The England and Wales Cricket Board has announced the England Under-19 squad for the Second Test Match against West Indies Under-19. The four-day match begins on Wednesday 15th August and will be played at Trent Bridge, Nottingham.

• Kadeer Ali (Worcestershire)
• James Anderson (Lancashire)
• Robert Ferley (Kent)
• Kyle Hogg (Lancashire)
• Andrew McGarry (Essex)
• Gordon Muchall (Durham)
• Stephen Pope (WK) (Gloucestershire)
• Gary Pratt (Durham)
• John Sadler (Yorkshire)
• Joseph Sayers (Yorkshire)
• Bilal Shafayat (Nottinghamshire)
• James Tredwell (Capt) (Kent)
  
  
• Tim Boon (Coach)
• Neil Foster (Assistant Coach)

A fine century from Stephen Stubbings failed to prevent Gloucestershireboosting their promotion hopes with victory by an innings and 20 runs atBristol.The tall left-handed opener hit 120 off 202 balls, with 15 fours, passing1,000 runs for the season for the first time when he had made 94.But, despite Stubbings’ efforts, Derbyshire were bowled out for 278 in theirsecond innings, with Ian Harvey returning 5-89.Off-spinner Martyn Ball took 3-67 for match figures of 9-90 asGloucestershire moved into the third promotion spot in the Second Division.For all that, it was an impressive performance from 23-year-old Stubbings tofollow his first innings half-century and ensured some creditable Derbyshireresistance.He eventually fell to a good catch on the run by Tim Hancock coming in fromcover, having mistimed a drive off Ball, after batting for four and aquarter hours.Mathew Dowman contributed 35 before a belligerent Nathan Dumelow smashed 48off just 56 balls, including four pulled sixes off Harvey.The Australian eventually got his revenge as Dumelow was caught at slip byBall attempting a similar blow.That left Derbyshire 258-8 and, despite some lusty blows from Kevin Deanafter tea, they could not force Gloucestershire to bat again.In many ways it was Harvey’s match. He hit the fastest century of the seasonin Gloucestershire’s total of 508, took three catches and ended with matchfigures of 6-136.The home side took 20 points and Derbyshire four.

Following their most successful season ever Somerset County Cricket Club today announced that the following new contracts have been offered:-
Keith Dutch, Ian Blackwell and Steffan Jones all 3 years,
Keith Parsons and Matt Wood both 2 years,
Jason Kerr and Joe Tucker both 1 year.
Fast bowler Jamie Grove, who joined the Cidermen from Essex two years ago has had his contract mutually ended, whilst another fast bowler Ian Jones has also been released.Twenty three year old fast bowler Simon Francis, who has been released this season by Hampshire has joined Somerset. The former England under 19 player made his first team debut for the south coast side in 1997 and played in nine first class matches in 2000 taking 15 wickets at an average of just over 40 runs a piece.Somerset have also announced that the former Hampshire reserve wicket-keeper Mark Garaway has been appointed Regional Academy Director working from the Somerset Centre of Excellence at The County Ground.Part of his duties will include being responsible for the Somerset Second XI, but his overall responsibility is for the identification and development of young players throughout the South West Region.Twenty nine year old Garaway lived for a time in West Somerset, commences his duties on October 29th 2001.Speaking earlier this evening Chief Executive Peter Anderson told me, “On the back of a very successful season what we are trying to achieve is to retain a balance between proven players we currently have on contract, but allowing us room to manoeuvre should we wish to make changes to the playing staff.”With regard to the release of Jamie Grove the Chief Executive said, “Jamie wanted to play regular first team cricket and we couldn’t offer it. He is young enough to go and look elsewhere so we agreed to let him go.”The Chief also confirmed that Jamie Cox has signed to return to Taunton next season and will continue in his role of captain.

