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Hampshire have named a strong squad for the semi-final of the 2nd XI Trophy match at Stamford Bridge, near York when they will play Yorkshire on Monday (August 12th).Jason Laney, who was recalled to the first XI for the Championship clash at Old Trafford this week, returns to lead the seconds and takes John Francis, Alex Morris and James Tomlinson from the 12 in Manchester with him.Yorkshire, winners of the North group with four victories and one defeat (three games were abandoned) tackle the South West champions – four wins and two defeats being Hampshire’s record.Uxbridge hosts the other semi-final with Middlesex hosting Kent.Hampshire team: Jason Laney (capt), John Francis, Alex Morris, Lawrence Prittipaul, James Adams, Chris Benham, Iain Brunnschweiler (w-k), James Hamblin, Irfan Shah, James Tomlinson, James Schofield, Ian Hilsum (12th man).

Leicestershire have added fast bowler Devon Malcolm and batsman Ron Cunliffe to their squad for their fourth round C&G Trophy match against Sussex at Grace Road.The side will be chosen after a final practice session on Tuesday, but coach Phil Whitticase indicated it could well be unchanged despite the disappointing defeat in the Norwich Union League clash with Somerset on Sunday.Whitticase said: “It wasn’t a good performance and the way we batted was particularly disappointing. But there is no cause to panic. We have had a good chat about where we have gone wrong in the last couple of games – and there have been a few home truths.”We have not batted well as a unit,and that’s something we have to put right. But personally I am a believer in sticking to the same routine so that everyone knows their job.”Despite the blip it has still be a good start to the season and there is no cause for panic.But this is undoubtedly a big match for us and one we need to win. If we do it will put us in the quarter finals and re-ignite the season.”One player who will be looking to do well is Darren Stevens. He has had a fine start to the season, winning the Bland Bankart “Cricketer of the Month” award for April and May when he scored 445 runs at an average of 63.57.The Leicestershire squad is: Wells (capt),Ward, Sutcliffe, Maddy, Flower, Stevens, Burns, DeFreitas, Grove, Crowe, Whiley, Malcolm, Cunliffe.

Opening batsman Daniel Payne today said he was shocked after being named to make his debut for Queensland against Victoria at the Gabba on Wednesday.Payne will replace Jimmy Maher, who flies out on Saturday with the Australian one day cricket squad for South Africa.He and left-arm spinner Matthew Anderson come into the Bulls’ squad at a crucial time with Queensland needing first innings points to host the Pura Cup final at the Gabba.”Just shock,” said Payne today when asked his reaction to getting the selectors’ nod.”I didn’t really think I’d play this year, maybe next year. But it’s come now so you’ve got to make the most of it.”Payne is the seventh player to make his debut for the Bulls this season.He began his cricket career for the Gold Coast as a teenager before switching to the Redlands Tigers three seasons ago in the Brisbane club competition.He’s scored 540 runs for Redlands in the first grade premiership this season and notched up two half centuries against New Zealand with a Queensland Academy ofSport outfit last October.Payne said he would rely on advice from former Redlands captain Maher when he steps into his shoes on Wednesday.”He’s kind of seen me develop. He’s … had a bit of influence,” the 24-year-old said.”He’s always said if you’re going to score runs you’ve got to play it straight for as long as you can and that’s hopefully what I’ll try and do.”I’m just going to enjoy it and keep it simple and watch the ball, try not to let the nerves get too much in the way.”Anderson, who was 12th man during the Bulls’ recent win over South Australia in Adelaide, replaces Nathan Hauritz who will join Maher in South Africa for the one day series.Queensland: Stuart Law (c), Brendan Nash, Daniel Payne, Martin Love, Andrew Symonds, Lee Carseldine, Wade Seccombe, Ashley Noffke, MichaelKasprowicz, Joe Dawes, Scott Brand, Matthew Anderson (12th man to be named).

