Thursday, March 13, 2003::: “Sachin Tendulkar’s current form is the stuff nightmares are made of, speaking as a bowler. He is in serious nick, he has an ominously quiet resolve to win this World Cup for his team, and he has been playing so well, that his hitherto off-colour, out-of-form colleagues have also started coming into their own.” South African pace legend Allan Donald Source: The Gulf News, UAE”I hope the ICC take notice of these performances. It’s a great day for Kenyan cricket but I hope they keep the feet on the ground.” Kenyan coach Sandip Patil, on his team’s performance in the World Cup Source: The Gulf Daily News, Bahrain”When I watch Sachin Tendulkar bat, I find myself wondering how Don Bradman would have coped with the modern game. The Indian genius has been at his imperious best. Would Bradman’s insatiable appetite for scoring runs have been diminished by so much cricket, especially the endless stream of one-day matches.” Former Australian captain Greg Chappell Source: The Brisbane Courier Mail, Australia”I won’t blame the playing conditions or the pitches but the attitude of the parent body. Look at how the ICC has allowed the tournament to lose its lustre.” Former West Indian fast bowling great Michael Holding, on the 2003 World Cup Source: The Hindu, IndiaMonday, March 10, 2003::: “I would like to see a couple of new innovations as well. Firstly, a new ball at 25 overs, with one mandatory catcher inside the 15-metre circle. This would prevent having to change the ball later in the innings. It would also bring in new tactics and batting and bowling innovations,” Former South African coach Bob Woolmer Source: Rediff.com “One area that has achieved high standards (in this World Cup) so far is the batting. The best three so far, in no particular order, were Symonds against Pakistan, Davison against the West Indies and Tendulkar against Pakistan,” Australian legend Mark Waugh Source: Outlook, India “I think that one of the things that we have to get rid of is insularity at all levels. Everyone wants West Indies to win but they all want their own people to play or whatever,” West Indies coach Roger Harper Source: CaribbeanCricket.com
Sri Lanka Cricketers’ Association (SCA) is still in its infancy, but hasstarted well, have plenty of encouraging plans and look to be moving in theright direction. Their formation is clearly good news for national, club andpast players alike.Other Test nations established player associations long ago, but Sri Lanka’sonly started last December. Former Sri Lankan batsman Roshan Mahanama,Secretary of the SCA, admits that this has been a long overdue development.”Ravi Ratnayake, the former Sri Lankan fast bowler, was the one who firststressed on the importance of having an association for the cricketers. Thiswas about 15 years ago. He had all the documents details and everything, butunfortunately it didn’t come through as Ravi had to migrate to Australia,”said Mahanama.When asked as to the need for such an association’s, he answers: “We formedthis to look after the welfare of the cricketers. If you look at the majorcommercial bodies in the country they all have associations. Cricket is oneof the top five earners of foreign exchange, so we should have anassociation of our own.”Mahanama feels the welfare of the cricketers is not sufficiently catered tooat present: “I played for Colombo Cricket Club (CCC) in the one-daytournament last year and I realised none of our players were getting paid.”Now the English Players Association gets 300,000 pounds sterling from theECB and the Australian Cricketers’ Association gets 750,000 dollars fromtheir board, but we don’t get a single cent from the Board,” he says.He is, however, hopeful that the players will be offered greater incentivesin the future: “They are in the process of recognising us. I hope and praythey will. I am keeping my fingers crossed. But I must tell you that theSports Minister was kind enough to grant us SLR 100,000 through the SportsFund.”The CEO of the Cricketres’ Association, Don Anurasiri, the former Sri Lankanspinner, agrees with Mahanama that the players’ financial situation has toimprove.”The board pays some money to the clubs, but this money is not spent on thecricketers. Whereas in other counties this is not the case,” remarked Don.”So we would like to see some of the money given out by the Board going tothe cricketers, rather than for the development of the club”.Mahanama has ambitious plans for the future: “We want the clubs to get about15-20 players contracted and pay them a share of what they get from theBoard. Then we want to have an insurance scheme for the players andprogrammes like career guidance”In fact, the SCA envisages a time when they too will contribute to the wagesof club cricketers. In three years time Anurasiri hopes that: “We would beable to pay every club depending on their capabilities. We would be able topay some sort of money to the contracted players.”And for those that have had to retire from the game: “Many past cricketerswonder what they are going to do with themselves after they have retired. Ifthey are in trouble and need medical help or financial support, we want tobe there to assist them.”The Board of Control for Cricket in Sri Lanka (BCCSL) has yet to recognisethe SCA, but members feel that it’ll happen sooner than later: “When we hada meeting a couple of months ago they said they can’t recognise us straightaway. They said they wanted to see what we are doing.”The SCA is keen to foster a progressive relationship with the board.According to Mahanama: “We have told them that we have to go hand in hand.We didn’t form the association to fight with the cricket board.The SCA has already made efforts to popularise the game in outstation areas.They played a six-side tournament in Matara recently that involved over 50past and present Sri Lankan cricketers. Last week they played a one-day gameagainst the Matale District Cricket Association in Matale. Both the effortsattracted large crowds and were considered a great success.A body that can represent Sri Lankan cricketers is long overdue in SriLanka. One only has to look at similar associations in the UK and Australiato see the immense contribution they can make towards player welfare. Theformation of the SCA is therefore a very significant development thatdeserves the support of all those connected with the game.
