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Friday the 13th, unlucky some may say, but that was certainly not the case at The Rose Bowl, where superstition was put aside as a sell out crowd came to the cricket and the pop concert.The sun shone brightly, it was a very warm summer evening, and everything was right for an exciting cricket match, and that was certainly what they got, as the Hawks got their campaign off the mark (see separate match report).A lot of preparation had gone into this major Rose Bowl event; it was a window to the world of cricket. The sceptics said it would not work; I have to admit that perhaps I was one, although I did believe it deserved a chance if just for its innovation.There was a carnival atmosphere long before the cricket, bouncy castle, fun fair, NatWest fast bowling competition, Saints football shoot out and much much more.The food outlets were doing a roaring trade, where the dear old traditional Rose Bowl Café (Sunshine Café) suddenly found itself surrounded by Baguettes, Fish and Chips, Sweets, Ice Cream and an abundance of other delicacies.Many of the staff that did the whole show proudly had arrived at 8 am and many were still there gone 11pm, a devotion to a concept that had started as a pipe dream in the minds of the old Hampshire County Cricket Club, to the magnificent facilities we have today.I was over by the entrance to the Western Berm when a family of five came in "Good grief" said the wife to her husband, "this is magnificent". Obviously a first timer and we hope a regular from now on. Later when coming into the Atrium bar, I overhead another lady exclaim "This is super, I had no idea, and I only live just down the road in Hedge End".Seeing the crowd converge onto the outfield to watch Mis-Teeq and the other pop acts after the match, may have given head groundsman Nigel Gray a few palpitations, but it was a superb sight.Rod Bransgrove, Nick Pike and all the staff of Rose Bowl plc and Hampshire Cricket can lift their heads up high today, and say we did it. There will be other days like this, the One Day International amongst some, but this day will go down in history in the young days of the ground, alongside that amazing win over Australia in 2000 …Watch this space …

After leading Guyana to three consecutive victories on theirway to the Red Stripe Bowl semifinal last week, Carl Hooperwas moved to bemoan the general standard of the cricket.Nothing he saw in the two semifinals at Kaiser Sports Clubin Jamaica on Thursday and Friday would have relieved hisworries as he considers the players likely to form the WestIndies team for the World Cup in South Africa that is only ayear-and-a-half away. As derided as it is by thetraditionalists, the One-Day game demands as much cricketingintelligence and astuteness as the more protracted version.Because, and not in spite, of all its limitations, itssituations change fast and frequently, testing the wits ofcaptains and players. There is no second innings so there isno coming back.One poor shot, one wide ball, one fumble, one missed chance,one poorly set fielder could mean the match. Test cricket isnot nearly as unforgiving of mistakes.And mistakes there were on Thursday and Friday by thedozens.What would have concerned Hooper especially was that amongthe most culpable were those he is likely to lead onto thefield at the Newlands ground in Cape Town for the World Cupopener against South Africa in February, 2003. Here are buta few examples.In the first semifinal, on a pitch so damp that MichaelHolding’s fingernail made a sizeable scratch on the surface,a couple of deliveries leapt at Leon Garrick in the firstover to strike glove and body.This was a time for care and concentration. Instead, ChrisGayle, the West Indies’ finest young batsman and, on allevidence, one whose appetite for big scores in insatiable,tried to hoist Reon King out of the ground with the fifthball he received. The resulting skied catch to point waspredictable and damning.Gayle’s previous two innings in the tournament had broughthim hundreds and the two before that in domestic countycricket in Jamaica two more. Perhaps he was undone byoverconfidence.It was a crucial mistake.Another 27 overs on, with Jamaica battling to rebuild afaltering innings, Marlon Samuels, another rising youngbatsman, bowed to the pressure of eeking out 15 runs from 57balls. Pulling wildly across the modest leg-spin onSewnarine Chattergoon, he was bowled, leaving captain RobertSamuels and the tail to salvage what they could from theshambles for 75 for five.Shabby Guyanese bowling and fielding and purposeful battingby the experienced Samuels and the fluent Gareth Breeseyielded 107 from the last 15 overs and raised Jamaica’stotal to 191 for nine, still only modest but far more thanhad seemed possible.At 134 for five after 40 overs in reply, Guyana had thematch in hand before Mahendra Nagamootoo, a usually sensiblecricketer with both Tests and One-Day Internationals on hisrecord, chose the game’s most contorted stroke as his bestoption. He was inevitably bowled when he missed his reversesweep.At the other end, his brother, Vishal, backed up so far hewas run out without receiving a ball, another victim ofcricketing