Tasmania’s selectors have reacted to their team’s dismal recent form by swinging the axe today, dropping three of the state’s most experienced players from the side to play Queensland in a Pura Cup match in Hobart starting on Thursday.Opening batsman Dene Hills, upper order batsman Michael Di Venuto and all-rounder Shaun Young are the trio dumped from the side which lost to the Bulls by ten wickets inside two days in a match in Brisbane last month.All have been near-permanent fixtures in the state’s team for the last decade.Unusually, the starting eleven has been named three days ahead of the match, with left handed opener Scott Mason, all-rounder Scott Kremerskothen and left arm wrist spinner Shannon Tubb the new inclusions. Di Venuto has been named as twelfth man.Mason, who has been in sparkling form in club cricket and in ACB Cup competition, has already played once at Pura Cup level this season – scoring 30 as wickets tumbled on the opening day of the match against Victoria in Hobart in November.Kremerskothen returns to first-class cricket after being felled by a Stuart Clark bouncer and sustaining a fractured cheekbone in the state’s opening match of the season.Tubb, who has been in brilliant form for club side Clarence, has been included in the state squad for the first time this season. He last represented the Tigers in a Pura Cup match in Sydney nearly twelve months ago.The changes follow a disastrous run of results for Tasmania. After securing first innings points in their first-class opener in Sydney, and crushing Western Australia in a limited-overs in Perth the following week, the Tigers’ only other points in the two domestic competitions have come against Victoria.Queensland has meanwhile made one alteration to its squad, including young pace bowler Damien Mackenzie as cover for Michael Kasprowicz. Kasprowicz bowled only two overs in the Bulls’ 76-run ING Cup win in Hobart yesterday before leaving the field with slight soreness in his hamstring.Teams:Tasmania: Jamie Cox (c), Sean Clingeleffer, Michael Dighton, Shane Jurgensen, Scott Kremerskothen, Daniel Marsh, Scott Mason, David Saker, Shannon Tubb, Shane Watson, Damien Wright, Michael Di Venuto (12th man).Queensland: Stuart Law (c), Jerry Cassell, Joe Dawes, Nathan Hauritz, James Hopes, Michael Kasprowicz, Martin Love, Damien Mackenzie, Jimmy Maher, Brendan Nash, Ashley Noffke, Clinton Perren, Wade Seccombe (12th and 13th men to be named).

Shane Warne has been named Australian vice-captain for the VB Series match against New Zealand at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Thursday 17 January, it was announced today.Warne temporarily replaces Adam Gilchrist in the role after Gilchrist stepped down to spend time with his wife Melinda and new-born son Harrison. He is replaced in the side by Western Australian team-mate Ryan Campbell.32 year-old Warne, who is Australia’s leading wicket-taker in Tests and one-day internationals, was nominated for the position by the national selection panel of Chairman Trevor Hohns, Allan Border, David Boon and Andrew Hilditch.That nomination has been accepted by the Australian Cricket Board’s (ACB) Directors.It is a return to the vice-captaincy, albeit temporarily, for Warne, who previously held the position before Gilchrist took over for Super Challenge 2000 at Colonial Stadium in August 2000.Gilchrist will resume the role when he rejoins the squad, which is expected to be when it assembles in Brisbane on Friday ahead of the match against South Africa at The Gabba on Sunday 20 January.ACB Chairman Bob Merriman said: “The national selection panel recommended Shane’s temporary appointment for the match against New Zealand in the absence of Adam Gilchrist.”The Directors have agreed to that recommendation and we wish Shane and the rest of the Australian team all the best.”Shane Warne said: “It’s great to be back in the role as vice-captain, even if it is only temporary.”As it was when I was first appointed vice-captain, it is always an honour to be in a leadership role for Australia, especially when there are so many other candidates within the side.”When I was relieved of the vice-captaincy back in 2000, the ACB told me the door was not closed so it was great to be told the news I was appointed vice-captain for the upcoming match.”My job now is to give Stephen whatever support he needs as we look to get our first win on the board in this year’s VB Series.”As for the future, there is no point in looking too far ahead. As far as I’m concerned, Stephen Waugh and Adam Gilchrist are doing a great job as captain and vice-captain and I’m just filling in for this match, but it’s nice to know I’m still in the thoughts of the Board and the selectors down the track.”In Warne’s previous spell as vice-captain, he helped guide Australia to victory in the 1998/99 Carlton & United Series against England and Sri Lanka, filling in for much of that series as captain when Stephen Waugh was absent with a hamstring injury.Thursday’s match at the SCG is a sell-out, as are the matches on 20 January (Australia v South Africa at The Gabba) 22 January (Australia v South Africa at the SCG) and 8 February (second VB Series final at the SCG).Tickets for other matches in the VB Series are available from usual outlets.South Africa currently tops the VB Series ladder with eight points from two wins against Australia and New Zealand. The Black Caps are in second place after beating Australia at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in the opening match of the series.Australia is yet to record a win from two matches.The umpires for the Australia-New Zealand VB Series clash at the SCG are Simon Taufel and Bob Parry, with Darrell Hair the third umpire and Hanumant Singh, the former Indian Test batsman, the International Cricket Council’s match referee.The match is a day-night game starting at 1430.

