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BARBADOS’ players are not likely to be involved if the West Indies Players’ Association (WIPA) proceeds with strike action against the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) in their pay dispute.Speaking to NATIONSPORT yesterday, captain Courtney Browne said he personally was uncomfortable with the situation and hoped it could be amicably resolved at today’s meeting between the two parties.Browne held meetings with his players on Tuesday and again yesterday to bring them up to date on the matter. Later in the afternoon, Barbados Cricket Association president Stephen Alleyne and first vice-president David Holford also met with the players.Browne, who was in contact with WIPA president Dinanath Ramnarine several times yesterday, said he was not one for confrontation and urged both parties to settle the matter so the competition could go on."I don’t believe in striking and a few of my players have expressed the same view," Browne said after yesterday’s net session at Queen’s Park."We must be able to negotiate in good faith and come to an amicable settlement. We need some stability in West Indies cricket."Barbados are due to host Trinidad and Tobago in tomorrow’s Carib Beer International Challenge semifinal at Kensington Oval.Ramnarine threatened the WICB with strike action and a refusal to wear sponsors’ logo if some "outstanding issues" were not ironed out.At today’s meeting, the WICB will be represented by acting chief Roger Brathwaite, and Barry Thomas, the chief financial officer; while Ramnarine will represent WIPA.Sponsors Carib Beer have stayed out of the matter, and last night Farid Mansour, the local brand manager for Carib Beer, said: "This is a WICB and WIPA dispute and does not include Carib, but obviously we would like an amicable resolution as soon as possible."One of the major issues of contention is pay increases in regional first-class cricket. The original proposal from the WICB was 20 per cent for junior players and ten per cent for players with international experience. The present fees per match are $450 for juniors with under 15 matches while seniors start at $600 on a sliding scale.Browne also added that his players were reluctant to sign a document circulated by WIPA, which was aimed at negotiating on behalf of all players in the region."I can’t advise my players to sign up. I have been told that Guyana and Jamaica have signed up but we must be clear on the facts."In a statement yesterday the WICB outlined the issues surrounding the dispute."Players without international experience were given an increase of 20 per cent and players with international experience were given an increase of ten per cent, starting with the ongoing Carib Beer 2003 Cricket Series," the WICB said."The increase meant the WICB would be paying out over US$250 000 in players’ fees for the Carib Beer 2003 Cricket."It continued: "Ramnarine publicly suggested that this industrial action may be necessary because the WICB had `waited to the last minute’ to discuss these issues."The facts are that in January this year, the WICB asked the WIPA to support their claim of representing all of the players participating in senior domestic competitions with documentation showing their membership of WIPA and consent to be bound by the organisation’s negotiations."It must be noted that to date the WIPA has only been recognised by the WICB as the representative of West Indies players for international competitions."

Occasional off-spinner Mark Wagh became the surprise match-winner by taking wickets with his third, sixth and eighth balls as Warwickshire pulled off an unexpected victory over Nottinghamshire at Edgbaston.Kevin Pietersen and Richard Logan were bat-pad victims in the former Oxford University student’s first over, and Andrew Harris was bowled as the visitors were dismissed for 141 to give Warwickshire their first win in six games.The margin was 139 runs with 11.2 overs to spare after a disappointing Nottinghamshire challenge for a target of 281 on a last day shortened by 105 minutes because of overnight rain.Warwickshire then batted on for 10 minutes against lightweight bowling and Nick Knight was left unbeaten with 98 when skipper Michael Powell declared at 257 for 3.Nottinghamshire immediately hit problems in trying to set off at a brisk tempo against Vasbert Drakes. John Morris departed at 23, pulling the West Indian paceman to square leg, and Greg Blewett failed to control a cover drive which flew to Powell at mid-off.Neil Smith (3 for 42) quickly had Usman Afzaal caught behind and Notts could not afford the loss of Darren Bicknell for 45 on the stroke of tea. Not content with one six off Dougie Brown, he lifted the next ball straight to Alan Richardson at deep square leg.Chris Read went in the first over after the break, pushing Smith to Brown at silly point, but Pietersen caused a major hold-up while making 35 and sharing in a stand of 52 with Richard Lucas.Wagh broke up the resistance and, with the injured Jason Gallian unable to bat, the result was settled when Lucas was lbw to Smith for 16. Notts not only lost the match but were deducted 0.25 of a point for a slow over-rate.

Darren Bicknell (115) and Jason Gallian (84) put on a best ever opening partnership of 196 for Nottinghamshire at run a ball against Surrey at Trent Bridge in the Division Two league.Notts scored 288 for 4 in 45 overs. Confirmed already as champions, Surrey fielded a side with just three regulars and never troubled Notts despite a century from Nadeem Shahid only to lose by 63 runs. Notts now need just one win from the two remaining matches to join Surrey in promotion.The record opening stand erased the 19-year-old record of 188 made by Basaharat Hassan and Derek Randall at Edgbaston. In his first season with Notts, Bicknell has now set record opening stands in both the National League and County championships.Bicknell said, “I’m not here to break records but to help Notts play as well as we can, and we will take this win forward and look for another winning performance next week” while admitting Surrey were not at full strength but Notts needed a win to keep them at the top.After Gallian was out, John Morris (9) and Paul Johnson (8) fell cheaply to Brown. Bicknell was run out at 247. Chris Read then blasted 26 runs from 10 balls with 23 runs coming in the final over. Brown took a career best 3 for 39.Surrey’s slim chance of chasing ended when big hitting Brown (5) got out to Paul Reiffel. Shahid then came in at number three to make 109 runs in 108 balls as Surrey suffered their second successive defeat.