Tottenham Hotspur aren’t in a fantastic spot at the start of the Christmas period. Thomas Frank’s side have been inconsistent in the Premier League, only winning six of 17 matches, and thus, languish in 13th place.
This is actually an improvement on last year under Ange Postecoglou’s wing, with the Europa League-winning manager’s single-track-minded attack on the continental front coming at the expense of any kind of fluency in England.
Frank has been under-fire for much of his tenure this season, but Spurs have been through many head coaches in recent years, and the reins must not be taken from him until he has had long enough to build a lasting project.
Where, then, are the Lilywhites meant to go? Well, there’s no question that Frank needs more leadership from his key personnel, and the recent loss to Liverpool raises the question as to whether Cristian Romero is the best fit to wear the armband.
Why Romero may not be the best fit as captain
Romero was aggrieved when Hugo Ekitike’s goal was allowed to stand. The Argentina centre-back felt he had been shoved by the 23-year-old striker, and his every movement was trailed by a haze of red mist thereafter.
He was a ticking time bomb, and journalist Alex Crook even went down the incendiary route of labelling the 27-year-old as representing “all that’s wrong with Tottenham”.
That’s somewhat harsh, as was the follow-up that the skipper is an “absolute liability”. However, there is a truth in there, with Romero lacking the composure and subsequent calming effect on his teammates.
Heung-min Son led Spurs to a trophy, ending the club’s interminable drought. Romero, perhaps, was the wrong man to don the armband after him, but Spurs do actually have a Romero upgrade cutting his teeth who may replace him in more ways than one down the line.
Spurs already have a Romero upgrade
The likes of Kevin Danso and Ben Davies make up numbers in the Tottenham senior squad, but neither of them is good enough to cement regular starting berths under Frank’s wing.
However, with time and care and determination, Luka Vuskovic has what it takes to become a superstar down N17, a defender with the potential to leap past Romero and Micky van de Ven.
Aside from the fact that he’s an elite prospect, Vuskovic has also been hailed as a “monster defender” and a “natural leader” by analyst Daniel Scouting, and his performances on loan in the Bundesliga with Hamburger SV have showcased his capacity to succeed in the Premier League.
His metrics already show him to have similarities and perhaps even gains on someone like Romero, winning an obscene amount of duels despite his youth.
League Stats 25/26 – Romero vs Vuskovic
Stats (* per game)
Romero
Vuskovic
Matches (starts)
14 (13)
13 (13)
Goals + Assists
2 + 1
2 + 0
Touches*
65.2
77.9
Accurate passes*
45.1 (88%)
50.2 (85%)
Chances created*
0.3
0.6
Recoveries*
3.6
4.1
Tackles + interceptions*
3.8
1.8
Clearances*
4.2
8.5
Duels (won)*
5.6 (64%)
7.5 (70%)
Errors made
2
2
Data via Sofascore
He has the trappings of a colossal, world-class centre-back. Vuskovic is only 18. He truly has everything he needs to become a Premier League sensation, perhaps emulating Son before him in becoming a stalwart captain for Spurs. A “freak talent”, as he has been called by analyst Ben Mattinson, the sky is the limit for this talented teenager.
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Son left the club during the summer, and it’s probably fair to say that Romero has not quite matched his influence in terms of influence as a captain, with his recent red card evidence of that.
Vuskovic is only young, but he could go from strength to strength not as a formidable defender but an all-inspiring leader besides. A future captain. After all, content creator Fiago has even claimed he’s “the best 18-year-old center back I’ve ever seen in my life.”
