With the new 2003 cricket season creeping ever closer The thoughts of everyone at Somerset County Cricket Club are firmly focussed on the start of the new cricket season in April, and none more than Giles Clarke the newly appointed Chairman of the Club.Looking ahead to the new season Mr Clarke has sent the following message to all website readers:"As a Life Member I would normally be looking forward to a new season anyway but as your Chairman, my expectations and excitement are heightened by the honour bestowed upon me.Of course, results on the field determine satisfaction but I believe also that the way Somerset play their cricket is important too. The safe, disciplined, professional approach of playing cricket has to be garnished with a bit of style or, if you like, entertainment.As your Chief Executive is prone to say, the manner in which Somerset lose is almost as important as Somerset winning. He may be right because I know how demoralising it is to sit there and watch our beloved Somerset steamrollered by the opposition without seemingly a whimper. If and when we lose, Somerset need to do it with all guns blazing.I must say that I have been mightily impressed in the way Kevin Shine and his coaching team have been preparing our players this winter. Without wanting to dwell on this matter, after last season, confidences had to be re-built and individual techniques re-honed.Someone asked at the AGM whether or not the players really felt they had let the Club down last year. I think your Chief Executive was right in reply saying although it may not have showed in what the players said or the way in which they portrayed themselves, they were acutely embarrassed. Anyway, from what I have seen and been told our players really are up for putting matters right. They will need on occasions the rub of the green to be successful – that is cricket – but it will not be for the want of trying if success doesn’t come.Off the field I am leading a small team looking at how our wonderful County Ground can be expanded. Somerset needs to be in there pitching to host International matches. Then, of course, there is the matter of expanding Somerset’s income base. There isn’t a problem managing efficiently the levels of income so far achieved and frankly, wearing my entrepreneurial hat, Somerset is a well run professional Club. But we do need to up the levels of income if Somerset are to survive. This will have mine and my Deputy, Andy Nash, full attention.So, the season is nearing and welcome to our website. Visits to it last year topped 1.5 million in the month of August so there is a high level of interest in our Club. There will be a Newsletter issued mid March in which I hope to expand on some of the plans I feel Somerset ought to aspire to. In the meantime, start to smile. The season is almost upon us."

GOLD BOND
SUPER DRAW
Week 10 07/03/03

£2000 JackpotU.3635 C Gange£500 GG6657 C Robinson£200 C.1627 R Maghoo£200 AN2477 B Westcott£100 D.4400 Mrs Cross£100 Y.5400 Mrs Mawson£100 M.0603 R Macdonald£100 X.4847 Mrs Sherington£100 S.5511 Mrs Abbott£100 U.0562 Mrs Docwra£100 V.2161 T Jones£50 J.6744 J Bradley£50 B.6206 Mr Mann£50 T.0174 P Sayer£50 MM4781 M Davidson£50 M.2584 A Hill£50 V.1152 J Dennis£50 Z.0883 M Knight

England all-rounder Craig White is expected to be out of international cricket for three months after undergoing a rib operation.The surgery was carried out this morning after the 33-year-old Yorkshireman suffered a series of problems with his side over the winter.A statement released by Yorkshire revealed that a piece of rib approximately two inches in length had been removed during surgery.White suffered a side strain during last summer’s Test series against India. After he scored an unbeaten 94 in the Trent Bridge Test, it prevented him from bowling for the remainder of the season.The injury resurfaced during the winter, and White took part in England’s World Cup campaign despite the pain in his side.”It is a problem that has recurred two or three times over the winter,” said Yorkshire’s medical consultant Wayne Morton.”It got to the stage where if we didn’t do something about it and rehabilitate it properly he would be in a situation where he always had to compromise.”White will be ruled out of England selection for around three months, but Yorkshire are hoping that he will be able to return to County Cricket sooner, possibly as a specialist batsman.

