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Scorecard and ball-by-ball details

England stormed to victory in the second Test at Edgbaston, winning by 256 runs after tea on the fourth day to go 2-0 up in the series and thus retain the Wisden Trophy. Ashley Giles was again the hero of the victory charge, picking up 5 for 57 as West Indies were bowled out for 222 in pursuit of an academic 478.Even though England were bowled out quite quickly for 248, with Chris Gayle taking Test-best figures of 5 for 34, it was again their day as the bowlers took control in the final session. Giles picked up three of the six wickets to fall after tea, including Gayle for 82, to take his tally for the match to nine, and become the first English spinner since Tony Lock against New Zealand in 1958 to do so in consecutive Tests.West Indies always faced a daunting task in needing to bat out five sessions for survival, but they didn’t make the best of starts. All the batsmen found Matthew Hoggard’s bounce and Giles’s spin disconcerting, and it was Devon Smith who fell first, edging Hoggard straight to Marcus Trescothick at first slip (15 for 1).Gayle’s torrid time against Hoggard continued when he was struck twice on the body, but he continued to be aggressive against anything loose. Michael Vaughan brought Giles into the attack early on, and in his first over, Andrew Strauss took a stunning catch at silly mid-off to dismiss Ramnaresh Sarwan for 14 (58 for 2).Brian Lara, who came to the crease just 20 short of 10,000 Test runs, played an extravagant drive first up, which he missed, and he was sent packing in the next over. Lara tried to flick a full delivery through the leg side, but the ball took the inside edge and looped to Andrew Flintoff at slip, and Lara was out for 13 (101 for 3). At least that’s what Simon Taufel thought, and replays suggested that there had been two noises as the ball passed the bat and hit the pad.Gayle, meanwhile, reached his half-century from 62 balls by slapping a full-toss from the off-colour Stephen Harmison through mid-off for four, and Gayle was soon back into his stride after tea, smashing a Hoggard slower ball back past the bowler. Shivnarine Chanderpaul, on the other hand, was content to play Giles with the front pad rather than his bat, but attacked when the ball was there to be hit, sweeping Giles for two fours to fine leg, the first of which brought up the fifty partnership.But just as Gayle and Chanderpaul were forming some resistance, Hoggard and Giles switched ends, and with his first ball from the Pavilion End, Hoggard almost had Chanderpaul caught at cover. But it was Giles who made the breakthrough, as Chanderpaul finally paid the price for hiding his bat behind his pad, and was given out lbw by Darrell Hair for 43 (172 for 4).Dwayne Bravo lasted just two balls against Giles before he fell in an identical fashion to the first innings – bowled by one that gripped the surface and turned past the bat to hit off stump (172 for 5). Ridley Jacobs, on a pair, almost became Giles’s third victim of the over, edging the ball onto his pad and into the air back to the bowler, but the caught-and-bowled chance fell just short.The West Indies collapse continued as Giles picked up his fifth wicket, that of Gayle, who had looked set for a century. Another excellent delivery from Giles hit the pad and brushed the bat as Gayle played forward defensively, and Andrew Strauss snapped up the catch at silly mid-off (177 for 6). Jacobs then completed his pair, lofting one from Hoggard that stopped on the pitch to mid-off, where James Anderson leapt into the air to take a well-judged one-handed catch (177 for 7). Pedro Collins didn’t last long, collecting the third duck of West Indies’ innings when he was palpably leg-before to Hoggard (182 for 8).Anderson came back on after a poor spell earlier in the day, and with his second ball bowled Corey Collymore for 10 to take England to the brink of victory (210 for 9). He then completed the rout two overs later by bowling Jermaine Lawson with a fast yorker to start the celebrations.

