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The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) today announced the domestic first-class fixture list for the 2003 cricket season. For the first time since 1972, there will be no Benson & Hedges Cup competition, which has been replaced by a new 20-over tournament called the ‘Twenty20 Cup’.The Twenty20 Cup begins on Friday 13 June when five late-afternoon group matches are scheduled. One of these opening games will be broadcast live by Sky Sports.All 45 group matches – the 18 first-class counties are split into three groups of six teams each – will be played over a 12-day period, thus intentionally scheduling the competition around the longest days of the year. This means that matches starting at 5.30pm will finish in daylight at 8.15pm. Essex and Sussex may stage floodlit Twenty20 Cup matches in the group stages, and the timings for any such matches will be confirmed in due course.All counties are guaranteed a minimum of two Twenty20 Cup matches at home next season. The winners of each of the three groups and the best-performing runner-up will progress to a finals day on Saturday 19 July, at which both semi-finals and the final will be played.Extensive media coverage of the competition is guaranteed. Sky Sports will broadcast a minimum of six group matches live as well as the three matches on finals day; Channel 4, meanwhile, will broadcast at least one match live (a Saturday morning slot on 14 June) and the highlights of the Final, plus prominent coverage of the competition in their weekly magazine programme. BBC Radio are planning extensive coverage on their regional and local stations in addition to live ball-by-ball coverage of the Twenty20 Cup Final on Radio Five Live and both Twenty20 Cup semi-finals on Five Live Extra.A new prize money structure will be implemented to encourage both team victories and individual performances. The Twenty20 champions will receive £52,000, the runners-up will get £26,000 and the losing-semi-finalists £15,500 – equal to the prize money on offer for the 2002 Benson & Hedges Cup Final. Incentives will also be made to the best performing individuals with cash prizes of £1,500 going to the best performing batsmen, bowlers and all-rounders (see below for details).Tim Lamb, Chief Executive of the ECB, said, “I have no doubt that the Twenty20 Cup will make a significant impact on our domestic cricket next summer. Thanks to excellent support from our broadcast partners, we can already guarantee a great deal of media coverage for the tournament. And with generous prize money on offer, the players have every incentive to go flat out to achieve success on the pitch. This is one of the most revolutionary and exciting initiatives undertaken by the ECB and the first-class counties for many years.”There are 367 matches, or 799 days of cricket in total, scheduled for first-class counties across four different competitions next season. The Frizzell County Championship season starts on Friday 18 April, the 45 over League competition (sponsor to be confirmed) begins on Sunday 27 April, while the third round of the Cheltenham & Gloucester Trophy takes place on Wednesday 7 May.The women’s domestic season, meanwhile, will include the Super Fours trophy, now in its second year. The 48 best women’s cricketers in the country will be divided into four teams and will compete against each other in six one-day matches ahead of the international season. Super Fours will run each weekend from Saturday 17th May to Sunday 15th June.Yorkshire, meanwhile, will aim to retain their title in the Frizzell Women’s County Championship which will run from Saturday 26th – Wednesday 30th July at University Grounds, Cambridge.

Twenty20 Prize MoneyTeam awardsWinner (1 x £52,000) £52,000Runner-up (1 x £26,000) £26,000Losing Semi-Finalists (2 x £15,500) £31,000Man-of-the-Match awardsGroup Matches (45 x £300) £13,500Semi-finalists (2 x £550) £1,100Final (1 x £1,750) £1,750Series awardsBatsman – most runs (1 x £1,500)Batsman – 2nd most runs (1 x £1,000)Batsman – most 4’s & 6’s (1 x £1,500)Batsman – best strike rate (1 x £1,500)All-rounder – best (1 x £1,500)All-rounder – 2nd best (1 x £1,000)Wicket keeper – best (1 x £1,500)Bowler – most wickets (1 x £1,500)Bowler – 2nd most wickets (1 x £1,000)Bowler – fastest (1 x £1,500)Bowler – best economy rate (1 x £1,500) 15,000Total: £140,350

