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A lot will be expected of the Somerset batsmen when they resume their innings in the morningThe first target for the not out batsmen Mike Burns (51) and Keith Parsons (13)will be 458 to avoid the follow on, but knowing that they will be without the services of paceman Simon Francis for the Surrey second innings they will be hoping for a lot more.Early on this morning Mark Ramprakash brought up his double century, before he was out to Steffan Jones after giving an impressive demonstration of his batting talents, that had spread over four sessions of play.Ricky Clarke and Ed Giddins then took the Surrey score onto 608 for 6 until just before lunchtime, skipper Adam Hollioake called it a day to post a massive challenge to the Somerset batsmen. At the declaration Clarke had made an unbeaten 153, his maiden century in the championship.During the morning Somerset had lost the services of paceman Simon Francis, who damaged a finger fielding a shot from Ricky Clarke off his own bowling. Anx-ray of his injury has revealed that he has broken his finger and will be out for three weeks.In reply the Cidermen’s openers Piran Holloway and Matthew Wood made a superb start and put on 202 for the first wicket, with the Devon youngster scoring the second championship century of his career, before being bowled by Jimmy Ormond for 106.The opening partnership was a new Somerset record against Surrey at the County Ground beating the previous record of 184 that was set in 1925 by Jack MacBryan (109) and Tom Young (71).The diminutive Cornishman Holloway also demonstrated an array of attacking shots to announce his arrival back on the first class scene this season, before he too became another victim of Ormond’s when with the score on 271 he was caught at slip by Hollioake for 77.By the close of play the ever dependable pairing of Mike Burns and Keith Parsons had taken Somerset onto 304 for 3 wickets, but there is still a lot of hard work needed from them on Friday.After the game Kevin Shine told me: “I’m very pleased with the way that things went for us today.We made a great fightback. Going in on a good wicket chasing a big total I’ve seen it all go downhill, but we batted very professionally.”He continued: “Piran Holloway and Matthew Wood set us off really well, and Woody’s century was excellent. He seems to bat better everytime that he goes to the wicket.”Regarding Simon Francis he told me: “He is incredibly unlucky to get an injury. Even this morning he was still beating Mark Ramprakash and was showing his real potential. He is the real thing, and then this happens, we don’t need that kind of luck.”

Winchester’s Paul Marks faces a late check on a back injury before the Hampshire Cricket Board’s 50-over warm-up match against Hampshire 2nd XI at the Rose Bowl Nursery ground on Sunday, 11am.Marks injured his back playing soccer last weekend and did not play in Sunday’s HCB indoor finals.County 2nd XI coach Tony Middleton is expected to field several of his prospective Academy XI in the match.Hampshire Board XI: Paul Gover (Havant – captain), Paul Marks, Dave Greatham (Winchester KS), Daniel Peacock (Lymington), David Banks, Damian Shirazi, Kirk Stewart (BAT Sports), Neil Randall, Chris Wright (Liphook & Ripsley), Roger Miller, Matt Hooper (Andover).

There is US$20 million up for grabs in the Stanford 20/20 for 20, but Steve Harmison knows it is not the biggest challenge for England in the coming year. The winner-takes-all match against the Stanford Superstars on November 1 is the biggest in cricket, yet Harmison is more focused on regaining the Ashes.”This is going to be an exciting and intense 12 months of cricket and I cannot wait. People will go on about the Stanford series and the money that is on offer, but every single Englishman knows the Ashes series against Australia is the one to really win,” Harmison told the . “The money on offer for the Stanford tournament is a lot, but you’ve got to win it first. We are going out there to represent our country, just as we will do in India and the West Indies this winter.Harmison hit back at critics who said he returned to England’s limited-overs side for the Stanford millions. “I think we will get a certain amount of stick about playing in the Stanford games, but it was the ECB who organised it, not the players,” Harmison said. “We’ll get stick if we win and we’ll get stick if we lose. I even offered not to play because I knew people would say I’ve only started playing one-day cricket again for England because of the money, but that wasn’t the case.”Harmison said winning the Ashes next year was a “realistic goal”. England won the last home contest, in 2005, but were whitewashed 5-0, only the second such result in the Ashes, in the return leg in 2006-07. “I do feel I’ve got a bit of a score to settle. I know what it’s like to win the Ashes and I know what it is like to lose the Ashes 5-0. It’s the same for Andrew Flintoff, Kevin Pietersen, Paul Collingwood and Andrew Strauss.”I think it can happen, I really do, but we’ve got a hell of a lot of cricket to play between now and then. I think we’ve got ten different series in the next 12 months and I’d like to play in and win them all.”Less than seven months ago, Harmison’s future with England looked in doubt. He was dropped after the first Test against New Zealand in Hamilton along with Matthew Hoggard. However, he forced his way back with a stellar county season; he finished with 60 wickets in 12 games as Durham won their first Championship. Harmison was recalled for the final Test against South Africa at The Oval, under new captain Kevin Pietersen, and was later convinced to walk out of his exile from international limited-overs games.”It is a season which began with me at my lowest ebb, but it is one I will look back on with an enormous sense of satisfaction,” Harmison said. “I’ve achieved my own personal goal of getting back into the England team and Durham have won the title, I couldn’t have asked for much more. This has been a fantastic season for me, unbelievable really. We had our disappointments at Durham, losing in two semi-finals, but we kept on going. We got a bit of momentum behind us and it never really stopped. I’d set my heart on winning the title with Durham this season, I did that months ago, so to have achieved it really is something special.”

