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By the end of the day on Friday, just 500 tickets for the Cheltenham and Gloucester Trtophy match against Kent on August 1st remain unsold.The office at the County Ground will open on Saturday morning between 9am and 1pm for the sale of the remaining tickets, and Monday will be the last day that any unsold tickets can be purchased.On the day there will be no parking at all on the ground, but an additional 500 spaces are to be made available in Victoria Park which will be signposted from Junction 25 of the M5.

Fair Oak’s young bowlers conceded a staggering 87 wides on the opening night of the NatWest Bank Under-16 Indoor Development League at the Hampshire Rose Bowl.It cost last winter’s champions dear against Basingstoke & North Hants and almost wrecked their chances of beating an inexperienced Andover side.Fair Oak fancied their chances of nailing Basingstoke after Richard Featherstone (33) had improved on a sound opening partnership between Ed White (30) and Ed Kemp (27) to post a handy 136-5.But their efforts were wasted as Fair Oak gifted Basingstoke 54 runs in wides alone – and lost the game by two wickets with an over to spare.Hampshire Academy all-rounder Mitchell Stokes hit 25 and then scored 26 in his team’s four-wicket win over Andover.Fair Oak were almost as profligate against Andover, who came within nine runs of overhauling a challenging 137-5.Featherstone (35 not out) again top scored, but Ollie Williams (27) and Chris Hadfield (26) profited from some erratic bowling and took Andover’s reply to 128-2.Results:
Andover 111 (Hadfield 22, Williams 2-14)
Basingstoke & North Hants 112-2 (Stokes 26, Williams 25)Fair Oak 137-5 (Featherstone 35)
Andover 128-2 (Williams 27, Hadfield 26)Fair Oak 136-5 (Featherstone 33, White 30, Kemp 27)
Basingstoke & North Hants 138-2 (Stokes 25)

Shoaib Akhtar has filed a writ petition in the Lahore High Court seeking to overturn the original five-year ban imposed on him by the Pakistan board that was later reduced to 18 months by an appellate tribunal.Even though Shoaib’s ban was reduced after an appeal, he wasn’t happy with the tribunal’s decision. “I want to play for Pakistan as soon as possible,” Shoaib told PTI. “I was disappointed with the tribunal’s decision on my appeal.””We feel the decision of the PCB in the first place to ban him for five years was illegal and unjustified,” Abid Hasan Minto, Shoaib’s legal counsel, said. “We believe he is being prevented from playing cricket for his country by an illegal decision of the board. The ban itself is very harsh. We are contesting the entire ban.”The court, after hearing the appeal, summoned the Pakistan board to explain the ban. “The court heard the petition and has given an urgent notice to the respondent, the PCB, to appear before it on July 4,” PCB lawyer Taffazul Hussain Rizvi told AFP.Nasim Ashraf, the Pakistan board chairman, had said Shoaib was free to appeal in court. “That is his decision to make,” Ashraf had said. “The tribunal’s verdict has nothing to do with the PCB. I can’t overturn the reduced ban on him. The decision made by Justice Aftab Farrukh is final and it can only be challenged in the court.”Shoaib was banned for five years in April by a disciplinary committee of the PCB for violating the players’ code of conduct after he was charged with publicly criticising the board for offering him a retainership instead of a contract. The ban prevented him from playing in the IPL until it was suspended for one month which facilitated Shoaib’s participation in the Twenty20 tournament.Shoaib appealed against the five-year ban and it was reduced to 18 months along with a fine of Rs 7 million (approximately $105,000) by a PCB-appointed appellate tribunal, headed by Justice (retd) Aftab Farrukh, on June 14.