It was another sorry ending for West Indies, who crashed to their fifth defeat in six Tests against England. They did, though, salvage some pride by nipping out the remaining seven English wickets in the morning session. However, there was still time for Trescothick to reach his second century of the match – the first man to do so at Edgbaston – and for Graham Thorpe to score a half-century on his 35th birthday. However, both were dismissed shortly after reaching their milestones, and wickets fell regularly thereafter.Trescothick was run out by a direct hit from Sarwan from the boundary for 107 (184 for 4), and Thorpe then charged down the pitch at Gayle and was stumped for 54 (195 for 5). After playing out a few overs, Flintoff unleashed some powerful strokes on Lawson to keep the momentum going, but he top-edged an attempted heave to midwicket off Gayle, and Bravo took a well-judged catch (226 for 7).Before that, Lawson bowled Geraint Jones through the gate with one that swung in through the air and moved off the pitch for his fourth wicket, and Gayle then wrapped things up, bowling Giles for 15 (234 for 8), trapping Harmison lbw and having Hoggard scoop a catch straight to Smith at mid-on. However, it was all academic in the end as England proved they had plenty of runs to spare.

Hampshire make two changes to the side that lost to Somerset in the Frizzell County Championship last week, for the visit of Durham, starting this Wednesday (4th June).Wasim Akram returns after a bout of tonsilitis, and fit again Ed Giddins returns in place of James Bruce,Dimitri Mascarenhas will face a fitness test on the back injury that kept him out of the National League match against Scotland on Sunday.The team: John Crawley (captain), Derek Kenway, Simon Katich, Robin Smith, Will Kendall, Nic Pothas (wicket-keeper), Dimitri Mascarenhas, Wasim Akram, Shaun Udal, Alan Mullally and Ed Giddins.The Durham team: Jonathan Lewis (Captain), Michael Gough, Gary Pratt, Nicky Peng, Vince Wells, Danny Law, Phil Mustard (wicket-keeper), Liam Plunkett, Nic Phillips, Neil Killeen, Mark Davies, Dewald Pretorious.

English county cricket has always been characterised by its festival weeks.Evocative names like Ashby de la Zouch, Weston-super-Mare and Moreton inMarsh have, over the years, given the fixture list an appeal that could notbe matched by an everlasting rotation of county headquarters.Some of these festivals still flourish, and how appropriate that the mostfamous of them all, Scarborough, was the venue when Yorkshire secured theCricInfo Championship this year – their first title in the competition for 33 years.Even the Scarborough festival has changed. Not so long ago it was an end-of-season party with serious cricketers playing cricket that fell just a littleshort of the highest level. Anyone who needed a couple of wickets to reach a hundred in the season, or a few runs for a thousand, would be very disappointed to turn out for, say, T.N. Pearce’s XI and return home without achieving their personal landmark.When players turned up in some of the out of the way venues, usually having made their way through high-season holiday traffic to arrive at some ungodlyhour, they would all complain about the accommodation, the catering, and thesize and condition of the dressing rooms. Batsmen would complain that thepitches were dreadful, as would the bowlers at some of the flatter ones.All in all, the cricket was good or, at least, different and the presence offestival weeks certainly spiced up the daily round of cricket. Most importantly, the crowds would flock in, having fixed their holidays theprevious year to coincide with the next festival of cricket.That has changed along with the face of English cricket. Two three-day matches fitted rather neatly into a week, especially when there was a Sunday League match to be played as well. One four-day match and perhaps a limited-overs game do not make the same financial sense. That is what it comes down to. Why go to all the expense of transporting the trappings of a county match to a distant venue when there is a perfectly good headquarters ground, on which so much has been invested, standing empty?That is what has put a question mark over the continuance of so many festivals. The latest is not by the sea or in some scenic delight. It is in metropolitan Essex. To be exact, in Valentine’s Park, Ilford.At one time, Essex did not have a permanent home. They were a team of gypsies forever plying the A12 as they travelled from Leyton in the west to Clacton in the east, stopping at Ilford, Romford, Brentwood, Chelmsford, Colchester, Southend, and Westcliff on the way. British Railways Eastern Region did much the same.Gradually, as Chelmsford was developed as the county’s home, other venues were dropped. Nowadays, only Ilford, Southend, and Colchester are visited, and Ilford is under threat.Essex have just issued a statement which reads as follows: “Following a recent meeting of the Club’s Executive Committee it has been provisionally decided to proceed with the Ilford Festival in 2002.”The Festival has caused the Club considerable financial difficulty over several years, and the Club is at an advanced stage of negotiations withRedbridge Council for financial support for the future.”Chief Executive David East said: “The problems we have been experiencing with the Ilford Festival are common knowledge, and it is essential that we receive significant support from Redbridge Council if the Festival is to proceed next year.”Our Committee has decided to defer a final decision at this time, but has confirmed that it will not proceed if we are unable to obtain the necessary funding from Redbridge. Early indications are very favourable, but we understand that the Council’s budget will not be finalised until the early New Year.”We very much wish to return to Ilford to continue with our great traditionof first class cricket in the region. The Festival is the pinnacle of ourcommunity development activity in the Ilford and East London area, and weremain hopeful that Redbridge Council will provide the support we need tocontinue with the Festival.”Although our commitment to cricket development will remain, if Council funding is not forthcoming the matches provisionally scheduled at Ilford will have to be switched to Chelmsford.”East makes an important point. A large county in geographical terms, Essex has always felt it important to take the game to outlying areas. Not only does it boost membership by doing so, it also brings more young players into contact with the stars of the game. A couple of players to have come to Essex in recent years from the very same Ilford club whose festival is now under threat go by the names of Graham Gooch and John Lever.It is also the part of the world where the young Nasser Hussain learned his cricket. And yet that whole corner of a cricketing county could be left without any first-class fixtures unless a council budget can be manipulated to find a way of preserving the game. Otherwise, the name of Ilford could be added to a list that includes the likes of Ashby de la Zouch, Weston-super-Mare and Moreton in Marsh – the list of former first-class venues.

