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“There is a hell of a difference between good and great cricketers. If I have to name the great cricketers of all time, the list will be limited to very few. And I must add that, if Brian (Lara) continues to play the way he is playing now, he will definitely be there,” said Sir Garfield Sobers. He was speaking at a function to have a road – Sir Garry Drive – named after him.Although he did not specify all the names, Ian Chappell was mentioned. “Great players are those who can stay calm even during the toughest hours. Take the case of Ian Chappell. When he was made captain of the Australian side, Australia was not the best in the world. But under his able leadership, Australia became a champion side. He was truly an indomitable cricketer,” said Sobers.”Every generation has three distinct type of cricketers – good, better and great. But, as I said, there can only be a few who can feature in the all-time great list. In my list, I can include a maximum of three to four cricketers only.”Sobers’ standards are high; after all, he was the one who thought that there can never be a good ball to a great batsman. He still believes that a great batsman always uses his bat more than his pads to dominate the bowling. To illustrate his point, Sobers pointed to former England captain Ted Dexter, also present at the ceremony, and said, “He was a batsman of that class. I’ve always seen him to prefer to use his bat to counter quality spin bowling.”Sir Everton Weeks and Sir Clyde Walcott were also at the function, prompting Sobers to recall, “I still remember that Sir Everton presented me with a bat when I was not a regular with the Barbados team. I had the opportunity to bowl against the three Ws, and each of them inspired me to play well. That was really boosting.”A documentary titled “Down Memory Lane,” directed by elder brother George Sobers, was screened at the occasion. Sobers’ younger brother, Gerald, was present, and the great all-rounder maintained that Gerald didn’t translate his potential into success. “He should have played more in the international arena. We were called the ‘Chinese Brothers.’ At 15, we were playing against each other in a match when I played for the Country XI and he was in the City XI. I bowled four-five deliveries at him. Later, our friends were complaining that I should have bowled at least one half-volley to him, which I didn’t.”Sobers was naturally overjoyed, but at the same time, he acutely felt his mother’s absence. “Last year I lost her. It would have surely been great if she was here. But she is in heaven now and cannot be present at a function where her son is felicitated.”

Thomas Odoyo, the Kenya allrounder, is wary of the favourites tag that his team carry into the World Twenty20 qualifiers, in Belfast next week, with the main prize of a place in the 2009 ICC World Twenty20. Kenya, who are grouped with Netherlands and Canada, have been playing warm-up games in England which Odoyo said are providing “the real platform from where we can deliver our best performance.”All the same, the side were thrashed by a club team in Surrey during the week, although they bounced back to beat Guernsey the following day. But Odoyo said the pre-tournament matches are helping with acclimatisation: “Let’s not forget that we are coming from Africa where the weather is hot.”It is good to be considered as favourites but I have always preferred an underdog’s tag because I don’t want to carry avoidable pressure on my shoulders,” he added. “But it is good to know that people consider us a team to be reckoned with and I hope we come out with flying colours.”Kenya are seeded second behind hosts Ireland, but are expected to win owing to their additional international experience. They have nearly three times as many ODIs under their belts than the other competitors vying for the two, or most likely three, places up for grabs at next year’s World Twenty20 in England.The two finalists will automatically qualify, while the third place, to be decided by a play-off, is dependent on Zimbabwe Cricket ratifying a decision taken by its officials during ICC Annual Conference week, to step back from the tournament.Nevertheless, for all of Kenya’s superior number of ODIs, their experience of Twenty20s has been limited to four matches, two in the lead-up to the last World Twenty20, in South Africa last September, and two in the tournament itself. Since then they have been relying on getting hints and tips from watching other international sides on television.”Although we didn’t perform well [in South Africa], we learnt plenty of things,” Odoyo said. “It was a new format for all of us and since then we have followed and tried to learn from watching most of the Twenty20 matches that have been played across the globe.”They also learned the importance of mental toughness. “Since Twenty20 cricket is played at a fast pace, the mindset has to be sharp to cope with the proceedings and that’s where it can sometimes become mentally tiring.”Odoyo also highlighted the importance of this tournament for the development of the game in Kenya. “Every international tournament or match we play only helps Kenya cricket. While the team gets stronger and tougher, more youth get attracted to the sport that helps to increase the pool of players.”Steve Tikolo will lead a side which includes 11 players who participated in the World Twenty20 in South Africa.

