All posts by csb10.top

Somerset County Cricket Club announce they have signed James Bryant from Eastern Province, South Africa on a two-year contract.JDC Bryant is a 26-year-old right-hand top order batsman. Until the end of last season, he averaged 38.25 in first class cricket, which included six centuries. This season, he is averaging 57.57 for Eastern Province.Although born in Durban of British parents, he holds a British passport and plays for Eastern Province as an overseas player and therefore qualifies under England & Wales Cricket Board regulations to play first class cricket as a non-overseas player.Somerset Head Coach, Kevin Shine said, "As everyone knows, we need a proven top order batsman and we think James is a good signing for the Club".James Bryant said, "I am very happy to have the chance to play in England for Somerset and I know I have a lot to do to prove myself to the knowledgeable Somerset fans. Jimmy Cook has warned me that they are very demanding".

The European Commission is poised to close the Kolpak loophole and allow the ECB to limit the number of non-European players taking part in county cricket.At present, several countries, most notably South Africa and some in the Caribbean, are signatories to the Cotonou treaty with the European Union, which was agreed in 2000. This has, until now, been interpreted as allowing freedom of labour for people from those countries inside the EU, and that has led to an explosion in the number of Kolpak players in county cricket. At present, there are approximately 64 on contract.At a conference this week, Michal Krejza, the head of the commission’s sports unit, said: “It is the decision of individual member states to admit Cotonou players, not the European Union.”This will give an opening for the ECB to take action and it may well be that it will now dip a toe in the water and start refusing Kolpak registrations, although it will not invalidate any existing contracts.”The Kolpak issue is an interesting one; our players are all on contracts that take them to at least 2010 so any change in the ruling I guess would have to be phased in,” David Smith, Leicestershire’s chief executive, told Cricinfo. “But it would have an impact on all sports in the longer term. I believe Kolpaks have added value to the county game.”

For the second year running, Lincs earned a third round Cheltenham & Gloucester Trophy tie against a First Class county.But this time it was a close call as Cheshire came within four runs of snatching victory at Neston – and it was the final over bowled by captain Mark Fell which denied the home side the coveted third round clash.Earlier, having won the toss, Fell opened the batting with Cleethorpes’ overseas player Shane Deitz and the pair attacked the Cheshire bowling right from the first ball.Having put on 57 in a handful of overs, both were then dismissed, Fell bowled for 29 and Deitz lbw for 21 but this brought together Martyn Dobson and Richard Howitt who kept the momentum going with a stand of 84.And when Howitt was bowled for 31, the reliable Jonathan Trower joined Dobson in a partnership of 103 that ended when Dobson was caught for 90, which came off 118 balls.When Trower was stumped, having hit 67 off 54 balls, Lincs were 264 for five and at the close the total had reached 281 for seven.Simon Oakes and Jonathan Davies then denied Cheshire the chance to match Lincs’ flying start, both opening with maidens, and despite a first wicket stand of 122 between Currie and Bryson, the home side fell well behind the run rate.However, the dismissal of Bryson for 59, stumped off Dobson, saw Hignett’s arrival the crease and this turned the game, the number three hitting 84 off 56 balls and adding 122 with Currie before being bowled by Fell.Cheshire had 261 on the board when the third wicket went but the home side then lost the next three for the addition of only eight runs, Fell dismissing Currie for 94 and Oakes claiming his only victim.Fell struck again with the score on 274 and as he came in to bowl the last ball, the Lincs captain knew that, with a faster scoring rate off the first six overs, only a six from the batsman could lose his side the game. But instead the bails came off to give Fell four for 20 off five overs as Cheshire finished 277 for eight.Lincs now face several weeks wait to learn who they will face in the third round of the competition next May.

