Essex has today confirmed that left arm fast bowler Scott Brant will bejoining the Club as its second overseas player for 2003. Brant, 20, was bornin Harare, Zimbabwe, and made his first class debut for Queensland in 2001after he and his family emigrated to Australia.Commenting on the signing, Essex Chief Executive David East said:”We are delighted that Scott will be joining us this year. Although he hasonly played a limited amount of 1st class cricket for Queensland, there isno question that he has great natural ability and will undoubtedlystrengthen the Essex bowling attack in Division I of both leaguecompetitions. He comes highly recommended by many senior figures in thegame, and we wish him every success with the Club in 2003.”On confirming his appointment with the Club, Brant commented:”I am thrilled to be joining Essex this year, and really look forward to theopportunity of playing in the intense programme of county cricket. Theprospect of working with Graham Gooch and learning from players like AndyFlower and Ronnie Irani was a huge draw, and I’m sure I can make asignificant contribution. I look forward to meeting up with the players ontheir pre-season tour in Cape Town in late March”.

Friday, February 21, 2003:::
“Sunil Gavaskar was almost shaking with anger – he went out on all the news channels that day.” Producer Jim Ribbans, after India’s debacle against Australia
Source: The Independent Online, South Africa”Once you’re playing on this stage, you’re going to be pelted if you don’t perform. I am not making excuses, I’ve been below par. In your home country at a World Cup you want to perform and take wickets. Thus far I’ve only got one stick in two games and plenty of stick to go with that. It’s so frustrating, but there’s no place to hide.” South African fast bowler Allan Donald
Source: The Star, South Africa”We don’t even have five per cent chance of winning (the World Cup. Our sight should be on the Cup, whereas we are just thinking of qualifying for the Super Six.” Bishan Singh Bedi, on the Indian team
Source: Press Trust of IndiaTuesday, February 18, 2003:::
“It was the worst Eid in my life. We did not even feel like talking to each other, let alone eat a plate of sweets. Still being a professional cricketer one must accept the criticism.” Bangladesh batsman Al Sahariar, after his side’s losses to Canada and Sri Lanka
Source: The Daily Star, Bangladesh”I know how much they wanted to win and how important the game was. They’ve really been up against it, and it was about time they had a break or two.” Pauline Fleming, Stephen Fleming’s mother, on New Zealand’s win against South Africa
Source: The Christchurch Press, New Zealand”I haven’t played against him before, but there’s still a lot you can do to prepare in the nets. However, until you get out there against him and get a good look at both him and the pitch, it’s all pretty much guess work. It’s definitely a challenge, and it’s one of the reasons why you play the game.” Canadian batsman Ian Billcliff, on playing Muttiah Muralitharan on Wednesday
Source: The Gulf News, United Arab Emirates

Grant Flower (ZIM) needs 52 runs to complete 6000 ODI runs
Thomas Odoyo (KEN) needs 19 runs to complete 1000 ODI runs
Hitesh Modi (KEN) needs 147 runs to complete 1000 ODI runs
Grant Flower (ZIM) needs 3 wickets to join the 100 ODI-wicket club
Grant Flower (ZIM) need 26 runs to complete 500 World Cup runs
Heath Streak (ZIM) needs 174 runs to complete 500 World Cup runs
Steve Tikolo (KEN) needs 40 runs to complete 500 World Cup runs
Maurice Odumbe (KEN) needs 105 runs to complete 500 World Cup runs
Ravindu Shah (KEN) needs 142 runs to complete 500 World Cup runs
Kennedy Otieno (KEN) needs 108 runs to complete 500 World Cup runs
Heath Streak (ZIM) needs 5 wickets to join the 25 World Cup wicket-club
Maurice Odumbe (KEN) needs 7 wickets to join the 25 World Cup wicket-club