Jeff Vaughan’s third first-class century has today saved South Australia fromoutright defeat in the Pura Cup match against Western Australia at theAdelaide Oval.After scoring a duck in the first innings, the 26-year-old was keen to makeamends this time around. He confessed to feeling “pretty bloody ordinary”after that dismissal and was keen to hang about and do his part for theteam. And staying in also meant making runs.”We couldn’t afford to bat for four hours and still not be in front of them,but our number one goal was to still be on the Oval at stumps,” he said.”It’s still disappointing from a team perspective because we really stuffedit up in the first innings. But to come out of it with a fighting draw waspleasing.”Rebacks’ captain Darren Lehmann was full of praise for the right-handedbatsman, who occupied the crease for nearly six and a half hours for his unbeaten 131.”It was a great knock. Real gutsy, especially coming in on a pair; it was anexcellent effort from him,” he said.But Vaughan didn’t do it alone, receiving plenty of support from Brad Youngin particular. Young, who batted for two hours for his 71 not out, scoredat a brisk rate, belting 12 boundaries. The pair chalked up a partnershipof 132 at better than a run a minute. The highlight was one Damien Martynover that yielded 15 runs, including three fours.Lehmann was more than happy with the draw. “It was a goodfightback for us, considering we went in last night at 3/100 or whatever.So to get out with a draw there, where in the past we’d fold and probablylose the game easily, was really good,” he said.The Western Australians, who held on for a draw in similar fashion intheir previous match against Queensland, would be disappointed with theresult, but can take heart from their excellent batting performance.Martyn (122) and Adam Gilchrist (102) both enjoyed fine knocks. Gilchrist,in particular, was in sparkling form, prompting Lehmann to label his century”one of the best hundreds I’ve seen in Adelaide”. The Australianwicketkeeper was named player of the match.Western Australia next faces Tasmania in Hobart in November, while SouthAustralia takes on a full-strength New South Wales team at the BankstownOval.Vaughan said the team was looking forward to facing the Blues’ stellarline-up. “It’s a good challenge for the team. We have had a positive startto the season and it’ll be a huge challenge and one that everyone is lookingforward to. You want to test yourself against the best in the game, sowe’re all looking forward to it.”