lunacy.Onto the second semifinal the next day and there was moremadness, this time on the Trinidad and Tobago side. Theirmajor batsmen simply failed to acknowledge an earlier lessonin proper tactical batting by Floyd Reifer and Ryan Hinds,who breathed life back into a Barbados innings that was allbut lifeless.By sensible, orthodox methods, Reifer and Hinds graduallylifted Barbados’ spirits and punched increasingly largeholes in the Trinidadian balloon.There was no panic, no cross-batted swings, no desperatemethods, just methodical progress to a point from which thetempo could be increased and a challenging target set.A pitch of uneven bounce and variable pace meant drivingthrough the line was a hazard to be avoided. The 220required would have to be reached by careful, orthodoxbatting. So what happened?Andy Action Jackson, so named after his earlier hundred off47 balls against the North Windwards, Brian Lara and DarenGanga all drove expansively and into the hands of off-sidefielders. Lincoln Roberts, pinned down for 32 balls for six,swiped a high catch to long-on.It was the kind of cricket that had plenty of heads aroundKaiser shaking in despair. Hooper’s and the other headsplanning the West Indies World Cup campaign are likely toturn grey if it continues much longer.

Imran Tahir is 36 years old. He has been an international cricketer for four of those years, and a professional one for 19. He has played for more teams and in more leagues than most people follow, and is currently ranked fifth in the world on the ICC’s ODI bowling rankings. What more could he possibly want? His Test spot back, of course.”I’m still challenging myself with that. When I go to bed after playing a Test match, I want to feel that I gave 100%. If not, I’ll feel guilty and won’t be able to sleep and probably will need sleeping tablets. But I know that in my heart I never did that,” Tahir said.”Whatever I did, I did it for South Africa. This is a dream I’ve had since I was 10. If I mistakenly drop my cap, I pick it up and kiss it. This is the biggest thing in my life. I have a lot of respect whatever format I play. I haven’t developed as I should have in Test cricket, but I can work hard on that and that’s what I’ve been doing.”Tahir made his Test debut in the same game as Vernon Philander and played the bulk of his Tests while South Africa’s strategy was centered on their three-pronged pace attack. He often found himself bowling on surfaces totally unsuited to spinners and came into the attack once most of the damage was done. The strategy made it difficult for Tahir, as an attacking bowler to have an impact. His aggressive nature and myriad variations made it difficult for him to control the game. He lost his place to Robin Peterson, got it back briefly, and then lost it again.Tahir last played a Test over Boxing Day last year against West Indies. He was recalled after being dropped for the one-off Test against Zimbabwe and then recalled for the opening Test against West Indies in Centurion. He was dropped again immediately after that match to seemingly end a Test career that had underwhelmed. He has since been overtaken by Simon Harmer and Dane Piedt in the longest format, but believes he could still find his way back, especially knowing there are also promising spinners putting up their hands in shorter formats.Tahir was rested from the recent T20s in Bangladesh and against New Zealand, even though he is “not one of those guys who wants to take a long rest,” and can see there is a succession plan being put in place. “There are lot of good youngsters coming up and it’s good for them to get an opportunity. That’s great for South African cricket, but the other side of it is that I don’t want to lose my spot. That keeps me going. I want someone to be there to challenge me,” Tahir said.Eddie Leie has emerged as the most likely candidate to partner with Tahir at next year’s World T20, and possibly even take over from him in the future. Although Tahir is not quite ready to roll off into retirement yet, he is willing to take Leie, his former franchise team-mate at Lions, under his wing.”He’s [Leie] a really good, talented guy. It was nice that he had an opportunity. I wish I had that when I was his age. He’s a good, strong character and he wants to do well for South Africa. That makes him a good bowler. He’s got all the variations, but probably he needs to learn a bit more about the game,” Tahir said. “Wherever I could, I helped him. Actually, I did share all my secrets with him. What god has written for me, no one’s going to take it away. I just want to pass it on.”While Tahir teaches Leie what he knows, he remains the go-to man in shorter formats. AB de Villiers described Tahir as a “master of the middle overs,” who knows “how to change momentum, speed the game up and then slow it down again.”Words like that keep Tahir motivated as he aims to stretch out his career as long as he can. “That pumps my heart. Every time I see that I want to do well. I’ve been playing cricket for quite a long time all over the world and all the situations I have been in have given me confidence. I love challenges. I want to be the guy the captain can trust. I take my job very sincerely.”

