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The 2nd Test between Pakistan and England at Old Trafford will surely be a high stakes game. While England will go all out to win five series in a row, Pakistan desperately need a victory to stay in contention as a viable cricket team. A win for Pakistan is an absolute must not only for the team’s rejuvenation but to regain some fighting spirit for the NatWest Triangular that follows. At Lords, Pakistan lost by an innings and performed miserably, well below their prowess and potential. Although they have the ability to bounce back but the way Pakistan crumble at the vital moment, one needs to think twice before declaring them favourites.Of immediate concern, however, is the Manchester weather – will it allow the match be held at all and then played for enough days for a result? According to reports, while elsewhere the English domestic cricket has been relatively unaffected by the weather since the Lords Test, only one day’s play has been possible at Old Trafford! Surely a dismal situation?Glancing at Pakistan’s previous ventures, one finds that all the three test matches played at Old Trafford in 1954, 1984 and 1992 were either interrupted or washed out by rain and drawn. So let’s hope the weather god shows generosity towards the two teams and a host of cricket lovers who are keen to witness an exciting contest.Sure of his team’s aspirations of a victory, England’s Chief Selector David Graveney has appealed to the English public to show up en masse to buck up their team. Injured skipper, sadly an armchair spectator, Nasser Hussain has also made a similar appeal to cricket fans of Asian origin.On relative strength, there is no doubt England are riding high in morale, spirits as well as performance. The absence of Nasser Hussain is not likely to make much of a difference because acting skipper Alec Stewart is considered fully competent to handle the side. Having successfully done so on previous occasions he is fully trusted to lead the team to success.As a batsman, Warwickshire opener Nick Knight replaces Nasser. Many think him to be a one-day specialist having scored only one century in 16 games and a test average of only 25. However, he has been selected for current prolific form in English domestic cricket, especially in one-day matches, scoring 4 centuries with an average of over 50.Another likely change in the team may be the entry of Matthew Hoggard in place of Ryan Sidebottom who failed to take a wicket on debut at Lords. The resurgent England attack, spearheaded by the deadly duo of Darren Gough and Andy Caddick who demolished Pakistan at Lords shall, however, remain the deciding factor. England plans to put in the field a force comprising 7 batsmen and 4 best bowlers, depending on the pitch and weather.Pakistan have suffered severe criticism after nose diving from 4th to 7th in international test rankings and now need to put in every ounce of energy to recover. The ten-day gap between the two tests must have been enough for a mental and physical shake up and rehabilitation as well as to make up for the ‘inadequate preparation’, cited as one of the reasons for the Lord’s defeat.It is said that success in a match largely depends on opening batsmen and opening bowlers. Unfortunately both failed for Pakistan at Lords. Clinching 5 wickets for 23 runs including a hat trick against Leicestershire, Waqar Younis showed devastating form with the ball. Similarly his new ball partner Wasim Akram claimed 4 wickets in this match as well. He is also on record having taken 5 wickets at Old Trafford during the 1992 tour. Possessing a thorough knowledge of the track he can be expected to keep the England batting in check or even help getting the side out for small totals.By scoring an unbeaten century after earning a disappointing pair of ducks in the Lord’s Test, opener Saleem Elahi must have regained his confidence. However, his place is at risk as there is talk of Abdur Razzaq as an opener and if selected, he needs a big score to justify his place in a future team. His partner Saeed Anwar is capable of bringing even the stars down but became the victim of poor shot selection. With a little more concentration he can turn into a match winner.Though pitch and weather conditions cannot be taken as a yardstick, it may be recalled that Pakistan scored 505 for 9 and 239 for 5 at this venue in 1992. At Lord’s Pakistan bought defeat by indiscriminately throwing away the wickets. If the batsmen manage to graft and play with responsibility, a big score could be expected.The actual playing XI would be a major factor. Though skipper Waqar Younis and Coach Richard Pybus justified the selection of an all pacer squad for the Lord’s Test, they came under burning criticism from the media and public for not including a spinner in the side. It may be great to play with all fast bowlers but variation is an important element that cannot be ignored. In Saqlain Mushtaq and Mushtaq Ahmed the team has two distinguished spinners. One of them is likely to make the team this time.Whom to drop to accommodate a spinner is the question worthy of debate. Shoaib Akhtar or Azhar Mahmood? Coach Pybus is of the opinion that Shoaib is regaining his confidence and is close to the form he enjoyed two years ago. I would, however, drop him for his uncertain physical fitness. Azhar being a useful all rounder deserves to be retained.Let us hope the uncertain weather does not jeopardize the Test. A decisive finish will be in the interest of both teams. It is expected to be a ferocious battle with the team not throwing away wickets and holding its catches to win.

