The placid contours that had marked the first two World Cupcompetitions were disturbed quite markedly in the third editionin 1983. The competition, held in England for the thirdsuccessive time, started with a couple of upset results and endedin the biggest shock of all. At the end of it, West Indies hadbeen dethroned from their pedestal and surprisingly, the newchampions were not Australia or England but India who had beenranked 66 to one outsiders on the eve of the tournament.The format was once again the same as the eight teams were placedin two groups. While group A comprised England, Pakistan, NewZealand and Sri Lanka, group B comprised West Indies, Australia,India and Zimbabwe. By now Sri Lanka had joined the ranks of Testnations and Zimbabwe were the only associate member to make thegrade. But one important change in the format was that each teamwould be playing each other at the preliminary stage twice. Thismade each group quite competitive and had an impact on thesurprising results.The opening round itself was marked by two surprising resultswith Zimbabwe defeating Australia and India upsetting the WestIndies.Zimbabwe’s defeat of Australia was easily the biggest upsetresult in the history of the World Cup. The African nation hadbeen listed as 1000 to one outsiders to win the competition butwith a highly professional performance they won by 13 runs. Thebatsmen played Dennis Lillee, Jeff Thomson, Rodney Hogg and GeoffLawson with more than a degree of confidence while the bowlerswere able to restrict Kepler Wessels, Graeme Wood, Kim Hughes,Allan Border, Graham Yallop, David Hookes and Rodney Marsh.India’s victory over the West Indies was almost as big a shock.For starters, India had won just one of six matches in the twoprevious competitions. Secondly, West Indies had never previouslybeen defeated in 1975 and 1979.India had served notice that they might be coming to termsfinally with the intricacies of the limited overs game bydefeating West Indies at Berbice dur ing their tour to theCaribbean a few months earlier. But few expected a similar resultin the World Cup where West Indies had reigned as undisputedchampions.The two matches set the tone for some more surprising results tofollow and a few days later, Sri Lanka surprised hotly fanciedNew Zealand in a group match. But the tournament was not allabout surprise results.West Indies won their next five matches totop the group. England likewise won five and lost only one intopping their pool comfortably. But there was a keen tussle forthe second semifinalist spot from each group. Finally, India gotthe better of Australia in group A while New Zealand, underpressure because of their upset loss to Sri Lanka, were edged outby Pakistan in group B.The semifinals pitted India against England and West Indiesagainst Pakistan. Not unexpectedly, a second successive finalbetween England and West Indies was freely predicted. But Indiaupset the calculations even if Pakistan could not. It was anunexpected bonus for the sub-continent to produce two of thesemifinalists and Kapil’s Devils as they were now christenedproceeded to make the pundits scratch their heads in disbelief.The captain himself had played one of the great one-day knocks inthe return game against Zimbabwe. Entering when the scoreboardread nine runs for the four wickets, Kapil first extricated histeam from the dicey situation and then went on to launch into afurious counter attack that ultimately saw him get an unbeaten175, the highest score in a one-day international with the helpof 16 fours and six sixes. Inspired by their captain, the teammembers put up a splendid show.India’s advantage was that they had a number of utility players,so very essential in the limited overs game. Still it waspredicted that a confident England side playing at home would getthe better of India. England did start well with the 100 comingup for the loss of only two wickets but they then flounderedagainst Mohinder Amarnath and Kirti Azad who bowled 24 oversbetween them for just 55 runs and three wickets. India neversurrendered the initiative that they obtained with England beingbowled out for 213. Sensible batting by every one of their mainbatsmen Sunil Gavaskar, K Srikkanth, Amarnath, Yashpal Sharma andSandip Patil saw India home with six wickets and 5.2 overs tospare.

