It was an amazing season for Captain Cox and his team and all the players fully deserve the praise and prize money heaped upon them. If you have any loose change chaps, don’t forget the Coach. For me, like all of you, it is very satisfying to both support and prepare a successful team. We have been very professional in our practice and preparation for all matches, which in itself doesn’t guarantee success, but for sure it helps achieve it.It isn’t all serious work though, and humour is thriving in our dressing room. It is good for morale to see Robert Turner, a very well educated and intelligent Cambridge graduate, solve his early season batting problem by ensuring he actually got his specially made contact lenses in the correct eyes! Worse than that, to see him hit on the elbow keeping wicket against Essex and limping off is beyond explanation!I have to compliment our opening bowling attack of Steffan Jones and Richard Johnson – alias the hairy Greek! They have taken 120 wickets between them, a high percentage of which have been taken here at Taunton, the best batting surface in the Country. They are both incredibly fit. Steffan achieved this by consuming copious quantities of legal supplements whilst the hairy Greek stands in front of a mirror applying Grecian 2000, admiring his body and planning what curry to eat later on.Keith Dutch really is a chirpy cockney. He has put in some outstanding performances which he can recount ball-by-ball, as his roommate Mike Bums can testify. Bumsie threw away the shoes he wore when dropping Afridi early, who then went on to score 68 off 30 watch the Tourists, not Somerset. The Club, when setting its budget, knows what the fixed costs are in staging cricket. To defray those, we need to play matches. Whether our professionals are asked toballs, poverty stricken student Matt Wood, picked them up to wear and promptly dropped two catches against Northants, immediately blaming the shoes for it! I am unsure how to deal with that because it is not in the coaching manual.At the heart of the team is Australian Captain Cox, and the gnarly old pro PeterBowler, who pretends to be an Australian! The Captain led trom the front and was the only baisman to top 1000 runs for the season. Peter Bowler was easily our best one-thy batsman when many thought he shouldn’t be in the one-day side. Well, he just loves a challenge!Obviously my season as the Coach has been brilliant but reality has hit home on that what has been achieved in 2001 will be harder to follow in 2002. I can feel the Chief Executive sharpening the axe even now! My thanks then to all the non-playing staff for their support and help to the players, especially my backroom staff, Darren Veness (Physio), Andy Huny (Fitness) and the 2nd XI support from Julian Wyatt and Ross Dewar. Also to Phil Frost and his ground staff, thanks for their pitches and facilities. If we can keep that hose pipeout of his hands for the one-thy matches – no, we will never agree on that one!Finally, to all of you, the members and supporters, without whom there would not be a Somerset County Cricket Club, a very big thankyou.

WSG Nimbus released an official statement Wednesday in response the the Sri Lankan cricket boards decision Tuesday to “terminate” their three-year sports rights agreement.They reacted strongly to the public accusations made by the BCCSL, announcing that WSG Nimbus “utterly refutes the allegations made by the BCCSL” and “denies breaching the Agreement in any respect.”The full release from Singapore, states: “WSG Nimbus Pte Limited refers to the recent publicity relating to its Master Rights Agreement with the Board of Control for Cricket in Sri Lanka (BCCSL).”WSG Nimbus was surprised to receive a letter yesterday from the BCCSL alleging that the Agreement between it and the BCCSL had ceased to operate as a result of purported breaches by WSG Nimbus.”WSG Nimbus has since learnt that the BCCSL had also obtained an ex parte court order in Colombo in support of this. WSG Nimbus utterly refutes the allegations made by BCCSL and denies that it has breached the Agreement in any respect.”WSG Nimbus will be taking steps to have the order set aside and to seek redress from BCCSL for all losses, damage and injury to its reputation and business emanating from this unjustified action by the BCCSL in seeking to terminate the Agreement.

