Frizzell County Championship Division One

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Day 1 – Lancashire crash Sussex party Hugh Chevallier’s exclusive match report
Day 2 – Law rules, but Sussex stay in touch Hugh Chevallier’s exclusive match reportDay 3 – Seamers take centre stage to sink Sussex Hugh Chevallier’s exclusive match report
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Day 1 – New season, new role for Newman The Guardian
Day 2 – Hollioake’s swansong gets off to a flier The Guardian
Day 3 – Azhar sustains the balance The Guardian
Day 4 – Shah the perfect stand-in The Observer
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Day 1 – Peters prospers as Kent falter The Guardian
Day 2 – Sharp-eyed Fulton is not for shifting The Daily Telegraph
Day 3 – Worcestershire take command The Times
Day 4 – Walker and Carberry stun Worcestershire Wisden Cricinfo

Frizzell County Championship Division Two

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Day 1 – Shreck halts Durham recovery The Times
Day 2 – Plunkett’s plunder The Daily Telegraph
Day 3 – Warren dampens Hamilton’s big day The Times
Day 4 – A debacle at Durham The Sunday Sun (Newcastle)
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Day 1 – Glamorgan make the best of advantage The Daily Telegraph
Day 2 – Maynard puts Leicestershire to the sword The Times
Day 3 – Kasprowicz’s killer blows The Daily Telegraph
Day 4 – Hodge hits heights The Sunday Telegraph
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Day 1 – No play due to rain
Day 2 – Bowler increases the torment for Derbyshire The Times
Day 3 – Adnan hits heights for Derbyshire The Telegraph
Day 4 – Somerset seeking self-belief The Sunday Telegraph
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Day 1 – Jefferson halts Yorkshire attack The Independent
Day 2 – White relishes his latest purple patch The Guardian
Day 3 – Harvey gives 95 reasons for cheer The Guardian
Day 4 – Yorkshire nearly pay for gall The Sunday Telegraph

Other matches

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Day 1 – Wagh puts case for England The Times
Day 2 – Tahir shows promise on debut The Times
Day 3 – Troughton grasps rare opportunity The Times
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Day 2 – Students grateful to Bishop for strong recovery The Times
Day 3 – Swann enlivens stale draw The Times