England’s fighting recovery to peg a game back in the National Bank One-Day International series with New Zealand drew the plaudits of the British press today.Paul Collingwood’s effort in taking four wickets for 38 most captured the imagination.A sampling of the opinions follows:The Daily Telegraph: “When Paul Collingwood made his England debut against Pakistan last summer, many observers classified his medium-paced bowling under ‘cafeteria’ or, in other words, ‘help yourself’.”But while Collingwood’s little seamers may have served up a banquet for the Pakistan batsman Inzamam-ul-Haq in June, he certainly spoiled New Zealand’s appetite yesterday, taking four for 38 to maintain England’s interest in this series.”Collingwood’s decisive spell began when New Zealand were 128 for three, well-positioned to overhaul England’s painstaking total of 244 for five. Stephen Fleming and Lou Vincent were cruising along nicely in a half-century stand but, when Vincent drove a gentle out-swinger to backward point, a clatter of wickets helped the tourists ease home by 43 runs.”While New Zealand is known as the land of the long white cloud, it must also rate as the spiritual home of the trundling seamer. Wickets like yesterday’s toffee-coloured strip turn a lack of pace into a positive advantage, which may explain why the national one-day team used to base their attack around three bowlers nicknamed Dibbly, Dobbly and Wobbly.”Yesterday, though, Collingwood did more than just float the ball into the blockhole. He found prodigious swing in both directions, finding an excellent late in-ducker to pin Chris Harris in front. “I was surprised to see it doing so much when I came on,” he said afterwards, “but it’s certainly good news when it’s swinging at my pace.”The Guardian: “How transient can be success or failure in one-day cricket. How fickle the nature of the game. Two matches down in a five-match series and playing like dogs, England had been subjected to the sort of derision in New Zealand that usually greets them across the Tasman. The New Zealanders were rampant, it was said – and, indeed, they were playing superbly. Bring on Bangladesh. They will give England a decent game.”Well so much for form. England turned it on its head at McLean Park last night, overwhelming the Black Caps by 43 runs to keep the series alive and shut one or two rather loud mouths. England have won four of their past eight matches, New Zealand only two. Who then is playing more consistently?”The Times: “Just in time, England have caught up with the pace being set by their opponents. They kept their one-day series with New Zealand alive by means of a greatly improved all-round performance in this contented little city where the spirit of F. Scott Fitzgerald seems to linger over the art deco houses in the humid air of Marine Parade.”A few streets away at McLean Park the spectators were a good deal less sophisticated than the Great Gatsby and his friends but they had a happy evening in the way that small populations do when a big event comes to town. Happily for the series, if not for the New Zealand team and their supporters, the peculiar arts of one-day cricket were more decorously displayed on this occasion by England.”Resolute innings by their three best one-day batsmen, Nick Knight, Marcus Trescothick and Graham Thorpe, plus a fine spell of medium-paced swing bowling by Paul Collingwood, contributed to a hard-fought but ultimately satisfying win despite Stephen Fleming’s determined effort in response.”The Independent: “On Paul Collingwood’s arrival in New Zealand there was ugly gossip that customs officers took one look at his disembarkation card and laughed when they saw what was on the line marked for occupation. In the land of Chris Cairns they knew an all-rounder when they saw one.”Since last summer, when England first selected him, Collingwood has laboured under the unfortunate cricketing label. He had provided evidence of being an all-round cricketer in the sense that Les Dawson was an all-round entertainer. Collingwood bowled, Dawson sang, but neither of them got the notes in the right order.”Until yesterday, that is, in the case of Collingwood. He turned up at McLean Park under pressure for his place in the side, the batting having not gone too well lately either. In eight overs of slow medium pace – but, crucially, slow medium pace which swung – he took 4 for 38 and England won the third one-day international in the National Bank Series by 43 runs.”England won more comfortably than they might have expected. Their total of 244 after being put in was certainly adequate, but that did not make it unattainable. The side batting second had won seven of the last eight matches at the ground.”The Sun: “When skipper Nasser Hussain demanded a win, Collingwood was the man who swung it.”He also wobbled it, curved it and swerved it. The Kiwis simply had no answer to the movement he gained with his medium-pacers.”And, following laser surgery on his eyes in December, he was able to savour his triumph with perfect vision.”Collingwood revealed: “In Zimbabwe last October, I was struggling with my contact lenses because of the heat and dust.”‘So, before leaving for the one-dayers in India, I had the laser treatment. It was a complete success and I no longer need to wear contacts and I have 20-20 vision.'”Durham’s Collingwood was one of the England players under the microscope as the management assess the likely squad for next year’s World Cup.”But, being mainly a batsman, even he could not have expected to make such a persuasive case with the ball. He had THREE wickets in his previous 15 one-day internationals, now he has seven.”