Canterbury have named four new caps in their side to compete in the State League programme this season.Newcomers to the side include former Otago representative Rowan Milburn, who has played international cricket for the Netherlands, leading England batsman Claire Taylor, 16-year-old Tekapo cricketer Tamara Gould and Kirsty Craig.Gould, a promising batsman, has had reward after her weekly trips for Tekapo to play and for her good form in games for Lancaster Park-Woolston this season while Craig has gained her place after serving as the non-travelling 13th man last summer.The full side named by selectors Jennifer Logan (convener), Lisa Astle and Vicki Burtt, is: Haidee Tiffen (captain), Nicola Payne (vice-captain), Sarah Burke, Selena Charteris, Kirsty Craig, Helen Daly, Rowan Milburn, Tamara Gould, Maria Fahey, Beth McNeill, Hannah Rae, Rebecca Steele, Claire Taylor.The side is coached by Burtt and its manager is Kay Gilray.

A Hall of Fame for US Junior Cricket, a project that has been on the drawing board for two years, could be ready to welcome visitors when the International Junior Tournament for Under-15 and Under-11 teams is held in the Bay Area during the Independence Day weekend in July 2008.The Hall of Fame is sponsored by the Mayor and the city council of Cupertino in Northern California, which is providing space for the exhibit. Officials from other cities in the area, such as San Jose and Foster City, have also expressed interest and promised their support.The Hall of Fame is expected to house dozens of sterling silver cups and trophies and souvenirs from Cricket Academy tournaments, as well as those earned from overseas tours. Photographs of past tournament winners, a cricket bat donated by Ricky Ponting and signed by the members of the Australian team that won the World Cup, and framed congratulatory messages from Sachin Tendulkar and other figures of distinction in world cricket, will also be displayed. Also available will be newspaper clippings from the USA and overseas, featuring the exploits of the junior squads.This is the right time for inaugurating for the Hall of Fame, according to Hemant Buch, co-founder and President of the California Cricket Academy. Junior cricketers from all over the world, as well as their siblings and parents, are expected to be at the International Junior Tournament, and opening the Hall of Fame would be a fitting inaugural event.

On Sunday 8th September the final Norwich Union League game of the season starts at 12:00pm. Both teams are leading the charge for the Division title and promotion.If The Gladiators win then they are guaranteed promotion to the first division as Champions. If the Scorpions win, then they are well on course for promotion and would be very close to winning the title as well. There is obviously a lot at stake and will therefore make for a great game to come along and support. As a special offer for this game, children under 16, if accompanied by an adult, will come in for free.With a host of entertainment from The King Edmond Club Gymnasts to the exotic animals of Bristol Zoo, it will be a day to remember.Hopefully you will be able to tell your children about the day, The Gladiators won the second division title.