South Africa eased ahead of India in the Standard Bank One-Day series at Buffalo Park in East London on Friday night, winning the third meeting between the two teams in the tournament by 46 runs. The victory ensures South Africa of a place in next Friday’s final where they will probably meet India once again.Kenya could, theoretically, still upset the apple cart by beating both India in Paarl next Wednesday in what has effectively become the tournament semi-final. As unlikely as this appears on paper, both the Kenyans and India will not have forgotten Wednesday’s amazing result in Port Elizabeth.And India’s confidence will not have been lifted by a jittery, anxious batting display on Friday as they slipped to 236 all out in reply to South Africa’s 282 for four, especially after having been given the best possible start by Sourav Ganguly and Sachin Tendulkar.The two put on 101 for the first wicket, all but two of the runs coming in the first 15 overs. Then Jacques Kallis bowled Tendulkar for 37 and India never quite got back on track again. While Ganguly was, they were always in with a sniff. He had played with a confidence bordering on arrogance through the first third of the innings helping himself to four sixes as he went for the South African seamers, but almost as soon a spin was introduced, he got himself out, lifting Nicky Boje’s fourth delivery to long off where Kallis held a fine catch.It was not a particularly clever piece of batting. At 151 for two, India had overs and wickets in hand, but not a great deal of experience to come. They needed Ganguly to stay there and once he was out, Rahul Dravid couldn’t find a partner able to stay with him long enough to keep the tempo going.There were three run outs in the Indian innings, two of them coming within the space of five balls as Ajit Agarkar and Deep Dasgupta were undone by sharp South African fielding. A little earlier, SS Das had also been run out as Andre Nel atoned for a fumble by throwing in straight and true off his knees.Dravid kept plugging along, eventually making 71 not out, but he, too, had been at fault when Agarkar was out, calling for a run that was never really on, more so because he had played it towards Herschelle Gibbs.Alarm bells must now be ringing loudly in the Indian camp. For all the potential at the top of their order, their batting has started to look dangerously brittle. They have somehow wandered onto thin ice and they cannot afford to take Kenya lightly next time around.South Africa were given a rollicking start with Gibbs again in sparkling form. Once more Gibbs went after the bowling from the off, scoring at comfortably better than a run a ball as he slapped 47 off four deliveries, hitting seven boundaries and a six pulled over square leg off Javagal Srinath. When he went at 63 Boje took over until run out in a mix-up with Boeta Dippenaar, but the wicket only presented India with Kallis.Together Kallis and Dippenaar carved out 103 for the third wicket, setting the South Africans for a dash in the final overs. Kallis was out one short of his 50, completely deceived by a beautifully disguised slower ball from Srinath as he came back for his second spell, but Dippenaar went on to make 81, his highest one-day score, and the stage was set for Jonty Rhodes and Lance Klusener.They did not disappoint. The unbroken fifth wicket stand was worth 79 off 66 balls lto South Africa, but, most importantly, 52 came off the last five overs of the innings, at least 10 and possibly 20 more than India could afford at that stage. Rhodes was left on 40 with Klusener on 38. As things turned out, South Africa already had enough to spare in the bank, but neither they nor India were to know it at the time.

Visitors to the Hampshire Rose Bowl will be greeted as they turn into the ground from the Main Road, by two new road signs in honour of Hampshire’s great West Indian cricketers Roy and Malcolm Marshall.

“Marshall Drive” has been posted with information on Roy and Malcolm’s birth and death years.Roy Marshall only played four times for the West Indies, but scored over 30,000 runs for Hampshire between 1953-1972. Malcolm became one of the most feared fast bowlers cricket has ever seen playing in 81 tests, and he served his beloved club between 1979 and 1993 taking well over 1,000 wickets, before in retirement he joined the coaching staff.