Robert Key has been given a golden opportunity to enhance his case for an England recall, after being named as captain of a strong England Lions squad to face New Zealand in their final four-day warm-up at the Rose Bowl on May 8.Key dominated the Kiwi attack at Canterbury on Monday, milking them for an unbeaten 178 out of a first-day total of 324 for 1, which follows on from the twin centuries he scored against them on their last tour of England in 2004. He was also named as England A captain in the 2006 home season, when he scored a hundred against Pakistan.”Robert Key enjoyed an excellent season for Kent last year, was recently named in the England Performance Squad and he will bring his experience of leading his county to the captain’s role,” said England’s selector, Geoff Miller.Key’s goal is a place in the first Test at Lord’s on May 15, but first he must overcome the claims of Owais Shah and Ravi Bopara, both of whom toured with the Test team this winter, and who have also enjoyed flying starts to their summer. They have been named alongside him in a strong 12-man squad, which also includes two up-and-coming batsmen in Hampshire’s Michael Carberry and Sussex’s Luke Wright.The bowling front is no less competitive. There is no place for Steve Harmison, but Matthew Hoggard has forced his way back into the reckoning with his eight-wicket haul for Yorkshire against Hampshire this week. Also included is the Hampshire seamer Chris Tremlett, who came close to an England recall in New Zealand this winter, but pulled up injured after a five-over spell in the Test warm-up fixture in Dunedin.”Matthew Hoggard was left out of the last two Test matches in New Zealand but he is a fighter and he will not want to give up his England place easily,” said Miller. “He has started the season with a strong performance for Yorkshire and this will be another chance for him to show what he is capable of against an international side.”The wicketkeeper for this fixture is another recent England reject, Matt Prior, who was ruthlessly axed following the tour to Sri Lanka in December. He impressed with the bat on that trip, and came close to saving the first Test at Kandy in a bold rearguard, but his glovework proved too fallible for the selectors’ comfort. Nevertheless, he has started the season strongly for Sussex, and has a prime opportunity to restate his credentials.”In choosing this squad we were keen to show consistency by giving further opportunities to players who were involved with either the Test or one-day squad during the winter or the England Lions,” said Miller. “There is intense competition for places in the senior squad at present and all of these players will be keen to make an impression on the selectors ahead of the international season.”One notable absentee is Andrew Flintoff, who has been bowling with pace, accuracy and intent since the start of the season, and also found a hint of form with the bat in the Friends Provident victory over Scotland at the weekend. But he is not being risked just yet, as he continues his rehabilitation from a fourth bout of ankle surgery.England Lions squad
Robert Key (Kent, capt), Ravinder Bopara (Essex), Michael Carberry (Hampshire), Matthew Hoggard (Yorkshire), Steven Kirby (Gloucestershire), Matt Prior (Sussex, wk), Graham Onions (Durham), Adil Rashid (Yorkshire), Owais Shah (Middlesex), Graeme Swann (Nottinghamshire), Chris Tremlett (Hampshire), Luke Wright (Sussex)

March 18 – Pervez Mir, Pakistan team’s media manager, announces news of Bob Woolmer’s death. “Bob Woolmer has passed away. I am speaking from the hospital and all the team management is also at the hospital. Doctors have pronounced him dead. Bob has passed away and it is very shocking news to all of the team and the team management.”March 21 – Mark Shields, deputy commissioner Jamaican police, announces that authorities are treating the death as suspicious. “Having met with the pathologists, our medical personnel and investigators, there is now sufficient information to continue a full investigation into the circumstances surrounding the death of Mr Woolmer, which we are now treating as suspicious.”March 22 – Gill Woolmer, Bob’s widow, admits her husband might have been murdered. “I suppose there is always the possibility. I mean some of the cricketing fraternity, fans are extremely volatile and passionate about the game and what happens in the game, and also a lot of it in Asia, so I suppose there is always the possibility that