Andrew Symonds is considering coming out of retirement to play a limited amount of T20 cricket.Symonds, who retired in February 2012 citing family reasons, has so enjoyed his experience of playing in the Masters Champions League – he is representing Capricorn Commanders in the tournament for players who have retired from international cricket – that he is mulling over offers to play more mainstream tournaments in the coming months.And, even if Symonds, now 40, ultimately decides against a playing comeback, he believes he could contribute to the game in a coaching role.He did some consulting work with the Australian Twenty20 team in South Africa in the lead-up to the World T20 in 2014 and has also had a loose advisory role with Brisbane Heat in BBL.”People have asked me: ‘would you consider starting up again?'” Symonds told ESPNcricinfo. “It’s something I’ve definitely got to consider.”I suppose I’m in a situation where I could go back, try and get really fit and engage again. Or just be happy doing what I’m doing. That’s something I’ve got to work out in the next six months or so.”I’m enjoying playing. It’s physically demanding, but I’m enjoying the challenge again. I’m enjoying the adrenalin and the nerves again. It’s not too bad at all. I am enjoying it.”For all his success – and Symonds played in World Cup-winning sides, set world records and finished with a Test batting average in excess of 40 – there is a sense that his was a talent not entirely fulfilled.A series of disciplinary misdemeanours saw his international career end prematurely when he was sent home ahead of the 2009 World T20, aged 33, but he believes his experience – particularly his experience in limited-overs cricket and playing in Asian conditions – could prove beneficial to another generation of players.Flashback to Andrew Symonds’ last IPL season for Mumbai Indians in 2011•Associated Press

“There’s a lot of ‘could haves’ with me,” Symonds admitted. “I’m probably a bit too old now to play really seriously. I’ve a good life. I’ve had a good life through cricket. I’m not unhappy. Life is really good. I’ve a young family now. It’s probably the greatest thing we’ve ever done.”But I’m also considering maybe going into the coaching side of things now. I wouldn’t want to burden anyone with my presence for too long, but a bit of consultancy work would be good. Going in for a couple of weeks and then leaving them alone: match awareness; how to finish games; setting totals; tactics against certain types of bowling or on certain surfaces.”I ended up playing a lot of cricket in the sub-continent and a lot of teams struggle when they go there. If I can pass on my experience, that may be helpful for them.”I’ve probably a few decisions to make in the next little bit.”

Jacques Kallis’ omission from the South African squad for the Twenty20 World Championship has prompted him to quit as vice-captain of the team. Kallis was non-committal about his future as an international player, though he ruled out the possibility of an early retirement.”I have resigned as vice-captain and I’m considering my options with regard to the rest of my career,” Kallis said. “I have been thinking long and hard over the weekend and there is still a lot of emotion involved because I am extremely disappointed. I was very excited about the tournament and hoping to make a huge contribution.”I feel I have a lot of good cricket left and my best years might even be ahead of me. Ideally I would like to play many more years for my country but this weekend caused me to question my future for the first time.”Joubert Strydom, the newly-appointed chairman of selectors, said that Kallis was merely rested for the tournament, keeping in mind South Africa’s packed schedule ahead. With quite a few young players competing for places in the top order, Strydom felt it would be better to preserve Kallis for Tests and one-dayers and not risk him in the Twenty20 format.Gerald Majola, the Cricket South Africa (CSA) chief executive, expressed disappointment over Kallis’ statement after he received a call from Kallis. “I said we all understood his disappointment, and appealed to him not to resign while in an emotional state but to rather meet with CSA to discuss the matter fully so that we could deal with all the issues at hand. It is most disappointing therefore that Jacques took a unilateral decision after speaking to me to publicly announce his resignation as vice-captain.”This is regrettable, particularly in the light that CSA and the players’ trade union, the South African Cricketers Association (SACA), have recently signed a ground-breaking memorandum of understanding which outlines the way in which we will deal with each other for mutual benefit.Jacques is employed by CSA, and we expected him at least to sit down at a meeting and go through the matter before he made his own decision to make a public announcement.”Majola hoped Kallis would reconsider his decision and added that CSA would attempt a meeting with him to discuss the matter in further detail.