Jack Birkenshaw has been named Mark Lane’s deputy as England women’s assistant coach, a post he will hold until July 2009. Birkenshaw, the former England spinner and head coach at Leicestershire, will work with Lane on a permanent basis having helped steer them to an historic Ashes win in Australia in February.He brings huge experience to the women’s game, having played for Test cricket as well as representing Leicestershire, Worcestershire and his native Yorkshire. He will assist in all areas of coaching, but with a specific focus on England’s spinners once more.He is looking forward to his latest challenge. “I enjoyed coaching the England women over the winter, and many of the players are making great progress,” he said. “I am very proud to be part of their recent success and am sure we can get even better this summer. They are a great group to work with and are very talented cricketers”.Clare Connor, the ECB’s head of women’s cricket, added: “To attract someone of Jack’s calibre is an absolute coup for the women’s game. We are all delighted to welcome Jack on board and confident that, with Mark, this is the coaching team to bring Charlotte Edwards and her squad even more success in the next 12 months. Whilst we have always used many specialist coaches with our elite players, we have never had an assistant coach working with the players on a weekly basis and to tour with them.” Even though England had an assistant coach this winter, this was only under a temporary contract.Connor also confirmed to Cricinfo the obligations of Vince Wells, who was forced to pull out of the Australasia tour because of personal reasons. “Vince Wells’ role this summer is to coach the Emeralds in our Super 4s competition,” Connor said. “He will then be used by Mark as one of the four coaches who work with the players at England training camps throughout the winter. “Birkenshaw joins in time for the five-ODI series against South Africa, which starts on August 6 and includes a match at Lord’s on August 8. England also host India this summer.

UCT, WPCA double champions, crowned a successful 2002 in Pretoria on Tuesday afternoon after winning the MTN National Club Championship.UCT beat Rentmeester Tuks by five wickets.Chasing a competitive 260 in 45 overs, UCT reached the target in the final over. Man of the Match, Neil Kruger with 95 not out lead the UCT batting assault.UCT, coached by former WP B captain Tim Mitchell, last season won both the WPCA senior club competitions.Kruger and Darren Croxford(52) turned the game UCT’s way with a magnificent fifth wicket partnership.

Since New Zealand beat Australia in January, the national one-day side has played poorly in it’s build up to the 2003 World Cup.In fact since the middle of the VB Series last January, New Zealand have won only four of the last 21 One-Day Internationals they’ve played. Quite frankly that is woeful. Time is running out. They now face just seven more ODIs in preparation for the Cup starting on February 9.Throughout the year the team have tried any number of experiments with different players and combinations, but the performances get worse. They find themselves with a number of critical problems:

1. An unsettled top four in the batting order.
2. No conclusion as to who the wicket-keeper will be since Adam Parore retired.
3. A permanent partner to Shane Bond with the new ball.
4. Inconsistent fielding performances.
5. Injury concerns to key players.
6. The major distraction of the players’ strike leading into the summer.

The most important thing New Zealand Cricket (NZC) must do now with such little time left is to create FAMILIARITY for the players who will be selected. The only way for the players to find their form and belief to take New Zealand, at least, to the top four, is re-introducing them all to familiar roles that they’ve succeeded in before.The 14-man team that I would select for the 2003 World Cup is (in batting order and subject to fitness):

1. Chris Nevin (wicket-keeper)
2. Nathan Astle
3. Stephen Fleming (captain)
4. Craig McMillan
5. Chris Cairns
6. Lou Vincent
7. Chris Harris
8. Andre Adams
9. Daniel Vettori
10. Daryl Tuffey
11. Shane Bond
12. Scott Styris
13. Jacob Oram
14. Paul Hitchcock