India were now one steep step away from the summit. But theystill had to get the better of the West Indies who in the othersemifinal coasted to an eight-wicket victory over Pakistan.Despite the impressive showing by the Indians, the West Indiesremained firm favourites on the eve of the title clash at Lord’son June 25. And a hat-trick of title triumphs was taken forgranted when India were all out for 183. The feeling gainedmomentum when West Indies were 50 for one with the incomparableVivian Richards in commanding form.Then followed an amazing turn about. Within a few overs, WestIndies had slumped to 76 for six and suddenly India were headingfor an astonishing title triumph. Kapil took a fine catch todismiss Richards, Madan Lal took three quick wickets and it wasleft to Jeff Dujon and the long tail to try and retrieve thesituation. The wicket-keeper and Malcolm Marshall did give therampaging Indians some anxious moments in putting together a 43-run seventh wicket partnership. But now Amarnath did the starturn. He broke the partnership by getting rid of Marshall andthen took the last wicket to herald Indian cricket’s greatestmoment. West Indies were all out for 140 and the whole of Indiaerupted in a riotous celebration. It was a well-deserved triumph,for after all India had beaten the West Indies not just once buttwice and had also added England’s scalp for good measure.The Indians got six man of the match awards and these includedtwo for Mohinder Amarnath for his all-round display in thesemifinal and final, while Roger Binny, with 18 victims, emergedas the leading wicket-taker.

Some interesting calculations await the members of the New Zealand cricket team as next season’s contracts are discussed by the national selectors.With a team also to be selected to tour Sri Lanka next month, there could be some nervous players after the disappointment that was the World Cup campaign.As they review their thoughts on what went wrong and why, the selectors will know specifically which players did what was asked of them and those who didn’t.But given the way things turned to custard in South Africa it is reasonable to assume that several players were guilty of not fulfilling their roles.That should impact on the selection for Sri Lanka, both in one-day play and in Test cricket.It would also be safe to assume that there will be some large swings in placement for those players among the list of preferred 20 players to be given contracts by New Zealand Cricket.The list of players is not made public by agreement between both parties.But from a season review standard the Wisden CricInfo New Zealand list might look something like this:Category A: Nathan Astle, Shane Bond, Stephen Fleming;Category B: Chris Cairns, Jacob Oram, Scott Styris;Category C: Brendon McCullum, Mark Richardson, Daryl Tuffey, Daniel Vettori;Category D: Andre Adams, Chris Harris, Matt Horne, Craig McMillan, Lou Vincent;Category E: Ian Butler, Robbie Hart, Michael Mason, Shayne O’Connor, Mathew Sinclair.Category A players earn an annual retainer of $120,000, with each subsequent category earning $20,000 less than the one above, with Category E players earning $40,000 per annum.That leaves as victims from the first contracted list players like: Chris Martin, Chris Nevin, Kyle Mills and Paul Hitchcock.Given that the positions are decided upon results achieved in Test and One-Day International play and then the points from each section are added to get an overall figure, with some latitude taken for potential and performance, some players may be regarded as lucky to have their spots while others could feel frustrated with their placement.Shane Bond and Stephen Fleming are entirely deserving of their places in the top bracket given their performances this year. Nathan Astle is probably hanging on by virtue of reputation and improved form overall in his World Cup efforts.Chris Cairns can hardly expect to gain a top-tier ranking having only played in the World Cup and then as only a batting option. On performance alone, it was hardly his most successful summer.With his form in the West Indies, and his form in the Test series against India and the performance in finishing the second best batsman at the World Cup, Scott Styris is deserving of second-tier ranking and is not too far from the top.Jacob Oram, based on his performances against India, his 14 wickets in the World Cup which was second only to Bond, and taken at a reasonable economy rate of 4.21, has to be given a high rating.It continues to be a concern that the country’s best spin bowler has been so inactive in Test cricket for two summers now. Daniel Vettori can expect plenty of bowling in the Sri Lankan and Indian tours but his has been a difficult time and while not incisive at the World Cup, he did have a bowling economy rate of 3.98.Daryl Tuffey had such an outstanding home season that he too, is entitled to a mid-tier ranking and the hope has to be that the development continues in his game at home and a way.Wicket-keeper Brendon McCullum should gain a mid-tier place as the result of tidy ‘keeping, apart from ‘that’ catch and it can only be a matter of time before he also adds the Test duties to his resume. But Robbie Hart made the most of his chance last year and his performances in the West Indies, and against India in the Tests were sufficient for him to probably retain the