Lancashire County Cricket Club are delighted to announce the appointment of Warren Hegg as Captain for the 2002 cricket season. The decision was made at a meeting of the Club’s General Committee last night.Hegg, who has been selected as one of England’s two wicket-keepers for the Test Match Tours to India and New Zealand was delighted at the news. Speaking from his home, Hegg said: “This is great news, particularly after my selection for England this winter. There is a great team spirit at Lancashire and with our blend of youth and experience, I am looking forward to working with our new Cricket Manager Mike Watkinson and getting the Club back to the winning ways we experienced throughout the 1990s.”Club Chairman Jack Simmons added: “Warren is a Lancastrian through and through and is a true 100 percenter. I cannot think of a more enthusiastic cricketer and I feel sure his positive influence on the team will reflect in the team’s performances.”Hegg, 33, is Lancashire’s first official wicket-keeper/captain in the history of the Club.

Teenage batsman Bilal Shafayat has become the first player to graduate from the new Nottinghamshire Cricket Academy by signing a three-year staff contract with the club.The 17-year-old Nottingham-born A level student was offered the deal aftermaking a hugely impressive start to his first team career this summer.Said Notts Cricket Operations Manager Mick Newell: “We are very happy to getBilal on board. We know he has a lot of potential and expect him to make a big impact at Notts in future years.”Shafayat was one of 14 inaugural members of the Notts Academy and this season became the only 16-year-old ever to represent the club in Championship cricket.He scored 72 in his maiden first class innings against Middlesex andsubsequently played in two more Championship matches as well as five NorwichUnion League games.Currently a sixth form student at Bluecoat School, in Aspley, Shafayat is due to travel to Australia and New Zealand after Christmas to play for England in the Under-19 World Cup and will join the Notts staff full-time on completion of his A¹ level exams.Three more Notts players, Andrew Harris, Richard Logan and Darren Bicknell have all agreed contract extensions to keep them at Trent Bridge until the end of 2003.

New Zealand’s one-day king Chris Harris looked like stealing Wellington’s thunder during his innings of 70 in Canterbury’s State Championship match at Rangiora’s Dudley Park today.Scoring was always going to be slow after all the rain thrown at the country venue last week, but the Canterbury top order, Michael Papps apart, failed to come to grips with the slow pace of the pitch and it was left to Harris to resurrect the innings in his own inimitable fashion.Launching into anything in a reasonable position to be hit after coming to the wicket with Canterbury 59/3, he helped Papps advance the score to 110 before Papps, who had scored 50 off 133 balls, was out second ball after the afternoon drinks break when tickling a ball down the leg-side to wicket-keeper Chris Nevin.Seven runs later Aaron Redmond was out, caught low in the gully by Grant Donaldson for one.But after sharing a 58-run stand with Gareth Hopkins, Harris was beaten by the second new ball when also caught in the gully by Donaldson from Andrew Penn’s bowling.It was a shame for himself and for Canterbury, given his level of run scoring history at the ground. His sheer positiveness was a lesson to all other batsmen. He had four sixes and 44 runs before he hit his first four, and he also worked the singles to advance Canterbury’s score.No sooner was he out than Hopkins departed in the next over, bowled by James Franklin for 14 leaving Canterbury 175/7.Warren Wisneski and Stephen Cunis carried the score through to 187 before the rain came.Papps had earlier shown the benefits to be had from using his feet. He batted sensibly and positively to look to work the Wellington bowlers around the pitch before launching into some lovely straight drives. Once settled he started to play shots square of the wicket and he will still be lamenting his choice of shot to a ball he could well have left alone.Wellington’s bowlers were always in the best position to frustrate the batsmen. Accuracy was always going to frustrate them and at one stage during the first session runs were falling behind the number of overs bowled.Penn’s first 10 overs cost only six runs and even by the day’s end he had two for 20 from 19 overs.But the most effective of the bowlers was Franklin who had a productive spell to start the day when finally gaining Brad Doody’s wicket after a lengthy probing spell, and then immediately after lunch he had Gary Stead out leg before wicket.When the new ball was taken it was Franklin who had Hopkins also leg before wicket. He gained swing and while not bowling at express pace there were few chances for batsmen to lessen their concentration against him.Ash Turner gained his maiden first-class wicket when dismissing Redmond while Matthew Walker, who had a long spell of 18 overs and ended with one for 40.The only wicketless bowler was off-spinner Jeetan Patel. His influence on this match is not completed yet. He looks capable of having more of an impact with more wear on the pitch. There was a noticeable loop to his bowling and when getting conditions to suit, he has all the potential to cause genuine problems for batsmen.Wellington are in the box seat after the first day, and another encouraging aspect of their day had to be the briskness of their over-rate. This hasn’t always been a virtue for Wellington teams but had the game gone the full distance there was every chance they would have fallen within the required guidelines.However, once the Canterbury tail is eliminated tomorrow, the real challenge is ahead for the Wellington batsmen who, after watching the Cantabrians struggle, know they are in for a real battle to gain the first innings ascendancy.