A scintillating knock from Craig Wishart saw Zimbabwe home against Bangladesh in the first one-day in the Coca-Cola series held in M A Aziz stadium today. The tourists won by five wickets after a shaky start in this low-scoring match.Earlier Bangladesh made a disastrous start in a batting-friendly track against Travis Friend. Mohammed Ashraful, who was looking comfortable, got himself run out from a horrible mix up. The debutant Tushar Imran (6) slammed a boundary off Friend but was clean bowled in the following. In his next over Friend got the wicket of Al-Sahariar, who offered a catch to Andy Flower. That was the start.Bashar was playing his natural to score runs amidst the damage. Except he and Khaled Masud no batsman could handle the Zimbabwean bowlers comfortably and wickets were falling at regular intervals. Garry Brent with his gentle medium pace took over the charge to mop up Bangladeshi middle order.It was Friend to dispatch Bashar; yorked the batsman at block hole to uproot the stumps. Bashar contributed with highest 44. The next good score came off the bat of the skipper himself, who gave hi hearts out to make his debut day as a captain unforgettable. He chipped in with singles and twos and occasional boundaries. He made 40 before Friend’s direct throw broke his stumps.Bangladesh were all out for a paltry 157 after 47.4 overs. Friend and Brent captured 3 wickets each giving away 25 and 29 runs respectively.Though the target was easy, Mashrafe’s first spell made it hard. The lanky fast bowler shuddered the Zimbabwean top-order by removing Flower brothers. He pulled up Grant’s middle stump and forced Andy to offer a catch to Fahim Muntasir. Gripper got himself run out by then. At that stage Zimbabwe were staggering at 20 for 3.A cool-headed Craig Wishart with his skipper Carlisle started forming a partnership when Mashrafe was taken off the attack. The spinners were brought in and runs began to come with ease, chiefly from Wishart’s bat. The robust Zimbabwean drove and smashed the bowlers all around his stumps. Their fourth wicket stand gathered 105 runs.When Carlisle (46) was run out at last, Zimbabweans were in a firm position. Craig hammered a few more boundaries and hit Mashrafe over his head for a six to score the winning run. He remained unbeaten at 79 including 11 fours and 2 sixes.Mashrafe captured 2 wickets for 26 in his 8.2 overs. Wishart was adjudged the man-of-the-match.

Sri Lankan fast bowler Chaminda Vaas claimed it was the best performance ofhis career whilst Zimbabwe captain Stuart Carlisle hoped it was just a”freak day” as the tourists were bowled for 38, the lowest ever One-DayInternational (ODI) total, at the Sinhalese Sports Club on Saturday.Sri Lanka won the game, which was completed in 108 minutes and just 20overs, also making it the shortest ever ODI in history, by nine wickets asVaas claimed a hat-trick and became the first bowler to take more than sevenwickets in one-day cricket.Speaking afterwards, Vaas was modesty personified, even if the long queue ofchildren scrambling for autographs begged to differ.”It was a good toss to win and I just looked to put the ball in the rightareas,” he said. “The white ball swings more than the red ball and I bowleda good line and was rewarded.He was though delighted to have claimed the hat-trick: “Yes, I am very happyto get hat-trick. I think it was the best achievement of my career.”He was unconcerned by Muttiah Muralitharan taking the last two, whichprevented him from taking all ten: “I am not worried about records, I justwant to do well for my country and team.”Coach Dav Whatmore called it an “out-of-the-world” performance but wasn’tsurprised by Vaas’s recent success, which included career best bowlingfigures in the last Test against the West Indies.”These sort of performances don’t happen by accident, he has been workingreally hard in the gym, the running track and the nets,” said Whatmore.”Mentally, he has adjusted to being the top pace bowler in the side and nolonger puts himself under too much pressure. He is relaxed and bowlingbetter for it,” he added.”We felt there was some moisture there early and to extract an advantagefrom that we had to bowl first. Chaminda (Vaas) then put it in the rightarea, swung it around and was very hard to play.”

