Persistent rain in Sydney has ensured that the Pura Cup match between New South Wales and South Australia has been abandoned without a ball being bowled. Any last hope of scheduling play in the match was scrapped this morning when the same drenching rain that has fallen on the Bankstown Oval to wash out the previous two days of this game continued into a third.It has been nearly twenty-eight years since the last occasion (the Queensland-Victoria match in Brisbane in 1972-73) on which the entirety of an Australian domestic first-class match was surrendered to poor weather. But there was never really any chance of avoiding this unpleasant fate once Sydney’s weather became the hostage of a series of low pressure systems early on Monday morning.The two sides accordingly leave the ground with no points to show from a contest that had offered plenty in the way of excitement. The outcome will represent a particularly significant blow to the Blues, who would have been hoping to capitalise on the last state appearances for the season of a number of their international representatives. Similarly, though, the South Australians would have been optimistic about their chances in the match in view of their excellent recent record against the Blues when the two teams have been at full strength.New South Wales remains in second position on the Pura Cup table (with eight points from three matches), while the South Australians continue to occupy fifth place (with no points from two matches).

Looking through the categories of membership, Hampshire County Cricket Club offers a wide range of choices, depending on individual circumstances. From a single Junior Membership at £20 to Company Membership (10 transferable tickets) at £720 we can provide a broad spectrum of opportunities to suit anybody interested in becoming a member of the Club.Hampshire’s most popular membership category is the Full Membership at £95, used by those people wishing to take advantage of the full playing programme.Please note that formal nomination is not necessary.

MULTIPLE YEAR MEMBERSHIPS AVAILABLE

calculated at2000 rates if purchased BEFORE 31st March 2001at 2001 rates if purchased AFTER 1st April 2001If you wish to purchase further years subscription and your category is due to change because of a birthday the appropriate rates will be used to calculate your extended membership. So, whatever catagory of membership you are, you cannot lose.For members with a category change or any queries regarding membership, please contact Jill Smithers, the Membership Secretary to confirm the exact subscription payable. Telephone: 023 8047 2002.For further Information please contact:The Membership Secretary,Hampshire County Cricket ClubThe Hampshire Rose Bowl,Botley Road, West End,SOUTHAMPTON, SO30 3XHE-MAIL: [email protected]METHOD OF PAYMENTDIRECT DEBIT, Subscriptions automatically paid every year at precisely the right time. No need to write and post cheques. Most importantly – you remain in control and can cancel the instructions whenever you you wish. Only mandates received by 1st December 2001 become operative for the new season. Thereafter, the instruction is put back one year and the 2001 subscription to be paid by cash, cheque or credit/debit card. Direct Debit Mandates are available from the Membership Office. No action required by members who already pay by direct debit.Payments can also be made by cheque, credit or debit card (excluding American Express)

One of the world’s greatest fast bowlers has confirmed that he will be playing in Darren Gough’s benefit match at Don Valley Stadium.Pakistan legend Wasim Akram will line up alongside a host of other household names on Thursday August 30 for the Rest of the World XI against Gough’s All Stars in the 40-over Costcutter International Challenge, sponsored by Costcutter Supermarkets UK.The two have been best of friends as well as best of enemies for nearly a decade since Gough made his international debut in 1994. Wasim has been around a lot longer since beginning his Test career as a teenager in 1984.Barnsley-born Gough, aged 30, is England’s seventh-highest wicket-taker in Test Matches. He is delighted that Wasim has accepted his invitation to play in his benefit game.’Dazzler’ said: “I’ve known Wasim a long time, playing against him regularly. Over the years we have built up a strong friendship and we both respect what the other can do on the cricket pitch.”Wasim has never given me an easy time, either batting against me or bowling at me, and I’m sure he’ll be just as competitive when he is playing at Don Valley for the Rest of the World XI.”Wasim is widely regarded as the best left-hand bowler to have played the game. Alongside new ball partner Waqar Younis Pakistan stormed to victory in the 1992 World Cup and he is the only player to have taken more than 400 wickets in both Test Match cricket and One-Day Internationals.Ian Townsend, chief executive of The Medical House plc and a member of Darren Gough’s Benefit Committee, said: “This is great news. Wasim is one of the legends of the modern game. We’re delighted that he has agreed to play in the match.”The day/night game at Don Valley is the highlight to a year of activities to mark an outstanding ten-year career in professional cricket for Darren Gough at both national and county level for the England team and Yorkshire County Cricket Club.The quality of the two teams means the game will rival any first-class match the season’s fixture list can offer. Umpiring the game are Dickie Bird, who has agreed to come out of retirement, and current international umpire John Hampshire.Tickets are available for the match now from the box office on 0114 2565657. Price Pre event sales – Grandstand £14 Adult, £7 U16, Other Areas £10 Adult, £5 U16On the day of the game at the gate – Grandstand £17 Adult, £8.50 U16, Other Areas £12 Adult, £6 U16.