Canterbury captain Gary Stead (35 not out) today led his team to a maiden win at the Village Green at the eighth attempt, and more importantly broke Canterbury’s 17-game streak without winning a first-class match that dates back to February 1999.Canterbury’s players knew they never had a better chance giving Stead a second victory in his 26th game in charge. In the end he hit the winning runs himself as Canterbury triumphed at 6.23pm by four wickets.Although Canterbury have just one new player in the team this season he is proving to be a key man, with a match-winning performance here today.Paul Wiseman, in his second game for his new team, took five for 99 off 30 overs and five balls to give Canterbury a total of 131 to chase for victory.In the State Championship match with Otago, Canterbury had been on top since the outset, but closing the deal on a win was unknown territory for several of their young players.Wiseman almost forced a win at Rangiora against champions Wellington last week, but, as the off spinner told CricInfo, “Unfortunately we missed out by a couple of millimetres in the end.”Today nothing could stop the rejuvenated Cantabrians from grabbing the six points.Canterbury’s new slow bowler was referring to a ball he bowled to Wellington’s Andrew Penn that clipped the off bail and then sat back down again.”That would have left us about 20 overs at number 10 and 11 which would have made the difference,” Wiseman said.It was different today, as the upbeat Canterbury team took regular wickets and Otago batted recklessly at times.Otago, beginning the day at 30 without loss, lost wickets regularly, with no batsman passing 23 other than Village Green specialist Andrew Hore, who block-bashed his way to 70 with four sixes, all hit off Wiseman. All but one of Hore’s four fifties and two centuries have come on the true Queen Elizabeth II Stadium pitch.Wiseman, who took his 13th first-class five-wicket bag today said: “The wicket at Rangiora was pretty flat and didn’t turn a lot. This had a little bit more in it and the batsmen were a little bit more attacking, which gave us chances as well. That’s probably the difference. It was turning a little bit and bouncing a little bit. That makes a lot of difference to me than one that doesn’t.”The former Otago man said, “I’m enjoying the change of scene. It’s a good bunch of guys and some good players are coming through. There’s some really good enthusiasm and some really good team spirit here.””It’s been tough not playing for Otago because they’re great friends of mine so it’s been a mixed bag. It’s been great playing for a new team and being in good positions,” the 31-year-old 14-Test veteran continued.Getting one over on his former team mates was no problem for Wiseman. “It’s always good taking wickets no matter who it’s against,” he said.As for the international team, for whom Wiseman had “a little jaunt” last month, when Daniel Vettori was injured, “I don’t even think about it,” he said. “Thank God Dan has got fit for New Zealand because he has put us in a great position of winning a Test series over there,” he concluded.Canterbury’s selectors will be hoping Vettori stays that way and keeps Wiseman, who was at the wicket when the winning runs were hit, out of the Black Caps to make sure their new prized asset is available to keep win more games for them like he did today.