The South Australian Cricket Association today launched a program called’Cricket in the Community: a Social Vision’ to create strongerpartnerships between the State’s 25,000 cricketers and local government.SACA’s State Manager of Cricket and Redbacks Coach Greg Chappelllaunched the campaign today, saying that cricket was undergoingphenomenal growth, especially at junior level.’We’ve seen the number of junior players increase by about 60% in thepast seven years. Whole new clubs and associations are being formedevery season’, Greg said.’Two things come out of that. One is that there’s increasing pressure onthe need for facilities; and the other is that cricket has a grass-rootssocial infrastructure which has the potential to be a valuable asset forlocal government.’The program we are launching today aims at strengthening theunderstanding between cricket and councils. We both have a lot to learnabout each other and we can both benefit from that understanding.’Cricket has an increasing need for facilities; and in return, we canoffer local government a way to connect with the local community.’For example, Councils are, in effect, sponsors of cricket but theyrarely celebrate that sponsorship or use it to reach the local people.’The campaign SACA is launching today will operate at two levels:

• ‘The Association itself will take a leading role by seeking todevelop our relationship with the Local Government Association and theLocal Government Manager’s Association. We want to inform them of thefull impact of cricket, not just as a sport but as an important part ofthe social and community fabric. But we also want to learn more aboutLocal Government, so this will be a two-way process.
• ‘At a Club level, we have prepared a strategy and an action kitfor the Grade Clubs to follow, which will assist them in building anddeveloping partnerships with Councils. This is practical and hasoutcomes which we believe will benefit both parties. SACA will giveactive support to clubs in pursuing these activities throughout thecoming season, and will formally review the outcomes after the finals.

‘Cricket has an important community and social role. Our program isaimed firstly at ensuring Councils have a full understanding of thedepth and breadth of cricket in the community. The second phase involvesworking with Councils to develop partnership arrangements which aremutually beneficial to both cricket and local government, based oncommonalities of purpose and service to the community.’Cricket is more than a great game – it’s a social and communityresource which touches hundreds of thousands of South Australians atmany different levels. Our strategy in working more closely with localgovernment on a mutual basis has the full support of the AustralianCricket Board and will help ensure a positive future for the game inthis State’.