There is a month before the West Indies’ next Test match, against Bangladesh in Dhaka, and it’s time in which Andy Roberts should be summoned to work with the two new fast bowlers: Jermaine Lawson and Darren Powell.The recommendation has come from Michael Holding, who shared the new ball with Roberts in the glory days of West Indies cricket two decades ago."These guys have time and a lot of Test matches in front of them," Holding, now a respected television analyst who is covering the current West Indies tour, said by telephone from Calcutta."They need expert advice right now," he said. "They should be sent to Andy Roberts, or Andy sent wherever they are, for him to work on specific things for a week or two."I’m sure if he was asked by the [West Indies Cricket] Board, he’d be happy to do it," he added.Roberts, who took 202 wickets in 47 Tests between 1974 and 1983, was West Indies team coach between 1995 and 1996 and has conducted fast bowling courses for the WICB.Lawson, 20, and Powell, 24, earned praise from all observers on what was their first full tour.Lawson played in the second and third Tests, Powell in the third but they were omitted from the team for the current One-Day series and have returned to Jamaica prior to the two Tests in Bangladesh, at Dhaka, December 8-12, and Chittagong, December 16-20.Holding said he had advised Powell to "work a little harder" on finding the "medium length, between full and short" needed especially on flat pitches."He needs to be finding that length on a regular basis, getting batsmen to be indecisive about their strokeplay," he explained. "That will help get them out."He felt Lawson did not seem "all that comfortable" running up a slight gradient from the pavilion end in the third Test. But, he said, that could be sorted out with time.Holding was especially sold on Lawson and noted that Roberts had been talking about him for some time and pressing for his inclusion in the team."Powell is a young man who’s not afraid to run in and bowl fast on flat pitches and he showed the control necessary in the [Calcutta] Test," he said.Holding was puzzled that captain Carl Hooper preferred the slower Cameron Cuffy with the new ball to either Lawson or Powell."We need pace," he said. "It’s something we’ve been talking about in the West Indies for years. Now we’ve got two young men with a bit of pace, we’ve got to let them loose."

The English cricket season starts in early April and ends in late September and does not really coincide or clash with seasons of other cricket playing countries. The Pakistan cricket season starts after the monsoons in September and ends in late April when it’s too hot to play.