Somerset all rounder Ian Blackwell just missed out on a place in the final Ashes Test, but at the end of the second day’s play at Sydney he reflected on the memorable year that he had just enjoyedHe told me: "A lot has happened for me in 2002 and it only feels likeyesterday since I was working in the office at the County Ground last winter answering the telephones and helping to sort out the membership forms."At the start of the year `Blackie’ set himself the tough target of playing for England and to help him to achieve this he embarked upon a pretty strict dietary and training regime.He continued: "Half of my goals have come true, a one day birth and I am delighted at my progress and achievements to date. To get selected for the World Cup in February in South Africa has really topped off a very successful year for me personally."Before he sets off for Africa with the rest of the squad of fifteen, England have the remaining matches of the triangular one day series to complete, with the next game being against Australia in Hobart on January 11th.`Blackie’ who has turned in some impressive performances with both bat and ball told me: "I’m hoping to achieve similar things in the second half of the VB series and help England get to the finals which is almost on now. Fingers crossed during the World Cup and I think we should do quite well in South Africa."He concluded: "I was very close to playing at Sydney but it didn’t materialise unfortunately but still it now gives me something extra to strive for, along with getting promotion for Somerset in 2003."

There will be a News Conference with South African batsman Graeme Smith atthe Sandton Sun at 5pm today. All media are welcome to attend.WHO: GRAEME SMITHWHERE: JACARANDA ROOM – SANDTON SUN HOTELWHEN: 5pm – FRIDAY 14TH FEBRUARY

England’s opening bowler, Lucy Pearson, took a career best seven for 51 in the second women’s Ashes Test match in Sydney today.England inflicted an Australia collapse in the first Ashes Test at The Gabba when Australia were bowled out for 78, their third lowest total ever in Ashes history, and today the home side were dismissed cheaply again reaching just 134.England captain, Clare Connor, won the toss and elected to field in overcast conditions following a rain delayed start. Pearson struck quickly, dismissing Australia captain, Belinda Clark for 16 and continued to reek havoc on the batters with an exceptional display of disciplined seam bowling.It was the thirty-one year old English teacher’s first five-wicket haul for her country and she admitted, “It was a great day to do it, againstAustralia in an Ashes Test.”In the first over, I went for nine runs so it proved that anything short would be hit away. I had to keep the seam up, and bowl a consistent line and length, plus the ball was swinging quite a bit.”Pearson recalls her last tour to Australia, in 2000, when the Southern Stars posted a score of 299 against England and reached 383 in the last Test series at Headingley, and admits, “We’ve been to hell and now we’re back.”I do think the Australia side under-rate us at times and although they have two or three world class batters, we’ve consistently proved on this tour that we can bowl them out for under 150 runs, which no other team in world cricket has done for a long time."Melanie Jones reached 58 before her leg stump was removed from the ground by Pearson in the first over of her second spell, hitting six fours in an elegant innings and assisted by Lisa Sthaelaker in reaching a fourth wicket stand of 65.England faced 16 overs before the close of play in deteriorating light,with Cathryn Fitzpatrick dismissing opener Sarah Collyer in the first over. Kathryn Leng and Charlotte Edwards had taken England to 21 for one, Leng reaching 12 and Edwards nine.Opener and leg-spin bowler, Leng is also on a hat-trick at the start of the second Australia innings, taking the final two wickets of Fitzpatrick and Twining.England will want to build on their performance in the field today with a good batting response, something they were unable to achieve in the first Ashes Test at The Gabba.