In possibly its finest hour on the international cricket stage, the United States of America defeated a full official West Indies side on its home ground, in a single day by nine wickets in a two-innings international match.The place: Bourda, Guyana. The date: January 5, 1888.The US tour was intended as a response to the highly successful tour of Canada and the US by the West Indies in 1886. In their first international tour to North America, the West Indies had recorded 12 wins (two of them by an innings and 100-plus runs) against only 2 losses. The US decided to return the favor.The US team was one of the most representative sides to have played overseas, before or since 1888. Captained by C. L. Bixby of Longwood CC (Boston), the team contained players born in, and hailing from, Philadelphia, Boston, New York and the South.The West Indies team was one of the best that could have been assembled in the Caribbean at the time. It was captained by E. F. Wright of Guyana, who had played under W. G. Grace against the Australians and had also scored the first century – 123 – in Caribbean inter-island cricket for Guyana against Trinidad in 1882. There were three others from Guyana, three from Trinidad, three from Barbados, one each from Grenada and St. Vincent; several had first-class English (i.e. County) credentials. The most significant omission was John Lees of Jamaica, the former Cambridge and Sussex player who had the highest batting average on the 1886 West Indies tour of Canada and the US. The Jamaicans had decided Bourda was too far to travel to.The US team had played five matches in the West Indies before January 5. They had won against Barbados, lost to Trinidad, and drawn with St. Kitts and Grenada. Their fifth match against Guyana, on the very same grounds where they were to play the full West Indies side, had been an unmitigated disaster. The US had lost by an innings and 25 runs. And W. A. Harrison, who had taken 7 wickets for 2 runs in 11 overs for Guyana in the US first innings, was now in the full West Indies side.The US need not have worried. They had their own secret weapons.In 18 incredible overs, 13 of which were maidens, S. M. Wain and C. Coates of the US dismissed the West Indies for 19 runs, their lowest score ever in international cricket (for the record, the second-lowest score for the West Indies in international cricket is 26 all out against Ireland by the Clive Lloyd-led team in the 1970s, during an otherwise successful tour of England). Not a single West Indies batsman scored over 4 runs. In less than an hour, the West Indies first innings was over. (Wain was to die in the cross-fire of a blazing Wyoming gunfight in 1889, but that’s another story.)When the US team came in to bat, they had to face Harrison again. But Charles Palmer of Young America CC and wicketkeeper W. C. Morgan (Germantown CC) held up the middle of the innings, and Morgan in fact was not out at the end. The US had scored 64, surviving Harrison’s 5 for 19 in 28 overs.The West Indies had scored 100-plus runs in almost every innings on tour in 1886, and here they were on home ground. Indeed, Robinson (Trinidad) and Skeete (Barbados), the West Indies openers, looked all set for a big score. Then Charles Palmer, the sheet anchor of the US first innings, struck with a dazzling bowling performance; 12.3 overs , 9 maidens, 7 wickets for 10 runs. The West Indies folded and collapsed for 55.The US needed only 11 to win. They did it in five overs, for the loss of one wicket. The US had achieved its nine-wicket victory in a single day.There are no records of other tours from the West Indies to North America after 1886; certainly, no official US side has played the full West Indies national team since that time. The very idea would sound amusing to modern cricketers. Yet it did happen – over 100 years ago. Perhaps – who knows? – it could happen againThis article was originally published in 1994 in Cricketer International’s NorthAmerican EditionContributed by Deb K. Das

Shane Warne expressed his mixed feelings at the end of the drawn second Test against Sri Lanka at Cairns, after drawing level with Muttiah Muralitharan’s world record of 527 wickets. He admitted he was proud to have achieved such a feat, but added that Murali was likely to pull away from him over the course of the next few months.”It’s a pretty proud moment for my parents, who are sitting up here in the crowd. They have had a tough time over the past couple of years,” said Warne, who was banned for 12 months last year for the use of a banned diuretic, prior to the World Cup. “It would have been nice to get one or two ahead of him, and to win the Test would have been the perfect script, I suppose.”Instead, Sri Lanka dug in to reach the close of play on 183 for 8, and despite bowling 37 overs off the reel, Warne was unable to claim the record for himself. He later accepted that he may never now hold the outright title.”I’m proud of myself to equal the record,” said Warne. “The wickets I have always played on for my whole career, most of them have been to suit fast bowlers in Australia. In Sri Lanka, they obviously prepare wickets that suit him. They spin square from ball one, so he’s obviously got a lot more of a chance than I have.”Sri Lanka now host South Africa for two Tests in August, although Warne has a chance to reply on Australia’s four-Test tour of India, which starts in October. “Who knows what the future holds? The likelihood is [Murali] is probably going to get it and keep it, and that’s fine. As long as we keep winning, I’ll be pretty happy.”Warne went on record prior to the series as saying he thought Murali was “thin-skinned” to pull out of this series, and he repeated that accusation after the match. “I get heckled from my own crowds sometimes. If he’s got a problem with my opinion, he can sort it out with me if he wants to. But I’ve always got along fine with him. I think he’s done wonderful things for Sri Lanka and I’m sure he will continue to do that.”Marvan Atapattu, Sri Lanka’s captain, was pleased with the spirit that his side showed during a tough Test match. “The way we came back from when they were 370 for 2 at the end of the first day, this is not a bad result at all,” he said. “The way the team has fought during this tour, I am very happy about it.”Atapattu singled out his tailenders, Nuwan Zoysa and Chaminda Vaas, for particular praise, after they had dug in to deny Warne the record, and Australia the match. “I thought the team showed more courage than when the Aussies were in Sri Lanka [in March]. We have guys who can bat down to No. 10 so I was quite confident, although I’d be lying if I said we were relaxed. We were cheering every ball at the end.”