GOLD BOND
SUPER DRAWWeek 15 – 11/04/03

£2000 JackpotG.4388 I Pearson£500 C.4060 J Truscott£200 LL4546 Mrs Bowen£200 S.2898 R Stubbington£100 AC5821 Mrs Ward£100 C.1600 Mrs Carr£100 S.3107 P Kerr£100 AC6580 C Wright£100 BB0617 S Poole£100 V.0421 Mrs Smith£100 AN3409 W Soames£50 K.4354 C Armitage£50 HH6939 J Taylor£50 W.5613 M Napper£50 G.0951 A Burtbriggs£50 X.2425 S Morris£50 V.3915 R Wilkes£50 GG2306 K Atkinson

After a four-day break for Vesak, Sri Lanka’s festival of lights, the Bank Alfalah Cup resumes on Sunday with all three teams still in the hunt for a place in the final.Sri Lanka, who were bowled out by Pakistan – the team they face again on Sunday – for a paltry 139 before winning unconvincingly against New Zealand, were the team in most need of a time-out. It remains to be seen, though, whether they’ve figured out and fixed the causes for their poor batting so far in the tournament.Sri Lanka have not lost a one-day series at home since July 1998, but they are in danger of doing so here – they are presently in third place, with just five points. New Zealand, thanks to Sri Lanka handing them a bonus point by failing to reach their target within 36.4 overs, top the table with seven points. Pakistan have six.This means that Sunday’s match against Pakistan is now crucial for Marvan Atapattu’s side. Even if they win, however, they will not be assured of a place in the final. Ideally, they must win with an extra point.Their best chance of doing that would be to win the toss. With theremaining four matches now being played in Dambulla because of the poorweather in Colombo, the toss has attained a vital significance. The pitch has offered immense assistance to the fast bowlers early on, and the luckiest tosser will probably lift the trophy.The daily pattern of morning cloud cover continues in Dambulla and thecharacter of the two new strips prepared is unlikely to change a great deal. Although the pitches are paler in colour – and perhaps slightly drier – Atapattu believes that Sri Lanka’s batsmen will still need to adapt their games slightly.”One conclusion that we have made is that on a wicket like this you arenever in – you can get an unplayable delivery at anytime,” said Atapattu. “Unlike normal Sri Lankan wickets, you cannot relax once you get to 20 or 30.”Sri Lanka will continue with Romesh Kaluwitharana opening the innings with Sanath Jayasuriya, a change that worked against New Zealand as the pair added 68 for the first wicket, laying the platform for the team’s victory. Atapattu will bat at No. 3, with Kumar Sangakkara coming in next.Sri Lanka’s only selection dilemma – assuming Muttiah Muralitharan shrugs off a slight groin niggle – is whether to play a third seamer, Dharshana Gamage or Kaushlya Weereratne, or a spinning allrounder. A final decision will be made after an inspection of the conditions in the morning.Pakistan, who spent much of the week practicing indoors in Colombo before traveling to Dambulla on Wednesday evening, are likely to play an unchanged side for the third game in a row.Javed Miandad, their coach, believes that his side hold the upper hand against Sri Lanka. “This is a crucial match for both sides” he said, “but we have the moral advantage after our earlier win. We have the bowlers to win easily but the toss will be important.”Pakistan’s key bowler in the conditions will certainly be Shoaib Akhtar, making a comeback into the national side. But is he under pressure to prove a point? Rashid Latif, Shoaib’s captain, said, “I don’t think he [Shoaib] is feeling any pressure in this series. Other players have taken the pressure off him. He has bowled impressively in both the matches and proved that he is still one of the best strike bowlers in the world. This tour could be the turning point of his career.”While Pakistan’s batsmen – especially their inexperienced openers – would find the going difficult if they batted first, it would also be good preparation for the NatWest Challenge in June. The lively wickets in Dambulla are similar to the ones Pakistan are likely to encounter in England.Probable teams
Sri Lanka 1 Romesh Kaluwitharana (wk), 2 Sanath Jayasuriya, 3 Marvan Atapattu (Capt), 4 Kumar Sangakkara, 5 Mahela Jayawardene, 5 Tillakaratne Dilshan, 7 Kumar Dharmasena, 8 Chaminda Vaas, 9 Dharshana Gamage, 10 Prabath Nissanka, 11 Muttiah Muralitharan.Pakistan 1 Taufeeq Umar, 2 Mohammad Hafeez, 3 Younis Khan, 4 Yousuf Youhana, 5 Faisal Iqbal, 6 Shoaib Malik, 7 Abdul Razzaq, 8 Rashid Latif (Capt and wk), 9 Umar Gul, 10 Shoaib Akhtar, 11 Mohammad Sami.