Somerset’s Ian Blackwell sent what will probably be his final message back from South Africa this winter before setting off for home.He made no bones about how he was feeling at the end of a day that saw England’s hopes of qualifying for the World Cup Super Sixes disappear after Zimbabwe and Pakistan’s final match was washed out and they shared the points.`Blackie’ told me: "Without doubt this has been one of the worst days of my career to date. Firstly waking up to rain in Bulawayo didn’t bode well for what should have been our qualification day! Things went from bad to worse when we decided to play golf at lunch time, and then I lost my mobile phone!"He continued: "I thought that I was having a bad day on the golf course but when we got to the nineteenth hole and discovered from the television that the Zimbabwe game had been abandoned I couldn’t describe the feeling that went through my body."The Somerset all rounder continued: "Still now we are homeward bound. I never thought this day would come, and what a trip it has been. Mostly it’s been very enjoyable with some of the highest highs I have ever known, but even more lowest lows! A rollercoaster of emotions that I don’t think I could handle regularly."He concluded: "The body is on the verge of collapse and a welcome break from the game is our only consolation. Anyway I’m glad to be coming home and we land sometime on Thursday morning."On behalf of all readers I would like to thank ‘Blackie’ for all the information that he has sent back to the website over the last few months. It has been very much appreciated by everybody.