role for the Sri Lankan tour at least.Mark Richardson must have had a frustrating summer, not only because he has found runs so hard to come by in the State Championship, but because he has had so little international play.Given his hunger in the past, it can be assumed that he is looking at the calendar with a lot more relish over the next 12 months. Certainly, he is a key part of the side for that period.His likely opening partner will be Matt Horne. Not required for international duty this year, but a contracted player nonetheless, Horne still has much to offer New Zealand while future opening options are developed.He probably deserves a slot among the fourth level while Andre Adams, Lou Vincent and Craig McMillan really have it in their own hands to lift their rankings for the future. Each has wonderful assets that have been seen to effect in the past, but regaining those glories is probably going to take some hard work from them.The contract system is supposed to be a method for allowing this and these players are the first probable test cases for the benefits to be had from the system.And you have to admire the tenacious Chris Harris. Just when it seemed he might be a passenger at the World Cup, he becomes a key player, albeit on pitches that might have been transported from New Zealand in the mid-1990s. There’s life in the old dog yet.The bottom level is probably where Test specialist Hart comes in while Mathew Sinclair deserves the chance to up his ranking purely by getting some match play. Michael Mason was only a hamstring tweak away from making his Test debut during the Indian series and appears likely to get his chance in Sri Lanka, a tour which should also see the recovery of Ian Butler and Shayne O’Connor to international status.Butler appeals as the obvious foil to Bond in one-day play, and Test matches for that matter while O’Connor as the country’s foremost left-arm fast-medium bowler has pushed hard through the domestic competition for recall.

The Zimbabwe Cricket team will be playing in the Cherry Blossom Sharjah Cup, in the United Arab Emirate, from the third to the 10th of next month.The Sport and Recreation Commission cleared the team today, after its concerns about security in Sharjah were addressed by a letter of guarantee from the organisers, the commitment of the team to travel and reports of other sporting activities underway or scheduled for that country and the neighbouring emirate of Dubai where there will be several meetings of the International Cricket Council.One of the highlights of the international horse-racing calendar, the Dubai Classic, will be run there on Saturday.The Zimbabwe squad for the tournament comprises captain Heath Streak, Grant Flower, Craig Wishart, Gavin Rennie, Travis Friend, Mluleki Nkala, Dion Ebrahim, Raymond Price, Douglas Hondo, Douglas Marillier, Stewart Matsikenyeri, Sean Ervine, Tatenda Taibu and Andy Blignaut.The manager is Mohammed Meman, physiotherapist Bradley Robinson, coach Geoff Marsh and selector-on-tour Jon Brent.Kevin Barbour has been appointed as one of the umpires for the tournament, and Justice Ahmed Ebrahim match referee.

Spin bowling may be Indian cricket’s traditional strength, but a decline in standards has prompted the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to set up a panel of experts to revive what Jagmohan Dalmiya, the board president, called a “decaying art”.The body, scheduled to meet for the first time on May 30 in Kolkata, comprises Bapu Nadkarni, VV Kumar, Rajinder Goel, Padmakar Shivalkar, Shivlal Yadav, Laxman Sivaramakrishnan and Anil Kumble, as well as all four members of the famed spin quartet – Erapalli Prasanna, BS Chandrasekhar, Srinivas Venkataraghavan and Bishan Singh Bedi.Dalmiya told the Press Trust of India (PTI) that, apart from Harbhajan Singh and Kumble, Indian spinners have not made much of an impression of late. “Spin bowling appears to be a decaying art today,” he said. “In the past, however, the strength in this department helped India win many matches. But the performance of the spinners with the exception of Kumble and Harbhajan leaves much to be desired.””After the brain-storming session, a spinners’ wing would be set up under the National Cricket Academy (NCA). The talented spinners in the country from all age groups would be identified and put under special training of the experts in the panel,” added Dalmiya.For a long time now, India’s former slow-bowling legends have bemoaned the lack of encouragement given to their art. This latest initiative gives them an opportunity to walk the talk.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is planning to include Wasim Akram in their one-day side to face South Africa later this year as a formal farewell to his remarkable international career – despite Wasim announcing his retirement last month.”He [Wasim] had given nothing to us [the PCB] in writing and we want to give him grand send-off from international cricket,” explained Lt Gen Tauqir Zia, chairman of the PCB. Zia said the plan is for Wasim to be included in either the match at Lahore or Karachi: “It would be great to bid him farewell in front of his home crowd,”And Zia added that they wanted to utilise Wasim’s experience. “We want him to train Pakistani youngsters,” he told reporters. “It would not be in our interest that he coach and train in England.”