Captain Sanath Jayasuriya, though delighted with Vaas and his side’s start,warned afterwards against over-complacency: “We can’t things lightly andneed to be alert in the next few games. I will warn the players against overconfidence. Nevertheless, we have been playing well and we want to continuethat good form.”Zimbabwean captain Stuart Carlisle put a brave face on events and hoped itwas a one-off event, even though it now means that, other than Bangladesh,Zimbabwe have lost their last 22 ODIs.”This was basically a freak game, things just didn’t go right for us and nota great start to the tournament,” he said”Vaas did bowl well in favourable conditions and maybe the guys were a bittentative and got caught in two minds. Having just come from Sharjah andBangladesh though, where the ball hardly swung, it has been difficult toadjust to conditions here where the ball has swung early on.”But Carlisle was not humourless, pointing out wryly, that: “Some of theyounger guys will have learnt a little bit about the inswinger.” He nowwants the team to quickly move on.”We have got to get some smiles back in the camp because it is not very nicein the changing room at the moment. It’s up to us guys in the top order toput our hands up and lead from the front.”Zimbabwe play their next game against West Indies on Sunday.

This was a day to remember for Chris Harris, Chris Martin, Shane Bond and Aaron Redmond. It was one to forget for Northern Districts who were 128 for eight at the close in reply to Canterbury’s 444.According to coach Michael Sharpe, Canterbury’s plan at the start of the day was extend their first innings to 450. This was almost achieved, but not in the way that was expected.Three wickets fell in the first hour, all as a result of aggressive shots by batsmen who were supposed to be supporting the main act, Harris.While this was happening Harris spent more time than he or his team would have wished at the non-striker’s end. The balance was redressed when he was joined by Martin, one of cricket’s true No 11 batsmen.Harris went to great lengths to protect his partner. He took an anorexic attitude to the diet of easy singles fed to him by ND. The field moved in for the fifth ball of most overs like a well-rehearsed formation dance team. It was not a great spectacle, but extended the Canterbury innings into the afternoon session, adding 75 precious runs.Martin will talk about his 25 for years to come. It is his highest first-class score (previously 13). He has now scored more runs in first-class cricket than he has taken wickets, for the time being, at least.But it is Chris Harris to whom the batting glory should go. The 52 runs he added today took almost as long as yesterday’s century. He lacked his previous fluency and touch, but today’s runs were arguably the more valuable.Sharpe was full of praise for Harris. “He’s a run machine at the moment. The longer New Zealand ignore him the more use we get out of him. He adds experience to the side and is able to bat with the top or the lower order.”Harris’ reputation as a one-day specialist means that his consistency with the bat in domestic cricket is often forgotten. On form, he should come into the Test team if any of the established middle order are injured.ND had to score 295 to avoid the follow-on. This should have been eminently achievable, but it soon became hard to believe that ND were batting on the surface enjoyed by Harris and Martin.The initial difference was the speed of Bond. Two wickets in two deliveries from Bond devastated the ND top order.James Marshall, who had been discomforted by Bond’s pace throughout, was bowled for one by the last ball of the seventh over of the innings. From the first ball of the ninth Mark Bailey was lbw, not very far forward.Bond struck again in his second spell, his extra pace and bounce finding Matthew Hart’s glove, sending a catch to Harris at fourth slip. Hart scored a dogged 23.Sharpe told CricInfo that agreement had been reached with Black Caps coach Denis Aberhart that Bond would be used in short spells. His figures of 13-5-35-3 serve the interests of both Canterbury and New Zealand, warming him up nicely for next week’s Test match.Sharpe says that Bond is a better bowler after his tour of Australia. “He has gained some yards in pace and he is even more confident than when he left. He’s a different player.”If Bond’s performance was expected, Redmond’s was not. The leg spinner finished the day with three for 22, dismissing Hamish Marshall, Grant Bradburn and Joseph Yovich.”It was the captain’s decision to bring him on,” explained Sharpe. “He has bowled reasonably well without luck so far this season. Today he turned a few early on and his confidence grew. It was his day.”Unless the weather intervenes, Canterbury should record a second victory to follow their first in 18 matches, last week.