MUTARE SPORTS CLUB v UNIVERSALSAt Mutare Sports Club. Mutare Sports Club won by 143 runs (target 285, Duckworth-Lewis).MUTARE*+N R Ferreira run out (Rogers) 78M G Burmester c Rogers b Croxford 94A D R Campbell c Rogers b Sanyika 38A Flower run out (Rogers) 1K P R Went b Sanyika 5A D Soma not out 14A L Taylor not out 3T K MawoyoJ M LewisD OberholzerK J TaylorExtras (b 5 lb 4 w 7 nb 8) 24(5 wkts, 44 overs) 257Matambanadzo 8 0 39 0Croxford 9 0 52 1Sanyika 8 0 56 2Murphy 10 0 52 0Rogers 9 0 49 0UNIVERSALSD R Matambanadzo c Mawoyo b Burmester 20*B A Murphy c Ferreira b Burmester 0B G Rogers lbw b Lewis 11G M Croxford c Ferreira b Lewis 0K J Taibu c Mawoyo b Lewis 19D T Hondo c Ferreira b Lewis 0M Imran c Ferreira b Lewis 5N Chouhan c Went b Campbell 31S Shah st Ferreira b Flower 15R Chiradza run out (Lewis/Flower) 22R Sanyika not out 4Extras (b 4 lb 6 w 5) 15(36 overs) 142Burmester 8 1 26 2A L Taylor 2 0 23 0Lewis 9 4 25 5Campbell 6 0 39 1Flower 7 1 12 1K J Taylor 4 1 17 0Mutare bowling adds to 4 runs too many.OLD GEORGIANS v BULAWAYO ATHLETIC CLUBAt Old Georgians Sports Club. Old Georgians won by six wickets.BACC K Coventry lbw b Coulson 124A P Hoffman c Coulson b Mwayenga 4B Stadden lbw b Mwayenga 9+M G McKillop c Barrett b Coulson 40*G M Ewing c and b Mwayenga 43C Mahachi lbw b Fraser 0K M Dabengwa c Evans b Fraser 0C R Williams c Evans b Bennett 15J S Nicolle c Neethling b Bennett 7N Mukandiwa run out (Robb/Bennett) 13T Mupariwa not out 3Extras (lb 4 w 12 nb 2) 18(39.3 overs) 276Mwayenga 8 0 45 3Bennett 7.3 0 85 2Evans 8 0 36 0Coulson 8 0 41 2Barrett 1 0 17 0Neethling 4 0 27 0Fraser 3 0 21 2OLD GEORGIANSA J C Neethling lbw b Mukondiwa 12G F Barrett c Mahachi b Dabengwa 51C B Wishart not out 112*C N Evans c Coventry b Dabengwa 88R Chengetere run out (Mahachi/Dabengwa) 0R J Bennett not out 8I M CoulsonW MwayengaA FraserD Robb+R BiggsExtras (lb 1 w 6 nb 2) 9(4 wkts, 39.3 overs) 280Nicolle 5 0 33 0Mukondiwa 5 0 43 1Mupariwa 8 0 39 0Dabengwa 8 0 67 2Ewing 6.3 0 48 0Hoffman 7 0 49 0TAKASHINGA v OLD HARARIANS SPORTS CLUBAt Eaglesvale School. Takashinga won by 106 runs.TAKASHINGAG Makoni c Burki b Chari 1E Chauluka c Khalid b Butterworth 38H Masakadza lbw b Ervine 69S Matsikenyeri c Brewer b Benade 41+T Taibu not out 24*A Maregwede c Khan b Benade 4E Chigumbura c and b Ervine 4R N Manyande st Khan b Burki 6P Utseya c Strang b Burki 0H K Olonga c Strang b Ervine 10A MaungwaExtras (b 1 lb 8 w 16 nb 3) 28(9 wkts, 50 overs) 225Rinke 8 0 32 0Chari 6 0 23 1Burki 8 1 27 2Butterworth 10 0 43 1Benade 10 0 49 2Ervine 8 0 43 3OLD HARARIANST Benade b Utseya 46R E Butterworth c Masakadza b Maungwa 5C H Brewer c Matsikenyeri b Olonga 11*P A Strang c Olonga b Chigumbura 11H P Rinke lbw b Utseya 1C Ervine c Taibu b Chigumbura 1N Chari b Utseya 14+S Khan lbw b Masakadza 12T Mashonganyika c Makoni b Matsikenyeri 3S Khalid c Utseya b Matsikenyeri 3A Burki not out 2Extras (lb 1 w 6 nb 3) 10(43 overs) 119Olonga 10 2 19 1Maungwa 7 1 23 1Chigumbura 7 0 26 2Utseya 10 1 25 3Matsikenyeri 7 3 16 2Masakadza 2 0 9 1KWEKWE SPORTS CLUB v ALEXANDRA SPORTS CLUB – Scorecard still not received, but match won by Kwekwe.QUEENS SPORTS CLUB v HARARE SPORTS CLUB – To be played this weekend.NATIONAL FIRST LEAGUE: LOG AFTER MATCHES PLAYED ON 3 NOVEMBER 2002NetP W L Pts Run rateMutare SC 5 4 1 12 2.30Universals 5 4 1 12 1.19Takashinga 5 3 2 9 0.30Kwekwe SC 5 3 2 9 0.11Old Georgians 5 3 2 9 -0.15Alexandra SC 5 2 3 6 -0.10Harare SC 4 2 2 6 -0.66Old Hararians 5 2 3 6 -1.49BAC 5 1 4 3Queens 4 – 4 0

Somerset Under-19’s two day game against Gloucestershire at Keynsham fell foul of the weather last week, and in the end they had to settle for first innings win.Gloucestershire won the toss, and batting first were all out for 285. Tom Webley was the pick of the Somerset bowlers with the impressive figures of 27 overs 5 for 37, but there were also two wickets each for Arul Suppiah and James Hildreth.When Somerset batted they scored 300 for 6, with Webley scoring 108, Suppiah and Chris Gange each making 46 and Simon Green from Weston super Mare chipping in with 44.The Under 19’s are next in action when they travel to Kidderminster to take on Worcestershire in a two day game starting on July 25th.