Darren Gough has spoken out ahead of the first Test against South Africa at Edgbaston, urging the England selectors to pick him on merit after his successful recovery from a succession of knee operations.Gough, 32, was named Man of the Match in Saturday’s NatWest series final, after picking up 2 for 9 in seven overs. “I’m as ready as I’ll ever be," he told the News of The World newspaper, "and getting back into the Test team has always been the ultimate aim. I want to be picked on merit as one of the best fast bowlers in the country – and I think I’ve proved that in this NatWest Series.”"It’s up to the selectors now," added Gough, who has taken 228 wickets in 56 Tests, and would dearly love to overhaul Fred Trueman’s tally of 307, to become the most successful Yorkshire bowler in Test history. "I want no favours, no sentiment, but I’m convinced I won’t let them down."Michael Vaughan, Gough’s captain in the one-day series, added his support for a recall. "The five weeks I’ve had Gough, he has been fantastic," said Vaughan. "Whether his knee can hold up to the longer format of the game is not for me to say. It will be down to the medical people and Gough to decide that. But he is a world class player.”David Graveney, England’s chairman of selectors, sounded a note of caution, but could not deny the impact a fully fit Gough would have on the Test team. "Darren is a major influence. When he marks out his run you can feel the response from the crowd – he is a hero."Graveney insisted he had been misquoted in saying that Gough was not in consideration for the five-day format. “We just have to be sure that he can go the distance," he said. "To be fair, 10 overs one day and a break and then 10 overs the next day in one-day matches is different to bowling 25 overs in a Test match and then have to do it all again the following day.”The selectors name their squad on Friday, and in the meantime Gough will play in the County Championship for Yorkshire against Durham on Tuesday. Of the centrally contracted England players, Ashley Giles will be able to play for Warwickshire against Middlesex and Stephen Harmison will be available for Durham against Yorkshire. Both men, however, will be rested from their limited-overs matches.

Australia’s media, tired of yet another Shane Warne incident, are signalling that they’ve had enough – their message suggests that it’s time to lower the boom on Warne. And even some team-mates are alleged to be concerned.The latest scandal involving lewd text messages allegedly sent to a South African divorcee, and mother of three, has Australia’s media united in the view that they are tired of Warne’s larrikin antics.Leading the way has been Mike Hedge for AAP. He wrote that it must surely be time for Cricket Australia to acknowledge that the world’s best team could do without the world’s best legspinner.”Yet again it seems Warne has allowed his unique combination of arrogance, stupidity, naivety and immaturity to get the better of him,” Hedge wrote. “Even if he didn’t bombard a South African woman with suggestive messages – and he hasn’t yet said he didn’t – Warne’s record is so damaged that he needs to be cut loose.”Greg Baum, a widely respected cricket journalist from The Age in Melbourne – Warne’s home town – said the latest incident was “a tatty tale of decline”. He fired shots at Warne, and also at the television company which employs him as a commentator while he’s suspended for using drugs on the banned list.”Channel Nine reports on Warne’s indiscretions while continuing to employ him – as a colleague drily notes – as the highest-paid cricket reporter in Australia. Warne bitches about media intrusion on his private life, while making a fistful of money working in media. Not even when his wrong ‘un is working can Warne have it both ways,” he wrote.”Warne is not a bad bloke on the terms on which most people meet him, but that is not enough. Reputable sources say his Australian team-mates are tiring of escapades; after all, what tarnishes him also tarnishes them. Believe it or not, most care about the team’s reputation. And Stuart MacGill keeps taking wickets.”Sydney Morning Herald writer Richard Hinds said: “In an age when the human fallibility of sporting heroes is exposed with depressing regularity, another Warne scandal comes as little surprise. What seems staggering is that Warne would be so reckless – and, yes, stupid – as to repeat the phone-message offence that last time cost him the Test vice-captaincy.”One leading sports psychologist refers to the condition where high-profile athletes fail to learn from past mistakes as the ‘pedestal complex’. Surrounded by doting officials