Sri Lankan off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan was the highest wicket-taker and the most prolific spinner ever in a calendar year during 2001.Muralitharan took 80 wickets in 12 games, which equaled Alan Donald’s 1998 haul and has only been bettered by Dennis Lillie, who took 85 wickets in 13 Tests during 1981.It was the second successive year that Muralitharan, just 29, who is racing towards the 400 mark in record time with 382 Test wickets already in the bag, had been the world’s most prodigious wicket-taker. In 2000 he had 75 victims in just ten games, which was a record for a spinner.During the year the rubber wrested spin assassin snared seven five-wicket hauls and four consecutive ten-fors against India, Bangladesh and West Indies.No other international bowled came close. Glen McGrath was the nearest with 68 wickets and he had the advantage of playing two more games.His spinning rivals, Shane Warne (58 in 13 games) and Harbajan Singh (60 in 12 games), were also high up the annual wicket taking honours list.Chaminda Vaas had his best ever year with 58 scalps, which secured him a fourth equal position with Warne.Mahela Jayawardene was the sixth highest run scorer in the year (1053 at 55.42), whilst Thilan Samaraweera (Av. 144.66) and Hashan Tillakaratne (Av. 136.40) boasted the best averages in the world.

No surprises featured in the New Zealand women’s cricket team named today to tour Australia for a one-day series.Eleven players were named, and all were members of the team originally selected for the pre-Christmas tour to India which was cancelled as a result of terrorist attacks in the United States and the subsequent war against terrorism in Afghanistan.Three of the 14 players named for that tour, Sarah Burke, Emily Travers and Erin McDonald, have missed selection, although they will be competing for the one spot left open.They have each been included in a New Zealand A team which will also have a tour to Australia. Also included in the A team are three players who will return with the CLEAR White Ferns later. They are Anna Corbin, Aimee Mason and Paula Flannery.Unavailable for consideration was Canterbury all-rounder Fiona Fraser who had scans today for a back injury. Fraser was selected for the tour to India and has yet to make her international debut.The New Zealand team is: Emily Drumm (captain), Kathryn Ramel (vice-captain), Anna Corbin, Paula Flannery, Aimee Mason, Anna O’Leary, Nicola Payne, Rachel Pullar, Rebecca Rolls, Haidee Tiffen, Helen Watson (one to be added).They will play practice matches in Adelaide on February 17-18, before One-Day Internationals against Australia at the Adelaide Oval on February 20-21 and the Melbourne Cricket Ground on February 23.The New Zealand A team is: Emily Travers (captain), Aimee Mason (vice-captain), Victoria Brown, Nicola Browne, Anna Corbin, Maria Fahey, Paula Flannery, Frances King, Beth McNeill, Louise Milliken, Kate Pulford, Natalie Scripps, Nicole Thessman.The A team will have two practice matches at Geelong on February 6-7 followed by two matches against Australia Youth at Camberwell in Melbourne on February 10-11, Caulfield on February 13 and Ormond on February 14.

