All posts by csb10.top

Gloucestershire GladiatorsvDerbyshire ScorpionsLast home game of the season and the first division is within sight.Sunday 8 September
Norwich Union LeagueStart : 12.00A feast of cricket and attractions featuring:-
King Edmond Gym Club
The Gladiator Girls Cheerleading Squad
And exotic animals from Bristol Zoo
For tickets in advanceTel: 0117 910 8010

West Indies have axed Devon Smith ahead of the third Test against Australia and their top order has been boosted by the inclusion of Sewnarine Chattergoon, who missed out earlier in the series due to a shoulder injury. Chris Gayle, who was included in the squad for the second Test but failed to overcome his groin problem in time, has been named as captain of a 14-man group for the Barbados match.The team management is confident Gayle will play as West Indies try to level the series, which Australia lead 1-0. Chattergoon, who played his only Test in the second match against Sri Lanka in April and impressed with 46 in the first innings, is no certainty to play when the Test begins at Kensington Oval on Thursday. West Indies were impressed by the efforts of the opener Xavier Marshall in Antigua, where he batted confidently in the first innings and posted 53.To fit Gayle, Marshall and Chattergoon all into the top order West Indies might have to consider dropping Runako Morton, who played well in the first Test but was out of sorts in Antigua. Smith has already paid the price for an extended run of poor form in the Test outfit, having not made a Test half-century since he scored 88 in Brisbane in 2005-06.Sulieman Benn has been named as the sole spinner in the group and after the fast and medium-paced attack struggled in the second Test he might be a chance to play, depending on the Bridgetown pitch. Kemar Roach, a 19-year-old fast bowler from Barbados with only four first-class games to his name, has been included in the squad but is unlikely to play. He was in fact set to play for Ombersley in the Lancashire League as a professional but was unable to meet the requirement of a minimum of five first-class matches. To his good fortune, it made him available for selection for West Indies.”I know that when a Test match comes around, they sometimes draft in players in the island where the match is, but I wasn’t expecting to be in the squad,” Roach told the . “I’m quite happy to be there. If selected, I want to put in a good performance.”I have smoothened out my run-up. My approach to the wicket is a little slower. I’ve been talkingto Andy Roberts and a couple of other guys who have played at the highest level.”West Indies squad Chris Gayle (capt), Xavier Marshall, Sewnarine Chattergoon, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Runako Morton, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Dwayne Bravo, Denesh Ramdin (wk), Darren Sammy, Sulieman Benn, Jerome Taylor, Kemar Roach, Daren Powell, Fidel Edwards.

Gloucestershire expect good weather for the C & G Trophy tomorrowThe squad is as follows

M AlleyneJ AverisM BallK BarnettA GidmanM HardingesI HarveyJ LewisR RussellM SmithC SpearmanC TaylorM Windows

The influences of an Indian and South African are bringing out the best in Barbadian cricketer Dwayne Smith.For the last five years the 18-year-old Smith has admired and fashioned his cricketing skills after India’s star batter Sachin Tendulkar and South Africa’s allrounder Jacques Kallis.On Monday, Smith, borrowed ingredients from both to fashion a maiden, first-class century, which saved Barbados from defeat against the Leeward Islands.The former Garrison Secondary schoolboy was literally on show at the Ronald Webster Park in Anguilla. He cracked 102, an innings of great maturity that could signal a breakthrough.I always liked how Sachin [Tendulkar] and Jacques [Kallis] play, Smith said after his knock. I told myself, you can do it too. I thought I would bat for the team, and I knew once I batted as long as possible I was going to score.It was something he expected to complete at the youth level before the senior. But after three seasons in the three-day version of the game, he hadn’t been able to even yield a half-century, so naturally he was totally overwhelmed by the innings.He has never even scored a century at the Division 1 level for his club Caribbean Lumber YMPC. His dream of a first-class hundred is something he always envisaged.When I started playing cricket from age six I always learnt to be very attacking. When I grew older my dad (former Carlton Division 1 captain Wilbur Bruce) helped me to develop that kind of attacking batting and it is coming through for me.His father is also known to be a very attacking strokemaker.He (Dad) gives me great guidance. He tells me to play straight and always keep concentrating. He told me once I do this that things would work out. I know he is very proud with my innings and I have to thank him for helping me, said Smith, who is known to be quite shy.The returns have also been as a result of hard work in the nets with coach Henderson Springer.The coach always drills into my head `keep it straight and concentrate’.The manager (Tony Howard) always tells me as well to keep my cool and bat for the team and I just keep remembering that.Howard was delighted that the lad had heeded the advice and spoke of better things to come.Dwayne has been getting good starts and losing it. I had a stern talk with him and he and the coach kept working. Dwayne has a good eye once he continues to mix his defence with his shot selection; it is always hard to restrict him.In his five matches to date, Smith has scored 226 runs.The soft-spoken Smith has a simple reply to tell fans who constantly say his batting is similar to that of Collis King,the former aggressive Barbados and WestIndies player.The reply: I am Dwayne Smith, no one else!