Steve Harmison has been recalled by England for the third Test against South Africa at Edgbaston on Wednesday. In a 13-man squad, England have dropped Darren Pattinson – whose debut in the second Test at Headingley was fraught with controversy – but they retain Paul Collingwood who missed out on the XI at Leeds.For Harmison, it represents an impressive comeback after he was unceremoniously dumped in the Hamilton Test against New Zealand in the winter. Since then, he has gone back to Durham and bowled with the sort of venom that England have craved from him ever since his sparkling 2004. This season, he has taken 41 wickets at 22.82. With England trailing the Test series 1-0, Harmison’s firepower comes at a critical juncture.”Steve Harmison has been bowling well for Durham this season,” Geoff Miller, the England national selector, said, “and his inclusion in the Test squad gives us another option in terms of our bowling attack for the Edgbaston Test.”Miller had hinted at Harmison’s recall the previous day, noting that England could do with an extra injection of pace (even Pattinson’s county coach, Mick Newell, admitted he had been down on speed at Headingley).The fact that Matthew Hoggard has been overlooked once again cannot be ignored. Harmison has worked his way ahead of him in the pecking order and, barring injuries to the others, his international future looks bleaker than ever.England also welcome back Ryan Sidebottom, their most potent weapon since his revelatory international comeback last season, who missed the second Test owing to his back injury.”Ryan Sidebottom has been progressing well with his back injury over the past week and we’re confident he’ll be fit for selection but obviously he’ll be monitored closely in the lead up to next Wednesday.”Paul Collingwood was unlucky to miss out on a place in the team for the second Test match but this decision was based on a number of factors. He has shown what a true professional he is by returning to Durham over the past week and playing well for his county.”Victory for South Africa would give them an unassailable 2-0 series-lead.England squad Michael Vaughan (capt), Tim Ambrose (wk), James Anderson, Ian Bell, Stuart Broad, Paul Collingwood, Alastair Cook, Andrew Flintoff, Steve Harmison, Monty Panesar, Kevin Pietersen, Ryan Sidebottom, Andrew Strauss.

England fast bowler Simon Jones is out of the Ashes tour and will play no cricket for at least six months after injuring his knee in the first Test against Australia in Brisbane.Jones ruptured the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee as he attempted a sliding stop in the field early in the second session of the Test. The 23-year-old needs reconstructive surgery, but doctors do not want him to fly home for at least two weeks.”I was fielding at mid-on to Ricky Ponting when it happened,” Jones said. “The ball went past me and I just went into a regulation slide after it.”The grass is different here though – it’s more sandy-based because they play Aussie Rules football on the same surface – and my studs caught and I landed awkwardly on my right knee.”It didn’t really hurt that much to be honest. I just knew there was something wrong immediately and I that I had to lie still and wait for Kirk Russell to come onto the field.”I broke my left leg before playing rugby when I was 17 and I’ve also had stress fractures of the shin and the foot since then. I’ve come back from those injuries so I’m backing myself to come back from this too.”I’d started the game well and was feeling good. In the previous matches, I’ve built my pace up slowly session by session, but this time I’d managed to get up to the 91/92 mph mark much quicker than before. Obviously, I’m gutted about what’s happened but it’s something that I feel I can get over.”Jones will fly to Adelaide, where he will be based at England’s cricket academy for treatment designed to reduce the swelling.

Barbadian and Caribbean businesses could find themselves on the sidelines of the lucrative Cricket World Cup if they don’t seek to capitalise on opportunities thrown up by the event.That was the clear warning of themanaging director of West Indies World Cup 2007, Chris Dehring, yesterday’s.Dehring, an investment banker, said the cricket world cup was projected to gross US$300 million over the six weeks it would be run, generating US$500 million in direct foreign exchange flows and US$750 million in economic activity.He said that of all the enquiries he had received since it was announced thatthe international contest was coming to the region, 90 per cent were from outside the Caribbean."It will be a boon to direct and indirect employment and will create priceless international media exposure forcountries successful in hosting official results."Entire tourist industries could be built and rebuilt by such unprecedented marketing exposure."Dehring said: "If we promote this event right we will have upwards of 100 000 visiting supporters to the region. Not to mention the hundreds of thousands of "Caribbean" visitors to the "venue" where the West Indies is playing.Other revenue opportunities will come through demand for inland and intra-regional transport, food and beverage, health services, entertainment andsouvenirs.Asked what economic packages would be available, Dehring said by the end of next year information would be available about the venues and categoriesof matches.Dehring said every contract assigned would go through a process of tendering but he felt it was almost wasteful to wait for official packages to come out."That’s not how entrepreneurs work," he added, as he pointed to how some business people were already making a number of deals and arrangements in New York in anticipation of that citywinning the bid for the Olympic Games scheduled for 2012.