Vuskovic certainly has the skills, aggression and confidence to rival the likes of Romero in the future, and his natural-born leadership could see him prove an upgrade on a ferocious Argentine who is thwarted by his own recklessness and hot-headedness.
Best striker since Kane: Spurs prepare move to sign £63m Premier League star
Tottenham Hotspur look set to make a move for a new talisman in the upcoming January window.
Joe Hussain, the father of former England captain Nasser Hussain, died in his sleep on April 26, aged 68. Nasser said his father had suffered from various health problems over the last eight months, including pneumonia.A native of Madras, Jawad played a solitary first-class match for Madras against Kerala in the Ranji Trophy, and also represented Madras University. He was a regular in the first division league of the Madras Cricket Club. He emigrated to England in 1963 but returned to India 18 months later, emigrating for a second and final time in 1975. He played club cricket in Essex and in 1995 took over the Ilford Cricketer School which has a remarkable record of producing first-class cricketers.Hussain’s two other sons both played a good standard of cricket. Mel represented for Worcestershire, while Abbas turned out for Essex 2nd XI.Essex wicketkeeper James Foster paid tribute to Hussain who coached him at Ilford for ten years from the age of nine. “He gave me a lot of advice when I was younger and looked after me a bit. Joe definitely improved my game – he was the type of coach who let you play, show off your natural flair and then correct you accordingly. He wasn’t shy in telling you if he thought you were being lazy. As a coach I thought he had the perfect balance.”Joe’s passing is a sad loss to cricket as he had a lot of friends and people who he has helped in the game. The Ilford Cricket School has run well as a real feeder system for Essex cricket over the years – for that Joe can take a great deal of credit. Joe was very passionate about cricket and was obviously a driving force behind Nasser’s success as well as being very keen for his other ‘boys’ [those he coached] to do well.”
Darrell Hair made his return to international cricket on Thursday when he officiated on the first day of the Intercontinental Cup clash between Canada and the Netherlands in Ontario.Hair, a veteran of 76 Tests, was voted off the ICC’s panel of elite umpires in November last year, following his handling of the Oval Test against Pakistan in August 2006, when Pakistan were penalised for alleged ball-tampering and subsequently forfeited the match.He remains under contract with the ICC until April 2008, but his appearances since November have been sporadic. He officiated in the World Cricket League final between Kenya and Scotland in Nairobi in February, but there seems little prospect of him ever standing at the highest level again. Hair, 54, is suing the ICC for racial discrimination in a hearing that starts in London on October 1 and is expected to last two weeks.Since the incident at The Oval, Hair has left his home in the UK to live in Sydney and is believed to be writing his memoirs. In the match at Ontario, he is standing alongside the Bermudan Roger Dill, a 49-year-old firefighter.
After losing several of their key players because of injuries earlier this summer, Pakistan are now facing further fitness problems with allrounder Abdul Razzaq suffering from a back problem following the first Test at Lord’s.”Razzaq says he has a painful back after his final day’s outing,” said Zaheer Abbas, the Pakistan team manager, who added that Razzaq had requested the team management to rest him in the four-day game against Northamptonshire beginning on July 20. Zaheer said that Razzaq’s injury didn’t seem serious and that he should be fit in time for the second Test at Old Trafford from July 27.Razzaq, though, is not the only player who is unfit to play at Northampton. With the mercury soaring in the thirties, Zaheer said that around five to six players want to rest ahead of the Old Trafford Test. With just 15 players available for selection, the team management would find it difficult to have 11 willing players for the match against Northamptonshire under the blazing sun.Zaheer said that the team management might ask some of the discarded Pakistan players settled in England to fill in if they are unable to find enough players from their camp to play the four-day game. “We might call players like Arshad Khan to come and play for us at Northampton.”Mushtaq Ahmed, the legspinner, also received the backing of Pakistan selectors for a possible recall for the Old Trafford Test.”It all depends on the team’s planning for the Test. Inzamam knows Mushtaq better than anyone else. If he wants to play him because of special circumstances, we will support him,” Wasim Bari, the chief selector, told Reuters. “We have four to five injuries in the team and we have to look at things very differently and we need special thinking. By and large we support the captain.”Bari added that Asif and Shoaib Malik, who returned to Pakistan earlier in the week with elbow injuries, would require at least four weeks to make full recoveries.
