is unlikely to be fit before the Kiwi tour of Pakistan. Cairns who is resting after a knee surgery he had in February was hoping to be fit for the one-day series against Pakistan. However as per the schedule released last week the one-day matches were being played before the Test matches and not after as he had hoped. Cairns, who has not started bowling as yet was unsure if it would be wise to make a come back in a Test that is a more strenuous affair that a one-day match. Cairns does not want to hurry his come back as New Zealand has a packed schedule ahead that includes tours to Australia, South Africa and West Indies besides playing hosts to Bangladesh and England. The manager of the New Zealand cricket team Jeff Crowe, now in Sri Lanka, will undertake a visit to Pakistan to inspect all the venues and hotel arrangements for New Zealand's forthcoming tour of Pakistan beginning September. Crowe will visit Karachi, Rawalpindi, Lahore, Faisalabad and Peshawar.
SCORES AT A GLANCE
2nd Test match
Ashes tour match Yesterday's News ......................... News Roll archive |
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Zaheer Khan and VVS Laxman will stay back in Sri Lanka to complete the remaining crucial matches India is to play in the Coca-Cola triangular series in Colombo. Laxman and Zaheer were to return home to treat the various injuries they have picked up during the tour, but the win against Sri Lanka has cheered up the team and the duo have offered to stay back for the remainder of the one-day series. Laxman however would not be available for the Test matches against the home side that follow the triangular as his injury requires immediate surgery.
The Test series hereafter between West Indies and Zimbabwe will be played for the Clive Lloyd Trophy. The Trophy has been provided by the West Indies Cricket Board. The other Test series named after former cricketers are: The Sir Frank Worrell Trophy (West Indies-Australia), Border-Gavaskar Trophy (India-Australia) & Sir Viv Richards Trophy (West Indies-South Africa).
England batsman Mark Butcher, who made a rather successful comeback to the national side for the Ashes series both with the bat and ball, was hit on the head by a bouncer while playing for Surrey against Warwickshire. The knock left him dazed and with a minor cut on the ear. He was taken to hospital immediately for a medical check-up. England have already lost half their side to injury and any serious injury to Butcher will be a big blow for the home side just before the third Test match at Nottingham that begins this Thursday.
Australian leg spinner Shane Warne slammed England's selectoral policy of picking a team to save matches rather than win them. Warne was referring to the English policy of picking seven batsmen and only four bowlers. Warne said he was surprised as to how the England selectors could leave out a bowler of the caliber of left-armer Alan Mullally who he said was a wonderful bowler and could have bowled well against the Aussies. Incidentally, Mullally's 5-18 two days ago, enabled his team Hampshire to rout the Australians for a paltry 97 in their tour match encounter.
England batsman Mark Ramprakash who recently made a comeback to the England side has questioned the decision to make Australian Rodney Marsh the head of the new cricket academy in England. Ramprakash felt that former England players like Graham Gooch and Mike Gatting would be able to offer much more. He added young players in the academy would prefer an English coach than Marsh.
Former England batsman and later South African coach Bob Woolmer believes that it was time to allow Cronje to come back into the game. Woolmer, who is a close friend of Cronje, was involved with the disgraced captain, when he was a coach of the South African cricket for a long and successful period, said Cronje has been punished enough and it is time to begin to rehabilitate him. Woolmer said Cronje could make a beginning with coaching children in the black townships of South Africa.
Former New Zealand skipper and batsman and now television commentator Martin Crowe is likely to get a clean chit from the New Zealand Cricket Council, when the NZCC announces its verdict on him next week. Crowe was one of the international players named by Indian bookie Mukesh Gupta of having received money from him for inside information. Crowe is currently in Sri Lanka on a television broadcasting assignment.