In 1959 a cricketer by the name of Denis Baldry hit 151 in his debut innings for Hampshire, having joined them from Middlesex. Today, that score was surpassed, and could even be increased tomorrow. John Crawley treated the good Canterbury crowd to an innings that was a masterclass in batting.223 not out overnight, Hampshire’s acquisition from Lancashire batted superbly against all that Kent could throw at him.Starting the day on 136-2, the visiting side still had to get 292 more runs to avoid the follow on, and soon lost Robin Smith at 178. He left a ball from Khan alone that came in on him and he was palpably lbw.Zimbabwean Neil Johnson then joined Crawley for a scintillating partnership of 232. Johnson hit 21 fours in his 226-ball innings before edging Fleming to slip. It was a superb innings in its own right with some powerful drives and cuts.Nic Pothas, Hampshire’s second debutant of the match then played his part in an unbeaten partnership of 80, but the day belonged to Crawley.Crawley became the fourth Hampshire player to score a century on debut, following Cecil Abercrombie the Scottish rugby international in 1913, Denis Baldry in 1959 and Richard Hayward who scored his debut hundred against the Sri Lankans at Bournemouth on the same day as the famous wedding of Prince Charles and Diane.John was naturally delighted with his performance today, “I could not have had a better start” he told this correspondent. “It was a good wicket, but we started the day still needing to score a hugh total, so it was tough. The whole day wasn’t just about me; Neil batted superbly and was a great support. Having achieved our aim as well as this innings it has to be a very satisfying day”. For Hampshire supporters and fans, Crawley has done a fair bit to become a local lad in just his first knock.

Queensland Cricket’s next generation is set to benefit from increasedexposure to the game at the highest level in the 2002-2003 season.The Queensland Academy of Sport cricket program squads announced todayfeature eight players who tasted action in two practice matches againstthe world champion Australian team and the touring Pakistan one-dayinternational side last weekend.Batsmen Craig Philipson, Chris Simpson and Duncan Betts, leg-spinningallrounder Steve Paulsen and pace bowlers Matthew Petrie, Ben Edmondson,Steve Magoffin and Nathan Rimmington played for the Queensland XIagainst Australia and Pakistan at Allan Border Field.Rimmington, whose younger sister Ricki-Lee was also named today in theQAS squad, returned the figures of 3-16 against Pakistan that were thebest for Queensland over the weekend.Philipson, Simpson and Magoffin were recently awarded XXXX QueenslandBulls Rookie contracts for the coming season.The 2002-2003 QAS intake is the largest since the introduction ofcricket into the Academy structure in 1992, with 25 men and 11 womengranted scholarships.In addition to the metropolitan-based squad of 13 men and six women, theQAS Regional squad will cater for 12 men and five women outsideBrisbane.On the playing field, Queensland will compete under the QAS banner inthe ACB Cup 2nd XI competition, the annual Colts clash against NSW andthe State Institutes’ Challenge in Darwin from August 24-31.QAS head coach Richard Done said a number of last year’s scholarshipholders had benefited from playing in matches against the touring NewZealand Test and One Day team and from touring New Zealand.”Some of those players went on to make their first class debuts for theBulls and perform strongly when given the chance,” he said.”We’ve already had some of this year’s squad exposed to cricket at ahigher level than they would have been used to and history shows thatsort of experience is very valuable,” he said.”The men in the metropolitan squad will train alongside the Bulls againthis season while the women will be involved with the Konica QueenslandFire team in the Women’s National League so they will all be givenplenty of opportunities to improve their performances,” Done said.METRO – Male: Bulls Rookies: Chris Simpson (Wynnum-Manly), CraigPhilipson (University), Steve Magoffin (Wests). Other: Matthew Petrie(Redlands), Ben Edmondson (Beenleigh/Logan), Nathan Rimmington(Sandgate-Redcliffe), Allan Rowe (Toombul), Scott O’Leary(Wynnum-Manly), Luke Davis (Beenleigh/Logan), Aaron Maynard (SunshineCoast), Duncan Betts (Norths), Nick Kruger (Valley), Steven Paulsen(Wests).METRO – Female: Ricki-Lee Rimmington (Sandgate-Redcliffe), Kirsten Pike(Sandgate-Redcliffe), Reanna Browne (Valley), Kasee Marxsen(Sandgate-Redcliffe), Jodie Purves (Wests), Kerryn Matthews(Sandgate-Redcliffe).The QAS Regional squad enters its second year under the direction ofTownsville-based Queensland Cricket Regional Manager Steve Baker.Included in the squad are Toowoomba trio Nathan Stains, Peter Reimersand Cameron Glass who were members of the Queensland Country team thatwon the National championships last season, Australian Under-17selection Mathew Turich from Gladstone and Laura Bates (Townsville),Jessica Rowlands (Townsville), Catherine McRae (Dalby) and Britt Easton(St George) who were members of the Konica Queensland Under-17 team thatwon Queensland’s first ever women’s national title at last season’sAustralian championships in Perth.The Regional squad will gather in Townsville from July 2-5 for atraining camp which Done said would allow greater opportunities forathletes outside of Brisbane to improve and develop their skills.”This aspect of the QAS program complements Queensland Cricket’sexisting talent identification and development schemes in regionalareas,” he said.”Importantly, it provides regionally-based athletes with the advantageof being able to benefit from advanced coaching and training methodswithout needing to relocate to Brisbane,” he said.REGIONAL – Male: Nathan Stains (Toowoomba), Peter Reimers (Toowoomba),Mathew Turich (Gladstone), Cameron Glass (Toowoomba), Clint McMillan(Mackay), Rhys Williams (Clermont), Ryan Schulte (Bundaberg), DamienWatts (Charleville), Reece Neyland (Mackay), Brett Wightman(Townsville), Dean Hanrahan (Cairns), Mathew Burton (Townsville/ChartersTowers).REGIONAL – Female: Laura Bates (Townsville), Catherine McRae (Dalby),Britt Easton (St George), Jessica Rowlands (Townsville), LeteyshaRandall (Biggenden).