it could be that.”March 23 – Karl Angell, a Jamaican police spokesman, confirms Woolmer was strangled. “The pathologist’s report states that Mr Woolmer’s death was due to asphyxiation as a result of manual strangulation. In these circumstances, the matter of Mr Woolmer’s death is now being treated by the Jamaica police as a case of murder.”March 27 – Jamaican police test Woolmer’s last meal to check whether it was drugged. According to Shields, Woolmer was “a big man, and unless he was drugged or impaired it would perhaps have been difficult to restrain him. We are looking at whether his food was drugged.”March 28 – Shields denies newspaper reports that Woolmer may have died after falling heavily against the bathroom sink and that a second autopsy was being ordered. “I can assure you there is no post mortem, there is no planned second post mortem.”March 30 – Shields tells media that Woolmer could have been strangled with a towel as there were no marks found on his neck. “If it’s some form of manual strangulation and there are no physical marks on the neck of the victim, therefore there may have been something between the hands of the assailant and the neck of the victim.”April 17 – says samples taken from Woolmer’s blood, stomach and urine have shown the presence of a foreign substance and has quoted an unnamed government official as saying that the substance could have been poison. Shields, however, decides not to comment on the report till all investigations are over. “We have some results from toxicology now, but they will require further investigation and analysis, and therefore it would be totally inappropriate for me to elaborate any further on that.”April 23 – Information relayed to the Woolmer family by Jamaican police suggest Woolmer may have been drugged with snake venom. According to Neil Manthrop, a South African commentator, “The detective told Gill they believe it must have been a natural poison, such as a snake venom, which leaves the body fairly soon afterwards.”April 27 – Police rule out the possibility that snake venom was involved. Shields, who is leading the investigation, told the BBC that there was no evidence to support that theory, and he also hit out at “wild” rumours which continue to surround the case, saying they were “causing a lot of distress” to Woolmer’s family.April 30 – A BBC investigation programme confirms that Woolmer was poisoned before being strangled and that that there is evidence of a drug being present in his system that would have incapacitated him. “It now seems certain that as he was being strangled, he’d already been rendered helpless, leaving him unable to fight back,” said Adam Parsons, the show’s producer. “The specific details of that poison are now very likely to offer a significant lead to finding his murderer.”May 7 – Newspaper reports suggest Woolmer may have been poisoned by a weedkiller, high concentrations of which were alleged to have been found in his stomach and on the outside of a champagne glass. Police sources confirm the presence of weedkiller in the glass while Pervez Mir reveals tht Woolmer was presented the bottles by travelling fans.May 8 – Inconclusive evidence leads a Pakistani investigator to suggest that Woolmer’s death was not a murder. According to Zubair Mahmood, one of the detectives sent to Jamaica, “Several tests have been sent to Scotland Yard and the results are awaited. And the most I can say [is] that the investigation … is inconclusive.”May 20 – A report in reveals that police in Jamaica have privately admitted that Dr Ere Seshaiah, the Kingston pathologist, was wrong to say that Woolmer had been strangled. Angell, however, said that the matter was still being handled as a murder investigation. “That will remain our position until such time as the results of the investigation are known; including the forensic and pathology analysis.”June 4 – Speculation grows that the pathologists’ findings were faulty. Shields, for the first time, hints at doubt on the finding of murder. “Usually we investigate a murder and we look for suspects but on this occasion, because of the lack of evidence to support the pathologist what we’ve done is gone out to prove it’s not a murder. We have to go with what the pathologist gives, and if I’d ignored it and it had turned out to be true I would have been lambasted for not treating it seriously.”June 12 – Jamaican police announce that Woolmer’s death was due to natural causes, not murder and closes the investigation.