Players from all over the country face a psychological battle in the second round of the women’s State League, which begins tomorrow.Defending champions, the Auckland, need to down their biggest rivals in a difficult double-header at the new venue of North Harbour Stadium to get their quest for a State League ‘three-peat’ off to a winning start, while Northern Districts will need to hit the ground running to keep up with Otago.Auckland stand to move to the head of the points table in front of Wellington (who have a bye this round) as the competition leader if they win all four of their matches in the next four days.Star all-rounder Emily Drumm says this creates an immediate goal and the side is also determined to christen North Harbour Stadium as a new women’s domestic venue with back-to-back victories over their traditional rivals Canterbury.Drumm said: “It’s going to be tough playing four games in a row, but we’re not complacent and personally I feel that the bye in round one has given us more time to prepare ourselves well. Canterbury had three very close games last week, so it’s important we start strongly. As we’ve already seen, it’s a much more even competition this year and so there are no givens.”Drumm says the matches will be a test of Auckland’s new-look bowling line-up. Missing this season are former CLEAR White Ferns Munokoa Tunupopo and Clare Nicholson, while feisty Paula Gruber is back after having been dropped last year.”We do have an element of inexperience there with two key bowlers gone,” says Drumm. “We’ve found the players to cover that, but there is always a certain gulf between seasoned individuals and those making their debut or playing their first or second season.”Running a close second on the points table with two wins from four matches, Canterbury are under pressure to lift their batting against Auckland.The all-star Cantabrian top order hasn’t fired, with openers Paula Flannery and Nicola Payne eager to put their first-round disappointments behind them and Haidee Tiffen (who has produced one good knock of 40 from her first three bats, but was disappointed with her soft dismissals) yet to show her best.The bowling attack will also be of concern to skipper Flannery, with a lack of variation compared to other sides. But she has been encouraged by the performance of rising star Beth McNeill. The 19-year-old all-rounder recently returned from Texas where she had been an exchange student and has played a pivotal role with the bat from No 7 in the order. The line-up also includes 2001 New Zealand Cricket Academy graduates Sarah Burke and Fiona Fraser.National convener of selectors, Lesley Murdoch, says the Canterbury guns must fire if they’re to push the defending champions in round two.”That Auckland team is still powerful,” cautions Murdoch. “It’s powerful not just because of the name players, but particularly because they have Emily Drumm and Rebecca Rolls and they can both turn a match, more so than any other player in the competition.”Meanwhile in Hamilton, Murdoch believes Otago have the advantage over coming days, having already played several hard matches in round one.”Despite playing at home, Northern will be the underdogs against Otago given that eight of their players are from the Under-21 team. They’re short on experienced top order batting, but this is a great opportunity for them,” Murdoch said.Otago who include 2001 Netherlands captain Pauline te Beest – bowled well in round one and were encouraged by Rachel Pullar’s 73 with the bat.Central Districts and competition leaders Wellington both have a bye this round.

The test match is over and finally we can walk away with something to be proud of. Well, a number of things. Top of the list is the opening partnership between Caroline and Arran, which showed application and steadiness. Purists might argue that by batting slowly we killed the game – but I would disagree.We have played three ODIs in which our batting has been weak; wickets have been lost carelessly and here was a test match that demanded something much more applied. Their performance not only set a new world record but affirmed that we are developing and thus heading in the right direction. It has been a trophy for us all and one that we can draw on in the next two ODIs. The world record having been set by such a young opening partnership also bodes well for the future.With losing so much of the 3rd day due to very heavy overnight rain, the dynamic of the game changed at the beginning of the fourth day. With one wicket down, the Indian side would need to bat out the day. As the day wore on, the game shaped up to be a much more specific contest – the Indians were going to try to reach our score and surpass it by the end of the day. They lost two key batters – Chopra and Jain – the latter being brilliantly caught out of her crease by Jane Cassar and a quick thinking Arran Thompson.This signalled the arrival of Raj, a very accomplished bat, who despite her slight figure can hit the ball as powerfully as anyone. But Dawn Holden bowled her, fourth ball. A sweet moment indeed. Hemalta, who went on to score a ton, was dropped early on and this perhaps allowed for the excitement and challenge of the last hour, which saw India coasting toward our target. A great catch from Caroline brought her demise and the beginning of something special. We knew that the challenge would be to keep India away from our score, but they had only to get 15 runs, with six wickets in hand.They lost five of those wickets over 10 runs as their tail was exposed and we took advantage of their nervousness. And with the last wicket came the end of time – they were three runs short if I remember rightly. It felt as though we had won. It was particularly good to see Laura Newton bowling so well (21-10-24-0). She is a star in the making. Lucknow has been a very generous host and we have been showered with gifts and invitations. Blazers have been made for each of us to commemorate the test and with each game there are trophies for every player. The residents of match venues are keen to show their hospitality, and there often is not the time to do all that they ask.Crowds at the games have been entertained by the ever youthful Clare Taylor, who manages to find fans wherever she goes. Schoolchildren and cricket fans clamour for autographs at every turn, and we are always shown the greatest respect. The players have been patient at some very testing times – not least the day before the test match as we waited at Delhi airport for over nine hours, having missed our flight. Not a single person complained; instead out came the cards, the books, the internet and people happily kept themselves entertained. One of this day’s highlights was Caroline’s performance – on her 21st birthday too – as paid the forfeit for losing at cards the night before. She had to dress in a bikini and sing happy birthday to herself in the middle of Delhi airport! Another trophy, we all felt.A few nomadic Barmy Army fans have supported and entertained us over the last week. It’s been good to have them around, enthusiastic and 100% supportive, they have rallied the crowds, deliberately standing in amongst the largest crowds of Indian supporters and chanting for England. They are celebrities in their own right.Tonight we fly to Bombay, for tomorrow’s practice match and ODI. This final week is as hectic as that which has gone before, but we look forward to it. Let’s hope that we continue finding things to celebrate!!