Division One

Iain Sucliffe’s second century of the season handed Lancashire a solid base in their crucial clash against Warwickshire at Blackpool. Sutcliffe added 108 for the third wicket with Stuart Law after Warwickshire struck twice before lunch. Law stroked 12 boundaries in his 97-ball 61 and Sutcliffe reached his ton off 101 balls. However, Lancashire progress was halted when rain washed out the final session and there was a poor forecast for tomorrow. Moments before tea, a water bomb and held up proceedings for a few moments after landing on a length.Paul Weekes, who has on the verge of leaving Middlesex midway through the summer, hit his first century of the season as they recovered from a difficult position against Yorkshire at Scarborough. Weekes arrived with Middlesex 115 for 4 after Deon Kruis had taken the first four wickets and turned the innings around. He lost Scott Styris for 64 – the first success for Matthew Hoggard – but formed important stands with David Nash and Chad Keegan. Kruis picked up five, but Hoggard was restricted to two scalps on his return to county action.

Division Two

Northamptonshire are in a fine position after the opening day against Derbyshire at Derby. Matthew Nicholson led an impressive bowling performance with 4 for 12 and his first spell off six overs consisted entirely of maidens. At 79 for 2, Derbyshire had nearly weathered the early storm, but Nicholson removed Chris Taylor and the rest crumbled as Greg Smith and Ant Botha followed on the same score. Monty Panesar chipped in with two, including Travis Birt who top-scored with 63, and Ben Phillips wrapped up the innings. Chris Rogers led a positive start to the Northants innings and the deficit is already down to just 45.The Essex bowlers were put to the sword at New Road as three Worcestershire batsmen slammed centuries. Lou Vincent set the ball rolling with a 101-ball effort at the top of the order, adding 121 for the second wicket with Vikram Solanki. After Vincent fell to Alex Tudor, Solanki went to three figures from 163 balls, his fourth of the season, as he passed 1000 Championship runs for the summer. Graeme Hick then joined the part to grind Essex into the dirt as they conceded nearly five-an-over.Mark Butcher and Azhar Mahmood led a Surrey fightback at The Oval with a stand of 192 against Glamorgan. James Franklin took four wickets, including Mark Ramprakash for 77, and Surrey slipped to 198 for 5. However, Butcher and Mahmood counter-attacked with their fourth and first tons of the season respectively. Butcher took 153 balls and carried on past 150 as Surrey approached maximum batting points. Mahmood struck 15 boundaries before falling to David Harrison late in the day.