The ICC has found no evidence to support claims of racism in the Zimbabwe Cricket Union, following the conclusion of an inquiry, instigated in the wake of allegations made by 15 white “rebel” players, who claimed that they had been driven out of the game in their country.”We do not find any evidence of racism within Zimbabwe cricket,” the panel decided, and that conclusion has been accepted by the ICC, which believes that the inquiry was able to get to the root of the issues in Zimbabwe, despite the early end to the oral hearing phase, after the lawyers for the players and the board failed to agree on whether testimony should be heard in front of members of the ZCU board.The inquiry was conducted by India’s Solicitor General, Goolam Vahanvati, and the South African High Court judge Steven Majiedt, and their long-awaited 73-page report was presented to the ICC’s executive board in Lahore today.The two panel members acknowledged that there had been a “complete breakdown” in the relationship between the board and the players, but believed nonetheless that they had been successful in reading between the lines of the affair. “We had every reason to believe that we would be able to ascertain the truth,” says the report. “We believe that we have been able to do so.”Ehsan Mani, the president of the ICC, described the report as a “vital piece of work”, adding that it should prompt people to reflect carefully on the allegations that have been made. “These allegations … invoked one of the most serious and damaging claims that can be made against an individual or an institution,” said Mani. ” I believe that anyone who has made these allegations … is now obligated to study this report and to respect and take heed of the findings.”The report attempts to lay the blame for the affair at the feet of the former captain, Heath Streak, who threatened to resign back in April if his demands were not met. The ZCU, the report claims, had no option but to take his threat at face value, thereby setting off the chain of events that led to the 15 rebels withdrawing their services in support of their captain, in the mistaken belief that he had been sacked.”In giving the board an ultimatum that he would resign if his demands were not accepted, he [Heath Streak] put his own future on the line,” the report finds. “Streak obviously did not anticipate (and was not advised) that given the ultimatum that he would retire by April 5, 2004, the board would take the position that it had no option but to reject his demands and accept his retirement. They did precisely that.”As to the allegations of institutional racism in the ZCU, the report found that their policies for the integration of cricket in Zimbabwe were based on sound principles and were generally accepted by all stakeholders in Zimbabwe cricket. However, there were some aspects of selection and the functioning of some ZCU directors which needed to be “seriously addressed”.In conclusion, the report made eight recommendations, most of which centred around issues of selection and integration. In particular, the establishment of a players’ association is high on the agenda, so that future grievances can be channelled more effectively.
We’ve seen plenty of politics in cricket, and now it’s time for some cricket in politics. The Times of India reports that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the biggest political party in India’s ruling coalition, has made a new television commercial using the recent victory in Pakistan to underscore its “feel-good” theme. It consists of a montage which intersperses images of the Indians playing cricket with those of Atal Bihari Vajpayee, India’s prime minister.The report says: “The film is a collage of footage of Wednesday’s match [the final one-dayer at Lahore], juxtaposed with Vajpayee’s image and a few words of inspiration. ‘Hamare cricket team ko badhai. Hamare gyaraan bharatiyon ne match bhi jeeta, dil bhi.‘ [‘Congratulations to our cricket team. Our 11 players won not just the match, but also our hearts.’]”The punchline is: “Gyaraan bharatiyon ne croron ka dil jeeta. Sau karor mil jayen tho hamein kaun hara sakta hai?” [“Eleven Indians won millions of hearts. If a billion Indians get together, who can defeat us?”]* * *The Bombay Times, the Mumbai supplement of theTimes of India, covers parties as well, but not the political kind. So their front-page headline, “Oh bod, they’re hot!”, is hardly surprising. They have carried out a nationwide poll to see which cricketer from the just-concluded series is considered the sexiest by Indian women, and is, as they term it, “Mr Indo-Pak”.Rahul Dravid, needless to say, comes first. The report says: “It was Dravid because he was ‘sublimely sexy’, ‘cute’, ‘cool’, ‘choclatey’, ‘Mr Nice Guy’, ‘rock solid’, ‘dear dependable’ [and] ‘intriguingly innocent’.”The only Indian city where Dravid did not win was Lucknow, where he was beaten by Yuvraj Singh and Shoaib Akhtar. The overall second position went to “wild, untamed, sweaty, flighty Shoaib Akhtar, who makes you wish you were cave woman. And he? Cave man!”