Essex has signed fast/medium bowler Nick Denning on a one-year contact forthe 2003 season.Denning, 23, has played minor county cricket for Berkshire since 1999, and now joins the Club after after impressing the Essex selectors in the 2nd XI at Colchester.Chief Executive, David East, commented:
“Nick clearly has great ambition and will undoubtedly strengthen the squad’sbowling for next year. We wish him well for the future”.Denning was educated at Bradfield College – the school in Berkshire that has produced Hampshire’s Will Kendall, former Hampshire captain Mark Nicholas and, before them, Surrey and England’s Graham Roope.

Hansie Cronje’s tragic death in an air crash near George in South Africa’s southern Cape on Saturday has ended one of the saddest episodes in South African sport. With the world apparently at his feet, Cronje allowed himself to be seduced by the millions of dollars involved in illegal betting in cricket and was finally drummed out of the game in disgrace.Even those closest to Cronje could offer no explanation for his behaviour, beyond his own admission that he had “an unfortunate love for money”. From being one of the most respected figures in the game he became an outcast and his shocking death came before he and the cricket establishment were able to effect some sort of rapprochement.Before his fall from grace, Cronje had been South Africa’s longest-serving and most successful captain, leading his country at two World Cups and, immediately before the match-fixing scandal broke, to a rare Test series victory over India.He was groomed for greatness at Bloemfontein’s Grey College, the alma mater of his predecessor as South African captain, Kepler Wessels. He played provincial schools cricket for Free State from 1985-87 and for the South African Schools team, along with Jonty Rhodes, in 1986 and 1987, captaining the side in his final year.Cronje made his provincial debut for Free State in the 1987/88 season, and within three seasons had begun captaining the side. When South Africa re-emerged from isolation with a three-game one-day international tour of India in 1991, Cronje travelled with the team as a non-playing member, and just months later he was selected for South Africa’s first World Cup campaign in Australia and New Zealand.He made his Test debut against the West Indies in 1992 and scored his maiden Test century against India in Port Elizabeth later that year. His 135 was to be his highest Test score, although he was to score another five centuries in a career that encompassed 68 Test matches.Cronje took over as South African captain from Wessels after a disastrous one-day campaign in Pakistan in 1994, during which South Africa lost six games on the trot to Pakistan and Australia. His first Test as captain ended in a surprise defeat against Ken Rutherford’s New Zealanders at the Wanderers, but South Africa came from behind to win the series 2-1, and Cronje had begun to establish himself as a tough, uncompromising captain.As a batsman, he was one of the world’s finest players of spin bowling, making good use of his feet and the slog-sweep to dominate the bowlers, but he was less comfortable against fast bowling directed at his rib cage, a weakness exploited on different occasions by Darren Gough and Danny Morrison.Even so, Cronje went on to score 3,714 runs at 36.41 and his right-arm medium pace often proved particularly effective on the sub-continent. In all he took 43 Test wickets at 29.95. He was more successful as a one-day player, scoring over 5,500 runs in 188 matches at 38.64.It was as a captain, however, that Cronje stamped himself on the South African game. With Bob Woolmer as South African coach and Peter Pollock the convener of selectors, Cronje gradually exerted more and more influence over the team. It was this power that eventually led to his downfall.Shortly after South Africa had returned from India in 2000, Cronje was implicated in match-fixing on the basis of tape recordings made by the Indian police. He denied the charges initially, but after a late-night change of heart faxed a confession to the then United Cricket Board managing director Ali Bacher.Cronje was immediately sacked as captain and suspended, and after further revelations had come out of the King Commission of Inquiry into Match-Fixing, he was banned from cricket for life.In essence, Cronje admitted to dealings with bookmakers over a long period, as well as offering money to several of his team-mates to underperform. Two of them, Herschelle Gibbs and Henry Williams, admitted their involvement and were banned from the game for six months.During 2001 Cronje attempted to have his ban overturned in the Pretoria High Court, but his application was dismissed. Earlier this year he took up employment near Johannesburg, while continuing to maintain a home on the luxurious Fancourt golf estate in the southern Cape.Despite Cronje’s admissions at the King Commission, suspicions remained that the full story had not been revealed with several questions left unanswered. His tragic death, at the age of just 32, seems to have drawn a curtain on one of South African cricket’s most unhappy tales.He is survived by his wife, Bertha.