FULL NAME: Craig Neil Evans
BORN: 29 November 1969, Salisbury (now Harare)
MAJOR TEAMS: Mashonaland Under-24 (1993/94), Mashonaland (since 1994/95).
Present club team: Old Georgians (Harare).
KNOWN AS: Craig Evans. Nicknames: Moggy, Magoo.
BATTING STYLE: Right Hand Bat
BOWLING STYLE: Right Arm Medium Pace
OCCUPATION: Tobacco auctioneer
FIRST-CLASS DEBUT: Zimbabwe B v Pakistan B, at Harare South Country Club, 3 October 1990
TEST DEBUT: First Test v Sri Lanka, at Colombo, 1996/97
ODI DEBUT: 25 October 1992, v India, at Harare
BIOGRAPHY (updated March 2003)Craig Evans has in the past been one of Zimbabwe’s most frustrating cricketers. Although abounding in natural talent, in the past he often appeared not to take the game seriously enough and to waste the opportunities he had.Craig himself admits that in the past he lacked full commitment to the game, but in his late twenties his priorities changed. He achieved his aim of a regular place in the national one-day team, although his hopes of becoming an established Test player remain unfulfilled. Then, in his thirties, he became a major force in Zimbabwe domestic cricket as he applied himself as never before to success in the game.Craig, like so many of the country’s other top cricketers, attended Ruzawi School and Falcon College. The Ruzawi headmaster, Bryan Curtis, was his first major formal influence, but he also had much encouragement from his father on the family farm near Harare. His first century, he thinks, was scored for Ruzawi against St John’s School in Harare when he was about ten years of age.Representing the Districts in the primary schools cricket week in his final year at Ruzawi, Craig opened the batting and scored three centuries in five days. Unfortunately for him, in those days there was no official national primary schools team. He considers himself to have been mainly a batsman, but as a pace bowler his peers found him frighteningly fast. Tall and well-built, he was much quicker than any other junior school player at that time, but he admits that he did not always fully apply himself or try his hardest.At Falcon College, he usually batted at Number 3 or 4 and opened the bowling, and was selected for the first team at the age of 15. They went on a tour to Australia, which was Craig’s first experience of top-level cricket outside the local scene. Throughout his school years he and Glen Bruk-Jackson played together and shared many excellent batting partnerships; there was a degree of rivalry between them, but Craig also felt Glen to be an encouragement to him, one who helped to give him confidence. Although in the national schools team, Craig felt that Zimbabwe’s comparative isolation in those days before the granting of Test status and the reinstatement of South Africa was a handicap to himself and his contemporaries, depriving them of a vital part of their cricketing education and experience.Craig was already playing in the Mashonaland Country Districts Winter Cricket League, for Enterprise, under the captaincy of Roger Staunton, who also gave him much help and encouragement. Later on he moved to Ruwa, as his father moved farms, and played for the Goromonzi team. Craig’s highest score in any class of cricket is 253, playing for Goromonzi now against Shamva in the semi-final of the Lilthurbridge Cup competition in 1997. This broke the league record of 245, set by Kevin Arnott. Craig still plays winter cricket, liking to keep in touch all year round. In 1997 he scored five centuries, including his 253, and also 151 against Glendale in the victorious final.On leaving high school and moving to Harare, Craig joined Old Georgians Sports Club. The captain at that time, Kevin Murphy, wanted him to concentrate on his batting, and Craig found his bowling losing pace and rhythm. He has never again approached the speed, comparatively speaking, at which he bowled during his school years, but he began to work harder at his bowling again to assist him in his efforts to cement his place in Zimbabwe’s one-day team.During that Zimbabwean winter, he decided to get some experience overseas in England, and played for the Lancashire club Widnes for six months. He averaged 60 with the bat and took some good wickets, enjoying the experience, but found the English pitches much slower than those at home and took a while adjusting on his return. He was temporarily dropped to the second team at Old Georgians, but responded with an innings of 175 not out, which regained him his place. His job in the tobacco industry has since prevented him from returning to English cricket.He felt that the 1996/97 season was an above average season for him; he kept his place in the one-day team almost throughout and enjoyed a good triangular series in South Africa. The highlights were innings of 40 and 43, both against India, the latter being scored in a vital partnership with Paul Strang and leading eventually to a thrilling Zimbabwean victory. He opted out of the visit to Sharjah, staying at home for the birth of his son. He felt that he matured further as a cricketer during the season and finished as a better player. He was now thinking more like a cricketer and playing straighter.He did play one Test match, on the tour to Sri Lanka, but without success. His aim was to earn a Test place batting at number 6 or 7, as a batsman who can also bowl, but realized that there was more work to be done first. He names Muttiah Muralitharan and Wasim Akram as the most difficult bowlers he has ever faced in his career, and also mentions Saqlain Mushtaq; "Streaky [Heath Streak] can also be quite difficult to face on his day," he adds.As a bowler he found the Australians most difficult to bowl to, naming Michael Bevan and also Sachin Tendulkar as very tough opponents. "Andy Flower is a nightmare to bowl at times when he gets in," he adds. "He works you to both sides of the wicket; my good balls used to go for one, while when I bowl to other guys I just get left alone."He kept up his reputation as a one-day specialist into the 1997/98 season, but did little with the bat in nine matches, until he played a valuable innings of 48 not out in the second final against Kenya. He took some useful wickets at times, especially against New Zealand at home, but then lost his rhythm, and realized that his place was in danger unless he could perform with more consistency.He did not find that consistency immediately, playing just one good innings in the rest of the season, 46 off 34 balls against India in Baroda as Zimbabwe chased a target of 275 bravely but in vain. His bowling improved against Pakistan and helped to keep his place in the side, and he feels he bowled better than he batted in India. He now had a reputation, though, as a batsman who might fail nine times out of ten but was liable to play a devastating innings the tenth time round. Unfortunately the following season was to see the absence of that tenth innings.He felt he was finding his best batting form again against India at home, with one-day innings of 34, 17 and 31 at an ever-increasing strike rate. He also played another Test match, but only because several first-choice players were injured, and was sadly the only player in the team who failed to make a significant contribution to the victory over India. It seems unlikely he will play Test cricket again.In Sharjah he took three wickets for 11 runs, a remarkable one-day return, against Sri Lanka, but failed with the bat. After a few further failures with the bat in Sharjah and Pakistan the selectors decided to look elsewhere. To his disappointment Craig was left out of the Bangladesh tournament and also the World Cup.He was rather puzzled