• It was the 1724th ODI in cricket history.
• It was England’s 330th and Pakistan’s 498th ODI.
• It was the 49th match between these two sides. The record now reads :Pakistan 20, England 28, abandoned one.
• John Holder and Mervyn Kitchen were officiating in their 18th and 28thmatch respectively.
• Darren Gough was playing his 50th consecutive match since the matchagainst Australia at Brisbane on 10-01-1999.He became fourthEnglishman to do so after Ian Botham (67), Graeme Hick (55) and DavidGower (50).
• Marcus Trescothick became third Englishman to be dismissed off thefirst ball of a match. Others to achieve this dubiuos distinction forEngland are Barry Roberts (b.Roberts) versus West Indies atScarborough on 26-08-1976 and Derek Randall (c.Lloyd b.Roberts) versusWest Indies at Brisbane on 23-12-1979. In addition, Graham Gooch wasalso dismissed off the first ball in England’s innings (lbw Brandes)at Albury on 18-03-1992,but that was in the second innings of thematch.
• The eighth wicket partnership of 67 runs between Ben Hollioake andDarren Gough was England’s best for this wicket against all countriesobliterating the 62 run-partnership between Darren Gough and DermotReeve against Sri Lanka at Faisalabad on 09-03-1996. This alsoequalled the record partnership for eighth wicket by any side againstPakistan. Kenya’s Deepak Chudasama and Thomas Odoyo had also added 67runs at Nairobi (Aga) on 02-10-1996. Incidentally the previous highestpartnership for England for eighth wicket against Pakistan was apaltry 29 runs between Ronnie Erani and Robert Croft at Edgbaston on31-08-1996. Just for the record,the previous highest for England foreighth wicket in England was 55 runs between John Lever and Chris Oldagainst Australia at 04-06-1977.
• Gough’s innings of 40* is the highest by an English batsman at numbernine. This obliterated Martin Bicknell’s 31* against Australia atPerth on 09-12-1990.Incidentally West Indian Michael Holding holds therecord of playing the highest innings at this position with 64 againstAustralia at Perth on 05-02-1984.
• Gough now has an aggregate of 189 runs (ave.15.75) in 18 innings whilebatting at number nine – maximum for England. He surpassed Phil deFreitas’ tally of 151 runs (ave.15.10) from 20 innings. Just for therecord, Australia’s Shane Warne has scored maximum runs at thisbatting position – 421 runs (ave 14.03) from 47 innings.
• Waqar Younis (7-36) achieved the second best bowling performance inODIs. Only Sri Lanka’s Muttiah Muralitharan with 7 for 30 againstIndia at Sharjah last year has better figures in shorter form of thegame. Waqar also bettered Aaqib Javed’s Pakistani record of bestbowling in one day internationals. Javed took seven wickets for 37runs against India at Sharjah on October 25,1991. Waqar also putWinston Davis’ seven for 51 in to shade – the previous best figures bya bowler on English soil. He also eclipsed Australia’s Garry Gilmour’ssix for 14 – the previous best figures against England. Theaccompanying table lists the best bowling figures in a one-dayinternational :