Sri Lanka’s veteran batsman Aravinda de Silva says he is confident of beating India in the forthcoming three-match Test series.”We haven’t beaten them in nearly 17 years,” he said. “I am looking forward to this series and confident that we can beat them this time around.”Sri Lanka’s famous victory in 1985 against India was the country’sfirst Test victory, and that’s been the only against India. In that gameAravinda made a fine 75 at the Oval in Colombo. He is also the onlysurviving member of that team, captained by Duleep Mendis.The national selectors didn’t recommend Aravinda when they werenominating players to be contracted by the Board. However, he is included in the pool of players which can be called upon to play if needed.De Silva says losing the lucrative contract didn’t bother him. “It’s only a monetary thing. Probably they looked at certain aspects when they were awarding the contracts, I’m not bothered. I am looking forward to the Indian series.”De Silva has relished playing against Indian attacks. Last time whenIndia were in Sri Lanka to play a two-match series, he made 392 runs in three innings. In all those innings he made hundreds and in the Second Test at SSC he made hundreds in both the innings.

The New South Wales and Australian quick bowler Brett Lee will warm up for this summer’s Ashes battle by playing in a Second XI Championship match for Nottinghamshire.After talks between John Buchanan, the Australian Coach, and Clive Rice, Notts Director of Cricket, it was agreed that Lee would play for the county’s second string in a match against Hants Second XI, to be played at Finchampstead between 19-21 June.Rice said: “It is not only an arrangement which will help Brett’s match fitness but also an opportunity for some of our younger bowlers to play alongside, and learn from, one of the great fast bowlers in the world today.”Lee will then re-join the rest of the Australia tour party ahead of this summer’s Test Series, which begins at Edgbaston on 5 July.

Surrey seemed intent on winning by as large a margin as possible, taking few chances and dropping the scoring rate as they gradually approached the modest target of 159. They eventually finished comfortably, with all their wickets intact, hitting the winning runs with 22.5 overs to spare.By playing almost their strongest side available – Mark Ramprakash and Graham Thorpe are still unfit – in this third round Cheltenham and Gloucester Trophy match against the Surrey Cricket Board XI, consisting of players from clubs around the county, Surrey showed just how seriously they were taking this match at Guildford.The only change in their side today from the one that belted a record-breaking total of 361 two days ago against Nottinghamshire was Jonathan Batty, behind the stumps, with Alec Stewart resting.For Surrey’s left-handed pair of opening batsmen, Mark Butcher and Ian Ward, it was a second successive century partnership in three days. They batted entirely unperturbed against the Board’s bowling and scored at ease from the start when Butcher made his intentions known with two boundaries in the first over. They continued taking eight an over until the fifty came up.The game was hardly a contest. The bowling obligingly provided practice for the Surrey openers. Ward was the first to his half-century, from 55 balls, and five overs later Butcher reached his, off 68. Their innings progressed without a blemish as they averaged six runs an over.Finally, Ward took a boundary at wide mid-wicket to take his score to 70 off 81 balls and the total to 156. Butcher then drove the next ball, the first of the new over, to mid-off for the winning boundary. It took the total to 160 and him to 73 from 85 balls. He had hit 12 boundaries, as had Ward.Earlier, the amateurs of the Board X1, having been put in to bat on a cloudy morning, which did brighten later, began well with the left and right-handed combination of Tim Hodgson and John Wileman. Both these batsmen have had some experience of first-class cricket, Wileman with Nottinghamshire and Hodgson with Essex.They started briskly at more than five runs an over which dropped to four by the tenth over but with 46 on the board, Wileman, 15, edged to second slip off Martin Bicknell. That brought about a top-order collapse which saw four wickets go down for seven within four overs.Hodgson was run out for 25 and then, man-of-the-match Ed Giddens, claimed the next two in his fifth over. The fifth-wicket stand brought a recovery with 45 when once again the Board lost quick wickets.The left-handed Scott Newman, who had played confidently for the second highest score of 27, struck four boundaries before being fifth out, leg before wicket to Adam Hollioake. With the seventh wicket falling on 124, the home side had lost three in the space of 27 runs.Chris Bullen, formerly with Surrey as an off spinner, showed his capabilities with the bat as his top score of 36, from only 38 balls, greatly helped the Board to reach 158 before being dismissed with 4.5 overs remaining. He had hit the only six of the innings – off Saqlain Mushtaq over mid-wicket – before the wily off-spinner trapped him leg before with the next ball.