The second match of the season for me and we’ve won another toss; we’ll bat first again. East Shirley haven’t won a match yet and we want to gain an early advantage. Our openers establish a 100-run stand and we’re off to a good start. Lancaster Park total 219 for nine off 50 overs (Gould 50, Tiffen 53) and then bowl East Shirley out for 69 off 26 overs. A very good day in all departments.There are only four teams in the league – we play four rounds against each team so the next match was the second against St. Albans. First toss lost, first time that we had to field first. Our pitch is settling down nicely now, good even bounce if still a little green. Saints scored 194 for five off 50 overs after a strong start, slowing up in the later stages of their innings.I opened the batting with Tamara Gould, a promising 15-year-old (selected for the Canterbury full squad) who travels up to Christchurch from Lake Tekapo each Saturday (a three-hour trip each way). We establish another 100 opening stand, scoring 70 off the first 15 overs whilst the fielding restrictions are in place.I scored a good 78 before being caught in the covers and, after an intelligent 51 not out from Tiffen, we secured the game in the 48th over.After the match against Saints I travelled down to Geraldine for the two trial matches against Otago. Unfortunately the weather gods were not with us and both matches were rained out. The first after only 2.5 overs and the second after 28 overs with Otago struggling in awful conditions on 49 for nine. 14 will be selected for Canterbury training and the squad will be reduced later.Later that week I travelled over to the West Coast to help Haidee Tiffen with some development work. In her role as Women’s Development Officer for Canterbury Cricket she will visit each of the districts to promote women’s and girl’s cricket and set up small competitions.The scenery on the West Coast is amazing and the drive through the Lewis Pass – beautiful! Neither Reefton or Westport will top my list of must-see towns in New Zealand but the people were friendly and there was a good response to Haidee’s visit.First impressions of club cricket in Christchurch are good. The league is smaller and more matches seem to be competitive. On average the teams are younger than in England. I’m the oldest in my club at 27 which in England would put me in the middle.This leads I think to better fielding with most players able to field anywhere. The one outage could be in the slips – as the oldest in the team I’ve bagged that spot! There’s also less travelling involved in getting to matches, the longest trip is probably 15 minutes (except for those travelling up from the country!) which means higher availability as matches take up less weekend time.I’ve settled in well now. Canterbury training has started up and the next task is going to be combining that schedule with the England training schedule that I’ve been given. I’ll have to ensure that I get enough rest days to let my body recover since the emphasis is now on high intensity, power & speed building work.I’ve been exploring over the past couple of weeks; I have driven up the east coast very early in the morning to photograph sunrises and have been to the beaches of the west coast. I’m planning to go on a “tramp” – a Kiwi walking holiday whilst on my next training break.We’re not allowed to do anything hazardous so no bungee jumping, white-water rafting or winter sports, but there’s plenty of other things that I want to do whilst I’m over here.Last weekend’s match was against Riccarton. An awful day with a freezing wind and it had been raining overnight. We got to the pitch at 10am and agreed to return later that day to see if we could get a game in.Once the covers were off, the pitch and square dried quickly and we agreed to play a 40-over match. Riccarton scored 174 for five off their 40 and Lancaster Park took the match in the 38th over on 175 for five (Taylor 51, Tiffen 54*). Five matches into the season and Lancaster Park are unbeaten and top of the league!

The leaders of Division One of the Norwich Union League – Warwickshire Bears – are not in action this weekend, giving Worcestershire Royals the opportunity to bounce back to the top of the table. The Royals are away to Somerset Sabres and a win will take them back to level points with their Midland neighbours, but they enjoy a slightly better net run rate.It was expected that the Royals would win last week, but they suffered defeat at the hands of Durham Dynamos, who registered their first points of the season. The Dynamos are still humming away at the foot of the table but, who knows, perhaps they will have taken a liking for winning and will be trying to repeat the trick when they visit Kent Spitfires.There is one other match in the top flight this week with Leicestershire Foxes travelling to Wales to meet Glamorgan Dragons, with both sides knowing that they could be in for a difficult few weeks should they lose.In Division Two there are three sides locked on 14 points. Surrey Lions lead the way by virtue of having the best run rate, Gloucestershire Gladiators are second and Derbyshire Scorpions are third, but have a game in hand over other members of the 14-point club.The Lions should not be too travel-weary as they only have to cross the Thames to play Middlesex Crusaders this week. But the match of the day involves the Scorpions playing host to the Gladiators.The two other contests in the division see bottom-placed Sussex Sharks, who go along the South Coast hoping to bring the Hampshire Hawks down to earth, while Lancashire Lightening will be hoping to strike against Northamptonshire Steelbacks. Sparks might fly in that one.

Sri Lanka’s Sports Minister, Johnston Fernando, has decided to revoke hisdecision to nominate former cricket board president Thilanga Sumathipala asthe Sri Lanka’s main representative at the forthcoming International CricketCouncil (ICC) Executive Board meeting in June.The minister backed down after four members of the 10-member interimcommittee currently managing the affairs of the Board of Control for Cricketin Sri Lanka (BCCSL) threatened to resign if protocol was broken andSumathipala, a non board member, was asked to attend the high profilemeeting.Speaking to CricInfo, the minister, who maintains that Sumathipala wastreated unfairly by the previous PA government, which dissolved hisadministration in March 2001, said that Hemaka Amarasuriya, the recentlyappointed chairman of the interim committee, will represent Sri Lanka at themeeting, but Sumathipala will be his standby.Before minister’s decision, the secretary of the interim committee, KushilGunasekera, treasurer Tryphon Mirando, chairman of selectors Michael Tisseraand former Test batsman Sidath Wettimuny confirmed that they were willing toresign over the issue as a matter of principal.But although Fernando backed down, the decision to appoint Sumathipala asstandby has still irked the four, who believe that an interim committeemember should be appointed. They are now waiting on the minister to confirmhis decision before considering what action to take.But the minister’s request had received some support in the interimcommittee at an emergency meeting on Thursday night. Lawrence Amarasena, amember of Sumathipala’s previous executive committee, along with newappointees Ajith Jayasekara and Lucian Merrinnage are believed to havesupported the proposed appointment.Nalin Ladduwahetty said he would support the view of Interim Committeechairman Hemaka Amarasuriya whilst Roshan Mahanama did not attend themeeting.The chairman did not call for a vote on the issue, deciding instead to handover the decision to the minister.