The circumstances behind the recent sacking of long-standing umpire Ian Robinson by the Zimbabwe Cricket Union are not as straightforward as at first seemed to be the case.Last week, it appeared that Robinson had been sacked by the ZCU, but his version of events is disputed by a source within the board.The source told Wisden Cricinfo that the ZCU planned to move Robinson from international tours manager, his present role, to the post of umpires manager, responsible for umpiring and scoring throughout the country and organising training courses. But, it is claimed, there was not an issue with him continuing as an umpire. The source said that when Robinson’s name was submitted to the ICC, it rejected his nomination, and so the ZCU put forward Duncan Frost instead.At this point, it is alleged that Robinson took umbrage and resigned, adding that he would not stand in domestic matches.

Bangladesh’s middle-order batsman, Sanwar Hossain, has been recalled to the national squad after a 15-month absence, ahead of next month’s home Test and one-day series against India. Sanwar, 31, last played for Bangladesh in August 2003, during the first Test against Pakistan in Karachi, but he is back in the team to shore up a brittle batting line-up.”We had discussed the names of potential candidates,” Faruque Ahmed, the chief of selectors told Dhaka’s Daily Star newspaper. “These included Al-Sahariar [Rokon], Naimur Rahman and Tushar Imran, but we felt Sanwar was the best choice at the moment.” There is one stumbling block, however. Sanwar has recently become an employee of the national airline, Bangladesh Biman, and needs permission to take time off work. “At the moment,” he admitted, “my job is as important as my cricket career.”Other changes to the squad include a return for the left-arm spinner, Abdur Razzaq Raj, who has overcome the suspicions about his bowling action that kept him out of the ICC Champions Trophy and the home series against New Zealand. He replaces the paceman, Alamgir Kabir. “[Razzaq’s] action has been monitored and corrected under the guidance of BCB’s high performance [HP] unit manager Richard McInnes,” confirmed Faruque. “The Board has told us that there is nothing illegal in Razzaq’s bowling anymore.”Bangladesh’s pace-bowling department has been boosted by the welcome return of Mashrafee-bin-Mortuza and Talha Jubair, neither of whom has featured for over a year. That means that the team’s major fitness concerns surround their captain, Habibul Bashar, whose big toe was broken during the second one-day match against New Zealand.”I will get a proper picture of the injury after the plaster on the big toe is taken off on November 21,” said Bashar, who had only just returned to action after undergoing thumb surgery in Australia. “But I am still excited with our prospect as we will have a full team against India with Mashrafee, Talha and Razzaq all returning.”India are scheduled to arrive in Dhaka on December 7 to play two Tests and three one-day internationals. It will be their first return visit to Bangladesh since they took part in the country’s inaugural Test in November 2000.The probables Habibul Bashar (capt), Rajin Saleh, Khaled Mashud (wk), Khaled Mahmud, Javed Omar, Mushfiqur Rahman, Hannan Sarkar, Sanwar Hossain, Alok Kapali, Mohammad Ashraful, Mohammad Rafique, Manjarul Islam Rana, Tapash Baisya, Abdur Razzaq Raj, Mashrafee Bin Mortuza, Enamul Haque Jr, Nazmul Hossain, Tareq Aziz, Nafis Iqbal, Aftab Ahmed, Talha Jubair.