Graeme Hick nudged Dominic Cork out of the spotlight on his return to the Championship arena with the 115th century of his career as Worcestershire piled up the runs against a weakened Derbyshire attack.Hick scored 171 from 209 balls to condemn the Championship’s bottom team to another day of hard labour in steamy heat.With Vikram Solanki hitting 109, Worcestershire had reached 390-5 by the close to leave the home side fighting a rearguard action at the end of the first day.Derbyshire must have feared the worst after Hick won the toss and batted first on a pitch which was devoid of any pace or bounce.Cork claimed a wicket in his fifth over when he had Philip Weston lbw for 17 and he had what looked another good shout for leg before turned down early in Hick’s innings.Anurag Singh became his second victim when he top-edged a hook and was caught at square leg for 60 but Derbyshire had to wait a long time for their next success.Hick and Solanki picked off the bowling in the stifling humidity and although Hick miscued an attempted hook at Cork, there were few other moments of encouragement for the bowlers although Derbyshire did not wilt in testing conditions.Hick reached his hundred – his third in four Championship innings – with a lofted drive for four off Nathan Dumelow and he was well on course for a double century until Paul Aldred took a brilliant running catch at wide long on.David Leatherdale went for a duck but Solanki reached his first Championship hundred of the season when he drove Dumelow for his fourth six of what had been a brilliant innings.He was out in the penultimate over of the day when he pulled Dumelow hard and low to square leg where Lian Wharton took a good catch but Worcestershire are firmly in control.

Ian Thomas scored his first one-day half-century as Glamorgan beat Derbyshire by six wickets in their NUL clash at Cardiff.The 22-year-old left-hander, deputising for the injured Jimmy Maher, shared in an opening stand of 91 in only 14 overs with Keith Newell in their pursuit of 200 to win.Thomas’ 50 came up in just 40 balls, with a six and eight fours.Newell also went to a half-century as Glamorgan passed 100 in the 17th over and reached the winning post with 26 balls to spare.Glamorgan were indebted to a quick start, especially as they lost wickets at regular intervals on the way to victory.But a responsible 40* from Maynard guided Glamorgan to their fifth division two victory of the season to keep them in touch with the promotion race.Half-centuries from Steve Stubbings and Matthew Dowman were the mainstays of the Derbyshire innings after stand-in skipper Michael Di Venuto, deputising for Dominic Cork and the injured Tim Munton, won the toss.Derbyshire suffered a setback when Rob Bailey was dismissed to the fourth ball of the innings from Andrew Davies, but despite also losing Di Venuto, Derbyshire were indebted to Stubbings and Dowman, who contributed 109 in 24 overs.The spin of Croft and Cosker slowed Derbyshire’s progress, with Cosker taking three wickets, two in one over including a very sharp caught and bowled.Darren Thomas got into the action by dismissing Nathan Dumelow and Paul Aldred with consecutive balls as the Derbyshire innings rather tailed off with only 54 runs coming from the final 15 overs.

Trveor Ward scored his third century in nine innings as Leicestershiredominated a rain-interrupted first day of the CricInfo Championship clash with Glamorgan at Cardiff.Ward shared in an impressive 198 opening stand with Iain Sutcliffe with the visiting county taking full advantage of Vince Wells winning the toss.And when bad light caused an abandonment 15 minutes from the closeLeicestershire had reached the healthy position of 210-1 off 48 overswith Sutcliffe still there on 86.Heavy overnight rain and morning showers meant no play was possibleuntil 2.30pm with a total of 49 overs lost before and after lunch.But by tea Ward and Sutcliffe had put Leicestershire in a healthyposition at 118-0 in just 24 overs with both batsmen reaching half-centuries, taking advantage of some pretty average Glamorgan bowling.Leicestershire reached 50 from just ten overs and then carried on thescoring rate to go to 100 in the 21st with skipper Steve James forced touse five bowlers in a curtailed second session.Ward was first to go to his 50 off just 61 balls with Sutcliffe takingjust nine deliveries more.And Ward then took only a further 50 balls to reach his century out of189-0.Glamorgan’s opening bowlers found it difficult to find their length andline. Steve Watkin went for 37 off seven overs while Simon Jonesconceded 24 from his first five overs.Watkin eventually secured the breakthrough when Ward drove straight atcover to end an impressive two-and-a-half hour innings that had included14 boundaries.