The Somerset Chief Executive’s campaign to draw attention to the plight of voluntary sports clubs and their need for tax exemptions has certainly gathered momentum.The letter that he has written to all West Country Members of Parliament has certainly ruffled more than a few feathers and responses are being received at Mr Anderson’s office at the County Ground on a daily basis.The Somerset Chief Executive also broached the subject recently when he met with local Taunton MP Adrian Flook at one of Rob Turner’s benefit functions.In addition the matter has now become the subject of several articles in the national and regional daily press as well as other areas of the media and is likely to receive further coverage over the coming months as more and more voluntary sports clubs become aware of the likely implications.Earlier this week a letter arrived on Peter Anderson’s desk from John Read, who is the Director of Corporate Affairs at the England and Wales Cricket Board headquarters at Lord’s in London.In his letter, the man from the ECB, which is cricket’s governing body, says: “Many, many thanks for writing to all MPs about the issue of tax exemptions – that’s a fantastic effort and just what’s required.”Mr Read concludes: “Hopefully all our efforts will bear fruit for cricket clubs up and down the country – goodness knows they need it.”Without a doubt Mr Anderson’ efforts have brought the issue to the attention of a wide ranging audience and may well be exactly what is required if there are to be any realistic changes to the current situation relating to the way that voluntary sports clubs are treated.

Craig Spearman is to return to Central Districts next season, 18 months after announcing his retirement.Spearman said he was finished with first-class cricket when travelling to England after the highly-successful CD summer of 2000/01.But since then he has started playing for Gloucestershire, with great success in the County Championship, under the coaching eye of New Zealander John Bracewell.In six county championship matches to date he has scored 460 runs at 38.30, including two centuries and three 50s while in the Benson and Hedges Cup competition he scored 138 runs at 23.00 but most importantly, had a strike rate of 101.47.CD chief executive Blair Furlong said that while Spearman said he had retired from cricket when leaving CD, he then signed for Gloucestershire.”I approached him and asked him if he was coming home during the summer would he like to play the State Shield games for us. He said he would think about it and then came back and said, why didn’t he play the whole season for us?”We settled it last week. It will be like having the old firm back together as Greg Loveridge has come back from South Africa and has said that he would like to have another lick at cricket here,” Furlong said.He said Spearman was expected in late-September, early-October.”It’s good news for us. Our batting was pretty ordinary in lots of games last season and his being here will make a difference to the top of the order,” Furlong said.Central Districts have just named their winter squad. It is: Jacob Oram, Glen Sulzberger, Peter Ingram, Jamie How, Michael Mason, Gareth West, Greg Loveridge, Bevan Griggs (Manawatu); David Kelly, Lance Hamilton, Taraia Robin, Campbell Furlong, Peter McGlashan (Hawke’s Bay); Mathew Sinclair (Horowhenua-Kapiti); Greg Todd (Wairarapa); Ewen Thompson, Andrew Schwass (Nelson); Tim Anderson, David Good (Taranaki); Brent Hefford (Marlborough).

Najmuddin Khan, the Pakistan sports minister, will be meeting Farooq H Naik, the law minister, in a bid to draft a legislation aimed at bringing all the national sports bodies, including the Pakistan Cricket Board, under the supervision of the federal sports ministry.It was decided at a meeting of the Senate’s Committee on Sports that all sports federations should be answerable to the ministry and that could only be done by getting a legislation passed at the National Assembly.”The sports minister has assured us that he will be meeting the law minister soon in a bid to discuss the proposal of bringing all sports federations under the control of the ministry,” Enver Baig, a member of the committee, told the .The committee is perturbed by the declining standard of sports in Pakistan and is mainly focusing on the three most popular games in the country – cricket, hockey and squash.The committee also wants the PCB to come under the control of the sports ministry as its members believe that such a move will bring more accountability in the board.”A proper check and balance can be kept over PCB and sports federations if they become directly answerable to the sports ministry,” Baig said. “We have to take such concrete steps otherwise the future of Pakistan sports will be dark,” he added.Baig pointed out that sports bodies, with the exception of the PCB, lack proper funds. “We are pushing for more funds for sports.” He said the committee was critical of the PCB, saying that in spite of having massive funds it has failed to lift Pakistan cricket.”The PCB has spent Rs 100 crore [US$14 million approx] to uplift Pakistan cricket in recent times and still our team is flopping miserably and is now almost out of the Asia Cup,” Baig said, referring to Pakistan’s poor performance in the ongoing Asia Cup. At the meeting, the sports minister showed great concern over the decline of Pakistan cricket.A sub-committee that includes Baig and senator Tariq Azeem was formed during the meeting and was given the task to come out with suggestions for the improvement of Pakistan sports. “We will be giving our recommendations for the promotion of sports in Pakistan,” said Baig. “We will apprise the government and the prime minister about the state of our sports.””That land which should be used by our sports persons is being utilised as a parking space for a residential project. It’s a shame,” said Baig. The minister was also asked to take another piece of prime land at Karachi’s MA Jinnah Road that was handed over to the local government.”The sports minister has told us that he is new and needs some time. The committee was generous enough to give him two months to complete the tasks and report back to the committee,” said Baig.