and smitten fans, they fail to see how normal rules of behaviour can apply to them.”In the Australian, author Roland Perry noted: “If this latest allegation is true, someone should tell Warne to pull his head in, drastically improve his behaviour towards women and then surgically remove his mobile phone. If he were left with letters to write, he wouldn’t bother. Trouble is, no one will counsel him. His employers, Cricket Australia, the state team and Nine, either haven’t the nerve, or the inclination. Cricket Australia is staying out of it. None of our business, we are told. But it is.”Nine thrives on the controversies. In 2000 they were euphoric over the messy drama involving the English nurse, who received dirty phone messages. Mike Monroe on A Current Affair interviewed her. Then Warne – under contract – was forced to come on the same show, humble and defend himself. Nine’s ratings were terrific. Just watch how they handle this latest allegation.”Andrew Ramsey wrote in the Australian: “It became apparent to many close to Australia’s World Cup success in South Africa last year that the level of camaraderie and spirit among the players was heightened when Warne departed the tournament in the wake of the scandal over his taking a banned diuretic.”None deny Warne’s undisputed genius with a cricket ball, but his propensity for erratic mood swings and his ability to create unwanted media storms have created a sharp edge to the intra-team harmony.”While the critics sharpened their pencils, the woman at the epicentre of the storm – Helen Cohen Alon – urged Warne to take a lie-detector test. “He’s a fantastic guy, there’s nothing wrong with him,” she said, before adding the proviso, “it’s just that you cannot get away with things that you try and do to a woman all the time.” It might take more than a lie-detector test for that to penetrate through to Warne’s inner consciousness.

After the decision comes the comment. The general consensus in the British press was that the selectors had chosen a batsman-heavy Test squad with the surprise inclusion of Rikki Clarke, and to a lesser extent Geraint Jones, while Darren Gough’s omission from the ODI squad kicked up the biggest fuss.

Mike Walters, in , was the most outspoken about Gough’s absence. Under the headline “Dazzler snub fury”, Walters claimed that Gough’s exclusion was “easily the most contentious call as England declared their hand for the coming tour of Bangladesh and Sri Lanka at Lord’s yesterday.” And he explained why: “In less than nine weeks … he has gone from new-ball partner Jimmy Anderson’s indispensable minder to excess baggage. The selectors must have taken leave of their senses.”And the selectors’ suggestion that Gough may get a look-in for the ODIs in the Caribbean, and that they wanted to look at other options in the build-up to the 2007 World Cup, cut no ice with the splenetic Walters either: “What a load of poppycock,” he spluttered. “They are leaving their best exponent of the white ball twiddling his thumbs when Gough’s reverse swing on abrasive pitches would have been a real asset.”Most agreed with Walters. “Gough with their heads” screamed . John Etheridge said it will be “amazing if Gough plays for his country again”, a view backed up by Mike Selvey in . “Darren Gough’s dream of playing in the 2007 World Cup looked in tatters yesterday … and it now looks as if Gough will follow Alec Stewart into the history books.” He added: “Perhaps there has been some reticence in this aspect, for few people anywhere in the game have such a depth of knowledge of how to bowl on the subcontinent as Gough, after he played a major part in recent England successes in both Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Instead the bowling in the one-day squad will be in the inexperienced hands of Richard Johnson and James Kirtley, neither of whom has a fitness record to be proud of.”Derek Pringle, in , wrote: “Bangladesh is one of the wettest places on earth, but that was probably not a consideration when the selectors decided to force England’s Test and one-day bowling attack to sink or swim after preferring the likes of Rikki Clarke to old sweats such as Darren Gough and Martin Bicknell.” On the hot topic of Gough, Pringle put a more positive slant on the issue. He wrote: “To drop Gough from the one-day party, after winning Man of the Match award in the NatWest Series final against South Africa, suggests a determination to force the other bowlers to grow up.” He continued: “Although a calculated risk, Gough’s absence will provide a good litmus test for those assigned his speciality – bowling at the death. His omission was a unanimous decision, at