© CricInfo

It is unusual for someone to aspire to be a young tearaway pacer in Trinidad and wind up peddling his wares as a medium-pacer for Tamil Nadu for almost 20 years. It is unusual for someone to wait seven years between playinghis second and third one-dayers. It is unusual for a batsman to begin his Test career by hitting the first ball of each innings for fours and yet never be considered again. Some people would even say that it is unusual to be the coach of your country’s Under-19 side before you have retired from international cricket.”No, not really. It’s not that unusual, and coaching is not that new for me,” Robin Singh, whose career has experienced all of the above ups and downs, told . Appointed coach for the Indian Under-19 side’s forthcoming tour of England, Robin was, as ever, low key – none of that bustling excitement, hype and hoopla for him.”I’ve been doing work at the MAC Spin foundation here in Madras for over a year now. Also, with my club team SICAL, I’ve been trying to get as involved as possible,” explains Robin. “When you’ve played first-class cricket for a long time, it always helps to talk to the younger members of the team about the game, pitch in with whatever extra you can, apart from what you do out in the middle.”At 38, Robin is still one of the fittest cricketers on the Indian scene, and that has been the case for years now. But that seems to have helped his cause little, for the Tamil Nadu all-rounder has now been out of favour with the selectors – and consequently out of the national team – since April 2001. But Robin is still a firm fixture on the domestic circuit, not having announced his retirement or even hinting at it.”See, I did my share of coaching even when I played (club) cricket in England,” said Robin. “I’ve played in the leagues there a few times. Obviously my own game was the biggest contribution, but I’ve also done my bit with the youngsters and in the nets, that sort of thing.” Having played league cricket in Lancashire, Durham, Southampton and Scotland, Robin knows more than a little about the conditions that await the Indian youth.With the Indian Under-19 team due to tour England in July-August to play three unofficial Tests and as many limited-overs matches, Robin’s English experience will be a big asset. “I realise that coaching the Under-19 team is totallydifferent from working with a club side,” said Robin. “These are young cricketers working hard to break into higher levels in the near future. Obviously getting results also becomes that much more important. So as a coach you need to make doubly sure that you do your homework.”As the Indian senior side and the women’s team are also playing cricket in England, it is only fitting that the boys are in the neighbourhood at the same time. “It will certainly be inspirational for the youngsters. After all, the boys look up to the senior team, and many of their heroes will be in action,” said Robin.From being a young hopeful himself at the San Fernando Technical Institute in Barrackpore, Trinidad, to coaching lads in India, it’s been a long, winding road. Robin has had to play many different roles in his life so far, and he realises what his latest assignment entails. “Working with cricketers who are young means that you have to be more than just a coach,” he said. “Most of these lads are inexperienced and will need inputs of different kinds. You reallyhave to do a bit of thinking for them as well. From ironing out faults to strategy on the game, they need help on many counts.”Although he’s clearly happy to be in his new role, Robin isn’t ready to rush things. “Obviously I need to get to know the players better before I can start working with them in earnest,” he said. “I need to learn something of their strengths and weaknesses before I can start telling them what to do and what not to do.” In the past, coaches of youth teams have failed simply because of the huge gap between coach and wards. That, for sure, is not going to be the case here. Robin is well-liked wherever he goes, never says a word more than necessary, and knows how to deal with disappointment and success equally.There were those who said that Robin was too old when he made his comeback at 33; they will no doubt be quick to say that he is too young to coach at 38. As they were comprehensively proven wrong the first time round, there is no reason why this time should be any different.