The powerful Bengal side have secured a place in the Ranji quarterfinals after thrashing Rajasthan by an innings and 51 runs at the KL Saini Ground, Jaipur on Sunday. Bengal, who had claimed a 197-run lead by the end of the fourth day’s play, then dismissed the hosts for 146 runs on Sunday.The 41 overs play on Saturday had seen Bengal batsman Subhomoy Das, resuming on 99, complete a well-deserved century. He was eventually out for 129. The rest of the willow-wielders did not add too many runs as the visitors were dismissed for 518. They had though secured a massive lead and this had already assured them of a place in the quarterfinals. A six-wicket haul by their new-ball bowler Sabir Ali on the fifth day though saw them have the pleasure of securing an outright win.

Stephen Waugh will not be selected in the Australian one-day international team to tour South Africa and Zimbabwe in March, it was announced today.The decision to omit Waugh from the one-day team was taken by the National Selection panel of Trevor Hohns (Chairman), Allan Border, David Boon and Andrew Hilditch.ACB Chief Executive, James Sutherland, said that in making the decision the selectors were meeting their obligation to put their judgement on the needs of the team ahead of all other considerations.”The selectors have one primary obligation to Australian cricket and that is to pick the team that in their judgement is the best side to represent our country. As difficult as it might be, they have taken this decision to fulfil this obligation,” said Mr Sutherland.Since making his debut in the shortened form of the game in December 1985, Waugh has made 325 one-day appearances, the last of them in the VB Series clash against South Africa in Perth on 3 February, an Australian record.Only India’s Mohammad Azharuddin (334 matches) has played more one-day matches, with Australia’s next most capped one-day player Border with 273 appearances.Only one other player, in addition to Waugh and Azharuddin – Pakistan’s Wasim Akram (323) – has topped 300 one-day matches for his country.Stephen Waugh said that he was disappointed by the decision but would be working to regain his place in the team.”Of course this is an extremely disappointing decision. The challenge for me is to now ensure that the Australian Test team wins the series against South Africa and to play well enough to force my way back into the one-day team,” said Waugh.Chairman of Selectors, Trevor Hohns, said it had been a tough decision to make.”Making this decision has been extremely difficult and it is not one that anyone likes but as selectors our responsibility is to pick what we believe to be the best side for Australia. We believe that there are now players ahead of Steve for one-day selection,” said Mr Hohns.”After reflecting on the VB Series, we decided that for the one-day side to continue to be successful and to prepare for the 2003 World Cup, it was time to make this change.”There is no ideal time to announce a decision like this, but by making the change now we hope that it will give the new captain a chance to step up and grow into the role well before next February.”It will also allow us to consult with that person so that he can have some input into the side that contests the one-day series in South Africa beginning next month.”In announcing the decision, Mr Sutherland also highlighted Stephen Waugh’s contribution to the one-day team.”Stephen has made an outstanding contribution to one-day cricket in this country as one-day captain over the past four years and has played a major part in building Australia’s record in this form of the game.”Waugh has captained Australia in 106 limited-overs matches with 67 wins, 35 losses, three ties and one no-result. Only six players have led their country more often in one-day cricket.With the bat, Waugh’s 7569 runs at 32.90 is the second highest aggregate by an Australian player, eclipsed only by his brother Mark, who has 8500 runs at 39.35 from 244 matches.Stephen also has 195 wickets to his credit in one-day internationals, leaving him 18th on the list of all-time leading wicket-takers in that form of the game. Of Australians, only Shane Warne (268) and Glenn McGrath (226) are ahead of him.Waugh also has two World Cup winning medals to his credit, first as part of Border’s side that beat England in Calcutta in 1987, then as captain when he led the team to a final win over Pakistan at Lord’s in 1999.That 1999 tournament also included Waugh’s highest score in one-day internationals, an unbeaten 120 against South Africa at Headingley in a must-win game for his side, one of three one-day hundreds he has scored.The selectors will as soon as practicable recommend a captain and vice-captain to the Australian Cricket Board’s 14 Directors while the squad for the seven one-day internationals to be played against South Africa starting in Johannesburg on Friday 22 March will be named in due course.Waugh will depart for South Africa with the rest of the Test squad on Thursday 14 February.