The West Indies Cricket Board have named a West Indies 14-member squad to participate in the International Cricket Council’s Champions Trophy limited-overs competition in Sri Lanka from September 12 to 27.As part of the competition’s Participating Nations Agreement, all countries were required to submit their teams to the ICC by August 12.The WICB had hoped that the Selection Committee, under the chairmanship of Sir Vivian Richards, would have been able to use the imminent Red Stripe Bowl limited-overs championship as a yardstick for the squad’s selection.The ICC’s August 12 submission deadline, however, made this impossible and the WICB requested an extension of this deadline, but was refused by the ICC.The West Indies squad is largely the same that played in the 2002 Cable & Wireless Trophy limited-overs home series against India and New Zealand with Runako Morton replacing Gareth Breese and Mahendra Nagamootoo returning to limited-overs international duty.With back-to-back tours to India and Bangladesh to follow the ICC Champions Trophy, those players not selected for the visit to Sri Lanka will have a chance to impress the selectors during the Red Stripe Bowl.Squad: Carl Hooper (captain), Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Pedro Collins, Corey Collymore, Cameron Cuffy, Mervyn Dillon, Chris Gayle, Ryan Hinds, Wavell Hinds, Ridley Jacobs, Brian Lara, Runako Morton, Mahendra Nagamootoo, Ramnaresh Sarwan.

PERTH, Oct 30 AAP – Young England quick Simon Jones put up his hand for a berth in the opening Ashes Test after the tourists almost won the drawn three-day match against Western Australia today.The 23-year-old Welshman’s five-wicket haul restricted the West Australian second innings to 248, leaving England with a thrilling run chase of 135 runs in 20 overs at the WACA ground.And the visitors went so close, falling just five runs short of the target with opener Robert Key (59no) and captain Nasser Hussain (7no) guiding England to 5-130.The tourists had to score 12 runs off the final over but Key and Hussain could extract just seven from WA quick Brad Williams.However the performance was just the tonic the Old Enemy needed ahead of the first Ashes Test in Brisbane starting Thursday week after a sub-standard opening week of its tour.Key and Marcus Trescothick started well with a 52-run partnership before Trescothick’s middle stump was knocked out after he backed away from Williams.Allrounder Craig White (12) was introduced but was run out taking a risky single by WA captain Justin Langer before spinner Brad Hogg then put a major block on the tourists’ assault removing Mark Butcher (7) and John Crawley (0) in consecutive balls.Alec Stewart fell for a quickfire 26 off 21 balls before the final charge.Earlier, Jones impressed with his persistence on a fairly flat pitch to finish with 5-78 off 19 overs.Jones, who is on the way back from a side strain, suffered the injury in his only Test appearance against India at Lords in the northern summer.Test rival Stephen Harmison (0-28) was unable to follow up his encouraging first innings performance.Jones picked up Michael Hussey (14) early in the morning session, with the 27-year-old Test aspirant top-edging a ball to the fine leg with Andy Caddick taking a fine sprawling catch.Scores of 0 and 14 would hardly have been the returns Hussey would have been seeking in front of national selector David Boon.Test opener Langer (68) strode to the crease and he and Chris Rogers’ 141-run third wicket partnership looked like ensuring the match would be drawn.Langer, who made just 13 in the first innings, opted not to open against the England attack for the final seven overs of yesterday’s play because of a sore neck.But he faced the music today and lived a little dangerously early on before finding some form against England ahead of the first Ashes Test.Jones had dragged himself to lunch with the unenviable figures of 1-45 off nine overs after being harshly dealt with by Langer and Rogers.However allrounder Craig White parted the combination after tempting Langer with a wide delivery and then removing Marcus North next ball to open up the home side’s batting order.But it was not until Jones trapped Rogers (86) in front that the tourists looked any shot of actually forcing a result with the Warriors reduced to 5-178, a lead of just 64 runs.Jones, who has a particularly slow run-up before a whipping motion, then removed Brad Hogg (18), Matthew Nicholson (2) and then Ryan Campbell (25) to set the unlikely scenario after tea.Left-arm spinner Ashley Giles chipped in with the wicket of Brad Williams after the tailender hit a solid shot only for the ball to strike John Crawley’s midriff before he took a superb juggling catch.Jo Angel (10) was run out to end the WA innings.

It’s a feat that has been performed only 25 times in over 1600 Test matches and so it does have an honoured place in the records section of the Wisden. To hit a hundred and take five wickets in an innings in a Test match is still the highest benchmark by which a cricketer’s all-round ability is judged.