• Waqar’s figures are now the best by a captain in ODIs. The previousrecord was on the name of West Indian Viv Richards who took six for41 against India at Delhi on 23-10-1989. The following table liststhe best bowling figures by a captain in a ODI match :

• Alec Stewart, by holding four catches in Pakistani innings, created anew record of most dismissals by an English keeper against Pakistan.The previous record was of three dismissals made on seven occasions(thrice by Stewart himself).
• The two wickets in this match has taken Darren Gough’s tally ofwickets to 147 from 94 matches making him the most successful bowlerfor England. Gough eclipsed Ian Botham’s record of 145 wickets from116 matches.
• Alec Stewart conceded the match due to pitch invasion by crowd. It wasthe second instance of a side conceding the match. The only otherinstance took place more than 22 years ago when Indian captain BishanSingh Bedi called his batsmen from the field when 23 runs were neededfrom 14 balls with eight wickets in hand in protest against thepersistent short pitched bowling of Sarfraz Nawaz whose fourconsecutive bouncers were not called wide. Though the World Cup matchbetween India and Sri Lanka at Calcutta on 13-03-1996 had to beabandoned due to crowd disturbance when India was 120 for eight inreply to Sri Lanka’s 251 for eight , the match was awarded to SriLanka by default by match referee Clive Lloyd.
• The defeat in this match has extended England’s streak of consecutivelosses to 10. The defeat was also England’s fifth in consecutivematches at home soilits worst performance. England had lost fourmatches in a row from 18-06-1975 to 31-08-1976.
• Waqar Younis was winning his 14th Man of the Match awardfirstagainst England in 13 matches.

Shiv Sunder Das has been left out of the Indian one-day squad thatwill play in the triangular series with Zimbabwe and West Indies butthe diminutive opener is hardly complaining.With the best average and highest run aggregate in the Test seriesagainst Zimbabwe, the technically sound Das has certainly proved hismettle on fast and bouncy tracks too.And as he leaves for India today, Das has already identified the areashe needs to work upon ahead of the tours of Sri Lanka and SouthAfrica.”I need to improve upon my backlift. I will be practicing on cementwickets with plastic balls,” said the affable Das in an interview toPTI.Das realises the importance of hard work and extensive practice andbefore coming to Zimbabwe, he had practiced playing outgoingdeliveries and learnt from the experiences of his seniors.”I practiced a lot about the deliveries leaving outside the off-stump.I also practiced how not to play on the rise and I spoke a lot toseniors like Sourav (Ganguly) and Rahul (Dravid) in the Chennai camp(ahead of the tour),” he says.The preparations paid rich dividends as Das notched up 239 runs fromfour innings at an average of 79.67 with a highest score of 82 notout. The effort got him the man of the series award in just his thirdTest series.Success did not come easily to him, though. Das admitted he haddifficulty in putting all his preparations into practice straightawayand he struggled in the first few innings in the tour matches.”I really struggled in the first game of the tour at Mutare. I didn’tplay well. I realised I was not really moving my feet in line with theball. I corrected it and the hundred against CFX Academy (in the nextgame) really gave me confidence,” he said.Such constant reviews of his performance have helped Das in improvinghis already solid technique which many experts believe is similar tothe legendary Sunil Gavaskar. Das most certainly is the first genuineTest opener for India after Gavaskar left the scene in 1987.And he echoes the master batsman when he says, “As an opener, you mustwatch for balls outside the off-stump all the time. You must knowwhere your off-stump is.”He certainly knew where his off-stump was on this tour with homecaptain Heath Streak saying that only if the other Indian batsmen hademulated Das, India would have put up a much better fight in thesecond Test that the visitors lost by four wickets to see their dreamsof a series win being dashed.”Das was among the few Indian batsmen who showed the patience requiredon wickets with a little bit of extra bounce. He knew exactly wherehis off-stump was and he didn’t play unnecessary shots. And the rewardwas there for him,” Streak said.Das says he has acquired the correct technique while playing on unevensurfaces in Orissa. “Playing on matting wicket at home has reallyhelped. For one, it has helped me play bouncing deliveries well. Ithas also improved my backfoot play which is essential for an opener,”Das said.Das still had some problems against the rising deliveries during thehome series against Australia when he took a lot of body blows fromthe pace battery of Glenn McGrath, Jason Gillespie and Damien Fleming.”I was having a few problems against the Australians. When the ballwas bouncing, I was not watching the ball, but later I think I playedthem well. Getting runs against the likes of McGrath, Gillespie and(Shane) Warne was really encouraging,” he said.The patience which he has displayed in his batting is evident in hisoverall approach to the game and future plans too as he dismissessuggestions that he was prone to getting out just when he seemed to beset.”I may have missed out on hundreds, but they were not bad efforts. Thebig hundreds will come. After all I have played just seven Testmatches,” said Das, whose only Test hundred came in the second matchin the home series against Zimbabwe last year.Keen to contribute something more than the runs he scores, Das hastaken some brilliant catches at forward short leg, a position hespecialises in while fielding. “I just love fielding. I used to do alot of catching when I was a kid. I was inspired to stand in thisposition because of a few outstanding catches I have seen being takenin that position, I get hit sometimes but it doesn’t deter me,” hesaid.His captain Sourav Ganguly was all praise for him but said Das shouldnow be ready to handle the growing expectations of his fans. “Thepressure will now begin for him. People will start expecting runs fromhim, every time he goes in. It will altogether be a differentpressure,” Ganguly said.But physical and mental toughness is something Das has acquired rightfrom his childhood. “It’s because things don’t happen easily inOrissa. You don’t get things easy out there. It makes you very tough,physically and mentally,” he said.