Bert Sutcliffe, one of the most successful New Zealand First Class and Test Cricket batsmen, died after a prolonged illness on Friday, 20 April 2001. He was 77.He was regarded as one of best left-handed batsmen of the post-WWII era. In fact, his individual score (385) for Otago against Canterbury at Lancaster Part, Christchurch in 1952 is not only the highest individual First Class score in New Zealand to-date but it also long stood as the highest individual First Class score by a left handed batsman. Until Brian Lara scored 501 not out for Warwickshire against Durham in 1994.In a brilliant career spanning from 1941 to 1966, he scored 26 First Class centuries in New Zealand. He also scored three other mammoth knocks of 355, 275 and 264 for Otago in Plunket Shield matches. During his innings of 275 versus Auckland he was associated with L Watt (96) to yield a record first wicket partnership of 373 runs in 1950-51.Sutcliffe came into the limelight immediately after World War II when the MCC team visited New Zealand in 1946-47. Sutcliffe scored a century in each innings (197 and 128) for Otago against the tourists. He made 58 in the first innings of the drawn Christchurch Test.More accolades awaited him during New Zealand’s tour of England in 1949. He scored 2627 (Average 59.70), a feat only exceeded by Sir Donald Bradman for a touring side in England. The tests, all 3-day matches, were drawn. Bert Sutcliffe’s own performance in the series was remarkably consistent. He played a string of good knocks – 82 (Leeds), 57 (Lords), 101 (Old Trafford) and 88 & 34 (The Oval).In the following season in New Zealand in 1950-51, he scored 116 against England in the First Test Match at Christchurch, which ended in a draw. Later he captained New Zealand in their first ever test series against the West Indies, in New Zealand in 1951-52.New Zealand batting revolved around him during that era. Some indication of that may be had from his scores of 62 out of 172 v South Africa (Wellington, 1952-53), 80 out of 187 v South Africa (Johannesburg, 1953-54), and 74 out of 125 v England (Dunedin, 1954-55). Bert Sutcliffe once blasted 46 in 13 minutes for the New Zealanders versus Hampshire at Southampton in 1949.His best Test series was against India in 1955-56, when he amassed 611 runs (Avg 87.28). The prolific batsman scored 13 not out at Hyderabad, 73 at Bombay and his highest Test cricket score of 230 not out during this series.Returning after a five year absence from International Cricket, at the age of 49, he represented New Zealand on the tour of India and Pakistan in 1964-65. He was again successful on the Indian leg of the tour, where he scored 56 at Madras, 151 not out at Calcutta and 54 at New Delhi.In 42 Test Matches he aggregated 2727 runs (Avg 40.70) and scored 5 centuries and 15 fifties.Alas, the Cricket World has lost another legend!