least according to Graveney, and it is probably not as dicey as taking just three front-line pace bowlers to a part of the world where E.coli can be as potent as Murali.”But hauling your eyes away from Gough and the ODI squad for just a moment, Christopher Martin-Jenkins, in , cast his thoughts – and doubts – on the Test squad. On Clarke and Paul Collingwood, CMJ decreed that neither are “likely to be much of a force as a Test bowler”. His main gripe, however, was the shortage of bowlers: “The choice of Gareth Batty and Geraint Jones means there are four players uncapped at Test level in a team that will be heavily dependent on a group of experienced batsmen.” He added: “The shortage of quality bowling is bound to be felt at times on the second leg of the tour in Sri Lanka. It is all Lombard Street to a China orange that replacements will be needed sooner or later.” And “having stated that Read is the chosen man as Alec Stewart’s successor, the selectors might have been wiser to include an extra bowler rather than a second wicketkeeper.”Too few bowlers, a wicketkeeper too many, and the snubbing of their best one-day bowler – all in a day’s work for an England selector.Gough unhappy with omission

Frizzell County Championship Division One
TableSussex v Leicestershire, Hove
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Sussex need to take a mere six points from their final match of the season, against Leicestershire at Hove, to be certain of securing the Championship title for the first time in their history. But, when 164 years of hurt are on the verge of being healed, nothing is ever as simple as it ought to be. Leicestershire, who were described as “shambolic” during an industrial tribunal last week, are already relegated and have nothing but pride to play for. But, they somehow beat Kent by an innings in their last match, to record their first victory of the season. Sussex, at the same time, were being thrashed by an innings by their only remaining title rivals, Lancashire. With James Kirtley ruled out with shin splints, much rests on Mushtaq Ahmed. After a rare barren match at Old Trafford, he needs a solitary scalp to become the first bowler to take 100 wickets in a season since Andrew Caddick and Courtney Walsh in 1998. Sussex will hope he passes that mark with room to spare.Nottinghamshire v Lancashire, Trent Bridge
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Normally Trent Bridge is one of the truest of batting pitches, but it has been much maligned this season – not least during England’s third Test victory, where the ball barely ventured above shin height on the final day. For Lancashire, it is an ominous venue at which to attempt to take maximum bonus points, but with Stuart Law and Carl Hooper in sublime form, they will back themselves to put enough runs on the board to put the heebie-jeebies into Sussex on the south coast. Lancashire remain without the centrally contracted pair of James Anderson and Andrew Flintoff, but Glen Chapple has recovered from a foot injury to spearhead the attack.Surrey v Essex, The Oval
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With nothing to play for after a bitterly disappointing capitulation in the Championship, Surrey are expected to name a weakened side for the visit of Essex, who have already been relegated. Alec Stewart has retired, and Ian Ward has announced his intention to leave the club, so neither is expected to start in a low-key end to the summer.Kent v Warwickshire, Canterbury
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Muttiah Muralitharan has a groin strain and will miss the final Championship fixture of the season, as Kent attempt to keep Warwickshire at bay and hold on to fourth place in the table. James Tredwell and Robert Ferley will compete for the spinners’ role, and the memory of their embarrassment against Leicestershire last week should spur them on. “We were embarrassed to be turned over in two days and that did not sit well with us,” said Ian Brayshaw, Kent’s director of cricket. “We’re looking to play our best cricket from Wednesday through to Sunday.”Frizzell County Championship Division Two
TableYorkshire v Gloucestershire, Headingley