It is highly encouraging to hear the chairman of New Zealand’s selection panel Sir Richard Hadlee say that there will be no lessening of endeavour as New Zealand goes from the heights of Test combat in Australia to playing the minnows of the game Bangladesh.The two Test series which starts in Hamilton on Tuesday next week will not be the place for any complacency as far as Hadlee is concerned.This is not the time to lose sight of what has been achieved against the might of Australia.Nor should it be forgotten that New Zealand has been in exactly the position Bangladesh finds itself in now.For 25 years, after its introduction to Test status in 1929/30, New Zealand roamed the cricket world without a victory, suffering some harsh and heavy defeats.All have been part of the structure on which the game is now built and while the cricket world has changed, the ultimate test of victory taken as often as possible is still the basic requirement by which all sides are judged.Rain may have been a constant companion for cricketers this summer but these are the misfortunes of the game, just as they were in 1958 when John Reid’s team ran into a miserably wet summer in England, and which saw them well and truly beaten.For all its success in the last 30 years, New Zealand still hasn’t recorded 50 Test victories out of 291 matches played.It is sitting on 47, however, and it should be remembered that its last victory, against Pakistan in Hamilton by an innings and 185 runs was its biggest winning margin.There are incentives aplenty to succeed, and succeed well, against Bangladesh.Firstly, there is the obvious chance to cash in on the developments in Australia, personally, as a team and with the New Zealand public.Secondly, there is the knowledge that victory over Bangladesh, and a subsequent series win over England, will lift New Zealand into third ranking among the Test playing nations, somewhere it has never been before.And thirdly, there is the chance for individuals to benefit from a good all-round team performance by lifting their individual rankings on the world lists.The Australian deeds have set a high and demanding standard, and that plateau should not be the end of New Zealand’s climb.

Sri Lankan Sports Minister Johnston Fernando will appoint a fresh interimcommittee to run the affairs of the cricket board on Monday according to the state sponsored Sunday Observer newspaper.He did not, however, give any indication as to how long an interim committeewould be re-appointed for. The previous committee had been expected to runthe board until the 2003 world cup when it was first appointed in March2001.Fernando, speaking from his Kurunegala residence, said: “We have a fewpeople in mind, but no final decision has been taken and the freshappointments will be made on Monday”.His justification for the decision to call for the resignation of allnon-elected sports bodies in the country was that the original appointmentswere political.”Its not only cricket but I have asked interim committees of the all sportsbodies, which don’t have an elected ex-co, to resign because all thoseappointments are political.”He denied that the surprise decision could jeopardise the smooth managementof the current Zimbabwe Test series starting next Thursday.”The BCCSL has a Chief Executive officer (Anura Tennekoon). He could manthe board until we appoint a fresh interim administration within the nextcouple of days.”Chairman of the outgoing Interim Committee, Vijaja Malalsekera, speaking atthe launch of the Janashakthi National Test series, remained philosophicalafter the minister’s decision.”I am a Buddhist and I have always believed that the only certainty in lifeis its impermanence – everything is subject to change,” Malalsekera said.”We accept the ministry decision because we are, after all, ministryappointees and it is not within our scope to question the decision.”Asked to whether he felt the Interim Committee had done a good job, he said:”It is for others to judge what we have achieved. Everything is down inpaper.””We didn’t come in to sling mud and we have looked to future throughout oureight months in office,” he said. “We have put in place policies anddocuments which we believe can take Sri Lankan cricket forward, includingthe introduction of high class international coaches, for both the nationalteam and district cricketers, a move towards a development pool, a change tothe domestic structure and the development of our cricketinginfrastructure.””We have also drafted a new constitution, after consultation with manyparties, but the fate of this is in the hands of the next board.”Malalsekera confirmed that since the appointment the 36-year-old sportsminister had not yet been formally briefed on activities within the cricketboard by the interim committee..