Where there are clouds, there remain silver linings. The pall of a controversial World Cup Final defeat still hangs over matters, and the likelihood that several of its key figures will ever again play in the sport’s ultimate tournament is equally shrouded in uncertainty. But, for Australia’s women’s cricket team – the Southern Stars – the future is still decorated by many beacons of light.

One of these rays of hope, unmistakably, is a young Queenslander. A new face among the fourteen-strong squad that the Stars will take with them on the tour of England and Ireland that begins next month, Sally Cooper is exciting, talented, and parades an infectious sense of enthusiasm.”Shock is a fairly good word to describe what’s happening to me at the moment,” she remarks of her inclusion in a party chosen at the end of a recent four-day training camp in Brisbane.”I really didn’t expect to be selected; I was very happy just to be named in the 22-strong selection squad. I went away to the camp on the premise that I had nothing to lose. It was an amazing shock to be added to the side.”In the Victorian-born 22-year old, there is a hint of the future of Australian women’s cricket in more ways than one. Not only will Cooper embark on the month-long trip at the vanguard of the wave of youth expected to emerge in the lead-up to the next World Cup in 2005. But symbolism in her promotion also lies in her status as a standard-bearer for the contingent of attacking young batsmen expected to slowly infiltrate the Stars’ ranks in the wake of that charged Cup defeat last December.”I don’t think I’m going to change my style of game at all,” she says of her elevation.”I’m fairly aggressive because I basically love scoring runs. I don’t like to be bogged down. That can be both a benefit to me and a disadvantage in that I sometimes get frustrated but, as far as scoring runs goes, I’m out there for a good time not a long time!”As Australian women’s cricket grieved over that four-run loss that handed home team New Zealand the world title, so its chief strategists became convinced that rejuvenation, regeneration and rebuilding of the side’s stocks was necessary. Attention turned quickly to Cooper, the resourceful left hander whose economical backlift belies her devastating power and timing.Cooper’s attractiveness to the selectors might also have been complemented by the fact that she doesn’t carry a newcomer’s usual handicap of a lack of international cricketing experience. Indeed, for someone who has only recently entered her twenties, the appearance on her (indoor) cricketing CV of membership of a World Cup-winning side and the experience of an Ashes tour already sets her apart from most of her contemporaries.While her compatriots were heading toward heartbreak across the Tasman, ‘Scoop’ had already returned home from South Africa with the glory of having been part of a side which had reached the pinnacle of women’s indoor cricket. Like the successful indoor tour of England that went before it, it was a heady experience. Albeit that Cooper had already come to the realisation – even prior to her retirement from the indoor game in late 2000 – that the dual versions of the sport were far from wholly complementary.”Although they’re supposed to be the same styles of game, the way that they’re played and the different sorts of physical demands that they make I found difficult to mix in with one another. Especially at the start and end of each season. The fact that I made the indoor side for Australia was great and I don’t take away from, or regret anything about, that. But indoor cricket changed my batting style too much and it took me too long to get back into the rhythm of outdoor cricket.”By this stage, there was also the completion of an Arts/Law degree at the Queensland University of Technology to consider – she is currently in her second last year of the combined degree – and a body to look after.”My body needed a break because I’d basically played cricket all year round for a number of years; although my determination was still there, I felt that physically I wouldn’t have been able to keep going at the level that I wanted to in the outdoor game.”In the end, nothing truly stoked Cooper’s competitive passions as much as the prospect of representing her country in the outdoor version of the game. Progress toward the ultimate realisation of that dream has been aided substantially by consistent form from the time of her National League debut for Queensland in 1997-98. And it was then fast-tracked following a brilliant 2000-01 season that was sensationally capped by an unbeaten 78 (from a mere sixty deliveries) in the opening match of a best-of-three finals series against competition powerhouse New South Wales.Now comes the prospect of an overseas campaign that will hold Cooper in its permanent thrall. Her opportunity arrives at an interesting point in Australian women’s cricket history, not only because this tour marks the first occasion on which the country’s men’s and women’s teams have simultaneously embarked on Ashes tours. It is also a visit which gives the Stars a chance of claiming, for the first time, the women’s Ashes trophy inaugurated at the time of the drawn series of 1998. And, tellingly, it will be their first international appearance since the dark day at Lincoln that essentially saw them surrender Australia’s longstanding mantle as the world’s most outstanding women’s team.”I can understand that there’s a bit of pressure there for us, especially for the experienced players in that they’ve become part of that legacy (of success) and don’t want to see that subside.”But I think that the team’s going to continue to be successful because of the quality of the people involved and the determination and drive that the side generates.”Personally, I’d love to be considered, potentially, as a long-term player for Australia and a long-term part of the side’s plans. But, for the moment, I just want to be picked in the eleven, to play to my potential, and to hopefully help the team win.”Exorcising a demon from the recent past will be a pre-occupation for many players on this tour. But it is wise to remember that the traditional touchstones of the Australian women’s cricket team’s success have been its outstanding skill, its masterful batting, and its mental and physical toughness. If Cooper’s emergence is anything by which to judge, there is no need to assume that the future will not be sunny.