Kent Spitfires remain in second place in the NUL Div One after defeating the Notts Outlaws by just one run at Trent Bridge.Having set the home side a victory target of 197 it was nail-biting time for the Spitfires as Darren Bicknell with 64 and then Kevin Pietersen, with 48, threatened to condemn them to their first NCL defeat of the season. With two needed from the final ball though, Andrew Symonds throw from the long on boundary ran out Pietersen.Replying to the visitors’ all-out total of 196 Darren Bicknell’s first four scoring strokes all raced to the boundary boards as Notts began in confident fashion. His only moment of real concern in the early stages was an unintentional beamer from Ben Trott which narrowly avoided his head.Trott caused problems of a different sort in his next over when he found the outside edge of Greg Blewett’s bat but ‘keeper Paul Nixon dropped a straightforward offering moving to his right.Blewett had again looked out of touch and made only 13 when he tried to hit across the line to Trott and was bowled.Usman Afzaal, keen to celebrate his call-up for the Second Test, made only eight before being stumped advancing down the track to try to slog Min Patel over mid-wicket.Bicknell moved to his fifth league half-century of the season (81 mins 69 balls 9x4s) to cement his position as the leading run scorer in the NUL. Paul Johnson continued his fine recent form, combining deft touches with aggressive pulls.The pair had put on 47 runs in 12 overs when Johnson stepped back to give himself room against Patel but only succeeded in hitting the ball straight into the midriff of Andrew Symonds in the covers.Patel and Symonds dragged Kent back into the contest with miserly spells and the Outlaws needed more than a run a ball from the last ten overs. Mark Ealham’s return to the attack supplied the most important moment of the innings thus far, as his second ball induced Bicknell to chip straight to Fulton at mid-wicket.Ealham also bowled Bilal Shafayat and Chris Read but Kevin Pietersen upped the tempo and hit Saggers for a huge six as 21 were needed from the final three overs and then 12 from two. Richard Logan played his part to leave just six needed from the last over.A single took Pietersen to 48. Logan missed the next two but then got his partner back on strike. The canny Ealham then deceived everybody as Notts dashed through for a bye. 194-6 with one ball to go. Logan drove it straight but Pietersen couldn’t get back for two and was easily run out to leave the Spitfires victors by one run.Earlier Kent, who won the toss and elected to have first use of the wicket, were dismissed for 196 in the final over of their innings. They overcame the loss of James Hockley in the first over to reach 53-1 but then lost wickets steadily throughout with only David Fulton topping 30. Six different Outlaws bowlers shared the wickets, with Greg Smith carding the best figures with 3-37.