After the debacle in the first Test in Dhaka, not much was expected of the young and inexperienced Bangladesh team that squared up to the West Indies in the second Test at the MA Aziz Stadium in Chittagong. And true to form, they crumbled yet again against a West Indies bowling attack that comprises four speedsters, making just 194 in their first innings. When bad light brought an early end to play, the West Indies were 38-1 in reply.Bangladesh skipper Khaled Mashud won the toss and decided to bat on a track with a lot of grass in it. The opening pair of Hannan Sarkar and Al Sahariar negotiated a wayward opening spell from Pedro Collins and Vasbert Drakes to take the score to 43. But then, in the space of 15 balls and five runs, Bangladesh lost three quick wickets.Drakes, who had struggled to find the right rhythm in his first spell, finished it by drawing first blood, trapping Sahariar (25) in front of the wicket. Daren Powell, who replaced Collins, then claimed the wickets of Sarkar (15) and Habibul Bashar (3).Sanwar Hossain and Mohammad Ashraful too were shaky to start with, beaten numerous times outside the off stump. But then, with the West Indies pace attack growing complacent, both the batsmen grew in confidence as Bangladesh went in for lunch at 88/3.The post-lunch session was to bring no better tidings for the home side as the West Indies claimed four more wickets. After Hossain (36) and Ashraful (28) added 64 for the fourth wicket and took their team to 112-4, Collins and Jermaine Lawson struck, claiming two wickets each and reducing the hosts to 144-7 by the end of the session.Soon after tea, Bangladesh lost Tapash Baisya (5) hit-wicket off the bowling of Powell. Skipper Khaled Mashud (32) stood up for a while and along with Manjural Islam (21) put together 36 useful runs for the ninth wicket. Sarwan caught Mashud in the covers off Drakes, and Islam was bowled by Collins as the Bangladesh innings came to an end in the 64th over of the day. Collins and Powell picked up three wickets each, Drakes and Lawson shared the remaining four wickets between them.The West Indies innings didn’t get off to a good start; they lost the wicket of Wavell Hinds (14) caught behind off the bowling of Tapash Baisya, trying to sway away from a short-pitched delivery and getting some glove on the ball.Manjural Islam bowled a very good first spell (8-5-12-0), often beating the outside edge. Sarwan immediately got off his mark with a boundary to fine leg, but with the light fading, Chris Gayle (10*) and Sarwan (14*) ensured that West Indies did not have any further hiccups before close of play. Once again, they are dictating terms to the home side.

In sport, you never know which are the opportunities which are the precursorto bigger and greater things.For Michael Vaughan, it was the second Test in Adelaide. Justin Langer caughthim when he was on 19 but it was referred to the third umpire who gave thebatsman the benefit of the doubt.Vaughan went on to make 177. Who knows how the rest of his series would havefared had Langer’s appeal be upheld? Three centuries? Who would know? Man ofthe series? Unlikely.For Sri Lanka, their opportunity was being sent in by Australia. They havecapitalised on it and have responded by making 5/343 against a sub-strengthAustralian line-up.But the bigger picture is what this innings means in terms of Australia.Brad Hogg is no Shane Warne. Brett Lee and Andy Bichel do not pose the samenew ball threat as Glenn McGrath or Jason Gillespie.In the already bowler short World Cup Australian squad, if one of thebowlers goes down, Australia is already in trouble. They have a long battingline-up but do they always want to be chasing scores of 300-plus?Watson going for 72 from his full quota and Hogg being carted for 72 fromnine is simply not acceptable if Australia wishes to do well at the upcomingWorld Cup.Twenty-nine in wides and no-balls does not aid their cause either.Will the Australian selectors be regretting their composition of the final15? The first XI are a great side but are the back-ups adequatereplacements?