WESTERN Warriors fast bowler Brad Williams has been ruled out of the important Pura Cup match against the New South Wales SpeedBlitz Blues at the WACA Ground.Williams, the Warriors premier new-ball bowler, was ruled out just before the commencement of the game with an elbow injury.Williams, 28, aggravated his right elbow during a training session on Wednesday.He was replaced in the Warriors starting line-up by former Test paceman Matthew Nicholson.The loss of Williams was the second major injury blow to the Warriors in successive days.Exciting teenage batsman Shaun Marsh was forced out with recurrence of a groin injury.Marsh was replaced in the Warriors team by all-rounder Beau Casson. Batsman Adam Voges was named 12th man.Williams has taken 17 wickets at an average of 24.53 from four Pura Cup games this season.Nicholson returns to the team following a series of outstanding performances with SunSmart League club Scarborough, including his maiden century and a seven wicket haul within the past month.He has made four Pura Cup appearances this season for his 10 wickets (average of 42.2) and 64 runs at an average of 10.67.Nicholson was advised of his recall on the morning of the match after Williams reported severe soreness in his elbow.

In stark contrast to the fine weather on the first day of the match between Sussex and the Zimbabwe at Hove, the second day provided almost unrelieved drizzle. The weather did briefly look like clearing up after lunch, but more rain led to the abandonment of the day’s play just after four o’clock. Zimbabwe remained on 317 for 4, with Mark Vermeulen unbeaten on 194.

England’s leading run-scorers Charlotte Edwards (Kent) and Claire Taylor (Berkshire) will lead their Super Fours teams to the final round of matches next weekend with just one point separating them.With additional points awarded for match-winning and superior batting and bowling performances in the domestic competition for elite women’s cricketers, the title is still in the balance.The Knight Riders, captained by Edwards, must beat The Braves – last year’s winners captained by Clare Connor – and hope The V Team cause an improbable upset in the last round of matches by beating Taylor’s Super Strikers.The teams contested the penultimate round in Nottingham today, with The Knight Riders defeating The V Team by six wickets and The Strikers beating The Braves by 31 runs.The Super Strikers faced The Braves and, after a slow start, reached 156-7, scoring two thirds of their runs in the final 15 overs. England and Yorkshire all-rounder Laura Spragg performed a characteristic entertaining cameo with the bat, racing to 21 before being dismissed by fellow England bowler Laura Harper.Spragg then took two wickets for just 15 runs and with Laura Newton taking 3-26, The Strikers sealed victory in the 45th over.Despite miserly bowling from Isa Guha and Beth Morgan in their opening spells, Hannah Lloyd and Salliann Briggs built a solid partnership, allowing young England bowlers Spragg and Shaw (24 not out) to accelerate the run-rate at the end.The Knight Riders exerted their authority on The V Team immediately restricting them to just 95 runs; Marsha Davies taking 4-16 from an 8 over spell with Helen Wardlaw and Jenny Gunn taking two wickets each. The V Team remain without a victory in the 2003 competition.England’s U19 batters Rosalie Birch and Lydia Greenway chipped away at the 95 run lead, with another young England and Yorkshire bowler, Helen Wardlaw, finishing the chase scoring 17 from 7 balls, including the winning runs.A full scorecard and points table can be found at www.Super4s.play-cricket.comMatches will begin at 12 noon on Saturday 21st June, and be played at The Parks and Radely College, Oxford.