Many great players – Richard Hadlee and Kapil Dev included – have, though, failed to pass this exacting test. The rather surprising absence of Kapil notwithstanding, India is fairly well represented among the 25 thanks to two gallant performances by Vinoo Mankad and Polly Umrigar.The former pulled off the feat against England at Lord’s in 1952 while Umrigar completed the double against the West Indies at Port of Spain in 1962. The similarities in the two performances are astonishing.In both cases, they were the top-scorers in either innings – Mankad making 72 and 184 and Umrigar hitting 56 and 172 not out. Both Mankad and Umrigar also sent down the maximum number of overs – 72 and 56 respectively – for their five-wicket hauls, conceding 196 and 107 runs. Both had a tidy spell in the second innings without claiming a wicket. And in both cases, India lost the match – the margin at Lord’s being eight wickets while at Port of Spain it was sevenwickets.Despite the similarities and the greatness associated with both feats, it is Mankad’s achievement that is remembered more fondly. Perhaps because it was the first time an Indian had achieved the feat or maybe because the drama surrounding the double was enacted at Lord’s.Today (June 23, 2002), it is exactly 50 years since Mankad’s accomplishment. And surely there is no better time than a golden jubilee to take a trip down memory lane and examine closely the matchless deed of Mankad the magnificent.To begin with, it must be stated that Mankad was not a member of the touring squad. It was indeed a sorry situation that saw a largely inexperienced team make the rounds in England without any conspicuous success while the leading Indian all-rounder was playing in the Lancashire league.Following a contractual misunderstanding with the Board of Control for Cricket in India, Mankad was not selected for the tour. He, however, had a lucrative offer with the Lancashire league club Haslingden. In the meantime, India lost the first Test at Leeds by seven wickets. By now it was becoming increasingly clear that Mankad would be required for the next Test, both as opening batsman and for leading the bowling attack in the company of Ghulam Ahmed.The Indian manager Pankaj Gupta hastily negotiated Mankad’s release for the remaining three Test matches and so from playing one-day cricket in the Lancashire league, Mankad went straight to the sterner atmosphere of a five-day Test at Lord’s.On the opening day, June 19, Vijay Hazare won the toss and elected to bat. Mankad dominated the opening partnership with Pankaj Roy, hitting leg-spinner Roy Jenkins for a straight six inside the first hour.The two put on 106 runs before Mankad was first out. His going triggered a collapse, and but for Hazare (69 not out), no one offered much resistance. India, consequently, were all out for 235, shortly before close.Throughout the second day and most of the third, Mankad toiled manfully while bowling to a strong batting line-up that started with Len Hutton and Reg Simpson and continued with Peter May, Denis Compton, Tom Graveney, Alan Watkins and Godfrey Evans.On a perfect pitch, he still managed to extract some turn and bounce, all the while maintaining his trademark control over line and length. When England were all out for 537, shortly before tea on the third afternoon, Mankad had been rewarded with the wickets of Simpson, May, Watkins, Jenkins and Bedser and his figures were 73-24-196-5.Ten minutes later, he was back at the crease and soon was stroking the ball confidently against the pace of Freddie Trueman, the swing of Bedser, and the spin of Jenkins, Laker and Watkins. By close of play, he was unbeaten with 86 out of a total of 137 for two and in the Sunday newspapers, critics expended their stock of superlatives whilst praising Mankad’s all-round abilities, his skill, his stamina and his courage in adversity.On Monday, June 23, Mankad resumed his innings and within quarter-of-an-hour reached his century to complete the double. At that time, the feat had been accomplished only four times in 351 Tests. The last player to do so was Jack Gregory for Australia against England in 1920-21. Little wonder, then, that Mankad’s was hailed as an outstanding achievement.Mankad went along his merry way until, shortly after lunch, he missed the line of a delivery from Laker and was bowled. One critic observed “it seemed that something contrary to nature had taken place.” Mankad was third out at 270 after sharing a 211-run third wicket partnership with Hazare.An all-too-familiar Indian batting collapse followed and the tourists were all out for 378 shortly before close of play. England needed only 77 runs for victory. At stumps on the fourth day, they were 40 for one, and were home shortly after play resumed on the final morning. Mankad this time had the tidy figures of 24-12-35-0.England might have won but it was still Mankad’s game, even if there were no Man of the Match awards in those days. Queen Elizabeth, then in her first year of her reign, arrived shortly after Mankad was out. It was a pity she could not see a ‘royal’ performance but learning of his feat, she spent some time congratulating him when the teams were presented to her at the tea interval.Noted cricket writer AA Thomson captured the scene thus: “One of the most charming pictures that ever appeared in Wisden is that of Her Majesty shaking hands with Mankad on that glorious day. The splendour of his innings at Lord’s will be remembered by all who saw it for many a long day. His hitting was free, swift and vigorous and roused the spectators to a higher pitch of enthusiasm than had the excellent English batting. He flogged the bowlers until they weretired and then finally with his score at 184, was tired himself.”Fifty years on, the lustre surrounding Mankad’s achievement has not diminished. It still takes its place as one of the greatest feats in Indian cricket. The fact that it has been emulated by an Indian only once and has been beyond the reach of even such a dynamic cricketer like Kapil Dev is testimony to this.