The West Indies has traditionally been regarded as the cradle of fearsome fast bowling, and each of the four speedsters picked by the Indian selectors for the upcoming tour will be relishing his prospects of bowling there. Particularly active in licking his lips will be Ashish Nehra, one of two left-arm seamers in the squad.Coming back into the side after an injury, Nehra will be looking to establish himself as the premier exponent of swing bowling in the country. A few days before the squad’s departure, Nehra spent an hour chatting with fans on , fielding their questions about his career, plans and thoughts.”Our Test side has been performing quite well in the recent past,” said Nehra about the current crop of Test cricketers. “During the Zimbabwe and England tours, the team played quite well.”This observation naturally prompted a query on India’s poor record in series away from home. Nehra answered the question diplomatically. “Overseas our players have performed well, but at times have lost by a close margin,” he said. “But we are in high spirits and give in our best at all times.”Nehra took some questions on his teammates for the upcoming tour as well. “Everyone knows his potential, and we hope that he does well,” he said of VVS Laxman. He also had words of praise for Dinesh Mongia. “He is a very promising cricketer and is currently in a very good knick.”Virender Sehwag, sidelined with a shoulder injury sustained during the India-Zimbabwe one-day series, is Nehra’s teammate and close friend at ONGC, and the lanky fast-bowler was quite sure they would miss him. “Sehwag has been ruled out of selection because he has not fully recovered from his injury. He is a great player, and I hope that he is back in the side for the one-dayers.”Questioned about his compatriots in the bowling department, Nehra delivered fulsome praise. “It is good to see Anil Kumble back in the side. He is one of the best spinners in the world,” he said. Shifting his focus for a moment to the one-day arena, Nehra added, “I think Zaheer Khan and Ajit Agarkar are two of the best bowlers in the slog overs. Javagal Srinath is also very experienced.”The tour of the West Indies is one of India’s best chances to win a series abroad, coming as it does against a weak opposition and at a time when almost all of India’s stars are fit. Nehra recognised this and said, “I think we should do well in this series. We have a good side.” He was certainly unequivocal about his own role in the mission. “I will give my best to do well in the West Indies. It feels great to play for my country again, and I hope I can live up to everyone’s expectations.”

Leckford all rounder Andy Cattle’s excellent start to the season has been rewarded with him receiving the player of the month award for May in Division 3 of the Southern Electric Premier League.Cattle’s left arm spin has propelled him to the top of the league’s leading wicket takers table with 14 victims to date, including a spell of 6 for 28 at Portsmouth.”I’m delighted that Andy has picked up this well deserved award”, said Leckford captain/secretary Simon Reeves, pictured presenting Cattle with the gong.”Everyone at Leckford is chuffed to bits that a ‘local lad’ has had his efforts recognised. I’m sure that if this form continues Andy will be looking to finish the season near the top of the bowling charts in the SPL.”I just hope that his batting average becomes higher than his bowling average soon!”

James Foster, Essex’s wicketkeeper and captain, and Steven Croft, the Lancashire allrounder, have agreed to play in New Zealand’s Twenty20 competition with the Northern Knights. Foster will replace Peter McGlashan, who announced his retirement in July, behind the stumps for the Knights’ 2012-13 HRV Cup campaign.Both Foster, who played for England during the 2009 World Twenty20, and Croft, named in England’s provisional 30-man squad for the ongoing tournament in Sri Lanka, are experienced T20 performers. Scott Styris, the Knights captain, played alongside Foster at Essex between 2010 and 2011 and welcomed his arrival.”He’s a tremendous signing for us,” Styris said. “He topped the MVP table after the group stages of the UK T20 competition and was called the best wicketkeeper-batsman in the world by Essex coach, Paul Grayson, such is the high regard in which he is held in the United Kingdom. He’s also a like-for-like replacement for Peter McGlashan, which is ideal from our perspective.”Styris has also been a team-mate of Croft’s, during the Lancashire man’s spell at Auckland Aces in 2008-09. Croft said: “I loved playing in New Zealand the last time I was there so I’m really looking forward to coming to Northern Districts and playing some T20 cricket. I want to continue developing my game and hopefully push my way into the England T20 side.”Foster was Essex’s leading T20 run-scorer on their way to a quarter-final defeat last season, scoring 270 runs at a strike-rate of 165.64. His record of 15 sixes in the competition was only bettered by Yorkshire’s David Miller, who hit 21. Croft hit 313 runs at a strike-rate of 129.33 and an average of 62.60, putting him fourth on the Friends Life t20 runs list despite Lancashire not making it to the knockout stages.Grant Bradburn hoped the additions would boost his side’s HRV Cup chances. “We’re the Plunket Shield champions, we’ve won the one-day title in recent years and even won the Cricket Max trophy when it was played,” Northern Districts’ head coach said. “But Twenty20 honours have steadfastly eluded us and we’re very determined to set that right.”Northern Districts CEO, David Cooper, said: “Filling the sudden void left by Peter McGlashan’s pre-season retirement was obviously of some urgency for us and we are very pleased to have been able to attract such a highly experienced, competitive player as James Foster so quickly. Steven Croft’s Twenty20 nous and experience was likewise very attractive as we look to succeed in the only format in which silverware has eluded us.”While Foster and Croft will join the Knights towards the end of October, ahead of their HRV Cup opener against Otago Volts on November 2, Northern Districts will be without the services of Hamish Marshall this season. Marshall, 33, who is based in the UK where he plays for Gloucestershire, will remain at home to be with his wife for the birth of their second child, due in January.”I’m spending the winter here training with the Gloucester squad and doing my level 3 coaching certificate,” Marshall said. “Surviving the English winter will be a challenge and I wish the lads all the best over the season.”