by his own failures as he felt confident going out to bat, yet failed to produce the goods. He admitted that his bowling too was not as consistent as it should have been and realized that once again he would have to work harder at his game to fight his way back. He was given another chance in Singapore at the start of the 1999/2000 season, his selection owing a lot to the fact that the matches would be played on a small ground where his ability to hit sixes would be of extra value. But, with scores of 2 and 0, he failed to reach the boundary at all and was again omitted when he returned.Many players would have called it a day, especially at the age of 30, but Craig was enjoying the game and never gave up hope of a return to the national team. He set his sights on playing in the World Cup of 2002/03, and drew attention to himself for setting out his stall for big scores in the Logan Cup competition.In early 2000, playing for Mashonaland against Matabeleland at Bulawayo Athletic Club, he hit what was then the highest first-class score of his career, 153. His partnership of 330 with Dirk Viljoen was the highest for any wicket ever recorded in Zimbabwean first-class cricket. He followed it up with four wickets for five runs as Matabeleland gave up the ghost.He had a quiet time the following season, but in 2001/02, the season before the World Cup, his determination brought him his best season ever. He missed one Logan Cup match through selection for the Zimbabwean development side that played in the Africa Cup, but in each of the other four matches he hit a century.His greatest match began on 1 March in Mutare, as Mashonaland played Manicaland. Mashonaland, overconfident, were brought up short as Manicaland amassed 513 for nine declared, with Guy Whittall recording a double-century. Mashonaland subsided to 226 all out, and it seemed the champions were about to be subjected to a humiliating defeat.In the second innings they had lost four wickets for 101, still 186 behind, when Craig arrived at the crease. Playing with a remarkable mixture of aggression and discipline, he stayed there over six hours while hitting 210, including 33 fours but only one six as he concentrated on keeping the ball on the ground. His game plan, as he said later, was simply to keep out the good balls and wait for the bad deliveries that he knew would come from an attack variable in quality. Manicaland, set 220 to win, collapsed as Craig came on with the ball and he took six wickets for 37 with teasing slow-medium seamers.Mashonaland thus won an astonishing victory by 73 runs, thanks mainly to Craig’s astounding all-round performance. He is one of the few individuals with a significant career to have recorded their best batting and bowling performances in the same match.At the end of that season Craig said, "I think this has probably been my best season ever. I think I’ve matured as a player in the longer game, and I hope I can build on that for whatever cricket I may play from now on."I think I’m a lot more circumspect nowadays in choosing what balls I should be playing and what I shouldn’t be playing. Over the last four or five years I’ve been playing too often at balls I shouldn’t have played, and got out. It’s simple, basic cricket that I’m playing now – time at the crease, occupation of the crease – and I think that’s why I’ve scored the runs I have this season. I think my concentration has been more circumspect recently, and that has helped me a lot this season."Another century at the start of the 2002/03 season finally persuaded the selectors that Craig deserved another try at international level. At the age of almost 33, he made his return to the one-day side against the touring Pakistan team.In the first one-day international Pakistan ran up 302 for four and Zimbabwe were reeling at 32 for four when Craig came to the wicket. Beginning cautiously, he dug in and then began to bat more aggressively in partnership with Andy Flower. The pair added 135 together and given Zimbabwe hope of a remarkable victory when a tragic mix-up led to Craig being run out.Then the dream faded. Three failures followed, and the selectors, ignoring the quality of that innings, dropped him again without giving him a chance to show what he could do against Kenya. Craig missed the final World Cup cut, and that will probably end his career in international cricket.Golf has been the main rival for Craig’s affections, and he has been rated as the best amateur golfer in the country, playing off scratch. "You need to practise to stay in the golf camp," says Craig, "and you can’t really play cricket when you’re playing golf, and you can’t play golf when you’re playing cricket. There are two different styles of play: golf using the right hand and cricket using the left hand. When I was playing a lot of golf, I wasn’t totally committed to cricket. The golf took up a lot of my time when I should have been concentrating on cricket, so my cricket fell behind quite a long way. But during these last two years [said in 1997] I’ve started to catch up now, virtually starting all over again. If I had concentrated more on cricket and left my golf for a while, I would have been all right." It is, in fact, the greatest regret of his career that he did not concentrate exclusively on cricket from the start, as his development has been retarded as a result.As a big hitter and a bowler who can turn his arm over usefully for a few overs, Craig fits the image more of a one-day cricketer rather than a Test player. He is a very powerful hitter, and against the visiting county Northamptonshire in 1994/95 hit a ball at Harare Sports Club over the swimming pool and full on to the roof of the squash courts, a remarkable carry. In a Vigne Cup (Mashonaland league) semi-final in 1998/99 he scored a remarkable 159 not out against an admittedly weak Alexandra Sports Club bowling attack. He reached his century off 87 balls, and took only another 12 deliveries to reach 150, hitting altogether 11 fours and 9 sixes off 105 balls. A gigantic six off Sean Davies not only went out of the ground, but also cleared the tall trees on the edge of the ground and a private house on the far side.He is essentially a straight hitter who plays down the line and is not afraid to hit over the top. Because of his experience opening the innings, he has at times been asked to do so in one-day internationals, but with little success. "My technique and defence against the quicker bowlers is not really up to scratch," he admits, which is part of the reason also why he has rarely been considered for Tests. "But I have been working on it over the last couple of years, and it’s a little better. But it’s got to be a hell of a lot better when you’re playing in this kind of league! My foot movement is not great, and I’m looking to improve that over the next couple of years. Facing the likes of Heath Streak, Henry Olonga and Eddo Brandes in the nets, you can’t help but get better!"Craig names Grant Flower, his colleague at Old Georgians, as the man who has helped him the most in his cricket, through both good and lean times, "but I try to do things myself, my own way, which is very wrong." Craig’s honest analysis of his own faults and his determination to overcome them helped him to secure a place in the national one-day side for more than two years.Craig maintains his enthusiasm for club cricket and continues to make good scores and hit big sixes with regularity. If only he had matured earlier as a player and concentrated primarily on cricket, he might have enjoyed a much longer and more prosperous career on the international stage. Even now, it may not be over.