Zimbabwe Board XI v Gauteng BAlistair `Two-Ton’ Campbell is ready and prepared to join the national team in India – if the selectors choose him. They dropped him from the team that toured Sharjah and Bangladesh, but they did invite him to tour Sri Lanka at the last minute. He felt unable to go at such short notice as he felt he was not mentally prepared. His two centuries for the Zimbabwe Board XI in their match against Gauteng B should have answered all the questions the selectors and anybody else felt inclined to ask. Here he talks to CricInfo about his innings and the match.It’s the first time I’ve hit two centuries in the same match and it’s good to get some runs. I needed to score runs to get back into the national side and I’ve done that, which was all that was required of me. They dropped me because of lack of form, and now I’ve scored some runs, that augurs well for the future. There’s another B game in Benoni, and then hopefully I’ll be selected for the India tour.I’ve been batting well of late, scoring runs in the latter half of Kenya, and some more runs here. It’s a lovely batting wicket here and when I went in there I just wanted to bat some time; I hit as straight as I could and it worked out.The facilities here at Kwekwe are brilliant. The boys feel that Kwekwe is a good up-and-coming ground; Ken Connelly, Colin Sanders and the board here have put in a lot of work to try and keep it up to scratch, and it’s a lovely wicket here. They’ve done the outfield superbly, the hospitality is always good and the hotel we stay in [the Golden Mile, run by Colin Sanders] is good, so it’s a good venue. More money should be pumped in here and it can elevate itself in time. The Aussies are playing a warm-up game here, which is a good coup for Kwekwe.Turning to the match against Gauteng, it’s a good batting wicket, and if a side gets in first and they get their heads down, it’s always going to be a hard toil for the bowlers. They got 350 and we should probably have restricted them to around 300. We as a team did not bat that well in the first innings, but second time around we showed just how good the pitch was. Apart from my hundred, Richie Sims played really well and Guy Whittall came in and finished it.We’ve had two of those games now – in these three-day games you have to try and declare to make games of it, and the same happened in Potchefstroom, when they declared and left us 65-odd overs to get 320, and we chased that successfully after batting poorly in the first innings. So maybe that’s the way to win three-day cricket! Lull the other side into a false sense of security – they think you’re not a very good batting side after your first innings and then you bat properly the second time round.It was a hard pitch for our seamers to bowl on, but I do think our seamers are getting better and better. Campbell Macmillan got it in the right area, and Brighton Watambwa as well. Pricey [Raymond Price] struggled a bit early in the first innings, but in the second innings he got his action back a bit and bowled really well. Guy Whittall was as Guy Whittall can be, right on the tickey and bowled very economically. So you can’t really look too much into the bowling aspect of things because it was such a good batting wicket, and I thought the guys stuck reasonably well to the disciplines. But obviously there is room for improvement.I can’t account for the difference between our batting performances in the first innings and in the second innings! The first innings of most of our matches haven’t been that convincing, Kenya as well – I don’t know what it is! Maybe it’s a psychological thing – who knows? It’s just one of those things we’re going to have to get over, because first-innings runs are important. It makes the job in the latter half of the game so much easier if we bat properly in the first innings, and we’ve got to do that a lot better than we are doing.Guy Whittall I thought played really well, and in the second innings he showed exactly how he can bat. He showed he still has what it takes. Pricey bowled really well in the second innings and got four wickets, and bowled well in the one-day game here today. If you look at our spinning options in the national side, which look very thin at this stage with Grant Flower and Doug Marillier doing the job in Sri Lanka at the moment, I think Pricey has definitely got a big shout. He struggles a bit with a low arm, but when he does get it up he turns the ball and gets some bounce. He really is a good proposition.There are a few other guys coming in: Richie Sims batted really well in the one innings, and he needs to play a lot more B team cricket. But the pitch wasn’t really conducive to seam bowling, so I can’t really comment on the two seamers who played for us. Pommie Mbangwa bowled really well for us today in the one-dayer as well – got the ball in the right area and picked up three for nothing yet again.Gauteng have I think some bowlers who will be good on different wickets that assist seamers. Gerry de Bruin, their opening bowler, is only 19 years old and he has a bit of gas when he wants to put it in; he bowled some good spells. Apart from that, they’re pretty much textbook standard, line-and-length bowlers, put the ball in the right areas at times.And then there was the off-spinner, Siraaj Conrad, who put the balls in the right area on a helpful pitch and bowled decently enough without being really threatening. They didn’t have anybody who was outstanding, or the game would have been different, wouldn’t it? But it was one of those games where the bowlers suffered.All their batsmen got a few runs, while their wicket-keeper-batsman Mathew Street got a first-innings 148, played really well. He’s a compact player, didn’t try to hit the ball too hard, nudged the ball in the gaps and played like a really sound opening batsman should. He saw off the new ball and then was able to expand somewhat towards the end of his innings. He paced it really nicely, I thought.It was a good game of cricket, especially for the batsmen, and everyone who comes here to Kwekwe for the cricket has a good time. The hospitality is really good, and hopefully Kwekwe will continue to get these games and tour games – and maybe sometime in the future an international. If they can get some infrastructure up here and get enough money – that’s what it’s all about these days, isn’t it! – they’re putting in a new drainage system here and some turf nets, a better pavilion, a better players’ area, stands, a good press facility, then they’re ready.