The National Squad has already reduced its members to sixteen who are now contracted with BCB. This team will head for Multan on 24th July to take on Pakistan for their first match in Asian Test Championship.These sixteen boys are now carrying on their three-day weekly practice in BKSP, a sports training institute twenty miles away from the capital. Usually in BKSP, the practice session runs from Saturday to Monday. It begins from 6:30 in the morning. Trevor Chappell always gives importance on fitness; therefore, the morning begins with hard stretching.A long running session waits for those who are still struggling with their fitness. Mohammed Ashraful disclosed that they had to run continuously for almost an hour in this early hour session. Cricketers who are better fit start this running from 7:00 am.Then they are given a break. The second session keeps on from 10:00 am to 12:00 pm, which includes net practice. The quick bowlers are seen firing on the cement track. Mohammed Sharif, who is now regarded as the fastest among Bangladeshi bowlers, has concentrated more on line and length. He looks more confident and matured as well. The two most recognized pace pair Hasibul and Manjurul are trying to put their recent overseas experience into operation.After these toil the players take a nap after lunch because the afternoon practice will soon begin from four o’clock. Under the guidance of Trevor the boys get on with fielding practice in this ending session in the BKSP Ground-1. Bangladesh floored a good number of catches in Zimbabwe. Keeping it in head Trevor put emphasis on this particular area.In June the players went through hard fitness training only, which was very monotonous and cumbersome. Some of the players even asked the coach to reduce the amount of labour. But Trevor explained, saying, " It is important to carry out fitness training in this way. You will see the outcome in future."As the Asian Test Championship is approaching; net practice is now becoming more vital. The players get a day off the field in Tuesday. They carry out weight training for the next two days in the BCB gymnasium at the early hours. In Wednesday and Thursday they select the BUET ground for additional net practice. On Friday the fatigue team members are given a complete rest.Khaled Masud, the vice-captain of the side is regaining his lost rhythm and fitness. He says he is almost fit to put on the keeping gloves again. He joined the side last week and kept on doing all those tough works with his mates. The doctor asked him to be off from taking any risky attempt still. A cordial Masud who received an ankle injury in Zimbabwe, said, " I think I am getting better these days. I don’t face any difficulty while doing running, stretching and all those. The doctor asked me to take the load gradually."So this veteran wicket keeper is optimistic to play in the Test Championship. Certainly it would be a great pleasure to see him back in the squad.The squad will undergo a fifteen-day training under Javed Miandad and Andy Roberts who are arriving soon. They are going to give expert instructions to the players over their related field. Trevor will warmheartedly welcome them, he says, " No doubt their specialized guidance would be beneficial. Both are great players and if we go along with their suggestions, we are looking forward to doing much better."