Anura Tennekoon, former Sri Lanka captain and currently manager of the Sri Lanka A team, called on the Sri Lankan cricket authorities to seriously consider preparing pitches with pace, bounce and grass at home if the country is to arrest the decline in quality batsmen.Tennekoon’s disturbing remarks came in the face of Sri Lanka A being knocked out of the on-going three-nation one-day competition. Sri Lanka A won only one of their four qualifying matches and failed to book a berth for Saturday’s final at the SSC grounds where South Africa A and New Zealand A will clash.After being shot out for 45 by South Africa A in their opening match of the competition, Sri Lanka A’s batting has hardly been convincing. Apart from the 251 for 6 against New Zealand A, which they won, the Sri Lankan side has failed to come up with a match-winning total in any of the other games.Even their over-200 totals have been largely due to the contributions made by the lower order batsmen. The highest individual score made in this series by a top order batsman was 59 by Jehan Mubarak in their win over New Zealand A.Sri Lanka, which boasted several world-class batsmen in the recent past, suddenly find a dearth of such talent in their reserve ranks. Tennekoon (59) led Sri Lanka in the first two World Cup tournaments in 1975 and 1979, and was an accomplished right-hand batsman with a technique and temperament which the present top order sorely lacks.”What has troubled our top order is the pace and swing generated by the South African and New Zealand bowlers especially in the first ten overs. Our batsmen have found it difficult to cope with it and it has led to our downfall,” said Tennekoon.If these batsmen are finding it difficult to tackle pace and swing in home conditions and pitches it is doubtful if they will survive when they go overseas. The Sri Lanka A side comprises batsmen whom the national selectors have identified as those with potential to make it to the national side whenever the situation arises. But going by the manner in which they have performed in this competition, and in those before it, a rather gloomy future awaits Sri Lanka cricket unless radical action is taken to stem the decline.Tennekoon cited the importance of preparing the right kind of pitches not only for domestic club cricket but also school cricket. “During our time we always left grass on the pitch so that you hone your skills to cope with bounce and swing while you are still at school. It tightens your technique at a younger age,” he said. “Cricket at school-level should be played with the intention of producing national players, and not purely for winning championships.”Another aspect which Tennekoon noted was how most Sri Lankan batsmen lacked mental toughness to bat under pressure. “They should be made to be mentally strong from a tender age. Leave aside the one-day game, our batsmen are unable to build on an innings and make a big hundred even in the four-day games. The only big innings that came from the `A’ matches played this year was from Russel Arnold, and he is already an established player in the senior team.”There is also the over coaching in schools which destroys the flair of a batsman. There is a lot of textbook cricket played by youngsters. While they are playing this orthodox cricket they are losing out on their flair side, innovation is being lost. That’s an area one we shouldn’t lose out because Sri Lankans have an ability to be naturally innovative players,” he said.

Scorecard
A century from Brian Lara and three wickets from Ravi Rampaul helped West Indies to a 96-run win over Ireland in the first of their one-day warm-up matches at Stormont. Despite some lacklustre batting, and some dogged Irish bowling, in their innings of 242 all out with four overs remaining, West Indies still managed to record an all important victory.Rampaul ran through Ireland’s top order to finish with 3 for 25 from 6 overs, picking up the wickets of openers Jason Molins and Jeremy Bray, as well as Niall O’Brien, to leave Ireland stuttering at 47 for 3. Ian Bradshaw then bowled Andre Botha for 21 (71 for 4), and almost immediately afterwards, Darren Sammy had Peter Gillespie caught by Chris Gayle for 3 as West Indies took control.Bradshaw had Andrew White caught by Carlton Baugh, the stand-in wicketkeeper (91 for 6), then caught Trent Johnston off Chris Gayle’s offspin for 17 (129 for 7). Gayle also bowled Eoin Morgan for 9 (145 for 8) before Jermaine Lawson wrapped up the innings with the wicket of Kyle McCallan for 32 with the score on 146, and Gordon Cooke unable to bat due to injury.Earlier, Lara saved West Indies’ blushes with a typically flamboyant century after they had stumbled to 40 for 3. He came to the crease with the fall of Gayle, bowled by Adrian McCoubrey for 16. Lara smashed 106 off 99 balls, with 12 fours and four sixes, in an otherwise dire batting performance. Apart from Dwayne Bravo (45), no batsman scored more than 16 and West Windies were bowled out in the 46th over.After the run out of Shivnarine Chanderpaul for 11 (29 for 1), the impressive McCoubrey had Devon Smith caught behind second ball for 4, after he had hit his first to the boundary (33 for 2), before bowling Gayle. Lara and Bravo steadied the ship with a 139-run partnership for the fourth wicket. They were particularly severe on the offspin of Andrew White, but he came back well to take the key wicket of Lara, caught by Kyle McCallan (205 for 5). He then removed Darren Sammy, on his first-class debut, for a duck.McCallan and Botha then combined to run through West Indies’ lower order as the last four wickets fell for only 18 runs, with Ricardo Powell bowled by McCallan for 15 (224 for 7), and Bradshaw caught behind off Botha for 7 (233 for 8). Baugh gave McCallan his second wicket, caught by the substitute fielder for 15 (239 for 9), and Botha wrapped up the innings, with 22 balls still remaining, by bowling Jermaine Lawson for 1.