Otago made rather a sandwich of their first innings of only 241 when they won the toss and batted first on the opening day of their State Championship match against Auckland at Colin Maiden Park today.The sandwich had a substantial and hearty filling built round a marvellous 111 by the 26-year-old captain Craig Cumming, supported by a solid and patient 39 by the No 6 batsman Craig Pryor.These two put on 106 for the fifth wicket. Sadly, the outside parts of the Otago sandwich were soggy bread. The first four wickets were lost for 81 runs. The last six went for 54 runs.There were few demons in the pitch, as Auckland showed in the 19 overs before stumps when they scored 56 without loss from 19 overs. Mark Richardson was 43 not out (eight fours) and promised, or threatened, depending on the point of view, to do some substantial damage to his old Otago team-mates tomorrow.Otago also face the prospect that another southern favourite Matt Horne has been in wonderful form this summer, and only a bruised foot (a temporary injury) prevented him from joining Richardson in the entree this evening.Otago lost Robbie Lawson for one in the fifth over, but once Simon Beare had made a nervous start (his three previous innings were ducks) and Cumming quickly settled in Otago prospered.These two went steadily along to 62 before Beare, 98 minutes over his 22, misjudged the line of Gareth Shaw’s medium-fast line, and shouldered arms while his middle stump was being knocked out. Chris Gaffaney went quickly, also to Shaw and when Andrew Hore gave Chris Drum his second wicket without scoring Otago were 81 for four, and had wasted good batting conditions.With Pryor showing poise and good judgement, Cumming was able lead a counter-attack of quite splendid quality. The Otago skipper’s fifth first-class century was not an affair of sparkling stroke-play from some fancy batting manual. Rather Cumming batted with quite marvellous efficiency, and with the rare ability to make the most of any ball that did not threaten his castle.Pryor gradually joined in the counter-thrust, and while the first 50 of their partnership was a solid foundation, the second 50 produced a flow of firmly-struck boundaries by Cumming, and with Pryor occasionally lending an attacking hand.Cumming sailed past the 100 in 216 minutes, from 157 balls and there seemed the prospect that he and Pryor would completely dominate an Auckland attack without any sharp teeth left.Unfortunately for Otago Pryor lifted a solid drive at Tama Canning’s bowling and at a shortish cover Llorne Howell took a brilliant two-handed catch. All a sudden, the face of the game changed. Cumming seemed to be half-forward when given out lbw to Canning – Otago 194 for six.Martyn Croy played some solid blows, but he, too, fell to a fine catch by Howell, and the door was open for the Auckland bowlers.Suddenly Brooke Walker, the Auckland captain and leg-spinner, began to confuse the Otago tail-enders with the ball which went quickly and straight through. This brought him three lbw victims, from Barry Frost, the umpire, which took the last three Otago wickets at 232, 236 and 241.So Otago, which probably needed a first innings of 300-plus to justify batting first in favourable conditions, fell seriously short of their target, and they must have had the worry beads out tonight as they regarded the mastery that Richardson enjoyed before stumps.

Taking full advantage of his first outing in the Deodhar Trophy thus far, Sridharan Sharath hit a responsible 65 to guide South Zone to a three-wicket win over Central Zone at Gurgaon on Tuesday.Batting first, Central Zone made 230/8 in their allotted 50 overs. The bulk of the runs came from openers Jyoti P Yadav and Gagan Khoda, who made 55 and 44 respectively and put on 107 runs for the first wicket. The highest scorer of the innings, however was Mohammad Kaif, who hit 60 off just 52 balls, with four fours and two sixes.Chasing 231, South Zone started well with a 61-run opening partnership. But wickets tumbled thereafter, and when they were 141/5, Central Zone had a decisive upper hand. But Sharath played calmly, accumulating the runs at exactly the right pace.When Sharath fell, therefore, as the sixth wicket with the score on 213, he had taken South to the threshold of victory. He scored 65 off 86 balls, with four fours and one six. Only one more wicket fell thereafter, and South Zone reached their target with three wickets and 16 balls to spare.

Mystery surrounds the participation of India ‘A’ in the upcoming Carib Beer Cricket Series which bowls off on Friday.It is still unclear if the tourists will indeed be in the region for the competition. A check with the West Indies Cricket Board’s (WICB) public relations handlers yesterday evening revealed they had been trying to contact the Board for Cricket Control of India (BCCI) for some time without success.Further checks with the official website of the Indian board and monitoring of newspaper revealed nothing, and it is not sure if a team has been selected as yet, or if any systems have been put in place.India ‘A’ are due to bowl off against West Indies ‘B’ at the Windward Cricket Club, St Philip, the second first-class match at that venue. If the Indian reserves fail to make the trip the other teams in the eight-match competition would be awarded a bye.Last night, a Barbados Cricket Association official said it had received no word on the Indians’ arrival and had little details to go by. The official however added that they had gone ahead to make hotel booking and land travel arrangements.Efforts to contact officials of the WICB yesterday proved futile, but NATIONSPORT understands that WICB president Wes Hall was in recent contact with Indian board president Jagmohan Dalmiya, but the details of their discussions were not available.This is the third time an ‘A’ team has been invited to participate in the regional competition. England ‘A’ was the first to visit in 2000 for the Busta Cricket Series, while Bangladesh ‘A’ participated last year.