Zimbabwe have named their team for the opening fixture of their tour of England, against British Universities at Edgbaston, starting on May 3.Heath Streak (capt)
Tatenda Taibu (v-c and wk)
Grant Flower
Stuart Carlisle
Dion Ebrahim
Mark Vermeulen
Barney Rogers
Douglas Marillier
Andy Blignaut
Sean Ervine
Douglas HondoWith the exception of Streak, Taibu, Flower and Carlisle, who toured in 2000, all of the team are making their first appearances for Zimbabwe in English first-class cricket.

At its meeting yesterday, the ECB Management Board endorsed the recommendations contained within the Report of the Chairman of the International Teams Management Group (ITMG), Dennis Amiss, reviewing England’s Winter Tours 2002/3.The Report reinforced Duncan Fletcher’s role as ‘Manager’ (in addition to Head Coach) of the England Team on tour and for home series and, in so doing, rejected the idea of creating an additional Tour Manager role.The Report also recommended some areas of fine-tuning and improvement aimed at achieving greater integration of the England Team within the ECB’s operations.The main areas being:

The England Head Coach will now have a direct reporting line to the Director of Cricket Operations (John Carr) as opposed to the Chief Executive, as the DCO is better placed to devote the required time to England Team issues.

The DCO will, in future, be in more frequent direct communication with the England players to ensure they have a clear understanding of the Board’s policies, ethos and objectives.

The Team Operations Manager (Phil Neale) will play an enhanced role within the England team management structure, ensuring daily two-way communication between the England touring party and the DCO.

Communication protocols are to be put in place to ensure improved communication on cricketing, administrative and medical issues between England Management, ECB personnel and the Professional Cricketers Association.It has also been agreed that David Graveney will be submitting a detailed paper for the late August ITMG meeting on proposed selection procedures and policies taking into account the recent change in composition of the Selection Panel.