The Indian board has denied that it was pursuing an agenda of selective discrimination against Mohammad Azharuddin, stating that he was wrong in alleging “defective procedures” by the BCCI.Contesting Azharuddin’s suit against his permanent disqualification from Test cricket, the BCCI’s counsel argued that the president’s powers enabled him to deal with irregularities as needed. Should he be satisfied, after a preliminary inquiry, about the allegations against a player, an appointed officer can conduct further investigations that will culminate in action against the player.The counsel said that Azharuddin was given “all opportunities” to present his case during the stages of inquiry. Only after failing to establish his innocence was Azharuddin charging the BCCI with baseless allegations.

Rahul Dravid hit his second century of the season, carving an unbeaten 129 in 128 balls against Nottinghamshire in the National Cricket league – but Scotland still lost. They made 222 for 7 in their 45 overs, a total which Nottinghamshire overhauled easily, with Chris Cairns leading from the front with an unbeaten 65.Dravid went out to bat with the score on 7 for 2, and at 40 for 4 he had his back well and truly against the wall. On a wicket which offered ample assistance to the fast bowlers, he paced his innings magnificently, and single-handedly took Scotland past 200 – when even 100 had looked doubtful at one stage.The centrepiece of Dravid’s innings was his 136-run partnership with Colin Smith. It was a sign of Dravid’s dominance that Smith’s contribution was just 44. Dravid shifted up a gear when Smith was out, with the score on 176, and blazed his way past a hundred. In all his innings included 14 fours and four sixes.National League reviewIndians in county cricketDravid’s season so far

Hampshire Hawks moved into the third promotion spot in the National League Division Two when they comfortably defeated top of the table Northamptonshire Steelbacks at The Rose Bowl in a day/night encounter on Monday.Man of the Match Derek Kenway set the tone with a well struck 78, holding the innings together on the slowish wicket. He and James Hamblin gave the innings some structure after Simon Katich was lbw to Michael Cawdron. Together they compiled 82 runs, and although losing a steady stream of wickets the home side posted a useful 216 for 8 in their 45 overs. Their cause was greatly assisted by 16 wides and four no-balls added to the tally, one of the no-balls was given when only five fielders were in the circle when a ball was bowled.Dimitri Mascarenhas and Chris Tremlett left the Steelbacks reeling as the first three wickets fell for 19 runs. David Sales was the only Northamptonshire batsman to come to terms with the accurate Hawks attack being last man out, as the visitors failed to catch up the asking rate following their poor start.Mascarenhas the countries leading wicket taker in National league this season bowled his 9 overs together finishing with 4 wickets for 22 runs, his third four wicket haul of the season. Shaun Udal also chipped in with 4 wickets to send the 6,000 crowd home happy.

Sri Lanka’s allrounder Kaushal Lokuarachchi, who was recently involved in a fatal motor accident, has been suspended from all cricket for four months and will miss the forthcoming home series against England.Lokuarachchi, 21, had been returning from a late-night party when he lost control of his car and ploughed into a woman and her adult son in the Colombo suburb of Kadawatha. The mother subsequently died from her injuries in hospital, and Lokuarachchi was arrested and released on bail.The Board of Control for Cricket in Sri Lanka suspended Lokuarachchi from all cricket pending an inquiry into the incident, and he has now been found guilty of breaching the board’s disciplinary code by breaking rest during a training period. His formal suspension will end on December 31, after which time his conduct will continue to be strictly monitored for a two-year probationary period.A court case is looming, and if Lokuarachchi is found guilty of reckless driving, he could be fined and banned from driving for up to a year.

Ronnie Irani has flown out to Colorado for a make-or-break operation on his troublesome right knee. Irani, who was forced to stop bowling this summer after suffering constant discomfort, had been warned that arthritis would set in if he continued to play.”On occasions we were struggling with the ball and I must admit that I was tempted to try a few overs but the surgeon’s advice kept coming back to haunt me,” said Irani, who captained Essex during a difficult season. “He said `Keep on bowling and you’ll end up a cripple’. He wasn’t joking and I wasn’t prepared to take the chance.”The orthopaedic surgeon Dr Richard Steadman was due to perform the operation today.