Non-travelling: Jeff Wilson, a batsman, a spinner and a new ball bowler.This squad on paper is a better all-round side than the 1992 World Cup squad. It has more all-rounders, has the world’s leading all-rounder/match-winner in Cairns, New Zealand’s finest one-day player in Astle, the world’s best left-arm spinner in Vettori, and a world-class leader in Fleming.The problem is that they do not have enough individuals who know their role within the team and the one-day game in general.Only Astle and Cairns have batted in the same position consistently in the last year or so. Only Bond and Vettori have bowled in the same roles consistently in that time.Therefore the team as a whole, need to resume their familiar positions.Batting:The most successful opening combination over the last year has been Astle partnered by Nevin. Nevin is far more familiar at opening than any other position. Fleming has tried the opening role but along with inconsistent scores is the fact that he has not done it much and has achieved his best average at No 3. McMillan will be considered for No 3 but has had very little experience and is vulnerable to the new ball and must continue to bat at No 4 where he has improved his record recently.Cairns and Harris have batted at Nos 5 and 7 respectively over the years with outstanding results. Lou Vincent could bat No 6 or 7 as could Harris, but Vincent is inexperienced and has been changed too often in position that he should revert to the one where he was contributing well and that was batting behind Cairns, scoring run-a-ball 30s.His main role in the side is the energy he will provide in the field and running between wickets.At No 8 should be Adams, if fit. He proved against England that he has the hitting power there, as well as being a specialist death bowler, to go with his athleticism. Vettori, Tuffey and Bond complete the batting line-up.Bowling:The only role Tuffey has consistently enjoyed is opening the bowling and, in particular, the very first over. His strike rate without runs on the board is excellent. While Bond is the better bowler, the fact that he bowls the second over is irrelevant, as long as he bowls downwind.Tuffey, into the wind, is a line-and-length bowler who needs to be used in a pro-active manner. He rarely performs when coming on after the opening bowlers have been used. He can be used in the middle for a couple of overs but is not to be used at the death. He can be invaluable if treated carefully.Bond, is the bowler who should bowl 10 overs, but after his opening spell of four or five, should be kept to shorter spells thereafter.Adams is a bowler who should be used in two ways. One, to bowl NZ through to the 15 over mark with a three or four-over spell. Then to be used through the death period in two spells of two overs each.Cairns, as the most experienced, should bowl behind Bond, four overs through to when the first 15 overs are up. Then saving six overs until the last 15 overs where his experience and magnificent slower ball become vital. He should bowl in short spells of two overs, swapping ends to rest Adams around the 43rd over mark to bowl two overs. Then swapping back to finish the innings, following Bond, for his last two overs.He, like Bond, as the best bowlers, should look to complete 10 overs if possible.Vettori and Harris have proven their combination after the 15 overs are up, but not before. They need the fielding restrictions lifted where they can bowl in tandem to help tie-up the start of the middle innings.Vettori should rest after bowling five overs to allow Tuffey to come back at the 27th over for two overs in the middle. Then Vettori comes back on again for at least four overs, with Harris as back-up if needed.New Zealand need to be conscious of fitness with Vettori, hence break in spell and shouldn’t need to bowl 10 unless conditions favour spin.In all, there should be a minimum of 13-14 bowling changes in any innings.Fielding:It is critical that New Zealand have their two best fielders, Harris and Vincent, on square, either side of the wicket.That’s why I wouldn’t use Vincent as a ‘keeper as he is too valuable and proven as a close-in fielder and doesn’t have enough experience keeping at the top level anyway.The fielding line-up looks very good with pace in the in field, strong arms in the deep from the quicks and great hands in the slips. The question mark has been over their preparation and consistency, unlike when Steve Rixon was in charge.Reserves:Scott Styris is an ideal back-up for Harris. He’s gained experience and should be able to come in and cover if needed with his all-round ability. Oram backs up for Tuffey as a new ball bowler but can also float up the order at any time. Hitchcock is cover for Adams as a death bowler mainly. Vincent is back up for Nevin as ‘keeper and also as an opening batsman.The balance of the side requires seven batsmen and one pinch hitter (Adams) and seven bowlers (with McMillan as eighth).Bowling Plan (Bowlers with over number):Upwind:Tuffey: 1st over, 3, 5, 7, 9 then 27, 29;
Adams: 11, 13, 15 then 39, 41 then 47, 49;
Vettori: 17, 19, 21, 23, 25 then 31, 33, 35, 37;
Cairns: 43, 45.Downwind:Bond: 2, 4, 6, 8 then 28, 30, 32 then 42, 44, 46;
Cairns: 10, 12, 14, 16 then 38, 40 then 48, 50;
Harris: 18, 20, 22, 24, 26;
Astle: 34, 36.Bowling totals: Tuffey 7 overs, Bond 10, Cairns 10, Adams 7, Vettori 9, Harris 5, Astle 2.Strategy:Naturally this should be seen as a skeleton plan, whereby bowlers will bowl in longer spells if taking wickets, or shorter if proving expensive. But, by and large, the plan should reveal a specific flow and a minimum number of 13 bowling changes. If changes are needed then there are seven bowlers plus McMillan, to call upon for a change of tactics at any stage.The key for Fleming is to keep two overs ahead of the opposition batsmen. To be able to sense when the opposition batsmen are getting used to a certain bowler and make a change. It’s important to avoid the big overs as they are usually momentum shifts and requires composure and decisiveness to pull back. So every bowler should be ready to bowl especially in that area where they are due to come in, give or take an over.All fielders need to look at Fleming at all times between balls. Fleming in return should communicate or signal to each player in some shape or form at least once every three overs.Preparation:All practice must simulate the match you are going to play. Batting in the right order at nets. Bowlers starting off in the correct order too. Both skills need to practice the situations they face in order of how the innings will unfold.Fielding needs to be intensive and sharp, rather than long and laboured.Summary:The attitude of the team must be that bowling and fielding wins ODIs, not batting. The best defensive (bowling/fielding effort) team on the field will win the contest. So keeping the opposition’s score down through efficient, tight fieldwork will ensure a higher percentage of wins.Batting needs to be consistent rather than brilliant. The first 15 overs are about attacking the bowling to set a run rate. Minimum of four an over. No more than three wickets down at the half-way stage. Accumulation through to over 40 maintaining run rate. The final all-out launch should not be too early in the last 10 overs, better to keep wickets for the last five overs. Wickets in hand, but more importantly a partnership in the last five overs, will reap the greatest rewards. This is the time improvisation is used.This New Zealand team can succeed if they start now to familiarise themselves with the roles they have succeeded in before. There is no time for experiments anymore in settling the key areas.The success of this campaign will be created by proper selection of the roles required, positive and clear communication of those roles, and detailed organisation of the team in general.