LONDON – Australian Darren Lehmann struck his fifth century of theseason on Thursday to keep Yorkshire firmly on course to win its firstEnglish county cricket championship title since 1968.Lehmann’s unbeaten 141 against Leicestershire powered division oneleaders Yorkshire to 3-267 in its second innings — an overall lead of376 at the close on the second day of the four-day match at Leicester.The South Australian emphatically pressed home the advantage whichYorkshire had gained earlier in the day by bundling out the home countyfor 121 to lead by 109 on first innings.Lehmann, who was averaging 87.28 in the Championship before the currentround of matches, batted for 248 minutes, faced 213 deliveries and hit20 fours.He put on 138 for the third wicket with England batsman Michael Vaughan(47) and 106 in an unbroken fourth wicket stand with captain David Byas(37 not out).Openers Jimmy Maher and Mike Hussey were two other Australians in form.Queenslander Maher hammered an unbeaten 102, containing 14 fours, togive Glamorgan a solid start of 2-188 in reply to Essex’s first inningsof 327 on the second day at Cardiff.Western Australian Hussey hit 93 to lead Northamptonshire to 3-281 afterLancashire declared its first innings at 6-600 on the second day at OldTrafford.Hussey faced 116 balls and hit 15 fours and one six.Earlier, Lancashire captain John Crawley extended his overnight 208 to280, one short of his highest score for the county, against Somerset in1994.Champions Surrey, struggling in sixth place in the nine-team table, wasindebted to paceman Martin Bicknell for its total of 258 against Kent onthe first day at Canterbury.Bicknell came in at 6-95 and led a recovery by hitting 78 off 157 balls,with nine fours.England discard Graeme Hick completed an innings of 201 forWorcestershire in its 524 all out on the second day against Warwickshireat Edgbaston.

Not even a sparkling 92 off 103 balls from Nicky Peng could stopGlamorgan stealing Durham’s place at the top of the Norwich Union League Division two at a sun-drenched Sophia Gardens.Set 251 to win Durham were going well while Peng, 19 next month, was in the middle.And even when Peng went eight short of a century skipper Jon Lewis andJames Daley still gave Durham half a chance of victory despite some accurate spin bowling from Robert Croft and Dean Cosker.But at 206 in the 40th over needing a further 45 for victory the Durham innings started to subside as they lost their last six wickets for just 20 to give Glamorgan their ninth victory of the summer.Glamorgan, who eventually won by 24 runs, were indebted to their former captain Matthew Maynard who produced a 60-ball half-century on the way to setting Durham a testing total.After winning the toss Glamorgan made a lightning start through KeithNewell and Ian Thomas, who helped their side to 73-0 after just nine overs.But Glamorgan found themselves reduced to 82-3 by the 13th over, with the loss of Newell, Thomas and Robert Croft, before Maynard and JimmyMaher batted sensibly putting on 71 in 13 overs, as some inconsistentDurham bowling failed to contain the second-placed side.Maher played on to Graeme Bridge and then Mike Powell holed out to long off but not before he had dispatched a free hit from a no ball by Paul Collingwood to the back of the stand at the River Taff end.Maynard’s innings ended when he was well caught by Andy Pratt standing up to Collingwood.But a 45-run partnership between skipper Adrian Dale and Darren Thomas ensured Durham would have to display their qualities as leaders to knock off the runs at 5.58 an over.

Coastal “B” and Inland “B” teams to play at Pietermaritzburg, Collegians Club, 12 to 14 October (3-day) and 15 October (1-day) starting at 09:30.

COASTAL “B” TEAMS(3-day Team) (1-day Team)1. Mark Sanders 1. Mark Sanders2. Rivash Gobind 2. Rivash Gobind3. Derrin Bassage (WKR) 3. Derrin Bassage (WKR)4. Hashim Amla (Capt) 4. Hashim Amla (Capt)5. Warren Hauptfleisch 5. Kyle Bender6. Victor Xulu 6. Victor Xulu7. Ross Veenstra 7. Desigan Reddy8. Desigan Reddy 8. Ross Veenstra9. Rob McQueen 9. Keith Ingram10. Keith Ingram 10. Logan Pillay11. Logan Pillay 11. Lucky Dladla12. Lucky Dladla (12th Man) 12. Yadeen Singh (12th Man)Coach: Yashin EbrahimManager: PHil RussellINLAND “B” TEAM1. James Buller2. Mehmood Badat (WKR)3. Murray Hampson (Capt)4. Tahir Essack5. Philip Landman6. John Anderson7. Lenny Adendorff8. Devlin Samanathan9. Sachin Durasamy10. Murray-Cole-Edwards11. Mondli Ndlovu12. Sifiso ZuluCoach: Bruce Roberts