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Sri Lanka found themselves victims of New Zealand’s miserable summer, so far at least, when the opening game of their tour was rained off after only five overs of their innings at New Plymouth’s Yarrow Stadium.Sri Lanka won the toss and asked Central Districts, the New Zealand one-day domestic champions, to bat first. Most of the interest hovered around how Jamie How, the season’s standout performer so far, would fare.But both he and and Craig Spearman, the former New Zealand opener, were dismissed for two runs by Nuwan Zoysa, the left-arm fast bowler. At 10 for 2 the pressure was on the home team. Mathew Sinclair batted down the order at No. 4 but scored only 4, and it was left to Ross Taylor to provide a typically dynamic innings of 36 before he was forced to retire hurt.Jacob Oram and Glen Sulzberger kicked on from that point, and added 123 for thefourth wicket with Oram maintaining his cracking form for a breezy 74 off 78 balls. A rain shower forced the teams off the field for nearly half an hour, and that was sufficient to end the stand. Sulzberger scored 39 before he, like Oram, fell to Upul Chandana. Some spirited late resistance came from Ewen Thompson, who flogged 30 off 19 balls including one huge six, as CD finished with 220 for 7.Of more concern than the CD recovery for the Sri Lankans was the finger injury suffered by Zoysa while fielding. The finger was put back in place, but there was a deep cut and he was taken to hospital for a full check-up with CJ Clark, the physio. Zoysa remains a doubtful starter for the first game on Sunday. Zoysa had looked very dangerous during his two bowling spells, and had two for 22 off eight overs before he left the field. Nuwan Kulasekara finished with 2 for 27.Even as the Sri Lankans began their innings a hint of rain was evident. When it arrived they were in trouble with Saman Jayantha and Kumar Sangakkara dismissed with the score was 14, both falling to Lance Hamilton, the left-arm medium-pacer.Two attempts were made to get back onto the field, but more showers prevented the resumption on both occasions.

Matthew Hoggard extolled the virtues of attritional cricket at the closeof the first day’s play at Port Elizabeth, after his wholehearted effortshad lifted England into a promising position on a less-than-responsivepitch. Hoggard, who gave his entire team a shot in the arm with thesecond-ball wicket of Graeme Smith, grabbed 3 for 41 in 15 overs, after England were asked to bowl first.Renowned as an anxious performer at times, Hoggard admitted that the earlystrike had settled his nerves nicely, but denied that the identity of hisvictim was of any great relevance. On South Africa’s last visit to Englandin 2003, Smith ended Nasser Hussain’s reign as captain with a magnificent277 at Edgbaston, before setting up a famous win at Lord’s with scores of259 and 85."Obviously it was nice to get the South African captain early," said anunderstated Hoggard, "especially after what he did to us in England lasttime. But it’s always nice to get anyone early, and it put us in theascendancy."Hoggard went on: "It was a good day of toil. Even when we were getting no wickets, South Africa were not allowed to get away. There was a workmanlike ethic from everybody out there." In particular, it took a sterling performance from Andrew Flintoff to keep England from melting away in the heat, and Hoggard was quick to praise his performance."It was a massive performance from Fred," said Hoggard, after Flintoff hadbroken through in the afternoon with the wickets of Jacques Rudolph andZander de Bruyn. "He’s come on in leaps and bounds this year, and hisperformance with the old ball brought us back into the game."South Africa’s hero was Rudolph, who was jolted out of his seat by Smith’sdismissal in the first over, but remained steadfast for more than four hoursto top-score with a hard-worked 93. "To be honest, I prefer coming inearly," said Rudolph. "I don’t enjoy sitting in the changing-room."He may have been unfazed by his early arrival, but Rudolph’s eventualexit, seven short of a deserved century, was a disappointment, as he lateradmitted he had been unsettled by a huge appeal for caught-behind fromFlintoff’s previous ball. "It affected me a little bit," said Rudolph,after he had flinched a rising delivery to the keeper. "I probably wasn’tas switched on to the ball that got me out. I shouldn’t have played thatshot, but I’ll have to learn from it."As for the state of the game, Rudolph admitted that it had not been SouthAfrica’s day, and blamed that on the inexperience in their side. "It wouldhave been nice to get 400," he admitted, but tomorrow we’ll be aiming for350, and then anything after that will be a bonus."Andrew Miller is assistant editor of Cricinfo.