BRISBANE – Australians Adam Gilchrist and Matthew Hayden and Indian starSachin Tendulkar have been nominated by their peers for theinternational cricketer of the year award.The trio join Sri Lankans Muttiah Muralitharan and Mahela Jayawardeneand South African all-rounder Jacques Kallis as the nominees for theFederation of International Cricketers Associations (FICA) award to beannounced in London on July 10.But Gilchrist’s devastating batting in South Africa earlier this yearhas been ignored in other award nominations, including the “place inhistory” and “sheer instinct” prizes.Gilchrist slammed an unbeaten double century in the first Test inJohannesburg and a whirlwind 138 not out in the second Test in Cape Townto send him to the top of the world rankings.The award covers the year from June 2001, during which Hayden was themost dominant opening batsmen in international cricket with fivecenturies.Past winners of the award, conducted by the Federation of InternationalCricketers Associations, were Australians Steve Waugh (1998) and GlennMcGrath (2000), West Indian Brian Lara (1999) and Zimbabwe’s Andy Flower(2001).Australia’s Test and one-day squads and the Sri Lankan Test team werenominated for the international team of the Year award.Hayden and his opening partner Justin Langer also feature among thenominees for the place in history award for four double-century standsduring six Tests last summer.Teammate Shane Warne (6-161 from 70 overs during his 100th Testappearance) and New Zealand’s Nathan Astle (222 from 168 balls versusEngland) were also nominated.The sheer instinct award doesn’t include Gilchrist among the nomineesbut recognises Waugh for his century against England at The Oval,England’s Mark Butcher, Pakistan’s Waqar Younis and England all-rounderAndrew Flintoff.The four nominees for the young cricketer of the year award includeIndian batsman Virender Sehwag, English seamer Matthew Hoggard, WestIndian batsman Ramnaresh Sarwan and Sri Lankan wicketkeeper-batsmanKumar Sangakkara.Three former cricketers will be named at the dinner for induction in theFICA Hall of Fame that already has 55 players on its roll of honour.

Kent County Cricket Club today announced that Steve Waugh will be joining the Club as a replacement for Andrew Symonds until the end of the season. His first match will be on Wednesday 21 August 2002 – a Norwich Union League floodlit match against Leicestershire – and he will participate in all remaining one day and championship fixtures.Earlier today, Steve commented:”I am looking forward to the opportunity to play some tough cricket and this stint will provide excellent preparation for the upcoming season. It has been 15 years since I last played county cricket so it is quite exciting and I look forward to making a strong contribution at Kent County Cricket Club.”Ian Brayshaw, Kent’s Director of Cricket, added:”We are thrilled that Steve has agreed to play for us for the rest of the season. We are obviously sad to see Andrew go but are delighted to have been able to secure the services of such an experienced cricketer to help us in our push for success in the remainder of the season. It is a great boost for everyone at the Club.”