Tyron Henderson, the East London allrounder, is set to leave South Africa for a stint with English county Kent. Kent recently released Justin Kemp in order for the South African allrounder to recover from niggling injuries and be fit for future one-day assignments as well as the 2007 World Cup, and in his place has stepped Henderson.Henderson, the Standard Bank Pro20 cricketer of the year in 2004-05, has a reputation of being a destructive batsman with a strike rate of 152.22 in Pro20 cricket. His canny fast-medium bowling has been seen as a plus. Against Western Province, he finished with the outstanding figures of 2 for 8 off four overs, the best figures by any bowler in Pro20 cricket. He has even represented his country’s A team as well as in the Hong Kong Sixes last season.Henderson has been slated for a Twenty20 debut against Essex at Canterbury on Tuesday, followed by games against Surrey at The Oval and Middlesex at Lord’s later in the week. Kent have also reported that he may play certain Pro40 limited-overs matches and the eight remaining county games.Henderson, who made his first-class debut for Border in 1998-99, has signed a contract to play for the Highveld Lions next summer.

Marvan Atapattu has admitted that the critical comments made by Ashantha de Mel, Sri Lanka¹s selection chief, spurred his team on during their Paktel Cup final victory against Pakistan.”That can be one reason for our performance. It was a big motivation factor for us to show everyone what we are capable off,” Atapattu said after his team¹s emphatic 119-run victory. “But the guys were very keen to do well and we play to win anything around the world. We don’t go on the park to lose.” But Atapattu refused to be drawn into a public slanging match with de Mel although obviously angered by the comments.de Mel had earlier launched surprise attack in the media last week, accusing Sri Lanka¹s team management of holding back the development of young players and labelling the senior players as selfish, suggesting they were more concerned about their own averages than the team’s long-term health.”It has come to a stage that the selection committee felt that we have to reduce some of the options in order to get the team management to play them,” said de Mel, referring to the lack of chances for the young players. “We send the youngsters saying that we are going to groom them, but they are never given a chance to play on the tour. They come back and by the next tour they are left out.”We sent [Thilina] Kandamby on the Pakistan tour to get some sort of exposure internationally, but unfortunately he has not been given a chance to play even against a weak opposition like Zimbabwe.”If Kandamby, for instance, was promoted up in the order and was given to bat at No. 3 like they did with [Tillakaratne] Dilshan against Zimbabwe, we may have got a chance to see what his potential is. He has shown potential at A-team level and in the domestic tournaments but we need to find out for ourselves whether he actually has it in him to make it to the top. Whether he is worth investing for the future. The same applies to the other young players as well.”de Mel insisted that the inexperienced players needed to be given opportunities against lesser teams to allow them to gain exposure. Otherwise, he warned, Sri Lankan cricket would go the way of the West Indian team, with the senior players retiring, and the next lot not being good enough to fill in.

Weakened by internal politics and the departure of their top players, Zimbabwe are to host an India A team expected to provide strong opposition. Indian board officials confirmed that the tour in August would consist of three four-day matches which would take place after the tri-series against Kenya and Pakistan A in Nairobi.In June, Zimbabwe had agreed to stop playing Test cricket until 2005, so it has enough time to sort out the quality of its team. The move was provoked by threats to ban Zimbabwe from international cricket after a terrible showing against Sri Lanka at home – the two Test defeats were among the heaviest of all time. The matches against India A are thus crucial to Zimbabwe’s future.And if the ICC accepts Bob Woolmer’s proposed restructuring of the international cricket hierarchy, only eight nations will play Tests. This means Zimbabwe, along with Bangladesh, will be relegated to a lower rank, competing with the likes of Hong Kong and the United Arab Emirates.India A itineraryJuly 22-25 v Zimbabwe XI at Harare Sports Club, July 29-August 1 v Zimbabwe at Harare Sports Club, August 5-8 v Zimbabwe at CFX Cricket Academy

Graeme Hick will be out of action for up to six weeks after breaking a bone in his left hand while batting for Worcestershire against Glamorgan last Sunday.The news is a big set-back for Worcestershire, who immediately felt its effect when they were deprived of Hick’s services for their Cheltenham & Gloucester Trophy quarter-final against Leicestershire. Club doctors were hoping Hick would be available for the game, but it was confirmed shortly before that he has in fact broken a bone and is likely to be sidelined for four to six weeks.Worcestershire are currently riding high at the top of Division Two on the back of three consecutive wins, and Hick has contributed 424 runs in six Championship games at an average of 50. Along with the injured Nantie Hayward, who has a damaged ankle, he will be sorely missed in their bid for promotion.