Australia has withdrawn from its scheduled tour of Zimbabwe.Citing safety and security concerns for the team and its management, theAustralian Cricket Board (ACB) had little choice but to accept the advice ofa number of government and non-government sources who had identified anincreasing risk for the Australian side.The postponement of the tour is the latest in an increasing number ofpolitical factors on the international cricket scene.Last year New Zealand postponed their October tour of Pakistan after theSeptember 11 terrorist attacks on the United States and the New Zealandwomen had their tour of India cancelled due to the inability of India toprovide security for the side while the Afghanistan conflict was takingplace.The last occasion an Australian side was unable to tour a country was duringthe 1996 World Cup when the team was unable to play scheduled games in SriLanka when player safety there could not be guaranteed.Australia’s position in Zimbabwe was the result of increasing unrest thereafter the recent election and the subsequent suspension of Zimbabwe from theCommonwealth.The chairman of the ACB, Bob Merriman said: “Given this situation, the ACBhas now advised the Zimbabwe Cricket Union (ZCU) that the Australian cricketteam is unable to travel to Zimbabwe in the current climate but that we arevery keen to re-schedule the games in the next two years.”This is a decision that the ACB has deliberated on deeply and it isrecognised that it will impact most on the cricket community withinZimbabwe. This is something that is deeply regretted.”Nevertheless, the safety of the players and team management must takeprecedence and I hope that there are other initiatives that the ACB and theZCU can adopt that will provide much needed support to the game inZimbabwe.””Over the last week, the advice we have received from our own securityadvisors, the High Commissioner in Zimbabwe, the Department of ForeignAffairs and from other sources within the country has clearly indicated thatthe situation is worsening for Australians in particular and that there arenow real and unacceptable risks to our people should they travel toZimbabwe.”