* * *How did Pakistan’s players cope with their defeat? The Times of India reported that Inzamam-ul-Haq said his prayers and went home to be with his family, insisting that nobody turn on the television. The report said that “Inzamam’s father, who is also known as ‘peer saab‘ for delivering religious discourses, spoke to his son on life’s cause-and-effect theory.”Shoaib, the report said, “left past midnight in a black long-sleeved T-shirt and sand-busted jeans. Obviously he wasn’t in the best of moods, and didn’t eat too much. As one team-mate said, ‘more than the loss, he was stunned by the six that [Lakshmipathy] Balaji hit off him’.”Yasir Hameed and Shabbir Ahmed, meanwhile, argued about tactics, watched the Indian hit Kal Ho Na Ho, and “moved on to a game of darts”.* * *Vadodara [formerly Baroda], where Irfan Pathan lives, was throbbing with festivity as Pathan bowled India to victory. The Times of India reported: “As soon as India’s victory was announced, people started flocking Mandvi and the Jumma Masjid, where [Pathan’s] family stays, shouting ‘Bolo Irfan ki jai, Bolo Bharat Mata ki jai’. [‘Glory be to Irfan, glory be to Mother India.’] At one point, there were so many people in the narrow bylane that the three policemen stationed outside his house were not enough to keep the crowd at bay.” The picture accompanying the piece showed Pathan’s father, Mehboobkhan, waving the Indian flag on the roof of his house, as crowds below cheered him on.There were similar scenes outside Mohammad Kaif’s house in Allahabad. The Times of India reported: “Outside Kaif’s Cooper Road house, in Civil Lines, there was a riot of colours and crackers. Several fans had come out wearing Team India’s blue. Some of them had painted their faces in tricolours. [A] few sang the famous Lagaan song, ‘baar baar haan, bolo yaar haan’, while jiving gleefully.”* * *Pakistan’s newspapers, Dawn and the Daily Nation among them, carried reports that some former Pakistan Test players were unhappy with Rameez Raja, the chief executive of the Pakistan Cricket Board, for sending them low-priced tickets for the fifth one-day international at Lahore. Imtiaz Ahmed, Saeed Ahmed, Mohammad Ilyas and Ijaz Butt were given tickets to one of the cheaper stands, worth Rs500, and they refused them. Even these tickets came only an outcry in Pakistan’s media after the players were not invited at all for the fourth one-dayer, which had also been in Lahore.Imtiaz said that he was a life member of MCC, which sent him tickets for every international or county match played at Lord’s. He was upset that their own board was treating them so shabbily.During the match, Wisden Cricinfo had reported that Fazal Mahmood, a Pakistan legend, was upset at being given a ticket to one of the cheaper stands – especially when one of the plushest stands in the stadium is actually named after him.* * *The Indian Express carried a feature on Nadeem Ghauri, the Pakistani umpire who officiated in the just-concluded one-day series. Ghauri, when asked what was his most memorable moment during the final, replied, “Giving a great batsman like Sachin Tendulkar out. The nick can easily get lost in our countries when you have 20-25,000 people shouting. This is quite unlike England or Australia, so it becomes difficult to give batsmen out.”According to Ghauri, the key, in such noisy situations, is to look at the batsman, to see “if he looks back at the wicketkeeper or down at the crease. But I picked it up when I saw the ball passing Tendulkar’s bat, and the moment I saw Tendulkar’s head looking downwards, I made up my mind. He walked even as I made the decision. That is the greatness of the man.”
Craig White is encouraged by his comeback from injury after playing a useful role in England’s World Cup lead-up against Border.White ended with two wickets for 26, both with short balls, and bowled his full ten overs as Border went down to England by seven wickets.”I thought I would try the odd bouncer because that is when you use your side the most,” said the Yorkshire all-rounder. “I gave it a go and it felt fine which was very encouraging.”The first couple of overs I gradually got into it but after that I felt as good as I have for a long time. I think I was probably at 85 to 90% and I felt it came out well.”White has played in both of England’s lead-up matches, after it was initially announced that he was to sit out the first game against Eastern Province.”We were just going to play it by ear,” said White. “Nasser was initially going to bowl me five or six overs but I said I was feeling good so he kept me going. The management have been very supportive, given me as much time as I needed and told me to go out and bowl.”England’s coach, Duncan Fletcher, has hinted that White may be used in the death overs when the competition proper gets under way next week.”I look at it as a challenge, I have bowled at the death before and quite enjoy it,” White enthused. “You are either a hero or a villain, and as long as everyone understands that I don’t mind doing it.”You can’t do any more really than win both games. We’ve started with a fresh slate, coming to South Africa after a tough time in Australia. Now it’s a new competition we start again. We have won our warm-up games so I think we are going in the right direction.”