For 4-1/2 hours yesterday, Daren Ganga unleashed thetype of strokes Caribbean spectators have rarely seen from him.But, one of his few mistakes, just before 4 p.m., led to a rapidtransformation in the proceedings on the opening day of the finalround Busta Cup match between Barbados and Trinidad and Tobago.With impeccable touch, Ganga, just back from Australia where he wasvirtually a strokeless wonder, fashioned his second regional firstclass century against Barbados that gave Trinidad and Tobago thehealthy platform of 181 for two.By the close, Barbados, guaranteed their 17th regional title once theywin here, staged a sterling fightback that bore similarities to theone they achieved exactly a week earlier against the Leeward Islandsin Nevis.In the space of an hour-and-a-half, six wickets fell for 50 runs andthe final score of 241 for eight was one Barbados would have beensatisfied with in light of the impact Ganga created.The 22-year-old opening batsman was typically solid in defence, butwas it a joy to see another side of him, courtesy of some top-classdriving through the off-side.His 105 off 186 balls included 16 sweetly struck boundaries, but itwas ended in disappointing fashion and triggered the Trinidad andTobago collapse in which fast bowler Corey Collymore and left-armspinner Ryan Hinds were the main wreckers.Hinds, still basking in the glory of his memorable 15-wicket matchhaul against the Leewards, removed Ganga with a juggled return catchfrom a shot that suggested the batsman was satisfied that a hundredwas enough.This is a Trinidad and Tobago batting side that revolves mainly aroundGanga, Lincoln Roberts and captain Richard Smith, and although theother two made useful contributions, Barbados ran through the middleand lower order with ease.Collymore ended the day with four victims – two of them having theirstumps knocked out – and also claimed the important scalp of Robertsfor 45 at an important stage when Smith was also in.The start of play was delayed by half-hour because of rain just before10 a.m. and there was appreciable moisture in the surface afterSherwin Campbell won the toss.Barbados’ bowlers, however, were unable to make inroads because theirline was not perfect.The only scalp during the pre-lunch session was the potentiallydashing opener Andy Jackson, his intended cut off Ian Bradshaw neatlyaccepted by Campbell at second slip.By lunch, taken at 57 for one, Ganga had already advertised hisimpressive strokeplay with spanking cover-drives and pulls offCollymore and Ian Bradshaw.He went to the break on 38 but on resumption he was troubled in anover from Hendy Bryan in which there was the possibility of a fendedcatch to a vacant gully. During that testing period, he also offered adifficult diving chance to Hinds at point.He soon reached his half-century but lost his second-wicket partnerImran Jan, who spent almost two hours in a stand of 71 that wasthoroughly dominated by Ganga.The left-handed Jan was solid only and never showed any signs ofaggression in his innings of 14 which was ended in spectacular fashionby a yorker from Collymore that sent the middle stump out of theground.Roberts came out with a positive approach and immediately offered asharp chance to Roland Holder at short-leg. It made no difference tohim and he proceeded to play with bold aggression in a somewhat chancyknock of 45.When he was on 14, Hinds dropped a return chance, but the ball wasstruck with such ferocity that the bowler was lucky that he was notdecapitated. Ganga and Roberts took Trinidad and Tobago to tea on 153for two with Ganga ten short of his third first-class century. It wasreached with an all-run four to extra-cover and was celebrated with ahard cut off Bryan’s next ball.Barbados got him in the following over and when Collymore came backfor a final spell, he immediately despatched Roberts, lbw, as he wasvery late in trying to push forward.At that stage it was 202 for four and Barbados still had plenty ofwork to do. But the pressure was eased by two double-strikes withdifferent balls.The old ball accounted for Keno Mason, bowled leg-stump with a sharpturner from Hinds, and Darryl Brown, a victim of a cross-batted shotagainst Collymore.The new ball was taken as soon as it was available and it gainedBarbados immediate success.Bradshaw induced the busy Dave Mohammed into a miscued pull andskipper Smith fell to a loose stroke that resulted in an edged catchto the keeper.

Ace leg spinner Anil Kumble said in Bangalore on Friday that he was feeling much better but not yet match-fit, as he returned home after a thorough check-up and rehabilitation programme for his shoulder injury in South Africa.”I feel much better, and I have started bowling”, Kumble told PTI on his return after undergoing treatment by renowned specialist Dr Fergusson. Asked if he was totally fit now, Kumble, who had undergone surgery to his shoulder in Johannesburg in January, said he was not yet ‘match-fit’.Kumble had just completed a three-week thorough check-up and rehabilitationprogramme to his bowling arm in South Africa, where he was accompanied by Dr Premchand Khincha. “I have started net practice”, the Karnataka spinner said and expressed the hope that he would be available for selection for the South Africa tour from October.” He added “But if I recover before the SriLankan tour in July-September, that will be a bonus.”Meanwhile, Indian physio Andrew Leipus, who is already in Bangalore for the Indian team’s conditioning camp beginnning on May 13, said Kumble had shown remarkable improvement and he would be working with the spinner on his path to become fit.The camp for the probables for the Zimbabwe tour would be held at the Chinnaswamy stadium, and Indian team coach John Wright said the focus would be on fitness and improving skills and building on the success against Australia.