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Damien Martyn has recovered from the blow in the face that he received on his Yorkshire debut last week, and is expected to be thrust back into the team for their must-win promotion battle with Gloucestershire at Headingley. Yorkshire need a victory to leapfrog Gloucestershire into the third promotion spot, and with Gloucester’s outgoing coach John Bracewell anticipating a “wet, green seamer”, it looks like a draw will be out of the question. “They need an outright win,” said Bracewell, “and we’re likely to get a two-day wicket. But we’re not daunted.” Yorkshire will base their game around the squadron of fast bowlers, and it seems probable that Darren Gough will return after his much-publicised absence last week. For Gloucestershire, the match represents the final fling of two much-loved overseas stars – Ian Harvey and Jonty Rhodes, who has only been at the club for one season – and they will be desperate to go out on a high.Northamptonshire v Worcestershire, Wantage Road
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Promotion may be secure for both teams, but the Division Two title is very much at stake as Worcestershire take on Northants at Wantage Road. Worcestershire need only a draw to take the honours, but Kabir Ali, Mark Harrity and Matt Mason are all in line for a recall with their coach Tom Moody aiming for nothing less than victory. “Since we gained promotion a couple of games ago the team became very focused on winning the division,” he said. “It means a lot to the team and we are looking forward to coming across a team who are in that type of form as well.” The main threat to Worcester comes from Northants’ prolific Australian, Mike Hussey. He has scored five hundreds and a fifty in his last six innings, and having announced his intention to take a sabbatical next year, he will be all the more eager to go out with victory.Derbyshire v Hampshire, Derby
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Hampshire begin their life after Robin Smith with an attempt to salvage some pride against their fellow stragglers Derbyshire. Both teams have endured seasons to forget, but only one will cap it off with the wooden spoon. Graeme Welch is in contention for a Derbyshire recall after being dropped for disciplinary reasons, while Hampshire are without pace bowlers Chris Tremlett, Alan Mullally and Chaminda Vaas.Durham v Glamorgan, Chester-le-Street
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Glamorgan’s hopes of automatic promotion aren’t quite dead in the Taff, but it will take an unlikely combination of results to do so. Still, the best they can do is win, and win well, and hope for a washout at Headingley. Ian and Darren Thomas are duly recalled to the side that was narrowly beaten by Northants last week. For Durham, Vince Wells returns after a wrist injury. “We’ve made progress this year but it’s been tinged with disappointment,” said Durham’s coach Martyn Moxon. “We’ve been better in the four-day game but we didn’t do well in the two games when we were still up for promotion.”

It was a day of mixed emotions at The Oval where Surrey announced Adam Hollioake’s decision to retire from first-class cricket at the end of the 2004 season, and that Graham Thorpe had signed a new two-year contract with the county.It had been common knowledge that some of the spark had gone out of the game for Hollioake lately, especially since the death of his brother, Ben, last year. He explained that he wanted to devote more time to other things, particularly charity work for the Ben Hollioake Fund and his own business interests in Perth. “I have had a marvellous 14 years at Surrey,” he said, “and in the last seven years as captain, I feel we have achieved many things of which I am immensely proud. I will continue to give everything I can to the club in the next 12 months, and in the years to come.”Under the 32-year-old Hollioake Surrey have enjoyed their most successful period since the halcyon days of the 1950s, winning eight trophies, including three championship titles. In 2003 they completed the one-day double by winning the Twenty20 Cup and National League.Melbourne-born Hollioake played four Tests and 35 ODIs for England , captaining the one-day side 14 times between 1997 and 1999. He made his Surrey debut in 1993, scoring 123 in the second innings, and was named Surrey Young Player of the Year that season.Hollioake will remain as captain for the 2004 season, which is also his benefit year.But the news that Thorpe had agreed new terms with Surrey helped to offset the feeling of disappointment. Coupled with his triumphant return to the England side last month, it brings an end to a troubled period in his career. “I am delighted to have signed a new two-year deal with the county with whom I have grown up with in cricketing terms since I was nine,” he said. “I couldn’t imagine playing anywhere else or ever playing against Surrey.”Thorpe is Surrey through and through. He was born in Farnham and made his first appearance for the county’s youth side in 1978. His first-class debut followed in 1988.