Pop music, waiters in fancy dress, two England players flaunting their new coloured uniforms for the cameras, and all for the launch of a new 20-over tournament – it’s just not cricket. Well, according to the ECB it is, actually – only with more fun.At yesterday’s launch of the Twenty20 Cup, Tim Lamb, the ECB chief executive, claimed this was the most revolutionary step in the English game since the Gillette Cup was born in 1963. Revolutionary means change, and change doesn’t go down well with the stereotypical one man and his dog, filling in their scorecards on a wet Wednesday at Worcester. The ECB (all hip and trendy in their open-collared shirts) know that, but they don’t care.”The beauty of cricket is that because it’s so versatile and flexible, the more traditional spectator can leave Twenty20, and come back to Test or county cricket if he prefers,” Lamb said. “Spectators have the adaptability to see what they want, and enjoy it.”So exactly what sort of spectator are the ECB hoping to attract with their new all-singing, all-dancing spectacle? Stuart Robertson, the head of marketing for the ECB, said that although they’re still welcome, the upper-class middle-aged man is not who they are hoping will come in their droves – it’s the two million cricket-playing schoolchildren, women and their families who are top of the hit list.And they’ve done their best to reel them in – with all sorts of things that don’t have anything much to do with cricket. Pop bands, karaoke, barbecues and beer tents are just a few of the side attractions on offer, while some of the counties have already got in to the party spirit. Worcestershire will have a jacuzzi, Glamorgan a fancy-dress theme, Hampshire will have a mock-up living room to watch the game from, and samba bands will be shaking their stuff at Durham.And there are all sorts of shenanigans taking place on the pitch too. The players will be miked up to the commentary box, enabling some “hilarious banter” with the Sky Sports TV team (don’t hold your breath), and the incoming batsman will wait for his turn in the dugout, while being interviewed.While all this razzmatazz was being unveiled, David Graveney, the chairman of selectors, went as far to say that the competition would help England to become the best one-day international team. A bit over the top, perhaps, but Graveney was attempting to get one over on an esteemed Times correspondent, who claimed that the Twenty20 Cup had no purpose.So while opinion remains divided in the public and the media, what do the players think about it all? Chris Adams, the Sussex captain – fresh from a matchwinning innings against Hampshire in the Cheltenham & Gloucester Trophy – admitted to having his doubts at first, but said he is now fully behind it and raring to go. “The ECB marketers have given it a thorough examination and looked at the bigger picture. It’s a journey into the unknown, but I’m sure it will be fun.”And he wasn’t giving anything away in terms of Sussex’s tactics: “I’m not going to say what we’re doing, but whoever gets the tactics right will be the team that wins.” And another big incentive to get to the final at Trent Bridge on July 19? “Atomic Kitten, of course – that’s a real bonus for any team getting there.”John Crawley, the Hampshire captain, not known for his buccaneering big-hits, also insisted it was a step in the right direction. “Research shows the game needs a lift and we’re all really looking forward to it.” He was just as upbeat on his team’s chances too: ” I think Hampshire have got a good chance with players like Wasim Akram, Dimi Mascarenhas and James Hamblin, who can all smash balls out of the park.”And to the sceptics like the one man and his dog at Worcester, Crawley argued: “The rules are still the same as one-day internationals, and if you’re not able to adapt your game to fouror five-day cricket, then you’re not professional enough.”Maybe to emphasise Sky TV’s prominent part in the cup, coach-turned-commentator David Lloyd was there, excited and enthusiastic as ever. “The Twenty20 Cup will always have its detractors, but you have to take it on the chin and ride with it. I’m looking forward to the new inventions on the field: a new shot or a new type of delivery. I hope it’s a success”. So do the ECB, who, without the blessing of WG and CMJ, hope the all the karaoke, colour and character of this carnival catches on.Freddie Auld is editorial assistant of Wisden CricInfo in London.