Glamorgan recorded their third Championship win of the season as theydefeated Somerset by 110 runs at Sophia Gardens – a win that elevates the Welshcounty into fourth place in Division Two and maintains their bid for promotion.Resuming on 129/3 in their bid to score 424, Somerset were dealt an early blowwhen, after only 15 runs had been added in the morning, Jamie Cox was caught at cover pointby Matthew Maynard off Alex Wharf. Twenty runs later Wharf struck again as he clean bowledIan Blackwell, and it looked as if the match might be all over before lunch.However, Michael Burns, the visiting cptain, had other ideas, and together with Aaron Laraman,the pair took the score to 217-5 at the end of the morning session. Burns played freely all aroundthe wicket and after the interval he duly reached his first Championship hundred of the season, afterhaving batted for a shade over 3 hours, and having hit 17 fours.But by the time Burns had reached this landmark, inroads had been made at the other end, afterRobert Croft opted to take the new ball. Laraman was caught behind by Mark Wallace to give Alex Wharf histhird wicket, and then the young wicket-keeper took a superb catch diving low one-handed, to catchan edge by Rob Turner off the bowling of Michael Kasprowicz.Burns was then run-out by Adrian Dale after a mix-up with Keith Dutch, and despite a few defiant blows byKeith Dutch, the end finally came a quarter of an hour before tea as Dutch chipped a ball from Croftinto the hands of Dale at mid-wicket, as Somerset were bowled out for 313.Alex Wharf ended with figures of 4/90, whilst Michael Kasprowicz took 2/91 from 35 overs, and the seamerswholehearted efforts were singled out for praise afterwards by captain Robert Croft. “This was ahard fought victory, and a lot of credit must go to the seam bowlers for always being prepared to run in hardand to hit the wicket all day, which was no mean feat in this heat.”

Colwall:
Herefordshire 326-8d & 192-3d v Oxfordshire 248-6 & 127-6
Match drawn
Herefordshire 10pts, Oxfordshire 8ptsHertford:
Bedfordshire 379 & 161-2 v Hertfordshire 194-1d
Match drawn
Hertfordshire 9pts, Bedfordshire 8ptsJesmond:
Northumberland 426-4d v Buckinghamshire 179-4
Match drawn
Northumberland 9pts, Buckinghamshire 6ptsShrewsbury:
Devon 292 v Shropshire 25-1d
Match drawn
Shropshire 8pts, Devon 7ptsBury St Edmunds:
Suffolk 182 & 116-4 v Lincolnshire 242
Match drawn
Suffolk 9pts, Lincolnshire 10ptsSwansea:
Wales 140 & 407-5 v Cornwall 386-5d
Match drawn
Wales 6pts, Cornwall 12pts

Shane Warne has been given permission to play in charity and testimonial matches during his ongoing 12-month drug ban. Cricket Australia (CA), while suspending Warne for his use of diuretics just before the World Cup this year, had included charity and testimonial games in the ban. The Australian Cricketers’ Association (ACA), the body that represents the players, had challenged CA’s authority on this matter. The independent arbitrator who took up the case has now ruled in favour of Warne.Peter O’Callaghan, the barrister arbitrating this case, agreed with the ACA that the memorandum of understanding between the ACA and CA did not give CA the right to prevent players from playing in matches that were not under its aegis. O’Callaghan is expected to give detailed reasons for his decision by the end of this week, with neither party allowed to comment on it until then. Both sides, however, have agreed to abide by the decision.The issue arose when Warne was earlier approached by Lashings, the English charity side, but was not allowed to accept the offer by CA. Warne, who is allowed to train with state and national sides and take part in coaching and promotional clinics, protested, and the matter duly reached arbitration.

Marcus Trescothick’s double-century against South Africa at The Oval has propelled him nine places into ninth spot in the PwC ratings for batsmen. Inzamam-ul-Haq’s matchwinning hundred against Bangladesh took him up three places to No. 5. There wasn’t much to celebrate for Michael Vaughan, though, who slumped to 15th place after a disappointing series against South Africa. Graeme Smith fell back to No. 25 after managing a mere 93 from his last six innings.The top three slots in the bowlers’ list remained unchanged, but Shoaib Akhtar and Jacques Kallis both leapt four places after impressive performances in the recent Tests. Three of the South African bowlers who played the series figured in the top 15, while none from the England squad made it to the top 30. In fact, the top three England bowlers in the list were Andy Caddick (No. 10), Matthew Hoggard (No. 22) and Dominic Cork (No. 30). Among the bowlers who played for England this season, Steve Harmison was the highest ranked, at a modest No. 32.

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