The Indian board might have let its best cricketers join the Indian Premier League but is having second thoughts about allowing members of the support staff doing the same, Cricinfo has learnt.The BCCI is mulling over whether to continue with Robin Singh, the fielding coach, after his decision to sign up as the coach of the Hyderabad franchise in the IPL. “There might be a conflict of interest later on,” a source in the board told Cricinfo, “and we want our coaches to be wholly dedicated to the national side.”Venkatesh Prasad, the bowling coach, has also been linked to the Bangalore Royal Challengers. Though his future with the national side is more certain – having done a sterling job with the fast bowlers in the last few months – a full-time tie-up with the IPL could have an adverse effect.”A decision is likely to be taken in a week or ten days,” the source added. “We need to consider future possibilities – what if Hyderabad want Robin Singh when India are playing a series? It’s ok if coaches have a consulting role in the IPL but to be full-time with a team may be a problem. We need to discuss. Nothing is finalised yet.”Both Prasad and Robin have contracts running till May. The pair began working with the side during the Bangladesh tour last year, post the World Cup debacle, and the players have spoken highly of the duo’s inputs and their influence in their improvement.Prasad has seen the likes of RP Singh and Ishant Sharma take the step from being average bowlers to exceptional ones and offered tips on how to control swing and speed. Robin has worked hard on the close-in catching, a department where India have improved in Tests, and diving, a technique which several of the ODI players are now mastering.Meanwhile it’s almost certain that Lalchand Rajput, currently the coach of the side, will not be persisted with. Rajput’s term ends at the end of the Australia series and will make way for Gary Kirsten, who is taking over from March 1. Rajput is one of the contenders to coach the Mumbai franchise in the IPL.Kirsten has already expressed his interest to bring Paddy Upton, the mental conditioning coach and trainer, on board. He has also recommended a few names for the physios job. He has also said that the IPL is a great opportunity for international cricketers, but added that he has no interest “for now” on being part of the Twenty20 tournament starting April 18 as he is focused on the new assignment with the Indian team.”The IPL is unique because it brings in a new kind of supporter to cricket. It also adds a new dimension to the game. I think it’s great,” Kirsten told Cricinfo. “But I am clear that it’s not for me. Certainly, not now. My focus right now is on getting my plans in place for the Indian team.”

Scoreboard
Sri Lanka A took a firm grip on the match by reducing Bangladesh A to 201 for 7 on the second day at the Colombo Cricket Club ground. Sri Lanka A were dismissed for 396 earlier in the day and were poised to gain a significant first-innings lead.Resuming on 296 for 5 on the second day, Kaushal Silva and Upul Chandana extended their overnight partnership to 103. Chandana contributed 43 before Enamul Haque jnr trapped him leg before and Silva was dismissed for 75 in the same manner with the score on 372. The tailenders posed no problem for Haque who sliced through their the lower order to finish with 6 for 106.Bangladesh’s openers, Jahurul Islam and Mehrab Hossain jnr, gave them a solid start by adding 69 for the first wicket. Once Dammika Prasad broke through Islam’s defences, Sri Lanka A began picking off wickets at regular intervals. Hossain top-scored with 51 and Tushar Imran contributed 31. Mahmudullah remained not out on 37 with Mosharraf Hossain who had just come to the crease with Bangladesh A still trailing by 194 runs. Sujeewa de Silva, Rangana Herath and Chandana picked up two wickets each for Sri Lanka A.

Pedro Collins and Corey Collymore, the two fast bowlers sidelined due to injuries in the last few months, are set to return for the Carib Beer Cup semi-final against Guyana starting on Friday. Both trained at the nets at the Barbados Defence Force’s Paragon ground and Hendy Springer, their coach, felt both have been recuperating well.Collins, the left-arm fast bowler, sidelined due to a stress fracture to the back since September, recently played in two limited-overs matches for a West Indies Select XI against Scotland. Collymore hasn’t played since being operated in December to remove a bone spur in his right patellar (knee) tendon. Springer also confirmed that the West Indies team management requested that Fidel Edwards, the right-arm fast bowler who was with the senior squad in New Zealand, be rested.Their inclusion, along with Tino Best and Ian Bradshaw, would mean that Barbados had plenty of fast bowlers to pick from. Given Guyana’s vulnerability to pace, it is likely that they will opt for a four-pronged pace attack, and the bowler who could find himself unlucky to miss out is Ryan Austin, the offspinner. With 22 wickets in four matches, Austin is Barbados’ joint highest wicket-taker with Bradshaw.While Barbados were spoilt for choice, Guyana braced themselves for the absence of two key players, Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Ramnaresh Sarwan. While the nature of Chanderpaul’s injury is not known, Sarwan has not recovered from a thigh muscle injury he sustained in New Zealand, pulling out of the tour mid-way. Sarwan and Chanderpaul were replaced by Leon Johnson and Stephen Jacobs.However, Chetram Singh, president of the Guyana Cricket Board was confident that Guyana will pose a challenge to Barbados, despite the setback. “I think the loss of Sarwan and Chanderpaul is a setback to Guyana’s chances,” Singh told a Guyana based daily. “Both are senior West Indies batsmen and they both have scored heavily against Barbados in the past. Notwithstanding that, I think we have a good chance, as the guys have been playing cricket for the last month. I’m hopeful they will get through this hurdle and reach the finals.”Albert Smith, the Guyana coach, agreed with Singh. The side contains a number of enthusiastic youngsters, given the selectors’ emphasis on youth, and he added that the bowling attack will remain unchanged, and that it is up to the batsmen to stand up and be counted.