Rain meant that only 45 overs were bowled on the first day of the State Championship match between Northern Districts and Otago at WestpacTrust Park, Hamilton.That was time enough for bottom-of-the-table Otago to display more of the poor batting form that has characterised their season.They finished the day on 107/9 on a pitch that offered no more than normal first-day help to the quicker bowlers. Poor shot selection was the chief factor. Three batsmen were dismissed by deliveries to which they offered no shot, while two of the top five were out attacking rashly before they were set.The Otago innings got off to a disastrous start after they were put into bat by ND skipper Robbie Hart. Chris Gaffaney shouldered arms to Joseph Yovich in the first over, only to see his off stump cartwheel out of the ground as the ball came back into him. Gaffaney had not scored.His opening partner Brendon McCullum fell for six attempting an expansive off drive from Graeme Aldridge’s bowling. Scott Styris took a sharp catch at second slip.Otago skipper Craig Cumming became the second batsman to be out offering no shot when he was struck on the pad by Yovich in the seventh over of the innings. Umpire Mike George ruled that the ball would have hit the stumps even though the front leg was well forward and the ball hit the pad above the knee. Cumming scored four.Jordan Sheed fell to the last ball before an 80-minute rain interruption. He was hit on the back leg by Simon Andrews to be leg before wicket for six.Scott Waide was out for 17 to the first ball he faced after the resumption, in a piece of cricket that amounted to ritual suicide. Without bothering to play himself back in, Waide attempted to hook a ball from Andrews that was on, or outside, off stump. The ball lobbed up to Aldridge at mid-on.Otago were 38/5, the worst start of their dismal season.Craig Pryor and Duncan Drew accumulated sensibly before Pryor got a snorter from Yovich that lifted and left him. Styris took his second catch of the day at second slip. Pryor scored 10 and put on 23 for the sixth wicket with Drew.Wicket-keeper Drew made a chirpy 28 before playing across a full length delivery from Styris to be out leg before wicket. His partnership of 31 with Nathan Morland for the seventh wicket was the biggest of the innings.Styris removed the off stumps of both Kerry Walmsley (0) and Morland (23) to finish with the day’s best figures, three for eight from seven overs.Aldridge was the pick of the ND attack, but the least rewarded. He finished with one for 20 from 12 overs.Yovich took three for 53 from 15 overs. He needs to cut down the number of boundary deliveries he bowls if he is to push for international selection.Andrews continued to make a good impression in the first-class game with two for 22 from 11 overs.Veteran all-rounder Grant Bradburn was left out of the ND 12, for the first time in many years.ND have made a recent habit of having illustrious drinks waiters. Ian Butler performed the task for the first part of the season before being called up to the CLEAR Black Caps squad. Simon Doull brought the experience of 32 Tests to the job before retiring. Today it fell to Bradburn, who has made a record 115 first-class appearances for ND.With Mark Bailey, as well as Doull, fading out of the scene recently, Bradburn’s omission is another sign that the ND guard is changing. The new line-up did well enough without him today, but it was against an Otago team that looked seriously short of class and confidence.

“I stand by my commitment of all help in holding the ICC KnockOut tournament in India,” Sports Minister Uma Bharti said in New Delhi on Thursday. “I had invited the ICC to hold the tournament in our country and promised them all help including tax exemption, when Mr Gray met me in March,” Bharti told PTI when contacted for her reaction to International Cricket Council President Malcolm Gray’s letter to her.”I will be very happy if the tournament is held in our country,” added the Sports Minister who described cricket as “an expression of the nation’s sentiment”.Earlier, apparently worried by the statement of BCCI secretary Jaywant Lele that India was “not necessarily keen” to host the ICC KnockOut tournament next year, International Cricket Council (ICC) chief Malcolm Gray appealed to Sports Minister Uma Bharti to continue to lend support to the event.In a letter to Bharti, a copy of which was obtained by PTI, Gray said the ICC was still keen to hold the event in India. “I have been watching with great interest some of the statements about cricket emanating in the Indian press and have been encouraged by your statement and the line you are taking,” Gray said a day after Lele’s remarks sparked doubts that the Board might not host the competition. I hope that you will continue to lend your support to the event being held in India and to the obtaining of tax exemption for the tournament. As we discussed, whenever major sporting tournaments areheld around the world, they are only located in tax-friendly environment.”"We are holding a meeting at the end of this week at which we hope tofinalise our decision as to the venue for the 2002 KnockOut tournament,” the ICC chief added.Overruling Lele, BCCI President AC Muthiah said in Udhagamandalam on Thursday that India would host the event.

ScorecardBen Cutting scored 109 from 78 deliveries•Getty Images

Phillip Hughes was within touching distance of a century at stumps on day two of his first match for South Australia, but Queensland were in a powerful position thanks to Ben Cutting’s maiden first-class hundred. The Redbacks finished the day in major trouble at 7 for 164, still 234 runs adrift of Queensland’s first-innings total, and the only positive for South Australia was that Hughes was still at the crease on 95, alongside Joe Mennie on 5.In his first outing for the Redbacks since moving from New South Wales during the off-season, Hughes carried with him the strong form that he showed for Worcestershire in county cricket this year. He struck 12 boundaries and was a lone resisting hand for South Australia as none of the rest of the top six managed to score more than 11.The wicketkeeper Tim Ludeman (28) gave Hughes some support in a 58-run partnership but the Bulls, led by their captain James Hopes with 3 for 26 from 15 overs, did not allow South Australia to gain any sort of momentum. There had been plenty of momentum during the tail-end of Queensland’s innings as Cutting propelled himself to triple-figures for the first time.Cutting was in an aggressive mood and struck four sixes and 12 fours, and brought up his century from the last ball before lunch with a leg glance for two. Gary Putland picked up 5 for 100 but there wasn’t much for South Australia to celebrate.