Every year, the English cricket season provides opportunities to Pakistani cricketers to go there, travel around, and take in the sight of cricket being played in lush greenery all over the country, meet different people, enjoy the hospitality and even play professional cricket. This is an experience in itself for any serious cricketer apart from the opportunity to play league, club and for some, even top class county cricket.But, at the same time, every English cricket season brings with it a few problems for the Pakistan Cricket Board. These stem from commitments and contracts made by Pakistani cricketers for playing professional cricket there or more aptly, referred as ‘proing’ in England.Cricketing activity through an approved ICC policy called ‘globalization of cricket’ has increased all over the world and thus it’s cricket season the whole year round.In certain situations, a Pakistani cricketer and the PCB have to decide individually and jointly whether the player should play for his country or his county. The absence of any clear-cut policy by the PCB and the lure of attractive professional fee complicate the issue. In some cases a player ends up playing for neither of the two.One cannot deny the fact that no country in the world matches the splendour of cricket in an English summer. It is just great to be a young cricketer and pro in a county or a league team.A recent PCB press release has made it known to all and sundry, Shoaib Akhtar, the fastest bowler in the world, will not be going to play in the Morocco Cup this August. It further clarifies that Shoaib Akhtar is carrying an injury that needs to be treated in England. Strangely enough and very recently, millions saw Shoaib Akhtar bowling thunderbolts at the Australians. He appeared absolutely fit and surely no further proof of his fitness is required.The fact of the matter is that Shoaib Akhtar is irked with PCB because he was denied permission to play in England for the remainder of the English season for a county or club. One can pose the question, had he been allowed, like fellow cricketers Abdul Razzaq, Saqlain Mushtaq and Azhar Mahmood, would he have reported unfit in defiance and disgust?All cricketers love to spend summer in England and Shoaib is no exception. It is a way of relaxing and recharging one’s batteries.Shoaib, besides, being the current hottest property in cricket circles, is probably worth at least UKP 100,000 per season. This is the kind of money Wasim Akram used to make playing for Lancashire in his prime years and why should Shoaib be denied this or more?Looking at the problem from another angle, one can infer that the three young cricketers named above, signed contracts with their respective counties some time ago and that too with the permission of PCB. On the other hand, the counties as per previous practice must have agreed to release them for the Tangier tournament in August and ICC trophy in Sri Lanka in September but not for the recently concluded ODI tour to Australia. Shoaib Akhtar’s desire to sign up with an English club is perhaps an afterthought and a bit too late in the day, having no real parallel with the case of the three cricketers already playing in England. It seems to be PCB’s own method of drawing parallels.Some may conjecture, the PCB administration does not want Shoaib Akhtar to over exert in county cricket lest he expose himself to injury or extreme fatigue prior to more important assignments than Morocco. Others may think the PCB wants to look after the fastest bowler on the planet like a prize horse.The other aspect of the matter, which is correlated to his desire to play as a professional in England this summer, is fee and remuneration he receives from PCB. So far, he has shown extreme restraint over the fee he has been receiving which is reportedly roughly equivalent to that of Azhar Mahmood.Shoaib Akhtar although a man of few words, temperamentally responds to various situations created by himself, the PCB or natural circumstances in his own peculiar manner. He is neither aggressive nor unreasonable.Those who know him since the beginning of his first-class cricket career may well recall, he started as a professional with PIA at a meager thousand rupees or about $17 per month. He then moved on to ADBP.In 1997-98 Shoaib Akhtar toured South Africa under Rashid Latif’s captaincy. His selection for the tour was opposed tooth and nail by a senior selector because Shoaib in the selector’s opinion had no idea about swing bowling. On top of it, as soon as the team landed in South Africa Rashid Latif decided to send him back due to some undisclosed injury and requested Basit Ali as the replacement. Of course at that point in time, Shoaib Akhtar was oblivious to happenings around him. When contacted by the PCB he exhibited a remarkably cool temperament and the sagacity to analyze and react to a complex and somewhat political situation. As a young player he confronted his captain and assured him that he was fit to take on the South Africans and in the second Test took 5 for 43 to secure himself a permanent place in the team. He has not looked back since.More fuel is added by the PCB’s pay structure for Test players which is based on ‘seniority’. This means a player who has played more matches will get more money compared to one who has played fewer. It’s a difficult formula and incorporates a slab system. More variables are added in the equation for matches played abroad, however, the basis remains seniority. Unfortunately, more often than not, the pay structure formula seems unfair and unjust in the case of a junior but high achiever. For example, Aaqib Javed was a junior player when he established a bowling ODI world record by taking seven wickets in a match in Sharjah that Pakistan won. The poor chap ended up receiving the smallest cheque, not enough to buy a return ticket from Sharjah to Lahore!Shoaib Akhtar as he gets older and because of his hurricane like bowling approach is not likely to remain on top as the fastest bowler for a very long time. One can safely presume that after the World Cup 2003 he will turn into a fast swing bowler at speeds around 138-142 kph. His control and swing will increase and the ability to reverse swing in the late overs of an ODI or as the ball wears, in a test match, will also increase. Perhaps he will no longer be able to electrify a stadium full of people with his frightening speed but will be able to achieve far better figures than he has so far.All said and done, it does seem unjust to pay him on the basis of a junior cricketer, according to the present pay structure formula.Cricket is a highly commercialized game today and is crossing over into new countries. One feels, we may soon see the Chinese and the Japanese wielding the ‘willow’. Cricket has taken on soccer in roping in advertisement revenues from multinational conglomerates and soon cricket might even have the upper hand.PCB also needs to wake up to the immense opportunities and challenges provided by the modern commercial world of sports, advertisement and broadcasting. PCB is a rich institution and should remain one. All of Pakistan’s sports bodies look up to PCB as a role model and trendsetter. It is disturbing when PCB officials moan and groan over India’s refusal to play against Pakistan and the resultant imaginary loss of income. There are nine other test-playing countries, dozens of venues and hundreds of sponsors in the world, so why harp on missing out with India.Coming back to the topic, the standoff between Shoaib Akhtar and PCB must come to an end. PCB should do away with its age-old unjust seniority based formula and look for a new more equitable formula on the basis of both, seniority and performance. High achievers should be placed in a higher bracket with lots of perks and benefits commensurate with remunerations that other countries are paying. Shoaib Akhtar or other stars should be allowed to play in England.We can only wish Shoaib Akhtar good luck and hope that he enjoys the English summer while it lasts.