Gloucestershire have given a new two-year contract to their director of cricket John Bracewell.Gloucestershire have had mixed fortunes this season; they are currently second from bottom in the Second Division of the Frizzell County Championship, but lead Division Two of the Norwich Union League, by eight points over Surrey.Gloucestershire captain Mark Alleyne has also agreed to lead the side for the next two seasons with the aim of extending their Norwich Union success into the County Championship.In a statement the club said: “We have identified a number of areas where it is necessary for us to make improvements and we are in the process of putting these in place.”The matter has been discussed by the management committee who have statedtheir complete support for John Bracewell and Mark Alleyne.”During their time at the club, Gloucestershire have achieved unprecedentedsuccess and are confident that the problems of the past few weeks, while notinsignificant, will be dealt with in an appropriate manner.”Cricket teams can only flourish when the whole squad are working together and we believe that with hard work and sensitive leadership we can achieve this.”Bracewell said: “I’m delighted by the club’s support for me and it means I’ll be able to work on a number of things that I want to.”

It was one of those “you had to be there to see it” days at the Gabba.Victoria’s batting on the way to a woeful first innings of 148 after being sent in by Queensland in their Pura Cup match bordered on embarrassing.But Queensland made Victoria’s form with the willow appear almost brilliant after staging one of their worst starts to an innings in recent memory.Needing only first innings points to secure a home final, the Bulls batted like a social pub team.At one stage they staggered like drunks at 6-22, in real danger of posting Queensland’s lowest score in almost a century.Stand-in skipper Martin Love could be excused, the victim of a dubious call to a ball down the leg side which may not have snicked his bat.Wicketkeeper Wade Seccombe was forced to play a good length delivery from Mathew Inness which he edged to ‘keeper Darren Berry on five.Queensland’s worst first class batting performance was 42 back in 1903-4.Its lowest Sheffield Shield score of 52 in the early 1980s was under threat until Lee Carseldine (36 not out) and Ashley Noffke (nine not out) staged a 42-run seventh wicket stand which they need to build on tomorrow.The Bulls crash was of Wall Street proportions, six wickets squandered before their lunch had time to settle.Dandenong rookie paceman, William Carr, playing in only his third match for the Bushrangers, ploughed through a brittle Bulls top order sadly missing MatthewHayden, Jimmy Maher and late withdrawal Stuart Law.He fired out openers Brendan Nash (1) and dangerman Love (five) before adding Andrew Symonds (nought) and a careless Clinton Perren (two) to his career best haul of 4-22.And he hasn’t finished.At one point Carr had the stunning figures of 4-12.His performance overshadowed a fine display by Bulls teenager Scott Brant who performed his own demolition job on Victoria.Zimbabwe-born Brant, who under ACB rules is not allowed bowl more than 20 overs in a day or more than eight overs in one spell, to protect him from injury, arule blasted by former Australian speedster Jeff Thomson, featured in six dismissals.The 19 year-old took three wickets – two in the first session – and dragged in a classic diving catch to remove a stubborn Matthew Mott, plucking theboundary-bound ball out of the air in spectacular fashion.Mott, who prodded, pushed and poked at 110 deliveries for his 34 runs, was beginning to look a threat before Brant’s full length dive ended his innings just after lunch.Brant utilised the morning conditions perfectly after stand-in Bulls captain Love put the Bushrangers in on a wicket which was hardly a fearsome greentop – although made difficult by an uneven bounce.Love refused to blame the wicket for Queensland’s crash.”Those two guys (Carseldine and Noffke) have shown the rest of us how to bat, they toughed it out really well,” said Love.”It’s a six point game guaranteed; even if we don’t get first innings points, we’re still in it.”