A dogged opening partnership of 152 between Zimbabwe’s openers AlistairCampbell and Dion Ebrahim gave Zimbabwe an excellent start in a shortenedfirst-day’s play in the Second Test match against South Africa at QueensSports Club in Bulawayo.Just before bad light stopped play, though, theyfell for 77 and 71 respectively, leaving Zimbabwe on 154 for two wickets.The weather in Bulawayo was most uncharacteristic for September: cold,overcast and with a strong blustery wind. Noel Peck’s Queens pitch was muchmore characteristic, looking a beauty for batting, and he did not expect itto give undue assistance to the spinners. Heath Streak won the toss forZimbabwe this time and was delighted to be able to bat.Indeed there were no early problems for openers Alistair Campbell and DionEbrahim, who quickly broke Zimbabwe’s previous record opening partnershipagainst South Africa – of 13. Campbell got off the mark by driving ShaunPollock wide of mid-on for four, and practically the only appeal of thefirst hour came when Ebrahim tried to emulate his second-innings dismissalin Harare by padding up to Pollock.The 50 partnership was raised in 87 minutes, but runs then came moreslowly as South Africa put back their field and adopted a less attackingapproach. They were still together at lunch, Campbell with 40 and Ebrahim28, having done all their team could have asked of them.After lunch, left-arm spinner Claude Henderson tied down the batsmen,especially Ebrahim, but Campbell finally cut him backward of point to reachhis 50. It took another 50 minutes after lunch before the hundredpartnership came up; in this the fifth Test match between the two countries,it was the first time at any point that Zimbabwe could claim any advantage.This, one would expect, would be the time for the batsmen to open upsomewhat, but they were unable or unwilling to do so, preferring to continueto graft in traditional Test-match fashion. With the total on 116, theyplayed out four maiden overs in succession before Ebrahim finally reachedhis 50 in just under four hours. Realistically, though, it could well bethe best game plan for their side, as it is hard to imagine Zimbabwe’sbowlers, massacred in Harare, bowling South Africa out twice on this pitch;once would be a major achievement.Campbell had not added to his 67 at tea when South Africa believed they hadhim caught at the wicket off Makhaya Ntini, between bat and pad; replays appeared toshow that umpire Kevan Barbour had made an excellent decision in declaringit not out as it had apparently touched only pad. Minutes later Ebrahim on59 clipped a ball straight at Herschelle Gibbs at square leg and the chance went down.Campbell (77) finally fell to a half-hearted drive, Gibbs making up for hisdropped catch by holding this one off Lance Klusener’s off-cutters at backwardpoint. The opening partnership of 152, off 80 overs, was Zimbabwe’sthird-best. Then Ebrahim, stuck on his hoodoo score, fell for 71 for thethird time in his Test career, as a ball from Henderson turned sharply andhad him caught at slip.As Stuart Carlisle arrived at the wicket, the umpires offered the batsmenthe light, ending play 40 minutes early. The weather had remained gloomyall day, and more of the same unpleasant conditions are forecast for themorrow.Leg-spinning all-rounder Paul Strang returned to the Zimbabwe team; he lastplayed in India in November last year, when he suffered a recurrence of anarm injury during the First Test at Delhi. He replaced pace bowler DouglasHondo, whose performance in Harare seemed to indicate that he is not yetready for Test cricket.In another change, Craig Wishart had the predictability of the selectorsconfirmed when he found that, yet again, one bad Test has cost him hisplace. Carlisle, injured against West Indies, replaced him in theZimbabwean team. South Africa have kept their winning side.