Bournemouth were left disappointed and frustrated after rain rescued Southern Electric ECB Premier League rivals South Wilts from probable defeat at Lower Bemerton.South Wilts were in desperate straits, at 82-8, when a 4 o’clock downpour rain spared their blushes and denied Bournemouth only their second win in six weeks.”I’ve no doubt at all we would have won,” said skipper Matt Swarbrick.”We bowled and fielded well, particularly Paul Warren and Peter Waite, who caused no end of problems to the South Wilts batsmen on a damp, helpful surface.Both bowlers nipped the ball about – teenager wicketkeeper Chris Park having a field day, claiming his second five-victim haul of the season.It was Park, the Dorset Under-19 ‘keeper, who shattered Russell Rowe’s dreams of scoring a record fourth successive Premier League century.Rowe, the Southern Electric Cricketer of the Month for May, had made only ten runs before getting a nick to a delivery from Western Australian Peter Waite (2-31), who later had Rob Wade, the former South Wilts captain, caught behind.Constant rain interruptions made batting doubly difficult for South Wilts, who sank into deep trouble at 38-5.Warren (3-18), the ex-Somerset and Glamorgan bowler, trapped Jamie Glasson leg before on the back-foot, bowled Brendan Pauwells (who shouldered arms to an off-cutter) and forced Chris Newton to give Park his third catch behind.Tom Caines (21 not out) and Simon Woodhouse (21) staged a determined post-lunch rally, but a suicidal run-out – the batsmen unwisely took on Martin Miller’s arm – sank South Wilts back into the mire.Teenager Tom Webley, recently snapped up by Somerset, joined the Bournemouth attack and, thanks to Park’s glovework, removed Sean Little and Chris Steedon in successive deliveries.Park, 17, who has been having trials with Northants, bagged a stumping and a catch to take his season’s haul to 17 victims.But the efforts of the young wicketkeeper and Bournemouth’s “W” bowling formation were to no avail as a 4 o’clock rain storm wrecked any prospect of further play with South Wilts 82-8 .. and in desperate trouble.The matches at Bashley-Rydal (v Hungerford) and Calmore Sports (v Andover) were washed out without a ball being bowled.Burridge, the club whose notoriously wet ground suffered more than most from the heavy winter rains, were the only Southern Electric ECB Premier League side to complete a Division 1 match.They side-stepped the elements to inflict a 52-run defeat on Liphook & Ripsley, who suffered a fourth defeat in seven games.Burridge totted up 198-7 in 36 overs, with Paul Hawkins (51) and Dave Jackson (41) sharing a second-wicket stand of 86 after in-form Neil Cunningham had gone cheaply.Jon Francis (39) marked his return with a quick-fire knock as Burridge posted a formidable total, despite the attentions of Tim Wheatley (3-53) and Chris Wright (2-34).Liphook, requiring 159 off 28 overs after a tea-time downpour, promptly lost Steve Riley, but New Zealander Ben Jansen (25) and teenager Wright (21) added 49 for the second wicket.The visitors became disinterested as spinners Matt Godwin (4-29) and Paul Ancell (3-22) carved into their order and finished with 102-9, 57 runs adrift of their adjusted target.Third-placed BAT Sports had reached 156-3 off 37.1 overs when heavy rain forced the abandonment of their meeting with unbeaten leaders Havant at Southern Gardens.Richard Kenway (26) and Damien Shirazi (14) gave BAT a 57-run start before both openers were caught behind in quick succession by Simon Greenfield off the bowling of Shawn Gillies.But any prospects Havant had of carving significant inroads into the BAT top-order were denied by Australian Dave Carson, who is beginning to show the form he produced for Hambledon in the past two seasons.The University of New South Wales all-rounder, who plays alongside Australia Test opener Michael Slater in the powerful Sydney A-Grade competition, hit his third half-century in a week, scoring 53 not out before Havant achieved a third breakthrough.Dave Banks (21) was bowled by the left-arm spin of Stephen Foulger at 86-3, but Adam Hayes (22 not out) joined Carson in an unbroken fourth wicket stand of 70 before a 6 o’clock cloudburst ended play for good.Lymington’s scheduled Division 2 visit to Easton & Martyr Worthy was a weather casualty, as were the Premier Division 3 games involving New Milton, and Bashley (Rydal) and Lymington 2nd XIs.