Though some of their biggest names were absent, New South Wales and Victoria still managed to produce enough drama in the space of a day to fuel their often fiery relationship on the cricket field here in Sydney today. But, while there was passion in a performance that netted the Victorians first innings points and a commanding position by stumps, there was little to love about an effort from the Blues that has already left them in massive trouble in this important Pura Cup clash.Inspired by wonderful bowling from Mathew Inness (7/19) and defiant batting from Jon Moss (59*) and Darren Berry (49*), the Victorians were at5/147 by the end of the match’s opening day as they replied to New South Wales’ miserable 109.This has been a week that has produced off-field ructions in both states – former Test opener Michael Slater’s axing from the Blues’ line-up inspiringa wave of debate in Sydney, while the retirement of captain Paul Reiffel and the omission of Colin Miller and Damien Fleming has provoked similarpublicity in Melbourne.Today, the drama translated itself to the Sydney Cricket Ground, as the Blues’ curious decision to bat first on an overcast morning ushered in adisastrous start.The bowling of Inness was a telling factor as New South Wales plunged to a mark of 5/50 on a seaming pitch that offered little sympathy to poorstrokeplay. The young left arm paceman and cousin of Sydney Swans recruit Barry Hall worked his way through his rivals’ batting order as easily asHall often does a pack, removing openers Greg Mail (4) and Brett van Deinsen (2) in quick succession before returning to mop up each of the lastfive batsmen.”This week we haven’t got our experienced players so it was up to the younger blokes to do their jobs,” said Inness.”There was just a bit more responsibility on my shoulders.”It was the first time I have ever gotten 7-fer in any form of cricket so it was pretty exciting for me.”New South Wales’ decision to omit Slater didn’t inspire a turnaround in the fortunes of a recently underperforming top order. But Inness’ bowlingand Berry’s outstanding catching behind the wickets – as well as a cruelly unlucky deflection off the fingers of bowler Ian Hewett (0/39) that resultedin the run out of Michael Clarke (5) at the non-striker’s end – also contributed heavily to its demise.Berry’s catching – especially as he flung himself horizontally through the air to accept edges from both Corey Richards (18) and Graeme Rummans(11) – was exceptional.Only Mark Higgs (40*) offered sustained resistance as wickets crashed with regularity around him.Fast bowlers Stuart Clark (3/44) and Don Nash (2/36) teamed up to offer hope of a swift tilting of the scales back to New South Wales byremoving Jason Arnberger (5), Matthew Mott (8), Brad Hodge (1), Michael Klinger (0) and new Victorian skipper Matthew Elliott (21) as theresponse began.The duo’s performance was made all the more meritorious by the fact that the Blues were missing Nathan Bracken – whose battle to ward offchicken pox continues – and captain Shane Lee, who is still struggling to overcome a knee injury.But, after being joined at the potentially precarious scoreline of 5/50, Moss and Berry combined to steer the game thoroughly back Victoria’s wayagain.Each was watchful early: Moss content to collect his runs in singles initially and Berry taking as many as 32 deliveries to take his score beyond 1.Once they were set, though, the Blues found few ways to disrupt them.A horror day for New South Wales captain Stuart MacGill (0/32) became even more grisly as he introduced himself to the attack in tandem withformer Queensland off spinner Dale Turner (0/21). The change from pace to spin precipitated an explosion in the scoring rate, with 10 and 11 runstaken off MacGill’s opening two overs respectively.The home team quickly reverted back to pace but the attempts of both Clark and Nash to encourage further life from the pitch went unrequited.