England’s short tour of Zimbabwe in September and October has been thrown into doubt following the recent unrest in the African country. England are due to play five One-Day Internationals against Zimbabwe before they fly onto India and then New Zealand this winter.The unrest in Zimbabwe has seen more than 50 white-owned farms attacked and their houses looted, raising questions about the safety of the England cricket team.Gareth Thomas, the Labour MP and secretary of the all-party parliamentary sports group, told The Times: “To play cricket matches in a country where the Government is clearly condoning violence against its opponents must be questionable.”Unless the situation improves dramatically this tour should be cancelled.”John Read, the England and Wales Cricket Board spokesman explained that they were concerned with what is happening in Zimbabwe, but still insured that the England tour will not be postponed.He confirmed: “We are still planning to go ahead but this is being reviewed daily. We will be guided by the Foreign Office.”A spokesman for the Foreign Office said: “We are in close touch with the cricket board. The situation is being monitored.”

Barbadian off-spinner Ryan Austin is in the side for the third andfinal four-day Under-19 Test against Young England, starting today, atthe Riverside Ground, Chester-le-Street, Durham.West Indies coach Gus Logie confirmed that Austin would be draftedinto the squad, as West Indies were now struggling to hold on withjust 12 of the 15-member party fit to play.The other Bajan in the touring party, Patrick Browne, has notrecovered from a leg injury sustained in the first Test, and fastbowlers Andrew Richardson, of Jamaica, and Guyanese Rayon Thomas havealso been ruled out with stress fractures of the back and foot,respectively.Austin has been bowling well without much success, but he was verygood in the One-Day matches. He will be looking forward to playing inthe final `Test’, and that will give him a very good opportunity,Logie said.The injuries to Thomas and Richardson left the West Indies with justtwo fit pacers: Jermaine Lawson of Jamaica and Vincentian left-armerKenroy Peters.These were both rested for the three-day match against EnglandUnder-18 at Durham University, where prolific opener Devon Smith hithis second century of the tour in the drawn match. He hit 54 in thefirst innings.We don’t have many choices. We will have to play two spinners, comewhat may, and this will put us under pressure, because we’re not awareof the surface we’ll encounter, Logie said.Durham is known to be a seamer-friendly pitch, and the West Indiesbatsmen will have to do most of the work, if they are to protect their1-0 lead in the three-match series.It will be up to the batsmen to perform well again, but the guys haveresponded well. They are very eager, and focused on the job at hand,the former West Indies vice-captain added.Meanwhile England have strengthened their side with the inclusion ofbatsman Nicky Peng, and keeper Matt Prior, who were both named in anelite group of 15 of the country best Under-23 players.The pair played in the first Test but missed the second one due tocounty duties.England team: Kadeer Ali, Ian Bell, James Anderson, JustinBishop, Kyle Hogg, Monty Panesar, Nicky Peng, Gary Pratt, Matt Prior,Joe Sayers, Bilal Shafayat, James Tredwell, Tim Boon (coach), NeilFoster (assistant coach).

The 2001 season saw the launch of the new Somerset Website, which from its tentative beginnings has gone from strength to strength as the season progressed.The site, which is joint venture between Somerset County Cricket Club and CricInfo was launched on May 21st, and during the first month of its existence it received nearly 14000 visits. During the second month the site attracted 21000 hits, which had grown to more than 29000 hits during last month.The web site (www.somerset.cricinfo.com) is so successful that out of all the county sites that are hosted by CricInfo the Somerset site is second only to Hampshire.From the start the aim of the Somerset web site has been to keep the supporters of the Club as well informed as possible, and to this end information and news items have been added on a daily basis. Where at all possible reports have been supported by quotes from the relevant parties, and the cooperation received from Kevin Shine, Jamie Cox and all of the players in this has been much appreciated.The Club has also used the site to make official press releases, and Chief Executive Peter Anderson has made public several documents that he has presented to official meetings through the site.The site has not only concentrated on the first team, but has reported on second team matches on a daily basis where possible, and on the Somerset Board matches. Somerset Youth Cricket has been reported on the site, and mid way through the season a Jurnor Sabres Page was introduced.Both of the competitions were very well supported, and more competitions are planned for the future, so keep on visiting the site on a regular basis!In addition during the long winter months we will carry regular personal updates from England’s overseas tours courtesy of Andy Caddick and Marcus Trescothick, as well as up-to-the-minute news, views and developments on the Somerset County Cricket scene as they take place.Don’t forget to put www.somerset.cricinfo.com number one on your list of favourites, and remember that all of the items covered on the site can still be accessed through the archive pages, which also include one or two reports that never made it to the headlines on the site.