ScorecardIn Port Elizabeth Eastern Province took a first-innings lead of just one run, thanks to Michael Price, who fell just three short his falling maiden first-class hundred. Ettienne Potgieter had a near-perfect debut as he ended on an undefeated 70, while Ruan Nel scored 58.Jason Brooker will resume on 51 for Griquas, who lead by 99 runs. The game seems destined for a draw, and only a sporting declaration from Griquas can give this match any hope of a decisive result.
ScorecardIn East London Border recovered well from being 31 for 3 overnight toend just five runs short of the Northerns first-innings total of 240.Warwick Hinkel (78) and Bevan Bennett (53) led the recovery and kept Border in the game.The Northerns’ second innings received the impetus it needed from MauriceAronstam (37) and Johann Myburgh (46), who will continue the innings onthe third and final day.
ScorecardIn Benoni Gauteng took a 109-run first-innings lead over Easternsas Vaughn van Jaarsveld anchored Gauteng with a patient two-hour 54. Pierre de Bruyn mixed his pace well and was the most successful bowler for Easterns, taking 3 for 74.Andre Seymore, scoring at better than a run a ball, kept Easterns in thegame with an aggressive 63 which came off only 58 balls and included 19boundaries. When stumps were drawn Easterns were still 31 runs behindwith eight second-innings wickets in hand.

Steve Bucknor will become the first umpire to stand in 100 Tests when he steps out in the second Test between India and Pakistan at Kolkata on March 16. And, in recognition of his achievement, the ICC will award Bucknor, 58, the Golden Bails Award.Bucknor first stood in a Test match in 1989, aged 42, in the fourth game of the series between West Indies and India in Kingston, Jamaica and he has also officiated in four consecutive ICC Cricket World Cup finals. David Shepherd is the second-most experienced Test umpire: he has 86 to his name, while S Venkataraghavan has 73.

Ray Jennings, the South Africa coach, is looking to inflict a 4-0 whitewash on the West Indies when the first Test begins on March 31 in Guyana. South Africa, who arrive this week in the Caribbean, were likely to face a West Indies side minus their leading players, including Brian Lara, Ramnaresh Sarwan and Chris Gayle, after the sponsorship dispute failed to reach a resolution.”With or without their best players I want to come back with wins in the Tests and ODIs,” Jennings, who is looking for a long term position as coach, told Reuters. “It’s the most crucial series of my career. I’m looking for a whitewash.”West Indies selectors omitted the leading players from the side due to their personal endorsement contracts with Cable and Wireless, a rival of the current team sponsor Digicel. Shivnarine Chanderpaul was named the captain after Brian Lara gave a non-committal response to an invitation sent by the West Indies Cricket Board asking him to join the team.However, South Africa was hoping that the matter was resolved before the team arrived later this week. “I’m sure they’ll work something out before the first Test,” said Shaun Pollock to . “The missing guys form the core of their side and it would be silly if they missed out. From a personal point of view, I would be disappointed if we didn’t play against their strongest team.””People need to understand that the West Indies are unique in that, strictly speaking, they’re not playing for their country; they’re playing for a collective entity made up of different independent islands,” said Pollock, who also led the side during the 2001 tour of the West Indies when they won the Test series 2-1 and the ODI series 5-2. “That makes a big difference to their outlook and can lead to complications.”Pollock, who has not yet recovered from his ankle injury, said that he could miss the first two Tests if his injury persisted. “It’s still niggling me. I can run okay, although there’s a little bit of pain, but it’s slamming the left foot down that is the problem. It’s basically a wear and tear injury that’s been equated to patella tendonitis [tennis elbow] that’s difficult to get rid of unless you rest it.”South Africa enjoys an overall impressive record against the West Indies. In the 15 Tests played between these teams, South Africa have won 10 and lost only two.