Fifteen wickets fell on the first day of the State Championship match between Wellington and Otago at the Basin Reserve and only 212 runs were scored at a trickle more than two per over.In polite terms, the match was “well advanced” at the end of day one. In other words, batsmen from both sides were gripped by a lemming-like urge to self destruction.Most preferred the exquisite agony of a slow death to more sudden termination. During Otago’s innings of 138, compiled after they had lost the toss, Robbie Lawson batted 61 minutes for 10 runs, Chris Gaffaney 58 minutes for 15, Andrew Hore 37 minutes for six and Neil Rushton 32 minutes for one.Only Craig Pryor, who made 59 in two hours and seven minutes, mixed longevity and productivity. He was helped by Nathan Morland who made 22 in 103 minutes in a 77-run partnership for the seventh wicket. That stand, measured by the duration of Morland’s innings, took Otago from 48/6 to 125/7.For Wellington, who were 74/5 at stumps in reply, Luke Woodcock batted 65 minutes for 30 but his was a good knock from a player opening the batting in his Firebirds debut.Selwyn Blackmore batted 103 minutes for 22, Sam Fairley 28 minutes for four, Glynn Howell 15 minutes for one and Grant Donaldson had stayed 48 minutes for eight when stumps were drawn.From beyond the boundary rope, and in appraising the bare statistics, it was possible to draw the conclusion that the pitch was hostile to batsmen. That summation formed part of Wellington’s decision to bowl when stand-in captain Richard Jones won the toss.But it would be hasty to jump to that conclusion. There were no real fireworks from the pitch today, no venomous bounce or unplayable movement. It is necessary to take into account that Otago have been wrecked by injuries, so much so that they must also have to corner young men in Dunedin pubs on Saturday night and press gang them into rep-team service. Wellington also fielded two new boys under 19.But that both innings ended in such a shambles was still unaccountable.Wellington’s best bowler was medium pacer Andrew Penn who took 4-45 from 18 overs but who blotted his copybook rather with five wides and who might have been called for several more if the umpires had been feeling ungenerous.James Franklin took 2-19 from 12 overs but bowled within his best and the perky off-spinner Jeetan Patel took 2-14 from 10.4 overs near the end of the innings. Matthew Walker who would be economical if he won Lotto, took 1-13 from 13 overs.Among the Otago bowlers, the useful left-armer David Sewell fared best with 2-34 from 10 overs. His mate in a left-arm opening pair, Rushton, bowled a good line but failed to take a wicket in six overs.Pryor, whose 59 was by far the best batting effort of the day, took 1-7 from nine overs, six of whch were maidens. Then the Otago spinners caused discomfort for Wellington before the close. Morland took 2-11 from eight overs and Rob Smith bowled five overs of exacting leg spin at a cost of two runs. Wellington took only seven runs from the last six overs before stumps.Again, the spectator beyond the boundary rope would conclude the pitch equally assisted the medium pacers – Penn and Pryor – and the spinners – Patel and Morland.But it was hard again to perceive the kind of assistance that would have made any of the bowlers unplayable.There had to be, and there was, a certain amount of bad batsmanship.Three Otago batsmen, including Pryor, were out lbw without offering a shot. That suggests they were surprised by balls that moved off the seam or in the air but that might be too forgiving of bad batsmanship.One carries a bat to hit the ball, not to display to the crowd at shoulder height.There were 18 boundaries in Otago’s innings, a healthy percentage of their total, and 10 of those were hit by Pryor so it was possible to play shots and to pierce the field.Thirty-two of Wellington’s 74 runs had also come from fours.It is hard to say application was lacking when batsman spent so long at the crease for so few runs. Rather, what was lacking was the mixture of application and urgency that only Pryor displayed.The match, so far advanced after the first day, is now unlikely to last four days. It is a match of considerable importance to Wellington who lie third on the Championship table but only one outright win behind leaders Auckland.They need to win this match to enlarge their hope of defending their national first-class title and of capturing a grand slam of domestic titles in this season. But they have made that task much harder than it should have been.The match continues at 10.30am tomorrow.