The C&G Trophy semi-final between Yorkshire and Surrey is heading for a bowl-out. Torrential overnight rain has further saturated an already sodden Headingley, and even a 10 overs-a-side match between the two sides looks unlikely.With heavy rain sweeping the north of the country, chances of play at Headingley are diminishing. Severe flood warnings have been issued, while services from Leeds railway station were disrupted by the deluge, as a month’s worth of rain has now fallen in 12 hours in some parts of Yorkshire.Negotiations to move the game to a neutral venue are continuing. Yorkshireyesterday objected a move to Taunton, because they have to be back at Headingley on Saturday. The only viable option is a dry club ground in WestYorkshire, which will not be easy to find.Cricket’s equivalent of the penalty shoot-out follows the same principles. Five bowlers from each side bowl two deliveries at a set of stumps. If the total number of hits remains level, the bowl-out goes to sudden death.With reserve days now allocated, bowl-outs are rendered almost obsolete, even in England.Yorkshire skipper Darren Lehmann is not looking forward to the prospect. “We’d like to settle it on the field if that’s possible. You don’t want players getting hurt on the outfield or anything like that, but at the same time I’m sure both sides would prefer to play a game of cricket to having a bowl-out.”Meanwhile, Adam Hollioake and the Surrey team have been working on tactics. “None of the bowlers seem to fancy it, but the wicketkeeper and batsmen are all putting their hands up. There are tactics to this and it seems to be the short people who don’t get much bounce who are the best for it and we have plenty of short people in our team.””We’re absolutely wetting ourselves at the thought of it,” Hollioake conceded.

Imran Khan Sunday said next year’s World Cup was an open tournamentdespite the fact that Australia remained firm favourites.”History tells that except in 1979, never a favourite team has won.That means the tournament is wide open and any team can win it,” Imrantold Dawn as Pakistan prepared to remember its decade of World Cupglory.Exactly 10 years ago on March 25, 1992 in Melbourne, Imran’s ‘corneredtigers’ returned from the grave to win five matches on a trot to sendthe country into jubilation. The country hailed Imran and his team andshowered them with praise, rewards and honour.The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on March 30 is celebrating thatunforgettable success and is expected to launch its countdown for theWorld Cup in South Africa.Imran, who battled a troublesome right shoulder in the tournament 10years ago, also believed that there was a big difference betweenAustralia and rest of the team.”The standard is not the same as it was in 1992. Australia is farahead of rest of the present teams,” the 49-year-old legend said.Imran, whose team included half the members who were playing inAustralia for the first time, believed the key to success would bemotivation and conviction.”We lost three of the first five matches but I was not ready to acceptdefeat. I always had the confidence and therefore it was easy for meto motivate myself and the boys. “I feel that motivation and selfbelief will be the key to success next year,” he said. He, however,said the present Pakistan team lacks fighting spirit and blamed recentresults and continuous changes in the team for the current turmoil.The team is not winning enough. It is not consistant and therefore itlacks fighting spirit. There has been continuous changes in the teamand the captaincy. “I feel that it is time to put a stop toexperimentation. The selectors need to finalize the 15 and keep themtogether till the tournament,” he said.He said he had prepared for the 1992 World Cup in advance and thoughthere were a couple of injuries, he remained focused on what he had todo.”Captains have been changed too frequently. But I think Waqar is nowsettling down.”Imran said he still remembered World Cup success as his one of hisfinest hours. “I still remember how delighted the country was. It mademe even more prouder. I had never seen the country so united andexcited.”World Cup success was also important to me because it was my lasttournament in Pakistan colours and I was desperate to end it on a highnote. In addition to this, the victory was also crucial to ShaukatKhanum Memorial Cancer Hospital,” Imran said.Imran had announced his retirement after the 1987 World Cup. But cameout of retirement after mounting pressure from the then President, thelate General Zia-ul-Haq.Imran, who now heads a political party, said he would be more thandelighted to help Pakistan reclaim the title. He said in the recentpast, Javed Miandad and Mudassar Nazar invited him to pass on tips tofast bowlers and other cricketers.”I am ready to contribute in any way I can which can help Pakistan winthe tournament. But of course, I can’t work full-time.”The legend Sunday advised Pakistan cricketers to start believing inthemselves which he believed was the key to his success in the 1992,exactly a decade ago.”I never accept defeat. (In 1992) I was confident that we will windespite that fact that we lost three of the first five games. I hadthe conviction so it was easy for me to motivate myself and my team,”Imran said.Javed Miandad, who was the vice-captain, believed an unseen force wassupporting the team.”It was not like the infamous Maradona’s Hand of God. But there wascertainly a force that was helping us,” Miandad said. He said he stillremembers World Cup victory as his greatest achievement. “The hopeshad ended in tears in 1987. But in 1992, we avenged that loss andthere was is still no great feeling than remembering that I was partof the World Cup victory.”Miandad, who was initially dropped from the squad, said he was not fitto play in the competition. “But I was forced to jet out and join theteam. I sometimes wonder how I played the tournament,” he said.Miandad supported PCB’s decision to celebrate the success. “Historicvictories like these should be celebrated as it also boosts theconfidence of the present team.”