Facing an uphill battle on the final day the Otago Under-19 side almost managed to hang on for an admirable draw, but fell just 14 deliveries short at the end, going down to the impressive South African Under-19s by 84 runs.With South Africa 113/1 overnight, and already 123 runs ahead on the first innings, the Otago youngsters needed some sort of miracle to get back into the game. James Schorn (73 not out) and Rivash Gobind (73) had other ideas and batted very well to enable South Africa declare for the second time in the match at 177/2.This left Otago 301 to get in 330 minutes to win the match. Considering Johan Botha, South Africa’s star bowler from the first innings, would not bowl due to an ankle injury, Otago had an outside chance of victory if their top order batsmen were able to knuckle down to the task ahead.But it was not to be, as most of the team folded to a determined South African attack. Otago were disappointing, in a performance somewhat similar to their first innings effort, particularly considering the apparent ease with which the South African batsmen had earlier scored.Anthony Wilkinson (34), Jordan Sheed (20), Matt George (23) and Mark Joyce (20) offered some resistance but no batsman was able to go on and get the big score required to see Otago to victory, with Ben Ryan stranded on 56 at the end.Schorn led the way with the bat for the tourists with a match double of 94 and 73 not out, well supported by captain Gobind (33 and 73) and Chad Baxter (75). In the bowling department, Botha was the standout with 6-10 off 18 overs in the first innings, but whose further participation in the tour may be in jeopardy due the injury sustained. Imran Khan’s 2-52 and 4-92 was also noteworthy.For Otago Joyce’s 60 and 20 plus Ryan’s second innings knock were their batting highlights, while Johnathan Hodson’s 4-63 and 2-39 provided a good bowling performance.Proving much stronger with the bat and ball, the South African first innings lead was the decisive factor despite Otago’s gritty tail showing some real fight. A much closer contest could’ve been seen had their top order shown similar fighting qualities.Whilst being outfielded by the home side, the South Africans were fully deserving victors in the tour opener.

Hampshire’s big day was ruined when umpires Trevor Jesty and John Holderdecided it would be impossible to stage the first ever scheduled match attheir new £17 million ground at the Rose Bowl, West End.Jesty and Holder, both former Hampshire players, surveyed the pools of wateracross the new pitch and decided play in the Benson & Hedges Cup matchagainst Essex couldn’t go ahead some 90 minutes before the game was due tostart.Hampshire captain Robin Smith said: “There was never any chance. The waterhas got everywhere and it would have been impossible which is a great shamebecause this was due to be such a memorable occasion in Hampshire’shistory.”Around 200 spectators had made their way to the new ground but left as soonas the announcement of the abandonment was made.Hampshire chief executive Tony Baker said: “This is very sad becauseeverything had been geared to this first match but it has been typical ofour bad luck.”The whole project has been fraught with disappointment in one form oranother. We just hope that the pitch will have dried up by Friday when we’redue to play here again but with more rain forecast even that can’t beguaranteed.”I feel sorry for our groundsman Nigel Gray who has put in hundreds of hourswork on the new pitch but there was nothing he could have done and the storywould have been the same if we were still at Northlands Road.”Gray added: “There was never any real chance even if it had been a dry day.The wet weather has been awful and I have not been able to work on thesquare as much as I would have liked.”

The bare statistics of Jack Stackpoole’s first-class career as a medium-fast bowler are unremarkable – three matches for Queensland immediately before World War two brought an end to cricket for the duration – but his real claim to fame was he was one of only two men to dismiss Don Bradman first ball.Stackpoole, who has died at the age of 93, was born in Queensland but raised in South Australia, returning home as a teenager and after impressing in Grade cricket, he was drafted into the state side for their home Sheffield Shield match against South Australia. His debut was remarkable.Bradman won the toss and batted, but South Australia were bowled out inside two sessions, Stackpoole taking career-best figures of 6 for 72, including Bradman, caught at silly mid-on, much to the disgust of a large crowd who had turned up to see the Don bat. He took 3 for 66 in the second innings as Queensland sneaked a two-wicket win.Stackpoole modestly told The Argus newspaper it was “just the luck of the game … I don’t want to be made a hero at Don’s expense because I am a great admirer of his.”After two more appearances the war stopped competitive cricket and Stackpoole went on to serve in campaigns against the Japanese in the Far East. He returned and continued bowling steadily in Grade cricket but was not given another chance for Queensland. He went on to become a state selector.